Have you ever had one of those weeks?
This has been a rollercoaster of a week. Up and down and Up and back way the fuck down again.
Moments of equanimity followed by hours of make-do, fix this, and putting out all the fires that suddenly spring up.
I'm not surprised it's fire season, BTW. That's what it feels like in my head. I have a million things to do, about 85 other things to take care of, and more things to prepare for.
And all I want to do is crawl under a rock.
Some people feel accomplished when they can plow through a to-do list of small errands, phone calls, and the like. Me? I just feel exhausted, as if the mental task of switching glibly from thing to thing was more difficult than the doing.
However, I am making the phone calls I needed to make in the last 10 minutes before my first meeting of the day. I have 3 back to back meetings. Ugh.
I so totally want to go
LA's first official Dr. Horrible Sing Along. On Halloween, no less. But my parents are coming. And we're going to a wedding the next morning. AUUGH.
Funny, I was going to blog something
Damn cold medicine. It makes me loopy, so just a few quick takes for y'all
It has become increasingly clear to me that the Democrats are scared shitless of Sarah Palin. The sheer amount of vitriol being flung around (BTW, anyone know what vitriol REALLY is?) combined with the increasing hysteria about the fact that they can find any dirt that seems to stick is becoming increasingly laughable. Memo to the MSM: when hardcore BDS suffering Liberals begin to feel that the all-out, anti-Sarah barrage is TOO much, it's time to back off. And on a related note, so what if Sarah won't sit don for yet another hit-piece interview? Who said she had to let you piss in her sandbox? Or that she had to play your game? Especially when the rules change more frequently than Calvinball and the only thing that stays the same is that Sarah loses...
ESPN makes me happy. Not sure why, but there's really something comforting about being able to turn on something on the TV that sounds like the news, but won't make me scream and throw things at the TV. I need the "audio/visual wallpaper" when I'm working. Usually I have FoxNews or the local news on, but I just am so tired of knowing more about the story being reported than the editor or reporter who write and read the news scripts.
Anyone else think Kenley's dress on Project Runway last Wednesday looked like something Betty would wear on Ugly Betty? Yeah, me too.
Fake sudafed is for shit. It works about 1/10 as well as the real stuff, and they don't make the formulation that works for me with the real stuff any more. AARRGH. So I suffer. Benedryl ain't cutting it either, and I am sneezing every 5 minutes. Not to mention waking up every 45 minutes and sleeping badly in between...
Just waiting to see if shit rains down on my head about coming home early. I met all my responsibilities for the day, I taught my class and picked up HW and went to my meeting, where I also sat far away from everyone so I wouldn't give them germs.
I still have a hell of a lot of work to do, and a million small personal things to get taken care of. But I think it's nappy nap time.
Two quick links before I go: 1. Check out the investigative journalism done by the fine folks at My Pet Jawa regarding anti-Palin "viral" videos
2.wRitErsbLock went to see the Sarah Palin rally at the Villages, FL this weekend, check out her pictures.
1
I hope you feel better....
And I LIKE that Palin doesn't play by other people's rules and that there is no dirt on her. Says a lot, doesn't it?
Posted by: Lauren at September 23, 2008 12:18 AM (Pt1kf)
2
I believe "vitriol" is an old (apothecaries') name for sulfuric acid.
I am so ****ing sick of all the ugliness. Of the fact that ordinary Joes and Janes seem to be rejoicing in the fact that they can somehow claim they're "better" than Palin, because of some trait she has that seems "weird" to them, because they're city-folk.
I'm actually a little scared of what's going to happen November 5th, after McCain wins, when all the Obamites have to find someone to blame. Because "your candidate just wasn't what America wanted" is not something they will accept, at least not the more outspoken ones. Expect a lot more claims of "racism."
Posted by: ricki at September 23, 2008 05:41 AM (O5SYw)
3
Can't do ESPN. If I need noise I'll put on the radio one of the music stations from Dish.
Posted by: NAVY CPO at September 23, 2008 09:26 AM (FzhYM)
4
I can't believe people like Palin. She has no respect for women's rights, doesn't care about the beautiful environment that she had the fortune to grow up in, and has absolutely no experience at all!
Posted by: Hates Palin at September 23, 2008 09:49 AM (9L24S)
5
Really? Which rights are those? The right to vote, work, have children, participate in the system? I submit that the women's rights movement was about everything that Sarah Palin stands for, and NOT about the right to end a pregnancy.
As for her environment, polar bears are returning to dangerous-to-human levels, and the moose and caribou are flourishing near the pipelines. I suggest you do your homework.
Finally, don't even try to pull the experience card. Name me one instance where Obama (who, I might add is the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, not the VP candidate)has had to make an executive decision outside the running of his family. I'd say being Governor, and mayor, presentes Sarah with a lot of opportunities to understand what running the show is like. Obama hasn't even served in a leadership role in the senate.
Posted by: caltechgirl at September 23, 2008 09:56 AM (IfXtw)
Excuse me? (Profanity alert)
Further proof that the Left has lost their minds.
Wendy Doniger, professor of Divinity at the University of Chicago on Sarah Palin:
"Her greatest hypocrisy is in her pretense that she is a woman."
EXCUSE ME? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Of course Sarah Palin is a woman. Last I checked she has all the requisite parts, including (most importantly) TWO X CHROMOSOMES.
1
I understand your upset, and I do not even have a vagina.
Posted by: Two Dogs at September 16, 2008 07:19 PM (iwF+e)
2
yeah. I really don't get it. How is she not a woman?
HOW?!?
Is it because she CHOOSES to be Pro-life?
Idiots.
Too many so-called "Feminists" are really...not for women.
I am a woman and I can say with all seriousness that working makes me a better mom. Baking makes me a better mom. Loving Prince Charming makes me a better mom. Having an opinion on politics and foreign affairs makes me a better mom.
Now, motherhood is not the yardstick by which all things feminine are measured, but it is ONE thing.
I am a woman who chooses to be
Informed,
Employed,
a mother,
a wife,
Conservative,
a domestic goddess,
and a force to be reckoned with.
A true "feminist" would say "YOU GO, GIRL!" or something like it, not denigrate me for choosing to master the domestic arts or have conservative views. If you want to empower women, you have to make room for contrary feminine views.
I like it when a man holds a door for me, but I always say thank you for it. In the absence of a man, however, I am fully capable of opening that door myself - and I do.
Letting a man do me a courtesy doesn't deny my female power or subjugate me to a man anymore than saying "bless you" or "please" or "thank you" subjugates me to a religious doctrine or societal constraint.
In the words of my daddy, "Fuck 'em!"
Posted by: Phoenix at September 17, 2008 11:19 AM (FK3xh)
3
That's just an inappropriate comment, and it really surprises me that a professor of divinity would say such a crass thing. If she wanted to say that Palin does not support and would block what some would call female rights such as the right to control one's body or force rape victims to pay for their own rape kits (up to $1200), that would have been reasonable because the former she professes and the latter is in record. Its just as bad as when Rush Limbaugh called Justice Souter a girl, which I'm sure the Right though was inappropriate too.
Posted by: SBC at September 17, 2008 12:52 PM (hmiWU)
4
I wanted to fisk that dumbass article but ran out of time. There was so much there. Beyond this particular comment, the part that got me was excoriating Palin for wanting people to have access to firearms, yet claims that the right to abortion is "in the mother-lovin' constitution".
The cognitive dissonance is mind-boggling.
Y'all keep your fingers crossed for me
As some of you may know, about a year ago I was forced to move from a cozy office in an out of the way corner of the building to a more front and center office that at least facilitates interaction with my students. When I moved, I had to leave all of the furniture except my file cabinet in the office, and I only got to take that because the person who moved in said it was too big for him to deal with.
This means that for the past year I have been making do with a crappy, old, MDF computer desk that has pull out shelves and no drawers that I managed to scavenge and 2 tiny borrowed bookshelves. You sense a theme, here. Yep. No drawers. So I have been living out of boxes. My tiny desk is a mess, all cluttered with students' papers, office supplies, my computer, phone, and calendar.
A lot of people come to my office or pass my office. And it is a frigging MESS. It's despicable. And I am SOOOO tired of it.
Unfortunately, there's just no money for office redo's. However, my grant is ending and there's a small sum left in the supply budget. So if the Dean approves, I am getting a REAL desk and a hutch. WITH DRAWERS. And CABINETS. SoI can put things away for the first time in over a year!!!!!
Pray for me and my office, folks, I need it fixed for my SANITY.
1
...... wolves, wow...... you know, one only hopes that someone sic's the wolves on Obama and his history with such fervor as HE and his camp is attacking Palin...... turn about is only fair play, after all..... but in the end, I suspect that no one will have the balls to do it......
Posted by: Eric at September 19, 2008 05:28 PM (g02Hg)
TMI
Flat on my back, staying home from work. Pain. Memories from 7 years ago making things worse, too.
Today is a bad day. Don't tell me you're sorry or you want me to feel better. It will pass. It always does. And it's less than a blip in the grand scheme of things.
Just tell me something amusing, I really could use the laugh.
1
Sorry, nothing to make you laugh.
Bad stuff always happens in September. It's a month to be worried about.
Probably some practical law of the universe that states that, but I haven't found it yet. Just the evidence that points that way.
Posted by: Bill at September 11, 2008 01:13 PM (H+8Cy)
2
.... this one cracked me up....
http://ericasherman.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-cracked-me-up.html
..... evidently it did the same to Erica.....
Posted by: Eric at September 19, 2008 05:31 PM (g02Hg)
Yes, I did stay up and watch it. On Caltech's EVO system, logged in with the rest of the geeks. At least all the way through beam 1. I used to be a particle physicist before I decided to spend my life playing with brains.
1
Oh, I thought they accomplished everything last night and we were safe for another 30 years or so... barring a comet... LOL!
Nice to know that 10-21 is the new date of destruction!
Posted by: pam at September 10, 2008 08:54 AM (l6NIn)
If the world ends tonight...
It was a pleasure to have known you all.
You see, tonight, just before Midnight (PDT) the CERN laboratory in Switzerland is going to fire up its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for the very first time. Some physicists argue that beam collision could be the very end of our existence...DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS, VENKMAN!!!!
But I don't see any stewardesses crying Caltech professors running around jumping out of airplanes and spending millions they don't have on fast cars and flashy bling, so I guess we're all gonna be fine.
So what is the LHC? According to CERN (which stands for: The European Center for Nuclear Research, just in French):
The LHC is the world's most powerful particle accelerator, producing beams seven times more energetic than any previous machine, and around 30 times more intense when it reaches design performance, probably by 2010. Housed in a 27-kilometre tunnel, it relies on technologies that would not have been possible 30 years ago. The LHC is, in a sense, its own prototype.
CERN technicians have been working on the LHC since construction began on its 27 km-long tunnel in 1983! Tomorrow morning completes the final stages of preparation, with the beams colliding for the first time.
Extensive studies have been performed to determine whether it's even SAFE to do these experiments, and hundreds of physicists agree that we won't vaporize the universe out of existence at 9:30am CEST (that's Central Europe Summer time). You can see for yourself here.More on safety considerations here. (sorry, they won't let me embed the video)
If you're so inclined, you can watch the proceedings here, beginning at 8:30am CEST (10:30 PM Pacific)
And if you want to what on Earth they'd make such a thing for, try watching this:
Google Talk for the Instinct
As I said previously, although I LURVE my Samsung Instinct, one of the biggest minuses is that it doesn't yet have instant messaging capability, except via the web, and that Google Talk didn't work at all.
Well, I just discovered that I was wrong. Instinct users who use Google Talk should go here: http://m.heysan.com/ from your phone, click GTalk, and login. It auto-refreshes, displays a custom status, and even uses smilies! Yeah, it's web-based, but I could care less! It looks like GTalk and works like GTalk.
Surprisingly NOT about politics: Reviewing the Samsung Instinct by Sprint
So it's been a week now, and I haven't yet posted about my new baby.
I'm quite a fan. I must say it is a severe departure from my previous, traditional flip cell phone. There was definitely a learning curve, and I still have scrolling issues, but overall I've learned to use the phone and I love it.
Among the things that took some getting used to was the "click and drag" feature, which is essentially how you receive and end calls. You essentially drag a large button across the screen to a destination which leads to action, rather than tapping. That was a paradigm shift for me.
And there are a few features I miss, such as having a separate ringtone for private or blocked id calls. I also am sad that there's no Google Talk support, although you CAN access Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, and AIM via the web.
I also miss the universal power plug that my old phones had. We had quite a supply of chargers using that interface, but alas, we had to ditch them for new chargers. Ugh. Oh well.
Among the pluses are a large, bright screen which so far is easy to use to select buttons, weblinks, etc., even without using the included stylus. Which reminds me. There was a shitload of swag in the box. Aside from the phone and documentation, there was a pair of headphones that could also be used as a hands-free headset, TWO batteries, a battery charging adapter for the extra battery, the charging cord, a USB cord to attach to a computer, a CD of phone related software, a leather case,a stylus, and a micro SD card with adapter.
The sound is also pretty good. The little stereo speaker can put out a ton of sound. Also, it's really easy to make and upload your own ringtones from your mp3 collection using any of a number of websites. My personal fave of these is mobilereelz.com, which allows you to upload the .mp3 of your choice, edit it to the piece you want for your ringer, and then converts it to the correct file type for your phone and carrier (use M4A for Instinct) with pretty good sound fidelity. For someone who sweated through converting mp3s to to WAV, editing the sound settings, and then converting to qcp and finding an uploader previously, this is SOOOOOOO easy and the ringers come out quite well. I use Audacity (YAY! FREEWARE!) to edit mp3s down to size before uploading them, and then just select all of the uploaded file to be converted.
Dr. Horrible ringtones? You bet.
Speaking of sound, both the regular ear speaker and the speakerphone are clear. I sound good to people who I talk to, and I can hear them clearly. This is also true when using my bluetooth, something that people I know have complained about with regard to the iPhone.
The web is also quite speedy. It hangs noticeably on graphics-heavy pages, and there are several anecdotal stories on the net of pages that REFUSE to load, but I haven't had any of those issues. My biggest net pet peeve is that doesn't seem to want to connect when I want to update my email, but it will receive new messages and vibrate at the MOST inconvenient moment. At least it doesn't ring for new messages while in sleep mode. It does, however, ring for calls in sleep mode.
I know Sprint is trying desperately to develop apps for the Instinct, but so far the pickings are slim. And in some cases, EXPENSIVE. I look forward to the Holidays, when I expect there will be a big push towards getting apps out for all the people who will be getting these new toys for Christmas.
Battery life is better than I expected. I usually charge my phone during one or both halves of my daily commute, and I haven't had any power problems, even with heavy web/text use. I was expecting something more like the iPhone, where keeping a spare battery would be a good idea, but so far so good. If you lay off the web, the battery life seems comparable to a more traditional cell phone.
This is my 6th mobile phone (I got my first celly in 1996), and the 4th Samsung handset in a row. Say what you will about technology companies, but Samsung phones have always been good to me, and I'm hopeful this will live up to the hype.
Posted by: vw bug at September 06, 2008 03:34 PM (FPOeI)
2
I ended up going with the Blackberry Curve because I had heard that the Instinct didn't sync with Outlook. Since that's my calendar and I really need it that was a big sticking point for me.
Oh yeah, the iPhone... no battery changes!!! You can only charge it - just like on the ipods! I still find that astounding. I wouldn't buy one ever because it seems the only thing going for it is the pretty screen... since my eyes aren't that great anyway - it would be lost on me. *grin*
Glad the Instinct is turning out to be such a good phone for you. Hope it stays that way!
Posted by: Teresa at September 09, 2008 05:11 PM (mMa3+)
John McCain: Service, Sacrifice, Substance
John McCain did what he needed to tonight. He was positive, forward-looking, and highlighted why HE was the best candidate for president. He pointed out differences in his platform and that of the Democrats, but he didn't really go after Obama. Which was a SMART move.
Certainly, it was not as electric as Gov. Palin, but in my opinion, he drew people in and hooked his audience pretty well.
I liked that he had some substantive nuggets of policy. That he will push comprehensive energy reform, looking to new and cleaner sources of energy, as well as taking advantage of our OWN resources. That he favors school choice which includes public school options, and not just vouchers for private schools. That he wants to retrain American workers for modern jobs instead of chasing down the long-gone factories, because they sure as hell aren't coming back.
Most of all, I loved that he said this:
I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.
That's such an amazing statement. Humble, thankful, and sticking it to Obama (the "anointed" one, the "chosen" one). All in the same sentence.
Yeah, he may be a complete asshole, but he talks good. And I want to see what he and Sarah will do in Washington.
1
I must have fallen asleep by the time he made the aforementioned statement. Wow. I That's powerful stuff...!
I'm like you; I want to see what they'll do in Washington. If people really believe they want four more years of the same, they're blind.
Posted by: pam at September 05, 2008 06:11 AM (l6NIn)
2
Who is this guy? I haven't seen him on any news shows or papers, nothing. Did that black guy drop out of the race when that Nazi woman got in?
Posted by: Two Dogs at September 05, 2008 06:40 AM (a5aNq)
3
I actually felt a little bad for him. He had a decent speech (then again, by this point how can anyone at his level in either party not have a decent speech), but I think Palin just stole the show. I think he really got overshadowed by her. Even if Palin's rheoteric at time offended me, I totally see how she connected with conservative Republicans better than McCain did.
Posted by: SBC at September 05, 2008 09:55 AM (ZY+XY)
4
I agree that while Mc wasn't as electrifying as Palin, he did say what needed to be said, and said it well, in the way that he does.
Love your blog! Found you via Habitation of Justice <3
Posted by: beej at September 05, 2008 11:37 PM (+Bw8m)
5Yeah, he may be a complete asshole, but he talks good.
And he's the asshole for whom I'll be voting. Him and his lovely librarian.
Posted by: Mrs. Who at September 06, 2008 07:57 PM (x4sNM)
Sarah Palin Delivers
I am blown away. Just blown away.
Maybe because I agree with almost all of the things she said tonight, but she is a dynamic speaker with a common, inviting manner that makes you WANT to listen to her.
I loved her speech. I still want to hear her speak to Troopergate, and why she filed an ethics complaint on herself. I want to know more about her earmark requests and whether that's consistent with McCain's position on pork.
But I think she did a masterful job of introducing herself, avoiding distasteful issues, and SKEWERING the Democratic ticket on a number of issues.
I look forward to more from Sarah as the campaign continues, and I think she'll continue to prove just why John McCain picked her as his running mate.
UPDATE: Here's what some of my Cotillion sisters thought of Sarah's speech:
1
She hit a home run - way out of the ball park tonight. She caught all those news idiots totally off guard... apparently they started to believe all the stories they were making up about her. Best of all, she showed that she can speak well and is tough as nails. I loved it. Can't wait to see her take on Biden - she will walk all over him and then use his shirt to wipe the floor. LOL!
Posted by: Teresa at September 03, 2008 09:49 PM (mMa3+)
Posted by: wRitErsbLock at September 04, 2008 05:38 AM (+MvHD)
4
Go over to Flopping Aces to get a good rundown on the trooper story.
Posted by: physics geek at September 04, 2008 08:42 AM (MT22W)
5
AP piece on some of the fact checking. But honestly, everyone stretches the truth in their speeches.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
Posted by: SBC at September 04, 2008 02:55 PM (8lf3W)
6
Love her too!!! The speech was the icing on the cake for me.
Posted by: Greta at September 04, 2008 08:11 PM (Xl4tG)
Why, Fred, Why? (Day 2 RNC speeches: Thompson and Lieberman)
Why didn't you run? I damn near peed myself watching you kick so much "pinkytoe" (to steal a sarahk-ism). This was among the best political speeches I have ever heard. I really hope John rewards you with some kind of role. In any case, I look forward to your time on the campaign trail....
And, Joe, my man, your Democrat friends are taking you off their speed dials tonight. That took serious balls. My hat's off to you for going through with the courage of your convictions and backing your friend for President.
Can't wait for the Sarah-Cuda tomorrow. I really look forward to hearing what she has to say for herself, and how she responds to the rivers of BS that have been spewing since Friday.
1
I didn't know if Fred's speech excited me because I'd wanted him to run so badly... or if it was just a great a$$ kicking speech. But my husband and I loved it.
Posted by: pam at September 03, 2008 03:46 AM (l6NIn)
2
Thompson was incredible -- they definitely picked the right person to deliver that bit of history. I'll admit I fell asleep during Lieberman, and I look forward to Palin tonight too...
Posted by: Marie at September 03, 2008 04:20 AM (UunPp)
Posted by: wRitErsbLock at September 03, 2008 05:01 AM (+MvHD)
4
and can you believe the excerpt they keep playing on NBC is when he called Obama unqualified? I can't believe they picked that sentence to vilify their hero.
Posted by: wRitErsbLock at September 03, 2008 05:02 AM (+MvHD)
5
I watched the youtubes this am...and wanted to cry I loved it so much..
Thompson/Palin....
that would have rocked...
I watched Fred, and thought,
Why in the hell did you not make this speech months ago...
Posted by: awtm at September 03, 2008 04:44 PM (EgGGv)
Dear Libtards,
I didn't intend on more Sarah-blogging today, but you people are making me swear (profanity alert below)....
Seriously? Are you seriously gonna run with this whole Sarah Palin is an irresponsible mother thing? The "Sarah the Hypocrite" meme?
Give me a motherfucking break.
First of all, would you be so "outraged" if the mom in question was Hillary Clinton, and the daughter a teenaged Chelsea? I fucking doubt it. And yet, the Clintons ran on a family values ticket, too. Maybe not as conservative as the Republicans, but I've heard Hill trumpet that family values thing a million times and so have you. No use denying it.
Second, you show me a parent, working or otherwise, who is going to sit on their 17 year old daughter 24/7/365. Kids do dumb shit. We all did something stupid or wrong as teenagers. We had sex, we drove too fast and recklessly, we drank, we smoked, we did drugs. If our parents never found out, it's because we just got lucky and got away with it, whichever of the above that we did before we turned 20. Bristol Palin just wasn't so lucky. Every parent who has ever been a child knows that no matter what you tell your kids, or how often you tell them, some things they are just going to do, from day one, and some lessons they have to learn for themselves. From "stoves are hot" to "sex is how you get pregnant".
Tell me how it makes you a hypocrite when your kid fucks up? I assume Sarah and Todd have told all their older kids about the consequences of sex. If they told her, and continued to reinforce their values, what else can we ask of them? It's not like Sarah held Bristol down and forced her to sleep with her boyfriend.
And what of that relationship? It looks like Bristol and her boyfriend are planning to do the responsible thing and marry and raise their child. Shouldn't we encourage that? Shouldn't we applaud a young couple with the maturity to face the consequences of their actions and face life head on? Chances are very good that this young couple will be better situated to succeed academically and otherwise given that they both appear to have supportive families who will help them in this time of extreme transition.
Don't tell me you don't know anyone who has ever been in this situation, either the teenage mom/ dad or their parents. It's a tough thing. I'll bet you weren't so harsh and judgmental towards the people you know. I'll bet they told their kids (or were told by their parents) not to have sex, too. They didn't listen either.
And you didn't go off the deep end. You were probably understanding, caring, even, maybe said a prayer for healing. You were probably willing to forgive the mistake and move forward. For your friendship's sake. For your family's sake.
So why the hatred towards Sarah and her family? Is it because you're terrified she can defeat your Messiah of Hope and Change? Is it that her political "inexperience" still beats your guy's "experience"? Is it because she singlehandedly knocked your guy out of the news cycle ALL WEEKEND?
It's kind of silly, the way you people look. Foaming at the mouth is unbecoming, and especially so when it's so out of proportion as a reaction.
According to the record, Sarah Palin has been nothing but a caring mom trying to do her best by her state and her family. Maybe that's too much for you to handle and it confuses you. I don't know. But then again, if your brains were working properly you might be asking the same tough questions of Obama and Biden that you demand of McCain and Palin.
Otherwise, just don't go there. And hopefully that's the last I will have to say on this subject, except to wish this young couple and their baby all the best in a long happy life together.
1
you go, Caltech girl! the lefty response has been irritating/sickening us all day -- but of course they think there's only ONE correct answer to an unexpected pregnancy ...
Posted by: altadenablog at September 01, 2008 07:56 PM (10Grp)
2
My dear citrus sweet mavin,
I think it's always terrible when any person's private family life and experience is broadcast to the world- especially, when it becomes politicized. And, I am guilty of buying into it. Still, I think family matters aired in the public world for political purpose is inherently unfair. Revenge (or to avenge) does not make it right.
The truth is this girl has a personal problem. I feel for her. Although, her mother has political ambitions that seem to circumvent logic, meaning, and only convert to some kind of strange obedience to insanity, I still hold out that compassion to this young daughter. What choice has she had? Who has really cared about her interest, ever and from now on?
Posted by: Miss Havisham at September 01, 2008 10:18 PM (zXYj7)
3
Very well said. I was thinking of blogging something very similar. Something about living with my grandparents the last two years of high school; good steady family foundation, been married their whole lives to each other, taught me from right and wrong, instilled good morale values - and yet when I turned 18 and joined the Navy I still went crazy with drinking too much and "other" stuff too. Yeah. And now, as a parent, now matter how hard I try to plant that family values seed into my kids heads; they are still going to go out and do their own thing. I can only hope and pray I taught them well.
Posted by: c.a. Marks at September 02, 2008 02:56 AM (ePdrC)
4
If I gave out Excellent Post awards, you'd get one! Love it!
Posted by: pam at September 02, 2008 05:21 AM (l6NIn)
5
My thoughts exactly, but more eloquently expressed. =)
Posted by: Amanda at September 02, 2008 02:06 PM (4q8Bb)
6
Very very well said... I have been rolling my eyes here a LOT the past few days. What a bunch of crap - tho I am enjoying watching the Dems make asses of themselves. I just feel for Bristol - tough thing for a kid.
It's bad enough to have to face your mom and dad - let alone a whole nation... Sheesh.
Posted by: Richmond at September 03, 2008 07:32 AM (TwLUK)
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It doesn't make her a hypocrite -- but I wonder why she won't take this "personal" information and add it to the facts to develop a new political opinion. She wants abstinence-only education for her fellow countrymen, even though her own state suffers from a really high rate of teenage unwanted pregnancies. Even with the ever-present love and attention of such strong Christian parents, irresponsible choices still happen -- what about those who don't have that? I find it amazing that Palin doesn't step back and go, abstinence-only may not be the best education to teach children. Maybe her daughter wouldn't be knocked up now. No hatred here -- I hope the young woman has a healthy pregnancy and a happy life with her new child.
You're right that a parent can't sit on their children 24/7/365. But I don't know what kind of upbringing you had, but I did not have sex, do drugs, drink, etc. and that's because of my parents. Most of the people I know are the same. Though I knew a couple young women who got pregnant, funny enough, they all got pregnant before we had sex ed. And those unfortunate girls, the ones who chose to either abort or have the child, they did not come from a family with means and such a strong presence in the church as the Palins. They were the children who needed help and education the most because they did not have such caring parents. So, I'm not harping on the fact that she calls constantly "family values" into her platform -- I'm harping on the fact that she has indicated that she would make abstinence-only education nationwide when there must be a thousand Bristols across the country who need knowledge, not ignorance. And btw, if it did happen to Chelsea, I certainly would be calling the Clintons on their values too.
But as for their marriage -- 2/3 of teenage pregnancies lead to divorce. I don't want children (and yes, when they're 17 I think they're still kids) to feel like they are forced into the most holy of unions. I want them to be married because they love each other and they want pledge to each other for the rest of their lives. And frankly, given that such a huge thing like a baby is in the picture, I would say that's pretty darn hard to do without feeling some pressure, and not the right kind of pressure. Given how open this country is, I would rather they take time together before getting married. I think the father should definitely be responsible and be part of his child's life, but seriously, marriage can be scary and stressful enough as it is, it should be entered with the same caution and respect as having a child. Not all societies are as open and welcoming as this one, so I don't feel like they should feel any bit forced into this. But does that sound like something her social conservative fellows and the religious right would support? Man, sometimes I feel for her so bad that I feel pressure from the right that she has to marry.
But on top of the whole abstinence-only education, I will go here: In her press release, Palin said "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents." That decision will not exist if Palin has anything to say about it (as she's indicated) through Supreme Court Justice picks. And maybe there's a lot of people who would prefer this country that way. But even though there may thousands of Bristols across the country, I'm thinking a lot of those Bristols don't have the resources, family support, or future husband/father that the young Palin woman has... and I will never hold that against them or take away their right to choose, and I certainly wouldnʼt want the state making the decision for her/them. I thought Republicans think that the state makes too many decisions for us as it is.
So, there you go. An argument against Palin that doesn't attack her as a parent, but has issues with her inability to take her own personal experiences and reach a more progressive conclusion.
Posted by: SBC at September 04, 2008 12:29 PM (8lf3W)
