Stop The World! I Want To Get Off

While my blogging has waned this week due to some server issues at home, my mind has been going crazy.  I made the mistake of reading several articles--based only on very vague titles--and then discovered, to my dismay, that the conclusions made me discouraged and depressed.

The biggest depression-causing article was a report of a study done by a Canadian psychiatric doctor.  In his studies of pedophiles over many years,  his conclusion was that these people had an inborn sexual orientation making them attracted sexually to children.  So his study concluded that, like society's acceptance of homosexual lifestyle choices, those who have a predetermined orientation toward sex with children will likely be active in changing society's idea of this begin "not their fault" and eventually accept their behavior.

Oh my. Talk about justification for criminal behavior!  That conclusion made me feel physically ill.

The story about the deal made for the Idaho POW's release made me flip out too--especially as more details have come to light.  At first, like everyone else in America, I was thrilled this guy was coming home.  Then as details of the story expanded and his willful desertion of his unit and the real cost of what was given up to release him was explored, I was more and more angry about it.  I felt that knot in my stomach and seething anger.

What happened to the pride from being in the military?  What about a love of your country?  UGH!

Then yesterday, I heard the reports of the university shooting in Seattle.  How many times does something like this have to happen before people come to alternative ways of expressing themselves?  I have no real interest in owning guns myself, but I certainly don't blame guns for violence in this country.  They are inanimate objects with a potential for danger--just like a car or power tools.  How we use the objects determines their danger in reality.




There was a time I considered myself  a "news junkie".  But anymore, I find I am making a conscience effort to NOT watch the news or listen to talk radio or even read more than the local stuff in the paper.  It all just makes me sad.  We live in beautiful world, and yet it is filled with so much dishonesty, hatred and violence.  When I think too long about things like these, I find myself sliding into a dark deep hole of negativity.  It is hard to pull out of, to be honest.  And yet, I know there is much more good in the world--if we only heard of it in its proper proportion.  That disproportional reporting of world events makes me sad too.  How blood thirsty has the human race become?

I keep the thought in my heart that the Second Coming of the Savior cannot be too far off, considering the deterioration of the earth.  And even knowing the prophesied events that have to happen for that to start, I would still rather be "twinkled or burned" myself, just to end the horrible things that people do to one another in general.

Makes me just want to run away from reality.  I guess that is what novels and movies are for.  at least, for a little while--until the hopelessness goes away.

What Do You Mean, You've NEVER Seen It?!?

Maybe if you lived under a rock.  That could be the only reasonable excuse for a fight breaking out over a t-shirt like this:

But apparently, some people don't get out much...or at least watch really awful movies.  Because there was a fight on an airplane over just such a tshirt.  Read about it HERE .

Titanic Goes On and On

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Recently, I read a report based on Twitter strings, that many people--I'd guess mostly young adults who have grown up having watched Jim Cameron's film from 1997--didn't realize the Titanic was an actual ship that sank, killing 1500+ people. I don't know why this surprised me. But it did. 

It is rather telling that so many people get their "news" from the entertainment that they choose. Sadly, you can hardly tell the real "news" from the entertainment anymore...like that Larry O'Donnell piece (and his pathetic apology) from MSNBC.  But I do worry a little bit that kids--including my own--don't really see the need and interest to study history, or even current events.

Many of the kids I see, especially if I try to talk to them about current events stuff, want the info in 140 characters or less.  They don't see the need to delve any deeper to understand the parameters to which new legislation reaches, or the unintended consequences of a Supreme Court ruling may create.  Our world doesn't work that way.  And it certainly seems so biased one way or the other, it is difficult to get both sides of a story told accurately.

I feel for these kids.  And worse, I worry for our society.

In the meantime, the rush of Titanic remembrances--including a pretty great on on the National Geographic channel I caught up with last week--might spark a little interest of days gone by.  Before we know it, these will be days gone by too.  I hope we can learn our lessons well enough to do better in the future.

Sick Joke!

OK.  This botox-beauty-pageant-momma-that-wasn't story?  Give me a break!

Of course, by now, you will have heard that this woman coped to the fact that she made it all up, for a substantial fee form some British tabloid.  Again, Give me a break!  So this woman lied to everyone, and coerced her 8 year old daughter to lie right along with her.  To me, that still constitutes child abuse.  Definitely its neglectful--she is not teaching her daughter how to be a positive, upright citizen.  She is teaching her to be a lying, greedy, media-grubbing cheat.

It makes me sick, and more than a little sad.

In my own extended family, I have seen the beginnings of a similar incident.   A parent, in an attempt to hurt the opposite parent, coached the child to lie.  In our family's case, it was in a court of law.  There is no respect of the other parent being taught, no respect for the authority of police being taught and certainly no respect for the child's own sense of self.

In a world where people will flagrantly text while driving a car, and the San Francisco city council is trying to outlaw circumcision for anyone under the age of 18 for any reason, and if you want to be "rich and famous" you just have to do something outrageous on video--it makes me wonder what our society is really in for.  It can't be good.

Teaching kids to lie must just be part of the deviation society is accepting easier and easier.  Still, it makes me sick.

Pent Up

I realize that I have not written much lately about anything of significance.  There is a reason for that.  I have had several current events issues that I have had strong feelings about but just couldn't bring myself to write about them as I worried the topics would bring me to the edge of reason and, truthfully, I thought I might just swear about them.  And really, that is not such a great "Young Women Leader-y" thing to do.

But let's think about some of the recent stories that have made the news:

1) The mother who gave her 8 year old beauty pageant daughter botox?!  http://abcnews.go.com/US/california-daughter-injected-botox-longer-custody-mom/story?id=13611279

WHAT, exactly can I say about this?!  I did hear on the radio yesterday that Child Protective Services has removed the child from her mother.  Go CPS!

2) The AP Psych teacher who gave his HS students a test laced with sexual innuendo?!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/frank-rozanski-sexual-quiz_n_835584.html

The Girl actually brought this one to my attention, as she heard it on the way to school in her carpool.  And it made her really uncomfortable.  Uh.  Yeah, it did.  Makes me uncomfortable too. 

3) The two car crash caused by the woman who was shaving her bikini area WHILE she was driving?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20000176-504083.html

OK.  This one made me laugh, out loud.  But the funnier bit was the commentary written about it by Celia Riverbank in a southern daily newspaper.

Well, there are some things you just have to laugh about, and others you can get really angry over.  It doesn't really change anything.  But my blood pressure sure looks better after the laughing.

Absorbing the News

For the past week, I have been flabbergasted and saddened by the news of the devastation in Japan.  How can I even begin to understand their pain, hurt, loss, or sorrow?  I am very amazed and uplifted by the resiliency of the good, hard working people of Japan.

What a difference between their reactions and determination and the reactions and victimization following Hurricane Katrina!

I can't even understand enough to truly empathize since I haven't experience anything remotely like this.  But I sympathize and I pray for the people and their nation as they deal with this tragedy. There isn't much more I can do, but redetermine to live my life seeking ways to help those around me and hope that is enough for now.