Favorite Daughter

Are you gung-ho Marine Corps dog-face for Memorial Day, or just hangdog, as in depressed and demoralized? Favorite Daughter has been thinking about this in her drought-parched Hammock of Death:

"Of (Puppy) Dogs and Marines" by Favorite Daughter

There's a little girl who lives next door to me, about 5, and fully capable of walking and talking and waving to me on occasion, which is always mind-blowing because I remember her family moving in prior to her existence.

The family is, I guess, a good one, at least in the traditional American sense. They have a yard with nice grass and a back deck, an easy southern drawl on the rare occasions I hear them speak. They play country music on the radio on the weekend, host some sort of church get-together on Wednesday nights. They possess a comfortable façade of Americana, which I'm sure I could peel back quite easily, revealing a healthy amount of sordidness, but I won't.

They also have the meanest dog I've ever met.

He's a Boston Terrier, a breed second only to the pug in its tenacious ugliness. He despises me even more than he despises the rest of the world; whenever we're outside together, he runs to the edge of his yard and threatens me in every way he can. He once chased a garbage man up a brick mailbox.

Crossposted here because:
a) Michael and Nance *said* they wanted more,
and
b) Favorite Daughter hangs on moiv's posts and wanted to do her part, contribute to the conversation here. JJ

"A SUGGESTION FROM THE LIBERAL LION"

I don't try to be brilliant, it just comes to me.

So I wasn't surprised when, without even trying, I came up with the most innovative sarcastic social experiment since Swift's A Modest Proposal.

I've been thinking a lot about abortion and gay rights recently, as the Liberal Lion within me wakes up, indulges in a long, huge yawn, and takes stock of the current political climate. Though up and roaring through the Terri Schiavo debacle of 2005, he was soon lulled into a deceptively peaceful sleep by the conservative talk radio I've listened to of late.

But as I said, the Lion is now awake, and pontificating about politics in that annoying way Liberal Lions will.

"McCain is compromised by his base, not to be trusted." He growls. "And you can't trust a damn thing you see on television. Liberal media my tail -- I'd like to see one of them not in the administration's pocket. Obama is the Manchurian Candidate, can't be trusted either. Johnny Damon is the True Antichrist." (The Lion is decisive in his thoughts, and liberal to an almost paranoid degree. Also a rabid Red Sox fan.)

There's no category called "Best Feminist Teen" in the homeschool blog awards, but I wish there were. And I wish there were thousands upon thousands of strong contenders for it, harmonizing with Favorite Daughter's young voice in the alternative education blog-hersphere.

But I get the uncomfortable feeling she may be pretty much the sole standard bearer for that, writing on such a sharp cutting edge that few will even find her point of view to consider it, much less join her. She just doesn't fit comfortably into the curriculum-based Christian conversations and patriarchal perspectives that seem to dominate homeschooling both online and off. And doesn't want to.

Her olive oil essay about purity balls really spoke to many of you non-homeschool types ABOUT homeschool types, but you can well imagine it's the kind of thing that would hurt her more than help her in building and reaching a homeschool following! So if you find Favorite Daughter's writing worth a vote to help bring her fresh eyeballs and keep her unique view engaged in the conversation, please take a minute right now (or sometime this week before voting ends) and give her your click here.

It makes a difference who you are -- and whoever gets to create your character.

Favorite Daughter defines herself as her own reflection, says she has a "Disney Princess Complex."

But I don't think this fake news videoclip of "Frog Princess" is quite what she had in mind, guess homeschool princesses better be careful what we wish for and who gets to grant it.

(Sorry, can't get fancy video screen to appear but the link above will take you to it at Comedy Central site)
Anybody for popcorn? --