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The race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat has become a national media story, as polls show that upstart Massachusetts Republican State Senator Scott Brown has pulled even with favored Democratic Party candidate Martha Coakley, Massachusetts' Attorney General. President Obama has come to Massachusetts to try to save the race for Coakley--this in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-1.

Senator Brown has been a co-sponsor of Fathers & Families' Shared Parenting Bill, has met with F & F Board Chairman Ned Holstein, MD, and has spoken at a F & F meeting. Dr. Holstein explains:

Our Shared Parenting Bill, which Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has publicly pledged to sign, would end the barbaric practice of judges stripping fathers (or sometimes mothers) of custody of their children without a sound, stated basis. Family courts must protect the relationship between children and both parents after a divorce, instead of allowing an angry mother (or father) to push the other parent out.

MA. Senator Scott Brown, former F & F Executive Director Dan Hogan, J.D., Ph.D., and F & F Founder Ned Holstein, MD, are pictured above at an F & F meeting.

Fathers & Families recently circulated the message regarding the viewpoints of the candidates to its Massachusetts members concerning some of Brown and Coakley's positions learn more here MA. Senate Candidate Scott Brown Co-Sponsored F & F’s Shared Parenting Bill | Glenn Sacks on MND.

Who wins remains to be seen, at last count Scott Brown is in the lead at 52%, while Coakley is at 46% with only 9% of votes counted. If nothing else, this election will show the current administration that they need to start listening to the people or their party is out in 2010 mid-term elections; making Obama a lame duck President. the

Port-au-Prince/Paris /New York, 17 January 2009—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urges that its cargo planes carrying essential medical and surgical material be allowed to land in Port-au-Prince in order to treat thousands of wounded waiting for vital surgical operations. Priority must be given immediately to planes carrying lifesaving equipment and medical personnel.

Despite guarantees, given by the United Nations and the US Defense Department, an MSF cargo plane carrying an inflatable surgical hospital was blocked from landing in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, and was re-routed to Samana, in Dominican Republic. All material from the cargo is now being sent by truck from Samana, but this has added a 24-hour delay for the arrival of the hospital.

A second MSF plane is currently on its way and scheduled to land today in Port- au-Prince at around 10 am local time with additional lifesaving medical material and the rest of the equipment for the hospital. If this plane is also rerouted then the installation of the hospital will be further delayed, in a situation where thousands of wounded are still in need of life saving treatment.

The inflatable hospital includes 2 operating theaters, an intensive care unit, 100-bed hospitalization capacity, an emergency room and all the necessary equipment needed for sterilizing material.

MSF teams are currently working around the clock in 5 different hospitals in Port-au-Prince, but only 2 operating theaters are fully functional, while a third operating theater has been improvised for minor surgery due to the massive influx of wounded and lack of functional referral structures.

Source: Doctors Without Borders

haiti, earthquake, rescue

Who would have thought with all the new parenting do's and dont's out there you'd hear this. Then again the bible does say something about 'spare the rod, spoil the child'. I am not big on giving my kids spankings, but there are times I feel like there is no other option especially when they are being intentionally defiant. This is usually my breaking point and cue to use spanking as a disciplinary tool. However, as a former teacher, I strive to use rewards or take away priviledges before I resort to spanking.  I leave most of the spanking to my husband; while I try to be the nurturer, the one they come to when they get hurt or sick. This is pretty much what I was accustomed to when I grew up. My mom was the nurturer and my dad was the disciplinarian.

London, Jan 3 : Here's a shocker: Young kids who are smacked by their parents grow up to be more successful than children who're never spanked at all, claims a new study.

Lead researcher Marjorie Gunnoe, professor of psychology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said: "I think of spanking as a dangerous tool, but there are times when there is a job big enough for a dangerous tool. You just don't use it for all your jobs."

In the study, researchers found that children smacked up to the age of six were likely as teenagers to perform better at school and were more likely to carry out volunteer work and to want to go to university than their peers who had never been physically disciplined, reports The Times.

Read more

What are your thoughts? Do you use spanking as a regular form of discipline, rewards and taking away priviledges or some other form of discipline to teach your children right and wrong?

parenting, discipline, spanking

Get Drawing and Win $1000:

Since Yoplait Kids is a tasty yogurt snack with 25% less sugar and calcium and Vitamin D in every serving – have your little ones draw a picture showing themselves as the happy and strong kids that Yoplait Kids can help them become!

We are sponsoring the “Strong and Happy” Drawing Contest, and offering an exciting prize courtesy of Yoplait Kids for our winning artwork: $1,000 to use towards classes (including sports) and/or education material for the child(ren).

We will also award a prize to our second place drawing: $300.00 to use toward classes (including sports) and/or educational material for the child(ren).

*Entry deadline is January 19th, 3pm Eastern. Voting will end January 30, 2010 at 3pm EST.

Learn more at 5 Minutes for Mom “Strong and Happy” Drawing Contest

Get your kids drawing...I know mine will want to give it a try! Good luck!

Jamie, 30, and Ali McMutrie, 21, have been running an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for three years.  The orphanage houses 150 children.  Jamie and Ali live with about 25-30 of the smallest and/or sickest children.  You will want to read this article from Pittsburgh Magazine, which first shed light on their work.

Following the earthquake, it seemed the house withstood the shock initially, but aftershocks began and Jamie and Ali’s house began crumbling and made it unsafe for habitation. They then moved their children to the yard, where they have been living on very little food and water, in addition to running low or out of supplies such as diapers, etc.

With the backing of the family, I put out a call to the country through my blog and twitter for political help, plane help, and humanitarian aid for the girls, who I have met previously. Twitter responded. My readers responded. The media responded.

Video on BRESMA orphanage situation

Video on Alexander


What we can tell you for now:

* Everything I have posted about Jamie and Ali is true and has been cleared with the family and their representatives. They are getting their information directly from Jamie and Ali and passing it on to me. I have not and I will not post anything without permission from them. This is a delicate matter and it will be treated as such.
* Due to your action, we do have the right people working on every facet of the rescue, from acquiring planes, to securing food and water, to logistics, to safety, to immigration, etc. They have not stopped working and will continue to work until the children are evacuated.
* You may have seen a recent video on CNN, and we want you to understand — THE SITUATION IS DIRE. Food and water are still required in order for the children to survive. Those of us behind the scenes know how brave it was for Jamie and Ali to put on a smile in the face of such dire circumstances. They are keeping it together for the kids because calm and cool is their nature. But make no mistake–their situation is serious. The cameras showed only a small portion of the 150 children in their care. When you’re feeding that many, food and water become more scarce by the minute.

What can you do?

LOTS.

1. If you have any contacts with people on the ground in Haiti, humanitarian groups, the military or anyone for that matter that can get food and water to Jamie and Ali, as well as supplies, please email me and I will put you in touch with those who can work with you to help us. I am at virginia[at]thatschurch[dot]com.

2. Call or email your senator and your congressman. Write to all of them if you can. Light a fire under them to do what is necessary to expedite the process for granting humanitarian parole for ALL of Haiti’s orphans.

3. There is a need for:

* diapers (infant, baby, toddler)
* powdered baby formula
* crackers/snacks (appropriate for small children)
* warm coats/winter clothes/shoes (baby, toddler, children)
* bottled water.

There is no need for:

* toys
* books
* baby food
* or summer clothes at this time.

If you would like to drop off items you can do so (after 11 a.m.) at 1212 West North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Please proceed through the gate. Leave your donations in the right front apartment (1212) on the first floor. The doors will be unlocked. There will be a sign that says “BRESMA Donations”.

4. You can donate to the BRESMA orphanage: this is how you can donate to Jamie, Ali, and BRESMA

http://www.centeroflife.net/haiti/index.html.

5. Pray. For BRESMA and all of Haiti.

Please understand this is a sensitive international situation and we are sharing with you WHAT WE CAN.

Things are dire. Gears are turning. I hope to have good news soon.

orphans, haiti, rescue