Grandma Has Exciting News for the New Year

Grandma Butts Inn is excited to announce that she has partnered with 3ContentWriters.

I

We're not exactly sure what you would call what we are, but we sure do have a lot to offer. Each member of the 3ContentWriters group brings varying skills to the table and are devoting their individual commitment to the success of the group as a whole.

When you see 3ContentWriters you know that you are getting quality professional service from a group that incorporates 3 distinct personalities and a wide range of interests and achievements to form a single entity. 3ContentWriters offers a wide range of professional content services to meet the needs of all of our clients with creative and innovative quality web content.

3 professional content creators, Patrice Campbell, Theresa Leschmann, and Suzanne Alicie  have created the 3ContentWriters group to provide a well rounded selection of skills and services with flair and integrity. 

3ContentWriters has published a press release, in case you missed it.

Grandma Butts Inn will not change because of this partnership. The blog will stay the same, but grandma is a freelance writer after all and has to do something while waiting for people to say something to let her butt in.

Right now, I'm going to Facebook to like the 3ContentWriters page. Follow me over there.

Happy Holidays from a PC Challenged Grandma

photo used with permission under morgueFile Free License

Grandma and her family celebrate Christmas. I’ve said it. It’s a religious holiday that we embrace to the fullest, both spiritually and commercially.

Other religions celebrate holidays during the month of December, too, but Grandma doesn’t have a lot of knowledge of these holidays unless they are part of a religion followed by her friends. It’s not that she doesn’t care or want to know, it’s just that a person can only know so much. Grandma is always open to learning more. She doesn’t believe that learning about the beliefs of others in any way jeopardizes her own beliefs.

Holidays besides religious holidays are also being celebrated throughout the world during the month and into next month.

So, please forgive Grandma her ignorance. But, please, accept the best wishes that you find happiness in celebrating your Holiday, no matter what that holiday may be.

Happy Holidays

Video of "The Rent is Too Damn High" Debate

Grandma found the video from her earlier post on the "The Rent is Too Damn High". This is from the NY Governors Debate. Jimmy McMillan is a real crowd pleaser.









And Grandma agrees. The rent is too damn high.

Love "The Rent is Too Damn High" Political Debate

The election of 2010 may seem to be full of negativity, with fringe candidates making enough outrageous statements to make even the most civic minded voter throw up their hands in despair, or maybe just throw up, but the New York Governors race has brought a bit of humor into the mix and made this Grandma remember why she likes to follow politics.

Jimmy McMillan was a hit in the New York Governors Debate as his  "The Rent is Too Damn HIgh" campaign seems to have struck a chord with listeners. Watch the video.

This, in a debate that also included candidate Carl P. Paladino leaving during the final statements to find a bathroom and a quote from a former escort business owner that  "The key difference between the MTA and my former escort agency is that I operated one set of books and my former agency delivered on-time, reliable service."

But "The Rent is Too Damn High" is what I'll remember. I don't think I'm alone in this.

Bathtub Toys Recalled by Munchkin Due to Risk of Injury

I received the following email and wanted to share it as quickly as possible. Check the tubs for this toy.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 18, 2010

Release #11-012

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 242-3134

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Bathtub Toys Recalled by Munchkin Due to Risk of Injury

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bathtub Subs

Units: About 34,000 units

Importer: Munchkin Inc, of North Hills, Calif.

Hazard: The intake valve on the bottom of the submarine toy can suck up loose skin, posing laceration hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and the company are aware of 19 incidents of lacerations to boys' genital area. One of the incidents required medical attention.

Description: This recall involves battery-operated bathtub submarine toys. The toy is yellow, has a smiling face, turquoise windows, an orange propeller and an orange periscope that turns the toy on and off. The intake valve has a water pump that sucks in water to propel the submarine. The toy is intended for use by children during bath time.

Sold at: Mass merchandise retail stores nationwide and children's stores nationwide from November 2009 through September 2010 for about $7.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Munchkin for instructions on how to return the product for a free replacement toy.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Munchkin at (877) 242-3134 anytime or visit the company's website at http://www.munchkin.com/

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including a picture of the recalled product, please go to:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11012.html

News Story: 'I'm too rich to go to jail' Ticks Grandma Off

The flip side of entitlements the elite are always complaining about is obvious in this story I read at MSNBC.com.


We often wonder who raised the spoiled kids who grow into spoiled adults. Parents often tend to think their precious children will outgrow their selfishness and be well adjusted adults who fit well into a working society. Well, it's not as easy as that. Between celebs getting in trouble with drugs, violence and scandals bordering on harassment to poor little rich kids who think they can get away with anything, parenting skills seem to have a gap as wide as the gap in incomes.


This young lady must be making her parents proud today. I've taken a quote from the story:

"When deputies placed Hincapie under arrest, she allegedly said, "You are in trouble because I am a New Yorker and my brother is CSI" and "My dad paid cash for my Toyota Corolla and I am too rich to go to jail." "

Read the entire story


Grandma thinks you'd better pay attention to how you're raising your child, unless you want to read about his or her accomplishments in the news.

Oldest NFL Rivalry Causes Mini Civil War

Arguments will break out today in offices and homes throughout the country as the stage is being set for the oldest rivalry in the NFL to battle it out in Chicago.


The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, two top contenders in the Black and Blue division made up of the Packers, Bears, Vikings and Lions, meet twice during the regular football season and cause commotion that can only be described as short lived civil war across the country.


It's brother against brother, husband against wife, coworker against coworker as team pride takes precedence over work tasks and tasks around the home and yard alike. And this year the game has national attention because it is played on Monday night. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?


Grandma is ready in her most comfortable Packer sweatshirt. Fans of da Bears are being identified and spammed on Facebook.


Usually, Grandma promotes understanding and tolerance as a way of successfully living in society, but on the day when the oldest NFL rivalry go head to head Grandma just joins in the fray.


It's time to fire up the grill and start the party. Cooking up some perfect steaks and brats? Slice some cheese to go along with that.


Grandma Butts Inn and says go ahead and argue. I think today should be a football holiday.

Old Farts take the First Step Forward

Yesterday Grandma was kind of cranky. I'd just read a piece in the NYT about people over 50 expected to not be able to find jobs in their lifetime if they were unemployed. In case you missed the post "Old Farts Should just Give Up?" feel free to read it before you go on.


So, Grandma did what Grandma does. I decided to just butt in and give some suggestions to those who are worried about job prospects as the economy recovers. I came up with a few ideas:


Did you know that there were places to learn online? FOR FREE? Yep. You can watch video lectures from several well known higher learning institutes. Lifehacker has compiled a number of places offering free online education for of us not quite ready to live a life of imposed retirement.


Whitson Gordon writes in his article Where to Get the Best Free Education Online:

"While most online resources won't grant you a college degree, there's a lot more to the internet than Wikipedia when it comes to learning. Whether you learn best through video or text, want to take a year-long course or just to touch up on a few topics, there are more than a few places online that can give you the full experience. In fact, there are enough that it can get quite overwhelming, so we've rounded up the best resources to make it all a bit more manageable. Here are some of the best places to get an education without ever leaving your computer."

For those who feel the time is right to jump into the freelance world and work from home, the internet offers a lot of people who have a lot of tips and experience to share.


For example, Suzanne Alicie writes a blog called Work From Home: 

"All about work from home opportunities and methods of earning from the comfort of your sofa. No scams! Only real work from home opportunities."

I follow this blog because it has so much information that I really find helpful.


I write a blog about freelancing called The Frustrated Freelancer  that you might want to check out just in case you think writing full time is a picnic in the sun.


The person who wants to find a way to get by while they're looking for employment will find a way. Especially the folks in Grandma's generation.

Old Farts Should Just Give Up?

The New York Times has an article that says if you're over 50 and unemployed, you might just become old enough to collect Social Security before you ever find a job.


Huh?


I'm thinking the NYT should get ready to print a retraction. These young whipper snappers don't know what the hell they're talking about.


We were raising our families during the recession of the 80's, and we did it successfully. We can do it again. You see, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE in making a comeback. Most of us were raising young children during that time and we managed to keep them fed, clothed and they grew up to be responsible adults. When the line a the unemployment office wound around several blocks, we looked for other options.


When somebody 'moves our cheese', we don't waste time crying about it. We start looking for it, and in addition, we know enough to look out for the better cheese we might find in our search.


Give up, my butt.


It's time to show the NYT that Baby Boomers can make quite a BANG when they decide to make something happen. Start keeping stats on the over 50 crowd that start their own business and end up hiring a person to help here and there. 


Keep stats on us washed up has beens who'll keep plugging away because WE KNOW HOW to keep putting one foot in front of the other.


While the younger crowd looks for a job that 'looks good' on their resume, we'll be talking about day jobs at the temp agency. We'll expand opportunities networking at the places we volunteer. 


We'll try new things because we know better than to let anyone tell us our horizons are shrinking.


NYT. Don't mess with us. Spend your time polishing up your resume, instead, because, in case you haven't heard, print journalism is in trouble.


And that's all Grandma has to say. (For Now)

Dear Grandma, If you like to give advice maybe you can help me

Grandma has been asked a question in the comment section of her very first post. I don't even have to butt in. Thanks, reader who wrote:

If you like to give advice, maybe you can help me.

My husband started a weekend lawn service to help us pay the bills. He did pretty good over the summer, and I thought we'd have some extra money to enjoy life. Now he bought a $7,000 tractor for his lawn service. He says he can use it to do other stuff for customers like plow snow during the winter.

I got mad and bought a leather couch just to teach him a lesson. It only cost $5,600. Less than his tractor. Now he's mad at me.

How can I let him know that I put up with him being gone almost every night during the summer and most weekends, leaving me here to clean the house without any help and I deserve a break, too. We really can't afford the couch, but we could if he would take the tractor back. He is being really selfish. The couch looks great and all of my friends love it and tell me I should be a decorator.

Taken for Granted

September 4, 2010 4:36 PM

Dear Taken for Granted,

In my opinion, someone is being very selfish here. Childish and vindictive also come to mind. What have you done to help the family budget lately? A few extra household chores?

Where is your brain, child. You spend money you don't have because you're mad that your husband is trying to make extra money that you need? It doesn't sound like his tractor is a toy or display piece, but an investment in his business. Instead of taking the winter off, he's planning to go out in the cold to earn extra money.

You complain about being left to do the chores. Have you offered to ride along and help in with his lawn business? Not only would you spend time with him, jobs would go faster meaning more money with less time.

If yard work isn't your thing, it's not mine either, have you thought about a second job of your own to pay for your expensive treats?

If a second job isn't your thing, have you thought about just cutting down on expenses?

I hope you saved the receipt for the couch and make arrangements to have it picked up and your money refunded as soon as possible. I also hope you let your husband know that you feel left out but that you understand what he is doing is for your family. He sounds like he takes his family responsibilities seriously.

Grandma


Do you have a comment or question for grandma?

I Want to be a Crone

In civilizations long since past, the aging female was looked upon with respect. The oldest in the community was often called the wise woman, crone, healer, witch or just mother.

Personally, I like the term crone. I want to be a Crone.

A generation ago, I would have fit into this category. Today, because of the aging population, I’m put into the category of Younger Baby Boomer. I feel ripped off.

I’ve lived a lot of years. Formal education, lifelong learning studies, and just living day to day have left me with knowledge and experiences to share. Working full time and raising a child on my own, running a household and being involved in community events and charity work  have added to the data base of trivial and important facts and ideas in my brain.

My gut has been trained to send advice to my cranial decision making processor. My face traces the routes of my trials and successes, my joys and my pains. I see with eyes that compares present to past.

But how many people seek me out for advice????? I can count them on one hand.

A few years ago I learned how to handle this hurtful situation. I just butt in and give advice whether it’s asked for or not.

I try to hold my tongue around family members. I feel they are forced to put up with me and I want to make it as easy as I can on them. But friends, coworkers and anyone else within hearing distance are on their own. If they choose, they can run away. Many do. That’s okay. Less birthday presents I have to buy.

Now that I’ve introduced myself and my blog I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you’d like to follow the crone and share my words of wisdom. I don’t force my opinions on anyone. I don’t ask that you agree with me. In fact, I often play devils advocate and my musings are sometimes thinly veiled sarcasm.

Open debate and civil disagreement is welcome in the comment section. No personal attacks allowed. If you have any intelligence at all, you can state your opinion without acting like a 3 year old who has expanded his vocabulary by hanging out with Dad on a DIY project.