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Politics
05/13/2010
IconBritish Airways passengers who refuse to submit to what is an astonishingly controversial full body scan will be barred from boarding their flights.' FANTASTIC!' And they also eliminated the ban on scanning children under the age of 18.' FANTASTIC!' Wow.' To know you're not going to have to worry about the guy next to you lighting up a bomb in his private parts is a blessing.'Now why would anyone be against this?' Well think of conspiracy nuts, "big brother" nuts, and people who are anti-Western civilization, as well as those who are anarchists.' As far as I'm concerned, they can all ride a bus or get some exercise on their bicycle or rent a little boat and cross the ocean on their own.'Oh, and by the way, the image generated by the body scanner can't be stored or captured, nor can security officers recognize individuals from viewing the images.'This is not (as some naysayers proclaim) an indication that the "bad guys" have won.' It's a technology which thwarts their means of killing us.' Issues of life and death take precedence over silly sentiments of "modesty" when our media has elevated immodesty to a perverted art. More >>

Tags: PoliticsSocial IssuesValues
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05/13/2010
IconBy this time, you all know that former Presidential hopeful John Edwards is not longer hopeful about too much.' According to press reports, Elizabeth Edwards has left him.After the Clintons and many other high profile power couples' personal issues with marital problems and affairs, I think we're all pretty numbed and crass about it all.This blog is not about affairs - it's about another form of betrayal.'Andrew Young was a former aide of the Edwards' who was personally intimate with them and a co-conspirator in John Edwards' tacky affair and secrecy surrounding his illegitimate child.' In fact, in addition to harboring the bimbo in his home, Andrew Young tried to take the credit for this baby to keep his boss in the limelight in a more positive way.All of this has now hit the fan, and these three are no longer speaking.' Andrew Young has written a "tell-all" book, " The Politician ," which goes on sale this week.' He maligns Elizabeth and John and even goes so far as to say that they both conspired to use her cancer diagnosis to promote John's campaign for President.' I don't know if that's true or not, but it just sounds so disgusting that I can't wrap my mind around it.'What a despicable character Andrew Young is!' First, for benefitting from his relationship with the Edwards family (with privileges, opportunities, trust, bonding, financial compensation, power and friendship), and then making money by betraying their confidences when he was a definite co-conspirator in everything they did (which he now criticizes).' People who do that are scum.Years ago, Eddie Fisher also wrote a tell-all book about the women he was intimate with, including Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor.' Why they, or any of the other women, had anything to do with that toad is beyond me, but they did.' He did a "kiss and tell" book.' Disgusting.' All to make a buck.' He betrayed the tender confidences of women who once cared about him.I ran into him while he was on his book tour, and we were both appearing on a television interview program.' He dared to come up to me to cheerfully introduce himself.' I cut him short, saying I knew who he was, and that he was a disgusting human being and obviously not a gentleman for the book he wrote and now was hawking.' He looked stunned, and that made my moment!' I turned my back on him and then slowly, deliberately walked away.' He was trying to say something to me, but I just didn't care.Instead of buying Andrew Young's book demonizing Elizabeth and John Edwards, spend that money on buying some good children's books for your local school library. More >>

Tags: AdulteryInfidelityMarriageMorals, Ethics, ValuesPolitics
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05/13/2010
IconIt's bad enough when people drive and talk on the phone - they don't have the use of their phone hand for maneuvering the car (and in many states, talking without a hands-free headset is illegal), and they are totally absorbed in a conversation, meaning they're not looking alertly for pedestrians, bicyclists, a herd of buffalo or other cars.' What's even more egregious is the texting craze which has the driver looking down and reading or dialing or writing and not even looking ahead at the road for several seconds, which could mark the difference between life and death.For Victoria McBryde, 24, those few precious seconds meant her death.' 22 year old Phillipa Curtis has been convicted of the death of Ms McBryde - caused by texting while driving.' The victim's car had broken down and was by the side of the road with all its lights on and emergency lights blinking - a bit hard NOT to notice.' Nonetheless, she was killed instantly when her car was rear-ended by the texting Ms. Curtis, who will spend only two years in prison for this crime.This all took place in Britain, which has added jail time to a conviction for killing by texting and driving.' Ms. Curtis' phone records indicated that she had exchanged nearly two dozen messages with at least five friends, mostly concerning her encounter with a celebrity singer she had served at a restaurant where she worked. That's what was so important?' For that, someone had to die?? Death due to dangerous driving (e.g., texting) is on the level of drinking while driving, and can earn four to seven years in jail.' Apparently, the perp was a pretty, seemingly sweet young thing, and so her jail time was minimized by the judge - a sentence that was met with anger by the victim's family as well as the by the prosecutor...and by me.Ironically, it was also discovered that the victim herself had sent a text message and talked on her cell phone using the speaker function while driving before her car broke down.'Please don't think you are invincible, and the laws and recommendations about driving safely apply to everyone else, while you are "special."' The lives of these two young women are forever changed.' One life was forfeited; the other woman is jailed and living with the guilt of having killed another human being because she just had to gossip to five friends about seeing a rock star.' Sad. More >>

Tags: Common SenseHealthInternet-MediaInternet/MediaMorals, Ethics, ValuesPoliticssexless marriageSocial IssuesValues
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05/13/2010
IconTwo recent acts of bravery bring up a clear point:1.' A nine year old boy in a Southern town was in the passenger seat of his parents' car with three siblings all under the age of three in'the back.' His mother darted into a convenience store, and a huge man (who was lurking nearby) jumped into the driver's seat, i.e., it was a car-jacking in the works.' The nine year old had the courage and the presence of mind not to be "politically correct" which would have meant sitting quietly and obeying an adult.' Nope, not at all.' This kid grabbed the car keys and held them tight to his right side.' The would-be carjacker hit the boy's head against the passenger door in an attempt to get the keys, and failed as the boy was resolute.' As the boy said later, "I didn't want my family to be taken."' The car-jacker ran from the car, fell, and was apprehended by police who had been called from the convenience store.2.' A young female (of course I'm proud) civilian police officer stopped an Army officer from continuing his murders of Fort Hood soldiers by standing up to him and shooting him numerous times while being shot three times herself.' Unfortunately, except for military police (MPs) and civilian police, soldiers on a base do not carry weapons, and are, therefore, sitting ducks for the murderous rampage of "one of their own."' As it turns out, by all media reports, the history of this so-called American Army officer was clearly one of a terrorist.'There was a history of his radical Muslim ideology.' Reports against him had been made, but political correctness ruled the day.' Because he had worshipped at a mosque with a radical imam who allegedly had made contact with two of the 9/11 hijackers and had written on the Internet Muslim extremist comments (which, I understand, included a defense of suicide bombers), had tried to indoctrinate patients and his school mates even complained about the political leanings of his class assignments and so much more, was no reason, many authorities have said, to assume he was a home-grown terrorist.' That political correctness caused the death of 13 and serious injury to dozens.' Never mind the fear it has generated on bases around the country and the world where the bullet or bomb can come from the "inside."Instead of facing this threat (and please do remember the plots that were foiled against other military bases on American soil in the past several years), we are being told not to "jump to conclusions."' Well, without jumping to the correct conclusions in a timely manner, hanging on instead to political correctness (meaning that no one should criticize or profile), our military men and women and their families have a good reason to be afraid and angry.' They pay the price.That nine year old boy didn't sit complacently and be a "good boy."' He took charge to protect his own.' We should do the same for our military and their families.' Those who have expressed at any time any philosophy resembling radical Islamic hate should be marginalized, scrutinized, put under surveillance, and supervised.The first obligation of the American government is not "Cash for Clunkers."' It's for the safety of the populace.' The morale of our military took a large hit when they discovered that they were not safe from worldwide terrorists at their own desks.'Dump all that "PTSD by proxy" nonsense.' Look at the truth, without which we are neither free nor safe. More >>

Tags: Character, Courage, ConscienceCharacter-Courage-ConscienceCourageMilitaryPolitical CorrectnessPoliticsReligionSocial IssuesValues
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Tags: Family/Relationships - ChildrenHalloweenHolidaysParentingPoliticsSocial IssuesValues
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05/13/2010
IconOver the past two decades, the Nobel Peace Prize committee has become an anti-American organization that has sought to use its awards to influence world opinion and American policy to its own ends.In 1994, one of the three recipients to whom it awarded the Peace Prize was Yasser Arafat, for his "efforts to promote peace in the Middle East " - peace through the promotion of terrorism?' Through the encouragement of the Intifada?' Through his corruption and theft of Palestinian assets for his own personal benefit?In 2002, one year after 9/11, it awarded the laureate to Jimmy Carter, "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy [never mind about his love affair with Cuba] and human rights and to promote economic and social development." Efforts that have never borne any fruit!' Now where have his affections gone?' To NORTH KOREA!In 2005, the committee awarded the laureate to Mohammed ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Commission for their work in preventing the development of nuclear arms.' Since then, North Korea has developed and tested nuclear weapons and Iran is much farther along in its nuclear weapons program.My opinion is that this award is a political move to encourage Obama along the line of thinking like Neville Chamberlain rather than Winston Churchill in dealing with the world's tyrannical and terrorist states.' I encourage President Obama to REJECT this award.As the mother of a young man who has joined the Army to defend our country against our enemies, I am alarmed at any form of encouragement of our government to soften its stance against the world's tyrannical and terrorist states.' Mr. President, turn down that award! More >>

Tags: PoliticsValues
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05/13/2010
IconHere's a trivia question:' Who invented the car seat belt?The answer?' Volvo's first safety engineer, Nils Bohlin, who invented it in 1959.' Prior to this invention, Bohlin designed a catapult ejector seat for airplane pilots.'This month is the 50th anniversary of the three-point safety belt, an invention that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives globally.' Volvo also made the patent available to other car makers, because they were convinced of the life-saving potential of this invention.Of course, just about everybody was against it at first:' it added cost to the car, no one wanted to promote cars as "death traps" by saying seat belts were there to save lives, and some people envisioned themselves trapped by a seat belt while a car was aflame or sinking into a watery grave.'Facts eventually won out over emotional responses, and safety experts estimate that seat belts increase your chance of surviving ANY collision by roughly 50 percent (according to a Fox News story).Of course, these days, there are many more safety precautions available to the average driver:' front and side air bags, pre-tensioners which tighten the safety belt straps when a collision is imminent, anti-lock braking system, and cars that talk to you when you're too close to a wall or to another car.'Nonetheless, all roads lead back to the seat belt.' You're just plain stupid if you don't use seat belts, and excuses like "it pinches," or you don't believe you'll ever have an accident or you forget just don't fly.The facts are that you will more likely die by ejection if you don't buckle up.' If you insist on not using your seat belt, please take out a million dollar life insurance policy for your family and friends.' That way, they can at least enjoy some benefit from your being so stubborn! More >>

Tags: grandparentsPoliticsRelationshipsRelativesSocial Issues
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05/13/2010
IconI am sick to my stomach and soul that Scotland freed the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds, allowing the terminally ill creep to die in his homeland, Libya, and rejecting American pleas for justice in the attack that killed 270 people.Abdel Baset al-Megrahi served ONLY eight years of his life sentence.' Because he's been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, Scottish Judge Secretary MacAskill felt that since "Mr. al-Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power," he should be set free to die in his own bed in Libya.' The mass murderer was convicted in 2001 of taking part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988 - just before Christmas.' The airliner exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, and all 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground died when it crashed.This evil man has been given three months to live, or so the doctors guess.' He is being given the luxury of dying in his country, in his town, in his home and with his family.' Is that appropriately compassionate?' Well, my take is that this is definitely compassionate, but definitely NOT appropriate.'It is an appalling, disgusting, sickening decision made by misguided notions of compassion.' Compassion for this man is an insult to all the victims.' The compassion should be directed to the victims and the ongoing, permanent suffering of their families.' This is misplaced compassion, misdirected compassion, and inappropriate compassion.' All the families of the victims got the bits and pieces of their loved ones returned to them in a box.' The same should happen to al-Meghari.'Why is this happening?' As one wise man once said, "Follow the money...or the oil."' Libya's leader, Moammar Gadhafi collected al-Megrahi on his private jet.' Western energy companies (including Britain's BP PLC) have moved into Libya in an attempt to tap the country's vast oil and gas wealth.' Gadhafi, as reported by FoxNews.com, has renounced terrorism, dismantled Libya's secret nuclear program, and accepted his government's responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing.' He has paid compensation to the victim's families.' I don't know why he wants this vile creature back in Libya to die.' Perhaps it's because there's more to the story...When al-Megrahi landed in Tripoli, more than 1,000 young Libyans gathered to welcome him, cheering and waving Libyan flags.' You should know that large public gatherings are rare in Libya, and tightly controlled by the government (especially on the tarmac where Gadhafi's private jet lands). For a country that is supposed to have turned its back on terrorism, protecting, nurturing and celebrating a terrorist murderer is perplexing.' Perhaps it means that the roots of Libya are still firmly planted in extremist mentalities.' Or maybe it means that, having bowed to economic and political pressure, Libya wished to flex a bicep at the expense of 270 victims and their innumerable family members and friends.To have put al-Meghari on a plane and then to welcome him as a hero, allowing him to die in peace is, in my opinion, an insult to the values of all civilization which believes that life is precious.' He forfeited the preciousness of his life when he thought it righteous to murder, killing men, women and children who didn't mean him or anyone else any harm.'Shame on Scotland.' Shame on Libya.' Shame on Scotland again, for not inflicting a death penalty on an unrepentant mass murderer.' We do not show the world that we value life when we impose minor consequences on those who devalue and steal lives. More >>

Tags: AbuseCharityMorals, Ethics, ValuesPoliticsReligionSocial IssuesValuesViolence
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05/13/2010
IconThe coordinator behind a children's coloring book that was pulled from FEMA's website recently is standing by her work, despite its controversial cover (which shows a child's drawing of the New York's "Twin Towers" on fire, with a plane flying toward them), according to Fox News.Ostensibly, this downloadable coloring book was created to help children cope with disaster, and was developed by Minnesota's Freeborn County Crisis Response Team after a tornado hit their area. "I stand firm that it was a very well thought out and useful resource for kids," Rose Olmstead told Fox News.' I think she is sadly mistaken.' I read the entire coloring book, and these are my observations and opinions:1. The title of the coloring book is "A Scary Thing Happened," a children's coloring book to help cope with disasters.' I would not have shown this to my child.' The cover has the World Trade Center towers burning, with a plane coming in for the second kill, a house with the roof blowing away due to a tornado, and a car that is smashed from the top - this doesn't resemble a car accident, so I don't know if a tornado was supposed to have hauled it up and then dropped it on its top before righting it, or what.' Can't figure that one out.'Here's where I take issue:' a tornado is an act of nature.' The tower disaster was an act of evil people determined to murder all those who didn't share their religion.' It's wrong to put these two together, because the explanations for these events are worlds apart, and people cope differently when other humans perpetrate heinous acts on purpose, than when nature does what nature does, or when accidents happen.' Coping with these two category types is psychologically different.' As you might guess, murder and mayhem perpetrated by man is much harder to deal with, because it becomes more personal.2. After highlighting terrorism on the cover, the book starts out showing excessive rain causing a flood, a tornado and a house fire - typical disasters for a community.' The text then says, "You may wonder why anybody would do this or why it happened to you." Well, are we blaming God for rain and high winds?' Who else could do this?' This is neither discussed nor explained. "...why it happened to you" is definitely a good question to ask, because that is what most people of any age would ask.' On the next page, the question is not answered.' The page just shows a child among three different images of terrorist-hijacked planes and World Trade Center towers.' This actually made me angry, because it was a pointless segue from the previous page.3. The next section is pretty good.' It talks about sadness, but then it throws in "You might think you made the disaster happen, but you didn't." What kid thinks a tornado or flood is their fault?' This book is just all mixed up with concepts, and ultimately, I don't believe it is helpful to children at all.4. One of the worst parts of the book is a section that mentions "In the disaster, there was no warning and no time to get ready." Well, people in flood, earthquake and tornado areas have family and community plans in place, and generally instruct their children on what to do.' The same goes for house fires.' This book leads children to believe that they have absolutely no power, because it does not inform them that there is such a thing as preparedness.' Coloring after the fact is cute, but preparedness before the fact helps children to anticipate and feel a sense of power vs. a feeling of helplessness.5.' Since this book doesn't really settle on one concept, it does not effectively deal with any, which is a shame, because the last part talks about discussing your feelings, doing good deeds, and taking care of yourself as a way to cope.'I stand with the people who wanted this book pulled because of the cover with the burning towers, but I stand with them more because of the quality of the effort than just because of a controversial cover.Disasters have different origins:' those that are natural are dealt with one way, while those that are perpetrated by humans are handled another way.' If FEMA wanted to do a book about how to deal with the fear that there are millions of people who want us dead because of their blind bigotry, hate, and misguided sense of spirituality, well, that's a very different book from this one. More >>

Tags: attitudeFamily/Relationships - ChildrenParentingPoliticsSocial IssuesValues
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