Cynthia McFadden wrapped it up it those two words - smart and funny. That about covers it at any age.

I am in the unique position of having to raise my twin great-grandsons (they will be three next month). Because of court cases, caseworkers, and therapists, I have had to be very careful how I handle the boys. I was constantly told that a 2yr old understands the word ‘no’, but cannot control the impulse to do the forbidden thing. I was not allowed to spank or use time out. I was told to use diversion and praise. I got so sick of saying ‘good job’ for everything they did I thought I was going to choke. THANK GOD that the adoption is final and I am now allowed to raise the boys as I see fit. I have a time out chair. If either of them has to sit in the chair three or four times for the same offense they get spanked. Sometimes the time out works and sometimes they need a little nug on their backside to make them understand that I mean business. Their attitude has changed drastically in the last six months and we are actually starting to enjoy each others company. The only thing that was told to me that I do agree with is that I tell the boys that the thing they did is a bad thing. They are never told that they are bad boys. Over a year of dealing with all these PHD’s in child psychology that is the only thing I kept. These boys are going to have enough to deal with growing up without being unruley brats. They are truely loved and my other children have rallied around to make sure the boys know that they are a big part of the family - but they have to mind where ever they go. They are typical two year olds and they drive me crazy (I have become a shrew 50% of the day) but they also make me laugh until I have tears in my eyes and when they hug me my heart feels like it will burst. I just pray that this old broad can guide them towards the easiest way to deal with the harsh realities of life. As the twig is bent, so shall the tree grow.

Frannie Em - If we didn’t have freedom of speech we would not have any of the freedoms that we have now. The thing that destresses me the most is that we do not use our freedom of speech to speak up against the laws that are being, and have been, passed to take so many of our freedoms away. It seems we Americans have lost our will to fight. I live in Idaho that is a right to work state and minimum wage is $5.65 hr. It has state tax and sales tax. I don’t know why the people have not taken up arms and stormed the Idaho State Capitol. I could go on for pages about the CEO gluttons living off the sweat of the middle class. (Gads - to much pepsi today!) My answer is Freedom of Speech.

Makes you wonder all the more about what the government is doing to “suspected” terrorists today? Do we ever learn from our past mistakes?

John - I think you missed what I was driving at. Of course we should all do our part to educate ourselves on the issues and how the politicians stand on each issue. But none of us has the right to tell someone else that they shouldn’t vote. I guess I agree with your opinion but had a hard time swallowing the heavy hand that it was dealt with.

Dona - I don’t know what made this man feel this way. Most men do not want to know. Every man I ever introduced him to he would ask if I had ever been with him. He wasn’t anything like that before we became intimate and our affair ended shortly after. If anyone wants to know what I have done - they will just have to wait for the book to come out. Sounds like you and I could fill a few pages LOL.

I saw some program about this ball awhile back and started out thinking that it was pretty neat that these fathers took the time to be involved with their daughters but every one is right - it ended up just making me feel creepy. The fathers seeming just a little too interested in their daughters.

Do the mothers get to go to a purity ball with their sons?

My grandson just got back from Iraq and I am spending hours pouring over information to make an informed choice. That is my right. But I have helped take people to the polls that were not as educated as they should have been and I cringed at their choices and the reasons behind those choices. But I would never been so arrogant as to tell them that they should not vote. The little old lady who voted the way that her pastor told her to because that is what god wanted - I could go on. Your brother goes to fight for the light in her face when she cast her vote because she was an American. I get the feeling you would not have given her a ride unless you were sure she had all the information YOU thought she should have.

I don’t care if I am prodded to vote by McCain, Obama, or the next star of American Idol. I don’t care if I am not as informed as the next person. I don’t care if I have to sign my ballot with an X because I don’t know how to write. The idea behind America is that we ALL get to cast our vote. I think it is a shame that someone would tell me to stay home because I didn’t read all the papers, watching all the news programs, etc. that they did to draw their conclusions. If I vote for Obama because I think Michelle wore a cute dress - that is what makes America great. Otherwise we would live in a country where only educated men and land owners could vote. Come to think of it, we did at one time. Thank god things have changed.

I had an affair (short lived) with a man who wanted to know all about my past. He just kept harping on it - so one night when we walked into a bar that I had been in before I told him that if he could split up the room and just figured that I had done half of them he would probably be right. Needless to say we didn’t last long. I never have understood why a man would want to know how many men I have been with. I don’t keep score - why should he. Long as ya goes home with the one ya came with who cares.

John - As involved in the political process as you seem to be, how can you even think of telling people to stay home in November? It is not just an American right - it is an American duty to one’s country to vote. To stay home would be disrespectful to the thousands that have died for our right to vote. Suggesting that someone should stay home in November seems very UnAmerican to me. I think I would rethink my comments if I were you.

Tavis Smiley asked a very important question the other night on one of his shows - If one of Obama’s daughters were pregnant would the reaction be the same? The person he ask answered by saying that yes, we should not bring family into the issues. Smiley then retored - but the Republicans have been yelling about black youth pregnancies for years and you don’t think they would use this as an opportunty? The other thing that was brought up on his show was a very famous coach had a son that was getting into a lot of trouble and people wondered if this coach shouldn’t give up his job that took him on the road so much, and pay more attention to his family. So Tavis wondered why it was sexist to ask the question - how is Palin going to handle a special-needs child, a troubled teen, and a 24/7 job? I think that Obama is smart to get every Dem Woman he can to get out there and say that while Palin is all for family values - just whose family values is she for? Not mine.

Mr. Moore reminds me of one of my daughters when she was younger. When she split her knee and needed stitches she carried on like she had lost her leg. You could not deny that she was hurt but lord she carried on so. I agree with almost every thing that Michael Moore has ever brought to the public eye but lord he does carry on so. The sad part of all this is, most people would not even listen to him if he did not make his points so over the top. I just hope that he keeps keeping on.

Whoopi, once again you hit the nail on the head. I just hope that the Dems can put McCain’s voting record out there enough that it really soaks into the general public what the man was, what he is now, and let the record speak for itself. The news of Palin’s pregnant daughter has so over shadowed her voting record that no one noticed the out and out lies that she delivered in her speech. Her governoring record needs to be examined in detail. You cannot take away the fact that John McCain is a war hero and deserved all the medals that he got. We should never question any of our boys that put their lives on the line for us. But most of the young men came back from Viet Nam very damaged - what did five years in prison do to Mr. McCain? Does he wake up at night in a cold sweat, thrashing his arms and having to be wakened by his wife so that he knows that he is safe in his own bed and not back in Nam? Is this the kind of man we want with his finger on the big red button? Is his push for war a real feeling of keeping our country safe, or is it his way of getting even with the world for what was done to him? He scares the crap out of me.