Samantha Pierce

I'm thankful for/that: NO SCHOOL! A friend's pool. Kid sized lifejackets. Isaiah thought it was a good idea to jump up and down on the diving board. He slipped and fell in as the other kids were trying to get him down. Thanks to the life jacket he quickly bobbed to the surface. And thanks to a fast moving friend he was back on the pool deck looking a bit stunned just seconds after hitting the water. None of that stopped him from trying to get in the deep end of the pool though. Ethan has enough sense not to fall in the deep end of the pool. Fast moving friends. Friends to help me out when the car battery dies. Shopping. I've got myself (and the house) some nice new doodads in honour of my birthday (so what it was two weeks ago and I forgot it). The garden hose. The sprinkler duck Ethan got for his birthday last year. That's gotta be the best gift any of the kids have gotten so far. Air conditioned malls. Friends to go shopping with.

Vegan Momma has some pictures posted here . The first photo made me want to take that man's place so he could be with his family.

These days it seems that some folk think that calling someone an apologist is an insult. Mostly I've seen accusations of Republican apologist, conservative apologist, black apologist, and most derisively a combination of those three. Let's take a look at some definitions of the word apologist shall we? A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution. a person who argues to defend or justify some policy or institution So, when did it become a bad thing to be able to argue for what you believe to be right? I'm a Christian (don't act like you didn't know). An important part of the Christian faith is being able to give an account of what you believe and why you believe it. I Peter 3:15 reads, in part, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (The rest of the passage speaks about giving your answer with gentleness and respect which we ...

You scored as Mace Windu . Mace Windu 78% Yoda 67% Padme Amidala 56% R2-D2 50% Anakin Skywalker 44% Clone Trooper 39% Obi Wan Kenobi 33% Darth Vader 33% General Grievous 31% Chewbacca 28% Emperor Palpatine 14% C-3PO 6% Which Revenge of the Sith Character are you? created with QuizFarm.com And hubby thought I would be Padme. Sis 2 is Darth Vader. I can totally see that.

Cobb on African American history : African American history is a critical dialog on American history, and in the hands of a capable instructor can give students an opportunity to learn a great deal about this country. Or it could be used to boost the self-esteem of 'inner-city at-risk youth'. It is the presumption of the latter that disables a sensible discussion in most places because when it comes down to it, there is no reason not to study African American history. It's history, therefore it should be studied, period end of discussion. Avery on African American history : The biggest enemy to accuracy, in my opinion, is politricks. Jokers all have their own perspective on how such-and-such should be taught. Why? Because they're not teaching history as a subject of inquiry, they're using it as a means of inculcation. Therefore, we get folks complaining about kids learning about Paul Robeson because he became a communist. We walk out of school thinking that Lincoln ...

From MoralHealth.com : The people of Darfur in Sudan have been systematically murdered by the janjaweed, who are acting either at the behest or acquiescence of the government. Very little seems to have been done about it by the world community. The United States has used diplomatic pressure on Sudan to stop the murders and looting and to allow food to be brought in to the refugees. Unfortunately for the people of Darfur, it is not in a position to use military force in Sudan, since much of the world community thinks it is a villain for liberating Iraq. European countries have even gone so far as to resist efforts by the United States to pass resolutions condemning the murders. The United Nations, proving its ineffectiveness, wrings its hands but says the murders do not amount to genocide, just civil war. I’m sure that helps the victims sleep at night. The Europeans and the United Nations are very willing to accept Sudan’s meaningless statements that it wants to solve the problem...

Avery is blogging about the Philadelphia school district's decision about teaching African American history (I blogged about it here ). I haven't read it all yet but Avery is from Philly and knows the lay of the land well.

I generally don't have much to say about reparations. Coming from the West Indies the idea of demanding money from any entity for the slavery of generations ago is completely beyond me. There is a certain pride, self confidence, and a strong independent streak in West Indian folk that makes expecting reparations seem backwards. We get what we've got by working for it not by having someone give it to us. But I've got some questions for advocates of reparations. Are you seeking reparations for the Atlantic slave trade as a whole, slavery in the United States only, or the near slavery that followed the end of Reconstruction? How are reparations supposed to affect the lives of black folk today? What form should reparations take? How do you determine who qualifies and who doesn't? How does an apology from a modern company/institution for slavery affect the lives of black folk today? Scott Wickham (fellow TCB member) has this idea for reparations: "3)I want descendants...

Hey it's Thursday again. Time to pause and remember the blessings that God has sent my way. I'm thankful for/that: I had a blast being on TV today. Sorry no video. I'm not that tech savvy and there doesn't seem to be any video posted at either show's website . The house is clean, the downstairs anyway. Ethan's last day of school today. We're going to the zoo tomorrow. Nice weather. No more walking out of the house into to wall of heat and humidity. All of the flowers in bloom. My costume for this weekend's performance is done. No more blinding headaches from too much time spent staring at seams and small stitches. Baby Sophia, a little Queen of All She Surveys in training. What are you thankful for?

When all else fails post a quiz. Via Memento Moron . You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan . You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 79% Reformed Evangelical 79% Neo orthodox 54% Roman Catholic 46% Classical Liberal 39% Fundamentalist 29% Emergent/Postmodern 25% Charismatic/Pentecostal 7% Modern Liberal 4% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com Compare these results with this and this .

Life has conspired against blogging this month so posts have been sparser than usual. Things aren't looking to ease up anytime soon. I've got a costume to finish (I gave myself a serious headache from all the sewing I've been doing), a solo to finish choreographing, a couple of TV appearances to do (I can't believe I actually volunteered to be on TV) a workshop to attend, a performance to do, all the while keeping the kids alive and relatively clean and well fed (keeping the house clean just is not going to happen). Why not check out some of these new additions to my blogroll while I'm otherwise occupied? The list (in no particular order) is a mixed bag of blogs that have been on my favourites list for a while now. Chocolate Covered Banana Ramble Strip Negrophile "Born on the fourth of July, a.k.a. Juneteenth C.P.T." (heh heh) View From the Pew Terrorism Unveiled Blackhacker Worker Bees Blog Ravings of John C. A. Bambenek SobekPundit

This is a conversation I had with hubby this morning. Hubby: Happy birthday sweetie. (Hands me a DVD that I had been thinking just days ago that we should get.) Me: It's not my birthday. Hubby: Yes it is. Me: No it isn't. Hubby: Yes it is. Me: No it's not. It's on the 17th. Hubby: Today is the 17th. Me: It is? Really? Hubby: Yes. Me: You sure? Hubby: Yes. Me: Oh. Thanks. It's been a busy month.

I'm thankful for/that: Rain. Lower humidity. A nice quiet weekend in New Hampshire. Friends and family who are willing to listen when I talk. Adorable kids. They can be menaces sometimes (even the baby) but I love 'em. Ethan's favourite new request, "I want chocolate!" The child and infant first aid and CPR class I took before Isaiah was born. I haven't recertified recently but the knowledge is still there. If you have kids or spend any amount of time around kids it is certainly worth your time and money to take a child and infant CPR class. What are you thankful for?

The Black Informant has a post about the recent decision of the Philadelphia School District to make African American history a requirement for highschool graduation. There is at least one typically hysterical claim from a parent about the decision. "It's not fair. Why should it be singled out black? Why can't it be Polish, or German or Mexican?" asked Theresa Barraza, whose daughter is a second grader at Anne Frank School. "I'll put her in a Catholic school." Look lady, the sky is not going to fall because your daughter will have to learn African American history (assuming that she is actually taught the history of people of African decent in America). African American history is American history. Just as the stories of Polish, German, and Mexican immigrants are a part of American history. None of these stories exist in a vacuum. If you're not going to teach American children the history of all of the American people in America then you are doing ...

I've been on the road a lot lately and haven't had time to blog about much. But I had a revelation in the car yesterday while listening to Howard Dean's latest comments about Republicans. Dean sounds just like the little kid who goes out and repeats everything he hears the grown ups say while they are gossiping about each other. Then the adults either get angry or embarrassed at having their secret thoughts aired in public. The stuff that comes out of Dean's mouth (Republicans=rich=white=Christian=evil) sounds just like the kinds of things that Democrats will say to each other when they think no one else is listening. Or when they are talking to those that they think deserve no respect (like any non-white person who doesn't think the Democrats are their only viable political option). Dean doesn't seem to have learned yet that you don't repeat those kinds of things in public. It's interesting to watch the rest of the Democratic party squirm every time he ...

Hey, did you know that today is Thursday? I didn't realise that it was until around noon. Then I didn't have any time to sit down and write a Thankful Thursday post until now. So, I am thankful for/that: Ice. Refrigerators with cold beverages in them. Freezers with ice pops in them. Air conditioned malls. Air conditioned cars. Cool (relatively) mornings to do yard work. Broad rimmed straw hats. It rained last night. A weekend in New York City learning about Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). Ethan said, "I want pickle," unprompted and more than once. He responds well to ABA. The Brent Woodall Foundation which sponsored the ABA training. What are you thankful for?

Discoshaman is back blogging at Le Sabot Post-Moderne . He's commenting on Howard Dean's most recent foot-in-mouth incident.

Bunker Mulligan , he was Michael Reed in real life. A proud and loving husband, father, and grandfather and an insightful writer. What else can I say? More than once I got teary eyed reading what he wrote about his boys. He had a great sense of humor too. Farewell.

A comment here got me thinking about the idea of loyalty to race again. I've got a few questions for anyone willing to answer them. When you talk about loyalty to your race, who defines the parameters of said race? Do you draw a solid line for who's in and who's out or is it fluid? What are you trying to preserve with loyalty to race? Why? How does having a relationship with someone who is considered inside the race preserve it in a way that having a relationship with someone outside of the race does not?

I am thankful for/that: Sophia's got two teeth now with not much fuss. The perennials in my garden are starting to bloom. Warm sunny weather. A good attitude. God gives all of us second (and third and fourth and fifth and on and on) chances. The wise women in my Bible study group. Bible study starts an hour later today so I have time to do this post in the morning. What are you thankful for?

"Too many [black conservatives] have been reflexive 'me-too' conservatives, merely echoing the views and opinions of established white conservatives and their stands against affirmative action, set-asides, and the welfare system?" From Booker Rising's quote of the day . You know, if I had a dollar for every time someone made this kind of accusation I could hire someone to knock the person who uttered it up side the head. Granted the quote is nearly ten years old but the sentiment is alive and well. Why is it so hard to believe that black folk hold to these ideas because they have merit that has nothing to do with what white people think? Where is the evidence that black conservatives are merely echoing what the white folk say? This attitude says a lot about the way that some people think about how black people relate to everyone else. It seems that we must always be somebody else's yes man or mouth piece. Call me whatever you like but my mind and voice are m...

You scored as Cultural Creative . Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 88% Fundamentalist 44% Romanticist 31% Existentialist 19% Postmodernist 13% Modernist 0% Materialist 0% Idealist 0% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com Hubby says that every evangelical Christian that he's known of who took this quiz placed as a "cultural creative" whatever that means. I wish they had a "that makes no sense whatsoever" choice. (Hat tip Digger's Realm .)

Well Deep Throat's identity has finally been revealed. All of the hubbub has left me feeling rather underwhelmed. And I'm not alone. Digger isn't all that worked up about it either. Though it is kind of funny watching people wig out like the Watergate scandal just broke. La Shawn has a post with a collection of links if you're inclined to pursue this matter further.