Rather than focusing on such a finite group, why not just teach children the golden rule that we all grew up learning: Do unto others.  Come on, you know it.

While GBLT individuals as they are often termed, are part of a protected class, does that really apply to a 5 year old?  What five year old who might use the term “fag” actually knows what it means?  If the curriculum specifically identifies these individuals, mustn’t it also be certain to identify everyone who could potentially be bullied?  Should children learn to be nice to everyone?  After all, there are legally, five protected classes.  Why not talk about not bullying someone based on religion?

The part that bothers me most is that representations and discussions about GBLT issues are removed from the purview of the parent, and instead, made the domain of a kindergarten teacher.  Additionally, according the article, if the curriculum is adopted, parents will have no legal justification to hold their child out of the lesson. Sorry, these are OUR children.

Making a curriculum decision like this completely disregards a families ideas and values as they pertain to the GBLT aspect of this discussion.  How to discuss this topic and how to explain must be left to the parent.

This isn’t about religion or moral objections, respecting the parents’ rights to address sensitive issues like this with their children on their own terms.  I respect teachers and what they do with and for our children.  However, this is no place for some black and white curriculum developed in a lab or by some academic.

Parents should remain the primary educators of their children on matters such as these.

Actions and movements like this serve only one purpose: to perpetuate the divide that exists between different races.  If I started a movement to only buy from white establishments, I would immediately be called a racist and if the movement was big enough, the NAACP, Al Sharpton and the Rainbow Coalition would be marching in the streets.   I don’t stop and think who owns the store I am purchasing something from.  I spend my money where it goes the farthest.  Especially today.  I eat in restaurants whose food I enjoy.  We eat in restaurants that are owned by Asians, Mexicans . . .whatever.  I don’t care what race or ethnic background they come from, I care about the quality of the food.

How are the actions of these people not racist?  Does driving out of your way to “buy black” make you a better person?  I don’t think so.  It serves to move vital dollars and tax revenue out your local towns and cities.  It takes dollars away from local merchants, who presumably have been benefiting from and counting on your spending, and puts them in someone else’s hands.  If these “black businesses” exist already, wouldn’t it follow that they are already have a customer base that supports them?

I guess his joke about the Air Force One flyover of Manhattan may have been an attempt to cover his insecurity about the subject.  It was, after all, his administration that orchestrated the stunt.   Was it funny to the countless thousands who looked up in fear of another attack?  I don’t think so.  Was it funny to the victim’s families.  I don’t think so.

Hey, I think it is great for  a President to be funny and self-deprecating.  I don’t think that it is funny for any President to joke about an event that has had and continues to have a huge impact on our society.

His laughter at Wanda Sykes jokes about Rush Limbaugh being the 20th Terrorist in the September 11th attacks, was grossly inappropriate.  Why joke about something like that.  Why then have your administration come out and try and spin your quite obvious laughter?

Perhaps the President should focus more on policy than on humor.  His quip about only needing 72 days out of the second 100 to accomplish his goals is only humorous because he has not yet accomplished anything of significance in the first 100 days.

Apparently political correctness does not apply to the President.

Not sure I’ll ever get that mentality.

This is not a statement for our against gay marriage on my part.  What I am writing against is that in the minds of Hilton and Montag, you can only have an opinion if it is the same as theirs.  If you don’t agree with the Perez Hilton’s liberal views, you are apparently a “stupid bitch.”  This “guy” is nothing by a self-aggrandizing fool who should stick to “dishing” on who in Hollywood is sleeping with whom and how bad someone looked in those heels.  Hilton wants to be applauded because he is honest enough to be open about his sexuality yet he is so myopic that he cannot respect someone for representing themselves with that same degree of honesty.

The food is great pub food and they, believe it or not, have the best thin crust pizza in the Mount Washington Valley.  There’s nothing better than hanging out with Jill and enjoying the food, atmosphere, a Guinness (or several) and the great service from Nora and the rest of the staff.

Jill and I also love bringing our kids in on the weekends to hear the one and only Marty Quirk live and in person.  Marty usually plays Friday Nights at 8pm, Saturday Apres Ski at 4 pm and Saturday night at 8pm.  He plays all the Irish classics and it’s always a great party with tremendous crowd participation.  Great fun when the boys sing along to Finnigan’s Wake, The Unicorn Song and others.   We love Marty so much we are having him play at my birthday this year.

So if you find yourself in the area, you really owe yourself a trip to the Shannon Door Pub.  If its between Thanksgiving and May, stop in on Friday or Saturday night and enjoy fantastic music from Marty.

Thanks Nora, Marty and everyone else at the Shannon Door Pub for all the great times we have had and all those we know we’ll have in the future.

Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be talking out of both sides of his mouth while promising on Wednesday to be a “partner for peace” and to restart the peace talks, during his campaign he said that the Palestinians were not ready for independence.  Didn’t England say the same thing about all of their colonies .  . . including The United States?

In one breath Netanyahu and the Likud Party state that they want to work towards peace and rebuilding of the Palestinian economy, and in the next he pledges to allow Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to expand thereby continuing to put the Palestinians in a subservient role.  This is land that does not belong to Israel and any expansion is seen as an affront to the Palestinian people.  Please know this, I am neither pro Palestine nor anti Israel.  I am just an educated person who cannot see how these two sides can ever negotiate a viable settlement while Israel continues to expand in the West Bank.

The problem is Israeli expansion begets Palestinian violence which begets Israeli reprisals.  It’s a vicious circle.  Please don’t get me wrong, I know there are other factors that contribute to this problem and they cannot all be attributed to Israel.  It’s like two stubborn children . . . neither willing to concede anything and just play nice.  Unlike children, when two nations, one of whom is a nuclear power, fail to play nicely, they jeopardize not only the region, but also the greater global community as well.  Both of these nations generally act without regard for how their actions impact those around them.  Sabre rattling by both sides does nothing but exacerbate the long running tensions between these two people.

Israel knows that no true settlement can come without the establishment of a true Palestinian state.   Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says that “Any Israeli government that accepts the two-state solution, negotiates with us on all core issues without exception, and agrees to stop settlement activity … will be a partner,” he said. “It’s time for deeds from both sides as far as their commitments are concerned, not words.”

Peace between these two peoples is paramount to the stability of the entire region.  Old ideas, past injustices and nationalistic rhetoric spewed by both sides need to be put aside.  Common sense and mutual respect must prevail.

This is no different then a private company asking an employee injured on the job to use his or her own insurance to cover the expenses.  In my home state of Massachusetts, Worker’s Compensation insurance is compulsory.  How can any right-minded person even suggest that the government, specifically the Department of Veteran Affairs, not be responsible for the care and associated costs of those wounded in the service of their country.

As an American citizen I am disgusted by even the mere mention of such a proposal.   The fiscal problems of this country should not become the burden of those who defend it.

Facebook.  Yes, I am on Facebook.  Too much.  I do enjoy and enjoy reconnecting with old friends, but do I have to check it all the time just to find out that so and so’s son scored a goal or has the flu?  Why is it so imperative that in the middle of enjoying music by Marty Quirk at the Shannon Door, I feel obligated to take a picture with the aforementioned iPhone and post it to Facebook?

I don’t have answers to any of these questions other than it just happens.  Will I make a concerted effort to change any of these behaviors, maybe.  Do I want to?  Sometimes.  Sometimes I long for the days when you went on vacation, for the most part you were isolated . . . not just when you went to a foreign land, but even on the Cape.  Vacation is about escaping or getting away from the everyday and technology has taken that privilege away from us.

Gotta go.  One of my Facebook friends just commented on my comment and I’m dying to know that they said.