Monday, March 10, 2008

Legal Firestorm in California

In case anyone was wondering where we had gotten ourselves to, have you read the newspapers lately? The debate is hot and heavy here in the Land of the Fruits & the Nuts.



The Los Angeles Time broke a story last Tuesday that it is now illegal to homeschool in California. Well, duh.....we knew that. So, we created a private school and filed the appropriate legal affidavit according to the California Education Codes.
Well, NOW, a couple of judges in the Second District now say that "parents do not have a Constituational Right to educate their children". Excuse me??? Who died and made you The Almighty?? Oh, right.....the roaches.

Can you say "Orwellian"? I was never required to read "1984" in my high school English class (or any other since then), and I have not yet gotten to that on my "Literature to Read" book list, but I know what the term means and that book is going to the top of the list.

Ah, Mr. Orwell, I hope you are enjoying this great laughable 21st Century Society.





What does this all mean?

It means that pretty soon we might be hearing about women being broodmares and once those babies are born, someone is going to whisk them away to a credentialed teacher to teach them all they need to know--how to walk, how to talk, how to eat.....because only "the state can be responsible for educating good and responsible patriotic citizens" or some load of crap such as that.

Homeschooling is not for whimps. It takes courage and patience. Those that start out with neither either find some or give up! Giving up on your children totally sucks.

Oh, and those California citizens who have their children in public school, they have to stop helping them with the mounds of homework that come home each night because these "credentialed teachers" are more skilled at "classroom management" (that's a fancy new catchphrase for "my class contains a bunch of hoodlums!") and aren't keeping up with the INSANE standards in order to qualify for federal monies. We, in California need that federal money because the state education budget keeps getting cut! So, I hope the schools have invested the scarce monies into 24-hour Homework Hotlines. Because unless you hold a "parenting credential", those kids are toast.

Pop Quiz--who founded this country? Men of honor who were tutored at home and the became self-educated. That is one goal of homeschoolers; not to beat the love of learning out of the children with meaningless tests that confirm nothing except that tax money is being seriously wasted. That's another thing, I have not once asked if I get a tax refund for homeschooling my kids. My tax money STILL goes to the local area public schools, just as my tax money continues to fund welfare programs I hope to never use. Do I get a refund for that if I never use them?

Our STAR Judges seem to have forgotten that fact. I suppose that the fact that homeschooling is outlawed in Germany seemed "appealing". Do they know why? Well, Hilter followed that flawed logica. Is he really the best example in the illustrious history of the world? These judges have conveniently forgotten that if we ignore history, we are destined to repeat it. I am going to be rethinking my desire to someday obtain my law degree if it means that I will then be a "certified idiot". Perhaps Judge Croskey is simply going mushy in the brain.

Having all the homeschooled kids in California showing up at the school districts AT ONCE (because that 166,000 number is way too low) is NOT going to make money magically appear in the state coffers. I realize we are close to St. Patrick's Day, but they must be breaking out barrels full of green beer EARLY in that court chamber!

It's all horsepuckey. I'm sick of my personal freedoms being erased day by day. You don't control when and if I get to have kids and you certainly don't control how I go about raising them. Education is part of raising. All of the "home educated" children I have encountered are the most wonderful people on the planet. It's impossible to tell us not to teach them. What a couple of morons.

I hope their benches get terminated with their asses firmly stuck in them.




So, please think of us and do what you do; pray, invoke Freya or Buddha, send us chocolate chip cookies or some more green beer (all of California's Private Reserve has been be confiscated by the Appellate Court in Los Angeles) and while you are at it, call a Congressman in Washington and remind him or her about the founding fathers of this country. We do like a good revolt every few hundred years or so!

~~Mama

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Discovering Quilting

Nobody will probably believe this; I've become interested in quilting.

Yes! It's true. I offered to help a friend at our homeschool park day do some sewing on a 40 year old quilt that she had inherited and was working on finishing by hand.

Well, sewing I can do.

So far, I've made my quilt top and pieced together the back. Here is what it looks like as of this evening. Pretty wild, huh?



My class that will teach me how to finish it is in another week. So far, it's totally fun.

~~)O(

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

My Karma REALLY wants to run over this Dude's Dogma

I am posting this link to a moving story.

If more people were just NICE instead of selfish and nasty, the world would be a much better place.

~~PhoeNyx

(spittin' Fire today)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

NaNo Update...

Okay.....so I didn't finish.

But I did learn a lot about my style of writing. I still like to write, I just HATED the story I started. I tried to go in cold and I realized that ain't-a-gonna work. Next year (yes, I plan to do this again next year), I think I'll do some plot and character outlining beforehand.

Then, we'll see.

Once I left a few weeks go by...I realized that I AM a writer at heart.

I just have to find my muse...and some time....and my ideal writing "space".

Thanks for all the support and love.

~~ PhoeNyx ^ )O(

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

What is the Character of Integrity?

I have just finished watching this video of a Utah Highway Patrol Officer who tasers a man for refusing to sign a speeding ticket. My first reaction, a resounding "W.T.F.?????"

Now, normally, I don't bother with this type of stuff as it has been posted on YouTube. There is enough trash on YouTube to choke the galaxy. However, I have become increasingly alarmed lately at the eradication of the rights of private citizens. How can a police officer GET AWAY with this? I understand that the Utah Highway Patrol is JUST NOW getting around to investigating and ONLY because the video just showed up on YouTube. Doesn't anyone REVIEW the tapes in the officers vehicles?

What...an....idiot.

I am more and more distressed by the lack of manners in all people.

~~)O(~~

Thursday, November 8, 2007

One Week In....


I've been working on my novel for one week. This is my first attempt at writing anything more structured than a journal entry and certainly none of my journal entries were EVER designed with any other human being reading them in mind.

So far.......eh......I have discovered I have TONS of great ideas and TONS of great traits to give my characters. Yet, I don't have one solid lead of a coherent direction. Just a lot of .... stuff.

But, that is okay. My goal is to keep writing. Describing the sounds of legos bouncing off of the carpet or the argument for the 100th time today about whose turn it is on Webkinz......then the silent obedience of compliance when they realize I'm about to give them WORKSHEETS so that I can write something adult-like. I suppose this month is going to consist of many documents that look like run-on sentences or attempts at descriptive prose.

Mostly I think I'll end up with a whole bunch of journal entries.

BUT.....I have embarked at stretching myself into the realm of .....writer......(I say with with short breath). AND I have a great picture on my Author Profile. (Photo Courtesy of Laura KnowNothing.....All Rights Reserved)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

NaNoWriMo

.....stands for "National Novel Writing Month". My friend, Tammy, has been expounding about how fun this contest is. She's finally wore me down. Plus, she promised to be my writing buddy.



You can see more about it here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I've fiddled around with poetry and even had one published in a collection through the National Library of Poetry. Of course, now that just about everything can be found online, book collections can loose their appeal to some. Though, not to me! I've been rediscovering the love of books and all that they contain. But, a novel????

Sheesh.....I'm not reaching WAY out of my comfort zone or anything.

It'll be fun, a creative challenge and who knows? Maybe I'll really love it and it will be published. Maybe my mom will read it....maybe not....I doubt it will be a romance, but anything goes and as quoted by Jack Black in the movie The Holiday, "when the Santa Ana's blow, all bets are off!"

~~PhoeNyx

p.s. Speaking of betting, if you are thinking about going to Vegas and placing a bet against the Red Sox, you might think again. They are HOT and not to be denied another World Championship.
GO BOSTON!!!!