Friday, March 28, 2014

Kindergartner Told Not To Pray in Lunchroom Because it is "Not Good"

These parents are considering homeschooling.  
My wife and I were shocked when our 5-year-old daughter began to tell us that someone on staff at her school saw her praying – told her to stop – and said “it is not good”. This is Kindergarten. She was praying to herself for her food, following the biblical values we are working hard to instill in our children. We are so proud of our little princess and as you can see – we continue to affirm her that prayer IS GOOD and that NO ONE can tell her she can’t pray. No doubt we will homeschool going forward.
We live in the United States of America – the land of the free, yet our traditional values and religious freedoms are under assault. This is just a small example.
This isn't about your personal views of religion.  It is about her views and her rights.  She was hurting no one by praying silently over her meal.  She was simply taking advantage of the rights that all Americans have to freely exercise their religious views.  

I just wish people would stop denying that religion is under attack in this country.  It most certainly is.  

Don't Believe Your Ears, Senator Reid Never Said What He is on Video Saying


Don't believe your ears.  What you are hearing is simply not true.  White is black.  Black is White.  Up is down.  Just follow along, nothing to see here folks.  

I didn't think it was possible, but he has surpassed Nancy Pelosi.  That is quite an accomplishment there Senator.  

Self Magazine Shames Itself and A Cancer Survivor. So Much For Women's Empowerment

Monika Allen, a brain cancer survivor and marathon runner, was asked by Self Magazine if they could use a photo of her wearing a Wonder Woman shirt and tutu while she was running a marathon.  Ms. Allen was happy about the use of the photo, that is until the issue came out.  


Along with her photo Self put this little editorial


"A racing tutu epidemic has struck NYC's Central Park, and it's all because people think these froufrou skirts make you run faster. Now, if you told us they made people run from you faster, maybe we would believe it."

Nice.  Not only was the woman undergoing chemotherapy at the time she ran this marathon, she made these tutu's herself.  You see she makes and sells them, then gives the money to charity.  She donates money to Girls on the Run.  A charity that helps young girls, aged 8 - 13, engage in physical activities and gain confidence in themselves by learning to enjoy running.  While people make think that isn't that big of a deal, running competitively can transform your self confidence.  When you start doing better you not only gain confidence but want to continue to improve yourself.  The program ends for these young girls by competing in a 5K race.  It is a charity that teaches not only self confidence, but also teaches them discipline and goal setting.  All qualities that young women will need to navigate the world as they get older.  


Instead of Self doing any kind of reporting they just make fun of the woman.  I do not give them a pass by saying well maybe they didn't know she had cancer.  They are a magazine for pity sakes, they could have asked the question.  But no, they just dissed the woman and her outfit.  Now, would I wear that outfit?  Not likely.  But that doesn't mean I get to make fun of someone who does.  I have a few friends that run in marathons.  It is very hard work to get your body into shape to do this.  That is even without health issues.  Just imagine how much harder it is when your brain has cancer in it and you are undergoing chemotherapy?

Self Magazine has released a statement:
In a statement to NBC 7, SELF apologized "for the association of her picture in any way other than to support her efforts to be healthy."
"Of course if tutus make you run with a smile on your face or with a sense of purpose or community, then they are indeed worth wearing, for any race," the statement read.
In the first issue of Self, the Editor in Chief made this statement:
An extraordinary spirit and energy are emerging in women today. Fitness is the fuel. We have acquired a strong appetite for the full experience of life—the exhilaration of the outdoors, the challenge and success of professional work, the honest enjoyment of sex. Selfwill be a guide to the vitality we need to do all the things we want to do.
They certainly have strayed a long way from that mission statement.  

Sadly, the apology is of the non apology variety that is more about covering their own ass.  I doubt they have learned anything from this incident.  Yet one more reason I don't buy into all the hype about "empowering" women.   This is what they did to woman and are only now sorry because they found out she had cancer.  They never bothered to ask where she got the tutu or why she was wearing it.  They just wanted to be catty.  Well Meow to you Self.  

If you want to support Ms. Allen, you can find her facebook page here.  

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Parent's Night for Blacks Only - Apparently White Parents Don't Have Questions or Concerns About Their Child's Education

This happened in Portland, Oregon 

Do these idiots not realize how racist this is?  I guess not.  

H/T KXL 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Quote of the Day - Shelia Jackson Lee Edition

Frankly, maybe I should offer a good thanks to the distinguished members of the majority, the Republicans, my chairman, and others for giving us an opportunity to have a deliberative constitutional discussion that reinforces the sanctity of this nation and how well it is that we have lasted some 400 years operating under a Constitution that clearly defines what is constitutional and what is not. The Enforcement Act is not constitutional, but it gives us an opportunity to raise these issues. That’s what freedom is, that’s what the opportunity of democracy is all about.
 I go out for a few hours yesterday and all of a sudden The Constitution is now 400 years old.  I had no idea I was out for that long.  

Yes, she really said this on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Oh my.  

Sadly, there is no chance she will lose re-election in November.  Obviously it doesn't matter to her voters that she is as dumb as a box of rocks.  

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Quote of the Day - Senator Cory Booker Edition

The first thing I did when I got my driver's license at seventeen is drive to Hawaii
Alrighty then.

Not quite Jesus as he walked on water, but close.  He drove across the Pacific Ocean.   How long does that take, I wonder?

I am sure those in New Jersey are quite proud.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

CPAC 2014 Straw Poll Results


Rand Paul 31%
Ted Cruz 11%
Dr. Ben Carson 9%
Gov. Chris Christie 8%
Gov. Scott Walker 7%
Rick Santorum 7%
Marco Rubio 6%
Paul Ryan 3%
Gov. Sarah Palin2%
Gov. Mike Huckabee2%
Condi Rice 2%
Gov. Bobby Jindal 2%
Gov. Rick Perry 3%

Close to half, 46% were between the ages of 18 and 25

51% disapprove of republicans in congress.  I am actually surprised it was that low.

52% would like to see Europe and other allies start to provide their own national defense.

41% would like to see marijuana to be legalized and taxed.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Just In Case You Were Unclear of NJ Teen Motives in Suing Her Parents

Oh my.  Ms. Rachel posted this on her Facebook fan page.  Education for Rachel.
“Suburban baby boomer types are the spoiled lot, they make massive amount of money a year, they are used to flying to luxury destinations when they want, and buy things that they don’t need, people should be inclined to see things Rachel’s way.  We have been stunned by the financial greed of modern parents who are more concerned with retiring into some fantasy world rather than provide for their children’s college and young adult years. In today’s economy there are no more meaningful jobs and without family help it’s usually military or bust. We see parents like this every day, children were always an accessory to them and nothing more, once that accessory grew up and went out of fashion, much like a marriage that people allegedly commit to, the child becomes a throwaway, that’s just how it is.”
Really?  How dare parents save for retirement?  What kind of monsters are they?  Go ahead and read the page, it is all me, me, me, and more me.  She talks about herself in the third person.
She may have legal standing with her college fund as they are usually set up in the child's name, but apparently that isn't enough for this young woman.  She wants 100% of education funded.  It just amazes that the adults in her life are funding not only this behavior, but this mindset.  What are these parents teaching their own children?  I guess if one of this family's kids commits a crime they can use the Affluenza defense.
I do have one question for Ms. Rachel, if there are no more meaningful jobs why bother to spend the money on an education, you can just then sue for your family to support the rest of your life, right?  Oh yeah, you want to party for a few years.

Monday, March 3, 2014

When Does Your Job as Parent End? New Jersey Teen Suing for Parents to Pay College Tuition

Rachel Canning, an 18-year-old senior in a private Catholic high school has filed suit in Superior Court in New Jersey to pay back bills on her high school tuition and to give her access to her college fund.  Rachel turned 18 last fall.  After her 18th birthday she moved in with the family of her best friend (whose father happens to be an attorney who is funding this lawsuit).  She has been attending school since that time and is an honor student.
Her parents claim that she wasn't following the rules of the household.  They say she wasn't doing her chores, wasn't coming home by her set curfew, was disrespectful, didn't treat her sisters very well, and there seems to be an issue with a boyfriend that her parents don't particularly care for.  They believe he is a "bad influence".
Sean Canning said that a DCP&P representative visited his home for about three hours last fall, found nothing amiss, determined that Rachel was “spoiled” and discontinued the investigation. He said that he and his wife are beside themselves that discord with their daughter has reached this level.
Attorney Laurie Rush-Masuret, who represents the parents, said in court papers that Rachel emancipated herself and removed herself from her parent’s “sphere of influence” by voluntarily moving out of their house “as she did not want to abide by her parents’ rules....”
Rush-Masuret and Sean Canning said that Rachel was seeing a therapist long before moving out and is supposed to take medication. The parents contend she had disciplinary problems at school last term, was suspended twice, ignored her curfew at home and bullied her younger sister.
This in many ways boils down to our house, our rules.  Virtually every young adult has heard that coming from at least one of their parents.  But how far does the responsibility of parenting go once the child has turned of legal age?  She is still in high school so it does seem fair to me that her parents pay the back tuition of the school they had her enrolled in before this incident took place.  That seem very reasonable to me.  But she kind of loses me when it comes to the college education.
No parent should be forced to pay for a college education.  Has that become a "right" now as well?  My parents didn't pay for mine.  My mother was from a generation that believed that girls didn't need to go to college.  She has since realized that is not true in the world we live in today, but when I was in high school and college, she firmly believed that.  Should I have taken her to court to try to get money?  That seems more than just a little absurd to me.
We don't know the details of what happened.  This is going to come down to the parents word against hers.  I am sure they will both be able to find witnesses that can testify to their version of the story.  It then leaves a judge to decide is it really the parents responsibility to support an adult while they are in college if they don't want to?
It seems that New Jersey law may be on her side:
The mere fact that a child has turned 18 is not an automatic reason to stop financial support, according to Helfand and several longtime family attorneys in Morris County. A key court decision in the state specifies that, “A child’s admittance and attendance at college will overcome the rebuttable presumption that a child may be emancipated at age 18.”
Prominent family-law attorneys Sheldon Simon and William Laufer both called the lawsuit highly unusual and Laufer said he has seen nothing like it in 40 years of practice.
“A child is not emancipated until they’re on their own,” Simon said. “Even if a child and the parents don’t get along, that doesn’t relieve the parents of their responsibility.” Laufer noted that under New Jersey law, a child can still be declared nonemancipated even if there is a hiatus between high school graduation and college.
So let me get this straight, a child turns 18, the legal age of adulthood in this country, finishes high school, hangs out for a year or two doing heavens knows what, decides to go back to college and then should be expected to remain a child and stay the financial responsibility of the parent?  Got it.
Is it any wonder that people today are leaning more and more to nanny state government?  Now it could be that this law was designed for purposes of getting student loans.  If the child is still dependent on the parent for financial support, then the parents income is what grants and loans for college is based upon.  Most will likely receive more aid if they are nonemanicpated.  But in any case, it is still telling an adult that someone else is responsible for your life, your finances, and your choices.  I have no problem saying that to a parent who is under the age of 18 or still in high school.  But when do we draw the line, legally speaking?
A parent that has a child that they feel is disrespectful and acting like a spoiled brat may have very good reason for saying hey honey, you are on your own.  You made these decisions now you live with the consequences of them.  The parents in this case have kept the car that they bought for their daughter.  They also say that they have done nothing with the college fund that they had set up for her and that she will have access to it.
It will be very interesting to see how this case plays out.  Ms. Rachel should consider herself very lucky that I won't be making this decision for her.  Her parents don't owe her that college fund.  They did that because they wanted to, not because they "had" to.  It isn't the responsibility of the parent to pay for a college education.  If they want to and can help that is wonderful, but it certainly isn't something that is a "right" or should be forced by the rule of law.  The parents should pay the remaining tuition of her high school education.  After that, their job is done.  A college education can be had when the parents don't pay for it, I am living proof of that.

Matthew McConaughey Acceptance Speech for Best Actor Oscar - Video

I simply loved this speech.  Very sad to see all the comments on you tube.  But, I am not at all surprised.  I did see the movie and thought it was well deserved and his humility at the win is quite refreshing.  


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