Park Closed Over Head Scarf? Arrests? Lesson Learned? We'll See....

You have to admit, it's unbelievable, huh?  An amusement park actually closed over a head scarf?  Arrests were made?  Yes, all of the above are true....and this is a story that generated some fairly adamant responses, too.  Here's how it went down: Rye Playland, and amusement park in Westchester County, NY, was closed Tuesday after police scuffled with Muslim women that were upset that they were barred from riding certain rides while wearing their head scarves.  I know, I know...but hold on for a second and let me finish telling this one.  Seriously, you'll love it.  The park, as the story goes, was packed with Muslims celebrating one of their holidays - the one that marked the end of their holy month of Ramadan.  One of the Muslim women began arguing with police over the park's rule about the head scarves.  It's important to note that the rule is not Muslim-specific and was put in effect about three years ago to prevent hats from falling on the tracks of roller coasters and certain other rides.  Fair enough - makes sense to me.  Why should one John Deere cap-wearing dude put everyone at risk because he was 'yee-haw'ing' it on a coaster?  So here we are with a Muslim arguing with a cop...and it gets better.

The woman was arguing with police and things began to get louder.  She was yelling at the police officers, they were trying to arrest her and, while this was transpiring, her sister, "went to try to protect the woman and was beaten by cops and also arrested.  Her brother, 20, was pushed to the ground and taken into custody when he tried to help his cousin."  Got that, right?  You read those things thoroughly?  It's important and we'll come back to that.  The woman being interviewed went on to say, "She just wanted to get on a ride.  That was it.  It's clear, this all happened because we're Muslim."  Keep in mind that, with over 3,000 Muslims in attendance and this getting our of control, there were about 100 police officers that responded.  Two park rangers were injured in the scuffle.  Another woman said her brother, husband, and father were all tackled by police and put into handcuffs when they tried to help her sister.  The two women that initiated this fracas said they were unaware of the park's rule until they attempted to ride the ride.  After hearing o said rule, they asked for a refund and it turned into this situation.  She also said her 4-year old was traumatized by seeing his father put into handcuffs.  It is important to note that Peter Tartaglia, deputy commissioner of Westchester County Parks said the Muslim American Society of New York was warned about the rule banning head scarves and, "we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear.  It's a safety issue for us on rides.  It could become a projectile."  You know what?  I don't care what these scarves, hats, etc could become.  If it's a rule, it's a rule.  Of course, the president for the Council of Islamic-American relations-New York felt that, "in this heightened state of Islamaphobia, a woman wearing a hajib is an easy target these days."  So there's the story.  Now, somewhat like Paul Harvey, I'm about to spout off with my own personal opinion...and for those that know me, you know you might want to buckle your seat belts and keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.  Hats, too, apparently.

I read the article, then combed through the replies at the bottom of the page...then the next page...then the next.  I am still waiting for someone to voice an opinion that says this was anything BUT a group looking for a reason to fight.  The rules are the rules, especially if they pertain to safety.  I don't care if it's a cap, a scarf, or a handkerchief.  If it's a rule of the park, it's a rule.  Period.  The other point that was made, and I am certainly one to agree with it is, when a police officer is making an arrest, don't mess with them.  They tried to "help" their siblings while the cops were arresting them?  Seriously?  Are you insane?  You actually wonder WHY they arrested you?  Here's a news flash - Even we white Americans would have been slapped around and arrested for such a stupid, thoughtless move.  Let me ask it this way - if this had happened in your native country and you tried to "help" while they were being arrested, do you think it would have stopped with another arrest...or a bullet?  Along those same lines, what if an American woman went to and Islamic country and tried to get away with NOT wearing a hajib?  Do you think your homer countrymen would be so understanding?  We all know the answer.

I feel it is important to note this - I, and most everyone I know, am not racist or anti-Islamic.  It's not for lack of reason.  Ask us how we felt ten years ago.  Yet here we are, ten years later, and you expect us to be sympathetic when you pull THESE stunts?  I find it, quite honestly, appalling that you are that intolerant of our feelings.  Why, if it is so hard to live here, did you move to America?  If our rules are so incredibly hard to follow, why not move home?  What brought you to this country?  Was it, per chance, that there is freedom here?  Was it because, no matter what you do, you are not locked up or persecuted?  My guess would be a resounding, "YES!!!"  Listen, we can be very understanding and, more than most others around the world, tolerant of your beliefs and customs.  We might not understand, but we can be tolerant for the most part.  Please do not push it.  The most refreshing comment I read in regard to this story came from a Muslim woman that said, in part, that she believes they should have been abiding by the rules and their actions were unacceptable.  Thank you.  If you want to live here, in peace and harmony, do NOT expect us to give you any more than we expect.  Unfortunately, the American way is not to 'expect' things, but, rather, to work for what you want to achieve.  THAT is the America we know...and the one for which you came.  Respect it...and us, please.  We'll do the same.

Until next time............

ADHD? ADD? Real or Imagined?

Yahoo! today posted an article titled, "Top 10 Myths About ADHD," in which they refute much of what we believe.  They talk about ADHD being something that many kids do not outgrow.  They talk about how 10% of children ages 5-17, as well as 4% of adults, have this disorder.  They also mention that it is NOT caused by bad parenting, that medication isn't the ONLY method of treatment, that is IS a real disorder, and that it is (in the author's opinion) underrated and under-diagnosed.  They purport all these things to be myths about ADHD and cite many of their responses as fact.  Okay, I get it.  I understand it may very well be a real disorder and it might best be treated with medication.  I also understand there is great debate, the world over, on whether our methods are appropriate.  There are many clinicians in other countries that feel we are over medicating our children.  They do not believe the American model is what should be used in diagnosis and treatment.  There's a reason 85% of all the ADHD medications are sold in the US...and it isn't because this same problem is not an issue in other countries......is it?

Every time I read or hear about ADHD, I wonder about its origins.  It wasn't until 1998, in fact, that the NIH released a consensus statement regarding the validity of the ADHD diagnosis and treatment with stimulants.  My question has been, and will always be, why now?  Obviously, the physiology has not changed in the human body, has it?  Have our brains physically changed so that the kids today are different from a previous generation?  I always jokingly say that my father had his own ADHD treatment he used on me.  Quite simple, actually.  It involved a quick smack on the back of my head, followed by a stern, "Pay attention & stop daydreaming!"  Controversial, but effective.  Really, think about it - was I the kid that you wanted to medicate with stimulants?  I think not...and many educators are grateful, believe me.

My concern is not really with the diagnosis or that we're treating a 'phantom' disease.  I believe, to answer some of my own questions, we might be noticing an increased awareness and prevalence because we had not studied it enough, or there was a widespread ignorance of the validity of the disorder.  My concern, truly, is with the fact that, yet again, we are treating symptoms with meds, especially in our youth.  I believe we are resorting to pumping medication into them to compensate for our collective shortcomings.  What do I mean?  Well...glad you asked.  I used to joke, about 25 years ago, that Nintendo was Japanese retaliation for the bomb years ago.  Think about it.  While there are many beneficial uses for video games, we have not been the same since the arrival of the Nintendo.  'Pong' could only keep us occupied for so long, right?  Oh, but Super Mario Brothers?  We were in front of the television for hours.  Seriously, hours.  We stopped going outside to play.  I mean, I hate to revert back to sounding like my parents (no, I did NOT walk five miles to school, uphill both ways), but when we were kids we were outside constantly.  We were still part of the generation that, during the summer months, would leave the house at 7:30 or so, head to a friend's house, get their brothers and the neighbor kids, head to a ball field, and play baseball for hours.  Then we'd go ride our bikes.  Then we'd take time off to eat something, usually while running out the door, until mom called us in for dinner.  At that point, when the sun was up until at least 9:00 or 9:30, we'd be back outside finding ways to both exercise and entertain ourselves.  Video games?  I don't think so.  The other thing we can point to as a possible source of issues we face might very well be the foods we eat.  hey, I took a nutrition class in college, too, and believe me, a Big Mac is always the cure for something eventually.  The problem is that a steady diet will kill you.  Don't believe me?  Watch the movie, "Supersize Me," where the movie maker spent a mere 30 days ingesting nothing but McDonald's foods.....super-sized.  At the end of the 30-day period, the doctor feared he would have a heart attack.  He was polluting his body...and we're not sure this might be a cause?  let's rethink that one, eh? 

One thing I gleaned from reading this that many folks do not believe in the diagnosis.  I read the comments from people after they, too, had read the article.  Most of them believe this is, indeed, a phantom disorder designed to help two groups of people - doctors and the pharmaceutical companies.  While it has definitely helped both monetarily, isn't it time we demand real diagnoses for problems like this?  We need to stop, if possible, the doping of our children.  We need, as I have said so very often, to hold them accountable for their actions rather than simply using the tried and true, "He hasn't had his medicine today."  Really?  Nothing like giving kids permission to misbehave.  I'm NOT saying this is 'made up' - I'm saying we need to find as many alternative treatments as possible before we start sticking pills in them, that's all.  Our kids deserve better and, quite honestly, we're not doing them any favors for their future years either.  Just a thought, but maybe it's worth a try, huh?

Until next time...........

As With That Day, This Makes No Sense, Either

First, my usual apologies - I've been on the road traveling and was unable to write. Also, there's been a relative shortage of thought-provoking, gritty topics, too. Oh, I could've written about Irene or the economy, however we're waiting to see how we fare with Irene, while the economy remains in the tank. These are a given. What was NOT a 'given', though, is the story that was sent to me by a beloved young lady that attends the University of Florida. I love this young lady to pieces and have known her since she was born, but we're about to embark on another few months when we will bicker....if only a little. Roll Tide - love ya', Steph! Anyway, she sent a link to a news story suggesting I might want to read, and use, the enclosed facts. I knew before I read it that it would be something that I would find unbelievable. It was...and is. I'm shocked and, quite honestly, cannot believe it has not been rectified. Sadly, I cannot believe it is even possible.

The story I am referring to was captioned, "9/11 First Responders To Be Excluded From 10th Anniversary Ceremony." Wait....WHAT? I had to read it and, before I got through the first paragraph, felt my blood pressure rising. The story said that, due to security and space issues, the first responders will not be invited to the ceremony. They will be invited to a private ceremony on a different date. Really? How nice. While honoring those that died on that tragic day, we'll make room for the families of the nearly 3,000 people that died, however the men and women that rushed into those buildings will not be able to attend. I am astounded that the city, most notably Mayor Bloomberg, cannot find a way to honor the lives that were lost, while at the same time honoring those that made certain the death toll would remain as low as possible. What if they had decided, on that late-summer day ten years ago, that there was no room for them at the Twin Towers? What if they had decided it would be best, as security was definitely an issue, that they should stay away? That would not happen, though, as they know it is part of the job.

Let me put this into perspective. Obviously, in the photo at the right, the towers have already collapsed. Not only did the FDNY & NYPD stay on the scene after this, searching, rescuing, and recovering bodies, they had been in those building prior to the collapse. While the upper floors were smoldering and burning, they rushed into the towers, ran up the stairs, and carried people out. They were there to make sure that everyone got out alive. They were there to provide a sense of safety and security while everyone around them ran, panic-stricken, from those buildings. These brave men and women had no way of knowing, though surely some of them had a fairly good idea, that this would be their last day on this earth...yet they kept moving. They continued to battle the looming collapse of these structures, making trip after trip, until the towers fell....on them. Take a good look at that picture and ask yourself, "Would I be able to rush in, in an attempt to save lives, while waiting for the concrete and steel to come down?" I'm not sure many of us would answer in the affirmative. Fortunately, they could...and did. Now, however, we cannot find room for them.

This picture is the kind of thing firefighters face every day. They must go into a building or home, knowing they may well be killed in the line of duty, yet they continue. They rush in because there may be someone in that fire. There may be a child that could die. Often, they can only reach a body whose breaths have been exhausted, and they must wonder, "What if..." We're going to thank them by telling them we cannot make room for them? We're going to offer them a 'private ceremony' at a later date? How dare you, Mayor Bloomberg? How can you do anything BUT have them in attendance? I am feeling a sense of collective guilt on the part of the American people in general, as if we are all letting them down. For hours and days after this horrific tragedy, they remained, working and searching, never asking for anything other than the ability to pull yet one more survivor from this mass of steel and concrete. We cannot make room for them 10 years later.

This final picture says it all. In the face of a National Tragedy, THIS is what they wanted to show the world. DO NOT discount this message - the message these firefighters, perhaps unknowingly, sent the rest of the world that day is that we are still here! They raised our flag that day to tell anyone that might be associated with the horrific attacks, "Nice try. You can knock us down, you can come at us in your cowardly fashion, you can attempt to strike fear in our hearts...but we are Americans!" You see, even as they were trying to find survivors, this picture, as many of us remember, was inspirational. These men did more for us that day than save lives. They did more than give their lives. They, more than anyone involved, gave us a resolve to defeat terrorists worldwide. 343 Firefighters gave their lives that day. We cannot find room for them, though, at the 10th anniversary ceremony. I would think, if you ask the families that will be in attendance and lost family members on 9-11-01, they would want them there to say a solemn, "Thank you." Sadly, we're going to thank them by saying you cannot be there. This isn't sad, it's a travesty. Mayor Bloomberg, and anyone associated with this decision, should be ashamed of themselves. Thank God there are brave men and women that are members of the FDNY and NYPD. Were it not for them, how high do we think that number might have risen? While we honor those whose lives were lost that day, just as with the flag above, we need to honor those that saved even more lives. They've earned it. They're heroes....and, as such, deserve to be treated with the respect and honor that entails.


Until next time..........

I've Kept It In Check For Weeks...and Can't Anymore....

See?  Another 'teaser' title for this posting and you're all wondering what I'm talking about.  Here it is, folks...it's time for another....a season of....SEC Football!!  At this point, I'm actually watching (or hearing) some ladies clicking the little "X" in the upper corner.  Actually, I'm hoping not that many.  I've seen quite a few ladies, especially when discussing NCAA rather than pro, that are HUGE football fans.  Some have even argued their case quite eloquently when discussing their favorite teams.  By "eloquently," I obviously mean they want to throw down after telling you "colorfully" how they really feel.  You have to admire it, too.  "You go, Girl," is my attitude...only because I don't want to get slapped around.  So here it is - only 10 days until we get ramped up again watching our beloved college programs and players take the gridiron.  For a few short months, we'll get to anticipate those Saturday afternoons when we dress in team colors and cheer on our favorite teams and players.  We'll get so wrapped up in the Polls that we'll barely notice the color of the leaves changing as summer fades to fall then winter.  We'll notice, and long for at times, that first Saturday we have to wear a sweatshirt rather than t-shirt.  That will last about a week, maybe two.  That's when I, personally, will start complaining about the weather and how cold it is.  Fortunately, it takes a little longer to get cold here in the south.  Yeah, I know...that was the 'kiss of death'.  It'll turn colder, and stay that way longer, now that I've thumbed my nose at the weather Gods.  No worries - we'll be fine and decide not to complain as long as the Crimson Tide continues to win.  It's how it works down here.  They win, we don't complain.  About anything, mind you.  Nothing.  Just win.

I really hadn't decided what to post about tonight until I checked the "Saturday Down South," website.  It's filled with everything SEC and, if nothing else, provides some good reading about the strongest conference in college football. Check it out (if you choose, of course) at www.saturdaydownsouth.com.  I seem to gravitate to the site because, well, they're saying good things about Alabama.  One of the top stories?  The Heisman pre-season predictions.  Not important to all, mind you, but they are talking about the the top 5 contenders from the SEC.  As a matter of fact, they predict that, if the trophy does go to a player in the SEC, it will be one of these 5...so remember I'm saying it here and now.  That is unless they're wrong.  Then you never heard it from me, I'll delete this post, and you can forget I said anything.  Here are the five I will reference when the winner is crowned - 1) Marcus Lattimore, RB - South Carolina, 2) Trent Richardson, RB - Alabama, 3) Alshon Jeffery, WR - South Carolina, 4) Mark Barron, FS - Alabama, and 5) Russell Shepard, WR - LSU.  There they are - two from SC, two from AL, and one single thug from LSU.  Yeah, I know...that wasn't quite fair....or was it?  Before I go there, look at one thing - there's a Free Safety in this mix.  Mark Barron could actually win the Heisman, a trophy typically reserved for quarterbacks and running backs.  Barron, if he's recovered completely from the injuries sustained in last year's Auburn game, could actually pull this off...and that would be huge.  Now, about that 'thug' comment.....

LSU, in my opinion, has become the 'Miami of the 2010 decade'.  Many of us remember when Miami was saddled with the image, and rightfully so, of being brawlers and thugs.  They were winning and they were playing, well, a little 'differently' than other teams.  They were common street thugs, period.  Yes, it is a personal opinion...shared by many.  LSU now has a starting QB, Jordan Jefferson, that was one of several involved in a bar fight.  Here's what we do know - they broke their 10:30 p.m. curfew and were at a bar.  No big deal, except it was 2:00 a.m....and several people went to the hospital.  The only other thing we know as fact is that Jefferson should have shown better leadership skills.  he should have kept the team away from trouble...and unwanted publicity.  Big mistake.  Huge.  As a matter of fact, it might cost him the starting position in the first week.  You know, the week that #4 LSU plays #3 Oregon, last year's runner-up for the BCS Title.  Interesting game with bowl implications.  My only questions - Jefferson, what were you thinking?  Oh, you weren't?  I get it.  On behalf of the Tide, let me say a hearty, "Thank you!"

So there it is.  I, along with more than a few others, are geared up for another thrilling season.  We're ready.  We've waited a long time (almost a whole year!) for this time to be here again.  The best part is having tickets (thank you, Pam) for the Week 2 game in Happy Valley.  Penn State and Alabama, JoePa & Nick.  We cannot wait for that game.  More importantly, we cannot wait to be tailgating, hanging out with old friends from PA, wearing our colors as they wear their's, a rivalry reborn with respect and friendship.  How can I say 'rivalry' and 'friendship' in the same description?  Easy - look at what they're doing in State College, PA.  Raising money for tornado victims, still.  This is why it's a friendly rivalry born of respect.  They have character and class...and we cannot wait to get there.

Until next time...........

Royal Wedding? Seriously? How can you compare....

...Kim Kardashian's wedding with the Royal couple in Great Britain?  I realize that makes for great tabloid fodder, but really?  Kim Kardashian used the Royal wedding as her inspiration, yes.  I understand that part.  I would imagine most any young girl imagined, in a moment of wishful thinking, imagined herself getting married to a prince.  William is heir to the throne and together they looked the part of 'Future King & Queen'.  Let's get one thing perfectly clear, though - Kim Kardashian is NOT royalty.  She is a reality-TV personality.  It is hard for me to even call her a 'star' as she is simply going through the motions of her day-to-day life while a camera films it.  I will acknowledge one thing - she and her family have made a small fortune (and then some) marketing, well, their family.  Quick, think of ALL your friends.  How many of them do you know that can turn their lives into a TV show and rake in millions?  How many of them can sit and think, "Hmm, we know a lot about________ (fill in the blank).  We ought to start a business selling the associated items," and make that work?  Hey, I like riding motorcycles - think I can simply go out and open a dealership that will be successful because they know me from my nights out partying?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

The other thing I heard today, while listening to the comparisons to the Royal Wedding, was that Kim and her husband will rake in a cool $17.9 million from the proceeds.  The WHAT???  Proceeds?  From a WEDDING??  Okay, another quick show of hands - how many of you have ever known anyone that made money on their wedding?  They had $400,000. of donated Perrier-Jouet champagne.  Kim wore three different Vera Wang gowns.  They are selling their wedding pics to People magazine.  Sold the rights to their engagement announcements and bridal-shower photos.  They were even paid to have the bachelorette party at Tao Las Vegas!    Can anyone else even imagine this?  Hey, you are absolutely correct - I am not faulting them.  If you can get it, get it.  You know they're laughing all the way to the bank and we, as "common folk" have no right to complain...for it will be us, the American commoners, that pay for the People magazine.  Others will do whatever they can to wear a Vera Wang.  (stop giggling) Amazingly, we will be the ones to watch, too, the 4-hour, two-part TV show on the E! network sometime in October.  That doozy alone got them a cool $15 million.  I am still dumbfounded.

Consider this last point, though.  When William and Kate, future King and Queen of England, wed earlier this year they asked that they not be given gifts.  Instead, they raised money for charities.  My question to everyone is, "How much do you think Kim and her husband will give to charity?"  I'm guessing, if they were any version of "America's Royalty" they would have given much of it away.  This, however, will probably be their 'little' nest egg for the future, right?  Well, I , for one, am glad they did it this way.  In a time when our children expect (and most often, demand) whatever they want, this should help a lot.  I hear kids now, at the age of 15, saying they want a Range Rover for their first car.  Seriously?  Uh, yeah...me, too.  Now, every father in America can thank Kim and the fellow Kardashians for allowing them the opportunity to say, "No," to their daughters in the future.  When a young girl bats her eyelashes at daddy and begs for a more lavish wedding, they will point to Kim and ask how she got it and they don't.  It's at that point, dads, that you need to make sure your kids know they should have been reality-TV stars so they could afford such a thing...because, quite honestly, that's where the comparison ends.  Please, too, do NOT compare these two to Kate & William.  You remember Kate - still thrift-shopping even after her marriage.  Think we'll see Kim doing that?  And what about hubby?  Oh, yeah - NBA star.  William?  He's a lowly helicopter pilot out saving lives.  I have to say, if my kids ever wanted role models, I'd certainly point "across the pond," first.  They are some classy, centered young people that are providing an excellent example around the world.

Until next time.....

Enough Already - Questioning the Administration's Strategy in Afghanistan

When I sit down to read the news or (as I've mentioned often) watch the important stories of the day on the Today Show, I wait until a story jumps out, grabs me by the shirt collar, pulls my face close and says in no uncertain terms, "You WILL write about this, right?"  Yeah, that's the one that gets my fingers to the keyboard easily.  I find, too, that the bigger the impact it has, the easier it is for the words find their way to the screen.  This story is NO exception.  The headline was enough to get me to ask, "Are you....no, no, that HAS to be a typo.  Surely, what I am about to read cannot say what I think it will."  Guess what?  I was wrong.  There was no typographical error.  The headline said it all - the article simply made it worse.  This is called, "The Tease."  Getting you, as readers, to beg me to reveal the headline.  Either that, or you've closed the page already.  On the chance you haven't left yet, here it is - "$360 Million lost to insurgents, criminals in Afghanistan."  So I don't misconstrue anything or make any erroneous comments, I'll share the first two paragraphs of this story, word for word.  The article began with this:

WASHINGTON (AP) — After examining hundreds of combat support and reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan, the U.S military estimates $360 million in U.S. tax dollars has ended up in the hands of people the American-led coalition has spent nearly a decade battling: the Taliban, criminals and power brokers with ties to both.

The losses underscore the challenges the U.S. and its international partners face in overcoming corruption in Afghanistan. A central part of the Obama administration's strategy has been to award U.S.-financed contracts to Afghan businesses to help improve quality of life and stoke the country's economy.

So, now I have to ask of everyone, both Administration supporters and detractors - how did THAT make you feel?  $360 Million (with an "M") of our tax dollars ended up in the hands of...The Taliban???  How did THAT happen?  I know, I know...just as it says in the article, "Hey, we're still facing a few challenges over there," right?  A few challenges?  Oh, and what about that last part?  The segment that says that a central part of the Administration's strategy is to award US-financed contracts to Afghan businesses to help improve quality of life and STOKE THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY??  Uh, Dear Mr President, I'd like to share a fairly well-known fact here.  We, here in America, would really enjoy it if you could...you know, improve OUR quality of life and, perhaps stoke OUR ECONOMY!  I'm not trying to say I disagree with your......wait, yes I am.  I DO disagree with this effort.  At a time when our economy is in the tank, isn't it time to give a little less foreign aid and concentrate on domestic problems?  Basically, as this story goes, it's a case of what has been billed, "Reverse money-laundering."  We give money to the contractors for construction, transportation, power projects and other services to help rebuild Afghanistan, then they get it to the insurgents.  Clean money being turned into dirty money.  What a concept. 

I realize Foreign Policy is necessary.  I realize we have more than a vested interest in what happens everywhere in the world.  Really, I get it.  I also understand that we have more people than ever, right here in the United States, living at or below the poverty level.  We have children that are homeless and going hungry.  We have more people out of work than most of us can ever remember.  We have record foreclosures.  Semi-serious question, Mr President - Are we TRYING to turn the USA into a third-world country, too?  We're selling our country off to others.  We are giving more away in social programs for illegal (always have to highlight that word) immigrants, and now, at the height of the worst economic time many of us can recall, we're still spending Billions (with a "B") on our military in other countries.  Weren't our boys supposed to be on their way home already?  Weren't we supposed to show them how to set up a democracy and rebuild their country, then wish them well and get the hell out of there?  I, for one, am ready for those very billions to be spent here at home.  Oh, wait.....we don't really HAVE that money.  We're borrowing it, right?  We can't repay it....but we're borrowing and giving it to other countries.  Wait, what?  Am I missing something?  I am, by no means, a rocket scientist or PhD, but I have to ask how this makes sense.  Quick analogy to make sure I have this right - this would be like me going to the bank, borrowing money to give to other families so they can buy a house, food, and clothing, then wondering why my wife and kids leave me when our house is in foreclosure.  Am I close on that one?

Somewhere along the one, someone has to answer these questions.  We, as your constituents, are asking often, yet we have no real response.  I hear you have a new plan to fight unemployment, too.  Sadly, we can't hear it for another three weeks.  Kind of reminds me of an episode of, "The West Wing," when a reporter asked the Deputy Chief-of-Staff if the President had a plan to fight inflation.  The answer was, "Yes," however he couldn't share it with the reporters.  Another reporter then asked, "Why not?  Is it a secret?"  The Deputy Chief responded, "Yeah, the President has a 'secret plan' to fight inflation," when, in reality, there was no plan at all.  I guess my point to sharing that little passage is...do we really have a new plan or are we faking it?  I'm assuming we'll all know in three weeks.  In the meantime, we're going to take the time to read this entire article...and, hopefully, remember it come next November.  We'll let our feelings be known, not just for the occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but for the guests working on Capitol Hill as well.  So, I submit to you, dear readers, the article that can be found at: http://news.yahoo.com/360m-lost-insurgents-criminals-afghanistan-150450640.html

Until next time.........

I'd Talk About The Kangaroo...But I Got Nothin'.....

Yeah, so....a kangaroo walks into a bar.  That really didn't happen.  I made it up.  Like I said in tonight's title - I got nothin' today.  Not actually true, but it's been one of those days.  You know the kind.  You sit down after work and think, "They don't make enough....well, anything...to cope with days like this."  Then you turn on the Evening News and just know it's going to be better, right?  Seriously?  None of you thinks that, do you?  Ever seen a good story on the news?  Neither have I...or so I thought.  Amazingly, Brian Williams and NBC choose to make a liar out of me tonight.  Their lead story, as a matter of fact, was about Joplin, MO and how, after a mere three months, they honored their vow of opening the schools on time.  This, after the town was nearly blown off the map by an F-5 tornado.  Nice story.  The kids have moved into their new school, they all received new computers and, most importantly, the teachers seem to have incorporated 'hugs' into the new curriculum.  These kids are still scared and are returning to normal lives.  The district, wisely, built new concrete shelters behind the school should these vicious storms ever attack again.  So there you have it - thanks Brian.  Great story.  Sadly, that's where it ended.

The next story was of the 17-year old student in Tampa that planned, according to his minute-by-minute details, on killing many at his former high school.  Police received an anonymous tip and found a lot of bomb-making materials at his home.  He had been expelled last year and this year decided he wanted to make them pay.  He actually, in his manifesto, stated that he wanted this to be bigger than Columbine.  Maybe it's time to ask again - Parents, where are you?  How does your kid get bomb-making materials into the house (and a large quantity at that!) without your knowledge?  My only guess is that maybe, just maybe...someone's asleep at the wheel here.  Maybe mom and dad were working too hard to give this kid everything he wanted...and things he didn't need.  I wouldn't be surprised if the kid drove a new BMW, had a Rolex, and was selling drugs which, by the way, he listed as what he wanted to study later in life.  How to grow marijuana.  Mom?  Dad?  Ever SEEN this kid's Facebook page?  Really?  I didn't think so.  Just a suggestion - pay closer attention, please!!  The lives you save might be mine or my families.  Thank you.  AAAGGGHHHHHH!  Thanks - much better now.

Lastly today, there's the story of the brain-eating amoebas that have killed three people already.  really?  This isn't a Dustin Hoffman-type movie where everyone runs around in those yellow suits and the funky headgear?  It's...REAL?  Okay, then I'm done.  When there are those little amoeba things killing kids, I'm at the end of the line.  I thought this was going to be a slow week...and even thought I didn't have anything to write about.  Actually, it appears I really didn't.  I used these stories as filler.  You enjoyed them, though, right?  At least I didn't delve into the Real Housewives husband that hung himself.  Yeah, don't ask.  Like I said, though, it's been one of those days.  Time for me to "put 'em up in front of the TV and relax."  We'll see.  I expect the phone will ring next and I'll be stuck hiding from the IRS.  Wait....already doing that.  Forget I said anything.  About....oh, never mind.  We'll talk soon.

Until next time..........