Halloween Parade at Westhoff Elementary School

Please click here for more pictures

Happy Halloween, Amanda!!!

Hope you have a great time Trick-o-Treating.



Here is a big candy from Cyndel & Xanthe.



Take care and be safe.

Doctor? What doctor?

After going to the same doctor for the past seven years and taking insulin every morning under her direction for the past five or six years, she tells me today to change that to taking the shot at night.
When I asked her why, she said it is better to take it at night anyway.. Can't she like tell me that may be five or six years ago? x-(

Safety on Halloween

Help Your Children Have a Safe and Fun Halloween
By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., About.com

Most people think of Halloween as a time for fun and treats. However, roughly four times as many children aged 5-14 are killed while walking on Halloween evening compared with other evenings of the year, and falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on Halloween. Many Halloween-related injuries can be prevented if parents closely supervise school-aged children during trick-or-treat activities.

Parents can help prevent children from getting injured at Halloween by following these safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Safety Council.

Children should:

• Go only to well-lit houses and remain on porches rather than entering houses.
• Travel in small groups and be accompanied by an adult.
• Know their phone number and carry coins for emergency telephone calls.
• Have their names and addresses attached to their costumes.
• Bring treats home before eating them so parents can inspect them.
• Use costume knives and swords that are flexible, not rigid or sharp.

When walking in neighborhoods, they should

• Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks, and avoid crossing yards.
• Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks (where they exist), and do not cross between parked cars.
• Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing.
• Wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
• Consider using face paint instead of masks. (Masks can obstruct a child's vision.)
• Avoid wearing hats that will slide over their eyes.
• Avoid wearing long, baggy, or loose costumes or oversized shoes (to prevent tripping).
• Be reminded to look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.

Parents and adults should:

• Supervise the outing for children under age 12.
• Establish a curfew (a return time) for older children.
• Prepare homes for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and by placing jack-o-lanterns away from doorways and landings.
• Avoid giving choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys as treats to young children.
• Inspect all candy for safety before children eat it.
• Parents and adults should ensure the safety of pedestrian trick-or-treaters
• Make sure children under age 10 are supervised as they cross the street.
• Drive slowly.
• Watch for children in the street and on medians.
• Exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
• Have children get out of cars on the curb side, not on the traffic side.
• And a few tips about pumpkins:
• Carve pumpkins on stable, flat surfaces with good lighting.
• Have children draw a face on the outside of the pumpkin, then parents should do the cutting.
• Place lighted pumpkins away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave lighted pumpkins unattended.

Who Is Affected?

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that during 1975-1996, the number of deaths among young pedestrians was four times higher on Halloween evening when compared with the same time period during all other evenings of the year. Halloween poses special risks to young pedestrians. For example, most of the time children spend outdoors is typically during daylight hours. However, Halloween activities often occur after dark. Also, children engaged in "trick or treat" activities frequently cross streets at mid-block rather than at corners or crosswalks, putting them at risk for pedestrian injury.

Many parents overestimate children's street-crossing skills. The pedestrian skills of children are limited by several factors related to their physical size and developmental stage. For instance, young children may lack the physical ability to cross a street quickly, and their small size limits their visibility to drivers. Children are likely to choose the shortest rather than the safest route across streets, often darting out between parked cars. In addition, young children do not evaluate potential traffic threats effectively, cannot anticipate driver behavior, and process sensory information more slowly than adults.

Four Surgeons....

Four surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.

The first surgeon says: "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."

The second responds:"Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color-coded."

The third surgeon says: "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."

But the fourth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no spine and the head and ass are interchangeable."

Joke of the day....

MY DOCTOR GAVE ME SIX MONTHS TO LIVE,
BUT WHEN I COULDN'T PAY THE BILL,
HE GAVE ME SIX MONTHS MORE.

So far so good....

This is the 14th week!

I took Miranda to the doctor's for her routine check up yesterday. They checked on the baby's heartbeat and I heard it :) ..... (the nurse said the heartbeat is normal)

The doctors like what they see so far and cautioned her to continue to follow her diet and do what she had been doing.

There will be a lot more tests coming up in the next few weeks and there is still a long way to go. But, so far so good....

We would like to thank all of you for your prayers.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.....

Obama's prime-time ad skips over budget realities

By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 29, 9:18 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office.

Obama's assertion that "I've offered spending cuts above and beyond" the expense of his promises is accepted only by his partisans. His vow to save money by "eliminating programs that don't work" masks his failure throughout the campaign to specify what those programs are — beyond the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

A sampling of what voters heard in the ad, and what he didn't tell them:

THE SPIN: "That's why my health care plan includes improving information technology, requires coverage for preventive care and pre-existing conditions and lowers health care costs for the typical family by $2,500 a year."

THE FACTS: His plan does not lower premiums by $2,500, or any set amount. Obama hopes that by spending $50 billion over five years on electronic medical records and by improving access to proven disease management programs, among other steps, consumers will end up saving money. He uses an optimistic analysis to suggest cost reductions in national health care spending could amount to the equivalent of $2,500 for a family of four. Many economists are skeptical those savings can be achieved, but even if they are, it's not a certainty that every dollar would be passed on to consumers in the form of lower premiums.

___

THE SPIN: "I also believe every American has a right to affordable health care."

THE FACTS: That belief should not be confused with a guarantee of health coverage for all. He makes no such promise. Obama hinted as much in the ad when he said about the problem of the uninsured: "I want to start doing something about it." He would mandate coverage for children but not adults. His program is aimed at making insurance more affordable by offering the choice of government-subsidized coverage similar to that in a plan for federal employees and other steps, including requiring larger employers to share costs of insuring workers.

___

THE SPIN: "I've offered spending cuts above and beyond their cost."

THE FACTS: Independent analysts say both Obama and Republican John McCain would deepen the deficit. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Obama's policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years — and that analysis accepts the savings he claims from spending cuts. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, whose other findings have been quoted approvingly by the Obama campaign, says: "Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next 10 years." The analysis goes on to say: "Neither candidate's plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified."

___

THE SPIN: "Here's what I'll do. Cut taxes for every working family making less than $200,000 a year. Give businesses a tax credit for every new employee that they hire right here in the U.S. over the next two years and eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Help homeowners who are making a good faith effort to pay their mortgages, by freezing foreclosures for 90 days. And just like after 9-11, we'll provide low-cost loans to help small businesses pay their workers and keep their doors open. "

THE FACTS: His proposals — the tax cuts, the low-cost loans, the $15 billion a year he promises for alternative energy, and more — cost money, and the country could be facing a record $1 trillion deficit next year. Indeed, Obama recently acknowledged — although not in his commercial — that: "The next president will have to scale back his agenda and some of his proposals."

Abigail, my favorite niece in Texas

Happy Birthday Abigail!!!

ps I only have one niece in Texas.....

Happy Halloween....

做位“冲完凉，才听电话”的副首相

杨善勇 | 10月29日 晚上10点59分

马华的政治地位，有三大阶段可言。独立初期，大有可为。除了财政部长、贸工部长、司法部长，另有马六甲州长和槟城首席部长，都在马华的怀抱。此时，可说是“当家又当权”。

五一三事发，油田发现后，诸事已变。我曾引述谢诗坚君在《巫統政治風暴》（1970）之〈第十二章：東姑讓位給拉薩〉，引述敦拉薩就任首相第一天，明確宣稱这个“当家不当权”的事实：

不满巫统却只能在肚里响

“這個政府是基於巫統組成的，我為此權力賦予巫統，以使巫統來決定其形式──政府必須依隨巫統的要求和願望──它所執行的政策必須由巫統來決定。”

事实确实那样。郭洙镇1981年发表的〈从历史观点看我国时局的发展〉，点出同样的无奈：几个宪制里活跃的政党各有各的局限性，一方面要和执政党高唱《国阵交响曲》……就算肚里叽哩咕噜，也只能在肚里响。

何启良博士并在〈政治动员与官僚参与〉（1993）具体重复这点：族群之間的重大課題大致上已經都塵埃落定……所以已無談判的餘地。剩餘下來的課題，基本上是“大形”政策下的“小形”政策。

第三阶段沦不当家也不当权

时至今日，江河日下，似乎晋入第三阶段的“不当家也不当权”，难怪后起之秀的何国忠一个时候也看不下去了，何在〈对马华公会领导人的一点省察〉（1990）中曾说：

“在拟定国家重要的政策时，马华扮演的几乎是附庸的角色。即使是本身党内政治的自主性，经常也受到巫统的影响。……以目前的局势而言，我们很难肯定说假如全部的华人团结在马华的旗帜下，华人所处的劣势就能被扭转过来。”

这个何国忠18年前勾画的现象显然没有随着何国忠入阁而扭转，相反的是，马华总会长黄家定的卸任演讲，对准巫统开炮，指责国阵并未真正贯彻一路强调的“分享政权”，导致这个崇高的理念最终只是流于口号：

“国阵在作出任何重大决定之前，巫统必须和其他成员党共同商议；而不是做了决定之后，才要其他成员党基于国阵精神而给予支持。这导致分享政权的理念被看成是口号而已！”

纳吉冲完凉才听黄家定电话？

此话一出，两名马华前州议员很识do地敦促党领导层争取内阁的权力。其中前巴当拉浪州议员陈德钦不但率先赞成国阵署理主席职应由马华代表担任，并主张我党领袖应出任一个“有实权”的副首相。

陈德钦的建议确实可圈可点，仅仅“有实权”一句，足以让我们联想翩翩。陈德钦重提黄家定打电话给纳吉解决马六甲养猪场风波为例，遗憾黄家定竟要等到纳吉冲完凉，才听电话。

坦白说，我不认为这是个适合的引例。即便不是纳吉，就是黄家定打电话给陈德钦，他方便在冲凉的当儿接听电话吗？如果一个人愿意马上裹着毛巾冲出来，要不是这个电话十分紧急，否则问题自然是在听电话的人怎么看待自己的私隐了。

马华副首相要怎样听电话？

我猜想，黄家定对此并不介意。“纳吉冲完凉，才听电话”这个微不足道的例子，并不足代表马华本身没有实权；除非是谁都不接黄家定的来电，恐怕那才是马华的要害。

否则，马华若是有幸担任国家的No.2/3，按照陈德钦的标准，是不是一位可以“冲完凉，才听电话”的副首相，还是一位“冲着凉，也听电话”的副首相，或是“听了电话,才敢冲凉”的副首相？

陈德钦应该把话说得清楚，不然总会长可能因为难以取舍电话和冲凉，结果失去出位的机会，那就太可惜。见微知著，马上制定一套〈党领导听电话和冲凉指南〉是急不可待了。

Ever Wonder .....

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens
our skin?
________________________________________

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
________________________________________

Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
________________________________________

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
________________________________________

Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
________________________________________

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
________________________________________

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
________________________________________

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
________________________________________

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
________________________________________

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
________________________________________

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
________________________________________

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!
________________________________________

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
________________________________________


Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
________________________________________

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
________________________________________

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Only in America

Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
________________________________________

Only in America .....do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
________________________________________

Only in America .....do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
________________________________________

Only in America .....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
________________________________________

Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

________________________________________

Only in America .....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

FBI Opening

The FBI had an opening for an assassin.

After all the background checks, interviews and testing were done, there
were 3 finalists; Two men and a woman.

For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal
door and handed him a gun.

We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the
circumstances.

Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair .. . . Kill
her!!

The man said, you can't be serious. I could never shoot my wife.

The agent said, then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife
and go home.

The second man was given the same instructions.

He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for a bout 5 minutes.

The man came out with tears in his eyes, I tried, but I can't kill my wife.

The agent said, you don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home.

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to
kill her husband.

She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after
another.

They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls.

After a few minutes, all was quiet.

The door opened slowly and there stood the woman, wiping the sweat from her
brow.

This gun is loaded with blanks' she said. I had to beat him to death with
the chair.

MORAL:

Women are crazy. Don't mess with them..!!!

Income Redistribution

Redistribution Plan may take a while to catch on

Yesterday on my way to lunch, I passed one of the homeless guys in the area, with a sign that read 'Vote Obama, I need the money.'

Once in the restaurant my waiter had on an 'Obama 08' tee shirt.

When the bill came, I decided not to tip the waiter and explained to him while he had given me exceptional service, that his tee shirt made me feel he obviously believes in Senator Obama's plan to redistribute the wealth. I told him I was going to redistribute his tip to someone that I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. He stood there in disbelief and angrily stormed away.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $3 and told him to thank the waiter inside, as I had decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy looked at me in disbelief but seemed grateful.

As I got in my car, I realized this rather unscientific redistribution experiment had left the homeless guy quite happy for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn.

Well, I guess this redistribution of wealth is going to take a while to catch on with those doing the work.

My Escape key just ran off with my Mouse....

Ex-leader uses blog to needle Malaysian government

Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister of Malaysia, at his office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sept. 30. (Palani Mohan for the International Herald Tribune)

By Seth Mydans
Published: October 26, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: In a vast office at the top of one of the world's tallest buildings, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad sits at a broad, glass-topped desk, scribbling his thoughts on a pad of unlined paper.

For 22 years Mahathir was the most powerful person in this land, and his thoughts were commands as he reshaped the country in his own grand image.

But he has become an irritant and a spoiler five years after stepping down, turning against his handpicked successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and he has fallen victim to the press controls he perfected as prime minister.

It is mainly a system of self-censorship in an atmosphere of pressure and intimidation that produces an obedient press and has seen the closure or banning of many publications.

"Where is the press freedom?" he exclaimed two years ago, apparently surprised to be suddenly ignored. "Broadcast what I have to say! What I say is not even accurately published in the press!"

Click here for the full article

Happy Deepavali

We wish all our Hindu friends a Happy Deepavali. As we celebrate this Hindu festival of lights, let us hope that good will prevail over evil, and light will prevail over darkness.

Amanda & Catherine

Domestic partnerships confer on the participants virtually all of the benefits and responsibilities afforded to married couples.

Proposition 8 Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry Initiative Constitutional Amendment

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. . . . . . Under the California Domestic Partners Act, same-sex couples (and opposite-sex couples where one partner is over age 62) are allowed to register with the state as domestic partners. Domestic partnerships confer on the participants virtually all of the benefits and responsibilities afforded to married couples. The Supreme Court decision did not invalidate or change any of the statutes relating to domestic partnerships, and Proposition 8 would have no effect on those statutes.

D O M E S T I C P A R T N E R S R E G I S T R Y

---

Provisions governing domestic partnerships are found in the California Family Code, commencing with section 297.

A domestic partnership is established when persons meeting the criteria specified by Family Code section 297 file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership (Form NP/SF DP-1) with the Secretary of State. A copy of the declaration and a Certificate of Registration of Domestic Partnership will be returned to the partners after the declaration is filed. In addition, you will receive a brochure entitled, "Your Future Together," published by the State Department of Public Health. This brochure contains information for distribution to applicants who qualify as domestic partners.

The domestic partnership can be terminated under certain conditions, as provided by Family Code section 299, by filing a Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership (Form NP/SF DP-2) with the Secretary of State. The domestic partnership shall be terminated effective six months after the date of filing of the Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership with the Secretary of State provided that neither party has, before the effective date, filed with the Secretary of State a Revocation of Termination of Domestic Partnership (Form NP/SF DP-3), as provided by Family Code section 299.

Please refer to Forms and Fees for filing instructions and domestic partnership forms.

The California Supreme Court decision issued on May 15, 2008, regarding same-sex marriages did not invalidate or change any of the Family Code statutes relating to registered domestic partners. Until a Notice of Termination is filed with our office, a registered domestic partnership will remain active on the California's Domestic Partnership Registry. This office will continue to process Declarations of Domestic Partnership, Notices of Termination of Domestic Partnership and other related filings as permitted by the domestic partnership law. If you have specific questions about how the Supreme Court's decision may apply to your circumstances, you should consult with a private attorney.

If the mailing address of a registered domestic partnership changes, the partners may update the address on the records of the Secretary of State by completing our online form.

FAMILY.CODE
SECTION 297-297.5

297. (a) Domestic partners are two adults who have chosen to share
one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of
mutual caring.
(b) A domestic partnership shall be established in California when
both persons file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the
Secretary of State pursuant to this division, and, at the time of
filing, all of the following requirements are met:
(1) Both persons have a common residence.
(2) Neither person is married to someone else or is a member of
another domestic partnership with someone else that has not been
terminated, dissolved, or adjudged a nullity.
(3) The two persons are not related by blood in a way that would
prevent them from being married to each other in this state.
(4) Both persons are at least 18 years of age.
(5) Either of the following:
(A) Both persons are members of the same sex.
(B) One or both of the persons meet the eligibility criteria under
Title II of the Social Security Act as defined in 42 U.S.C. Section
402(a) for old-age insurance benefits or Title XVI of the Social
Security Act as defined in 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 for aged
individuals. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
persons of opposite sexes may not constitute a domestic partnership
unless one or both of the persons are over the age of 62.
(6) Both persons are capable of consenting to the domestic
partnership.
(c) "Have a common residence" means that both domestic partners
share the same residence. It is not necessary that the legal right
to possess the common residence be in both of their names. Two
people have a common residence even if one or both have additional
residences. Domestic partners do not cease to have a common
residence if one leaves the common residence but intends to return.

297.5. (a) Registered domestic partners shall have the same rights,
protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same
responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, whether they
derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules,
government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources
of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses.
(b) Former registered domestic partners shall have the same
rights, protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same
responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, whether they
derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules,
government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources
of law, as are granted to and imposed upon former spouses.
(c) A surviving registered domestic partner, following the death
of the other partner, shall have the same rights, protections, and
benefits, and shall be subject to the same responsibilities,
obligations, and duties under law, whether they derive from statutes,
administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common
law, or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to
and imposed upon a widow or a widower.
(d) The rights and obligations of registered domestic partners
with respect to a child of either of them shall be the same as those
of spouses. The rights and obligations of former or surviving
registered domestic partners with respect to a child of either of
them shall be the same as those of former or surviving spouses.
(e) To the extent that provisions of California law adopt, refer
to, or rely upon, provisions of federal law in a way that otherwise
would cause registered domestic partners to be treated differently
than spouses, registered domestic partners shall be treated by
California law as if federal law recognized a domestic partnership in
the same manner as California law.
(f) Registered domestic partners shall have the same rights
regarding nondiscrimination as those provided to spouses.
(g) No public agency in this state may discriminate against any
person or couple on the ground that the person is a registered
domestic partner rather than a spouse or that the couple are
registered domestic partners rather than spouses, except that nothing
in this section applies to modify eligibility for long-term care
plans pursuant to Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 21660) of Part
3 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(h) This act does not preclude any state or local agency from
exercising its regulatory authority to implement statutes providing
rights to, or imposing responsibilities upon, domestic partners.
(i) This section does not amend or modify any provision of the
California Constitution or any provision of any statute that was
adopted by initiative.
(j) Where necessary to implement the rights of registered domestic
partners under this act, gender-specific terms referring to spouses
shall be construed to include domestic partners.
(k) (1) For purposes of the statutes, administrative regulations,
court rules, government policies, common law, and any other provision
or source of law governing the rights, protections, and benefits,
and the responsibilities, obligations, and duties of registered
domestic partners in this state, as effectuated by this section, with
respect to community property, mutual responsibility for debts to
third parties, the right in particular circumstances of either
partner to seek financial support from the other following the
dissolution of the partnership, and other rights and duties as
between the partners concerning ownership of property, any reference
to the date of a marriage shall be deemed to refer to the date of
registration of a domestic partnership with the state.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for domestic partnerships
registered with the state before January 1, 2005, an agreement
between the domestic partners that the partners intend to be governed
by the requirements set forth in Sections 1600 to 1620, inclusive,
and which complies with those sections, except for the agreement's
effective date, shall be enforceable as provided by Sections 1600 to
1620, inclusive, if that agreement was fully executed and in force as
of June 30, 2005.

Mom is back!!!!!

After spending seven months in Texas, my mom is back in California this afternoon. She will be staying with me for at least the next couple months...

Halloween Decoration for Samantha

Doctor Demented

A British doctor, a German doctor and an American doctor were chatting.

The British doctor said, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man put it in another and have him looking for work in six weeks."

Then the German doctor bragged, "That''s nothing, we can take a lung out of one person, put it in another and have him looking for work in four weeks."

The American doctor, not to be outdone, says, "You guys are way behind. We took a man with no brain out of Texas, put him in the White House, and almost immediately afterwards half the country was looking for work."

Minds

'Yes' on Prop. 8 - SGVTribune.com

'Yes' on Prop. 8

Article Launched: 10/10/2008 11:29:55 PM PDT

'Yes' on Prop. 8

I read with surprise the opposition of the Tribune to Proposition 8 (Oct. 9), the proposition that provides that only marriage between a man and a woman would be valid and recognized in California. The shallow logic presented in the editorial is that because a vocal minority want gay marriage sanctioned by the state, why shouldn't they have it?

This argument ignores the fact that in 2000, 61 percent of the voters in California supported the same exact definition of marriage, as only being between a man and a woman, not to mention that for hundreds of years society has been based on traditional marriage. In the recent vice presidential debate, both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin stated that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Because of four activist judges on the California Supreme Court, Californians are forced once again to vote in support of traditional marriage.

Allowing gays to marry will not give them any more rights than they already receive. Section 297.5 of the California Family Code provides that persons who register as "domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections and benefits as married spouses." Proposition 8 will not change that; gays will still be able to live their chosen lifestyle. The desire of gays to marry is to legitimize their relationship and destroy what marriage has traditionally stood for.

Many may say, as the editorial implies, that there is no harm in allowing gays to marry. In Massachusetts, where gay marriage is now legally recognized, Catholic Charities recently closed its adoption program because the state mandated that every adoption agency must allow same-sex couples to adopt. In Albuquerque, a wedding photographer was ordered by the state's Human Rights Commission to pay $6,637 because she declined to photograph a gay couple's commitment ceremony because of her religious beliefs.

There is the very real possibility that churches could lose their tax-exempt status for refusal to perform gay marriages because of religious beliefs. Because of Section 51890 of the California Education Code teachers would be required to instruct children as young as kindergartners about marriage, which would have to include discussions of gay marriage.

Marriage would then be reduced to a contractual relationship, not a celebration of a union between husband and wife.

If you agree that marriage should exist only between a man and a woman, vote "yes" on Proposition 8.

Bryan Chase
Glendora

Editorial misses mark

I think that the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's position of "no" on Prop. 8 has missed the mark. The opening paragraph reiterates what seems to be the latest argument to allow same sex marriage: "if two people love each other, and want to sanctify that love through ceremony and California law, who are we to stand in there way?"

One reason I am voting "yes" on Prop. 8 has to do with the term marriage itself. When one talks about getting married, there is the implication of more than just uniting two people; marriage also implies procreation. By its very nature, a same-sex union in and of itself cannot produce shared offspring. Society may choose to alter the definition of marriage, but even if society does change the definition of marriage, same-sex unions will remain barren between the two participants.

James Christensen
Chino

Preserve marriage

The problem with voting "no" on Prop. 8 will manifest in a few years when California public education will reflect the court ruling making gay and straight marriage equal. All forms of sexual "expression" will have to be taught on an equal basis.

Gender-friendly curriculum will be mandated, as well as equal time for gay historical characters.

I noticed that the writer of the editorial puts limits on marriage between two people who love each other. But what about the man or woman who has the desire to marry several partners?

Voting "yes" on Proposition 8 will preserve marriage and protect children.

W.A. Stephens
Covina

Restore marriage

Homosexuals have the right to their private lives, but not to change the definition of marriage for everyone else. In 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22 by more than 61 percent, saying that a marriage in California is between a man and a woman.

Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000: "Only marriage between a man and a women are valid and recognized in California."

Because four activist judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people's vote, we need to pass this measure to restore the definition of marriage.

Prop. 8 doesn't take away any rights or benefits of gay or lesbian domestic partnerships. Under California law, "domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections, and benefits as married spouses."

Voting "yes" on Prop. 8 will not only restore the definition of marriage, but will protect our children, (from kindergarten age and higher), from being taught in public schools that "same-sex marriage" is the same as traditional marriage. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs.

Vote "yes" on Prop. 8 to restore marriage, and to protect our children!

Sandra O'Dell
La Verne

I am SO excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SO excited for the new coming baby (little bundle of joy!) I am SO excited to be a new big sister . I can’t wait, I am SO excited, and I just have to say it over and over again! I am already helping my mommy and daddy pick out the name for the baby, even though we still don’t know if the baby is a boy or girl! :) So, I guess I am not the only child anymore.

Congratulations !

Congratulations to you & your family !!

I hope everyone is excited about it ..... I know I am !

Lots of blessings from me and my family.

xoxo to the big sister to be :)

Llanet-

Are you ready for children ??

Are you considering having children?
To determine whether you are truly prepared for the experience, we suggest you take this set of simple tests...

MESS TEST:
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST:
Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake a child at night).

GROCERY STORE TEST:
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST:
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST:
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST:
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 to 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8:00 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for five years. Look cheerful.

PHYSICAL TEST (WOMEN)
Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10% of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST (MEN):
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT:
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

Baby tickling her......

Last night Miranda told me that she felt the baby tickling her, and I guess that is the sign that it is time to share the news with our relatives and friends that she is pregnant.

She is now in her 13th week. We have not make the announcement to almost anyone because we went through the premature birth of Samantha a couple years ago and we want to make sure that everything is fine before doing that. We do not want to disappoint anyone :( including ourselves.

Due to her age, (she is not old but she is considered old for child bearing) :) her doctors warned that this would be a high risk pregnancy and we need to take a lot of precautions. She needs to be extremely careful and she needs a lot of rest. That is why she has been missing Sunday worship a few times. I know a lot of “smarty pants” at church are already suspicious of that but I cannot spill the beans without her consent.

Again, due to her age :), the probability of having complication is higher. Last week I took her to do a test that they called “SequentialScreen”. This is also a test recommended by her doctors. It is a two-part screening test.

We did the first part last week. A small amount of blood is drawn to evaluate the levels of certain proteins and hormones produced during the pregnancy, and a special ultrasound measurement is taken of the back of the baby’s neck to provide her risk of having a baby with Down syndrome or trisomy 18. The result came back yesterday, and it is negative which means there is a low risk of the baby having Down syndrome, trisomy 18 or a neural tube defect. However, in approximately 10% of pregnancies, these birth defects will not be detected through screening.

She will complete her second part of the screen in the second half of November. Results from Part 1 and Part 2 are combined to provide a final, complete result.

In the months to come, we ask for your compassion, understanding and support. We also need a lot of prayers. Please keep us in your prayers.

Mexican Smuggler

Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle. He's got two large bags over his shoulders. The guard stops him and says, "What's in the bags?"

"Sand," answered Juan.

The guard says, "We'll just see about that. Get off the bike." The guard detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing but pure sand in the bags. He releases Juan and lets him cross the border.

A week later, the same thing happens. The guard asks, "What's in the bags?"

"Sand," says Juan.

The guard does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand. He gives the sand back to Juan, and Juan crosses the border on his bicycle.

This sequence of events is repeated every day for three years. Finally, Juan doesn't show up one day and the guard meets him in a Cantina in Mexico.

"Hey, Buddy," says the guard, "I know you are smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about...Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"

Juan sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."

Josie in church this morning

It was nice to see Josie back in church this morning. Just a reminder, her baby shower will be on the first Sunday of November (11/02) from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. For those of you bringing gifts, she is having a girl....

為何應當支持８號提案？

Joe The Plumber

翁詩傑當選總會長 ‧ 蔡細歷險勝任署理

当今大马团队 | 10月18日 晚上9点05分

空前激烈的马华中央党选成绩，经过7个小时长的马拉松式算票后，终于在今天晚上10点出炉。

一如坊间在党选前夕传出当权派选情告急的消息，经过3个月苦战的总会长大热候选人翁诗杰，仅能以61%得票率险胜蔡锐明；而夹着现任总秘书当权优势的黄家泉，则以114张微差票输给来势汹汹的前副总会长蔡细历。

翁诗杰达不到65%目标

虽然获得当权派的祝福，但是翁诗杰在总会长激战中胜来不易。而身为前卫生部长的蔡锐明可谓虽败犹荣，因为他在阔别三年后依然获得39%的得票率，比2005年党选对垒黄家定时的35%略高。

相信这项成绩，肯定也不是选前不断呼吁中央代表给予更强委托，以落实改革马华重担的翁诗杰所期望的。这更与翁氏阵营早前所定下的65%得票率（如同黄家定在上届党选胜出的支持率）仍有一定差距。

党内潜伏不满诗杰声音

过去3年来鲜少在党内活跃的蔡锐明，其得票竟然超越上届党选所获得的支持，对于曾在竞选期间进行排山倒海宣传攻势的翁诗杰来说，可说是敲醒了一记警钟，显示党内仍潜伏着一股不满的暗流。

击垮黄氏皇朝的口号奏效

而欲寻求“东山再起”的蔡细历成功以114张微差票击败黄家泉，显示这名备受性爱光碟丑闻困扰的前副总会长在投票前一日打出的杀手锏——“击垮黄氏皇朝”的口号显然已奏效，使他成功在四角战中脱颖而出，完全不受原属挑战派阵营的林祥才加入战围的“内讧”所影响。

虽然林祥才夹着副总会长之势寻求更上一层楼，但是却仅得209票，而选前已注定陪太子读书的李学德更只有10票。林祥才在获悉败选后，并未现身马华大厦。

在副总会长的8角混战中，虽然卸任妇女组主席黄燕燕以第三票当选，成功“破单而出”令人大跌眼镜，但是其他中选的3名当权派属意候选人，即江作汉、廖中莱与陈国煌成功上榜，则是意料中事。

作汉中莱燕燕国煌中选

至于官拜财政部副部长的江作汉，重演在上届党选以最高票当选马华中委的漂亮记录，这次再以最高票当选副总会长。

获得第二高票的副总会长，则是掌握马青铁票的卸任马青总团长廖中莱。

在副总会长八角战中出局的领袖包括再次饮恨副总会长战役的内政部副部长曹智雄、卫冕失败的前副总会长冯镇安、素有“政坛九命猫”之称的前副总会长叶炳汉以及名不见经传的林德昌。

黄家泉成唯一落败部长

本届党选的结果出炉后，在翁诗杰、黄燕燕与廖中莱分别高奏凯歌后，斯人独憔悴的部长级人马只有黄家泉一人。

而内政部副部长曹智雄，则再次饮恨副总会长角逐战，是另一名落败的有官职领袖。文化艺术部副部长邓文村也在中委混战中落败。

黄家泉与曹智雄在党选中的落败，会否影响他们的官职以及党内的地位，以及蔡细历会否寻求进入内阁，被委以一官半职，则是党选之后值得留意的党内各派权力均衡的指标。

更尖锐的问题是，随着其胞兄的落败，以及马华正式进入拥有本身强烈领导风格的“翁诗杰时代”，前任总会长黄家定在党内的影响力是否会急速萎缩，并由其他实力派领袖或新晋马华领袖来填补权力真空？

而 本届马华党选结果，尤其是在选出翁诗杰及蔡细历两名性格同样强悍，不过却在选战当中直接叫阵对立一二号领导人物之后，能否欣然合作抑或进一步爆发对立，甚 至边缘化的结果，将是未来领导班子的一大考验。因为在308大选海啸后，遭冲击得七零八落的马华必须急速拟定出成功改变巫统一党独大、呼应华裔及非土著社 会的平等诉求，以及多元种族政治气象的新政治路线，才能从低谷中触底翻身，以避免本身变成一个“可有可无”的无关痛痒政党。

以下是新一届的马华中委会阵容：

总会长：
1.蔡锐明（917票）
2.翁诗杰（1429票）中选

署理总会长：
1.黄家泉（1001票）
2.林祥才（209票）
3.李学德（10票）
4.蔡细历（1115票）中选

副总会长：（选4人）

1.陈国煌（1329票）中选
2.冯镇安（883票）
3.江作汉（1798票）中选
4.廖中莱（1725票）中选
5.曹智雄（1233票）
6.叶炳汉（445票）
7.林德昌（268票）
8.黄燕燕（1659票）中选

当选的25名中委：

黄木良（1208票）
颜炳寿（1494票）
郑联科（1334票）
陆根佑（1074票）
李志亮（1504票）
何国忠（1543票）
卢诚国（1141票）
陈财和（1568票）
尤绰韬（1469票）
颜天禄（1377票）
黄祥辉（1076票）
王茀明（1569票）
姚再添（1374票）
陈清凉（1548票）
李成材（1434票）
张日洲（1363票）
丘克海（1177票）
傅子初（1075票）
黄日升（1418票）
王乃志（1466票）
廖润强（1224票）
李伟杰（1597票）
郑修强（1170票）
何启文（1336票）
江乘俊（1184票）