Crickett's Corner

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

2010 is a unique Thanksgiving for my son. He will be eighteen in February and this holiday season he has been reminding me this will be his "last Thanksgiving and Christmas as a child." Yes, the magical number eighteen, as a teenager you dream how your life will suddenly change as you become an "adult."
Thanksgiving is my sons least favorite holiday. He does not like the food that is served on this day. When he was seven he sat down for Thanksgiving and looked at the spread and said "we had this last year!" I laughed and said "this what you eat every year on Thanksgiving." he looked at me in disbelief. When you think about what is eaten on Thanksgiving do you ever question the choice?
Turkey is dry and really not a good meat. I eat turkey only once a year and generally it is a very small piece. Dressing or stuffing I have never found this in my grocery basket, pantry or grocery list if it is not November. Cranberry sauce, that is another item I never eat. The only way the turkey is eatable is smothered in cranberry sauce. Another staple on my Thanksgiving menu is pea salad. Pea Salad is the one dish I actually like. I am not sure if I really think it is tasty or if it reminds me of my grandmother and it reminds me of how much I loved her. Pumpkin pie, is not even sweet and does not taste like a desert, but rather a thick, creamy mass that has to be choked down with every bite.
Thanksgiving dinner is not an appetizing meal but rather a menu you endure once a year, surrounded by the love of friends and family. When my son asked me why we eat this every year I did not have an answer for him at seven, but at seventeen I do. I will tell him this year as he is on the cusp of adulthood this meal is served so we can remember that for 26 years before he even existed my grandmother made me pea salad and gave me a hug. When he was one year old he had chicken pox and slept through thanksgiving dinner. His 5th Thanksgiving was spent with his cousin and the neighborhood boys pushing wagons around the circle drive. When his sister was five she was "thankful for being pretty." On his 10th thanksgiving he found $5o dollars in the street while playing with his best friend. On his 14th Thanksgiving we had the worst tasting green bean casserole ever made, but it was made with such love and planning every last drop was eaten. On his 16th thanksgiving a 20 minute trip to the grocery store turned into a 2 hour walk in search of pre-made broccoli and rice casserole. His 17th thanksgiving was spent on a blowup bed in his uncles living room playing "sense-around" video games .
Thanksgiving is not about the meal. but about the the memories. Maybe that is why we serve the same thing every year so we can go back in time if it is only for one day.

Midland Bulldog Football

2009-03-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

My son has played football since he was 8 years-old. He started playing flag football through the Y & in the 3rd grade he started playing GMFL Football. He played in junior high and his freshman & sophomore year. He lived and breathed football.
From the time he was a little boy his dream was to be a Dallas Cowboy! WOW! As his mom I have been so proud! He is a good boy. He has always been my laid back "surfer baby." Never gets too excited and not much bothers him. In other words he is "good natured" and pretty much the perfect child!
He had his 16th birthday in February and on March 5th he told me "I quit football!" WHAT! He decided he did not want to play anymore because it is "no longer fun" and he is tired of "hurting 4 hours a day."
Being a hands-on parent I called his coach, emailed his counselor, called his friends, called his friend's mom's, took his cell phone, took his car keys,
tried bribery and begging! 5 days later his mind still did not change.
I have resolved myself to the fact that his mind is made up and as my husband pointed out "if he doesn't want to play you cnat make him!" I finally gave him back his keys and said "here are your keys. I want you to know I do not support your decision, I do not want you to quit and I am disappointed." He stood up, gave me a huge hug and said "Mommy I love you. Give me some nummies (his word for hugs and kisses when he was a little boy) and Mom I promise I won't do drugs!"
I suppose if he is intelligent enough to have a drivers license, mature enough to oppose the use of drugs and wise enough to know his body was hurting form the wear and tear of being a lineman I can be wise enough to support his choices even if I do not agree with them!
He spent this afternoon looking for a job and this evening working on a biology project. I am lucky to have such a great kid and I guess I wont' die if he doesn't play football! But hey I grew up in Oklahoma and live in Midland in other words "without football what is there?"

Octuplets

2009-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about the woman in California that was blessed with 8 babies that appear to be doing very well. I think each child is a blessing and a gift from God. When i was a little girl I use to lay in bed a t night and wonder what my name would be when I grew up. I did not think "Lisa" sounded like an adult person's name. This may be where my name obsession came from.
I had 100 names picked out for my children when I was growing up. Thank goodness I met and married a very reasonable man that insisted on normal names for my children.
My mother use to tease me that I was going to name my child Jenny and spell it Gyne or some bizarre way because not only did I like usual names i liked unusual spellings. I loved the children's books Flicka, Ricka, & Dicka and Snip, Snap, Snur because of the tricky names of the characters.

Naming 8 children at one time would be quit a task. I would go for simplicity such as
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & January or Winter.

Crickett

2008-12-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Thinking about my Crickett and missing her so. Sometimes the thought of her still takes my breath away. If only Christmas miracles really did come true.

Crickett my baby girl, my friend....I love you!

Fiona Found Her Home

2008-06-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi

"Is that dog still at our house?" Is a question I hear regularly from my husband & son. I am beginning to think I am a stray pet magnet. I view pets as family members and feel give a household peace and balance. When you stop and think about a pet's life they have it made. They are fed, loved, cared for, babied and treated with bacon flavored treats for performing. I go to work everyday while they lay around relaxing. I come home from work and feed them, not once have they had my dinner prepared, but if I am running late sometimes they do leave me unpleasant little presents. As the human in my home I sometimes wonder if they are my master!

We lost our precious Crickett two years ago in an unspeakable tragedy. She was our baby. Every morning she would run fast laps around the backyard then she would come back into the house, run to the hallway and sail four feet into the air landing perfectly into our bed. Crickett was the Houdini of pet escape. Every chance she has she would roam the neighborhood. When I think of her short life I know it was a life of adventure and she lived it to the fullest. Among the many things I miss her tiny feet, her big eyes and her warmth as I sleep.

We currently have four dogs. They understand English and follow our words as we ask "Are you hungry?" Do you want to go outside?" "Come in the house." " Where is your sister?" "Daddy's home." And if you stop and listen with your heart they do talk back.

When I see a lost animal my heart goes out to them. I know they miss their family. I know they are scared, hungry and lonely. I have been quit blessed in reuniting lost pets with their families. All it takes is a little perseverance, a few signs, an add in the newspaper and a visit to the pound.

I think I do this because to loose a pet is devastating. When the pets and owners are reunited they are so happy. Sometimes they cry, sometimes they laugh, but most times they just kiss and hug each other!

As an animal lover I have to remind myself that they are not people, then again maybe they are.

Automatic Chicken

2008-04-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

In the days of go, go, go my husband thought it would be a great idea to get away for a long weekend. We headed to the heart of Texas, Utopia Texas, and surprised our three children, two of whom are teenagers, with a cabin stay on the Sabinal River.
We took a quick look around, the cabin was small, but easily slept six. The cabin was equipped with a kitchen and a fireplace. "Hey mom, where is the TV?" "Hey dad does your cell work? I don't have any reception." "Mom where is the microwave?" Welcome to Fox Fire Cabins a modern day Little House on the Prairie! Okay that is a little extreme, but we spent three days with no television, no cell phone, no text messaging, no warmed cans of soup and the kids had no contact with anyone other than each other. I must say it was quit nice.
We strolled through the paths of trees, wadded in the cool water and played
a few board games (not 'bored games" as my 10 year old pointed out). When a life of go, go, go isn't getting you anywhere, it is time to take a step back and stop.
I think our step back was just in time! When we arrived my 13 year old was so enthralled in her fast paced, electronic induced lifestyle, that when she spotted a chicken and it started to move she said "is that automatic?" It took her a few seconds to realize it was a live chicken and was free to roam the cabin site. She did not warm up to the chicken over the weekend, but she did survive a weekend without Myspace! My 15 year old son and 10 year old daughter bonded and he even taught her how to noodle (catch fish with your hands).
As Monday started another week of go, go , go, and we got back into the swing of things with work, school, and my second job as a unpaid chauffeur, I relished in my memories of my weekend with an automatic chicken.

Election 2008:Will it ever end?

2008-03-18T16:42:00.001-07:00

It looks like John McCain will be the Republican nominee. He was not my first, second, third or even fourth choice. Politically and philosophically I agree most with Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee was a very close second. I do not know why John McCain considers himself a republican this would be like me considering myself a liberal.
I am disappointed that Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are not going to be the president and vice-president, but that is not why I am ready for this election to be over.
Have you heard any issues from either party? Have you heard anyone discuss the situation in Iraq, the plague of illegal immigration, the failing US schools, the epidemic of school shootings that have now escalated to include college students? No one is discussing anything of merit this year.
The topic of conversation for this election seems to be race and sex. Two things that really should not matter in life. Do the media outlets have to dwell on the fact that Barack Obama is black/half black or that Hillary Clinton is a woman? I really do not care what race or sex they are anymore than I care what race George W Bush happens to be. I do not ever recall him or any other candidate in the past being referred to as the male, white candidate.
Instead this year we hear "Why does Barack Obama, the black candidate, no longer wear the American flag on his lapel?" Then in the next breath "Why does Hillary Clinton, the female senator from New York, select such bad clothing." Often times I feel like I am watching E-News and they are going to,flash photographs of them walking down the red carpet!
We in the United States like to consider ourselves above racism and sexism but headlines in the nations newspapers, the media tickers that run across the television screen and the voices heard on the radio airwaves have proven that really is not the case.
Why does Barack Obama have to be black and why Does Hillary Clinton have to be female? Why can't they just be candidates?

CNN Question of the Day: Do you worry about the FBI spying on you?

2008-03-13T19:49:00.001-07:00

Please tell me the FBI has better things to do than spy on me!
74% of the people participating in the survey answered no. The other 26% that answered yes is what concerns me. Are they narcissistic, paranoid or GUILTY?

It's Generational

2008-03-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Do you play car games with your kids while on a road trip? This weekend my daughter's and I attended a wedding in Abilene. Along the way we played I Spy, License Plate's, Find a _______, and Alphabet Game. These games eventually lost their thrill, so we invented our own games. I thought this would pass the time, little did I know it would show me the differences in our generations.

We started out playing Name 5 boys/girls names that start with the letter ___. The first turn was mine and I had the letter "L". I said Lisa, Linda, Laura, Lindsey & Lucy. Simple enough right. The next time was my 10 year old's turn. she had the letter "R". She said the names Ryan, Reece, Reed, and then stopped, she was stumped. I suggested Russell & Richard. She said "no I don't know anyone by those names." My 13 year old threw in the name Rylee and they agreed that name would be acceptable. The next letter was "T" as I was driving I thought of names starting with the letter "T". Names such as Tim, Todd, and Taylor immediately came to mind. As my daughters started to speak I expected these names to flow out of their mouths instead they said Tucker, Trystin, Tarabithia (lot's of laughter followed that one). Names that never entered my imagination, are normal everyday occurrences for my children's generation. This game went on for about 10 more minutes and we switched to "Name a car that starts with the letter____." I suggested the letter "H". I expected Honda and Hummer to come out of daughters mouths instead I heard "hybrid."

Just when I thought a 4 hour car trip would be a bonding experience I find a child named Tucker and a car called Hybrid. I feel old and long for a Timothy, a Teresa and maybe even a good ole' station wagon.

Though I must admit the name Tucker is growing on me.

But then again the radio did seem too loud!

Midland Texas ???

2008-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

I recently flew to Austin and was asked by another passenger about the attitude in Midland. Her question took me back so I asked her to clarify what she meant. She stated that she had read that everyone in Midland was wealthy and are very unaccepting of "outsiders." I pondered if I agreed or disagreed. I finally told her and I quote "A friend of mine, who was born in Midland and has lived here over 40 years, told me once "Midland is full of $24,000 a year Millionaires." This sums up Midland. Midlander's tend to play games over prosperity & are experts in keeping up with the Jones'. My husband & I earn under $100,000 per year. We are very conservative with our money and have no debt. When you drive around Midland you will see lots of Hummers and other SUV's but then these drivers might be using a Lone Star Card. The majority of people in Midland like to act like they are "rich" when they aren't. It is an attitude. I think there are people in Midland that are very wealthy (I have not ever seen any of them on the Forbes list, which is what I think of when I think of wealthy). The median income in Midland is in around $40,000 per household. I think the people with the biggest "uppity attitudes" are the ones that make $40,000. I know a couple that are from the Kellogg cereal family and they are sweethearts. The doctors/other income earners I know that make over $200,000 per year are also very nice. Midland is a generous community. My middle daughter is in private school and the parents there are kind and down to earth, but my son and youngest daughter are in public school and the majority of these parents seem to snub their noses at me. Hard to say what the attitude is, but then you can live here and not play that game. I go about my business and really do not care what they think. My children love their friends and are growing up in safe community."
She seemed puzzled by my answer and said "but doesn't everyone in Midland live in a mansion and have a private plane?" I laughed and said "only when they are playing who wants to pretend they are a Midlandaire!"

Breaking US Laws

2007-09-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Once again I have received emails calling me a racist. I would like to once again reiterate: I do not condone breaking the law for any reason. If a person comes into the USA without permission they have violated the laws of the USA.

Please do not send me hate filled comments, because you disagree with my point of view.
I encourage each and everyone that reads my blogs to look up the word racism. I do not use hate filled speech and once again I do not use racial slurs. I detest these words and to write that I am using or saying these things is absolutely false!

I do not condone anyone breaking our laws. I view entering the USA without permission the same as any crime.

It does not matter if you are white, black, brown, yellow, orange, green or invisible if you break the law you will reap the consequences. It is not a matter of race it is a matter of law. If you do not like the law -work to change it-

Area 51 and the Hollywood After Life

2007-09-10T08:04:00.001-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with the unusual. As a small child my favorite author was Edgar Allen Poe and my favorite book was Guinness Book of World Records. The peculiar is fascinating. Do UFOs exist was a thought that I contemplated daily throughout my life as a child, teen and young adult. Not that I have reached my 40th year, and cell phone camera phones are everywhere, UFO sighting s have dwindled. I have read books, thought, articles on the subject of area 51. They are all plausible, but still unproven.

I have long had my own thoughts on Area 51. I think maybe it started when I was a child and saw a picture of James Dean. I must admit he was a cutie. To think that such a young, handsome man died was sad. Then there was Jim Croashie. I really liked his music too. Marilyn Monroe was way before my time, but she is timeless. Her beauty, to this day jumps, from the printed page. Elvis died when I was about 9. John F Kennedy died or so we have all been told.
Have you noticed that there are sightings of Elvis, theories that John F. Kennedy did not die in Dallas and sailed away with Jackie O on Aerstotole Onassis yacht. Have you ever wondered if famous people truly die or if they really even exist?

I think "stars" are created in Hollywood and are images we are told to believe. They are all rich, have glamorous lives, live in mansions, drive unbelievably cool cars. Live the life of luxury, ordering thousands of dollars worth of clothes hangers, paying assistants to open their Christmas presents, adorning their pre-schooler's in diamonds.
Have you ever met a movie star in real life? I have seen three in real life. I am not talking at Hollywood parties, concerts, paid events, but out and about in everyday life. The first was Peter Fonda in Austin, Texas at Antone's. The other was Luke Wilson. He looks much younger in real life and if I had not been told it was him, I might not have noticed the resemblance. He was behind a fence and was treated like a VIP.
I have long believed that "stars" are figments of our imagination.Television and computers are in our homes. We are inundated with beautiful men and women, but I have never seen anyone at the grocery store, hospital, mall, airplane, restaurant that looks like someone on TV. I have a dog named Trixie, her nick-name is Trixel. I think these "stars" are really pixels. They do not make millions of dollars per film, they do not have these fascinating lives.They do not exist, except in the eyes of our hearts. We want to believe that Tom Cruise married Katie Holmes an had this baby. She even looks at least a year older than she is supposed to be. She is the biggest, most coordinated baby I have ever seen. Her photo's sold for millions, or so we are told. Do you know anyone with this kind of money? Have you ever met a real person that has this kind of money? I have not. I am told that that there are people that have these 30,000 square foot mansions, but I have never actually seen it.
A few days a go it was published that my town was 15th in the nation for per capita income. Our per capita income is $45,000. Where do the stars fit into this whole scenario? We hear of being on the bottom and making it big. Have you ever met any of these people? I have not. Everyone I have ever met or come across in my life are pretty much economically the same as they were as birth. I know no one that was born dirt poor and is now rich. I think people are born and die pretty much the same economically.
So where is all of this money in Hollywood. The FDIC only insures bank accounts for $100,000 so if they have millions of dollars, where is it kept?

When Elvis died did he go to heaven? Or did he possible go to Area 51. That is my theory. Area 51 is where Hollywood has beens go to live after they die. How easy would it be to create a desert city for celebrities that want out of the limelight? Have you ever thought they get so big there is no where for them to go except to die. Like the death of Anna Nicole Smith. She was young and beautiful. Her tabloid life continues even after she is gone. Her tabloid life has a daughter and this "heir " to be still continues.
I envision all of these stars hanging out at Area 51, minus the cars, minus Hollywood reality. Have you noticed a lot of Hollywood stars look alike. Take for instance Toby McGuire, Jake Gylenhall, Topher Grace. They could be triplets. Patrick Swayzee and Kurt Russel look alike. Think about it. How many actors and actresses can you name that look alike? Do you ever see anyone on the news or a commercial and think, to your- self they look like that girl from Mad-TV?
Do you find it odd that a cartoon existed called Laura Croft, then she was animated and became a video game and low and behold there is Angelina Jolie who looks just like this drawing?
There are little children that have been orphaned and need families. What better way to convince ordinary people to adopt then present a beautiful star who opens her home to orphans from around the world?
Obesity is taking over our nation, but Hollywood stars are becoming thinner. Is this a ploy to get ordinary people to eat healthier and try and look like a star. Do you remember 20 plus years ago when Oprah Winfrey's picture was altered and her face was put on a much smaller body? If they could do it then, this was prior to the home PC, why the heck couldn't it be done everyday.
Michael Jackson was the end all be all in the 80's. His moon walk was the coolest thing ever viewed on live television. Now he is looks like a combination of Nora Desmond, from the Carol Burnett show and Liza Minnelli's ex husband. Do you think this is a coincidence? I don't. Michael Jackson had all of the money, now he is broke, his only friend a couple of years ago was a Price form Bahrain. Citibank now has a click able link to Islamic banking on their website and the USA was terrorised by an Islamic terrorist. It all seems like a full circle to me.
I do not think any surgeon would actual perform surgery on Michel Jackson and make him look like he does. I think if Michael Jackson ever existed he is wearing a mask, because to live as a person he had to be able to not be recognized. When he wants to be known he puts on his Michael Jackson attire and goes out in public, the rest of the time, he looks like he did prior to Thriller.
Think about how much money is generated from magazines, TV, movies, billboards, fiction!
My 6th grade teacher claimed television was "a monster box." We all thought she was crazy. Maybe she was right. We are inundated with Hollywood and what we are told is real, but who is getting rich? The only ones I see are the ones in Hollywood that I have only seen on the printed page.
Take a look around, the kid in your living room is real, the damsel on the screen is not, except in someones imagination.

Spinning out of Control

2007-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

The first time I remember Lindsey Lohan she was a sweet, little, red haired girl that met her identical twin sister after many years apart at summer camp. It was a feel good movie, acceptable for the entire family.
Sad to say, this has not endured. Unfortunately this sweet, little girl has grown up in the limelight & her life is spinning out of control.
Who should we blame? I say first and foremost the media and paparazzi that have put her on page one for years. I find it ironic that last year she was the media darling and every tabloid magazine and tabloid scoop show were chronicling her every move. Now that she is in a difficult place emotionally they bail. Pretty sad. They have used her for years to sell magazines and get ratings on their tell all shows. The other night one talk show was discussing distancing themselves from her until she gets it back together or as they seemed eager to report "kills herself first." I think they are the losers! She was 10 to 12 years old and paid millions and followed around like she was the next Jesus Christ! Did anyone guide her to become a responsible adult? From what I have seen of her parents, I would say NO! Was she used? Was she catered too? Was everything she said and did applauded? Frankly, did everyone in her life kiss her butt? I would yes. They are "hangers on." She has a quality that is seen rarely. She was beautiful, talented, likable and vulnerable. Usable. Given millions of dollars. Did anyone offer her any type of guidance? Did anyone tell her with your many God given gifts you have the opportunity to change the world through philanthropy?
Is Lindsey Lohan different than Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and years ago Drew Barrymore? The media giants and movie empires have used these girls for their benefit. Whose idea was it to dress Britney Spears up like a 25 year old prostitute when she was 15? Why did her parents allow this to happen? Parents are supposed to protect and love you and tell you no and explain why this is not in your best interests. Did anyone do this for these girls?Now that they are young adults and are in trouble with the law, unwed and pregnant, addicted to drugs and alcohol their major sponsors are pulling out.
To the club owners, club patrons, media moguls, assistants, producers, parents and fair weather friends I say shame on you!
These are girls. Girls that should be cherished, praised, educated and guided to become adults and offer society what they have been put on this earth to do.
Just like Anna Nicole Smith. She was a loving beautiful woman that was used, used and used again, until in all reality she passed away of a broken heart.

To all of the girls in Hollywood, that have been used and spit out in recent months, I say run, run, run while the people that are using you say get ready, get set, don't go!
RUN! Save yourself, because the people that are bailing on you, are not your friends, and even when you are back in their good graces, I promise they will bail on you again, the minute you make a mistake or someone more profitable comes along!

Why Would a Normal Mother....? She Wouldn't & She Didn't!

2007-06-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Update: Christopher Vaughn was arrested 6/23/2007 on 8 counts of murder! Justice will prevail. May his beautiful wife and 3 lovely children truly rest in peace.

When I read on http://www.foxnews.com/ that a mother & her three children were shot and killed in a red SUV, but the father survived with only a gunshot wound to the leg: I thought how devastating, to lose your entire family, at once.
As the next 24 hours unraveled and the investigation proceeded, the surviving father indicated his wife, of nearly 13 years shot him, then their children, before taking her own life.
Why, why, why? All indications given during interviews with family, friends and neighbors the couple, Christopher & Kimberly Vaughn, were a happily married couple, devoted to their three children.
Christopher Vaughn told investigators that the family was headed to a Springfield, MS. water park for a day trip. They left their family home in the Chicago, IL suburb of Oswega in the pre-dawn hours. Within 40 miles of their adventure 4 peoples lives were violently taken. Christopher Vaughn told investigators he stopped to check the luggage, on top of the SUV, and when he started to get back into the SUV, his wife started firing a gun at him, causing him to flee in fear.
Kimberly Vaughn was a beautiful 34 year-old, loving and protective mother. All reports indicate she was not mentally ill. Why then did she kill Abigayle, Cassandra, and Blake? Why did she do this, within days of celebrating her 13 wedding anniversary, at the same bed and breakfast at which she honeymooned? Why did she shoot her children multiple times? I have counted and recounted, "multiply times" would have to indicate at least 8 bullets were fired. This leads me to two more questions; how many bullets does a handgun hold and did she reload the gun?
The question that I find most perplexing; Why would a family, taking a day trip, to a water park need luggage? I have asked myself this question, countless times, since news reports indicated that Christopher Vaughn implicated his wife in the shootings.
Three older children ages 8,11, and 12 would not need floaties, diapers or strollers. All I can imagine that would be necessary for a day trip to a water park, is flip flops, a swimsuit , a towel and possibly an extra change of clothes, but the extra change of clothes would be a stretch. The family was traveling in a Ford Expedition, which seats 8 adults and has a large storage area, behind the rear seat, with more than enough room for an ice-chest and three large suitcases. There would be no reason to have an extra luggage carrier strapped to the top of the Expedition, for a day trip to a water park.
How do I know this? I have a Ford Expedition. We traveled from Midland Texas to Las Vegas, NV for 5 days with three kids and did not need to use our luggage rack and we also took 2 cases of bottled water.
What could they have packed that required the upper luggage rack?
Possibly a gun! Could Christopher Vaughn have planned to slaughter his entire family and conveniently hid the gun in the luggage rack?
News reports indicate gunshot residue tests have been performed on Kimberly Vaughn and Christopher Vaughn. When these results are analysed many of these questions will be answered. Christopher Vaughn has not been named a suspect and by all accounts is cooperating fully with police. Women very rarely commit suicide, by shooting themselves, and the mothers that have committed infanticide in the past have seldom used a gun.
The whole episode was unduly violent and leaves many unanswerable questions. Please keep the Vaughn family in your prayers and pray for the investigators to have a clear picture of what happened in the early morning hours of June 14th 2007.

Mean Girls

2007-05-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met a mean girl? If not come to Midland Texas and hook-up with a few 6th grade girls. Yes 12 year old girls they are beyond MEAN. Not all of them but a few. They are not the scum of the earth, but those from middle class to upper middle class families. The ones you have known since birth. Something has taken over their souls & ruined reputations. Their lies are bizarre and their purposes are evil.
This year my daughter learned a hard lesson. That a true friend is few and far between.

Even the girls that maintain their virginity are called sluts, whores and ho's. Even the girls that finished the semester with a 3.71 GPA are accussed of dealing crack. These lies hurt, but what hurts even more is the parents and children who will not own up to the rumors and take responsibility. They spin out of control ruining lives and crushing a beautiful girls spirit.

Is it jealousy? Possibly because she is naturally beautiful (yes she had alot to do with her genes). Is it because she makes good grades without cracking a book, is it because she exudes loyalty and will not cave to shallow judgements you bestow on those less fortunate?

Lies, gossip, rumors and innuendo's will one day be forgotten and the TRUTH will prevail, but to those MEAN GIRLS a friendship that once was is forever destroyed. You maliciousness will follow you and your karma will haunt you.

Illegal Immigration

2007-05-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Oh joy, it looks like the Senate has reached a new level of logic, I mean new level of stupidity! How can sending the head of household back to their home country be in the countries best interest? Isn't the head of household generally the breadwinner, for these "hard working immigrant families"? If the breadwinner is gone who is going to support their spouse & children? Oh yea, you and me!

Microwaved Food and Obesity

2007-04-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your families first microwave? I do. We bought it at White's in Clinton, Oklahoma. It was 1978 and I was in the 5th grade. It was a significant purchase for my family, with a cost of over $700. I still remembering walking around the store and looking at the different models, I should clarify, looking at the two different models. Our microwave was large, very heavy, brown and had a dial. In those days there was not a turntable and ours caught on fire regularly.

I think microwaved food tastes different than food cooked on the stove. Scrambled eggs cooked in a microwave reminds me of plastic vomit you buy in a novelty store. Chicken noodle soup cooked in the microwave is missing a key ingredient: Flavor.

When I was pregnant I recall the pregnancy books suggested not to stand in front of the microwave. Did you know Russia banned microwaves? Did you know the Swiss government put a gag order on a study conducted by scientist that suggested microwave ovens were detremental to a persons health?

Me either, until recently, when I started reading. It all began with a question I had concerning my son. Five people live in my household. My husband, my 3 children and myself. My oldest is the only member of my household that is overweight. He eats the same food that we eat, drinks diet soda's and lots of water. He does not like chocolate and wears braces so he is very limited on the foods he can eat. I began asking myself this question: Why is my son overweight? What does he do differently than the rest of us? I found nothing different in his eating habits. The only thing different I found was his use of the microwave. He microwaves everything, even cold sandwiches. When we eat takeout, he puts his food in the microwave to warm it up.

I began asking myself does microwaving food affect how the body metabolizes the food? Through much research I have not found an answer, only a theory. I read numerous articles stating that the molecules in microwaved food were changed. I found an article indicating that the nutrients in baby formula and milk were changed when microwaved. Another article was about the woman in Oklahoma that died when the nurse used a microwave to warm her blood prior to a transfusion.

When I was a child rarely was anyone overweight. I went to school with one boy that was overweight, and by today's standards he would be considered to have a medium build. When did this change? What has changed?

One thing is the microwave. A person could argue it isn't the microwave, but with the convenience of a microwave a person eats more.

We have an obesity epidemic in the United States that no one is able to explain or diet away. Have you noticed the large number of low fat, low calorie, microwavable meals in the frozen food section of the grocery store? Have you also noticed the increased rate of type 2 diabetes since microwaves became the norm? I am unplugging my microwave for one month as an experiment. I will let you know if this results in any weight loss.......

The Gobblers - From One Turkey to another Turkey

2006-11-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

"Run turkey! What are you standing here for? It's almost Thanksgiving and they are after us!Stop watching the football game!"

That's it! Disguise us as a football player. They won't eat a tackler.

I'm brilliant! Let's go get the equipment for my brilliant idea!

Contributed by Brooke - age 9 - daughter of Cricket's Corner

Hunt for Hero's

2006-11-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

When I walked into the Horseshoe Arena I did not have to go far to find a hero. I was graced with the presence of at least 23! They were not rock stars or professional athlete's, but true American soldiers that fought for my freedom with their hearts, limbs and souls.

I do not know their names and they do not mine, but they picked up their lives and went across the world to guarantee my freedom! The freedom to speak, the freedom to write, the freedom to worship and even the freedom to choose.

They were not told by the government that they must, but they freely and unselfishly made the choice to valiantly protect our precious and sacred freedoms. They have done this without even knowing our names and most days without even a thank you!

I did not get to shake your hand or hug your neck, but as you make your journey through life...Your face, smile, walk and attitude will forever define hero!

Thank you and God Bless each and every soldier past, present and future.

Friday's, Football & Friends

2006-11-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of attending the Midland High - Midland Lee football game Friday evening. As I sat in the bleachers watching the game and the crowd it brought back memories of my own days as a junior high and high school student.

Not much had changed since the 80's as far as high school football game would go. Granted the stadium is much more extravagant, but the kids in the crowd seemed eerily similar.

As I sat sipping hot chocolate and freezing in the stands my eyes were drawn to the berm section of the stadium. The largest majority of tweens and teens could be found there. They were leaning along the fence, with their backs to the field. Every now and then they would turn and watch a play or two of the game, but the game was not why most were there. Most were there to "hang" with their friends and that is what I remember about high school football too.

The games are the attraction, but friends are the purpose. Most of the boys were wearing jeans and a "hoody" while a few braved the cold with arms and legs painted gold and purple. The girls looked the cutest with their leggings, denim and purple chenille miniskirts and sparkling gold eyelashes.

As the night drew colder we decided to leave. We went the berm section to tell our son that we would be back to get him after the game, unless of course he was ready to go. From the silent chin down eyes up expression we received we knew he would be staying until the bitter end.

A little after 10 the phone rang and my son was ready to go. As I pulled into the parking lot, I expected to find him and his friend cold, tired and ready for the warmth of the heater. Not the case. 7 boys and girls piled into my Expedition stating "were hungry, can you take us to eat?" I got the feeling that "you" really meant if you drop us off at the restaurant maybe no one will know we have parents!

As we slowly proceeded out of the parking lot & I say slowly because when you are surrounded by seven 13-year-olds time stands still! Their conversation revoled around ring tones and phone styles. 8 people....8 cell phones....priceless! One of the boys had the same ring tone as one of the girls. I think in their world that is considered fate!

It was a little after midnight when my son and I pulled into the driveway. As I was walking to the front door, recalling the kids conversations and the laughter that filled the car I knew my son was growing up. To my relief, as I opened the front door, he said "can we go to the mall tomorrow and get a new hoody?" I know my place is changing ,but at least for now he still needs me!

Bill Clinton 60th B-day with The Stones

2006-10-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

I was saddened to hear that most of Bill Clinton's 60th birthday party invitations went unanswered!

10,000 invitations were sent out to the "Hollywood Elite and wealthy individuals that have supported the Democratic Party in the past."

For only $500,000 you were given the opportunity to dine with Bill Clinton, to have your photograph taken with Bill Clinton and to attend a private Rolling Stones concert.

I guess my invitation got lost in the mail, because brunch, a photo and listening to Mick Jagger all for only $500,000 sounds like a steal to me!

I mean what else would I do with $500,000?

Pay to build 15 Habitat for Hummanity homes in Midland....
Pay for 50 students to attend Midland College....
Pay to repair of the broken arm bone of a 8th grader in Midland, whose family does not have insurance, so he has an ace bandage instead of the cast he needs....
Winter Coats for the kids in Midland who do not have one...
A trip to Disney World with his kids for the man who is dying of cancer....

The choice is so hard...How would I have ever decided?

Rebate - What Rebate!

2006-10-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

I am "rebate" challenged. I am always looking for a bargain and do not make a purchase without comparing prices or "finding a deal."

The Sunday flyers always advertise sales and when I go to the store, to buy the advertised computer, camera, or printer, more often than not ,the discounted price is contingent on "the mail in rebate." With my track record I may as well kiss this money goodbye!

I have never received a rebate check. I firmly believed they were fictional, until last weekend when my husband received one in the mail for my son's hunting rifle.

I have mailed in numerous rebates; meticulously following the printed criteria and have never received a single rebate check in the mail. I have gone to the trouble of copying everything and checking off the requirements, one by one as they were met. It never fails....That rebate never comes.

I have received several letters declining my rebates for a variety of reasons such as "not enclosing the UPC". When I turned around and mailed in the copy of the UPC I had saved for my records I was declined once again "because they wanted the original from the box". I almost find it humorous that the companies mysteriously receive only a portion of the rebate requirements when I tape everything to a single sheet of paper and enclose it all in the same the sealed envelope.

I told my husband that since he had successfully received a mail in rebate check he was in charge of this from now on. More importantly he told me what I had been doing wrong all of these years when he replied "You don't sell someone a gun and tell them you are going to give' em a rebate and then not"

When Did Crime Become Entertainment?

2006-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the web this morning and clicked on "Google Entertainment". I was expecting to find the latest news on Freddy Fender's death or Madonna's adoption, but found the caption "Second Duke Dancer Contradicts Accusers Statement."

When did an allegation of rape become entertainment? When did crime go from an from an excerpt on the nightly news to full time media coverage?

"High Profile" cases are examined nightly on CNN & Fox. Are these shows enlightening us in any way or are they feeding our fascination with the macaub?

Andy Warhol said in 1979 "...In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." When we become captivated with a crime the victims and their families are subjected to further pain and suffering when they should be allowed to grieve in private and rest in peace. But worst yet the accused is granted 15 minutes of undeserved fame!

Public School and the Rights of Children and Teachers

2006-09-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Since my last blog I have been researching public education in Texas and have contacted the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice seeking answers to my question.

I am the parent of three children, attending public school, in the state of Texas. Texas is a border state to Mexico, therefore we have numerous illegal immigrants in our state. We also have numerous illegal immigrant children in our public schools. This has lead me to re-evaluate my role as a parent and my role as a US citizen.

I have taught my children to be nice to everyone and every animal. I have taught my children to choose their friends based upon their character and to seek out people that are honest, decent, morally sound, and law abiding.

My daughter had a slumber party a few weeks ago and several of her classmates attended. I was talking to one girl at the party and she proceeded to reveal that her father is in prison, and as the evening progressed she stated that she, as well as her grandmother, are in the United States illegally from Mexico. I am well aware that the border is not enforced and I did not feel that the slumber party was going to be interrupted by an INS raid, but I did feel anxious.

When all of the girls had gone home I asked my daughter if she knew she was here illegally and that her father was in prison. She said that she did know, but she was still her friend and was a nice person.

I on the other hand was very surprised that a child that was in the United States illegally would be so blunt. I would think that if you are trying to live under the radar you would be discreet. This is not the case in our public schools. All of my children know illegal immigrants and attend public school with them on a daily basis.

When I hear the word illegal I think of the words "crime, jail, bad news, stay away, fear", but in our public schools when our children find out that their classmates are illegal, they can not leave class and request to be around only law abiding citizens.

On June 15, 1982 the Supreme Court decided that illegal immigrants can attend public school. It is the case of Pyler V. Doe. The Texas statute which withholds from local school districts any state funds for the education of children who were not "legally admitted" into the United States, and which authorizes local school districts to deny enrollment to such children, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. When this decision was made, several justices dissented and suggested that this decision should be revisited if illegal immigrants had a negative impact on our school children.

This leads me to my question; Do legal children of the United States have the right to attend public school without being subjected to illegal behavior? Do our public school teachers have the right to work in an environment free of criminal behavior?

If a person is in the United States illegally are they breaking the law? I think so, because if they were not breaking the law why would they be called illegal immigrants? When I hear illegal I think of something that is wrong and something that I do not want to participate in.

I would not want to work in an environment where I was around illegal behavior. I do not choose to associate with individuals that break the law and I am trying to teach my children to be law abiding citizens.

I underatand that part of the reasoning used in deciding Pyler v. Doe was based on children not being held responsible for their parents illegal behavior, but at what age is a child held accountable for their own illegal behavior? I think in most cases it is usually around the age of 10 to 12.

The current estimates show there are 1.5 million illegal aliens in Texas. When the costs are broken down it comes to a total of $725 a year per taxpaying household to cover the costs of education, health care and incarceration of illegal aliens throughout the state. Based on estimates of the illegal immigrant population in Texas and documented costs of K-12 schooling, Texans spend more than $4 billion annually on education for illegal immigrant children and for their U.S.-born siblings. About 11.9 percent of the K-12 public school students in Texas are children of illegal aliens. 40% of the illegal immigrants in the United States have entered the US in the last 5 years.

If illegal immigrant children attend public school and talk about their illegal status as if it is not wrong, how are we going to teach a generation of children to respect the law?

Innocence Lost

2006-09-10T06:47:00.001-07:00

September 11,2001, shortly after 8:00 AM, I was at work pouring my first cup of coffee and a co-worker said "did you hear that a plane just hit the World Trade Center"? 'The plane must have just taken off or was getting ready to land', we concluded as we drank our coffee, discussing why a plane would be flying low enough to hit a building. Our conversation quickly turned to gasps, as we learned a second plane had hit the World Trade Center, and that both planes were commercial jet liners, not the small single-engine plane we had first imagined.

I attempted to log on to cnn.com & foxnews.com but had no success, because the servers were too busy. The radio reports started flowing in & we quickly discovered this was not an accident and planes were flying towards Washington, DC.

My first thought was to my husband. He was in the air on 9-11-2001 flying to Houston for a business meeting. I tried to call his cell phone, numerous times, but it was turned off. I called the kids school and all was fine there.

Over the next 2 hours my co-workers and I stood in disbelief. We had a black and white TV propped high in the corner of one of the offices trying to get reception. The volume on our radios was turned up loud and we had surround sound news. I can only describe the mood as somber and numb. My thoughts were "what's next."

A little before 10:00 AM my husband called and said "I have 14 missed calls from you and we landed in Austin instead of Houston." As he exited the plane I filled him in on what was happening. He immediately went and rented a car. Which turned out to be the best thing he could have done. Otherwise he could have been in Austin for days.

I went to my children's school at lunch, and to my dismay learned they had cable and the students had been watching the news all morning. I found this to be very disturbing and when I spoke to the principal he assured me they would not watch the news in the afternoon. I quickly learned it was too late, when my 8 year-old son said, "the building was on fire and we saw these people jump out of the building." Innocence Lost!

I think that sticks with me the most. The innocence that my children lost on 9-11-2001. The innocence that I lost on 9-11-2001. The innocence that America lost on 9-11-2001. I lived 35 years, in utter bliss, believing that nothing bad ever happens on America's soil. That changed forever on 9-11-2001.

When I think of 9-11-2001 and the 3000 people that lost their lives, because of 19 terrorist hijackers and their declaration of Jihad, three people come to mind. They are Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Juliana Valentine McCourt and Todd Morgan Beamer.

As the nation sat in disbelief and fear Rudy Giuliani eased New York City and prevented any additional turmoil that easily could have ensued. He was a rock and comforted the country with his stoic, dedicated perseverance.

The words of Todd Beamer (United Flight 93)"Let's Roll" resonated through the air-waves and brought out the patriotic determination of a broken hearted nation. If he could be strong in a time of utter chaos, fear and imminent death, so could we!

Juliana Valentine McCourt (United Flight 173), whose very name equates love, touched mothers hearts everywhere, because she was the 4 year-old little girl that never made it to Disneyland.

In the days, weeks, and months that followed the flags came down, the yellow ribbons were removed and life started to feel normal again. On the first anniversary of 9-11-2001 my daughter came home from kindergarten wearing an American flag on her shirt. I knew what it was for, but asked anyway. My five year old responded "it is in remembrance of the terrorist attacks." Innocence Lost! She remembered and she knew what she was talking about. She talked knowledgeabley about the World Trade Centers, Osama Bin Laden and used the word terrorists as if it was an innate part of her vocabulary.

Life went on. We started to feel safe again and with little hesitation, we took a weekend trip to Austin. The trip was uneventful, except for one moment that will forever haunt my soul. We went to Target, to pick up sunscreen, and my daughter scurried ahead of us as usual. As I ran to catch her she suddenly stopped. She stood motionless and her little face turned white. I asked her what was wrong and she responded "It's Osama Bin Laden." I looked to see where she was pointing and an Islamic man stood dressed in a white turban and long white tunic. To this little girl she was face to face with a terrorist. She had only seen pictures of the terrorists and in Midland Texas had never witnessed anyone wearing a turban. I quickly assured her he was not Osama Bin Laden and he was not a terrorist. Innocence Lost!

As the 5th anniversary of this terrible day approached it was the the last thing I wanted to read about, write about, or watch on
TV. For me, September 11th would always be the day my children's lives changed forever. Or so I thought until a few days ago and my daughter asked; "Who is Osama Bin Laden?" The same little girl that was wearing a flag and discussing 9-11 like an expert four years ago. She no longer remembers 9-11. She no longer fears men dressed in turbans. She no longer uses the word terrorist. Her little voice and her thoughts are once again innocent.

If only we could all be children again!

A Name: It is there for Life!

2006-08-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my sister, who had spent the afternoon at a baby shower. Her friend is having a baby girl and they have narrowed their search down to two names; Keelin or Kassidy. Their first choice was JonBenet.

"Have you ever thought about the name JonBenet. It is such a pretty name, but if you think about it, no one can ever use that name again. Everyone would think you were crazy." My sister stated.

Our conversation turned to other names that people no longer use when naming a child. At the top of the list was Adolph, Lucifer, Damian & Jethro.

Our conversation reminded me of a family name that I liked when I was pregnant. My great grandfather's first name was "Bates". I think it is a unique and classy name, but every time it roles off of my tongue I think of the movie Psycho.

Names bring unusual reactions to most people. When I was pregnant my ob/gyn inquired, during one of my visits, if we had picked out any names. I told him we were considering Terra for a girl. He responded "you know if you name her that people will call her terror." Terra was soon moved to the bottom of our list.

I have a friend that detests unisex names. I on the other hand lean towards names such as Aaron, Jordan & Taylor. These names are perfect for a boy or girl, but with their current popularity I do find myself saying "boy Jordan or girl Jordan" when my kids are telling me a story about their friends.

I have another friend and she had two kids and married a man with two kids. They both had daughters named Brandi. People would call and ask to speak to Brandi & they would reply "blonde Brandi or brown Brandi." My friend said she always felt like a hillbilly and referred to the men in her household as Larry, Darrell and Darrell, just to keep up the commonality.

Lisa was a common name of the late 60's, so much so I graduated high school with 14 other girls named Lisa. When you have that many classmates with the same name & you hear it walking down the hall, you don't know whether to turn around or keep on going.

In the last few years it seems Hollywood has gotten into parenthood and the stars are choosing names that are not traditional in every sense of the word. For example Charlie Sheen & Denise Richards named their baby Lola Sheen. Does her name remind you of a strip club marquee or make you think he was reliving his Heidi Fleis days?

A name can even generate big bucks or big blockbusters if you are in Hollywood. The movies Meet the Parents and it's sequel Meet the Fockers were based entirely on jokes revolving around the main characters name of Gaylord Focker.

Names are facinating they affect every aspect of ones life. They determine if a child will be teased on the playground and if they will be successful in the business world. When John Handcock's parents named him, I bet they never thought he would change history and that his name would become a commonly used phrase.

Like my sisters friends: When we name our children are we naming a baby or are we picking a name that will impact a generation? You just never know!

That White Paint Didn't Look So Bad After All!

2006-08-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have always admired the investigators on CSI & Without a Trace. In one hour they solve the crime and find the body. As avid viewers of HGTV and fans of Devine Design and Sensible Chic, my husband and I decided we would paint the den this weekend. Not the entire den, just the bookshelves. If the detectives can solve a crime in an hour and the decorators on HGTV can do an entire room in 30 minutes -- including commercials -- I figured we could complete a wall of shelves in a weekend.

WRONG!

Saturday purchased the paint and supplies at the local do it yourself home store. Sunday morning my husband started taping off the room at 6 AM. I woke up at 8:00 expecting to marvel at his paint job. He was just finishing up the taping. I have watched HGTV & they tape off the room in 2 maybe 3 minutes. Hubby might want to hone in on his taping skills.

Our next step was to sand the surface. We used liquid sander. The bottle said to wear gloves. The girls on HGTV don't wear gloves. Who needs gloves? (I am going to get paint on them anyway) Not me. You know what? Liquid sander burns a little when it gets on your skin.

We selected Cherry Cobbler Red, because it looked really pretty on the card. It is a dark color and the sales girl suggested we prime the surface first. Sounded easy enough. One coat of primer a little paint & we will be done.

Wrong Again!

The first coat looked a little pink or is that purple. The cast of Decorating Cents would have already finished 12 projects and it is now 11:30 & I have a Pepto-Bismol colored den!

I sat back in the recliner to admire or reevaluate the shelves. If we took the doors off of the shelves they wouldn't have to be painted. We could get a few Pendelton blankets for the shelves and give the den a rugged look. The blankets would go perfect with the Texas star over the fire place. Hubby did not like the blanket idea. Paint the doors.

Did you know that red paint wipes right off of ceramic tile. That is pretty cool. The grout is now pink, but hey at least it isn't on the tile.

Three coats later, four if you include the primer, my den is now Cherry Cobbler Alamode Red. One more coat and I think it will be finished!

Wrong again...I am seeing a trend here!

After all was said, done and painted. 5 coats and 19 hours later I have Cherry Cobbler Red bookshelves in my den. They look really good, so I am emailing a picture to HGTV. I am sure they will be featured on their new show "Home Decorating & the Divorce Connection"!

Thank you sweetie! By the way what do you think about green for the kitchen?

JonBenet Ramsey Rest In Peace

2006-08-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Did a research college paper turn into an obsession & lead to false confession that turned into a media circus?

John Mark Karr has confessed to the December 1996 murder of 6 year old JonBenet Ramsey. Laura Ramsey, John Mark Karr's ex-wife, has said he was not in Boulder Colorado & did not kill JonBenet Ramsey, because he was in Alabama with her celebrating Christmas.

John Mark Karr researched the murder of JonBenet Ramsey for a college term paper & was encouraged by his professor to write a book about the murder. The reaerch for this book lead this gentlemen to become obsessed with her unsolved murder.

As this plays out in the media I am eager to see where it goes. In this age of technology; Can an individual find enough information on the internet to confess to a crime that he did not commit?

Be Happy You Can Be a Rebel!

2006-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

You will find racism everyday, just as you will find tolerance. If you look hard enough you can find something to be offended by, or you can look for something to be thankful for, such as your freedom to be offended instead of oppressed.

Be glad you live in the United States of America. Be glad you get the opportunity to go to school. Be glad you have memories to put in a yearbook. Be glad you can play football. Be glad you can sing, dance & play a song such as "Dixie".

Be glad or be mad. It is your choice.

"You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do on every occasion, and take it for granted that you mean to do right." Robert E. Lee

Will This Summer Ever End?

2006-08-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

You know it is time for school when the kids are so bored they play "batting for sodas" INDOORS and spew Coke from one end of the living room to the other. Spraying the shutters, sofa, ceiling and carpet!

On the first day of school this year my kids will be introducing themselves as "Hello my name is...Grounded for Life!

Count down to August 16th begins!

MISD Gifted Education Grades 4th - 6th

2006-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

As any parent will tell you each child is completely different from their siblings. Each child has their own interests, personalities, and aptitudes. When a child is very intelligent or gifted, as it is referred to in an academic setting, this child presents new challenges to parents as well as educators.

MISD students in grades kindergarten through third that are identified as gifted have 2 options. These options are Quest and Project Think. Quest is for students identified in the top 5% of their class. Project Think is for students that are in the top 20% of their class.

When a child is in 3rd grade they can apply to be in Gifted Education Midland, commonly referred to as GEM. GEM is for students in grades 4th through 6th that are in the top 5% of their class.

Midland Independent School District offers enhanced classes for gifted students, but they do not offer any enhanced classes for a student that ranks in the top 6% to 20% of their class in grades 4th through 6th.

I find this particularly disheartening, because I have a daughter that is in the top 9% of the country academically, but MISD does not offer any enhanced academics for her for the next three years. A recent study conducted on students in grades 4th through 8th concluded that many girls lose interest in math and science in 5th grade.

I have spent the summer examining the many options that are available for my daughter and the other children that are in grades 4th -6th that need additional challenges to keep their curiosity peeked. With this in mind I have found that I can offer my daughter math and science challenges at home and so can you. Here is a list of things that you can do with your child at home.

Make learning an adventure
Let the child ask questions that will lead to the answer
Allow time to think and explore

Make math a part of daily life
Balance a checkbook
Plot mileage on a map
Calculate the tip at a restaurant
Tax Free weekend is the perfect opportunity to look at savings

Introduce Science experiments at home
Go on a rock search and then identify all of the different rocks
Find the different stars, planets and constellations
Gardening
Skateboarding is the perfect way to teach the laws of physics (remember your helmet)

Computers
With new technology popping up everyday; Allowing your child to create a web site or to look up homework answers on the internet is a good way to introduce this technology to them. Internet usage is likely to be as common as the telephone and television for our children's generation.

Additional Challenges
Creative School House and Barnes and Noble also carry "bridge books". These books are great for a student that needs a little more academically than their grade has to offer.

The Enhanced Academic Services through MISD get back on track in 7th grade and once again includes children in the top 20%. The children in grades 7th -12th have two options. If you are in the top 5% you can apply for GT-classes and if you are in the top 20% you can apply for Pre-AP classes (formerly referred to as honors classes.)

"The support you offer your child at home far outweighs any educational setting"

Andrea Yates

2006-07-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Andrea Pia Yates was the valedictorian of her graduating class, she later became a registered nurse. But most of us know her as the Texas woman who drowned her five children.

The mug shot photo, that was plastered in the media across the United States, following the June 20, 2001 drowning deaths of her five children, depicted an emaciated woman with lifeless eyes and dirty, greasy hair. In the days following the murders she was walking to court while people screamed chants of hatred towards her. As the weeks, months and years passed and the magnitude of her mental illness was revealed some individuals embraced her with compassion and her legal team fought her defense pro-bono.

In the days following the murders Andrea Yates was placed on a suicide watch, because her doctors and law enforcement officials feared she would try to commit suicide once she realized what she had done. Though she called the police, confessed to the crime and recounted the drowning in a monotone voice, psychiatric examination's revealed that she did not understand her action's were wrong, because of severe postpartum psychosis.

In the years leading up to the deaths of her five children, she was treated by psychiatrist's on an out patient basis, and when Andrea Yates attempted suicide, on two separate occasions, she was hospitalized. She had hallucinations of harming her son Noah, but she did not tell her doctor's of these hallucinations, because she feared he would be put in a foster home and be treated badly. Instead she tried in vain to fight these mental demon's herself.

On the morning of her children's murders Andrea Yates fed her children breakfast. They were dressed in pajamas, from the night before, as any well cared for and loved children would be. In photos of the children in the years, weeks and days leading up to the murders they are smiling. They are clean, well fed and look like any child that is loved and nurtured by their mother. Andrea Yates chose to leave her career and become a full-time mother. She home-schooled her children, she baked artistic cakes for their birthday's and sewed her children costumes for Halloween. By all accounts she was the mother of all mother's.

What went wrong? A prosecution psychiatrist testified she was not insane, but rather was overwhelmed and "obsessed". As anyone that has been inflicted with an obsession, such as a facial tic or a an incessant compulsion to wash one's hands, will tell you it is impossible to control. Andrea Yates tried to control her "obsession". In the weeks leading up to the murders she paced back and forth, she picked her scalp raw, in an attempt to remove the "666" she thought was branded on her scalp. Andrea Yates had claw marks on her legs, from holding herself back from harming her children. She felt the presence of "Satan" and hallucinated that "Satan" was speaking to her through cartoon's and movie's. She fought "Satan" or the demon's of mental illness for 7 long years, she attempted suicide twice, in an attempt to save her children from herself.

Could it be that her obsessive delusion's and psychosis were so severe, that when her medication was changed, two days before the murders, she could no longer control the motherly instinct's she had desperately maintained for 7 years?

When I think of Andrea Yates, one video always comes to mind. She is sitting in the living room watching her children play and she is cradling an infant her arms. She is smiling and interacting with her children and you can see the love she has for them in her eyes. When Russell and Andrea Yates divorced in March 2005, the only thing she asked for was her rocking chair. She sat in this chair for hours as she held, loved and nursed her 5 babies. No doubt this chair brings back precious memories of a better day. She also asked that when she dies, she be allowed to buried next to her children.

Though we have come so far in our treatment and detection of mental illness it is still viewed as taboo. No one condemn's an individual that suffers from diabetes, heart disease or cancer but often times a person that is treated for depression or another mental illness is judged or ignored as if this will make it all go away.

The Yates children lived everyday of their short lives with an individual that was mentally ill. I think of the testimony given by Andrea Yates mother-in-law, Dora Yates, that two months prior to the drowning's Noah Yates ran to his grandmother's side and declared that his mother was filling up the bath tub. Was he able to detect his Mother's despair and did he instinctively know he was at risk?

Those that have followed this case from the beginning know that Andrea Yates was convicted of her children's murders in 2002, but this conviction was overturned, because of erroneous testimony by a prosecution witness. It is easier to condemn a person such as Andrea Yates than it is to understand that she was so psychotic that she believed she was saving her children from eternal damnation. In recent years several women that have killed their children have been found not guilty by reason of insanity. All of these mothers were deeply religious and thought they were fulfilling a biblical prophecy. It brings to mind the story in the Bible of Abraham who was instructed by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Should I dare ask was Abraham mentally ill?

Most likely Andrea Yates will spend the rest of her life in a maximum security mental facility. Where she will be protected from hurting herself and prevented from harming another child. She will receive psychiatric care and maybe one day this terrible tragedy will lead to a better understanding of postpartum psychosis and lead to the prevention of the disease.

My compassion leads me to believe that the jury made the right decision in finding Andrea Yates "not guilty by reason of insanity". Logic tells me that if the law had been written to read "Guilty by reason of insanity" more people would feel that justice had been served and that Andrea Yates had been held accountable.

Chocolate Flavored Sunscreen

2006-07-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

With spaghetti and chocolate being my favorite foods, when I hear that one is actually good for me it makes by day a whole lot brighter.

I read in USA Weekend that dark chocolate acts as a sunscreen. While the thought of lathering chocolate all over my body sounded messy I was intrigued. As I continued to read I learned that scientific studies have shown that foods high in antioxidents such as dark chocolate, tomatoes, pomegranates, salmon and green tea bolsters our resistance to ultraviolet light helping to prevent sunburn, wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Not only can dark chocolate help in our quest for healthy skin it can also aid in lowering our risk for cardiovascular disease according to The American Dietetic Association. For centuries women far and wide have praised chocolate for its soothing effects, but as scientists begin to explore the possible health benefits of this tantalizing treat they are discovering that it does indeed have "healing powers" for the liver, digestion, skin and a healthy, happy heart.

Add that to your list of things found in the book of women's intuition!

The Gray Fence of Life

2006-07-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in my early twenties a friend told me that not everything in life is black or white, but life is covered with shades of gray. I tried to live my life by this theory, but as I aged and matured this no longer held true.

I have returned to my roots of right and wrong and examine life as black and white. I have come to the conclusion that anything that falls in the gray category is a persons attempt to justify something that is wrong.

On my journey through life and my attempt to live that life without riding the fence, I was reminded by a clever individual that sometimes the things in life that start out wrong end up being oh so right.

Should a Three Year Old be in the Street? NO!

2006-07-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Three year old Carlos Salinas is in critical condition at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. He was stuck by a car driven by 17 year old Arnulfo Moto on Thursday July 20, 2006.
This tragic and preventable incident is raising many questions.

* To begin with: Why was a three year old in the street?

* Where were Carlos Salinas' parents at the time of this incident?

* Who was Carlos Salinas' care-giver at the time of this incident?

* If Carlos Salinas' had a reason to be in the street why was the adult care-giver, parents or gaurdian not holding his hand while he was in the street?

* Why was Arnulfo Moto driving without a license?

* Had Arnulfo Moto attempted to get a license and failed the driving or written exam?

* Did Arnulfo Moto have insurance?

* Did Arnulfo Moto's parents or guardian know she was driving without a license?

* If so why did they allow it?

* Who owned the vehicle Arnulfo Moto was driving
when she stuck Carlos Salinas?

* Did they know Arulofo Moto was driving their vehicle without a license?

* If Arnulof Moto did not have a driver's license why did she wantingly breaking the law?

"That One Kid"

2006-07-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

What is it about a hot summer evening and a football that can turn a stranger into a memory?

My son had a friend over and after dinner they went outside to toss the football. It began with two and the two became three and the three became four and the four became five and the five became six. One boy was wearing jeans, one boy had on flip flops and glasses, another was playing in his socks while wearing a worn baseball cap, and another had on purple body-armor. They ranged in age from 10 to 16 and each boy was as different in their age as they were in their appearance.

The football was touched numerous times as they hurled it from one end of the yard to the other. They huddled and they clapped, they tackled and they slipped, they fell and they jumped. The ball was kicked back and forth and even tossed into the soccer goal a few times.

They congregated around the ball sipping cold sodas and as the evening turned dark they left, just as they had arrived; one by one. When my son came in for the night I asked about the boys. He didn't know most of their names or what school they attend and it never crossed his mind to ask, but he knew their game. His eyes lit up as he relived "the game" the kid in the white t-shirt "throws hard", the boy in the purple body armor "can jump high", the kid in the baseball cap "plays club soccer", and the little kid "plays GMFL". Each boy was as different in his ability as he was in his choice of soda, but on a warm summer evening a football brought it all together.

Will Oil Reach $80.00 a Barrel?

2006-07-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

With increasing violence in the Middle East oil has reached a record high of $78.00 per barrel. Much better than the dismal prices in the mid 80's and again in the mid 90's when an operator couldn't break even with $9.00 per barrel oil.

How are the high oil prices reflected in Midland? For one an increase in drilling permits. The Texas Railroad Commission issued 1779 original drilling permits in May 2006 and 1491 of the drilling permits were for new oil and gas wells. In the state of Texas there have been 5422 well completions in 2006.

279 Oil and Gas Drilling Permits were issued in May 2006 for District 8 (Midland).
138 Oil Completions in May 2006 for District 8 (Midland).
11 Gas Completions in May 2006 for District 8 (Midland).

April 2006 Midland County ranked 9th in Texas for oil production with 759,964 barrels. Ector County ranked 5th and produced 1,497,835 barrels.

Preliminary April 2006 total oil and gas production for the state of Texas
26,639,514 barrels
412,147,107 MCF

The price of oil is also reflected at the gas pump. Gas reached $2.97 per gallon this week which is a record high, second only to September 2005 when gas prices reached $3.05 following Hurricane Katrina.

I leave you with this thought:
Some analysts predict oil will reach $100 per barrel if the tensions in the Middle East continue as the hurricane season approaches!

Sexual Assaults in Midland

2006-07-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

A 23 year-old male reported being sexually assaulted to the Midland Police Department on July 9, 2006. He was sexually assaulted at Hot Shots Bar in Midland and "several Hispanic men" were the perpetrators in the sexual assault.
The United States Department of Justice reported that in 2002 31,000 males, over the age of 12, reported being sexually assaulted. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 10% of men in the United States have been the victim of a sexual assault. Contrary to popular belief, most sexual assaults of men, are committed by heterosexual males.

Statistics show that 9 out of 10 victims of rape are female. 1 out of 6 women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape during her lifetime. Midland is not immune to sexual assaults. The reported rape statistics for the last 5 years was released by the Midland Police Department in their 2004 Annual Report .

Reported Rape Statistics in Midland
2004 = 52 sexual assaults
2003 = 38 sexual assaults
2002 = 69 sexual assaults
2001 = 91 sexual assaults
2000 = 69 sexual assaults

It is required by law that sex offenders be registered with state authorities. There are approximately 214 registered sex offenders in Midland County, Texas.
The State of Texas maintains a database of registered sex offenders and this information is available to the public free of charge. This database can be searched by name or zip code.

Registered sex offenders by Midland zip code
79701 = 79 registered sex offenders
79702 = 1 registered sex offender
79703 = 43 registered sex offenders
79705 = 31 registered sex offenders
79706 = 50 registered sex offenders
79707 = 10 registered sex offenders

To familiarize yourself and family with the registered sex offenders in your neighborhood click on the link below and follow the prompts.

Texas Registered Sex Offender Look-up

Men, women and children that have been sexually assaulted often feel stigmatized and this feeling can be one of the most damaging aspects of the sexual assault. If you are the victim of a sexual assault it is very important to report the assault to the police, discuss it with someone that will offer emotional support, or contact the local rape crisis center for confidential assistance.

Midland to Mahmoudiyah

2006-07-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

In the past when Midland, Texas has made the national news it has generally been for good things such as being the hometown of President George W. Bush, the rescue of Baby Jessica or when a local athlete has signed with a professional team. This was not the case on July 3, 2006 when Midland native Steven D. Green was charged with rape and murder in Mahmoudiyah, Iraq.

Young men and women enlist in the military to protect our freedoms and serve our country. But as we all know war is heinous. These men and women are subjected to fear everyday. Steven D. Green was sent to an area in Baghdad known as the "Triangle of Death." It has been reported that more than 40% of soldiers, patrolling this area, have been treated for emotional and mental anxiety.

It is alleged on March 12, 2006 Steven D. Green raped and murdered Abeer Qassim Hanza along with her family. He was honorably discharged from the military in April 2006 due to an "antisocial personality disorder." The March incident came to light in June 2006 after 3 other soldiers from the same battalion were tortured and killed by insurgents. U.S. Officials have said there is no evidence that these incidents are related, but there is speculation that the torture and murders of David Basineau, Kristian Manchaca & Thomas Tucker were in retaliation of the rape and murders allegedly committed by Steven D. Green and his 5 co-conspirators. An Al Queda linked group relased a video on 7-11-2006 confirming this speculation and said "revenge for our sister who was dishonored by a soldier of the same brigade."

When a person has been diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder and is subjected to violence, fear, and death as was Steven D. Green can this be used in his defense? If he is convicted will this diagnosis be considered in his sentencing? Will this diagnosis possibly spare his life?

As the trial of Steven D. Green gets underway, and his victims are remembered, and his actions are chronicled in a court of law, I will also remember Steven D. Green as a casualty of war.

Quote of the Day

2006-07-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

"When history looks back, I'd rather be judged as solving problems and being correct, rather than being popular,"

"The president that chases the opinion poll is the president that will have failed policy,"

President George W. Bush

Get out the Ladder

2006-07-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

In 1983 as I pulled into my driveway I saw a couple of kids scrambling and ducking behind my mother's parked car. As I looked up into the trees my house was in the process of being toilet papered (TP'd or wrapped). This was my first experience with such an act. My first thought was "our house is being vandalized". Then from behind the car I saw my best friend's blonde hair. She stood up and scurried toward me. The gig was up she had been caught! She threw me a roll of toilet paper and said "we are doing Nickie's house next."

I soon learned that this was not "vandalism" but a "rite of passage." It is 24 years later and this "rite of passage" is still practiced, mostly by kids over the age of 11, but every now and then, when you least expect it, a co-worker, friend or relative leaves a pair of hot pink flamingo's in your front yard with a note that reads "you've been flamingoed, pass it on." No harm is intended and the target is generally a close friend so the culprit is very easy to find.

This "rite of passage" has evolved to include much more than a roll of toilet paper. We were "skewered" on the last day of school. I woke up the next morning to find trees of tissue and and a yard inundated with wooden skewers.
As I got on the phone, to wake up the culprits who were no doubt still asleep from their late night antic's, a teenager from my block stopped by to tell me about "skewering, forking and Jolly Ranching."

The skewers were easy to clean up, but when the toilet paper hits the trees it reproduces! I guess that is why the people that are toilet papered every weekend eventually quit cleaning it up!

I am personally investing in Cottonelle & Charmin. If my trees are going to be "wrapped" I am at least going to make a profit!

(If you are a kid: Don't do this it is wrong, wrong, wrong!)

Puppy Dog Tails

2006-07-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

I spent the 4th of July in downtown Midland. My girls played in the bungie jumper and my son entertained himself with a red and blue glow necklace, while two little boys caught my attention. They were 2 or 3 years old and could have been twins. One of the little boys was happy-go-lucky. He walked along holding his mother's hand like a little gentleman. The other little boy was mad. He would take two or three steps and plop himself down on the ground. Each time his mother would reach down and coax him back up. I am sure she was wishing for Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, but on a fit scale, his was only about a 5. The trio soon passed and I went back to listening to the music.

The mother and little boy returned about 15 minutes later. The little boy was still in fit mode. As he passed by he said, "but I want to stay" the mother responded "I told you we were going to the bathroom." He squealed "oh no not the bathroom!" From his reaction I could tell he knew they were not going to the bathroom to "potty!"

No doubt she had been talking but his selective hearing was engaged!

The phenomenon of selective hearing has always perplexed me. It precedes "having eyes in the back of your head" and the good thing about selective hearing it is passed on from generation to generation so all can experience it's joy!

I can tell my kids 15 times to clean their room and I get no response, then out of the blue they will clean their room. My kids say it is "my tone" that lets them know I mean it. I guess the little boy detected his mother's "tone."

Have you ever thought about the time, energy and effort you could save if you could get that "tone" right the first time?

Time Life Genre'

2006-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was lying on the couch, flipping through the channels and a familiar song caught my attention. I giggled as I listened to the lyrics "Your Kiss is on my Lips."
My nostalgic glee faded and I aged 20 years as the phrase "Time Life Presents the Eighties" blared from the television. Music of the 80's could it be! It was rather late I must be dreaming. I sat up, adjusted my glasses and realized this was no dream.
Throughout the years the commercials for Time Life 60's, Time Life Love, Time Life Country and even Time Life 70's brought back welcomed childhood memories.
How could the songs of the 80's be in a tidy little collection. The 80's were just yesterday. I know because I remember clearly Who Shot J.R., ET and Mork, Gary Hart had a girlfriend, Ronald Reagan was shot, Michael Jackson moon walked and MTV captivated the world as Pac Man and Asteroids ate away our quarters.
But there he was, Huey Lewis, front and center pitching the "decade of the eighties." His hair was gray, his eyes shadowed by crow's feet and his double breasted jacket was gone, but it was him.
I rolled off the couch, slipped on my flip flops and grabbed a flashlight. I rummaged through the storage building until I found the box that held my albums and forty-fives. I blew the dust off my turntable and danced to Eye of the Tiger, Oh Sherry, Time After Time, Puttin' on the Ritz and Sister Christian.
As I looked in the mirror the next morning, I thought of Huey Lewis and the fact that he looked twenty years older. But do I? I asked myself as I mixed the hair color to hide my gray and realized that fine line had officially become a wrinkle.
For the first time in my life I felt old. I started to dial the number and order the "decade of the 80's" collection but decided
Who needs Time Life when you lived the real thing?

Shades of Blues

2006-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Because my husband eats, drinks and breathes the blues The Shades of Blues Festival, held at Centennial Plaza, was a welcome addition to our June calendar.
It was a perfect weekend for an outdoor event as the aroma of Kettle Corn swayed to the music in the soft West Texas wind. Blues fans young and old enjoyed the music as they sipped their drink from a pineapple.
Centennial Plaza had much to offer families of all ages the inflatable jumpers, clowns and jugglers, face paining, bead design and finger painting all complimented the music of Butch Avery, James Armstrong, and my personal favorite Miss Honey of the Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers band. Miss Honey played the keyboards with her toes as she accompanied Rod's lead harmonica and blistering guitar.
I first heard Miss Honey play at the Bar Jam in the early 90's. She had become somewhat of a legend in our home and our 9 year old, who plays the piano had to meet her. Miss Honey was as delightful offstage as she was on. She autographed my daughters CD and passed along her e-mail address. My Little Dumpling was thrilled and the next morning she was tickling (pummeling) the ivories with her toes.
If you did not make the 2006 shades of blues Festival plan to attend the 4th annual event next year. You will be glad you did as you move to the rhythm of "The Blues."

2006-06-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

"Collecting Money"
As the mother of 3 it seems my wallet is always weighing in on the light side. Every time I turn around I am writing a check for a yearbook, running to Hobby Lobby to buy a t-shirt, or giving the kids change for the ice-cream truck.

Recently I overheard my girls talking about going to Limited Too. My 11 year-old said "I have $28.00". Knowing that it was nowhere near Christmas and her birthday is a few months away $28.00 seemed like a lot of money for an unemployed 11 year-old. As any good eaves dropping mother would do I interrupted and asked, "Where did you get $28.00?" Her response was "I have been collecting it all week."

My curiosity had peaked "From where?" I asked.

"All over," she responded, "I find it in your car, Dad's car, on top of the dryer, on the floor, next to the computer." In one week she had "collected" change totally $28.00. I was impressed. Not that she had been "collecting money" (uh taking money that wasn't hers)but that she was resourceful.

The pennies, nickels and dimes that had been tossed in the drink holder and forgotten as we drove through Burger King, the left over lunch money that fell out of my sons pockets as he threw his pants on the floor, and the pennies that took up too much room in my husband's pocket had added up to a whopping $28.00 and my daughter was the lucky little thief (uh I mean "collector").

As I laid in bed that night, trying to decide if she should be punished for "collecting money" or rewarded for reminding me that nickles and dimes do add up, I wondered to myself: How much interest is she going to charge me when I borrow back my $28.00!

2006-06-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

July 4th: The one time a year individuals decide it is ok to play with fire.
This has always been a quandary for me. I remember as a small child (younger than 5) holding sparklers and popping Black Cats. Granted my parents were always in attendance, but allowing a child to participate in activities involving fire is probably not the best choice to make.

Firecrackers are virtually all classed as "low explosives" but legal fireworks can be dangerous because the risk of high-temperature burns.

Statistics:
In 2003 4 people died form firecracker related injuries
45% of people injured are children under the age of 14 with children aged 5 to 9 having the highest injury rate
63% of injuries are burns
11% of injuries are from sparklers

Did you know a sparkler burns hoter than 1000 degrees F?

As the 4th of July approaches remember playing with fire is best left to professionals.

"Sish Boom Bah"

2006-06-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Supreme Court 6-29-2006
Did President George W. Bush overstep his boundaries in conducting tribunals for enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

The US Supreme Court ruled 5 to 3 that he did.

Justice John Paul Stevens said 'the proposed trials were illegal under U.S. law and international Geneva conventions.'

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented stating the court's decision would "sorely hamper the president's ability to confront and defeat a new and deadly enemy."

2006-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Boy Girl Oh My!Is it just me or does the term "Politically Correct" make your skin crawl. I heard this phrase approximately 10 years ago. My first thought was what liberal college kid came up with this. In my mind I pictured an arrogantly shabby former fraternity member introducing this concept on a job interview. The scenario goes like this...He is sitting in his trust fund suit wishfully imagining the $50,000 the firm is going to pay him as he makes nice with the black mid-level executive. He is trying to "relate" and mentions that he played intramural basketball...The interviewer responds...."I never got into sports much"...The interviewee stumbles with what to say and the possibilty that the interviewer is going to see him as a racist, he replies "with you being of African American decent, I just assumed."

That is where this phrase came from. Or at least in my mind.

I have always thought it was reverse arrogance. It reminds me of a guy I dated in college that always tried to relate to the servers in restaurants by remembering their name. All the while I was envisioning them spitting in our food because they took it as being cocky.

When I was a child it was ok to be black, it was ok to be a Mexican, it was ok to be colored, it was ok to celebrate Christmas, unless of course you were a Jehovah's Witness. The Pledge of Allegiance was a daily ritual & it was great that "we trusted in God" & I looked forward to my 2nd grade teacher singing Jesus Loves Me each & every day before we left our public school. Today my kids are looking forward to a "Winter Party". No longer do they learn Christmas Carols in school, to be politically correct my kids need to learn Kwanza songs & have Menorahs instead of a tree and jingle bells. Did I mention that 96% of the US population celebrates Christmas.

The majority of the population has allowed themselves to be repressed by the minority that sees political correctness as a way for us all to be equal.
Even with politically correct terminology we will never be equal. We will always be white, black, colored, blind, deaf, handicapped, rich, poor, Catholics, Jewish, Protestant. That was what the US was founded upon. Diversity. We were to be a "melting pot", or so a I recall from my slanderous politically incorrect history classes.

Sometimes simplicity is the way to go. Why not call a duck a duck!

I hope this terminology & waywardness ends soon. If it doesn't I foresee when my grandchildren are born not being blessed with a baby boy or baby girl but a "vagina challenged male" or a "diverse penised female" Wouldn't you love to hand out a cigar that reads like that! Makes my heart all warm and cozy.

I do not practice political correctness...I pride myself in calling it like I see it. I call that honesty.

2006-06-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

The question of the day?
Should children born to illegal immigrants be granted US citizenship?I say no way!
I recently read an article, in the Midland Reporter Telegram, on this subject & was called an "ill-bred" individual, because of my belief, that all illegal immigrants should be deported, with their children, because they are criminals.
I stand firm on my belief. If an individual crosses the border illegally they are criminals. Plain & Simple. I have been scorned by others that declare "illegal aliens only want a better life in America for their children." I say ok fine, do it LEGALLY. I am not prejudice, a bigot or a racist. I just feel that criminals should be punished & illegal aliens are criminals. I think the majority of people who steal cars, TV's etc just want "something better for themselves or their kids". A crime is still a crime and the reasoning behind the crime does not make it any less illegal.

If a person is going to enter the United States they should follow the letter of the law & if they do not they should be prosecuted & deported.

I also feel that anyone entering the US should have to work fulltime for 20 years before they qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps & all other government funded programs. All too often pregnant women cross the border, deliver their baby & immediately sign these children up to receive all types of aid. If they had come into the US legally they could get a job and provide for their children themselves. Makes me question their motivation. Do they they want to provide a "better life for their children" or do they want the US government to do it for them?
I think I know the answer.

2006-06-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

It has been 4.5 years since September 11, 2001. My first reaction when US soil was terrorised by evil was; Why did our intelligence not know that this plot was underway?
For weeks I questioned our nation's security. How could this happen in the United States? What is going to become of my 3 children? Should they go to school, out to play, should I be concerned about the water they are drinking?
My mind & heart were put to ease by implementations of Homeland Security. I felt safe that they were "listening to chatter." Now liberal activists are saying that their right to privacy is being encroached upon. If national security organizations want to listen in on phone conversations with suspected terrorists, that live outside of the US or known terrorists cells in the US, I say this should not only be expected but more so demanded by the US people. Why didn't this go on prior to 9-11-2001? If it had could 3000 + innocent lives been saved?
My right to live free from fear of terrorism outweighs my desire to wonder if my phone conversations are being tapped. I question the motivation of those that are in an uproar over this? I have yet to come up with a logical conclusion to their reasoning, even after listening to their debates & rhetoric.
My safety & my children's safety is more important than anything, including my right to privacy.