Is it an ethical violation for an attorney to say that sometimes the Ohio Supreme Court is a bunch of wimps? Does that fall under the category of judicial criticism that is supposed to be a discipline-worthy offense?

I have been following the case of the man who owed $38,000 in child support (he fathered seven children by five different mothers). He was found guilty of a criminal offense for failure to pay and was ordered not to father any more children. Of course, the case went on appeal all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court. Rather than simply address the fundamental issue of whether such a sentence is constitutional, the Ohio Supreme Court, in all its wisdom, sent the case back to the trial judge on the grounds that no escape provision had been set that would allow the father to end the restriction (perhaps upon paying his obligation). So the trial judge is going to get another crack at it. What do you think he might do? I guess it will depend on whether he's as irritated by the Ohio Supreme Court's refusal to tackle the tough issues as I am.

I am not a Bush supporter...I'll freely admit it...but this sort of thing really bothers me. A police officer can not have a political bumper sticker in his car/truck if it sits in the city parking lot?!?!?! First, this case presumes that everyone who walks by will know that this car belongs to a police officer. I have no idea what the police officers in my courthouse drive...and quite frankly I don't care. Second, when did it become political to voice your support of the President of the United States??? Or is it merely a time relative problem?

If this officer were wearing a pin on his person while at work, I could understand the problem. But his car making a political statement is an entirely different matter. And what happens if he decides to put a permanent sticker on his bumper, instead of just in the window. He can't drive the car to work anymore?!?!?! Is he not allowed to express his support of the President? Who can he express support for and who can he not? Can he put a World Wildlife Federation sticker on his car? What about those "my child is an honor student" stickers?

Repeat after me, oh great legal minds...slippery slope, slippery slope, slippery slope...

I simply should not watch the news. But every time I happen to flip channels past a local news program already in progress, I just can not help but stop and watch. This past week I saw a story about a serial pet killer on the loose in my county , a story about a baby left in an alley in our state capitol, and a story about how Ohio is going to be the next Florida.

Oy! Somebody please take my remote control and hide it!

Yowie

I am still breastfeeding my daughter. She and I are both pretty comfortable with it most of the time. However (and this may not be for the squeemish), during the few days leading up to and during menstruation, breastfeeding becomes excruciating and the amount produced from pumping plummets.

Knowing that I have periods while still breastfeeding my sister-in-law sent me this advice:

"For some women, the drop in milk supply and nipple tenderness associated with menstruation becomes more of a challenge. An effective treatment for these symptoms associated with the return of periods is to add a calcium/magnesium supplement to the diet upon ovulation and continue it through the second or third day of a period. The supplement should be 1500 calcium/750 magnesium but can be as low as 500 calcium/250 magnesium (the higher the dosage the more effective and quicker the results). It should be a combination pill. This much calcium should never be taken alone. If your cycles are not regular and you do not know when you ovulate, you can take the supplement the entire month until you begin to see a pattern to your flow. This type of supplement seems to work as it prevents the drop in blood calcium levels which occurs mid-cycle and continues through the second to third day of a period. It is this drop which is associated with the nipple tenderness and drop in milk supply as well as the uterine cramping so often experienced with menstruation. You only need to take one pill a day."

I have been taking the supplements as advised but my supply is still low. Nursing and pumping merely painful, rather than eye-popping, eye-watering painful. I guess that is an improvement.

Is this the best I can hope for until I no longer nurse or pump? Anyone out there have other advice?

Seriously?

I receive some parenting newsletter via e-mail. Today I found this article regarding nudity around your children. The gist of it is that once the kid becomes self aware, it's time to cover up.

Now I'm not talking about being nudists while at home, but wouldn't we be sending the message that nakedness is bad and shameful by covering up? Isn't there some sort of balance between such a prudish view and developing a child's healthy sense of self and body image? How do you walk the line between teaching a child that some things are private and over-reacting so that they see naked bodies as wrong?

Do you think it depends on the gender of the child and the parent?

I definitely didn't find the article very thoughtful or helpful. I wonder if she's a Freudian psychologist?

Did I mention that I broke my nose? It was an unfortunate meeting of my face with the very hard head of one of my dogs...he zigged when I zagged...and I was left seeing stars. But to tell you the kind of mom I have become, I immediately reached into the freezer and pulled out BooBoo Bear. I can only imagine the picture I made standing in my kitchen with little birdies and stars circling round my head with my son's BooBoo Bear stuck to my nose. Oh...and we unfortunately do not own the Blue's Clues version of this product...a fact which my son is more than willing to tell you all about if you give him the chance.

I am working on arranging an animal rescue transport for this weekend that has particularly disturbed me. Actually, I'm arranging three transports for this weekend, but one has me thinking (and that is always a dangerous proposition). A mama dog (retriever/chow mix) and her five puppies were brought into the dog pound a few weeks ago. I won't mention which pound because I would like to maintain a working relationship with them. Anyway...the mama was allowed to nurse her puppies for the state-mandated six weeks and then the pups were all adopted out. The mama was left in the shelter and was scheduled to be put to sleep when a wonderful rescue saw her story and decided that she deserved better.

I am startled that this pound, overrun with dogs and cats, would adopt out the puppies without requiring that they be spayed or neutered. I am saddened that this mama is left to be put to sleep because she isn't a cute and cuddly puppy anymore. But more than that, I'm terribly afraid that at least one of these five puppies will find themselves in the exact same situation as their mama in just a year or two. There is no incentive for people to do the right thing anymore. Our country is filled with millions of unwanted pets...over four million are put to sleep each year. This mama and her puppies ALL deserve better from us, as responsible adults. Pardon me while I channel Bob Barker for a moment...PLEASE have your pet spayed or neutered.

OH...here is her picture...she's beautiful, don't you think?

The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Aiden Stein, the baby who is in a vegetative state (allegedly due to shaken baby syndrome caused by abuse by his father)...and whose case has held, up to this point, that a guardian may terminate life support for a minor (despite the parental rights not being terminated). It will be interesting to see how this case concludes. I'm not a Ohio Supreme Court expert and have no insight, so I can't even offer a guess.

New mothers with fibromyalgia (FM) face multiple barriers to breast-feeding their babies, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing.

find your inner PIE @ stvlive.com

I figured out that ME1's obsession with purchasing cross-stitch supplies is not that strange. Why have I reached this conclusion, you may ask? Because I have found myself engaging in similar behavior patterns...but with scrapbooking materials. I have no idea where my obsession springs from. It seems to have come on quickly, like an aggressive disease for which there is no treatment.

When given ten free minutes to do with as I please, I choose to scrapbook. And in reality, those ten minute sessions are few and far between. But that does not stop me from buying up all the doo-dads that I can possibly afford for future use.

Yesterday, my illness progressed so far that I drove over an hour to a scrapbooking store, two-year-old AND husband in tow, just to buy some neat paper and stickers.

Do you think there are twelve-step groups for this kind of thing?

I think perhaps this guy's message got a bit lost when he dressed himself up like Batman.

For those that don't have a NYTimes subscription online...

A group that advocates greater rights for fathers in child custody cases sent two of its operatives over the fence at Buckingham Palace today and one of them, dressed as Batman, scampered up a ladder to a ledge near the Queen's balcony, setting off a security alert and a tense standoff with police.

I have a terrible time comparing myself to others.

I read my friend's blog and think, "Why can't I write like that?"

I see my friend interact with her child and think, "I need to be more like her as a mom."

I watch my co-worker in court and think, "How does she come up with those amazing legal arguments?" (Not to mention she looks fabulous in a dark suit while I look short and dumpy)

I often wonder if it's insecurity, like I've been telling myself for years, or if it's real and honest jealousy. Maybe I've been fooling myself thinking about my "shortcomings" and I'm just a small and petty person who is worried about what she doesn't have.

Everyone has their own gifts to share with the world...so why can't I just be happy with the ones I have?

In answer to the BORED comment...if you find yourself at work and you're facing a stack of incoming research projects that do not excite you, it is EASY to find yourself spiraling down into the depths of boredom. I have LOTS to do...but I'm bored with all of it.

I am BORED!!!