mommypundit

Sextravaganza

2005-04-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

First we had a suburban DC school system teaching students to put condoms on cucumbers, and now this...

George Mason University is sponsoring a "Sextravaganza" to help students "learn about the various aspects of sex: how to make it safe, how to make it fun, how to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and much more. Information on contraception, communication, STD's, sexual health, aphrodisiacs, sexual assault, abstinence, reproduction, and more."

The event, which is sponsored by the GMU Pro-Choice Patriots, has no particular political agenda according to event organizers. You don't have to read very far into their website to find that this group has a very definite political agenda.

"As President Bush prepares to begin his second term just two days before the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Bush and his allies are using their trumped up "mandate" to justify their dangerous and divisive anti-choice agenda. But if winning a slim majority of votes is enough to convince the President of his "mandate," then we would like to remind President Bush of just one thing: A majority of Americans supports a woman's right to choose."

I'm sure that parents who are scrimping and saving to put their children through college are excited that their kids are learning about how to make sex "fun."

Howard Dean and the MSM Free Ride

2005-03-01T15:42:00.000-05:00

Aaron from twoorthree.net has an excellent post about the Howard Dean good and evil comment.

"Moderate Republicans can't stand these people (conservatives), because they're intolerant. They don't think tolerance is a virtue," Dean said, adding: "I'm not going to have these right-wingers throw away our right to be tolerant." And concluding his backyard speech with a litany of Democratic values, he added: "This is a struggle of good and evil. And we're the good." (Ken Mehlman would have been browbeaten had he said this.)

Aaron rightly asks where the outrage is from the Republican party at being deemed evil by Dr. Dean. In addition, his post has a quote from an attendee of Dean's speech who thought that the new DNC chair hadn't been forceful enough. Aaron's right...scary.

How about outrage over this one made to the Congressional Black Caucus?

"You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? " Dean asked to laughter. "Only if they had the hotel staff in here." (Trent Lott lost his job as senate majority leader over less.)

Or, what about his Kerry-worthy flip-flopping on the issue of religion in politics?

Southerners have to quit basing their votes on "race, guns, God and gays." (see this article in which Dr. Dean also takes a swipe at Jeb Bush over the Terri Schiavo case)

yet...he's opposed to gay marriage "because marriage is very important to a lot of people who are pretty religious." more here.

The good and evil comment is especially annoying given the fact that it came from the same man who didn't want to prejudge Osama bin Laden; however, it appears that the good doctor is going to get a free ride from the MSM.

Watching Pollyanna

2005-02-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

I've spent the snowy morning watching Pollyanna with my girls...hey, even homeschoolers take a snow day now and then. What is amazing to me is how often we see the name "Pollyanna" used derisively when referring to those who are optimistic. This timeless story of one little girl who changed a town by her winning optimism should be a cause for applause rather than scorn.

Our president has been referred to as a "Pollyanna." (See here and here.) Others in the administration have also been given this moniker (Condi Rice and Dick Cheney).

As we were watching the movie, I saw the news break on Free Republic that the pro-Syrian leader of the Lebanese government had resigned.

"Wow. First the Taliban, then Saddam, then Libya, then Yassir That's My Baby. Now, Assad is feeling the heat. These are historic times," said commenter tecnomage.

Many thought that President Bush's inaugural speech was too ambitious and optimistic. Optimism was a catalyst for change for Pollyanna, I think it will work for us, too.

Broken Silence

2005-02-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

Twenty years ago, Sarah Scantlin was a college freshman with her whole life stretched out before her. After being hit by a drunk driver, Sarah has spent the intervening years in a medical facility unable to communicate with her parents aside from blinking her eyes to indicate yes and no responses.

As an early Valentine's Day present for her family, Sarah shared with them her newly regained ability to speak.

Daily, patients make progress that defy all medical wisdom. Doctors are often confounded by the miracles God ordains like this and this.

Once again, I'm reminded at the preciousness of life and the sovreignty of God.

PMS Warning System

2005-02-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

A friend just e-mailed me this hilarious PMS Warning System.

Prom Dresses and Modesty

2005-01-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

I remember my senior prom (won't say how long ago) when girls were moving out of hoop skirts to a "sexier" look. Many of us went with shorter lengths...I mean tea length...not short by today's standards. We wore dresses with straight lines and spaghetti straps.

One friend wanted to be a standout. She was in an ultra-tight, strapless, sequined dress that had a slit from floor to hip. Most of the guys spent the evening making hooker jokes about her. It was sad. She was definitely a standout, just not the way she intended. The message she wanted to send was certainly not the message received by our classmates.

I was reminded of her when I saw this dress on television this week. Later, I enjoyed reading Michelle Malkin's post about the same dress.

The message this dress sends..."I'm desperate to be noticed and I have no self-respect."

Christian women need to speak out--mainly to their own kids--about what kind of message we send when we choose to dress provocatively.

Dannah Gresh offers some practical tools on her blog to help us teach our girls to evaluate their own wardrobes.

Also, I found these websites that have many beautiful modest dresses.

Great Lengths
Sabrina Nicole
Lynnette's

Modestprom has more.

Dory at Wittenberg Gate says that immodesty communicates the message "I'm available." She also advises that mothers with young girls start teaching modesty before their teen years. I plan to sit down with our girls to show them these photos. The message I'd like to send to our daughters..."You're precious...treat yourselves that way."

Franco-American Relations

2005-01-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

As if we needed another reason to dislike the French...

French Women Don't Get Fat

No Kid Rock...Let's hope so

2005-01-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

I see at various sites across the web...Michelle Malkin...World Net Daily...Drudge...that Kid Rock will most likely not be performing at the Bush daughters' inaugural concert.

While I do appreciate his support for the president, I don't see that pulling the right lever on election day negates all the horrific language and pornographic styling of his music in such a way that he should be honored by being asked to perform at an inaugural event.

Had Howard Stern voted for the President, would he have been asked to deliver a monologue during the inauguration?

I'm glad to see that someone's good sense prevailed and that the so-called "sluttiest man in America" will not be offering his brand of entertainment at an event that represents this administration internationally.

Kid Rock at the Inauguration?

2005-01-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

I was shocked today when I saw on Michelle Malkin's blog that Kid Rock would be performing at an inaugural concert hosted by the Bush daughters.

Now, I don't pretend to have listened to much of this man's music. After reading his lyrics on Michelle's site, I'm certainly glad my car hasn't been polluted with this kind of language; however, I did have the dubious honor of seeing him on the infamous half-time show in which Janet Jackson was exposed. I was actually more offended by Kid Rock's behavior and lack of respect for our flag than I was with Ms. Jackson's breast.

Former Senator Zell Miller agreed in a speech he gave on the floor of the Senate, "But as bad as all this was, the thing that yanked my chain the hardest was seeing that ignoramus with his pointed head stuck up through a hole he had cut in the flag of the United States of America, screaming about having 'a bottle of scotch and watching lots of crotch.' Think about that. This is the same flag that we pledge allegiance to. This is the flag that is draped over coffins of dead young uniformed warriors killed while protecting Kid Crock's bony butt. He should be tarred and feathered, and ridden out of this country on a rail. Talk about a good reality show, there's one for you."

That about sums it up. A character like this has no place at an inaugural function. Full text of Miller's speech below.

Deficit of Decency in America April 14, 2004

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) delivered the following statement on the floor of the United States Senate addressing several social issues facing the country:

"The Old Testament prophet Amos was a sheep herder who lived back in the Judean hills, away from the larger cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Compared to the intellectual urbanites like Isaiah and Jeremiah, he was just an unsophisticated country hick.

"But Amos had a unique grasp of political and social issues and his poetic literary skill was among the best of all the prophets. That familiar quote of Martin Luther King, Jr. about 'Justice will rush down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream' are Amos's words.

"Amos was the first to propose the concept of a universal God and not just some tribal deity. He also wrote that God demanded moral purity, not rituals and sacrifices. This blunt speaking moral conscience of his time warns in Chapter 8, verse 11 of The Book of Amos, as if he were speaking to us today:

That 'the days will come, sayeth the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land. Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. 'And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east. They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.'

'A famine in the land'. Has anyone more accurately described the situation we face in America today? 'A famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
'
"But some will say, Amos was just an Old Testament prophet - a minor one at that - who lived 700 years before Christ. That is true, so how about one of the most influential historians of modern times?

"Arnold Toynbee who wrote the acclaimed 12 volume A Study of History, once declared, 'Of the 22 civilizations that have appeared in history, 19 of them collapsed when they reached the moral state America is in today.'

"Toynbee died in 1975, before seeing the worst that was yet to come. Yes, Arnold Toynbee saw the famine. The 'famine of hearing the words of the Lord.' Whether it is removing a display of the Ten Commandments from a Courthouse or the Nativity Scene from a city square. Whether it is eliminating prayer in schools or eliminating 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance. Whether it is making a mockery of the sacred institution of marriage between a man and woman or, yes, telecasting around the world made-in-the-USA filth masquerading as entertainment.

"The Culture of Far Left America was displayed in a startling way during the Super Bowl's now infamous half-time show. A show brought to us courtesy of Value-Les Moonves and the pagan temple of Viacom-Babylon.

"I asked the question yesterday, how many of you have ever run over a skunk with your car? I have many times and I can tell you, the stink stays around for a long time. You can take the car through a car wash and it's still there. So the scent of this event will long linger in the nostrils of America.

"I'm not talking just about an exposed mammary gland with a pull-tab attached to it. Really no one should have been too surprised at that. Wouldn't one expect a bumping, humping, trashy routine entitled 'I'm going to get you naked' to end that way.

"Does any responsible adult ever listen to the words of this rap-crap? I'd quote you some of it, but the Sergeant of Arms would throw me out of here, as well he should. And then there was that prancing, dancing, strutting, rutting guy evidently suffering from jock itch because he kept yelling and grabbing his crotch. But then, maybe there's a crotch grabbing culture I've unaware of.

"But as bad as all this was, the thing that yanked my chain the hardest was seeing that ignoramus with his pointed head stuck up through a hole he had cut in the flag of the United States of America, screaming about having 'a bottle of scotch and watching lots of crotch.' Think about that.

"This is the same flag that we pledge allegiance to. This is the flag that is draped over coffins of dead young uniformed warriors killed while protecting Kid Crock's bony butt. He should be tarred and feathered, and ridden out of this country on a rail. Talk about a good reality show, there's one for you.

"The desire and will of this Congress to meaningfully do anything about any of these so-called social issues is non existent and embarrassingly disgraceful. The American people are waiting and growing impatient with us. They want something done.

"I am pleased to be a co-sponsor of S.J. Res. 26 along with Senator Allard and others, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. And S.1558, the Liberties Restoration Act, which declares religious liberty rights in several ways, including the Pledge of Allegiance and the display of the Ten Commandments. And today I join Senator Shelby and others with the Constitution Restoration Act of 2004 that limits the jurisdiction of federal courts in certain ways.

"In doing so, I stand shoulder to shoulder not only with my Senate co-sponsors and Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama but, more importantly, with our Founding Fathers in the conception of religious liberty and the terribly wrong direction our modern judiciary has taken us in.

"Everyone today seems to think that the U.S. Constitution expressly provides for separation of church and state. Ask any ten people if that's not so. And I'll bet you most of them will say 'Well, sure.' And some will point out, 'it's in the First Amendment.'

"Wrong! Read it! It says, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' Where is the word 'separate'? Where are the words 'church' or 'state.'

"They are not there. Never have been. Never intended to be. Read the Congressional Records during that four-month period in 1789 when the amendment was being framed in Congress. Clearly their intent was to prohibit a single denomination in exclusion of all others, whether it was Anglican or Catholic or some other.

"I highly recommend a great book entitled Original Intent by David Barton. It really gets into how the actual members of Congress, who drafted the First Amendment, expected basic Biblical principles and values to be present throughout public life and society, not separate from it.

"It was Alexander Hamilton who pointed out that 'judges should be bound down by strict rules and precedents, which serve to define and point out their duty.' Bound down! That is exactly what is needed to be done. There was not a single precedent cited when school prayer was struck down in 1962.

"These judges who legislate instead of adjudicate, do it without being responsible to one single solitary voter for their actions. Among the signers of the Declaration of Independence was a brilliant young physician from Pennsylvania named Benjamin Rush.

"When Rush was elected to that First Continental Congress, his close friend Benjamin Franklin told him 'We need you. . . we have a great task before us, assigned to us by Providence.' Today, 228 years later there is still a great task before us assigned to us by Providence. Our Founding Fathers did not shirk their duty and we can do no less.

"By the way, Benjamin Rush was once asked a question that has long interested this Senator from Georgia in particular. Dr. Rush was asked, are you a democrat or an aristocrat? And the good doctor answered, 'I am neither'. 'I am a Christocrat. I believe He, alone, who created and redeemed man is qualified to govern him.' That reply of Benjamin Rush is just as true today in the year of our Lord 2004 as it was in the year of our Lord 1776.

"So, if I am asked why - with all the pressing problems this nation faces today - why am I pushing these social issues and taking the Senate's valuable time? I will answer: Because, it is of the highest importance. Yes, there's a deficit to be concerned about in this country, a deficit of decency.

"So, as the sand empties through my hourglass at warp speed - and with my time running out in this Senate and on this earth, I feel compelled to speak out. For I truly believe that at times like this, silence is not golden. It is yellow."

Crying or Melting?

2005-01-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Ohhh! You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness! Ohhh! Look out! Look out! I'm going! --The Witch from The Wizard of Oz

Perhaps Senator Boxer sees that the end is near for her and her ilk.

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation

2005-01-03T22:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry to have taken so long away from the blogosphere. I have taken time to read many of my favorite blogs over the last few weeks, but haven't taken the time to write.

While I was "out" I...

...sewed seven angel costumes, one Mary, and scrounged from other churches to obtain enough shepherds, wisemen, and Joseph costumes to outfit 22 children. My goal this year is to make shepherds and wisemen enough and to have it done by June 25th. I feel that it is important to have the traditional children's nativity. There's something precious about innocents draped in robes and crowned with tinsel welcoming the Messiah.

...baked several dozen cookies. My favorite this year was a wonderful chocolate chip recipe...casualty--one 14-year-old hand mixer...benefit--one new stand mixer to arrive tomorrow.

...made twenty fleece scarves. One of my favorite patterns here. Also, made the cutest hats for a friend's twins. It's neat to see how home-made gifts warm the hearts of friends and family. I hadn't sewn in (yikes) 20 years, but borrowed a machine from a friend and I was off to the races. Daddypundit sat with me and read blogs while I stitched into the wee hours.

I enjoyed saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone I encountered this year more than ever. I felt the fullness of the season this year like never before. I think that the stories of the theophobic assault on the celebration of our Savior's birth emboldened me. I gave a hearty "Merry Christmas" and enjoyed depositing coins in red kettles with a renewed appreciation. I hope your Christmas was equally blessed.

Mommypundit will return......

2004-12-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

Mommypundit is busy sewing costumes for a nativity presentation this Sunday at our church. She will return to blogging next week.

A Modern Christmas Carol---Bah!

2004-12-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Last night a group of our friends attended a local theater adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

A Modern Christmas Carol began with Mr. S seated at his desk barking orders at Cratchit, his personal secretary; and so, it predictably droned on through the entire first act. Adapted by the theater director, the play was barely salvaged by the outstanding performances of most of the actors.

Here's the problem: About 15 minutes into the first act, the political agenda began to bleed through.

Here's what we got...

Mr. S (the name annoyed me throughout) was approached by a charitable organization collecting money for veterans because our Federal Veterans Administration is grossly underfunded.

The character collecting charitable contributions also said that poverty increased the crime rate.

Mr. S was closing down his factory here so that he could move jobs to China and Indonesia.

A caricature of a Christian conservative suggested that we give each other guns for Christmas so that we could shoot the liberals.

The good nephew, Fred, was called a liberal by Mr. S. (the evil capitalist)

There were repeated references to the tumbling economy, video shots of the Iraq war, and a scene where an Iraqi insurgent knelt to pray with an American GI in the desert, both longing for their families....equating the humanity of the two.

I felt like I had been Dixie-Chicked. We went for a play...instead, we got two hours of left-wing propoganda.

The evening would have been a total loss had it not been for the wonderful company of friends at dinner before the show and dessert afterwards.

Thousands Pray for Baby--Doctors Confounded

2004-12-01T23:16:00.000-05:00

In the wake of the recent revelation that the Netherlands is practicing infanticide, Hugh Hewitt has been doing a great job rallying the troops who might have otherwise missed the Groningen story.

I wanted to stop for a minute to recount the stories of miracle survival of some of God's precious babies. Against the "odds" they were given, these parents made choices that have been difficult, yet they resulted in the joy that can only be gained by following God's will in protecting those "with no free will."

First, the story that gives the title for this post...Baby William Goforth --now 2 years old.

"Despite a sustained barrage of pressure from physicians to let their child die, home school parents Josh and Noelle Goforth continue to fight for the life of their baby. As thousands pray for little William, he has taken a stunning and seemingly miraculous turn for the better, utterly confounding the medical professionals overseeing the care of the baby, who unanimously predicted that William would die, be condemned to a vegetative state, or be incapable of living apart from a machine. Even after it was clear that little William might survive physically, many sought to have the Goforths remove life support on the basis of the fact that they believed the quality of his life to be of minimal benefit, and the existence of a severely handicapped child would pose a great burden on the parents.

Additional pressure has been directed at the Goforths, including highly coercive meetings by social workers, to receive state welfare money to help provide for present and future expenses surrounding the care of the baby. Because of their biblical convictions concerning socialism, the Goforths have declined such programs and are seeking to provide through other means. Please remember them and their precious baby in your prayers and consider supporting the Baby William Fund." (From Vision Forum)

Second, baby Hadley Keck--birth weight 15.5 ounces...now she's six months old and doing very well. Her parents credit Hadley's progress to the answered prayers of thousands.

Third, baby Emily Mansen--birth weight 1lb. 9.5 oz....Emily is now almost five and the light of her parents' life. This is a family that we know personally and we are ever amazed at the amazing changes in this child on the family's annual Christmas card.

I can think of no better thing than to pray that God will give many more families the courage to defy earthly wisdom and choose to protect this precious gift of life. Hugh Hewitt has been doing a great job rallying the troops who might have otherwise missed the Groningen story.

Great Modern Novels

2004-11-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

I should say up front that if I could get away with calling Jane Austen a modern novelist (as opposed to ancient...maybe) I would certainly choose Pride and Prejudice as the novel I would never tire of reading.

As an English major, I was forced to read many "modern" novels that conflicted with my religious beliefs, morals, and manners. The result was that I developed an aversion for reading novels that many consider great literature.

Novels that I read more than once are driven by characters who have a moral compass, characters who are loyal to faith and family, and characters who are likeable.

Here's what I enjoy reading:

Ann B. Ross - Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind series

With razor-sharp wit and perfect "Steel Magnolia" poise, Miss Julia speaks her mind indeed-about a robbery, a kidnapping, and the other disgraceful events precipitated by her husband's death. Fast-paced and charming, with a sure sense of comic drama, a cast of crazy characters, and a strong Southern cadence, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind will delight readers from first page to last. (Amazon.com description)

Jan Karon - At Home in Mitford series

Set in the charming village of Mitford, this book will delight listeners as it draws them into the life of Father Tim, an Episcopal rector who finds himself running on empty and longing for change. His bachelor existence is changed and enriched by a lovable cast of characters, including a stray dog, a lonely boy, and a comely neighbor. (Amazon.com description)

Phillip Gulley - Home to Harmony series

Thousands of readers have fallen in love with acclaimed Quaker writer Philip Gulley's Home to Harmony, a charming novel of a small town with a kindly spirit whose endearing and eccentric residents are like old friends. In this new edition with a bonus chapter from its sequel, Just Shy of Harmony, readers will ponder the mysteries and miracles that make Harmony a place worth visiting again and again. (again...Amazon.com description)

UPDATE: Sistersophist is beginning a thread about great children's books.

Surviving Thanksgiving

2004-11-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

We have just returned from my mother's house where we celebrated a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with Sistersophist and family. There are seven children in our family, but only the Sister and I were able to make it home with families this year. As we have aged, grown, and scattered, it has become increasingly difficult to get everyone home for the holiday.

Nonetheless, my mom cooked as if the usual mob would be descending. The 21lb. turkey finally finished cooking at around 3:00 (as Daddypundit accurately predicted.) The casseroles took an additional hour to cook...mom had been up at 4:30 making the traditional rolls. We were finally seated around 4:00 for our Thanksgiving "lunch." I should note that the Sister and I each made a Jello-salad...I think our age is showing:)

All said, however, the day was a success...no major family arguments, no calls to the police department, no one got shot...hate to stereotype Southerners, but that's who we are. The only crime committed this year was that of Sistersophist's dog, Daisy, who helped herself to the remains of the German chocolate cake. I was glad I had gotten my piece first.

See this for a family who didn't fare so well.

Re-Writing Thanksgiving History

2004-11-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

I read today on Michelle Malkin's blog about how students across Maryland are taught about the Thanksgiving holiday with a prohibition against thanking God.

"We teach about Thanksgiving from a purely historical perspective, not from a religious perspective," said Charles Ridgell, St. Mary's County Public Schools curriculum and instruction director.

If this is true, how do the educators in Maryland explain the Pilgrim's decision to leave England...a three-hour-tour gone awry like Gilligan and company?

How do they explain Bradford's original Thanksgiving proclamation, Maryland's own day of Thanksgiving in 1634 (a mass held in St. Mary's County), George Washington's declaration of Thanksgiving in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation of 1863?

Lincoln said in his proclamation,

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People."

By excluding God from their Thanksgiving lesson plans, educators aren't just being politically correct, they're rewriting history.

President Bush--Secret Service Scuffle

2004-11-21T17:35:00.000-05:00

Check out The Daily Recyler to see the footage of President Bush reaching into a scuffle to retrieve his bodyguard.

Group Seeks to Recall Schoolboard

2004-11-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

Remember the post last week about the Montgomery County MD school board...condoms and cucumbers? Well it seems that a group of citizens has decided that they won't take this lying down (minds out of the gutter, folks).

The group has decided to begin discussing the possible recall of the board. I would recommend that you read their message board. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and concerned citizens are fired up and they're ready to do something.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

O.K. to Bash Christians?

2004-11-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

It appears that tolerance is available to just about everyone except people of faith.

We can speak of tolerating the viewpoint of witches, while a member of the EU is asked to step down because he thinks homosexuality is a sin.

Sistersophist has an interesting post on the Born-Again Bashing that has followed the high turnout of evangelical voters.

She says of one pundit's comments on Christian voters, "His obvious derision made me think, 'This man would never have referred to the African-American vote, or the Jewish vote, or even the Communist vote in that disparaging way.' No, but Born Agains are fair game, perhaps the last group that it's acceptable to bash."

Why We Homeschool

2004-11-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

LaShawn Barber has written a post on an unfortunate curriculum decision made by the Montgomery County, MD school system. Over the objections of parents, the adopted curriculum includes films which show condoms being placed on cucumbers. The board is discussing adding another film in which students would learn the wonders of food-flavored condoms.

The story goes on to say that parents objected to the apparent endorsement of homosexuality in the program. One parent had to immediately defend her deeply held religious beliefs against what she knew would be an attack on her as a homophobe. (Apparently any worldview is acceptable as long as it is not based on one's faith.)

So...why do we homeschool? One of the primary reasons is based on this issue of worldview. We have two children who are avid readers, eager students, and curious learners. We feel that everything they learn should be viewed through the prism of God's Word.

A friend recently wanted to review the family-life education material to be taught in her daughter's elementary school. She was told that the material would be available for a two-hour period on a Tuesday evening. Unable to attend that meeting due to prior commitments, my friend called the school board office to find an alternate time to view the material. She was told that it would only be available during the advertised time frame.

So ultimately the question is "Do parents have any say-so over the ideals that are being promoted to their children?" Our answer--homeschoolers do.

Thomas, the Next Chief Justice?

2004-11-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

Just yesterday we were discussing the plan for succession for Chief Justice Rehnquist departure which seems imminent. (We have some unusual kitchen-table conversations.) Daddypundit and I were discussing the options...Scalia? O'Connor? it seemed obvious to us that Thomas was the most natural choice for the post.

President Bush will have as his legacy...the first African-American Secretary of State, Secretary of Education, and National Security Advisor. Thomas' appointment as Chief Justice would be the fourth major historical appointment for a President who was called "the most anti-civil rights president in 50 years," by Jesse Jackson.

More than race, however, the President has made these choices based on the caliber of the individuals involved...as it should be. Powell, Paige, and Rice were all named to their positions because of the President's commitment to excellence,"What my cabinet shows is that I am not afraid to surround myself with strong and competent people...a good executive is one that understands how to recruit people and how to delegate authority and responsibility."

Earlier this year, The Washington Times had an article called "Thomas Eyed For Chief Justice" in which Thomas says that "he isn't interested" in the post, "but he could find it hard to turn down an opportunity to be the first black man to lead the Supreme Court."

An article written last month by author Ken Foskett ends with this about Thomas, "His message to Americans of all colors, I believe, is that you can be whatever you want to be if you ignore society’s expectations and have the strength to follow your own."

Thomas would be an excellent choice for the post. A strict constructionist, Thomas would be an antidote to the brand of judicial activism that has run amok in this country.

The "Healing" Pot Pie

2004-11-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

Now that the election is over and we're all focused on healing, I thought I would share this easy pot pie recipe. A friend makes this to take to the sick as well as to funerals. It's real comfort food. Hope you enjoy!

2 Refrigerated Pie Crusts
1 can Veg-All drained
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 oz. cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. milk
pepper

Line pie plate with one crust. Combine other ingredients. Fill pie shell and top with second crust. Crimp edges together. Cut slits in top crust to vent.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Talk is Cheap

2004-11-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

I heard Harold Ford, Jr. (Rep. D-TN) on FoxNews this morning. He was discussing what the Democrats could do to better reach the electorate.

I've searched for a transcript, but can't find one. To the best of my recollection, he said that the Left needed to start talking about their faith and how their faith guides them. I wish I could quote him, because the impression I got was that he was saying that faith is in vogue; therefore, lawmakers from the Left needed to talk about their faith more. I thought it sounded like they were going to try on faith as if it were low-rise jeans, because that was the current style.

Voters are looking for substance. We don't want to hear legislators talk about their faith. We want to see them vote their faith. The talk ain't diddly without the walk.

Has Terry McAuliffe become the DNC's Norma Desmond?

2004-11-04T18:57:00.000-05:00

"I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

******************************************************************

Terry McAuliffe said this today "This party is stronger than its ever been. We're in the best financial shape," he says. "We now have, unlike four years ago, millions and millions of new supporters of this party."

Norma Desmond refused to see that she was washed up as an actress. It appears that Terry McAuliffe is living in the same kind of confusion. You can almost hear him say, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up."

It's Time for More Sense than Sensibility

2004-11-03T14:01:00.000-05:00

Miss Dashwood Reflects on the Election

Elinor Dashwood over at Mommentary says this:

This brings up a thing I've been thinking about for a while. I've been coming to the conclusion that it's not only important to defeat pro-abortion candidates at the polls. It's also necessary to refuse to play along with the Left's implicit claim that they're quite respectable citizens. It isn't respectable to want it to be legal to tear babies apart.

The elder Miss Dashwood makes a fine point here. It is not at all respectable to want a procedure like partial-birth abortion to be legal. It is not at all respectable to vote for candidates who defend such a procedure....badly done, badly done.

What amazes me is that our district voted overwhelmingly for President Bush with 59% of the vote and the same district elected ultra-liberal Rick Boucher with 59% of the vote. I realize this is somewhat redundant with an earlier post, but I am all astonishment that people could have voted for two men who are polar opposites on important issues like abortion and security. Boucher's record on abortion is disasterous for our nation.

I can only assume that the people of this district continue to vote for Boucher out of habit or possibly that they are ignorant of his record. If you live in Virginia's 9th, please begin now informing your neighbors...we cannot allow this travesty to continue.

(Mommypundit promises that I will not revert to Jane Austen in future posts unless it is absolutely warranted.)

Virginia's 9th Remains Purple

2004-11-03T00:15:00.000-05:00

It's hard to reconcile that voters who would choose President Bush could also pull the lever for ultra-liberal Congressman Rick Boucher. Nonetheless, these conservative Bible-belters have re-elected a man who voted SEVEN times for partial birth abortion.

Tonight, we were at the local Holiday Inn tonight when Republican challenger, Kevin Triplett, conceded the election with great dignity. As he conceded the election, Kevin reminded us that we were not to concede the fight. The stakes are too high. We can no longer allow our congressman to get a free pass to vote however he chooses in Washington while deceiving his constituents. We will be watching, and commenting, and writing letters to editors...for two more years...when, hopefully, we can replace the incumbent.

Mommies Get Out to Vote

2004-11-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

Remember us? Women who don't have real jobs? We do vote...

Daddypundit and I took the girls to vote this a.m. --better than the VA History lesson we had planned, but we did complete our other schoolwork later.

Another mommy who got out to vote was Michelle Malkin. See her post and picture of her beautiful daughter here.

Sistersophist was an early voter.

Another early riser was Lorie Byrd.

I'd love to hear from other mommies who went to vote today.

Election 2004

2004-11-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

Noticed at our polling place...

Daddypundit just phoned from our polling place where he is handing out sample ballots. He says that the Democrats haven't had anyone outside handing out info since noon. When we arrived home from voting, Zogby's on-line polled showed VA tied. I thought that was ludricous since any part of VA where we've lived is dark red.

Daddypundit suspects that they decided to stop wasting their time at our polling place.

Will try to update throughout the evening.

UPDATE: We hear that the Dems have abandoned three other polling places as well.

Are they "fair game," too?

2004-11-01T16:47:00.000-05:00

Now the DNC is using the President's daughters to hammer his ability as a father.

Where is our Passion?

2004-10-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

As you may know from earlier posts, our nine year old has been interested in all things political this year. She routinely boos and cheers at yard signs. She's attended several political events and has been eager to help distribute campaign information.

It came as a shock to us, however, when she wanted to watch the Republican National Convention. She was transfixed by the strange hats, the boisterous activity, and the really loud music. We thought her attention to the speeches was nominal. That was until Michael Reagan spoke. He said, "My mother, father and birth-mother were pro-life, and pro-adoption."

Our daughter turned to us and asked, "What's pro-life?"

When we explained, in the vaguest of terms, what abortion is, our daughter asked, "Is that legal in this country?"

When told that it is legal, she burst into uncontrollable tears. She was appalled. I tried to console her, but there were no words. It was then that I realized how jaded I had become to the slaughter of millions of innocent babies each year. Once, I had been passionate about them, volunteering at the Crisis Pregnancy Center.

In this election cycle, security had been my main concern. Other people spoke of jobs, the economy, and education. While all these are important issues, the issue of abortion had somehow fallen victim to the fear of political incorrectness.

I was adamantly opposed to Kerry and our Congressman Rick Boucher because of their stand on abortion, but it was second or third on my list of reasons to vote against them.

After that night, my determination was set, my passion renewed. We had a presidential candidate and a congressman who acted as if abortion was a "wrenching" issue for them, despite the fact that both had voted in favor of the most heinous form of the procedure, partial birth abortion.

Part of my motivation for starting this blog was to let anyone who would listen hear the record of these two candidates. Kerry claims to be against abortion (HT: The Corner's KLopez). Yet he votes time and time again along with the strictest pro-abortion agenda. Boucher has been called "somewhat more liberal than his district (Bible-belt SW Virginia)" by the local media, but gets consistent high ratings and financial support from NARAL and Planned Parenthood.

We cannot continue to vote for someone because of economics, jobs, security, etc. no matter how important those issues are and turn a blind eye to their support of the killing of millions of innocent babies.

The National Right to Life Committee has an interesting article called Pursuing Moral Clarity that sums up this issue quite well. I'd encourage you to read it.

Presumption

2004-10-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

I was amazed (silly me) that John Kerry spoke to cameras shortly after today's release of the UBL tape. His message (which preceded the President's) should have been delayed until our sitting President had had a chance to speak to the American people.

I was reading an article today from my copy of Discipleship Journal titled "Sitting in the Right Place." Author, Cynthia Heald, says, "Presumption is forwardness, self-importance, conceit, arrogance, and willfulness. To be presumptuous is to overstep certain boundaries or to take liberties. It conveys the attitude of impertinence, insolence, or disdain."

Kerry overstepped today when he chose to speak to and on behalf of the American people before our sitting president.

Also today, this article on Kerry's cabinet. Isn't that, too, a little presumptuous?

Heald concludes the article with this verse "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11

UPDATE: Here's the text of Kerry's comments from the official Kerry-Edwards blog:

"In response to this tape from Osama bin Laden, let me make it clear, crystal clear. As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. They are barbarians. And I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes. Period."(emphasis added)

Notice that Kerry uses this as another opportunity to give his stump speech. He says "I" not "we." Even with this threat...it's always about him.

Evidence, please

2004-10-28T21:16:00.000-04:00

Some things I'd like cleared up about John Kerry:

did he spend Christmas in Cambodia
where is the "magic hat"
did he run the Boston Marathon
whose medals did he throw over the wall
was he watching Game 6 of the 1986 world series at Shea Stadium
how does one administer CPR to a drowning hamster
was he in Safwan for the 1991 Iraq cease-fire
was there a meeting with the UN Security Council (maybe this will suffice)

Maybe you have some questions you'd like to add.

UPDATE: Deacon over at Powerline gives us another. Have Kerry's military records been released?

UPDATE II: This is starting to remind me of the Bad Boyfriend post. Remember your friends who wouldn't believe their boyfriend was lying even though it was obvious to everyone else? This feels a little like the time I walked into my niece's room before her wedding and offered her a ride to leave. (The guy was an abusive jerk who had her completelly snowed...they eventually ended in a messy divorce)

See this great interview over at Dean's World (HT: Michelle Malkin) with Steve Gardner for a first-hand account of Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia story and more.

2004-10-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

Your vote matters.

Boucher "Somewhat More Liberal Than His District"

2004-10-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

The following is a letter I sent to the editor of the Roanoke Times related to their editorial endorsement of Rick Boucher.

To the editor:

I recently read your editorial endorsement entitled “In 9th, let Boucher keep taking care of business” on your web-site.

There were points in the endorsement with which I took great exception.

“He is somewhat more liberal than his district overall…”

Seven votes to allow partial birth abortion would put him squarely to the left of his constituents. He has consistently voted in lockstep with Planned Parenthood and militant pro-abortion group NARAL, two of his major contributors. They each gave him a 100% score on his pro-abortion stance. Most constituents of the ninth district who are pro-choice or pro-life believe that there is some common sense middle ground on this issue.

“His approach serves the nation well on issues such as health care, Social Security and homeland security.”

I suppose by this, you’re not including his vote against supplemental spending for our troops in Iraq or his vote to raise taxes on Social Security.

Constituents should take a look at Boucher’s voting record and see if they feel their values and interests are being adequately represented in Washington. As for me, I’ll vote for someone else to “take care of business.”

****************
For more, read Daddypundit's post Boucher is running from his record.
To contribute to Boucher's opponent (and give GWB more support in Congress) visit www.kevintriplett.com

Are Conservative Women Fair Game?

2004-10-24T21:46:00.000-04:00

There apparently exists a double standard when it comes to the treatment of women. Conservative women that is.

The Ann Coulter attack by two pie-wielding men this week was appalling. I have no problem with dissenters attacking her ideology; however, an act of physical violence by two men on a woman would never before have received kudos from the left.

Michelle Malkin, who has an excellent post about the Coulter incident and the various left-wingers who reveled in this altercation, was on the receiving end of a verbal assault earlier this year on Hardball. While Chris Matthews didn't hurl pies at her, Michelle had to spend the segment dodging his spit as he verbally harangued her, not giving her the opportunity to respond.

It gave me pause to think that people would applaud the attempted assault of a woman (albeit with pies) in this day and age.

We know from the attack on Mary Cheney that you don't have to be a vocal advocate of conservative values to be in the line of fire. Her mere association with a conservative (her father) made her "fair game" for the liberal attack machine. We sure didn't hear from the usual suspects in the women's movement defending her.

I thought the women's movement was about giving women freedom. Freedom to express themselves, for one thing. Apparently, you're only allowed that freedom if your views are in lockstep with Gloria Steinam.

UPDATE: First Michelle Malkin is verbally attacked, then Ann Coulter is attacked with pies, now Katherine Harris is nearly run down by some Cadillac driving maniac exercising his "political expression." Where does this kind of madness stop?

UPDATE: The guys at Powerline have more information. They share my concern over this type of violence.

Kerrys Attend Church

2004-10-24T18:41:00.000-04:00

What's a potluck?

Daddypundit has an interesting post about playing politics in church.

We're Electing a First Lady, Too

2004-10-23T17:00:00.000-04:00

For another compelling reason to vote for President Bush, take a look at Sistersophist's historical parade of successful First Ladies.

Bad Boyfriend Syndrome - Why Single Women Shouldn't Vote for Kerry/Edwards

2004-10-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

We are very concerned about a story we heard today. It seems that married women are more strongly favoring the President, while single women are supporting the Democratic ticket.

This post is intended to encourage single women to reconsider their candidates. We are not trying to strong-arm anyone into changing her opinion; rather, this is an attempt from "older sisters" to warn "younger sisters" away from a bad choice.

We have been there. We have dated the "bad boyfriends." We know the signs and wish to spare our younger sisters the pain of entering a "bad relationship."

Think about it, you know the guys. You've dated them and may even be dating one now.

He spends more time and money on his hair than you do.
He orders big, then sticks you with the tab.
He offends other people on purpose.
You've caught him telling different versions of the same story. (A lovely assortment of flip-flops on this link.)
He acts macho to impress the guys.
You don't like his choice of friends.
He doesn't show up when he says he will.
He spends a lot of money on himself.
He leaves you high and dry when a better offer comes along.
When you really need him, he's not around.
He won't back you up if his friends disapprove.

You are bright women. Don't get taken in by the "bad boyfriends."

Mommypundit and Sistersophist

UPDATE: If he tells you he resuscitated a hamster or met with the entire UN Security Council, you might want to pass on him, too.

A Humbling Experience

2004-10-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

When we first started this blog almost two months ago we had no idea how God was going to choose to use it, much less whether anyone would actually read it besides ourselves.

This morning I received quite a shock when a friend of mine called this morning to say that our blog was mentioned by Hugh Hewitt in his column this morning for The Weekly Standard. Full disclosure: after Mommypundit posted this last night, I encouraged her to e-mail the post to Hugh Hewitt since he had previously linked to our blog for his web symposiums here (scroll down to the Monday 9:25PM group - the previous symposium is not archived but you can read the post here) But I never imagined that our little blog would be singled out in an article appearing on a major media outlet’s website. It’s a great honor and very humbling at the same time. While the temptation of the flesh would be to boast about this, the Bible reminds me of this:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength, or the rich man boast of his riches. But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for in these I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

To Hugh Hewitt, thank you for the inspiration to start this blog. We are honored and humbled that you chose to highlight us from among the literally thousands of blogs that you could have selected.

To those who are paying us a visit for the first time, thank you for checking in with us. We hope that you will visit with us frequently.

Get a (real) job!

2004-10-20T22:14:00.000-04:00

Captain Ed has a great post today called "Billionaire Widow Sniffs: Laura Bush Never Had a Real Job."

The Heinz-Kerry/Edwards camp has topped itself in its own expertise - leveling personal insults at the opposing camp's family. After the attacks on Dick Cheney using the personal life of his daughter, you would have thought they might have learned a lesson. They tried to disguise that debacle by saying that they were actually complimenting the vice-president's family on how they had shown love to their daughter. That was until Mary Beth Cahill and Elizabeth Edwards went outside the playbook and said, respectively, that Ms. Cheney was "fair game" and that her mother must be ashamed of her.

This week, Theresa Heinz, implied through her statements that she would make a better first lady because she had had a "real" grown-up job. Captain Ed does an admirable job comparing and contrasting the careers of Ms. Heinz and Mrs. Bush so I won't comment further on that.

The problem that I see with Theresa's statements about Laura are two-fold. Number one, polls show that Mrs. Bush is well-liked among swing state voters, undecided voters, and even voters in the Democratic party. Bad, bad form to insult someone who is so well liked and highly respected. Especially, someone who never has an unkind word to say.

Second, every woman (and man, too) who has made the choice to stay at home and raise their children will be alienated and infuriated by these statements. I have been a stay-at-home mom for the last six years. Before that, I worked first in the school system and then in the corporate world. When I was in my office, I could ask my assistant to hold my calls so that I could complete an important project. After coming home to my two (beautiful) daughters, I was on call 24/7. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without interruptions, let alone complete the many household tasks that I had to do.

I have had friends who were highly successful businesswomen, call me in tears because they couldn't get their two-year-old to stop coloring on the walls. Parenting IS a "real job."

Why I'll Vote for George W. Bush

2004-10-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

When Samuel was giving his farewell speech to the people of Israel, he admonished them, "If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God - good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you as it was against your fathers." 1 Samuel 12:14-15

President Bush gave a powerful explanation about his faith during the third debate, "But when I make decisions, I stand on principle, and the principles are derived from who I am." and "I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I pray for our troops in harm's way. I pray for my family. I pray for my little girls. "

In that same debate, John Kerry claims to believe, but says that he cannot legislate his beliefs on others. "And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people. That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth. That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith." Isn't he contradicting himself?

My main concern with John Kerry is that he seems to lack a moral compass. I believe that the Bible is to be taken literally; therefore, I believe that we and our "king" need to follow God's commands. Look at 2 Chronicles 28 - 29 to see the contrast between a nation governed by a godly king vs. an ungodly king. I'll choose Bush.

Rick Boucher is running from his record

2004-10-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

In the Virginia 9th district congressional race, Republican challenger Kevin Triplett has repeatedly issued challenges to incumbent Democrat Rick Boucher to appear at a series of debates. Boucher has agreed to one debate in Roanoke this Friday which will be broadcast to about 1/3 of the 9th district voters forgoing the others citing a busy schedule. Triplett wanted multiple debates or candidate forums throughout the district to allow the majority of voters an opportunity to hear from the candidates. Boucher's refusal to participate in the forums has caused organizers to cancel them. He was invited to appear at forums on October 19 and October 21. Instead he will be attending fundraisers (see them here and here). Why is Boucher afraid to debate? Perhaps he doesn't want people to find out the truth about his record that it reflect's John Kerry's values more than Southwest Virginia values.

If the president can take time out from prosecuting a war and conducting a national campaign to take questions from voters on three occasions, shouldn't Southwest Virginia expect our Congressman to forgo a couple of fundraisers to answer our questions?

Polls being manipulated to help Kerry?

2004-10-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

Hugh Hewitt mentioned in his weekend symposium wrap-up that there is a theory being tossed around that pollsters have been manipulating their data to try to give the impression of a Kerry surge. Here is the original analysis from Steven den Beste. This brought to mind a book I recently read by Clay Jacobsen (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers) entitled "Circle of Seven". In it, the protagonist, an investigative reporter, discovers a group of media elite who are using polls to manipulate public opinion as well as policy decisions. It's a fascinating look at how polls are conducted. If you weren't skeptical about opinion polls before you certainly will be after reading this book.

2005...A Year of Surprises

2004-10-17T22:50:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of John Kerry's claim that President Bush has a January Surprise planned to completely privatize Social Security, I thought it might be fun to come up with a "surprise" plan for each month of next year.

January Surprise- privatize Social Security

February Surprise - send Kim Jeong Il a mushy Valentine

March Surprise - wear a "Kiss me I'm Irish" button on St. Patrick's Day even though everyone knows he's German (wait...that's the other guy).

April Surprise - require the entire senate to visit NASA and dress in bunny suits

May Surprise - rename Mothers' Day the Mother of all Days

June Surprise - replace White House Rose Garden with baseball diamond because he continues to hear "if you build it, they will come"

July Surprise - repair crack in Liberty Bell

August Surprise - name Ken Lay as the new Federal Reserve Chairman

September Surprise - ask Hamid Karzai for fall fashion advice

October Surprise - further alienate international community by trick-or-treating on embassy row dressed as Jaques Chirac

November Surprise - enter a giant UBL balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

December Surprise - issue hit Christmas release "I saw Putin kissing Santa Claus"

Why are we outraged?

2004-10-15T18:21:00.000-04:00

The Kerry campaign seems mystified that so many people on the left and on the right are irate over the remarks made Wednesday night about Mary Cheney.

I'm a mommy...so let me explain it to them. My child is not "fair game" in anyone's political debate unless she is a candidate. Had Mary Cheney been at the other podium, then John Kerry's remark about her personal life would have been acceptable.

Mary Cheney is working on her father's campaign. She is his child and I think it's admirable that she is supporting him despite what must be political differences. Ultimately, the relationship between parent and child should supercede the political debate of the day.

Recently, our nine year old has taken an interest in the Congressional race for the 9th District of Virginia where we live (primarily because the candidate Kevin Triplett is a family friend). She has attended rallies, marched in parades, and helped with the distribution of campaign fliers. Does this make her "fair game" for Triplett's opponent?

I am reminded of the 1983 movie The Dead Zone in which a shady politician's career came to an end when he used a baby as a human shield during a blast of gunfire. (I won't make any further commentary on the fact that the politician was portrayed by Martin Sheen.) Kerry was taking fire on the issue of gay marriage, so he "picked up" Dick Cheney's child to deflect attention away from himself.

His hope was that he would use her to hurt her father among the conservative base of the Republican party; instead, he left parents across America and both parties with their mouths agape. The fallout from his very deliberate remark will be significant. Many from his own party will, I imagine, find it difficult to pull the lever or punch the chad for a man who doesn't understand basic decency.

As for Elizabeth Edwards, don't even get me started! One mother who would take on another mother's relationship with her child for political gain doesn't deserve to be a heartbeat away from becoming our First Lady.

Information Overload

2004-10-15T01:11:00.000-04:00

How strange it has been to go from last week which became an unintentional fast from the news and the internet to this week which has been a flood of information. Today I experienced what I would call "information overload" meaning that I was so overwhelmed with information that I couldn't think straight.

Let's face it, we can be bombarded with information if we allow it. Never has information been more abundant. I'm constantly amazed at what there is to be found on the internet. In a way it's like a scavenger hunt surfing the net to see what we can find. But how easily it slips into surfing for the sake of surfing without any specific objective that we are trying to meet. Before I know it, valuable hours have been wasted that could have been better spent on other things.

Don't get me wrong, I think there is value to the internet. There is also value in following the news and staying informed on the events of the day. However, it has become more critical than ever to carefully choose what sources we seek information from especially given the recent missteps in the MSM.

So what do I consider my reliable sources? Where should I be going for information? Most importantly, how do I balance my need to be informed with the demands that my job, my wife, my children, my church, and most importantly my walk with God place upon my time? Time is a precious commodity that cannot afford to be wasted.

First, I have to recognize the limited amount of time I have available to seek out news and information. There are many blogs out there, for instance, that update numerous times during the day. There are others that post maybe only once or twice a day. Which do I choose? Which news sources can I trust to provide reliable information? Which sources do I know share my worldview which is shaped by my faith? Which sources am I likely to disagree with but at least will make me think through my positions?

As far as news is concerned, the best site I have found is NewsMax. It tends to focus on real news rather than gossip. As an e-mail alert subscriber I get top stories delivered to my e-mail account that I can read at my leisure and still feel current on events.

For commentary, I recommend Townhall which provides an e-mail summary daily of conservative commentary and The Federalist which has an e-mail summary three times a week of key political happenings.

As far as blogs are concerned, Hugh Hewitt posts frequently but not so much that I can't keep up. Plus, he's on top of what's happening in the blogosphere and will link to key commentaries. Neal Boortz has a great daily blog that also serves as his program notes. His Reading Assignments at the end of the blog are a great summary of important news articles and editorials.

For Christian commentary, I go to Mark Roberts and Evangelical Outpost. Mark seems to focus more on issues facing the church while Evangelical Outpost will tackle a variety of issues.

In the wake of my overload syndrome, I've also decided it's best not to overdo it on talk radio. Again, the internet provides amazing access to talk radio programs and there have been days where I've had it going all day. That also seems to be feeding my overload. So, I am going to have to narrow it down to one program that I will listen to and even at that I won't listen every day. For me, the logical choice is Hugh Hewitt's show. First, Hugh is a Christian and conservative so I know that he has a similar religious worldview as well as political worldview to my own. But probably the biggest reason I would choose his show is the ability to listen anytime I want. His Los Angeles affiliate, KRLA, has an online archive which allows you to listen to the latest show on demand. That helps me a lot to know I don't have to worry about meeting the show's schedule and can listen in whenever I want to.

It's important to be informed. It's more important to seek truth. In the tidal wave of information that washes over us daily that truth is sometimes hard to find. It comes down to knowing where to look for it. But the one place that we can always find truth is in God's word, the Bible. And it is there that we need to be first before we go anywhere else.

Check out this...

2004-10-13T08:52:00.000-04:00

This post from Hugh Hewitt is absolutely priceless. I can't say it any better than he does.

Silent No More

2004-10-12T23:14:00.000-04:00

I believe that Christians face a unique opportunity to stand up and be counted this election cycle. I think the president did a wonderful job last week defining clearly his position on the protection of life. We also got a pretty clear picture of where his opponent stands.

Locally, the contrast is equally defined. Rick Boucher's voting record is in lock-step with Planned Parenthood and militant pro-abortion group NARAL. Today, Kevin Triplett received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee.

To make the choice clearer for us all...my husband saw a bumper sticker that said "Stop Killing Babies, Stop Rick Boucher."

First, let me say, that I contacted Boucher's office by e-mail on Sept. 21st at 5:44 and asked what the Congressman's stand was on women's reproductive rights. I received a response at 5:57 asking for my home address. By 6:01, I had responded with that information.....and guess what??? I haven't heard another peep from Boucher's office despite follow up e-mails.

I guess, though, that his voting record speaks for itself.

He voted against the ban on partial birth abortions.
He thinks that minors should have the right to an abortion without parental consent (btw...we recently had the girls' ears pierced which required that their dad show i.d. and fill out a fairly lengthy release).
He thinks that your tax dollars should pay for:

abortion on demand for low-income women

abortion on demand for women living in more than 150 other countries

abortion on demand for military personnel living overseas

abortion on demand for women in federal prisons

He voted against HR 1997 ...more commonly known as Laci and Connor's Law...which would make it an offense to kill an unborn child during an act of violence against the mother

No wonder he got $10,000 support from militant Pro-Abortion group NARAL. Please tell your family and friends who supports Boucher and why...we cannot continue to be silent. It's time we had a congressman who represents the values of our district rather than pandering to special interest groups.

And...if you have even a little cash to spare (minimum on-line donation is $10) go to Triplett's website and donate.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Random Thoughts

2004-10-09T23:39:00.000-04:00

On the way home from vacation and finally have Internet access again. Actually, we had it but only if we were willing to pay a hefty fee. No thanks. I'd rather buy more souvenirs for the girls.

Just finished watching the opening of Saturday Night Live. First time I've watched it in years. They opened with a parody of last night's debate that was hilarious.

Since we didn't have the Internet readily available while we were gone we handed off maintenance of the blog to Sister Sophist. Thanks to her for keeping things going while we were out of pocket. She continues to impress me with her breadth of knowledge on a variety of subjects. Anytime I can't find some piece of information I need, I know I can turn to her and she'll know it or know where to find it.

We also didn't watch any news during the week. It was both strange and refreshing. It felt a little odd being out of touch with what was going on in the world. However, when we turned on the news tonight we realized we hadn't missed much. The break from the constant influx of information was much needed.

We did take time last night to watch the presidential debate. I'll have some thoughts on that in the next couple of days. I'm still mulling over some things I observed during the debate. The bottom line is President Bush clearly won this debate.

Kudos to Charles Gibson for his outstanding job moderating the debate. The questions selected were equally tough on both candidates. The questions were also refreshingly direct - not something we are accustomed to seeing from the MSM.

Bill O'Reilly said last night after the debate that he was willing to meet with Senator Kerry anytime to do the same type of interview he did with President Bush. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the Senator's call.

We spent at least a couple of days over at Disney World. Even celebrated my birthday in the Magic Kingdom. At least I was able to act and feel like a kid and not be ashamed.

The reason Disney World is the best place to take the family for vacation is the folks who work there (in Disneyspeak they are called cast members). Hats off to two cast members in particular - Kat at Cape May Cafe and Teresa Marie at O'Hana who made our visits especially memorable.

Apparently there is a new program that Disney has that allows college students to come work at the parks for a semester and continue to take college courses. It gives them a taste of working for Disney while allowing them to continue their studies. We met a lot of students while we were there (it was the first time we noticed that there were college students working in the parks) and across the board they all were enjoying the experience. I can only imagine how cool it is to work there. I keep saying to Mommypundit that when I retire we should relocate to Orlando so we can go work at Disney World.

More to come soon.

Back from Fantasyland

2004-10-09T21:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Sister Sophist for keeping the blog afloat while I sat poolside sipping something fruity. I fear that I will be found lacking when it comes to revolutionary historical allusions. Sister Sophist would most surely be my phone-a-friend were I ever in need of one.

Musicman and I decided that while in paradise, we would take the week away from the blogosphere and MSM to have some quality family time. Quite refreshing.

We were shocked upon our return to find that the post-debate spin doctors had delivered the country a massive dose of Kool-Aid and convinced most Americans that President Bush had lost the first debate miserably. We had all watched the same debate a week ago and saw it for what it was. Bush was real and Kerry was doing his best geek-cum-debate team impersonation kissing up to moderator Jim Lehrer and batting all those marshmallow questions that were being lobbed his way.

By Monday, as Sister Sophist said, there must have been quite a bit of Monday morning quarterbacking. We need to make sure that we remind people that being the president requires more than smooth debating skills...it's the substance that matters. The president is forthright, we know what he stands for. The liberal senator from Massachusetts has plans upon plans...he's just not willing to tell us what they are. Where I come from, that's called buying a pig in a poke.

UPDATE: Scrappleface has a great link about John Kerry's many plans.

And another thing.....

2004-10-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

I e-mailed the folks at NBC Nightly News the other day to tell them what I think of Tom Brokaw's remarks about the bloggers. I very respectfully told him that he was dealing with an information revolution and it would be smart of him to sit up and aknowledge it and even welcome it. I included information on Thomas Paine, one of our country's great patriots and publisher of Common Sense. In this treatise, Paine argues that it's just "common sense" that England and America should go their separate ways. What a revolutionary thought for the times and certainly timely, considering that many others were having the same ideas. What would our country be if it weren't for the efforts of so called "rebels" who took a risk and stated their beliefs and were willing to fight to protect them. I think many of the bloggers out there are just that. They are the Common Sense treatise of the new century and are demanding that the MSM roll with the changes. No longer are we subjects of the nightly news shows of our parent's generation. We have options and are smart enough to use them. What a pitiful excuse for a human race we'd be, if we were given the intelligence to question situations and then not use that ability. I'm all for bloggers! I spend quite a bit of my time lost in the blogosphere and I believe that the revolution is underway. Tom, Dan, Peter, are you ready to rumble?

Sister Sophist's Scribblings

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

2004-10-04T10:10:00.000-04:00

While cleaning my kitchen, I was listening to the sports segment on the local news. What a bunch of whiners some Redskins fans are! All I heard was griping about the quarterback, the coach, the defense, the offense....made me think of last week's debate. How, you say? Well, when the announcement was made that Joe Gibbs was returning to the area and would coach the Skins again, joy abounded! You would have thought it was VE day all over again. Predictions of Super Bowl glory and the return to former greatness were all anyone could talk about. Now, a few short weeks later and doom and gloom have settled in. I'm disgusted...not with the team, but with the fans. It makes me think of the way Bush supporters were acting in the halcyon days leading up to the first debate. George Bush could do no wrong and Kerry was going to be trounced, or at least we hoped. I chose not to watch the debates, but rather kept up with 5 live bloggers and, wouldn't you know? Tthe Skin's fan philosophy prevailed and that was after only the first five minutes of debating. What a bunch of negative ninnies! You'd have thought W was drooling and scratching himself alongside elegantly turned out French Johnnie. I read posts that went from bad to worse and then some and I came away with the feeling that George had ruined it all. Well, it's Monday morning and Joe Gibbs and I have a different outlook on things. I choose to be optimistic and I'm sure Gibbs would rather be optimistic than beat himself up. The Skins have come a long way in a short time after years of disjointedness (if that's a word). I have great hopes for them and I'm not even a native to D.C. I also have great hopes for Bush. He's a scrappy fighter, maybe not as elegantly manicured as some, but I'd rather have him in my corner anyday. So here's to Joe Gibbs and George Bush. This Monday morning quarterback has every faith in both of you.! Let the pessimists moan and groan, but both men will be looking good come November!

Blogging for Mommypundit who's at a resort (REMEMBER!!!)
sister sophist

A battle of worldviews

2004-10-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

Kathleen Parker makes a great point today. This election is not about policies or proposals, but about worldviews. Take time to read it.

Why a blog?

2004-10-01T23:39:00.000-04:00

Mommypundit correctly pointed out in her first post that much of the inspiration for starting this blog came from Hugh Hewitt. In fact, it would be safe to say that one of the most affirming signs for me was reading his book If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It. His book was really more affirmation of our recent involvement in politics (more about that later) than about blogging. However, it was our interest and involvement in politics that really served as the impetus for starting the blog.

Let's face it, there is only one issue we really need to be concerned about in this election. Who will keep us safe? Will it be Republicans or Democrats? A quick review of recent events will show you that Republicans truly understand the threats our country faces and will do everything possible to eliminate the threats before they come to fruition.

So back to how we recently became involved in politics. We've always had an interest in politics and have tried our best to stay abreast of what's happening in the world. But it has only been in the last few months that an opportunity to really be involved has presented itself. It's been almost 2 years since we moved to Southwest Virginia. Of the many people we have met and become friends with are Kevin and Jill Triplett. When we first met them we were only vaguely aware of his campaign for the U. S. House 9th district seat in Virginia. As we got to know them better, we discovered that Kevin and Jill decided to raise their family where they both grew up. Then Kevin decided to run for Congress against 22 year incumbent Rick Boucher. Never before had we personally known someone who was involved in politics and certainly not on the federal level. Here was an opportunity to get involved in a campaign. Here was an opportunity to do more than simply say we support Kevin. We were being called to get involved.

That's really the message of Hugh's book. It's time to get involved. It's time to do everything we can to make sure that Republicans are elected. Which brings me back to why we started this blog. A couple of weeks ago, mommypundit was doing some research on Rick Boucher's voting record (research which incidentally became her post on Southwest Virginia Values. After spending a great deal of time researching this issue and coming up with lots of interesting information (testimony to the power of the Internet - you can find just about anything) she was left frustrated at the end of the evening not knowing what to do with all her hard work. This blog is the result of that research.

Of course, not everything we write about will be political. We expect in the coming weeks to write about a whole variety of issues. We are also realistic that we're probably not going to be as widely read as Hugh Hewitt, Kerry Spot, Powerline, Instapundit, Best of the Web, or any of the many other blogs that we read on an almost daily basis. So we won't get hung up on whether lots of people read what we have to say. What we hope is that folks will drop by to see what we've posted and take the information we've found and share it with others. That's all we can ask for.

Southwest Virginia Values

2004-10-01T01:41:00.000-04:00

The battle for the Fighting Ninth has heated up in recent days. Incumbent Rick Boucher has some splaining to do (I watched way too many Lucy re-runs) about his record in Washington where he claims to be representing Southwest Virginia Values.

Challenger Kevin Triplett has a recent addition to his website that takes Boucher to task for not being straight with the voters of Southwest Virginia. Among the issues is Boucher's claim to represent Southwest Virginia Values while voting against the ban on partial birth abortion (despite provisions in the legislation to protect the life of the mother).

Also interesting to note...Boucher's campaign has received $1,000 from pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood and $10,000 from the militant abortion rights organization NARAL. (see Open Secrets.) Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL give Boucher straight A's for his voting record, an honor given to only two other ultra-liberal Virginia congressmen. (We mommies can tell a lot from report cards.)

So does Boucher represent Southwest Virginia Values in Washington? ......."Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do."

posting poser

2004-09-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

I have actually been invited to post on this site by my sister, mommypundit, but the invitation link does not work. So, I'm assuming her name and posting my thoughts anyway.
I did not watch the debates. I wanted to check in and see exactly how orange Kerry was and how nice his manicure looked, but I prayed for GWB, called out Spanish vocab to my son, and read Arthur's TV Trouble to my six year old. Very pleasant. Everyone in bed, lights out, head to the computer. Man, oh man! The fur was flying fast and furious! Back and forth I went from The Corner to Hugh Hewitt, Poliblog to Kerryspot, then to the Commissar. Smoke poured from my laptop as, one after another, I kept at it. I'm really glad I didn't watch. I think it would have been too much for me. I'll watch the talking heads in the morning and see what's up.

Mommypundit is off on vacation in the morning. She'll be heading to a lovely resort and I'm encouraging her to blog poolside. Of course I'm jealous. Let's see....she's at a resort, pool-side, palm trees, ....I'm car-pooling, dog walking, homework checking, dinner wrangling, laundry washing...do I need to go on? I think it might be fun, if I can get my rightful entry into her blog, to show the differences in our week. By the way, did I mention I have a leaky pipe over my fam. room that has created a lovely soggy spot? I touched it and my hand went through, so now I have a gaping hole. I'll be thinking of Mommypundit while I'm dealing with plumbers and drywallers.

Best of luck to Mommypundit as she starts off on this grand adventure.

Check the Facts

2004-09-30T21:33:00.000-04:00

Sitting watching the debate, my DH keeps shouting at the tube refuting many of Kerry's contentions. In awe at his vast political knowledge, I ask how he knows all this stuff. He referred me to this excellent article from Robert Novak http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20040930.shtml

This is an amazing example of how the public is no longer at the mercy on the main stream media. We have a responsibility to check the facts for ourselves. See Acts 17:11...Paul encouraged people to check up on him to see if what he says is true.

Read the article, then see how what we're watching stacks up against the facts.

To Watch or Not to Watch

2004-09-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

I'm watching the debate tonight. My sister is not. She has decided to spend the 90 minutes praying for him and calling out Spanish vocab. words to her teenager. After watching the President for the last few nights on O'Reilly, I sense a peace about him. Standing by his convictions, he should fare well. Watching or praying---or watching and praying, this debate certainly deserves our attention.

Me??? A Blogger??

2004-09-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

This seems a little crazy to me, but my DH has convinced me that I need a forum to share with others all the strong opinions he hears from me at the end of the day. He's just finished Hugh Hewitt's new book www.hughhewitt.com and it inspired him to inspire me. So...here we go.