Yes, and actually Obama poked his own finger in his eye--did you see that, in the full speech, near the beginning, right after Dr. Carson shared the story of the son who sent his mother two exotic birds which could dance and talk...she ate them, not knowing the intention of the gift--moral of the story was, as Dr. Carson said, was to "speak up" (and not be so worried about offending people) and immediately the President poked himself in both eyes.

By the way, one of my favorite parts was in Dr. Carson's first sentence when he addresses "distinguished guests...which includes everybody." He is an incredibly gracious individual, winsome, as someone else pointed out.

Dear Reach Out,

1979 called and wants you back.

Sincerely,

Touch Someone

How about "courageous?" As in what Mollie reported here.

My worst nightmare! Please, no.

So God made a farmer with Paul Harvey/Dodge Ram was the best!!!

I know, so true. Mainstream media is completely irrelevant and grossly irresponsible--they are missing the greatest human rights issue of our day. There will be a reckoning -- some day.

Mollie, I was thinking about how the Lord said, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." About how those are two things we most desecrate here in America: the beginning of life and the end of life.

Oooohh--I think this is a brilliant idea, Katie O! March outside the MSM about all major issues, including the need for the MSM to crash and burn. "Hey, ho, MSM has got to go..."

This WaPo article about blaming stressed-out parents for failing education makes a point about spending much energy figuring out who to blame. Just another version of the chicken-or-the-egg.

Instead, focus on solutions not on placing blame. I do believe that it's impossible to sort out what portion of blame belongs to societal/family breakdown, what part belongs to the educational bureaucracy, and what effect the one had on the other. Forget about funding studies to find out this information and just start from where you are --there are a thousand different starting points and indeed battles should be fought on every front, from individual families to local communities to top levels of Washington.

Those gifted in family counseling should do everything in their power to help families in crisis to function better; those with teaching gifts should teach, help others become better teachers, and even start better schools; those in positions of public power should use their influence to create more efficient models of education and throw out the vile. It will take every single moral, conservative, intelligent member of society to solve this problem using their varied gifts.

Precious story of pain, shame, sacrifice, redemption. Bless you and yours, Jen

More of that horrible article:

...five words from Obama’s first: “A new era of responsibility.” If his 2009 inaugural had a theme, that was it. And it was a good theme, coming at the depths of the recession, amid the ruins of an era of profligacy and “I want it now.”

Obama has a theme of responsibility? Julia??

                                            ****

You notice Obama’s deficiencies only because he has the makings of a great political speaker.

We only notice how bad Obama is because he's so good?                                          

                                                  ****

His strongest political impulse is inclusive, and inclusiveness rarely makes for great rhetoric. Even “a new era of responsibility” was politically as well substantively problematic, since it equated the underwater homeowner with the C.D.O. trader, Democrats with Republicans, scolding everyone equally.

Obama is "inclusive," but that is a problem because clearly Republicans are bad and Democrats are good?

                                                       ****

And this lie: "...inclusiveness rarely makes for great rhetoric." It's truly the best rhetoric. LBJ for one example: "There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. And we are met here tonight as Americans -- not as Democrats or Republicans."

Thank you, France, for defending the family. I'm surprised at the size and quality of this demonstration and so encouraged! And Dash, I've pondered the same myself about becoming Catholic, and maybe won't be too shocked if someday I shift from Protestantism to Catholicism?

I've been into the WWII period for a while, specifically the Resistance movements, from the Dutch Resistance to the French Resistance and more. I've read several biographies/autobiographies of the women of the French Resistance in particular, many little-known characters who made a difference the magnitude of which we can never know--like the ordinary French housewife Berthe Fraser who was really an underground agent who saved countless lives of English agents and pilots; or Marthe Cohn, a French-Jewish spy in Nazi Germany; and so many other courageous women. An interesting note on these Resistance workers: nearly all were betrayed at some point by friends or family or neighbors.

I'm in. If you've never read Dostoevsky, you are in for an interesting experience. As I wrote in my review of The Brothers Karamozov:

You may find yourself asking, “How could he know me?” To read Dostoevsky is to stand naked-hearted before a wise and piercing being and it’s quite uncomfortable to be so exposed. The major themes that course through The Brothers Karamozov are broad but it’s uncanny how they light in a small place of your own nature and prick your conscience. He is a master. Were he alive today, or had I lived 150 years ago, I’d have wanted him for a friend and confidante during my darkest inner battles, and he would look straight through me and diagnose me and make such sense that I’d be well just for having been diagnosed and having seen such stark and beautiful truth.

Looking forward to it.

As Mollie said, and so many others, it's by the grace of God that two different people can live at peace with one another. Also not perfectly matched in various ways, but glued together through mutual commitment and common faith, we carry on, going on 17 years here. There are certainly tough times. "In this world you will have trouble" is one of the many promises we're given!

Having children together is a huge piece of the commitment--we are committed to providing a unified family for these little blessings we are given to steward. When those moments come when we hit a rough patch, we set aside our differences for the greater good. You can't be both self-absorbed and have a good marriage.

I had an "ah-ha" moment, too, when I read Wind in the Willows. I wrote a review of the book a few years ago on my blog, and I titled it after one of my favorite chapters, Piper at the Gates of Dawn:

http://www.diaryof1.com/2011/04/03/the-piper-at-the-gates-of-dawn/

I couldn't agree more with your revelation about children's lit! Another of my favorites is Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. (For any teachers on Ricochet, I created a neat lit unit here on this book.)

Since I teach elementary students, I tend to read a lot of children's literature and spend untold hours choosing great books for them, as well as for my own kids. There is only so much time in life, and so many bad books out there--I think it's critical to make wise books choices especially when young.