What's the deal with the Casey Anthony trial???

The media circus is finally over!!! Casey Anthony was acquitted of capital murder charges! I have to tell you, the verdict has restored a little of my faith in our justice system. Wait! I don’t necessarily think she’s innocent…you and I know better than that! She KNEW what happened to Caylee, that’s why she didn’t report it for so long! (That doesn’t mean she murdered her, but I truly believe she KNOWS what happened to her daughter.) However, all the prosecution had was completely circumstantial. They really stretched it with their “expert” witnesses. They didn’t have a solid case, therefore the jurors didn’t have a choice but to acquit – there WAS reasonable doubt! The only crime she was found guilty of is lying to the police, which carries a maximum sentence of 1 year per count. It is my estimation that she will get off with time served…guess we will find out on Thursday.

Either way, Casey Anthony’s joy at the outcome of the trial will be short lived. People are ANGRY and all those angry people know where the Anthony’s live. There will be no peace and quiet for them! Probably be better for them to move somewhere else, while contemplating that book/made-for-TV movie deal!!!

So while Casey Anthony is picking up the pieces of her life, we all are left with one question: “What happened to Caylee???”

What’s the deal with Scientology???

Let me start by saying that I am the most tolerant person I know. Everybody should be able to believe what they want to, after all, this country was founded on religious freedom! I have several neighbors who are scientologists, and they ALL are super nice people!

It seems that their doctrines are a mesh of many older religions and for the most part common sense based. I find myself agreeing with most of them. Like I said, everyone should be able to do what they want to…as long as no one gets hurt or exploited and herein lies my problem!

The church is tax exempt based on its not-for-profit status, but all members HAVE to buy certain books and materials, as well as participate in costly sessions to achieve the status of “clear”. Not sure about you, but this certainly sounds profitable to me! You may say that in Christianity you are urged to tithe also, so what’s the difference? Well for one, tithing is encouraged but not mandatory. The “suggested” amount is about 10% of your pay, but if you can’t afford to give money and instead give your time or other resources that’s OK. Heck, even if you can’t afford to give anything, you still can have a relationship with God and go to heaven. I don’t think it quiet works this way in Scientology. The other thing that disturbs me is all the coercing and cover-ups I keep reading about. Why does a religious organization need to use such tactics?

I know you cannot believe everything you read on the internet…I would love it if someone educated me about the truth!

What's the deal with America???

So on Monday, scores of Americans took to the streets, waving flags and celebrating the death of Osama binLaden! And I ask you, where are the demonstrations - the public engagement - when taxes are raised, jobs are cut, and gas prices go through the roof??? Is it me, or does that seem a little backwards???

Hey, if binLaden is dead, GREAT, but personally, I think we have a few more important issues to deal with right here at the homefront!!! How about showing some support for our own??? Instead, it seems we're inclined to just bend over and take it...from "Big Brother" and Corporate America! (Usually without lubrication, ouch!) Why is that I ask you!!!

Have we become so complacent that individual thought is no longer a good trait? Are we all waiting to be told what to do and think??? Or have people become completly passive, because they figure that they can't make a difference anyway, so why bother???

This country voted for President Obama, because we the people were ready for change! Well, change is not easy. It's a process that takes time and committment from all parties involved. And all I see is a bunch of whining and complaining and name calling, but no effort or grit from the general populous (myself included). What gives???

What's the deal with binLaden's death??? Part 2

Just a quick thought that popped into my mind as I read this mornings news...As more details of the "coup" emerge, it is made clear that the President gave the kill order! What do you think that binLaden sympathizers will do with this knowledge??? You can bet your bottom dollar that a retaliation is being plotted as we speak. I'm thinking that our President should be mighty careful from now on...I would hate to see him assassinated!!!

On second thought, maybe that's what this is all about!!! So many people want to get rid of him (myself NOT included!) and in order to pull off something like that you need a solid scapegoat!!! I guess al-Qaida is good for something...

What's the deal with Osama binLaden's death???

Ding, dong the witch is dead!! But wait, isn’t the timing just a little too convenient? And he was buried immediately at sea? Really? I guess that means we’ll have to believe what the Government tells us, and you know that they never lie!!! Psshht!
To me this is just another move in a mighty “chess” game that we will never understand, because we just don’t have all the information. You can take to the bank that we are told ONLY what they want to tell us! Yeah, yeah, there she goes again with “they.” I know!

I for one will never believe that a country as powerful as the US didn’t have an inkling that 9/11 was coming. “They” knew and allowed it to happen! Now in “their” defense, I’m sure that the “they” didn’t envision the enormity of the devastation. “They” needed a plausible reason to go to war, and voila’, 9/11. My guess would be that Mr. binLaden has been sitting pretty somewhere, courtesy of our Government. Because I also don’t believe for one minute that our Government hasn’t been able to find him in all this time. Hogwash!

Since I haven’t seen the body, I’m not even inclined to believe he is dead now (and he was buried at sea, how convenient)…or perhaps he’s been dead for quite some time, but they saved this revelation for the right moment. Could be that our current administration thought they needed a boost in their ratings, or a concrete reason to pull out of Afghanistan. Maybe the reason is more complicated. Either way, I’m not buying!

And lastly, just because he is dead doesn’t mean al-Qaida is no longer a threat. (Rhyme completely unintentional) And to all the Christian’s condemning the Muslim faith and celebrating his death…ahem, if I remember correctly, you’re supposed to love thy enemy…whatever happened to turning the other cheek??? Are you really any better???

What's the deal with the Disability Act???

No, I’m not disabled for which I am eternally grateful! I also think that making “reasonable accommodations” like having handicapped accessible bathrooms, as required by the disability act, are a good thing. However, you have to draw the line somewhere; especially when the greater good of one individual impacts the quality of life of the majority…and common sense should be applied.

One example of lack of common sense is the presence of Braille on drive-thru ATM’s. I mean really?! A handicap shouldn’t mean a less full life than that of a non-handicapped person, but a handicap does indicate certain limitations. For example, a blind person is unable to operate a vehicle. Period! I’m sure there are many such examples. And there are equally as many examples of the majority having to sacrifice to accommodate a select few.

Sorry guys, but that seems wrong! Like this poor girl with such severe peanut allergies, that even second hand exposure could kill her. I do feel for her family. I can sympathize with her parents. All they want is some semblance of normalcy for their child! While I do understand their motives (being a parent of, thank God, healthy children); some things just can’t be forced. The kind of controlled environment that the school is attempting (rather being forced to by the disability act) to create doesn’t exist, and I see this misguided effort going bad, with the little girl getting hurt or worse. Then what? The parents sue for negligence?

Come on folks! Use your noggin! Having TTY access, Braille signs, handicapped accessible bathrooms, etc. should suffice. Anything beyond that is no longer reasonable!!!

What's the deal with under-aged sex???

I read an article today, were a young "man" age 18 was arrested for having consensual sex with a 13 year girl. Now mind you, I don't know all the specifics, but I do know a thing or two about being a teen aged girl. Sadly, most of them nowadays look so much older than they are, and most of them will lie about their age to "get" the guy. Heck, some of them even have a fake ID. So what's a young (and horny) guy to do??? I'm not sure than all of these arrests are warranted.

When I was 15, I dated a boy that was 3 years older than I. My parents knew and were OK with it, but even if they weren't, growing up in Europe nobody would have gotten arrested.

I know that as parents, we may not like the idea of our children becoming sexually active, but it can't really be avoided. Ages ago, a girl was married off as soon as she started her period. While personally, I think at that age kids today lack maturity, it is the parent's responsibility to educate their off-spring. Ya can't prevent "IT" from happening anyway, as much as you may want to. And to put a young (18-21) man to jail and label him for life seems excessive punishment(as long as the act was consensual).
It's time to make some changes to the law book, y'all!!! And remember, what's good for the goose is good for the gander (or vice versa).

What's the deal with the nuclear power plants in Japan (and elsewhere)?

The devastation caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan is horrendous and my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan!

Reading the news about the new threat of a nuclear meltdown on top of all the mess they are facing is frightening. It’s been too long since my last Physics class, so I did some research to see what problems they’re dealing with.

My first gut reaction was “Why don’t they just shut it down?” Well, apparently this is not possible. You can turn off the reactor, but the nuclear raw material is still there, still producing energy as it breaks down and is heating up in the process. Hence the need to continually douse water onto it to prevent above mentioned meltdown. Problem is, they cannot get enough water quickly enough to facilitate the process. The only way to stop the fission safely is to introduce a compound that absorbs the excess neutrons. The chemical element boron seems to be the compound of choice. Soooo, this begs the question why “they” don’t have large quantities of this stuff handy. Wouldn’t you want to cover your bases???

The next question is “What about here?” Are we prepared for a disaster of this proportion??? Answer: Ahh, no! Nuclear energy has for years been billed as a clean alternative to oil and coal, were the benefits supposedly outweigh the risks. Fine! As long as you properly prepare for said risks, and clearly we’re not! Hasn’t the world learned from Three Mile Island and Chernobyl???

What's the deal with Immigration Reform???

With “anti-immigrant” laws and reforms making the news around the country, I marvel at the online comments posted in response to the articles. What a sad state of affairs this country is in! The sheer amount of ignorance among the population is nothing less than frightening. While I share some of the sentiments: “People wanting to come live in this country should try to do so via the legal route, as I did!” Nothing is ever just cut and dry, and someone managed to veer public opinion from worrying about terrorists to worrying about illegal immigrants at large.

First off, while the majority of illegal immigrants in this country do come from Mexico and Central America, people should remember that a lot of Illegal’s also come from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East (!). Quite frankly, I am more scared of the Russian Mob that seems to be popping up everywhere, and the potentially jihad minded extremist Muslim, than I am of the usually hard working, illiterate Hispanic. Granted, the number of people crossing into Arizona is staggering, and certainly something needs to be done to discourage the illegal passage into the country, but these new laws are NOT the way.

A large part of the LEGAL population there is of Hispanic origin...not visitors. Will they need to walk around with their passports just in case a over-zealous police officer decides to check their immigration status? I think not! I definitely understand the need for control…my husbands remodeling business has suffered tremendously, in part due to the economy, and people parading as contractors without licenses, insurance, etc. underbidding legitimate businesses. It’s a huge problem!

The flip side of the coin is that most American’s feel they’re too good to toil the earth, clean houses, or do any other kind of hard labor for pennies. You may say: “I don’t care if I have to pay more for my apples!” But when the time comes, and the price of agriculture related products quadruples, you will be the first to complain and ask the Government to “fix” it! Folks, you can’t have it both ways!!!

And people who quote nebulous statistics stating that illegal immigrants don’t pay taxes and deplete the country of its resources are just plain ill informed. Most illegal immigrants have some form of tax id, (even if it’s a fake social security card) and do pay taxes! Few will ever file for a tax refund, so they are actually contributing more than their share to the tax coffer. And give me proof that “they” use more services than (Legal) Americans. A better solution might be to grant special status to the migrant workers who help assure I can afford to buy produce, and impose fines (and find a way to enforce this) to other businesses hiring illegal immigrants, to discourage the practice. When jobs are harder to come by as an illegal, the flow will lessen. Also shorten the wait time (10 years in some cases) to gain legal status, and find other ways to encourage people to follow the legal processes (like make it affordable). Bottom line, the bad guys that Arizona is trying to keep out, will always find a way!

What's the deal with Charlie Sheen???

I wrote the below post BEFORE more disturbing clips of Charlie Sheen surfaced. While I still think most of what I wrote holds true, I am now completely convinced that he is in desperate need of an intervention! Sadly, he is surrounded by "Yes!" people instead of someone with his best interest at heart! How very sad not to be loved enough by another!
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Ok, I admit…I like the guy! Do I think what he’s doing is in his best interest? No! Would I want his lifestyle? No! (Well, maybe the money part) But you can say about the man what you want…he is, or at least tries to be, honest. Well, as he sees it anyway. He does have issues...that much is obvious, but even so, he doesn’t pretend to be a humanitarian or meek. His TV show is largely based on playing himself, so why is it OK to get paid for being a loose lush on TV, but not in the real world???

Any woman who has gotten involved with him should have know from the start what she’s gotten herself into! Instead, everyone of them must have thought that she’s the one to change him. Reality check!!! Change only comes when the person wants it …his bad boy thing has worked for him thus far, so why bother??? It’s sad that the children get dragged into this. While he might not be the best role model, he is their father and I’m sure he loves them. Shoulda thought about this before you decided to procreate with a reprobate, girls! : )

As for the men who publically speak out against him…if you’re honest with yourself guys, you ARE a teensy bit jealous! I mean really! What heterosexual male hasn’t fantasized about having two pretty girls faun all over them??? Now let’s not kid ourselves, those ladies (using this term loosely) are in it for the notoriety and the money…I refuse to believe otherwise…so what! They’re with him, aren’t they?

CBS got exactly what they paid (and got paid) for!!! Two and a Half Men is hilarious and the cast (not just Sheen) is perfect! On a side note, my favorite is actually a toss between Alan and Bertha. Replacing Charlie is not an option and cancelling the show is a lot like cutting your nose off to spite your face…plain dumb.

People who manage to entertain others tend to believe they are more grandiose than a mere citizen. This is due to the fact that us mere citizens tend pay homage to these individuals and put them on pedestals. They get paid obscene amounts of money and just lose touch with reality after a while. Not all their fault really. It takes a bit of an egomaniac to even want to be in this fickle business. So there is Charlie…the highest paid TV actor ever…adored by millions for his antiques, and equally despised for them by others. Just leave the man alone! Let him sort out his mess with some dignity! And, oh yes, why don’t you worry about your own lifestyle and choices…chances are you could use some improvements yourself!!!

What's the deal with our justice system?

Where to begin? I ranted once before over all the frivolous lawsuits that are admitted into our legal system…laid the blame with the judge and jury of the McDonald’s coffee lady who started the trend and the fact that everyone seems to be out to make a quick buck. Not so fast!!!

After reading that some attorneys charge as much as $1,000 per hour for their services, I felt physically ill. So that’s why!!! It really doesn’t matter what’s just, as long as you can afford to buy the best lawyer. The best lawyer, who will work tirelessly to twist the law into whatever mold the current case may call for. He who perverts justice the most wins the case and the financial reward! Either by charging exorbitant rates to their clients, or “massaging” the jury. So called expert witnesses are nothing but paid henchmen, who will deliver whatever expert opinion is called for in order to sway the jury (who is duly impressed by the witness’ credentials) to their way of thinking. And bingo…we get the desired verdict.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the same crime gets vastly different verdicts in different courts? Well now you know why! Just remember the OJ Simpson case…the man got away with murder…because he could afford a top defense team. The average Joe? Not so lucky!

Innocent until proven guilty? Maybe if the case isn’t tried in the court of sensationalism! Fair trial? Only if you think it’s fair to get the desired outcome at all cost! I lost faith in our justice system a long time ago!

What's The Deal With Foreign Debt???

Reading an article that outlined the US’s debt to foreign nations just reinforced something that I already knew. We are owned by other countries! This is what this debt looks like (thank you Yahoo):
1. Mainland China, Amount of U.S. debt: $891.6 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 20.4%
2. Japan, Amount of U.S. debt: $883.6 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 20.2%
3. United Kingdom, Amount of U.S. debt: $541.3 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 12.4%
4. Oil Exporters, Amount of U.S. debt: $218 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 5%
5. Brazil, Amount of U.S. debt: $180.8 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 4.1%
6. Caribbean Banking Centers, Amount of U.S. debt: $155.6 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 3.6%
7. Hong Kong, Amount of U.S. debt: $138.2 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 3.2%
8. Canada, Amount of U.S. debt: $134.6 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 3.1%
9. Taiwan, Amount of U.S. debt: $131.9 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 3.0%
10. Russia, Amount of U.S. debt: $106.2 billion, Share of total foreign debt: 2.4%

What does this mean to us the average Joe, you ask? Well, for starters, it explains why so many toxic Chinese products are allowed into the US market. Since they hold the largest of our debt, we are kind off forced to play nice and buy as much of their stuff as possible…and since China’s quality control is nonexistent…well, let’s just say that if they don’t care if they poison their own people, do you really think they care about you and I? Right!
Number four on the list just says it all, doesn’t it? Here you have it people. The reason why we wage wars (and you thought this was about freedom and terrorism, didn’t ya?), and why we simply cannot use alternative fuel sources. Most of the places on this list really didn’t surprise me, but Brazil??? Really??? Yes, they are the largest economy in South America, but they’re still a third world country. What defines a third world country you ask? It is defined by a lack of a middle class, which oh by the way we, the US, is working on eradicating. But I digress! And then there is Russia! The same country that used to point nuclear weapons in our direction! Maybe that explains the large influx of Russian immigrants to our country in recent years.
Now I’m no economist, but I would love to see the debt structure of these countries. I mean, shouldn’t they use their resources to help their own? Naw! That would just make too much sense and we have to “play” politics. We give you this money and you take our trades in return. We just borrow money from someone else for who know what reasons. And again, it just shows that everything is done under the veil of being for the good of the people, when in reality it is only about one thing: Money!