Things On My Mind

In no particular order...

• Going to bed
• Coming up with another $200 or so to pay the one bill I forgot about and still afford a couple groceries
• Figuring out how to buy Christmas presents for my kids
• Anxious for Annie to get home on Sunday
• Hoping Jacob sleeps well tonight
• Hoping Julianna sleeps well tonight
• Wishing I wasn't out of laundry detergent
• Making plans to go to the bank tomorrow and then come home and do absolutely nothing of consequence the rest of the day
• Remembering to hook the smoke detector back up
• Planning our trip to Oregon in December
• Taking the "Happy Birthday" banner down since Jay's birthday was three weeks ago
• My head hurts from having my hair back all day
• Definitely time for sleep
  

(this blog inspired by "Conway")

From Bikes to Trains to Video Games...

Well, the time had come. I did what I had to do... That's right, I got a part-time job.
Starting next week, I will be working two days a week at Toys "R" Us. I have to get used to the "R" thing, because they use it EVERYWHERE. You should see the back room. Oh my goodness. "R" Team; "R" Responsibilities; "R" Customers Are "R" Priority. For a grammar nut like me, this is going to be tough.

But, I digress. I am a Money Counter. Is that a job title or what? I am well over-qualified for the position, so it works out just fine. I get to go in, count money, and come home in plenty of time to see my kids for the latter part of the afternoon and the evening. I'll be home at bedtime and on days when Jay works and we'll still have all day Sunday as a family. It's really the best possible scenario if I have to work, except for the pay. Alas, they only hire at minimum wage, but it should be enough to help us through this difficult financial battle.

I have to find some money to go buy a red shirt before my first shift. Hmm...

Kids don't appreciate election night

I know that it has been said before, but I have to say that I resent this whole projection tradition the news stations have. How can anyone say that projecting the results in the eastern states before the polls have closed on the west coast doesn't affect the outcome in the west?

Projections are stupid. I also tend to think that the electoral college is stupid, but I know there are things I don't know or understand about the alleged logic behind our system.

It's just frustrating to see that currently Obama and McCain both have 50% of the popular vote, but that they are miles apart in terms of the electoral college.

Back to parenting.

Another Election Day Post

An Election Day Post

Clinton Speaks Against Proposition 8

SACRAMENTO – In a telephone call to California voters, President Clinton delivers the following message regarding the unfairness of Proposition 8:

"This is Bill Clinton calling to ask you to vote NO on Proposition 8 on Tuesday, November 4th. Proposition 8 would use state law to single out one group of Californians to be treated differently -- discriminating against members of our family, our friends and our co-workers.

"If I know one thing about California, I know that is not what you're about. That is not what America is about. Please vote NO on 8. It's unfair and it's wrong. Thank you."

The calls from President Clinton went to millions of registered California voters overnight.

Parents Pissed Over Ad - Kids Had Permission To Attend Gay Wedding

SACRAMENTO – The parents of the two children most prominently featured in the latest multi-million dollar Prop 8 political spot today termed those ads “distasteful and exploitative” and demanded that the ads be taken off the air immediately. Both sets of parents – Laura Hodder and Matt Alexander and Jen Press and James Moore, sent two hand-delivered letters this morning. The first letter is to the Prop 8 Campaign demanding the ad be removed from its television and its Web site where it is being used as a fund raising tool. The second letter to the San Francisco Chronicle asks them to intervene on their behalf. The Prop 8 campaign manipulated video that the Chronicle has posted on its Web site.

In their letter to the Prop 8 campaign, the parents wrote: “We are absolutely outraged that you have chosen, without permission, to shamelessly hijack the images of our innocent children to promote a cause that we in no way, shape or form support. It is even more maddening that you have willfully and calculatingly edited the images of our children, with menacing music in the background, in a way that is completely contrary to their nature and harmful to them.”

The footage manipulated by the Yes campaign, without authorization from either the parents or the Chronicle, was originally captured on Oct. 10 when the children took a field trip with their classmates and several parents to share the moment of their teacher’s wedding to her longtime partner. All parents were notified well in advance of the trip which was organized by some parents, and, in fact, two families chose to have their children not participate under California’s broad opt out law.

“I’m a school principal so I know something about education and parents’ rights,” said Matt Alexander whose son, Ben, is featured in the ad. “And the opt out law is something we readily apply all the time. So, let me join every other educator in the state and ask Prop 8 to also stop lying about the opt out law.”

“This field trip was about sharing a special moment with a teacher these kids love,” said Jen Press whose daughter, Lucy, is prominently featured in the political ad. “To turn around and distort images of our children is outrageous. We’re opposed to Prop 8, but irrespective of our position, it’s wrong to use any image of children without their parents’ permission. And we think every parent in California would agree with us.”

In the letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, the parents wrote, in part:

“Our children are being exploited and used as pawns to further a political cause…We ask that you intervene immediately on our behalf and issue a cease and desist letter to the Yes on 8 campaign. If the campaign does not remove the ad, we ask that you pursue legal action against them.”

Added Jen Press: “Prop 8 claims to be about families, but we’re here to say you can’t be for families by attacking our families. You can’t be for families and take these children’s innocent images and flash them not only on television statewide, but on your fund raising page. This must stop right now.”