Happy Birthday, President Lincoln

From one of your youngest (and cutest, no doubt :) ) admirers!

Interesting Idea...

Trying to embed a video:

I just watched this video on the Fox News website, and thought it was pretty amusing. I'm not sure if I'd use the same tactic with Kiddo were he to come home with a report card like that, but it would be tempting. I can't decide what's funnier: the son's reaction to his discipline, the newsman's pointing out that the child did get an A in PE, or the newswoman saying, "Congratulations!" to the family at the end of the video.

What do you think you'd do in that situation?

Support Your Local Library

Well, it's no secret our family depends on the Library for a great deal of our entertainment. I know that when I moved here, I complained that our Library had a poor selection of Storytimes, Young Children's books, CDs, and DVDs. However, I have since discovered the joys of the Inter-Library Loan, unlimited holds, and some wonderful librarians who love our Kiddo and know him by name. They've increased their number of Storytimes, and seen a large increase in attendance, as well. After remodeling, they've added a number of fun new toys and books to the Children's department. The funny/interesting thing I've discovered is that many of the items I've requested for Kiddo from other Libraries throughout our region have recently been purchased by our own Local Library. I like to joke with the Daddy-O that they're tracking what Kiddo reads and watches to see what makes him so special, ha-ha-ha.

Anyway, I saw these two headlines on USA Today which made me really sad.
Country's oldest public library could close this year
U.S. libraries on borrowed time?

Even sadder are many readers' comments implying that Libraries are obsolete because of the Internet. I love being able to access huge amounts of information from my own computer, but for me it could never replace the feeling I get when I wander around the Library. Nothing is better than holding, and even smelling, a new book. And I just don't trust a lot of the information on the Internet-- so much has not been verified for authenticity or even general readability!

Hopefully the Libraries in your area are well-funded, well-used, and well-appreciated. I know that our town also has two small branch libraries, and it is likely those will close soon. So, just in case, make sure to go to the Library this week-- and take a child with you, so they can experience the wonders that can be found therein, too!

He LOVES his "Pwezadents!"

I don't know what President Bush's approval rating has sunk to these days, but he might take comfort in this:

The other night, while sitting in his high chair, eating spaghetti, Kiddo turned to me and said, "We love our current President."

Startled, I looked up and asked, "We do?"

"Yeah!"

To clarify, I asked, "And who's our current President?"

"George W. Bush!" Pausing for a moment, he followed this up with, "I also wuv Wonald Wagon" (Ronald Reagan, of course).

Given that his FAVORITE President is Abraham Lincoln, do you think this means he's a Republican? If so, his Grandpa Martin must be so proud! :)

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I was very lax about Kiddo's bedtime over the Thanksgiving break. Consequently, he was still awake when Barbara Walters' interview with Barack and Michelle Obama aired at 9 p.m. Because he has told me that he "wuvs his Pwezadents," I thought Kiddo might enjoy watching our President-Elect on television. I didn't really expect that he'd pay much attention, but I wanted to watch too, so we settled down in Auntie's living room to watch while Kiddo played off to the side.

Well, I don't know how much he actually listened to, but here is what my little boy took from the ENTIRE interview: "Scoop the POOP!!!"

You might recall that the Obamas promised their little girls a puppy after the election was over. Being a crazy dog lady, Barbara spent a good 5 minutes or so quizzing the Obamas about this important issue. One question that she asked was basically, "Will you expect your daughters to actually take care of the dog themselves?" The Obamas answered that Malia and Sasha will absolutely be tending to their pet's needs. In fact, they will even have to "SCOOP THE POOP!" This phrase made my toddler dissolve into laughter, and until he finally fell asleep-- close to midnight (he is a wild thing when it comes to going to sleep away from home) he repeated, "SCOOP THE POOP!" and giggled several times. I believe it may have even been the first thing he said when he woke up the next morning.

I don't know about your kids, but with my little guy, the more you request that he stop doing something like this, the funnier he thinks it is. So I decided to try to ignore it in hopes that it would lose its thrill. Within a day or two, we no longer heard the phrase. Hooray! However...

Last week at the Library, he asked to play with a group of children seated around a newer toy in the Children's department. They were older and friendly, and of course responded, "Sure!" It seemed to me that Kiddo was just playing away happily, when Daddy-O came over to me and whispered, "Can you hear him? It's so bad!"

"Why, what is he doing?"

"He keeps saying, 'Scoop the POOP! Scoop the POOP!' and he won't stop."

Evidently, the other kids just kind of looked at Kiddo funny, but didn't say anything. We left shortly after that, and on the way home, I recalled that I was pretty sure I had heard these children's mothers discussing their home schooling experiences. I hope they weren't thinking, "Gee, and this is why we don't send our kids to public schools!!!"

Anyway, I know our President-Elect is actually a gifted speaker, and I would like to give Kiddo some other of his more dignified words to remember him by, but currently all I can think of is, "Yes, we can" which is really not entirely original. Any suggestions?

True Courage

Photo: Eva-Lotta Jansson, MSF

In honor of World AIDS Day, here's a link to a BBC photo essay about Joseph, one of the millions of courageous people worldwide battling HIV/AIDS every day. Don't be frightened by the title of the link-- Joseph is one man who now definitely isn't just "waiting to die." He's making his world a better place, one step at a time.

BBC NEWS | In pictures : Lesotho Aids diary - Joseph's day, Waiting to die

BBC NEWS: 50 interesting words

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | 50 of your favourite words

Can I call myself a true nerd or not? I really only knew a small percentage of these words! I don't think that any of the following words are as obscure as those listed in this article, but I like munificent, dilapidated, ersatz, expeditiously, and ephemeral.

Another favorite is not really a word, but a Kiddo-ism: "rependous." This is his accidental combination of "remarkable" and "stupendous," two words I like to use to describe his talents! :)

Maybe the "stars" really are like us... ;)

Russell Crowe's Son Destined to Marry Keith & Nicole's Daughter? - Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe : People.com

This article made me laugh, given that I sort of joke that Kiddo has a list of approved future brides (pretty much just the daughters of my dear friends or people I really admire, with extra points going to those girls whose parents read my blog ... and I request that he should get first shot at Miss Emmarae! :) ). I also thought Mikaela would appreciate this, since she too likes to match-make for Kiddo. It's good to know that Nicole Kidman and I are alike in one way. Too bad it isn't that we could be mistaken for twins...sigh.

Seriously, nobody should be allowed to look this good at 6 months pregnant-- unless we all did!

Love this Little Girl!

Can I just say, that while I'm still undecided about the November elections, I think Piper Palin ROCKS! Here she is at her mommy's 2006 Inauguration. Clearly, Gov. Palin has been upstaged a few times by her little cutie.

My New Hero (and I'm not being cheeky)

I just happened to turn on the tv and Oprah's on. Today she's focusing on people who "found their calling" to help others. She was talking to this man who left his high-paying job at Microsoft to increase worldwide literacy. John Wood is responsible for the donation of 2.8 million books to children in developing countries, the establishment of 5,100 libraries, the creation of local language books, and is providing scholarships for girls and women.

A Room to Read Library in Cambodia, photo by Jayson Morris

On our trip to Lesotho, I saw exactly one Library, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a community library. I had never even thought of such a thing before, and it made me sad. Of course, we had brought 15 or 20 kids' books with us for Kiddo, and it was amazing to see how the children we met, even those much older than Kiddo, were fascinated with his books. They would ask politely to see them and then just pore over them. I felt awful asking for them back, so I did leave a few behind with our family and with our friend, Bokang. But I wanted to give so much more!

John Wood is definitely doing A LOT more; he's changing millions of lives by giving women and children the opportunity to read and to learn. I can't imagine my life without these blessings, and I love what Mr. Wood is doing to bring them to millions of children.

For more information on John's charity, Room to Read, and their wonderful work, please visit:

http://www.roomtoread.org

Or of course, you can always check out www.oprah.com !

The power of words

Have you heard about the controversy surrounding Ben Stiller's new movie, "Tropic Thunder?" Until today, I hadn't. Here are links (which you might have to cut and paste to read) to two opposing columns on the subject:

From the mother of a special needs child:
www.5minutesformom.com/4010/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-retard/

and, from an entertainment reporter:
www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/here_comes_the_tropic_thunder_retardgate

A straight news article by the NY Times appears at:
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/movies/11thun.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

At any rate, in the R-rated movie, Stiller plays an actor who portrayed a "retarded" character in a film. Evidently there are scenes from the film within a film, "Simple Jack," in which Stiller goes over the top in playing a disabled person. There are also several instances in which the word "retard" is used to describe this character. The controversy, then, is the use of this word, and the depiction of disabled people. Many advocacy groups representing disabled people are planning protests, some are even calling for a boycott, while others are saying that such an action would violate free speech. What do you think?

For what it's worth, I wouldn't see the movie whether the word was used or not. I've seen precious few movies in the theater since Kiddo was born, and I can't think of any good reason to waste my money on a film rated R for "extensive use of vulgar humor and profanity." On the other hand, for the most part, I do believe our Constitution guarantees our right to free speech, so even if it's degrading and rude, I suppose the filmmakers have a legal right to make such a film and anyone old enough has the right to watch it. If you read the articles, you can see how the filmmakers explain their choice to use the word. I think I see where they're coming from, but I really don't like their chosen technique for making their point. However, we as Americans also have the right to boycott anything we wish; it's another form of Free Speech, guaranteed by the Constitution.

Some who've posted comments on these various web articles say that those who object are overly sensitive (surely they've never been branded with such a term) and that boycotting is ridiculous and shouldn't be done. I would ask, why? What is a boycott, after all, but refusing to give your money to something you object to? Here are some accepted definitions, according to dictionary.com:

boycott (n)
The refusal to purchase the products of an individual, corporation, or nation as a way to bring social and political pressure for change.

boycott

(n) 1. a group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies

(v) 1. refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with

What in the world is wrong with that? I'm not sure-- there's certainly nothing unconstitutional about spending your money how you choose. And in some cases, boycotts have been quite effective in changing our nation, its policies and ways of thinking. I shudder to think what America might be like today if there had never been a Montgomery Bus Boycott.

And yes, I do object to the use of the word "retard"-- as an adult, I've worked with, and loved, disabled children, and it angers me when people belittle them or marginalize them. I can remember that when I was a teenager, mainstreaming was something of a new idea, and the only time I really saw the Special Ed students was during Lunch or P.E.. I admit that I had little understanding of them or their needs, and did not reach out to them or befriend them, and I regret that. I remember watching the "popular" guys pretend to be nice to one kid in particular-- Steve was his name-- and how excited he was. What he didn't know was that they were mocking him and teaching him to say offensive things to pretty girls so they could have a laugh. I remember feeling sick inside, but thinking I had no power to do anything about it. Now that I'm older, I'm not sure that's true. Certainly I had no influence over those boys who were making fun of him, but I could have befriended him myself or tried to set an example to friends over whom I did have an influence.

It was a year or two later, though, before I really started thinking about the effects of the little things I say or gestures I make, and how they can hurt others. I was staying with my family at a Ronald McDonald House while my newborn niece, Emily, was in the hospital because a bleed in her brain was causing seizures. I was sitting in the common area joking around and talking to someone, and made a gesture to mock myself that I must sadly admit is disparaging toward the disabled. Seated across the room was a devoted mother, feeding her sweet little girl who was confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for herself due to severe cerebral palsy. I don't believe either of them saw what I did, but the shame that filled me was overwhelming, and permanently changed how I think, speak, and act.

Is the word "retard" (as a noun) offensive? Absolutely.

Here's another definition straight from dictionary.com:
re·tard ²

n. Offensive Slang

1. Used as a disparaging term for a mentally retarded person.
2. A person considered to be foolish or socially inept.

Is it "hate speech?" I'm not so sure on the meaning of that particular term. But it's certainly not "love speech" and I can tell you that we don't use that word in our home. Nor do we use the N-word, which to me is one of the ugliest words in the world. I also don't use a certain word that starts with w, and is degrading to women. I won't tolerate others using any of those word in my home. It may be way over the top, but I also don't want the word "crybaby" used in my home. I was branded with that title in the 5th grade for crying "too much" (what's the standard for that, I wonder?) and being "overly" sensitive, and it followed me for YEARS. I want my kids to know it's okay to cry when you really need to, so instead we'll emphasize that one shouldn't whine or wail unnecessarily. I suppose I do misuse terms such as "crazy" or "insane;" I guess I justify that because of my own psychiatric issues, although they're not really that funny, either. So I'm definitely not perfect on this kind of issue, even if I am trying.

To sum up: words have the power to hurt, and I think we spend far too much time tearing people down instead of building each other up. And what for? A laugh? Is it worth it? Probably not. So, should you "boycott" the movie? Well, that's for you to decide. But, if nothing else, consider the message you want to send with your own words, and how you'd like to be treated. Think about how you'd want someone to talk about your child, and how you'd like your child to speak about others.

Kiddo will be so jealous!

Maybe you've heard that Kiddo's favorite number is EIGHT!

Anyway, this lucky Parker Foster Aiken kid (so sounds like a Law firm!) was born on 8-8-08 at 8:08 a.m. Poor Kiddo didn't have any EIGHTS in his birthday... or time, or weight, or length...

Numerology Expert: Clay Aiken's Son Has 'Powerful' Birthdate - Babies, Music News, Clay Aiken : People.com

I love this quote from the "expert" :

"Eight is a very powerful number. It's a number of mastery," says Hardt of Life Path Numerology in Indianapolis, Ind. "It's a number of being in control," he adds "That's why a lot of people are drawn to it."

That must be why Kiddo likes it so much. He's all about being in control!

Something to think about...

It's no secret that I'm a raging perfectionist, at least when it comes to myself. When it comes to others, I usually think they're way cooler, more beautiful, funnier, smarter, more spiritual, more talented, more creative.... and on and on. I've been this way for most, if not all, of my life. Just recently, I read part of a book about the trap of perfectionism, and one thing it pointed out was how we American women are bombarded with images of what it means to be "perfect" all day long. I started thinking about what it would mean to me to be perfect-- as a mother, wife, Primary leader, daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, scholar, worker, homemaker, crafter, etc., etc., etc. (not to mention being a size 4 who never indulges in junk food and exercises 6 times a week)-- and I realized that this perfect lady I'm always feeling bad that I can't be probably doesn't exist. She would have to live happily on less than 4 hours of sleep EVERY day and have 12 or so conveniently retractable arms and legs.

Having this V-8 moment has certainly not ended my feelings of inadequacy, but I find if I can remember to challenge my negative thought processes, I can also spend less time feeling bad about myself. And that's good for everyone.

I just saw the following article on www.time.com, and found it correlates with what I'm trying to teach myself now, after many years being stuck in the perfectionist trap. I think it's an excellent idea, and worth incorporating in our own lives in some small way. Click on the link below to read more. In the meantime, be kind to yourself, 'cuz after all, you rock.... especially if you leave a comment on my blog. :)

Taking On the Thin Ideal - Fit Nation - TIME

BBC NEWS | UK | Prince Harry helps African school

BBC NEWS | UK | Prince Harry helps African school

This is pretty cool. For more info, check out www.sentebale.org

From BBC Online -- World News

Lesotho gardens relieve food crisis

As delegates at the UN food summit in Rome tackle concerns over food production, the BBC's Peter Greste visits Lesotho, one of the countries most at risk from climate change and global food and fuel price rises.

"Keyhole gardens" may have saved Mahaha Mphou's family from starvation

Lesotho's vast highland plains are spectacular places for tourists. Broad and treeless, they offer stunning views of the mountains looming over shimmering gold grasslands.

But they are terrible for farmers.

Decades of intensive agriculture have stripped the land of trees, and exposed soils to wind and rain.

Erosion has created countless miniature canyons that split the plains everywhere you look. The already thin mountain soils have lost virtually all their productive nutrients.

According to the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Efraim Lehata, a typical farmer in Lesotho's maize belt would be lucky to squeeze half a tonne of grain from each acre of land.

They should be able to produce more than 14 times that.

Global forces

The minister bemoans the fact that his country, which used to do well out of farm exports to neighbouring South Africa, now depends on food handouts from organisations like the World Food Programme.

He admits that a lot of the blame rests with the country itself. But with a population of about two million, tiny Lesotho is barely the size of Belgium.

The forces now shaping global food prices are way beyond its control.

"The last summer season, most of our tractors couldn't go to the fields because of the cost of diesel. Now that the price has doubled, we're not expecting any to be able to go," Mr Lehata said. "It is very difficult."

In many respects, Lesotho is a microcosm of the problems facing so many parts of the developing world.

The mountain kingdom in southern Africa sits on a plateau mostly above 1,800 metres altitude, so the growing season is short and its vulnerability to climate change is acute.

With the country struggling with one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates, many of its able-bodied workers have either died or been crippled by disease.

And in what is one of the poorest states in Africa, even the slightest increase in the cost of food or commodities hits painfully hard.

Keyhole gardens

But Lesotho cannot wait for the UN food summit in Rome to come up with ideas, so it has developed some of its own.

Mahaha's family has three keyhole gardens

Mahaha Mphou does not know much about global economics, but she does know how to grow vegetables.

She and the rest of her family of 10 have become some of the most enthusiastic evangelists for a home-grown idea that has almost certainly saved them from starvation.

They are now thriving on what have become known as "keyhole gardens". They are round gardens of about two metres in diameter and raised to waist-height to make them easy for the sick and elderly to work.

Inside, the garden-beds are layered with tin cans, mulch and ash which together provide the nutrients to make the gardens extraordinarily productive.

Ntsie Tlali from Care, the non-governmental organisation behind the gardens, believes they are revolutionary.

Lesotho sits on a high plateau and has a short growing season

"As you can see, (Mahaha's family) has three keyhole gardens and that's more than enough to supply all 10 of them with all the vegetables they need, and with some left over to sell. It's changed their lives."

Because they are protected by the stonework, the rich soils are safe from erosion.

They retain moisture far more effectively than land farmed by traditional farming methods, and they are compact enough to turn the tiniest plot of land into productive agriculture.

'Food is life'

Mahaha says they have also transformed the family's diet: "We're growing so many things, from beetroot to spinach, onions, tomatoes, carrots - everything."

Mr Lehata acknowledged that the gardens alone will not transform Lesotho, "but we've been really surprised by just how well they've worked," he said.

"We expected them to disappear after half a season, but you can see that although we have such cold winters, they are productive all year round. It's been really helpful to our people."

Even so, the one thing the minister wants from the Rome summit is urgent action on the cost of basic farm supplies like fuel, seed and fertiliser.

"Food is life," he said. "If we can't afford that, we're finished."

Page last updated at 12:01 GMT, Tuesday, 3 June 2008 13:01 UK

(However, I don't know who the exact author was, so I can't credit him/her.)

Say It Isn't So!!!

I just read an article that says that Charles Barkley may be in trouble for some gambling debts. I think he hasn't paid something like $400,000! I can't even imagine that! Gambling has never really made sense to me, and it is disheartening to see people wasting so much money when they could be using it to help people. On a personal note, I hope he'll just pay off his debt and get back to doing what he does best: entertaining people.

One thing most people would probably be surprised to know about me is that I LOVE Charles Barkley. I think he's one of the funniest people on the planet. Yes, he's controversial. No, I don't agree with everything he says. Sometimes his language is a bit too colorful. He's brutally honest. But there's few celebrities that I can think of who give a better interview. When I hear he's going to be on any talk show, I get way too excited and make it a point to watch. When I worked at ACT, I even listened to his book, I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It on disc, made my husband listen to it, and also listened to a long interview with him I found in the Books on Tape section of the Library. Really, though, how could you not be intrigued by a title like I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It?

Anyway, in case you're wondering why in the world I love this crazy guy, here's just some of the wit and wisdom of Charles Barkley. I was, however, disappointed that I couldn't find anywhere the exact quote from an interview he did with Jay Leno. It went something like this: Jay teased him about having gotten out of shape. Charles indignantly replied, "I am too in shape. Round is a shape!!!" It was too, too funny. Enjoy!

• I don't care what people think. People are stupid.
• I figure if I kill the first one, word will get out. (on how he plans to handle his daughter being old enough to date)
• I'm still trying to get my grandmother off her old behind and into the Olympics. Why not? She can dust. (on the sport of curling)
• I heard Tonya Harding is calling herself the Charles Barkley of figure skating. I was going to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized I have no character.
• These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it.
• (Charles in response to Kenny Smith's jokes about his weight) I am not fat, it's the camera, it puts on 10 pounds. (Kenny Smith) Well, there must be a whole lot of cameras!
• Sports are not for old guys, this ain't baseball.
• That's wronger than ketchup on pancakes.
• On why he voted for President Bush: "My family got all over me because they said Bush is only for the rich people. Then I reminded them, 'Hey, I'm rich.'"
• "I think the biggest problem is parents are so concerned with being friends with their kids. You're not their friend. You're their parent."
• "I came to the realization a couple months ago that I am fat. If you get tired from walking - and that's all that golf is - then you are officially fat."
• "People say I eat a lot. I really don’t. More or less I just eat all the time.
• "You don't wear Nike, it's going to happen. They gave him all that money to wear those cheap Filas." re: Grant Hill's foot injuries.
• “How long do you think Steve Nash spent on his hair? 5 seconds? 10 seconds?"
• EJ: "Did they recognize you in South Dakota?" Charles: "Yes, they did. It was easy because I was the only black person there. When they see me walking down the street they say 'There he goes again'. And when I come back the next year they say 'He's back yawl!'"
• "My goals are to play the piano and get really, really, really fat."

Can you believe this?!?!

Think your childbirth story is unusual, amazing, or even horrifying? I admit, sometimes I do. BUT, have you read about this one?

Baby born in toilet on train in India, found alive on tracks

Date updated: February 29, 2008
Content provided by Revolution Health Group

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - A newborn baby girl survived an ignoble birth after slipping down the toilet bowl of a moving Indian train onto the tracks when a pregnant woman unexpectedly gave birth while relieving herself on Tuesday.

"My delivery was so sudden," said the Bhuri Kalbi, the mother of the infant, born two months prematurely. "I did not even realise that my child had slipped from the hole in the toilet."

Kalbi, a 33-year-old woman from a village in Rajasthan, fainted on the toilet seat after the birth for a few minutes before waking up and alerting her family.

"They stopped the train and ran on the tracks to find the baby," she said, speaking from her hospital bed in the western city of Ahmedabad.

Railway staff at a nearby station were alerted and soon found the newborn girl lying uninjured on pebbles by the track. She is now in intensive care because of her premature birth, doctors said.

Most toilets on Indian trains are filthy chutes emptying directly onto the tracks.

(Reporting by Rupam Jain Nair; Editing by Jonathan Allen and Sugita Katyal)

©2007 Revolution Health Group, LLC. All rights reserved

I don't think I've ever heard anything like it before!

But where is his helmet?

I hope it's "legal" to share this-- I am giving full credit to the source. It is just so amusing to me that I wanted to post it. Of course, I am very weird... Anyway, I think it will be fun to show it to my kiddo and see what he thinks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Time Magazine's Pictures of the Week:

"Sunday, February 10, 2008
Vroom, Vroom
Oui the frog sits on a miniature motorcycle in the eastern beach town of Pattaya. Oui's owner Tongsai Bamrungthai says Oui enjoys playing with human toys and posing for photographs."

Photo Credit: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters

Saturday...

...is World AIDS Day.

If nothing else, I hope we'll all say a prayer today in which we give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of our own good health and ask Him humbly what we might do to help our 33.2 million brothers and sisters throughout the world who are living, and dying, with AIDS.

Sad, sad news

Just as I was typing the previous post, my husband turned on the news. Suddenly he said,"That guy is in my class!" I looked over to see a report that this young man, a state police trooper and Army National Guardsmen who served deployments in Saudi Arabia & Italy, was killed on his way to assist another officer. 2 other cars, both driven by drunk drivers, crashed into his vehicle, which burst into flames. He leaves behind a wife, his parents, and ten siblings. According to my husband, he was one of the nicest guys. I didn't ever know him, but am deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will certainly be keeping his family in our prayers.

A brief rant

Yesterday, I got some much needed Mommy-time and went to see Harry Potter 5 at the discount theater, which I really enjoyed. But while I was in the restroom, I found further proof of something I guess I've always known. RACISTS ARE SUPREMELY STUPID!

Written on the wall: "Niger's."

Unless this great brain was about to impart some wisdom about the country of Niger before she was interrupted, I think she was showing that she can't even spell the hideous racial slur she felt so compelled to scrawl. I tried to wipe it off, but no such luck.