Texas Rep. Farrar has introduced legislation, HB 3318, that would make it a non-capital offense for a mother to kill her child before his first birthday.

Right now, it's capital murder. Her bill changes that to a state felony. The penalty would be 180 days - 2 years, and a fine not to exceed $10k, if the mother can prove that she killed her kid due to the effects of childbirth or lactation. The bill does not specify that the mother be diagnosed with postpartum psychosis or other mental illness.

Why is it not so bad to kill an 11 month old, but capital murder to kill a 13 month old? Why would we lower penalties for mothers to kill their own children? And why can't fathers kill their kids - isn't that gender discrimination?

Farrar's analysis is chilling. She says that because women might suffer from postpartum psychosis, the punishment should be changed. She ignores the fact that the law already allows for an insanity defense. I'm not sure how she arbitrarily decided that a child who's made it to his first birthday is worth more than a child just learning to crawl.

Farrar is not concerned with helping women with postpartum depression or protecting children, but rather for decriminalizing infanticide. This bill will not keep a single child from harm; it merely lowers the penalty for that child's murderer.

I've looked at Rep. Farrar's other legislation, and there are no bills calling for increased screening or support for women who might suffer from postpartum depression, no resolutions to support families in crisis. She represents the 148th District in Houston, TX.

She actually has quite a record of promoting the abortion agenda, including:

• Introducing HB 680. HB 36 would require abortionists to get the voluntary, informed consent from the pregnant woman, including name of physician performing the procedure, gestational age of the baby, mandates an ultrasound and the the pregnant woman is allowed to see it, and requires doctors to inform the mother of possible side effects of abortion. HB 680 makes that not a requirement for abortions performed on women who became pregnant through a criminal act (incest, rape, etc.) I don't know why they shouldn't have to provide informed consent, but I suspect it's the whole "make an ultrasound available" clause.
  

• HB 684, which is similar to HB 680 but is for parents with children with irreversible fetal anomalies. Guess they don't need to know about abortion side effects or support services, either.

• HB 2221, which would force Catholic hospitals to provide not just information on emergency contraception, but to also to provide the pills. (As opposed to HB 44, which would require the information on emergency contraception to make it clear that EC is an abortifacient, and could affect an already fertilized egg. This distinction is necessary since "pregnancy" has been redefined to mean "implantation in the uterus".)

Surely, Farrar's 100% NARAL approval rating, and her recent award from Planned Parenthood, are just coincidences.

I know that several of my bloggy friends are in Texas. Let's light up the Austin switchboard! HB 680 has been kicked to the Committee on State Affairs, where it needs to die. Contact committee members and let them know this is a bad law and bad precedent (and tell them to support HB 36, while you're at it.) Tell everyone you know that it's not okay for mothers to kill their babies; it's murder and the penalties should reflect that!

Farrar is a Catholic. May God have mercy on her.

H/T Jill Stanek

Labels: Catholic, politics, Prolife, Texas

I will endeavor to get all my irritation, anger, and nitpicking at our current government out all at once. I will also try to use some nifty adjectives that are too often neglected.

Obama answered a reporter's questions yesterday, saying:

"This has been a difficult chapter in our history... the memos that were released reflected us losing our moral bearings."

Wow, he dug deep and found some moral fiber? I agree. It is a difficult chapter in our history, and it is grotesque.

***This ad from Priests for Life is graphic***


Oh, wait, he's talking about waterboarding the 9/11 masterminds. Never mind all of those children who are drawn and quartered for being not healthy enough, not convenient enough, or somehow not human enough to live. America will just continue to ignore the slaughter of our own Untermenschen.

(Don't forget that Obama voted for letting children who managed to survive an abortion die of neglect.)

Now he wants to get involved with interstate commerce, and see about taxing internet sales. This could force companies to comply with each state's sales tax laws. The amount of paperwork - sales tax licenses, quarterly filings, and so on - would be an enormous burden.

Watch small retailers go out of business! Small business owners are the biggest source of employment in the US - wonder what that's going to do to the unemployment rate?

What was it Obama promised? Families making under $250,000 won't see any of their taxes increase?




Right. He's already raised the cigarette tax, and now he wants to impose a brand new tax on the American people.

Labels: Obama, politics, Prolife, taxes

Obama has promised to send some more ATF agents to the border to combat violence. Things I'm hearing locally:

• The number of guns in Mexico that were purchased illegally in the US is 23%, not 90% as reported.

• The ATF agents are going to be cracking down on gun dealers as their preferred method of enforcement. In TX, you can buy a gun with a TX driver's license. The gun dealers are protesting because they should not be held responsible for a customer's fraud. They want the ATF to go find the guy who faked his ID and arrest him.

Dallas gun store owner Donnie Durbin, president of the Texas Gun Dealers Association, said dealers have no control over what qualified buyers do with firearms after they purchase them. He said the ATF should bring more agents to target gun traffickers, not increase the number of compliance officers who audit gun dealers.

“If (ATF agents) go out and find these people selling these guns, they need to put them in jail. I don’t think the dealer would take that kind of chance,” said Durbin, adding he was not speaking for the association.

That's right - they're sending 100 bean counters to audit dealers, not target, track, and intercept the guns being taken to Mexico.

Labels: 2nd Amendment, politics

I wanted to attend the Tax Day Tea Party, but they are holding it at 4 pm. Before the typical workday is over, on a typical workday.

I have always been a registered independent - at first, because I wasn't going to be an R like my parents and a D didn't fit; now because I don't fit anywhere.

Wikipedia lists 5 main political parties in the US.

I could join the Green, Democratic, Constitution, Libertarian, or Republican party. And yet, I can't agree with the platform of any of them.

Is there a prolife conservative party? A party that will secure our borders, but still treat immigrants as people? A party that can see that public education isn't working, but won't throw the baby out with the bathwater? A party that supports parental rights - but protects the rights of children not to be poisoned or drawn and quartered because they are inconvenient, costly, or not up to our standard of perfect? A party that says we should feed disabled people, not starve them; respect their right to refuse treatment, but not kill them?

Greens are rejected because I pretty much disagree with them on everything. Abortion, 2nd Amendment, immigration, taxation, repealing federal anti-drug laws... the list is endless. I'd estimate I'm the polar opposite of a Green party member, even if I do water with gray water, keep the AC off as much as possible, and make my own biodegradable cleaning agents.

Democrats are rejected because of the life issue- and taxes, and universal health care (read: health care rationing). This party has given us Jimmy Carter, the Clintons, the Obamas, Ted Kennedy, Pelosi... it's the party of turncoat Catholics who like to show up on Easter for show but don't actually believe anything the Church teaches.

Still, I do not want a religious party. I reject the Constitution party partly because of their mission - "to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations." Without definition, "Biblical foundations" look like code words for a particular kind of Biblical fundamentalism; a literal biblical interpretation. I'm also not convinced that our Constitution is actually based mainly on Biblical foundations, but more loosely on a general moral code (which does have a basis in the Bible). Many of our Founding Fathers would not pass the Bible Christian test today.

I also disagree with the Constitution Party's platform to repeal the 17th amendment (direct election of Senators, as opposed to the state governor appointing them) and I don't think we should abolish all foreign aid.

I'm not a Libertarian because I reject out of hand the notion that abortion is merely a matter of personal conscience and that the government has no interest or right to regulate marriage. I also think it's a horrible idea to abolish free education (as broken as the public education is, making everyone suddenly pay for their children to attend some sort of private school is not the answer.)

And the Republicans...well, most of them don't seem to be following their platform anymore. The last Republican presidential candidate was McCain- author of the McCain-Feingold Act, restricting American's political speech! Bush gave us No Child Left Behind. Several Republicans have voted for Obama legislation.

All I'm left with are small fringe groups, many relatively new, many without an official platform.

What party are you a member of, and why?

Labels: politics

Got a breathless email from Planned Parenthood. (I'm on their list, I like to see what they are up to.) Their new campaign is Get Yourself Tested (for STDs)

Expanding access to preventive care, including contraception and STD testing, will do more than anything else to improve reproductive health for young people.

How is getting tested for an STD preventative health? What condition is it preventing? It is, perhaps, wise depending on one's personal history and behavior to get tested, so early treatment can begin if necessary, but I don't see how it prevents anything.

The email goes on to claim that aside from contraception, getting tested is the biggest way to slow the spread of HIV. I'd say that telling HIV positive people to remain abstinent - and supporting and helping them - would do more.

I can't believe Obama gave the Queen an iPod. It's not even American, it's made in China. How can his people let him remain so utterly clueless? And why hasn't he hired a personal shopper who knows what they are doing?

He should have given her an authentically American gift, like a charity-auction date with George Clooney.

St. Gemma Galgani is one of my patron saints, and her feast day is Apr. 11. A website in her honor is sponsoring a novena, starting Friday, Apr. 3. Go here for details.

In the Senate this week...

These bills failed: Requirement that bills be posted publicly 5 days before a vote (what do the Dems want to keep secret?), funding for a border fence, DeMint amendment to end auto bailouts, Vitter amendment to put an end to TARP, legislation to prevent health care rationing, and CPSIA reform.
Passed? Obama's budget. And also, 2nd amendment rights legislation allowing Amtrak passengers to have a gun in their checked luggage (if they are law abiding, have a permit, etc. of course).

That 90% tax on AIG I railed about has slinked off to die a slow death in committee. Instead, we have Pay for Performance, in which Tim Geithner, who is not an elected official, gets to determine what is fair pay, bonuses, and adequate performance at all levels of any company receiving government bailout money. Yes, even the janitor. Not sure how that's going to play out with the UAW.

Sigh. In the future, you better hope someone you love has enough "quality of life" to be allowed medications and treatments, if Obamacare passes. I wonder if they'll deny prenatal care to women with congenitally disabled children? I'm pretty sure they'll be rationing cancer care for the elderly and disabled.

My baby says "Lovies!" - or, actually, "Yuvvies!" Husband dear deigned to leave the house without kisses and hugs all around and Mr X ran to the window and shouted at him. It's funny, because the /l/ sound is one he makes very well (another quirk, my 3 year old hasn't entirely mastered /l/.) He will say /y/ if the sound is at the beginning of the word.

I bought a new coffee pot. My old one bit the dust very suddenly. Did you know that KitchenAid makes a coffee pot that costs $200?!? I don't know if it grows, harvests, and roasts its own coffee or what, but I ended up with Mr. Coffee. I didn't buy the cheapest, but it wasn't that expensive for an appliance I use every day. Most important feature: automatic shutoff. Really, really important. Second most important feature? Pause 'N Serve. Because having to wait for the whole pot to brew is so burdensome.

I was briefly tempted by the French presses - so simple, no plugs. But friends and the Web of Lies internet told me I'd also have to have a good bean grinder to make uniform, coarse grains. Plus I'd have to boil water everyday, first thing in the morning, and I'm way too lazy for that.

Please keep my friend's family and especially his little girl in your prayers tomorrow. She has a medical test and gets nervous.

Labels: 7 Quick Takes, politics, Prolife, speech, X

...despite this month's posts!

I commented on another blog, every day I wake up and think "NO FREAKIN' WAY" (yeah, I use the word freakin' in my personal thoughts). Then I find out this stuff is TRUE.

Today, Obama fired the CEO of GM (now Government Motors). How? By what authority? Is that in his job description? I've mentioned before that my civics education was woefully incomplete. But I'm learning fast.

(BTW - there's no one to replace that CEO yet, so the company is without a leader. How are they supposed to figure out an acceptable restructuring plan if their top post is empty? Talk about poor planning. Obama doesn't know anyone who can do any better, he just decided that Waggoner has got to go.)

Then - he goes on national TV and tries to sell me a car?!!??



Sorry, I'm not convinced that having a car warranty backed by the current Federal Government is a selling point. More like a weakness, IMO. And his plan to help GM includes using recovery money to buy new cars for federal agencies. Was there a stipulation on that stimulus money that it must be used for a GM car? What about alternative energy - what if the fleet manager wants to buy Toyota Priuses?

He claims that he has no intention of running the company (he's just making HR decisions, scrutinizing their business plan, and trying to help the company avoid bankruptcy.)

Honest to Pete, what the heck is going ON at the White House?

I did have a little snicker at Hilary in Mexico City, though, asking who painted the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The State department seriously needs to hire somebody who knows about protocols and traditions in other countries - before we alienate the world.

Labels: politics

There's yet another piece of legislation being considered that will change life as we know it.

HR 875 deals with food, and the creation of a new Food Safety Administration.

And once again, what could be a good idea goes way too far. Now they want to prohibit people from growing their own food. Has that basil on your windowsill been inspected? You better not eat it!

The purpose of the legislation (Sec. 2):

(1) to establish an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services to be known as the ‘Food Safety Administration’ to--

(A) regulate food safety and labeling to strengthen the protection of the public health;

(B) ensure that food establishments fulfill their responsibility to process, store, hold, and transport food in a manner that protects the public health of all people in the United States;

What is a food establishment? (Sec. 3)

(13) FOOD ESTABLISHMENT-

(A) IN GENERAL- The term ‘food establishment’ means a slaughterhouse (except those regulated under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act), factory, warehouse, or facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients.

(B) EXCLUSIONS- For the purposes of registration, the term ‘food establishment’ does not include a food production facility as defined in paragraph (14), restaurant, other retail food establishment, nonprofit food establishment in which food is prepared for or served directly to the consumer, or fishing vessel (other than a fishing vessel engaged in processing, as that term is defined in section 123.3 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations).

(14) FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term ‘food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation.

A food establishment is a facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients... that is not a restaurant, retail establishment, soup kitchen, farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, or confined animal-feeding operation. This would include people's homes.

(5) CATEGORY 1 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 1 food establishment’ means a food establishment (other than a seafood processing establishment) that slaughters, for the purpose of producing food, animals that are not subject to inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or poultry that are not subject to inspection under the Poultry Products Inspection Act.

(6) CATEGORY 2 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 2 food establishment’ means a seafood processing establishment or other food establishment (other than a category 1 establishment) not subject to inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or the Egg Products Inspection Act, that processes raw seafood or other raw animal products, whether fresh or frozen, or other products that the Administrator determines by regulation to pose a significant risk of hazardous contamination.

(7) CATEGORY 3 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 3 food establishment’ means a food establishment (other than a category 1 or category 2 establishment) that processes cooked, pasteurized, or otherwise ready-to-eat seafood or other animal products, fresh produce in ready-to-eat raw form, or other products that pose a risk of hazardous contamination.

(8) CATEGORY 4 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 4 food establishment’ means a food establishment that processes all other categories of food products not described in paragraphs (5) through (7).

(9) CATEGORY 5 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 5 food establishment’ means a food establishment that stores, holds, or transports food products prior to delivery for retail sale.

So, any household that keep chickens, goats, rabbits, etc. for food is a Category 1 Food Establishment.

Got a stocked pond? Clean your fish in your kitchen? You are a Category 2 Food Establishment.

Grew your own tomatoes and going to can them? You're a Category 3 Food Establishment.

How is that going to interfere with people growing food for themselves?

(a) In General- Any food establishment or foreign food establishment engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food for consumption in the United States shall register annually with the Administrator.

(2) REGISTRATION- Registration under this section shall begin within 90 days of the enactment of this Act. Each such registration shall be submitted to the Secretary through an electronic portal and shall contain such information as the Secretary, by guidance, determines to be appropriate. Such registration shall contain the following information:

(A) The name, address, and emergency contact information of each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment that the registrant owns or operates under this Act and all trade names under which the registrant conducts business in the United States relating to food.

(B) The primary purpose and business activity of each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment, including the dates of operation if the domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment is seasonal.

(C) The types of food processed or sold at each domestic food establishment or, for foreign food establishments selling food for consumption in the United States, the specific food categories of that food as listed under section 170.3(n) of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, or such other categories as the Administrator may designate in guidance, action level, or regulations for evaluating potential threats to food protection.

(D) The name, address, and 24-hour emergency contact information of the United States distribution agent for each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment, who shall maintain information on the distribution of food, including lot information, and wholesaler and retailer distribution.

(E) An assurance that the registrant will notify the Administrator of any change in the products, function, or legal status of the domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment (including cessation of business activities) not later than 30 days after such change.

(4) LIST- The Administrator shall annually compile a list of domestic food establishments and a list of foreign food establishments that are registered under this section. The Administrator may establish the manner of and any fees required for reregistration and any circumstances by which either such list may be shared with other governmental authorities. The Administrator may remove from either list the name of any establishment that fails to reregister, and such delisting shall be treated as a suspension.

What if you don't go along with the program?

(2) INSPECTIONS- If the Administrator determines that a food establishment fails to meet a standard promulgated under this section, the Administrator shall, as appropriate--

Well, if my pumpkins aren't safe to eat, maybe it's a good thing to have the government come to my house and sieze them. Except there might be fines and jail time involved.

(1) CIVIL PENALTY-

(A) IN GENERAL- Any person that commits an act that violates the food safety law (including a regulation promulgated or order issued under the food safety law) may be assessed a civil penalty by the Administrator of not more than $1,000,000 for each such act.

(b) Criminal Sanctions-

(1) OFFENSE RESULTING IN SERIOUS ILLNESS- Notwithstanding section 303(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 333(a)), if a violation of any provision of section 301 of such Act (21 U.S.C. 301) with respect to an adulterated or misbranded food results in serious illness, the person committing the violation shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, or both.

Think it can't happen? It already has. A homeschooling family was held at gunpoint by 12 sheriffs while they raided their house. The feds did not have a valid warrant (it had expired) and confiscated the family's entire stock of food - including meat they had bought to eat for that entire year.

Labels: black thumb, politics

Those AIG bonuses really tick me off. Not that the employees are receiving them, but the overly dramatic wringing of hands that is going on in Washington.

Sen. Chris Dodd specifically allowed the bonuses. The Obama administration knew about them. Now, all of the sudden, they are outraged? People are threatening AIG employees with piano wire, and Sen. Barney Frank refuses to keep the names of bonus recipients confidential for their own safety?

Here's the thing.

Those employees of AIG? They have an employment contract. If they do XYZ, they'll get a bonus. They did XYZ. They get a bonus.

Can you imagine if you opened your check on payday, and found you were paid minimum wage instead of your usual salary - the salary negotiated and agreeed upon in your employment contract?

What if people in the oil industry, for example, are suddenly targeted as being undeserving of the money their employer agreed to pay them in a private contract? What if Texas decided to enact a 90% income tax on all moneys paid by oil companies?

What if it was you? What if you agreed to stay with AIG to try to steer them through the crisis, even though other companies offered you good jobs, waiting for the payout at the end?
What really stinks is that it is our money being spent - but it's legal.

I heard that it is unconstitutional, prohibited by the Bill of Attainder. Believe it or not, we did not study the Constitution in my Civics or American History class (Malcolm X - totally covered, though).

I had to look it up.

It's in Article 1, Section IX of the Bill of Rights.

Section 9: The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.

No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No capitation, or other direct, tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state.

No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another: nor shall vessels bound to, or from, one state, be obliged to enter, clear or pay duties in another.

No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.

No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

Let's look again.

No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

Bill of attainder = A bill of attainder, is a legislative act which inflicts punishment without judicial trial and includes any legislative act which takes away the life, liberty or property of a particular named or easily ascertainable person or group of persons because the legislature thinks them guilty of conduct which deserves punishment.

It's supposed to keep the legislature from doing the Justice Department's job.

The real problem is that the taxpayers own 80% (I heard) of AIG - but are not doing what normal stockholders do. Normally, if someone owns 80% of the stock in a company, they hire and fire the board of directors. The Board appoints the CEO. If things don't go well, a new board and a new CEO might be in order.

The Federal government can't really (or won't) do that. No one's minding the AIG store, but we're outraged when they don't do what we think they should do. Our government instead tries to meddle in private contracts, making them null and void.

Bad, bad idea.

I think that AIG should honor their contracts. Our whole economic system, government, and the American way of life rests on the notion that contracts are binding.

Hmmm, I saw something else very interesting ...

a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.

Can't wait to see that report on the stimulus bill. We can't even keep track of the spending of one bailout of one company (AIG) - how on earth can all of those trillions be accounted for?

Labels: politics

I promise, my WFMW are NOT usually political! But I don't have a good tip for you this week, and this really DOES work for me (and NOT work for me).

Maybe I'll post something about hair next week, but for now, the 13th Amendment really works for me!

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

What's not working?

HR 1388 - The "GIVE" bill (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act)


Now, I think it is good to volunteer. I want my children to volunteer.

But do you know what mandatory (not voluntary) service to the government is called?

Slavery.

Although, it's not really volunteer work, since the "volunteers" get a payoff ($6 billion of taxpayer money to fund it, too.)

I don't like a lot of the restrictions, either. It can't be volunteering for a political party, or volunteering at church. All volunteering must be secular and non-political. One good restriction - one can't volunteer for organizations that provide or refer for abortion services, either. (Wonder why? If there is *nothing* wrong or bad about abortion, why have this provision? One could volunteer at a blood drive, after all.)

And so there will be no missions, no grass roots efforts battling cancerous chemicals in the water supply, or organizing a public awareness campaign against child labor and our import policy...

‘SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

‘(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:

‘(1) Attempting to influence legislation.

‘(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.

‘(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing.

‘(4) Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements.

‘(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office.

‘(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials.

‘(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.

‘(8) Providing a direct benefit to--

‘(A) a business organized for profit;

‘(B) a labor organization;

‘(C) a partisan political organization;

‘(D) a nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and

‘(E) an organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (7), unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities.

‘(9) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive.

‘(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.

It passed the House, and is in the Senate under the Serve America Act.

It's being widely reported that the service will be less than voluntary, but I haven't seen the language that would seem to make it mandatory. I haven't made it through the whole bill, yet, either.

Do we really need to spend billions on making Americans volunteer when we've already spent trillions on everything else?

So doesn't Work for Me.

For more tips, head over to We are THAT family!

H/T Mommylife!

Labels: politics, Works For Me Wednesday

We got our tax refund, and spent way too much money at Ikea (which has been quite a disappointing experience all the way around, requiring 2 trips to Customer Service for returns and I still have to take one more thing back!).

Does it count as stimulating the economy if I send $500 to Sweden?

Shame on Obama. Not only is he the poster boy for demagoguery, going on The Tonight Show, he has to make fun of disabled people, too. He compared his bowling score (129) to being in the Special Olympics. Because, you know, those Special Olympics people are just so pathetic and underpar, right?

Parenting According to Monster Movies
Sums it up nicely, don't you think?

Look! They've cured a spinal cord injury using stem cells! Wait, they are adult stem cells? No big story on how the Feds need to throw more money at dismembering babies for their body parts embryonic stem cell research? Call off the press meeting.

We have a snake. And turtles. And minnows. Remind me why we moved into a house that backs up to a bayou?

After our trip to Ikea, I got several shelves. We've moved the playroom to the room just off the kitchen, and the living room to the front room, and I wanted to set out some Montessori type works.

I made a flower work, a color matching work, a rainbow work, a toothpick and clay work, set out plastic Easter eggs in an egg basket, and arranged our Easter books on the shelf. So the kids ignored all that and chased each other with a spray bottle, instead. Sigh.

Slowly learning sign language. This site has been a big help. Unfortunately, Baby X's favorite things - buses and garbage trucks - have no signs, only finger spelling. But we're doing the best we can.

Check out other Quick Takes over at Jen's!

Labels: 7 Quick Takes, Montessori, politics, Prolife, Special Needs, speech, X

Once there was a family that had rented for 10 years. There were many moves to many states.

After one particularly far move across the country, it appeared that the family had some job stability. Their landlord sold the house they were renting, though, and suddenly they were without a lease and having a difficult time finding a new place to live.

The family explored every option.

The manufactured home people promised to make sure their application (for land and home) would go through. They'd be "extra helpful" by multiplying the family's largest (and with an unusual amount of overtime) paycheck by 52 to get a very inflated yearly salary. Because the family had no credit card debt, the salesman was sure that they would be able to meet the payments.

The family thought that lying on their application was a bad idea, and said "No thanks."

The family explored rent to own options. They were shown houses that were way above their price range (4x their annual income or more) with a high-pressure tactic of affording the payments on a 40 year mortgage.

The family thought that even if the payments were affordable, the houses were too expensive, and said, "No thanks."

The family explored traditional homes with a bank mortgage. The mortgage broker was eager to help this family get into a house, because "they deserved it." The wife thought that the houses that were in their price range were unsuitable, overpriced for the market, and would be tough to sell should the family be transferred. The mortgage broker offered attractive financing, with low payments, 100% financing, and an adjustable rate mortgage. The broker was sure that rates would never rise to the maximum level allowed in the contract.

The family decided that they could not afford the payments if the interest rates increased. At the current income level, they could not pay the theoretical maximum payment (even though that would never happen.) The family said "No thanks."

The family found a rental at the last minute, even though it was a little small (133 sq. ft. per person), was a fixer upper, and only had dirt in the backyard.

One year later... the family that did not buy a house they could not afford is paying for everyone else. ($145 million to California, alone).

The family that did without instead of using credit cards, the family that paid cash for a very used station wagon that smelled like an old lady even though they wanted a Suburban, the family that bought all of their clothes at thrift stores in order to operate on a cash budget - they're paying for it now!

And they are still renting.

Thanks, Obama.

Labels: politics, Rants and Raves

The Anchoress has full coverage of the canceled financial crisis.

The links are great too - settle in with a cup of tea and get your clicking finger ready.

Labels: politics

Actually, the stock market falls whenever the government starts meddling, starting with TARP back in October.

I couldn't find a graphic of Obama's actions and what the stock market did, so I made my own.


(Click to enlarge - it's down 37%)

I think it speaks for itself.

Now he wants to discriminate against the successful Americans. Under his plan, they can't write off their mortgage interest. Is creating a disincentive to invest in large, expensive properties when the housing market is suffering really a good idea? How many people are put to work when a wealthy individual decides to build a million dollar mansion?

They won't be able to write off their charitable donations, either, even as charitable institutions a straining under the burden of providing services for even more people who have lost everything - job, house, retirement plans... Oh, yeah. Government will take care of them. They've done such a stellar job of taking care of education, securing our borders, and eliminating illegal drugs, after all. Surely we can trust them to make sure our babies don't go hungry, right?

I wish he'd stop appointing tax dodgers and pick a few people who actually had a clue!

Labels: In The News, politics

Local Politics
Houston Mayor Bill White has realized his plan is dumb. Sorry, don't really have any other way to spin this.

Mayor Bill White yanked a controversial plan Tuesday that called for the city to use taxpayer funds to pay off some personal debts for first-time homebuyers, following a flood of outrage and criticism from across the city and beyond.

This whole "let's save the homebuyers" is really ticking me off. We chose not to buy a house, because we couldn't afford it. Where's my bailout? We chose not to rack up credit card debt. Where's my money?

BTW - Bill White is less and less popular, every day.

National Politics

Obama's speech - I can't believe he delivered this line without a trace of irony.

The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.

Dependence on foreign oil did not cause our children to inherit a mountain of debt. $787 billion in "stimulus", billions more for housing bailout, billions more for bank bailouts? That is what is causing our children to inherit a mountain of debt.

And who managed to spend over $1 trillion dollars in his first 30 days in office?

That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.

Obama is going to make sure my child has access to a competitive education from the day of birth? I'll take care of my own 1 day old babies, thanks.

I'm assuming he's talking about making federally funded, union-backed public schooling mandatory for all children for all time. Funny how when politicians talk about "education" they never include the parents.

And the day they begin a career? What if they never have a career? What if they become stay at home moms and dads, or care for aging parents, or simply work jobs here and there while fulfilling their dreams in other ways?

I'll believe that the administration cares about education and not the NEA, when I, as a homeschooler, qualify to write my educational expenses off on my taxes.

The State considers me a valid educator - but I don't get to write off our textbooks. It's all spent out of pocket with after tax dollars and I have to pay sales tax on top of it. Other teachers are allowed a $250 credit to pay for classroom supplies, but not me!

So, let's do a quick rundown of Obama spending/proposed spending. (Does this count as math class? I guess not. My children aren't adding 13 digit numbers yet; we're merely in the billions.)

$787 billion for Recovery/Stimulus dream
$25 billion for foreclosure help ($75 billion total, but $50 billion is from the ARRA.)
$634 billion for healthcare reform, paid in part by raising taxes on those pesky wealthy Americans to almost 40%. (pending)
$50 billion to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax (pending)

$1,496,000,000,000 in on month. That's more than the $1.3 trillion Obama inherited from Bush and doesn't include TARP. I thought he promised to half the deficit, not double it.

(And I'm not even sure I got everything, this is just what I could remember him wanting to spend!)

And... the House just passed ANOTHER $410 billion spending bill.

This is what happens when the same party controls the House, the Senate, and the White House.

Meanwhile, I just can't decide what to spend my $13/week stimulus package on. Sunday lattes at Starbucks? New crayons? Hmmm.

Labels: children, education, politics, Rants and Raves

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. References to individual, person, or human being - Legislative
intent. For purposes of interpretation of the constitution and laws of North Dakota, it is the intent of the legislative assembly that an individual, a person, when the context indicates that a reference to an individual is intended, or a human being includes any organism with the genome of homo sapiens.

That's right, the North Dakota house just passed HB 1572, which states that any organism of Homo Sapiens is a person, no matter what stage of development. And, of course, a person is protected from murder or exploitation under the law.

Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, sponsored the bill. "I think North Dakota will be on the map to be the first state in recent years to mount a legitimate challenge to Roe v. Wade," he said. "This is the exact language that's required by Roe vs. Wade. It stipulated that before a challenge can be made, we have to identify when life begins, and that's what this does."

The legislation now heads to the state Senate, where it hasn't been assigned to committee and is not on the calendar. The ND Senate has a Republican majority, but the party hasn't commented on this bill. However, the Senate did just pass a bill that would require abortion clinics to post a notice to women that they cannot be forced to have an abortion.

Of course, there wasn't a peep from the MSM, except a few blurbs in the local press.

Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota has posted a local press release, but as of yet there is no national call to action.

“HB 1572 is dangerous, far reaching and allows the government, not women and families, to make critical decisions about health care,” said Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota (PPMNS).

“Women and families, not politicians, should decide what’s best for their unique circumstances. Whether the issue is abortion, birth control, or in vitro fertilization, women, in consultation with doctors should make these personal medical decisions,” said Stoesz.

How ironic. Stoesz claims women and families should decide what's best. Isn't a child a part of the family? If it is important for them, and not pro-choice politicians, to decide whether it's best that they live or die, shouldn't they be allowed to have a vote (of course, they'd have to reach an age of majority, or at least accountability, before voicing their opinion.)

Of course, Stoesz fails to mention that Planned Parenthood only cares about women and families that are able to purchase services right now. PP could care less about the female children who will never get a chance to grow into strong, independent women able to make critical health care decisions.

Planned Parenthood and the Bismarck Tribune also point out that the law could affect access to contraception and Plan B, but don't clarify that only birth control methods that involve harming an already fertilized egg would be affected. Barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms, will not be banned or eliminated. Is PP now admitting that the Pill actually does prevent the implantation of a new life?

Others have a problem with section 2 of the bill, which states that the legislature will appoint someone to defend the resolution. Rep. Kari Conrad, a Democrat, opposes the measure not for moral reasons but for fiscal ones. "People who presented this bill, were very clear that they intended to challenge Roe versus Wade. So they intend to put the state of North Dakota into court defending Roe vs. Wade," she said.

Labels: In The News, politics, Prolife

I'm glad that Pelosi met with Pope Benedict XVI. His job is to shepherd the flock, and she is obviously ignorant of Church teaching. What a wonderful opportunity to enlighten her about what an "ardent Catholic" (her words) believes! I can only hope that the Holy Spirit did find the meeting irresistible, as a few Catholic bloggers have speculated.

I'm a bad mommy. Guess what I forgot to buy this week? (That's a pineapple upside down cake, with cherries on half since Mr R can't eat them. I do love upside down cakes. I don't have to make frosting for them!)


Truth be told, it's not that I forgot to buy birthday candles, it's that I forgot to check and make sure the 1 yo hadn't eaten them before it was time for cake.

And the newly minted 5 year old has declared she has outgrown all of her 4T clothes and will only wear things with a 5 on the label. Poor, deluded, nekkid girl!

I still have not bought a new pair of shoes. And I'm a bad hillbilly wannabe, too. I could not find a roll of duct tape to save my life, and my neighbor didn't have one either (despite the fact that I bought two rolls prior to Ike, they are not in my hurricane box!). Related: electrical tape does not stick well to rubber soles, but will do in a pinch. And did I mention how much I hate shoe shopping?

I am so very irritated with our electric company's ridiculous billing policies. It's all green energy (mostly from wind, some hydro) but I have about had it and am calling around to switch. Bills are printed on the 5th of the month, and due on the 20th. But they are mailed out bulk mail and are not available online until the due date. My latest bill had a billing date of Feb. 5, but the envelope was postmarked Feb. 13th.

In Houston in the summer, the electric bill can be several hundred dollars and it can be hard to budget precisely.

They do email it but my spam almost always eats it. Why can they email the bill but not show it to me online? Enquiring Minds Want to Know! Paying online costs a fee, but there isn't enough time to mail it in. And if it's a day late, they assess another fee ($7.99)

Also, our rate went up 2¢ per kilowatt hour, so the other companies are cheaper now, too.

This graphic is way better than the stupid one the Houston Chronicle published over the weekend.

Where is the Stimulus Going?

My friend posted about Governmentium, the heaviest element ever discovered. Go read for a laugh!

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Is this not the cutest little house you have every seen? Can you believe it is only 382 sq. ft, and she has a toddler? It was on the sidebar of Eyes of Wonder blog.

See more Quick Takes over at Jen's blog!

Labels: 7 Quick Takes, Friday Fun, Frugal, In The News, politics, V

...from the tree!

Michelle Malkin recently moved to the Denver area, and Obama's arrival (by jet - doesn't he care about global warming and reducing unnecessary trips?) was too much for her to resist.

So she held a protest and my mom showed up.


You can see where I got my "stand on the side of the road with a political sign" gene from!

Labels: Family Life, politics

While all of the new legislation has been floating around (FOCA, CPSIA, Stimulus package) I've been overwhelmed in a depressed kind of way. What can I do? What can any of us do? It's hopeless...

Well, no, it's not. And I'm finally seeing an opportunity.

My Congressman, John Culberson, is on Twitter. He's posted several times today:

johnculberson RT: Call/email Sp Nancy Pelosi & yr Cong NOW to demand that StimulusBill be posted online atleast 72hrs bf floor vote so we can all read it

That's right, Pelosi won't even make the text of the final bill available to the public before the vote. Ask her to make the revised bill public for at least 72 hours before the floor vote so the American public can read it!

Remember SHE works for US.

Pelosi's contact info:

Contact Rep. Nancy Pelosi at sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

Website: www.house.gov/pelosi

Washington, D.C. Office: 235 Cannon House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-0508
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: (202) 225-8259

San Francisco Office: (more district offices) Burton Federal Building 450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: (415) 556-4862
Fax: (415) 861-1670

Find your Senator!

Find your Congressman! Just type in your ZIP code!

Yeah, I'm one of those cranky ladies who's always calling my Congressman's office. YOU SHOULD BE TOO!

Mommylife has info.

Glenn Beck promises a grassroots movement.

I have heard that a fax is best - it has the urgency of a phone call but the weight of a letter. But at least shoot an email and a phone call!

BTW - I'm on Twitter now! Milehimama. Are you on? Tell me who you are so I can follow!

Labels: In The News, politics

Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.

Abortion became legal. Over 50 million children have died since then.

Over 7,000,000 children have been killed since the start of the Iraq war.

These should have been my friends. My coworkers. The parent's of my kids' friends. My children are missing cousins. Good friends are missing brothers and sisters.

Their hope and promise and life are lost, forever. What poverty! We have all been deprived of their gifts. Abortion affects us all.

And it continues.

A sad day.


If you have been affected by abortion, please check out Rachel's Vineyard.

Rachel's Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.

First picture: "Yea Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I Will Fear No Evil" by Frank Pape.

Second picture: "Le Jour des Morts 1859" by William Bouguereau

Labels: In The News, politics, Prolife

I'm recording the inauguration to watch later. A friend told me that 10:30-12:30 Central is the time to watch.

Hey, I actually have to teach civics, per Texas law!

I just realized that if Obama is elected to two terms, then this will be last major inauguration blowout before Mr R can vote! How did that happen?

For fun, take this Civics Quiz! (I saw this on someone's blog but now I don't remember who! If it was yours, leave me a comment I'll give you a link!)

I got a 97%! How the heck did that happen? I hated history in school. And I got all of the economic ones right... must be a fluke!


I don't like Obama. I don't like his policies, the company he keeps, and I think he is a man of low character.

But he is our president and today is an important day for our country.

May God keep all the crazies home today, and may all of our public servants be safe.

Labels: In The News, politics