The demise of face to face interaction

P and I have had this discussion quite a bit over the last year. I'm a Facebook person as are all our kids--P HATES Facebook.

I used to play all sorts of games on my FB, still do engage in back and forth banter with our kids on occasion but have since stopped all the games and what was turning into an obsessed form of communication. It can easily become the abyss of a silent world I think.

Social networks, emails, text messaging--it's all a very real but scary reality and so easy to get lost in. I'm more of an introvert and like to express myself in writing. I've never been much of a talker except with my hubby and select friends. Otherwise, I'm a social misfit. I have my thoughts but never really express them...until I leave and then talk with P about it or I will on my blog.

I find that all these forms of communication make it way too easy for devious behavior--hate mail, secret text messages, secret emails, bullying, and frankly the way for people to show their true colors. There's a lot of bad behavior out there over the internet and much of it has affected our family in one way or another.

P and I have been blogging for awhile and had our share of 'rubes' as we call them, our kids have been bullied by classmates or insulted publicly by name, we've seen people air their dirty laundry for the world to read, and other things that in the world I grew up in as a little girl would be deemed inappropriate.

P and I email each other a lot during the week...we chat, share news, and just stay in touch. Sometimes we'll text each other just to change it up--he works, I don't so we have that opportunity. And it's a privilege to have this capability. But we've also been sure to remind each other that it can easily become the only way in which we communicate which in reality could very well destroy the great relationship we do have.

Imagine, an LOL becoming the only indication of laughter in your everyday life, or 'love you' only being shared in the form of a text message or emailed...after awhile it may very well become pretty impersonal and meaningless. And the saddest part is it's happening....our own children get sucked into it and we have to get them out of their rooms to come out and join the living sometimes.

I often think about our own lives 15 years ago...no cell phones, just email. And it was so foreign and 'modern'! P and I wouldn't talk all day long unless he had access to a phone, I wouldn't receive phone calls while he drove home from work, I wouldn't get his great text messages or even emails from him because he didn't have the means to do so...we didn't have the check-in phone calls or texts from our kids letting us know they arrived somewhere safely or play by play of some exciting thing they were doing.....

There are a lot of great advantages to this new technological world not to mention job security for any of us going to school for IT--like me. But there are also a lot of potentially dangerous repercussions as well. I love technology but hate it at the same time.

While we can't necessarily control the advancements in technology we as human beings can take control of how we act, the ways in which we utilize the very privileges these devices have provided us. Some days its even hard for myself but a gentle reminder that we are in fact a people that thrive on social interaction is usually all it takes...just have to remember that is all.

Wake up people

I awoke to a link sent from my Sunshine...and what a link. I guess that's a hint huh sis...LOL

I've heard whispers here and there about how our homes are secretly being watched or our phones are tapped or this or that that all pertain to invasion of our privacy. For the most part I brush it off and figure hey, if they wanna watch me then all the power to them....whoever 'they' and 'them' are. They ain't gonna find anything damning in our life..oh no, we smoke out on our deck I guess that might one day be illegal eh? We're pretty simple people and if someone gets off on the things that go on in other people's homes then they must live a preeeeeeettttty pathetic existence. In fact I try not to think about it because it's pretty creepy.

But there does come a point when it gets to me...every once in awhile. Like now for instance. I guess in this case, we should be 'relieved' that Comcast is at least making it public knowledge and not trying to pull the wool over our eyes for their own entertainment value. But...and here comes the rant....

What in the hell would you want to create this sort of device for???? Sure, it would monitor the television for the kids safety and all, it may even have the capability to switch the channel to Lifetime for me if I walked into the room and it recognized my body. And back to the question...what in the hell would you want to create this sort of device for??????????????

What if, this device is a hit, what if it becomes mandatory in every house in America? What if the government decides to subpoena all the makers of these devices who have access to our homes, our actions, our personal lives...then what???? Can you say 'communist country'? I've only said this every once in a while in the last year or so...my secret is out but there are really times when it seems like it's turning into one and we are all just letting it happen....

Honestly? I feel that in some ways technology is ruining this country, ruining our freedoms, ruining life as I knew it as a young girl. I enjoy some of the new and speedy ways that some things can get done..such as the computer, it's a wonderful device and has so much to offer. But it definitely has some serious downsides....like the newspaper industry, pornography, people who stalk others, people who use it to libel others, people who hack into our private information and I could go on with this.

But who's to say we aren't already being watched every time we open up a search engine, or every time we open up our blog. I'm sure our computer usage is monitored in some way already, for the sake of safety and terrorist activity, I don't have much of a problem with that. They ain't gonna find nothing going on in this house therefore have at it.

Visual devices...hm...that is a whole other concept that I have to wait and see...how far will it go? Who is the brain behind this...and please don't tell me it's all Bush's fault cuz I might be apt to scream a hissy fit!

I will scream about anyone who might see this cable box camera thing as a great idea..perhaps then it's time those people have a reality check and be real parents or get off their lazy arses and turn the channel or here's a concept...realize that they are actually AMERICANS! Perhaps those who see this as a great way to 'babysit' their children should throw out the television then.

And hey, realize this, if you allow this sort of invasion from a company because you feel better that your kid's television will be monitored when you aren't there...well you're only inviting more invasion into the privacy of your own home...the implications of something like this are large and scary. I do hope that Americans will speak up about this and put the kibosh on it sooner rather then later....because as we have painfully learned through many experiences in this life...to open your mouth after the fact is too late to stop the wheel from spinning....

Take action, don't let bullying scare you

Boy, are the imams learning how to go after everything they can get or what. CAIR is assisting them in a lawsuit...you remember the 6 imams removed from a U. S. Airways plane FOR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR???

Katherine Kersten: The real target of the 6 imams' 'discrimination' suit

If I were to walk onto a plane request a seatbelt extender, strategically place my friends, and bash the U.S. would my fellow passengers not want me off that flight? I know that I would demand a refund or the removal of me immediately.

But no, the imams and CAIR are going for it all, including the passengers who dared to raise their concerns. And get this:

The imams' lawsuit, however, asserts that US Airways and the MAC acted solely out of religious and ethnic discrimination. It includes 17 separate counts.

It also rehearses a catalogue of harms allegedly suffered by the imams, including fear, depression, mental pain and financial injury. They have not only endured exhaustion, humiliation and ridicule, but also have lost sleep and developed anxiety about flying.

Their lawsuit appears to be the latest component in a national campaign to intimidate airlines and government agencies from acting prudently to ensure passenger safety. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is advising the imams, is also calling for congressional hearings and promoting federal legislation to "end racial profiling" in air travel. If the legislation passes, airport personnel who disproportionately question passengers who are Muslim or of Middle Eastern origin could be subject to sanctions.

Laughable at best and weak reasons to seek damages. If anyone should be seeking retribution it should be the passengers and the airlines crew for the fear of wondering what in the hell the plan was with these guys! But no, this is now turning into a retaliation towards the passengers who were only doing what any normal human being would have done in this instance.

But the most alarming aspect of the imams' suit is buried in paragraph 21 of their complaint. It describes "John Doe" defendants whose identity the imams' attorneys are still investigating. It reads: "Defendants 'John Does' were passengers ... who contacted U.S. Airways to report the alleged 'suspicious' behavior of Plaintiffs' performing their prayer at the airport terminal."

Paragraph 22 adds: "Plaintiffs will seek leave to amend this Complaint to allege true names, capacities, and circumstances supporting [these defendants'] liability ... at such time as Plaintiffs ascertain the same."

In plain English, the imams plan to sue the "John Does," too.

Who are these unnamed culprits? The complaint describes them as "an older couple who was sitting [near the imams] and purposely turn[ed] around to watch" as they prayed. "The gentleman ('John Doe') in the couple ... picked up his cellular phone and made a phone call while watching the Plaintiffs pray," then "moved to a corner" and "kept talking into his cellular phone."

And as this journalist writes:

The imams' attempt to bully ordinary passengers marks an alarming new front in the war on airline security. Average folks, "John Does" like you and me, initially observed and reported the imams' suspicious behavior on Nov. 20. Such people are our "first responders" against terrorism. But the imams' suit may frighten such individuals into silence, as they seek to avoid the nightmare of being labeled bigots and named as defendants.

The scare and bully tactics are being used as a weapon. This sort of tactic only makes me more aware. If in fact my actions to protect myself, my family and those innocents around me resulted in my death, then so be it. But my fear will not stand in the way of protecting and doing what needs to be done in light of a situation such as this. I do hope that other Americans see this for what it is and stand proud and tall and defend and protect as opposed to taking it up the wazoo!

Sexth...oops, sixth grade students learning more about shop class

I usually just add an update to my previous posts about that particular post but this was something that I thought deserved it's own separate post.

Yes, it's about the sex...oh, sorry the sixth grade students having six...oh, I mean sex, in the classroom.

The attorney for the school district has weighed in as have parents of the surrounding area. I just have to point out the attorney's take on this whole situation because he is such an idiot! Maybe it's ok for his kids to observe something, or he might recommend that this would've have been better if the students would have performed in health class....at least then he could advocate a grading system for the act of sex and just how well these 11 or 12 year olds performed could determine the grading curve.

If this is what is defending the schools in this country then we have some pretty serious problems. Not like we don't already. If it's ok to hide this sort of thing from a community and from parents who might just give a damn about what goes on with their kids in schools, the public school system needs less funding and better guidance from those parents who do care. And perhaps funding a better attorney would be a good start for this district.

What a putz this guy is. Here's the gems I pulled from the article.

This quote from one parent that will lead to the exerpts from the dumbass:

Parents in the district are outraged.

"It just upsets me because it sounds like they're trying to make excuses. It doesn't matter to me how long it was, you know, 30 seconds, 30 minutes; it's too long. I want to know where the teacher was and how this was able to happen," said Laura Pliquett, who has a nine-year-old possibly headed to Raymond Park.

Some moronic quotes regarding this from the attorney:

"The 30 seconds, that's not even a consideration - it's the fact that something occurred," said Kevin McDowell, the attorney for the Indiana Department of Education. He says districts often consult him on serious legal matters, but says this is the first he's heard of the Raymond Park incident."

and,

"McDowell agrees parents have legitimate issues about classroom supervision - but has a different take concerning students who may have witnessed the activity:

"This doesn't pose any danger to the other students even if they did see it," he said.

When asked for claification, McDowell repeated his stance.

"All right, so they may have witnessed this. While this is an activity you certainly don't see in a school and it's something that would be certainly unusual, I don't feel - I don't know where it posed any immediate danger to those children who saw it," McDowell said."

School officials refuse to comment on sex incident

The speed of light

Oh, this poor mom. I cannot even imagine the fear that was racing through her!

Toddler Escapes From His Mom, Rides NYC Subway Alone

Toddlers are so full of piss and vinegar and things can happen so fast with them. When wiping a nose turns into a nightmare such as this it's time to get a stroller. Even though the inconvenience of toting one around is a pain in the derierre.

They are quicker than a cat attacking it's prey when their little eyes hone in on something. And when a mom is busy with another child, that split second taken for wiping a nose or just turning your back can lead to many mischevious adventures when it comes to the newfound legs and mobility in those very curious little ones.

I can't tell you how many times I have turned my back to walk into another room only to turn around and the kid has silently disappeared. Upon finding them they are splashing in the dog water or pulling out mound of paper from arts and crafts, dumping out my drawer full of crayons that they magically found and removed within 30 seconds.

Many moments of fear and dread have been my experience as a mom and as a daycare provider.

I'm glad there was a woman kind enough to return this little one and am relieved for this mom who was no doubt doing what moms do most....thinking the worst!

Is this the future for America?

This article is very creepy as well as irritating. It seems that some of these things the Muslims want banned from the schools in Britian are already becoming a slow reality in this country. And our eyes aren't even closed. Or are they?

Read this and be aware:

MUSLIMS: 'BAN' UN-ISLAMIC SCHOOLS
By Gabriel Milland

DEMANDS for a ban on “un-Islamic” activities in schools will be set out by the Muslim Council of Britain today.

Targets include playground games, swimming lessons, school plays, parents’ evenings and even vaccinations.

And the calls for all children to be taught in Taliban-style conditions will be launched with the help of a senior Government education adviser.

Professor Tim Brighouse, chief adviser to London schools, was due to attend the event at the capital’s biggest mosque.

His presence there was seen as “deeply worrying”, and a sign that the report was backed by the Government.

Tory MP Greg Hands said: “The MCB needs to realise it has to move closer to the rest of the community, not away from it.

“The presence of Tim Brighouse implies Government back­ing of this report. This is very worrying.”

Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society said the report was a “recipe for disaster”.

He added: “Schools with even just a handful of Muslim kids will find they have to follow these guidelines because there aren’t the staff to have one set of classes for Muslims and another for the rest.

“The MCB shouldn’t try to force its religious agenda on children who may not want it. The Government needs to send the MCB packing. Schools should be about teaching, not preaching.”

The report, Towards Greater Understanding – Meeting The Needs of Muslim Pupils In State Schools, says all schools should bring in effective bans for all pupils on “un-Islamic activities” like dance classes.

It also wants to limit certain activities during Ramadan. They include science lessons dealing with sex, parents’ evenings, exams and immunisation programmes.

The holy month – when eating and drinking is not allowed in daylight hours – should also see a ban on swimming lessons in case pupils swallow water in the pool.

When swimming is allowed, boys should wear clothing covering their bodies “from the navel to the neck”, even during single-sex pool sessions, while girls must be covered up completely at all times, apart from the face and hands.

The MCB adds that schools should ensure contact sports, including football and basketball, “are always in single-gender groups”.

Even school trips are targeted in the report, which wants them all to be made single-sex “to encourage greater participation from Muslim pupils”.

It wants Arabic language classes for Muslim pupils, and says the Koran should be recited in music classes. And all schools should ensure they have prayer rooms with washing facilities attached, it says.

In art classes, Muslim children should not be allowed to draw people, as this is forbidden under some interpretations of Islamic law.

And while the MCB insists that all British children should learn about Islam, it wants Muslims to have the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons dealing with Christianity and other faiths.

The MCB says special treatment and opt-outs are necessary because otherwise Muslim pupils will feel excluded from school activities and lessons.

The MCB claims to be the voice of Britain’s 1.5million Muslims and was heavily courted by politicians including Tony Blair following the September 11 attacks. Its former secretary-general Iqbal Sacranie was awarded a knighthood in 2005.

But other Muslim groups criticised the report. Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain said: “There has been no discussion on these issues in the Muslim community.”

And the Sufi Muslim Council – which claims to represent far more British Muslims than the MCB – said the report misunderstood Ramadan.

It added: “This is not what Islam or Ramadan is about. Ramadan is about training yourself while carrying on with everyday life.”

The Department for Edu­cation tried to distance itself from the report last night, and insisted Professor Brighouse was attending the launch only in a “personal capacity”.

A spokesman said it would read the report “with interest”.

The MCB did not comment.

It came as Britain's first Muslim peer called for women to stop wearing veils, claiming that they represent “a barrier to integration”.

Reigniting the debate over the face veil, or niqab, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham said there was no religious reason why Muslim women should wear them – and claimed that veils now cause society more harm than good.

The peer, who has urged the authorities to clamp down on preachers of hate, spoke during a debate held in the heart of the Arab world.

He told a mainly Muslim audience in Doha, Qatar, that he does not want a legal ban on the veil being worn in public – as many other nations are introducing, including Muslim Turkey and Egypt.

But he said: “The face veil is a barrier to integration in the West. The veil is now a mark of separation, segregation and defiance against mainstream British culture.

“There’s nothing in the Koran to say that wearing a niqab is desirable, let alone compulsory. It’s purely cultural. It’s an identity thing which has been misinterpreted.

“They were supposed to be worn so that women wouldn’t be harassed. But women, and communities as a whole, are now being harassed because they are wearing them."

The Muslim Council of Britain’s assistant secretary general, Inayat Bunglawala, said yesterday: “Peoples’ attitudes are responsible for harming integration, not veils.

“And wearing them is very much a matter for individual Muslim women.”