Let the Controversy Begin

Now, I have been trying to avoid getting too in to this election mess, but after reading this article I was moved to being pissed off, yet again! Seems that Obama is talking about the need to continue and ADD more dollars to Bush's faith based initiatives. He wants to expand them and send more money their way. Now, I do agree with the statement that he made,""The challenges we face today ... are simply too big for government to solve alone," BUT .....

I do not like the idea that he may be supporting the ability to hire and fire based on faith. (Note: The Associated Press initially reported Obama supports "their (faith-based organizations') ability to hire and fire based on faith." NBC reports the campaign says Obama's plan would prevent organizations from discriminating based on faith. The Associated Press changed its wording to say, "some ability to hire and fire based on faith." The campaign says this second version is still inaccurate.)

I think that the religious organizations need to be totally out of the picture and another way found. I do not have the answers, but this seems to be heading into a whole different kind of mess. What about people, like me, that profess no specific "faith" or organized religion? Are we not allowed to seek help because we do not follow the same path as those that dish out the help/food/services? What about volunteering/working for them? Same thing, will they turn down my help because I do not follow their paths?

I believe that it is a slippery slope and one that we never should have entered in to and one that should disappear and alternatives found.

How Much Closer are We?

How much closer are we to going in to Iran before "you-know-who" vacates the White House? I am getting the feeling that it is much closer than any of us would like. Mother Jones has put together an interesting group of people to answer questions regarding this issue. An Israeli intel correspondent, an Iranian American activist, an arms expert, a former peace negotiator, and an anti-war intellectual. You can post questions, it is a blogging type situation, and then they will discuss it among themselves and the readers.

Check it out and see what you think.

New Ink

This is not my arm, but it is the same tattoo that I just got on my right arm yesterday. He changed up the flower colors a bit and made them brighter, but basically the same. I loved that it was silly and made me laugh.

Got Junk?

Newsweek magazine has an article about what our junk reveals about us. Our clutter, the crap we have piled on our desks and the type of crap that we save or have just not thrown out. Sam Gosling, a psychology professor, has written a book; "Snoop: What Your Stuff says about You".

He says that the things that people have, and keep, can tell you more about them than face-to-face meetings. This stuff serves as the "non-verbal" cues to who and what we are that is not so apparent to the rest of the world.

He uses his study of the Greek way of defining the personality types and even the Myers-Briggs testing styles to come up with the style that he uses to help you equate people based on their junk. He has five areas that he uses; openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neurotic ism. OCEAN for short. How we organize our spaces decides where we fall into each of these areas. Messy people tend to score high for extroversion, but low in conscientiousness, while people with generic or un-decorated bedrooms and office spaces will tend to fall high in conscientiousness, but low in openness.

If this book is inexpensive I think I might pick it up for fun. I would like to take a walk through my spaces and see where it puts me and how closely it is. Years ago I took the Myers-Briggs assessment, for one of those group building/dynamics courses. Trying to get us all to see how to work more effectively with the other "types" in the mix. I came out as an extrovert-sensor-feeling-preceptor. I don't know if any of you have ever taken that assessment, but it is a somewhat lengthy test and then you do find out some intuitive things about yourself and it was quite accurate to my style, especially in the work and group areas. I did see that they also have an easier/user friendly version on the Internet if any of you want to check it out and see where you fall. I am "classified" as the Joker and it does truly fit my work style and life.

As I have gotten older I find that the people that I am most drawn to also seem to have the same home style and types of junk that I do. It must be that we are drawn to those that are most like ourselves. One of my favorite quotes that I keep posted on my fridge is, "Clutter is a sign of life being lived".

And so I live on.

....but I Prefer Black.

Your Mind is Blue

Of all the mind types, yours is the most mellow. You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles. Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.

What Color Is Your Mind?

Like a Vacation

Seems as if I have been on a vacation. I have been eating all the time; cooking out steak, burgers & dogs. Wine of the white & red varieties. Cheesecake. Lots and lots of corn-on-the-cob dripping in butter. Night fires in the pit and late nights. No, not a vacation, but rather John has been home for three weeks!

He left this morning for another tour in Australia. Another new town and a company that has never had one of these machines before, so we expect a 3 week or more trip.

I told him that I was almost glad that he was leaving because all I have done since he has been home is eat. I think I only ran twice and worked out a handful of times. This has really been like a relaxing vacation! It seemed as if we both hung out around the house and got some much needed tasks accomplished as well as watching a little junk TV. We hung out in the yard often and threw enough tennis balls for the dog to feel like we were pitching in the majors!! When she got tired of that we opted for a Frisbee.

We drank coffee outside in the morning and watched the birds come to the feeder. Drank wine and beer outside, at night, and either had a fire where we would take turns poking it, or on the porch under the dim summer lighting that I put up.

It was the most relaxed that I have been in weeks. I have had no interest in politics at all and could care less about the election right now. I have barely looked at the news aside from a little Internet news. Part of my good state of mind is possibly due to cutting out all the negative crap that is out there on a daily basis. I have thought about blogging, but just did not think of anything important to say.

Then it dawned on me...I don't really have to always be timely and pertinent. I don't always have to be engaged in some big discussion or argument about about world events or things that piss me off. Life is too short to always be either angry or blaming someone. It is about the good things, family, friends, a good dog, a nice fire to poke and a bottle of your favorite red or white.

Sex and the City

I never became a fan until the show was already into re-runs. I could not even have told you any of the character names. Then something happened....... I watched an episode, obviously out of order & not knowing who anyone was, but loved it!! It was a hilarious episode where Samantha, the slightly older of the four ladies, is dating a younger man, as she is prone to do, and she discovers that she has some gray hair "down there". So, she dyes it herself and it turns out the shade of Ronald McDonalds hair! Having some familiarity with this area I nearly fell off my chair laughing. I could relate. I decided to watch some more of this show. Now, I am hooked.

A girl that I work with loaned me the entire series on DVD. Now, I am prepared for the movie. There is going to be about 15 of us total. We, a group of girls from work, have decided to go along with various mothers and sisters and friends. First we are all going out for dinner and a few drinks, then we are walking over to the theatre to all watch it together. My mom has never seen the show, but who cares! It is going to be a night of girl fun and frivolity! The movie will be its own story and those who know the history will get that extra added thrill.

I also happen to be a big Chris Noth fan from Law & Order long before he was "Big". So, along with the ending and closing of many story lines I am also looking forward to the camaraderie with all the girls and women of various ages that are going out Friday night. A few Cosmos, a burger and a bucket of popcorn later...who cares how good the movie actually is, it is all about bonding and spending time with the girls.

It's All in a Name

What Dharma Means

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What Kathy Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What Kathleen Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Again, Mixter got me hooked in to this little quiz. Kathleen is a name that rarely gets used, but I thought that I would see what it said. I am almost a total combination of my screen persona, Dharma, and Kathy. At one point in my life I was actually going to legally change my name to Dharma since I like it so much, but decided that it would piss my mom off too much!!

Classic Rock

This morning, before school, Max had VH 1 Classic on the television. I was having coffee and reading blogs and then I heard music that stirred something in me. " I know that song", I said. I went in to look at the screen to see that he had VH1 Classics on and they were playing the Psychedelic Furs "Pretty in Pink". Wow, how I used to love that band. I came back in to the computer and then the next song, same thing, I knew the band this time, Thompson Twins and the song was "Doctor, Doctor". "Wow", I said,"This is awesome stuff from the 80's". Then I thought about what I had said and what was happening here.

The 80's music is now considered "classic rock". Wow. Hard to believe. When I think of classic rock I think of Freebird and Stairway to Heaven. The 80's were my hard clubbing, dance and party the night away days, or should I say DAZE!! The best part of the punk rock and New Wave scene where bands like Suzie and the Banshees, The Clash, Dead Kennedys were all the cool club rage. John Hughes was putting great music into all his movies. The Pretty in Pink soundtrack is fantastic 80's fare as is the Lost Boys soundtrack.

I guess to kids Max's age the 1980's would be considered a classic rock era. My god, it is 20+ years ago!! If you look around you will notice that all the plastic jewelry, 80's style, is coming back. Some days, when I am working at the coffee mega giant, I will tie my hair up with a black lacy scarf and wear big bangle earrings. My hairdresser came in and called me Madonna! I told him that I was single-handed trying to bring back the 80's!

If you look around in the stores you can see the jelly-type shoes are back in along with some more modern style flip-flops made out of the same material. It probably won't be too long before we see the leg warmers and Swatch watches back in vogue.

Everything old is new again and the next generation feels as if they just discovered it. Walk into a Claires, at the mall, it looks and feels like you just walked back into the 1980's. Except without Doc Brown and Marty!!

That Smarts!

All-Around Smart You are all-around smart. Essentially, that means that you are a good combination of your own knowledge and experience, along with having learned through instruction - and you are equally as good with theoretical things as you are with real-world, applied things. You have a well-rounded brain. 0% applied intelligence 20% natural intelligence

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Thanks for the fun quiz Mixter!

Democracy in America: The Monsters under the Bed & in the Closets

Bill Moyers has written a book about democracy in America and the excerpt that I have read is quite frightening...... and true. The things that he points out are things that many of us have either noticed or talked about, but are becoming more and more powerless to do anything about. Especially since our systems of electing the people, that we think will make the change, is not really doing anything for any of us.

"Now all bets are off. We have fallen under the spell of money, faction, and fear, and the great American experience in creating a different future together has been subjugated to individual cunning in the pursuit of wealth and power -and to the claims of empire, with its ravenous demands and stuporous distractions. A sense of political impotence pervades the country -- a mass resignation defined by Goodwyn as "believing the dogma of 'democracy' on a superficial public level but not believing it privately." We hold elections, knowing they are unlikely to bring the corporate state under popular control. There is considerable vigor at local levels, but it has not been translated into new vistas of social possibility or the political will to address our most intractable challenges. Hope no longer seems the operative dynamic of America, and without hope we lose the talent and drive to cooperate in the shaping of our destiny."

I have never seen an election year where more people are thinking of just "throwing in the towel". Too many to count are talking about not even voting. They ask,"why bother" or "why should I"? There seems to be such a pervasive feeling of malaise and giving up. The people that have these feelings seem to also be more of the middle class like myself. Others are students and regular working class folks. Most conversation has shifted away from politics, in the coffee shop circles, and gone on to gas and food prices. The feeling and obviousness of the separation of classes is evident.

"The earth we share as our common gift, to be passed on in good condition to our children's children, is being despoiled. Private wealth is growing as public needs increase apace. Our Constitution is perilously close to being consigned to the valley of the shadow of death, betrayed by a powerful cabal of secrecy-obsessed authoritarians. Terms like "liberty" and "individual freedom" invoked by generations of Americans who battled to widen the 1787 promise to "promote the general welfare" have been perverted to create a government primarily dedicated to the welfare of the state and the political class that runs it. Yes, Virginia, there is a class war and ordinary people are losing it."

One of the better things that Mr. Moyers points out is that the media , as if we did not already know this, is terribly screwed up! Yes, he points out, there are a few who actually take the risk and try to tell/write the truth, but they are few and far between. They are actually the pawns of those corporate giants that own them.

"I wish I could say that journalists in general are showing the same interest in uncovering the dangerous linkages thwarting this democracy. It is not for lack of honest and courageous individuals who would risk their careers to speak truth to power -- a modest risk compared to those of some journalists in authoritarian countries who have been jailed or murdered for the identical "crime." But our journalists are not in control of the instruments they play. As conglomerates swallow up newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, and networks, and profit rather than product becomes the focus of corporate effort, news organizations -- particularly in television -- are folded into entertainment divisions. The "news hole" in the print media shrinks to make room for advertisements, and stories needed by informed citizens working together are pulled in favor of the latest celebrity scandals because the media moguls have decided that uncovering the inner workings of public and private power is boring and will drive viewers and readers away to greener pastures of pabulum. Good reporters and editors confront walls of resistance in trying to place serious and informative reports over which they have long labored. Media owners who should be sounding the trumpets of alarm on the battlements of democracy instead blow popular ditties through tin horns, undercutting the basis for their existence and their First Amendment rights."

This book is definitely one that is going on my short list of new books that I will try and read this summer. I highly recommend that you check out the article, over at AlterNet, and see for yourself.

Shout Out to Dooce!

One of the blogs that I read is Dooce. The creator and writer on this web site is Heather B. Armstrong who was just on the Today show and has been an acclaimed blogger and winner of many awards associated with her blogging. She can now also boast a new book! "Things I Learned About my Dad in Therapy".

"Compiled by Heather B. Armstrong, award-winning publisher and über-mistress of the phenomenally popular dooce.com®, this hilarious and heartwarming celebration of "everything dad" features original stories from some of the country's most celebrated bloggers, including Alice Bradley (Finslippy) Doug French (Laid Off Dad), Maggie Mason (Mighty Girl), Matthew Baldwin (Defective Yeti), Sarah Brown (Que Sera Sera), and more.

From a new father's comparison of pregnancy to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, to a mother's story of bravely surviving a husband-son infatuation with Star Wars, to the mini triumphs and tragedies of toddlerhood, this book provides a unique, no-holds-barred glimpse into the quirks and candid moments of modern dads.

Whether we relish or fear growing up to be like our fathers…whether we've inherited his nose, sense of humor, or entire value system, our dads loom large in who we are and the choices we make. Things I Learned about my Dad in Therapy touches upon the many joys and discoveries of fatherhood, one essay at a time."

I have always enjoyed Heathers blogging and often the stories are irreverent and hilarious; like the time she tells about how her dog had his head up the chimney for days only to find out they had a huge raccoon living in there! Some of the stories about their little girl, I could skip because I am just not fond of stories about small children any more, but for the most part she is an excellent and funny writer and you should stop by her blog and check it out. Her stories about going to New York to appear on the Today Show are funny and often she includes photos that add to the enjoyment of the story.

Heather B. Armstrong is the award winning publisher of dooce® (dooce.com). She gained notoriety in 2002 as one of the first people to be fired because of a blog, and in 2005 dooce.com was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 50 Coolest Websites. Armstrong has been on Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, and ABC's World News Tonight as a featured commenter on both blogging and postpartum depression, as well as profiled in the New York Times Sunday Style section and the Washington Post Weekend Magazine. She was published in Real Simple's Family edition in August, 2007.

Armstrong lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, daughter, and dog.

She also has a very cool dog, Chuck, that will allow them to pose him with some of the craziest things I have ever seen on a dogs head as well as clothing! He sits and poses so patiently, more than any dog I have ever seen. That dog has expressive eyes and a wonderful looking face.

Heather also coined the phrase "recovering Mormon" that I am often fond of using as she was raised in a Mormon home and therefore I can relate to her stories of dinnertime prayer etc.

Congrats Heather & Dooce on being a fun and award winning blog and on your newest literary efforts!!

U.S. Death Toll, Tough Love , Womens Rights , Oprah Overload & Beautiful Finland

This morning, as I sit here sipping my extra bold Italian roast coffee, I find that many news articles are catching my attention. Not to mention the beautiful photos that John has sent from his weekend get-away in Finland. I plan to just touch upon the basics of these stories and let you go to the links for further details. They are all stories that piss the hell out of me, so I would be here writing for hours if I went on about all of them. I have too much to do today to let that happen, so have at it!

I have never been a big Oprah fan. Just never got into the show and I do not buy any of her "brand". I used to reach with a woman that had to watch her show every day and would come to school each day recapping the show from the day before, as if I cared. When James Fry crashed and burned from his book debacle I loved it. Anyway, this writer is beginning to discuss how many folks may be tiring of Oprah as she continues to blanket the nation, and maybe the world, with her product.

Seems that Oklahoma continues to legislate the choices for a woman. They are now telling women that wish to get abortions that they MUST have an ultrasound before they can do as they wish.

"This new law inserts the government directly into the doctor-patient interaction and promotes the legislators’ personal values rather than the best interest of the patient. This sets a dangerous precedent that could be extended into other aspects of patient care, especially other controversial areas of medicine."

They are already required to get information, prior to the procedure, that informs them as to what they are doing etc. In my mind that is already pushing the envelop. Now they must undergo this procedure? The choice continues to be taken from women and put into the hands of legislators. This is getting scary.

The U.S. death toll, in Iraq, has hit a 7 month high. Some may compare these numbers to other wars etc., but why compare...aren't they all unnecessary, sad and useless losses? The shape of this "war" seems to be changing greatly to the fighting of insurgents rather than liberating people and helping them to establish democracy etc. All the reasons that it was stated that we went there in the first place.

As someone that has worked with troubled and "at risk" teens I have to say that the whole "boot camp" idea of punishment leaves me quite cold. We are talking about kids that have come from mostly violent homes. Where there is never ending yelling and screaming along with physical violence. Then you want to put them in boot camp style punishment settings where they are forced to endure more of the same yelling, screaming and the like. Granted the leaders may not be druggies or drunks, but I have seen first hand how these kids respond to more of the same tones etc. and it is not good. I am not saying that they do not need some type of program, but I do not think that these militarily styled settings may not be in the best interest of the child.

When you look at some of these "camps" or "wilderness camps" you have to look at the caliber of those they hire. Due to the death of some kids at the hands of the guards/instructors that are hired to watch over them. Also those instructed to teach them. There are always stories of those that slip through the cracks and end up working with these kids that do not even have the proper training or demeanor to be doing so.

Finally, we come to the Finland experience. Looks like John will be there till June, but he has had a wonderful weekend adventure and I have included a few photos for your viewing enjoyment. The owner of the company has this lovely little cabin in the woods on this lake. They went for a weekend. All the food was catered in and there was a smaller sauna building as well. They had much Finnish vodka and after several hours in the sauna did three trips to the lake for frozen dips. They walked out that dock and into the lake. I asked if it was refreshing and John said, "Not once! It was fricking freezing every time!" Said that his feet were blue by the time they were finished. The man does not have much body fat! Said that he slept great and the air was wonderful. It looks like a beautiful setting and it is a place that I could spend a great deal of time.

Coffee is cold, so I guess that is the signal that it is time to either refill the cup, or do something constructive. It is my day off. We'll see.

Bravo Doctor Stuart!

Yes Virginia, there are some people out there...some of them even doctors, that really see the need to treat the segment of the population that need them most. Those without health insurance. This is one of those stories.

After 22 years in private practice and getting tired of seeing people get "kicked around by the system" Dr. Lorna Stuart found herself frustrated by the medical system and community and now she has done something fantastic about it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are currently 47 million Americans going about their daily lives without health insurance. Having been there myself I know that they are just one major medical emergency away from a major financial situation. We used to just hold our breath that Max would not break an arm or leg on his skateboard. When we got sick we just waited it out and bought every "over the counter" medication that we could find.

Dr. Stuart had become very frustrated with the insurance companies and the rules and restrictions that came with them,

"The day-to-day time that I spent on paperwork was increasing, while my patients weren't getting the good care that I wanted to give them -- face-to-face time, one-on-one time," she recalls. "I vowed to do whatever little I could about this inequity of care."

"Every single person knows somebody without health insurance," says Stuart. "There are so many people that fall through the cracks."

So, she decided to do something about it. She sold her home, gave up her private practice and began to raise funds to open a clinic. Her efforts have resulted in" The Clinic: Medical Center for the Uninsured". Many patients pay as little as a dollar, even 50 cents, as the patients who may pay in full and receive the same treatment.

"Each day, I get to treat the patients whom our medical system has forgotten, without the hassle of insurance paperwork," says Stuart. "Is it any wonder I once again feel the real joy of practicing the craft that I love?"

Many kudos to Dr. Stuart!!

All Good Dogs go to Heaven

On Friday, April 18th, I had to take Burt to be put to sleep. The paralysis was returning to the front portion of his body again and it was just the humane thing to do. Since John is still in Finland I took him myself. They let us wait in the car until they were ready for him. We sat together in the backseat. It was the only time that I can remember that he let me get right in his face without barking at me. I took off his collar and harness.... and then the nurse came out to get us. I carried him in to the room, there we had a few more moments together.... and then I left.

It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. That beagle sure was the most unhealthy little dog we have ever had, but he sure brought us years of laughs and entertainment. Seeing as how he came from the APL and was in such a state when we got him I am happy knowing that we gave him 5 very good years. That dog may have been overweight, but he lived a very good life with us and that makes it all worth while.

Concealed Carry 101

It appears that along with Intro to Sociology, Spanish 101 and Philosophy that Ohio is now considering allowing the concealed carrying of weapons on college campuses.
Ohio is one of eight states that are currently debating the issue following the Virginia Tech shooting. This is going to be one huge, uphill battle. Not to mention heated and ugly. As someone who lives and works in a college town, in Ohio, I have many issues with this. As someone who has spent a good deal of years on a college campus I have reservations about this.

I realize that not everyone who owns a handgun has blood lust in his/her mind, but....do we really believe that putting a weapon in the hands of often emotional, unstable, drinking and drug using college students in a bright idea? Now, I know that not every college student fits into that category either, but what scares me is that the ones who do will be the ones who are carrying the guns. There is not a week that goes by that there is not a major, or minor, altercation of some sort on one of the fraternity house properties. Just this week, with the 70 degree weather, as I drove through town there were students outside by the dozens drinking, one group had a hand painted sign in their front yard that read. "You honk, we drink". Would you like someone in that group be walking around later in the evening carrying a weapon and have them get pissed off because they thought that you had "disrespected" them? Not this citizen!

Weekly the police blotters are filled with the names of the underage drinkers and those arrested for simple fighting in the bars. Do we want these people to be able to concealed carry so that these minor issues become shootings and murders? Over something as stupid as who wouldn't turn down their stereo or who looked at my girlfriend? There are so many reasons why I do not want to walk around my town wondering who is carrying. I don't want my kid to be riding his skateboard around a campus where they will be carrying.

Now, I know that there are many other dangers in life and in a college town, but why do we want to add an element like a handgun to the mix? Mental health services are already busy enough as it is on college campuses. Young people sometimes go through many issues during the years they are away from home, maybe for the first time, nights of partying on their own. Roommates and the troubles that that brings, not to mention carrying them in to the dorms after your significant other tells you that they are breaking up with you.

I am not one to say that there are certainly many responsible gun owners and if people want to hunt that is their personal business and recreation, but I do not think that they belong on a college campus. Granted the Virginia Tech shooting was a tragedy, but how many others might have been injured with shooters who would have been shooting back during a time of great stress. If you ask any police officer they will tell you that the casual gun owner is scary because in times of stress they are apt to shoot quickly without much thought. They are not nearly as trained as the police. Even if they go to a range and learn how to point and shoot they still do not have the further training and mental acuity that comes with the training of the police and the like.

No, it is something that I do not like to hear about on my local campus and strongly urge Ohio lawmakers to think twice before allowing.

Death Penalty, Innocence Project & Old Confessions all Rolled in to One.

In recent years we have seen more and more states holding back on the execution of inmates. More and more often groups such as the Innocence Project are proving, through various methods, that innocent people are on Death Row. There are more discussions than ever before on the reasons behind execution and more debate about whether or not we should continue with the practice. No matter how you personally feel about the issue there are many materials out there for you to read and information that will give you much food for thought.

This week, for the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing a case that involves the execution for an inmate accused of a crime other than murder. It is an awful and messy case that involves a child. There are other states that are also advancing their death penalty laws to include similar circumstances. Although no one has been executed, since 1964, for anything other than murder. Newsweek has an excellent article that details, not only this case Kennedy v. Louisiana, but also the way that perception has been changing about execution in this country. They ask, "Is this a burgeoning new trend for the execution of rapists or the last gasps of capital punishment?" Part of what they must look at, in the Constitution, is the "cruel and unusual punishment" versus the "evolving standards of decency". An excellent and informative article. It is often quite difficult to understand all the parts that the Supreme Court must evaluate when they hear cases and this article spells it out quite well about this very huge issue.

Another very important thing that one must look at when considering Death Row or those serving life sentences are those who are wrongly convicted and the numbers keep rising. If you ever have the interest, or desire, to read Barry Schecks book "Actual Innocence" you will be amazed at the conduct by some lawyers, or maybe not, how witness identification can be so wrong. In my mind there can be nothing more heinous than to spend a major portion of your life in prison for something you REALLY did not do. How drastically that must change a persons life. No matter what compensation you may receive later it can not make up for the way that your life will be altered forever. The book is amazing. I read it when it first came out and used to let some of my seniors use it, when I taught about the constitution and the death penalty, for those that wanted to stand on the side against. They would often debate the issue.

Soon, another wrongfully convicted man, who has spent 26 years in prison may get to walk out as a free man. He has spent those years in prison, even though another man confessed, due to a technicality in the law in his state. How pathetic and sad is that? There will be no way for him to get those years back or the peace of mind that he has lost by being incarcerated for that many years.

The actual guilty party confessed, in writing, and gave it to his own lawyers to be opened upon his death. He died in prison for an unrelated crime. The catch was, even though he told them, lawyers can only tell someone about this only if it will prevent serious bodily harm, death or criminal fraud. In this case, the other man was already dead. He was confessing about a murder that had already occurred and there was nothing that anyone could do about it. They had to sit on this for 26 years! This is another amazing story. A sad and pathetic story that tells how the justice system in this country needs to be scrutinized and given an overhaul. I am not saying that we need to change every bit piece by piece, but we need to look at loop holes like this and fix it, so something like this doesn't happen to someone else. How do we even know that it hasn't. Just because this story has come to light does not mean that there are not more men like Alton Logan who have lost the prime years of their lives in a place as humiliating and degrading as prison.

On Being a Mom

This morning I am rushing around to get my own stuff done so I can get Max an appointment to see the doctor. Yesterday he took a spill on his skateboard and may a fracture to his heel. OUCH!! I returned home yesterday to find him with the frozen bag of peas, which we keep plenty around due to their excellent ability as ice packs, and he had propped it up on the coffee table. Yep, there was a good size bulge and it became increasingly difficult for him to bear weight on that foot. So, called him off school today and now the rush to get in the doctors office begins. But, as I say, better some other body part than the teeth!!

That, along with the stores already pushing Mothers Day cards, along with current news about "bad moms" not raising their kids in what are considered correct ways, giving your kids candy as a bribe or letting them watch cartoons as a babysitter and so on. Has given me reason to think about and contemplate my own experiences and qualifications as a mom. Or lack thereof!

I started out this adventure as someone, who in their twenties, never wanted kids. I was not one of those people who spent time pondering the joys of parenting or dreamed about marriage and children. That was not in any part of my mind or vocabulary! Then, lo and behold, one day closer to thirty I found myself pregnant. Not totally unplanned, but certainly an interesting prospect. The whole 9 months and birth were all just a blur that lead to the moment, before leaving the hospital, when I said to my own mom, " After I get home, what do I do then?" She laughed and said, "You take care of him." And so I did.

Now, we zip ahead to the present day where Max is now 17. This August he will be 18 and both he and I are quite excited about his first year to vote. The idea of his last year of high school is very odd. It seems as if this kid has always been in either day care or school. I have no idea what I am going to do with myself when I am not contemplating scheduling, packing lunches or shopping for "school clothes". Where will he go to school next? Where will he live? Who will reach those wine glasses on the top shelf for me?

My plans were to put cloth diapers on this kid, make all my own baby food. This kid was never going to eat hot dogs or macaroni and cheese! Well, since he often ate clumps of dirt, and I managed to get over that, the other stuff sort of fell by the wayside too. Not to mention the bribery that would take place as one was preparing to enter the grocery store. The best day of both of our lives was when my favorite grocery store added a day care center!! He used to cry when he had to LEAVE the grocery store!! I can not tell you how many times I got all the way home to discover that I was still wearing one of their pagers.

There were those times that I am sure that some people, maybe those that write the books on "perfect parenting" would say that I did things that were less than stellar in my child rearing practices. Like running in the house for a moment as he played outdoors, letting him sit in the bathtub for a second as I ran and grabbed an extra towel in the hall closet or letting the VCR play "babysitter" as I had my coffee and tried to wake up on an EARLY Saturday morning and was not quite up to early morning chatter with a 4 year old. Did all of that make me a bad mom or make him a problematic child? In my mind I think not. Like they say, all the best laid plans will often go awry. You do the best that you can at the time. Learning not to beat yourself up along the way. As long as what you do is not causing great harm, then I think that you are ahead int he game. It was only as he got older, and I grew more comfortable in my role, that I also began to see that I was in good company. All the other working moms were doing the same things as me and hell, I ever learned a thing or two from them. I think that is why moms need other mom friends.

The fact that he still needs me is a good feeling. Along with the Advil we looked for some old crutches last night. Put him to bed early and woke him up this AM to tell him I was calling him off school. I saw how he still needed me to care for him and offer comfort. To look at the "boo-boo" and tell him what needed to be done. Still needed me to make it "better". Although I was not kissing it like when he was four. Not the bottom of his foot that had been in a skate shoe for several hours!! The lessons learned as a mom, patience and selflessness being the top two, are and have been so important in my life. I had never anticipated how much it would impact me. As this Mothers Day approaches I would hope that we would all commend ourselves on a job "well done". Appreciate you for raising that child or those children and making it through an exceptional time, not only in your life, but in theirs as well.

Is Anyone Listening?

According to a CBS News- New York Times Poll 81% of Americans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction. They said that," things seem to have gotten seriously off on the wrong track". This number is up from 69% a year ago, and 35% in early 2002. 78% of those responding felt that the country was worse off than five years ago, while just 4% said that they thought that things were doing better. Who are these 4%? I would love to talk to one of them and find out what their frame of thinking is and how they feel things have gotten better. I want to know where they shop for food and how they can afford the general basics of day-to-day living.

I am not even talking about the little extras like eating out, going on vacations and the like. Hell, for my family those are things of the past. If my mom was not having a birthday this weekend I would not even be going out to dinner! But it is a delightful luxury these days and I am looking forward to it with gusto. Not to mention that it is something that has to be strategically planned for and cash set aside towards. We never do fast food anymore. Assuredly we are better off health wise, but sometimes I just crave something greasy and fried, not to mention the convenience.

I am giving some serious thought to buying our own cow to defray the cost of milk. With all the milk I have at my fingertips, at the coffee mega giant, I could make some side cash selling it in the back alley for $2.00 or less a gallon!

If things are getting this out of control and more and more people are showing the signs of financial strain etc. I wonder who out there is listening and when are they going to begin to really address our concerns? To coin a much used and abused phrase, " Can you hear me now"?

Obama Yaps & Faith Kills

Seems that Barack Obama is bringing his flashy brand of rhetoric down a few pegs. He wants to try and appeal to the middle class working white voter. The New York Times has a good article about the Dem candidates stumping in PA. and how he is lower his yap to try and fit the mind set of the locals there.

"He is grounding his lofty rhetoric in the more prosaic language of white-working-class discontent, adjusting it to the less welcoming terrain of Pennsylvania." states Michael Powell of the Times. He goes on to point out how much like Ohio the working class folks are and the type of "plain speaking" that is preferred, "Mr. Obama’s effort to master a plain-spoken and blunt language that extends back centuries in Pennsylvania is accompanied by no small stakes. Voters here, as in neighboring Ohio, where Mr. Obama lost the white and aging blue-collar vote, tend to elect politicians whose language rarely soars and whose policy prescriptions come studded with detail." I understand that it is mostly election year yabber, but I also want real, tangible meat & potatoes. I took speech classes and love a rousing speech as much as the next guy, but I also want real facts and not just platitudes. Hillary may be nearly boring with the detail in her plans and speeches, but there is content there that I can function with and hear results oriented direction. "A thrill these talks are not, but G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, noted that politics that attended to the precarious details of life could provide comfort to the hard-pressed.

“If you’re an unemployed steelworker, a former coal miner, you want to know about job training, who pays your health care,” Dr. Madonna said. “Obama’s speeches are uplifting but without much specificity, and that’s a tough sell for working people who don’t live in a world of ideas.”

I am all for an adult following in any religious style that they would like, but when your choice, as a parent, can or does lead to the death of your child then I believe that you should be held accountable. It is a crime and it is neglect! Bottom line. You are the adult that is making choices for care that the child can not do for themselves. Here we have a story, yet another, of parents that belonged to some very strict little religion that allowed them to only pray for their child's illness and they watched the child die when some simple early medical care may have saved the child's life. How utterly sad. "The Worthingtons belong to a small fundamentalist sect, The Followers of Christ Church. The Followers believe that faith will heal all and that death, if it comes, it is God’s will.

In fact, death has come often to the children of the Followers. Before Ava, other children died in circumstances where simple, well-proven medical treatments might have saved them. According to an investigative report done some years back by Mark Larabee of The Oregonian newspaper, at least 38 young children lie in graves in the church’s cemetery in Oregon City. And the Followers have reported a suspiciously high number of stillborn deaths in recent years." All very sad indeed. How can anyone rationalize the death of an innocent child in the name of God? Parents have the right to feed and dress their children as they wish, but I stand firm in the fact that they do not have the right to watch them die.