This is an unhosted cafe. Or, possibly not.
Open all night long.
Please recommend (and unrecommend the old cafe if needed).
This is an unhosted cafe. Or, possibly not.
Open all night long.
Please recommend (and unrecommend the old cafe if needed).
The old cafe fell off the list, so it was time to open the bar. The microphone’s still on, though. Freebird?
I’m just kidding!
The bird,
the bird,
the bird is the word.
Did you have a Howard Dean diary today? I haven’t checked out the list here or on Kos yet.
Nope, it turns out a DNC guy did one (my picture’s there). I’ve got a couple ideas floating around, but I haven’t written anything.
I just saw that! I don’t remember seeing him, but you met him?
Tim? Yes. I can’t remember if my sister or Eric introduced us. I talked to him with both of them. I just had to stand up for my kossack roots over there. I came to the Dean Campaign from dKos, not the other way around.
!! That picture of me is on the 3rd most recommened diary at dKos. Now I’m really upset. Tim forgot my name & Eric called me a recent kossack. Me with a dKos userid of 352!
(fuming)
Nothing to do with this post but I love the zzz one. I think you need one surrounded by drunken fours. And maybe a morning one with little coffee cups. And one with a halo for when you’ve been very, very good. They’d be your own personal emoticons.
I’m awake again!
Too bad I’m not. I like the katie4bird a lot. BTW I opened a new cafe.
I used to have this friend who, inexplicably, taught her pre-school aged daughter to refer to the female genitals as “the bird”. And then one of the local TV stations started running a spot (station ID or local sports team or something like that) using that song, Bird, bird, bird; bird is the word. So every time it came on, which was practically every commercial break during cartoon hours, the child would collapse into a fit of giggling so severe she’d literally roll on the floor and gasp for air. It was, of course, the dirtiest thing she’d ever heard.
The child is now about 20 but I have lost touch with the family, so I do not know how expensive the therapy was.
Okay, this is a very strange but funny story. I would love to meet that girl someday and just blurt, “bird.”
Oh don’t think we didn’t abuse the opportunity. We’d be somewhere like the State Fair and the child would become cranky, so all 5 adults accompanying her would burst into the song, and she could not help but laugh. Sick, I know. But it never stopped being funny.
The bird? I think it’s much healthier for children to call their genitals the proper names: pee pee and wee wee.
I do believe the scientific names are boom-boom and hoo-hah.
Damn, I such a bad mom. Every time Andrew grabs his pee pee, I just say, “yes, dear, that’s your penis. You have the rest of you life to play with that, now let me put your diaper on.”
I get the distinct impression that if the mothers of today’s conservative bigwigs had handled that context in even remotely as healthy of a fashion as you are, then we’d have a lot fewer social & warmongering sorts of problems today.
Penis comes off as “Peanuts” 🙂
Caught myself saying the same thing to my son.
And… ahem… we’re there already. We’ve told him it’s okay to mess with it as long as you do it in private (room and bathroom) and you don’t tell us about it LOL
When he was … a little dude he got a woody in the bathtub. He wasn’t verbal at the time and he fuuuhhhreaked. Which made matters worse.
I had to call my husbadnd to ask him when the damn thing would return to flacidness LOL
Yeah… tell a little austistic boy who doesn’t speak to “don’t worry it will go down” LOL
I think he screamed for 30 mins straight and the bathroom, me, the dog, the stuff in the hall… all soaked with water.
Aww, poor little guy.
The bathtub became his favorite “private time”
Was a bitch trying to transition him to shower. And I don’t think it was the auditory overload either. LOL
Hee. See how rewarding it can be to face your fears? We can all take a lesson from the kid.
I once baby-sat a boy who was afraid to sit on the toilet because he was afraid that his “peanuts” would fall in the toilet. It was all I could do to not roar with laughter.
I say we take your answer and make it the law of the land..it’s the only damn sane response to a question like that.(then again another huge pet peeve of mine is so called baby talk to kids) When I was help raising my nephews I had pretty much same answers like that..why go to all the trouble to make up stupid words or worse yet as I’ve heard some rather ignorant even sick parents tell their kids it’s their ‘naughty parts’..oh yeah that’ll probably make the kids have some twisted ideas on parts of their anatomy and their sex lives.
Maybe we can even start a third party and adopt that as our slogan and go from there. Kids are people too, quit talking down to them.
The husband of a friend of mine did emergency room rotations in Daytona Beach. He had us rolling one time about the words that people use to refer to their genitals – grown adults. He said he heard people use terms like “cooter” and the ever vague “down there.”
Don’t know all that much about that other part but…when I was a young’un the male genitals were tallywackers…don’t ask ’cause I don’t have an answer…:{)
Peace
Well my son is a different matter…
but when Danni was little she new the names of each “thang”. One day in the shopping cart in the store she started hollering that her “baaaahbina” hurt. (she actually had to go pee) But.. I had second thoughts about her having the names.. LOL
So we decided to give her vagina a “special name” for when out in public. A super secret code name.
She came up with “my princess” which I thought and still do think is PERFECT. 🙂
That’s awesome…though I guess I’ll have to come up with another endearing name for my daughter. Now everytime I say “Hi princess” I’ll crack up.
Princess is indeed awesome.
I read this one Mommy blogger who told this story about her 5 yo son. After teaching her son the right names and the basics about reproduction, he decided to tell some very pregnant woman in a public place, “Hey lady, that baby’s gonna come out yer ‘gina!” Which made both me & my roommate laugh so hard we actually repeat it to each other whenever things get really bleak and we need a laugh.
Can’t call it Casa in this weather…dog pic for maryb’s jones
Bu girl in her sunny spot
Definitely not from today, just moved the first 4″ of snow and it’s supposed to go on all night.
Peace
I shared the Black Dog Blues and the pic of Bu with my hockey pals and one of them has a Newf. He really appreciated the song and pic. 🙂 Made his day he said.
(((((Dada & Bu)))))))
Maybe tomorrow I’ll take some of Shinobi (my black labbie)
Bu’s not a Newf…that’s the BooMan. She’s a Flat coat retriever-Aussie shep mix…looks most like an FC, and most people assume she is pure bred. Quite a wonderful companion.
Peace
Thanks for the dog picture! I had to leave for a while but I appreciate it.
Me and the Mr. spent today fighting for our son’s right to be a student.
The school district will be disciplining the spec ed teacher. The bastard should LOSE HIS JOB imho. He’s been verbally bullying my son for being disabled.
You just need to relax
You just need to grow up
Be a big boy
when are you going to start doing things for yourself?
When are you going to grow up?
I’ve had it and we got the big dogs out.
I’m sick at heart and my son is lonely and last night I got pretty down. Didn’t do anything stupid… but got hard on myself, hard on everything and I wanted to give up hope…
but in a way that would help out Liberals .. LOL I think I talked with Supersoling and BostonJoe a bit much in DC LOL
But then I remembered… I’ve fought these fights before… and we just have to thump these bastards, and step on a few dicks… I’ve stepped on bigger dicks than this prick.
But nice that the school district is “on it”. Me and the Calif Area Board (our old allies who were called again today because they’ve always had my back and were Wes’ biggest advocates) are a bit concerned that this guy has a history because this is just… odd.
IT’s not over. But at least we have eyeballs and
oh and Wes is getting a notetaker and a complete assistive technology device assesment and in the meantime he’ll be having his own Dana (alphasmart) keyboard.
I’m tired. So tired. But not going to give up.
And my hair … still looks like shit.
((((XOXOX to all))))))) had to creep in here and see ya and say what was up.
{{Janet}} — This is horrible.
This sort of behavior toward children makes me go from zero to insane faster than anything else. Those small-minded, black-hearted, bullying bastards. Grrr. If there’s anything I can do, DJ (I know, probably not) you just say the word. {{DJ & kidlet}}
I’m with Indy on this Janet….I wish to fucken hell I could DO something to help. So angry I can’t even cuss.
I am sitting here in a dense cloud of blue smoke though in my own apartment.
Thank you.
I’m going to use my creative writing talents and write out my grievances and what has transpired in this short time. They asked me to do it as it’s part of the disciplanary measures.
We feel that this guy has pissed off other parents/teachers before because they were so quick to nail him. … I’m still livid …
Wesley came to our room last night in tears and said he liked his school but that he is lonely and he was trying to be a big boy but he doesn’t know how some things happen. We again started to ask questions (not leading ones) and he said he was scared. He didnt want to go back to baby school…
After a long night
Oh… get this – yesterday was the day the teacher asked for my son’s diagnosis be re-evaluated. He didnt’ feel that Wes was autistic… he was told that wasn’t part of his job.
What is with this man??
Anyways, thanks for the ventage time. I’m okay. Wesley is okay.. just confused and lonely.
ACK I meant to come in here to unwind… breathe breathe breathe.
Janet, I am so sorry this is happening. We had our own asshole teacher experience 2 years ago, and it was hell; I can’t imagine how tough this is on you and Wes.
They should fire the asshole.
Don’t fret 🙂
Was just a hard bump. I’ve made bigger jumps and hurdles. Good to get all this shit taken care of from the get go, perhaps.
Can’t help it-these ongoing battles of your’s just twists me into knots and makes me physically ill…I have more respect for you(and your husband) than I can write here..and I would hope if I was somehow in the same situation I could get over my anger and be able to do what you continue to have to do day and day out to be an advocate for your son and to help change the screwed up system in a small way-even if it doesn’t seem like it today.
I’ve made some situations worse and drag on by not keeping a cool head.
I’ve opened my mouth and let it all spill out a few inopportune times.
My raging banshee act doesn’t help Wesley out in school so I had to get book smart (IDEA & ADA as those are Federal and they superceed any state laws) but I know ifin the same sitch you’d come out ontop too.
Because it’s not about you and I… it’s about the student. Our child. Our loved on.
Then afterwards or beforehand I fall apart. As my husabd whistles, “she’s come undoooooooooooooone”.
I also when really pissed… will excuse myself from the meeting and walk outside and cuss a hellstorm up. 🙂 Patience, calmness are not me. But if Wesley can go and work hard in school and do his best… I can go and not tell the special ed director or whomever is the target of my wrath, to go fuck themselves. LOL 🙂
I’m wondering why they didn’t “Justify” or “back him up” like so many schools would’ve done in the beginning. We wonder what kind of a history this guy has and why he doesn’t seem to have the “support” of his peers and supervisors.
Hmmmm. Maybe the school needed someone like us to push him off? I dunno. Just know we have some work ahead to settle this once and for all.
The good thing is: Word gets out not to fuck with certain kids and parents. I think that message has been sent out.
He must have done a ton of awful shit before this, because in our situation, the guy had a history of singling out children and encouraging the entire class to go after that child. Pinning bells on children so they wouldn’t get out of their seat, saying things like “You must’ve been dropped on your head when you were a baby, you’re so dumb…get the joke? Get the joke?” In previous years, the principal had been able to head parents off and keep them from going to the superintendent.
(((Cabin)))) That breaks my heart. This guy was tarred and feathered right??
Christ what a world… and the schools are having more and more money, funds taken from them by the Bush Regime and the fuckwads alike.
Let’s give 8 BILLION a month to the schools and bake cookies for a war.
The teacher was stupid enough to have provided me with a mountain of emailed and handwritten evidence of his abusive behavior, which I turned over to the attorney.
My son was transferred to another elementary school within the district (the only good solution), the offending principal resigned, and I guess the teacher will think twice about messing with next child of a single parent. Unfortunately, he was not, to my knowledge, disciplined.
Shit DJ, I just hate to hear this. Let’s go egg the bastard’s house. Guaranteed to cheer you up even if it doesn’t fix a thing.
beaing as I’m a Scorpio… it’s not the best revenge.
I think something along the lines of an old hockey commercial… where the car mechanics who root for one team put a dead fish in the interior part of the side door of an opposing team’s fan’s car. 🙂
I think placing some roadkill in his back carseats cushion would be a start.
This guy got and is continuing to be thumped.
luckily the mainstream teachers are thrilled with my son’s hardwork. WHEW!
The roadkill is a much better idea than egging. The smell would probably never come out.
Really, though, I’m glad that it’s going well with the other teachers; battling one bad teacher, especially when you’ve got support, is much more doable.
Main thing is I know you will, figuratively speaking of course, kick his butt from one end of oregon to the other.
What kind of idiot says that type of stuff?
I thought of you last night and this morning… which helped keep me calm and not doing/saying anything rash. I actually drove by the school and wanted so much to rush in… but I had to deal with this with the school distric t and the special ed dept. AKA his bosses. Which was best. But I had to really really really try and keep a cool head.
Wayne, my husband, is livid because those few sentences undermind all that Wes has worked hard to be.
Tomorrow I’ll be writing… I’ll post here a copy of what I’m sending in.
This is going to sound technical, but as a union person, I have a general idea how this will work.
Contractually, the guy has a right to due process and no matter what, his union is obliged to represent him. If he has a lot of years in, the union might try to angle a retirement out of the deal. If he pushes things, however, he can force his union to fight this to the hilt.
What you should know, is this won’t be solved over night. My husband said to keep using the IEP as your weapon. He has taught a number of autistic children and he thinks that the teacher might not have even read Wes’ IEP.
I replied to you under Kidspeaks’s post.
can work miracles in helping people with communication/verbal processing differences level their own playing fields.
Just keep doing what you are doing, the best you can to keep him away from people who have no business working with young folks. Or any folks, for that matter.
The two main things I’ve fought for were Self-Determination and ATD. I’ve met many adults of various challenges.. hell just bring up the name Stephen Hawkins… 🙂
He had a laptop at the last school and it worked wonders for his writing and reports. Even the old podunk redneck school saw it and got onboard with it.
This guy won’t be around my son for too long. Not with him unsupervised now either. We’re having face to face next Thursday with his supes and the district officials.
Today they apologized beacuase LAST week it was a safety violation. He left my son alone. Now I want him away from him.
As Christopher Walkin would say, “I’m on it” Thanks!
Hey DJ, can your son use a “regular” notebook/laptop type deal or does he need a specially adapted unit?
Just a regular laptop but with a mouse. We’re going to buy one for 9th grade… but with insurance on it as when parents provide them they tend to disappear the first week of school.
I forget how old he is. Is 9th grade right around the corner?
Yuppers – 13 in the 8th grade. You should seem him on a computer or laptop. He’s unbelievable.
When he was little – 5 or so – he went into Wayne’s work (computer substrate company – engineer dept) and he in just a few seconds bypassed the IT Security dude’s computer password and programs.
Know how?? He uninstalls it all. The IT dude was shocked 🙂
All right then. Was gonna try to set the kid up, the least I could do.
I love that he’s a little hacker. Go little dude! The resistance is totally gonna need his mad skillz, lol.
I’ll have to email you – well hell just to email you 🙂 as well as to let you know what Mr. Damnit does for a living and his company might help with that.
Or after we aren’t paying for a house and an apt… we’ll get him what he needs.
Okay gotta run – sharks hockey on and dinner needs my attention
Keep on that guy’s case. There are a few too many folks who enjoy messing with kids who need special services . . . and act on that “joy” by going into that area as their work. Even one is one too many – we had one locally who actually became head of special ed services for a brief time. He ended evaluations, was determined to close down any form of special services. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, stupider heads rolled, and this person was removed from his work, permanently.
I feel for your struggle, Janet. I’m glad there are some folks there on your side in this, it is so much harder than it should be!!
by our old buddies in Calif.
We don’t believe he has tenure. His background is a bit damning.. BMI stuff and a residential home for people with severe sexual assault records – one escaped and assaulted again.
I have to write my letter knowing that it will be read by him and his represenative. I’m okay with that. I think they are getting ready to can him or something that has nothing to do with this particular case. I’ve never seen a school so ready to discipline and we’ve been in the trenches on some issues before.
I do know that he did read the IEP because he didn’t agree with parts of it and has questioned Wes’ eligibility for a 1:1 and assistive technology device as well as a notetaker.
Even the district reps say that it’s obvious to anyone that my son is autistic. Not ADHD or “on spectrum” but high-functioning intelligence…
but as your husband might know 🙂 … never confuse intelligence with neurological stability.
I think and this is just my gut – he’s not credentialed and they are wanting to upgrade because this town is getting bigger and students with special needs are becoming more of the norm. They have to come up to speed and this guy is a bloated weight that will drown them eventually.
Not credential means some type of trouble under NCLB which mandates that by 2006 (June? September?) all teachers must be “highly qualified.” That means a major in the content area being taught and probably some state test. Only isolated rural districts have gotten any type of exemption on this.
If he doesn’t have tenure, he is at the mercy of the district. They will want to make sure that they have crossed all their t’s and dotted all their i’s. Likely, the union officials know that this guy is trouble and will just offer the minimum support that they have to. In my district (whole state?) the dismissal of an non-tenure teacher is not a contractual breach.
the Calif. Area Board on Dev. Dis. was a bit taken aback by the quick “disciplinary” measures… so they too are wondering about the need to possibly drop this guy.
My concern is that this stops and Wes’ safety is assured and that the verbal bullying stops and that by two weeks this man is no longer a part of my son’s academic picture. Untill then he is totally supervised when with my son.
If I have any specific questions may I email you and Mr. T?
Feel free to e-mail us. I teach in Michigan and my husband in Ontario, but if we have any ideas, we’ll be glad to help.
Kidspeak – oh yes. Sadly we are aware of that possibility and I think there is some “control freak” in him. Hell he stated it in a meeting with several of us there.
Full background check but … I want my kid out of his “control”.
Now it’s out in the open for all. I think they are needing a “regime” change. And I truly think they all see it, too.
And if not… well – this is my job. This transition though was made alot harder than was needed for my son.
Thanks and things will be okay, I’ll make sure of it. Whenever things work out for my son, several benefit.
Haha
Keith Olbermann just made Glenn Beck today’s Worst Person of the World. Then called out CNN directly and gave the advice; to bail on this one right away (paraphrased).
My boots are still waiting for that hook-up with yours.
I can only give you one, but it is a very nice one.
Giant potato bug invades blond hair, squirts ink.
Now I want to give you a Rorschach Test.
Blot me! 🙂
I would take one look at it and order the green curry and pud thai.
There’s a great Rorschach Test online somewhere that I took about 4 years ago..not some cheesy test but a legitimate one that was pretty fascinating…I think it took something like a half hour(maybe more). I don’t think I have that link anymore but I wasn’t too unhappy with the results.
Verrry nice and sooo sexy that their tongues are hanging out.
I like you too much to short-boot you.
When you finally get over we’ll take you for a short walk in the woods and scuff those clean beauties up — which will really enhance their sex appeal.
I wish, I wish, but my legs are still too weak to do the sort of walking that scuffs my boots, hence their pristine condition. Can we train your dogs to pull me in a sled? 😉
We have a nice flat trail that goes from the house that I’m figuring you can take a little walk on; no more strenuous that walk the aisles at the grocery. But since the greenbriers are everywhere, even a short walk results in not-pristine boots 🙂
It’s a date.
would be barefoot, blue nailpolish of course, in the sand by the ocean. That’s my “hiking” area 🙂 The dunes, the waves, the sand.
I so can not wait to go see the ocean here. I’ve missed the water.
Okay… so no posting pointy-toed Italian Nina black suede cross the foot girly shoes that I adore?? 🙂
I’m a high arched gal. Either barefoot or high heels.
Have you been down to the nice strip park they have in downtown Portland along the Wilamette? No waves but a chunk of the path is basically sand. And in the spring, you get to watch the dragon boat races.
Not yet.I’ll check it out. Strip?? 🙂
Got the Mr. the definitive book on kayaking in Oregon and another one about fly fishing (catch and release) so he’s stoked and ready to hit the water… as well as the his wind surfing boards to the Gorge.
Okay I gotta run.
Tell Chocolate Ink to have fun tonight, get some red wine, a good flick and fall asleep giggling. I am.! 🙂 XOXOXXO
Must be hard to walk with one of your legs twisted around backwards like that.
😛
Even harder considering there aren’t even any legs.
I read that as hooker boots and was thinking they sure didn’t look like Julie Roberts boots in Pretty Woman-which isn’t to say I don’t think yours don’t have a well seasoned sexy appeal.
Come Hike Me, boots 🙂
I’m off to bed. Everyone have a lovely evening.
To you, Mr. T and Andrew! 🙂
Not tired yet? Come over to the FBC Diner