The Governator

I am a volunteer for a Youth and Government program. It is a wonderful experience. High School students from all over California come together for trainings in November and January and in February they take over the Capitol for 5 days. They debate their own legislation, try their own court cases and learn about the workings of the California government first hand.

It is truly an honor to watch them in motion. Part of the experience includes actual government officials speaking to the students. The Atty General Bill Lockyear showed up, as did Jack O'Connell and we were even given the honor of having the Governor show up to speak and he actually took questions from the students.

Too bad he didn't answer any of the questions directly. He anwered the Walmart question with regard to using up state resources for health care with a diatribe of sport analogies and pulling ones self up the boot straps cliches.

He actually said that when he came here as an immigrant he knew the importance of health care and so purchased his own at the rate of $25/month. He knew it was more important to have health insurance than a television. YES, a television. Basically all you part time workers at Walmart who make $8.50/hour and pay rent in the neighborhood of at least $1000 per month should forgo a television (that might set you back $200 as a one time purchase) and purchase your own health care at ooh, let's me kind and quote it at $150/month. No mind to food, clothing, gas, auto insurance and the like.

I am sure we all aspire to be a dimwitted ex body builder whose claim to fame is "I'll be back" who made in excess of $29 million per movie. But since that is a pipe dream at best for the majority of people not just in California, but in the world, I have this to say:

Governor Schwarzenegger, if I have anything to say about it, you will not be back in the Governorship when the next election takes place.

Please go back to Pacific Palisades and stay away from the 5th largest economy in the world.

Peanut Allergies

I have no idea why this came into my head today.

Here goes. When I was in 3rd grade my mom stopped making my lunch because I complained. See my problem was, I only ate peanut butter sandwiches and only on roman meal or sourdough bread. Never jelly on the sandwich in my sack lunch because it made the bread wet (gag). There would be an orange (hopefully) or a pear (in a pinch) or an apple (ugh, they get mushy) and two cookies, hopefully the kind my mom made.

I didn't like ham or turkey or cheese (ick) or tuna or egg salad. Now, it isn't that I never ate those things at home, but when a sandwich has to sit in closet for 4 hours before it is eaten, it needs to have a good shelf life.

And honestly, no one in my life would say I was a picky eater. I guess I'm just picky about the texture of the food when I eat it. Warm ham, half melted cheese, bread soaking wet from tuna or egg salad still grosses me out.

I also was one of the few kids who did not like eating in the school cafeteria. I honestly do not know what I would do today or what my mother would do if Peanut butter had been removed from my list of available foods.

Now, I don't want any kids to have to die for my love of peanut butter, but . . .

If you were the parent of the kid who only ate peanut butter and who could not find an alternative (note reasons above) what would you do? It is not exceptable for a kid to not eat all day.

I can also tell you I have a mom who never wanted another kid to be hurt or left out and I had a friend, Simone, who was Jehovah's Witness and could not celebrate any holidays in our classroom. My mom always made her a plain sugar cookie with plain white frosting in the shape of CIRCLE to have just because.

Simone's mom called to thank my mom. I wonder if, today, when my mom had to go to my elementary school, which was now designated a peanut free school and complain because her daughter refused to eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches and she felt my civil liberties were being ignored over another child, if any parents would call her to help.

I know this is somewhat trivial, but children all over this globe die each and every day from malnutrition. This happens at much higher rate than children dying from peanut allergies.

I have no answers. I have no plan. At least Skippy is putting their money where their peanuts are and funding research for a peanut allergy vaccine.

Money well spent I'm sure. Maybe they could send some of their peanut butter to the starving children of the world and become a non profit peanut organization to combat world hunger. I guess then I could live in one of those places.

Just a thought.