There are simply no words to express my feelings about what happened in Boston yesterday. There can never be words to express things like that because there are always too many emotions involved - sadness, anger, confusion. There are always too many questions - who? what? why?
After the initial shock wears off, you begin to think about the people who were there, the ones who actually experienced the insanity and the horror of the situation. That's the worst part and it doubles once you flip on the news and you put yourself through the agony of watching the horror unfold - because you have to know, you need to know, what is going on and what the new developments are, whether or not they are confirmed.
It pains me even more to know that there is no corner of the world where people can simply walk in peace and just be with each other without hatred - and that people don't take the time out to read or research and know what's going on in the world.
Yesterday it was Boston and Baghdad, and unfortunately, tomorrow it may very be somewhere else in the world where something horrible will happen ... because it's become a daily occurrence in our lives. People around the world are dying, and being terrorized, and what are we doing to stop it? Can we do anything to stop it?
What will you do to be the change this world needs?
Now I've been crying lately thinking about the world as it is. Why must we go on hating? Why can't we live in bliss? Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train. Oh peace train, take this country, come take me home again. (Peace Train, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam)
Seriously? I have no words for this one ... Just watch the video.
Then immediately judge Mama Bear. She's one for the Guiness Book of Worst Parents, if you ask me.
So what we get drunk. So what we smoke weed. We're just having fun, we don't care who sees. So what we go out. That's how it's supposed to be - living young and wild and free. (Young, Wild, and Free, Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa)
Three employees from Hands of Our Future daycare center have been arrested ... and released on $10,000 bail ... after they were caught running a baby fight club. Guess those kids didn't get the message ...
No, in all seriousness though, these women were encouraging toddlers to punch and kick each other! In a video that was captured, one child was heard crying and yelling that another child was pinching him, and the response from his "caregiver" was that there was to be no pinching, "only punching."
WTF. Clearly the three women involved have some real daddy issues or something, or God-forbid, were seriously mistreated as children ... because how on Earth, can you stand there and watch children be physically hurt? It's just not right.
Photo c/o http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com
If you've been reading this blog for some time now, you know that I substitute teach ... and the ages are from pre-school through high school. When I am in a classroom with little ones, I am scared half the time that someone will trip and fall, or hit their head, or cut their finger with a scissor ... It's nerve-wracking! HECK! The same thing goes for the damn high school students who act a'fool half the time climbing on chairs and desks ... Lookin' like their gonna break a leg or something.
How these women got through days and days of this, I haven't a clue - It's heartless.
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be. (Greatest Love of All, Whitney Houston)
We have now come to understand that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. It is therefore time for the United States to make our intentions clear. This barbaric ideology will no longer be tolerated. Islam must change or we will facilitate its self-destruction.
- Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley
If you are shocked, appalled, in disbelief, etc. of what you just read ... Join the club. Especially considering that those words were spoken in a course presentation in Virginia last year. I also cannot believe that a it took a top military officer and the Pentagon condemning the class which advocated a war against Islam (and Muslims, in general) before having the course and the professor suspended.
The story broke after course material, entitled "So What Can We Do? A Counter-Jihad Op Design Model," for the course entitled Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism, was posted on wired.com.
The thing that really upsets me is that there must have been numerous high-level military officers who sat through Dooley's presentation and did not report him to whomever was in charge. I understand that military academies are going to have classes based around the Middle East, based around Islam, based around Islamic Extremists ... that all makes sense to me and I don't have a problem with that ... It probably keeps our military men and women (and us, in turn) safer ... But when this guy started "teaching," did no one notice that something was a little off with his ideologies?
Another thing that is bothering me is that this guy teaches this class ... gets condemned by the U.S. military and government ... and then gets suspended, but still gets to keep his job? Doesn't that seem a little off too? My guess is the school had known about this course for awhile and had known how it was being taught and did nothing to stop it and now they are caught in a bind.
It appalls me that such hate can exist --- I mean, this guy taught a whole class on basically waging war on over 1.6 billion people - the majority of whom don't bother anyone. The majority of whom are chilling at home praying or watching "American Idol" or whatever their country's version of it is ... because God knows that show has taken over the world quicker than any type of extremism I know.
Hopefully after the investigation into this guy and this class, he will learn that he isn't as smart as he thinks he is.
You treat me just like another stranger. It's nice to meet you, sir. I guess I'll go. I best be on my way out. You treat me just like another stranger. It's nice to meet you, sir. I guess I'll go. I best be on my way out. Ignorance is your new best friend. Ignorance is your new best friend. This is the best thing that could've happened - any longer and I wouldn't have made it. It's not a war, no, it's not a rapture. I'm just a person but you can't take it. (Ignorance, Paramore)
Now I don't condone domestic violence of any kind ... not against women, not against children, and not against men ... But, seriously, this story did get a little chuckle out of me when I read it ... Not even gonna lie.
Inez Nunez, a woman in Coral Springs, Florida was apparently arrested on Tuesday, April 3 when police were called to her home for a domestic violence dispute ... and the story goes a little something like this.
Nunez told police that she had been living with her boyfriend since October 2011 and on that fateful morning of April 3 he decided to call her "ugly" and because of that would not have sex with her. After that, Nunez proceeded to slap her boyfriend in the face and push him around.
According to NBC Miami, she told police that he also choked her and punched her in the chest but her story was inconsistent and changed frequently. Nunez was arrested and booked, then released on $2,500 bond.
I wonder who paid the bail money ... Was it her boyfriend? Because that would make this all the more entertaining. Because if he paid out $2,500 of his own money, he doesn't owe her anything else, and she can't ask for any other favors, if you know what I'm saying ... And who knows, if she would have stayed in jail, maybe she would have met a nice guy who would have made all her, ahem, dreams come true.
Baby, you and me been getting along for way too long. Life's been a bed of roses and sweet, sweet song. I know I should not complain. This is gonna sound insane, but let's fight. Let's cuss, get mad, throw stuff, maybe call each other names. Slam doors, break glass. I'll leave, come back, and I'll take all the blame. Let's scream, let's shout. Make up, make out. Baby, just for tonight, let's fight. (Let's Fight, Thompson Square)
If you ever partake in casual news-watching ... or news-browsing on the web ... (Or haven't been living under a rock) ... I'm sure at this point, you have heard of the NYPD's intrusive, (in my non-lawyer mind) highly likely illegal surveillance of Muslim students across the Northeast ... and, you know what, it's some ...
Maybe I'm mistaken but I always thought this was country was founded on the principles of life and liberty (and the pursuit of happiness), as well as some basic civil, human, God-given rights ... Like, for example, the fact that (in case you need a little Civics refresher course on the Bill of Rights):
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Amendment 1)
and, you know, maybe this one ...
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. (Amendment 4)
Both those amendments are straight up in the CONSTITUTION of the United States of America ... Basically, uh, the supreme law of the land.
So, when did it become okay to basically target a whole group of people - in this case, students! - pretty much labeling them as terrorists before anything connects them to acts of terrorism.
OH WAIT ... Some of them talk about Islam and pray four times a day while whitewater rafting. Totally makes sense now.
Ummmm, these are MUSLIM college students. Obviously some will pray while out and about ... Obviously some talk of religion will come about. It was an Muslim Student Association trip ... and, despite that, WHO CARES!? ... They have a right to do both of those things without being covertly spied on and then having a SECRET document sent back to the NYPD about their actions. This past Sunday, I attended an event sponsored by Muslims For Peace, Inc., which focused on the NYPD surveillance, as well as the human rights issues in Bahrain. In attendance were NJ Congressman Rush Holt, NJ Senator Linda Greenstein, and Councilman Stephen Dalina of Monroe Township, NJ, as well as close to 40 attendees. Speakers described the actions of the NYPD as "tragic and un-American," citing that Muslims deserve the same rights as all other Americans. One speaker stated that if the NYPD wants cooperation they should not be secretive and "come through the front door" as it is a "religious duty to obey the laws of the land." Holt started speaking by simply stating that, "It's troubling what fear will do to a people."
He went onto describe the actions of the NYPD as "intrusive, reprehensible, and pointless," as well as counterproductive.
"People should be as much troubled by the bad police procedures as they are by the intrusive actions," said Holt.
He said that the fear people demonstrate ultimately leads to an unraveling of our society.
And, if you ask me, that is one of the truest statements I have heard to date. It is fear that led to this surveillance of Muslim students. Fear that has grown after 9/11. And, while I know that there are threats everyday that need to be investigated and looked into, this was not the way to go about it. Yes, keeping this country safe and secure is important but infringing on the rights of an entire group of people because of their faith goes directly against the same rights and freedoms we are trying to protect.
Counterproductive, don't you think?
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
- Niemoller
Judge not before you judge yourself. Judge not, if you're not ready for judgement. The road of life is rocking and you may stumble too. So while you talk about me, someone else is judging you. (Judge Not, Bob Marley)
A 20-year-old man from Belmar, NJ and a 17-year-old boy from Lake Como, NJ have been charged with beating a homeless man after they posted a video of the attack on YouTube.
I can't locate the video ... But when you hear about things like this, doesn't it make you lose a bit more faith in humanity ... if you're one of the people who have any left. What makes it worse is that at the end of the video ... when the homeless man is left bloody ... one of the attackers shouts back to him, "Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Whatever the fuck you are."
The kid went in for a hug ... then kneed the man in the groin. Nice. Real nice.
Isn't this the time of year when we are supposed to be a little more loving? A little more accepting? Aren't we supposed to let people merge in on the highway? And throw an extra dime in an expired meter when we see the meter-maid walking up the street??? I mean, aren't we supposed to be helping each other out just a little bit ... even if it's just at this time of the year?! I'd like it to be all year long, 24/7 ... But God knows that's never going to happen ... So let's just make it happen around the holidays, people!
Maybe I'm just naive or my faith in humanity is just too strong ... But I think we can all be better to each other. So just do it! --- Be a better person for goodness sake.
Basically what I am saying is ... Don't be a jackass.
I never wanted to say this. You never wanted to stay. I put my faith in you, so much faith, and then you just threw it away. You threw it away. I'm not so naive. My sorry eyes can see the way you fight shy of almost everything. Well, if you give up, you'll get what you deserve ... Why don't you stand up? Be a man about it, fight with your bare hands about it now. (For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic - Paramore)
.... It's like something out of a horror movie ...
A woman in Pakistan was arrested on suspicion of killing her husband then ... WAIT FOR IT ... cutting him into pieces and attempting to cook him to cover up the crime!!!!
OH YEAHHHH, she went all out!!! Pakistani officials stated that Zainab Bibi, 32, had no intention of eating (BLAUGH!) her now-dead husband but needed to get rid of the evidence in the best possible way. If you ask me, this woman has been watching one too many episodes of Criminal Minds. I'm pretty sure it gets dubbed over there.
Reporters in Pakistan said that Bibi had no remorse for killing her husband as she had a daughter from a previous marriage, who her second husband wanted to leave her for, and marry. Bibi apparently stated in an interview that her husband "got what her deserved ... before he dared touch [her] daughter."
Well, seems like she's a total psycho and he's a total creep. One big happy family, no doubt, under that roof. Throw in the fact that Bibi's 22-year-old nephew helped with the kill and you just have one hell of a story to tell at Christmas dinner to the relatives.
I hope those were the black sheep in that family.
... Honestly though, I feel for the daughter in this whole debacle ... She clearly has some Daddy issues she's going to have to get through and now she's got a Momma in jail.
Craziness up in there.
She's a Killer Queen. Gunpowder. Gelatin. Dynamite with a laser beam. Guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime. Recommended at the price. Insatiable an appetite. Wanna try? (Killer Queen, Queen)
Y'all knew it was coming ... My rant on this Biebs story. Y'all just didn't know when! Sorry, but grad school has been OWNING my life. But, here it is. The "IT AIN'T HIS" rant!
Now I'm sure at this point, you all have heard about this trifling bitch Mariah Yeater who is claiming that Justin Bieber fathered her 3-month-old son, after some 30-second bathroom tryst. This comes after she claimed the child was fathered by her ex-boyfriend (who, in case you are wondering, she beat and then ended up being arrested for battery when he denied being the father).
Oh yeahhhhh, Justin Bieber was her SECOND CHOICE BABY DADDY!
Now, here's my thing. If you are going to make up some crazy-ass story to get yourself some 15 minutes of fame and some dolla dolla bills in your pocket then at least pick a better celebrity ... Because I mean, come on, we all know the Biebs is all about being virgin unless you are definitely ready and you are absolutely with someone you loveeeeee (ermmmm ... Selena Gomez, anyone!?). AND, on top of that, this woman's 3-month-old child would have been conceived when the Biebs was 16 years old, and she was 19!!!! WHAT?! She's willing to be convicted of statutory rape for this!?
GIRLLLLL, you all kinds of crazy.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept./AP
I am interested to see where this story ends up going because I know right now Justin Bieber is simply denying that he knows her and that the baby is his ... (OBVI, because it's TRUE). But this woman seems like a total loony basket, so I am just wondering if the Biebs will ever succumb and take the paternity test. Or if this crazy will end up trailing him on the road because, I mean, its not too hard to track down a celeb. What do you really need to do? Google them?
Actually, that's pretty scary. I don't want to give any more crazines any ideas.
Don't need that TMZ all in our privacy. Use them lips for kissin' girl if you wanna ride with me, and if you wanna tell somebody then we can call the whole thing off, no problem. You can go your way and I'll go mine but I'd rather spend a little time with you, yeah ... I don't wanna see you tweet about J.B 'cause the only people that know is you and me ... So, tell me are you gonna kiss, kiss and tell? (Kiss and Tell, Justin Bieber)
A man in Ohio decided to free all his exotic pets and then kill himself yesterday ... and now there are some two-dozen animals roaming the streets of Zanesville ... and another some two-dozen are dead.
The man, who was charged with weapons charges, was asked to remove the animals and apparently took it a little too literally ... He removed them from his property and dispersed them to everyone else's ... But beforehand, like any good pet owner (which he was not, he had been charged with pet abuse in the past), he fed his cheetahs, and giraffes, and wolves before he opened their cages and his fence and walked away ... Afterwards, they did what any warm-blooded animal would do, they strolled along their merry way.
Occasionally a lion would eat a monkey ... Or a camel would stroll along a highway ... You know the norm. When the Zanesville police got wind of this, they originally attempted to tranquilize the animals but when tigers and lions and other animals reacted violently, they decided they needed to shoot to kill (which, bee tee dubz, is super sad!).
My question is how did this man accumulate all these exotic animals in the first place? When he got his first lion, all right ... Ohio apparently has lax laws on having crazyyyy pets. But then when he got a monkey and a camel and a tiger and a grizzly bear and started calling it a preserve ... but then was charged with pet abuse ... Didn't that raise any red flags???? I mean what does it take for someone in Ohio to send their "pets" to a zoo ...
Oh, yeah, apparently a real life version of Jumanji.
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of our rival. And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night and he's watching us all in the eye of the tiger. (Eye of the Tiger, Survivor)
I have read some really horrible books in my day ... and seen some even worse (auto)biographies/memoirs ... Sometimes I walk through bookstores and see books like this ...
Or this ...
Or worse, this ...
OK, so I own the Miley one but that's besides the point ... But you get my drift ...
There are a crazy amount of horrible books out there and our bookstores and bookshelves are definitely not in need of more ... But if I needed to pick one person right now who did need to write a memoir or who did deserve a book deal, it would be this girl right here ...
Yep, Miss Amanda Knox. Not because she spent 4 years in jail or because she allegedly killed her roommate but because she is definitely going to need the money now that she's home ... Because let's consider the facts ...
1) She's unemployable ... I mean despite the fact that it's illegal to not hire her ... Who would?
2) I highly doubt any college is going to accept her considering her shady past so she isn't going to get a higher education ... well, maybe an online degree ... But not one on any college campus.
and ...
3) Don't nobody want to ever share an apartment with this bitch ever again so she's paying rent on her own for the rest of time ... I mean what would her ad say?
Twenty-Something Female Seeks Roommate
Enjoys traveling and creative writing
Has spent some time studying abroad in Italy
Studied the Criminal Justice System, as well as the Judicial System
Please call my cell if interested,
Depending on the date it's either a cell phone
Or a jail cell.
TBD
See what I mean? She's going to need a book deal to help pay her way through life ... So I just think someone should throw this girl a bone and give her one ... And, honestly, I don't even think her memoir would be that bad. I think it would be kind of interesting. (Do they have double jeopardy laws in Italy? What if she just decides to go all out and be like, "YEP. I did it. I killed her" in the book. That would be nuts.) Publishers take note, you read it here first. Give her a book deal. It'll be worth it.
If you really like it, you can have the rights. It could make a million for you overnight. If you must return it, you can send it here but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer. (Paperback Writer, The Beatles)
Seriously?! Seriously. Politicians are being PAID to show up at Ground Zero for the Tenth Anniversary Ceremony of 9/11 yet the first responders ... the police officers, the fire personnel, and the other rescue workers who RAN IN when others were RUNNING OUT ... are "not invited" because of lack of space? I find that to be a disgrace ... An absolute disgrace and a dishonor to them and their fallen brothers and sisters in uniform who died that day ... I cannot believe that city officials are actually using that as an excuse to get away with this.
Yes, I do believe that the victim's families have an absolute right to be there. Yes, I do believe that certain politicians need to be there [a total of 4 ... everyone else can stay home ... President Obama, Former President George W. Bush, Mayor Bloomberg (tsk tsk!!), and Former Mayor Giuliani], and, yes, clearly not every single responder can show up to the ceremony ... But telling emergency personnel that they are not invited and that there will be a separate ceremony for them on a different day. That is just disrespectful.
I don't even have anything else to say to this ... Besides, shame on you, New York, shame on you.
I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep and find I'm King of the Hill, Top of the List, Head of the Heap, King of the Hill ... These are little town blues. They have all melted away. I am about to make a brand new start of it, right there in old New York. (New York, New York, Frank Sinatra)
If it wasn't for their pictures being posted all over the internet and on the cover of newspapers and for the Facebook memorial sites popping up day after after, their story would seem more like an episode of "CSI" or "Criminal Minds" than an actual case ... It just seems too sensational to be real. But then again, there are some really crazy people out there who make this world one crazy scary place to live in.
The story I am referring to, of course, is the shooting of Nazish Noorani, and her guilty (but also shot) husband Kashif Parvaiz.
Photo c/o the AP
If you have been following this story, you know that Parvaiz was not the one to pull the trigger ... He apparently plotted to kill his wife ... And a woman named Antoinette Stephen pulled the trigger while the couple were walking home with their 3-year-old child. Reports are unsure as to the relationship between Parvaiz and Stephen.
Even if Parvaiz didn't pull the trigger, hearing stories like this is scary, especially when you consider the lies. Parvaiz told Noorani's family that he had studied at Harvard, yet there are no records of him there. She was apparently being abused by him. Noorani sent a text message to her brother stating that she couldn't "talk to him cuz he abuses me ... I'm so tired of this ... Someday U will find me dead, but it's cuz of Kashi ... he wants to kill me."
Noorani's prophecy came true. Her husband admitted on Friday that he plotted with a friend to have his wife killed, and himself injured, in order to make it seem like a random act of violence.
This story is that much sadder because their child not only watched their mother gunned down in the street, but also lost their father the very same day. Their child was essentially orphaned because of what? An affair? A bad marriage? Or simply the insanity of a madman? If it was one of the first, the decent thing to do would have been to admit it to himself and his wife ... and his family ... and get a divorce.
Men like him give marriage ... and love ... a bad, and scary, name.
Bang bang, you shot down. Bang bang, I hit the ground. Bang bang, that awful sound. Bang bang, my baby shot me down. You shot me right between the eyes. You left me paralyzed. Bang bang bang bang bang. Oh, oh baby, I'm laying on the ground. I'll never come around. [Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Cher]
Side Note: If you or someone you know is being abused, please check the following sites for information and help:
The Hotline (National Domestic Violence Hotline -> 1-800-799-SAFE)
Safe Horizon (1-800-621-HOPE; includes information on legal assistance and trafficking cases)
Wafa House (1-800-930-WAFA; serves the specific needs of Middle Eastern and South Asian women)
Does this look like the face of an animal hoarder?
How about this?
Well, they both are!
Pennie and Steven Lefkowitz, owners of Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary, were accused of hoarding between 500 and 700 cats. They were subsequently arrested.
Alachua County Animal Services removed the cats from the sanctuary in High Springs, FL back in June. 100 of the cats had to be put down.
According to the Haven Acres website, the sanctuary is a "private, no kill animal shelter" which was formed because the Lefkowitz's were "concerned about the high euthanasia rate at Animal Services." The website boasts that "since its inception, no cat that has needed help has been turned away."
While I commend the original intentions of the Lefkowitz couple, at one point they needed to look around their "haven" and realize that what was once a sanctuary for these animals was probably turning into a hell.
The couple were given a special zoning permit to hold up to 200 cats at their sanctuary; once that number starting rising above that they should have sought help from outside organizations. According to one article, a large warehouse was used to house the cats. Animals need space to move and play, and they need individual attention. There is no way that the Lefkowitz couple could have given attention to all these animals.
Animal cruelty is a sad and prevalent situation. GOD even knew about it from the beginning of time and said for people not to do it ...
We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. (Holy Quran, 21:107)
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs, 12:10)
And then when God couldn't get people to listen, He sent Sarah McLachlan. I mean don't you remember the first time you saw this commercial and started crying over it? Every time I am sitting at the TV, and I hear "Angel" start to play ... I know the waterworks are about to come flooding out.
I mean even babies know how wrong it is. This kid made me cry even more than just seeing the commercial.
We, as human beings, need to learn that we are not the only ones who matter in this world and that all living things are worthy of love.
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true. Don't be cruel to heart that's true. I don't want no other love. Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of. (Don't Be Cruel, Elvis Presley)
Side Note: If you would like to learn more about how you can help fight the fight, visit the Humane Society. You can either donate or follow them on Twitter. You can also visit the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and donate or follow THEM on Twitter.
Seeing how the riots are going down in London has got me thinking ... A lot of young people in this world either feel disconnected from society or entitled to everything they want. Clearly there is a whole bunch of other things that factor into the equation ... but the beginnings of the problems we see are either one of those.
If you are following the news of what is going on in London right now, the riots are not middle-aged people who are angry at the government or the state of the economy ... It's young people who are going out, being violent, and taking what they want. And it's not just London that has seen this problem. There are stories everyday where we see young people who just get up and start rioting for no reason whatsoever ... other than the fact that they are young, and there are lots of them, and they feel in control. Heck, Rutgersfest 2011 at Rutgers University saw mob scenes that ensued in one night that I had never seen in my combined six years at the school. And just this week, the mayor of Philadelphia announced stricter curfews for teenagers because of the growing trend of flash mobs turned violent in the city.
It's horrible because when I see things like this and hear that some of these kids are justifying their actions as "good fun" and then they go blame it on the government (yet they don't even know who their government is) ... It's just sad. Then they have the nerve to say that they are targeting rich people with businesses ... Do they not realize that a shop owner who sells grapefruits and pomegranates is not exactly making it big in London? It just makes me angry that they are trying to justify their clear lack of direction when what they are really doing is going out and having their version of a good time, and doing what they want, and getting what they want.
It's also sad when you read that some of these kids are not even teenagers yet and I imagine that they are just doing it for attention. They are basically throwing themselves on the ground, banging their hands and feet, and screaming like a four-year-old ... begging for someone to listen ... be it their parents, grandparents, a teacher ... someone. Just someone to reach out before they really screw up their life. These kids need a value system and some of them are probably begging for one, even if no one sees it.
I think it's good that London is starting to lay down the law and is arresting at a higher rate than in the past because these kids need a dose of reality. They need to know that their actions have consequences and that they can't just get away with doing what they want and getting what they want, because I'm sure some of them feel like they can.
I know you can't learn from my mistakes. You got your own roads you gotta take, and they might look like they're paved with gold. Just remember that you'll have to reap all the seeds you sow. Rebel Child, won't you heed my warning? One of these days the rain will come pouring. Some of those sunshine blue, sky mornings might just turn to gray. (Rebel Child, Gretchen Wilson)
These are not people trying to send a message to the police or government about a suspicious shooting ... I mean unless that message is "Arrest me now!" ... This is straight up criminality - a bunch of hooligans who are taking advantage of a situation and wreaking havoc on people's livelihoods.
When did civilized protesting become setting cars and buses on fire? And shattering shop windows? And beating police officers? Like Cousin N in London said ... she had that awkward moment when she thought the streets of Pakistan would be safer than the streets of London, and that's saying a lot seeing as how Pakistan has been going lately.
Photo c/o the BBC
The youth of London are clearly on some other shyttt because they are even using social media to plan their looting escapades ... hooking up on Facebook and Twitter with events and tweets. According to one site, Blackberry messenger was used to circulate this fun little message to anyone with a data plan ...
Everyone in edmonton enfield wood green everywhere in north link up at enfield town station at 4 o clock sharp!!!! Start leaving ur yards n linking up with your n*ggas. F*ck da feds, brings your ballys and your bags trollys, cars vans, hammers the lot!!
Half these kids are probably just jumping on the looting bandwagon because their friends are doing it and that's just sad. They even planned to hit up Westfield Shopping Centre and ransack that ... And like Cousin M in London said, "That's not even funny. That's totally unnecessary." For those of you who don't know, Westfield houses The Village, a section of the mall with stores that I go in and the employees look me up and down with either sad or suspicious eyes. If they succeeded in ransacking that mall, what a day they would have had!
Westfield Shopping Centre, 6/8/2011, Photo c/o ME
Seriously though! These kids need to get it together and realize that one day soon they are either going to a) get arrested, b) get shot by one of their homies or someone else, c) burn to death in one of the fires they start, d) kill someone and have to live with that for the rest of their lives, or e) get away with it now and get arrested at some point in the future for some other stupid crime they commit.
Two jumps in a week, I bet you think that's pretty clever, don't you, boy? Flying on your motorcycle, watching all the ground beneath you drop. You'd kill yourself for recognition. Kill yourself to never ever stop. You broke another mirror. You're turning into something you are not. (High and Dry, Radiohead)
There will be no baby Lucifers playing on the playground with your kids ... In New Zealand, that is, as the name was recently banned.
However, your child may come across a cute, little, bouncing, baby Violence or Number 16 Bus Shelter ... as those names were approved by New Zealand's Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.
When parents choose a name for their unborn child, my assumption is that it isn't a simple decision for most. I assume most people don't just look up "Popular Baby Names 2011" and go for the top choice. Parents probably look to relatives for advice or try to form some weird combination of the child's paternal and maternal grandparent's names to form some new name. It's probably a long process.
Then there are are others who probably know long beforehand what they want to name their child (but then there's the whole process of trying to get the other parent to agree to the name). So, yeah, naming a kid - it's not an easy affair.
So, anyway, in this whole crazy process ... when do parents think about the actual child? When do the parents come together and consider Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii a good name for their little girl to go through life with? ... My assumption is that they don't - it probably happens when the mother is hopped up on pain medication and no one is in the room besides her and the nurse asking her, "Did you decide on a name? We need it for the birth certificate." Then changing the name is such a hassle, no one bothers. Heck, my brother's middle name is spelled wrong on his birth certificate and no one has ever bothered to do anything about it ... He isn't even sure how to legally spell it.
I'm sure there are plenty of kids out there who would have suffered lots of torture due to their parents lack of intelligence when it came to that crucial moment of naming them - but just missed eternal ridicule when their respective countries banned their would-be names (although I'm sure they have equally embarrassing names after the initial ones were banned).
One child I'd like to meet in the future is this little one from Egypt ---> Check it out.
Yeah, I got a name in this town. Some good and some bad that I'll never live down. Anywhere else, I'm just a face in the crowd. But, I got a name in this town. Yeah, I got a name in this town. (A Name In This Town, Josh Thompson)
Remember those warm summer days selling lemonade on your front lawn trying to raise money to go to your local amusement park or buy the newest toy on the market to make everyone jealous (or in the case of the kids in my neighborhood nowadays, grape juice plus 3 free jelly beans)????
Well, it seems like those days are over because police are becoming way overenthusiastic in their jobs (or bored during the long summer days) and shutting down poor, little kid's lemonade stands one-by-one. In most cases, it happens because a lot of cities require food and business permits before someone can set up shop (even if that shop happens to be on a front lawn run by a bunch of 7-year-olds).
This situation happened two weeks ago in Midway, Georgia, when three girls decided they wanted to sell lemonade to raise money to go to a water park.
Well, all was good until the police chief rode by and told them they were breaking the law and they had to close down their business because, although they were young, he needed to "enforce the laws." Health issues were apparently also a concern because, ooooo scaryyyyyy, no one knew who made the lemonade!!!!!!
I understand that police have an extremely important job and that they do everything in their power to protect us day to day, but can't they leave the little things in life alone ... like kids with lemonade stands. I mean, come on. They are not trying to take over the world or anything with the money they are making ... Or are they?
Yeah, I doubt it. I'm pretty sure most of them are just budding entrepreneurs who just want a little extra cash for the summer. So, just do those little Donnie Trumps and Billy Gates a favor and just go about your day patrolling the mean streets for real criminals.
I really can't believe someone would want to crush a child's little dream like that, in the first place.
And that's what wrong with the world today.
A firefly glowing on my left hand, I used to pretend it was a wedding band. A tall, cool glass of mama's lemonade - sold from a stand that me and my sister made. We'd count our quarters in the shade, underneath the trees ... Oh, those sweet memories. I love those summer days. Driftin' on by like a slow parade. And everything feels fine in the warm sunshine, when your world unwinds. And you kick back in your flip flops. And you don't care about the tick-tock. And the world is full of music, dreams, and lovers. There ain't nothin' like the summer. (Nothin' Like The Summer, Carmen Rasmusen)
A 61-year-old woman in Arizona who is accused of grabbing (and twisting!) the left breast of a Transportation Security Administration employee on Thursday, June 14, is facing a felony count of sexual abuse.
The woman, Yukari Mihamae, refused to go through the proper screening techniques for her flight and then began arguing with the TSA employee before grabbing and twisting the employee's breast.
According to MSNBC, police were called and Mihamae admitted to the assault and was arrested.
Photo c/o the AP
I find it interesting that the TSA feel that they can basically do what they please when searching people, yet when the tables are turned, it is a felony. I mean, they basically grope people on a daily basis for a living! And while I do understand their jobs and I find their jobs to be important, and I do agree that airport security should be tight, sometimes it is just over the top. Last month, TSA employees had a 95-year-old woman remove her adult diaper during a pat-down and in April, a six year old girl was patted down, leading to outrage from people all over the place.
I think the TSA need to take a look at their procedures, especially when it comes to children and the elderly, and reconsider them. Or else they will be dealing with a lot more angry men and women like Mihamae who will be attacking their employees and grabbing their boobs and kneeing guys in the crotch.
I think I could like you. I already do. Feelings can grow but they can go away too. You're taking my hand, looking into my eyes. Don't be in a rush to get me tonight. I feel something happening. Could this be a spark? To satisfy me, baby, gotta satisfy my heart. Do you know how to touch a girl? If you want me so much, first I have to know - are you thoughtful and kind? Do you care what's on my mind? Or am I just for show? You'll go far in this world if you know how to touch a girl. (How to Touch a Girl, JoJo)
