Breaking News: Tim Russert is Dead

Tim Russert has passed away from a heart attack at the age of 58. The host of Meet the Press had the heart attack while recording voice overs an upcoming episode. I knew that Russert had been in politics for ever, working for people like Daniel Patrick Moynihan, but I didn't realize that he won an Emmy for his coverage of Ronald Reagan's funeral. While I didn't always agreed with his political views, he did such a balanced job on Meet the Press that I always liked watching the show. His presence will definitely be missed.

Technorati Tags: Tim Russert

Defense Department Shake Ups

So the Secretary of Defense is "accepting" the resignations of the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff due to some slip ups in Nuclear security. That seems like a good reason. I do love the wording of accepting resignations instead of firing their butts!

(HT: Two Babes and a Brain)

Kindergarten is a War Zone

Kindergarten is the easy grade to try out public school, right? The kids are to young to really corrupt each other and kindergarten teachers are sweet people who love little kids (why else would they choose to chase them), right? Not so much.

So here is our first situation. First imagine an adorable 5 year old boy (and I do me cute!) who has some discipline problems so mom takes him to outside doctors (as recommended by the principal) and they start the process to get him officially diagnosed with Aspberger's. Some 5 year old boys can have discipline problems to begin with but pile on Aspberger's and I am sure it can be rough. But how rough would it have to be for a teacher to pull this kid up in front of the class, have every student say what they don't like about him and then vote as to whether they want to keep him in the class. That is exactly what what Wendy Barton did in Florida.

If that isn't bad enough here is the second situation. So your five year old comes home and complains that his teacher doesn't like him and that he kids don't either. While your child is saying all this you are getting progress reports that are well mixed in the good marks and the bad. The teacher says sometimes your child is disruptive and can't keep his hands to himself. But when you ask the teacher if you should set up a "behavior plan" with the teacher she says she doesn't have time. So it must not be that big of a deal. Well, many times you would say that the kid is being to sensitive to limited correction and isn't really reading the situation properly. Well, what if that kid started acting out at home? The parents of Gabriel Ross decided to send a tape recorder in his pocket to see what is really going on. The results were shocking.

What they heard over four hours of tape shocked them. Woodward can be heard telling Gabriel that he had "tortured and tormented" her and other teachers all year.

"I've been more than nice to you all year long and you've been ignorant, selfish, self-absorbed, the whole thing! I'm done!" Woodward says to Gabriel on the tape. She continues: "Something needs to be done because you are pathetic! If me saying these words to you hurt, I hope it does because you're hurting everyone else around you."

Gabriel can be heard crying on the tape.

Now I am hearing some people say this is evidence of a bad school system and that is why you should homeschool. I am looking at it a little differently. Apparently all the training these teachers got didn't prepare them to actually deal with kids. I think this should be empowering to any parent who has ever doubted that they can teach their own kids. Do you think the home environment will be healthier than this? Now, I am not saying that all teachers are like this because they aren't. But, all the training can't be the end all and be all to teaching your child so have a little faith in yourself, your intelligence and your love. You can do it!

Technorati Tags: Alex Barton, Gabriel Ross

Gay Marriage Coming Soon to California

Apparently they will be starting to have same sex marriages(or gay marriages for the search engines;) in California on June 17, 2008. According to this article, the state said that the date is set that far in the future to give the state Supreme Court time to step in. It seems all that will stop it in the near future is for the Supreme Court to issue a stay.

The new procedure isn't really all that shocking. The paperwork that the county clerks will have with not say bride and groom. Also if registered domestic partners are marrying the same person, they don't have to dissolve the partnership first.

I am interested in seeing how this all shakes out.

Deep Tragedy and Deep Sympathy

I was just alerted over at Rocks in My Dryer that Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter, Maria, was killed in a car accident. This is a double tragedy for the Chapman family because she was run over by her older brother.

The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see Maria in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.

“It appears to be a terrible accident,’’ McPherson said.

No charges are expected, she said. The accident was witnessed by two other children; the entire family was home at the time, McPherson said.

My deepest sympathy and prayers go out to this entire family and all those who know and love them.

Doctors and Universal Healthcare Survey

So I heard on Rush, while coming home from the doctor, that a survey would be released today saying that 1/2 of all doctors want Universal Health Care. This sounded shockingly untrue so I came home and googled it. So there has been a survey released today. Here is the "big" news according to Reuters:

Of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59 percent said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32 percent said they opposed it, researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Well, I have serious doubts about the veracity of this statement. First of all it was done in 2002 in Indiana. What took so long to get the results out? Oh, thats right an election. Secondly, I also don't believe that these 2,000 doctors out of Indiana are representative of the 800,000 in the US. I find it boggling. Will Universal Health Care really fix the problems facing doctors today. Isn't Oregon one of the states that malpractice insurance for OBGYN's is so high that they are leaving the state? I think this would just make it harder for doctors to make a living and pay for insurance.

That is separate to the issue of patient care. If choice wasn't positive we would all choose to be on the existing Universal Health Care system, Medicare. Then look at Canada. If Universal Health Care is so great why do people cross the border to come here? We must be doing something right medically because people from all over the world come here to be treated for serious illnesses. It is the fact that medicine is a private industry that motivates and pays for medical research. It is also the private industry aspect that enables us pick and choose our doctors, our hospitals, and encourages speed of service that isn't seen in countries with Universal Health Care.

Well, that is my rambling on this. What do you all think?

Technorati Tags: Universal Health Care, Reuters

Court to Reconsider

For all those keeping up on the California Homeschooling drama, the court is going to reconsider their decision. As far as I can tell in the first article I have found, this is not a complete rehearing of the case. They are inviting educators and teacher's unions to submit written arguments. We shall see.

BounceBacks: Should Mom and Dad bail them out?

There was an article in the AP about people losing jobs and money and their parents bailing them out. They specifically talking about 40-50 year old kids. What do you think about this? These parents are putting their retirements in jeopardy for kids that are old enough to fend for themselves. Now I am not saying that because money is more important than people but it will create a bigger financial problem. Will the kids they use their retirements to help be able to help them when they retire in just a few years? I don't think they could even if they wanted to. If you take that money and invest it into someone's life I don't think they could turn it around to make enough money or stability to support their parents.

Dr. Helen brought up a really good point on this issue also.

If their kids are self-centered enough to take their parent's retirement from them, will they really help the parent later on down the road or will they be more like this woman, who wrote to the Huffington Post complaining that her mom was a pain in the ass?

She went on to mention a book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. I went over and read a really interesting write up on it. It just proves that it is the determination to support yourself that counts regardless if it is the standard you dreamed of. I think it is our belief that we deserve everything regardless of anything else that is screwing up our economy and might screw up the older generation's retirement. Hopefully we will do a better job teaching our kids about money, self-reliance and living humbly (relative to our income) than has been done with the previous generations.

(HT: Dr. Helen)

Maid Sues Over Firing and Pay

So a Maid in Atherton, CA is suing a former employer for wages and damages. This seems pretty normal until I read the rest of the article. A maid was fired because she left chicken bones in a garbage can. Ok, this may have been an overreaction but we don't know the history but it wasn't totally unjustified so what is the problem? She doesn't think she was paid fairly for her work when she worked there. She said she was paid $1000 a month to clean a 9000 square foot house, make meals and take care of 1 kid. She claims she could work 14 hours a day. Apparently she would work up to 7 days a week and up to 14 hours a day. Now this all appears agreeable while she was employed but now she is suing for $120,000 in wages, damages and penalties.

What!?!?!?! She agreed to do a job for a price and if she didn't like the price she should have gone somewhere else. I agree that they were getting a bargain but that was her fault. Yet another example of how we have become way to litigious.

NY Gov Resinged, Finally!

I first heard about the issues surrounding Eliot Spitzer on Monday. He has been caught up in the call-girl scandal that was discovered by a wire tap. All along I heard he was going to resign but never did. Well, he has now. The part I don't buy in the whole story was:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal that shattered his corruption-fighting, straight-arrow image, saying: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

Yea right. He resigned after he go his plea bargain. I don't view this as a resignation but a excuse. You know what I mean, a "this is why I won't be at work any more" excuse. What do ya'all think?

Another Great Man Passes

William F. Buckley Jr. died today. There is already a touching tribute, or more appropriately a series of tributes up at National Review. He is an icon in the conservative movement. I personally enjoy the debate he had with Gore Vidal (due to language I am only posting a link). He wasn't a party man but a man of principals and he would take on anyone. May there be more like him. My sympathies and prayers to all who loved him and cared for him.

Action Over Words

I just want to brag about one of my friends at Bible Study named Carol. She had heard about Berkley and the ill treatment of the Marine recruiters there. She felt that they needed encouragement so she got the phone number of the Berkley Marine Recruitment office and called them. She just wanted to reassure them that this is the fringe and not the majority of Americans. She told the young man that answered the phone that the publics views doesn't affect the positive feelings we have for the men in uniform. Bravo Carol for not just talking about this issue (as I am doing now;) but actually taking a step to affirm the strength of these young men!

What Do You Think?

Apparently in Muncie, Indiana a man painted his own crosswalk and was charged with criminal mischief. There is an intersection with stop signs in a residential area and people didn't usually stop. So Whitney Stump called the city and the sign department to get a crosswalk painted. The city said that since it wasn't near a school it wasn't necessary. So he went out bought paint and did it himself.

So what do you think about it? Since the pedestrian would have the right away is there really a problem with the crosswalk? The city doesn't have any plans to remove it. The reason I think it might be ok that he painted it himself is that it was forbidden. I don't like the mentality that government seems to have with "if it isn't required it is forbidden". How about you?

(HT: BoingBoing)

Grissom Leaving?

According to Buddy TV, William Petersen gave an interview to British Radio Times about him leaving CSI. While it seems vague it does seem impending. He also seems very critical of the whole franchise. The one thing that seems to hold him back is his responsibility to all who have a job through what he does. Maybe he realizes that without his character there is no CSI. If he leaves I wonder if they will try to replace his character and possibly let the show die a slow death or if they are just going to close up shop.

(HT: Chris from SHS group)

Technorati Tags: csi, tv

Heath Ledger is Dead

According to Fox News Heath Ledger is dead. His body was near sleeping pills and they think it was a factor. The things you are alerted to when your niece is on your MySpace friend list. I really liked him as an actor in everything I have seen him in. I am very sorry for his daughter and everyone who loved him.

Hanukah Faux Paux

Now I openly admit that I don't keep kosher, as a matter of fact we had pork sausage, eggs w/cheese and latkes last night for dinner. But I guess back east they take their Hanukah very seriously. NancyKay Shapiro (who also eats pork;) noticed this advertisement at a grocery store and snapped a couple of pictures. She then posted it on her blog so we could all get a kick out of it. The next day the signs were gone and there are at least 2 news stories (one and two). Everyone knows the really sin is that people are paying between $8.99 and $6.29 a pound for ham!

(HT: Silicon Valley Moms)

This Makes You Both Look Bad

I guess Brittany Spears is a wiser mother than someone. Sorry, just typing that line gave me chills. Heidi Klum, in an interview, said that Brittany Spears told her about the tabs on the side of the diapers (or the little sticky things). Before that she was tying string around her kid. Now they had this conversation when Spears crashed Klum's Halloween party.

So who looks worse in this exchange?

(HT: Rocks in My Dryer)

Aqua Dots Kill!

While that may sound like an inflammatory title it is true. The AquaDots toy was made with substandard chemicals that turn into a date rape job when activated by water. (Those with toddlers read when eaten.) This can lead to come, seizures and possibly death.

Chemically what is going on is:

The toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics.

The Chinese online trading platform ChemNet China lists the price of 1,4 butanediol at between about $1,350-$2,800 per metric ton, while the price for 1,5-pentanediol is about $9,700 per metric ton.

What I find especially scary is that I was looking at buying these Wednesday morning at SuperWalmart and didn't get them because I was waiting for a sale.

Now We Find Out What Ford Really Thought

I have to say that I have always understood the fine tight rope that former Presidents are forced to walk. They never enjoyed open criticism when they were President yet I am sure that they have plenty to say about the numbskulls that later occupied the White House. Well, Gerald Ford found a great way to handle it. He did a series of tapes with Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Thomas M. DeFrank in order for DeFrank to write Write it When I'm Gone. So far we have found out that Ford thought Bill Clinton was a sex addict and Hillary wore the pants in the family. I think this will not only by anecdotally interesting but we might get more insight into what drove Ford and what really happened in this situations that we are all curious about. Such as,

After the House voted to impeach Clinton but before the Senate's decision on whether to convict him, the sitting President phoned the ex-President.

"He said he needed my help and wanted to know if I could help," Ford recalled not long after.

Ford had written two Op-Ed pieces in which he called for Clinton to admit he had lied to federal investigators in exchange for censure over impeachment.

He told Clinton that he would help him, if he agreed to such a deal.

"Bill I think you have to admit that you lied. If you do that, I think that will help - and I'll help you. If you'll admit to perjury, I'll do more," he said.

"I won't do that," Clinton told him. "I can't do that."

Let me just declare now, I want this book! If there is a publisher out there who would like me to review this book over here, please just mail me a copy;). I have a request in at the library already (I am #6 and they don't have it yet) so when I read it I am sure you guys will get to hear about it. But if you read it first Share!

(HT: Instapundit)

Are All Politicians Cut From the Same Cloth?

A interesting development came up when Lynne Chenney was researching a memoir of growing up in the western state of Wyoming. Come to find out Dick Chenney and Barak Obama are 8th or 9th cousins. So is it true that we are all being ruled by these uber-families;)? You know, the Kennedy/Schwarzeneggers and the Obama/Chenneys;).

I just think this is all cute and funny.

Planned Parenthood Charged

Planned Parenthood in Kansas has been charged with 107 criminal counts. About time they got charged. What I find sad is that False Information is a Non-Person Felony but a Unlawful Late Term Abortion is a Misdemeanor.

(HT: Michelle Malkin)

Oh Joy, I live in a Nanny State

California has become the 3rd state to enact a ban on being in a car, smoking with kids. While I don't smoke (asthmatic and would probably die;) I just don't like the government telling me what to do with my kids. This is a slippery slope....

Southwest Covers Up Scandily Clad "Lady"

For those of you who haven't heard, Southwest recently asked Kyla to adjust her outfit in order to stay on a flight. There is discussion going on about her freedom and was this done because she was a attractive young woman and someone (which of course must be an old married lady like me because no man would complain) was offended. In the CNN interview there was this quote:

Feminist Ann Friedman can't imagine this happening to a man

I happen to offer this different view: it would if his penis was hanging out. As a matter of fact he would have been arrest for indecent exposure. Here is some photographic evidence (Due to the issue these are not on this post due to our family friendly nature. You can click on the image and see it in a window. Mind you these are just stills off of the CNN interview).




In the second picture it looks as if the skirt was made from the top part of a pair of jeans. All you crafty girls have seen those purses and aprons made like that. According to AllDay: Today's Family Blog:

At first, when she appeared on the set, it didn't seem like her outfit was so inappropriate. It was clear that her skirt was pretty short, but it didn't seem worthy of getting a lecture from a customer service representative on how to dress.

But when she sat down, we learned just how short that skirt was -- when she flashed our national television audience. Yeah, that skirt was short.

So was she discriminated against? Yes, in the beneficial way. All she said she had to do was pull down the skirt and up the top. A man would have been bounced and possibly arrested. I say hurray for Southwest! I am not asking for a company to apply stricter standards than the law but let us apply the law. There is a law that allows a woman to nurse in public but other than that cover up! Private parts are not to be seen in public.

(HT: Rocks in My Dryer)

Deaths

Madeline L'Engle died Thursday at age 88. She was the author of Wrinkle in Time and many other great books. Literature and the world will miss her.

Pastor D. James Kennedy also dies this week at age 76. He actually died as a result of a heart attack he had in December. While I listened to him on the radio in hugh school and college, I was shocked (pleasantly) to see he was a founding member of the Moral Majority. He will also be greatly missed.

Both families are in my prayers.

New York Nanny State

Once again New York City has a new ban. This time it is parents smoking in a car with kids. Now I don't smoke, don't like smoking, can't have people smoke around me and I have asthma. Those issues are not the issue. The issue is how much control should the government have? This is private property with their own kids. It is a slippery slope. Smoking around your kids is bad. So is cussing, eating cookies, not getting enough sleep, etc. So are we going to fine everything? Will there be a checklist for raising your kids? I think the biggest thing that scares me about this is that I live in California and can see it happening here.

This also reveals a truth I have known for a while. Bloomberg may be a Republican but he is not conservative. While he hasn't signed off on this specific law he did have some comments pertaining to this subject.

When asked in January about a similar proposal in Rockland County, Mr. Bloomberg said people should have the right to smoke in their own cars, but "if it's a child in the car, who doesn't have the ability to speak up and protect themselves, then society does start to have an interest."

(HT: Two Babes and a Brain)

Pregnancy Carnival

Hi everyone! Here is the latest edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. I don't have any cute themes but so great articles none the less. Let us jump right in!

As always we are looking for ways to deal with pregnancy, its symptoms and its chaos. Mommin' It Up shares her own chaos and life in Days of Chunder. Patricia Hughes at More4Kids gives us Stress Relief Tips During Pregnancy. Emmahoney.com asks "Why Exercise During Pregnancy?". Busy Bee Mama tells us How to Go from Overwhelmed to Productive. Momat35 shares what she has learned from her experiences in How Pregnancy Influenced My Career and Ambition.

In the preparation for baby category we have some good entries. PotPieGirl at Unusual Baby Boy Names provides us with a list of Baby Naming Tips. I Love the Beach tells us How To Make A Beach Baby Nursery. Biotunes.org asks "Is the triple screen for Down Syndrome right for you?". APMFormulators says that Obstetricans have no Idea what non-medicalized Birth is.

Next we have a couple of post birth issues. Rebuild from Depression gives us Breastfeeding Diet: Vitamin D and Iron in New Moms. BustWithAttitude.com provides us with one of our raciest entries (yet needed for some) with Sexy Plus-Size Nursing Bra.

You have to have a little pregnancy politics to finish your day. Phil for Humanity gives us Abortion: Religion versus Practicality versus Morality. Two Babes and a Brain offer us OH...What the Hell... about NYC hospitals ban on freebie formula.

This wraps up this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. If you might be interested in hosting the Pregnancy Carnival please email me at mom@nerdfamily.com. If you want to submit a piece for the next edition please go to BlogCarnival and fill out the form!

Free Root Beer Floats!

Sonic is giving away free root beer floats tomorrow(Thursday June 7th) from 8-midnight.

(HT: Biblical Womanhood)

Supreme Court Upholds Partial Birth Ban

This just in! In a 5-4 ruling the US Supreme Court has upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban as being Constitutional. They said that it didn't effect a woman's right to have an abortion but the method. Very Good!

22 Week Miracle Baby

A baby was born just under 22 weeks and appears to be doing well. It is now 2 months old and there is even talk of sending her home. What amazes me is this is how far a long I am! Something that the article said that was new to me was that 1/2 of all babies born at 25 weeks make it. It just makes you wonder how someone can think this isn't a baby.

(HT: Biblical Womanhood)

How could you educate for $25000 a person?

I am assuming better than the Washington DC schools. According to the Washington Post the kids of the district have a few ideas:

Among the things that they wanted to see in every public school: "books when school starts," "heat in winter," "air conditioning in summer," "healthy meals," "water fountains that work," "music and art classes," "counselors who are able to help us" and "teachers who care about their students and can teach."

My question is what are they already spending the money on? This is yet another reason for vouchers or even tax credits for schooling.

(HT: Joanne Jacobs)

Idaho Recruiting Fresno Businesses?

So I was reading the Fresno Famous Blog and there was a posting about the closing of the Old Fresno Hofbrau. True it is a bit sad because this resturant has been around for years but that wasn't the puzzling part. The resturant was struggling and then...

But at the same time, the Wagners got an offer they couldn't refuse. Business recruiters from the city of Couer de Alene, Idaho stopped here for lunch one day, then offered to help the business relocate to their city.

I just find it odd.

Bratty Kid Gets Family Tossed From Plane!

Recently, AirTran Airways removed a family from a flight due to a bratty 3 year old. Now there is a little more to it. The FAA has a rule that a child over 2 must have their own seat and be in it for take off. So here this flight is, already 15 minutes delayed, with a child that wouldn't get into her seat. That translates into hiding under her seat and hitting her parents. There were 112 other passengers to think of. How many people have missed their connecting flights? I know that NerdDad has. So the airline kicked them off. The airline got them the next flight, refunded their money and then gave them roundtrip tickets to any where the airline flies. I totally feel that AirTran was in the right. We won't even get into the various bad parenting issues going on here (3 is still to young to be aware enough to be afraid of flying) . This is coming from a mom that has a 5 year old, 3 year old and an 18 month old. I would gladly fly this ariline any time. So go comment AirTran for their great choices.

(HT: Electric Venom)

And I thought I was a bad parent!

So I admit it, Christmas comes around and I want to give my kids everything. Am I a bad mom because I don't give them all the childhood toy experiences. Especially since I homeschool. Well, at least I am not this guy. He took his stepdaughter's dog out and sold it for beer.

(HT: Two Babes and a Brain)