Captain's Blog—Approaching ground zero

Stardate: memo to the crew

One of the little people is approaching her birth anniversary, and secret preparations are being made. I can't say any more except that this event involves chocolate, balloons, and wrapping paper. If you receive this memo, please understand that it will self-destruct in five seconds.

Take cover!

Normal Mom Blog—Mission Possible

Stardate: Does it really matter?

This is a normal mom blog, so the stardate isn't important. Suffice it to say we're deep in school year territory, having completed our first month in the trenches. I'm back in writing mode, and have been able to post regularly on The Last Draft, but only semi-regularly on my Examiner.com page. I'm back to making steady progress on my book, but not enough to satisfy my avid family readers. Oh well. If they're not going to help, they'll just have to be satisfied with what I do on my own.

We're having a few issues with A.J. She is sort of tri-lingual, if you don't count the one she made up. The problem is that she won't duplicate a word in any language. If you ask her to say, "Cookie," she'll sign it. If you ask her to say, "Yes," it only comes out in Spanish. If you ask her to say, "yellow," that's what you get. We're looking at it as a temporary technological glitch, but we're working on it.

Beyond that, God is good, all the time!

Captain's Blog—Attack of the mutant kamikaze acorn creatures

Stardate: After dinner

For days now, we have been under attack by the tiny mutant kamikaze acorn creatures. They periodically launch themselves from their perches in the oak trees surrounding the star base and hurl their small bodies at the roof. Only this week, one of the ensigns took a direct hit in the head while stepping out of the rover to get the mail. We are working on personal shields which will vaporize the small hostiles, but in the mean time are reduced to using umbrellas to fend them off.

It's a strange world we inhabit.

Captain's Blog—August

Stardate: Can I have a glass of water?

Our situation has become more dire. The Slip-n-slid-aton has been damaged and the temperature is climbing. Meanwhile, the vile enemy Mosquitians are attacking from every side. Our Cutter's force shields are down to 12 percent and failing quickly. Have sent out distress beacon with hopes of reinforcements.

Captain's Blog—July

Stardate: hot and humid

Trapped on the planet's surface, the sinister Dr. July is sending his scorching humido-rays to suppress the populace. The ship's ensigns are flailing about and moaning for relief in the form of a popsicle drop from the U.S.S. Groceries.

When will help come? Will the secret weapon, the Slip-n-slide-aton, be enough to get us through?

They Plead Safety First, but in This Case, Stupidity First?

I am amazed that anyone would even consider removing the American flag in schools. This link takes you to a poll by Fox to determine what the people think about such a move.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/05/06/american-flag-banned-america/

Let's just go over a few common sense thoughts before you vote.

• This is America. If you're offended by the flag that represents our country, then why don't you move to a different country where you aren't offended by the flag? Seems like common sense to me. (Probably because in most countries you don't have the right to be anywhere near as vocal about what you believe as you do here.)

• If you are an American citizen, this flag is your flag now. Period.

• Offense is a choice. That's why two people can view the same issue either with offense or without it. If you choose to be offended by a flag, that's your problem, not anyone else's.

• The school's job is to teach and to enforce discipline. If a student has broken the rules, expel him or her until he or she decides to comply with school rules. Do not remove our national flag so you don't have to correct inappropriate behavior. That's about the same as the parent in the store with the screaming kid buying candy to get him to be quiet.

• Political correctness is not correct. In most cases, it is the cowardly majority giving into the terrorist minority who is throwing a tantrum to get their way. That's why we have less freedom in America today than we did yesterday, and why the outlook for tomorrow isn't good.

I'd like to see an America that uses a little common sense. Just to set the record straight, here are some things that I'm for. Some of these have to do with the issue above. Some just deal with the erosion of general freedoms and I'm getting them off my chest. I believe we should:

• Display the flag of our country prominently and correctly.

• Educate people so they realize that the separation of church and state was originally designed to keep the state from controlling the church rather than to keep God out of government. (I'm amazed at how many people don't know this.)

• Not rewrite the text books to leave out important information and quotes that include God.

• Promote only LEGAL immigration. (After all, that's how most of us got here, including me.) If you didn't follow the rules to get in, back you go. Either do something to fix the country you are a citizen of, or get used to it being awful there. America didn't turn out the way it is because no one was willing to pay a price for freedom.

• Have a strong military. You just have to look at history to figure this one out. If no one had listened to the pacifists, Hitler's war would have been a contained conflict rather than a World War and millions and millions of people would not have died, plus, we might not have had to resort to an atom bomb to get Japan to back off.

• Allow ALL differing opinions. You may think that we already do that, but it's changing fast. You're freedoms are being legislated away. You don't have to agree with one thing in this post, and I won't think any less of you for it. (If you hate everything I've said up to now, the good news for you is that I'm the one who will probably be silenced and not you. If that doesn't bother you, though, it should.) It is not hateful to disagree with someone else's opinions. It's normal. We're all different, and we do not all think alike. We have laws to protect us from people who use criminal actions to inflict their opinion on others. Beyond that, think and talk as you like.

While you can, that is.

The Big Storm

Last night we had a big storm. It took out electric to 250,000 people in the Chicago area, knocked down well over 1100 trees, and had winds which were close to 80 mph in some areas. After it was over, one of our chickens wandered out from under the bushes by the house where she had been waiting out the storm. She looked wet and bedraggled for a chicken, and the first thought that came to me was a line from one of Jesse Duplantis's funny videos.

"I never thought I'd drown standing up."

That poor little hen had to take her chances out in the storm while I was comfortably watching it through our big front window. That's a little like what happens when you write a story. You write your book from the comfort and safety of your desk while your characters struggle through the story, bedraggled, worn, and barely alive. Circumstances progress from bad to worse until it looks like there's no way they can possibly make it out alive. Then, you, great author that you are, come to their rescue to orchestrate a perfect ending that pulls them out of a fate worse than death at the last second. When the protagonist gasps out a thank you. You look modest.

"It was nothing, but if you think that was something, just wait until the sequel."

Your protagonist pales and passes out while you boot up the computer.

The thing about storms is that after you pick up the pieces, there's no guarantee there won't be another one rolling through later.