March 17, 2010

MommyLife free newsletter

Just in case you missed it: I sent out my March Newsletter this afternoon - my third monthly . If you would like to be signed up to receive this monthly compilation of highlights from MommyLife, as well as resources and a dose of inspiration - please sign up with your email address in the box in the right sidebar and I will send you March's issue plus all to come.

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March 17, 2010 ( 6:56 PM) | | Permalink | Comments (0)

Botanicals - healing agents in your kitchen

From the Council for Responsible Nutrition - and true, every word.  I use all but turmeric and rosemary - which until now I only knew of as spices - on a regular basis and can vouch for their natural healing properties

Botanicals around the Home

PRINTABLE PDF

Did you know that some of your everyday kitchen cabinet and garden staples are used around the world to maintain good health?  For centuries, people have turned to botanicals to help them stay healthy.  Consider using some of these common household herbs--either in foods or in dietary supplements--in combination with other wellness practices to maintain optimal health:

	Cayenne: This well-known spice can do more than heat up your favorite foods. Cayenne is known for its stimulating and warming effects, and it is why traditionally it has been used to promote heart and circulatory health. Various topical preparations of capsicum, a resin found in cayenne, are used globally as a topical aid that helps with inflammation and pain.
	Chamomile: You probably know chamomile tea as something tasty you sip with your Grandmother. Chamomile has been used for thousands of years for digestive upsets, heartburn and even headaches. Known for centuries to have a calming effect, try a little chamomile at the end of a stressful day.
	Cinnamon: A favorite spice used in sweets, pastries and beverages, some science has suggested that cinnamon helps maintain a healthy blood sugar level in the body. Cinnamon also warms the body, and has been used to aid colds, cramps and abdominal pains.
	Cranberry: Who knew this Thanksgiving staple had major health benefits? Many scientific studies have suggested that cranberry helps maintain a healthy urinary tract because it prevents certain bacteria from adhering to bladder walls.
	Garlic: Popular Italian recipe staple, aphrodisiac, vampire repellant...creative uses for garlic have spanned centuries. But garlic has also been tapped for many health measures--most noticeably for sustaining cardiovascular health and preserving healthy blood pressure.
	Ginger: Mom's favorite remedy when you were suffering from a stomachache as a kid. And she was on to something. Several studies have shown that ginger can potentially benefit many forms of nausea, from a simple upset stomach to morning sickness. Recent scientific studies have even shown ginger to help with nausea associated with the side effects of chemotherapy, surgery recovery, and motion sickness.
	Lavender: This lovely spring flower can provide more than just a picturesque garden. Because of its calming effects, lavender is also a well-known sleep aid, and has been used traditionally for calming anxiety, stress, tension and relaxing muscle spasms.
	Mint: Mint tea, mint chocolate chip, mint julep...this potted plant favorite has long been added to everything from treats to beverages to toothpaste. Not only is it refreshing and pleasing to the palate, mint, especially peppermint, can also aid in digestion and help prevent indigestion. An upset stomach can be due to muscle spasms in the digestive tract that cause discomfort, and chemicals found in mint can help relax these muscles.
	Rosemary: Another popular potted spice, rosemary also contains natural antioxidants that shield the body from the harmful effects of free radicals. Antioxidants found in rosemary, such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, are even added to oils to preserve freshness by protecting them from free-radical oxidation.
	Turmeric: Though you may know it more as curry, turmeric has many traditional uses. Tumeric has been utilized as a spice, medicine, cosmetic ingredient, and as a dye. Recent scientific evidence indicates that a chemical found in turmeric--curcumin--may have significant anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists are interested in the health benefits of tumeric and are exploring ways it may benefit individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and tendonitis.

March 17, 2010 (12:07 PM) | Health | Permalink | Comments (0)

***Doing the Blue Skies Happy Dance!***

Hey - even though we still had snow on the ground March 15 - just as my friend Ann predicted - my Blue Skies post must have been prophetic. 

Catch this weather report for Bluemont - then excuse me while I go fling open the doors and windows. 

for ZIP Code 20135

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
63° F |	65° F |	67° F |	65° F |  F

March 17, 2010 (10:03 AM) | Good news",My life | Permalink | Comments (0)

Urgent: Michael Pearl on Early Show tomorrow - contact CBS now!

From Michael Pearl's blog (which I don't read, so thank to the person who tipped me off):

MICHAEL PEARL ON CBS EARLY SHOW

This Thursday March 18, 2010, Michael Pearl will be interviewed live on CBS's The Early Show and given the chance to answer critics.

The Show airs from 7:00 - 8:00 am EST and the interview will be at approximately 7:30 am. It is requested that the interview be covered in prayer:

"Please pray for Michael as he prays and prepares for this interview that God will give him clarity of mind and spirit to answer wisely all the questions that are put to him. Also pray that the report and the interviewer will be honest and fair. Inform your family, friends, and fellow believers and encourage them to pray also. Thank you in advance for your diligence in prayer and support.

Your fellow servants in the Lord Jesus Christ,

The NGJ Staff."

I can tell you, I'm praying that the report will be honest and fair.

Concerned Christian parents need to make their voices heard so that the American public is not left with the impression that the Pearls' parenting program is representative of the Christian or the Christian homeschooling community.

Please contact CBS - now, as the show is less than 24 hours away.  Let them know - in a non adversarial way - not only that the Pearls do not represent your views on raising children, but that we would be grateful to see some mainstream Christian parenting educators/family and childhood advocates added to the mix.

Continue to pray that Michael Pearl's radical and arrogant spirit - which caused him to respond to the death of Lydia Schatz with Michael Pearl laughs at his critics - be broken so that he might acknowledge how his teaching of complete domination/submission between parent/child are wrong.

Pray that he might understand that our relationship with our children should reflect God's love, patience and mercy towards us.

Read all my entries - and readers' comments - on Michael Pearl here.

March 17, 2010 ( 9:08 AM) | Activism",Mike and Debi Pearl | Permalink | Comments (11)

From service dog to SURFice dog - inspiration

There's a message here for parents:

HT: Becky

And for some reason, this also landed in my Inbox this morning: Teach your dog to surf: Training tips and video from Ricochet's owner.

March 17, 2010 ( 6:38 AM) | Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 16, 2010

Jonny - it's the little things that matter

From Jonny's teacher:

Barbara -

Jonny went to the assessment center with me today because we are behind in the school's shredding.

There are these little qualities about Jonny that are so great...we had to empty the bag a few times (they get big and heavy!) -- he insists carrying the full ones to the door to help the custodian take it out later.

Yesterday Mr. L told me that Jonny saw him in the lunch line (with crutches because he just got back from his surgery) and Jonny jumped up from his table to help him go through the line...he was very touched. These little intangibles (which are actually big things) make him so dear.

Do you know how much it means to hear that your child has real compassion? Ironically, many people would see Jonny - and his family - as victims .

Peter Singer, animal rights activist and bioethicist at Princeton - would even have the government give parents like us 30 days after birth to terminate his life.

But hooray for Jonny - who really "gets it" about what life is all about!

See also: About that Extra chromosome. . . .Down syndrome rocks!

March 16, 2010 ( 4:55 PM) | Down syndrome",Everyday Heroes",Family | Permalink | Comments (8)

New York Times - a sinking ship with a well-paid captain

NY TIMES CEO paid $4.9 MILLION in 2009...

NY TIMES cuts 150 jobs; 8% of newsroom...

The Propaganda Press is crumbling.  Where's the Obamessiah they created when they need him?  Would it surprise us if he bails out the newspapers, then takes them over? 

Not that it would make much difference in the coverage. . . .

March 16, 2010 ( 4:46 PM) | Media Bias",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

Obama won't support Dems who vote no on healthcare

What kind of threat is that?

It sounds like another good reason for Dems to vote no. After all, having Obama campaign for you is the final nail in the coffin.

Witness Virginia and New Jersey.

What part of this does he not get?

Barack Obama threatens to withdraw support from wavering Democrats

Barack Obama has said he will not campaign for any Democratic congressmen who fails to support health care reform.

 

By Alex Spillius in Washington
Published: 6:44PM GMT 15 Mar 2010

Barack Obama is battling to save US health care reform Photo: EPA

The president will refuse to make fund-raising visits during November elections to any district whose representative has not backed the bill.

A one-night presidential appearance can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds which would otherwise take months to accumulate through cold-calling by campaign volunteers.

Mr Obama's threat came as the year-long debate over his signature domestic policy entered its final week.

Mr Obama is personally telephoning congressmen who are still on the fence this week, in between several personal appearances devoted toward swinging public opinion.

Read more at the UK Telegraph

March 16, 2010 ( 4:40 PM) | Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (8)

Music and early childhood - expand their horizons!

So important to remember what Maria Montessori said - that our job is to give the world to children before they are six.

What this refers to is Montessori's theory (based on her research and work with children) that the child's sensitive periods for learning all occur before the age of six. Whatever the child is exposed to at that time provides a foundation for joyful learning later in childhood and all their lives.

What this means for us as parents is that we face a challenge: do we simply teach children what we know about or do we expand our own horizons so that we can give them a bigger world than we grew up with ourselves? This is very dear to my heart, as coming from a culturally-deprived background I made an early decision to continue growing - particularly in the area of the arts - so as to give my children a richer foundation.

That was 40 years ago and today I can attest to the fact that enriching your children's early experience with art, music, film and theater will give them a broader outlook and help them make better choices.

In the area of music, I believe it was my children's exposure to all kinds of music - not just the kind I listened to when I was younger - that revealed their own God-given gifts (I have a few who are singers) but also gave them an ability to make good choices as teens - not becoming bogged down in rap, soft porn and broken heart wailing, but opting for Indie, sacred music, classic rock, Broadway, classical - and even opera.

Part of this enriched musical environment may mean ratcheting up your own choices. I had never heard an opera until I was in my late 20's. Now I can appreciate many with my grown-up children and understand how a shared appreciation like this enriches not just our individual souls but our family bonds.

If this idea resonates with you, here is a collection of possibilities - all geared specifically to children - but remember, they can be surrounded with the grown-up stuff too:

March 16, 2010 (12:56 PM) | Montessori",Mothering",Music | Permalink | Comments (2)

CDC censorship of autism research

More government censorship - this time regarding autism research:

March 16, 2010

Sebelius Asks Media to Censor Autism Debate

By Katie Wright

"There are groups out there that insist that vaccines are responsible for a variety of problems, despite all scientific evidence to the contrary. We (the office of Secretary of Health and Human Services) have reached out to media outlets to try to get them not to give the views of these people equal weight in their reporting."

That's right. Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of HHS, has asked newspapers, magazines, television journalists, who knows who else- specifically NOT to listen to parents and scientists in the autism community, not to respect their concerns, not to take seriously the condition of chronically ill children with autism and to disregard a growing body of evidence questioning the safety of our infant and toddlers' immunization schedule. If I have got anything wrong I would love to hear a tape or see a transcripts of these media "outreaches."

Read more at Age of Autism

HT: Laura

March 16, 2010 (11:05 AM) | Autism",Government Corruption",Media Bias",Obama Nation",Oppression | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Angelus

Raymond Arroyo was discussing this painting on the Laura Ingraham Show the other day. Laura is a conservative talk show host who was brought up Baptist but is now Catholic. While she's passionate about politics, she devotes a fair amount of her show to analyzing the culture from a specifically Christian/Catholic point of view and devoting much time to subjects like prayer. You can check to see if her show is broadcast in your area at LauraIngraham.com.

The Angelus is by Millet, circa 1857:

The Angelus: an artistic rendering

The Angelus is a prayer practice rich in doctrine and devotion. This practice commemorates the mystery of the Incarnation by reciting certain versicles and responses with three Hail Marys and a special concluding prayer. It used to be recited morning, noon and evening. The church bells rang--three tolls for each of the invocations and nine for the concluding prayer.

The Angelus traces its beginnings to the thirteenth century. . .

Although the origin of the Angelus is obscure, it is certain that the morning, midday and evening Angelus did not develop simultaneously. By the sixteenth century the various customs were unified. The morning prayer was recited to commemorate Christ's resurrection; at noon, Christ's passion; and in the evening to recall the Incarnation, since St. Bonaventure taught that the angel's visit to Mary came at evening. . .

There is a renowned painting by Jean-Francois Millet entitled the Angelus. It depicts a man and a woman standing in a field. They are farmers. He holds his cap reverently as he stands with bowed head, and she in a white cap and long blue apron over her dress clasps her hands as a prayerful look sets her face. They pause in prayer near the end of the work day. At the woman's feet is a basket of potatoes, and at her far side rests a wheelbarrow full of empty sacks. At the side of the man is a pitchfork spiked upright in the ground. The breaking clouds are blushed with light as birds flit in the twilight. The viewer can almost hear the bells ringing in the spire of the church in the distant right of the painting.

The artist, Jean-Francois Millet, was born in 1814 in Gruchy, a hamlet ten miles west of Cherbourg in northwest France. This inland area off the rugged coast was a countryside of undulating downs beyond the moors.

Jean-Louis, the painter's father, possessed real artistic talent, though all his life was spent tilling the fields. He loved music and directed the village choir, he studied the forms of trees and plants and he modeled in clay when time permitted.

Jean-Francois absorbed his father's appreciation of beauty and art. In his father he found an exemplar to emulate. Jean-Francois also was impressed by his parent's piety and devotion.

As a boy, Jean-Francois traced prints from the family Bible and then tried freehand. From the beginning his parents and the parish priests recognized that he was extraordinary. The priests were careful to educate him the best they could in mythology, Greek, Latin and in translation, Shakespeare, Milton and Burns. All this time Jean-Francois was at home working on the family farm. He became a man of culture with the heart of a peasant. Later he declared of himself, "A peasant I was born and a peasant I will die."

His parents and the villagers commented favorably on his work. His father realized that he must go to Cherbourg to study art. At this point began Jean-Francois' lifelong work as an artist. Later in Paris he fine-tuned his painting skills for twelve years. Because he disliked Paris and city life, he was delighted to return to the country. Barbizon became his home until the time of his death in 1875. It was in 1859 that Jean-Francois Millet painted The Angelus. Vivid were his memories of the Angelus bell ringing while peasants were still working at twilight. Often he had seen his father standing, bare-headed, cap in hand, and his mother with bowed head and folded hands at the sound of the evening Angelus bell.

Millet recorded that impression to show the quiet peace of twilight, the rosy glow of sunset engulfing the fields, the church bells filling the evening air, and the devout attitude of the peasants. Surely he succeeded. When his agent, Sensier, first saw the picture on Millet's easel, the painter turned to him and asked, "Well, what do you think of it?"

"It is the Angelus," replied Sensier. "Yes," Millet said with satisfaction. "Can you hear the bells?"

Millet believed he had painted a great picture, but his genius was not recognized and acknowledged until after his death. In 1889, fourteen years after his death, Millet's painting of The Angelus was put up for auction. The person who had bought the painting from Millet had died. Eventually, The Angelus found its way into the Louvre Museum in Paris.

This text was adapted by Fr Johann G. Roten, SM from an article written by Brother John M. Samaha, SM.

How to pray the Angelus (nonCatholics, please keep in mind that the first half of the Hail Mary is straight from Scripture. They are the words the Angel Gabriel - God's messenger - used to address the Virgin Mary. Can it really be wrong to acknowledge Mary's obedience and her role in bringing forth the Savior - which was prophesied in Genesis - by echoing that God-given greeting? Just wondering aloud.)

This painting can be a great reminder to us during our own busy days to stop for a moment of prayer. Available at art.com

Angelus Buy From Art.com

March 16, 2010 ( 9:28 AM) | Art",Catholicism",Homeschooling",Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (4)

Blue Skies - by Irving Berlin

Being sung at our house these days. First sung by Ben in a show when he was 12 or so, part of Maddy's repertoire and now being sung by Daniel's chorus at school.

We were very blessed in California with a local theater company - Cinnabar Theater - that made a priority of offering kids a rich musical heritage, including early 20th century American music of all genres. So our kids got a healthy dose of songs like Blue Skies, composed by Irving Berlin just a few years before the 1929 stock market collapse.

What do you think? I'm struck by the poignancy of the cheerful lyrics on top of a decidedly wistful melody.

Frank Sinatra:

Bing Crosby, from the 1946 movie:

Ella Fitzgerald - not my favorite version, but does this woman have the best voice in the world or what? Maddy told me she was the first woman to scat sing

Willie Nelson:

The Muppet Show warning: this is 2 minutes and 26 seconds of your life you will never get back :) - but maybe your kids would like it:

Other versions:

Jim Reeves

Betty Hutton

Eva Cassidy (amazing, as always)

">Harmonica

March 16, 2010 ( 8:17 AM) | Music | Permalink | Comments (0)

Conservative Rep. Paul Ryan on Obamacare 3/15

This is the conservative to watch for 2012. A clearly articulated position statement:

No teleprompters, no "uhs," no not-so-subtle middle finger gestures or scornful eyes. What a refreshing example of leadership!

You can see more at Paul Ryan's YouTube channel.

March 16, 2010 ( 8:07 AM) | Conservatism",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 15, 2010

Obama power grabs and special privilege

More Obama control and special privilege:

Obama Supports DNA Sampling Upon Arrest

• By David Kravets
• March 10, 2010  | 

Josh Gerstein over at Politico sent Threat Level his piece underscoring once again President Barack Obama is not the civil-liberties knight in shining armor many were expecting.

Gerstein posts a televised interview of Obama and John Walsh of America's Most Wanted. The nation's chief executive extols the virtues of mandatory DNA testing of Americans upon arrest, even absent charges or a conviction. Obama said, "It's the right thing to do" to "tighten the grip around folks" who commit crime.

Read more at Wired.

Question:  Why does Obama refer to terrorists and criminals as "folks"?

Then there was the exposure of secret memos concerning an Obama land grab of 10 million acres from Montana to New Mexico - and Jim DeMint's attempt to block it.  Other presidents guilty of land grabs are Carter and Clinton.  Notice a pattern?  And who are the fascists in this country, really?

More insidious: As we are focused on trying to block government takeover of healthcare, Obama has set in motion a potential federal takeover of education.  Will the citizenry connect the dots and understand that shifting decisioin making and guidelines from the local and state level to federal represents a huge threat to our future generations?  I''s all about control  and leftist propaganda through the school system.

Spunky analyzes the ramifications for homeschoolers at The Obama Takeover of Education,

With so much going on, were you aware that Obama plans to take over U.S. student loans? And doesn't it make perfect sense to tack it on the health care bill so both can pass at once.  Would anyone notice or care what this means? 

Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser: Obama appears to be jockeying for power with the Olympics, establishing the first ever White House Office of Olympics, Paralympics and Youth Sports .  Why?  When something is working well, why should the US spend tax payer dollars trying to get control?

And even his friends - the unions - are not exempt from the roving eye or Sauron Obama:  

Union Surprised by Obama Power Grab - but we're not.

There's a line in Evita - the musical story of a narcissistic duo (Juan and Eva Peron) who rose to power in Argentina on an emotional tidal wave, lived lavishly themselves while redistributing the country's wealth and completely bankrupted what had been one of the richest nations on earth, a trauma from which Argentina has still not recovered.  Sound familiar? Yes, it's definitely a timely and thought-provoking piece of history/entertainment.

Juan and Evita are singing/planning their political victory, when Che - Evita's foil/conscience throughout the play - sings:

How annoying that they have to fight elections for their cause
The inconvenience, having to get a majority
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win them applause
There are other ways of establishing authority

He is subsequently clobbered and dragged off stage by the Secret Police.

That line goes through my head when I hear of the healthcare shenanigans in Congress, or read the New York Times approving coverage: Obama making plans to use executive power.  What a difference a few years - and a change of presidents - makes.  Imagine if Bush had done that!  I know, it's so cliche. . .

And there's this phenomenon of a story surfacing  - like last fall's Bill will give president emergency control of the Internet - than disappearing.  Just found this update:  Latest Developments in the Fight to Stop a Government Internet Takeover

The propagandizing of American youth continues:

Obamaganda: Another School Sings Praises to Dear Leader

March 11, 2010 |

-By Warner Todd Huston

It's a veritable cornucopia of Obamagandistic musical agitprop. You'll recall the militaristic, fascist-styled Obama youth corps from 2008 where a line of inner city youth stamped out their obeisance militia-like to The One like good little automatons? Perhaps the slickly produced exploitation of sweet faced children from Hollywood that same year will ring a bell? Or maybe your favorite is this misuse of class time in Georgia? Or per chance you'll recall "Barack Hussein Obama, mmm, mmm, mmm"? These are excellent examples of the Obama version of Leni Riefenstahl's art.

But those? Well, those are all low class affairs done without an entire orchestra to back them up.

Now we have the brilliance of School children in Illinois, Comrade Obama's home turf, to add to the din of young musicians enslaved to efforts to exalt Dear Leader. And this tops them all in production values -- or at least in scope -- for the Midwest Young Artists organization, a group dedicated to "inspiration through music," has taken upon itself to give the Obammessiah the full orchestral treatment along with a choir and a spoken word segment to round out the production. Uncle Joe couldn't have created a better display of fealty to Dear Leader. Kim Jong Il is likely red with envy.

Read more and access the video of the original symphony - Wagnerian in scope - to our Glorious Leader at Publius Forum 

and the blatant manipulation of public school students continues: 

Obama Recruiting Radicals in High Schools

by Pamela Geller

Barack Obama is using our public school system to recruit for his Alinsky-inspired private army. Organizing for America (OFA), formerly Obama For America, is recruiting in our high schools to "build on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering students across the country to help us bring about our agenda" - that is, his agenda of socialism for the United States of America.

Read more at Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.

While we are supposed to feel sorry for our poor El Presidente for having to postpone his trip to Indonesia, do keep in mind two things:

While this is undoubtedly being paid for as a political trip, it was timed to correspond to two First Girls' spring break, and Obama himself said he wanted to show his daughters the land he grew up in as a little boy (and where he attended an Islamic school).

While Indonesians erected a statue of Obama when he rose to the White house, they have lately been considering removing it in response to demands from a large segment of resentful Indonesians. If the statue is still standing, Obama plans to lay a wreath at his own bronze feet, which would certainly be an unprecedented (White House favorite word) gesture of self-love and  iconic photo op.  But alas, the Indonesians are just not keen on Obama anymore, even interrupting their ongoing rioting to protest the Boy Wonder's visit.

Looking forward to Easter: Pressure to attend church?  I think everyone has given up expecting any more Christian pretense from the Big O.  Instead, because the traditional Easter Egg Roll (I'm rather amazed that they still call it an Easter Egg Roll) isn't hip enough for the King of Unprecedentedness, your tax dollars will be used to transport the cast of Glee to the White House to enhance the event.

Though their parents have insisted that they don't allow their daughters to watch TV on school nights, and despite the weekly portrayal of some distinctly adult situations, Glee is reputed to be Melia and Sasha's favorite show   

So why shouldn't the taxpayers be happy to fund their personal visit?  So why not?

March 15, 2010 ( 9:09 AM) | Media Bias",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thousands protest Obama Missouri visit - press ignores

Funny how the Propaganda Press would send scores of reporters to Crawford, Texas to cover one lone woman anti-war protester camping outside Bush's ranch (of course, when Cindy Sheehan continued her anti-war protest against Obama, she was mocked by the same PropaPress because it was really never about war at all) - but did you know Obama's appearances as he burns through our tax dollars flying all over the country to get that Ol' Campaign Feeling to which he seems completely addicted?

Check this out, from Gateway Pundit:

MARCH FOR FREEDOM- Tuesday March 16, 2010 Washington DC

Sunday, March 14, 2010, 1:03 AM

Jim Hoft

Last Wednesday President Barack Obama flew into St. Louis to give a private talk to supporters on his plan to have government take over the US health care industry. He also held a fundraiser with local liberals including his puppet senator, Claire McCaskill.

His arrival did not go unnoticed. 2,225 patriots turned out in St. Charles in the morning to rally against his socialist policies. Another 2,000 patriots turned out that night to protest outside of his fundraiser including this grandmother.  

(Keyboard Militia)
She sat in her wheelchair and waved her "Don't Tread on Me" flag. She came to the protest with her three daughters. She put tape over her mouth to represent that her concerns do not matter in Washington DC. She was at the rally outside the Obama-McCaskill fundraiser for two hours before it got dark and she went home. She just wanted to show her support.
She loves her country and she loves her freedom.

March 15, 2010 ( 8:34 AM) | Liberal Hypocrisy",Media Bias",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 16 DC Tea Party - transportation, rides, buses

This is being put together very hastily - I'm doing searches for available transportation. Here are some items to get you started. If you know of any buses, please leave the information in the comments section.

The People's Surge on DC - Have a Ride to Give, Need a Ride [check comments thread for ride shares]

Do you have a ride to give others to come to DC on March 16? Do you need a ride? Use the comments in this thread to talk to others and arrange transportation for the People's Surge on DC.

Your country needs you NOW.

Dress well, be polite, and be ready to look your Congressman in the eye and tell them that our liberty is not theirs to take. We will treat them with the respect they have not (yet) shown us. And, by the end of the day, each of them will know - personally - what their
vote will mean to the country, to us, and to themselves.

Other organizations involved in this event:

Freedom Works

Valley Forge Patriots

ResistNet

Check comments for bus info.

Travel Arrangements: If you would like to get bus, plane ticket, hotel room please contact Joanne Griffing call: 401-822-7777 or joannegriffing@cox.net.

March 15, 2010 ( 8:20 AM) | Activism",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

Urgent: Tea Party Action DC Capitol Hill 3/16

In a last-ditch effort to make the voice of the American people heard, many groups are converging on Washington DC tomorrow.

The weather promises to be fairly mild: partly cloudy and high of 58 degrees.

It's not too late - here's the latest info, including a link to find a ride:

People's Surge - Engagement Details

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots,

Time is running out. You must act now to stop the government takeover of your health care and of your liberty.

This Tuesday, March 16th - a day of direct action

We ask you to come to D.C. if possible. If you cannot come to D.C. visit your representative's local offices and phone, fax or visit the targeted Democrats in your state.

This government is no longer the government of Lincoln - "of the people, by the people, for the people" - it is a government against the people.

Your country needs you now. Stand up to the government and stand up for your liberty - just like we did in the Townhalls last summer and in the first American Tea Party in 1773.

This Tuesday, March 16th

Join us in Washington DC for a special day of (non-violent) political action. We are partnering with FreedomWorks for this event.

9am sharp, East Capitol Lawn across from Cannon House Office Building, for those not riding buses. (the lawn between the Capitol and the Supreme Court Building, Independence Avenue SE and New Jersey SE)

If you are riding a bus, the drop off point will the the West Capitol Lawn. (Maryland Ave. and 3rd Street SW)

We will begin a dramatic march from the East Capitol Lawn to the congressional office buildings. The march will begin at 9:15a.m., so try to be there early. We want to have a huge crowd march with us. Invite all of your friends to join us.

ACTION ITEMS

1. We need everyone to visit their prospective representative in congress .
2. We need everyone to visit the targeted blue dog democrats.
3. Bring handwirtten letters, stating who you are, what you want and why you want it. In no uncertain terms state VOTE NO on this HealthCare bill.
Handwritten letters carry a lot of weight.
4. When entering the office of a representative, FIRST, ask to speak with your representative. If he or she is not available THEN SECONDLY, ask for the Chief of Staff or HealthCare Advisor or Assistant to the Representative.
The goal is to speak to someone in the office besides the receptionist.
5. If you have been lobbying before in Washington, DC , please lend a hand to others that have not been there before. Remember your representatives are just people.

Important information to help you!

LONGWORTH BUILDING - OFFICE NUMBERS BEGIN WITH THE NUMBER 1 THE OFFICE NUMBERS ARE FOUR DIGITS

RAYBURN BUILDING - OFFICE NUMBERS BEGIN WITH THE NUMBER 2 THE OFFICE NUMBERS ARE FOUR DIGITS

CANNON BUILDING - - OFFICE NUMBERS ARE THREE DIGITS

Each building has multi-entrances!

THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE ENTRANCE TO THESE BUILDINGS. WE WILL DIRECT YOU TO OTHER ENTRANCES

Cafeteria availability!

THERE IS A CAFETERIA IN THE BASEMENT OF THE LONGWORTH OFFICE BUILDING.

Capitol East Lawn Map

Confirm Attendance by Clicking here

If you need a ride, or have a ride to give, connect in the "MARCH 16 People's Surge- RIDES" thread.

If you cannot be in DC on Tuesday, take local action. Go to the local offices of the targeted Congressmen, look them in the eye, and tell them that our liberty is not theirs to take.

You can also do a "People's Phone Surge" on March 16th. Start calling the targeted list (below) at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 12:00 p.m. Take a lunch break and resume the calls again at 1:00 p.m. and call until 5:00 p.m.

Call both their local offices and their D.C. offices

After the lobbying, use this form to upload links to your photos, videos, blog posts, and news articles.

Today, we are asking you to take a Moment of Silence at 12 noon for our country. Use this time to pray for our country and that our elected officials have the courage to represent us. Use the time to contemplate the sacrifices that have been made for our Constitution and liberty and to contemplate what eternal vigilance means. Consider what it is worth to you to insure that future generations enjoy the same liberties we enjoy today.

March 15, 2010 ( 7:00 AM) | Activism",Government Corruption",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

One Nation Under God - Jon McNaughton

From Christine - and we're alte to the party as there are nearly 3 million views since October 31, 2009:

"One Nation Under God."

This simple phrase, added to the pledge of allegiance over 50 years ago has been the source of unbelievable debate and heated controversy. Likewise, the phrase 'In God We Trust' on our currency has been targeted and continues to be attacked as improper and politically incorrect. Lawsuits have been filed and legal minds employed to ascertain whether such statements violate the concept of 'separation of church and state'.

As this debate continues, some so called experts have implied or concluded that our Founding Fathers and Patriots were not religious. These secular champions, in an effort to further their own causes, have even painted these great men and women from our history as being devoid of religious passions or even a belief in God. This is a part of their strategy to remove any discussion of God from the public forum.

These men and women were passionately religious and saw the hand of God all around them. To God they gave Thanks for His Hand in the founding of this great nation. To Him, according to their own testimony they turned for wisdom and strength when life and liberty hung in the balance. Certainly the debate on separation of church and state will continue. But no one can dispute how our Founding Fathers and Patriots felt about God. The record is clear!

'One Nation Under God' is Jon McNaughton's witness and reminder that those who went before us knew from whence their blessings came!

To view the details of this artwork, click on the link below:
McNaughton Art...

March 15, 2010 (12:04 AM) | Conservatism | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 14, 2010

Considering abortion? 101 reasons not to

A great resource to share with anyone you know. Remember: 43% of women of childbearing age will have an abortion. Let's let them know that a baby is a wonderful gift and that there is a lot of support out there - and reasons why bringing a baby into the world is better than an abortion:

From Serena Gaefke:

Having trouble deciding? It's a tough decision either way you look at it. I bet you could list many reasons right now as to why you should have an abortion, but have you ever considered all the reasons not to?

FREE DOWNLOAD! 101 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion: A Girl's Guide to Informed Choices (e-book PDF format)

Four years in the making - yours with one click!

Click here to download the book.

Also see Girl's Guide for more information and stories.

March 14, 2010 (11:34 PM) | Pro-Life Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)

When your hut is on fire

An email from Dorothy:

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost.

He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!

It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Moral of the Story:

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad or things have caused undue stress, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain, suffering, or stress. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Good luck this week. Make it a great one!

March 14, 2010 (10:56 PM) | Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)

Contest: First Communion stories

The 2010 First Communion Story Contest

Last year Aquinas and More started the First Communion Story website where anyone can share fond memories of their First Communion day.

With First Communion season approaching again they are running a new First Communion Story contest!

Here are the rules:

1. Submit a First Communion story about you or your children by 3/31/10.
2. Story must be true and a GOOD memory.
3. You must own copyright on any photos you use in your story.
4. Voting on stories will run through 4/30/10.
5. Voters may vote for more than one story but please only vote for a story once.
6. The winners will be announced on 5/03/10.
7. The first prize winner will receive a First Communion dress or a $100 gift certificate at Aquinas and More Catholic Goods!
8. Two runner-up prizes for $25 gift cards to Aquinas and More Catholic Goods will be awarded as well.
9. First Communion dress must be chosen from the selection available on the Aquinas and More website.

Let me know if you enter so  we can vote for you!

And check out Aquinas and More First Communion Store.

March 14, 2010 ( 5:08 PM) | Catholicism",Contest | Permalink | Comments (0)

Memo to the New York Times: Obama is no Jesus

Talk about Propaganda Press!!!!

Headlined As Health Vote Awaits, Future of a Presidency Waits, Too, it is the sad New York Times narrative of a poor president who worked so hard on health care only to face rejection on all sides.

I guess this is supposed to evoke feelings of Jesus on Calvary? Are we supposed to feel sorry for Our Glorious Leader who has squandered an incredible opportunity to create racial harmony and instead fomented a class war of those dependent on government (salaries, welfare checks, food stamps, extended unemployment, government subsidized cars and houses) and the poor schmucks working in the private sector who have to pay for it all?

He has stirred up envy and bitterness everywhere he went. Lived high on the hog, with private entertainment, lavish parties, expensive vacations and date nights galore - all while scolding those paying his bills to tighten our belts.

Claiming to be open to other ideas, he has invited the opposition to photo ops, then treated them with contempt. He has bullied and bribed Democrats who didn't agree with him - even called one congressman in for a little one-on-one, giving his brother a judgeship hours later,

Corrupt. Self-indulgent. Narcissistic. Relentless. Ruthless.

These are not the qualities associated with the cross.

Heaven help us! The American people made a mistake from which we may never recover.

March 14, 2010 ( 3:36 PM) | Liberal Hypocrisy",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (2)

OK Go's This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg version

Your boys will love this:

According to my Big Boyz, OK Go first caught on with their Treadmill video. If you are a mom who's surrendered to the fact that boys are profoundly different, and if you want to delight your sons, you might want to share this unique group.

March 14, 2010 ( 1:59 PM) | Fun Stuff",Music | Permalink | Comments (1)

How to peel a potato without a peeler

From Margaret:

Just thinking of all the potatoes I've peeled in my lifetime for potato salad and scalloped potatoes.....

March 14, 2010 (11:23 AM) | Recipes | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mark Steyn: Obamacare worth the price to Democrats

Mark Steyn: Obamacare worth the price to Democrats

March 5, 2010

So there was President Obama, giving his bazillionth speech on health care, droning yet again that "now is the hour when we must seize the moment," the same moment he's been seizing every day of the week for the past year, only this time his genius photo-op guys thought it would look good to have him surrounded by men in white coats.

Why is he doing this? Why let "health" "care" "reform" stagger on like the rotting husk in a low-grade creature feature who refuses to stay dead no matter how many stakes you pound through his chest?

Because it's worth it. Big time. I've been saying in this space for two years that the governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture. It redefines the relationship between the citizen and the state in fundamental ways that make limited government all but impossible. In most of the rest of the Western world, there are still nominally "conservative" parties, and they even win elections occasionally, but not to any great effect (Let's not forget that Jacques Chirac was, in French terms, a "conservative").

The result is a kind of two-party one-party state: Right-of-center parties will once in a while be in office, but never in power, merely presiding over vast left-wing bureaucracies that cruise on regardless.

Republicans seem to have difficulty grasping this basic dynamic. Less than three months ago, they were stunned at the way the Democrats managed to get 60 senators to vote for the health bill. Then Scott Brown took them back down to 59, and Republicans were again stunned to find the Dems talking about ramming this thing into law through the parliamentary device of "reconciliation." And, when polls showed an ever larger number of Americans ever more opposed to Obamacare (by margins approaching three-to-one), Republicans were further stunned to discover that, in order to advance "reconciliation," Democrat reconsiglieres had apparently been offering (illegally) various cosy Big Government sinecures to swing-state congressmen in order to induce them to climb into the cockpit for the kamikaze raid to push the bill through. The Democrats understand that politics is not just about Tuesday evenings every other November, but about everything else, too.

Read more at the Orange County Register

March 14, 2010 (10:34 AM) | Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (0)

American Minute: Albert Einstein

March 14

Born in Germany MARCH 14, 1879, he began teaching himself calculus at age 14.

With a doctorate from the University of Zurich, he wrote papers on electromagnetic energy, relativity, and statistical mechanics.

He predicted a ray of light from a distant star would appear to bend as it passed near the Sun.

When an eclipse confirmed this, the London Times headline ran November 7, 1919, "Revolution in science-New theory of the Universe-Newtonian ideas overthrown."

This was Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein.

Einstein's first visit to the U.S. was to raise funds for Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

On his 3rd visit, 1932, he took a post at Princeton.

When Nazis took over Germany, Albert Einstein stayed in the U.S. becoming a citizen in 1940.

Einstein's theory of relativity is the basis for applying atomic energy.

Einstein's warning that Nazis could create an atom bomb led FDR to set up the Manhattan Project.

Though not believing in a personal God, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, published an interview with George Sylvester Viereck, in which Einstein stated:

 As a child, I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene...

No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.

Three years before Einstein died, he was asked to be Israel's 2nd President, but declined due to age.

The periodic table's 99th element, discovered shortly after his death in 1955, was named "einsteinium."

Princeton University's Fine Hall has inscribed Albert Einstein's words: "God is clever, but not dishonest."

You can subscribe to William Federer's American Minute - always good material for dinnertime discussion - or click through the button in my right sidebar.

March 14, 2010 (10:06 AM) | Inspiration | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 15 Code Red Rally at Capitol - conservatives, unite!

Well, this seems appropriate. Our Bishop called for fasting and prayer on Monday that any forthcoming healthcare legislation would honor the sanctity of life and protection of conscience of all healthcare workers.

Other organizations are calling for a day of action Tuesday:

CODE RED Rally to...Kill The Bill!

When: March 16, 2010 at 10 a.m. ET

Where: Capitol Hill, Taft Park, Washington D.C.

The American Grassroots Coalition and The Tea Party Express welcome the American People to bring their LOUD VOICES, Thoughts and Letters to their elected Representatives.

Speakers Include:

* Congressman Mike Pence
* Congresswoman Michele Bachmann
* Congressman Tom Price
* Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
* Congressman Joe Wilson
* Congressman Phil Gingrey
* Amy Kremer of Tea Party Express
* Tim Phillips of American for Prosperity
* Jim Martin of 60 Plus
* Matt Patterson of the National Center for Policy Analysis

If you can, please come. I have covered these events and they are not the ones portrayed by the Propaganda Press who demean and lie about the citizen patriots exercising their right to dissent - you know, the one the Propaganda Press loves when it's leftist or destructive.

Please come and bring your children to see democracy in action. Come and bring your cameras to record the reality the Propaganda Press will not show.

Here are albums from events I've covered:

11/5/09 March on Washington - Michele Bachmann's Tea Party

9/12/09March on Washington

4/15/09 Washington DC Tea Party

March 14, 2010 ( 9:47 AM) | Activism",Conservatism",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 13, 2010

We the People: a message for Obama

Thanks to William R - my friend Ann's dad - for linking this clip. Pass it on:

March 13, 2010 (11:29 PM) | Activism",Conservatism",Obama Nation | Permalink | Comments (1)

Detroit socialist describes Soviet America

HT: A Mac and a Mug o'Joe

March 13, 2010 (11:12 PM) | Conservatism | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ingrid Michaelson - our favorite Indie right now

No matter how old I am, my kids sharing their musical taste - especially Indie - is keeping me young at heart :)

Love Ingrid Michaelson - who is on all my kids' Zunes(Black). (We are a Zune family - and I love the way my guys with Down syndrome can use these so I'm no longer dealing with scratched CD issues).

For anyone not familiar with Ingrid, check these out:

March 13, 2010 ( 9:27 PM) | Music | Permalink | Comments (2)

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