As a Social Worker, I've seen kids become increasingly sexualized over the last 20 years.

Kids are facing unprecedented pressure to be mature at ever younger ages, to perform more academically earlier, to become more hip and sexually seductive. What the hell do we have against them being kids? Shouldn't they just be allowed to go through the normal stages of child development? Shouldn't it be the primary role of parents to make sure that this happens, to protect their children in appropriate ways until they are developmentally prepared to handle adult challenges in a pretty complex and potentially dangerous world?

To not make these common sense distinctions and dismiss this as just the latest rantings of the latest generation of prudes and puritans does all our children an extreme disservice.

The whole "parent as friend" method of parenting is at the root of much of what is wrong I fear. Parents seem to be abdicating their traditional responsibilities and are becoming increasingly lazy. They don't want to tell their children "no" and then deal with the inevitable tantrums. These parents want so desperately to just be liked by their kids. It's all incredibly sad because it's our children that pay the price.

"According to the news a week or two ago, Priuses are now available off the lot, without a backlog, and Toyota has expressed surprise and disappointment that they aren't selling faster. That's why I expressed dismay."

Hmmm....Toyota may be disappointed, but according to the numbers released today, Toyota has sold twice as many Prius this year as they did last. If it's anything like the way they market other products (Nintendo WII for example), the Japanese are experts at creating demand through limiting supply.(and they don't seem to have a problem meeting stricter CAFE standards.)

Detroit just hasn't made a product in decades that people care enough about to create that kind of buzz. Ignoring the coming gas price increases and inevitable shortages to follow will surely be the undoing of the American car industry. They are digging their own grave I'm afraid.

Profiled in the news yesterday was the story of a woman at the 7 month mark of her pregnancy. She had excitedly, just the week before, outfitted her entire nursery in anticipation of the happy day.

She then got the news from her doctor that she had a likely lethal cancer that required chemo.

I guess she took the "cowards" way out by electing to have Dr. Tiller end her pregnancy in this case, eh Donut99 and all you other pro-birthers?

Now it's down to only two doctors in this country that can save the lives of these women. Dr. Tiller was a brave man to stand up to this brand of lethal orthodoxy.

A particularly effective form of domestic terrorism it is, even if YOU don't feel threatened Donut99.