I never realized that having kids would cause me to re-learn everything I THOUGHT I knew from my own elementary school education. Now that T1 and T2 are moving into specific areas of study like science, social studies, and more complicated math than basic addition and subtraction, I am finding that I'm learning along with them.
I have been helping in their classrooms two mornings a week...one morning in each classroom. Turns out there is a universal School Scent. Every school I've ever been in smells the same. It still smells like the school I went to when I was a child. It has a strong undercurrent of cleaning supplies (which, when ordered from a catalog must say "School Smell Cleaning Supplies), a chalkiness, or maybe essence of crayons, a hint of wet construction paper, and just the most subtle nuance of pee...like someone in the room didn't quite aim accurately when they went to the bathroom and got some on their shoes or something.
But the amazing thing I am finding is how much more information they have about the subjects they are learning. T2 has in his classroom a big book about Christopher Columbus, and it has details in it I never learned as a child. Both of them are learning about the Pilgrims at a much, much more realistic level than I ever learned in the happy, fun way it was presented back in the days when I made construction paper turkeys. They are learning the true story about how these people nearly all starved, and entire families were wiped out while they tried to make it through their first few years. They are also learning about how the Native Americans were also nearly destroyed by all the new diseases the Pilgrims (and others) brought with them. And T1's class has also been learning about rocks and minerals in her science unit. She is now rattling off facts about what the earth is made of and how different rocks are made that I'm pretty sure I didn't know until high school.
The Reenactor and I have both discovered that the way T1 is learning to add two columns of numbers is very, very different than the way we both learned it. The language involved is different. You no longer "carry" a digit from the first column to the second. They are being taught to "re-group." I can tell that I'm going to be in over my head in helping them with math sooner rather than later.
The fun part of this is that subjects that I normally wouldn't bother to read or study are in front of me now, and I'm re-learning too! I can maybe take a mid-life GED one of these days and see if I pass!
So campers, what "true fact" did YOU learn in elementary school that you now know is complete nonsense? Or what did you learn that still sticks with you today as a tool you use often?
Oh, and one more note...if you ever think that teachers are overpaid, just spend two hours in a classroom. I truly don't know how they aren't all stark, raving mad at the end of the day.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Day, 2008
Notes from Nov. 4, 2008
1) I was filled with a sense of calm, and amazement after I pressed Obama's name on my voting machine. Just this sense that I had made a contribution to history.
2) The Reenactor and I were so disappointed that The Commonwealth was the first state officially called in favor of McCain. However, given the political and cultural climate of this area, it was no surprise.
3) I couldn't sit still for the first three hours of the evening. I flitted around the house in nervous spasms of attempting to clean and put things away, obsessively checking the current tallies on the computer, and watching anything BUT the results on tv. We even watched a special "presidential" edition of Dirty Jobs. The Daily Show was our election coverage up until the time that the election was called. Just because I was feeling especially goofy, I checked out Faux News momentarily. Long enough to see Karl Rove trying to logically explain why everything he has done in the last decade has been nothing short of disasterous (well...not what he was really talking about, but I was wishing it was).
4) The kids wanted to stay up until it was "over" which of course we had no idea how long that would take. We let them both lay down with pillows and blankets, and they cratered just minutes before the election was called. We tried to wake them up to watch O's acceptance speech, but they both whined and went back to sleep. I'm going to have them watch it on the internet tonight.
5) Champagne that we have been saving to celebrate the sale of our house was instead popped open to sip while McCain conceded, and during Obama's magnificent acceptance speech.
6) I probably should have put this first, but it is a stream-of-consciousness thing so bear with me. I want to put this in writing for the virtual family campfire that is my blog (and for those of my friends who humor me by reading it as well)....
My sister Alice, and her husband John have spent hours, and hours, and hours, and hours volunteering for Obama's campaign in Ohio. They have knocked on doors, made calls, canvassed, done grunt work like picking up signs to place in their county, and I don't even know what all...
Today, they are my heroes. They are two of the legions of people who made this change possible. I hope they take a well-deserved vacation or rest now, and bask in the glow of the triumph they were so much a part of.
7) I know the world isn't going to change immediately, but for the first time in eight years, I have hope again. I remembered last night how we took T1 to the polls to vote with us when she was just 2 weeks old in 2000, and how optimistic I was that evening. I remember the feeling of dread that I had as I was up with her over that night giving her feedings and watching the fate of our nation change by the minute, and by the suspect votes of a few counties in Florida. I still believe that election was stolen, and that our world would be very different if Gore had won. So to go from that to having her curled up next to me cheering every time a state went "blue" last night was a bit of compensation for the feeling of helplessness in the last few years.
8) The power of one vote is just amazing. My homestate of Missouri was called with just something like 4000 votes difference. The senate race in Minnesota is at this moment divided by just 400 votes. The mayoral race in my town, which I think everyone assumed was a shoo-in for the incumbent, is only 50 votes different. Your vote matters, it really does.
9) I hope that this election begins a trend of eliminating the use of smear and negative campaign ads and emails, as it is very clear they didn't work this time. Case in point, the Senate race in N.C. Elizabeth Dole lost her bid for re-election in large part because of an ad she ran and approved saying that her opponent didn't believe in God. Even for the hardiest of evangelicals in her state it was a slap too many.
10) I wonder what Joe the Plumber is doing today? Maybe his job for a change? Unclogging a sewer line or something? I hope we don't hear of him again.
That's all for now. I'm happy. I feel like I'm represented again (although not at a local level).
Yes, we can!
1) I was filled with a sense of calm, and amazement after I pressed Obama's name on my voting machine. Just this sense that I had made a contribution to history.
2) The Reenactor and I were so disappointed that The Commonwealth was the first state officially called in favor of McCain. However, given the political and cultural climate of this area, it was no surprise.
3) I couldn't sit still for the first three hours of the evening. I flitted around the house in nervous spasms of attempting to clean and put things away, obsessively checking the current tallies on the computer, and watching anything BUT the results on tv. We even watched a special "presidential" edition of Dirty Jobs. The Daily Show was our election coverage up until the time that the election was called. Just because I was feeling especially goofy, I checked out Faux News momentarily. Long enough to see Karl Rove trying to logically explain why everything he has done in the last decade has been nothing short of disasterous (well...not what he was really talking about, but I was wishing it was).
4) The kids wanted to stay up until it was "over" which of course we had no idea how long that would take. We let them both lay down with pillows and blankets, and they cratered just minutes before the election was called. We tried to wake them up to watch O's acceptance speech, but they both whined and went back to sleep. I'm going to have them watch it on the internet tonight.
5) Champagne that we have been saving to celebrate the sale of our house was instead popped open to sip while McCain conceded, and during Obama's magnificent acceptance speech.
6) I probably should have put this first, but it is a stream-of-consciousness thing so bear with me. I want to put this in writing for the virtual family campfire that is my blog (and for those of my friends who humor me by reading it as well)....
My sister Alice, and her husband John have spent hours, and hours, and hours, and hours volunteering for Obama's campaign in Ohio. They have knocked on doors, made calls, canvassed, done grunt work like picking up signs to place in their county, and I don't even know what all...
Today, they are my heroes. They are two of the legions of people who made this change possible. I hope they take a well-deserved vacation or rest now, and bask in the glow of the triumph they were so much a part of.
7) I know the world isn't going to change immediately, but for the first time in eight years, I have hope again. I remembered last night how we took T1 to the polls to vote with us when she was just 2 weeks old in 2000, and how optimistic I was that evening. I remember the feeling of dread that I had as I was up with her over that night giving her feedings and watching the fate of our nation change by the minute, and by the suspect votes of a few counties in Florida. I still believe that election was stolen, and that our world would be very different if Gore had won. So to go from that to having her curled up next to me cheering every time a state went "blue" last night was a bit of compensation for the feeling of helplessness in the last few years.
8) The power of one vote is just amazing. My homestate of Missouri was called with just something like 4000 votes difference. The senate race in Minnesota is at this moment divided by just 400 votes. The mayoral race in my town, which I think everyone assumed was a shoo-in for the incumbent, is only 50 votes different. Your vote matters, it really does.
9) I hope that this election begins a trend of eliminating the use of smear and negative campaign ads and emails, as it is very clear they didn't work this time. Case in point, the Senate race in N.C. Elizabeth Dole lost her bid for re-election in large part because of an ad she ran and approved saying that her opponent didn't believe in God. Even for the hardiest of evangelicals in her state it was a slap too many.
10) I wonder what Joe the Plumber is doing today? Maybe his job for a change? Unclogging a sewer line or something? I hope we don't hear of him again.
That's all for now. I'm happy. I feel like I'm represented again (although not at a local level).
Yes, we can!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Election Day, 1980
I remember quite clearly my first opportunity to vote in a presidential election. I was a student at Drury, and after my morning classes I drove to my hometown, 20 miles away, so I could vote in the courthouse there. After voting--which seemed like a surreal experience to me--the poll worker gave me a "I voted" sticker. I drove back to Springfield and since I had missed lunch in the Commons I went to the CX--the on-campus dining spot with the best chicken noodle soup I've ever eaten anywhere.
So I'm sitting there at a table, eating my lunch, probably reviewing some book for an afternoon class, and a man sitting at the next table says to me, "I see you voted." "Yes," I replied proudly. "Who did you vote for?" he asked. "Carter." I replied again.
His face turned beet red, and looked at me with great disgust and said, "Well THAT was the stupidest thing you could have done." He turned away from me and sat over his food shaking his head.
I was absolutely shattered by this comment. I was majoring in political science and felt like I had really educated myself on the issues that were important to me, and the viewpoints of both Reagan and Carter. Carter was way more in line with my way of thinking, especially on environmental issues, which were extremely important to me (and still are). This was the first time I had ever voted, and I had no idea that someone--a total stranger yet--would be so offended by my choice.
It was also the first time I experienced the idea that someone could completely dismiss my choice as "stupid" without taking the time to ask WHY I had chosen Carter that day.
This encounter has stayed with me lo these many years. It is one of the reasons I am passionate about politics. I still am, even though my poli sci degree is definitely gathering dust. I am passionate about the process, and the way people choose their candidate. I am also passionate about the idea that people DON'T vote. I can't imagine why you wouldn't. I was explaining to T1 and T2 last night that it has only been over 100 years or so that women could vote. They were aghast at that idea. I also explained to them that in many countries women can't vote, can't own property, can't make any legal decisions for themselves. Again, they were aghast.
The disgust in this man's face when I said "Carter" has also stayed with me. It is the reason that if you email me some slanderous crap about my candidate, I'm right back on ya with MY viewpoint, and hopefully a fact-checked version of events.
So tomorrow if you want to vote for the GOP candidates, by all means go ahead and do it. And thank God you live in a country where you HAVE THAT RIGHT. I will be voting for Obama. (I haven't made that plain in this blog, have I?) And God help anyone I encounter who treats me with disgust over MY choice, MY vote. It is the one thing I CAN do to change this mess we're in. I'm not a young college student, scared to defend my choice to a stranger anymore.
So I'm sitting there at a table, eating my lunch, probably reviewing some book for an afternoon class, and a man sitting at the next table says to me, "I see you voted." "Yes," I replied proudly. "Who did you vote for?" he asked. "Carter." I replied again.
His face turned beet red, and looked at me with great disgust and said, "Well THAT was the stupidest thing you could have done." He turned away from me and sat over his food shaking his head.
I was absolutely shattered by this comment. I was majoring in political science and felt like I had really educated myself on the issues that were important to me, and the viewpoints of both Reagan and Carter. Carter was way more in line with my way of thinking, especially on environmental issues, which were extremely important to me (and still are). This was the first time I had ever voted, and I had no idea that someone--a total stranger yet--would be so offended by my choice.
It was also the first time I experienced the idea that someone could completely dismiss my choice as "stupid" without taking the time to ask WHY I had chosen Carter that day.
This encounter has stayed with me lo these many years. It is one of the reasons I am passionate about politics. I still am, even though my poli sci degree is definitely gathering dust. I am passionate about the process, and the way people choose their candidate. I am also passionate about the idea that people DON'T vote. I can't imagine why you wouldn't. I was explaining to T1 and T2 last night that it has only been over 100 years or so that women could vote. They were aghast at that idea. I also explained to them that in many countries women can't vote, can't own property, can't make any legal decisions for themselves. Again, they were aghast.
The disgust in this man's face when I said "Carter" has also stayed with me. It is the reason that if you email me some slanderous crap about my candidate, I'm right back on ya with MY viewpoint, and hopefully a fact-checked version of events.
So tomorrow if you want to vote for the GOP candidates, by all means go ahead and do it. And thank God you live in a country where you HAVE THAT RIGHT. I will be voting for Obama. (I haven't made that plain in this blog, have I?) And God help anyone I encounter who treats me with disgust over MY choice, MY vote. It is the one thing I CAN do to change this mess we're in. I'm not a young college student, scared to defend my choice to a stranger anymore.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
from the mouths of babes
We visited T1 and T2's school this afternoon for parent/teacher conferences. On the wall outside T2's class were political posters made by the kids in his class. Sadly, T2's choice to support the junior senator from Illinois was pretty much drowned out by all the McSame posters. Only three posters supported the big "O." Anyway, I'm proud to note that T2's poster said, in big letters "Obama" followed by "stop the war" and "no pollution."
In an interesting side note, one of the McCain posters that set us to giggling said, "McCain" then "with us in bed" or "in bed with us" or something like that.
I'll try to get photos tomorrow.
In an interesting side note, one of the McCain posters that set us to giggling said, "McCain" then "with us in bed" or "in bed with us" or something like that.
I'll try to get photos tomorrow.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Finally, recognition is achieved
I'm proud to announce that The Reenactor FINALLY has a "grand prize" win for his cooking. Our church held a chili competition this evening, and his chili took first place. It is a carnivore's delight with three, count 'em, THREE meats (bacon, pork and beef) in it, as well as a healthy dose of hot spices.
He has dutifully been crowned a "ribbon whore" by me.* He noted that in spite of the fact that the homemakers who judge the county fair and who have dissed him two years running on what we all know are prize-winning pickles don't ever TASTE the pickles, whereas at this chili competition the entries were actually sampled.
His prize...a soup cookbook!
There will be no living with him now.
* I heard the term "ribbon whore" on Prairie Home Companion last summer when Garrison was interviewing a woman who regularly wins more ribbons than anyone else at the Minnesota State Fair for her baking. She said that she and all the other women (and men) who compete regularly all admit they are only in it for the ribbons, hence the term "ribbon whore."
He has dutifully been crowned a "ribbon whore" by me.* He noted that in spite of the fact that the homemakers who judge the county fair and who have dissed him two years running on what we all know are prize-winning pickles don't ever TASTE the pickles, whereas at this chili competition the entries were actually sampled.
His prize...a soup cookbook!
There will be no living with him now.
* I heard the term "ribbon whore" on Prairie Home Companion last summer when Garrison was interviewing a woman who regularly wins more ribbons than anyone else at the Minnesota State Fair for her baking. She said that she and all the other women (and men) who compete regularly all admit they are only in it for the ribbons, hence the term "ribbon whore."
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Is bigger better?
I have been noticing an interesting trend here in the western-most part of the Commonwealth. Twice in the last two days I have found myself in traffic sitting behind a big 'ol SUV with a HUGE Palin bumper sticker on the back of it. Notice I said, "Palin." Not McCain/Palin...just Palin. Did I miss something? Is SHE running, or is she the running mate?
And is the bigger bumper sticker (above the average size for those sorts of things) supposed to imply even more enthusiastic support? Or is the driver assuming that everyone behind her (and it has been a "her" both times) is so blinded by all the bling on her expensive SUV that we need bigger type?
Just wondering.
And is the bigger bumper sticker (above the average size for those sorts of things) supposed to imply even more enthusiastic support? Or is the driver assuming that everyone behind her (and it has been a "her" both times) is so blinded by all the bling on her expensive SUV that we need bigger type?
Just wondering.
cat mowing the yard
Yeah, I know the election is just days away, and I'm suffering from real election fatigue. So what is funnier than our cat mowing the yard? Obviously this is electronically altered (a bit....I just took The Reenactor out, except his fingers) but we really did have her on the lawnmower.
No cats were hurt in the production of this photograph.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
the truth on the playground
T1 got in the car after school eager to tell me about how she had become a scientist that afternoon. As you read this, bear in mind that this was related to me in the "he said, she said" breathless tones only a grade-schooler can tell.
Apparently, a group of girls on the playground had found what they claimed were a bunch of "roly-poly" bugs...the bugs that roll themselves into a small ball for protection. T1 and another friend went to see this find and after looking at the "bugs" informed the girls that those weren't bugs, they were rocks. So much for education in the Commonwealth, huh? Anyway, the girls who had found the bugs insisted that they WERE bugs, not rocks. T1 took the initiative to try to "squish" one with her fingernail, and when the bug/rock wouldn't squish, she again pronounced it a rock. Nope, still a bug, said the girls. All right, said T1, let's take it to a teacher. She not only took it to her homeroom teacher, who said it was a rock, but to the school's gifted program teacher, who had the bad luck to be walking nearby at that moment, and he too said, yes those (there was more than one) are rocks. Satisfied that she had the authoritative opinion of TWO adults, she returned to the girls and reported their statements that these were not bugs, but rocks.
No, they are bugs, the girls insisted. At this point T1 became exasperated and told them they were crazy (I hope she used nicer words) and that everyone who had looked at them said they were rocks, and they couldn't be squished, so they were rocks.
Thankfully recess ended about then, and the great bug/rock debate was over.
So why am I relating this story to my blog family? Because as she was telling me this in the car I was thinking that my daughter had represented the "liberal elite" media in how she tried to figure out from different sources what these things were, and the girls who defended their opinion that the rocks were bugs, in spite of evidence and opinion to the contrary, represented Faux News.
Yes, I'm losing my mind, and the election can't be over soon enough. But if you STILL have people standing up, on camera, at McSame rallies whining because they can't trust Obama because he's an "Arab", then it is no surprise that their daughters and granddaughters are going to insist that a rock is a bug.
Apparently, a group of girls on the playground had found what they claimed were a bunch of "roly-poly" bugs...the bugs that roll themselves into a small ball for protection. T1 and another friend went to see this find and after looking at the "bugs" informed the girls that those weren't bugs, they were rocks. So much for education in the Commonwealth, huh? Anyway, the girls who had found the bugs insisted that they WERE bugs, not rocks. T1 took the initiative to try to "squish" one with her fingernail, and when the bug/rock wouldn't squish, she again pronounced it a rock. Nope, still a bug, said the girls. All right, said T1, let's take it to a teacher. She not only took it to her homeroom teacher, who said it was a rock, but to the school's gifted program teacher, who had the bad luck to be walking nearby at that moment, and he too said, yes those (there was more than one) are rocks. Satisfied that she had the authoritative opinion of TWO adults, she returned to the girls and reported their statements that these were not bugs, but rocks.
No, they are bugs, the girls insisted. At this point T1 became exasperated and told them they were crazy (I hope she used nicer words) and that everyone who had looked at them said they were rocks, and they couldn't be squished, so they were rocks.
Thankfully recess ended about then, and the great bug/rock debate was over.
So why am I relating this story to my blog family? Because as she was telling me this in the car I was thinking that my daughter had represented the "liberal elite" media in how she tried to figure out from different sources what these things were, and the girls who defended their opinion that the rocks were bugs, in spite of evidence and opinion to the contrary, represented Faux News.
Yes, I'm losing my mind, and the election can't be over soon enough. But if you STILL have people standing up, on camera, at McSame rallies whining because they can't trust Obama because he's an "Arab", then it is no surprise that their daughters and granddaughters are going to insist that a rock is a bug.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Running the numbers
It is indeed depressing to watch the second Great Depression unfold before our eyes. No wonder they call it a depression. Everyone I know is depressed. Whether it is the economy, or the impending election, or the fact that everything in our world right now seems on the brink of collapse, we are all just flat in a bad mood.
If I run the numbers just for our household it is indeed depressing. Because of the cost of printing and paper, the magazine that I worked for as a freelance designer for 18 years went out of business. They are still publishing online, but my employment with them is cut back to about 10 percent of what I was doing before. The loss of income accounts for about 15 percent of our household income. Add to that the fact that our costs for fuel for our cars has increased by $1500 in the first ten months of this year over the same time last year. Groceries too, in spite of more careful shopping, have increased by $200 in the same time period this year. And our retirement and college funds have tanked by about 25 percent.
And then yesterday, our television that we've had for just 18 months (and that we spent a LOT of money on) developed a "glass half empty" attitude, and is now showing us only the top half of the screen. T1 described it quite accurately as "trying to watch tv over a wall."
So, what is a person to do? Other than take stupid pictures of my cat and posting them here, I am choosing to TRY to be optimistic. I am choosing to see the whole broken television thing as a sign that our family is probably wasting a lot of time watching the damn thing. If we can get it fixed we will. If not, we'll replace it with the cheapest tv we can find. But meanwhile, maybe we'll just read books, play games, and color. Yes, color.
Our numbers aren't great right now, but we do have a lot to be thankful for. And I am.
If I run the numbers just for our household it is indeed depressing. Because of the cost of printing and paper, the magazine that I worked for as a freelance designer for 18 years went out of business. They are still publishing online, but my employment with them is cut back to about 10 percent of what I was doing before. The loss of income accounts for about 15 percent of our household income. Add to that the fact that our costs for fuel for our cars has increased by $1500 in the first ten months of this year over the same time last year. Groceries too, in spite of more careful shopping, have increased by $200 in the same time period this year. And our retirement and college funds have tanked by about 25 percent.
And then yesterday, our television that we've had for just 18 months (and that we spent a LOT of money on) developed a "glass half empty" attitude, and is now showing us only the top half of the screen. T1 described it quite accurately as "trying to watch tv over a wall."
So, what is a person to do? Other than take stupid pictures of my cat and posting them here, I am choosing to TRY to be optimistic. I am choosing to see the whole broken television thing as a sign that our family is probably wasting a lot of time watching the damn thing. If we can get it fixed we will. If not, we'll replace it with the cheapest tv we can find. But meanwhile, maybe we'll just read books, play games, and color. Yes, color.
Our numbers aren't great right now, but we do have a lot to be thankful for. And I am.
Friday, October 3, 2008
maverick
There. I said it. She said it so many times last night I thought I was going to bleed out of my ears.
This morning I saw this in a discussion online about the debate. Very nicely worded....
She mentioned the phrase 'team of mavericks'..... I keep visualizing a herd of cats.
But seriously, the definition of a maverick (singular) is: " a person who refuses to conform to a party or group."
So how can you have a 'team of them'?
This morning I saw this in a discussion online about the debate. Very nicely worded....
She mentioned the phrase 'team of mavericks'..... I keep visualizing a herd of cats.
But seriously, the definition of a maverick (singular) is: " a person who refuses to conform to a party or group."
So how can you have a 'team of them'?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
she said it
If you didn't catch it in the debate, Caribou Barbie actually said, "John McCain has already tapped me and said, that's where I want you...."
Well...I'm sure he wants to, but I didn't know it was fact.
Is it just my clear distaste for this woman that is clouding my judgment, or did she really NOT answer any of the questions asked of her tonight? She pointedly didn't answer at least four or five of the questions Gwen asked her!
And it was a good thing I was NOT making a drinking game of the debate tonight, as I am getting over a cold, because if I had taken a drink every time she said the word "maverick" I'd be drunk right now.
Well...I'm sure he wants to, but I didn't know it was fact.
Is it just my clear distaste for this woman that is clouding my judgment, or did she really NOT answer any of the questions asked of her tonight? She pointedly didn't answer at least four or five of the questions Gwen asked her!
And it was a good thing I was NOT making a drinking game of the debate tonight, as I am getting over a cold, because if I had taken a drink every time she said the word "maverick" I'd be drunk right now.
Monday, September 29, 2008
when all else fails...
Listen up, people! The world is falling apart around us! Anarchy on Wall Street! Failures in our banks! Chaos in Washington! What do we do? Enjoy stupid cat photos, that's what.
Here's our Puss, clearly having had a bit too much fun at a party recently, then chipper and ready for cinnamon rolls the next morning!
Here's our Puss, clearly having had a bit too much fun at a party recently, then chipper and ready for cinnamon rolls the next morning!
Monday, September 22, 2008
not good enough to preach
How ironic that the same demographic of people who claim to be thrilled with a self-proclaimed Christian woman running for vice president are part of a demographic of people of faith who have recently rejected a Christian-based magazine featuring women pastors on the cover from being sold in a Christian bookstore chain. We have one of these stores here in our town, and I heard last weekend that copies of "Gospel Today"--which is a general Christian-life magazine--were only available by asking at the counter at this store because of the women pastors on the cover.
So let me get this straight...it's fine that a woman can run for vice president (and in theory be promoted...God Forbid...to President) of the United States, but it ISN'T okay for a woman to be ordained?
I understand that each denomination has specific interpretations of the Bible, and that this particular issue is one that has Scriptures pertinent to both sides (as is true of almost any issue you care to look up in the Bible), but to choose to hide this magazine, as if it were offensive somehow seems, well, offensive to me.
I did a little research by using The Internets to find out more, and wow, the publisher of the magazine is a woman as well! She was rather put off about the whole thing in the quote I read from her, but here's good news (no pun intended), all the attention should help her sales considerably.
I just wonder if the GOP Vice Presidential candidate were the cover gal if the issue would be hidden behind the counter?
So let me get this straight...it's fine that a woman can run for vice president (and in theory be promoted...God Forbid...to President) of the United States, but it ISN'T okay for a woman to be ordained?
I understand that each denomination has specific interpretations of the Bible, and that this particular issue is one that has Scriptures pertinent to both sides (as is true of almost any issue you care to look up in the Bible), but to choose to hide this magazine, as if it were offensive somehow seems, well, offensive to me.
I did a little research by using The Internets to find out more, and wow, the publisher of the magazine is a woman as well! She was rather put off about the whole thing in the quote I read from her, but here's good news (no pun intended), all the attention should help her sales considerably.
I just wonder if the GOP Vice Presidential candidate were the cover gal if the issue would be hidden behind the counter?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Only comedians have the right questions
Why is it that only comedians are the ones asking the real questions in this campaign, or pointing out the obvious that "real" journalists and pundits are afraid to report?
Case in point...I didn't watch it but have heard that in an appearance on The View yesterday John McCain was being asked about some of the statements he and Palin have been making about her experience, and about Obama. Joy Bahar, who is a long-term host on The View and also a stand-up comedian questioned him about two ads his campaign has been running...one about the "lipstick on a pig" comment; and the other claiming that Obama sponsored a bill to teach sex education to kindergarteners. "We know that those two ads are untrue," Behar said. "They are lies."
In both cases the ads end with the required tagline, "I approved this ad."
"Actually, they are not lies," he said to Joy.
Well, yes they are. Anyone who knows how to use "The Internets" can find this out. Even Rove has criticized the sex ed ad as going too far into the territory of "not 100 percent the truth."
Now Barbara Walters was sitting RIGHT THERE. I don't know if she was asking tough questions too, but one would expect a seasoned journalist to do so. Joy--a career comedian--is the one who asked the toughest question.
And huge blessings to Jon Stewart, who in his incredibly intelligent comedy show has to do no more than run clips of politicians making big, bold statements; immediately followed by the SAME politician making a totally different and reversed statement just weeks, or months ago. Again, it is sad that a comedy show has to bring this simple way of proving that they are speaking out of both sides of their mouths, to light. Why isn't this stuff on the primary news channels?
My final reference is the brilliant cold open on SNL last weekend. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a fantastic job skewering the differences between Hillary and Palin. Even though it was a comedy skit, the underlying "truth" to what they were saying was impressive.
Humor is all I can stand at this point.
Case in point...I didn't watch it but have heard that in an appearance on The View yesterday John McCain was being asked about some of the statements he and Palin have been making about her experience, and about Obama. Joy Bahar, who is a long-term host on The View and also a stand-up comedian questioned him about two ads his campaign has been running...one about the "lipstick on a pig" comment; and the other claiming that Obama sponsored a bill to teach sex education to kindergarteners. "We know that those two ads are untrue," Behar said. "They are lies."
In both cases the ads end with the required tagline, "I approved this ad."
"Actually, they are not lies," he said to Joy.
Well, yes they are. Anyone who knows how to use "The Internets" can find this out. Even Rove has criticized the sex ed ad as going too far into the territory of "not 100 percent the truth."
Now Barbara Walters was sitting RIGHT THERE. I don't know if she was asking tough questions too, but one would expect a seasoned journalist to do so. Joy--a career comedian--is the one who asked the toughest question.
And huge blessings to Jon Stewart, who in his incredibly intelligent comedy show has to do no more than run clips of politicians making big, bold statements; immediately followed by the SAME politician making a totally different and reversed statement just weeks, or months ago. Again, it is sad that a comedy show has to bring this simple way of proving that they are speaking out of both sides of their mouths, to light. Why isn't this stuff on the primary news channels?
My final reference is the brilliant cold open on SNL last weekend. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a fantastic job skewering the differences between Hillary and Palin. Even though it was a comedy skit, the underlying "truth" to what they were saying was impressive.
Humor is all I can stand at this point.
Monday, September 15, 2008
this says it all
T1 received a most excellent gift from her cousin today. She is extremely proud of it, and I am too.
location, location
I was just watching coverage of the damage to Galveston, and the reporter was interviewing a woman who lost everything...her home was inundated with several feet of water, and she said she and her teenage son were living in their truck until they could figure out what to do, or she hopes FEMA will help her. She doesn't have insurance on her home or belongings, and she said she has no money.
The reporter wrapped her story saying that rebuilding Galveston will be a huge task, and will take years to fix.
Why I'm bringing this up is that this is the second time in a century that Galveston has been literally destroyed by a hurricane. And that's not counting other hurricanes that have hit and caused damage, but not been as severe. So, I'm thinking back to 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the 9th Ward of New Orleans. When residents were asked about whether they should rebuild in such a flood-prone area they insisted that this was their community, and had been for generations, and they wanted to stay. Commentators were blistering in their scorn for anyone who was foolish enough to want to rebuild in the 9th Ward.
So why isn't anyone questioning whether Galveston should be rebuilt? Isn't it likely to be the target again of another hurricane?
Just an interesting comparison.
The reporter wrapped her story saying that rebuilding Galveston will be a huge task, and will take years to fix.
Why I'm bringing this up is that this is the second time in a century that Galveston has been literally destroyed by a hurricane. And that's not counting other hurricanes that have hit and caused damage, but not been as severe. So, I'm thinking back to 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the 9th Ward of New Orleans. When residents were asked about whether they should rebuild in such a flood-prone area they insisted that this was their community, and had been for generations, and they wanted to stay. Commentators were blistering in their scorn for anyone who was foolish enough to want to rebuild in the 9th Ward.
So why isn't anyone questioning whether Galveston should be rebuilt? Isn't it likely to be the target again of another hurricane?
Just an interesting comparison.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
windy city
We got the side of Ike blowing through our part of the Commonwealth this morning. If this is a tropical depression...and I'm not even sure it ranked as that...then spare me a hurricane. There's a reason I live in the middle of the country.
We watched as wind whipped our three large trees in our front yard and sent a flurry of leaves, twigs, branches and limbs onto our yard for several hours this morning. As we drove into town we had to turn around and find different routes because of downed limbs and trees blocking roads. We lost some siding on the south end of our house,the power was off in most of the area, and the bad news is we didn't get any rain at all out of this..which is the thing we DO need.
This afternoon we spent an hour with all four of us manning rakes, wheelbarrows, and our hands to clean up the mess. We made a good start on it, but we still have a huge limb stuck in a sycamore tree right in the middle of our yard. The limb is forked over the limb below it, and dangles all the way to the ground. The Reenactor is trying to think of ways to get it out without having to hire pros.
Meanwhile, we have a huge pile of debris in our garden that in a couple of weeks will make a heckuva bonfire.
This certainly doesn't rank up there with the devastation Ike wrought further south; but if our yard represents one teeny percent of the cleanup people are having to do around Houston all I can say is I feel for them.
We watched as wind whipped our three large trees in our front yard and sent a flurry of leaves, twigs, branches and limbs onto our yard for several hours this morning. As we drove into town we had to turn around and find different routes because of downed limbs and trees blocking roads. We lost some siding on the south end of our house,the power was off in most of the area, and the bad news is we didn't get any rain at all out of this..which is the thing we DO need.
This afternoon we spent an hour with all four of us manning rakes, wheelbarrows, and our hands to clean up the mess. We made a good start on it, but we still have a huge limb stuck in a sycamore tree right in the middle of our yard. The limb is forked over the limb below it, and dangles all the way to the ground. The Reenactor is trying to think of ways to get it out without having to hire pros.
Meanwhile, we have a huge pile of debris in our garden that in a couple of weeks will make a heckuva bonfire.
This certainly doesn't rank up there with the devastation Ike wrought further south; but if our yard represents one teeny percent of the cleanup people are having to do around Houston all I can say is I feel for them.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
toothless
T2 lost the first of his two front teeth today. It isn't his first baby tooth to come out, but it is the most obvious in his smile. He has that wonderful grin with a big gap in it now.
When he handed it to us tonight to look at before tucking it into the pocket of his tooth fairy pillow (yes, he still believes!) it was a very bittersweet reminder of just how big he is getting, and how quickly time flies.
An hour later we were out walking our neighbor's dog and I was watching the evening clouds float past the half moon, and I remembered what tomorrow is. Seven years ago I was pregnant with T2, and chasing T1 around the house. She had only been walking for a month when the Towers, and our world, collapsed.
I remembered how frightened I was, once the reality of what was happening sunk in on me. I remember walking out into that beautiful September day, looking up at the huge blue sky above me--which is usually streaked with jet trails--and realizing that I had never seen it so clear. Even after the FAA said there was no more air traffic, I was still terrified that at any moment a plane would appear out of nowhere and crash into our neighborhood. I remember holding her until she cried with impatience at not being able to play; and feeling T2 kick in my belly, and wondering what sort of world they would live in. I had never felt so scared in my life.
In the weeks and months following that awful day the news media went from a source of information, to an industry finding fortune in terrifying us as often as possible to get their ratings up. Every time there was the slightest hint that a terrorist plot might be afoot "breaking news" banners went wild with speculation. Every suspicious backpack left in a stairwell at an office building became national news. As every holiday approached a new threat seemed to emerge that if we as much as ventured into a public place we were likely to get assaulted with germs, or radiation, or worse. It didn't take much to trigger one of these panicky news stories....they seemed to come in waves. Tickers about Homeland Security officials advising us to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting sent me reeling. Did I need to buy this stuff to protect my children? Worries that anthrax might be sealed in letters made me not want to touch our mail.
I officially went into breaking news overload when the horrific conditions in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina became 24/7 video fodder. Three days after the levees broke, I emailed a friend with the terrifying realization that our government was completely useless at helping us in the event of a natural disaster, or worse, another attack. Her advice? Turn off the damn news.
Well, news junkie that I am, it was hard for me to do this. I have family who have worked professionally as journalists, and I still want to think that those who work in the media are fundamentally honest people wanting to tell truthful stories. The problem is, the news media are owned by corporations, and corporations are interested in making money. You can't make money in the news if no one is watching, or listening to you, or reading your paper. How to get them to watch, listen or read? Find stories that are so compelling that you literally can't take your eyes off them. If you have to stretch things a bit, well you can always apologize later if you get it wrong. No terrifying news today? Follow Britney around and see if she flips you off while slurping up an iced coffee. Make it a headline.
So today, seven years after 9/11, my fear lies not with terrorists, although I don't think they are through with us yet...not by any means. My fear for our country is how vulnerable we are to the massive amounts of information and misinformation we have blasted at us every day. There is no way to sort through it all and make any sense of it. Our nation is divided...right down party lines. We ARE a red state/blue state country. If you are red, you believe everything Faux news and Rush say; if you are blue you think the "liberal media" probably have it right, and as I have learned not only this week, but have been reminded again and again, they have it right only so far as it will continue to generate interest in a story. So where do we meet in the middle? Where does "purple" happen?
My fear, is that we have become a nation of idiots. We allow the news media to manipulate us with inaccuracies, sarcasm and gossip, rather than fact. And I feel like a big idiot for letting it happen to me. "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself" FDR said in the dark days of World War II, and it seems that we as a country have allowed fear itself to define our destiny.
Ignorance is bliss, a friend emailed to me today, and I have to agree. For the first time in a long time I listened to just music as I drove around town to do errands today. It was a mix CD I call "beach music" because listening to it makes me feel like I did when I was young, carefree and headed to the beach. That would be in the good old days before cable news, and the 24-hour news cycle.
This election is going to happen whether I am glued to CNN or not. The outcome will be whatever Madison Ave. and the two parties come up with to persuade the voters which brand of soap will best clean our collective mess. I already know what brand I'm buying, so there is no need to sell anything else to me at this point.
And with that, I'll crank up my tunes in my car, and enjoy my ignorant, toothless bliss.
When he handed it to us tonight to look at before tucking it into the pocket of his tooth fairy pillow (yes, he still believes!) it was a very bittersweet reminder of just how big he is getting, and how quickly time flies.
An hour later we were out walking our neighbor's dog and I was watching the evening clouds float past the half moon, and I remembered what tomorrow is. Seven years ago I was pregnant with T2, and chasing T1 around the house. She had only been walking for a month when the Towers, and our world, collapsed.
I remembered how frightened I was, once the reality of what was happening sunk in on me. I remember walking out into that beautiful September day, looking up at the huge blue sky above me--which is usually streaked with jet trails--and realizing that I had never seen it so clear. Even after the FAA said there was no more air traffic, I was still terrified that at any moment a plane would appear out of nowhere and crash into our neighborhood. I remember holding her until she cried with impatience at not being able to play; and feeling T2 kick in my belly, and wondering what sort of world they would live in. I had never felt so scared in my life.
In the weeks and months following that awful day the news media went from a source of information, to an industry finding fortune in terrifying us as often as possible to get their ratings up. Every time there was the slightest hint that a terrorist plot might be afoot "breaking news" banners went wild with speculation. Every suspicious backpack left in a stairwell at an office building became national news. As every holiday approached a new threat seemed to emerge that if we as much as ventured into a public place we were likely to get assaulted with germs, or radiation, or worse. It didn't take much to trigger one of these panicky news stories....they seemed to come in waves. Tickers about Homeland Security officials advising us to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting sent me reeling. Did I need to buy this stuff to protect my children? Worries that anthrax might be sealed in letters made me not want to touch our mail.
I officially went into breaking news overload when the horrific conditions in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina became 24/7 video fodder. Three days after the levees broke, I emailed a friend with the terrifying realization that our government was completely useless at helping us in the event of a natural disaster, or worse, another attack. Her advice? Turn off the damn news.
Well, news junkie that I am, it was hard for me to do this. I have family who have worked professionally as journalists, and I still want to think that those who work in the media are fundamentally honest people wanting to tell truthful stories. The problem is, the news media are owned by corporations, and corporations are interested in making money. You can't make money in the news if no one is watching, or listening to you, or reading your paper. How to get them to watch, listen or read? Find stories that are so compelling that you literally can't take your eyes off them. If you have to stretch things a bit, well you can always apologize later if you get it wrong. No terrifying news today? Follow Britney around and see if she flips you off while slurping up an iced coffee. Make it a headline.
So today, seven years after 9/11, my fear lies not with terrorists, although I don't think they are through with us yet...not by any means. My fear for our country is how vulnerable we are to the massive amounts of information and misinformation we have blasted at us every day. There is no way to sort through it all and make any sense of it. Our nation is divided...right down party lines. We ARE a red state/blue state country. If you are red, you believe everything Faux news and Rush say; if you are blue you think the "liberal media" probably have it right, and as I have learned not only this week, but have been reminded again and again, they have it right only so far as it will continue to generate interest in a story. So where do we meet in the middle? Where does "purple" happen?
My fear, is that we have become a nation of idiots. We allow the news media to manipulate us with inaccuracies, sarcasm and gossip, rather than fact. And I feel like a big idiot for letting it happen to me. "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself" FDR said in the dark days of World War II, and it seems that we as a country have allowed fear itself to define our destiny.
Ignorance is bliss, a friend emailed to me today, and I have to agree. For the first time in a long time I listened to just music as I drove around town to do errands today. It was a mix CD I call "beach music" because listening to it makes me feel like I did when I was young, carefree and headed to the beach. That would be in the good old days before cable news, and the 24-hour news cycle.
This election is going to happen whether I am glued to CNN or not. The outcome will be whatever Madison Ave. and the two parties come up with to persuade the voters which brand of soap will best clean our collective mess. I already know what brand I'm buying, so there is no need to sell anything else to me at this point.
And with that, I'll crank up my tunes in my car, and enjoy my ignorant, toothless bliss.
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