Thursday, April 29, 2010

It's just been too long

Since I watched this....

Laugh

Still with the funny

Potter!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Free-Range Parenting Question: Is it okay to offer to help?

So, I am a big reader of the Free Range parenting blog (and articles, and books, and all that goes with it). I was reading about the parenting in different countries, during vacations in Thailand, and here.

And I had a question, so I'm really hoping that any free range parent can answer this for me, from their perspective.

Last month I was traveling, in the U.S. - my husband and I took trains and planes, and it seemed wherever we'd go there'd be kids and parents. Anyway, I'm wondering, are we too overprotective in this country to accept help from a stranger, or should it even be offered? I'm thinking not of anything specific, but I'll try to give an example.

I'm on an airplane (or in a restaurant, or public place, etc.) and I see a parent having trouble: their toddler needs to go to the bathroom, they're the only ones in the little group, and they have an infant. Is it acceptable to offer to watch/hold the infant while they take the toddler in the bathroom, or is that now a major danger alert for parents?

I refrain from doing anything like this, on the off chance I'd get a violent reaction from the parent thinking I'm a kidnapper or something - but I really feel bad in situations like these, because society is so much safer when people help each other.

So should I offer and take the consequences, which might be as little as a polite refusal or even a grateful, "that would be wonderful" or might be as bad as someone being paranoid and reporting me to the police or other official (I don't know for what, exactly, possible harm?)

I'd be interested in answers: is it okay to offer to help?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Onion

Had forgotten how funny the Onion can be.....

NEW YORK—Pro-life advocates celebrated approval of the new anti-abortion drug UR-86 by the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday, calling it a "safe and effective method" for terminating pregnant women while leaving their unborn children unharmed.

Pfizer, manufacturer of UR-86—dubbed the "last-morning-ever pill"—said the drug is intended only for occasions when the mind-set or politics of the mother threaten the life of the fetus.

"This drug is designed for extreme cases in which the mother cannot or should not be saved, or when her health has been placed before that of her unborn child," Pfizer spokesman Anthony Wright said.

The orally ingested drug first tests for the presence of a fetus. If the outcome is positive, a near-lethal dose of barbiturates is released, which induces a coma in the expectant mother until the child is born, at which point a second, fatal dose is released.

The FDA's approval came after months of clinical trials firmly established that the fetus would be nourished and protected in the womb of the near-deceased UR-86 user.

Gender-equality advocates praised the introduction of the drug, calling it an "innovative solution" to the highly polarizing national abortion debate.

"This is a step forward for equality," men's rights activist Charles Hackett said. "For too long, women have had an unfair advantage in the outcome of a pregnancy. UR-86 levels the playing field for husbands and boyfriends across America."

Pro-life advocates, many of whom had petitioned the FDA to approve UR-86 while the drug was still in the research-and-development stage, also reacted warmly to the FDA's decision. Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, praised the new pharmaceutical for its potential use in cases of rape and incest, saying it could help end the shame and humiliation of such trauma while saving the life of the fetus.

"Victims of sexual assault can feel trapped, like they've got nowhere to turn," Terry said. "Now, they can solve their deep, internal problems once and for all, without unfairly condemning their children."

Yet critics say UR-86's prescription-only status and the fact that most health insurance plans do not cover the drug limit its effectiveness, as it is not available to those who need it most.

"If people can't afford the drug or get it prescribed on short notice, they're not going to have enough time to act, especially when their wives want to end the pregnancy fast," men's issues commentator Stan Dynes said. "UR-86 should be made available over the counter as soon as possible. It's the husband's right to choose if this drug is right for him, and neither the government nor the medical elite should get in the way of that decision."

Pfizer trials showed that UR-86 can do nothing for the fetus if an abortion procedure is performed. "If the mother is administered the pill the morning after an abortion, the fetus cannot be revived because it won't be there," Pfizer's Wright said. "It will still terminate the mother, though."

Conversely, some lawmakers are uneasy with the concept of ready access to the anti-abortion pill.

Tuesday night, South Dakota legislators introduced a bill to impose a five-day waiting period for teenage girls and women before they can buy the pill, claiming its use does not adequately safeguard the lifestyle of the father, the laundry of the father, or the favorite meals of the father. The legislators cited Pfizer's own published list of side effects of UR-86, which include domestic messiness, already-born-child neglect, and inadequate stocking of the fridge.

Still, Pfizer anticipates not only that the drug will be popular with husbands, but also that, once available over the counter, UR-86 will likely find a large consumer base in mothers-in-law, downstairs neighbors, and extramarital lovers.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Happy April!

I am now on a major hunt for fun topics/things to do for future storytimes. To that end, I have found a wonderful author: Alan Katz. He redoes the words to fun, traditional kid's songs. Here are a few of my favorites!

Give Me a Break (to the tune of "Home on the Range" - I am originally a KS girl)

Oh give me a break
'Cause I made a mistake
And my library book's overdue
The fault is all mine
Oh boy, what a fine
It was due way back in '92!

Home, home's where it's hid
This is such a bad thing I did
And you might say "Gee whiz!"
'Cause the book's title is
How to Be a Responsible Kid!

"Don't Flush Strange Things in the Potty" (to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") - for patriotic potty training?

Don't take your sister's rattle and just drop it in the bowl
It's not place to hide things like a pocket or a hole
It's also not a home to give your fishy or a tadpole
The toilet is for poop!

Don't put your toy in the toilet
Or it's probably gonna spoil it
And your mom'll have to boil it
The toilet is for poop!

A kid I know took both his boots and flushed 'em on a whim
Then he took his favorite bear and taught him how to swim
The potty started flooding and they called on Plumber Jim
He had to fix their bowl

Don't flush strange things in the potty
Doing that is really naughty
Pee and poop come from your body
And they go in the bowl!