Et cetera

Chayse was playing wii this morning when she discovered the tv remote. "Mommy, now I can make it louder. I can't hear it because my ears are so small."

The week in review...California.

First amendment zones abound here. I first discovered the allocated areas for first amendment rights to be exercised in the Muir Woods--"First Amendment Area: This area has been set aside for individuals or groups exercising their constitutional first amendment rights. The National Park Service neither encourages nor discourages, or otherwise endorses, these activities and receives no funds in relation to these activities." In California there is evidently a history of free speech zones which are generally a designated area of public places. There has been a lot of activity at these areas this week with Proposition 8.

Of course, my personal favorite is the elaborate lavender hat bopping around to an unheard beat on one of the corners of El Camino Real. The wearer dances with her large sign that is so covered in words I cannot even begin to decipher it...not to mention the other three signs propped up next to the grocery carts. I cannot help but wonder what she is so happy about as she dances...and I am curious about all those words...then the light changes and I move on with a vision of the bouncing purple hat.

Then a young man was driving in front of me in his little car on a busy six lane route in Belmont. Suddenly he stops and throws on his flashers. Three solid lanes of traffic. I am stuck directly behind him the curb is merely six inches away and solid red (since I am studying for my California driving test, I know this means NO PARKING). I don't know if my big rig intimidated him, but at the last minute he decided to throw it back into drive and through the green light and then did the same thing again...and got mad at me as I pulled around him???? I was almost tempted to just drive over his little illegally parked car.

Finally, a settlement was awarded to the victim who suffered horrific sexual abuse while in foster care with a man who is currently serving 220 years for his crimes. This abuse occurred while foster care was privatized in the 1990s in California. In 1999 California regained control of foster care licenses again due to improperly screened family and the subsequent abuse. Many states are currently transitioning to privatization, so watch closely, as the potential for profit puts all children at risk when agencies improperly screen applicants.

On a lighter note...

Crusin' down the freeway, I was shifting towards the right for my exit, when I slowed for flashing lights and a tow truck with no car in sight...until I spy the mini cooper being filled with gas by the AAA guy. Teeheeheee. I wonder how economical and environmentally friendly it was for him to run out of gas and require a one ton truck to respond with a few gallons of gas.