Why thank you...

...for the reminder.

That said. Here's a few things I've learned in the last week.

1. Don't even try to kid yourself. Or, as I've become very fond of saying, "As my grandmama used to say, don't try to sh*t a bullsh*tter." Like I said, she was southern.

2. Pizza Hut AND Chinese takeout AND Nordstrom cafe...no matter in how small a portion, will not net you another neg 8 week. Matter of fact, it will gain ya 2 more. Uhhhg.

3. Life is never THAT easy (though, it is pretty darn close to it nowadays).

4. I really DO still like to scrap. Or at least to be organized. Or to do them both. In small bites. It is so much easier making journals/binders/cards and I get just as much scrap happy sensations from it.

5. There is such a thing as too much chili sauce. who knew??

6. Yes. Why yes it is always half full. But not like being half pregnant...ala Obama in the Dem's debate this past Tuesday...according to Russert and all.

7. Carrying files back and forth to the car ups the activity points tremendously. Wow.

8. If I put my mind to it, I can do anything in the world.

9. Love really IS all we need. And some common sense. And an open heart. Oh...and open mind helps too. Especially when you have friends in need and though they are fanatics for Bill O'Reilly, you can still love her and her's to PIECES and constantly be amazed at how she does all that.

10. Money and connections (I guess that could be and/or) are nice to have.

So. This morning I woke up to last night's story about random drug testing of high school students. Seems that Bush and Co. think that this is an excellent preventative, non-punative measure. Because everyone that reports to them (ie, the folks who get grants and have to "prove" that the program works to get those grant funds again...I mean duh) says it works.

Now. Riddle me this. How is it a deterent to a kid in a drug infested school who is probably already standing out for not being one of the pot heads to show up, get randomly tested and come up clean? I mean, if you're at a pothead school (not saying I know ANYTHING about this...just saying) and everyone around you comes to school stoned, who cares if you're testing positive? It ain't like you're the only one doing it and all.

But anyhow, that wasn't my point. It gets better. The Deputy Drug Czar was on the news talking about when it comes to a choice between privacy or the greater public health good, it was a no-brainer to randomly test students in school.

Pardon me but what the??

If it isn't a punative measure (no one is supposedly kicked out of school) and it isn't a support measure (there is a counselor who will point the student to outside help which is, presumably, what we already pay counselors to do sans the expensive chemistry sets in the nurse's office), then what kind of measure is it? Oh yeah...preventative. I'm not sure I get that. Especially, remember, in the school where everyone's a pot head anyhow so what does it matter if you test positive?

But still...not my point. My point is this. Waaaaaay back in the day when I was Madame want to be scientist so that I could hack the genetic code (was a bit too late on that one..by mere years...alas) and cure HIV, the whole "public health" issue came up about reporting HIV test results. Just tack up a list on the wall at your local public health office and note who has it and who doesn't. Something about "shaming all them there druggies and prostitutes and gay folks into behaving right." Then something funny happened. "Normal" and "everyday" people started contracting HIV. My dear sweetness. We can't embarras the mayor and his son eh?

Who is to say that once we allow random drug testing in the interest of the greater good of public health for our poor unsuspecting high school students we don't then start allowing testing for sexually transmitted diseases? I mean, I'm sure Debbie's mom would want to know if little Johnny was infected so she could be sure to protect her daughter and keep her away from him. I mean, it's not like he would be kicked out of school. Or even given treatment for his condition. We'd just know and better be able to impact public health.

Or, okay...let's not take it that far. How about instead, we just post the list of middle school girls in TX who don't have that HPV shot. I mean, if they got it, they could transmit it to a partner and that is a public health risk no?

I mean give me a break. Yeah, as Americans we all are way too consumed with what is going on over at the Jones' house next door. But really. What is the point? Get a life. Instead of spending the time trying to shame kids into not using drugs, how about you take the time to talk to them about why they are using. Bet there are a lot of "common sense" answers as to things we can do that are pro-active and not the usual scare people to action (or inaction) stance so common in our country today.

Soapbox done. Happy now?