It's Funny Now

You know how when something comically awful happens it's hard to laugh about it at the time? Well, just recently I realized that a really bad day in our family's history has become hilarious. At least, to me. I'm not so sure that my kids feel that way yet.

It started with a day off work and a long To Do List. The kitchen was practically bare and we also had to hit the library, bank and car wash some where along the way. My kids are never ones to rebel against Murphy's Law so of course the morning started with bickering, antagonizing and a few tears with breakfast.

When we finally got to the car, I remembered that all the booster seats were in the cargo space since I had driven the lunch group from work the day before. I had to separate all three kids and sit them on the curb facing opposite directions while I reinstalled the seats. Once in the car I put a ban on all unnecessary talking to help restore my sanity and we made quick work of the library, bank and car wash.

It was close to lunch time so I decided to head to Wal-Mart and take advantage of the McDonald's at the entrance. (I don't like Wal-Mart very much but sometimes it just can't be beat.) This is where things truly fell apart.

We all had our food and I was just beginning to think good thoughts about my children again when Solomon screamed. I looked over and saw blood in his mouth. He had had a pretty loose tooth for a while and as happens with loose teeth, it had gotten in the way of chewing his cheeseburger. I tried to calm him down but when he saw the blood, there was no calming down. I started to worry that he was going to choke on the food in his mouth so I made him spit it out.

By this time, everyone in the place was staring at our table. I can't really blame them. A screaming kid is stare-worthy. But blood, partially chewed food and lunch time do not go well together. I left Samuel and Miriam at the table and took Solomon to a garbage can in a somewhat secluded corner where he could tend to his mouth. After much rinsing of his mouth, wiping of his face and deep breathing, he returned to the table and asked me where his tooth was.

Crap. I hadn't seen the tooth since the whole ordeal began. I asked him to open wide and confirmed that the tooth was, indeed, not still attached. More crying ensued. I looked in a wadded mess of napkins on the table and didn't see the tooth. The crying continued. I actually went to look in the garbage can. Fortunately, it had been recently emptied and the contents were mostly my own child's napkins. I still couldn't find the tooth. Samuel took this opportunity to mention that the Tooth Fairy can't give you money if your tooth is in the trash. The crying escalated to wailing. I slathered myself with hand sanitizer.

In the midst of this, Miriam had started begging for a bathroom because she needed to poop. Since we weren't going to get any more eating done, I packed up what was left of our lunch and we headed to the restroom. Solomon managed to pull himself together and began coming up with ideas to get the Tooth Fairy to visit him anyway.

After everyone had tended to their restroom needs (and I had scrubbed my hands furiously) we got a shopping cart and made for the produce section of the grocery store. I was busily choosing apples, carrots and cucumbers when Miriam said, "Eeewww, what's this?" She held up her hand and I saw a weird peanut butter-looking substance smeared on her fingers.

Where in the world did peanut butter come from? I checked the cart to see if a previous customer had made a mess of it. No peanut butter. I looked around the fruit bins and still didn't see any peanut butter. I smelled Miriam's hand. It most definitely was not peanut butter. Miriam turned around and I saw the non-peanut butter substance all over the back of her jeans.

Crap. For real this time. One good thing about Wal-Mart is that they have those great paper towel dispensers mounted on posts throughout the store. I ripped off a few towels and wiped Miriam's hand as well as I could. Then I used my trusty hand sanitizer for the second time in 15 minutes.

Another good thing about Wal-Mart is that you can be in the produce section and step across the aisle to find little girl shorts for $3. You'd think that with poo all over the back of her pants, Miriam would not be picky about the color of $3 shorts. But, no. She weighed the merits of purple, blue and pink before finally deciding on pink. I paid for the shorts and we went back to the restroom so Miriam could change.

I considered packing it in and going home but we would have been going home to a house with no food. So I sucked it up, crossed my fingers and headed back to the groceries. Fortunately the rest of the day passed without more trouble. But really, what could top blood, a truly lost tooth and poop from a public bathroom?

Observations from Yesterday

Yesterday I was so caught up in the awesomeness of the rally that I forgot to mention some observations Jennifer and I made during our adventure.

The first is that when you stand shoulder to shoulder with the same people for an hour, you begin to notice smells emanating from them. The woman directly to our right smelled really bad; not the smell of perspiration but just a general un-washed smell dressed in un-washed clothes. The man in front of us had forgotten to apply his deodorant. The woman behind me needed to brush her teeth. Yuck.

The second is that some people decided walking 2 miles to the end of the entrance line was too much for them. We had made about a block's progress when Jennifer motioned at a guy slightly behind and to her right. She asked, sotto voce, if he had been there all along. I murmured back that he had not. I think he noticed our noticing because he tried to strike up a conversation and make friends then. We didn't care that he had cut in line behind us but we weren't going to become his new best friends, either.

Finally, there's this tidbit. When we boarded the bus to go down the 16th Street Mall, there was a man already standing in the aisle. As the bus filled up quickly, I had no choice but to stand right next to him. He smelt strongly of liquor. His eyes were red, watery and swollen and I suspect that it was not from crying.

I had been next to him for less than a minute when he asked Jennifer and me if we'd ever had breakfast at Dixon's. We said no and he went on to explain that the eggs Florentine look like breasts. Apparently the restaurant serves them with sliced olives placed just so, on the poached eggs. Lovely. Then he chuckled and said, "I know that's a weird thing to talk to strangers about, but I think it's funny."

He asked us where we were going. When we replied that we were going to the Obama rally he said he was going to work. "Yeah, I'm a designer and I am meeting a client about a bid this morning." Mmkay. I hate to break it to you, dude, but I don't think you're going to get the bid whilst reeking of liquor and looking like you haven't slept in 3 days.

After an awkward pause he said, "Do you like brie? You know, brie cheese? I had way too much brie and wine last night. But it's so good. So good."

I felt bad for the guy. I have no idea what drove him to drink so much all night; it could have been something really bad. Or maybe he's just a drunk and doesn't need an excuse to drink. Whatever the reason, he obviously felt bad about it and wanted to cover it up.

The Coolest Thing I've Ever Done

Jennifer and I trekked to Civic Center Park in downtown Denver today for an Obama rally. We figured it would be tough to get in and knew there was little chance we'd get a clear look at Barack Obama. But this is one of those things that I would hate to look back on and regret not doing. So we went.

I have a hard time putting my feelings about this into words. I've never been so invested in anything this big. I feel like our country is at a fork in the road. We can go one way and continue into a downward spiral or we can go another way and begin to dig ourselves back out. And just to clarify, lest you think I am blind behind my rose-colored glasses, I don't think that electing Barack Obama is going to single-handedly revolutionize our country and fix all of our problems. I do think it's a big step in the right direction, though.

I am concerned about the way we are perceived by other nations. Sadly, the Ugly American stereotype is more accurate than ever before. I am worried about the prices of gasoline and groceries, mortgages, education and health care. The average American is stretched so thin, we might begin to split down the middle. I know I feel like that.

I am saddened by the blatant racism I have seen during the last few weeks. You've read my feelings about that before and they have only deepened since then. I am terrified that if Obama isn't elected, those digusting excuses for human beings will feel justified in continuing to spew their hatred on all of us. I want them silenced, or at least brought down a few notches.

It was amazing to have all those feelings solidified this morning. Being in the midst of that crowd of 100,000+ individuals was one of the best moments of my life. The energy and excitement was overwhelming. As schmaltzy as it might sound, it really did give me hope for the future. Going to that rally was, quite simply, the coolest thing I have ever done.

I Was Insulted

Earlier this week a patient's mother stressed to me repeatedly that I must document all phone conversations in her child's chart so there would be no discrepancy when it came time for the insurance company to pay her claim. She said it over and over and over again.

This is insulting to me for several reasons. 1) I am a nurse and documentation is key. 2) I am a good nurse and my documentation is excellent, whether I'm charting patient care or a conversation in person or on the phone. 3) It is our office's policy to document everything to insure consistent patient care. 4) It's just common freaking sense.

I tried to say this politely to this woman, but she didn't seem to get it. Whatever. I sighed and let it go because that was Wednesday. But it happened again today. I spent 15 minutes on the phone with this woman while she repeated that her insurance company is a stickler for correct diagnosis and treatment and documentation. I gritted my teeth and said, "Ma'am, documentation in any medical chart is an absolute must and I assure you that I am writing everything down." She still didn't seem to appreciate my situation.

And to add further to the insult, she actually asked me to falsify documentation. She wanted me to write down that she had tried to come into the office many times this summer for her child's condition but was unable to because there was a family crisis. Seriously? I have no idea if that's why she hasn't been in until now. I don't necessarily doubt her, but I can't write that down. Then she asked me to document that her child's diagnosis is the exact reason he has experienced these particular symptoms for the past 5 months. Again, not my call.

When it became clear that nothing I said would satisfy her, I told her that she could talk to the doctor. I'm still irritated.

An Actual Conversation

I had this conversation during phone banking tonight. I swear, I am not making it up. Not one single word.

Hello, my name is Jessica and I'm calling on behalf of Senator Obama's Campaign for Change. May I speak with Mr. Smith?

This is Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith, can we count on you to support Senator Barack Obama this fall for President?

No, I'm voting for Ralph Nader.

Okay, well thank you very much for your time.

Wait, will you pay me?

I'm sorry, sir, I didn't quite catch that.

Will you pay me money? Nader is paying me $50.

No, sir I cannot pay you to vote.

I'll vote for Obama if you pay me $60.

I'm sorry, I cannot do that. Thank you for your time.

But wait, I really will vote for Obama. Pay me $60.

Click.

My Kid is Amazing

My eldest child is what I call a high needs child. He was a high needs baby and I predict he'll be a high needs teenager and adult. It requires much patience and creativity to deal with him. As a baby, he needed just the right amount of affection. Too much and he pushed back and voiced his opinion mightily. Too little and he got clingy and whiny.

Solomon has always been imaginative; almost too much so. He can watch a television show or play a video game for just half an hour, but hours later he'll still be going over things that could have happened or should have happened. He is funny and he makes me laugh about something every day. Sometimes he makes me laugh at the worst time, say when I'm upset with him and need to re-direct him.

Solomon's exuberance means that I spend a lot of time reminding him to "use an inside voice, please." I have to be very explicit in my directions and requests. I have to say exactly what I mean because he is very literal. Solomon keeps me on my toes; if I'm not consistent, he'll either call me on it, or walk right over me. He is, at times, exhausting.

I was anxious about the school year starting. Homework has been a large source of contention in our house since first grade. Behavior in class has been a problem to some extent, too. But Solomon transitioned into the school routine very smoothly. He did his homework with a minimum of complaining and actually said, more than once, that he likes some of his homework. He invested himself in school activities like running club and choir and made lots of new friends.

I tried not to get my hopes too high. I thought maybe we were in the honeymoon phase of a new school year. But the days and weeks stretched on and I noticed that Solomon is really helpful at home now. I can ask him to clean the bathroom sink or vacuum the living room and he does it without any problem. He helps his brother and sister with things they can't reach. In short, he's growing up.

This week Solomon's teacher let me know that he would be getting a High Flyer Award for this trimester of the school year. This is an award given to two students in each class, each trimester. These awards go to students who consistently demonstrate responsibility, helpfulness, respect and hard work. I am so happy about this I tear up when I think about it.

At the award ceremony this afternoon I was thrilled to see my child standing on the stage with his ear-to-ear grin. It's a small thing, but that moment made all the anxiety and frustration of the past couple of years worth it.

A Disclaimer

As you can see, I've been a busy little blogger this weekend, mostly political stuff. It's an understatement to say that I am quite vociferous in my opinion of who should be the next President of the United States.

I want to make one thing clear, though. I respect and value the right to vote as an individual sees fit. Americans are so fortunate to have this right and I don't want anyone to think I am telling them how to vote. Your vote is yours.

Voting comes with a responsibility and that responsibility is to educate oneself on the issues. Know your candidate and his stance on those issues. If someone has researched the issues and doesn't agree with me, I can respectfully agree to disagree. If one has not done that, well, I'm disappointed.

If you don't know your candidate's stance on the issues, please look it up. And I mean that for anyone, regardless of your choice in candidates.

(Obviously, if you're blindly voting for Obama, I'll be happy that you're voting for him. But once you know more about him, where he comes from and his vision for the future, you can't help but become passionate about your vote.)

And with that, I'm done with political blogging, for a few days anyway.

A Little Levity

In Other (Better) Words

McCain and Palin Are Playing With Fire
By Khaled Hosseini
Sunday, October 12, 2008

I prefer to discuss politics through my novels, but I am truly dismayed these days. Twice last week alone, speakers at McCain-Palin rallies have referred to Sen. Barack Obama, with unveiled scorn, as Barack Hussein Obama.

Never mind that this evokes -- and brazenly tries to resurrect -- the unsavory, cruel days of our past that we thought we had left behind. Never mind that such jeers are deeply offensive to millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslim Americans who must bear the unveiled charge, made by some supporters of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, that Obama's middle name makes him someone to distrust -- and, judging by some of the crowd reactions at these rallies, someone to persecute or even kill. As a secular Muslim, I too was offended. Obama's middle name differs from my last name by only two vowels. Does the McCain-Palin campaign view me as a pariah too? Do McCain and Palin think there's something wrong with my name?

But never mind any of that.

The real affront is the lack of firm response from either McCain or Palin. Neither has had the moral courage, when taking the stage, to grasp the microphone, turn to the presenter and, right then and there, denounce the use of Obama's middle name as an insult. Instead, they have simply delivered their stump speeches, lacing into Obama as if nothing out-of-bounds had just happened. The McCain-Palin ticket has given toxic speeches accusing Obama of being a friend of terrorists, then released short, meek repudiations of some of the rough stuff, including McCain's call Friday to "be respectful." Back in February, the Arizona senator apologized for the "disparaging remarks" from a talk-radio host who sneered repeatedly about "Barack Hussein Obama" before a McCain rally. "We will have a respectful debate," McCain insisted afterward. But pretending to douse flames that you are busy fanning does not qualify as straight talk.

What I find most unconscionable is the refusal of the McCain-Palin tandem to publicly condemn the cries of "traitor," "liar," "terrorist" and (worst of all) "kill him!" that could be heard at recent rallies. McCain is perfectly capable of telling hecklers off. But not once did he or his running mate bother to admonish the people yelling these obscene -- and potentially dangerous -- words. They may not have been able to hear the slurs at the rallies, but surely they have had ample time since to get on camera and warn that this sort of ugliness has no place in an election season. But they have not. Simply calling Obama "a decent person" is not enough.

Is inaction tantamount to consent? The McCain campaign certainly thinks so when it comes to Obama and incendiary remarks from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. By their own inaction, then, are McCain and Palin condoning these slurs? Or worse, are they willfully inciting the angry and venomous response that we have been witnessing at their rallies? If not, then what reaction are they hoping to evoke by their relentless public suggestions that Obama is basically an anti-American liar who won't put "country first" and has an affection for terrorists? Do they not understand the kind of fire they are playing with?

I -- and, I suspect, millions of Americans like me, Republicans and Democrats alike -- couldn't care less about Obama's middle name or the ridiculous six-degrees-of-separation game that is the William Ayers non-issue. The Taliban are clawing their way back in Afghanistan, the country that I hope many of my fellow Americans have come to understand better through my novels. People are losing their homes and their jobs and are watching the future slip away from them. But instead of addressing these problems, the McCain-Palin ticket is doing its best to distract Americans by provoking fear, anxiety and hatred. Country first? Hardly.

And the link, of course: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html

P.S. I apologize for the lack of click-able links in my recent posts. I'm having trouble getting the code to work. I am looking into it. In the mean time, should you want to follow a link, simply paste the address into your address bar.

Untitled

I started this post Friday morning with a sinking, sickening feeling in my stomach. I was coming here to lament the atrocious comments made about Barack Obama by some John McCain supporters in recent days; comments that are bigoted, racist and, simply put, untrue. Further, they were comments that have been largely ignored by the McCain camp. I was so disheartened that I couldn't gather my thoughts and I saved the post so I could come back and edit it later. I am continuing my post now with a better frame of mind.






For what it's worth, I don't believe for a minute that all of McCain's supporters espouse the beliefs of these few. I wouldn't even purport to believe that John McCain himself believes these things. But his refusal to address these comments is paramount to agreement with them. John McCain has now made a couple of statements to the effect that he does not condone this type of bashing. Whatever his motive, I am pleased that at least something has been said. I fear this is a case of 'too little, too late,' though.




I hope that more of the media pick up on the nastiness coming from people like those in the first two videos. Some have and they have reported on it. I hope they continue to do so. Refusal to condemn actions and words like these is reprehensible.

This country should be better than this. I hate that in the 21st century people can still let race, religion and something as insignificant as a middle name color their perceptions of another human being. It's sickening and I am so sad to be living in the middle of it.

Things like this make me feel more 'glass half-empty' than 'glass half-full'. I don't like feeling that way. My response to this negativity is to volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign. During the two weeks leading up to the presidential election I will be working the phone bank at a local campaign office when I get off work. To those bigoted, uneducated nasties -- congratulations! You've just campaigned for the man you hate.

Media Bias

The following article can be found at this address: http://mediamatters.org/items/200810100015?f=h_top"

I have pasted the article in its entirety for those that don't want to navigate away from my music play list. Ha ha! The article is quite lengthy, but also very enlightening. Please take a few minutes to skim it, at the very least.

Media Matters: The media's enduring pro-McCain double standard
by Jamison Foser

It isn't surprising that the conventional wisdom is that the news media have turned on Sen. John McCain. After all, decades of attacks from conservatives have conditioned reporters to believe that they are biased against Republicans -- even when there is scant evidence in the reporting to support such claims. And the McCain campaign has launched an all-out assault on the media, complaining relentlessly about the coverage its candidate has gotten.

On top of all that, McCain historically has been the recipient of the most favorable media coverage of any politician in modern American history. Reporters spent years all but offering to peel McCain a grape. So, just as the media judge a candidate to have "won" a debate if s/he "exceeds expectations," the fact that McCain's coverage hasn't been as hagiographic as expected has led many to conclude that it has actually been unfairly negative.

The truth is that when John McCain says "jump," the media still ask, "How high?" Think about this: When was the last time McCain or his campaign has wanted the news media to focus on something, and they have refused? From "lipstick on a pig" to Bill Ayers, the media have scampered after whatever mud McCain has flung, like a puppy dog chasing a stick thrown by its master. Sure, sometimes they have pointed out that McCain is lying -- and that's tremendous progress for a profession that has spent a decade flatly asserting McCain's honesty. But -- as I've explained in the past -- even as they've debunked McCain's claims, they've too often privileged the lie by allowing those claims to drive their coverage.

And, increasingly, they uncritically quote McCain campaign attacks on Sen. Barack Obama for things McCain himself has done. When a campaign does something like this, the media often point out the hypocrisy, and the attack backfires. But those rules don't apply to John McCain. So when John and Cindy McCain attack Barack Obama for what they describe as a vote to "cut off the funds for the troops," the news media dutifully repeat the charge -- without noting that, by the same logic, McCain also voted to cut off funds for the troops: Obama voted against a funding bill that did not include a timeline for withdrawal; McCain voted against a bill that did include a timeline for withdrawal.

The funding vote has been the subject of some of McCain's nastiest attacks recently. Cindy McCain, for example, claimed Obama's "vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body" and lectured: "I would suggest that Senator Obama change shoes with me for just one day. ... I suggest he take a day and go watch our fine young men and women deploy." You would think, then, that media reporting Cindy McCain's purported indignation would note that John McCain also voted against funding. They haven't. Indeed, some have falsely stated the opposite -- that McCain did not cast such a vote. You might even think reporters would ask the McCain campaign if Cindy McCain got a "cold chill" when her husband voted "to not fund [her] son." But there is no indication that any reporter has done so.

But the best indication that McCain has not yet truly "lost his 'base,' " as The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder put it this week, is the glaring media double standard in covering the two presidential candidates' controversial relationships.

Let's start with Bill Ayers, since the news media have spent much of the week obliging McCain's efforts to make him the focus of the campaign. As an activist in the 1960s -- when Barack Obama was a young child -- Bill Ayers was a member of the Weathermen, a group of radical activists who launched a series of violent demonstrations and bombings in protest of the Vietnam War. Ayers is now a professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago and a school reform advocate. During Obama's first campaign, Ayers hosted a coffee for him, and the two men have served together on the board of a school reform effort funded by a foundation chaired by Leonore Annenberg, who has endorsed John McCain. The New York Times concluded that Obama and Ayers "do not appear to have been close," and Obama has denounced Ayers' actions as a member of the Weathermen.

A search* of the Nexis database found that more than 4,500 news reports so far this year have mentioned Obama and Ayers -- more than 1,800 this week alone.

Now: G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy served four and a half years in prison for his role in the break-ins at the Watergate and at Daniel Ellsberg's psychologist's office. He has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in "if necessary." He plotted to kill journalist Jack Anderson. He plotted with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt in order to thwart an investigation. He plotted to firebomb the Brookings Institution. He used Nazi terminology to outline a plan to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at the 1972 GOP convention. And Liddy's bad acts were not confined to the early 1970s. In the 1990s, he instructed his radio audience on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents ("Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests." In case anyone missed the subtlety of his point, Liddy also insisted: "Kill the sons of bitches.") During Bill Clinton's presidency, Liddy boasted that he named his shooting targets after the Clintons.

What does Liddy have to do with the presidential election? As Media Matters has noted:

Liddy has donated $5,000 to McCain's campaigns since 1998, including $1,000 in February 2008. In addition, McCain has appeared on Liddy's radio show during the presidential campaign, including as recently as May. An online video labeled, "John McCain On The G. Gordon Liddy Show 11/8/07," includes a discussion between Liddy and McCain, whom Liddy described as an "old friend." During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program."

McCain even backed Liddy's son's congressional bid in 2000 -- a campaign that relied heavily on the elder Liddy's history.

To sum up: John McCain is "proud" of his "old friend" Gordon Liddy -- an old friend who plotted to kill one of the most respected journalists in American history, and who urged listeners to kill federal agents and advised them on how to do so. McCain campaigned for Liddy's son, and Liddy has even hosted a fundraiser for McCain at his home.

So McCain's relationship with Liddy is pretty much a direct parallel to Obama's relationship with Ayers. Except that McCain and Liddy have apparently spent time together more recently than Obama and Ayers. And Liddy's extremist activities continued well into the 1990s, at least. And Liddy says he and McCain are "old friends," while The New York Times says Obama and Ayers aren't close. And Obama has never said Ayers adheres to "the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." Other than all that, it's a direct parallel.

Yet even as they obsess over Barack Obama and Bill Ayers -- just as the McCain campaign tells them to -- the news media have all but ignored John McCain's close ties to Gordon Liddy. A Nexis search** finds fewer than 100 news reports that have mentioned McCain and Liddy this year.

As Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman -- who has criticized Obama's relationship with Ayers -- has noted:

Liddy, now a conservative radio host, has never expressed regret for this attempt to subvert the Constitution. Nor has he developed any respect for the law. ... Yet none of this bothers McCain. Liddy has contributed thousands of dollars to his campaigns, held a fundraiser for McCain at his home and hosted the senator on his radio show, where McCain said, "I'm proud of you." Exactly which part of Liddy's record is McCain proud of?

While Obama has gotten lots of scrutiny for his connection to Ayers, McCain has never had to explain his association with Liddy. If he can't defend it, he should admit as much. And if he thinks he can defend it, let him.

To repeat:

* 2008 news reports that mention Obama and Ayers: more than 4,500.

* 2008 news reports that mention McCain and Liddy: fewer than 100.

Incredibly, The Atlantic's Ambinder today suggests that the media have not covered Ayers: "To truly drive Ayers into the public conversation, to trick what they consider an irredeemably biased press corps into biting, McCain has three vehicles gassed up and ready to go. ... So far, McCain has done none of those things." There are 1,800 Nexis hits for Barack Obama and Bill Ayers in the past week, and yet Marc Ambinder thinks the media have not bitten on the Ayers "story" -- and that McCain, who is running ads about Ayers, isn't "really serious" about pushing it, anyway. Even Steve Schmidt would likely be too embarrassed to try to claim that the media have not covered Bill Ayers.

Incidentally, Ambinder doesn't seem to have ever mentioned McCain's relationship to Liddy.

Not only have the media avoided stand-alone reports on McCain and Liddy, they consistently fail to bring up the connection when reporting on McCain's attacks on Obama's ties to Ayers, or in interviews with McCain staff who bring up Ayers. The McCain/Liddy relationship is such an obvious parallel -- except arguably much worse -- that it's hard to imagine how any evenhanded journalist could possibly justify ignoring it. Yet it happens again and again. And, needless to say, McCain aides do not get badgered about Liddy the way Time's Mark Halperin badgered Obama aide Robert Gibbs about Ayers.

Just this morning, NBC's Chuck Todd said he is "sure" Ayers will come up during the final presidential debate next week, adding that moderator Bob Schieffer "may feel no choice but to bring it up" in light of the "TV ads" the McCain campaign and Republican National Committee are running. Setting aside the absurdity of the suggestion that a debate moderator is compelled to bring up a topic simply because John McCain is running ads about it, if Schieffer does ask about Ayers, basic fairness demands that he ask McCain about Liddy as well.

OK ... moving on. How about controversial religious figures? Earlier this year, Media Matters showed that The New York Times and The Washington Post had published a total of 161 articles, editorials, and opinion pieces that mentioned Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright -- and only 12 that mentioned John McCain and John Hagee. That disparity wasn't unique to the Times and the Post -- and it hasn't evened out over time.

161 to 12.

Land deals? Barack Obama once bought a parcel of land from a controversial donor named Tony Rezko. Obama paid more than the land's assessed value -- but that hasn't stopped the news media from suggesting Obama had an improper relationship with Rezko.

Comparatively little attention has been paid to John McCain's relationship with real estate developer Donald Diamond. Diamond, a co-chair of McCain's campaign finance committee, has raised more than $250,000 for McCain's presidential bid and is a "close personal friend" and longtime political patron. For his part, McCain has sponsored two bills sought by Diamond that helped the developer gain what The New York Times described as "millions of dollars and thousands of acres" of land. And McCain helped Diamond buy another parcel of land from the U.S. Army -- a deal that helped Diamond turn a $20 million profit. The Washington Post and USA Today have identified other land deals McCain has facilitated as senator that have benefited some of his biggest donors and fundraisers.

Yet a Media Matters review last month found that five national newspapers had run a total of 39 articles, editorials, and opinion pieces that mentioned Obama and Rezko -- but only seven that mentioned McCain and his donors' land deals:

[S]ince The New York Times' initial April 22 article [about McCain and Diamond], the land deals have been mentioned in only six additional news articles, editorials, or opinion pieces in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, or The Washington Post, and have yet to be mentioned on any evening network news program. By contrast, during the same time period, 39 news articles, editorials, or opinion pieces in those papers have collectively mentioned Obama and Rezko; and the evening news broadcasts have collectively mentioned Obama and Rezko in five reports.

39 to 7.

And, of course, there's always Charles Keating. The news media have done their best to ignore McCain's involvement in the Keating Five -- and, when they have mentioned it, they've done so by parroting the McCain-friendly storyline that the scandal turned the Arizona senator into the World's Greatest Reformer. Even this week, after the Obama campaign drew attention to McCain's involvement in the Keating Five with a Web page and a 13-minute documentary featuring one of the regulators McCain pressured on behalf of his political benefactor, the media have paid far more attention to Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers than to McCain's relationship with Keating. And when they have mentioned Keating, they have often questioned the propriety of the Obama campaign's decision to bring up the subject.

Remember: Barack Obama didn't have anything to do with Bill Ayers' wrongdoing. He was a young child at the time. McCain did have something to do with Keating's wrongdoing -- without McCain, the scandal would have been called the Keating Four, not the Keating Five.

And yet the media are quick to dismiss the Keating matter. When the topic came up on MSNBC earlier this week, Andrea Mitchell dismissed it as having occurred 20 years ago. Well, sure. But McCain was involved in it 20 years ago, unlike Bill Ayers' controversial activities, which occurred closer to 40 years ago, and which Barack Obama didn't have anything to do with.

The American people have made clear that they think the most important consideration in deciding who to vote for is the economy. An astounding 52 percent of Americans call "the economy and jobs" the "most important" issue to them in this election, according to the latest CBS/New York Times poll. Terrorism and national security came in a distant second, with only 11 percent.

John McCain and his campaign have made clear that they do not want the last few weeks of this campaign to be about the economy, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, health care, the housing crisis, or the Constitution. They want it to be about personal associations.

Incredibly, much of the news media have sided with John McCain in treating Bill Ayers and ACORN as the most important topic facing the nation. Even worse, they are scrutinizing only Obama's relationships, not McCain's. It's bad enough that they're letting McCain, rather than the American people, set the parameters of the debate. The fact that they aren't applying those parameters to both candidates equally is an inexcusable double-standard.

And it's evidence that John McCain retains the support of his "base" -- the media.

* Conducted 10/9/08 using the search terms Barack Obama and ((Bill or William) w/2 Ayers

** Conducted 10/9/08 using the search terms John McCain and Gordon Liddy

Samuel, Vol. 2

So I met with Samuel's teacher on Friday morning. She showed me samples of his work. When he focuses, he does great work and gets it done in a timely manner. This doesn't happen often, though. She said he focuses more on peeling crayons or staring out the window or picking at the carpet or chewing on pencils or blowing in the ear of the kid next to him. She stopped just short of saying she thinks he has ADD. I actually think the law might forbid that.

The teacher talked about several ideas she has to help him focus. During Job Time, she has him sit at a desk very near her so she can remind him to keep working. She has an incentive chart and reward system going. She tried a timer for him and that worked -- for a day. She is working with the occupational therapist to develop more ideas that might help in the classroom.

She said lots of positive things about Samuel. He is cheerful and friendly. He doesn't disrupt class (other than blowing in the occasional ear). He is polite and follows the rules. He stays in his assigned place, whether it's a chair or the floor during circle time. He's very bright; that's obvious in the work that he does complete.

We talked about sensory issues, since he fixates on touching things or staring at things. I'm beginning to think Samuel might have the opposite of sensory integration disorder.* He is constantly touching things. A car in the parking lot. A brick on the house. He finds things that are special to him -- rocks, bottle caps, beads, paper clips, can tabs -- and he saves them in his pockets. Occasionally, these things find their way into his mouth. No amount of time outs or threats or scare tactics work to discourage this behavior. (Putting things in his mouth, that is. Collecting things doesn't bother me; putting them in his mouth is just plain dangerous and gross.) The occupational therapist noted this in her assessment. I don't know what the plan is for that, yet.

Samuel is so creative and imaginative. He comes up with great stories, tells me about his dreams in elaborate detail, invents his own games. He is determined. He recently spent 45 minutes tracing all the letters of the alphabet nearly perfectly because "I want to learn how, Mom!" I could tell he was tired, but he kept going. He observes things that I don't think I noticed until I was older than he is now. He's a wonderful kid.

I just don't know what to think. I understand the teacher's need to have him focus on work and get things completed. But I hate the push to complete so much Stuff in kindergarten. He's obviously a smart kid and he's learning more all the time. I know this because I do his homework with him and I can see how much he has absorbed in these first 6 weeks of school. I understand that he might have some greater problem that needs addressing and I'm all for that. I just hope we're not putting unnecessary pressure on him.

*SID is a condition in which one can't tolerate the feel of certain things, whether it's soft food or crunchy food or scratchy tags in clothes or clothes that are too tight or too loose. Absolutely cannot tolerate it.

Seen on a Bumper Sticker

Unless You're a Hemorrhoid,
Stay off My ASS!

Let's ignore, for a moment, the disgusting image this phrase brings to mind and focus on its message. Obviously, the point is that the guy doesn't want someone riding his bumper on the freeway. But does he really want hemorrhoids? Yuck.

As far as the mental image goes, it should go without saying that no one wants to think about a fellow driver's southern end and its status regarding that unfortunate condition. This bumper sticker never should have been printed, much less purchased and placed on a vehicle.

Thursday Thirteen: Movies I Want to See

1. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

2. The Dark Knight

3. Burn After Reading

4. Righteous Kill

5. Ghost Town

6. The Women

7. Sex and the City

8. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

9. The Duchess

10. La Misma Luna

11. Into the Wild

12. No Country for Old Men

13. There Will be Blood

Fun With Dry Ice

We got a shipment of varicella vaccine at work today. It has to remain frozen until used so it is shipped in dry ice. I love varicella days at work. I pour water over it at different times during the day to watch it vaporize. I am always a little sad that I can't do more with it, what with charting and making phone calls and taking patient histories and all.

Anyway, I decided that today was the day to introduce my children to the wonders of dry ice so I brought the styrofoam container home. We started by pouring water on it. The kids were appropriately impressed. Then we poured hot water on it and listened to it crack up in the container. We finally poured in so much water that it froze into a solid mass with a layer of bubbling water on the top.

We tipped the container so the vapor flowed over the side like water. I showed the kids how to wave a hand gently over the top of the container to form waves in the vapor. Finally, we dripped some food coloring in the container and poured water over that. Very, very cool.

Sometimes You Just Can't Win

Most of the patients I meet during the course of my day are courteous and appreciative. Sometimes though, I come across someone rude or inconsiderate. Some of them are just having a bad day and they take it out on me. I can handle it. The people I can't handle are the ones that aren't having a bad day; they're the ones that are jerks, pure and simple.

I met a jerk today. It started when he and his son arrived 10 minutes late for the child's physical. He signed in at the front desk and said to his son, "Come on. We'll have to wait 2 hours, even though they make us get here right on time." For the record, they sat in the waiting room for 10 minutes while I set up a breathing treatment for a wheezing baby.

When the exam ended I went into the room to give the father various paperwork and to administer the child's vaccinations. There is a questionnaire for parents to fill out regarding developmental mile stones. His appeared to be completed but not scored so I asked the father if the provider had looked over it with him. He replied, "No, it was pretty clear that she was in a big hurry to get out of here."

So which is it? Your appointment takes too long or it's too short? What do you want?! And you know what? If she rushed out of your exam room, it was probably because you are one of the most disagreeable creatures on the planet.

Between those two lovely little exchanges, came a variety of comments. Taken singly, they might be interpreted as bad jokes from someone with even worse taste. Collectively, they represent a jerk. A sampling of those comments:

Son, this is why you need to go into the medical field; so you can tell everyone what to do and charge them for all of it.

Scream really loud and we can call our lawyer, okay?

Of course you charge for extra shot records. You charge for everything.

Aren't you going to call in that prescription? I just don't have time to drop it off.

I feel sorry for anyone who has to spend time with him on a daily basis.

Celebrating October

I love the fall. I like those days that aren't exactly cold and definitely not hot. It's sunny and overcast by turns. There's some rain with the hope that it might turn to snow over night.

And the fall colors! Colorado is the perfect place to take advantage of changing leaves. The reflection of sunlight on all those beautiful trees changes the look of everything. The scent of the air changes. It makes me want to take deep breaths to the point of hyperventilation.

Fall food is the best. I like sipping hot chocolate, simmering chili and baking corn bread, making potato soup. And of course, all the best holidays are coming. Nothing beats the Thanksgiving menu.

I love long-sleeved t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts with jeans. I'm a comfort person; forget high fashion. Fall is the perfect excuse to bundle up in comfortable clothes and sneakers.

Can you tell that I'm happy about October?