The beginning of the end

My baby starts high school soccer practice tomorrow. High school. Even though school doesn’t start for 4 more weeks, as far as I’m concerned, as of tomorrow, he’s officially a high school student. My baby. A high school student. They’re not kidding when they say kids grow up fast.  In the blink of an eye. Wasn’t he begging me to play just yesterday? Beating me at Monopoly even though he couldn’t read yet? Holding my hand when we were walking together? Wanting to be pushed on a swing?  Laughing uncontrollably as I blew raspberries on his chubby baby belly?

Who is this young man living in my house, answering to my baby boy’s name? Holed up in the basement for hours playing video games with his friends. Only surfacing to use the bathroom or to grab something to eat or drink. Why do I have Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof in my head?!

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end. In four years, I’ll be left dazed and confused as to how my baby can be going off to college. An adult. Able to make his own decisions without checking with us, getting our approval or our signatures on the line that says Parent Signature.

Where did the time go?

My thoughts while watching Outlander Episode 304: “Of Lost Things”

  1. Watch yer head, Wee Roger!
  2. Does anyone else think the actress playing Geneva resembles Caitriona a bit?
  3. and — BFFs ♡
  4. Lord Ellesmere is so gross! Poor Geneva. (That’s right. I feel sorry for her.)
  5. How the hell can women ride side saddle? I’m getting scoliosis just watching it.
  6. I hate seeing Jamie with his head down looking subservient. is meaner than I remember reading him to be.
  7. This reminds me a wee bit too much of the wedding episode scene.
  8. Thank you, writers, for portraying the scene with Geneva as I believe Diana intended it.
  9. Right now, the timeline bothers me. Jamie’s about 35 and Claire’s about 50. Seems out of line and icky.
  10. Actually, Roger seems too old for Brianna, too, but that’s not the timeline. , Rog.
  11. Isobel Dunsany is so nice. I wish we saw more of her.
  12. Too bad Master Raymond wasn’t around for Geneva. Best 18th century physician (besides Claire, of course).
  13. They did an excellent job with the Ellesmere shooting scene.
  14. Let Jamie hold the , Isobel!
  15. The display of so many emotions within mere moments on ‘s face is remarkable.
  16. I thought Willie was supposed to have red hair. So, ya know, he’d look like his sire.
  17. “This is 1968. I’ve been fighting sexism since 1743, goddammit!” ~ Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser Randall Fraser
  18. Ye shouldna call yer bastard a bastard, ya bastard!
  19. Why isn’t LJG’s hair lighter?!?! Distracting.
  20. I’m really liking David Berry. (Except his dark hair.) Good face actor. Now, get some sun, man.
  21. The scene!!! ♡ ♡
  22.  “Dinna fash, lad. I’ll remember you.” 😥
  23. I’m so happy that Willie gets raised by Isobel and LJG. Good people. Caring people. They’ll love him well.

In summary: : Joe said and Willie said . All is right in the world (of Outlander).  

 

X-Plan: Giving your kids a way out (#xplan)

Bert Fulks

Friends, as most of you know, I get to spend an hour each week with a group of young people going through addiction recovery.  Yes.  Young people.  I’m talking teenagers who are locked away for at least six months as they learn to overcome their addictions.  I’m always humbled and honored to get this time with these beautiful young souls that have been so incredibly assaulted by a world they have yet to understand.  This also comes with the bittersweet knowledge that these kids still have a fighting chance while several of my friends have already had to bury their own children.

Recently I asked these kids a simple question:  “How many of you have found yourself in situations where things started happening that you weren’t comfortable with, but you stuck around, mainly because you felt like you didn’t have a way out?”

They all raised their hands.

Every single…

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The Essential Selfishness of School Choice

Fantastic explanation. #schoolvouchers #charterschools

gadflyonthewallblog

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Say your friend Sheila invites you over to her house.

Sheila has just made a fresh pumpkin pie.

She offers you a slice.

You politely refuse, but she insists. She hands you the knife so you can take as big a piece as you like.

You start to cut and then ask, “Does it matter where I cut from?”

Sheila says, “No. Take whatever you want.”

You don’t like crust, so you cut a perfect triangle piece from the middle of the pie.

Sheila’s face reddens.

This wasn’t exactly what she meant, but what is she going to do? You took your slice, and now the rest of the pie is ruined. No one else can take a whole piece. Your choice has limited everyone else’s.

That’s what school choice does to public education.

It privileges the choice of some and limits the choices of others.

Advocates…

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The Dense web of financial interests

The Cost of the Pipeline

The Lambertville Pipeline Committee met with a representative of U.S. Senator Cory Booker this week to talk about the city’s concern about PennEast in general, but also specifically about the impacts to the drinking water site and Suez.

I won’t go into a lot of detail, we were promised some help and hopefully that will go somewhere.  But it was clear that the Senator would not come out against the pipeline, a position that we knew going into the meeting.

Even so, it’s unsettling when you figure out why various politicians won’t come out against projects. It seems you always just have to follow the money.

One of the people associated with Senator Booker is the Rev. M. William Howard.  When Mr. Booker was Mayor of Newark, Howard was tapped to lead his transition team.. In fact, the Senator considers Mr. Howard a mentor to him.

As it turns…

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Breaking News: CNN to Host Town Hall With Libertarian Candidates Gary Johnson and Bill Weld

THE LIBERTY HERALD

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In a historic move the cable news network CNN will be hosting a town hall for the Libertarian Party ticket of Gary Johnson and Bill Weld on June 22nd.

From the Politico:

CNN will host a primetime town hall with Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson and vice presidential candidate William Weld, the cable news channel announced Wednesday.

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo will moderate the town hall, which will air Wednesday, June 22 at 9 p.m. It will be held at CNN’s headquarters in New York’s Time Warner Center, with Johnson and Weld being asked questions by voters.

CNN has held 10 town halls so far this election cycle, with most of the Republican and Democratic candidates. Libertarian candidates have generally not had the same media exposure that their Republican and Democratic counterparts have. Fox Business Network held a two part Libertarian party debate back in April, but primetime…

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My thoughts while watching Outlander Episode 210 “Prestonpans”

outlander-exclusive-ss01

  1. Bagpipes! Like actually on the show, not just in the music.
  2. Uh oh. Bloody, maggot leg.
  3. Sky dandruff
  4. That quartermaster dude sounds Irish.
  5. Oh, that’s because he is Irish. I’m getting good at accents.
  6. Damn my liver! Lol
  7. Mark me! DRINK!! ChVmoHoUkAAZFgl
  8. Oh, poor Charles. He’s so delusional and clueless.
  9. Jamie and a bunch of old dudes. Tall, young, ungrayed hair.  Mmmm…
  10. Mark me! DRINK!! ChVmoHoUkAAZFgl
  11. Hot Jamie. Hot Jamie.  Hot Jamie.
  12. lol  You don’t know Claire, princey.  She has no lord and master but herself.
  13. Angus is such as child.
  14. Ooh, Murtagh. Nice threat.  I like it.
  15. Nice reverse psychology on Dougal. Yer a clever lad, Jamie my boy.
  16. Angus and Rupert are so silly.
  17. Don’t shoot the horsey! Aim for Uncle Doogie.
  18. Hope you didna like that hat too much, Unk D.
  19. Yes, Dougal, we’ve learned that the Brits aren’t verra good shots.
  20. HAHAHA! Love Dougal’s face upon getting hugged.
  21. Mark me! DRINK!! ChVmoHoUkAAZFgl
  22. The general’s coat is stunning. Not gaudy but stately.
  23. Poopy pants MacKenzie lol
  24. I wonder why Anderson thought to come to Claire.  Interesting.  I like him.

    Outlander, 210 - Trailer
    Outlander, 210 “Prestonpans” – Trailer ©2016 Sony Pictures Television
  25. Damn, Angus has knobby knees.
  26. Scarrrrlet the hoorr. Pardon me. Part-time hoorr.
  27. I like these different types of pre-battle introspection. The 2 practical Scots and their families, goofballs Angus and Rupert, deep Murtagh and Jamie.
  28. Horrid timing, Fergus.
  29. There go the Tin Man and the Lion. Now to Murtagh, Claire’s Scarecrow.
  30. Settle down, Jamie. Don’t want to go into battle with a stiffy.
  31. If I were Claire, I’d be puking all over as soon as they were out the door. My gut can’t take this.
  32. Bonnie Prince Mark Me went along? Silly fop.outlander-exclusive-ss02
  33. Where’s Fergus?
  34. Oh geez, Ferg. Don’t be stupid.
  35. Seriously, Charles? You’re as bad as little Fergus.
  36. Mark me! DRINK!!ChVmoHoUkAAZFgl
  37. Claire’s her own kind of general. Leading her army of healers.
  38. Twitchy
  39. Do Jamie or Murtagh know Fergus is there?
  40. Slo-mo time!
  41. LMAO Sleepy sentry.  You’re in trouble!!
  42. You just can’t beat the element of surprise.
  43. Those red coats sure come in handy when fighting in the fog and needing to know who’s on which side.
  44. Thinking you’ve made the wrong decision, Fergie?
  45. Fuck you. Stand your own ground.
  46. Oh no. Is this where we lose Rupert?
  47. Good on you, Angus. I don’t care what you’ve promised BPC.  Friends come first.
  48. Rupert’s got a good layer of chub. That might help.
  49. Happy, victorious Jamie. And Murtagh.  Was that a smile?
  50. Too much for a little boy to take. Poor, sweet boy.
  51. Dougal.  Oh, Dougal.  Finish ‘em off.  Put ‘em out o’ their misery.
  52. Lt. Foster! Looks thinner.
  53. Oh my. I wasn’t as enamored with Lt. Foster as some were but that was cold, Doogs.
  54. See! Murtagh’s thinking like me. Protective blubber.
  55. Concussion Gus isn’t looking so good.
  56. Is this where the phrase “pissing contest” comes from?
  57. Oh shut the fuck up, Dougal.
  58. Oopsy! You got caught behaving badly.
  59. Jamie, my boy, you are indeed a verra quick thinker.
  60. Ingenious. Yeah, that’s what I meant.
  61. Rogue. Benevolence.  Do ye need a dictionary, Doog?
  62. Now THAT is a compliment. A plan worthy of Colum.
  63. Angus sounds rabid. Oh my god this is awful.
  64. Rupert is, I’m sure, part bear.
  65. Please let Rupert live. Please let Rupert live.  I can’t take losing Rupert now, too.
  66. “War tastes bitter no matter the outcome.” Good quote.
  67. Go lie back down, Rupert! You’re a terrible patient.
  68. He and Ross do a nice duet.

 

Post-episode:

  1. Was that a preview for next week?
  2. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THAT PURPLE GOATEE?!?! Frickin’ scary.outlander-202-writer