Under-Aware

The smell of the great outdoors

Captain Underaware — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:13:59 GMT

So there we were, spent a great weekend camping at French Creek State Park. We packed up and hooked up in a light drizzle and pulled the Prairie Schooner down to the dump station for my chance to practice for the RV sequel. At the dumping station just in front of us was a couple with their lovely JayFeather Trailer, dumping their tanks without the use of a hose (all together now………eeeew!). Just pull the valve, dumping it all on the concrete pad, and trying to wash it down the hole with a hose.

Here’s a visual for you:

I don’t know if they forgot the hose and fittings, if they were new to camping and didn’t know any better, I just don’t know.

Anyway, if you love the movie Christmas Vacation take the Christmas Vacation quiz HERE

Thought for the day – Integrity

Captain Underaware — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:20:18 GMT

“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
-Chinua Achebe

Barney Frank – fail

Chris Dodd – fail

John Kerry – fail

Ted “wanna lift?” Kennedy – fail

Arlen Specter – fail

Joe Biden – fail

Patrick “leaky” Leahy – fail

Dick Durbin – fail

John “big fat liar” Murtha – fail

John McCain – fail

Henry Waxman – fail

Anything Clinton – fail

Eric “we are a nation of cowards” Holder – fail

Blogo – fail

Tim “the taxman” Geithner – fail

Ed “casinos will set you free/speed demon” Rendell – fail

Jon “speed demon 2/ gimpy” Corzine – fail

Jim McGreevey – fail

Olympia Snowe – fail

Susan Collins – fail

Janet Neapolitan Ice Cream – 10th amendment and Canuck fail

Barack “$13 tax cut/$4000 tax hike and Special Olympic slighting” Obama – fail would be a step up for you.

Pick Any Two

Captain Underaware — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:20:29 GMT

There’s an old saying, You can get it fast, you can get high quality, you can get it cheap, pick any two.

Well it would seem that adage also pertains to the burgeoning micro car market:

Micro cars can give motorists top-notch fuel efficiency at a competitive price, but the insurance industry says they do not fare well in collisions with larger vehicles.

In crash tests released Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart "fortwo," Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris could face significant leg and head injuries in severe front-end crashes with larger, mid-size vehicles.

Click here for PHOTOS of the CARnage

"There are good reasons people buy mini cars. They're more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president.

FOXNews.com - Small Cars Get Poor Marks in Collision Tests – Auto

So I guess the question is, how much is your safety, (and the safety of your loved ones) worth? How much is your comfort worth?

Yes I drive a big truck, partly because we camp and we need something to safely tow our trailer, partly because there is a hell of lot more of a protective shell around us. No I don’t have to drive to work every day in the truck. But personally, my family’s well being comes in at the number one spot, before ANYTHING else.

Oh and for those that say if we all drove the much smaller cars then we would all be safe. I have two words for you, Tractor Trailer.

In the case of Micro cars, maybe it should be you can get fuel efficiency, you can get lower cost, you can get safety.

CASH-STARVED TIMES COMPARED TO DARFUR

Captain Underaware — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:18:07 GMT

NEW York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller equated the Gray Lady to a PBS pledge drive, claiming readers have offered to donate money to keep the Times alive.

Keller was speaking at Stanford University to dedicate a new building for the campus newspaper -- an event he likened to a "ribbon-cutting" for "a new Pontiac dealership."

The bombastic broadsheet editor went on to equate the keep-the-Times-alive movement to the cause of starving African refugees, saying, "Saving the New York Times now ranks with saving Darfur as a high-minded cause."

Keller said he had little use for Web sites like Google and Drudge Report: "If you're inclined to trust Google as your source for news -- Google yourself."

Source: CASH-STARVED TIMES COMPARED TO DARFUR - New York Post

Really Mr. Keller? NYT vs Darfur. No use for Google? As hard as is it to wish a place to go out of business, this one is pretty close to the top. Not one ounce of integrity or objective journalism, and now the guy at the helm in less than three sentences shows himself to have the intelligence of a turnip (sorry turnips).

Two of the comments stand out in that article:

shimari wrote:

Bill Keller has no use for Google (other than the NYT staff probably use it a million times a day to look up stuff). I took a queue from Bill's comment to "google yourself"; apparently Bill Keller has "Googled himself" and doesn't like what he sees: "bill keller treason" (7370 hits), "bill keller treasonous" (9040 hits), "bill keller hypocrite" (2940 hits), "bill keller idiot" (7880 hits), "bill keller irresponsible" (5040 hits), "bill keller unamerican" (963 hits), "bill keller" + "belongs in jail" (863 hits), "bill keller arrogant" (16400 hits)... and on and on and on....
Thanks for your suggestion, Bill!

4/3/2009 2:49 PM EDT

Red Phoenix wrote:

People in Darfur are dying from genocide and starvation. The New York Times will soon die from journalistic malpractice and leftist activism. It is really sad to compare the failure of a newspaper to people who suffering under such horrific conditions.

4/3/2009 2:42 PM EDT

The only really sad thing about the NYT going down the tubes is when the store runs out of Scott, we’ll have to find a different substitute.

House passes bill taxing AIG and other bonuses

Captain Underaware — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:01:00 GMT

Everyone is in an uproar. Bailout vixen AIG paid millions in bonus money to employees even after accepting bailout money (and they have also sent some bailout money to companies overseas).

This is a good thing, right? I mean the rats did a terrible job running their company, why should they get bonus cash?

While I think it very stupid for a company to be paying bonuses on that magnitude to a staff when the company is teetering on the brink of failure, (and getting assistance from We The People), step back and look at two things, and then turn the looking glass at yourself dear reader.

First, the bonuses were apparently written into the contracts of these people. (Contracts, you folks of the UAW and other Unions know that word, right? What are you “guaranteed” in your contracts?) On top of that, Sen Chris Dodd D-CT inserted language INTO the bailout to protect bonuses that were in place prior to early February of this year. Furthermore Senator Dodd has said yes he put in the amendment, but at the insistence of the White House.

So let’s see, the two biggest recipients of AIG donations last year Obama and Dodd, put a little teeny tiny tweak into the bailout and hoped that no one would notice. After all what is $165 Million when you are throwing around $Trillions like it is lunch money?

Well people are noticing, more and more people are getting nervous and angry. So, thumping their chests, here comes the he-man-woman-haters club, the Congress, led by their HMBIC (Head Matronly Bloviator In Charge), Nancy Pelosi to tax all of that bonus money out of the pockets of said employees.

Democrats pressed for quick action Thursday on a bill to slap punishing taxes on big employee bonuses from firms bailed out by taxpayers. Republicans called it a legally questionable ploy to paper over Obama administration missteps.

"The American people demand protection and that's what we're doing today," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

House passes bill taxing AIG and other bonuses

Later in that news release:

"The Democratic bill brought to the floor today is constitutionally questionable," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. "It's obviously a transparent attempt to divert attention away from the truth that Democrats in Congress and this administration made these bonus payments possible."

The bill would levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses paid to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money.

"We figured that the local and state governments would take care of the other 10 percent," said Rangel.

So they didn’t get the bill right the first time, so now the pendulum swings way over the other way. Any bonuses paid to families earning less than $250K. It’s a tax grab, it’s a CYA, it’s smoke and mirrors.

The last statement proves it’s a tax grab, and what happens if state and local taxes add up to >10%, will that family have to pay more back than they had received in their bonus? What if the bonus has already been spent, kids tuition, house, car, consumer goods, you know the stuff that unlike the toilet paper known as Congressional Bills actually will help the economy? Oh I guess they will have to get a loan.

This is major CYA, like I said in outset, this caveat was pushed by the White House and inserted by Senator Dodd, again head recipients of AIG contributions. So now that the public is up in arms it is hey look at us we didn’t see this coming (even though we put an amendment into the bill to allow it), look how mean we are being to the bastard rich people. This is also the same reason why it’s smoke and mirrors. They knew what they were doing before, but got caught. Look how screwed up this one little thing is, now look at the Spendulus pork fest, that NOT ONE PERSON read before passing.

So dear reader, what does it mean to you, you don’t work for AIG, you didn’t get a bonus, your company isn’t on the Federal Dole. Here is what it means;

First off, no matter what your individual employment contract says, the Government can come in after the fact and take any and in this case all of it away (maybe even more).

Second, no matter what laws they pass, if you think you are doing things above board and by the law, they can (and will) pass laws that will turn you from citizen to criminal with the stroke of a pen.

Notice that until now I haven’t mentioned the utter hypocrisy of Charlie (tax cheat) Rangel. Someone ought to tax his miserable self at 90%.

Notice how I didn’t mention the mortgage sweetheart deal from Countrywide that Chris Dodd got. Oh but he re-fied his two homes so that’s fixed. Not really. That’s like saying I ran a stop light two days ago, but I stopped at one today so it’s fixed. He re-financed his mortgages first to again do smoke and mirrors, to again do a little CYA (there’s an image I didn’t need, could be worse I could be talking about Barney Frank and Freddie/Fannie) but also interest rates are down, duh.

So, got a contract? Good for you, plan accordingly. Covered by the law (for now)? Good for you and thank you for trying to do things the right way, but plan accordingly.

All of this over $165 Million when there are trillions upon trillions being thrown around. But fear not, I’m sure this is the ONLY mistake that they’ve made, all that other stuff is golden.

Thought for the day - Money

Captain Underaware — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:47:20 GMT

Let me give you a tip on a clue to men's characters: the man who damns money has obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it has earned it.

Source: Francisco's Money Speech" by Ayn Rand -- Capitalism Magazine

Follow that link, especially if you’ve never read Atlas Shrugged. Why is it when I read the excerpted quote above I see pictures of Obama, Bidden, Frank, Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, Kennedy, Schumer, Murtha, Hastings, Leahy, Durbin and so many more flash before my eyes? (Oh yeah, I know there are republicans too, but I’m holding to the current house rules on bipartisanship, what’s good for the stimulus negotiations is good for pointing out crooks.)

Atlas Shrugged : New Edition

ISBN: 1433256185
ISBN-13: 9781433256189

The Past Tense of Terrell Owens (Part III)

Captain Underaware — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:37:08 GMT

(CNN) -- Terrell Owens, a former San Francisco 49er and a former Philadelphia Eagle, is now a former Dallas Cowboy. The Cowboys released Owens late Wednesday, according to published reports.

Source: Report: Dallas Cowboys release WR Terrell Owens - CNN.com

First he’s let go by San Fran, then canned by the Eagles, now Dallas. The thing that stands out is he is a pretty darn good receiver (when he wants to be), but the brain/mouth disconnect very well might shorten his career. There are plenty of teams that could use an upgrade at that position, but are they willing to pay the cost?

It was just last June, two years into a three year deal that he had originally inked, he got a pay raise. $34 Million which included $13 Million Guaranteed. So 9 months ago he was the cat’s pajamas and now he’s just kitty clusters yet again. Was it his terminal throw the QB under the bus syndrome? Busting on Romo’s girl? Jealousy over the Romo/Witten friendship that at least in Owens’ eyes meant he was not getting the ball.

Is he right? (my gut instinct with anything TO is nah, when was he last right?) Is he not getting the ball? In the quest for information, all things Google came up with the following (on Yahoo :) );

I am including the number of targets and catches for both Owens and Witten since they became teammates in 2006 and below it are my questions.
Owens
2006: 153 targets, 85 catches, 56%
2007: 141 targets, 81 catches, 57%
2008: 113 targets, 55 catches, 49%
3 Yrs: 407 targets, 221 catches, 54%
Whitten
2006: 92 targets, 64 catches, 70%
2007: 141 targets, 96 catches, 68%
2008: 95 targets, 64 catches, 67%
3 Yrs: 328 targets, 224 catches, 68%

Source: Terrel Owens versus Jason Witten?

In that entry the author makes a point that Owens was actually thrown to more times in the games they lost compared to the games they (Dallas) won last season.

In 11 seasons, Owens has 882 catches for 13,070 yards and 129 touchdowns. Only former teammate Jerry Rice (197) and Cris Carter (130) have more touchdown catches in NFL history.

With another 13-touchdown catch season in 2008, Owens would join Rice as the only receivers in league history with eight seasons of 13 or more TD receptions.

When he was playing here for the Eagles, he was truly amazing to watch both on and off the field, and for different reasons. On the field, when he wants to play, and the attitude is left in the locker where it belongs, he is an amazing athlete to watch. Then, as if he is himself Jekyll and Hyde, he turns on those around him and blankets himself in such sick “me-ness” that no matter how good he is on the field, you just want nothing to do with him.

Who can forget when he wanted a new contract with the Eagles, even though his current contract was not due for renewal. The press conference in his driveway. Look at his stats again, two paragraphs up, this is a guy that has been cut/fired from three teams. Yet some team in the NFL with take him, hoping that they can corral his ego, make use of his talent. My suggestion to them is to hire a specialist in autism to work with him, he seems to almost be an idiot savant, showing miraculous talent while also having severe difficulty dealing with other aspects of his life.

So where will Drew Rosenhaus try to shop his damaged goods? I hear the Giants need a reciever since Plaxico Burress very well might face jail time from his accidental shooting of…… himself. The Giants could be interested because thus far TO has only managed to shoot himself in the foot.

So here we are, the third time is the charm? I hope so for his sake, but past is past, and the past tense of TO is yet again TOad.

Shovels hit the ground' on stimulus project

Captain Underaware — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:16:00 GMT

(CNN) -- President Obama said Tuesday that the country already is "seeing shovels hit the ground" on the first infrastructure repair project funded through the Transportation Department's share of the $787 billion stimulus bill.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "The work begins today in Montgomery County, Maryland, where a work crew is starting on a project to resurface Maryland State Highway 650 -- a very busy road that has not been fully repaired in 17 years."

The resurfacing contract is going to a Pennsylvania-based family-owned company, American Infrastructure, LaHood said.

He said the project will support 60 jobs. "And that's how we're going to get the country back on its feet," LaHood added.

Shovels hit the ground' on stimulus project, Obama says - CNN.com

Woohoo, the new stimulus is here, the new stimulus is here (you guess the movie).

Mark Compton, director of government affairs for American Infrastructure, said his company received $2.1 million in federal funds, by way of the Maryland State Highway Administration.

The money will be used to repave and add safety features to a stretch of the highway.

Compton said the cash infusion is the "catalyst" to create 60 jobs, including bringing back some laid-off

Mr. Compton later in the article says he hopes to retain the workers past the 6 months that this project is slated for. Oh yeah, getting Americans jobs. Of course if these workers can’t be retained after the project, they might be able to get some seasonal employment, Santa at the mall, something like that.

These are the jobs that the Government thinks will get the economy going? Temporary jobs?

Add to this, infrastructure in this Nation has crumbled, roads and bridges falling into disrepair (some just fallin). All of this taking a toll on our vehicles, reducing fuel economy. Who is supposed to take care of these things? Mortgage lenders? Big Banks? Auto Manufacturers? No-Bid Government Contractors? No. The Government, and they tax our fuel supposedly to do just that.

In looking at the topic it would seem that commercial enterprises do not pay for fuel taxes, that tax, if it is there is one, passed to the consumer or is a write-off as an expense, for the business. But the lowly peasants have to pay tax on each gallon of gas. Do you know how much? The average as of January 2009 (According to the American Petroleum Institute) is $0.45/gallon. (Low is Alaska at $0.184, high is New York at $0.597

No biggie right? I fill up the family global warming machine and if I go from empty I donate $19.01 to the kingdom.

So I begin to wonder to myself, where is my $19 worth of safe, smooth roads this week? Then I wondered, how many other people might be contributing to the kingdom for smooth, safe roads and bridges?

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, for just auto and motorcycle gas/diesel usage in 2005 (the latest year available) 74,085,000,000 gallons of gas were used. Now add all of the categories under “Highway”, and you get 174,286,000,000. 174 BILLION gallons in 2005! What was the average tax collected for that amount fuel used? $78,428,700,000

So in one year state and federal government takes in nearly $79 Billion in taxes, and what is there to show for that? Where did that money go? Why are the roads and bridges in the condition that they are in? And if the system is so messed up, how is it, without actually fixing the system, this stimulus boondoggle will be any better than the $79 Billion a year for the past 5 to 10 years that has been squandered?

Note to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, if your data is 3 years out of date, you flipping fail, obviously a government office that needs to be trimmed to reduce the deficit.

The mean nasty oil companies make horrendous profits, right? Well of all places, Congressional Research Service has a paper that outlines oil company profits for 2005. According to that paper the Oil Companies profit was almost $140 billion. Realizing they are getting profit from other oils, natural gas etc, but on a profit dollar per gallon of highway fuel, that math (140/174) comes out to $0.80 per gallon, if you were to add in oils, distillates, natural gas to mix, I’m sure the profit per gallon of highway fuel is substantially lower. How does this compare with the $0.45/gallon average tax? The oil companies have equipment to maintain, regulations to keep up with, and research and development to worry about. The Government?

Thought for the day - Education

Captain Underaware — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:07:46 GMT

An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
- Anatole France

Source: Reference, Facts, News - Free and Family-friendly Resources - Refdesk.com

If we use that standard, it looks like the majority of our politicians, a bunch of talking heads, especially in the environmental science area would fall into the uneducated buffoon category.

Boxer Seeks to Ratify U.N. Treaty That May Erode U.S. Rights

Captain Underaware — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:16:48 GMT

Sen. Barbara Boxer is urging the U.S. to ratify a United Nations measure meant to expand the rights of children, a move critics are calling a gross assault on parental rights that could rob the U.S. of sovereignty.

The California Democrat is pushing the Obama administration to review the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, a nearly 20-year-old international agreement that has been foundering on American shores since it was signed by the Clinton administration in 1995 but never ratified.

Critics say the treaty, which creates "the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion" and outlaws the "arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy," intrudes on the family and strips parents of the power to raise their children without government interference.

Boxer Seeks to Ratify U.N. Treaty That May Erode U.S. Rights - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

Is there a reason this has sat for 20 years? Through several sessions of Congress, through several Presidential Administrations? Why here? Why now?

Could it be that the underlying current we find ourselves in currently is not just a hard turn to the left but an actual frontal assault on our very Nation? Is the goal to erode the Nation, to level the playing field because it is unfair that we are a superpower, that we need to be ruled by the laws and mandates of the UN?

Boxer has made clear her intent to revive the ratification process under the Obama administration, which may be amenable to the move. During a Senate confirmation hearing last month, Boxer said she considers it "a humiliation" that the U.S. is "standing with Somalia" in refusing to become party to the agreement, while 193 other nations have led the way.

The U.S. is already party to two optional pieces of the treaty regarding child soldiers and child prostitution and pornography, but has refused to sign on to the full agreement, something which has rankled members of Congress, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Children deserve basic human rights ... and the convention protects children's rights by setting some standards here so that the most vulnerable people of society will be protected," Boxer said.

Yeah, children have rights. This from Senator Boxer who is a 100% ranked NARAL ranked politician.

Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.

This bill prohibits taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions. Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to save the life of the minor. Authorizes any parent to sue unless such parent committed an act of incest with the minor. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to one year on a physician who performs an abortion on an out-of-state minor in violation of parental notification requirements in their home state.

Proponents recommend voting YES because:

This bill deals with how young girls are being secretly taken across State lines for the purpose of abortion, without the consent of their parents or even the knowledge of their parents, in violation of the laws of the State in which they live. 45 states have enacted some sort of parental consent laws or parental notification law. By simply secreting a child across State lines, one can frustrate the State legislature's rules. It is subverting and defeating valid, constitutionally approved rights parents have.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

Some States have parental consent laws, some don't. In my particular State, it has been voted down because my people feel that if you ask them, "Do they want their kids to come to their parents?", absolutely. But if you ask them, "Should you force them to do so, even in circumstances where there could be trouble that comes from that?", they say no.

This bill emanates from a desire that our children come to us when we have family matters, when our children are in trouble, that they not be fearful, that they not be afraid that they disappoint us, that they be open with us and loving toward us, and we toward them. This is what we want to have happen. The question is: Can Big Brother Federal Government force this on our families? That is where we will differ.

Reference: Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act; Bill S.403 ; vote number 2006-216 on Jul 25, 2006

From OnTheIssues.com

She has repeatedly voted against partial birth abortion bans, what about the rights of those children Senator? In this day, the miracle of modern medicine can deliver and maintain a baby born at 22 weeks with very limited success, at about 24 weeks the survival rate begins to increase dramatically. A full term baby is considered to be between 37 and 42 weeks. So in the later 35% of the pregnancy in many cases this fetus could be delivered and would survive. So again I ask Senator Boxer, Senator Sanders and a whole host of others, what of the right of THAT child?

The funny thing about rights is this, my rights are mine, and I am entitled to them, as long as the exercise of my rights DO NOT INFRINGE upon the rights of another.

The right of a woman to do with her body as she pleases is inherent, that right is not given by any politician. Although that right is not as clear cut as many would think.

In 2005, a then 16 year old pregnant girl (6 months pregnant) and her 17 year old boyfriend decided to self abort their fetus. The boy repeatedly struck the girl in the abdomen with a baseball bat and forced a miscarriage. Realize both of these kids decided on their own, together to do this, he struck her with her permission, and both of their intents were to end the pregnancy.

The Richmond Township boy, 16, who may be arraigned as early as today in Macomb County Juvenile Court, is at home with his parents. He was charged as a juvenile with intentional conduct against a pregnancy or stillbirth, which is a felony. If convicted, he could remain in custody until age 21.

But the girl, also from Richmond - who was a willing participant in the induced abortion, law enforcement officials say - cannot be charged under that law because it specifically excludes the mother from criminal liability.

Boy faces felony in baseball bat abortion

The boy was sentenced eventually to probation, and the girl was not charged, although officials wanted to if you read the entire article. I’m sorry but I fail to see the difference between the boy and girl deciding to abort their child and doing it themselves or going to the local Planned Parenthood, the net effect is the same. There was consent given. Crude yes, could she have suffered injuries or even death from what they did, yes, but that is also something that can happen at Planned Parenthood, or any other “clinic”.

In 2006 a young lady went to a clinic to have an abortion, but the baby was born alive, the staff in the clinic bagged the living fetus and disposed of it. The medical examiner later found that the fetus had actually breathed before dying. The Doctor in that case has lost his license to practice (in Florida), and there is an ongoing investigation. Doctor loses license in live birth abortion case The baseball bat kid(s) could have gone to prison, the Doctor get slapped and we’ll see what if anything happens to the actual staff that did this.

Children do have rights, already, and common sense dictates that the parents of children are the primary sources of everything a child needs, from conception to the point where that child is ready to take on the world on their own. This UN Treaty has the potential to erode this parental role significantly.

The convention has established a Committee on the Rights of the Child, an 18-member panel in Geneva composed of "persons of high moral character" who review the rights of children in nations that are party to the convention.

But legal experts say the convention does nothing to protect human rights abroad -- and that acceding to the convention would erode U.S. sovereignty.

Because of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the Constitution, all treaties are rendered "the supreme law of the land," superseding preexisting state and federal statutes. Any rights or laws established by the U.N. convention could then be argued to hold sway in the United States.

"To the extent that an outside body, a group of unaccountable so-called experts in Switzerland have a say over how children in America should be raised, educated and disciplined -- that is an erosion of American sovereignty," said Steven Groves, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Parental rights groups are similarly stirred; they see in the U.N. convention a threat that the government will meddle with even the simplest freedoms to raise their children as they see fit.

"Whether you ground your kids for smoking marijuana, whether you take them to church, whether you let them go to junior prom, all of those things . . . will be the government's decision," said Michael Farris, president of ParentalRights.org. "It will affect every parent who's told their children to do the dishes."

Groves said that erosion has already begun, as the Supreme Court has referred to the wide acceptance of the child-rights law in conferring legal protections on minors in the U.S.

So is this an inroad, or a possible loss of our rights, our sovereignty? I am not sure, it can be. Frankly, I’m not a fan of big government, it has NEVER been able to do anything efficiently and correctly, and in my opinion the UN is even worse than big government.

Proponents of the convention in the U.S. stress that it will help secure human rights abroad.

"Now, all you have to do is look around the world and see these girls that are having acid thrown in their face," Boxer said in January, implying that the U.S. refusal to come aboard has led to abuses elsewhere.

But when acceding to the convention, countries are able to sign so-called RUDs -- reservations, understandings and declarations -- that can hinder or negate responsibilities they would otherwise be bound to follow.

Most majority Muslim nations express reservations on all provisions of the convention that are incompatible with Islamic Sharia law, which takes much of the teeth out of the treaty. Acid attacks on girls continue in Afghanistan, which is already party to the convention.

The U.N. itself admits that there is no way for it to enforce its own laws and protect children.

"When it comes to signatories who violate the convention and/or its optional protocols -- there is no means to oblige states to fulfill their legal obligations," said Giorgia Passarelli, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights, which oversees the child-rights body.

Passarelli said that the committee has kept a constant spotlight on rights violators and fed into decisions made by the Security Council, especially involving child soldiers. But even then, she added, such pressure does not always prevail.

Despite these obstacles, Boxer has made clear that she intends to ramp up pressure to get the treaty ratified, a passion that may be shared by the Obama administration.

During the Oct. 22, 2008, presidential youth debate, Obama promised to "review this and other treaties to ensure the United States resumes its global leadership in human rights."

So it is yet again our fault, we are responsible for everything, (except when it’s Bush’s fault). It is our fault that girls and women are beaten in Afghanistan, it is our fault that young woman have had acid thrown in their faces. I see that Senator Boxer, who seems to love this Treaty, hasn’t mentioned anything about the nations that refuse to abide by the Treaty the THEY signed. So yes the United States and Somolia have not signed it. One nation has been leaderless for quite some time, and now we shall see if our Nation has a leader on this topic or not. I fear I know where it’s going, but we shall see.

Leadership does not involve following the pack, unfortunately many think that it does. Leadership many times is a lonely road, with many disagreeing with you. As a true leader you try to convince those that disagree with you why they should join you, so far from our new administration I have seen little in the way of leadership, and a lot in the way of preaching and do as I say.

As the UN has admitted, this is a bunch of useless words, it is not enforceable, so in this age of we need to do this, that and the other thing, now, crisis, catastrophe, why should we be spending time on something that is nothing more than a proclamation?

Unless of course your ultimate goal is to crack the door open to allow the UN in to help us run our Nation. To establish even more precedent.