Abortion is a game now?

lifted from this website

Choice: Texas Indigogo Campaign Video

A game about abortion. Wow. What a lame idea. Can anyone think of a more unplayable topic for video or PC game? My own conservative opinions aside, who the heck wants to play a game about such a serious, politically, emotionally, and medically charged topic.

The only people I can imagine would play this game are fetushists or lightly curious and extremely bored pre-teen girls.

When I play video games (yes, on occation I do) I do so with the thought in mind of relaxing and escaping reality for a while. I don't do it for education, or empathy training. I do it exactly for the opposite. There may be something I'm trying to forget, or maybe I'm in the mood to blow something up; or oh, the horror, maybe I'm just trying to have some fun!

Abortion, as far as I hear tell, is not escapist, is not sensational (usually I hope), and not fun!

Where did these people get the idea anyone would want to play a game about abortion?

further reading:

The Blaze

kvue.com

Should I Give Colin a Break?

lifted from this website

Now that the kids have settled down for a nap (I hope), I can ruminate on how the kids and I have been doing in homeschool this week.

Karyn loves going over shapes, numbers, and the alphabet. She has even asked me to teach her the letter sounds. I have no fears for her as far as pre-school education goes.

Colin is doing okay as a reader, in fact, far better than I would expect if I had decided he should go to public school. I should probably keep doing what I am doing with him as far as reading goes: flashcards, phonics instruction, and practice. I'm also starting to give more time and practice to lettering neatly and accurately, which Colin is enjoying. However, we seem to have hit a wall as far as progress in arithmetic goes.

I think he just needs a break. During math time, Colin has become so distracted, that he can not seem to focus. He understands the mechanics of single digit addition and subtraction, but his attention roams all over the place and it takes a long time to get even one problem done. However, when I proposed that we take a two week break from math (we've had school over the summer), he got angry. After twenty minutes and having only gotten through three of the ten math problems I assigned for the day, we were exhausted, and I very gently but firmly said we are going to take a break until Monday or Tuesday. Colin immediately dissolved into tears and cried, "I don't want to take a break from math! I don't wanna!"

If he wasn't so heartbroken I would have laughed out loud. I gave him a big, extra long hug, and told him we would still count by fives and tens, and that we would find some math games to play. That calmed him a little, but he still wasn't very happy.

I'm going to look around for some new ideas on practicing single digit addition and subtraction and decide whether we need some changes in the way we approach math. Next week we will come back to the subject fresh and rested... I hope.

Isn't it Ironic

Hmm. I wonder what kind of diversity. Lifted from this website

When I was a girl, I was called to regular school assemblies, and sat in classes where the only thing discussed was tolerance; namely tolerance of gays and people of color. No one should be bullied or beaten-up just because they have a different skin tone or prefer to (                        ) someone of the same sex. (Hurray for tolerance! Rah! Rah! Diversity!)

We were told ugly stories and shown violent clips of evil straight or white people (actually it was always white men, presumably heterosexual) oppressing and doing bad things to minorities. (Bad, intolerant, straight, white man! Bad! No treat!)

The importance of being polite and civilized with people that are different was made abundantly clear; and if I didn't have anything constructive to say or do for a protected class, then leave them alone.

To this day, when I see the Rainbow Flag outside a business or at a rally or parade, I simply say nothing and keep moving. It's what I call tolerance. I don't condone the lifestyle, and I don't persecute them for it. That's what I was brought to believe they wanted.

Unfortunately, I may have misunderstood. I've been reading about businesses that refuse to cater gay and lesbian weddings being forced out of business and the owners harassed and threatened for there beliefs (see this article and more like it).

Is this the kind of "tolerance" they were campaigning for? Tolerance only for those of their own world view? Slavery, open hatred, and death for the rest? I understand taking one's business elsewhere, and even the occasional peaceful boycott; but harassment, threats and fear are not the American way of doing things.

Disagreement is an American value. I have always loved that I can politely disagree and debate with those of other world views. Through the processes of civilized argument I have learned how other people think and see the world. Having my views challenged has made me think seriously about what I believe and how it fits into the larger picture, or whether I am wrong and need to discard those beliefs.

I find it terribly ironic that the very kinds of people (intolerant, violent and bullying people) the LGBTQ community fought so hard against seems to be what they are becoming.

What A Happy Place This Would Be...

lifted from this website. What happy place this will be if...

There seems to be this line of thinking among so many democrats that if enough law abiding people just give up on gun ownership, that criminals will stop murdering and attacking people.

Somehow happy feelings will prevail in a gunless society. Without guns, no one would have the means to kill each other, or the will to use blades, or the imagination to break a bottle, or the brutality to wield baseball bats. Of course no one would ever raise their fists in anger, much less strangle each other once guns are gone.

Once the guns are gun it will be a utopia of sunshine and lolly-pops, is that what they are saying?

No. I didn't think so.

How to remove blackened, burned on gunk:

This is not my kitchen. Do you know how you can tell? The stove is spotlessly clean!

This is cleaning advice for lazy, somewhat absent minded persons like myself: also why I keep a gallon of cheap white vinegar on hand.

The yesterday I burned spaghetti sauce to the bottom of one of my favorite sauce pot. Sunday, it was the charred remains of hamburger patties on my largest frying pan, before that zucchini bread drippings on a cookie sheet. As you can tell, "accificial" offerings happen with great frequency in my kitchen.

This is my recipe for safely and cheaply removing burned on crud from my stainless steel with minimal effort:

Enough water to cover the stained area
A splash of cheap white vinegar
A squirt of my favorite dish soap (or whatever dish soap I have on hand, as my favorite brand is an online exclusive and I don't always have the time or means to order more)

Stir until incorporated or bubbly and forget about it until the next day. Wash off with only light scrubbing at worst. If still uncomfortably spotty, repeat the procedure with two splashes of vinegar (although if only lightly stained, I may just ignore it and cook with it until the stain disappears on it's own through daily wear and tear.

The Selfie 2

This is the hypothetical letter I will write if I discover my daughter is posting racey "selfies". The facts can be adjusted should this come up.

Dear Daughter,
I have printed this letter and attached a printed copy of the selfie you took of yourself recently so as to keep this private. No, I didn't hack your facebook account, or sift through your phone, or do anything to openly violate your privacy. This picture came to me via an online acquaintance of mine who happens to be the mother of a friend of yours (small world isn't it). You friend happens to be a boy. If he is anything like the man I hope he will become then he will never touch you, and probably never speak to you again. You can not "unsee" what has been seen. But aside from consequences to your social life, let's talk about real life.

Did you know that posting overtly sexual or naked "selfies" can get you tagged with a sex offender charge? You can be put on the sex offender registry and that's a black mark that can ruin your life for years.

Did you know that future employers may do an online search for information about you and find that "selfie"? That picture can ruin your job prospects. Very few employers want a bad reflection on their company by hiring someone who projects nymphomania.

Did you know that I love you and want better for you in life that what you are asking for with that picture? I can take away your phone, you camera, your bedroom door. I can try to stop you from seeing friends and demand that while you live in my house you live up to my standards. However, ultimately I can't stop you from doing what you will do. One day I will not be there to shield you from the full consequences of your decisions. The best I can do is try to teach your right from wrong. I hope I've done so.

Love, Mom

P.S. You're grounded.

The "Selfie"

"If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things..." Article of Faith 1:13

It seems to be the style for girls to post immodest "selfies" (pictures of themselves that they took themselves) online.

Lifted from this website

What I tell my children, and especially my daughter, is that the way we dress and present ourselves reflects our purpose. If we want to appear to be a over sexed, brainless, prostitute, with wares on sale, then yes, a half dressed selfie your tongue hanging out will do the trick.

However, if our purpose is to make friends that will look into our eyes, and love us for our minds and hearts and who we really are, then perhaps a different wardrobe selection should be considered... That, and if I think her "selfies" are going to attract the wrong crowd, she can say "good bye" to her bedroom door and digital camera, and "hello" to family game nights, family camp outs, mother-daughter shopping trips, and marathon sewing and home economics lessons. Hmm. Maybe that's the key to preventing nasty "selfies" being posted online in the first place.