betsy

Although I haven't read Ms. Clinton's book, I think that's what she was getting at with "It takes a village...." An excerpt on wikipedia reads: "CHILDREN are not rugged individualists. They depend on adults they know and on thousands more who make decisions every day that affect their well-being. All of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, are responsible for deciding whether our children are raised in a nation that doesn't just espouse family values but values families and children." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Takes_a_Village Thank you for the info.

Of course, I'm sure you do know that this is not about disagreeing with the concept of daycare. Daycare is part of our life, the way our society had evolved. Bubber, let's not try to revert back to our old negative ways wherein you personalize discussion by poking holes into my job...and I respond by wondering out loud if you are currently high on drugs...that's why perhaps you misinterpret what I'm trying to say. I would like to keep the discussion within this topic, if you please.... But you do have a good point in your explanation about some people who end up with kids and finding they couldn't stand them at all. And may I add that a lot of parents today "cannot stand" children..and are at a lost as to how to deal with their children (parenting), simply because they haven't learned from their parents. Today's parents are mostly the result of Dr Spock. I asked the grandfather of this toddler (the child stays overnight with him and his wife quite often), if they have problems with him He said not really that much. Then he added, "well we tell him, if he becomes difficult...we'll take him home!" And he seem like the no-nonsense type of granpa either. You know, from the "old-school" like me.

I had taken sets of children for trips on various occasions to the local Independent Grocery Store, and the post office inside an IDA Drugstore. The manager at the grocery store came to the children as we were waiting in line at the cashier. He handed them "treats" (after asking for my permission)....because he couldn't believe how well-behaved they were at the store! From the way he was gushing, that kind of simple behaviour is a rarity these days. I need not have to tell you that my children all got their chests puffed up with pride! And were walking around like peacocks all day! And bursting at the seams telling their parents when they got picked up that day! The employees at the IDA also commented on their behaviour. At a convenience store, I took two older boys to browse at comic books. After finishing...of course the boys shoved the books askew on the shelves. I got them to put the comics away properly on the shelves and explained that the seller had to sell those and people will not buy them if they are not in good condition. The seller/owner heard me explaining to the children and came to me, thanking me for teaching the children! People will not always comment or give praises, so I tell my children: remember, people may not always say it outright, and you may not always get treats for behaving so well in public....but you can be sure, people notice! If you see well-behaved children in public places....kindly note their good behaviour with praises or acknowledgement....to encourage those kind of behaviours. This also encourages the parents of these children (and we've got a lot of parents who do try their best)...it's like telling them, "keep up the good work, you're doing a good job parenting!"

Of course some shenanigans happened then. Kids will be kids. But in the good old days, shenanigans were the kind that came with growing up...coming of age. A lot of those growing up behaviour we now fondly recall with amusement when depicted in movies etc., And there were some troubled kids even then, the rebel types...some who commit vandalisms....the "outcast"....experiments in the backseats....so yes, I don't think the good old days were that squeaky clean. But did we hear anything about some of the type of "shenanigans" we so commonly hear now? Do you think we'll ever find anything fondly amusing about the choking game? Home invasions? School shooting spree? Killings? The difference is that now, these things seem so common an occurence that our attitude is just to shrug our shoulders with apathy...and instead of pinpointing the roots of the problem and answers ....we try to justify the current problem!

Be a parent! Do my parenting! Especially if my toddler has behavioural problems! Values are introduced and learned at home. We wonder why kids don't learn the the simple values such as....respect for elders, respect for other people's properties, simple introduction to manners and etiquette, etc...well, how will they get introduced to those if they don't get introduced at home right from the outset? If values are introduced early on, it becomes just like a natural thing... But instead, these days....we rely on the daycare to do those....we rely on our schools. Define "quality time."

This may sound like lecturing....but please, let me get this off my chest. We're facing serious problems regarding our youth today. And it's only going to get worse if we don't all wake up and start taking our jobs as parents seriously and responsibly. Yeah, the new way method that had taken roots during the Clinton days, "it takes a village to raise a child," does not mean parents can dump the child on society and slack off as parents. The common most-used phrase by parents these days...especially by mothers, is: "I need to get some time to myself." This poor toddler that I have who's having serious behavioural problem had been dumped on me even on days when parents were on holidays! Out of two weeks holidays they had, they kept the kid for only one day to take him to places (I guess to alleviate the guilt that they've had nothing to do with him on those days), then took him to the daycare jokingly saying, "they could only put up with so much." On Easter Monday, he's going to get dumped on me again (I probably would've had him on Friday too if I am open), and yes, mom sez she's on holiday that day but, she's "got to have some time to herself." Btw, this mom also has "friends night out" a weeknight each week. I remember as a child....I couldn't get enough of my mom! She was working at the time, and I crave and begged for those "cuddle moments!" I don't know if this is true to every other children....but there is a special closeness between mother and a young child. Although Dad was not out of the picture....the bond between mom and child is particularly strong. We can blame all our problems now to the media (tv, movies, video etc..)...or to poverty....environment...etc.., Not that I'm saying they did not contribute to our problems now. The breaking up of the family is also largely to blame! But I'm saying, with all these negative influences that will bombard our children, all the more we need to firm up that foundation necessary for them to remain firm and strong against the onslaught of negative influences. Children are not accessories to project a certain lifestyle. They're not dogs or white picket fences or volvo and swimming pools. They're not badges to be put on just so one can say "Oh look at me! I'm a harried parent but I can juggle everything from career to parenting and having a grand social life!" Nor are they a symbol of martyrdom. Once you have a child, it's no longer about "ME" anymore.

Actually I think Dion is desperate. From what is being bandied about on MDuffy, the Liberals are far from being united. Dion does not want an election....but some Liberals do, so they can choose a new leader again. Dion has to show and prove some leadership skills to his own party....and to the public.

Is that the liberal mind speaking....or are you being sarcastic? Or they pick and choose what cause or plight deserves their attention. They are! And to think that both parrties are trying to outdo one another to be seen as the champion of women! Both would make you believe that the Conservatives are going to take the country back to the cavemen days..... Hello? They're talking about slaughter of women here, today! They suddenly turned deaf! I think you're mistaking me for someone else. Actually, I'm one of the few "racists" here who've been yelling that multiculturalism is not the way to go!

So what happens to this topic? How come no more mention of it after it's 15 minutes of glory in the air? How come it seemed to have gone PFFFFT in the media? Where's the women's group? The minority rights group? Is the media scared of getting threatened? The Liberal media does not want to show what some of us are saying....that there are terrorists among us here in Canada? I don't think there's even ANYONE calling for an inquiry! Or at least, getting to the bottom of this. Gee, referring to Stronach as a dog (by an irate ex-lover) got WEEKS OF OUTRAGE! I guess Muslim women are just that....nothing! The staunch supporters of women, the Opposition Party who should be raising hell about this is suddenly.....mum. Maybe if the Muslim women are called dogs instead of being threatened with violence, maybe that's when the Opposition and the NDP will react.

Isn't "reasonable accomodation" about immigrants to Quebec? I might be confusing it with the issue of no-veil policy to vote, and the fact that a group of Quebecers were incensed when a group of Muslims in a restaurant that had live entertainment had managed to get the manager to stop the entertainment for about 10 minutes, so they could all kneel down right there in the establishment and pray. I thought it's about Quebecers fighting to preserve their culture.

Last Thursday on MDuffy, Duffy told the guest Liberal senator that He (Duffy) was bombarded with email right after Williams had his tirade on the show. Duffy read some of the emails....they all have the same message...they were all lambasting Williams and his ads! There is also talk that his posturing may have backfired. A scheduled convention (?) involving the attendance or participation of some big companies had some companies cancelling.

Let's see, the Inquisiton, the Crusades, Slavery, American expansion, I believe the last figure was 19/20 Natives were killed off. Some have the number pegged at over 500,000,000 killed directly or indirectly by Christians. Atheism didn't kill those people, despotic rulers did. By the way the church also had a cozy relationship with Franco. There were slaves in the old Islamic kingdoms! And Mohammed had had bloody hands too. "Slaughter of non-believers" beats the Inquisition. The Inquisition had ended, but the slaughtering of non-believers or those who don't follow the slamic teachings to perfection...is still going on.

Link: http://www.canada.com/components/print.asp...f6-f349b416d5c3 Oh don't forget too that for the past few months, the Liberals had tagged him as "mean-spirited"....calling him as such in every opportunity they have....like some kind of subliminal suggestion....hoping that that's how the people will eventually perceive him. The Liberals ought to look in the mirror if they want to see an example of what a mean-spirited looks like. For years they've painted, nurtured and fanned the scary image of Harper as a rightwing looney extremists....like some mythological evil god! Well, the myth's been busted. You shoulda hear all the phone calls at CPAC last sunday night with Goldhawk. His guest was Elizabeth May and it's about the environment. All callers were for Harper (mostly from Vancouver and Ontario), except two... One caller, in his anger told Goldhawk that his guest is "full of hot air!"

I'm asking, did this incident receive a big commotion in the media? How about the feminist group? Violence Against Women groups? Minority Rights group? Did anyone from these groups jumped in and expressed outrage....demanding inquiries....and solutions...etc., There seem to be an ominous silence....I don't know. Maybe I'm just missing the channel or the broadcast or the papers or the talk shows. Usually, if a man makes a threat towards his wife....or a group of women...usually these groups are immediately banging on the goverment's door, demanding castration! And you never hear the end of it in the media.

Isn't he a Liberal???? I don't know about his past....but as far as I know, he is a Liberal now. Am I wrong?

Just curious, you on the side of just about anyone against the west...particularly Bush?

Usually they're along the side of the screen, but now they're gone. Just want to know....hubby tweaked with the computer by adding this and taking off that....am I the only one with no emoticons?

Why is that noteworthy?I believe it is noteworthy because Muslims are commonly all lumped together as one antagonist. The Muslim religion is. An antagonist. It is the only religion I could think of that preaches slaughtering ALL NON-BELIEVERS.

They need to be identified and shipped back where they came from or investigated and tried. With this kind of attitude (knowing how we are fighting for democracy...to the point of being at war...and how we, as Canadians, fight for equality)...they have no place in our society! These knuckleheads are terrorists!

Those polls above were by CTV and Globe and Mail. There is a new poll yesterday from a different source (can't recall which one), as revealed on MDuffy. Tories are up to 40%! If elections were held today, Conservatives get majority. That was taken post-Taliban comment. Analyst on MDuffy explains that Harper is solidifying his base. He is leading "across the board, in all demographics that include young people, women and small towns." As for typical Liberal attitude of BRAZEN vote-buying, too bad for Charest. Instead of putting the money alloted for Quebec to infrastructures and services (like they were supposed to), he played the old Liberal trick. Quebecer political strategist say the people of Quebec feel closer to Harper that they do with Charest!

But the thing is, I don't think the impression Harper had said is made up. I, myself had voiced the same scathing observations in the past here in this forum....how soldiers are made to walk on eggshells while in combat! It is very possible he sees it that way....that the Liberals seem more concerned about some taliban prisoners (who were already handed to the Afghan government), more than they do our soldiers. Why should there be anything wrong in being brutally frank about it, spelling it the way he sees it? Why beat around the bush, especially....most especially... when our soldiers are involved? After all, didn't the Liberals show what they really think of our soldiers with that awful ad in Quebec? That ad suggests the Liberals think our troops can stoop that low...that our soldiers can easily become thugs in the payroll of a politician! Harper should run that ad to remind everyone how the Liberals INSULTED OUR TROOPS! Yes, let him lash out. And instead of Liberals whining, "Waaaah! Mommmy, the Conservatives are sticking their tongue out at me and saying I stink! Boo-hooo!" .....the Liberals should just explain and make us understand why Harper's accusation is not correct. If they think Harper is acting childish....then why do they respond in the same childish manner? Harper didn't demand, "Say you're sorry for calling me an extremist!" I don't think he even made a big deal responding to their taunts! And those were gross smear tactics.

I wish the camera had panned on Martha Hall Findley's face after Conservative strategist Reynolds fired back at her yesterday on Mike Duffy. Findley was whining how Harper is insulting the Liberals by referring to the Taliban comment. Reynolds answered, "the Liberals had been insulting the Conservatives and Reform/Alliance for years by calling them right wing extremists. But that's politics. Grow up!" Exactly. The Liberals had smeared Harper from head to toe in the past. Now the Liberals are whining to the public (all the way to Toronto, and I presume all over the country when they do their campaigning.) Dion and company's whining about them getting whacked by Harper remind me of the classic bully in the schoolyard....who ends up crying when given the same dose of his own medicine. As a member of the public I say, "Well, take it like a big boy!"

The message is obvious to me: agents of the government and their crony-friends exert their force upon everybody else. It's an ELECTED government, nonetheless. The term "everybody else" is too encompassing. The results are HORRIFYINGLY DEMONIC acts against humanity and the environment. Horrifyingly demonic? Here? In Canada? What demonic acts? Be specific, please. What do you expect the youth to think??? That in a DEMOCRATIC society, if you are not pleased with the current government in power, you can use your right to vote to have your say. I would not say that is right. However, I believe it is foolish to expect people to be complacent. Yes, we know that some poeple express their views in negative ways, to say the least....but putting a positive label on such un-democratic and bullying actions should not be the public's reaction. Praise for such "courage" for braving the harsh elements may put some ugly ideas into some impressionable youths craving for attention. The RCMP should've delayed finding the right cutter as much as they could....just to give these loonies a good lesson.

Actually, alpha dogs discipline pups by biting them on their butts. Surely you've seen this...the youngster yelps and runs away with his tail down...it hurts, but he KNOWS that he's done wrong. A lot like a spanking Ho-ho-ho....come to think of it, dog-obedience training techniques might work as well with children! (I've lost my emoticons....but I'm laughing while writing this.)

We're at war. It's part of the risk.