Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Not My Words...

I didn't write today's blog entry; I'm not sure who the actual author is, but I wish I could give him or her credit. Several people forwarded it to me and it was just too good not to share....so here it goes...

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight...

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different." 
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers and you are the quintessential American story. 

If your name is Barack, you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. 
Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track and you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable. 
Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating and you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a constitutional law professor, spend 8 years as a state senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chair of the state senate's health and human services committee, spend 4 years in the US Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs Committees, you don't have any real leadership experience. 
If your resume consists of: local weather girl/sports caster, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with fewer than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you are not a real Christian. 
If you cheat on your wife with a rich heiress and leave this wife to marry the heiress the following month, you're a Christian. 

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society. 
If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teenage daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible. 

If your wife is a Harvard educated lawyer who gave up her position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's. 
If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude" and has a DUI conviction and no college education and didn't register to vote until the age of 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable. 

Ok...much clearer now...

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Get Off Their Backs...

I think we need to give our kids more space. And yes, this probably should fall under the, "Do as I say, not as I do" category, as I am the first person to climb on my kids' backs, firmly plant myself there, and hang out for long periods of time. 

My daughter just spent three days/two nights at a camp in the mountains with her 6th grade class. It was a bonding session designed to teach the kids how to work in teams and cooperate with each other - and have a lot of fun. They were supervised by their teachers and camp counselors by day, and at night were joined by parent volunteers who served as chaperones in the cabins (and eyes and ears for the rest of the parents.)

I'm not above being nosey; hell, I didn't earn the nickname of Mrs. Cravitz for nothing. And yes, I drill my kids on a daily basis to see what scoop I can get from them. We sit down for a snack after school and the inquisition begins..."So, tell me everything that happened in school today." I am certainly not above asking the tough questions and leading the witness. 

But I do think we need to let them have some secrets. (just a few). It's just not right that we know every detail about their 6th grade class trip. After all, it was their trip, not ours. But by the time the bus pulled into the school parking lot after three days of being away, there was not a parent in the crowd who didn't know everything that happened on that trip. Granted, I expect my daughter to behave while she is on a class trip, but if she was talking past curfew one night, I'm not sure that it has to get back to me via the Mom Network. If it does get back to me, I would rather it come from my daughter (or a friend narking on her) and not from a parent (who wasn't even on the trip) a full 24 hours before the trip was officially over. 

Does the need to know everything about our children come from the desire to protect them and keep them safe? Or is it simply a way for parents to re-live (and perhaps re-do?) their past? (and why does that sound like a question that Carry Bradshaw would ask?) Either way, we need to give them a little breathing room. They shouldn't be under a microscope all the time. 

We as parents need to understand that we already had a chance to be 6th graders and we lived to tell about it; now it's their turn. 

Just for the Record....

Just for the record, I abhor Us Magazine.  Always have, always will.

They play partisan (and dirty) politics. For those of you living under a rock, women across America were outraged at lie-filled attacks on Sarah Palin ordered by the pro-Obama publisher of Us Weekly Magazine. The September 2nd issue of the magazine featured attacks and smears against Sarah Palin, exploiting her Down's Syndrome child to sell magazines. How dare they paint an unflattering picture of our next vice president? The cover had a picture of Ms. Palin and her new baby with the headline, "Babies, Lies and Scandal". Instead of doing their own reporting interviewing the Palin family, Us relied on the lies and distortions of ultra-left wing bloggers and partisan sources. Typical. As if bloggers have any idea what they are talking about?

Of course, one would expect nothing less from a magazine like Us which is owned by Jann Wenner; a big supporter and contributor to Barack Obama. Did you see the June 19th issue? A very non-critical profile of Barack and Michelle Obama. Typical. The magazine reported that Michelle shops at Target. Well of course she does; Wal-Mart is too good for the likes of Michelle. Elitist.

No folks, I never subscribed to Us Weekly and I never will. My heart belongs to People Magazine. It's my bible. Some quote scripture, I quote People. And I believe everything that they publish. Every. Little. Thing. It's where I go for all my in depth political coverage as well as current events around the globe. Who needs Time's Person of the Year when I can devour People's Sexiest Man Alive?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Smoke and Mirrors

So, I'm having dinner with my 8 year old son this evening and he says, "Mom, some kid in my class told me that if Obama gets elected, he'll teach 5 year olds how to smoke." 

Ok, firstly, why don't these rotten kids refer to Obama as MISTER Obama? And secondly, what the fudge? Granted, my son goes to school with a rather conservative lot, but how do these ridiculous rumors get started? I felt like saying, "Oh, really? Well you tell that little assclown in your class that at least the 5 years olds will be able to read whatever books they want and will learn how man evolved from apes AND they'll learn how to keep from getting pregnant in high school if MISTER Obama is elected." But I thought that might open a rather large can of worms at the dinner table, so I simply said, "Really? Hmm, that sounds a bit absurd to me, but I'm curious, how will Mr. Obama go about teaching 5 year olds how to smoke?" My son didn't know, but promised to ask his assclown of a classmate tomorrow. Stay tuned.

I know there are only a few more weeks until the election, but I'm not so sure how much more I can stomach. I actually had an acquaintance say to me, "How can you not like Sarah Palin? She's a mother with the same concerns as you and I - she's one of us - she's just like us!" Um, for the record, she is nothing like me. Nor do we have the same concerns. But let's pretend for a second that she is and we do....riddle me this...why the heck would I want somebody JUST LIKE ME to be president?

Seriously, I want somebody with far better credentials than I to be the Leader of the Free World. (Yes, I know she is not running for president, but she's a heartbeat away....) I want my president to be smart. Rrrreally smart. Waaaay smarter than me. And from what I can gather, I think I could go head to head with Ms. Palin on many topics, and I fear I might come out on top. And, mind you, I do not take comfort in that fact. 

But you know what? I don't really want anybody to be just like me; not my postman, not my school principal, not my personal trainer (ok, I don't actually have a personal trainer, but I'd like one, and if I ever have one - I can assure you that he/she will look and act NOTHING like me) not my neighbor, and above all...not my president. 

So, no, I'm not buying into that narcissistic approach to choosing a candidate. Just as I hope my son isn't buying into that crap about Obama teaching 5 year olds how to smoke. 

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Dare I go there...

Ok, so many of you have been asking me to blog a bit about the election. And politics. A part of me thinks politics and religion should be off limits. And then another part of me thinks, it's my blog... 

So, what do I think of Sarah Palin? I think she is a terrific speaker and did a fine job at the convention last night. But I am not a fan. Of her views. Once people start questioning evolution and whether we should teach it in the schools, they lose me. Completely. Forever. And there's no turning back. 

As for those Democrats who are playing the Feminist Card...I'm so over that. So very, very over that. It's ridiculous. Yes, a black man can be president and so can a woman with children. End of story. Do I think it's harder for a woman? For most woman, yes, I'd have to say I do think it's harder. But not for all women. I have several friends who have unbelievably demanding careers (granted, they are not next in line for the Leader of the Free World, but that's neither here nor there) and from what I can gather, they manage to pull off their career and their family duties with a fair amount of juggling and a lot of outsourcing and/or a very supportive spouse. But for most women? Yes, I think it's harder and more of a struggle in our society. But if Sarah Palin is up for the challenge - I say have at it, sista.

Keep in mind Nancy Pelosi is the mother of five. Granted, her children are older, but regardless, she's a mother of five who seems to be managing just fine. 

I'm not going to lie to you, though....I did feel like I was watching a made for TV movie starring Sandra Bullock last night. The whole thing is, well, just a bit odd. And takes some getting used to, I guess. I especially enjoyed the part when Ms. Palin introduced her family and never mention Levi What's-his-name, her future son-in-law and father of her grandchild. Everybody got a shout out, including her parents, but not the future shotgun son-in-law. For me, it was terribly awkward having him sit there next to her daughter. I guess it was showing us how committed they are to each other and to the baby? (man, they haven't a clue) And he joined the Palin family on stage at the end of the speech, as well, chewing a piece of gum like nobody's business. And quite frankly, I couldn't get past it. I kept trying to get a message to him telepathically: lose the gum or at least stop chewing like a cow (and for the love of god, wear a condom....)

Ms. Palin's youngest daughter...is it Willow? Or Tree? Or Wind? Something like that, but regardless, her youngest daughter is simply precious and while holding her infant brother (who was fast asleep during his mother's speech of a lifetime) was licking her fingers and wetting down his hair. So adorable. She seemed quite at home in the limelight. Which is good, because if the Republicans get elected, the Palins are going to lead the evening news every night of the week, not to mention grace the cover of countless magazines. My heart goes out to 17 year old Bristol; I don't think she has any idea the kind of media circus she is going to create. 

Despite what Sarah Palin said last night, her family is not a lot like mine. Their family story is the kind of stuff that the writers at Lifetime dream up. You don't hear of many blogger moms skyrocketing to the position of candidate for VP of the USA. But come to think of it, I believe I'm nearly as qualified....

Bottom line? I like John McCain a lot better without Sarah Palin. But unfortunately, they are a package deal.