So you may have seen that there was much hoo-hah about a float honoring the 2008 Beijing Olympics in yesterday's Rose parade.

I was front and center for the spectacle, and my take on it may surprise some of you.

We left the house at 5:15 am, drove to a nearby church, parked the car and had a lovely pancake breakfast, then we walked to Colorado and Orange Grove, where our seats were located in the Grandstands, just to the side of the HGTV booth.  We were asked to be in place by 6:30 AM so that the Parade organizers could stage the "opening number".  We were in our seats at about 6:15.  I people-watched until the parade got going, and hubby took a catnap or two, wrapped in our warmest USC gear and sitting on a thick blanket instead of a cold metal bench....

What happened was that a protest was organized wherein people were supposed to stand and turn their backs on the float as it passed, a sign that you disagree with China and it's human rights abuses.  There was a pro-float group on our left, and an anti-float group on our right.

Here is the very beautiful and fun float in question:

First of all, where we were, VERY few people stood other than the few who were present specifically for that purpose.  Most of us were too busy taking pictures of an adorable float and the acrobats and dancers hired to accompany it down the parade route.  The few who did stand were real assholes about it, getting in front of people taking pictures and trying to be dickheads.

Which really detracts from a message of human rights and peace, in my book.

I hadn't really known how I was going to react.  I am no fan of China's human rights practices, but at the same time, I had no animus against the float itself or the actors and dancers paid to make it fun.  As the float passed us, and the spectacle unfolded, I came to a realization:  The Rose Parade is not a venue for politics.  The parade is about fun and spectacle and celebration.  It's a moment for the thousands of kids who raised millions of dollars  JUST TO BE THERE IN THE PARADE to enjoy their (cold) morning in the sun.  It's a celebration.  It's for the kids.  Kids and politics shouldn't mix.

There were two beautiful little girls sitting in front of us.  They were enchanted by the lion dancers and plate spinners and acrobats.  As the float in question passed, and the little girls couldn't see it, they were debating their favorite floats.  One preferred the circus float and the other preferred the Princesses and Rose Queen with their bouquets and big pearl crown.  They could give a crap about China.  They just wanted to see the floats and dance to the bands.  Which is what the Parade is all about.

So keep the politics out of the Parade.  Protest before the parade, stage a vigil at the float viewing sheds tomorrow and the next day, but keep it away from the magic of New Year's Morning.

Our kids have so little innocence anymore, and are severely short on magic.  The Rose Parade gives them at least a couple hours of kid fun.

And for the record, this protest was, IMO, a truly cheap political stunt.  Why, you ask?  Well, first of all the float wasn't funded by the Chinese government, it was funded by a coalition of American companies and individuals, most notably the Avery-Dennison Corporation, a worldwide manufacturer of paper and office products based here in Pasadena.  Furthermore, the float didn't promote the Chinese government, either.  It promoted the 2008 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Beijing.  And don't the Olympics themselves promote equality and human rights?  So if they were protesting the idiocy of the International Olympic Committee being bullshitted about human rights improvements by the Chinese government, I'd almost understand the sentiment, but protesting China just makes it a cheap, opportunistic stunt staged for the TV cameras.

More pictures of the Beijing 2008 float can be seen along with the rest of my 2008 Rose Parade pictures here on Flickr.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:46 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Tony over at A Red Mind in a Blue State has some interesting thoughts on the state of the economy and how it's reported:

Will it stop? The unending media hysteria about the economy?

The story this morning is that Internet plus brick and mortar sales are up 2.4% this season.

Given the incessant drumbeat of bad economy, bad economy, bad economy-- I thought the tag on the story would be, hey, not bad!

But no. For whatever reason-- incompetence, latent Bush-bashing, the inability to ever report good news-- the headlines were mostly negative. Sluggish. Poor. Disappointing.

How could 2.4% growth in the "teeth" of this mortgage meltdown, etc. be deemed disappointing?

I think Tony has a point. Sales ARE up. Doesn't that mean people have the $$ to spend? Or does it mean that they'd rather sink farther into their credit bills so the kids can have the Wii and the computer and the new iPod?

Either way, it means they plan on having a place to keep what they bought, so people must be somewhat more than negative-feeling about the whole housing/mortgage/ interest rate business.

Even more interesting was the item about gift card sales. I wonder what the total figures would be with those included. Especially as sales of gift cards increased ALONG with the direct sales increases reported.

What do you think?

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I haven't been ignoring y'all on purpose. Really. I've just been super busy. Mom is doing very well, walking around on short excursions with just her cane and doing therapy twice a week. Staples SHOULD come out at her DR appointment tomorrow, which is a HUGE milestone because that means she can shower without wrapping her leg in plastic and tape....

Santa Claus was DAMN good to me this year. I didn't think I was THAT good a girl.... I got a Kitchenaid mixer. It's PURPLE! and n AWESOME digital photo keychain. Hubby got a telescope (for school, actually) and PS2 games. And a bad case of the Flu. Dad had it first, then me, then hub. Ugh.

Puppies also scored. New leashes and food dishes and beds. Princess got lots of dog treats, too.

More later, as it appears to be dinner time!

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Quick update:

Mom is doing great! Really great! The therapist was really impressed with her today!

Mom came home Sunday afternoon, and ever since it's been a whirlwind of therapy, continuous passive motion machine, walker exercises, and puppies.

I did manage to pay my bills and get all of the Christmas cards done.  If I have your address, you should be getting one....

On tap for this afternoon, Round 2 of puppy booster shots at the Vet and sorting all the Christmas presents that need to be wrapped. And then maybe some Christmas decorating, I hope.

In other news, it's pouring like the proverbial SOB here in Fresburg, which I love, especially at the holidays.  There should be a TON of snow in the mountains.  YAY!

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Warning: disjointed thoughts ahead!

Over the last few days I've been thinking a lot about the amazing bumper sticker of awesomeness and how we parent our children. When I say "parent our children", I mean in the general sense, that is, how ADULTS guide and direct children towards what's right and instill in them a sense of right and wrong. Not just their parents, biological or otherwise, but grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, mentors, and friends. Hillary said that it takes a village to raise a child, and although her application of that message was far more socialist than I agree with, her point is well-taken. Children grow up surrounded by adults. ALL of those adults have something to do with raising them, even just reinforcing proper behavior.

I've often heard it said (and I believe it) that parenting is an act of will. As a parent, you are the boss, and what the kids want is secondary. It seems to me that a hell of a lot of ADULTS are abdicating this responsibility because they just don't want to "hurt the kid's feelings" or they'd rather let someone else be the bad guy.

See, here's the thing, and this is what has come up over and over and over in conversations about the bumper sticker, good kids are NOT kids who never think of doing bad things. Good kids are not kids who say "it's wrong, so I won't do it." At least not all the time. Good kids are good simply because they know what will happen to them if they get caught doing what they want to do that their parents disapprove of. They have rules and boundaries and consequences. Consistent, very negative consequences. I was one of those goody-two-shoes kids. But sure as hell NOT because it was wrong to do bad things. Oh hells no. I was terrified of what my parents would do if they caught me.

Good parents make it possible for their kids to reach the stage in their life, where as adults, they can recognize all of their right and wrong steps in the past and use that knowledge to "parent" other children: their own, nieces and nephews, students, mentees, etc.

I've gone down the road before about no consequences for kids and how THAT turns out. But I'll sum up. Kids who don't understand that their actions have consequences CAN NOT succeed in life. They don't turn in homework, but they expect an A. They can't show up to work on time, but they'll sue you for firing them. They expect hand up after hand up and if they don't get one, it's YOUR fault. Mom and Dad fix everything, from a bad grade to a parking ticket to getting kicked out of college because of academic dishonesty. Kids who don't understand that actions have consequences are precisely the ones who will take a gun and try to make their own.

It's a simple principal of Psychology: Associative Learning. If I get zapped every time I press the red button, pretty soon I'll learn not to touch it any more. It's not just a fancy trick, either. This is how the mammalian brain is wired. We learn by experience, both positively and negatively.

Which brings me to a recent experience. I was involved with a community outreach program sponsored by our school a few weeks back. Two groups of high school students were assigned to be helpers to the college students and faculty involved with the program. One group of kids was from a high-achieving science-related magnet school. The other was from a "cultural" charter school. The difference between the two groups was remarkable, and not surprisingly, correlated with the expectations of the adults around them AND the consequences of their actions.

The "magnet" kids were friendly and polite, they pitched in to clean up without being asked. They were creative and helpful and spoke respectfully to each other and to us.

The charter kids were (with a few exceptions) just the opposite. They were loud and lazy, they yelled at each other and spent their time making messes and trying to break things rather than helping out, and when faced directly with consequences, they ignored requests to sit down and/or be quiet from their teachers and principal. Which, I later understood, because the threatened consequences never materialized.

What you don't know is that these kids all come from the same background: ethnically diverse, lower-middle-class and underprivileged homes. They all live in the same neighborhoods, have the same kinds of "stereotypical" families. What's different about them is the expectation that positive and negative behavior each have their own set of consequences. It couldn't be more striking.

So yeah, it's not about the damn guns. It's about shitty adults who think "kid gloves" means "use with children" instead of "made from baby goats".

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:00 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 EXCELLENT POST! Yeah, I just yelled out loud 'excellent post'.

Posted by: pam at December 10, 2007 12:42 PM (l6NIn)

2 Yeah, apparently most people don't know what "kid gloves" means anymore. Even my husband just learned, when my mom had hers from when she was younger out to look at them. I think he just pictured kid-sized boxing gloves with extra padding or something. But you're 100% right. I could see it from watching the people i was in school with -- especially college. The kids who were pre-med (cough) and just whined themselves to better grades. I saw a lot of it in the undergrads at JHU, too. Um, not to pick on pre-meds. Or doctors. It's just the people I found were around me who did it most!

Posted by: silvermine at December 10, 2007 01:07 PM (4gdyI)

3 Warning: disjointed thoughts ahead! Disjointed? Beg to differ, dear. Very nicely done, and I say that as the father of two wonderful adult children.

Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at December 10, 2007 08:22 PM (Yh9SA)

4 As someone who works with kids in a certain capacity, but does not have kids of her own, I have to admit I sometimes take a bit of issue with the "it takes a village" mentality. An example: some of the kids in my youth group are whispering in church. I specifically DO NOT sit with them (they sit near their parents) because I have other duties during the course of church and I feel that, if their parents are there, it is not my job to "parent" them. But then someone comes up to me after church..."Those darn kids where WHISPERING again. Can you not DO something?" No. When I go to church, I go to worship. I do not go to be the parent, when the parents who are there choose not to. I feel it would be overstepping my bounds to sit behind the kids and knock their heads together...er, hush them...when they are whispering. But, because I'm the Youth Leader, because these individuals know me (and don't necessarily know the kids' parents), and because they know I won't lash back at them, they come to me and make me feel guilty for not being Mama Hen 100% of the time. The lives of those of us who work with students (either little-kid, teenaged, or college-aged) would be SO much easier if parents just took on the responsibilities they are supposed to, and don't let their kids run wild, and expect someone else will be the "bad guy" with the discipline. I've come so close to resigning as youth director BECAUSE it seems that every misbehavior of the kids is somehow my fault, that I could stop it if I really wanted to...even if the parents are sitting right there, oblivious.

Posted by: ricki at December 11, 2007 10:04 AM (O5SYw)

5 For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I press a key, a letter appears on the screen. At the age of 13, my parents punished me for something I did for the last time. It made an impression. I don't remember what I did wrong, but it must have been bad, and the consequences fit the offense. The punishment, a few licks from my fathers FRATERNITY PLEDGE PADDLE. Nothing excessive, but enough to make a deep and lasting impression on me to never ever do what I had done again. And I never gave them a reason to punish me again. Another highly effective consequence I received was "wash your mouth out with soap." At the age of 8 or 9, I cussed at a video game, while my mother was in the other room. She was into the room I was in in a flash, had me by the hand, and into the bathroom for a mouthful of softsoap. I took profanity out of my vocabulary for a long time after that (now I do use it sometimes, as a stress reliever, much better than losing my temper). From my perspective, it comes down to making sure that when a child does something they know is wrong, the consequences should make a deep and lasting impression on their mind, such that when the situation arises again, they have a moment of pause to think, "wait a second, if I do this, it is going to make my life really SUCK afterwards."

Posted by: Petey at December 12, 2007 09:01 AM (tmnSV)

6 well said

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at December 12, 2007 02:30 PM (+MvHD)

7 It doesn't take a village, it takes a boot-camp. Adults who in their moral vanity busily impress themselves with their own sensitivity and broadmindedness do no service to kids - and produce poor, nonperforming results.

Posted by: DirtCrashr at December 12, 2007 04:31 PM (VNM5w)

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Ugh. 

Why do these things all come at once, really?

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Since we'll be busy with family stuff until Sunday, and I'm pretty sure I won't get a chance to post anything, I thought I'd leave you with this.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 06:52 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Posted by: pam at November 20, 2007 07:22 PM (l6NIn)

2 Hilarious! Happy Thanksgiving to y'all as well.

Posted by: beth at November 20, 2007 07:51 PM (mL6ts)

3 Back atcha!

Posted by: dogette at November 21, 2007 07:10 AM (q/UVc)

4 Gobble gobble!

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at November 21, 2007 09:03 AM (+MvHD)

5 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Posted by: Richmond at November 21, 2007 01:53 PM (6QRLC)

6 Happy Thanksgiving. Very funny cartoon.

Posted by: Lukie at November 21, 2007 05:21 PM (WXIEq)

7 TAG! (it isn't happy when I try to include the URL)

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at November 21, 2007 09:17 PM (0Pi1o)

8 Love the cartoon. Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: vw bug at November 22, 2007 05:05 AM (FPOeI)

9 Frickin' great! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Posted by: That 1 Guy at November 22, 2007 06:39 AM (NJMQg)

10 Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: Jill at November 22, 2007 05:08 PM (yaQm/)

11 Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: Bou at November 22, 2007 06:19 PM (DWOkQ)

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At the Death Star Canteen.....

DEFINITELY NSFW (language)

I love Eddie Izzard. This is a great bit!

h/t Denny

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We had a minor plumbing emergency.... click over to flickr to see more!

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1 Totally understandable. TWO PARTIES! Hee! Loved the birthday cake. YUM!

Posted by: Margi at November 12, 2007 08:04 PM (wSEpS)

2 Nice pedi; love the flower!

Posted by: pam at November 13, 2007 07:12 AM (l6NIn)

3 Purdy toes. *grin* I'm glad you got the shower fixed!!!

Posted by: Teresa at November 13, 2007 03:18 PM (rVIv9)

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31 today. Pictures tomorrow.

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1 Happiest of Birthdays...

Posted by: vw bug at November 11, 2007 04:43 AM (FPOeI)

2 Ayyyyyy, Happy Birthday! My goodness, you're younger than me -- by almost a whole year! I need to start acting my age, perhaps.

Posted by: Erica at November 11, 2007 05:30 AM (QPJM+)

3 Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great day.

Posted by: Amanda at November 11, 2007 05:48 AM (HIMHu)

4 Happy Birthday!!!!!!! Hope it was wonderful!

Posted by: pam at November 11, 2007 06:51 AM (l6NIn)

5 a day late, and so... a very merry unbirthday to you!

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at November 11, 2007 07:42 AM (0Pi1o)

6 Happy Birfday!

Posted by: dogette at November 11, 2007 07:57 AM (q/UVc)

7 Vieja!

Posted by: Amanda at November 11, 2007 12:35 PM (HgMkK)

8 Happy birthday! How cool to share a birthday with the Marines!

Posted by: sarahk at November 11, 2007 02:10 PM (WPGzA)

9 A belated Happy Birthday!!! I hope it was an excellent one!

Posted by: Teresa at November 11, 2007 02:23 PM (rVIv9)

10 http://vimeo.com/245210 much love to you

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at November 11, 2007 03:28 PM (0Pi1o)

11 Aw dang. I'm sorry I missed it! HAPPY SMURFDAY, KIDDO! xoxo

Posted by: Margi at November 11, 2007 08:37 PM (wSEpS)

12 Happy Belated Birthday! I hope it was wonderful!

Posted by: Phoenix at November 12, 2007 09:06 AM (4N2f4)

13 Happy belated birthday to you, my wife, and the Marine Corps.

Posted by: Alan at November 12, 2007 10:46 AM (vuVDm)

14 Have a wonderful birthday!

Posted by: Omnibus Driver at November 12, 2007 10:53 AM (WOXRM)

15 WEEEEEEE! Happy Birthday!

Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at November 12, 2007 02:01 PM (PvqFn)

16 Happy Birthday! *looks at calendar* Hey, where are the pictures??

Posted by: Mrs. Who at November 12, 2007 03:56 PM (JSgDx)

17 Happy Birthday to you; my birtday is on NOV 13. Arcadia, CA..Oh I'm 66. Have a long and prosperous life.. Ciao.

Posted by: Mike at November 12, 2007 08:20 PM (ZQFzJ)

18 Sorry I'm late! Happy Birthday!

Posted by: oddybobo at November 13, 2007 07:17 AM (mZfwW)

19 Belated happy birthday, CTG!!!

Posted by: Marie at November 14, 2007 02:17 PM (jZ1rw)

20 Happy belated, CTG!

Posted by: nightfly at November 14, 2007 03:05 PM (PuuC1)

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Yeah, it's also NaNoWriMo. And I am flirting with a long story. I don't plan on churning out a novel, but it's as good an excuse as any to work on the fiction....

So watch this space. I may or may not decide to share.

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Singer and actor Robert Goulet has passed away at age 73.

Robert Goulet, the handsome, big-voiced baritone whose Broadway debut in "Camelot" launched an award-winning stage and recording career, has died. He was 73.

The singer died Tuesday morning in a Los Angeles hospital while awaiting a lung transplant, said Goulet spokesman Norm Johnson.

He had been awaiting a lung transplant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being found last month to have a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis.

I hope he'll still appear at 3pm..... ghost Robert Goulet is even scarier.....

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And I got a few nice shots. Posted to flickr.

Can you tell how much I love having my camera back?

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Joanie is almost literally liveblogging the fires from Northern San Diego County.  Lots of pictures, information, and links on her site.

Be sure to scroll down through the posts over the last few days!

Stay safe, Darlin'!

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Dozens of wildfires all over the Southern California area.

View Larger Map

Most seem to be natural or accidental in nature (mostly from wind-downed high voltage lines), but the Santiago Canyon fire near Irvine was deliberately set. Bastards.

Fires in LA in October is as natural as Hurricanes in Florida in August. Northeasterly winds, called the Santa Anas bring hot dry air down from the high desert into the valleys and foothills, and well, it doesn't take much to start a big fire.

The LA Times has a good round-up and photo galleries. KCAL 9 is on the air live with updates, as new fires continue to pop up every hour or so in addition to the major fires in Malibu, Castaic, Canyon Country, San Diego, Irvine, Ontario, and Lake Arrowhead......

Here's links to information on School Closures and Evacuation Centers.

Folks with large animals can take them to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, the Orange County Fairgrounds, or Pierce College Equestrian Center. Bring Food, Water, Water Tubs, and Medicine. Many animal shelters and vet offices will care for smaller pets, too. Call around for information. In emergencies, pet owners can call (81 991-6384 to set up an emergency rescue in the Malibu OR Agua Dulce areas. For more animal info, check here.

It goes without saying, folks, but if you're in the fire area, get out when they tell you to leave, and if you're not in a fire area, stay the hell out. The firefighters need to get in and out without having to drive around your looky-loo ass.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, my morning commute:

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Things around here are pretty blah (thank God).  The idiots have gone back to their caves, and I seem to be pretty well settled into my new one.  I just need a desk instead of this temporary table I've been using in my new office, and a filing cabinet, and I'll be good to go, as the phone was installed this AM.

Headache is FINALLY gone, after two days, a couple of rounds of blurry vision, and a wicked moment of nausea while driving home yesterday.  I think it was the nap on the couch during (tivoed) PTI last night and the chicken soup that finally beat the bastard into submission.

Currently, I am trying to stay awake in case any of my students drops in for office hours.  Somehow I doubt they'll show.... 32 minutes left.... I think I will probably check my office mail now, and maybe there will be work to be taken care of.  We'll see.

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The headache, that is.  I came home from work early.  Like super early.  I left before 1pm. I had promised hubby that I would run some errands on the way home from work, so my respite was delayed by a trip to Costco (dead empty on Monday afternoon, BTW) for supplies and gas.  There was no way in hell I was up to the grocery store, though, so he'll have to hit Ralphito's tonight after I go to Glee Club.  Yeah, I know my head hurts, but singing helps.  And I will have napped.

Since I got nothing, this made me laugh, and I will share:



I loved it.  I am a Lolcat addict.

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1 I *LOVE* LOLCats!

Posted by: AP at October 15, 2007 03:41 PM (r0KOI)

2 Hope your headache goes away! The LOLcats are hilarious...

Posted by: pam at October 15, 2007 04:07 PM (l6NIn)

3 I'm sorry you don't feel good.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at October 15, 2007 06:14 PM (0Pi1o)

4 I sure hope that headache went away, love. I'll be thinking of you. xoxo

Posted by: Margi at October 16, 2007 12:53 AM (wSEpS)

5 I hate headaches. I get migraines. I hope you're feeling better.

Posted by: ricki at October 16, 2007 06:12 AM (qrkix)

6 Heheheeee... Funny. Hope your head is better m'dear.

Posted by: Richmond at October 17, 2007 10:41 AM (T00pg)

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I get all of these jokes....

Lifted shamelessly 100% from FCBlog.  For all you SoCaler's:

With all the talk about the Rose Parade and the China controversy and our fearless (?) leaders international dealings..it's time for another Top Ten.

From the home office in Beijing, China:

TOP TEN FLOATS THAT WON'T MAKE IT INTO THE ROSE PARADE
10. Chris Hansen's Dateline NBC Decoy Float For Internet Pedophiles
9. The Ad Hoc Committee On Floats Float
8. The Other Guy In Wham! Float
7. The Turkish-Armenian Friendship Float
6. The Float Put Together By PUSD Kids Who Get All F's
5. The Sid Tyler Float Of "Tobaccy & Shoe Polish"
4. Al-Qaeda's "Death To America" Float
3. Sock On Float
2. Anthony Portantino Ate My Float
1. Robin Salzer's Float Of Roses Smothered In Brown Mustard & BBQ Sauce

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It's been a long 7 months since Helen and Angus first found out about the impending arrival of the twins, and now they're almost here.

Helen has been admitted to the hospital, do not pass go, do not collect $200, with a C-section scheduled for Monday.  Assuming there's no reason to yank the bebes before then.

Think happy thoughts in her direction, and pray to the benevolent deity of your choice for a safe delivery and a happy, healthy new family.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:23 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 She'll be just fine. She's in good hands. The Benevolent Diety, A, the hospital staff, and the HUGE prayer circle - she's got half the globe praying for her! Heh.

Posted by: Margi at October 02, 2007 10:11 AM (wpu3a)

2 I can't wait to see pictures of Nick and Nora.

Posted by: pam at October 02, 2007 04:35 PM (l6NIn)

3 Any word on how she's doing today?

Posted by: Omnibus Driver at October 03, 2007 12:22 PM (WOXRM)

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