Keep it up, Palin!

After the election, I hoped that Sarah Palin would just...disappear. Honestly, I knew it was unlikely, but I still had hope. However, I have decided that I want her to stick around doing stupid stuff and saying stupid crap. I hear you asking, "Why?!?". Because she's terrific at raising money for causes she despises.

She has single-handedly managed to get an additional $1 million (yep, million) raised for Planned Parenthood. And all without lifting one of her well-manicured fingers for the cause. You see, back during the election, an email was circulated challenging people to donate to PP in Palin's name. Not only that, but to put Palin's address on the donation form, so that she would get the thank-you cards from PP. Some 40-something-thousand cards later, Ms. Palin is less than amused and is calling it "political theatre". While Planned Parenthood is denying that they had anything to do with the email (and in all honesty, they probably didn't), they are certainly not above taking the money!

Then you have the aerial hunting that Palin endorses...Defenders of Wildlife is trying to get it banned, and apparently there are some who have used the same idea from PP and donated money to Defenders in Palin's name. She's not amused by those thank-you's either. Bummer. Though in this case, she says it is from the "anti-hunting groups", which is a bit misleading. It's not hunting in general that Defenders and other groups are protesting, it's AERIAL hunting. For those unfamiliar with aerial hunting, this is how it works:

1. Find a wolf pack.
2. Chase them with a plane or helicopter until they are absolutely too exhausted to go any further and/or defend themselves.
3. Land the plane/helo and walk towards the wolf you have "chosen".
4. Shoot it. Hopefully kill it the with the first shot, but...if not...oh, well.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have no issues with hunting as a sport. I grew up in a hunting family, and we ate venison and elk for the majority of our meals. But in what world is it a "sport" to chase an animal down first until it can barely move and then walk up and kill it? I was raised in a family that had 2 main rules with hunting:

1. You kill what you eat, and
2. If you can't kill it fairly, then you don't deserve to kill it.

I fail to see how either one of those rules would apply with the wolf hunting as it is currently done in the state of Alaska. There is not a single thing fair about aerial hunting - in fact, the hunters have so stacked the deck that the wolves have absolutely no chance at all to survive. Honestly, many hunters would say that this isn't really even hunting in any sense of the traditional word. And this is the "hunting" that Gov. Sarah Palin says is so vital to Alaska.

So, I hope that if Palin isn't going to just fade away into the sunset, then she can continue at least helping to defeat her own causes. Because I love irony, and it just doesn't get much better than this!

Put your blinders on, people!

So, for anyone who has been living under a rock for the last 3 or 4 days, Chris Brown beat up his girlfriend Rihanna. Now, this is only "big" news because it happened to a couple of major music stars and was in public - therefore, not to be denied. Generally, I don't care what stars do, as everything tends to get blown out of proportion...and honestly, I get tired of hearing about famous people all the time. But, this is one situation that deserves to be heard.

Chris Brown's father (who, BTW, is a CORRECTIONS OFFICER. Hmph.) has gone on record as saying "We all have our shortcomings. We all trip.". Trip? In what universe was this a "trip"!? He beat the living crap out of the girl...she was in the hospital for at least one day and has to cancel 2 concerts (so far). When it comes to beating someone up, particularly in realm of domestic violence, there is no such thing as a "trip". And even worse, the general impression given by Brown's father is that all should be forgiven because he's famous....This is what he said:

"If you are on his side, you are on his side," he says. "Just because someone trips, if you are truly a fan, you are not going to demonize him instantaneously."

So basically, anyone who likes his music needs to put blinders on and just remember him for his music? And for the rest of us, it was just an accident? I'm sorry, but that's a shitty message to send. A lot of the people who listen to these particular singing stars are teens - very impressionable teens. Kids who will hear the message that it's ok to beat the crap out of your girlfriend, because it's just a trip, right?

I wonder if Brown's father, in his role as a corrections officer, looks at the average murderer and says "It was just a stumble". What about thieves? Or embezzlers? Or does he make sure that the law is followed and the individuals pay their dues for their actions?

Why isn't Chris Brown standing up and taking responsibility for *his* actions? THAT is the message he should be sending, particularly if it truly was a mistake. Yes, people do things all the time that they regret - but when you take the low road and do something not only illegal, but downright vicious, then you'd better have the balls to stand up and take the consequences. If you are unable or unwilling to do that, then you deserve no respect and no second chances.

Brown has a unique opportunity to stand up and admit he was wrong, and be willing to get help. To send a message that domestic violence is never OK, and that help can and should be gotten to prevent further abuse. Instead, he is in hiding and his father is telling the press that it should all be overlooked. Apparently, one act of cowardice begets another.

Is that a "trip" too?

Daddy needs to "bond" with some brain cells

I like to bond with my kids. Don't you? Every parent does, to some extent or other. Sports, video games, books...there are all KINDS of different ways to bond with your children. Some, of course, are a bit more successful than others...but they all come from a good place. Don't they?

Hm. Maybe not. A man was arrested in Florida after he let his 8-year-old son drive. No, I don't mean "sit in my lap and pretend" drive. I mean *seriously* drive the car. Well, it happened to be a van, but...whatever. After the boy hit two trees and almost hit two people, the van was finally stopped. So this father, when being questioned about why in the world he would let his son drive, mentioned he had taken a Xanax and then said he thought it would be a "bonding moment". The boy, on the other hand, said that daddy needed "medicine" to feel better - as he was pointing to an empty whiskey bottle in the back seat.

That's some kind of bonding. I wonder if he would have felt successfully "bonded" if the car had been in an accident and they had ended up in the hospital together? Or how about if the boy had actually hit one of those aforementioned people...possibly killing one or both? Wait! I know!! The best bonding must be the kind that opens the possibility of ending up with one or both of the bonding participants ending up dead!

There we have it folks. If you're ever having issues with your child, and are just *stumped* in how you can possibly get closer and do some..."bonding"...make SURE that you choose the scenario most likely to end up in jail or hospital time. Death is, apparently, just a bonus.

In what world is this a good idea?

First, let me say Happy New Year! I know I haven't been posting, but after the election was a sort of...relaxing period, followed immediately by terrible weather and the Christmas holiday!

So, I'm sure you've all heard about the mother of the octuplets down in Cali. Of course, it was all happy-happy, touchy-feely...until it came to light that the woman already had 6 kids. And lived with her mother. And was (of course) implanted with all those babies. Now, it tends to be a fairly common occurrence that the presiding doctor will recommend that a couple of the fetuses are aborted, in order to make things safer for the mother and the children. And as a woman who already had 6 kids, you'd think she would have taken them up on the offer.

Well, now comes a new revelation - the woman is, after denying using any form of welfare service, on food stamps! She gets $490 a month for 3 of her previous children...which leads to the question - and how much will she end up with for the new 8 children? Along with the news of the food stamps, her publicist (She needs a publicist now? How does she pay for him?) says that she doesn't view food stamps as a form of welfare, but "as payments available to people with needs". Ummm...isn't that what welfare is? Payments given to people who need assistance to take care of their families?

What really torques me off is that the woman *already had 6 children*. She had so many that she had to live with her mother in order to have help with them. She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, and still got food stamps. She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, still got food stamps...and decided to have EIGHT more children! She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, still got food stamps, decided to have EIGHT more children...which will more than likely lead to even more significant government assistance, paid for by the rest of us.

Because here's the thing - all this is news now, but what about in a year? 4 years? 8 years? When all the news outlets have moved on, her publicist has started "representing" the next basket case - what happens to those kids? I don't give a damn about the woman - honestly, I'd love to know if anyone has suggested that she have a psychiatric evaluation...But those kids will have to live with her outright stupid and selfish decision for the rest of their lives. And trying to take care of 14 children as a single mother in today's economy means that those children will go hungry. They will have very little to call their own (they don't even have their own home - and that was *before* the newest additions!). In all honesty, the odds suggest that a decent percentage of them will end up on the streets - gangs are plentiful in that area, and will probably feel like a better family than the one they have now.

My solution? The doctor who so carelessly implanted this idiot with all those fetuses needs to be court-ordered to help support them until they turn 18 or finish college. As far as I'm concerned, he's no different than a dead-beat dad who show's his immaturity by failing to take responsibility for the process he has participated in. He can help make sure those kids have food on the table and a place to live. It's not a complete solution, but it's sure as hell better than nothing at all. And if there was ever to be an option for state-sponsored sterilization, this "mother" has just become their poster child.

**UPDATE** Wow. Lady moves fast. She now has a website where anyone can donate money...of course, all credit cards accepted. It amazes me how ballsy this woman is, to CHOOSE to have 8 more children, knowing that she couldn't afford them, and to now ask the public to help her support them! I know some people hold the opinion that by not giving, we are "punishing" the children. However, I disagree...I believe that responsibility needs to be taken for the choice that was made to have 8 more children (not 1, not 2....eight) when affording the first 6 was a struggle. I refuse to help pay for her neglectful choice when there are so many more worthy causes that deserve help and attention. Want to donate to a cause? Find a food bank, or a battered woman's shelter, or head to the local animal shelter. Donate money, donate food - or, most importantly, donate time. Anything. They could all use it, and they don't have the book deals coming.