The Unspoken Discrimination Within

I am so sick & tired of the unspoken discrimination within the military. Not that of the activity duty discrimination. No. Not the gay v. straight discrimination. No. Not even the discrimination amongst ranks. No.

I'm talking about the discrimination the military gives spouses. I'm so sick of hearing "no" just because I'm not a foreign national. Yes, I'm a born & breed American. Yes I'm educated. Yes I have common sense. Yes, I'm sane...most days. Yes, I speak English...sometimes fluently. However, why does that automatically make me competent in a way that my foreign national counterpart spouses aren't?

Sometimes I get so removed from the whole military lifestyle that I forget this part. That is until I "need" my service member at home & I am denied that request because I am not a foreign national spouse...oh so fragile & frail! They really play up the system too!

So what if I speak English...I am still in a foreign country too where English is not the main language.

So what if I am American, does that mean that times & situations are less stressful on me?

All I need is one bloody damm weekend in which my husband can help me, the pregnant sane, been emotional stable, military spouse who lives out on in town on the economy, to prepare for this birth of the child that he will be missing! ONE WEEKEND! And I know, I can tell, it is getting really close to this kid coming out...but who cares. I can do it alone! After all, I am afluently speaking American, right? No worries... I don't my service member at all!

Why is that not granted to me, but the lady who needs to go up to the embassy to get her passport re-done can get her husband out of every other important military schedule just to watch the kids because she doesn't want to use the CDC or a friend?

Or the lady who needs her hubby to hold her hand to fly home in an evacuation because she has only met his parents a dozen times with him, but I had to go it alone? It is still an evacuation ...and still my first one at that too!

Or the lady who needs her husband to get her a new ID, but I get handed a stupid piece of paper & sent on my way....to get my first one even I did it alone & at an Air Force Base!

Or the lady who is having a emotional break down at home threatening to leave or whatever, while all I get is left sitting in a pool of hysterical hormonal pregnancy tears while he has to go back to work because of some new emergency?

What am I missing here?

I am really confused. Everyone who romanticizes the military must only be on the foreign end of it. No wonder they have their own cliques, they have their own reality! And then everyone wonders why there is a divide & resentment between American wives & foreign nationals.

I don't care what their culture or customs are. What if I would like to have those same customs & culture? Oh I can't because I am American? Err.....

So sick of it! And people think that the military doesn't discriminate & that the government is fair! HA!

And It Keeps Getting Better! NOT!!!

Do I really need to say more? So who still wants government ran healthcare?

Universal Insurance Plans

Of course this sounds like a great idea & plan. You get to buy an insurance plan in one state, while using it in another, all while you live in another. That would be awesome right?

The question: "Why can't private insurance companies fight for my business like any other service?"

Has one person stopped to think about the reason why instead of just asking?

Because each state regulates health care already, by state statues. Hence the reason if you are qualified for practicing medicine in AR you can't just go to FL without taking another medical board & becoming qualified.

And it is not just medical. The same applies to lawyers & teachers! You can pass your boards in one state but not be qualified to practice in every state.

Insurance is what covers these practices services. So....how is it going to work?

Now we are proposing that we get insurance companies to raise their premiums so that we can use it in any state? How is that the reform we need?

Universal Healthcare & Universal Insurance is NOT the Reform we need!

It's NASCAR, Get Some Balls Back!

Anyone who has been following NASCAR or my recent posts on Facebook, know that everyone is hatin' on Kyle Bush. Why? That is what I want to know!

Yes, Kyle has some bad sportsmanship skills like blaming everyone & everything but himself for not winning a race. But seriously, you have to be a little crazy & unstable to be doing 200 MPH in a car with hardly any body on the frame, spinning around in circles, dodging bad drivers like Michael Waltrip! Well, you at least have to be cocky, arrogant, & have some balls anyway.

I don't see everyone hatin' on Waltrip who causes one really good wreck per race. Yes, every single time...in the Sprint Cup Series, Waltrip is right there...in a bloody wreck! Great personality, horrible driver! But no one is knockin' on him or calling for him to either speed up or get out of the way.

So Kyle wrecked a few people! So what? It isn't like you became a fan or joined NASCAR because of it's safety! I don't remember any of the great drivers being like every other driver. They were all a little nutty, pretty damn reckless, & completely insane on the track. That is why they were great & why you kept coming back for more.

Is that what this is really about? Everyone is hatin' on Kyle because he could be the next "great driver" in history if anyone would just back him?

All you sissies out there complain about Kyle Bush need to get your balls back! It is NASCAR, not carriage rides for the rich & lazy. You need to remember what NASCAR is about. It isn't just about you having loyalty to one driver no matter what, like Dale Earnheart, Jr, but about the wrecks & the crazy drama! It is about seeing a driver take on one of the most competitive sports & making a win out of it, ...no matter how he limps over that finish line. It is about some balls!

At first, for the same reasons you are hatin' on Kyle Bush, that is why you fell in love with Tony Stewart. However, they are two different drivers with two very different styles...and that is what it is all about! Kyle is just puttin' the Boogity back into Racin'! The rest of ya'll sissies need to find your balls before you come back to the tracks!

(You made me get my redneck out...shame on you!)

Living Under Constant Scrutiny

The other day, while I was in a deep coma with my "love seat therapy" session, the doorbell rings...again. Everyday for a week now at about 10 AM, that thing is being pushed by someone. So I was ignoring it & hushing the dog quietly. I had drool down one side of my face along with indentations from the pillows & hand, and was still in my P.J.'s.

"It" didn't go away, like others. NO!, instead it rang the thing again! So I figured it had to be important...right?

With the door barely cracked to keep the dog in & to hide my appearances, I see two Japanese men dressed alike, one with a bag brief case thing showing me his ID. (Have I ever mentioned Japanese poor dental hygiene?) Once they realized I was "english" & spoke no Japanese, they turned to leave in complete confusion. I am not really sure what they were confused about! We have a Dodge Nitro with pimped 20" rims in the drive...it screams American!

Anyway, I called my landlord liaison to see if he sent someone over for something. He said no, but said it sounded like Jehovah Witnesses. WHAT!? In Japan? You have them too? Great! Now I do need to learn some Japanese! LOL!

He also tells me that he hasn't "heard anything about" us in a few weeks now. WHA-what-what? "Heard anything about" us? People call him to tell him about us?

Apparently yes! A neighbor called to tell him that we don't pick up after our pet when we walk her. LOL! (Thankfully our landlord liaison knows better & never called to tell us this.) But I was upset! First, we hardly walk our dog, because we all all lazy, including the dog. Two, we have these pink little doggie poop bags we use ALL the time! You can't miss them! Hot Pink! And the poop on/in our concrete yard, well it can sit 24-48 hours before my big ol' pregnant belly can get bent over to pick it up! After all it is "our" yard. Fourthly, I have a water bill that clearly shows that I wash down our concrete yard way too often! Fifthly, she only poops once a day since we have been here anyway & in the same spots!

However, this is the pure essence of the Japanese. They have this great face-to-face with you. All smiles, "konnichiwa" & bows, but behind your back they are watching you with an eagle eye. They don't much trust Americans, and in the last 5 years, around these parts, Americans have left a really foul taste in their mouths...so it can be partially understandable. But to be going out of their way to make up some crap to complain about...OH the glory of living in J-town!

I remember the last time B was stationed here. The little old lady that lived behind us used to come into the house & just walk through it & then back out. Once I started cleaning up after 4 generations of dirty American boys, things were "miraculously" getting done...like the yard being tended to & all. She also kept an eagle eye on those in that house & was reporting back to the owner.

Now that I think about it...it is always the older folks....

Amazon Boycott!

Once I learned of Amazon's new APO/FPO shipping policies & also learned that it is strictly Amazon.com with the issue, I started to do some work-a-rounds. For Example:

I wanted a Microplane Cheese Grater (the best on the market!) but Amazon.com could not ship it to me for whatever category it fell into...gourmet cooking items? So I thought, let's see if this is Amazon or Microplane. I went to Microplane.com & ordered my grater & got it here in less than a week! THANKS MICROPLANE! Thus, it is definitely Amazon with the issue, not the companies of the actual products. I have done this with a few items.

However, one item that I cannot do this with is the one product that is strictly Amazon: the Amazon Kindle DX. I can get all the accessories shipped here or to the States no matter my billing address, but I cannot get the Kindle here or in the States because of my billing address? Yes! Here is Amazon's response:

" Hello,

In regards to your inquiry, it seems that the Kindle order has already been canceled, as we have tried billing your credit card three times. Canceled orders can't be reinstated. I looked at your credit card and found that the billing address is an FPO address, and that is preventing the order from completing. As you already know, the shipping and billing addresses need to be a U.S. based billing address, and FPO address can't be used.

As a suggestion, you could purchase an Amazon Gift Card and have your friend that you are shipping it to redeem it to their account, purchase the Kindle using their information. They will then be able to send the Kindle to you.

I hope this information helps.

Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question: "

Yes, I have some bloody questions!:

• First, are you saying you split my order up to move the Kindle to it's own "order"? Because every other email I have received showed the Kindle DX & the Belkin Sleeve on the same order...as one order...under the same order number in reference. So you purposely are not shipping the Kindle to or for a service-member?

• Are you now saying that I cannot use your site to ship any items because my "billing" address is a military address?

• Are you suggesting that because of my billing address that I will not be able to use your site to ship any gifts (i.e. Christmas & birthdays) to the States, which is where this order was going?

• Are you suggesting that you have been in error with shipping to anyone who does have a military address, since many still have received items from you recently here in this overseas military community?

• Or are you simply suggesting that I, me, personally, cannot get items from you, however, everyone else can?

Amazon, when a product that is solely manufactured by you, such as the Kindle, it should be exempt from any "policies" you have in place. Secondly, you are limiting your customer base by handling this product by such "policies".

Thirdly...I am boycotting you from now on! You will no longer have my business, and I will continue to spread the word about your bad customer service & foul attitude towards military service-members and their families.

Health Care Reform...that is actually Reform!

A friend sent me another link. Apparently I am slow at finding my own links...LOL! But this time it was definitely something of great interest. If you were not a Whole Foods fan before now, you might very well be now:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

Finally spoken with common sense & actual plans that equal solutions instead of some mambo jambo crap that the White House has been trying to shove down our throats & then disguise as something yummy.

I am especially a found supporter of the medical care dollars that you can earn & that also carry over to the next year. Money you can use how you want! Awesome...so you aren't stuck with only mainstream medical options because your insurance won't cover the Chiropractor. Now you can get the money to go see some of the more alternative mainstream medical options. What an amazing idea & great plan! Go Whole Foods!

Mix The What With The Huh?

I am not sure why exactly Women's Lib had to go as far as it did. I am positive that I still need a "Prep School" for wifery-hood!

I have been blessed with a husband, though at times truly didn't get the whole picture, has over all been very supportive me being a stay at home wife; just a wife, no children for 6 years! He has let me adventure in a number of interests, all of which have ended up lesser than planned or a complete bust, with little complaining & a lot of encouragement. This has been a blessing in disguise as it has taken most of those 6 years for me to be comfortable with being a stay at home wife & a woman true to herself & her God given roles in today's western society.

So today I sit here counting this blessing & I waste an entire work day researching "cooking" I realize that maybe a little "Prep School" would have been nice. It might not have taken me 6 years to figure out how to pre-make meals & freeze them with a smile on my face and a sense of accomplishment. Prep School might also have helped me with etiquette & some tack, how to iron sheets without them touching the floor & getting dirty, and how to be more supportive of my husband so he can do his job at the best of his abilities all while saving us tons of money!

Sure that sounds completely old fashioned. So 1950's right? You are right, it is dated & us ladies sure have moved on...but to where? We, an entire society, has lost so much by women trying to be men too, including real men! It really is no wonder why the lines are blurred. Am I sexiest...at times, yes, yes I am.

But I am really curious, how the heck is a home to be made and provided if the individuals in it have no idea what they are doing? Seriously, I never knew that being a wife, a mother, etc. took so much knowledge. Knowledge that was once common sense that now needs a "google" search to help you figure it all out!

Seriously, I have no confusion as to why the divorce rate is so high. No confusion at all! This world is being ran by men from both genders. Scary! Where have all the women gone?

I'm Not A Racist!

I'm not a racist, I genuinely don't like you!

I am so Obama'ed out! He is on every bloody channel telling us more craziness than we can keep up with. Then you add the media hype & suddenly we are looking at the 1950's all over again! I'm a racist, you're a racist, we're a racist three!

I don't have a problem with a black man being president. Heck, paint him purple & call him Barney; as long as he's honest, has a loyalty to this great nation, & a dedication to leading it, I'll call him the president. However, that is not what BO stands for. Instead...

What I have a problem with is that my immigrant ancestors came to this great country for the promise of freedom. That was not just freedom to say whatever they want or to make a health are choice. It was the freedom to finally make their way in this world without an overhead government there to rape them of all their hard work or imprison them in their own lives. My ancestors, like every American, sacrificed every thing, took a big leap of faith, & survived on hope to make their journey to America for both themselves, their children, & their descendants for ALL generations that follow.

This country was founded on principles unlike any other nation for that exact reason...oh you need me to draw it out for you? OK...America wasn't created nor meant to be like any other nation! It was meant to stand on it's own, separated from tyranny & government control, & to serve a leader and a beacon of hope to ALL other nations. It's entire purpose was to be DIFFERENT! It has proven that possible for over 300 years! Yes, not perfectly but it has done well in the right hands of it's own people.

I would say it doesn't take a genius to recognize a snake, but then again we wouldn't be in this mess if it were so simple. Maybe we are all blinded by comfort & security that our neighbors will make the right choices so we don't have to. Or maybe we have all been spoon fed tiny innocent lies that looked like truths for so long that we are simply poisoned with the wrong belief structure. Either way, it's time to start looking inside ourselves for answers. Do we want to be Germany, Russia, France, England, etc. And if you answer yes, then MOVE! IMMIGRATE just like your ancestors did. Don't ruin this great nation because your are straight up lazy & scared!

As this great nation starts it's tumbling downward spiral to becoming just like everyone else because our president is a reflection of our own selves, I wonder:

After 4 years of "change" will there be room for "change" again? Will we be able to undo the damages done? You can always let out the reins, but tightening them back up once that horse is in full gallop is damn near impossible, especially if untrained.

Do I, like my ancestors who came here to escape, need to start shopping for my escape? Do me & my family need to sacrifice everything & try to start over somewhere else? What would my ancestors do right now? Wait it out, then see? Join the cause & fight for their county back? Or pack up & go back to their old countries?

Why Americans, why are we so easily giving up? Are we that lazy & scared? Have we really lost all our marbles? Or did we let that horse start galloping & don't know how to get the reins tightened up again?

How Patriotism Died & Where It Begins!

Green = NO New babies?

So a friend of mine sent me this obscure article, that has more than one issue of interest in it, but the point was clear:

If we crazy Americans will stop having babies we can save the world!

Really? That is news to me, or is it? I have to say once I read the article it was eluding to some rather important facts, however, facts that were completely misinterpreted & misconstrued.

Yes, Fact #1: (sourced from gDiaper.com) is that out of all the landfill waste, the 3rd leading contributor is indeed disposable diapers. Interesting when only 5% of the entire population uses disposable diapers. However, that is not segregated by infants & elderly. Just a total calculation.

Yes, Fact #2: Americans, more than some, however not all, other countries are a society of convenience & luxury. Disposable diapers are consumed greatly by Americans. However, the UK & Britain, etc also use disposable diapers. So I am thinking that not just Americans can save the planet over the disposable diaper debate. And has anyone seen the latest trend on reinstating the use of cloth diapers? Mothers throughout the States and around the globe are clothing things up these days! Has anyone done research on the water waste & consumption that this takes or gas/electric? Hmmm...?

Yes, Fact #3: The plastics used in one disposable diaper can take up to 500 years or longer to decompose, just as much as a regular plastic bag you picked up at the grocery store today. However, some disposable diapers take only 75 years or less to decompose. (I've yet to find stats on which kind is better & decomposes faster outside those with less chemicals used to create the diaper seem to be the leading winners right now.) Plastic bags are either the #1 or #2 leading contributor to landfills & ocean debris. So diapers alone are not going to help us go "green" & save the world. Someone really needs to inform Japan of this who uses plastic bags & wrappers on every individual little item and they have an amazing recycling program!

Yes, Fact #4: A new child does create more carbon emissions than just with their dirty bums. They now need transportation, cleaning, etc. The running around, cleaning, & caring that is added up over a child's life can make a very small dent on the environment, but again, not anymore than those big manufacturing companies. Let's not be retarded in our thought processes people!

First it was the Women's Lib that ruined the image of women having babies, turning it into something that was "bad, wrong, unnecessary, & stunting" to a woman. Now we have government officials after us? When will we open up our pretty little eyes & see that we don't need help with infertility/fertility issues? And has anyone asked Japan, for example, what it is like to have a society start to decrease & die off because of procreating discouragement?

Are we really aiming to make Americans extinct?

The Once Prestigious Amazon.com Now Letting Down Those Who Serve!

I have been on a online shopping warpath! I can't get what I need or want here in Japan on the economy, I can't get it at the NEX online or here on base, & I now can't get it with Amazon!? What kind of horse-poo is that?

The once prestigious Amazon.com that promised many overseas Americans a way of getting what they need & want has limited their shipping policies to very limited goods. You can't even get a cheese grater through them, or cutting boards, because they fall under "gourmet cooking" items! Seriously? 4 cutting boards at $14.95 are "gourmet" now? Wow! I sure am behind the times.

To rub more salt into that wound, the Amazon Kindle cannot be shipped to an APO/FPO address under the "computer" items limitation. Really? So those who can really get the best benefits & use from it, sailors aboard a ship stationed way out to sea, can't get this product?

Below is what Amazon's policies are for shipping:

Shipping Restrictions

Warranty issues and manufacturer restrictions prevent us from shipping certain products to all geographical locations. In addition, some items too big to ship to a P.O. box must be shipped to a street address. You'll be notified while placing your order if we're unable to ship specific items to the address you've selected. Below are some general guidelines for items shipped by Amazon.com to the following destinations:

• Alaska and Hawaii
• APO/FPO Addresses
• U.S. Protectorates (including Puerto Rico)
• Prisons
• International Shipping Help

If you are purchasing an item from Amazon Marketplace, read about Marketplace shipping restrictions.

Books that require special handling because they are extremely heavy (for example, multi-volume sets) can be shipped only to locations within the U.S. Please also check the product detail pages for this and any other item-specific shipping restrictions.

---

Alaska and Hawaii Addresses

Most items can be shipped to Alaska and Hawaii addresses, except:

• grocery items
• gourmet food items

Additionally, some items from our Tools & Hardware and Outdoor Living stores can't be shipped to Alaska or Hawaii if they are extremely heavy, oddly-shaped, or considered hazardous. Check the item's product detail page for eligibility and available shipping options. Only specific shipping options may be available for some addresses. Available shipping options will appear at checkout when you enter a shipping address.

APO/FPO Addresses

Most items can be shipped to APO/FPO addresses, except:

• cell phones and service
• computers
• furniture
• grocery items
• gourmet food items
• outdoor living items
• Target@Amazon.com items

Additionally, some apparel, camera and photo, electronics, health and personal care, housewares, jewelry, software, sports, and tools and hardware items cannot be shipped to APO/FPO addresses. Check the item's product detail page for eligibility.

Learn more about shipping to APO/FPO addresses.

U.S. Protectorates (including Puerto Rico)

Only the following items can be shipped to U.S. Protectorates:

• baby items
• books
• DVDs
• music
• software
• toys
• VHS videos
• video games

Learn more about shipping to U.S. Protectorates.

Prisons

Amazon.com delivers to penitentiaries, but we strongly suggest you contact the prison first to confirm that they accept deliveries and to note any special regulations the prison might have. Some prisons don't allow delivery of hardcover books. Others place a limit on the number of items contained in a package.

We're unable to affix any special labels or instructions to the packages and on the outside will indicate only the destination address, our company name, and our return address. We also cannot allow gifts to be sent anonymously to inmates; the sender's billing address will appear on the order invoice.

Because inmates cannot sign for deliveries, packages must be sent via U.S. Mail. While Amazon.com often sends packages via U.S. Mail, we also use UPS and FedEx. There is no way for customers to request a specific shipper. To avoid delivery problems, you might consider having the items shipped to you and then shipping them to the penitentiary via U.S. Mail.

I understand that many countries depend on us silly military Americans to be their middle class, heck so to most of the cities in the States that you find these bases. However, as loyal patriots, we often like to support our own companies & that includes our own online companies. So why are there so many restrictions on online shopping? And why so many more here lately?

Believe it or not, as rumor has it, & backed up by the horses mouth, the Military Postal System is not here for us silly dependents & families. They offer us mail as a "cordial benefit"; as an extended service. Thus large packages, multiple packages, at home businesses, etc. are not to be shipped through them. (TOO BAD BOZOS! I have a baby on the way, I am getting multiple packages from the same place whether you like it or not!) And like a dentist told me, I "should not be wasting the taxpayers dollars to spoil myself" while living abroad. HA! Really? Spoiling? That is what my online shopping is? It is spoiling myself now?

Funny! I thought that MY online shopping was me trying to get the best product for my husband's very hard earned dollar...like most any other American. And last I checked, those "wasted" tax dollars aren't me using the military postal service with paid shipping & handling, but are being ate up in the Capitol for stupid government programs...that aren't military!!!

No matter what branch of service these men & women serve, as well as their families who support them & make just as many sacrifices, these are the individuals that should be able to receive ANYTHING online! They have all earned it!

P.S. Did you read all the shipping policies...Prisoners can get Amazon shipments WITHOUT ANY restrictions other than it has to go through the US Postal service.

Nice huh? Prisoners have more rights than those who serve this country! Amazing!!

Combi Hero Highchair - Chili

So we bought this highchair with a medium star review. It was just released on the market back in March/April when we purchased it before our big move to Japan. We were really excited. Then we finally got here & got it all assembled...which was easier than we made it out to be. (Amazing what reading or even looking at the pictures in the directions can do for you!)

The base of this high chair is just not sturdy at all. Even with the wheels looked into place. You can easily shake it silly with no child in it. Too silly for my comfort. You would never leave a child unstrapped in this highchair, nor would you position it in any place in which the child could easily reach something & pull themselves over...because they could.

Thankfully, we bought this highchair for the chair portion. So the legs are not of any concern. Removing the chair from the legs is a breeze (with no child in it that is). It is very secure & strapped easily to our custom made dinning room bar height chairs. We knew that no high chair would be fully high enough for our table, so this option was a great trendy way to go.

However, it will not be easily to tote around to a restaurant or something like that.

Toys R Us

The Combi Hero Highchair and Booster Seat Combination offers 5 different height positions, 3 position reclining seat, 5-point harness with belly pad, easy to fold self-standing frame, oval tube design for sleek appearance, color coordinating accent pieces, combi mug and towel, towel hook on rear ha...

Combi Hero Highchair - Chili

Questionable

XPAXK US Naval Base, Japan 8/4/2009

2 5

Pros: Easy To Assemble, Stylish, Easy to Clean, Portable, Lightweight, Easily Stowed

Cons: Not sturdy, Not stable

Best Uses: At Home

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent, Child Care Professional

We have yet to have our baby, but got this highchair before we made our move. Then when we saw it in the NEX we thought it had to be pretty decent. So upon our nesting stage, we unpacked & assembled our new fun high chair. IT IS NOT STURDY! Before we even put a baby in it, we can shake it & it has A LOT of give in it. Thankfully, we bought this highchair for the chair part that is sturdy & secure on our own bar height chairs. We knew that a regular high chair would never be high enough, so we opted for the seat detachment option with this one. We would have probably spent our money more wisely on the Fisher Price Space Saver.

Government Cheese Anyone?

So I was thinking...which really should not be allowed, but I was doing it....

Back when I was younger, poor as hell, we used to get the government cheese, dry milk, beans, peanut butter, honey, the occasional ham in a tin, etc. Sometimes what you got depended on what the government had on overstock, but we always got cheese! It was the best cheese ever! And we never ran out of peanut butter or honey because they came in these huge cans! HUGE!

That program soon ran dry or was traded in for another much like WIC, making limitations on how long you can receive these handouts. OK. So what if we did that today?

All this talk about the amount of money that we need to help the "poor", then why aren't we doing this again? Also all the talk about needing money to control this or that, etc...helping the "Americans" learn how to eat probably to beat the obesity issues, etc.

Last I checked it is not the governments place to tell me what to eat or how to eat, maybe just make their usually recommendations & regulate things on their end...such as....

Secondly, if they want to fight obesity & diabetes (yes, which is on the books of bills to be passed), then how about changing the FDA regulations & ditching those ingredients that they added that put us in this state (i.e. High Fructose Corn Syrup & Trans Fat) instead of telling me what I can & cannot eat?

Adding to it, let's not stop there! Let's regulate the hormones, from what kind to how much, can be added to the feed we use on our livestock! You know, those pesky little hormones that don't cook or process out of our animal products & are then absorbed by our bodies causing us "growth" in all directions too...just like the animal byproduct we ingested. Remember the 80's anyone?

People were never as big as they are today thanks to these growth hormones...nor did they have the diabetes rate we have today thanks to high fructose corn syrup...or heart problems due to the wonder trans fat to make things sit on a shelf longer without going bad!

Well this all in turn has made me give up the idea of the "government cheese program" (as I so affectionately call it). Because I can guarantee, with the way things are & the way that they are going, we would all be fat, diabetic, cancerous, or even dead from any government cheese handouts!

OK I Am A LIttle Confused!

Not that that is really anything new, but I am a little confused.

5 years ago, when B was stationed here in Yokosuka, Japan I was in awe of their technology, cool gadgets, & amazing odd & ends that you couldn't find in the States. I was particularly happy with my 100 yen phone (which was about $0.95 minus the actual connection fees, etc.) then that still did more than any phone on the market in the States outside something like a Blackberry.

Even every day items for your kitchen or computer desk were way cooler than the States & it wasn't the most expensive item you could find either!

However, 5 years lapsed & I am looking at what? Nothing? Cheap plastic, cheap fabric, & stuff that looks like it was ALL made in China for the dollar stores back home. Incredible! What happened?

To add injury to insult right now, it also cost more as they have raised their prices & the yen keeps getting stronger as the dollar gets weaker!

But I thought that Japan was on the cutting edge! I thought that they were more advanced than us. So what happened? Can someone explain, please?

I was so looking forward to coming back to Japan & ditching my old American whatever for something new & trendy. I am so upset & let down. Was there an economic depression in Japan while I was gone?

OH & don't get me started with the poor mismanagement of the NEX & Commissary here! They are so behind on the "newest" items & trends. And the items that they have are usually out of stock. You can't even get green chili enchilada sauce here! What? Is that even legal?

Used to be you wanted to shop on base for all the best produce & meats, etc....but now...we are looking at ordering our meat from a local company that will deliver to our doorstep for the same price as the browning, rotting meat you can get on base. Crazy!!!

I am back to shopping online...which bites because, though it is just as expensive....the items I want usually don't ship to a military address or I have to go to the actual manufacturing company to purchase it, making it more to ship!

Bloody hell already!! I just want good quality items for my hubby's hard earned money! Is that really too much to ask?