Samantha Pierce

My new computer came yesterday. Oh joy! It's lighter, sleeker, and faster than my old one. Using the old one had become such a pain that I didn't want to go anywhere near it. Now, with help from hubby and his brother, I am happily customizing my new baby with all the bells and whistles one needs for a new computer. Hopefully between the new computer, cooler weather, and the boys heading back to school next week regular blogging (such as it is) will resume shortly.

It has been an eventful day with lots to be thankful. Today I am thankful for/that: AAA (no that's not a typo). The helpful stranger who stopped to offer his cell phone during our little incident on the road today. We were only doing 40mph when our front passenger side tire came off. When the tire came off it didn't bounce or roll into traffic. The kids didn't have a clue what happened until someone unwisely told Ethan that we had to fix the car (the thought of anything broken really distresses him). The tow truck guy. No one crashed into us while we waited for the tow truck. The fix was simple and didn't cost as much as it could have. We spent a nice afternoon wandering around historic Corning, NY while we waited for the car to be fixed. The car made it home in one piece. The kids behaved for most of the trip. We got to spend some time with my folks. A good night's sleep. My new computer is on it's way. My brother-in-law who found me a new computer on the cheap...

Today's interview in NPR's series on black leadership was with Al Sharpton. I found it to be the least interesting piece in the series. I must confess that I agree with Al Sharpton's critics. I grew up in New York City during his rise to fame. I was not impressed by what I saw then. I'm not impressed by what I see now. Sharpton: A Leader with Followers -- and Critics ...Sharpton is also known -- and criticized -- for his flamboyance. His detractors say he uses civil rights to promote his own interests. Recently, some of that criticism came from NPR's Juan Williams, who earlier this week accused Sharpton of posturing and using the civil rights legacy for his personal gain. For his part, Sharpton says commentators and pundits have their own agenda: to sell books. I haven't got any books to sell and no one pays me to speak anywhere. I find Sharpton's "leadership" to be paltry. I have since I was a kid. What's my agenda? Sharpton's comments m...

In the spirit of Thankful Thursday... If you go to the web site http://www.letssaythanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving overseas. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Update by the boss lady: And now onto the traditional Thankful Thursday post. Today I'm thankful for/that: The tree in the backyard that has been menacing the car for years is finally going to come down today. Sis3, provincial teenager though she maybe, has been a great help to me the past few weeks. I don't know how I'll manage when she heads back home. Low humidity. The night time chorus of insects. Bubba turns 4 tomorrow. The people all over the world whose names we will never know who risk their lives to keep us safe. What are you thankful for?

When I saw Your Right to Breastfeed in Public, My Right to Be Apalled [sic]: An Argument for Discreet Breastfeeding linked on Black Electorate.com I was prepared to be annoyed by another silly person complaining about breastfeeding. Then I read it and found that I agreed with the author. She's a bit more harsh than I would be but I do think she is right. Breastfeeding is great for your baby but you need not expose yourself in the process. I've breastfed three children and have never found it necessary, nor thought that it was my right, to intentionally expose myself in the process. Accidental exposure is an occupational hazard for breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding however, does not require that mom's body be on display to the public. Nursing on display is arguably an invasion of privacy, mom's, baby's, and those who are treated to the sight of mom's naked body. Yes you can be comfortable with your body, proud of your body, and feel great that you can sustai...

In part 2 of a week long series on black leadership NPR talks to Newark mayor Cory Booker. He's an interesting fellow. I wish him luck. Newark Mayor: New Black Leaders Must Innovate Morning Edition, August 8, 2006 Although he could afford more, Cory Booker, an Oxford and Yale-educated lawyer, chose to live in one of Newark's downtrodden neighborhoods. Booker, the recently elected mayor of Newark, N.J., lives in a public housing project with no hot water and no heat in the winter. "It's a little challenging living," Booker tells Steve Inskeep. "But for me what is an inconvenience, to a lot of residents that live there it's [an] issue of life and death." Booker notes that while the black middle-class has grown since the 1960s, African-Americans living in poverty haven't seen much improvement in their lives. Some people put great stock in the Black Leaders of America (note the capital letters). The ones who are on television all the time, boycott...

Heard this on NPR this morning. Juan Williams on African-American 'Victimhood' Many African-American leaders have lost touch with a hallmark of the civil rights movement -- the tradition of self-empowerment, Juan Williams says in his new book. Instead, they've embraced the notion of "victimhood," the NPR senior correspondent says. His book is called Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America -- and What We Can Do About It. "I think it's a terrible signal to our young people about who black people are to have us constantly wrapped in the cloak of victimhood, and to have black leadership that in a knee-jerk fashion defends negative, dysfunctional behavior," Williams tells Steve Inskeep. Their conversation begins a week-long series on the state of leadership in the African-American community, and contemporary African-American life. There is an excerpt from the book (part of which I've po...

Sometimes I get the impression that people think your intellect shrivels up and dies if you are a Christian. Other times I get the distinct impression that people worship science the way Christians worship God. The following is a link to an interesting discussion on NPR about faith and science. It's nice to see that there are people who recognise that the two need not be at each others' throats. Must We Have a Separation of Church and Science? Can a world class scientist also be a devout Christian? Some big names in science say "absolutely." But balancing a scientific career with religious beliefs does involve some challenges. Guests Francis Collins, author The Language of God; director, National Human Genome Research Institute (National Institutes of Health) Owen Gingerich, author, God's Universe (forthcoming from Harvard University Press); senior astronomer emeritus, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; research professor emeritus (astronomy and history of sci...

Today I am thankful for/that: Cold fronts. Air conditioned stores. Sis3. She's a great mother's helper. Hubby is 100+ pages and counting into his dissertation. The dishwasher is mysteriously working again. Running water. Refrigeration. What are you thankful for?

I heard this on the radio bright and early on Sunday morning: Thy Kingdom Come Randall Balmer never thought he'd be taking on his own profession. But that's just what the Evangelic Christian and political liberal has done. In this Prime Time interview, Balmer talks about his new book, Thy Kingdom Come, and explains why he's on a mission to "stop the religious right" and revive the legacy and true meaning of Evangelism. I've been trying to work out just what I want to say about this. It presents a stereotypical view of conservative Christians and then proceeds to criticize Christians based on that stereotype. The criticism seems to be along the lines of conservative Christians need to be more politically and socially liberal. Conservative Christians often have to face the accusation that we put politics before love of God and love of our neighbors. That accusation strikes me as one that itself puts politics before love of God and love of our neighbors. If we ar...

I got in the car today just in time to hear this broadcast: 'Axis of Evil' Comedy, on Tour Three stand-up comedians with roots in the Middle East are performing across America on the "Axis of Evil Comedy Tour." Egyptian-American Ahmed Ahmed, Iranian-American Maz Jobrani and Palestinian-American Aron Kader talk to Robert Siegel about the challenges of humor during times of war -- and their favorite air marshal joke. Ahmed says he always know [sic] who the air marshal is on a flight: "It's the guy who's reading People magazine upside down and is looking right at me." They were indeed funny. The best comment came at the end when Mr. Jobrani said, "The reason I criticize the government here is because we can....We have freedom of speech. I could not make fun of the President of Iran in Iran." Long live the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I saw a Lebanese flag flying from a house as I drove through the neighbourhood yesterday. I had to wonder what they thought the were saying by flying that flag. Were they encouraging the Lebanese people to resist Hezbollah's essentially using them as human shields? Were they trying to encourage the Lebanese government to take on Hezbollah themselves? Were they trying to encourage Lebanon to take back its sovereignty from Hezbollah? Were they trying to show disapproval of Israel for attacking Hezbollah even though Hezbollah is essentially using Lebanese civilians as humans shields? I won't venture to offer any answers. I know nothing of the people in that house other than that they chose to fly the Lebanese flag at a time when Hezbollah has declared war on Israel from inside Lebanon's borders.

I've been on a bit of a hiatus recently. Between the heat, my computer turning on me, and the kids I haven't had much time or energy for blogging. But still I am thankful for/that: Hubby has one chapter of his dissertation finished. At this rate he could easily be done in a year. Happy happy joy joy!! Hubby is getting paid again starting tomorrow. Now we won't have to pinch our pennies quite so hard. All things work for the good of those who love God. Romans 8:28 Isaiah has stayed dry all this morning. I may let him wear underwear to school today. Modern medicine. We would be so up a creek without the seemingly simple things like antihistimines and painkillers. Isaiah currently looks like the hunch back of Notre Dame (again) thanks to a mosquito. Hubby is on his way home so we can go get a prescription filled so he can see out of both eyes again. What are you thankful for?

Just because someone sneaks into your house, takes a picture of you in the shower, and posts it on the internet doesn't mean you have to walk around with out any clothes on.

It's Friday I know but I've been out of the loop for awhile. I'm trying to get back into my blogging groove. So today I am thankful for/that: My computer is no longer buggy. Hubby and I spent much of our spare time this week fixing it. We seem to have finally succeeded. 80 pages and counting on hubby's dissertation. Our basement didn't flood (much, only one relatively small puddle) during the heavy rain this week. The house is mostly clean! Thanks Becky. We've finally found the secret to getting Sophia to sleep through the night. No more afternoon naps! Or at least nothing more than an hour. The dishwasher has finally been fixed!!! What are you thankful for?

It's taken me all day to think of something to be thankful for. It's been a rough week. Today I am thankful for/that: With the dishwasher still broken we're using less energy washing dishes by hand. The babysitter. Church elders. The sight of Sophia with a piece of bacon plastered across the bridge of her nose proudly declaring, "Nose!" (Sorry no pictures the kids broke the camera.) What are you thankful for?

Caption this.

One day late I am thankful for/that: Washable crayons. Orange oil to clean the non-washable crayons off of the wood work and furniture. Inspite of (or because of) the dishwasher being broken the kitchen has stayed cleaner longer than it usually does. Please pray that the part that should fix the dishwasher gets here soon. Despite our perversity, evilness, and bloody mindedness God still loves humanity enough to want to save us. What are you thankful for?

Today I am thankful for/that: "I could be finished in 2 years," says hubby to me after meeting with a dissertation coach yesterday. I intend holding him to it. This fall will make 9 years he's been in his program. Coffee! I'm enjoying a cup from my new french press (birthday present from my mother in law) as I type. I'm fairly certain now that Ethan can read. He read "good" as "God" while I was teaching him a new memory verse this week. He also read "them" as "the" and "of" as "for" which tells me that he recognises those words. I'm so excited! "Wow! Is beauful!" says Sophia. It seems to be one of her new sayings. Isaiah wrote the letter H on his chalk board yesterday and I'm pretty sure that he tried to sign H as well. Right now he's behind the couch with a copy of Sandra Boynton's Doggies: A counting and barking book saying, "Doggie" as he turns each page. The dishwa...

It's actually on a Friday this week. And now a selection from my cute kids collection. I call it, Puddle Jumper .