September 2008 Archives

Do you remember my homemade laundry powder? I didn't like storing it in the cracker tin very much, so I've moved it to this old jar.

Originally, this jar held biscotti from Sam's Club. It was someone's gift to my In-laws one Christmas. When it was empty, they passed the jar along to me. That was many years ago. I promptly did my first stencil work - in the form of a yellow rose - on the wooden lid  . For years, the jar held seashells - first, inside the house and, later, on the front porch.

One day recently I was looking around the house for a better laundry powder container and rediscovered this jar. With a good washing, it was ready for its new home atop my dryer. The scoop inside was from an empty Oxy Clean container.

Though the jar is glass, it is heavy and not moved around, so I am not worried that it will break.

Now, I have an eye-pleasing laundry aid which cost me nothing and makes me smile every time I put a load of clothes to wash.

Reading this along with S; it's his literature selection right now. A slim, yet very deep book. Not just for little kids. Links for The Little Prince.

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Along with D for her literature, I'm reading The Epic of Gilgamesh at my Wiki. I wanted an online version I could edit for a twelvethirteen-year-old to read, but Susan Wise Bauer, in The Well-Educated Mind, recommends this one:

Here are some Gilgamesh links.

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On my own, I'm reading the third in the James Herriot series.

I had books 1, 2, and 4, but couldn't finish the series without 3. I recently got it free from PaperBackSwap and am now very happy to be back in the Yorkshire dales.

Housekeeping

• Write Christmas gift lists.
• Write Christmas card list.
• Bring boxes of winter clothes down from the attic.
• Take an inventory of which winter clothes fit.
• Make a list of needed winter clothes.
• Clean birdfeeders.
• Transfer various clipped recipes to recipe cards.
• Clean outdoor furniture on patio and porch.
• Get flu shots.
• Make plans for Thanksgiving Day.

Cooking

• Make a batch of Hot Cocoa Mix.
• Make a batch of granola.
• Buy a pinata and candy for Reformation Day.
• Plan Thanksgiving Day menu.
• Start picking up on each grocery shopping trip a few items for Thanksgiving.
• Try to make Marzipan Roses or Marzipan Pumpkins.
• Make popcorn balls or Rice Krispie Treats.
• Make Russian Tea.
• Make Apple Caramel Milkshakes.

Homeschooling

• Walk or bike ride on the local trail.
• Complete 2008 Election activities.
• Bob for apples.
• Visit Scott's Maze Adventures.
• See the Art Exhibit: To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum .
• Visit Weedon Island Preserve.
• Visit Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History.

Crafts

• Make a batch of Pumpkin Pie Playdough.
• Crochet a pumpkin.
• Sew a pumpkin.
• Make a clay pumpkin.
• Work on any crafts on the Christmas gift lists.
• Make Glow in the Dark Chalk.
• Make shrunken apple head dolls.
• Make Pom pom Pumpkins.

Faith

• Therese of Lisieux - 1 - Watch Therese.
• Saint Francis of Assisi - 4 - Build a birdhouse.
• Yom Kippur - 9 - Learn about the Day of Atonement. Read the Book of Jonah.
• Sukkot - 14 - Learn about The Feast of Tabernacles. Build a model or full-size sukkah.
• Ignatius of Antioch - 17 - Bake bread. "I am a kernel of wheat for Christ. I must be ground by the teeth of beasts to be found bread (of Christ) wholly pure."
• Saint Luke - 18 - Practice the Nunc Dimittis in Latin from the book of Luke.
• St. Isaac Jogues, St. John de Brébeuf and Companions - 19 - Sing the "Huron Carol".
• John of Capistrano - 23 - Take a virtual tour of San Juan Capistrano.
• Crispin and Crispian - 25 - Read "The Charge of the Light Brigade" or from Henry V.
• Saints Simon and Jude - 28 - Read the Book of Jude.
• Reformation Day - 31 - Watch a movie about Martin Luther.

Holidays

• Leif Erikson Day - 9 - Read from The Saga of Eric the Red.
• Columbus Day - 13 - Watch a biography.
• Trafalgar Day - 21 - Tour the HMS Victory, also here. Signal flags. JMW Turner's painting. Nelson's prayer.

Don't wear an American flag t-shirt to high school in Dos Palos, California; it could be a dress code violation. You might have to wear a "bright yellow T-shirt that read 'DCV: Dress Code Violator'" for the rest of the day. Poor S would not do well in such a situation. Most of his shirts are camouflage or have American flags. Plus, he'd never put on a tacky replacement shirt. He'd have a lawyer on speed dial on a cami-skinned cell phone. Chalk this up as another reason I homeschool; I don't want insane and/or asinine people in authority over my children.

Obama is scheduled to visit a nearby town. I'd like to go and bring a sign:

"Aren't you glad your teenage mom didn't feel 'burdened by a baby' ?"

A seventeen-year-old girl gets pregnant by a married (with children) man and keeps her baby.

Obama should thank God every day that his mother didn't "unburden" herself. Yet, he has no mercy for other babies, even those born alive during abortions. Such a lack of empathy, I cannot fathom.

A baby is never a mistake. Perhaps a mistake or sin was made in the timing of the baby's conception, but no baby is a burden.

From The Common Room:

Copy the list to your blog and then bold the items you've eaten, cross out the things you'd never try, italicize things you've cooked yourself:

The VGT Omnivore's Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salt Lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Crackle, bang, boom!

Red, white, blue

Exploding in the sky.

Gunshots firing,

All men shouting,

Happy 4th of July!

D doesn't hate poetry. She loves to read it, to listen to it read to her, but don't ask her to discuss a poem. And if you're fool enough to ask her to write a poem, you'll come up against a tempest of rage and/or tears. For the past year, however, D and I have been slowly making our way through a poetry guide book, The Roar on the Other Side. At first, it was rough work, but D has gotten friendlier with the book and can now complete a poetry assignment with little or no pain. The book is by a Christian and that Christian worldview is a pleasant change from the poetry books I usually find these days. We are still only half done with Roar, but I highly recommend it.

The poem above was part of D's assignment this week. She completed it in a few minutes and neither tears nor foul tempers were required.

by Billy Collins

Prologue

Epic of Gilgamesh - heroic epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia, found on clay tablets from the library of Ashurbanipal (7th Century B.C.)

Gilgamesh - fifth king of Uruk after the Flood; means "Gilga the hero"

Uruk - north of Ur

"He who saw everything in the broad-boned earth, and knew what was to be known

Who had experienced what there was, and had become familiar with all things

He, to whom wisdom clung like cloak, and who dwelt together with Existence in Harmony

He knew the secret of things and laid them bare."

"He was two-thirds god, one third man," - How can this be???

"Eleven cubits high he is, nine spans his chest" - Mesopotamian cubit=20.999958 inches; Sumerian cubit=20.4 inches; span=1/2 a cubit. Gilgamesh about 19 feet tall and nearly 8 feet wide.

Motif: thirds - both Gilgamesh and Uruk "One third is city; One third is orchards; One third is clay pits". Also, a motif of twinness - Gilgamesh and Uruk.

For your education (and mine):

A Chronological List of Islamic Terrorist Attacks, 1968 - 2004

Am I the only one mourning the crumbling of the greatest nation of Western Civilization prior to the modern era?

Politicians and church leaders expressed concerns that this could mark the beginnings of a "parallel legal system" based on sharia for some British Muslims.

Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: "If it is true that these tribunals are passing binding decisions in the areas of family and criminal law, I would like to know which courts are enforcing them because I would consider such action unlawful. British law is absolute and must remain so."

Douglas Murray, the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion, said: "I think it's appalling. I don't think arbitration that is done by sharia should ever be endorsed or enforced by the British state."

There are concerns that women who agree to go to tribunal courts are getting worse deals because Islamic law favours men.

Siddiqi said that in a recent inheritance dispute handled by the court in Nuneaton, the estate of a Midlands man was divided between three daughters and two sons.

The judges on the panel gave the sons twice as much as the daughters, in accordance with sharia. Had the family gone to a normal British court, the daughters would have got equal amounts.

In the six cases of domestic violence, Siddiqi said the judges ordered the husbands to take anger management classes and mentoring from community elders. There was no further punishment.

Every modern woman should be outraged that British women are being subjugated by Muslim religious law. Europe, specifically Spain, fought very hard to expel Sharia from within its borders. Sharia conflicts too greatly with Judeo-Christian law, upon which Western Civilization was built.They cannot coexist and it will only be a matter of time before Brits become dhimmis. Not afraid of Sharia? You should be. Why don't you take a look at some of these recent news articles involving Sharia?

(not for children)

Nujood Ali

Atefah Sahaaleh

Girl in the blue scarf

Under Sharia:

• the age of consent for a girl is nine
• slavery is permissible
• a daughter's inheritance is half that of her brother's
• apostacy is punishable by death
• an assaulted woman must provide four witnesses or she is guilty of fornication
• a Muslim woman can only marry a Muslim man
• homosexuality is punishable by death

Whoopi Goldberg's afraid of John McCain "returning" her to slavery? She should be more afraid of England's (and Scotland's) nose dive to Sharia.

The Hyphen by John Wayne

The Hyphen, Webster's Dictionary defines,
Is a symbol used to divide a
compound word or a single word.
So it seems to me that when a man calls himself
An "Afro-American," a "Mexican-American,"
"Italian-American," An "Irish-American," "Jewish-American,"
What he's sayin' is, "I'm a divided American."

Well, we all came from other places,
Different creeds and different races,
To form a nation...to become as one,
Yet look at the harm a line has done -
A simple little line, and yet
As divisive as a line can get.
A crooked cross the Nazis flew,
And the Russian hammer and sickle too-
Time bombs in the lives of Man;
But none of these could ever fan
The fames of hatred faster than
The Hyphen.

The Russian hammer built a wall
That locks men's hearts from freedom's call.
A crooked cross flew overhead
Above twenty million tragic dead-
Among them men from this great nation,
Who died for freedom's preservation.
A hyphen is a line that's small;
It can be a bridge or be a wall.
A bridge can save you lots of time;
A wall you always have to climb.
The road to liberty lies true.
The Hyphen's use is up to you.

Used as a bridge, it can span
All the differences of Man.
Being free in mind and soul
Should be our most important goal.
If you use The Hyphen as a wall,
You'll make your life mean...and small.
An American is a special breed,
Whose people came to her in need.
They came to her that they might find
A world where they'd have peace of mind.
Where men are equal...and something more-
Stand taller than they stood before.

So you be wise in your decision,
And that little line won't cause division.
Let's join hands with one another...
For in this land, each man's your brother.
United we stand...divided we fall.
WE'RE AMERICANS...and that says it all.

I rarely mention the insanity of "The View". Truly, if I blogged all of their crazy talk, I'd never get a chance to blog anything else. Whoopi Goldberg's recent comment to John Mccain, however, requires a response.

Whoopi: Can you just, and I don't want to misinterpret what you're saying, did you say you wanted strict Constitutionalists because that, that...

McCain: No I want people who'll interpret the Constitution of the United States the way our Founding Fathers envisioned for them to do...

Whoopi: Should I be worried about being a slave, returned to slavery, because certain things happened [in] the Constitution that you had to change.

I've heard tell that Whoopi was homeschooled. However she was educated, she is a poor reflection upon her teacher. The United States Constitution never made anyone a slave.

I would expect every American to have a basic grasp of the Constitution; apparently, Whoopi does not.

It boggles my mind that people voice their opinions on national politics and (sometimes) vote, yet lack an elementary understanding of the foundation of their nation.

Even if Whoopi never learned about the Constitution in school, she could at least follow the advice of her predecessor, Rosie O'Donnell, and google it. Subsequently, Whoopi would read these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

With a bit more googling, she would find out that similar phrasing in the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 was used sucessfully in Brom and Bett vs. Ashley in 1790 to win freedom for Mum Bett, later known as Elizabeth Freeman.

She would also discover that it was the Dred Scott decision of the U. S. Supreme Court which denied all Americans freedom. Had the U.S. Supreme Court been made of strict Constitutionists in 1857, we might have been spared the death and destruction of the Civil War.

And while we're on the topic of slavery and the Civil War, the Civil War was fought to preserve the Union - not to end slavery. The South seceded because they did not want States' Rights to be infringed upon. My dear Mr. Lincoln, founder of the Republican Party, hated slavery, but loved the Union more. That is why he waited until January of 1863 to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed slaves in states not currently under Union control. It was a late in the game bid to create havoc in the Confederacy. Quite smart, he was.

A modern example of encroachment upon States' Rights is the unconstitutional Federal Department of Education. Education falls under the jurisdiction of each state, not the Federal Government.

Finally, I think if Whoopi were to do some googling, she would find that she cannot be returned to slavery. She's never been a slave, just played one.

I hope all ya'll in the Great State of Texas are doing well this morning. I hear the power's out in Houston. I hope they get that back on for ya'll soon. I also heard Chuck Norris was taking in refugees from the storm. Good man.

I hope ya'll in Louisiana have weathered the storm as well. I hear people in Louisiana still don't have power back up from Gustav. Wow.

I'm praying for all ya'll. Be safe, okay.

Forty percent of the residents of Galveston, TX are staying put. I wish more people read their history.

God have mercy on their souls.

Seven years ago, I was making breakfast and my husband called me. He never calls me so early, so I knew something was wrong when I heard the phone ring and saw the caller ID.

A plane crashed into the World Trade Center? What a terrible accident!

Then, I turned on the TV in time to witness the second plane crash.

This is no accident; this is terrorism. It's in New York, though. We're okay here.

When the plane crashed into the Pentagon, I began to worry because my town is the home of CentCom.

They're hitting military targets, too. Will they come here? Maybe they will, but will fall short of their target and hit us. Are we far enough from the base to be out of harm's way? Please protect our Airmen. 

I spent the rest of day praying and worrying - alone with my babies. They were five and three at the time and addicted to the Disney Channel. I kept that on in the family room - all day - and would sneak into my bedroom to get updates from the TV in there. I tried to protect them from the terrible images on TV. I couldn't get a hold of anyone on the phone.  I was twenty-five years old, but I felt so young and afraid.

Please bring H home soon. Soon! I don't want to be alone...

September 11 was followed by September 12 and 13, but I felt like time had stopped. Many people mourned quickly and moved on; I felt it was impossible to move forward. I even wondered whether we should celebrate D's birthday eleven days later. It seemed disrespectful to celebrate. America seemed too vulnerable to think of anything, save self-protection.

All of yesterday went by and not once did I remember those who were sacrificed by terrorists on 9/11. Every day we live our lives as though there was no September 11, 2001. When was the last time I thought of any of the dead? Shouldn't we remember them more often?

Two years ago, I participated in Project 2,996. This year, I didn't even think about that memorial project 'til now. Here is my memorial post from 2006:

I Remember Ching Ping Tung

Ching Ping Tung was at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 but he never returned home again.

Ching was one of the 2,996 people who died in the terrorist attacks that day. Unlike many of the other victims, there is very little information about Ching. Some accounts say he was 43, others say he was 44. All sources list his home as New York City. Beyond those basic facts, Ching's life is nearly unknown. Not even a photograph of Ching is available. I know, though, that he was someone's son, that his life was cut short, and that he died an unnatural death. I also know he lived in a world that no longer exists, a world where Americans go to work and travel without fear and planes don't crash into skyscrapers.

On this, the fifth anniversary of his death, I remember Ching Ping Tung. He is my husband, my son, my neighbor, my friend.  I see his reflection in the mirror. He is a part of all of us who live on. His life may be a mystery, but his death will never be forgotten.

May he rest in peace.

But his death was forgotten. By me. I'm very sorry, Ching. I broke my promise.

Am I the only one who forgets?

Do you remember?

We are studying Carolus Linnaeus and Taxonomy right now, so I made this:

This will be very helpful in learning about Carolus Linnaeus and Linnaean Taxonomy. It includes a mnemonic for memorizing the correct taxonomic order. There is also a chart which will give my military-loving children a better understanding of how taxonomy works. The small pieces will give the children a chance to practice the taxonomic order and then they can check their work against the chart.

I make many such puzzles (as we call them) for our homeschooling. This one, like the others, is printed on cardstock and covered with Contact paper. I like to keep each puzzle in one of these:

You can make your own Taxonomy puzzle with my Taxonomy.pdf.

Seriously. Some guy lives in a fantastic, modified garbage truck. Visit Apartment Therapy for lots of photos. This thing looks so good.

I want to know, though, how he got the stinky out?

Right before the new school year started, I discovered pbwiki and I am so happy with it. This free wiki is just what I needed to consolidate the information I use for school. I've been adding the online helps that I normally print out, so this wiki helps cut down on the paper I use for homeschooling. Saves money and trees. It makes it easier for the kids, too, to be able to go to one page for a topic instead of combing through my links at My Del.icio.us.

Another use for this wiki is editing information. D is going to read Gilgamesh and I've put it on the wiki and am editing out the parts that are not for children.  Also, sometimes I find great information on a site, but the site isn't for young eyes. The wiki enables me to select and use the wheat and leave the chaff behind.

An additional reason I like the wiki is that it enables me to hyperlink text. I've hyperlinked new words in Carl Sandburg's poetry and hyperlinked people, places, and events in Anne White's Titus Flamininus study guide.

Here's the link to my wiki, but be forewarned: it is a cobbled mess right now and is copied and pasted from other sites. I've tried to acknowledge where info came from, but I've had lots of stuff saved in Microsoft Word for a while. Since this is for my personal use, I only feel a little bad if I've missed an acknowledgement. I'm trying to be more careful about linking to original sites and giving appropriate credit, though.

You can get your own wiki here.

...to the male online who called my daughter "babe" and asked for her photo,

You should be very, very afraid. Of me? Oh, no, I know you're a harmless cyber-geek living in your mama's basement. Nope. You need to fear my daughter. She's not some shrinking violet. She is one hot-tempered wild woman and if you ever harass her online again, she may just jump through the internet to your mama's basement and beat the stuffing out of you. Your online character better watch his back, too, because she'd like nothing better than to blast him (or you) into oblivion.

I know. She is pretty awesome. Who do you think taught Chuck Norris?

Why aren't the Republicans selling this:

Reminds me of O. Henry's short story, The Gift of the Magi.

I must say, I hated the film, Castaway. H rather liked it and watched it several times when it came out on television, but I found the movie frustrating and inauthentic.  It's the inverse of Robinson Crusoe, in which the protagonist draws closer to God during his time marooned. Faith is noticeably absent from Castaway and I find it difficult to believe that Tom Hanks' character would survive a plane crash and years alone on an island and not become a deeply faithful man - even if he began his journey as an atheist. In my worldview, I can't imagine how a human being could spend years talking to a volleyball and not God.

It is the same in my mind as is shown in the video above: the castaway had salvation with him all along.

How's that for tragic irony?

I know I didn't say anything about the recent events in Georgia. So many did and I felt it unnecessary to chime in as well. However, I hope you are all keeping one eye on the Ukraine. This post from the Gates of Vienna blog tells why:

"The passports are issued by the Russian consulate in Sevastopol in the Crimea, in Ukraine. The country has around fifty million inhabitants of which ten million are ethnic Russians."

You get that? Russia is giving passports to ethnically Russian Ukrainian citizens. They did the same thing in Georgia. Keep watching people; a storm's a-brewing.

By the way, if you're interested in world news, especially the doings of Muslim extremists around the world, you really must read the Gates of Vienna blog. The blog's heading statement says it all:

"At the siege of Vienna in 1683 Islam seemed poised to overrun Christian Europe. We are in a new phase of a very old war."

Lovers of history will want to read more on the 1683 Seige and subsequent Battle of Vienna. Food lovers will be interested in the culinary legends surrounding the 1683 battle. Supposedly, Europe was blessed not only with victory, but also croissants, coffee, and bagels.

Today, H sent me the link to this video:

Funniest thing I've seen from Hollywood in a while.

(A poem written today by S, who chose writing his own poem as an alternative to reading a poem by Vachel Lindsay and narrating it.)

Hammers singing,

Drills whistling,

The workers digging the ground.

All around the acre,

The echo can be heard

Bouncing off the buildings.

(Can you tell that Verizon is laying cable on my street today?)

Did ya'll watch the RNC last night? I was twittering/tweeting it. It was a great night - for Republicans. Here's a bit of fun for everyone - even ya'll Democrats. I promise you'll like this:

Online books:

Handbook of Nature Study (pages 320-441)

The Life-Story of Insects

An Elementary Study of Insects

Our Common Insects

The Insect Folk

Websites:

BugGuide

What's That Bug?

Florida 4-H Bugclub

eNature: Insect Fieldguide

Watching the RNC online with D. I used the Live Stream from FoxNews - no pesky, noisy reporters and "experts".

D really liked Fred Thompson's speech - and so did I. Here's the video, compliments of C-SPAN. I found it by clicking on the ad on my sidebar (hint, hint).

Anyone else watching the RNC?

H and I were hanging blinds and it was peaceful inside the family room. Suddenly, I noticed a battle was raging on the other side of the glass. For over fifteen minutes, we were riveted.

A beetle was caught in a web and two spiders were working tag-team, trying to hang on to him and make him into a nice beetle milkshake.

Many times we thought the spiders were going to win, but in the end the beetle slipped away.

Then, it was back to work hanging the blinds.

Remember my lap quilt project? At the time, Donna mentioned quilting a hot pad first. You can't see her comment because all the comments on the old blog were zapped out. I finished the lap quilt top a while ago, but the quilting stumped me so I followed Donna's advice and tried something small.

This is my hot pad front...

and this is the back. Please take into consideration that this is my first quilting and I did a lot of it while watching a movie with H in not very bright light, which is to say that my stitches could be better.

This exercise helped me to understand how to quilt and I feel more confident that I can now tackle the lap quilt.

Thanks, Donna.

My grandmother watched every Bob Hope Special and I always thought he was a pretty funny fella. Here's a great clip from one of his movies, The Ghost Breakers (1940):

Conservative Republican:

Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana and son of Indian immigrants.

Liberal Democrat:

"You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent." - Joseph Biden

Conservative Republican:

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates." - Sarah Palin

Liberal Democrat:

"Look, I got [sic] two daughters -- 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." - Barack Obama