Current Affairs
Parental Rights - organizing to protect them
One could say that there are plenty of signs around us that the government is encroaching more and more into the once-secure area of parental rights. While we may not agree with the polygamist practices of some far-out sect, seeing the government come in an arbitrarily remove 400+ children to...May 17, 2008 - 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
China earthquake - you need to know
The villages/towns/cities most affected by the earthquake are difficult to reach and it is taking some time for journalists to get there, but reports are filtering back. This is the most compassionate account I've heard, as the writer recounts becoming involved - at least to a small extent -in the...May 16, 2008 - 6:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Martin Luther King - ditch the ugly statue
Panel Criticizes MLK Statue Design By STEPHEN MANNING,AP, May 11, 2008 WASHINGTON (May 10) - The centerpiece for the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on the National Mall has drawn criticism from a federal arts panel, which says the proposed statue looks "confrontational" and resembles the head of a...May 14, 2008 - 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Duggar Family expecting #18
Michelle and Jim Duggar have just announced their 18th - due on New Year's Day. You can learn more about the Duggar family - and even enter a contest to name their next baby - with 17 beginning with J, they're running out of ideas - here. Michelle has...May 9, 2008 - 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Harvard prof says children bring unhappiness
From today's UK Telegraph - a Harvard professor declares that children ruin our chances at happiness: Marriage without children the key to bliss By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent May 9, 2008 Married life is the key to happiness, but having children can ruin it all, an international conference has been...May 9, 2008 - 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Sarah Palin, Alaska governor and mother of new baby with Down syndrome - more news
More on Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska who just gave birth to her fifth child, a son with Down syndrome: Leading by example f anyone can relate to the struggles of raising a special needs child in this unforgiving world, it's Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R). Last week,...April 25, 2008 - 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Teens going thrifty too
From the Washington Times, Apr 23, 2008: It's hip to be thrifty By Anne D'Innocenzio - NEW YORK (AP) The souring job market and rising costs of the usual teenage indulgences — a slice of pizza, a drive to the mall, the hottest new jeans — are causing teens to...April 24, 2008 - 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Court rules: no head bowing allowed
April 22, 2008 - 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Vaccinations: pros and cons - your input, please
I originally published this in May 2007, but this question in my Inbox this morning prompted me to reprint it with all the original comments. Please feel free to add more: How do you feel about vaccinations? When I was going through my special education training, many parents told me...April 21, 2008 - 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (52) | TrackBack
Time: global warming a cause worth dying for?
Iwo Jima Veterans Blast Time's 'Special Environmental Issue' Cover Time editor tells MSNBC 'there needs to be a real effort along the lines of World War II to combat global warming and climate change.' By Jeff Poor Business & Media Institute 4/18/2008 9:40:43 AM For only the second time...April 18, 2008 - 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Oprah finds the New Age, ditches a Savior
Crosswalk published some of my thoughts on Oprah and the New Age today: What is 'New Age' Religion, and Why Can't Christians Get on Board? Barbara Curtis Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer If you haven't run into it before, it would be hard to avoid it now. Oprah's rolling out the red...April 18, 2008 - 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Battle Hymn of the Republic - Army Chorus welcoming Pope Benedict 4/16/08
On the White House lawn yesterday - video quality not the best, but nothing could detract from the sound. Third verse goosebumps:...April 17, 2008 - 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Lisa Miller Update - urgent - prayer needed!
Remember Lisa Miller? She needs our prayers. The Virginia Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this morning in her case - which will undoubtedly have implications nationwide. Lisa is the former lesbian biological mother of Isabella, whose former partner under Vermont law is seeking custody of a daughter unconnected...April 17, 2008 - 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Taxes - think about this
“Most of what Congress is constitutionally authorized to spend for is listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and includes: coining money, establish Post Offices, to support Armies and a few other activities. Today’s federal budget is over $3 trillion dollars. I challenge anyone to find specific...April 15, 2008 - 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Let's hear what the Pope has to say to us
I hope that all American Christians will look beyond their denominational differences and listen to the message Pope Benedict will deliver to the United States during his visit. His moral authority is unparalleled - in addition to the fact that he is an extremely gifted, intelligent and articulate voice,...April 15, 2008 - 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Oprah and the "pregnant man" - who was never a man at all
Maybe I should have titled this entry The Problem with Oprah. . . . A colleague of mine wrote me last week: I’ve been watching Oprah for the past couple of weeks to reacquaint myself with her show (haven’t watched in years) and she presents the New Age “gospel” in...April 15, 2008 - 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
The Church of Oprah
Several readers have sent me this. While I'm not recommending buying the book this clip is promoting, even those of us who are not daytime TV viewers or Oprah fans need to understand what she is doing - she wields such enormous influence. Tripp and I were New Age seekers...April 13, 2008 - 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Bisbee Arizona prom condom giveaway
Prom Bag Pushes Kids into the Sack Bisbee, Arizona used to be known as a peaceful old mining town, but the city that was once rich in tradition is now rife with controversy. Against the wishes of several area parents, the local Bisbee School Board voted this week to include...April 10, 2008 - 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Conservative news site - the Patriot Post
PapaTripp recommends this site. America's most widely read Internet-based publication, The Patriot Post, is a highly acclaimed journal advocating individual liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and the promotion of free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values.ou might want to bookmark. You might...April 2, 2008 - 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A quick history of the Iraq conflict
Do you find yourself still confused about Iraq - the Kurds, the Sunnis and the Shiites? I know I do. It wasn't until I read The Kite Runner that I finally "got" the heart of the Sunni/Shiite conflict. Tripp sent me this link - a very helpful (and quick) audiovisual...March 25, 2008 - 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Why do liberals hate abstinence education?
Isn't it weird how the "pro-choice" crowd does not want kids informed about abstinence - thereby eliminating that as a viable choice? Liberals Want Federal Abstinence Education Cut President Bush’s 2009 budget proposal includes $204 million to support Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE), but dozens of liberals in Congress want all...March 25, 2008 - 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Military Tributes - Gene Simmons and more serious stuff
Alison sent me this fun tribute by - surprise - Gene Simmons (KISS): Here's are two tributes with Nickelback in the background: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13~...March 24, 2008 - 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
University of Virginia newspaper trashes Christianity during Holy Week
Student cartoons spark outrage at UVa Comics depicting Virgin Mary, crucifixion called offensive By Brian McNeill March 15, 2008 The comics page of the University of Virginia’s student newspaper has sparked yet another tempest, this time mocking God, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. In Thursday’s issue of the...March 21, 2008 - 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
STD's common in teen girls - thanks to Planned Parenthood
From the New York Times: Sex Infections Found in Quarter of Teenage Girls By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN March 12, 2008 The first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases among girls and young women has found that one in four are infected with at least one of the diseases,...March 14, 2008 - 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Eliot Spitzer: RIP and thank God he went quickly
Well, Eliot Spitzer is gone - while we are left awaiting the final figures of how much (probably taxpayer) money he spent on prostitutes. I'm guessing it's a lot - the Democrats don't usually resign so quickly but stay on creating national nightmares out of their sense of entitlement to...March 12, 2008 - 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack
David Mamet: Why I am no longer a brain-dead liberal
Wowie zowie! It's always exciting to see someone actually take an honest look at their beliefs and be willing to act on what they discover: David Mamet (much admired/acclaimed playwright/screenwriter) writes in the Village Voice today: Why I am no longer a brain-dead liberal And I realized that the time...March 12, 2008 - 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
California judge: homeschooling illegal - sign petition now!
In one of those legislative coups by a member of the judiciary, a California judge ruling on one particular family's situation has issued a sweeping indictment of homeschooling in California. This should send a chill up any parent's spine - whether you homeschool or not. In a country where "freedom...March 9, 2008 - 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Obama and the cult of self-esteem
The other day when I posted Obamessiah: "We are the ones we've been waiting for" I promised an intellectual antidote for you. Following are snippets from a brilliant analysis of political rock star/phenomenon Barak Obama - by Abraham Katzman for the Jerusalem Post: Obama-mania and the cult of self-esteem His...March 6, 2008 - 7:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Americans switching faiths, dropping out
This news came out last week. Kinda late to be posting, but in case you missed it: Survey: Americans switching faiths, dropping out Story highlights: *U.S. about to lose its status as a majority Protestant nation *Non-denominational churches are gaining members *25 percent of adults leave faith of their upbringing...March 5, 2008 - 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cactus Cuties sing National Anthem
Start your morning with the National Anthem! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKCVS57j284&feature=related Martha sent me this link to a video of the Cactus Cuties (the embed code has been disabled) - five young ladies ranging in age from 8 to 13 singing The Star Spangled Banner at the Texas Tech vs Texas basketball game...March 5, 2008 - 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Obamessiah - "We are the ones we've been waiting for"
Say what? Also, check out this blog, which has been asking since December 11, 2006: Is Barak Obama the Messiah? - a goldmine of nuggets and pictures like this one: Obama - the Transfiguration Under this, there is a helpful link for those who aren't familiar with the original Transfiguration...March 4, 2008 - 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Angelina Jolie: "Stay to help in Iraq"
Angelina Jolie, who transcended her movie star status to become a "goodwill ambassador" for the United Nations, has been touring Iraq and has come to some surprising conclusions: As for the question of whether the surge is working, I can only state what I witnessed: U.N. staff and those of...March 3, 2008 - 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Victoria Secret: We're too sexy for our own good
Interesting news from the Wall Street Journal: Apparently, You Can Be Too Sexy By AMY MERRICK February 29, 2008 Victoria's Secret likes to ask in its marketing, "What is sexy?" Now the lingerie chain is trying to figure out, "What's too sexy?" The chief executive of the brand known for...February 28, 2008 - 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack
For liberals, censorship is a one-way street
Dr. Hatrick admitted he overstepped his authority at the School Board meeting last night. I had supported his decision until we learned that procedure had not been followed. If there is a procedure, it should be followed. If the procedure needs changing, we should change it. John Stevens wants to...February 27, 2008 - 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Academy Awards - so what?
I guess I've passed a milestone of sorts. I remember how exciting it was when I was young to watch the Academy Awards. I really stopped watching years ago when it turned into such a coarse, narcissistic and consistently anti-American ordeal. Not to mention that the winners usually seemed...February 25, 2008 - 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Dove ads - give your girls security and love
Plowing through a few days' email. You all send me so much brilliant and thought-provoking amterial! Martha Sears passed this on - a true wake-up call for parents (remember I talked last week about how our kids are absorbing the images that are bombarding them each day?): Dove titled that...February 21, 2008 - 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
NYC's contribution to romance: free condoms
Who knew? All these years we've been going about our business and contributing taxes and paying our own way, New York City has been giving away 3 million condoms a year. But today they begin a new campaign based on the slogan "Get Some." How tasteful. How romantic. And...February 14, 2008 - 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack
TV marketing of presidents 1952-2004
You gotta see this: Click above for TV ads for presidential candidates dating back to Eisenhower and up through 2004. The Introduction begins: "The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal is the ultimate indignity to the democratic process." -Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson, 1956 "Television...February 13, 2008 - 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Your input needed
Dean Abbott is a husband/father/writer whose work I have admired for as long as we've both been blogging. If you haven't visited him before, today would be a great time to check in - just click below: Inspired by a True Story Old-Fashioned Blog Posts, Just Like Grandpa Used to...February 13, 2008 - 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Obama as Messiah - Part 2
Tripp sent me this link this morning - I really owe that man a lot in terms of information flow! - with the subject line "Did these folks read your column?" (see my February 8 Obama as Messiah). I'm just glad others have noticed that this has become less a...February 11, 2008 - 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Brave New World - scientists create baby from three parents
THREE PARENT BABIES 11:59:54 06/02/2008 Gene therapy could cure hereditary diseases Scientists at Newcastle University have succeeded in creating human embryos with DNA from three different parents – two women and one man. The achievement, they say, could potentially prevent a whole host of hereditary diseases. The project has been...February 9, 2008 - 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Obama as Messiah
Tripp forwarded this to me with the subject line "I don't think Hillary can overcome this." While this is a powerful piece of footage, I'm struck by the fact that it is devoid of substance. Completely emotion-driven - appealing to a place deep inside each of us that longs for...February 8, 2008 - 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack
Abercrombie & Fitch porn pitch must end
Breaking news: Virginia Beach police seize photos from Abercrombie store By Steve Stone The Virginian-Pilot © February 3, 2008 Police, saying they were responding to citizen complaints, carted away two large promotional photographs from the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Lynnhaven Mall on Saturday and cited the manager on obscenity...February 3, 2008 - 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Destroying people with Down Syndrome
What does Al Qaida and our "Civilized Nation" have in common? Both believe the lives of individuals with Down syndrome are expendable when those with more typical genetic patterns think so. By now you've probably heard that terrorists strapped explosives to two women with Down syndrome and detonated their human...February 3, 2008 - 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Free pocket Constitution
Sign up to receive a weekly email from the Heritage Foundation - based on their questions What Would Reagan Do? - and they will send you a free pocket constitution. Go to The Heritage Foundation and click on Free Pocket Constitution....February 1, 2008 - 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Avoid foreclosure
It's not easy to admit you've made mistakes where finance is concerned, but in order to share something I hope can help others I have to admit that Tripp and I have not been the greatest when it comes to handling money. We were poor when we got married -...January 24, 2008 - 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack
Who says congress can't change? :)
From Politico: Pelosi pushes gourmet menu By: Josephine Hearn Jan 15, 2008 05:59 AM EST The processed cheese has been replaced with brie. The Jell-O has made way for raspberry kiwi tarts and mini-lemon blueberry trifles. Meatloaf has moved over for mahi mahi and buns have been shunted aside in...January 17, 2008 - 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
U. S. Births up - "Americans like children"
Against the Trend, U.S. Births Way Up Jan 16 12:37 AM US/Eastern By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer ATLANTA (AP) - Bucking the trend in many other wealthy industrialized nations, the United States seems to be experiencing a baby boomlet, reporting the largest number of children born in 45 years....January 16, 2008 - 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Candidate Calculator - vote issues, not personalities
Margaret sent me this really cool site: Candidate Calculator Which 2008 Presidential Candidate Agrees With You? Answer the questions below to find the 2008 presidential candidate that best aligns with your beliefs. More than 2 million people have already filled it out. Give it a try! Take the test -...January 11, 2008 - 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack
Spunky on Huckabee
How does Huckabee define "always?" (by Spunky) Mike Huckabee is now out stumping for votes using various versions of the question, "If you can't be honest before the election, can we trust you to be honest after the election?" It's a good question and standard, so let's apply it to...January 2, 2008 - 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Lynn Spears steps down as mother of the year
When it comes to the news, do you sometimes feel like Alice in Wonderland? That's the kind of day it is for me. I posted a couple of things over at The Miz Report, but the Time Person of the Year story was just too much - I wanted everyone...December 19, 2007 - 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Time's Person of the Year 2007
You really gotta wonder what planet the editors of Time magazine are on. I stopped my subscription ten years ago. For anyone still depending on Time to keep up with the news, this oughta make you finally cancel for good: Time person of the year: Vladimir Putin His final year...December 19, 2007 - 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Say thank you to our armed forces
Thursday night I was leaving the "Winter Concert" (formerly known as Christmas Concerts before the current tyranny of the minority in in this country) at Harmony when I saw a serviceman and finally did something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I shook his hand and thanked...December 15, 2007 - 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
It's Christmas - but here's a new holiday for you
This will make you smile!...December 14, 2007 - 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Public schools and religious freedom: Can one person make a difference?
Apparently so - at least if you are a person who wants to get any references to Christianity out of public schools. I am hearing from parent after parent and teacher after teacher that all it took was one parent complaining for a school principal to completely cave and put...December 13, 2007 - 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A brave woman thanks God
The Colorado Springs gunman who began firing in the New Life Church foyer Sunday morning killed only a few people because of the courage and preparedness of one woman. Amazing. Hero guard: 'It was me, the gunman, and God' Woman who ended carnage: 'I knew what I had to do'...December 11, 2007 - 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Atheist Holiday Cheer
Jeff Miller posted this at The Curt Jester: Atheists display a picture of the Twin Towers on a sign that say "Imagine no Religion" VERNON - The sturdy white sign in Rockville’s Central Park asking passers-by to "Imagine No Religion" has generated some calls, a few of them angry, to...December 10, 2007 - 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Gay propaganda in public schools - need input from parents
I am working on an article about the impact of gay marriage on public schools in Massachusetts. I am particularly looking for parents whose children have been exposed to picture books like King & King or One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads. The scary thing is that if...November 19, 2007 - 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Green funerals - taking back family responsibility
Came across this article Sunday - excerpts below: GREEN FUNERALS: Putting aside embalming and tombs Some believe that services at home and simple caskets gradually will change how society deals with death. By John Richardson Portland (Maine) Press Herald, October 28, 2007 Klara Tammany's mother didn't want a typical American...October 30, 2007 - 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack
Who Is Mainstream Loudoun?
(Rerun) Where to begin with Mainstream Loudoun? For me – having spent so much of my life in the “Personal is the political” tradition, I always like to start from my own experience. I first heard the name Mainstream Loudoun when I was living in Marin County, California. I was...October 27, 2007 - 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Live blog coverage of the Washington Briefing Friday and Saturday
I have a press pass for the Washington Briefing tomorrow and am hoping to do some Live Blogging from the conference. Should be pretty exciting as the lineup of speakers includes: Dr. Ted Baehr Gary Bauer Dr. Bill Bennett Rep. Marsha Blackburn Ken Blackwell Myrna Blyth Judge Robert Bork...October 18, 2007 - 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Pediatricians prying into family privacy
Those of you with younger kids may not know of this insidious practice of pediatricians asking teens intrusive questions, a la American Pediatric Association guidelines. This is from yesterday's Boston Herald: Doc, what’s up with snooping? Pediatrician paranoia runs deep They’re watching you right now. They counted every beer you...October 5, 2007 - 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Teen-friendly news sites without liberal bias
Barbara, I am a homeschool mom of 8. I'm wanting my teens and preteens to read the daily news as part of their curriculum so that we can discuss current events and things going on in our world. Can you suggest some teen-friendly news sites that aren't liberally slanted that...September 15, 2007 - 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) |