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Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
Feb. 27th, 2013 07:41 amThe latest and greatest SNAFU we've been presented with?
Tom's been non-vol'ed to MISAWA.
The one base in Japan whose school does NOT have an autism program in their special ed dept.
We can fight it based on the boys' EFMP status, but Tom's been informed if we win, he'll get sent on the next remote that opens up - which won't be Korea, as they are full ass UP in his career field at present. Which means instead he'll get sent to Misawa ALONE, for TWO years.
Or, we may just decide 'bugger all this' and he won't re-enlist. His current tour of duty is up in December.
I have no words.
All I can do is find our copies of their IEPS and Jack's EFMP paperwork, so Tom can use them to fight this assignment.
"Abernathy, someone's soul is going to writhe for this" - The Lone Power, Diane Duane.
Tom's been non-vol'ed to MISAWA.
The one base in Japan whose school does NOT have an autism program in their special ed dept.
We can fight it based on the boys' EFMP status, but Tom's been informed if we win, he'll get sent on the next remote that opens up - which won't be Korea, as they are full ass UP in his career field at present. Which means instead he'll get sent to Misawa ALONE, for TWO years.
Or, we may just decide 'bugger all this' and he won't re-enlist. His current tour of duty is up in December.
I have no words.
All I can do is find our copies of their IEPS and Jack's EFMP paperwork, so Tom can use them to fight this assignment.
"Abernathy, someone's soul is going to writhe for this" - The Lone Power, Diane Duane.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/northern-outlook/7822658/Teenagers-anti-gay-rant-goes-global
***
Spending most of the day out of the house, as there's a planned power outage for base housing from 9 to 3.
***
Spending most of the day out of the house, as there's a planned power outage for base housing from 9 to 3.
Specifically one of the fixtures in the bathroom nearest his room, which we leave open overnight so he can go potty.
That child is going to give us both ulcers.
There are two fixtures mounted to the wall over the sink, each with three frosted glass bells that open downward and are open at the bottom, exposing the lightbulb. There is no way to bend the bell to face another direction or to cover the bulb. He apparently broke off some of the bottom prongs of the CFl's glass swirly tubes, and the base along with most of the rest of the swirled tubes stayed put.
Made him take a bath; looked up CFL cleanup online; cleaned up and locked the bathroom door. Luckily we have a second full bath, attached to the master bedroom, so we can keep the contaminated one closed a few days with the exterior ventilation fan running. We also have a half bath downstairs, less convenient for Mark's night time potty needs but better than nothing.
Tricare said they had no appts today; transferred me to their triage nurse. Triage nurse reassured me that Mark was probably fine, but gave me the regional poison control hotline as she didn't know the correct cleanup procedures. She also told me that the Americans With Disabilities Act may require Base Housing to change the light fixtures to ones Mark can't damage so easily.
Poison Control, after hearing my tale, assured me one bulb wasn't going to do anything serious, but to keep the HVAC vent closed and the fan vent on in that room for a few days, then proceeded to run down the exact same sort of list of instructions for cleanup as we'd found online. They told me they don't know what local regs are regarding CFL disposal, and did not have the local Hazardous Waste numbers, but I should look that up and call them to ask about the ziplock bags we have of broken material and cleanup material.
No wonder Tom just told me via IM he feels like shit and was logging off to go get some Pepto. Damn that boy puts us through some stress at the oddest times. :(
That child is going to give us both ulcers.
There are two fixtures mounted to the wall over the sink, each with three frosted glass bells that open downward and are open at the bottom, exposing the lightbulb. There is no way to bend the bell to face another direction or to cover the bulb. He apparently broke off some of the bottom prongs of the CFl's glass swirly tubes, and the base along with most of the rest of the swirled tubes stayed put.
Made him take a bath; looked up CFL cleanup online; cleaned up and locked the bathroom door. Luckily we have a second full bath, attached to the master bedroom, so we can keep the contaminated one closed a few days with the exterior ventilation fan running. We also have a half bath downstairs, less convenient for Mark's night time potty needs but better than nothing.
Tricare said they had no appts today; transferred me to their triage nurse. Triage nurse reassured me that Mark was probably fine, but gave me the regional poison control hotline as she didn't know the correct cleanup procedures. She also told me that the Americans With Disabilities Act may require Base Housing to change the light fixtures to ones Mark can't damage so easily.
Poison Control, after hearing my tale, assured me one bulb wasn't going to do anything serious, but to keep the HVAC vent closed and the fan vent on in that room for a few days, then proceeded to run down the exact same sort of list of instructions for cleanup as we'd found online. They told me they don't know what local regs are regarding CFL disposal, and did not have the local Hazardous Waste numbers, but I should look that up and call them to ask about the ziplock bags we have of broken material and cleanup material.
No wonder Tom just told me via IM he feels like shit and was logging off to go get some Pepto. Damn that boy puts us through some stress at the oddest times. :(
Via Maddow Blog
Jul. 10th, 2012 12:17 pmhttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/07/10/comically-awful-survey-says-83-percent-of-docto/187029
Question given, and results as provided by the DPMA, a decidedly NOT non-partisan organization whatever they may claim:
"How do current changes in the medical system affect your desire to practice medicine?
I'm re-energized - 4.6%
Makes me think about quitting - 82.6%
Unsure/no opinion - 12.8% "
Methodology used:
"The survey was conducted by fax and online from April 18 to May 22, 2012. DPMAF obtained the office fax numbers of 36,000 doctors in active clinical practice, and 16,227 faxes were successfully delivered. Doctors were asked to return their completed surveys by fax, or online at a web address included in the faxed copy. Browser rules prevented doctors from filing duplicate surveys, and respondents were asked to provide personal identification for verification. The response rate was 4.3% for a total of 699 completed surveys."
699 completed surveys are enough for Breitbart and other conservative news outlets to shake their fists that the ACA is going to deprive us of 83% of doctors. Riiiight.
Question given, and results as provided by the DPMA, a decidedly NOT non-partisan organization whatever they may claim:
"How do current changes in the medical system affect your desire to practice medicine?
I'm re-energized - 4.6%
Makes me think about quitting - 82.6%
Unsure/no opinion - 12.8% "
Methodology used:
"The survey was conducted by fax and online from April 18 to May 22, 2012. DPMAF obtained the office fax numbers of 36,000 doctors in active clinical practice, and 16,227 faxes were successfully delivered. Doctors were asked to return their completed surveys by fax, or online at a web address included in the faxed copy. Browser rules prevented doctors from filing duplicate surveys, and respondents were asked to provide personal identification for verification. The response rate was 4.3% for a total of 699 completed surveys."
699 completed surveys are enough for Breitbart and other conservative news outlets to shake their fists that the ACA is going to deprive us of 83% of doctors. Riiiight.
Adventures in parenting
Jun. 20th, 2012 07:35 am:;temple-rub::
Tom usually leaves for work around 7 am, after reveille and the Star Spangled Banner finish playing. If Mark is downstairs before then but I am not, he sets Mark up with milk and cheerios and some tv, and locks the door behind him.
I got up around 7 and took my shower. Came downstairs a little bit ago and found Mark screaming at random intervals while sitting on the couch watching PBS - no visible injuries - and two chunks of varnished wood with one raw edge on each, on the rug by the sink.
They appear to be the front for the bottom drawer of the row to the right of the dishwasher, split in half horizontally across the middle. The split goes right through the holes to mount it onto the drawer, and the screws are still on place on the drawer itself. I don't know WHAT he was trying to do or how he broke it, but he's not getting triscuits for a while.
Zodlings! ::fist-shake::
Tom usually leaves for work around 7 am, after reveille and the Star Spangled Banner finish playing. If Mark is downstairs before then but I am not, he sets Mark up with milk and cheerios and some tv, and locks the door behind him.
I got up around 7 and took my shower. Came downstairs a little bit ago and found Mark screaming at random intervals while sitting on the couch watching PBS - no visible injuries - and two chunks of varnished wood with one raw edge on each, on the rug by the sink.
They appear to be the front for the bottom drawer of the row to the right of the dishwasher, split in half horizontally across the middle. The split goes right through the holes to mount it onto the drawer, and the screws are still on place on the drawer itself. I don't know WHAT he was trying to do or how he broke it, but he's not getting triscuits for a while.
Zodlings! ::fist-shake::
Mark your calendar.
Jun. 14th, 2012 08:10 amBlackfive did a rebuttal to that awful op-ed by Stephen Kilcullen against the prospect of women in ranger school.
And it doesn't make me want to smash the monitor. Gasp.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2012/06/a-pitiful-argument-against-wimmen-in-ranger-school.html
And it doesn't make me want to smash the monitor. Gasp.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2012/06/a-pitiful-argument-against-wimmen-in-ranger-school.html
http://jezebel.com/5897043/ladies-who-cant-afford-birth-control-should-just-google-it-says-legislator
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/27/451563/ron-johnson-google-birth-control/
Sadly, this is who my home state saw fit to replace Russ Feingold with.
Currently, the first five google results for "what if I can't afford birth control?" are articles pertaining to Senator Johnson. The link which was at the top of ThinkProgress' search is still on the first page of results, though - and it specifically suggests Planned Parenthood as the number one option for people who can't afford birth control.
Probably NOT what Johnson had in mind.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/27/451563/ron-johnson-google-birth-control/
Sadly, this is who my home state saw fit to replace Russ Feingold with.
Currently, the first five google results for "what if I can't afford birth control?" are articles pertaining to Senator Johnson. The link which was at the top of ThinkProgress' search is still on the first page of results, though - and it specifically suggests Planned Parenthood as the number one option for people who can't afford birth control.
Probably NOT what Johnson had in mind.
Just before noon, as I was pulling out of the driveway to pick Tom up from work so we could get lunch at a Chinese buffet, I got ANOTHER call from Mark's school.
Once again, he was really red as he came off the bus, felt warm, and when taken to the nurse's office, displayed a temperature of 100.5.
Once again, when I arrived to pick him up, he was no longer red, and only felt faintly warm, and once again, he acted totally normal all the rest of the afternoon.
That makes three out of four school days this week he's had a fever spike. Yesterday I kept him home, despite NO fever or abnormalities, due to school district policy.
Once we got home, I called Tricare. We have an appt. for tomorrow morning.
This is getting absurd. I am also deeply annoyed that the teacher and the aide kept asking me if I was sure I hadn't noticed him tugging his ears or acting sick; they think he has an ear infection. I have not noticed any ear tugging whatsoever, either at home or when picking him up from school. Nor has Tom.
We'll find out tomorrow I hope.
Once again, he was really red as he came off the bus, felt warm, and when taken to the nurse's office, displayed a temperature of 100.5.
Once again, when I arrived to pick him up, he was no longer red, and only felt faintly warm, and once again, he acted totally normal all the rest of the afternoon.
That makes three out of four school days this week he's had a fever spike. Yesterday I kept him home, despite NO fever or abnormalities, due to school district policy.
Once we got home, I called Tricare. We have an appt. for tomorrow morning.
This is getting absurd. I am also deeply annoyed that the teacher and the aide kept asking me if I was sure I hadn't noticed him tugging his ears or acting sick; they think he has an ear infection. I have not noticed any ear tugging whatsoever, either at home or when picking him up from school. Nor has Tom.
We'll find out tomorrow I hope.
I swear I thought he was asleep.
Mar. 13th, 2012 09:38 amTucked both boys in bed. Checked on Mark one last time, then took a shower.
The second I opened the door to the hall, my nose was assaulted by fecal stench. x_x
Mark was once again in the hall bathroom making an ill-advised effort to clean himself after having pooped in his pants. Thankfully the mess was smaller than last time, as it was not diarrhea, but it still required my efforts and Tom's to clean.
Why he didn't poop in the toilet, when it's less than three feet from his bedroom, I don't know. x_x Spent the rest of the evening doing laundry, which was definitely NOT what I'd had in mind.
***
Cardiologist is this afternoon. ::frets::
The second I opened the door to the hall, my nose was assaulted by fecal stench. x_x
Mark was once again in the hall bathroom making an ill-advised effort to clean himself after having pooped in his pants. Thankfully the mess was smaller than last time, as it was not diarrhea, but it still required my efforts and Tom's to clean.
Why he didn't poop in the toilet, when it's less than three feet from his bedroom, I don't know. x_x Spent the rest of the evening doing laundry, which was definitely NOT what I'd had in mind.
***
Cardiologist is this afternoon. ::frets::
Public Service Announcement
Mar. 2nd, 2012 01:51 pmWhen Susan Fluke testified about the need to spend several thousand dollars a year on birth control?
She was talking about prescription birth control pills.
NOT CONDOMS.
::rubs temples::
That is all.
She was talking about prescription birth control pills.
NOT CONDOMS.
::rubs temples::
That is all.
I'll be good.... Maybe.
Mar. 1st, 2012 02:29 pmTrying very very very VERY hard not to engage on Facebook with people responding to someone who posted this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9113394/Killing-babies-no-different-from-abortion-experts-say.html
Yes, it sure as fuck IS different from abortion.
No, the "medical ethicists" who wrote this trash are not representative of mainstream pro-choice thought.
No, we should not treat fertilized eggs the same as born child, or grown adults, especially not as better than the woman carrying said egg, because modern medicine has somehow made the point of viability such a vague and blurry thing you can't tell where it begins anymore.
No, being pro-choice is not a type of moral relativism that leads us all down a Godless and immoral path.
No, this is NOT the sort of topic that you, Pompous Gluteal Haberdasher I Hope To Never Meet and Random Other Guy I Also Don't Know But Who Seems Moderately Clueful By Comparison, would be better off discussing over a cold beer, as if it's only a theoretical exercise and not a real issue that real women suffer real consequences from.
::deep breath::
I am going to go read sites like http://animalswithstuffedanimals.com/ and http://comicallyvintage.tumblr.com/ and then hug my sons.
Yes, it sure as fuck IS different from abortion.
No, the "medical ethicists" who wrote this trash are not representative of mainstream pro-choice thought.
No, we should not treat fertilized eggs the same as born child, or grown adults, especially not as better than the woman carrying said egg, because modern medicine has somehow made the point of viability such a vague and blurry thing you can't tell where it begins anymore.
No, being pro-choice is not a type of moral relativism that leads us all down a Godless and immoral path.
No, this is NOT the sort of topic that you, Pompous Gluteal Haberdasher I Hope To Never Meet and Random Other Guy I Also Don't Know But Who Seems Moderately Clueful By Comparison, would be better off discussing over a cold beer, as if it's only a theoretical exercise and not a real issue that real women suffer real consequences from.
::deep breath::
I am going to go read sites like http://animalswithstuffedanimals.com/ and http://comicallyvintage.tumblr.com/ and then hug my sons.
I am officially befuddled
Feb. 10th, 2012 11:55 amRight behind the schoolbus dropping off my boys was a FedEx truck, delivering flowers addressed to me.
I initially assumed it was a random moment of awesome from Tom. Before we lived here, he'd just stop at a store on the way home from work and grab some flowers, but since we live in base housing and there's nowhere on base that sells flowers, even in the 24-48 hour crunch before Valentine's Day, other measures are required.
I was incorrect.
Return address is the flower company.
Card inside says merely "Love, Mom and Dad".
NO indication whatsoever as to whether this is from my estranged parents, or from my in-laws.
Either way, the timing's wierd. Valentine's Day is next week. My birthday's next month.
It COULD be a salvo in Mom's passive-aggressive "I'll ignore you telling me not to contact you unless I agree to meet you halfway in addressing our mother-daughter relationship's problems, but I'll do it so gradually you'll have to cave in" campaign. But it could just be my MIL being awesome and the flower company getting the timing off for Valentine's Day.
I have no freaking clue.
I initially assumed it was a random moment of awesome from Tom. Before we lived here, he'd just stop at a store on the way home from work and grab some flowers, but since we live in base housing and there's nowhere on base that sells flowers, even in the 24-48 hour crunch before Valentine's Day, other measures are required.
I was incorrect.
Return address is the flower company.
Card inside says merely "Love, Mom and Dad".
NO indication whatsoever as to whether this is from my estranged parents, or from my in-laws.
Either way, the timing's wierd. Valentine's Day is next week. My birthday's next month.
It COULD be a salvo in Mom's passive-aggressive "I'll ignore you telling me not to contact you unless I agree to meet you halfway in addressing our mother-daughter relationship's problems, but I'll do it so gradually you'll have to cave in" campaign. But it could just be my MIL being awesome and the flower company getting the timing off for Valentine's Day.
I have no freaking clue.
(no subject)
Oct. 20th, 2011 01:33 pmI am trying very hard not to get into a fight with the man, as today is our seventh anniversary, and I do love him, flaws and all.
But he's tempting my patience VERY sorely today.
On facebook this morning, he posted the following:
"Just like the Tea Party, right? http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-10-19/news/bs-md-ci-occupy-baltimore-rape-20111019_1_sexual-assaults-sexual-abuse-report-crimes "
Link goes to an article about a hugely problematic pamphlet produced by members of the Occupy Baltimore group regarding rape and sexual harassment and what to do. In part, it discourages victims from contacting the police, and encourages them to keep complaints handled by the OB group itself. It also gives incorrect information about how long you have to go and get rape kit evidence collected before it's no longer useable.
My response: "Did the Tea Party even think it necessary to try handling issues of rape within its membership?"
His response: "It didn't have any issues with rape in its membership."
My rebuttal: "Bullshit. There is no such thing as a large gathering of people anywhere, with any ideology, that doesn't have at least some sexual assault/rape/harassment issues going on. The Occupy Baltimore group members behind that pamphlet handled the topic wrong - and many other members and health care groups not directly affiliated with it criticized them roundly for it in that very article you linked to. But at least they're acknowledging that the problem exists in society and therefore within their group."
And then my s-i-l chimed in, in horror, to demand to know if I think all large groups have problems with rape, and if so, she's calling bullshit on me.
God damn it.
I hope I don't get into a fight with my husband.
I know I'm likely to get into a fight with Steph, esp. since she clearly thinks there's no such thing as rape culture even if she wouldn't put it in those precise words.
But he's tempting my patience VERY sorely today.
On facebook this morning, he posted the following:
"Just like the Tea Party, right? http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-10-19/news/bs-md-ci-occupy-baltimore-rape-20111019_1_sexual-assaults-sexual-abuse-report-crimes "
Link goes to an article about a hugely problematic pamphlet produced by members of the Occupy Baltimore group regarding rape and sexual harassment and what to do. In part, it discourages victims from contacting the police, and encourages them to keep complaints handled by the OB group itself. It also gives incorrect information about how long you have to go and get rape kit evidence collected before it's no longer useable.
My response: "Did the Tea Party even think it necessary to try handling issues of rape within its membership?"
His response: "It didn't have any issues with rape in its membership."
My rebuttal: "Bullshit. There is no such thing as a large gathering of people anywhere, with any ideology, that doesn't have at least some sexual assault/rape/harassment issues going on. The Occupy Baltimore group members behind that pamphlet handled the topic wrong - and many other members and health care groups not directly affiliated with it criticized them roundly for it in that very article you linked to. But at least they're acknowledging that the problem exists in society and therefore within their group."
And then my s-i-l chimed in, in horror, to demand to know if I think all large groups have problems with rape, and if so, she's calling bullshit on me.
God damn it.
I hope I don't get into a fight with my husband.
I know I'm likely to get into a fight with Steph, esp. since she clearly thinks there's no such thing as rape culture even if she wouldn't put it in those precise words.
So last night Tom and I were watching Tim Allen's new sitcom, about a stereotypical manly man who works for a sporting goods company and has a wife with a career and three teenage daughters, one of whom got pregnant on senior prom night and now has a ridiculously cute little boy. The episode partly involved Tim running afoul of the daycare/preschool his grandson attends because he's fairly conservative and old-school and they're a progressive bordering on stereotypical hippie establishment. I highly disapproved of both Tim's character's behavior and of the school's primary teacher, and told Tom that as much as I like diversity and liberalism, I probably wouldn't have chosen this place for our boys.
His response was "Of course not, honey, you're not a hippie".
Me: "No, but I am a liberal."
Him: "Nah, you're not a hippie. For one thing you bathe regularly...."
Me: "Um, yeah, and so do most liberals."
Him, continuing: "No, no no, you smell nice, and stay clean, so you aren't a hippie, and besides, you can't possibly be a hippie, because you don't want to see a woman in the White House."
Me: ".......WHAT?!"
According to him, because I don't want to vote for any of the Republican female candidates out there, (or non-candidates like Sarah Palin) I clearly don't want women in the White House, and therefore am not a hippie or a liberal. I just think I am.
Silly me, choosing my vote based on political issues and ideology rather than the gender of the candidate. Clearly I should choose to vote for a woman even if her policies are completely antithetical to my own, would be appallingly anti-women's-rights, and are things that would immediately rule out a male candidate.
I know that sooner or later female candidates with whom I vehemently disagree will eventually make their way into the Oval Office, just as male candidates with whom I vehemently disagree already have. But I will be damned if I join the people who vote them in. And I will not listen to bullshit which states that feminism means women in office regardless of policy stances, because clearly feminism is all about man-hating and tokenism. Fuck. That. Noise.
For an educated and intelligent man, he can certainly act like an ignorant doofus sometimes.
But he's also capable of being a damn good daddy and husband, so I'll stop being annoyed with him eventually. He got his boss to let him out of the office a couple hours early yesterday so he could accompany me and the boys to the pediatric GI doctor. He's still being a great help with cleanup after their ongoing illnesses and general Zodling tending.
He just really frustrates me sometimes.
His response was "Of course not, honey, you're not a hippie".
Me: "No, but I am a liberal."
Him: "Nah, you're not a hippie. For one thing you bathe regularly...."
Me: "Um, yeah, and so do most liberals."
Him, continuing: "No, no no, you smell nice, and stay clean, so you aren't a hippie, and besides, you can't possibly be a hippie, because you don't want to see a woman in the White House."
Me: ".......WHAT?!"
According to him, because I don't want to vote for any of the Republican female candidates out there, (or non-candidates like Sarah Palin) I clearly don't want women in the White House, and therefore am not a hippie or a liberal. I just think I am.
Silly me, choosing my vote based on political issues and ideology rather than the gender of the candidate. Clearly I should choose to vote for a woman even if her policies are completely antithetical to my own, would be appallingly anti-women's-rights, and are things that would immediately rule out a male candidate.
I know that sooner or later female candidates with whom I vehemently disagree will eventually make their way into the Oval Office, just as male candidates with whom I vehemently disagree already have. But I will be damned if I join the people who vote them in. And I will not listen to bullshit which states that feminism means women in office regardless of policy stances, because clearly feminism is all about man-hating and tokenism. Fuck. That. Noise.
For an educated and intelligent man, he can certainly act like an ignorant doofus sometimes.
But he's also capable of being a damn good daddy and husband, so I'll stop being annoyed with him eventually. He got his boss to let him out of the office a couple hours early yesterday so he could accompany me and the boys to the pediatric GI doctor. He's still being a great help with cleanup after their ongoing illnesses and general Zodling tending.
He just really frustrates me sometimes.
::twitch::
May. 31st, 2011 10:14 amSo, is there actually a groundswell of liberal support for Ed Schulz calling Laura Ingram a slut? Because "slut" isn't actually a bad word, and people call each other it as a term of affection/friendship alllll the time? And it's juuuuust like Whoopie Goldberg trying to claim what Roman Polanski did to his victim wasn't "rape-rape"?
I find this claim dubious. Most liberals I know do NOT, in fact, think that kind of name-calling is ok when it's from a liberal towards a conservative, and most liberals tend to not use that sort of thing casually the way one might use "dude".
For the record, I am a liberal, and a feminist. (Not that anyone regularly reading this would think otherwise...) I do not think it was ok to call Laura Ingram a slut. I do not think it is ok to call anyone a slut, and particularly not as an ad hominem attack.
I find this claim dubious. Most liberals I know do NOT, in fact, think that kind of name-calling is ok when it's from a liberal towards a conservative, and most liberals tend to not use that sort of thing casually the way one might use "dude".
For the record, I am a liberal, and a feminist. (Not that anyone regularly reading this would think otherwise...) I do not think it was ok to call Laura Ingram a slut. I do not think it is ok to call anyone a slut, and particularly not as an ad hominem attack.
Ah, family
Mar. 5th, 2011 09:23 amI just made what will almost certainly be an ill-advised decision to wade into a FB debate about the political contretemps in my home state.
First my second-favorite evil little brother made a short remark about the Capitol Police tackling a state rep they erroneously thought was an intruder.
Then my aunt starts going off about lazy teachers and how the rep. was clearly just trying to cause trouble and it was all his fault for not having his ID out and ready before he even saw the security guards and etc. etc. etc....
One of SFELB's friends retorted about the unconstitutionality of the efforts to close off the Capitol, and the hard work the teachers do. Frankly, this friend is a lot more liberal than I would have expected my brother to associate with. ^_^ There may be hope for him yet.
This went back and forth a bit. What made me wade in was my aunt's assertion that all teachers are worthless and most parents do a better job; it would be better to have all children everywhere be homeschooled by a loving parent and a computer with internet access.
Um. Yeah. No.
My teachers did more than just babysit. They taught me math that I would never have understood on my own, and my parents certainly couldn't have taught me. They explained writing and literature and science and history in more depth than my parents, who are nice people with a decent education but no turn for teaching, ever could have done. Hell, with six kids, my folks couldn't have had the time to both support us and teach us, even if Mom had been a housewife for her entire life.
Mark's teachers sure as HELL are far more than mere babysitters. So are the special ed teachers who work with my youngest sister, who lives in WI and has autism.
And way to go, assuming every child has loving parents with the desire and skill to homeschool, *and* the time to spare, *and* the financial ability. Hell, my folks didn't get a computer til the mid nineties. Given this aunt's politics, I doubt she'd approve of the government loaning computers to families on welfare.
We'll see if it proves necessary to unfriend her. I hope not. I prefer to only do so in direst need.
First my second-favorite evil little brother made a short remark about the Capitol Police tackling a state rep they erroneously thought was an intruder.
Then my aunt starts going off about lazy teachers and how the rep. was clearly just trying to cause trouble and it was all his fault for not having his ID out and ready before he even saw the security guards and etc. etc. etc....
One of SFELB's friends retorted about the unconstitutionality of the efforts to close off the Capitol, and the hard work the teachers do. Frankly, this friend is a lot more liberal than I would have expected my brother to associate with. ^_^ There may be hope for him yet.
This went back and forth a bit. What made me wade in was my aunt's assertion that all teachers are worthless and most parents do a better job; it would be better to have all children everywhere be homeschooled by a loving parent and a computer with internet access.
Um. Yeah. No.
My teachers did more than just babysit. They taught me math that I would never have understood on my own, and my parents certainly couldn't have taught me. They explained writing and literature and science and history in more depth than my parents, who are nice people with a decent education but no turn for teaching, ever could have done. Hell, with six kids, my folks couldn't have had the time to both support us and teach us, even if Mom had been a housewife for her entire life.
Mark's teachers sure as HELL are far more than mere babysitters. So are the special ed teachers who work with my youngest sister, who lives in WI and has autism.
And way to go, assuming every child has loving parents with the desire and skill to homeschool, *and* the time to spare, *and* the financial ability. Hell, my folks didn't get a computer til the mid nineties. Given this aunt's politics, I doubt she'd approve of the government loaning computers to families on welfare.
We'll see if it proves necessary to unfriend her. I hope not. I prefer to only do so in direst need.
(no subject)
Feb. 16th, 2011 09:38 amI may possibly regret ranting on Facebook about Rep. Michelle Bachmann's claim that recent IRS rules allowing tax deductions for breastfeeding equipment as a medical expense, and the First Lady's mini-campaign to encourage breastfeeding as part of her overall campaign against childhood obesity, constitute a "nanny state".
But this was just too egregious to not speak up about it.
::rubs temples::
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/02/michele-bachmann-michelle-obama-breastfeeding-/1
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49568.html
But this was just too egregious to not speak up about it.
::rubs temples::
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/02/michele-bachmann-michelle-obama-breastfeeding-/1
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49568.html
::sigh:: Going to have to finally block my godmother's email.
Going through the backlog of email from the last month, I stumbled across one of her famous conservative email forwards. This one's about Snopes allegedly lying about the veracity of a World Net Daily article claiming Obama appointed Justice Kagan because he owed her a favor for defending him when she was Solicitor General and he was facing legal challenges from birthers.
Look. If you're going to email me conservative rants? Get the facts right, and get your debunking of a conservative article's debunking right.
Or at least display some reading comprehension.
Snopes article here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/kagan.asp
Content of email behind this finely crafted cut: ( Links embedded therein do not work, as the code's blorked. Going to supremecourt.gov and searching for the files on the docket search does work. ALL it shows, is that she was counsel of record for the White House. Which is the Solicitor General's <i>job</i>. )
As stated in the cut text all the referred-to cases state is that Kagan was the Solicitor General assigned to those cases. Which was her job as SG. Further, the snopes article does NOT state there are no such dockets. Snopes does, however, point out that the dockets in question are not related to elegibility/birther cases, and many of them were filed under previous administrations, and simply rolled over to the next one because they weren't completed yet.
Conservatism is ok. Blind following of nonsense that gets forwarded to you from like-minded individuals, without taking a look for yourself? Not ok. Regardless of your politics.
Going through the backlog of email from the last month, I stumbled across one of her famous conservative email forwards. This one's about Snopes allegedly lying about the veracity of a World Net Daily article claiming Obama appointed Justice Kagan because he owed her a favor for defending him when she was Solicitor General and he was facing legal challenges from birthers.
Look. If you're going to email me conservative rants? Get the facts right, and get your debunking of a conservative article's debunking right.
Or at least display some reading comprehension.
Snopes article here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/kagan.asp
Content of email behind this finely crafted cut: ( Links embedded therein do not work, as the code's blorked. Going to supremecourt.gov and searching for the files on the docket search does work. ALL it shows, is that she was counsel of record for the White House. Which is the Solicitor General's <i>job</i>. )
As stated in the cut text all the referred-to cases state is that Kagan was the Solicitor General assigned to those cases. Which was her job as SG. Further, the snopes article does NOT state there are no such dockets. Snopes does, however, point out that the dockets in question are not related to elegibility/birther cases, and many of them were filed under previous administrations, and simply rolled over to the next one because they weren't completed yet.
Conservatism is ok. Blind following of nonsense that gets forwarded to you from like-minded individuals, without taking a look for yourself? Not ok. Regardless of your politics.
