brainstorming

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!  Do you know a single woman who may not be getting a valentine?  Maybe a widow or divorcee?  Today is a great day to remember them with a little something, even a phone call.  I also want to give a special shout to our military forces and their family members.  They sacrifice so many holidays together to keep us safe. Thank you.

Perhaps the best Valentines story is Captain Ed and the First Mate.  The First Mate is probably in surgery right now to receive a pancreas transplant.  Our prayers go out to them and to the donor's family.

Spitbull says, Coddle Me Not

This is why fathers everywhere use the line, "Oh it hurts?  Well I've got a pocket knife.  We can just cut it off!"

Same principle.

Parenting: The Unpopularity Contest

Last night at bedtime I realized the Boy hadn't done something I'd asked him to do, so I told him to take care of it.  His reply was, "I hate you."

To which I promptly replied, "Good!  It means I'm doing my job."

I headed downstairs and informed my Partner in Crime, (formerly known as the Hubby), that the Boy said he hated me.

He replied, "Good! That means you're doing your job."

It's the little things that mean so much, isn't it?

Where's DC?

Let's play a game called Where's DC?

Here are some clues........(Click any image to enlarge.)

The scenery looks something like this:

Or sometimes like this:

You could take this ride:

Or you might like this ride better:

The wildflowers would look like this:

Or maybe like this:

The locals seem to be really nice:

You could let your family disappear into here:

And they might come out with this:

If you run across something that looks like this:

You might find tree mail around that looks like this:

After all that exertion by the end of the day, you might look like this:

Where do you think DC is?

Hunter Safety Class and the world at LARGE

The Boy is of the age to take Hunter Safety Classes. We decided the Girl should particpate too. She's not exactly thrilled about it, but it's a life skill we think she should have. The first night, after we found the place, I walked in with them. The class consists of 12 year old buys and older guys who have hunted forever but need their certificate to hunt in other states. I asked the kids if they wanted me to stay and.......voila!.......I'm the latest enrollee in Hunter Safety training. Call me the Hunter Mom.

I can now tell you the different chokes available for a shotgun, (Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Cylinder from tighest to widest pattern), I know my left eye is dominant, and the four essentials of firearm safety are:

1. Always point the muzzle in a safe place
2. Treat every firearm as if it's loaded
3. Be sure of your target, what's in front of it, and what's behind it
4. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot

This isn't exactly what I had in mind. I'm not expecting to field dress a kill anytime soon. I'd prefer to take the Concealed Carry class to get a non-resident carry permit from MN. On the other hand, it can't hurt I guess. Unless we get this instructor. Oooops.

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I was thrilled to hear Iraqi hostage Thomas Hamill escaped his kidnappers. Lots of prayers being answered with that news.

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I missed Northern Alliance Radio yesterday. Bummer.

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Michele exposes Micah Wright, a writer and cartoonist whose work includes some episodes of the Angry Beavers, as a liar. A liar who's pretended for a long time, including in a Washington Post interview to have served in the Army Rangers. In fact, Micah claimed to have seen combat in Panama, and used this lie to silence his critics and justify his Anti-American politics.

All the dirt is here. (Strong language warning!)

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What? No Tachyons? I just won't be able to take it seriously without Tachyons.

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The NYT has an article on Jobs and Apple. Is it any good? I haven't had time to read it.

Which reminds me, I have to go study for Hunter Safety class.

Hunter Mom out!

Gay Marriage Update

The California Supreme court voted 7-0 and ordered San Francisco to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

California's top court did not immediately address whether Newsom had the legal power to authorize the marriages, which contravenes a state law and voter referendum that say marriage is a union between a man and a woman. The justices skirted the question of whether the California Constitution would permit a gay marriage, as Newsom claims.

Instead, the justices moved to block any more marriages, at least for now, until they decide whether Newsom had the power to authorize such unions. The court did not void the marriages already performed, leaving thousands of newly married couples in legal limbo.

Gay couples are not the only ones left in limbo. Just one of the effects of this fiasco....

The Social Security Administration has said it would not accept any marriage licenses from San Francisco as proof of marriage until the legal dispute was resolved.

Meanwhile in Massachusetts:

Massachusetts legislators moved a step closer on Thursday to amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages and establish civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, by passing three preliminary votes on the amendment.

But it was not clear Thursday night if the measure, which is known as a compromise amendment, would ultimately pass the next legislative hurdle, an opportunity for the amendment to be revised before coming to a final vote. The legislature will reconvene to consider the measure again on March 29.

But, remember, an amendment wouldn't take effect until 2006 at the earliest, and the judges have declared gay marriages can occur starting May 17.

The amendment debated on Thursday does not indicate what would happen to same-sex couples who marry in the two years before the amendment could get final approval, but some of its backers said they intended to have those marriages converted to civil unions.

No matter which side of this issue you come down on, can anyone honestly tell me this is what the democratic process is supposed to look like? Mayor and judges making new laws based on their own personal beliefs? What if I obtain an office of authority and decide men have to wear dresses and pantyhose? It's equality, right? Get ready for those high heel shoes, baby.

Gay Marriage

I've wanted to write a post on gay marriage for at least two weeks.

If my little corner of the world is any indication of the strength of the economy, things are on their way up, up, and up. Hence my occupation with work about 14 hours of the day and the lighter blogging. Lead times are moving out on raw materials and prices are going up. Get it quick before you can't get it! But I digress.

In the meantime, Steve over at Helloooo Chapter Two! linked to a MUST READ on the subject of gay marriage.

Seriously, whether you think it's the worst idea ever or believe it's really no big deal, READ IT. It just may change your mind.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

There was a time in my life my Mom and I had a hard time seeing eye to eye. You know how it goes, adolesence, I Knew It All.....and She Just Didn't Get It!

It's testimony to her virtual sainthood that I was allowed to live until I got a little older and a little wiser, seeing as I was the personification of The Child Determined To Make Your Life A Living Hell. Not only that, I was good at it. Very skilled. Knew all the buttons. Pushed them and pushed them and pushed them. Pushed them to the point where she could have convinced a jury any action against me short of premeditated murder was justifiable self defense.

Don't get me wrong. I never got arrested or hurt anyone. I didn't pursue a life of crime. I was lucky, (and prayed for.) Some people can make one bad choice and by happenstance, it's the one mistake that changes their path for the worst, leading to a downward spiral that's hard to escape until you hit the bottom. Some never escape. I on the other hand made a lot of bad choices, and emerged relatively unscathed, (to later be held up as an example to other discouraged parents with Problem Children of their own as a ray of hope that This Too Will Pass.)

The most amazing gift my parents ever gave me, besides the gift of life itself, was they never stopped loving me no matter what and never stopped believing in me. They told me I could do and be anything. They believed in me before I toddled, after I crawled, when I walked, ran, rode a bike, and when I seized the engine on my first car due to lack of oil three months before the six month loan was paid off.

Their love and confidence was so pervasive it was sewn into the fabric of who I was. I could no more change how it shaped who I am than I could change the way my toenails grow. I see them with my kids and they're still better at it now than I have ever learned to be. This ability to see the best in people and to encourage those seeds to grow into something wonderful spilled over into relationships with cousins, friends, and acquaintances. There's a reason every time someone got into trouble they came to stay at our house until some of the rough edges of their life were a little less jagged.

My Dad once told me that he always knew I'd turn out OK in the end.

How could you know that, I asked?

He said he knew how they raised me, knew who I was, and knew that I would eventually return to that foundation they had laid.

I'm not saying they were perfect, or that we were a perfect family. We had plenty of rough spots just like every other family does. But, it wasn't until I got older and looked around at a lot of my friends, and their parents, that I was able to really appreciate just how lucky I was to be born to these two incredible people.

Especially shocking was how I came to understand my Mom after I got married. Amazing! That's all it took for her to suddenly be a whole lot smarter than I ever gave her credit for. It's a wonderful thing when a mother and a daughter get past all the land mines and find each other again.

She's played the roles of wife, mother, homemaker, full time employee, night student, disciplinarian, confidante, hostess; all the while with a cleaner house than I will ever aspire too. (She also makes the best birthday cake ever.)

Her role today is Birthday Girl.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Thank you for everything.

I'm proud to be your daughter.

I love you.

See you soon.

Janet Jackson's Breast

According to MTV on Jan. 28:

"I don't think the Super Bowl has ever seen a performance like this," Duldulao added. "The dancing is great. She's more stylized, she's more feminine, she's more a woman as she dances this time around. There are some shocking moments in there too. It's a lot of pressure, there's so many creative people and creative artists, you want to make sure everything is different, and I think she's going to do that. She's doing her job well."

So what kind of "shocking moments" did we get?

In case you missed it, Justin Timberlake pulled off a portion of Janets top, exposing her "medallioned" breast for all the world to see.

In my house, we probably wouldn't watch the Super Bowl, but the Boy likes football. So his Dad and I made a point of sitting down and watching the game with him.

THIS IS WHAT PARENTS CAN EXPECT FROM THE HALF TIME SHOW????

WE SIT DOWN TO WATCH A FOOTBALL GAME WITH OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL SON AND WE GET AN EXPOSED BREAST???

Once again I am totally justified in locking out all the broadcast channels on our DISH system.

The Spin has already begun according to Drudge:

Top CBS executives approved a musical skit where Janet Jackson would expose her breast during the MTV-produced Super Bowl half-time concert, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The decision to go forward went to the very top of the network," a well-placed source explained from New York.

After the switchboard lit up with outraged parents it was a different story:

Officially, CBS drew distance from the show: "CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show," the network said in a release. "We attended all rehearsals throughout the week and there was no indication that any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS broadcast standards and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

The NFL responds:

Statement by NFL Executive Vice President Joe Browne regarding the Super Bowl halftime show: "We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV-produced Halftime show. They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the show. It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

Justin Timberlake spins:

"I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl," Timberlake said in a statement. "It was not intentional and is regrettable."

They promise in advance "shocking moments", then Timberlake sings:

"I'll get you naked by the end of this song,"

They rip off her shirt, with a portion of her breast conveniently decorated with a nipple medallion.

Now they want us to believe it was an accident????

Yes. I am offended that entertainers would think it justified to "push the envelope" when it's a given that American families are all gathered around the TV set.

Yes. I am offended that they then proceed to insult our intelligence by calling it "unintentional" when it had obviously been planned all along.

In fact, I'm finding the entire Jackson clan pretty offensive overall these days. Let's throw Justin Timberlake in for good measure.

This isn't entertainment, it's poor taste. I've seen both. Low. Class. Poor. Taste.

If this is all they have to show an audience, there's plenty of strip clubs looking for new talent, I'm sure.

Update Feb. 11: FCC Chairman Michael Powell testified before the Senate Commerce Committee today joined by the four other FCC commissioners, all of whom have called for tougher penalties when broadcasters violate indecency laws.

Many bloggers, (I'm too lazy to link them), and some commentors here, (notably many from Australia or Europe), have stated the opinion that the U.S. public overreacted. In fact, they believe we are being very silly to object as we have.

I wrote the post above right after the incident. I'm going to take this opportunity to explain the reasons for my objection.

First, don't assume I'm a prude. It's not that I'm offended by the human anatomy or that I think it hurt my son in some way. In fact, right after he saw the incident live on TV he told his Dad something to the effect of, "that wasn't appropriate."

If you ever question that "sex sells" as they say, all you need to do is look at the Google hits Brainstorming gets on this post. There are days it's been bigger than an Instalanche. Sex does sell. If it didn't, advertisers wouldn't spend millions to show us how we're going to score if we drink this beer, be a magnet if we wear this perfume, etc.

As a result, we're bombarded with sexual suggestion from all fronts. You watch cartoons with your 4 year old and the commercial says, "I'm too sexy for my shirt. Too sexy for my shirt. So sexy it hurts."

At what point do we draw the line? How young is too young to sexualize our children? Why is it when I went to buy a bathing suit for my daughter when she was 7, they were all cut as if they were designed for a woman's body instead of a child's, for example with high cut legs to emphasize the length of the leg.......on a 7 year old???

Why is it Abercromie and Fitch, a store for young people's clothing, prints a soft porn catalog to sell their merchandise?

We know sex sells. Yet, we're surprised after promoting more sexual images that are more explicit at a younger and younger age that the teenage pregnancy rate goes up?

Yes. I know nudity and sexual images are more prevalent in advertisements in other parts of the world, but no one has shown me any benefit.

So I will be proud to be "old fashioned" or whatever you want to call it. I believe that modesty still has a place in the public arena.

The "wardrobe malfunction", (insert hysterical laughter here), was planned by the performers to shock, to generate publicity, and most importantly to sell their product, which is celebrity. Unfortunately, in doing so, they chose to violate US broadcasting laws.

The FCC received over 200,000 complaints because they violated the trust of the American public who sat down with the family to watch a football game. Americans have made it clear that we don't want this line crossed during "family hour" on broadcast television.

What About Sex?

Let's talk about sex baby
Let's talk about you and me

Maybe I should clarify that's not an invitation for weird e-mails. Of course, you'll probably catch onto that if you read the rest of this post.

Remember all the sex talk in the blogs? (OK so this was a while ago.)

Let's face it, a lot of the blogosphere is libertarian. I'm fine with that. But, I remember asking myself at the time, would the message be the same if they were talking to their teenagers?

I ran onto this post about abstinence today. I will encourage my kids to be abstinent until marriage.

Of course I understand I can't make that choice for them and I will love them no matter what choices they make.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not talking about adults and I have no desire to censor or to judge your life decisions. I'm just a Mom looking out for what I think is best for my kids.

You might think I'm nuts. So is Lisa Kudrow, AC Green, Jonathon Jackson.