Doctors and Universal Healthcare Survey

So I heard on Rush, while coming home from the doctor, that a survey would be released today saying that 1/2 of all doctors want Universal Health Care. This sounded shockingly untrue so I came home and googled it. So there has been a survey released today. Here is the "big" news according to Reuters:

Of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59 percent said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32 percent said they opposed it, researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Well, I have serious doubts about the veracity of this statement. First of all it was done in 2002 in Indiana. What took so long to get the results out? Oh, thats right an election. Secondly, I also don't believe that these 2,000 doctors out of Indiana are representative of the 800,000 in the US. I find it boggling. Will Universal Health Care really fix the problems facing doctors today. Isn't Oregon one of the states that malpractice insurance for OBGYN's is so high that they are leaving the state? I think this would just make it harder for doctors to make a living and pay for insurance.

That is separate to the issue of patient care. If choice wasn't positive we would all choose to be on the existing Universal Health Care system, Medicare. Then look at Canada. If Universal Health Care is so great why do people cross the border to come here? We must be doing something right medically because people from all over the world come here to be treated for serious illnesses. It is the fact that medicine is a private industry that motivates and pays for medical research. It is also the private industry aspect that enables us pick and choose our doctors, our hospitals, and encourages speed of service that isn't seen in countries with Universal Health Care.

Well, that is my rambling on this. What do you all think?

Technorati Tags: Universal Health Care, Reuters

The NerdMom is Sick

It is official, I am sick. I went to the doctor and my ear infection is still around or has returned. I also have bronchitis and I walked out with 5 prescriptions. I am fun to be around right now.....

Cool Switch Plate Ideas

Isn't this cool? I admit it, I am not the handiest person in the world but I am frugal. I have 4 kids and I think that all of them would love these personalized switch plates that I can do. Go over to Pink Chalk Studio to see how she did it. All it takes is some cheap fabric, a switch cover, glue and Mod Podge. Let me know if you do it. If you send me pictures, I will post them!

Heart of the Matter

"Clearly there is an appropriate kind of sheltering. When those who are opposed to homeschooling accuse me of sheltering my children, my reply is always, 'What are you going to accuse me of next, feeding and clothing them?" ~R.C. Sproul Jr

Heart of the Matter asked us to comment on this quote. I am constantly amazed that education is not put in the same category as food and shelter. I have many friends whom I respect that send their kids to public school but... I am really frustrated with these people who think that homeschooling is doing a disservice to our children (versus it just not being a choice for them). If I wanted to be a homeschooling extremist I could make a strong case for public school to not be the norm.

In the US it is our responsibility to feed, clothe and shelter our children. When we are unable or unwilling to do that the government will step in. It means you don't have as many choices as to what your child eats, wears or lives but it gets the basics done. Public school can be viewed similarly, as educational welfare. When you send your child to public school you are ceding both some of your responsibilities and your privileges as a parent such as time school starts, the standards, the curriculum, etc. Now that is fine if that is the choice you make but how is it that I am the one failing my kids? (Is it obvious that I have heard a lot of homeschool bashing lately?)

Court to Reconsider

For all those keeping up on the California Homeschooling drama, the court is going to reconsider their decision. As far as I can tell in the first article I have found, this is not a complete rehearing of the case. They are inviting educators and teacher's unions to submit written arguments. We shall see.

Wordless Wednesday: You Look How I Feel

Haggard but well loved.

BounceBacks: Should Mom and Dad bail them out?

There was an article in the AP about people losing jobs and money and their parents bailing them out. They specifically talking about 40-50 year old kids. What do you think about this? These parents are putting their retirements in jeopardy for kids that are old enough to fend for themselves. Now I am not saying that because money is more important than people but it will create a bigger financial problem. Will the kids they use their retirements to help be able to help them when they retire in just a few years? I don't think they could even if they wanted to. If you take that money and invest it into someone's life I don't think they could turn it around to make enough money or stability to support their parents.

Dr. Helen brought up a really good point on this issue also.

If their kids are self-centered enough to take their parent's retirement from them, will they really help the parent later on down the road or will they be more like this woman, who wrote to the Huffington Post complaining that her mom was a pain in the ass?

She went on to mention a book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. I went over and read a really interesting write up on it. It just proves that it is the determination to support yourself that counts regardless if it is the standard you dreamed of. I think it is our belief that we deserve everything regardless of anything else that is screwing up our economy and might screw up the older generation's retirement. Hopefully we will do a better job teaching our kids about money, self-reliance and living humbly (relative to our income) than has been done with the previous generations.

(HT: Dr. Helen)

Meal Plan Monday

This week is going to be crazy (and the beginning of a few crazy weeks) so I am going easy. I am going to have to find some new, great ham recipes! I hope you all have a great week!

Monday: Pasta Carbonara Florentine
Tuesday: Tilapia, Asparagus and Orzo
Wednesday: Ham Pasta Alfredo Bake
Thursday: Cube Steak, Fried Potatoes, Broccoli
Friday: Salmon Cakes, Latkes, Broccoli

Best Buy Gift Card Giveaway

Best Buy is trying to earn the good will of all the people who bought the HD-DVD players from them before February 23rd since HD-DVD so totally lost out to Blu-Ray. This going to cost them $10 million but I think it is a great idea at twice the price. Anything that will win over early adapters like this is worth its weight in gold. Think about it, they are paying out $50 to people who were willing to spend up to $500 on a player (that isn't counting any disk purchase). These are the target market. They are automatically mailing out cards, starting in May, to people who purchased and are on the loyalty program or purchased on-line. Not one of those? Then just go into the store with a proof of purchase.

Does this rid the HD-DVD purchasers of the ill taste in their mouth over this issue? No, but it does help stop them from assigning blame to Best Buy.

Brilliant, just brilliant!

(HT: Motley Fool)

Technorati Tags: HD-DVD, Best Buy

Cat5 Plant Holder: Techno Green Project

Shog apparently had to much time on his hands and came up with this cool macramé plant holder. While I would have never thought to do it, I think it's cool. If anyone has time and cable (which we might have cable) this would be a great craft project with a kid and it's recycling!

Free Comic Book Day-May 3rd, 2008

Yes, you read right. There is a Free Comic Book Day! You go to a participating comic book dealer (go here to find one). Then they give you a free comic book! It says that each dealer decides what they are giving away and all the rules.

(Cross Posted at the NerdFamily Blog)

Technorati Tags: Comic Books, Free Comic Book Day

Meal Plan Monday

I can't believe that this is already St Patrick's Day, Purim and Easter week much less that they are rolled into 1. So get ready for a crazy week!

Monday: Corned Beef, Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Boneless Beef Short Ribs, Broccoli, Beer Bread
Wednesday: Crockpot Beef Roast and Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday: Chicken Kiev (freezer), Broccoli, Beer Bread
Friday: Corned Beef Hash, Scrambled Eggs, Broccoli

Have a great week!

Maid Sues Over Firing and Pay

So a Maid in Atherton, CA is suing a former employer for wages and damages. This seems pretty normal until I read the rest of the article. A maid was fired because she left chicken bones in a garbage can. Ok, this may have been an overreaction but we don't know the history but it wasn't totally unjustified so what is the problem? She doesn't think she was paid fairly for her work when she worked there. She said she was paid $1000 a month to clean a 9000 square foot house, make meals and take care of 1 kid. She claims she could work 14 hours a day. Apparently she would work up to 7 days a week and up to 14 hours a day. Now this all appears agreeable while she was employed but now she is suing for $120,000 in wages, damages and penalties.

What!?!?!?! She agreed to do a job for a price and if she didn't like the price she should have gone somewhere else. I agree that they were getting a bargain but that was her fault. Yet another example of how we have become way to litigious.

A Baby is Born!

My best friend Sara had her baby this week. Elijah is a cutie and big. He was born at 9 lbs and 8 oz! Joleen has posted some great pictures.

NY Gov Resinged, Finally!

I first heard about the issues surrounding Eliot Spitzer on Monday. He has been caught up in the call-girl scandal that was discovered by a wire tap. All along I heard he was going to resign but never did. Well, he has now. The part I don't buy in the whole story was:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal that shattered his corruption-fighting, straight-arrow image, saying: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

Yea right. He resigned after he go his plea bargain. I don't view this as a resignation but a excuse. You know what I mean, a "this is why I won't be at work any more" excuse. What do ya'all think?

Blog Party Introduction

For those from the Blog Party, welcome. For the rest of you... 5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a Blog Party with presents! So go check it out! Now for my intro. I am a SAHM, homeschooling mom of 4. These blogs are an outlet for all the craziness and information in my head. Someday I hope to actually make money off of them so go look around!

Now the other blogs...
NerdFamily Food
NerdFamily Things
Making Money, Keeping Money

Separately, here is my Cast of Characters:
NerdDad: My wonderful and loving husband
NerdBug: My eldest boy, who is now 6 years old
NerdPie: My sparkling little 4 year old girl
Nerdling: My cute 2 year old boy who is built like a linebacker
NerdPud: My 7 month old little girl. She is the Pud (short for Pudding) because she is the last course.

Wordless Wednesday: The Mothering Spirit

When one must have a cradle, anything will do. I don't know if you can tell but the "cradle" is a Little people Noah's Ark bottom.

Homeschoolers: Be Ye Attentive But Not Panicked

I have been emailed quite a bit about the ruling that came down in LA County last week. Some people had wondered if I had heard about it while I have been sick since I hadn't blogged on it. Yes, I have heard but I am not worried, yet. First of all, I encourage everyone to read the ruling. Don't rely on news reports, articles and others to give you a picture. Go find out for yourself.

Having read the ruling (or what ever it is the court released), I have strong concerns but nothing has actually changed yet. The most concerning part is this part:

It is clear to us that enrollment and
attendance in a public full-time day school is required by California law for minor
children unless (1) the child is enrolled in a private full-time day school and actually
attends that private school, (2) the child is tutored by a person holding a valid state
teaching credential for the grade being taught, or (3) one of the other few statutory
exemptions to compulsory public school attendance (Ed. Code, § 48220 et seq.) applies
to the child.

While this is very alarming as a legal precedent, nothing has changed. You can still go file your forms to homeschool in the State of California. Now the HSLDA is currently doing many things to deal with this ruling. The big one that has made it around the homeschooling internet is the petition to get the ruling depublished. From what I have read, depublishing the verdict means nothing has changed. Then this ruling will not be reversed but it will not be considered part of the body of law which constitutes legal precedent. On the whole I am not a big fan of depublishing any verdicts. I think it should either right or wrong. This is a very political way to tell the court what they did in that case was right but let's not use it for everyone. Some things I have read said that this is the easiest way to deal with it because it rocks the boat the least.

I don't really think that the State of California is going to change how we homeschool or if they do, not very much. A big benefit that I do see out of all of this is unification. I am on a few yahoo groups and I am seeing secular, unschoolers, and Christians homeschoolers banding together for a common cause. I think this is great! Studies have shown that homeschooling in whatever form is better for the kids and for society. We need to come together and protect our rights together! I would love to see the homeschoolers of California to maintain some of this unity after this issue has been dealt with.

Technorati Tags: homeschooling, California

Meal Plan Monday

Here is my meal plan as I try to recuperate and get the house to recuperate from us being sick.

Monday: Pork Loin Chops, Spinach/Strawberry Salad, Fried Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara Florentine
Wednesday: Cube Steak, Spinach/Strawberry Salad, Broccoli, Beer Bread
Thursday: Tilapia, Broccoli Mac and Cheese, Spinach/Strawberry Salad
Friday: Chicken Kiev, Beer Bread, Broccoli

Project Runway is Over!

So Project Runway is over for this season. Due to illness it has taken a while to get around to commenting on it. Now I preface my opinions with the fact that I admit that I am not, by any means, fashionable. More accurately you could say that I dress more like a housefrau. But, if money, size and life style (washing dishes and getting spit up on doesn't work well for clothes) were no issue, I would be fierce;).

So Christian won and I am a little disappointed. While I do think that Christian was the most artistic, I am not sure if he is the best clothing designer for women. Jillian and Rami both seemed to have looks that a woman with some sort of curvature could wear. I have heard in a few places that no one but Victoria Beckham, Christian himself and pre-pubescent girls could wear his clothes and I agree. Will it do Christian any good to have his line sold on BlueFly? Will it be bought by people to wear or as collectors items? I think he could really be great one day as long as he learns to temper his flare with the actual human form. Only time will tell his real potential.

Seperately, there is a great interview with Tim Gunn in the Chicago Tribune. Even more interesting is Victoria's response on Blogging Project Runway to part of that interview.

Technorati Tags: Bravo, Project Runway

Urban Myth: Don't Flash Your Headlights

So I received this in the email today:

DON'T FLASH HEADLIGHTS AT ANY CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON!!Police officers working with the DARE program have issued this Warning: If you are driving after dark and see an on-coming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM! This is a common "Bloods" member "initiation game" that goes like this: The new gang member under initiation drives along with no headlights, and the first car to flash their headlights at him is now his "target." He is now required to turn around and chase and spot that car, then shoot and kill every individual in the vehicle in order to complete his initiation requirements. Police Departments across the nation are being warned. Their intent is to have all the new bloods nationwide drive around on Friday
and Saturday nights with their headlights off. In order to be accepted into the gang,
they have to shoot and kill all individuals in the first auto that does a courtesy flash to warn them that their lights are off. Make sure you share this information with all the drivers in your family! Please forward this message to all your friends and family members to inform them about this initiation ritual. They are also known to drive with high beams on and will do the same as indicated above.

So the first thing I did was go to Snopes. And there it was as an urban legend that has been recycled since 1993 in print. Apparently it was existed in story since the early '80s.

Whenever you get shocking emails, especially those that are "warnings", you have to question them. If something like this was true, you would probably already know it. If not something like this would make news agencies the nation wide. So when you get something shocking, just go check it out before you forward it around the world.

Snopes points out that sometimes these are given more credence due to WHO forwards them. By the time the sender has debunked it, it has been passed on a few times with their names on it. So take the time and research before your reputation takes a hit.



Technorati Tags: Urban Legends, Don't Flash Headlights

You Know You Are Sick When

You know you are sick when you go to the doctor and end up with 3 prescriptions and 2 other drugs in trial size. I have a double ear infection, the start of an eye infection and we don't know what else. It is sad when the doctor says we won't know if I have bronchitis or a sinus infection until the other things are cleared up. On the up side, it took all this illness to get me down;). I must be tough! So you will understand why blogging has been, and might continue to be, slow.

How to get a boy to do his work.

So here is the issue I need advice on. As everyone knows, I homeschool a 6 year old boy (NerdBug). When I sit him right next to me and am on him like white on rice, he gets his homework done in about 1/3 of the time. So should I sit on him to get him to do it or let him fritter away his day? If he is left to spend forever, what activities should the homework replace? IE, we stop homework to eat, do chores but should all free time be up for grabs? He is only 6. By the way, if he just does the work with me it only takes 30 minutes to an hour a day.

Thanks in advance for the advice

Larry Norman and Ronald Reagan

There is a great article on Larry Norman, his fondness for Ronald Reagan, and the affect Norman had on others all centered around a NRB convention in 1984.

(HT: The Weave)

New Obama Slogan

Scott over at GOP Vixen has a great new slogan for Barak Obama, "BAAA-RACK, BAAA-RACK. Barack Obama, man of the sheeple". I agree that it would make a great bumper sticker.

Is Project Runway biased toward Rami?

Blogging Project Runway has a great pre-finale piece. Does Rami's runoff with Chris has given him an unfair advantage over Christian and Jillian. Co check it out!

Jack Nicholson Shills for Hillary?

Of course, I don't support Hillary but I thought this was interesting. I also have no idea where it originated with be it Nicholson or other wise.

(HT: GOP Vixen)

Meal Plan Monday

So here is this week's menu. I am going to add the Cube Steak recipe and the Tilapia this week.

Monday: Tilapia, Broccoli, French Bread
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara Florentine
Wednesday: Chicken Kiev, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday: Marinated Pork Loin Chops, Broccoli, Beer Bread
Friday: Cube Steak, Fried Potatoes, Broccoli