MattSnodBlog

I'm the father of three wonderful children -- better than I could have hoped for and probably better than I deserved (I'll thank my wife, then). I have two girls, aged 4 and 7, and a son who's 8. I've noticed lately that my son has started to pull away a bit from his parents. My wife was the first to go with, "Mom, you don't have to kiss me goodbye at school." I've noticed lately that whenever I throw him a loving stare, an extended hug, or have him in my lap (tougher these days, as he's growing like a weed), he gets this look of ennui, disinterest, and just a smidgen of disdain. It's obvious to him that he's getting too old for that, and it's only now becoming clear to me. This is tough to digest because it was only a little over 8 years ago that I was holding this 6-week-premature chicken of a baby that fit in my forearm like a football. The pictures I scan through in iPhoto are now only distant memories of a toddler I once knew. One that looked at me like I was his entire world. Mind you, the one thing I hoped for on behalf of my children -- even before I had children -- was a strong sense of independence. It's something I lacked until my early twenties. However, now that he's developing it, I want it taken away, dammit! The consolation of my girls' undying enthusiasm for their father is matched only by my pride in my son's self-determination and self-reliance. I guess this is a long way of telling you who have young children this ... by all means, cherish the times you spend with your children. If you're presented with a choice of spending time with them or not, choose the former. If you must do something that would take you from them, consider taking them with you. Some of the most seemingly mundane moments in adults' lives can fill a child with joy and wonder, like taking them to work. Remember, they're only this age once.

Okay, so the last thing I wanted this blog to turn into was a political blog, but there are some things about which I just can't keep my mouth shut. Take a read of this story about the Alaska state lawmakers voting to subpoena Todd Palin, Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin's husband. Three things disturb me about this story, setting aside the obvious that Palin may have abused her power in trying to force someone to fire her ex brother-in-law. However, on that, she is innocent until proven otherwise. However:  

1. Sarah Palin has her private attorney currently representing her as governor of Alaska. I imagine that it's typical of sitting officials to have someone fill in for their duties while they campaign but her private attorney? Is there no deputy governor? Or in Alaska, is that also the postmaster and head moose butcher?
2. Second, her husband, the snowmobiler, is copied on official state e-mails and attends official meetings. What? Is this 2008 Alaska or 20 B.C. Rome?
3. Republicans attempted to have this investigation postponed until after the election. Well of course they did! Why allow for a swift resolution to this issue, unless it poses a threat to their candidate?

Again, I implore everyone who reads this, do your research, decide what and who is best for this country, and vote on November 4.

At this weekend's PodCamp: Philly, I was having a discussion with some friends about Sarah Palin. I suggested the possibility that their infant son, Trig, is in fact the child of Bristol and not Sarah. I went further to suggest that after the election, we will be told the unfortunate news that Bristol has lost her baby. I know ... all this sounds like some story line out of a daytime soap opera, but stranger things have happened. Okay, I don't suppose you'll have heard it here first, but I did want to get this on-record before the election. What is my reasoning for such a wild theory? Let's take a look:

• It's been reported that Sarah never looked pregnant during her pregnancy with Trig.
• Earlier this year, Bristol was pulled out of school for 4-5 months due to a case of mononucleosis. According to WebMD, most people recover from mononucleosis on their own within two weeks.
• While "happy accidents" happen all the time, would a 44-year-old newly elected governor with four kids out of diapers embark on having a new baby? Possibly.
• In this photo, taken on Super Tuesday (February 5, 2008), Sarah Palin was supposedly six months pregnant. She doesn't look it. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="302" caption="(click for larger image)"][/caption]
• However, this photo does show that she appears pregnant, although when the photo was taken is still not precisely known. It was supposedly shot around one month after the previous photo.
• Even if she did give birth to Trig, I question her decision to wait to get to a hospital after her water broke (or amniotic fluid started to leak) when she was about to give a speech at an energy conference in Texas on April 17, 2008. Take a look at the now-infamous decision tree. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="194" caption="(click to view larger image)"][/caption] I invite you to weigh in, and tell me your theories.