Republicans understand the difference between extending unemployment benefits and cutting taxes to those who’ve earned the taxes. The money to endlessly extend unemployment benefits has to come from somewhere. The tax money not taken from earners already did. One is sustainable, the other isn’t. Democrats understand that offshore drilling has proven too dangerous, and that Climategate was a whole lotta nothing. Ripping and tearing the environment in the name of the dollar is not sustainable.

We should start over, with blank seats in Congress and an empty White House. Then we should refill them with new faces who are never allowed to label themselves Democrat or Republican or Star-Bellied Sneetch. These representatives would have to look at each issue without a political party screen in front of it. How refreshing it would be to have a government not tripping over party lines! A government focused on best serving its citizens.

I tried to give you ample warning that there were going to be only two days of quiet in this corner of the blogosphere, and yes, we made it back home from Moondance Jam. Yesterday, actually. We saw the one day of shows, which were awesome, before heading for less crowded parts. 22,000 people in one spot for that long had us both on overload, although we had great “neighbors.” Mike’s Hard Lemonade (cranberry… mmm!) and a good view could be found in the VIP tent. Along with the one we’ve dubbed the “booty pirate,” who ran around patting women’s booties with his sword, saying “booty, booty, booty!”

The sound was rich and clear, and could be felt throughout the site. Right up until it was turned up at the end, and it muddled up here and there. The number of fans crowding to the front of the stage for Hagar was amazing! He put on an excellent show. You can hear a small clip to the right, above. Collective Soul was my favorite, pairing their unique sound with high energy.

A couple more Moondance photos are here. We wanted to stay for the next day of shows, but that type of camping venue is just not for us. One night left us nearly comatose. If we go again we’ll know to reserve a spot at the nearby wooded, quiet campground, and maybe go fishing too. The organizers of Moondance did a beautiful job, from the facilities to the food to the general flow of people and events. It was a great time!

Hubby and I are headed for Walker early in the morning, to enjoy classic rock and camping. Between shows I’ll be suffering internet (translated to “internet buddy” – these friends will be missed) withdrawal through sometime Saturday. I’ll be able to tweet from the phone, but not read anything online. We’re excited to be going to Moondance Jam. We’re even more excited to actually have some time away together.

Tonight’s after-a-sultry-day sunset is this blog’s briefly going-off-air picture. See ya after two more of these, with a refreshed attitude.

If you count on media and schools to handle your parental responsibilities, you should have made a better initial assessment of your readiness to have children. And then you should have opted for a pet. Of the stuffed variety. Children require love and guidance, among other things. They require time. Don’t have time to spare? Unwilling to change or give up your career to make time? Then don’t have kids. It’s too late, and you already did? Then make time.

Public schools are there for providing academic education. While it is an environment where children also hone their social skills, it is the school’s responsibility to teach academics. It is not their job or their place to make religious, political, or health related decisions for students. These are family issues, and allowing or expecting schools to handle them creates several problems.

A school that decides to give condoms to grade school students is simply turning a blind eye to the true issue. The one of grade school children having sex. If an 11-year-old (or much younger!) is sexually active, the child needs help, not a free supply of condoms. The parents need to be made aware of the problem, so they can take appropriate measures. There might be something psychologically wrong, the child might need to learn to cope with peer pressure, or there might even be a sexual predator who has hurt the child. A parent should be his child’s protector and ally in the search for the root of the problem, and should not be run out of the loop by outsiders. In fact, a parent who has ample time has a good chance to better know his child’s behaviors and activities in the first place.

First-graders do not need schools to teach them that it’s OK to be attracted to the same sex. They need crayons and construction paper, numbers and books, a supervised, safe, fun environment in which to learn school subjects, not weighty, too-advanced social issue topics that ought to be left to families. Shame on my home state of Montana!

Parents who blame the media or the current state of society for problems created by lack of supervision at home and poor communication sound just like children. “I have to go along with it because everyone else is,” and “if I make this decision, my child won’t like me.” These parents should grow up, stand up for their children, and stop tossing aside their parental responsibilities and rights. Because someone is going to come along and pick up those rights, maybe someone unqualified or dangerous.

Time. Supervising a child takes time. And attention. Last year I was stunned to learn of a grade-school-aged child with autism being allowed free and often unsupervised access to loaded guns. This, around a tot. This is obviously an example of child endangerment, born of parents not providing proper supervision or a healthy environment. Along those lines, in another example of irresponsibility and direct child endangerment, a 10-year-old child with mental health issues was left to babysit a 2-year-old for seven hours. She cracked the toddler’s skull, out of frustration. Just heartbreaking.

If time is too much to ask on behalf of a child, then having a child is too much for you to ask.

I just saw this, and it’s nice to share a link to positive news after my last post.

That these Black Panther thugs (found via The GTL) were allowed to intimidate voters at a polling place in 2008 for any length of time is outrageous enough. Standing in front of a polling place door with a nightstick and yelling things like “You’re gonna be ruled by the black man, cracker” at voters should land you behind bars in short order. Shorter still when you don’t show up for your appointed court date.

The bigger outrage is that when it all came down to simply a sentencing, the Justice Department under US Attorney General Eric Holder dismissed the case. The reason given by the Justice Department? The defendants didn’t show up for their hearing. Fabulous.

Nearly another year has passed since the incident. There has been next to no media coverage in relation to the love fest over Obama. There has been no accountability, because even after nearly two years citizens don’t seem to expect it. Obama’s administration has shown here that it’s alright, as long as you support him or are at least not the wrong color, to show up at a polling place with a weapon to intimidate voters.

Dear US Citizen,

   Feel safe?