Con. Steve Pearce finally replied my bail out email.
Dear Mrs. ###:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the economic stabilization packages taken up by the House of Representatives. I appreciate having the benefit of your views.I do not support recklessly spending billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out billionaires and corporations that made irresponsible loans which threaten to stick generations of taxpayers with massive tax increases.
Congress must ensure that those who made risky decisions are held accountable and are taken to trial if they broke the law. With energy and food costs at record levels and uncertainty about our economy's future, I believe Congress has an obligation to protect the American taxpayer first. Almost all Americans make responsible decisions, live within their means and pay their mortgages and rent on time.
On September 29, 2008, I opposed H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, because New Mexico taxpayers were not protected under this legislation. Additionally, I fear that down the road, run-away government spending coupled with the enormous cost of this legislation, means hard-working New Mexicans may have their taxes raised by thousands of dollars while those who put the country into this mess walk away with profits.
While I supported some of the changes offered by the Senate package, including tax credits for renewable energy, a one year fix for the Alternative Minimum Tax, and passage of Senator Domenici's vital Mental Health Parity legislation, many of the additions to H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, are unrelated to the financial crisis and add billions to the national debt. On October 3, 2008, I opposed the second bailout bill, H.R. 1424 for the same reasons I opposed the first: New Mexico taxpayers would be on the hook for billions in relief to Wall Street. H.R. 1424 was signed by the President and became law on October 3, 2008.
I am disappointed Congress did not take the time to fully debate the many viable alternatives that would have stabilized the economy without putting the economic stability of future generations in jeopardy. In the two weeks these bills were considered, Congress could have crafted legislation to incorporate real taxpayer protections and market solutions to correct the abuses that caused the problem instead of massive government intervention.
I strongly believe the American economy works best when we lower taxes and allow individuals to be responsible for their own choices and their own lives. For these reasons, I have cosponsored an alternative to the bailout bill, H.R. 7223, the Economic Rescue Alternative Plan. It more closely reflects the principles I believe are necessary to start our economic recovery.
This legislation will attempt to protect the investments of Americans, including their bank accounts, stock portfolios, 401K's, real estate values and retirement plans. We should also reform some investment vehicles so we're not back here faced with the same problem in the near future.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me on this important issue. I am glad you have let me know this is an important issue for you.
Please continue to call, write, or email me with any other questions or comments. Visit my website at http://pearce.house.gov to find out what I am working on in Washington, or where you can find me in New Mexico.
Sincerely,
STEVAN PEARCE
Member of Congress 1607
Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515(202) 225-2365 www.house.gov/pearce
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Writing my Congressional Representatives on the "Bail Out" plan
I wrote to D- Con. Udal & R.-Con. Pierce beofre the bail out vote this past Friday. D-Con. Udal has replied to me thus far and I wanted to post my letter and his response.
---------------
Con. Udall,
You don't know how much respect you gained by voting no on the "bail out" bill in Ventana West where I live. To be honest my neighborhood is a McCain/Perce stronghold. However, yesterday I saw a few neighbors post your yard sign in their front yards and were more open to support you at our park.
I must tell you that you must not waver on the "bail out" bill. To put it bluntly sir this is what we call a "jack move" back home. The banks are only holding out opening new lines of credit with each other because they KNOW congress will punk out and grant Bush and Paulson one last demand. TRUST me when I tell you that they will be back with their hands out for more right after Christmas. Bernanke dropped rates several times and each time they demanded more.
Rather than a bail out of the Investment Bankers and Brokerage Houses, let’s protect the people and reset this economy based on the true market value of these properties, as they stand today. Congress should provide 5% fixed-rate 30 year loans for those “owner-occupied” properties, using today’s market values, therefore permitting people to stay in their homes and pay off their new loans. If the house is worth less than the previous outstanding debt, let the private sector deduct the difference from their taxes. This will be far cheaper than the $700 billion blank check currently being considered. If the home owners default under the current $700 billion bail out scenario, then the Banks end up with houses which they can’t unload, which will not be repaid, only a few could afford to buy and our economy suffers even more.
By assisting taxpaying homeowners, the market is stabilized, the states keep much needed property tax revenue, the banks make money and the people who require that “profits be privatize” and now want their “debt socialized” will pay for the mistakes they made in their rush to make a quick buck. In the long run the mortgage holder benefits by receiving a payback on the current face value of the property, we don’t end up with a lot of foreclosed homes and we don’t give another blank check to those who don’t deserve our trust. Bail out the People, not the Investment Bankers and Brokerage Houses. It’s time for Congress to do the right thing for the people of this country.
Second: The government will not be buying up the mortgages themselves, thereby protecting the homeowner. Instead, the government will be buying the mortgage-backed securities sold to other banks, thereby protecting the very institutions that triggered this crisis by engaging in high-risk investments.
Third: this bailout package includes little to no oversight protection. In fact, the Treasury dept. has no idea how it will evaluate the quality of its purchases. There's nothing in this bailout plan to encourage/force the banking industry to learn from its mistakes.
Fourth: markets are, generally, self-correcting through an evolutionary process of rational selection. Banks that engaged in these financial wheeling’s and dealings will be absorbed by those that did not. Credit will still be issued, though perhaps not as wildly as before. People will still spend money, just not as stupidly as before.
Fifth: Government regulations and oversight exist to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and equitably, not to save institutions from the consequences of bad decision-making.
If we are to have a bailout package, then the government should buy the mortgages directly, not the securities that they back, and only in those cases where the buying parties negotiated in good faith and are losing their home through no fault of their own (or at least where the buying party can make a reasonable claim that they were misled into thinking that they could afford more than they could).
Let's start funneling some of that $700b into infrastructure repair and neighborhood improvements to drive up the real estate values of impoverished neighborhoods, to provide better community health care, and improve the quality of schools in lower SES neighborhoods. Let's start teaching financial literacy in schools. Let's look at solving the cause of the problem instead of alleviating the symptoms. Setting a broken bone is painful in the short term, but ultimately is a better solution than putting a Band-Aid on.
What are you guys afraid of?! Bush is out, Cheney is a non-factor and McCain has no respect within his own party. I hate to be blunt but HOLD YOUR NUTS. Be men for peaks sake.
Respectfully,
XXXX
______________
D-Co. Udall's Response
October 3, 2008
Dear Mrs. xxx:
Thank you for contacting me regarding America's economy and efforts to bail out Wall Street. I appreciate your interest in this important issue. Earlier today, I again voted against a deeply flawed plan to bail out Wall Street with $700 billion of taxpayer money.
Today's legislation has changed little from the bill I voted against on Monday. While I believe Congress should act to help middle class families-and I voted again today for economic stimulus legislation that will help produce jobs for American workers-we should not do the wrong thing just to say we did something. With a proposal this large, we have to get it right. Today's bill, like the bill the House rejected on Monday, falls short. However, despite my opposition, the bill passed by a vote of 263 - 171.
Below is my statement from today's Congressional Record.
Madam Speaker, Four days ago, I opposed a bailout plan that did too little for homeowners, too much for executives, and nothing to prevent Wall Street from repeating the mistakes that got us into this crisis. That bill would have put the U.S. taxpayer on the hook for $700 billion to bail out Wall Street, the very people whose irresponsibility helped to undermine America's economy and threaten the jobs and life savings of millions of American families.
Make no mistake: America faces a serious crisis. We must do something, but we cannot let fear drive our decision-making. Our solution should meet the demands of the day without producing more suffering in the future. We have the time to get this right, but the proposal we considered on Monday had significant problems.
At that time, I suggested several commonsense changes to Monday's bill. Those changes have not been made.
I said we must do more to protect taxpayers. Today's bill still falls short.
I said we should do more to protect responsible homeowners and their neighbors from foreclosures and plummeting property values. This bill still falls short.
I said we must ensure executives who ran their companies into the ground cannot walk away with millions in taxpayer-funded golden parachutes. This bill still falls short.
And I said that while American taxpayers continue to struggle we should not bail out foreign companies whose governments are doing nothing. Again, this bill still falls short.
Perhaps most importantly, this legislation does nothing to protect us from facing a similar crisis in the future. Today's situation is the direct result of a culture in Washington that allowed Wall Street to gamble with America's future. This legislation sends the message that when Wall Street's gambles do not pay off, the taxpayer will bail them out. Imagine for a moment that you send a friend into a casino and tell him: if you win, you keep the winnings; if you lose, I'll pay your losses. You would expect nothing but irresponsibility, and that is exactly what this bill will give us. We need commonsense rules to protect against that irresponsibility, and this bill provides none.
For all these reasons, I will vote against today's proposal, just as I voted against extremely similar legislation four days ago. The only difference between this bill and the bill we rejected on Monday that has anything to do with America's financial markets is an increase in FDIC insurance limits. This may do something, but it is nowhere near enough to justify supporting today's bill.
Whether or not this legislation passes today, Congress must keep working on a new framework for our financial system. Experts have produced good proposals on a variety of issues. Some have even passed this House. But we also need to begin working on a systemic overhaul of our regulatory structures, our financial rules, and the incentives that govern our markets. In this hour of crisis, we have a rare opportunity to protect future generations from the turmoil we have seen. We must seize this opportunity.
Unfortunately, the Senate has chosen to add unrelated provisions rather than fixing a deeply flawed proposal. I want to note that my vote today does not suggest any disagreement with the important package of tax cuts that was added in the last few days. I have consistently supported tax cuts for the middle class, including fixes for the Alternative Minimum Tax. I have advocated mental health parity legislation, and voted for it repeatedly. I have fought for tax credits to spur green industries and produce jobs. And I have worked to protect the Secure Rural Schools and Payment In Lieu of Taxes programs that would be extended by this bill. However, even with these provisions, I cannot support a $700 billion taxpayer bailout-a plan that will have a large and widespread impact for generations-that has been rushed through with so many serious flaws and so many problems left unaddressed.
Today's vote is difficult, but I believe it is what's right for New Mexico's Third Congressional District, and the people of New Mexico and our nation.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. Please feel free to contact me with concerns about any federal issue. You may visit my website at www.tomudall.house.gov for more information.
Very Truly Yours,
Tom Udall
Member of Congress
I wrote to D- Con. Udal & R.-Con. Pierce beofre the bail out vote this past Friday. D-Con. Udal has replied to me thus far and I wanted to post my letter and his response.
---------------
Con. Udall,
You don't know how much respect you gained by voting no on the "bail out" bill in Ventana West where I live. To be honest my neighborhood is a McCain/Perce stronghold. However, yesterday I saw a few neighbors post your yard sign in their front yards and were more open to support you at our park.
I must tell you that you must not waver on the "bail out" bill. To put it bluntly sir this is what we call a "jack move" back home. The banks are only holding out opening new lines of credit with each other because they KNOW congress will punk out and grant Bush and Paulson one last demand. TRUST me when I tell you that they will be back with their hands out for more right after Christmas. Bernanke dropped rates several times and each time they demanded more.
Rather than a bail out of the Investment Bankers and Brokerage Houses, let’s protect the people and reset this economy based on the true market value of these properties, as they stand today. Congress should provide 5% fixed-rate 30 year loans for those “owner-occupied” properties, using today’s market values, therefore permitting people to stay in their homes and pay off their new loans. If the house is worth less than the previous outstanding debt, let the private sector deduct the difference from their taxes. This will be far cheaper than the $700 billion blank check currently being considered. If the home owners default under the current $700 billion bail out scenario, then the Banks end up with houses which they can’t unload, which will not be repaid, only a few could afford to buy and our economy suffers even more.
By assisting taxpaying homeowners, the market is stabilized, the states keep much needed property tax revenue, the banks make money and the people who require that “profits be privatize” and now want their “debt socialized” will pay for the mistakes they made in their rush to make a quick buck. In the long run the mortgage holder benefits by receiving a payback on the current face value of the property, we don’t end up with a lot of foreclosed homes and we don’t give another blank check to those who don’t deserve our trust. Bail out the People, not the Investment Bankers and Brokerage Houses. It’s time for Congress to do the right thing for the people of this country.
Second: The government will not be buying up the mortgages themselves, thereby protecting the homeowner. Instead, the government will be buying the mortgage-backed securities sold to other banks, thereby protecting the very institutions that triggered this crisis by engaging in high-risk investments.
Third: this bailout package includes little to no oversight protection. In fact, the Treasury dept. has no idea how it will evaluate the quality of its purchases. There's nothing in this bailout plan to encourage/force the banking industry to learn from its mistakes.
Fourth: markets are, generally, self-correcting through an evolutionary process of rational selection. Banks that engaged in these financial wheeling’s and dealings will be absorbed by those that did not. Credit will still be issued, though perhaps not as wildly as before. People will still spend money, just not as stupidly as before.
Fifth: Government regulations and oversight exist to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and equitably, not to save institutions from the consequences of bad decision-making.
If we are to have a bailout package, then the government should buy the mortgages directly, not the securities that they back, and only in those cases where the buying parties negotiated in good faith and are losing their home through no fault of their own (or at least where the buying party can make a reasonable claim that they were misled into thinking that they could afford more than they could).
Let's start funneling some of that $700b into infrastructure repair and neighborhood improvements to drive up the real estate values of impoverished neighborhoods, to provide better community health care, and improve the quality of schools in lower SES neighborhoods. Let's start teaching financial literacy in schools. Let's look at solving the cause of the problem instead of alleviating the symptoms. Setting a broken bone is painful in the short term, but ultimately is a better solution than putting a Band-Aid on.
What are you guys afraid of?! Bush is out, Cheney is a non-factor and McCain has no respect within his own party. I hate to be blunt but HOLD YOUR NUTS. Be men for peaks sake.
Respectfully,
XXXX
______________
D-Co. Udall's Response
October 3, 2008
Dear Mrs. xxx:
Thank you for contacting me regarding America's economy and efforts to bail out Wall Street. I appreciate your interest in this important issue. Earlier today, I again voted against a deeply flawed plan to bail out Wall Street with $700 billion of taxpayer money.
Today's legislation has changed little from the bill I voted against on Monday. While I believe Congress should act to help middle class families-and I voted again today for economic stimulus legislation that will help produce jobs for American workers-we should not do the wrong thing just to say we did something. With a proposal this large, we have to get it right. Today's bill, like the bill the House rejected on Monday, falls short. However, despite my opposition, the bill passed by a vote of 263 - 171.
Below is my statement from today's Congressional Record.
Madam Speaker, Four days ago, I opposed a bailout plan that did too little for homeowners, too much for executives, and nothing to prevent Wall Street from repeating the mistakes that got us into this crisis. That bill would have put the U.S. taxpayer on the hook for $700 billion to bail out Wall Street, the very people whose irresponsibility helped to undermine America's economy and threaten the jobs and life savings of millions of American families.
Make no mistake: America faces a serious crisis. We must do something, but we cannot let fear drive our decision-making. Our solution should meet the demands of the day without producing more suffering in the future. We have the time to get this right, but the proposal we considered on Monday had significant problems.
At that time, I suggested several commonsense changes to Monday's bill. Those changes have not been made.
I said we must do more to protect taxpayers. Today's bill still falls short.
I said we should do more to protect responsible homeowners and their neighbors from foreclosures and plummeting property values. This bill still falls short.
I said we must ensure executives who ran their companies into the ground cannot walk away with millions in taxpayer-funded golden parachutes. This bill still falls short.
And I said that while American taxpayers continue to struggle we should not bail out foreign companies whose governments are doing nothing. Again, this bill still falls short.
Perhaps most importantly, this legislation does nothing to protect us from facing a similar crisis in the future. Today's situation is the direct result of a culture in Washington that allowed Wall Street to gamble with America's future. This legislation sends the message that when Wall Street's gambles do not pay off, the taxpayer will bail them out. Imagine for a moment that you send a friend into a casino and tell him: if you win, you keep the winnings; if you lose, I'll pay your losses. You would expect nothing but irresponsibility, and that is exactly what this bill will give us. We need commonsense rules to protect against that irresponsibility, and this bill provides none.
For all these reasons, I will vote against today's proposal, just as I voted against extremely similar legislation four days ago. The only difference between this bill and the bill we rejected on Monday that has anything to do with America's financial markets is an increase in FDIC insurance limits. This may do something, but it is nowhere near enough to justify supporting today's bill.
Whether or not this legislation passes today, Congress must keep working on a new framework for our financial system. Experts have produced good proposals on a variety of issues. Some have even passed this House. But we also need to begin working on a systemic overhaul of our regulatory structures, our financial rules, and the incentives that govern our markets. In this hour of crisis, we have a rare opportunity to protect future generations from the turmoil we have seen. We must seize this opportunity.
Unfortunately, the Senate has chosen to add unrelated provisions rather than fixing a deeply flawed proposal. I want to note that my vote today does not suggest any disagreement with the important package of tax cuts that was added in the last few days. I have consistently supported tax cuts for the middle class, including fixes for the Alternative Minimum Tax. I have advocated mental health parity legislation, and voted for it repeatedly. I have fought for tax credits to spur green industries and produce jobs. And I have worked to protect the Secure Rural Schools and Payment In Lieu of Taxes programs that would be extended by this bill. However, even with these provisions, I cannot support a $700 billion taxpayer bailout-a plan that will have a large and widespread impact for generations-that has been rushed through with so many serious flaws and so many problems left unaddressed.
Today's vote is difficult, but I believe it is what's right for New Mexico's Third Congressional District, and the people of New Mexico and our nation.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. Please feel free to contact me with concerns about any federal issue. You may visit my website at www.tomudall.house.gov for more information.
Very Truly Yours,
Tom Udall
Member of Congress
Friday, August 01, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
House Gazing
Cadiz
Alameda
Starting from $221,990
2,088 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
2 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Large Two-Story Great Room
Spacious Nook and Kitchen
Upstairs Laundry Room
1 Of My Favorite Hobbies
2013 Update: All of these homes are cheaper now. Just ignore the price for all homes.
*** I have provided the price and layout details and reset the pictures to match the interior. Also, please keep in mind that the price will change if you want most of your house 18" tile instead of just the normal wet areas. Berber carpet, and stainless steal will also increase price but use to be considered standard when we purchased our home. However, because of the housing problems these things are extra. So what you see in the picture is considered standard, except the pools of course. Single story homes take up much more land and therefore will cost more. All houses have 3 very different elevation plans that don't change the price.
** This area has its own parks (93 acres), Elementary, Jr. High , high schools, Brand new indoor water park, library, tons of walking trails (3 miles), fields all within walking distance. and 3 golf courses with 10-15 minutes The main entrance to the community is 1/4 mile off the main roads for privacy.
Pulte is building a new community in Rio Rancho called Loma Colorado. A friend of mine was in town so we decided to go check them out.
______________________________Cadiz
Starting from $329,990
2,672 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Den
Covered Patio
Kitchen with Nook
2,672 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Den
Covered Patio
Kitchen with Nook
To view floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/cadiz
________________________________ Marbella
Starting from $348,990
2,942 Square Feet
5 Bedrooms / 3 Bathrooms
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Walk-in Closet in Master Suite
Kitchen with Nook
Covered Porch and court yard with cobble or flag stone pillars (PIMP!)
2,942 Square Feet
5 Bedrooms / 3 Bathrooms
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Walk-in Closet in Master Suite
Kitchen with Nook
Covered Porch and court yard with cobble or flag stone pillars (PIMP!)
To view floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/marbella
________________________________
The Alicante (back home in DC these would be over 1.3 million easy)
Starting from $382,990
4,223 Square Feet
6 Bedrooms / 4 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Curved Staircase Off Rounded Foyer
Separate Living and Dining Room
Courtyard
4,223 Square Feet
6 Bedrooms / 4 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Curved Staircase Off Rounded Foyer
Separate Living and Dining Room
Courtyard
Loft living area 3
Formal Living room
Sitting area 4 leading to 5th bedroom
Master Bedroom/ Door leads to private patio over looking mountains
Master Bedroom/ Door leads to private patio over looking mountains
Bedroom 3
Bedroom 4
Bedroom 4
There are additional bedrooms but I didn't take a picture of them all. Click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/alicante for a detailed floor plan. This house also had a Roman pool with hot tub, a mini soccer field and a courtyard.
Standard features of the Alicante click http://www.pulte.com/communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/alicante.aspx
_________________________________
Ok, I can't find info on these houses at all. They had 22 models and my mind can't remeber all their names. I didn't even go into these house because I was overwelmed at all the other houses we saw that day. I'm pretty sure they are around 240K and 310K with close to 2,500-3,500 sq ft or more.
_______________________________
Santa Cruz (Best 1 story house to us)
Starting from $372,990
3,365 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Curved Island and Eating Nook
Covered Patio
Starting from $372,990
3,365 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Curved Island and Eating Nook
Covered Patio
I really need to go back and take a picture of the inside because it's simple beautiful. To see floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/santacruz
_______________________________
In case you wanted to know the cheapest 1 story house is:
Montilla
Starting from $179,990
1,511 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms
2 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Island and Nook Area
Optional Covered Patio
Master Suite with Private Bath, Double Vanity, and Sunken Tub
1,511 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms
2 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Island and Nook Area
Optional Covered Patio
Master Suite with Private Bath, Double Vanity, and Sunken Tub
______________________________
The cheapest 2 story house is:
Alameda
Starting from $221,990
2,088 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
2 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Large Two-Story Great Room
Spacious Nook and Kitchen
Upstairs Laundry Room
So what do you think?
Thursday, July 03, 2008
East Coast Rough Riders, MD
The ECRR just had the 2nd Gymkhana
June 7th and thier annual trail ride was this past weekend. You can see the Gymkhana pictures here: http://www.roughridersonline.com/Gymkhana2/index.html
I know they will take at least a week to get over the party from last weekend but I'll post pictures when they do.
The ECRR just had the 2nd Gymkhana
June 7th and thier annual trail ride was this past weekend. You can see the Gymkhana pictures here: http://www.roughridersonline.com/Gymkhana2/index.html
I know they will take at least a week to get over the party from last weekend but I'll post pictures when they do.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
The Sun Tan
She's becoming a little scrumptious piece of toffee. She's yummier than Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.
http://stickytoffeepuddingcompany.com/46/sticky-toffee-pudding
She's becoming a little scrumptious piece of toffee. She's yummier than Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.
http://stickytoffeepuddingcompany.com/46/sticky-toffee-pudding
At The Park
I went to Bowie Park for a few hours with the children trying to get some good pictures. There were so many geese out with their newborns that I decided to take pictures of them instead. They geese were out taking a family stroll in the park like the rest of us. The male walked with his chest out making noises to warn man and beast to move aside because his family was coming through. :)
Starting Them Off Young
We've always felt that a child for the most part will never do what you say but will instead do what they see you doing. So in our effort to do less talking we've decided to do more walking and have begun a series of activities which we hope will encourage our son to be a productive man and husband one day.
With the rise of TV shows which show men in a stupid, dumb, over weight, or a semi "sweet" state. The culture promotes men who wouldn't know how to tie their shoes without a woman's help, and some are now more "diva" than woman. There are so many men who can't even change a tire these days and even fewer who can do any home repairs. It was bad enough that so many lack basic cooking skills and clean habits. Losing a mans ability to be helpful around the house is just so sad and we think there needs to be some sort of rights of passage into manhood in the form of classes or camps. When you have to get someone to cut your grass because your husband is to lazy to do it or lacks pride of ownership in his home by letting his house fall down around him, and his grass turn into something from the Discovery channel, then there is a problem.
As mentioned in previous post we intend to tackle issues surrounding male development on various levels. Being male doesn't mean he has to be a unfeeling brute but we personally think our son should have some type of trade skill in addition to his higher education goals (we hope he will be a physics major) inshaAllah. Currently he is learning how to do various haka dances. He started basic martial arts too. Idriss has had time on a horse and I plan on putting him into a equestrian-swim camp. We've also taken advantage of the land passed down in the family to introduce him to farm life. It's very important for him to keep company with men who work outside and aren't afraid to get dirty. He sits with the men when they clean weapons and do yard work. He hikes with his daddy in the mountains and at the dormant volcano's around Albuquerque. He has very little TV time and because of this he will not watch TV no longer than 10 mins. Most children have a innocence about them but we think some of our efforts are the reason behind him having little to no fear. He goes down into basements when its pitch dark. He walked right up to grandpa's goats and rabbits cages and attempted to stick his hands in there to say hello.
My father loves to watch him all the time. With pride he laughs when ever Idriss gets into something and yells; "That dar is a BOY, I tell yah!"
We've always felt that a child for the most part will never do what you say but will instead do what they see you doing. So in our effort to do less talking we've decided to do more walking and have begun a series of activities which we hope will encourage our son to be a productive man and husband one day.
With the rise of TV shows which show men in a stupid, dumb, over weight, or a semi "sweet" state. The culture promotes men who wouldn't know how to tie their shoes without a woman's help, and some are now more "diva" than woman. There are so many men who can't even change a tire these days and even fewer who can do any home repairs. It was bad enough that so many lack basic cooking skills and clean habits. Losing a mans ability to be helpful around the house is just so sad and we think there needs to be some sort of rights of passage into manhood in the form of classes or camps. When you have to get someone to cut your grass because your husband is to lazy to do it or lacks pride of ownership in his home by letting his house fall down around him, and his grass turn into something from the Discovery channel, then there is a problem.
As mentioned in previous post we intend to tackle issues surrounding male development on various levels. Being male doesn't mean he has to be a unfeeling brute but we personally think our son should have some type of trade skill in addition to his higher education goals (we hope he will be a physics major) inshaAllah. Currently he is learning how to do various haka dances. He started basic martial arts too. Idriss has had time on a horse and I plan on putting him into a equestrian-swim camp. We've also taken advantage of the land passed down in the family to introduce him to farm life. It's very important for him to keep company with men who work outside and aren't afraid to get dirty. He sits with the men when they clean weapons and do yard work. He hikes with his daddy in the mountains and at the dormant volcano's around Albuquerque. He has very little TV time and because of this he will not watch TV no longer than 10 mins. Most children have a innocence about them but we think some of our efforts are the reason behind him having little to no fear. He goes down into basements when its pitch dark. He walked right up to grandpa's goats and rabbits cages and attempted to stick his hands in there to say hello.
My father loves to watch him all the time. With pride he laughs when ever Idriss gets into something and yells; "That dar is a BOY, I tell yah!"
Monday, April 21, 2008
Warrior Dance
Idriss is learning various warrior dances. The Hakka is a Maori warrior dance from New Zealand. All males Maori or not know these dances and preform them before team sports, funerals, weddings, and before long journeys.
Check dude out in the very front with the green bandanna on. He is completely feeling it but whats even cooler is the guy behind him with the neck brace on.
Just Awesome.
Idriss is learning various warrior dances. The Hakka is a Maori warrior dance from New Zealand. All males Maori or not know these dances and preform them before team sports, funerals, weddings, and before long journeys.
Check dude out in the very front with the green bandanna on. He is completely feeling it but whats even cooler is the guy behind him with the neck brace on.
Just Awesome.
You're Missed
Hey Daddy!
I'm being a big brother and watching Sahayla just like you taught me Ba Ba. To be honest.... it's hard work...
Hi Daddy!.... I'm doing what I do best..... just hanging around. I miss you Ba Ba because you use to stay up all night holding me and walking me around while mother slept. Now these haters keep making me sit down. One of them "old ones" say you've spoiled me just because I prefer to be held and moving at all times. Whinners... lol
Daddy, I miss you...
Grandpa keeps calling me Kazoo!! (from the flint stones)
The Aunti's are calling me Eeeeek (they say that's how I sound when I talk)
and the cousins call me R2D2.
If I could, I'd clip them as they step off the stairs. lol
Hey Daddy!
I'm being a big brother and watching Sahayla just like you taught me Ba Ba. To be honest.... it's hard work...
Hi Daddy!.... I'm doing what I do best..... just hanging around. I miss you Ba Ba because you use to stay up all night holding me and walking me around while mother slept. Now these haters keep making me sit down. One of them "old ones" say you've spoiled me just because I prefer to be held and moving at all times. Whinners... lol
Daddy, I miss you...
Grandpa keeps calling me Kazoo!! (from the flint stones)
The Aunti's are calling me Eeeeek (they say that's how I sound when I talk)
and the cousins call me R2D2.
If I could, I'd clip them as they step off the stairs. lol
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