so much talent, so little time...

Gotta brag! My husband is SO incredibly talented. His singing voice is off the chain. He is asked to sing often by local groups. Check this out from last weekend:
https://youtu.be/LGzWeONU1HA

He is so capable... yet, making it professionally seems out of grasp. I don't know how some manage to leave their jobs and kids and go audition for the voice or AGT or whatever... Who are you people and who supplies your living expenses?! I don't begrudge them doing it. I just don't know how NORMAL people can swing it...  Like everything else in today's society, you are punished for being a poor working family man. Anyway, rant over. Everybody check out his YouTube page.

The Sounding Off of an Unsound Mind: Happy holidays from my nerd family to you!

The Sounding Off of an Unsound Mind: Happy holidays from my nerd family to you!: I'm so proud of my son. Today I will share with you his first film project. It was 166 clips filmed in less than 5 hours and edited the ...

Happy holidays from my nerd family to you!

I'm so proud of my son. Today I will share with you his first film project. It was 166 clips filmed in less than 5 hours and edited the next day. It wasn't supposed to be professional, just fun. Give us a like and share to encourage a young filmmaker. I hope you enjoy. https://youtu.be/yjyF3uk5sbU

The Dos and Don'ts of Befriending a Struggling Homeschool Mom

With every cloud and its silver lining, there also lies a shadowy underside. With good, there is an evil. With light there is a darkness. With sunshine, there are sunburns... and with homeschooling, there is depression. You might be one of the lucky ones who is all sunshine and rainbows.

 One of those moms or dads who is selfless and all giving and secretly make me want to aquire homeschool bulimia.  I realize this is a selfish post. I'm not like you. This post isn't FOR you. Move along.

I'm talking about the rest of us. We want to give everything to our kids. Clearly...otherwise we wouldn't have stopped our lives dead in its tracks to educate our children.

Those of us who sometimes wake up and have guilt because a part of us wishes that public school had been a success for our children. Guilt because sometimes we don't want to get up and devote the 475th day in a row to understanding a math concept that we got in 5 minutes flat...the first time we heard it in 4th grade.

I'm speaking to those who genuinely wish that their only goal in life was to devote 110% to your children, but instead you sometimes find yourself resenting your BFF whose kids get shuffled out the door every morning for school....giving her time to hit the gym and is currently pursuing both a hobby AND a career. To THOSE people who wrestle with the desire to pursue their own interests: the struggle is real. I feel ya.

Like many of you, my career went radio silent the day my first child was born. I brought them into the world. It is my job to provide the best possible upbringing. I don't regret it. I simply need about 8 extra hours a day.

I was always labeled as "gifted." I was voted "most likely to be a movie star" in high school. I had plans. Big ones. God had DIFFERENT ones for my life. I truly have no doubt that I'm doing the right thing, but doing the right thing has never been harder. There is a finite window of opportunity in the work force to gain a certain level of acheivement. I sometimes feel like that window is closing  faster than I can climb through it...and if I don't start making time to workout, I doubt I'll FIT through it.

I can't seem to be satisfied without some type of outside acheivement. Perhaps it was the fact that I have many moderate talents that I always expected to pursue. Maybe it was everyone's high expectations for my life, but I need personal accomplishment, BESIDES my children's academic and cultural success.

I don't have the answers to how to fix this problem.  I just suspect that there are many others that share this burden of guilt. What I do know is this: If you have a homeschool parent as a friend, please don't do these things...like...ever:

1. NEVER say, "I don't know how you homeschool...I could never do that."
We understand that is SUPPOSED to be a compliment, but all we hear is, "I care about myself, and you don't." We made a difficult decision. It may not be necessary or right for you, but don't think we don't feel the hurt of the world passing us by.

2. NEVER avoid inviting us BECAUSE of our kids. Sure, we turned you down 5 times, but we never have a sitter....and on the off chance we do, we need the break from reality.

3. NEVER talk down to them as if they are less educated...even if they are technically less educated. A lot of us stopped mid college to raise children. It too often seems irrelevant if we had a mensa IQ...supposedly a stupid (expensive) piece of paper (aka a degree) is somehow the only relevant marker of intelligence?! I once had a college history professor who couldn't pronounce the word "Iroquis." Clearly, a genius, she was not. In a world that undervalues traditional family roles, don't play into that narrative. Besides, as a homeschool parent, we literally read textbooks all day.

4. NEVER remind us all we gave up to homeschool. The old adage "No use crying over spilled milk" comes into play. We think about what we gave up all the time. It doesn't help to say, "You should've been a doctor."  We try NOT to think about it too much because it's selfish, and we made choices and want to see it through.

Here's what you CAN do:


1. DO ask them about homeschooling. It is the most difficult job in the world. It has very few short term rewards, and most of the acheivement glory goes to the child, not the parent. We all wish people would care about the things we care about, regardless of what it is. Let us know you care.








2. DO encourage them to pursue hobbies in which they excel... or learn something new with them. A hobby is an escape. Help them to explore a different way of earning accolades. One in which THEY recieve the glory.

3. Lastly, DO buy them a drink. Homeschooling is hard, y'all.

Help your friends. Not everyone has an encouraging family or, even, other homeschooling friends. They need you.
Did this strike a chord with anyone? Any advice?  If so, let me know in the comments. Until next time, be excellent to one another.

Conflicting schedules: Happy National pray for Star Wars day

Today is Star Wars Day!!! People everywhere will quote, debate, discuss, and otherwise glorify or parody one of the greatest films ever made. (I'm a Solo fan myself.) I love everything nerd, so expect me to celebrate and reciprocate all the good cheer that will be flooding your Facebook feed today.

But ...This year our impromptu Geek-a-thon coincides with another holiday.

  

Today is also the National Day of Prayer...

 For thousands of Christians, today we pray for the tense and unnerving state of affairs in this country. Let's pray for the families torn apart by political differences, the senseless violence in our streets and on our campuses, and the racial divide that has reopened like a wound having ripped its stitches. We should pray for our President because, like him or not, he is our captain at the helm. Pray for God to guide him in the right direction. Pray that God's will be done. Let's pray for our children. Freedom isnt free, and our children may be forced to buy it back and for the millions who will never get that chance. We should pray for our military, who are already willing to pay that price. Most importantly, pray for each other. The family. The friendships. The individuals. Within hearts is the place where opinions change, where minds are opened, and where happiness lives. It is the ultimate grass roots campaign. Only when love is the motivator, will we see positive results in the lives of those around us.

We all love Star Wars... but in this universe, we NEED prayer. I hope you take a little time to use the Jedi power in THIS world and pray... Oh! ....and May the 4th be with you! 

The Sounding Off of an Unsound Mind: The Biggest Logic Trainwreck in History...and How ...

The Sounding Off of an Unsound Mind: The Biggest Logic Trainwreck in History...and How ...: I was one of those "smart" kids... The ones who were called out of class once a day or week to be groomed by an advanced teacher. ...

The Biggest Logic Trainwreck in History...and How You Are in the Aftermath

I was one of those "smart" kids... The ones who were called out of class once a day or week to be groomed by an advanced teacher. The class was usually called "Gifted and Talented" or "Academic Creative Education." The class mostly focused on teaching logic and forward thinking...which I now see is probably more necessary a skill than diagramming sentences. Therefore, I found myself contemplating why they would choose these "special" kids.. (and FYI...Many kids in the class weren't that special...and many who WEREN'T in the class were incredibly bright...)..to endow with skills that should rightly be given to everyone. It doesn't take a 140 IQ to grasp logic, and now we are reaping the repercussions of generations NOT being taught to think critically.

 As a historian, you have trouble writing objectively about the present because you are too close to what's happening around you. It is only in hindsight...when the data is laid out...that one can look at the evidence and easily and accurately determine what happened. With that in mind, I'd like to expose the biggest disaster in logical thinking in modern history, understanding that I'm not blaming you for ignorance to this point, but asking you to follow me as I walk you through some irrefutable evidence. Prepare to be mortified, angry, and...then hopefully...determined.

Recently, here in Arkansas, a House Bill was introduced that would eliminate both religious AND philosophical exemptions to vaccination... following in the footsteps of California (who are on the verge of forfeiting ALL parental rights). The Representative who put forth this bill began receiving phone calls and emails...testimonies, if you will...from parents who cannot or will not vaccinate their children. After several days, this was her response:

I'd like to direct your attention to the line,"There appear to be valid arguments on both sides of the issue."

It is only the pro-vaccine community that dismiss other viewpoints.

Those on the side of vaccine skepticism have ALWAYS validated the concerns on both sides. Understand that we ALL only want what is best for our children. IF we DIDN'T have valid concerns, why would we risk our children's well being?! It DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

 After only a few days of listening, our representative began to understand.

 What ARE those valid arguments? Why do the pediatricians REFUSE to discuss the independent science surrounding vaccines? ...Perhaps it is because logic ends where coverup begins...

What if I told you that vaccines didn't stop polio, measles, and other diseases from spreading?!

DON'T STOP READING!!! 

Listen to my logic...

What about the diseases that went away without vaccines?! Those time periods coincide not with a vaccine, but with clean water, indoor plumbing, and better hygiene. Let's take a look at rates of illnesses and when the vaccines were introduced:

 Even more disturbing is the idea that...polio never actually went away...In 1955, doctors redefined the parameters for diagnosing polio, so that it would appear as though polio had been eradicated by the vaccine.

2014 saw over 53,000 "polio-like illnesses" due to vaccination in India. In case you aren't convinced the pharmaceutical industry is experimenting on children:

HEAR THIS WELL: 

I am not against the idea of vaccination! 

However, I am unwilling to ignore facts that make simple logical sense. 

Most of the world ..unfortunately... is currently at risk of being part of the collateral damage from the logical trainwreck.

Logical Trainwreck: Vaccines are perfectly safe and everyone should get them without question and on time.

Why this is wrongy wrongerson in 5 logical reasons:

1. People are NOT one size fits all. Some people are allergic to eggs, some to artificial color, some to penicillin. ALL of those things are in the inocculations your baby gets when they get vaccinated. Clearly, some people shouldn't get them on those grounds. We don't feed babies peanut butter for fear of an allergic reaction...but we inject them with this stuff?!

2. Many people have autoimmune disorders. We may or may not know which babies have them. Regardless, a baby's immune system is not fully developed. To vaccinate a baby is to inject live viruses and illnesses directly into their bloodstream. 

3. We REMOVED formaldehyde from biology classrooms everywhere when we realized it was a carcinogen (a cancer causer). Yet, we inject this substance...the one we couldn't touch or breathe in high school....into a newborn. 

4. Virtually ANY amount of mercury is considered toxic by the CDC. The legal "safe" amount of mercury is 2ppb (parts per billion) in water, according to the EPA. Can you believe how much is injected directly into your bloodstream when you get a flu shot?! Try 51,000 ppb

Also, before someone says," It isn't the same type of mercury...You are correct. Methyl mercury is what is found in fish. Ethyl mercury is what is found in a flu shot... This is what the pharmaceutical companies say:

BUT

Here is what independent experts say:

There is a definitive conflict of interest here. It's not easy to figure out who is right....but let's look at the evidence:

Still not convinced?! The science isn't settled...at all. (Despite what the CDC says)

Here are some links to quality studies showing the dangers of vaccines:

http://yournewswire.com/30-solid-scientific-studies-that-prove-vaccines-cause-autism/

...and not all doctors believe that there isn't a link... Dr. Bob Sears and Dr. Rachael from the hit show The Doctors  both advocate slowing down or avoiding vaccines completely.  Here is a list of other doctors who question vaccines.

"There is a great deal of evidence to prove that immunization of children does more harm than good." "The manufacturers of these vaccines know they are worthless but they go on selling them anyway." - Dr J Anthony Morris, PhD (Former Chief Vaccine Control Officer and Research Virologist, US FDA)

"There are unanswered questions about vaccine safety... No one should be threatened by the pursuit of this knowledge." "I think public health officials have been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational without sufficient studies of causation." - Dr Bernadine Healy, MD (Former Director, National Institute of Health and Former President, American Red Cross)

"Crib death was so infrequent in the pre-vaccination era that it was not even mentioned in the statistics, but it started to climb in the 1950s with the spread of mass vaccination." - Dr Harris L Coulter, PhD

"Vaccination is the single most prevalent and most preventable cause of infant deaths."- Dr Viera Scheibner, PhD

"The only safe vaccine is one that is never used." Dr James A Shannon, MD (Former Director, National Institutes of Health)

"We are setting up the younger generation for a potential calamity. Vaccines build up only one line of your immune system (the antibody system) but put the main immune system (cellular immunity) to sleep. You need both for fully developed immunity." - Dr Robert Rowen, MD

5. When they removed SOME (not all) of the mercury in SOME vaccines, they replaced it with aluminum. Now, if you look at the CDC website, you find out that very little is known about aluminum exposure...and it has never been properly studied as a substance to be injected into the bloodstream.  (In fact, vaccines don't even undergo the same amount of study as other pharmaceutical drugs)(There has NEVER been a double blind placebo study with a vaccine)... The government did a study on aluminum mixed with mercury, though... Spoiler: Apparently, it increases the problems exponentially...

Here's the summation and link:

"Summing up: Rigorous and replicable studies (in different animal species) have shown evidence of EtHg, and of Al toxicities. More research attention has been given to EtHg and findings have showed a solid link with neurotoxic effects in humans; however, the potential synergic effect of both toxic agents has not been properly studied. Therefore, early life exposure to both EtHg and Al deserves due consideration."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4344667/

BONUS: Can we talk for a moment about aborted fetal cells in vaccines?! If you are anti abortion, why is it okay to inject your baby with another baby? Is that the cause for sudden outburst of autoimmune disorders?

ARE YOU MAD yet? You should be... Why would people roll the dice with YOUR children?! Follow the MONEY...

Do you know that your pediatrician gets money from insurance companies for vaccinating their patients? 

That means, if YOUR child is immuno-compomised and shouldn't get vaccinated...but they are that hinge patient between 62-63%... the doctor has 40,000 conflicts of interest. 

So... Let's break it down. Here is what we know:

1. Not every kid should be vaccinated.

2. Not every kid should follow the same schedule.

 3. There are very real side effects that come with vaccines that your doctor will/ has...at best ...glossed over. Why is that? Out of the 6500ish pages your doctor reads in medical school, about 20 are on vaccines...and most of that is how to administer them on schedule and argue with parents who don't comply. Unless they went and researched on their own time, your doctor knows very little about vaccines. 

4. Vaccines  can and DO cause autism.... and an array of other issues. From eczema to diabetes to autoimmune disorders...the VICP (vaccine injury compensation program) pays out millions in tax dollars every year to families who have been damaged by vaccines. Why doesn't the pharmaceutical company have to pay for it? Watch this cool video by Rob Schneider: 

https://youtu.be/ueKVez4W54g

5. The science isn't settled. The doctors who stand up against mandatory vaccines face everything from criticism to the loss of their medical license. They gain very little. They have no logical reason other than the protection of children to fight this battle.

6. Right now, the CDC has openly been accused of FRAUD concerning vaccine safety studies... They have a whistleblower with 10,000 hard documents PROVING scientific fraud! However, big pharmaceutical companies' payouts run deep...They own so many congressmen (and women), they can't get Congress to subpoena him. His information is what the controversial documentary Vaxxed: From Coverup to Catastrophe is all about. I urge you to see it. 

Since then, a GROUP of scientists have come forward with this letter: 

Carmen S. Villar, MSW Chief of Staff Office of the Director MS D­14 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, Georgia 30329­4027

August 29, 2016

Dear Ms. Villar:

We are a group of scientists at CDC that are very concerned about the current state of ethics at our agency.  It appears that our mission is being influenced and shaped by outside parties and rogue interests. It seems that our mission and Congressional intent for our agency is being circumvented by some of our leaders. What concerns us most, is that it is becoming the norm and not the rare exception. Some senior management officials at CDC are clearly aware and even condone these behaviors. Others see it and turn the other way. Some staff are intimidated and pressed to do things they know are not right. We have representatives from across the agency that witness this unacceptable behavior. It occurs at all levels and in all of our respective units.  These questionable and unethical practices threaten to undermine our credibility and reputation as a trusted leader in public health. We would like to see high ethical standards and thoughtful, responsible management restored at CDC. We are asking that you do your part to help clean up this house! It is puzzling to read about transgressions in national media outlets like USA Today, The Huffington Post and The Hill. It is equally puzzling that nothing has changed here at CDC as a result.  It’s business as usual. The litany of issues detailed over the summer are of particular concern: Recently, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) has been implicated in a “cover up” of inaccurate screening data for the Wise Woman (WW)  Program. There was a coordinated effort by that Center to “bury” the fact that screening numbers for the WW program were misrepresented in documents sent to Congress; screening numbers for 2014 and 2015 did not meet expectations despite a multi­million dollar investment; and definitions were changed and data “cooked” to make the results look better than they were.  Data were clearly manipulated in irregular ways. An “internal review” that involved staff across CDC occurred and its findings were essentially suppressed so media and/or Congressional staff would not become aware of the problems. Now that both the media and Congresswoman DeLauro are aware of these issues, CDC staff have gone out of their way to delay FOIAs and obstruct any inquiry. Shouldn’t NCCDPHP come clean and stop playing games?  Would the ethical thing be to answer the questions fully and honestly. The public should know the true results of what they paid for, shouldn’t they? 1 Another troubling issue at the NCCDPHP are the adventures of Drs. Barbara Bowman and Michael Pratt (also detailed in national media outlets). Both seemed to have irregular (if not questionable) relationships with Coca­Cola and ILSI representatives. Neither of these relationships were necessary (or appropriate) to uphold our mission. Neither organization added any value to the good work and science already underway at CDC. In fact, these ties have now called into question and undermined CDC’s work. A cloud has been cast over the ethical and excellent work of scientists due to this wanton behavior. Was cultivating these relationships worth dragging CDC through the mud? Did Drs. Bowman and Pratt have permission to pursue these relationships from their supervisor Dr. Ursula Bauer? Did they seek and receive approval of these outside activities? CDC has a process by which such things should be vetted and reported in an ethics review, tracking and approval system (EPATS). Furthermore, did they disclose these conflicts of interest on their yearly OGE 450 filing. Is there an approved HHS 520, HHS 521 or “Request for Official Duty Activities Involving an Outside Organization” approved by Dr. Bauer or her Deputy Director Ms. Dana Shelton? An August 28, 2016 item in The Hill details these issues and others related to Dr. Pratt. It appears to us that something very strange is going on with Dr. Pratt. He is an active duty Commissioned Corps Officer in the USPHS, yet he was “assigned to” Emory University for a quite some time.  How and under what authority was this done? Did Emory University pay his salary under the terms of an IPA? Did he seek and receive an outside activity approval through EPATS and work at Emory on Annual Leave? Formal supervisor endorsement and approval (from Dr. Bauer or Ms. Shelton) is required whether done as an official duty or outside activity. If deemed official, did he file a “Request for Official Duty Activities Involving an Outside Organization” in EPATS?  Apparently Dr. Pratt’s position at Emory University has ended and he has accepted another position at the University of California ­ San Diego? Again, how is this possible while he is still an active duty USPHS Officer. Did he retire and leave government service? Is UCSD paying for his time via an IPA? Does he have an outside activity approval to do this?  Will this be done during duty hours? It is rumored that Dr. Pratt will occupy this position while on Annual Leave? Really? Will Dr. Pratt be spending time in Atlanta when not on Annual Leave?  Will he make an appearance at NCCDPHP (where he hasn’t been seen for months).  Most staff do not enjoy such unique positions supported and approved by a Center Director (Dr. Bauer). Dr. Pratt has scored a sweet deal (not available to most other scientists at CDC).  Concerns about these two positions and others were recently described in The Huffington Post and The Hill. His behavior and that of management surrounding this is very troubling. Finally, most of the scientists at CDC operate with the utmost integrity and ethics. However, this “climate of disregard” puts many of us in difficult positions. We are often directed to do things we know are not right.  For example, Congress has made it very clear that domestic funding for NCCDPHP (and other CIOs) should be used for domestic work and that the bulk of NCCDPHP funding should be allocated to program (not research). If this is the case, why then is NCCDPHP taking domestic staff resources away from domestic priorities to work on global health issues?  Why in FY17 is NCCDPHP diverting money away from program priorities that 2 directly benefit the public to support an expensive research FOA that may not yield anything that benefits the public?  These actions do not serve the public well. Why is nothing being done to address these problems?  Why has the CDC OD turned a blind eye to these things. The lack of respect for science and scientists that support CDC’s legacy is astonishing. Please do the right thing. Please be an agent of change.

Respectfully,

CDC Spider (CDC Scientists Preserving Integrity, Diligence and Ethics in Research)

Cc: CDC Ethics Office

This is quickly coming to a crossroads. Where do you want to be? Would you rather put YOUR kids at risk, or are you willing to fight for their rights both now and in the future. They are being used as guinea pigs in an Earth sized laboratory. It's time to stand up. As Del Bigtree, producer of VaxXed would say," It's time to BE BRAVE."

Want to know how to get involved?! Contact me!