Because CCSN Computer Lab Sucks

And because I didn't bring a disk to save my work on (ya I realize the irony that my speech is on the blame game, yet I am blaming CCSN for my woes) I will be posting my speech and works cited here so I can at least copy and past them when I get home. Lame I know, but ccsn doesn't let me email them. Blars! I'm so sick of school...

Works Cited

Bernstein, A. (2003). How to Deal with Emotionally Explosive People. New York City:
McGraw Hill

Rand, A. 1957. Atlas Shrugged New York, Random House.


Shapiro, Robert. Top Ten Frivolous Lawsuits of All Time. 29 January 2005
http://www.legalzoom.com/topten

Shame on the Blame Game

Umm…I can’t do this. I’m not prepared…but its because you (point at professor) didn’t give me enough time to work on this. And you-you’re sitting there staring at me making me nervous! And you’re wearing a coat and you, you just wanted me to fail didn’t you? I am outta here!
(Run out of room, count to 3, return)
Got you didn’t I? What you just witnessed was a dramatization of what could have happened if I didn’t prepare my speech, but more importantly what would have happened had I failed take responsibility for my lack of preparation. Instead of realizing that only I was to blame for the poor grade I would have surely received, I began blaming everyone from the professor to you, my innocent peers. While most people don’t throw tantrums in their communications classes, there is a trend to play the blame game in our society and refusing to accept responsibility from everything to simple accidents to deteriorating relationships. Tonight I hope you’ll examine yourself while we explore some examples of how damaging the blame game can be on society and ourselves personally. Since this is a rather broad topic, I want to focus on the following: frivolous lawsuits, damaged relationships, and how we can recognize when we are playing the blame game ourselves and denying our personal responsibility.
What is a frivolous lawsuit? According to Wikipedia.com, the term “frivolous lawsuit” refers to lawsuits that are based on a theory that seems absurd or when the claim results in damages that far exceed what may be necessary. A perfect example of this found on legalzoom.com would be in May of 2003 when a gentleman by the name of Stephen Johnson decided to sue Kraft foods for putting trans-fat in their Oreo cookies and causing him to gain weight. This is similar to the various McDonald’s lawsuits regarding weight gain. Is weight gain a problem in America? Sure it is, but a bigger problem is the failure of these people to take the responsibility for weight gain caused by unhealthy eating. Oreos are delicious and awfully tempting, but nobody forced Stephen Johnson to eat the tasty cookies to the point of obesity. Stephen made that choice himself and he should accept responsibility for the results of his actions. Frivolous lawsuits, while amusing in a ludicrous way are a drain on our society’s legal system. The number of these lawsuits could be greatly decreased if only people were willing to say “Yup. I messed up. Its nobody’s fault but mine.”
Relationships can also suffer greatly when the parties involved play the blame game.


That's as far as I've gotten so far, feel free to offer any suggestions or criques.
Hearts to ye all!

Love,
Suzy

2006 Goodbye!

This is a photo salute to a might fine year. 2006 you were a fine, fine 12 months. Okay, blogger wouldn't let me add all the images I wanted to, so this may have to be part of a series...

2006 Goodbye!

Tomorrow!

10:00 a.m. Elizabeth's c-section will take place. Wowzer, how the time did fly. I'm sure Elizabeth wouldn't agree with me there. I can't believe how much our little household is going to change. I look forward to this new adventure in baby-ing!
3 times the diapers, 3 times the crying, but most importantly 3 times the sweetness. Oh my little cherubs, godspeed!

It happens to the best of us...

The evening started out great. I looked fabulous in my 80s glam outfit. Dinner was most enjoyable consisting of beer-battered french fries, a chicken parmesan panini and nachos delux at the Monte Carlo Brew Pub. Conversation was even tastier than the food, as my wonderful friends Bryton, Scott, Andy and his wife Cherie were my dining companions. It was the perfect evening. That is, until we went our separate ways. It was nearly 10:00 p.m. and I had other visitors waiting for me downtown. I hurried to my car and set out on one of the longest journeys of my life. The simplest way to get down town is to take the strip, so I set out. Now, New Years Weekend is not a pretty sight. Though it was only December 30th, Las Vegas was a packed city. I found myself stuck in traffic and my bladder was starting to ache. Oh why hadn't I relieved myself before embarking on this drive? No worries, thought I. I'll find a back way that should zip me downtown in no time!
Well, 45 minutes later I was lost. Not just mixed up. Completely screwed-up-in-the sketchiest part of town-lost. We're talking D Street and Martin Luther King Blvd. Not a Wendy's or Chevron in site. Nothing but dingy apartment complexes, empty warehouses and skulking figures moving about the shadows. I did what any girl in my situation would have done. Peed my pants. Yesiree I full on peed my pants. We're not talking a tiny leak, but what some worry may happen to Hoover Dam one of these days. What a good thing it was that I had consumed more than 4 glasses of water and 2 diet cokes so that my urine was clean and oderless. I know what you're thinking. Gross right? What's my problem? Well, I'll tell you. I had two options. Pull over and attempt a public urination on the side of the road, and in the process end up mugged/raped/ticked by the cops and still probably end up peeing my pants. or I could just go in the comfort and safety of my own car. I chose that latter and because of that, I am safe and alive today with no criminal record of any kind. Of course, I did have to drive all the way home in a puddle of my own pee, change my clothes and have a quick spongebath before going out to the nights festivities. And now I've got another Silly Suzy story to tell. I'd be ashamed if this were the 11th time this had happened, but its not and hey, it could happen to anyone at any time.
Even YOU!