As a parent we get a bunch of useless advise from other parents - all the time. Every once in a while I stumble on a really good tip and as a parent I feel it is my duty to pass this along and possibly it will put a smile on your face.
I recently had a baby and for some reason a bunch of people I know also have been having children. I love the thought process that parents use to name their children. For me I choose family names. Some names are just out there, personally I always think about hiring that person as a CEO - does the name fit?
In this day and age if you have not Googled your name you are living under a rock.
But here is where it gets interesting: Google the first and middle name of your child.
You might be amazed at what you get! Is your daughter named after a porn star? Is your son named after a serial killer? These are two things my husband and I REALLY wanted to stay away from - so we checked first. We were OK - our son shares the name with a former US diplomat and our daughter shares her name with some regular folks on FaceBook.
I have Googled many first and middle names and some have made me chuckle.
I can't wait to hear what others come up with. Enjoy and Please Share!
My daughter is 6 years old. I would say she is not your average 6 year old.
She is up to date on who holds what public office and enjoys having dinner while watching Katie Couric. She also has agreed that the only game shows she will go on is Kid Jeopardy and Big Brother.
The other day at dinner we were discussing the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor and other random topics like a trip to Chicago we have planned in August. Every once in a while either my husband or I will give Carolyn a quick quiz on politics just to keep her mind sharp.
The following is an excerpt from our dinner quiz.
Q: Who is the President? Carolyn: Barak Obama and we like him!
Q: Who is the Vice-President? Carolyn: Joe Biden who talks a bunch.
Q: Who ran against President Obama in the primary election? Carolyn: Hilary Clinton
Q: Who is the Secretary of State? Carolyn: Hilary Clinton, mom really likes her.
Q: Who ran against President Obama in the general election? Carolyn: John McCain yuck.
Q: And who was John McCain's running mate? Carolyn: Sarah Palin ... I can see Russia from my house (then she pretended to be playing a flute - maybe watching Saturday Night Live with her is not a good thing!)
Q: Who is going to be the next Justice on the Supreme Court? Carolyn: Judge Judy!
No Carolyn, Judge Judy is only on TV. Judge Sotomayor is going to be the next Supreme Court Justice. Can you say Sotomayor?
I can say it but when she becomes a Justice will she be on TV like Judge Judy?
I guess when your 6 years old the most important thing is if you are on TV. Sorry Judge Sotomayor, Judge Judy beat you out on this one!
Good thing Carolyn does not have a vote in the Senate ... yet!
Hold on to your rip cord. I am about to jump out of the feminist plane.
I don't 100% support the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I know ladies, breathe, I am still a feminist.
Let me tell you why: I do not think it will help, I think it is a waste of resources, and I think it is from a time long ago.
I must, however, thank all my sisters and brothers who gave countless hours, multiple shoes marching, and endless dollars to fight for the ERA passage back in the 70's & 80's. Thank you all of you — this is not about diminishing what each of you gave, it is about 2009.
I am not going to go into the long, confusing and sometimes mind-boggling history of the ERA. The National Organization for Women (NOW) has the history here if you want to learn more. The only important thing to know is that it is not the law of the land and only 35 states of the 38 needed have passed it (Massachusetts in 1976, I was 2 years old).
The ERA seeks to fix the fact that women were left out of the Constitution. Supporters believe that with the passage of the ERA women will have equal status with men in ALL avenues of life (except the bathroom, no need to get crazy here). That with the ERA passage a woman's right to choose will be protected, a woman's salary will be dollar for dollar with a man's salary and women will finally be politically equal.
I don't believe that. In fact I think the passage of the ERA will actually set the women's movement back.
The U.S. Constitution, which took effect on March 4, 1789, had an interesting provision about people of color: Section 2 of Article I states that apart from free persons "all other
persons," meaning slaves, are each to be counted as three-fifths of a
white person for the purpose of apportioning congressional
representatives on the basis of population. The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were supposed to take care of racial inequality. I bet Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. from Harvard University would have a few words to say on that.
So those Amendments fixed racial inequality ... right? Nope!
Passing the ERA will not fix gender inequality either. In fact it will make us lazy. Who needs to fight states laws when we have the ERA — all it will do is give work to the thousands of lawyers out there to challenge state's rights. And what will inspire the next generation to carry the torch of inequality if we boast about having full equality with the ERA.
The ERA is like the 70's. It was fashionable then, it might have helped shape the world then, but in 2009, not many people give a crap. If you are trying to inspire a new generation of women to stand up and fight against inequality, why is the women's movement dusting off this golden oldie? Young women do not think it is relevant, why, because it all happened before we were born!
You want to inspire the next generation, you want to move the women's movement forward then find something that sparks our interest, meet us where we are now. Stop hammering us with what should have been. You look ridiculous pulling out a campaign from 30 years ago and stop telling me how it will make my life better. I may be younger than you, but I do know a thing or two about a thing or two.
The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963. How's that working out? Full pay yet? Yeah, I thought so.
I love West Wing and I am actually going to agree with Ainsley Hayes:
So next time you want to dust of something to inspire me, it better be a bottle of scotch and some good stories of when you marched for the ERA.
Make the next generation believe that we can change the world, inspire us to find a passion in the women's movement, give us hope that our personal goal for equality can and will happen, educate us on our past so we can move forward — together.
P.S. For the record my women's movement passion is equal pay for women and to include stay-at-home parents in the pay scale.
Cream or black? Soup or salad? Work or stay home? Procreate or not?
These are all questions that we ask ourselves, some on a daily basis others only once in a lifetime. Our world is filled with choices and we, as members of the intellectual race, get to make a choice everyday.
For me abortion is not about life or death, it is about a choice - that a women gets to make.
Choice. Not when does life start, not ultrasounds, not a 5 day waiting period, not permission - Choice.
Every time a restriction is placed on a women getting an abortion it strips away her choice to have one. The choice to have an abortion is settled law. If you do not like women having the option of choosing an abortion than please try to change the law, don't kill the abortion provider - that is counterproductive.
Since Abortion is a medical procedure that is guaranteed under the eyes of the law it should be covered in Universal Health Care. You may not like paying for it. However, I don't want to pay for erectile dysfunction procedures but I will. Why? Because health care should not be like the grocery store where you pick and choose what you want to pay for. It should cover all medically approved procedures.
Every time people say they are "against abortion" I ask that you change the word abortion to choice. In reality that is what you are saying. They are against a woman making a choice for her health.
Sorry ladies you are not educated enough to realize that the decision you have already made is wrong, it's ok I will take that option away from you. Or I will force you to look at an ultrasound to make you question everything that you believe. Or I will make you tell your parents that you were having sex (unprotected because we believe in abstinence) and get their permission. And then when you carry that unwanted baby and loose your job I will ridicule you for going on welfare. And when you have that child and can't find adequate child care that doesn't break the bank I will tell you you are lazy and uneducated for staying home. And when you yell at that child that you never wanted I will call Social Services on you and tell them that you are a bad mother. But hey, you weren't smart enough to make the decision in the first place so now I will make you continue the circle of poverty. Have a great life.
See women can't win when all the choices are off the table.
I have never been raped or molested. I have never been told that if I continue with this pregnancy my life would end and my other children and my husband would be without me. Abortion needs to remain a choice for these reasons if nothing else. And who the hell am I to tell any women that she doesn't know her own body, her own life's path.
Women are the amazing creatures that have the strength to continue life. We are the ones who go through the weight gain, the constant opinions from others, the pain of labor, and carry the load of raising the children. Women have a major responsibility in seeing through a pregnancy and I do not think every person at every time is up to the challenge. Men could never handle birth - though they are the ones leading the charge against abortion.
In the end I am asking that we stop with all the arguing around abortion and health care. It is a diversion tactic. Health care is about choices and we can't make a good decision if you take some choices away. In fact, I think that Republicans are arguing that universal health care will limit one's health care choices - I think they do that everyday when it comes to a woman's reproductive life.
Just because abortion is law and it should be covered in Universal Health Care does not mandate you to have an abortion, so if you are against abortion you do not have to have one - FYI.
Stop muddying the Health Care water and move on. Choice, all of them on the table at all times.
I have been wanting to do this for about a year now.
The first post is daunting. It is like looking at a blank piece of paper and having either nothing or too much to write.
I thought about writing about me, about why I want to do this or about some fun topic of the day. Instead you get my thoughts on this first blog post. I wonder, is this supposed to set the tone of your blog?
Soap Box, that's my blog name and that's me. I grew up in the bluest of the blue states, Massachusetts. This great state always had people who stood up and spoke out. The park across the street from the State House used to be the home of great speakers who got up on their Soap Box every weekend and spoke out against the government, religion and everyday life.
Because of this history I was encouraged at a very early age to form opinions, I was taught about the birth of the Revolution, and I learned to never shy away from a verbal or moral fight.
Welcome to my twenty-first century Soap Box.
I am going to make a commitment to you: I will write a new post 5 days a week. In return I ask that you spread the word about Soap Box, comment on my posts and give me one month to spark your opinions and for you to get up on your Soap Box. We are not always going to agree, and that is the beauty, I can't wait to hear what you have to say. I believe in the 1st Amendment and will not censure your comments on my blog - but please no personal attacks on me, my family or my other readers.
