Category Archives: Sports

No Super Bowl This Year

For the first time in my memory of being home on a Super Bowl Sunday, I’m not watching the game.

I really want LA to take down New England, but I’m pissed at the #NFL and how the #NFC Championship was stolen from the #Saints. The game was over if that call had been made.

I’m pissed at the #NFL for screwing over Brees as #MVP….2nd time they have done it…..they just can’t get over that he leads the players union and has stood up to them.

The #NFL is losing someone who has been fan from her father’s knee since the Colts were in Baltimore and who use to watch Tom Laundry coach the Cowboys in the early 80s.

Women Can Be Sports Fans!

Wasn’t until I woke up today, that I realized that something that was said at work was bothering me.

I had some guy question whether I was a true football fan and started using technical terms as if I wasn’t a fan.

Looking back on it, that was a sexist and shitty!

You have no right to “mansplain” anything to me! You don’t know me!

Just because I may not know all the technical plays or remember the positions does not mean I’m not a fan…jerk!

I grew up watching football from my father’s knee….sports were always on….soccer in Germany, football, baseball, golf, bowling, fishing

When we moved to IN, basketball….you have no idea how I grew up and appreciate a game…..I didn’t go to games to tailgate & drink

I had season tickets to Purdue games because I LOVE football and do NOT get in my line a view during a play…..ggrrrr

If he ever arrogantly tries to mansplain to me again and accuse me of not being a fan he is going to be smacked down & the fight is on! ggrrr

NFL & Domestic Violence

I’ve been mulling the Rice video and the NFL’s horrible response to it over the last week or so.

First, Domestic Violence is a SOCIETY issue…..not an NFL issue. NFL players are no more likely to beat their partners then the general population, it is actually less common. In fact, POLICE are the worst abusers of DV (power & the blue code of silence enables it) :

Police Have a Much Bigger Domestic Abuse Problem Than the NFL (Must Read)
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/09/police-officers-who-hit-their-wives-or-girlfriends/380329/?single_page=true

Yet, they get to keep their guns and that is how most women will die in a DV situation.

Second, I believe that Ray Rice needed to be punished, but I don’t believe in banning him where he can’t work. I don’t know if he is a serial abuser or if it was the first time something like this has happened, we won’t know. I believe he and his wife should be helped. Because when you punish him that extensively, you are punishing her.

The NFL has totally screwed up on how they have handled it in todays social media and videos, but if it happened a few years ago….they handled it like they have always handled it…look up the history for both college and NFL football programs and how DV abusers were handled. And like majority of society has handled it, the history as been to ignore it…..it is nothing new, as this article states :

“Violence is tolerated as long as the player performs well and the act doesn’t become a public embarrassment”
http://www.jconline.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2014/09/12/domestic-violence-advocates-george-failed-realize-impact-domestic-abuse/15511281/

The NFL needs to educate their people and help them, you can’t just punish, you need both. They need to be given a chance until they blow it.

I use to volunteer at a Women’s Shelter in Indiana, did it for almost 10yrs. You learn that it isn’t as simple as “why doesn’t she leave”, you learn that it is more complex, you learn that it can effect anyone, no matter of race, gender, money or social standing. Some just hide it better then others. You think “I won’t put up with it” and then learn that it can be more gradual, more stealthy then an obvious hit.

Stories to help you understand :

#WhyIStayed Stories Reveal Why Domestic Violence Survivors Can’t ‘Just Leave’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/09/whyistayed-twitter-domestic-violence_n_5790320.html

‘Why Didn’t You Just Leave?’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/12/why-didnt-you-just-leave_n_5805134.html

It takes an average of 7 times before a victim will leave their abusers and that is if they survive leaving them, some do not.

The emotional and mental abuse will do more damage in the long run then the physical, giving DV victims PTSD.

The pros out of this is that it may be finally shifting the conversation about DV, getting people to acknowledge it, fund the programs that need it, get help. With focusing on the NFL, a highly visible part of society, maybe it can set an example for country and perpetrators of DV that it isn’t acceptable and easily ignored like it use to be.

The cons is the focus is too much on the NFL overall, what about the Police and what about poor women and women of color (who experience DV at a higher then the general population)? Military spouses, made worst by PTSD and when I grew up on Army Posts, it was always worst on pay day due to the drinking.

I’ve seen former wives of high ranking military officers, women of high company executives and poor women a like come through the shelter. I’ve seen a little boy no more then the age of 6 yelling and screaming at his mom, calling her all sorts of names because that is what he grew up seeing. I’ve seen girls getting tied to their abuser in their teenage years and never being able to get out.

And yes, men can be and have been victims of DV, not just women.

This is complex society issue that needs to finally be addressed and not just swept aside as it has been in the past.

An Exit Action Plan For Leaving An Abusive Relationship
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/leaving-an-abusive-relationship_n_5840504.html

How To Stay Safe After Leaving An Abusive Relationship
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/safety-after-leaving-abusive-relationship_n_5840826.html

Been A While

I just discovered that tweets are no longer getting posted daily, I’m working on getting that fixed….no idea what happened and pretty annoyed by that.

Ok, what is going on in my little corner of the world……

We had a few days of sunshine and decent temps, now back to cold and rainy….it is Oregon, the normal.

Just received an email from my Aunt Debbie, my cousin Rodman (named after my late uncle) has been recommended to hospice.  =(  He doesn’t even hit 27 until June.  I didn’t grow up with him so wasn’t close due to that and age, but I have lots of memories of his mom and dad and me teaching his older sister how to walk.  Not sure what if anything I can do to help and feel totally helpless and crushed.  He is part of my family and it hurts.  My thoughts are with them, but that seems to be all I can do.  =(

Hubby and I have hit a rough spot economically but are doing well. Just needing to cut back and keep a closer eye on things.  We are grateful that we doing much better then many other people are nationally.

If you’ve been following my tweets, I’ve been getting very annoyed at the war on women that they right wing nut jobs are doing.  Limbaugh’s crappy comments just highlighted and showed it for what it was.  I’m really hoping that this wakes women up to start taking part.  So many laws have been passed to roll back our rights and treat us like imbecilic property it is astonishing.  And many have no idea how bad it has gotten, they are just trying to live their lives.  And my question is, where are the men in this?  The ones that don’t believe like the right wingers, why aren’t they speaking up?

At the rate this is going, they are going to take away our right to vote……ggeezz

Debating on going to Salem Apr 28th and take part in the March Unite Against the War on Women : https://www.facebook.com/UniteWomen

I know I do a lot of tweets and posts about issues, I hope that they are educational and make people more aware of how the government effects them more then they realize, but maybe it time to do a little more.  Even though, I’m a serious homebody and anti-social.

Not sure what to think about Peyton Manning.  I’ve always wanted him to retire as a Colt.  =(  But I understand why the Colts need to move on (they totally screwed up for not preparing in case he got injured) and start to rebuild.  Irsay and Manning did it really classy.  I really don’t see the Colts doing anything for the next few years.  I do hope, for Manning, that he still has a few more years left in him inspite of the injury and he can retire on his own terms.

We got ourselves IPad 2s for the holidays.  We are thoroughly enjoying them.  We love the surfing options, keeping up with twitter, but loving the ebook option more.  I like being able to update facebook/twitter from it, but for a lot of typing, such as this and skype, it has a lot to be desired.  I need my macbook for that.  We are debating (in the long term) of getting the wireless apple keyboard just for extensive typing.

I do love being able to have a small library in my hand due to my ipad.  I’ve already read the Hobbit & LOTR….being a few years since I have.  Currently going between reading Agathe Christie and “God Hates You : Hate Him Back” while using his arguments to highlight the bible I was given in ’89

Boy, reading this…..why would anyone want to be Jewish, Christian or Muslim??  “God” is such a hateful, murderous and jealous thing (where it acknowledges the existence of other “gods”.)  It teaches racism, genocide…..no wonder why religious nuts jobs feel comfortable in their hatred and bigotry…it taught all comes from the old testament……and I haven’t even gotten the new testament yet.  Like they say, you can’t fully read and understand the bible without becoming an atheist.

Joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation a few months ago.  Never been a fan of organized religion, especially have living in the bible thumping mid west.  Good way to turn you against religion.  But I always thought the bible and things were a log of history….but after actually reading and learning history, nope, it is nothing but a mythology…..just like the greek and roman gods.  Sad that the world still believes in it.

So now I’m reading up on the bible so I can understand and defend myself from the thumpers who have no respect for people who do not believe the same way.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten to the point that I refuse to put up with the crap that I’ve tolerated over the years.  As I say, I’m old and cranky!  lol

New Picture Galleries

I finally got some of our pictures caught up from the last 18months.  =)  I actually started this back in Oct and totally forgot about it…..lol  I did tweet them…grin

Alrighty then……..

On the bio page : http://www.paulineantoinette.com/bio/

The following picture galleries have been added :

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/paulineharold/2010_SuperBowl/2010_Super_Bowl/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/2009_Summerfest/2009_Summerfest/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/2009_Halloween/2009_Halloween/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/2009_Holiday/2009_Holiday/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/20100717/2010_Troutdale_Parade/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/20100801/2010_CarShow/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/misc/2009_Sep_12/2009_Purdue_Oregon/index.html

On the landscapes & nature page : http://www.paulineantoinette.com/landscapes-nature/

The following picture galleries have been added:

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/nature/2009_nature/2009_Nature/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/nature/2009_Critters/2009_Critters/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/PNH/nature/20100318/2010_SmithRock_iphone/index.html

On Our Family Page : http://www.paulineantoinette.com/our-friends/

The following picture galleries have been added :

paulineantoinette.com/friends/sandi/Cormican/Cormicans/index.html

paulineantoinette.com/friends/20101119/Navy_Retirement/content/index.html

Jonathon, Harold & Dylan 2010

I actually was able to get a very nice picture of the boys and Harold.  Took me a bit to get them to quit making silly faces….lol