Yeah, Right

“Under orders from our supreme ruler, Usama bin Laden, we announce our complete surrender and ask for mercy from our triumphant conquerors,” said an unnamed spokesman on a prerecorded audio statement released on al-Jazeera and CNN. “We are defenseless in the face of the Democrats’ aggressive pull-out schedule — Allah be praised.”

This post from Scrappleface would be a whole lot funnier if it weren't so darn indicative of the way the Democrats think. Of course the real cynic in me thinks that's giving the Dems far too much credit. The real cynic thinks they care nothing at all about the war, lives lost, etc. They care only about getting that power completely back into their own hands...


It's funny, because wehre I live, the entire state is run by the Democartic party. Local politicians have an arrogance about them that you really should experience sometime. It will make you ill. I'm originally from another state run by Republicans, and, though I was not interested in local politics while growing up there, I imagine they behave much the same way.

Seriously...A Man Thought of This

Read on the wrapper of a feminine hygiene product: "Have a Happy Period" And, in French, too: "Bonne et heureuse semaine".

C'mon people. Do we have to write anything on the wrapper at all? And if you think yes, why in the world would you write that?

Sponge Worthy

Now, Elaine will not have to be so particular.

"What Do You Know of the Latest Tragedy?"

That was my dad's question when I finally reached him this morning. (He was referring to the attack on my nephew) Its accuracy struck me. The events that cause all the members of my family to get in touch basically involve tragedy. Though I would never describe us as a close family, we do know how to rally in an emergency. We do know how to do that.

It is heartbreaking to me that the very means God has given us to experience his love and grace, the family, has become so injured in our culture. My own family of origin is certainly not in the worst shape, but it does suffer serious wounds.

Knowing what I know now, it is gutwrenching to know that the people whom I love dearly suffer so much. I know. I have been there.

A few of my favorite things...

After a truly horrific 36 hours or so, it was really nice to go out to a "joint" with friends. (Our nook of Hawaii is particularly odd in its contrasts. You can have a $150-$200 dinner in a place where they have to remind customers "no tank tops after 5PM" and "please wear shoes".) I feel so incredibly blessed by the good friends God has seen fit to give us; and am particularly grateful for them at times like these, when tragedy has struck my family and I am so far away.

Praise to the Lord, He is worthy of praise

A sigh of relief was breathed by family yesterday afternoon. My nephew was taken off the ventilator and was doing much better.

He is doing even better today. I got to talk briefly to him and give him our family's love. He is sitting up for short times, and is conscious (though loopy from the morhpine).

God has spared this one of His children, and for that, there is an occasionally functional family spread across this nation that is ever so grateful.

Random Violence

What a strange phrase to coin. It is the surest sign of our need to explain the unexplainable. As if naming something absurd, somehow makes it less absurd.

In any case, the absurdity of random violence has hit home today. My nephew was stabbed seven times in the back last night. He is on a ventilator and that's about all I know right now. Apparently there was a robbery near where he was with the two girls in his car, and the criminals dragged my nephew and the girls out of the car and attacked them with knives. The girls' faces are slashed up, I'm told.

Again, as in the case of the atrocities at Virginia Tech, there is but one explanation, and it is best said here:

“the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9). We need new hearts (Ezekiel 11:19, John 3:3). We need Jesus.

Field Trip Day

One of the perks of having a friend in the Navy was realized yesterday when we got to tour the USS Ronald Reagan. It is an aircraft carrier, and the newest one on the sea. What an incredible experience. It adds a whole new meaning to the word "awesome". I know I feel a lot safer knowing there are a few of these out there, patrolling.

Liberalism is Developmentally Inappropriate for Adults

I tend to think of the relationships of ideas, in pictures. This causes me to "take the scenic route" when discussing topics, but often makes for an interesting experience (or so I think). All this is to explain how I arrived at the statement above, and it provides a nice example, as well.

I was dusting and it came to me--the reason I get so frustrated with the politically liberal way of thinking. It is not merely naive, it's childish. And, therefore, developmentally inapproriate for adults.
Most children would like there to be peace and flowers, puppies and ponies, cookies and milk all around. But as adults, we are bound by the reality that there are a limited amount of resources and an unlimited amount of draws on them. As adults, we must thoughtfully make decisions based on this reality. No one likes this reality, but a reality it is, nonetheless.
Children, on the other hand can make choices outside of reality. They can make blanket statements like "Everyone should have cookies every night." And Actually, wouldn't we all like to have that in the world?

National Embarrassment

I have been embarrased by this woman since she became Speaker of the House. Everything about her screams "Don't let women in positions of power!!" I don't happen to agree with that sentiment as a general rule, however, I do think it is much more difficult for women to lead in a diginified and honorable manner. Sadly, Nancy Pelosi is completely a case in point.

Hers is an air of arrogance and self-righteousness. She looks like she will break into "Na-Nee-Na-Nee-Na-Na!" at any moment. It's just embarrassing on all counts.

With a little bit of luck she will go away. Seems she may have committed a felony when she took her unauthorized field trip to Syria.

The Logan Act makes it a felony and provides for a prison sentence of up to three years for any American, "without authority of the United States," to communicate with a foreign government in an effort to influence that government's behavior on any "disputes or controversies with the United States."

Read the whole explanation here.

UPDATE: PalmTreePundit points out that Ms. Pelosi is a HAIR PUSHER!!! The photo above is proof of this crime against humanity. According to my husband's grandmother, this is an offense of highest degree for a woman. Grandma says it indicates self-importance. (Teresa Heinz-Kerry is also a hair pusher.)

The War that Can't Be Named

In their infinite wisdom, the democrats in the House Armed Services Committee have banned use of the phrase "Global War on Terror".

The “global war on terror,” a phrase first used by President Bush shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., should not be used, according to the memo. Also banned is the phrase the “long war,” which military officials began using last year as a way of acknowledging that military operations against terrorist states and organizations would not be wrapped up in a few years.

What if we compromise and call it "Sheila"?

The whole thing is here.

Civics 201

The week of March 14 was Civics 101. This is defintiely Civics 201. I am still trying to convince the state legislature that the UN Council on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a bad idea. You MUST read this thing. The whole treaty is, of course, a good sized paperback book. An abbreviated version can be found here.

Consider these (and no, this is not a joke):

Right to Freedom of Expression: This right shall include the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through any other media of the child's choice.

Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion: The state would only need to respect a parent's "rights and duties...to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right." Thus, a child could join a cult and prevent the parent from interfering with his or her "right" to do so.

Right to Freedom of Association: A child could determine who his or her friends are against their parents' wishes. (Can you say "online predator"?)

Right to Privacy: A child could not be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence. This could include a right to abortion or sexual activity.

Right to Mass Media(Yes, a right to Mass Media): This right would ensure the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources.

In order to enforce these "rights" a child would simply have to call a social worker to report their parents for violating their rights. If this treaty becomes binding, the government would have the power to intervene in a child's life "for the best interest of the child." Currently, the government can intervene in this fashion only by going to court and proving that parents have been abusive or have neglected their children. This means that whenever the UN-dominated social services system thought that your parental choices were not the best, the government would have the power to override your choices and protect your child from you.
The ability to homeschool one's children would become not a right, but a UN-supervised activity that could be overturned if social services personnel believed that it would be "best" for your child to receive another form of education. Moreover, children would be required to be taught in a religiously "tolerant manner". (The American Bar Association, which supports the treaty, has already opined that teaching children that Jesus is the only way to God violates the spirit and meaning of the UNCRC.) Ah, yep. It would become illegal to teach you rchildren your Christian faith.

These are not idle speculations, but the proven result of the UN's own interpretation of the treaty as they have reviewed other nations' compliance with the treaty's provisions.

(hat tip:HSLDA)

If you haven't had enough, more information about the concerns with the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child are found here.

Wynona

Yep, she's really that beautiful.

We had the pleasure of seeing/hearing her in concert last night with the Honolulu Symphony Pops. That woman sings so powerfully and effortlessly. She sang "At Last" and it gave me chicken skin. She even made a Foreigner song sound awesome! Serious pipes on that sistah.

We went with some friends and had a fun night. At dinner, I learned a new word: churchwatching. It's people watching, specifically at church. I like it. I'm keeping it to use as my own now. :-)

Hungry to Learn

This was called to my attention by another homeschooling mom. This is the blogpost of her husband's cousin, a missionary in Africa.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Madam, I have nothing
The boy arrived at mid-morning, just as the rains were ending. Webby had been here just a few days ago seeking sponsorship for grade nine at a village school about 10 miles away. He didn't qualify for the US Sponsorship program since we begin with tenth graders, but he found someone else on the Mission who agreed to provide the funds he would need.Now he was back. He had walked in the rain with no jacket or umbrella, and the envelope he pulled out of his pocket was soaked on the edges. Inside I found the money and the letter I had sent to the village school last week. He dropped his head down and said quietly, "There were no more openings at the school, Madam. Could you see if I can go to Namwianga Basic?"I asked, "Did you walk all the way from your village today?" He nodded. "In the rain?" He nodded again. I decided anyone who would walk that far in the rain to get a chance to go to school deserved a chance. I phoned the sponsor and asked if she was willing to pay a little more since he would have to be in boarding at Namwianga. She agreed to the extra funds. I wrote out a request to the headmaster at Namwianga Basic and sent Webby to walk another mile to deliver the letter and wait for a reply.An hour or so later he was back. Good-hearted Mr. Simoongwe at the Basic was willing to let him in. I told Webby the good news. Then I asked him, "Do you have a uniform? You can't start classes without a uniform.""Madam, I have nothing." He was very matter-of-fact as he spoke. No emotion. No tears. Just the truth. I looked at him in his wet, ragged clothing and fought back my own tears. "Let me see what I can do," I told him. I went inside and scrounged through a box of donated clothing from last year's container shipment. I found some outdated navy polyester pants that were too big and an oversized blue shirt. He had a belt, so he could cinch up the trousers, and he could roll up the sleeves of the shirt. At least he could get started going to class for now, and I would find him something more suitable later. I grabbed some pens and notebooks from another closet and stuck them in a bag. And then I him off to start school--with nothing but some donated castoff clothing and a burning desire to learn. I hope it's enough.

Rachmaninov had big Hands

A great solution to the problem of playing Rachmaninov's pieces. The composer had enormous hands, This allowed him to play with a great reach that is impossible for most pianists to make.

Are You As Smart As A 6th Grader?

They seem pretty smart, to me.

I'm in LOVE!!

With my new printer, that is. Yes, I know, I am a serious geek. But if you used a printer like I do, you would be in love right here with me.

Homeschooling involves virtually commercial use of a printer. Now that I can get some of my teacher's manuals on CD, this makes my printer use even greater. Two words for my new love.....are you ready?.......

DUPLEX COPYING!!!

Oh yeah. Not only can I duplex from the computer, but it asks me (nicely, by the way) if I would like to add another page when I am copying or scanning. It's marvelous.

Don't worry. My excitement is not just a rebound thing after the relationship from you-know-where with my previous computer. This is the real thing, I tell ya.

Go Ask Alice...

Or you could just ask me and my friend who testified at our state legislature yesterday. Either way, you will hear what it is like to go through the looking glass!

Thanks to PalmTreePundit for blogging about this issue while we were driving to the hearing of the Committee on International Affairs.

My friend and I were the only people who testified against the resolutions (text found here and here) before the committee.
Short version is this: The UN created the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and Lyla Berg wanted Hawaii to adopt the UNCRC as well as urge the US Senate to do so. Rights for children. Conjures visions of innocence and playfulness. Sounds nice enough, right? Well, not so fast.

Here are some of the rights given to children in the UNCRC:
"the right to privacy," "the right to freedom of thought and association," and the right to "freedom of expression."
Parents have no rights enumerated, but are given responsibility to further the independent choices of the child.
Take that list of rights, shake it up with a group of teenagers and imagine the fallout.

Further, the UN has clearly shown itself to be an absolute nightmare of ineffectiveness and corruption. (I'm sure it means well somewhere deep inside, but it is does not exactly demonstrate a real understanding of right and wrong.) If the UN were a neighbor, no one would take its advice on family matters of any kind. The thought of it as a legal entity with rights of enforcement of its standards is scary. Picture Tony Soprano telling you how to rear your kids, and you get the idea.

It was a crazy day, to say the least. We'll be attending another committee hearing on these same issues, so please do keep us in your prayers.

(The Ever Glorified) Socialization

More of that oft revered missing link for the kids-a-thon:

"...during school hours in a classroom with an experienced teacher present,
two sixth graders completed the act of intercourse...at least ten students were
witnesses. No disciplinary actions were taken against the teacher... All
teachers were told to keep quiet."

Yep. The full monty, right there in shop class. And even better, the school has been keeping it under wraps. Gosh, those poor kids of mine are really missing out.

Here's the whole thing, and an update.

Lately I have met a few (more than 3) people who have absolutely no sense of humor. I know, I know, hard to imagine that that can occur with someone with a pulse, but it does. I have now actually seen it--repeatedly. I don't understand it, at all.

If you can shed any light whatsoever on this, I'll be much obliged.