This strikes me as wrong all over

After Losing Freedom, Some Immigrants Face Loss of Custody of Their Children

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If the argument is that Ms. Bail can't take care of her child because she's imprisoned, why not deport her now? They're going to deport her anyway, wouldn't it be more cost-effective (and humane) to get it out of the way so her family would not be separated?

Or, for that matter, I've heard of prisons for women convicted of non-violent crimes where their children can live with them until a certain age. While not ideal, surely that'd be better than taking the kids away altogether.

A few quick links

1. Jenn - they're praying mantis egg cases!

An article on being the adoptive black parents of a white child, which is not the usual way of multi-racial adoption in the US. (I forgot who gave me this)

A reminder - Geocities is closing this year. Thanks, pne.

Two links from thornleaf, one on posting to Twitter using nothing but your BRAIN and another on a woman who left the house for the first time in 18 years thanks to the internet.

Another parody for that NOM ad, thank you griffen. And look - Giant Gay Repellent Umbrella is a real site! (I've only seen parodies of this ad, not the ad proper. Do I want to change that?)

And this, the most gratuitous mention of same-sex marriage I've seen in the news so far.

The article is about states, due to the economic climate, cutting down on the hours of their workforce, which is interesting enough on its own and very relevant. But the first paragraph, out of nowhere, starts out: "Licenses for same-sex marriages were supposed be issued in Iowa starting this Friday. But because of a crimped state budget, court employees will be on mandatory furlough that day and the courts will be closed. Gay couples cannot start filing for their licenses until Monday." Which, you know, affects people in opposite-sex marriages too. NOBODY is getting married in Iowa until Monday. It just seems tacked on, you know?

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The games I gave to Ana's school are a big hit, I've been thanked twice now.

Though they're introducing them slowly, as they have to learn the rules!

Now, I'll get them some more games over the summer, and of course I want to get some games to donate to the St. George Library for their game meeting that's once a week. Gotta set up my budget for that.

I want to get some classic games in the next round to donate to the school - checkers, mancala (and a book of variations of mancala, of course), a book of jump rope rhymes, a book of playground games (somebody in the yard at school was just talking today about a report on NPR about how "kids today don't know playground games anymore". I have some thoughts on that, but I want to find that report and listen to it first), jacks and marbles sets, pick up sticks, chinese checkers. And some not-so-classic-but-still-well-loved games like Uno, Memory, Parcheesi, Clue, Yahtzee, Guess Who?, that sort of thing. Aaaaaand some puzzles to round it all out. (And not forgetting the earlier suggestions of more open-ended stuff. I should talk to the aftercare coordinators and see what they need, really - whatever it is they use is likely to be used as well in indoor recess and whatnot.)

Maybe I could get some I Spy bags as well... hm....

Meanwhile, I also want to get some outdoor or more athletic equipment, jump ropes and hula hoops and hacky sacks and the like. Frisbees maybe? After doing some research I've found that the best way to get quality hoops and jump ropes in any sort of bulk is to just make them yourself - apparently there's an optimal size for these things based on the size of the person using them? Hula hoops *seem* easy enough judging by the instructions, and jump ropes couldn't be simpler. My only problem is determining what sort of rope I want that'll be most long-lasting. I'm *not* making Chinese jump ropes, those I'll just buy. Yes, they're easy to make, but... mmm, not worth it unless you know a way that *doesn't* involve braiding rubber bands.

I'm always open for more suggestions, of course. What I need now (though other options are still useful!) are specifics - which book of jump rope rhymes or playground games is most comprehensive (even if they're geared towards teachers rather than kids, it's still useful), which brand of Frisbee is cheapest, where I can buy used playground equipment and games in the city without having to yellow pages it myself, that sort of thing. Might end up going to freecycle.

Oh, and I know about the Opies. Let's keep our suggestions to things that grown-ups like to think of as kid material! Anything generated by actual children is highly suspect.