Why “parental notification”

I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to Parental Notification laws, which require that parents be notified either in person, by phone, or by certified letter before an under age young woman can terminate her pregnancy. The hope, I believe, is that upon receiving that information, the parent will lock the girl up and [...]

First snow

Winter arrived in Spokane yesterday, reminding me that local drivers have the long term memory of my brain-damaged cat. It always takes a couple of days for that “Oh! So that’s how I need to drive on ice!” awareness kicks in. But my 5″ is nothing compared to the 17″ the midwest got. Ironically, Tacoma [...]

The truth is a dangerous thing

With the advent of abstinence-only sex education, in many places it is forbidden to give teenagers information on birth control in school. Now that information is considered too dangerous for the news as well. All 1,800 copies of a student-run newspaper in Oak Ridge, TN has been confiscated because the issue contained information on birth [...]

No fairy tale ending

In the fairy tales Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, a princess is awakened from near death by a kiss from a charming prince. Sadly, that was not the case for a 15-year-old girl in Quebec. The kiss she received was fatal. The Seattle PI reports that Christina Desforges died from an allergic reaction following a [...]

“Look for the union label”

In a related footnote to the previous post, the AFL-CIO is looking for a new jingle to replace the classic “Look for the union label” advertizing campaign. From Shop Union Made: Announcing a National Song-Writing Contest! We’re seeking new lyrics for the beloved labor “jingle” “Look for the Union Label!” The Time Has Come To: [...]

Miffed for the wrong reason

American Border Patrol agents are upset that their uniforms have a Made In Mexico label. The agents are worried about what could happen if uniforms disappeared from the factory and turned up in the hands of criminals or terrorists. They are concerned that someone in a stolen uniform could waltz across the border into the [...]

Happy Leftovers Day!

I was raised on old fashioned home cooking, Southern from my dad’s side and mixed European from my mom’s, all with a strong prairie influence. Even though I gave up frying 20 years ago, I still make a lot of the comfort foods I loved then. Today it’s turkey and noodles. I love making noodles [...]

Eco-weenies are cheating the government

Owners of hybrid vehicles are avoiding their fair share of road maintenance costs, a study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce says, and they should be taxed. That’s one of the proposals from a recently released report that predicts the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money in 2008, one year before [...]

Boiled Custard Egg Nog

This was my grandmother’s recipe. She was adamantly opposed to raw eggs in any form, so she made this cooked version every year for Christmas. It’s well worth the time it takes to make. Boiled Custard Egg Nog makes 8 4 0z. servings 3/4 c. sugar 4 eggs (separated) 1/4 c. sugar dash salt 3 [...]

Friday dog-blogging

Edgar and me when he was 6 months old.

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