My Life as a Mom

storm monsters

2008-06-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, our family lived through a tornado. It actually touched down in our neighbor's yard - tearing 25 trees out in their yard, and more in ours, including one that landed on top of our house!

It was a very frightening experience. We were all huddled in a walk-in closet, away from any windows, but we were on the side of the house where the tree landed. It was very loud - very scary.

Since then, whenever we have thunder, the littlest one (now 2), comes running to Mommy, complaining about "storm monsters".

Very cute, of course - but really sad that he is afraid of a natural phenomenon like thunder and lightning.

I used to find wild weather invigorating, and now - not so much. When I was very young I survived a tornado that ripped trees out of the ground and flung them onto the house - so hopefully this frightening experience will fade as well, and I'll love storms again. :)

Scientology Success

2008-03-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

Scientology

2008-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

The truth about Scientology - here is an interview on Nightline with David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center.

Discussing Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard

Education Quote

2007-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

John Holt

What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences, and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out.

Funny guy!

2007-09-23T19:27:00.001-07:00

One boy's version of Come Back to Texas by Bowling for Soup!

Halloween for Hunger

2007-09-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

This Halloween, support your local food bank.

Trick-0r-treat for donations of canned goods, and deliver them to your local food bank as part of Halloween for Hunger!

slave-free chocolate

2007-09-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about slave-free chocolate and other products, and have really decided that ethical consumerism is vital to creating a better world.

Read what others are doing to bring about change at this blog about a better world.

A better world

2007-09-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share this great blog that has a lot of different contributors - it makes for an interesting variety of topics:

http://towardspeace.blogspot.com

I found this post about chocolate and slavery to be particularly interesting!~

My son, on learning how to learn

2007-08-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

One of my kids finished a course at our local Church of Scientology, called Learning How to Learn.

It was a great thing for him to do - he was most amazed when he found out that it worked - for himself. He was studying about condors, and suddenly got a stomach ache and his eyes hurt.

He knew what the problem was, though - as these are common problems associated with study, and the solution was covered in the Learning How to Learn Course.

Knowing that this was true - and the solution WORKED - just blew him away. He ended up resolving the stomach ache and sore eyes, and he brightened up considerably.

We have always taught Scientology principles to our children and in particular, the study technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, but it's a real difference when the kids learn how to apply it themselves - that gives them a real stability in learning. And therefore, they know they can learn anything they want to learn - they have the tools to do it.

Volunteer Ministers needed in Peru

2007-08-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Volunteer ministers are needed in Peru. My son went to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, as a Scientology Volunteer Minister, but as he does not speak Spanish, he won't be able to help in Peru right now.

If you are interested in helping the people of Peru, training is provided. If you speak Spanish, and are willing to learn the Scientology Volunteer Minister procedures, your help is needed!

http://whyihelp.blogspot.com/2007/08/help-needed-in-peru.html

Aren't they beautiful?

2007-08-28T07:04:00.001-07:00

My darling daughters.. I love this picture, so I thought I'd share.

Label all sticks "Not a Sword"

2007-08-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of the funniest Onion stories I've ever seen.

"The Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of guidelines Monday designed to help parents curtail their children's boundless imaginations, which child-safety advocates say have the potential to rival motor vehicle accidents and congenital diseases as a leading cause of disability and death among youths ages 3 to 14...

...Defuse the ticking time-bomb known as your child's imagination before it explodes and destroys her completely...New data shows a disturbing correlation between serious accidents and the ability of children to envision a world full of exciting possibility."

Prevention advice includes "Speak with your children about the absolute impossibility of time travel, magical powers, and animals and toys that talk when adults are not around...

..."Many of the suggestions are really quite simple, like breaking down cardboard boxes or sewing cushions to couches so they cannot be converted into forts or playhouses..Blank pieces of paper, which can inspire non-reality-based drawings, should be discarded unless they are used in one of our recommended diagonal folding and unfolding activities. And all loose sticks left lying in the yard should be carefully labeled 'Not a Sword.'"

The entire article was just too funny. I've got my Sharpie out and headed for the backyard, prepared to take on all the loose sticks.

Webkinz

2007-08-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these things? They are very cute - plushie animals. My daughter got one as a gift, and she loves it. The kids get a log on for the website and can "play" with their pet on the website.

It's a great idea - the kids think they are so cute!

It's over!

2007-08-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm better, and it wasn't so bad at all.

It's so nice to get everything back to normal again. Unfortunately, though, the baby escaped the chicken pox. Not that I want him to go through it, but I don't feel the vaccination is the safest way to go, and not getting chicken pox until adulthood is definitely not the safest option!

But I guess I'd rather he be a few years older before getting it, though. One of his sisters only had something like 3 spots when she got it - a slight fever one day, then totally fine after that. Hopefully, when he gets it, it will be that minor. That would be nice!

Shingles... waiting... waiting

2007-08-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm learning more than I thought I'd ever need to know about Shingles.

Like - it can be weeks of pain before you get the rash.

The doctor at the ER told me to stay away from any adults who haven't had chicken pox, pregnant women, etc. So I've been home.

But then I read that you can only spread chicken pox from shingles if you have a rash, and someone comes into contact with the fluid from the pox. So until the rash arrives, one is not contagious.

But my coworker has never had chicken pox. So I don't think I want to risk spreading it to him under any circumstances. It's too scary.

So I'm just waiting. It doesn't hurt much anymore - some discomfort, certainly. t not too bad. The waiting is driving me a little batty, though. I'm still not sure about going out in public, so I've been cooped up. I would hate to give chicken pox to a pregnant woman, you know?

Chicken Pox

2007-08-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

The baby is coming down with chicken pox. They have to go through it, I know, but I hate it.

I do think the illness is better than the vaccination, especially since the vaccination might not last very long, and it's much better to get the illness when young than to avoid it and catch it in adulthood! But it's no fun to see baby getting sick.

One of his sisters had something like 3 spots when she had chicken pox -I'm hoping he gets away with very few, like she did.

I may actually have Shingles, which so far has been pretty painful, but no rash as of yet. Apparently up to 15% of people who get shingles never get a rash. And 10 - 20% of people who have had chicken pox end up getting shingles.

After an entire night in the emergency room, getting every test known to mankind - or at least a bunch of tests, including CAT scans of my vital organs, the doctor said that it pretty much HAD to be shingles - nothing was left! And my symptoms coincide pretty much exactly to prodormal shingles.

I know a whole lot more about the subject today than I did last week. Oh, how I miss the ignorance.

Democrats for Ron Paul

2007-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Anyone else into Ron Paul? He seems to be the only candidate with a real handle on what's going on in the world - and what to do to bring about peace.

Kucinich is pro-peace - very much so - but I'm not so certain of all his politics. I like Kucinich - but I think Ron Paul is the better candidate.

Check out a video here - democrats for Ron Paul.

2007-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

My kids had told me the "knock knock" joke that involved the interrupted cow before. That was pretty funny.

But when I saw one kid tell another kid this particular rendition of the joke - well - it WAS completely uncalled for! And a little funny, even a mother has to admit.

Truth about Scientology video

2007-05-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Shervin

2007-05-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting site by an interesting guy - Shervin

Take a look. He's got some patents, and done some really interesting work. And cute kids, too!

2007-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Riley

2007-03-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

If you have heard the tragic story of Rebecca Riley, you may be as frightened as I am about the direction our society is heading.

Rebecca, just four years old, was diagnosed as bipolar, and was given psychiatric drugs designed for adults.

Her parents administered the drugs liberally - giving her extra doses so she would sleep.

School personnel and family friends were concerned, as the child was zombie-like on the drugs.

She died December 13th, the result of an overdose. Her organs shut down, a slow, painful process.

Her story is really terrible. Her parents were surely abusive. Her doctor must have been crazy herself to drug this little child in this way, rather than prescribe some sort of parenting classes for her parents!!

But this is a larger story, unfortunately.

Four million children in the US are prescribed anti-psychotic medication and drugs for "hyperactivity" like Ritalin, every year.

FOUR MILLION.

Could anyone really believe that 4 million children are MENTALLY ILL???

I am simply dismayed.

A day in the life of a mom...

2007-03-23T14:50:00.001-07:00

Communicate

2007-03-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

affordable webhosting

2007-02-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for affordable webhosting I created a great site that I love at Freewebs.

They have an easy to use website builder with lots of great web site templates as well.

2007-02-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

One of the boys and I spent the day at the Natural History Museum yesterday - it was a special outing, just the two of us.

My son was mostly interested in learning about the elephant family. I found this great site today about Mastodons.

What is really surprising is those magnificent animals were around for 35 MILLION years. And died just 4,000 years ago. 4,000 years really isn't very long at all, is it?

Drug Prevention

2007-02-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Read about a Drug Prevention program that empowers youth.

Volunteer Ministers

2007-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Free music for your site

2007-01-09T02:48:00.000-08:00

Get a free music player, with free (and legal to use!) music for your website.

Human Rights Activities

2007-01-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a page about kids making positive changes for human rights in the world.

I think this is a really important thing - to teach children that human rights are Important and Valuable!

2007-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

Wow - it's been a long, long time since I posted!

One of my new year's resolutions is to blog more often.

Guess it's time to start.

What are your resolutions?

Cranberries

2006-10-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the holiday preparation.

Here's a great cranberry recipe:

Crimson Slaw

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Sweetened Dried Cranberries
DIRECTIONS:

Mix together cabbage and red and green onions in large mixing bowl. Whisk oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper and cumin together in a small bowl.

Pour over cabbage mixture; add sweetened dried cranberries, mix thoroughly. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. May be made up to 6 hours in advance.

Makes 6 servings.

And some great resources for:
cranberry farmers.

2006-10-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Halloween for Hunger

It's that time of year again!

On Halloween, our children trick or treat for donations of canned food items to give to the local food bank.

Last year they collected over 200 pounds of food!

2006-10-17T03:50:00.000-07:00

Big Pharma

There's an interesting article about the relationship between psychiatry and Big Pharma.

Pretty wild - how did we get in this situation? Just unbelievable.

2006-09-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

The kids created a show with one of their friends, for the local public access station.

What a great experience! They really had a lot of fun.

I really recommend this sort of thing.

Scientology Handbook

2006-09-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

As a parent, I am continually turning to the Handbook for members of the Church of Scientology - the Scientology Handbook

This book is fully of useful techniques, for members of the Church of Scientology - and other religions, as well. Anyone can use these techniques.

For instance, in there you can read about Scientology Study Techniques - techniques that, when used, can help your child learn more effectively, not get bogged down in his studies, and stay intersted in what he is learning!

You can ask Scientologists in this group about Scientology and find out from them, how they use Scientology to improve their lives.

Scientology

2006-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Scientology

Do you have questions about Scientology?

I have been getting emails from readers of my blog, asking for more information about Scientology. Definitely feel free to email me!

You can also visit these websites for good information.

Find out about the Scientology organization in Los Angeles - Church of Scientology, Los Angeles Organization

Here, you can get answers to Frequently asked questions about Scientology - The FAQ. If you would like information from an "unbiased" source, you might be interested in the information about Scientology from a religious tolerance organization.

Leisa Goodman, the Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology has an interesting website where you can read about the work of our church in the field of human rights.

You may also be interested in seeing the site for the Church of Scientology of Pasadena.

You can also join: this Scientology group if you have more questions.

Wedding Videography in Orange County

2006-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Wedding Videography - Orange County

Helene Kress

When my friend got married in Orange County she did a lot of research, looking for the best wedding videographer for her wedding video.

There are so many professionals in videography in the Los Angeles area, that she found selecting one to be just daunting.

This is an interesting videographer, because she does the montages and combines video from the childhood of the bride (and groom), as well as some other interesting ideas:

Helene Kress, this wedding videographer in Orange County looks really good.

Scientology Groups

2006-07-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

Scientology Groups

If you're looking for a website or email group where you can learn more about Scientology, here are some suggestions:

About Scientology
Scientology Information
Scientology Solutions
Scientology
about Scientology

dealing with the heat

2006-07-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know about other people's children, but mine want to play outside no matter how hot it gets.

I make sure to keep them well hydrated. Lots and lots of water. Potassium if needed, and salty snacks if wanted, too. Lots of bananas and other fresh fruit is helpful. Staying in the shade, taking breaks and resting, wearing hats, playing with the hose, and using suntan lotions always makes it easier to deal with the heat.

Craigslist

2006-07-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

My son is saving up for a used car. He's not 16 yet, but he doesn't want to have to wait - the day he gets his license is the day he'll buy his own vehicle.

We found a great place to buy a used car. It's www.craigslist.com - in case you haven't heard of it. We actually found a lot of great things through that website. Stuff people don't want anymore, leads on jobs for the teens, etc.

I just love that place. Most everything is free to post there, but some job and housing ads cost something, depending on where you live.

Sticks and stones...

2006-07-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, Yikes!

We had an "incident" yesterday. Boys playing in the backyard, one of them backed up - into a big stick that had come off a tree in the recent thunderstorm. Stick got lodged inside his leg. He just thought he got jabbed, ignored it. I see it later, red and swollen. We go to the doctor. They have to perform minor surgery. There was a "splinter" larger than a toothpick stuck in his leg.

No WONDER it hurt!

I would like to meet the guy who invented lidocaine and thank him personally. Because that kid was NOT going to let the doctor cut open his leg any other way. (It took some cutting to get the thing out.)

He asked the nurse to wrap up the splinter so he could show it off to his brothers and sisters. Uugghh... I never want to see another stick again!

2006-07-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

The cute catfish appears to be surviving. My son used drops to clean the water and he prepared the tank 2 days before the fish's arrival. So, I think the little guy is in good hands.

Now that we have an algae-eater, we really ought to consider getting some goldfish or something else.

Fish

2006-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

My son is setting up his fish tank again (after the goldfish died last year, he put it away for a while.) We have attention on ethical fish collection, however, and so are researching what sources and which fish are the best to get, environmentally speaking.

Here are some interesting resources I found in our quest for knowledge:

fresh fish

Understanding Mortgage

2006-07-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

I just read this interesting article about understanding the mortgage industry.

I found it really helpful, particularly in understanding about credit scores and how one's mortgage payment history affects it.

Kids Helping Others

2006-07-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

My family volunteers with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and we have found that even the younger kids really like to help. I don't think there is anything more rewarding to a child, than for him to know he has really helped somebody else.

The older kids did tutor training with the World Literacy Crusade, and they really enjoyed helping other kids study better. They also participate in the Halloween for Hunger program, affiliated with Kids Can Free the Children.

Some of their friends help UNICEF through their HalloweenKids program.

There are lots of ways you can get your kids to help in your community. Ask them how they would like to help - and then help them to make it happen!

2006-07-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the family is planning a big day for picnicking and spending time with relatives, and, of course, fireworks!

We will be managing to squeeze in some time to reflect on liberties and the importance of taking responsibility in terms of civics and that sort of thing. But mostly, we'll be having fun with family.

How about you?

Mark A. Mighell

2006-06-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

I found this article interesting. It's about Mark A. Mighell - about returning from Iraq. As a doctor, he must have seen a whole different side of the situation there.

2006-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

My son played a friend's house yesterday. They aren't Scientologists, but they are a large family that we've gotten to know pretty well.

When the mom brought my son home, she said that she was amazed at his vocabulary and speech - he uses very big words, just as part of his normal conversation.

I was happy to hear her say that - because I've noticed it myself. I think it really has a lot to do with the method of study technology that we use. It was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, and we have always practiced these principles in dealing with our children. After all, even in regular, day-to-day conversation, children are constantly coming across new words and concepts.

It's worked for us!

Kids and Scientology

2006-06-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have always used Scientology in raising my kids.

We use Scientology assists - which are processes you can use to help a person overcome emotional or physical stress. There is study technology - as developed by L. Ron Hubbard, which can help anyone - adults as well as children - overcome study difficulties.

Scientology articles have been very helpful, and we try to abide by the Code of Honor.

We use other Scientology tools.

The result is that my children are stable, productive, and happy. We have solutions to common day-to-day challenges, and the kids know how to apply Scientology technology to these problems - to good results!

First car

2006-06-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

My son has decided to save his money to buy a car. He just turned 15 - he can't drive until he's 16. But he's already saving for it.

That's just the kind of guy he is. I think that's so cool!

Keeping kids safe when doing landscaping

2006-06-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

My oldest son has a summer job doing landscaping - he is making a whole lot more money than I did when I babysat as a teen! Of course, it's a lot harder work.

He's getting some flyers made, too, so he can create more work for himself.

He wore thick jeans, suntan lotion, and goggles. He's got gloves for dealing with weeds, too.

Here are some hints for keeping">keeping kids safe when doing landscaping.

Dianetics Racing

2006-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

www.dianeticsracing.com

LOS ANGELES, CA — Dianetics, the world’s #1 bestselling self-help book, is revving up to compete in America’s #1 spectator sport – NASCAR racing. Bridge Publications, the publisher of L. Ron Hubbard’s perennial bestseller, has joined forces with Kenton Gray, an up and coming NASCAR rookie, who has experienced personal success using Dianetics.

“We began working with Kenton in 2001 when he was part of the successful Dianetics motorcycling team. So when he came with his proposal to race with the Dianetics name in the NASCAR circuit, we knew we had a winner,” said Danielle Methvin, spokeswoman for Bridge Publications. “We have been supporting competitive sports teams and athletes as sponsors or advertisers for two decades including Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars. NASCAR racing has captured the attention of sports fans around the world and we are proud to sponsor a driver who has the potential to be a champion.”

Gray’s edge is his concentration, which he says has greatly improved by the use of Dianetics techniques in gaining confidence and certainty behind the wheel. “It’s markedly improved my focus and my consistency,” he said. “Through Dianetics I’ve handled stress and increased my performance and ability to compete—both on the track and in life,” continues Gray, “that is why I’m proud and excited to now have the Dianetics Racing Team sponsoring my car.”

The new “Ignite Your Potential” Dianetics Racing Team is headed by Kenton Gray, founder of Freedom Motorsports Group, Inc.

A racer since the age of 10, Gray is not only a standout behind the wheel—placing first in five races over the past year and top-five in dozens of others—he is also an instructor at the LA Racing Experience on one of the best short tracks in America, Irwindale Speedway in Southern California.

The California racer’s hard-charging style is shared by his Freedom Motorsports’ CEO, Grant Cardone. He, too, credits Dianetics for much of his success. Cardone, a multi-million dollar real-estate investor and motivational speaker, appears internationally at over 150 conferences and motivational events for sales and business development each year.

“My immediate goal for this new team is to competitively and consistently be racing in the NASCAR Busch Series,” says Cardone, “The Dianetics Racing Team has tremendous potential because Dianetics ignites your potential.”

Kenton Gray and the Dianetics Racing Team’s next race takes place on June 24, 2006 at the Irwindale Speedway.

For information on the Dianetics Racing Team, contact Danielle Methvin at Bridge Publications, Inc., at (323) 953-3320 or go to www.dianeticsracing.com

CONTACT: Danielle Methvin
Media Relations
(323) 953-3320
daniellem@bridgepub.com

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

2006-05-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I helped the Scientology Volunteer Ministers last weekend, along with my children. We introduced people to the technology the VMs use when we help people in our neighborhoods and in disaster situations, such as in New Orleans and Indonesia.

Here is some information about what the Volunteer Ministers do, and the types of situations that we can help people handle:

Relationships Scientology contains simple techniques to establish good relationships and salvage failing ones.

The Dynamics of Existence The Scientology Handbook presents basic Scientology precepts for living an ethical life.

Understanding and Predicting What People will Do With the information in the Scientology Handbook you'll know who to associate with, who to avoid, and you will be able to help those who are mired in uncomfortable situations with others

Communication The Scientology Handbook includes information and techniques you can learn to greatly improve your communication and help others do so too.

Helping Others Recover from Illness and Injuries With the Scientology Handbook you can learn how to help relieve suffering and enable others to recover much more quickly.

Answers to Drugs If you have a friend with a drug problem, you can learn Scientology techniques to help him or her get off drugs and stay off them for good.

How to Resolve Conflicts Learn what has to exist for a conflict to occur, and how to resolve any conflict.

Integrity, Honesty and Self-Esteem Use this Scientology Handbook chapter to help anyone live a better life and restore their trust in others and in themselves.

Improving Conditions in Life If there is some situation in your life that needs to be improved, these Scientology techniques will help you do so.

Overcoming the Ups and Downs in Life With this chapter of the Scientology Handbook you can help someone get off the emotional seesaw of doing well one day and badly the next.

Stress from Dangerous Environment Learn how to overcome stress and anxiety with these Scientology techniques.

Marriage While marriages still outnumber divorces, the gap is rapidly closing. In this chapter of the Scientology Handbook you will discover methods to make a marriage work, and find out why many marriages fail.

Children The application of Scientology principles to the bringing up of children can ensure that they are happy, loving and productive, and that they become valuable members of the societies in which they live.

Job Stress Work is a source of stress and anxiety for millions. This chapter of the Scientology Handbook can help make work rewarding and fulfilling.

Planning for the Future Scientology techniques to help you attain literally any goal, large or small.

L. Ron Hubbard Study Technology L. Ron Hubbard discovered the laws on which learning is based and developed workable methods for anyone to apply.

Creed of the Church of Scientology

2006-05-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Scientology - Creed of the Church of Scientology

I love the creed of my church. I thought I'd share it with you. It was written by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology.

We of the Church believe:
That all men of whatever race, color, or creed were created with equal rights;
That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance;
That all men have inalienable rights to their own lives;
That all men have inalienable rights to their sanity;
That all men have inalienable rights to their own defense;
That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments;
That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others;
That all men have inalienable rights to the creation of their own kind;
That the souls of men have the rights of men;
That the study of the mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in non-religious fields;
And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly.
And we of the Church believe:
That man is basically good;
That he is seeking to survive;
That his survival depends upon himself and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.
And we of the Church believe that the laws of God forbid man:
To destroy his own kind;
To destroy the sanity of another;
To destroy or enslave another’s soul;
To destroy or reduce the survival of one’s companions or one’s group.
And we of the Church believe that the spirit can be saved and that the spirit alone may save or heal the body.

If you are interested in learning more about Scientology, you can join this Scientology Group.

Joan Jett

2006-05-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Joan Jett is going on tour this summer - and releasing their first album in 10 years.

I don't know if we'll be able to make it to a show, but I think it's great that they are touring again.

Joan Jett

Skype

2006-05-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Skype is a good way to make free domestic calls -- and international calls are really cheap, too.

We've been using it for a few months now. It's not perfect - sometimes there is a delay or static on the line, but you can't beat the price.

Destruction of the Constitution

2006-05-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting viewpoint about the National Security Advisory's database of phone calls made by Americans.

Considering that I use Verizon, and they are one of the 3 companies that turned records over without a subpoena, this may affect me as a consumer - I am thinking about changing phone companies just on the principle of the thing.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote about the eradication of the Constitution, and the forces behind the politicians who would do so.

From the 1969 essay, "Constitutional Destruction":

or any group to engage fully and knowingly upon the destruction of the Constitution and any liberty or freedom it may guarantee is less startling than that they should also be accepted as the dominant force behind many politicians..."

Toddlers used as guinea pigs

2006-05-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Absolutely shocking.

Tots Used as Guinea Pigs? ABC News
Friday, 12 May 2006
ABC News reports that antipsychotic drugs are being tested on toddlers at Harvard University affiliate hospital, Massachusetts General Children's Hospital.

The drugs being tested on very young, defenseless children are the most toxic, harm producing psychotropic prescription drugs marketed.

The indisputable evidence of these drugs' severe adverse effects in adults with schizophrenia is now being acknowledged by leading psychiatrists:

In an editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Carol Tamminga, acknowledged: “the side effect outcomes are staggering in their magnitude and extent and demonstrate the significant medication burden for persons with schizophrenia.…"
See: Dr. Carol Tamminga, "Practical Treatment Information for Schizophrenia" Editorial, AJP, April, 2006, vol. 163:563-565.

How can anyone justify the use of four-year old children as human drug testing guinea pigs?
The experiments described by ABC News expose small children to drugs so toxic they disrupt normal biological and mental function, damage major organs, produce debilitating, chronic diseases such as diabetes, leading to premature death?

According to its website, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, is the largest of the Harvard Medical School teaching facilities, the hospital."

"the oldest provider of pediatric services in Boston, has provided comprehensive care for children since 1821. It is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Annual Guide to America's Best Hospitals, and was ranked number 16 in the 2003 edition. Through its growing network of community-based facilities and pediatricians, the hospital's excellent care is conveniently accessible to families throughout the region."
http://www.massgeneral.org/mghfc/mghfc_aboutus.htm

If these experiments were approved by the FDA, and passed the institutional review boards (IRBs) of Harvard and MassGeneral, what does it say about the debasement of academic medicine?

Clearly the system for safeguarding the children's right to be free from the risks of medical experiments that are not in their best interest, is broken and must be replaced.

Join AHRP's efforts to stop the putting children in harm's way in medical experiments.

Help AHRP --we need a hosting a website for a petition to stop experimental exploitation of children.

Add your voice to public comments following ABC story at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/tots_used_as_hu.html

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav
veracare@ahrp.org

Washing Dishes

2006-05-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

The dishwasher broke the other day - and while we are waiting for the repairman, we've been washing dishes by hand. Okay, that doesn't sound like a big deal -- but in a family of 9, there are a whole lot of dishes, all day long.

I finally found a system that works - for now, and since we're getting the machine repaired tomorrow, that's all we need - something that works for now.

The older kids already have a lot of chores, so I divided the dishes up amongst the younger kids. One of them prepares the sink, and then they take turns - each one of them washes 10 dishes (including cups and silverware), until the job is done. Generally one round is all it takes, and no child is left feeling overwhelmed. Actually, I think they are kind of having fun with it. They get the job done quickly, then pass it on to the next kid.

And it definitely beats having a sink full of dirty dishes!

2006-05-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Kids are stir-crazy today -- stuck inside due to inclement weather.

What a drag!

2006-05-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

L. Ron Hubbard

My kids visited the L. Ron Hubbard museum the other day - I continue to be amazed at everything this one man accomplished. He was an expert aviator (a barnstormer!) He was the youngest Eagle Scout - I think he was just 14 when he attained that status. He was a prolific writer, beginning with adventure stories in the old pulps, and writing westerns and science fiction as well. L. Ron Hubbard served in the Navy, he was licensed to captain any vessel in any ocean. And he developed Dianetics and Scientology as well.

You can read about L. Ron Hubbard - Adventurer. There is an entire magazine devoted to Hubbard's adventures.

Also, if you want to visit L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition, you can take a look at what Yahoo travel has to say about it. And My Travel Guide also has some info about L. Ron Hubbard's Life Exhibition on their pages as well.

2006-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

The kids want a swimming pool - or a splash-around-in-and-get-all-wet 3 ft or 4 ft above ground pool, rather...

They are definitely a pain in the neck to mom and dad - lots of cleaning and when we have one, the kids can't play in the backyard unless we're there every moment (even though they are older now, I still worry...)

It's great for keeping cool in the summer, though, and the exercise is wonderful. And they have so much fun!

I think we're going to do it this year despite the extra work.

2006-05-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

The kids have been biking almost every day. It's great exercise for them. Even the little ones are getting better - a month ago they didn't know how to ride.

I am thinking about getting a recumbent bike for myself - since I think a regular bike would be too hard on my back. But we have a great bike path near our house, and could spend many fun days enjoying it as a family if I could ride with them!

2006-05-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

My kids found these great public service announcements. They are about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - here's one:

Freedom of Expression

2006-04-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

The baby is pulling himself up now and standing on his own - just barely holding on to a piece of furniture or handy leg.

He's so cute! He wobbles, but he stands there. The other day he stood, turned, and took 2 steps - before falling, of course! But I think he really thought he was going to end up where he was headed!

He's just so determined. It's wonderful to watch.

2006-04-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Two of the younger boys were watching a tv show with funny animals. "America's Funniest Animals" or something like that. My 6 year old son said, "Mom, I was watching this great show. It's America's Funniest Animals. They're also Endangered Animals. There was this dog - he was stuck in a birdcage. He was endangered!"

I don't care who you are -- that's funny, right there!

2006-04-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time to baby-proof the house again. Our youngest is 6 months old - and moving around on his own. I wasn't expecting this quite so soon, but I'm not surprised, ether - he's been physically strong and determined to go where he wants to go for a while now!

Here is a good link I found for baby-proofing tips:

Baby-proofing.

I also try to keep the amount of household toxins to a bare minimum! Especially when dealing with stuff like carpet cleaning solution. I saw Kelly Preson discussing toxic carpet cleaning solution, and how that may have been the cause of her son's bout with Kawasaki Syndrome, a horrible disease that children can get.

So, we have hardwood floors here, and we try to keep really toxic cleaning solutions to a minimum, opting for more natural stuff whenever we can.

2006-04-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, spring is in full-bloom. It's amazing how quickly everything turned green. The whole neighborhood is just full of color. Besides the bright green leaves of the trees, we've got these gorgous red, pink, and orange blooms in front of our house and about half the houses in the neighborhood. Tulips just everywhere.

The kids find wild garlic everywhere - they pick it, we put it in our salad.

We're off for another walk to the park today. What a glorious time of year!

2006-04-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that although the drums are in use about 10 hours a day, the sound is, by some miracle, not irritating to me. I can hear it throughout the house - I can feel the vibrations when I'm sitting and nursing the baby - but, thank goodness, the sound is by some strange fluke, not a problem for me.

Which is good. Because I am pretty tired of hearing "Clementine" on the keyboards. Some rat-a-tat-tat from the drumset is a welcome change! :)

2006-04-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

My husband told my teenaged son he would buy him a drumset this weekend.

A drumset.

I'm thinking "What's wrong with a flute?"

2006-04-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

I spoke with a friend the other day who volunteered in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It's amazing -- so many months have passed, and many people are still not settled, their lives are not yet back to normal. What a huge disaster that was - yet so minor in scale compared to the tsunami earlier last year.

Here are some interesting articles I found on the subject:

Hurricane Recovery - information on finding missing loved ones, shelter, ways to donate and volunteer.

JoJo and Abbas Zawawi - with an article about JoJo's mother, also a volunteer minister.

Volunteer Minister Blog - not just about the hurricanes, but about other work of volunteer ministers.

Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief - Volunteer Ministers in the wake of Katrina

2006-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

They had their baby! Yay! Her name is Suri, and she weighed in at 7 lbs, 7 oz - a perfectly nice size for a new little one!

If you are wondering about Silent Birth as practiced by Scientologists take a look at the links.

Tom Cruise - Scientology.

2006-04-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

I am so sad. US troops fired on a family in Afghanistan - wounding a woman who had just given birth hours earlier - and her brand new baby.

US troops injure infant.

I am just so saddened by this story.

2006-04-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

How many people does it take to nap a baby?

Today it was 4. Me, one sister, and two brothers... the little munchkin is alternately squealing with excitement, happy and interested, laughing and playing, then whining with fatigue...

He's teething - that doesn't help. And he's just one of those kids who is just excited about EVERYTHING. Every toy, every sibling, everything that moves, everything that doesn't move.

When he visited his grandmother and aunt recently, they kept commenting on how active and INTERESTED he is. And he is! Everything is amazing and wonderful to him.

What a joy babies are! Even when they're teething...

2006-04-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise and Scientology Silent Birth

Tom Cruise has been an advocate for children's rights for many years.

Now that he is expecting a baby with Katie Holmes, he has been communicating a lot about Scientology silent birth. This attention to the importance of maintaining a calm, peaceful environment during birth, is just another example of his care for children and future generations.

To read more about how Scientologists approach childbirth, check out this new website:

Silent Birth.

2006-04-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

I came across a hilarious project. It's a reshelving project. Basically, you go into your local bookstore, find the copies of "1984", remove them from the shelf (in fiction) and put up a note in their places, stating "these books have been re-shelved to the CURRENT EVENTS section" and then move the books accordingly. You can print out the note, plus bookmarks to stick in each book, stating that they have been moved.

I think it's hilarious.

Ministry of Reshelving.

Besides reshelving "1984" I'm all for getting Blockbuster to move some of their videos. Seriously -- I was looking through the COMEDY section one day and found SOUND OF MUSIC. I couldn't believe it. I asked the guy - he looked it up in the system and said, "Yep! That's where it goes!"

I'm wondering -- what part of escaping the Nazi's is supposed to be comedic? My head is STILL spinning on that one!!

2006-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

We have had to reorganize our budget recently. With the addition of the baby, our expenses have gone up a little bit. Plus, I now have a lady who comes a couple times a week to help out so I can get some other work done that requires more concentration than I can muster with 7 children around clamoring for my attention! (For instance, when I'm paying the bills...)

Those few hours a week have been a great help to me! But we have had to really work it into our budget. We have done some debt consolidation but we really needed to evaluate our whole budget and expenses.

One thing I've done is really limit the number of shopping trips I take. For instance, instead of going to the grocery store twice a week and Costco every week, we take two trips to Costco per month - and then we have just one small trip to the grocery store every week, and pick up milk during the week as needed. (That's the one thing we ALWAYS run out of!)

Making a big pot of brown rice a few times a week also helps - it is so much healthier than bread, and so much cheaper, too. It goes great with just about everything. So it's a good "filler" food to add to our meals. Plus, I don't really like to give the kids too much wheat - so it's a much better choice all the way around.

When the kids have done extra work, instead of paying them, we let them pick out a movie at Blockbuster (we have a monthly thing where we get unlimited movies.)

I think it is really important for large families to really look at where the money is going - and better ways it could be used. Large families really need to focus on efficiency with everything, including time, space, AND money. One good place for info on this kind of thing is: Basics of Organizing which has helped me a lot.

2006-04-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

I am so glad the weather is improving. We've been going to the park almost every day - the kids have made friends with our new neighbors. We are getting to know our neighborhood much better.

I got so tired of being cooped up!

The trees here are budding, in the most beautiful colors. And lots of daffodils everywhere. The kids have found what they call "yard onions" which are really baby garlics sprouting up everywhere. I had them dig some up yesterday to spice our dinner. That was fun!

I love springtime!

2006-04-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

My baby is doing so great! He is almost crawling now - just 5 1/2 months old! He tries to speak, but we have no idea what he's saying yet. We were recently visiting relatives and their dog kept trying to lick his face - then whenever he saw the dog after that, he would stick out his tongue - it was so cute!

He is such a happy, bubbly little guy. His older siblings are in love with him as much now as he was the day he was born - it's so cool!

2006-04-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Silent Birth

Katie Holmes

I found a great site about Tom Cruise - you can read about Tom and Katie's baby and their birthing plans there.

Scientology Silent Birth

The subject of Scientology birthing methods is near and dear to my heart since I have practiced Scientology silent birth for my own babies.

2006-04-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have been following the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes pregnancy story pretty closely. I just love everything there is to do with babies! Katie must be so excited, expecting her first baby! There just isn't anything better than holding your baby for the first time. They are all so precious!

I can't wait to see their little one after she is born!

2006-03-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about the guy who set a tent up on the roof of his house in order to protest his wife having the 2 month old baby in their bed?

I think the guy is a bit off his rocker, personally. She JUST had a baby, and he's publicly humiliating her like this.

I think babies need tons of affection. Babies who sleep with their mommies are less likely to die of SIDS. Most of the world practices mother-baby co-sleeping, it's really just some western countries where it's not universally done. (It's still VERY common, as most families in the US practices some form of co-sleeping when the babies are young.)

Interesting how much controversy this one man could create. I hope he figures out he should get down off the roof and help his wife with those little babies, too!

2006-03-27T18:04:00.001-08:00

My husband just gave me a cd by one of my favorite bands. It's They Might Be Giants - http://www.tmbg.com - they are so awesome. My kids love them. Their songs are really right up a kids' alley. For instance, they have a song "No" that goes something like this:

"No means no.
A thousand times no.
No, no, no, no
no no no"

It's about - well, NO.

Or the song about time:

"you're older than you've ever been
and now you're getting older
and now you're getting older
and now you're getting older

You're older than you've ever been
and now you're getting older
and now you're older still."

These guys are just hilarious. And they're going on tour. YIPPEE!!!

2006-03-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

If you live in Los Angeles and you are looking for a professional videographer I really recommend Helene Kress.

She does weddings, barmitzvah's, sweet 16's, etc. Very aesthetic and pleasing work!

2006-03-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

Our littlest baby is now 4 months old. Hard to believe how quickly they grow up!!

During his birth we practiced Scientology silent birth which isn't as weird as the media has portrayed it. It just means that the doctors and nurses keep the chitchat down to an absolute minimum while the mother and/or baby are in pain.

Most Scientologists in the US give birth in the hospital or a birth center, and our older children were born in hospitals, following the principles of Scientology silent birth. Our youngest baby was born at home in a planned homebirth. It was a great experience for the entire family!

You can read his about Scientology silent birth

2006-03-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

Public awareness is growing about human rights in so many areas. From sweatshops using child labor, to human trafficking. It's no surprise that more minor - but much more widespread - abuse is grabbing national attention in the United States.

The right to use the restroom when needed - something any adult would expect for himself - is finally considered to be a right children should have.

I remember clearly, one day in 7th grade, when a girl asked to use the restroom. This was a very polite girl. She was a good student, never caused anyone any trouble. The teacher humiliated her in front of class, yelling "NO!" and telling her that if she REALLY needed to go, she had to bring a doctor's note from home!!

Nearly 30 years later, I still remember that teacher. He disgusts me every bit as much now as he did then.

I didn't complain to my mother - it's amazing what abuse children will take, without even thinking to tell their parents. If your child goes to school, don't expect him to tell you about something like this. You have to ask!

Confronting the issue of teachers who deny toilet use

Children have rights in school

2006-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

February is a good month to really look at how your marriage can be improved. I find I tend to think more about my marriage as Valentine's Day approaches. Just "existing" as a couple isn't enough. I think a husband and wife really ought to approach marriage as a team, and constantly "create" their marriage.

It can get rough, sometimes, too, and the rough spots are more easily gotten past when the husbands and wives really feel that there is something strong there worth keeping together.

If you are in the Los Angeles (Glendale, Pasadena, Eagle Rock, etc.) area, a good resource is: how to find a marriage counselor.

More ideas to come...

2006-01-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

Birthing

I have had 7 children, and birthing, to me, is one of the most powerful, amazing, life-affirming experience. It is hard to describe the power of birth to anyone who hasn't experienced it as a mother, father, or birth attendant. Those of you who have witnessed a birth, or given birth, will understand what I'm trying to say, though.

I have had one birth that was virtually pain-free - naturally. This was my 6th baby. I had contractions - easy, smooth ones - for a dozen hours. Then I went into labor and went from 4 cm dilation to his birth in just 3 contractions. I didn't even push! My body just did what it was supposed to do, and it was soooo easy.

Other babies have been harder. My last baby - #7 - born this past October, was surprisingly difficult to push out. He was larger than the rest, and had a very big, round head at birth. I moaned, groaned, cried, and even screamed at one point.

His was the only home birth I had (the other 6 were in the hospital.) I don't usually use pain killers for birth anyway, so that wasn't why this birth was more difficult. But besides the additional physical pain of birthing him, the BONDING with this baby was an incredible experience. I believe it's because he was born at home.

The other children were there - 3 witnessed his birth, 3 came to the room within 5 minutes of his birth. My oldest daughter (13 yo), was a labor coach. She was amazing and held in there with me for 30 hours of labor. The baby's first examination was done while he was held in his older brother's arms.

I think some of the incredible bonding was due to being at home - in our own environment - not being disturbed by various nurses, doctors, photographers, etc. It was just us, our midwife, and childbirth assistant, and THEY were careful to not be too intrusive upon our privacy.

This birthing experience was so phenomenal. If you have thought about having a home birth, and you are low-risk, I can't recommend it enough.

baby pictures and birth story

2006-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am thinking about unsubscribing from the Libertarian newsletter that I get every now and then. Not that I don't find it interesting - but it's driving me crazy to read about such assinine things that are going on in our country.

Manassas, Virginia, for instance, has now made it ILLEGAL for people to live with extended family members. That's right. Manassas residents are allowed to only live with one person from their extended family. You can live with your spouse and kids - and ONE aunt. Or ONE uncle.

The government officials are now questioning residents about who lives in their household and what their relationships are. It's utterly ridiculous.

As a stay-at-home mother, there have been plenty of times that I'd cursed our system of living with just our nuclear families. When I've given birth and had several toddlers at home to take care of - while my husband is off at work all day - I have bemoaned our current system which is, in my opinion, very cruel to women. I could have used a sister's help. Or a mother's help. Or an aunt's.

When I am not recovering from childbirth myself, I am perfectly capable of helping another mother who is - or an elderly relative, or someone who is sick.

In kinder cultures, families help one another a great deal more than we do in the United States. We shunt our disabled and elderly off to nursing homes. Stay-at-home mothers miss adult interaction quite often. It's not the most ideal living situation.

Now Manassas has dictated that people must live like this, or get out.

I understand that the reasoning behind it is racism, pure and simple - get the hispanics, who are more likely to live with extended family, out of town. And that is pretty sickening in itself. But this new law also punishes stay-at-home mothers. It punishes people who choose to care for their elderly or sick relatives at home. It punishes people who "think outside the box" and who choose to live a little differently than "white America" tends to think everyone ought to live.

I don't live with extended family members myself - but I am still very glad I don't live in Manassas. It sounds entirely too white bread for me!!

2005-12-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

Santa brought an easel for my son, for Christmas. He's been experimenting with oils, acrylics, and watercolors since then. My mother is a wonderful artist, but I am not, and I have no experience with paints at all. So I had to do some research in order to give my son some basic understanding of things like - how to clean his brushes, how to remove paint stains from the floor in case of a spill, what type of paper to use, etc.

Here are some great art sites I found:

Scientology Training and the Arts

Artists for a Better World

Learn to Draw Caricatures

A Standard for the Use of Aesthetics

Celebrating the Role of the Artist in Society

2005-12-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

My kids love to create things, which is, I suppose, something all kids do.

My son showed me a great site about how to draw caricatures.

We also picked up some caricature drawing and cartooning books so they could learn more on the subject.

2005-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

I just love this season. The other night we were at the store, and it was very late - very quiet. The snow was coming down gently but thick. And I was waiting for my husband to pull the car up to the store entrance, and a man was walking towards me from the parking lot. His boots were making this squish-squish-squish noise as he walked. Because the of the snowfall blanketing all other sounds, it created this awesome effect. Total silence except for this fellow's boots as he walked.

Living in a big city, and in a house full of active children, that's actually an odd sort of thing. It made me think of this song:

Still, Still, Still

2005-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Alice Pero

Alice Pero is a really wonderful poet. I have had the pleasure of meeting her, and she's just a really great lady.

You can read some of Alice Pero's poems here:

Alice Pero

Alice Pero, A Poem to Eat

This is a great collection of poems by Alice Pero, and others:
Alice Pero, Page 42

Mindfire Poetry has two of Alice's poems:

Alice Pero's Counting and Dancing

and

Held Love

Poetic Voices - Alice Pero's poem Employment

2005-12-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs:

Carol of the Bells

2005-12-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

A frightening new trend in public schools is the TeenScreen program.

This is, believe it or not, a computer program - provided by a private company that makes oodles of money from it - that actually DIAGNOSES CHILDREN FOR MENTAL ILLNESS.

That's right. Psychiatrists aren't even pretending mental illness is a medical condition anymore, apparently. A computer can evaluate and diagnose your child, based on a simple questionnaire.

If you have kids in public school, you need to be aware that this program in some places operates with "passive consent" - meaning, they will send home a note, and if your child forgets to give it to you, your consent will be implied.

You MUST read up on this if you have school-aged children. One family is suing TeenScreen, after their perfectly normal daughter was told she was mentally ill. She had clicked "yes" on a couple of the questions, so after she took this little computer test she was taken into the hallway and told she was mentally ill.

Pretty crazy stuff.

2005-11-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful!

We spent the day with family. Because it was such a big group, the "grown-ups" ate in the dining room, and the kids ate in the kitchen. It was actually nice! I haven't had much time with "just adults" since the baby was born (actually, none!) so this was a nice treat for me. Of course, I had the baby on my lap throughout dinner, but otherwise, it was just us adults.

The kids were great. They LOVE their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. So they were happy and on their best behavior anyway. They made great little gift bags to use when giving away presents at Christmas, so they had something fun and quiet and creative to do while we were there.

2005-11-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

My kids collected donations of canned food during trick-or-treating, for "Halloween for Hunger", a campaign by Free the Children, an organization created by humanitarian Craig Kielsberger.

I think it's really important to teach children the value of helping others.

youth volunteerism.

2005-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.organicconsumers.org/epa6.cfm

ALERT: EPA PROPOSES CHEMICAL AND PESTICIDE TESTING ON ORPHANS & MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Public comments are now being accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its newly proposed federal regulation regarding the testing of chemicals and pesticides on human subjects. Earlier this year, Congress had mandated the EPA create a rule that permanently bans chemical testing on pregnant women and children, but the EPA's newly proposed rule puts industry profits ahead of children's welfare. The rule allows for government and industry scientists to treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments in the following situations:

Children who "cannot be reasonably consulted," such as those that are mentally handicapped or orphaned newborns may be tested on. With permission from the institution or guardian in charge of the individual, the child may be exposed to chemicals for the sake of research.

Parental consent forms are not necessary for testing on children who have been neglected or abused.

Chemical studies on any children outside of the U.S. are acceptable.
Learn more and take action now: STOP Chemical testing on children

2005-11-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

I am taking a course to become a Scientology Volunteer Minister. It's a great course! It's composed of 23 (I think) chapters, and each chapter contains information about helping people with a particular problem in life. For instance, one of the sections is about handling drug problems. One is basics of communication. One is helpin gpeople with marriage problems. One is handling children, one is about ethics. It's a great course!

Once I've finished it I will be able to help people in all sorts of situations. I am particularly interested in helping families and children.

My son is also taking this course. He was in Baton Rouge, helping at the Port Allen Community Center shelter, and at the Volunteer Minister headquarters down there. He really enjoyed helping people using this technology, too!