Speaking from the heart and telling it like it is…

If you or your kids are fans of this game

or this,

then you just have to watch this:

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Who needs health insurance reform?  Anyone who answers that question with anything other than “We do!” should watch the following videos which explain just a bit of the hypocritical, political games being played in Washington. Note that the clips provide proof of the contradictions directly from the speakers’ own mouths. In trials, we used to call that impeaching the witness (an exercise that attacks one’s credibility and effectively renders him untrustworthy).

Just watch:



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and this:

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In the MSM, Rachel Maddow says that she tries to “increase the amount of useful information in the world” and that she’s not trying to “push any particular agenda of any stripe” rather she is trying to make the world “make more sense.” Well, I am glad she does and I hope and pray that people attempt to get the facts rather than believe all the lies and spin being dished out for lobbyists and special interest groups.

And, specifically with respect to health insurance reform, I appreciate Ms. Maddow’s efforts to explain what’s happening on the Hill and how the Democrats should respond.

Take a moment to check out this video:

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I am not a proponent of big, bloated bureaucracy (either within the federal government or within private health insurance companies).  On the contrary, as a proud hard working former civil servant, I fought hard to ensure accountability, quality and efficiency in our country’s health care system. I saw the waste in the system first hand, so I have reason to support a more efficient government that protects its citizens and rewards hard work. One that inspires its citizens to be the best people they can be, that puts politics aside to achieve goals that are consistent with the founding principles of the country. A government with a brilliant leader who is strong enough to assert firm boundaries in keeping with his family values and to address thorny, controversial, difficult issues head on in a calm and assertive manner. In which its civil servants from the lowliest postal employee to the most senior member of Congress support and assist our president instead of trying to defeat him for their own political gain (or for their largest donors’ political gains).

But, when that’s not possible, perhaps we have to resort to a bit of strong arming. When the government includes factions that seek to undermine sound policies solely to defeat their (perceived) opponent, the majority party should act on behalf of its constituents and do the right thing. Do what those constituents elected the majority to do.

So I agree with Ms. Maddow when she says the Democrats need to stand up to the bullies and refuse to back down. Be a shining example to our children of how to face a bully. Stop playing Mr. Nice Guy who seeks an idealistic but unrealistic bipartisan solution. The perfect or ideal plan is impossible when the other half of that “partisan ship” (so to speak) is determined to sink it.

Let go of the fear and embrace the good enough solution.

At their urging, the following is a guest post written by my children:

You may have heard of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the movie that came out Friday, February 12, 2010.

Many people have been calling it a Harry Potter knock off. To begin with, the book series is not another Potter. The only comparison one could make is that the main characters are two boys and a girl, and the male protagonist doesn’t fully know about his true powers until he goes somewhere away from home (Camp Half Blood/Hogwarts) to train.

Would Potter ever go to Vegas?!

We both read The Lightning Thief (along with the rest of the books in the series) at a young age and were captivated by how exciting it was. Both of us still consider it the best book we’ve ever read (tied with Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (And So Can You!) and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird). We have also read the Harry Potter books and seen the movies and the Lightning Thief series differs in many ways. The Lightning Thief is a fun way for kids and teens to learn about Greek mythology.

The Lightning Thief brings Greek mythology to the modern world, with the gods and goddesses hidden at the top of the empire state building. Camp Half Blood is the where the demigods gather, the only place they are safe. Demigods are the offspring of a god and mortal, so they are half-human and half-god. Harry Potter, however, is about witchcraft and wizardry. Magic. Contrast that with gods and Greek mythology. Nowhere close to the magic that is described in the Harry Potter series.

Have you seen this promo, where water roars behind Percy?

Percy is the son of Poseidon (god of the seas, which must be noted because the naysayers probably didn’t even know that), not a recently-trained-in-magic Quidditch captain. The people who accused The Lightning Thief of being a cheap knock-off probably didn’t even know that the book was released in 2005, before five of the Harry Potter movies were released. Also, one could make the argument (an inane, ignorant argument) that The Half Blood Prince and Camp Half Blood have something to do with each other. Well, unless Snape’s dad was Zeus or Ares or any other god, they have no connection except for the words “Half Blood.”

Anyway, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books was hugely successful, a New York Times #1 Bestseller and given five-star reviews by many, including the writers of this article. The people who criticized The Lightning Thief probably did no (or very little) research and just looked at the ad for the movie while tweeting “Am I the only one that thinks that Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a total Harry Potter cop-out? #iamnotamused.” (@clawtooth35) or “hilarious: billboards for ‘Percy Jackson and the lightning thief’ don’t even try to hide the fact that it’s a facile Harry Potter ripoff…” (@estherdbrazil) or “the lightning thief dd not lve up 2 my expctations. almost juvenile for my liking. it’s like harry potter with a better looking protagonist.” (@bookletjeff) Uh huh. To quote @pfpaul, “BF#1: “The Lightning Thief looks stupid. It’s exactly like Harry Potter. Different people, same names.” That doesn’t even… “what?!”

Exactly. Different people, same names?! No they don’t…oh, whatever.

We just disagree.

Go see The Lightning Thief.

Let us know what you think.

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Have you heard about this action/adventure movie starring a couple teenage guys and a girl who defeat villains in the midst of great special effects? You know, dark haired protagonist, no glasses. Wait…does he wear glasses? NO, he does not. He most definitely does not wear glasses. Were you thinking of Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione? Oh no, there’s a new group in town and they don’t have English accents. Sure, Chris Columbus, who directed a few of the Harry Potter movies also directed Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, but don’t expect another Potter.

First of all, can you imagine Potter using an iPhone or iPod Touch? Ever? HA!

These American kids know how to use technology! W00T!

Our kids loved the Percy Jackson book series and enjoyed the movie. They tire of the comparisons between it and the Potter series. Actually, I wish the promos would have downplayed the Chris Columbus connection and any other similarities.  Millions of Potter fanatics do not want anything to try to replace or follow Potter. Attempting to draw similarities was a mistake.

Instead, I recommend putting Potter aside and opening yourself up to something new or, at least something a little different, based on myth and legends.

If you’re looking for respectable teen action heroes for your teens or preteens, I believe this is your film (and I hope an entire series of films). In it, smart, brave, attractive kids discover their demigod selves and embark on a quest which eventually leads them to Zeus and Poseidon. In fact, it’s a fairly good introduction to Greek mythology.

Exercise caution with sensitive tweens or younger kids, though.  Ms. Dodds’ morphing into a flying fury and the minotaur chasing Percy and Grover were quite frightening scenes, though probably the scariest moments of the film. After those two, the intensity eases a bit.

Kids who have read the book series (or at least the first book, “The Lightning Thief”) will enjoy the movie but may quibble over differences and omissions. The parts of the book that were necessarily left out of the movie are not crucial to the storyline. My kids believe that the few aspects that were missing can be easily added in to future movies.

Logan Lerman (as Percy Jackson) strikes the right balance between seeming a little awkward with his new-found abilities and being as confident and strong as one would expect from a demigod. He’s more like Peter in Heroes than Potter at Hogwarts. No wands, just hands (and occasionally a sword).

The attraction between Percy and Annabeth was believable (I don’t really care that Annabeth wasn’t blond) and Luke was a terrific antagonist.

Bottom line? Get over Potter and give this movie a chance.

When the Blizzard of 2010 rocked the east coast with record snowfalls, some northerners on Twitter chuckled at us because they found it hard to understand why a snowstorm would effectively  shut down a region. Having lived in more than a few northern states, I can tell you that this area is simply ill equipped to handle this much snow.  It happens so infrequently that there’s no need for significant capital investment in equipment for snowstorms that hit us every ten or fifteen years. From my perspective, it’s beautiful (though somewhat challenging). Here are some of our captured moments.

If you’re familiar with Kobe, LeBron and Nike, you might enjoy this:

You know about LeBron’s chalk thing? Then you’ll like this one:

Congratulations to Roger Federer on winning his sixteenth Grand Slam title at the 2010 Australian Open. It’s his first slam as a dad.

Wonderful win.

I admit that I am not crazy about the name but I’m thrilled about the new device Steve Jobs presented at this year’s WWDC.

The iPad.

Ahhh…soak in its loveliness.

My favorite part? It’s too hard to choose.
hi-res color iBooks, the keyboard dock, the revised iCal (that looks much better (and resembles my ancient (no, wait, did I ever actually use one of those?) Filofax)) or the ability to view all my apps on a larger screen.

Here are David Pogue’s first impressions.

Honestly? It is so very tempting for me. To say the least.

I was in a bus filled with middle school kids today and they were all atwitter, excitedly chattering away about how each and every one of them wanted to get an iPad. Mmmhmm.  Those naysayers on Twitter don’t know what they’re talking about.  This baby is going to be sizzling hot. I can feel it.

What about you?

Just another gadget you don’t need or want? Or are you dreaming about it and frequently thinking about it? Giving up your Kindle for this thing? Or sticking with your hardcover bestseller?

Hmmm….

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I often wonder whether most families experience the challenges of at least one picky eater.  I suspect they do.

Well, I know we do.

It’s my son.

I can’t criticize him too much, though.  I was the same way.  Didn’t like my corn touching my mashed potatoes, despite the fact that my sister loved mixing them together. I’d sit next to her and think, “Ugh! How could you!?”

So last week, when my son suggested adding some swipes of Nutella to a few graham crackers, I thought, “Sure! Automatic buy-in (because he suggested it) and super economical.” When I was a little girl, I remember trips to Europe with my sister. We treasured that chocolate hazelnut taste because we knew we would never have it after we returned to the States because no stores sold it.  Now, however, it’s readily available (at least where we live).  What’s more…it’s not primarily made with HFCS anymore.

Since that day, he has asked for the same treat more than once, so I decided to share this simple idea with my readers.

If you have some picky eaters and are frequently seeking snack suggestions, I recommend giving these little treats a try.

Happy snacking!

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To satisfy those of you who rely on our video game recommendations, here are our favorites for 2009.

I’ll provide more detail and artwork soon.

For the Sony PS3:

Madden NFL 10

DJ Hero (Bundle with Turntable)

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Rated E 10+ This is a must-have for the boys on my lists.)

Little Big Planet (This game allows for creativity; the kids can create their own game levels! Don’t be fooled by the cover, it’s best for older kids 10-12.)

Need for Speed: Shift

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And for older kids only:

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