7 Quick Takes Friday

1. So what happened to Small Success Thursday?  It didn't happen.  I'd like the meme to catch fire, but it seems I keep running into Thursday without having crafted the post. I will try again for Holy Week and see if the graces of Easter can help us start anew.

2. Did you hear about the Catholic Blogathon to raise awareness about the continued existence of Gitmo and the detaining of at least 87 prisoners who have been cleared of any charges?  And the hunger strike that is now going on 5 weeks resulting in the US government having to tube feed some inmates?  Aparently, a 49 million dollar Guantanamo Prison is being proposed, as the existing infrastructure was never designed to be permanent.  Someone yesterday asked me why focus on this question now?  Why is it important now, as versus before now?  Because I learned of the hunger strike and the 87 prisoners who have been cleared of all charges but are still kept yesterday.  Because we cannot change yesterday, we can only act today. Because this sort of thing needs to be addressed and stopped before the buildings are made more...permanent.  Because I don't want indefinite detaining of innocent (of any crimes that can be proven in court) to become a permanent policy.   Here's the link to yesterday's piece in the Huffington Post about the proposed "improvements."  and there's also this.

3.  The war on sleep continues.   It seems none of my children need more than 4 hours of rest and none of them rest at the same time.   You know how diet advisors say eat 4-6 little meals a day to lose weight?  I wonder if 4-6 little naps will work for being well rested. 

4.  Today is....talk..like...Shatner Day.  I may have to go dust off some Star Trek VCR tapes...to...perfect...my accent.   I always preferred Captain Sisko.  Having a nerd attack, may have to put on a marathon of Deep Space Nine, for those intervals when I'm not able to fall asleep after dealing with whomever is not sleeping.   

5.   Maybe I'll just read...today I referenced A Swiftly Tilting Planet when I meant Out of a Silent Planet.  Now that Madaline E'ngle and C.S.Lewis are both annoyed with me, I think I have some weekend reading to do. 

6.   This week, my daughter's high school did an impressive (mandatory) parent/student meeting about the dangers of alcohol.  It was effective, it was informative and yes...sobering.  Despite two other teens, nothing like this had ever been done in my experience.  The administration meant it.  You felt it.  I wish they would have added a component about "trusting your instincts" and not going to parties where you don't know the hosts, don't drink the punch...go with more than one person, call if anyone gets wild, call if you want to come home, call if you feel uncomfortable, call if you feel unsafe, call if it is boring...and perhaps a testimony from a kid who had to make that call.  Those were my only sticky points, but otherwise, it seemed a smart move.  Yeah, I would have liked a touch (touch) on the moral component of not abusing your body (with alcohol), not lying (by drinking alcohol), not endangering others (by being silent about the use of alcohol), but that's I think, something that should perhaps be addressed sophomore year.  

7. 12 years of Catholic school has left my son ill equipped for the world outside of t-shirts and jeans, so I took him shopping for his birthday. (He's 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).  While browsing for sweaters and shirts, I heard a woman whose deep accent sounded familiar.  She was a neighbor from when we first moved to Maryland, back when my son was not yet 2.  Hugs and warm feelings all around, and my son was very pleased with his adult wardrobe.