Half-mast

Like most, I am overwhelmed by the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech. But I am slightly perturbed by President Bush's actions. He decided that all flags should be raised half-staff today as well as attended a convocation ceremony in memory of the slain.

The rule for half-staff is that the President or a State Governor can decree the flag to fly low in honor of the death of national or state figures. As sad as what happened at VT is, I'm not sure that it really qualifies.

And perhaps, I wouldn't mind so much if we weren't flying flags at half-mast today on post. We've had close to 3000 soldiers die in the war on Iraq thus far. Why can't our flags ever be lowered for them? Why can't the President attend their memorial services? It just makes me wonder.

Yeah, this is pretty much the way I always pictured it.

To the person who made carseats so hard to install.

Screw you, buddy. May you have four children, twitchy muscles and no latch system in your car.

Can't we give it a day people?

The bodies are still warm and people are already going batshit over gun laws and immigration reform. Can't we at least give the victims' families a day or two of peace before we try to make some kind of lobby out of this tragedy?

Some people have no soul.

Some sociopathic idiot broke into a school, made his way into the janitor's closet, stole 6 contains of industrial strength drain cleaner and then through it all over the playground equipment.

And how did we learn that this was done? Because a two year old headed down the slide yesterday expecting a little fun and received 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his legs. It is rare that I am horrified by a news story these days but this one had me all twisted up in knots.

When they find out who did this, I'm all for an eye for an eye here. Let's throw some of that cleaner on his pecker and see how it likes it.

Work, work, work.

The trouble with freelancing is that there is no rhyme or reason to when you'll have to work. I am currently slammed with work. Mostly because when I wasn't, I was out there trolling for new customers like a $5 hooker (though I charge significantly more).

But now with my impending trip to NYC next week, I need to get on the ball. So even though the sun is shining, my kid is in a great mood and there are all kinds of fun things to do, I will be sitting on my couch, laptop in lap, writing about a disease I hope to never get and the best way to choose accessories. Fun, huh?

"Hypocrisy cloaked in righteousness."

I've titled this post "hypocrisy cloaked in righteousness" because I read it on another forum and I think it best encapsulates CBS' decision to fire Don Imus.

Full disclosure: I don't like Don Imus. I don't think he's funny. And so I didn't listen to him. But millions of people did, every day for God knows how many years. And he spewed a lot of insensitive, even hateful comments during those years. And he did so over and over again.

And guess what? During all that time, CBS was just fine taking in the money that accompanied them. What's changed now? It's not the fact that he talked smack.

The other part of this hypocrisy is Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. If they are so concerned about racial and sexist comments, why aren't they going after African American rappers and comedians who are some of the worst perpetrators of hate speech? Why aren't they out there apologizing to the Duke lacrosse players that they vilified last year? Why aren't they trying to start a real dialogue instead of just grandstanding for ratings?

Because they don't really give a shit either.

We can sit here and pretend, my friends, that this is all about an intolerance for prejudice. But we're just kidding ourselves. It's all about the bottom line and until we can all be honest about what is driving these comments and these reactions, that is not going to change.

How convenient!

So the White House may be missing millions of emails. I guess the White House servers aren't subject to the same Patriot Act spying that the rest of the world's are. Nice.

How many times...

...can a kid watch "Curious George" over and over again?

And how often can I comply before I go completely mental?

Warning to future hooligans.

Okay, okay, I get it. You're rebelling. You are too cool for school and like to hang out at the playground at night, smoking cigarettes and talking about how, like, your parents totally do not understand you. I'm sure you wax nostalgic about how once you graduate from high school, you are going to move to NYC and become a famous actor. You'll leave this place in the dust and never look back. Yeah, been there. Heard that.

But there's teenage angst and then there is just plain meanness. And "swirling" the baby swings each night until they have been swung all the way around the top of the swingset and unreachable for mere mortals is not representative of your coolness. It is rude and a serious pain in the ass for us mothers who are at the whims of children who are addicted to swinging. You ever heard a kid screaming because he's waited all day to get on the swing and he can't? Keep giving it up on the merry-go-round after dark and you'll become all too familiar.

Listen, I can tolerate one day of having to climb like a monkey up the wooden pylons, getting several splinters in the palms of my hands for the effort, risking that once I manage to work up the momentum to knock the swing seat off the top of the set that it's going to fall and hit my kid in the head, since he's throwing a tantrum below. But two days is too much.

Teenagers, you are on notice. If I go out and find you at the playground causing this kind of mischief again, you are in for it. I am going to confiscate your cigarettes, call your mothers and, so help me God, inform you that you are more suited to a career in accounting than on Broadway.

You have been warned.