Let Kids Be Kids: Maturity Occurs At Different Rates

In our present culture of hyper- and (what I call) "pharmaparenting", studies recently found that kids who exhibit bad behavior in school are not necessarily doomed to academic failure. Last month, The New York Times published the results of two studies that showed fears of academic failure are exaggerated. One study concluded that kindergartners who are identified as troubled do as well academically as their peers in elementary school. The other found that children with attention deficit disorders suffer primarily from a delay in brain development, not from a deficit or flaw. [Source]

These findings could change the way scientists, teachers and parents understand and manage children who are disruptive or emotionally withdrawn in the early years of school. The studies might even prompt a reassessment of the possible causes of disruptive behavior in some children.

“I think these may become landmark findings, forcing us to ask whether these acting-out kinds of problems are secondary to the inappropriate maturity expectations that some educators place on young children as soon as they enter classrooms,” said Sharon Landesman Ramey, director of the Georgetown University Center on Health and Education.

In one study, an international team of researchers analyzed measures of social and intellectual development from over 16,000 children and found that disruptive or antisocial behaviors in kindergarten did not correlate with academic results at the end of elementary school. Researchers cautioned, however, that the findings did not imply that emotional problems were trivial or could not derail academic success in the years before of after elementary school.

The study performed by the National Institute of Mental Health and McGill University, using imaging techniques, found that the brains of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder developed normally but more slowly in some areas than the brains of children without the disorder.

The disorder, also known as ADHD, is by far the most common psychiatric diagnosis given to disruptive young children; 3 percent to 5 percent of school-age children are thought to be affected. Researchers have long debated whether it was due to a brain deficit or to a delay in development.

While there was little correlation between behavior problems in kindergarten and later academic success, the researchers did find that scores on math tests at ages 5 or 6 were highly correlated with academic success in fifth grade. Kindergarten reading skills and scores on attention measures — where youngsters with A.D.H.D. falter — also predicted later academic success, but less strongly than math scores did. The pattern was about the same in girls as in boys, and for children from affluent families as well as those from lower-income groups.

The authors of the study suggested that preschool programs might consider developing more effective math training. The findings should also put to rest concerns that boys and girls who are restless, disruptive or withdrawn in kindergarten are bound to suffer academically.

“For kindergarten, it appears teachers are able to work around these behavior problems in a way that enables kids to learn just as much as other kids with equal levels of ability,” said the lead author, Greg J. Duncan, a professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University. [My personal comment: I hope like crazy that these teachers are given smaller class sizes!!!]

In the second study, government psychiatric researchers compared brain scans from two groups of children: one with attention deficit disorder, the other without. The scientists had tracked the children — 223 in each group — from ages 6 to 16, taking multiple scans on each child.

In a normally developing brain, the cerebral cortex — the outer wrapping, where circuits involved in conscious thought are concentrated — thickens during early childhood. It then reverses course and thins out, losing neurons as the brain matures through adolescence. The study found that, on average, the brains of children with A.D.H.D. began this “pruning” process at age 10 ½, about three years later than their peers.

About 80 percent of those with attention problems were taking or had taken stimulant drugs, and the researchers did not know the effect of the medications on brain development. Doctors consider stimulant drugs a reliable way to improve attention in the short term; the new study is not likely to change that attitude. [My concern: young, quickly developing brains being promptly medicated without considering alternatives, such as diet modifications and learning alternate, adaptive parenting skills.]

But the greatest delays in brain maturation were found in precisely those areas of the cortex most involved in attention and motor control, said the lead author of the study, Dr. Philip Shaw, a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health. “Those are exactly the areas where we would expect to find differences,” Dr. Shaw said.

Doctors cannot diagnose attention deficit or any other psychiatric disorder with imaging technology, in part because brains vary so much that a single series of images can seldom reveal who has a disorder. The new findings suggest that searching for a clear abnormality or flaw is the wrong approach, at least for attention problems.

“The basic sequence of development in the brains of these kids with A.D.H.D. was intact, absolutely normal,” Dr. Shaw said. “I think this is pretty strong evidence we’re talking about a delay, and not an abnormal brain.”

About three in four children do grow out of the problem by early adulthood, he said.

Fraudulent Green Part 3: Top 10 Climate Myth-Busters for 2007

The following list is paraphrased from Steven Milloy, a 'junk science' reporter on FoxNews website. Go to the original article for details. [Source]

1) Observed temperature changes measured over the last 30 years don’t match well with temperatures predicted by the mathematical climate models relied on by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

2) The Sun may have contributed 50 percent or more of the global warming thought to have occurred since 1900, according to a new historical temperature reconstruction showing more variation in pre-industrial temperatures than previously thought. The researchers found that “the climate is very sensitive to solar changes and a significant fraction of the global warming that occurred during the last century should be solar induced.”

3) Another new temperature reconstruction for the past 2,000 years indicates that globally averaged temperature 1,000 years ago was about 0.3 degrees Celsius warmer than the current temperature. Since that climatic "heat wave" obviously wasn’t caused by coal-fired power plants and SUVs, the current temperature is quite within natural variability, deflating alarmists’ rash conclusions about the warming of the past 50 years.

4) Runaway global warming -- the alarmist fantasy in which a warmer global temperature causes climatic events that, in turn, cause more warming and so-on in a never-ending positive feedback loop -- was cornered by new data from researchers at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH). The new research sheds light on the mechanism by which the atmosphere self-regulates.

5) Climate alarmists gleefully surfed a 2005 study that claimed greenhouse gas emissions would slow Atlantic Ocean circulation and cause a mini ice age in Europe. But an international team of researchers reported that the intensity of the Atlantic circulation may vary by as much as a factor of eight in a single year. The decrease in Atlantic circulation claimed in the 2005 study falls well within this variation and so is likely part of a natural yearly trend, according to the new study.

6) A new study reported that the solid particles suspended in the atmosphere (called “aerosols”) that make up “brown clouds” may actually contribute to warmer temperatures -- precisely the opposite effect heretofore claimed by global warming alarmists. “These findings might seem to contradict the general notion of aerosol particles as cooling agents in the global climate system …,” concluded the researchers.

7) Researchers reported that the rate of manmade carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions was three times greater during 2000 to 2004 than during the 1990s. Since increasing atmospheric C02 levels allegedly cause global warming, the new study must mean that global temperatures are soaring even faster now than they did during the 1990s, right? Wrong. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Climatic Data Center, ever-changing global temperatures are in no way keeping pace with ever-increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

8) Researchers reported that while tropical forests exert a cooling influence on global climate, forests in northern regions exert a significant warming influence on climate. Based on the researchers’ computer modeling, forests above 20 degrees latitude in the Northern Hemisphere -- that is, north of the line of latitude running through Southern Mexico, Saharan Africa, central India and the southernmost Chinese Island of Hainan -- will warm surface temperatures in those regions by an estimated 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. This flys in the face of how the carbon-credit companies have been hawking "buy a tree and save the world."

9) Dutch researchers reported that during a period of intense global warming 55 million years ago -- when the Arctic Ocean was as warm as 73 degrees Fahrenheit -- there was a tremendous release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But which came first, the warming or the greenhouse gases? It was the warming, according to the researchers.

10) In a report to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed greenhouse gas regulation to be quite the fool’s errand. In estimating the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases 90 years from now under both a scenario where no action is taken to reduce manmade emissions and a scenario where maximum regulation is implemented, the estimated difference in average global temperature between the two scenarios is 0.17 degrees Centigrade.

Milloy finished the article with these thoughts: "That’s what researchers have reported this year. And let’s not forget the spanking a British high judge gave Al Gore’s movie for all its scientific inaccuracies and the thrashing non-alarmist climate scientists gave to alarmist climate scientists in a debate sponsored by the New York debating society Intelligence Squared.

"Al Gore and the alarmist mob claim the debate about the science of global warming is “over.” Given the developments of 2007, it’s easy to see why they would want it that way."

The Holiday Blues

Ah, here we sit in that odd place on the calendar between Christmas and New Year's. We're recovering from the Christmas Craze and resting up for New Year's Eve. I am enjoying being on Winter Break from school, and yet yesterday I found myself feeling blue. I thought "What's wrong with me?!? This Christmas is waaaaaay better than last year, which I spent recovering from a really rough hysterectomy. I'm feeling great these days. So, why am I down?!?" I wondered if any of you folks out there were feeling the same way.

This is a joyous time of year ... or, at least, it's supposed to be. However, this is also the time of year when people can feel a bit blue. The Holiday Blues, not to be confused with Seasonal Affective Disorder, are those feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression that commonly occur this time of year.

What are the causes of the Holiday Blues? There are a number of factors can that contribute to your celebrations losing their luster. I would summarize them as the three F's: fatigue, finances, and family.

Fatigue: Think of the big increase in demands on your time! Those of you with family see a huge leap in activities added to your calendars -- shopping, cleaning, getting ready for and hosting company, social engagements, church commitments ... they add up! And, not everyone gets that much time off at Christmas, so you have increased activities with not much time off from work.

Finances: If your finances are already tight, add in the cost of Christmas presents and parties. Oh, and don't forget that your personal property tax is due by Dec. 31st. And, if you're like me, your association dues also must be mailed by the 31st.
They range from fatigue -- a result of all of the increased holiday activity -- to financial limitations and family tensions. Experts say one of the fastest routes to holiday depression is unrealistic expectations.

Family: Tensions within the family can either increase or at least become more apparent during the holidays. Many of your holiday social engagements include family members that set your teeth on edge or present you with situations you anticipate anxiously. The holidays might also be a time where you experience sadness over the loss of family members or family break-ups. We find ourselves thinking: "Gee, everyone else looks so happy. What's wrong with me?"

Frequently, our biggest problem is the expectations we have romantically built around this holiday season, either from fond childhood memories of how Christmas used to be or from movies and stories we've been raised to believe that this is how the holiday should be. Our inability to reproduce these nostalgic or romantic notions of Christmas leave us disappointed ... again. Maybe our expectations involved notions of perfection: the kids must love their gifts, everything must fit, the food must be fabulous, the weather must cooperate, no travel delays, etc. We set ourselves up for failure the moment we begin to believe that things must be "perfect."

So, how can we cope if we're experiencing the Holiday Blues? Here's what the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends:

• Do something for someone else. This is one of the best antidotes! Volunteer some time to charity. It takes the focus off of you and onto others, adding meaning to your holiday season.

• Delegate. Don't try to do it all by yourself. People often want to help and to be involved. By breaking down tasks and doling them out to friends and family, everything becomes more manageable.

• Spend Some Time Alone. Some people love the energy and exuberance of big holiday parties and activities. For others, all of it is very taxing. If you find yourself getting a little anxious, take a breather. Find a quiet spot to relax and recharge your batteries. Other people will be so caught up in what is going on that they probably won't even miss you.

• Let Go of the Past. Don't be disappointed if your holidays aren't like they used to be. Life brings changes. Embrace the future, and don't dwell on the fact that the "good old days" are gone.

• Don't Drink Too Much. It is easy to overindulge around the holidays, but excessive drinking will only make you feel more depressed.

• Give Yourself a Break. Don't think in absolute terms. You aren't the best cook in the world, or the worst. You aren't super mom or dad, or the most horrible parent in the world.

The medical center recommends that, if despite your best efforts to remain upbeat this holiday season, you find yourself feeling down for a sustained period of time, get help. Don't try to "tough it out" alone. There are treatment options available to you that could make a significant difference in your outlook. [Source]

So, here's to getting off the couch, getting some exercise, and doing something productive and fun! Oh, and one that helps me get out of my funk: think of all the people you know who are wrestling with some pretty rough stuff life has thrown at them and count your blessings! Cory, a former student serving in Iraq ... Joanne, recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis ... Wycliff, a little boy in Kenya I sponsor ... Judy, whose brother passed away a couple of days ago ... Marge, who is struggling with health problems ... Jan, who faces ongoing health problems and is now embroiled in divorce ... Karen, my family member who makes me nuts and who has her burdens as well ... Betsy, who faces this holiday without the husband she lost last Christmas Eve ...

The list goes on and on! When I reflect on these things, I am reminded of just how blessed I am and what a fairy tale my life truly is.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All! God Bless Us Everyone!

Are We Facing Secession?

Here is what FoxNews was reporting yesterday [Source]:

Lakota Indians Withdraw Treaties Signed With U.S. 150 Years Ago

WASHINGTON — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States.

"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,'' long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means said. [Pictured right]

A delegation of Lakota leaders has delivered a message to the State Department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the U.S., some of them more than 150 years old.

The group also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.

Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free - provided residents renounce their U.S. citizenship, Mr Means said.

The treaties signed with the U.S. were merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the Lakota freedom activists said.

Withdrawing from the treaties was entirely legal, Means said.

"This is according to the laws of the United States, specifically article six of the constitution,'' which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land, he said.

"It is also within the laws on treaties passed at the Vienna Convention and put into effect by the US and the rest of the international community in 1980. We are legally within our rights to be free and independent,'' said Means.

The Lakota relaunched their journey to freedom in 1974, when they drafted a declaration of continuing independence — an overt play on the title of the United States' Declaration of Independence from England.

Thirty-three years have elapsed since then because "it takes critical mass to combat colonialism and we wanted to make sure that all our ducks were in a row,'' Means said.

One duck moved into place in September, when the United Nations adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples — despite opposition from the United States, which said it clashed with its own laws.

"We have 33 treaties with the United States that they have not lived by. They continue to take our land, our water, our children,'' Phyllis Young, who helped organize the first international conference on indigenous rights in Geneva in 1977, told the news conference.

The U.S. "annexation'' of native American land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the Lakota becoming mere "facsimiles of white people,'' said Means.

Oppression at the hands of the U.S. government has taken its toll on the Lakota, whose men have one of the shortest life expectancies - less than 44 years - in the world.

Lakota teen suicides are 150 per cent above the norm for the U.S.; infant mortality is five times higher than the U.S. average; and unemployment is rife, according to the Lakota freedom movement's website.

Immigration Indoctrination In Public Schools

Once again, a teacher is confusing the fine line between "education" and "indoctrination." Spanish high school teacher Erica Vieyra of Olentangy Liberty High School in Columbus, Ohio has had her Spanish V students involved in a special project about immigration: Forty Spanish V students assumed make-believe Latino identities. [Source]

The students researched life in their "home" countries and developed plans to get into the United States, filling out actual paperwork from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, researching places to live, work, bank, and gain legal status after the teacher "denies" their application.

Although Vieyra has been using this project for the past five years, this year word got out about it and the Internet has gone crazy. The outrage was sparked by the local newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, when it ran a story about the immigration project on Saturday. It reached national attention when syndicated conservative columnist Michelle Malkin and dozens of other bloggers covered the story, winding up on the Drudge Report, an online aggregator of news sites.

The story continued to grow online to the point that the e-mail inboxes of the school's administrators were jammed and the school received requests for interviews from national radio talk shows.

"We've been bloggercized," Raiff said. "But I am in 100 percent, absolute support of Ms. Vieyra and, as I watched this project all the way through from beginning to end, I knew the students were learning incredible things."

The Dispatch has received numerous e-mails about the story, the majority of which accuse Vieyra of indoctrinating her students with liberal pro-illegal immigrant rhetoric. Many called for her dismissal.

Vieyra is overwhelmed by the support she is receiving from her district and students. And, interestingly, when the students made their presentations in class, no students said they had come to the conclusion that illegal immigrants are going about things the right way. (According to whom, is the question that comes to my mind?)


Ezra C. Escudero, director of Ohio's Office of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, isn't surprised at the fire she has drawn for this project, believing that immigration no longer has a middle ground. "It has become a hypercharged, polarized debate on the fringe," he said. "But it involves real people in real situations, and we must find a way to be able to discuss it civilly."

"A hypercharged, polarized debate on the FRINGE???" Whuh thuh ... ?!?!?

Muslim Brides and "Re-Virgination"

On Monday, FoxNews' website was running a story about a new surgical procedure sought by some Muslim brides: "hymenoplasties" or, that is, surgically restoring one's virginity by restoring a woman's hymen. [Source]

The article relates the situation of one young Muslim woman, Aisha Salim. Being a modern English university graduate, she has experienced the temptations of the West -- she drank, smoke, had sex, and even lived with one of her former boyfriends.

Aisha is engaged to be married and now faces the fear that her devout Muslim family, or that of her groom's, will discover her secret. Therefore, she is willing to have the delicate and painful surgery so that on her wedding night, her groom can hand her blooded sheets to his family as proof of his bride's virginity. "If my husband cannot prove to his family that I am a virgin, I would be hounded, ostracised and sent home in disgrace,” said Salim.

“My father, who is a devout Muslim, would regard it as the ultimate shame. The entire family could be cast out from the friends and society they hold dear, and I honestly believe that one of my fanatically religious cousins or uncles might kill me in revenge, to purge them of my sins. Incredible as it may seem, honour killings are still accepted within our religion.

"Ever since my family arranged this marriage for me, I've been terrified that, on my wedding night, my secret would come out. It has only been since my surgery last week that I've actually been able to sleep properly. Now, I can look forward to my marriage."

Salim gives an interesting account of her childhood in England:"I attended the local Catholic secondary school and although I wore a scarf on my head, I refused to wear a veil, telling my parents that it would make me stand out too much. I was one of the girls, totally accepted by my white, English friends whose lives revolved around shopping and fancying boys.

"But the moment I stepped over the doorstep, normal teenage life would cease and it was like entering an entirely different world. At home, we had to pray together five times a day. We weren't allowed to watch television. My parents were so worried that Western influences might take our minds off the most important things -- education and religion -- that we were never allowed to bring any school friends home. But it made all the things my friends did more attractive to me. I would sneak out on Saturday afternoons and join them in town, hanging around, shopping and chatting to boys," Salim added.

As a teacher in a public high school, we have a handful of covered Muslim girls. Reading this report makes me wonder about and worry for them. What fears do they face? How integrated are they in the school's climate, or must they, like Aisha, shut the door on her classmates when they return home? How much do their lives mirror those of my non-Muslim female students?

Peak To Be Named "Mount Santa Clause"

... and a former Soviet republic, no less!!! [Source]

Kyrgyzstan already has mountains honoring Communist and Russian leaders, such as Lenin and Yeltsin. Now, it plans to have three climbers to scale the peak on Christmas Eve and bury a capsule containing the national flag, naming it "Mount Santa Claus."

Why would this former Soviet Union country want to honor St. Nick?

"We want to develop tourism, and Santa Claus is an ideal brand to help us do this," said Nurhon Tadzhibayeva, an official with Kyrgyz tourist authorities. ("Brand?") The country also intends to hold annual games in which Santas from all over the world will test their chimney-climbing, sled-racing and tree-decorating skills.

Develop tourism? You mean, make money in the good ol' Capitalist fashion? Maybe they would be better advised to develop gambling, as St. Louis is doing? (Click here to read about our newest gambling establishment that opened last night. Oh, boy! I'm so excited ... not!!!)

UNICEF: You Might Want To Consider A Different Charity

The next time you see someone collecting for UNICEF or think about buying this UN entity's "holiday" cards, you might want to reconsider after reading about this year's winner of the "UNICEF" Photo of the Year 2007." [Source]

The picture shows the winner, Stephanie Sinclair, a U.S. freelance photographer, posing with her photo. It shows a wedding couple in Afghanistan. The groom, Mohammed, looks much older than his 40 years. The bride, Ghulam, is still a child; she just turned 11. Stephanie Sinclair works as a freelance photographer based in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

"A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However, he should not penetrate vaginally, but sodomising the child is acceptable. If a man does penetrate and damage the child then, he should be responsible for her subsistence all her life. This girl will not count as one of his four permanent wives and the man will not be eligible to marry the girl's sister... It is better for a girl to marry at such a time when she would begin menstruation at her husband's house, rather than her father's home. Any father marrying his daughter so young will have a permanent place in heaven." -- Ayatollah Khomeini at his best.
["Tahrirolvasyleh", fourth edition, Qom, Iran, 1990]

So, this sounds like the Ayatollah advocates for pedophilia! And, apparently the United Nations has no problem with what is going on in some countries. In fact, it appears that in some respects, some individuals are rewarded. But, hey -- it's "cultural", right? Nice to know that, not only is the UN ignoring women's rights, it's also ignoring children's.

The Humanizing of Hillary

Ah, the Spinmeisters over at the Billary Camp are up to more of their dastardly tricks. Now, they are focusing their efforts on makeing the presidential hopeful more "likable." [Source] Bill Lawrence at USA TODAY reports that Hillary is trying to warm up an image some voters perceive as cold, with this week kicking off a drive to "showcase her personal side with testimonials from friends, associates and constituents she has helped."

Mark Penn, a top Clinton strategist, said that's the message: "It's important for people to understand the depth of Hillary, the way she has helped people." ("The depth of Hillary?!?" That's frightening!)

This push for revealing Hillary's charm comes in the aftermath of her receiving an unfavorable rating of 50% in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll this month. (Obama and Edwards were in the mid thirties.) The Pew Research Center poll rated her as least friendly of the three Democratic candidates.

Taking steps to fix the problem, Clinton has brought her mother and daughter to Iowa and featured them in TV ads. This monstrous push to enhance her monstrous persona to the public also comes as the candidates ready for the Iowa caucus, with Obama receiving endorsement from The Boston Globe and Hillary from The Des Moines Register.

If you're curious, enjoy horror flicks, or love that cheap thrill of being scared, you can check out Billary's online campaign at TheHillaryIKnow.com.

Guh 'head ... I dare ya! I double dog dare ya! I TRIPLE dog dare ya!

Chinese Prefer Toys Made In The U.S.A.

The AP is running an interesting story: "China may be Santa's global workshop, but when it comes to buying playthings for their own children, Chinese families who can afford it opt for foreign-brand toys -- even if they are made in China." [Source]

As with consumers here in the U.S. lately, members of China's upwardly mobile class are concerned with quality and safety. "I dare not buy cheap wooden toys or toys with paint," said Lin Yan, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University, whose 7-year-old daughter tested for elevated levels of lead in her blood. "I have a stupid standard: I buy her expensive toys in big department stores. I can only assume most of the expensive ones are foreign brands and are guaranteed to have better quality," said Lin. When her daughter is given toys she suspects are unsafe, she throws them away. "Sometimes they have indescribable odors," she said.

Consumer demand is evident from looking at the shelves of Shanghai's huge New World Department Store. They are loaded with foreign brands of all sorts of toys: Legos from Denmark, Mattel Inc.'s Barbies, Transformers made by Japan's Bandai. In contrast, Chinese toys are crammed into a few shelves stacked with dolls and toddler toys made by Star Moon Toys, a manufacturer in the southern city of Dongguan that also makes toys for some of the world's biggest brands.

Nationwide, most Chinese families devote less than $10 a year to toys, according to industry according to industry estimates. But families in Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities spend more than that in a month, according to a study by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council.

"Sure, foreign brands toys are about 40 percent to 50 percent more expensive than domestic ones, but I think it's worthwhile," said Wang, a churchgoing Christian who raises her son with her computer engineer husband. The design is much better, unlike domestic-brand toys that kids get bored with quickly because the quality isn't good. Plus, they break easily," she said.

Still Looking For That Special Gift?

Newsweek is reporting on a great gift for that special lady in your life ... a pink taser! [Source] If your lady love wants to "pack some heat" but isn't comfortable (or safe!) carrying a gun, then this lovely little purse feature -- the C2 Personal Protection System -- can be easily had for a mere $299 to $349.

"We have customers who don't want to look like Dirty Harry," says Tom Smith, chairman and co-founder of Scottsdale-based Taser International. In ads on its website, the company features a C2-loving Santa, as well as a self-assured businesswoman on a Manhattan street and the tag line "I will control my own destiny."

Oooh! That makes me feel so empowered (... one of those buzzwords that make me nauseous!)

What a nifty little stocking stuffer it would make. (Or, as the article jokes, a stocking shocker!)

Wine & Chocolate: Just In Time For The Holidays!!

From our local Channel 5 News KSDK's website -- GREAT NEWS!!! (emphasis added) ...

Wine, Chocolate Recommended For Successful Aging
By Kay Quinn
Healthbeat Reporter

(KSDK) - With holiday and end-of-the-year office parties hitting their peak, this advice from a doctor may be music to your ears. One geriatrician's prescription for aging well includes eating chocolate and drinking alcohol.

Apparently, it's all good for anyone interested in living well and feeling better as they navigate their 50s and 60s and beyond. "It turns out that one to three drinks of alcohol and it doesn't matter whether it's wine or any other kind of alcohol, it's actually good for you," says Dr. John Morley, director of the division of geriatric medicine at St. Louis University and co-author of "The Science of Staying Young."

"You will think better, you will function better (and) you're less likely to get heart disease," he said. With that said, you don't want to drink if you're a recovering alcoholic and you shouldn't eat more than a small piece or two of dark chocolate a day.

But in the book he co-authored titled "The Science of Staying Young," Morley recommends focusing on the things in life that you enjoy. "One of the things we've learned is staying young requires a good attitude to life," he said.

Other tips for aging well? Don't look for hormones like testosterone or DHEA to transform your life. They're only meant for those with medical problems. Vitamin D is the only supplement whole-heartedly recommended.

And those few extra pounds? If you're pushing 60 or over, don't worry about them. "That doesn't mean that you should be massively obese. It means that somewhere round about the age of 50, you should be and ideal weight and try to keep at that level," Morley said.

Socializing and staying as physically active as possible doing activities you enjoy are also important. At 52, Joy Krieger's fitness passion is spinning. She even incorporated that activity into a recent vacation. She and her husband went on a week-long biking trip through the wine country of Northern California.

Krieger watches what she eats, but food and cooking are still a passion. "We eat out on weekends only primarily. I bake chicken or fish. I'm a big salad person, so I could live four or five days a week on salad alone," Krieger said.

The key is moderation and focusing on fun -- advice that isn't meant to add years to your life, but help you feel better and stay active during the decades when energy and health can start to decline.

... Well, glory be! That thar is wunnerful news! I think I'll be swinging by the store later this afternoon and stock up on my anti-aging arsenal.

British Muslims Support Christ in Christmas

The Christian Science Monitor ran an interesting article on December 12th: "British Muslims Say: Put Christ Back In Christmas." I heard FoxNews talking about this that morning, too. It seems that Britain's equality watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is urging Britons to enjoy the Christmas holiday without worrying about offending non-Christians. [Source] "It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be star of the show," said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission.

Phillips has joined forces with minority religious leaders to broadcast the message to the PC secularists to leave Christmas alone and to stop fueling "community tension." This call for leaving Christmas alone is the result of media reports that schools are scrapping nativity plays and local councils celebrating "Winterval" instead of Christmas.

The Monitor's article continues (emphasis added):

Spokesman Shayk Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain said, "To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations offends Muslims is absurd. Why can't we have more nativity scenes in Britain?"

"Hindus celebrate Christmas, too. It's a great holiday for everyone living in Britain," said Anil Bhanot, general secretary of the UK Hindu Council.

Sikh spokesman Indarjit Singh said: "Every year I am asked 'Do I object to the celebration of Christmas?' It's an absurd question. As ever, my family and I will send out our Christmas cards to our Christian friends and others."

More than 70 percent of Britons – some 41 million – are Christian, according to 2001 census figures. Muslims are the second-largest religious group with about 1.6 million in Britain.

Suicide bombings by British Islamic extremists in July 2005, which killed 52 people in London, have prompted much soul-searching about religion and integration in Britain, a debate that has been echoed across Europe.

The threat of radical Islam, highlighted by the July attacks, prompted reflection about Britain's attitude to ethnic minorities and debate about whether closer integration was more important than promoting multiculturalism.

Now, if we could get CAIR here in this country to stick up for Christmas, too! And, isn't that truly the issue? -- closer integration rather than multiculturalism?

Christmas Holiday Focus

I Corinthians 13 - A Christmas Version
(Source unknown)

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of Love will endure.

The Soccer Field = Political Battlefield??

Turkey is upset at the Italian soccer team Inter Milan's jerseya: they say the "Crusader-style" red crosses on the jerseys are "offensive to Muslim sensibilities."

The story from The Times Online continues (emphasis added):
Baris Kaska, a lawyer in Izmir who specialises in European law, said that he had lodged a complaint in a local court against Inter Milan, which last month played the Istanbul team Fenerbahce in a Champions League match at the San Siro stadium in Milan. The Inter players wore a new strip - a white shirt with a giant red cross on it - marking the club's centenary.

Mr Kaska said he was not only seeking damages but was also appealing to Uefa to annul the match, which Inter won 3-0. “That cross only brings one thing to mind - the symbol of the Templar Knights,” he said. “It made me think immediately of the bloody days of the past. While I was watching the game I felt profound grief in my soul.” Mr Kaska told the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia that the cross symbolised “Western racist superiority over Islam”.

He said that Inter had “manifested in the most explicit manner the superiority of one religion over another”. He said the court had contacted both Uefa and Fifa to convey his demand that Inter should be “heavily fined for displaying an offensive symbol”. “How could Uefa allow this?“demanded the Turkish paper Radikal.

Inter Milan officials said that they were “astounded”. They said that in the first match between the two teams in September at Istanbul - which Fenerbahce won 1-0 - Inter had deliberately refrained from wearing the strip with the red cross but had felt entitled to use it on its home ground.

Inter officials also pointed out that a red cross on a white background is the symbol of the city of Milan. Many Italian football clubs incorporated the cross on their shirts, including Inter, founded in Milan in 1908. “The red cross has become an international political football,” Corriere della Sera commented.

Uefa's mission is to “promote the principles of unity and solidarity” in Europe through football, “without discrimination on grounds of gender, religion or race.” However, Inter officials said Uefa had approved the new Inter strip at the start of the season, and the Turkish club had also accepted it before last month’s game.

La Repubblica said it was unclear whether Mr Kaska was “more wounded by the supposed offence or by the goals Inter scored”. Fenerbahce, one of Turkey’s top teams and the main rival in Istanbul of Galatasaray, was also founded 100 years ago. Its players wear a yellow-blue strip and are known as "The Yellow Canaries”.

The row comes at a sensitive moment in Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union. This week France won a symbolic victory at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers when it prevented the EU using the word “accession” or “membership” in connection with Turkey, which is a secular state but has a majority Muslim population and a government led by Islamist politicians.

Ankara opened negotiations for EU membership two years ago, but Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, has repeatedly said that Turkey has no place in Europe and should be offered instead a “privileged partnership”.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said: “We think it’s important that the European Union fulfil its responsibilities towards Turkey, but also that Turkey continues the reform process that is an important part of its passage to the European Union."

The EU statement welcomed the strengthening of democracy in Turkey but said “significant further efforts are needed in other areas such as judicial reform, the fight against corruption, minority rights and strengthening of cultural rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, trade union rights and civilian control of the military”.

An interesting situation there in Europe ... ongoing resentments from the Middle Ages ... a Muslim nation wanting full membership in the EU ... I've read of the gradual "islamitization" of Europe ... will Europe eventually be called "Eurarabia", as some have postulated?

I do know one thing: if those jerseys make the Turks angry,wait until they get a load of a church I saw in Mexico. On the outer wall of the church crafted into the adobe was a huge image of Saint James beheading a Moor. (Saint James is the patron saint of this town, as he is for many Latin American cities, as well as of Spain.) How politically incorrect of the Mexicans!! GASP!!!!

Gotta Love Those Rescue Personnel!!!

Hats off to a special group of our country's heroes -- firemen who rescued a man trapped in a car as it dangled from the side of a parking garage -- seven stories above the street!! [Source]

In Atlanta, a man's car had gone over a railing -- all four wheels!, but lucky for him steel cables on the side of the parking garage had snared the vehicle.

Now, here's where we have to give it up to the emergency workers: In order to reach the car and the man inside it, rescue workers had to rappel down from the garage's top floor (one story above), break out the passenger side window, secure a harness around the driver, and then pull him to safety. Police Lt. Bob England said the car's air bag deployed, but the man hit his head on the windshield, knocking him unconscious and keeping him still while rescuers on the scene studied the precarious situation.

"It looks like he sped up the ramp and went right through the wires," England said. "The wires did what the wires are supposed to do."

I sure as heck would not have had the nerve to rappel down the side of the parking garage! In fact, I would have gotten woozy just looking over the edge of the garage at the poor guy trapped in the car!! YIKES!!!!

Oh, That Hillary!

News To Put A Smile On Your Face

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A Christmas mystery is unfolding in the New Jersey Pinelands, right along the shoulders of the Garden State Parkway.

For the past few weeks, someone has been adorning two large pine trees next to the southbound lanes of the highway with Christmas ornaments.

It started before Thanksgiving at mile marker 58.2 with two glass ornaments, with a shiny red ball about the size of a cantaloupe, and a smaller oblong red ornament with swirly gold glitter running from top to bottom. They were tied to branches by long strands of white cord, so that they could hang down far enough to be seen by motorists zooming by at (at least) 65 mph on a stretch of highway where there are no houses nearby.

Then, one by one, more decorations started popping up. One week it was a green ball the same size as the original red one, with gold glitter glued to it. Next it was a smaller gourd-shaped ornament with red and gold glitter.

After that, a smaller red ball with white glitter snowflakes appeared.

They kept coming this week. On Monday, a large silver bell appeared hanging from a branch on a tree on the other side of the road. Tuesday it was a burgundy apple-shaped ornament about the size of a medium pumpkin.

Joseph Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which also operates the Parkway, was unaware of the decorations until he was contacted by The Associated Press.

His first thought: "Somebody has a lot of holiday spirit, which is great, but a lot of spare time at night, which is not so great."

His second thought: "I'm just afraid in today's climate we're going to have to put up a Menorah on the northbound side."

There are no notes nearby, nor any indications of who is responsible for the roadside ornaments.

"It's a mystery to us," said State Police Capt. Al Della Fave.

Although there are several locations along the Parkway in which roadside memorials have been placed by relatives of people killed in crashes, some of which include Christmas decorations, the Little Egg Harbor site consists solely of ornaments. Della Fave said State Police have no record of a fatal crash at or near that spot.

Orlando, the Parkway spokesman, said another possibility may be a frustrated husband, a la Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold character in the film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," who hasn't yet hung enough decorations at home to satisfy his excessive instincts.

"This is probably some guy whose wife finally said, `Enough!' "

[Source]

Pornification Of Our Children: Part 1

What a shocking headline to read: "Wal-Mart Yanks Pink 'Credit Card' Panties Off Shelves."

The pink panties you see pictured to the side were pulled from the TEENS' department! I wonder what numbnut thought those were appropriate for ANY female, let alone for a teenager. Gee, I'm surprised they didn't also sell them in the kids' department. Oh, and I wonder if they're available in blue in the boys' department. [Source]

I'm glad to read that parents had the brains to lodge complaints about the undies and have them removed from the store. The panties, which were sold in the juniors department, seemed to suggest that girls don't need money, they just need a sugar daddy — in this case Santa Claus. The hipster briefs — carrying the slogan "Who needs credit cards ..." on the front and "When you have Santa" on the derriere. "We have directed our stores to remove this merchandise from our shelves," Linda Brown Blakely, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, told FOXNews.com Wednesday.

Again, it appears that bloggers launched the counter-offensive! The undergarments had caused a stir on some blogs prior to Wednesday's announcement. Scarlett, a reader of Feministing.com, alerted the blog to the holiday-inspired undies, which she found on a rack in the juniors department of a Wal-Mart in Cary, N.C.

"There's nothing quite like telling adolescent girls that they don't need to worry about finances since they have their very own moneypot between their legs," Jessica Valenti, the executive editor of Feministing.com, wrote on the panty blog post. Scarlett was so incensed by the message on the front of the panties, she didn't even see the Santa kicker in the rear, she wrote on the blog. "I still think that the entire thing is messed up. This isn't just a cute T-shirt that says 'Just ask Santa,'" she wrote. "This is a pair of panties. Exactly how nice to Santa would the girl have to be in order to get stuff?"

Wow. Kinda makes you miss the days when they sold underwear with the days of the week embroidered on them.

I highly encourage you to read Laura Ingraham's current bestseller: "Power To The People." She does a terrific job of blowing the whistle on our society's fascination with children and sex and calls for putting a stop to, what she terms, the "pornification" of our children. I also heard a good discussion on the radio last night between Sean Hannity and a Christian leader (Luce was the last name ... Ron Luce of Teen Mania?) Luce spoke about a group of some 30 teenagers that got a Victoria's Secret in a Florida mall to remove its risqué displays from its storefront windows, complaining that such images were inappropriate in a public and family-oriented setting as a mall, as well as asking what the possible effects could be on teens? Great idea! I'd like to see people take on those other lovely teen-oriented stores, such as Abercrombie & Fitch.

DNR Orders In Schools?!?

This news story on one of St. Louis' local TV websites caught my eye: School districts across the country are discussing whether or not to have parents file "DNR" (Do Not Resuscitate") orders for students! [Source] It's common to have DNRs on file at hospitals, but they are much less common in schools. Only parents or guardians can request a doctor-issued DNR directive. That means no extraordinary measures will be used, including CPR or a defibrillator, should a child suffer a health crisis on campus.

Wednesday of this week, school administrators in nearby Madison County, Illinois will be meeting to discuss DNR directives. (Presently, Illinois law has no official policy.) Regional superintendent Robert Daiber said: "This is going to be a topic that school districts are going to have to address and I know that they're going to want to inquire from their legal counsel, in their school policy, how they're going to address it."

In Missouri, individual school districts make their own decisions about DNRs. Special School District, which provides special education services to St. Louis County schools, currently has only one DNR directive on file. (Most of the more than 20,000 students served by SSD have been diagnosed with at least one mental and-or physical disability.) SSD has had other DNRs on file over the last decade, but officials have yet to enforce an order.

A wild incident: A school district in Lake County, Ill., recently agreed to follow any DNR requests in that district. In November, a student who has a DNR stopped breathing in class one day. She was picked up by a teacher -- allowed under the order -- and eventually began breathing on her own while still on school property. But educators say no extraordinary means were used to save the student's life.

Other discussions are taking place around the country. DNRs are also being discussed in Milwaukee, Visalia, Calif., and Hillsborough, N.J. Chicago Public School officials will only enforce a court-ordered DNR directive.

Such life and death issues are always extremely complicated ... but, I would have a hard time issuing a DNR for a child ... a young life promises so much ... it would be hard to sign that directive. I wonder if a school nurse, teacher, or coach would have a hard time not intervening on behalf of a child. But, maybe such basic first aid steps are not considered "extraordinary means." A very complicated dilemma ... and difficult to even consider.

The World Says "Merry Christmas!"

For you who belong to the overwhelming majority of Americans who celebrate Christmas, you might enjoy checking out some pictures here from MSN. It's a little slide show of 12 pictures from around the world. The one above is from Japan.

Info on the picture: Japan (Kurisumasu Omedeto!): The Japanese people borrowed Christmas and made it their own. Hoteiosho, a kind old man, carries a huge pack with gifts for children. (With eyes in the back of his head, he sees who is naughty or nice.) Many Japanese embrace the Western traditions that were introduced by Christian missionaries. Others take the secular festivities over the top with massive light displays, decorations seemingly everywhere, evergreens and mistletoe hanging and almost anyone and anything dressed for the season (as shown). Come Christmas, families present gifts and sing carols, and some people also enjoy turkey dinner.

Holiness In A Bottle: Faith For The Parched

With bottled water being so incredibly popular, now comes a company that is marketing holiness in a bottle -- holy water, that is. Wayne Enterprises, a California-based company, is selling Holy Drinking Water. The water is blessed in the warehouse by an Anglican or Roman Catholic priest. The bottles, says Wayne's CEO Brian Germann, is like a crucifix or a rosary -- a daily reminder to be kind to others.

A similar product, Liquid OM, is bottled water containing vibrations that promote a positive outlook. Its inventor, Kenny Mazursky, is a sound therapist in Chicago and claims the water possesses an energy field made by striking a giant gong and Tibetan bowls nearby. He claims that not only can can you feel the good energy after you drink it, but also when you're just holding the bottle.

Another contender on the market is Spiritual Water -- purified municipal water with 10 different Christian labels. One label has an image of the Virgin Mary with the Hail Mary prayer printed on the back in both English and Spanish. (How multicultural of them!) Elicko Taieb, the company's founder and former owner of a pest control business, says that his product helps consumers to "stay focused, believe in yourself and believe in God."

All three water companies give portions of their profits to various charities.

Interestingly, some objections to the products are being waged by religious individuals and groups, complaining that the bottled water is both unethical and bad for the environment. Sister Mary Zirbes, a nun in the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, says: "Water is life. It really should not be a commodity to be bought." Likewise, Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals charges "In a world where a billion people have no reliable source of drinking water, where 3,000 children die every day of waterborne diseases, let's be clear: bottled water is not a sin, but it sure is a choice. Spending $15 billion a year on bottled water is a testimony to our conspicuous consumption, our culture of indulgence." [Source]

Wow. Faith sold in a bottle. If only faith were, indeed, that simple. I've been struggling with mine for years, coming to believe that faith is a bumpy road. Do these marketeers really think that their product will help "the faithful" in their walks?

A Sign of Our Tubby Times ...

Isn't it sad when one of the featured articles on MSN is titled "'Catkins' diet can aid obese pets." Sadly, along with increasing obesity and diabetes in humans, our pets are going down the same path to bad health. Diabetes has, in past years, not been that common, but now it is affecting 1 in 50 pets!

The article continues: "Veterinarians say that while obesity clearly is linked to diabetes in pets, it appears to contribute to the disease differently in cats and dogs.

"Fat cats are prone to diabetes because they develop insulin resistance, meaning their bodies don't effectively use insulin. As a result, the pancreas pumps out more insulin as well as another hormone called amylin. “When you get too much insulin secreted, you get too much amylin secreted as well, and that tends to aggregate and destroy the insulin-producing cells,” says veterinarian Richard W. Nelson, a professor at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis.

"With dogs, obesity is associated with an increased risk of pancreatitis — an inflammation of the pancreas — which can then lead to diabetes because the body doesn't make enough insulin ..."

Diabetes is not always linked to obesity, but it is quite common. The good news, however, is that obesity is preventable and reversible and oftentimes so is the diabetes. "A change to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet — nicknamed the “Catkins” diet — can promote weight loss and make diabetes more manageable in cats, often sending them into remission so that they no longer require insulin injections ... Diet can help manage the disease in dogs so that they need less insulin, but it doesn’t have as dramatic an effect as it does in cats."

Fortunately, there have been advances in medications to treat pet diabetes. Some veterinarians have even started obesity programs for their clients a la Weight Watchers with intervention and frequent weigh-ins.

You know, I'm doing a good job of managing my dog's weight. It's MY weight I have a heck of time with! My dog gets a calorie-reduced food and is fed twice per day with no snacks. She doesn't have access to the food and doesn't call the shots about feeding times. I, however, can dive into the pantry and/or freezer whenever! I'm the tubby one, while my dog is in great shape.

Proposed New Mission Statement for Education ... and Parenting

Sykes' (Life's) Original 11 Rules

1. Life is not fair. Get used to it.

2. The real world won't care about our self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

3. Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.

5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it "opportunity."

6. If you screw up, you are responsible. It's not your parents' fault; so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them!

7. Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are.

8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not.

9. Life is not divided into semesters and you don't get summers off.

10. Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to work.

11. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them.

Attributed to Charles J. Sykes

Again, The Internet & Bloggers Keep The MSM Honest

What a difference a couple of days can make nowadays, with the Internet and bloggers keeping a close eye on the MSM and sounding the alarm at any hint of trouble. Earlier this week, CNN and Fox had both agreed to air commercials from Freedom's Watch, thanking our troops for their service. However, NBC refused to air the ads, saying the ad guides viewers to the Freedom's Watch Web site, which NBC said was too political.


A couple of years back, NBC didn't seem to mind running a series of ads from MoveOn.org -- the theme being "How Many More." [Source] Oddly, NBC doesn't seem to see the double-standard in that. However, under pressure from the Internet and bloggers, on Saturday evening, NBC reversed its decision, saying: "We have reviewed and changed our ad standards guidelines and made the decision that our policy will apply to content only and not to a referenced Web site. Based on these amended standards the Freedom's Watch ad will begin to run as early as Sunday."
NBC's head of standards and practices, Alan Wurtzel, notified Freedom's Watch's media consultant Saturday by e-mail, writing: "This will confirm that the Freedom's Watch spot is approved for air." [Source]

Whitlock: Part 2

Today, sports commentator Jason Whitlock wrote a follow-up opinion editorial to his earlier writing about the Sean Taylor murder. [Source]

A couple of additional thoughts on Sean Taylor and then we get to the rest of the NFL Truths:

10. One of the many troubling things about the Sean Taylor tragedy is that there are no easy lessons NFL coaches and executives can teach their players as a result of his shocking killing.

According to what we know now, this wasn't a case of a high-profile athlete keeping misguided friends too close.

This was an example of a kid who made good out of the 'hood who tried to reach back and offer a troubled youth a chance to make a little extra money doing landscape work and allowed his sister to throw a party in his home. According to reports, that is how Taylor's assailants became familiar with his home.

If those are mistakes, they're mistakes many of us make on a daily basis. Sean Taylor was 24, in good health and rich; he had every reason to feel invincible and carefree. As you get older, you get paranoid, you figure out how your friend's friends or your brother's friends can damage you even if you think you have them at a respectful distance.

I'm 40 years old, I'm paranoid and I still make mistakes. Within the past month, I asked a friend to drive with me to a college football game. I've known the dude for a dozen years. I introduced him to his wife. We're really good friends. He's smart, college educated and knows my situation quite well.

He brought a friend of his along for the ride. My friend's friend brought some weed along for the trip. We stopped for some gas, my friend's friend hopped out of the car, walked behind the gas station and got back in my car smelling like the stickee-ickee-ickee.

I flipped out. I can't get down like that. I can't afford to explain to some potential cop or anyone else how I didn't know, how it wasn't my weed, how I haven't been a weed-smoker since my stupid college days.

The only thing to think about the Taylor tragedy is but for the grace of God there go I.

9. Removing Sean Taylor from the equation, I'd like to address the growing sentiment among black professional athletes that they are targets of criminals.

People with lots of material possessions — regardless of their color and occupation — are targets of criminals.

If an athlete feels particularly vulnerable, there are precautions he can take that are far more effective than carrying a semi-automatic weapon and travelling with a large posse:

Put your money in the bank. Do not walk around with large sums of cash. Never stuff thousands of dollar bills in a trash bag and head to a strip club. Do not invest in large platinum or gold chains that draw attention to you. Diamond-studded watches are not a good idea, either. And neither are gold fronts. If you are headed to a nightclub in a neighborhood with $80,000 homes and you're wearing $100,000 in jewelry, turn around, go home and make it a Blockbuster night. When you are out in public, tell your friends to keep your name out of their mouths. More fights could be prevented if this phrase was outlawed at all clubs: "Do you know who that is?" If you insist on "tricking out" every car you own, don't ride through poor, working-class neighborhoods flossing your new 22s. In conclusion, don't paint a bull's-eye on your back. It's disrespectful to flash your wealth and privilege in front of people who have neither. Try to blend into the crowd rather than make yourself the focus of attention.

Those Kwazy Kwiminals!!!!

Yesterday, as I drove home listening to 97.1 FM I heard Dave Glover talking about this "crime spree." I bet cops have a ton of such funny / crazy stories! [Source]

Crandon man bail set for donut truck theft

Mike Miller — 11/29/2007 3:33 pm

Cash bail of $2,100 was set today for Warren G. Whitelightning of Crandon, the man who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase through Madison's west after stealing a Krispy Kreme Donut truck when he was drunk early Saturday morning.

Whitelightning was officially charged in Dane County Circuit Court today in a criminal complaint alleging several offenses. He is being charged with shoplifting eight giant red hot pickled sausages from the Open Pantry on University Avenue, stealing the doughnut truck, ramming a University of Wisconsin Police car, attempting to elude pursing officers, operating after revocation, his fourth time drunk driving, and a hit and run.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Verveer conceded that the scene described in the criminal complaint of several squad cars chasing a donut truck around the west side could elicit laughter from many.

"Because what you have is two different police agencies chasing the defendant in a stolen Krispy Kreme donut truck with donuts flying out of the back of the truck," he said.

But he said the episode, "really is a danger to the community given the great recklessness of this stunt."

Verveer said the chase was captured on tape by video cameras in the pursing squad cars and predicted the tapes would hit the popular YouTube web site when they are released to the public. "But the truth of the matter is the defendant could have badly hurt members of the community with his reckless driving."

The episode began, according to the criminal complaint, when Whitelightning stumbled into the Open Pantry about 3 a.m. Saturday and went to the aisle where pickled sausages were. As the store clerk watched, Whitelightning pulled his hoodie up over his head and turned his back on the clerk, and dropped a box of the giant pickled sausages on the floor. He next took two six packs of beer and put them on the counter, then turned around. The store clerk took that opportunity to put the beer behind the counter and asked Whitelightning to leave, which he did.

Moments later, the clerk and Krispy Kreme driver watched as Whitelightning drove the truck around the parking lot twice then left on University Ave. Police were called.

Several officers were involved in a subsequent chase on University Avenue at speeds which at times reached 80 mph on University Avenue and lesser speeds on nearby residential streets.

At the corner of Kendall and Chamberlain Avenues, it appeared the truck had stopped. When University Officer Aaron Chapin stopped behind the donut truck, Whitelightning suddenly put the truck in reverse and backed toward Chapin. Chapin could not get out of the way because other officers were approaching, the complaint says, and Whitelightning rammed the truck into the squad car at about 10 to 15 miles per hour. Officer Chapin suffered neck and back injuries in the wreck and was treated at UW Hospital.

The chase ended when Whitelightning, going outbound on University in the inbound lane, suddenly crossed a cement median and nearly overturned, then sped on Locust Drive and stopped in a Copps Food parking lot. Whitelightning got out of the truck and lay down in the parking lot until police handcuffed him and put him back on his feet.

If convicted of all counts, he would face up to 9 1/2 years in prison on the felonies and an additional 26 months on the misdemeanor counts. Whitelightning also faces several traffic citations.

You can go here for a video of the chase.