California DA Vows to Prosecute Airport Screeners Who Touch Travelers Inappropriately

The new pat down procedures conducted by members of the Transportation Security Administration has caused a massive public outcry. The fear amongst citizens is that TSA agents will take advantage of the pat downs, and dislike the thought of having their private parts groped by strangers.  Steve Wagstaffe, district attorney of San Mateo County, CA, has made a statement that any screener charged with inappropriate touching with a sexual or lewd intent will be charged with sexual battery.  A case has already achieved national attention, it is a video of John Tyner informing a TSA screener that if he touched his “junk” he would have the screener arrested; this resulted in Tyner’s removal from the San Diego Airport.

Foxnews

Welcome to Russia….oops…I mean America.  There goes another of our civil liberties, before long our capitalist union will start to resemble a socialist state.  I understand the need for security.   I believe that since the events of 9/11, through the fear of terrorism, security has become ridiculous, in an effort to undo the security breaches that occurred upon that day.  I’m all for the safety of the passengers, so bring on the metal detectors that have always been there in my lifetime, combine them with the scanner bars , along with security officers that have the proper training and experience to accurately access threats, I’m even game for bomb dogs, as long as the TSA keeps their hands to their self.

Father of GA baby attacked by raccoons charged

Authorities in Covington, GA, have file charges against Michael Wayne Cannon, father of the nine-month-old girl attacked by raccoons within their home.  Cannon has been charged with unlawfully possessing wildlife.  According to Lt. Tyrone Oliver of the Newton county sheriff’s department, the raccoons, which Cannon had raised as pets, often entered the home, letting themselves in through open windows.  The child was hospitalized for severe bites to the head and body.  Cannon was released on a $2,000 bond, when contacted at home there was not comment.

Fox news

Associated press

I know people love animals, and sometimes make the mistake of thinking you can domesticate wild animals, but the safety of your child should be your main concern.  There are legitimate reasons, that the department of Conservation regulates the possession of wild animals, they are not meant to be kept in the same manner as domesticated species.  I personally, do not trust domesticated animals that I have known for many years around my daughter unsupervised. It only takes one time of leaving a child without the proper supervision for an incident to happen. 

Holiday Queries

Isn’t it ironic that in a nation determined to keep church and state separated, we as a nation pause in observance of Thanksgiving.  A holiday that is based upon the celebration of the pilgrims of Plymouth Rock, celebrating and giving thanks to their God for the blessings in their lives, after enduring the hardships of settling in a new land, in search of religious freedoms.  In recent years our government has gone out of its was to separate itself from the Christian majority within our nation, but we as a nation still hold with a tradition based in the giving of thanks of a Christian society. I often wonder if the only reason that we as a nation still celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, is for the massive influx of money that enters the economy at each of these holidays, since our  country wishes to disassociate itself from its christian roots, the money  would have to be its main incentive.    

Parental Ponderings

While I was driving through Joplin this afternoon I passed Palen Music, and I began to ponder the question: will I be as uninvolved in my daughter's activities as my parents were mine?  As a child, I did not play sports, as the other children did, nor did I attend summer school or any other activity that would require my parents to transport me back and forth.  The center of my parents’ world has always been my dad, nothing or no one was as important as he was.  Imagine my surprise, when I asked to join the band in elementary school, and dad said yes, on the condition that I played the saxophone.  I practiced, and practiced in preparation for our first concert. I had to practice at school or when dad wasn’t home, because he could not hear the television over my “screeching”.  When the time came for that concert, dad was too busy with his friends to attend, but mom made that concert, one of the few that she attended. Over the next few years, I became old enough to take myself to the school for concerts, pep band, and to perform with the marching band, by that time my parents’ involvement had become became minimal if any.  I often wonder if self-centeredness is hereditary, and pray it is not, and that I am able to support my daughter with anything she chooses to pursue, whether she wants to be a ballerina or a racecar driver.

The bottom-line diet: Eat less

Upon learning that he might never be healthy, enough, for he and his wife to have children, Tony Posnanski an iReport contributor, living in Orlando, Florida attained a dramatic 200lb weight loss.  When questioned about his extraordinary weight loss, Posnanski consensuses were,” Eat less, Move more”, decreasing the size of his portions at meals and increasing his physical activity , in essence  changing his lifestyle  provided him the ability to lose the excess weight. A simple strategy that most Americans are loath to believe, preferring to follow the current trend in dieting, rather than invest the time and effort into making the  lifestyle changes necessary to achieve the desired weight loss, and to maintain their goal weight.

CNN.com

I understand the desire of the American public to attempt the newest, trendiest diet fads; I have given into the temptation of rapid weight loss diets myself. The results of these diets are always the same; I do lose weight, but immediately regain the weight after resuming a regular diet.  It’s not as if losing weight is rocket science with the constant bombardment of information, supplied by the media about diet and exercise, and the futility of the quick fix diets.  Still most Americans lack the self-discipline to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, preferring to indulge in the act of gluttony, and to pass their unhealthy habits onto their children. Public television, in an effort to quail the epidemic of obesity, especially childhood obesity within the United States, during their children’s television programming, is now riddled with public service announcements about portion control, and the fact that young bodies require exercise.

Simpsons’ set to surpass 500 episodes

This week Fox announced that the longest running comedy series in history, “The Simpsons”, would return for their 23^rd season next fall.  At the conclusion of their 23^rd season,” The Simpsons” will have aired an astounding 515 episodes on the Fox network.  Though ratings have declined in recent years, last week’s Halloween episode, “Tree house of Horror” tied with the popular program “Family Guy” in the ratings.  “The Simpsons” have been a mainstay of Sunday night television for over twenty years, and will remain so, at least for another season. The show will continue as long as it has an audience, but the article questions how much longer the people will want it to continue.

Cnn.com

I would like to make a correction regarding this article, within said article is stated, “”The Simpsons” began in 1990” this is incorrect. This series began as an animated skit on “The Tracey Ullman Show “, created by Matt Groening in 1987.  The first season of “The Simpsons” aired in December of 1989.  I have been watching “The Simpson” since they first aired on “The Tracey Ullman Show”, and I am glad they will air another season.  However, I fear that the writers of the series have been straining to invent new and interesting scenarios, for the last couple of years, maybe longer.  When the end finally comes to “The Simpsons”, many others and I will feel its loss.  Through the years, “the Simpsons” have become part of our culture and in a way, part of the family.