Parenting Tip #1: Don't smoke pot in front of your kids.
This mother must have had that tip in mind when she "left her 1-year-old child alone in a car for more than 40 minutes while she was inside her home smoking marijuana." She was arrested on "charges of endangering the welfare of a child, marijuana possession, and resisting arrest."
Saturday, October 2, 2010
New Las Vegas Attraction: The Death Ray
The new Las Vegas hotel, the Vdara, is covered in reflective glass and shaped like a parabola. In case you don't recall your high school geometry classes, a parabola is perfect for focussing parallel light rays. What this means in the Las Vegas sun is that the hotel concentrates sunlight into a 10 foot by 15 foot "Death Ray"--a hot spot that singes the hair of those sitting next to the pool. The Death Ray has melted plastic and it is just a matter of time before a drunk hotel guest falls asleep next to the pool and wakes up with 3rd degree burns.
But don't take my word for it. Here is Katie Couric:
But don't take my word for it. Here is Katie Couric:
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Strange Crimes: Suicide
Unfortunately, suicide is not a "strange" crime in that it is not uncommon. What's strange (and ironic) about the recent suicide is the ineffectiveness of the University of Texas to prevent it (and the other 5 suicides at UT in the last twelve months). On Tuesday, Sept 28, 2010, 19-year-old Colton Tooley fatally shot himself with an AK-47 in the campus library of UT Austin. The story is tragic, but the irony is that the university observed National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week just last week.
The irony continued when the group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus decided to cancel the lecture that they had scheduled for the same day. The lecture was to be given by John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime. In The Huffington Post, John Woods notes that Lott's title would be more accurate if it was changed to More Guns, More Suicides, because suicide rates increase in direct proportion to gun ownership rates. Woods says, "Fully half of all firearms deaths in the U.S. are suicides, and 80 to 90 percent of suicide attempts with firearms are successful. Compare this to drug overdose, which is only successful 30 to 40 percent of the time...Indeed, social scientists use suicide rates as a proxy for household handgun ownership rates, because the correlation is so very strong. Instead of pushing for barely trained students to carry guns, let's talk about how we can keep firearms out of the hands of those who are struggling. Let's talk about getting them access to counseling."
Amen.
The irony continued when the group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus decided to cancel the lecture that they had scheduled for the same day. The lecture was to be given by John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime. In The Huffington Post, John Woods notes that Lott's title would be more accurate if it was changed to More Guns, More Suicides, because suicide rates increase in direct proportion to gun ownership rates. Woods says, "Fully half of all firearms deaths in the U.S. are suicides, and 80 to 90 percent of suicide attempts with firearms are successful. Compare this to drug overdose, which is only successful 30 to 40 percent of the time...Indeed, social scientists use suicide rates as a proxy for household handgun ownership rates, because the correlation is so very strong. Instead of pushing for barely trained students to carry guns, let's talk about how we can keep firearms out of the hands of those who are struggling. Let's talk about getting them access to counseling."
Amen.
Dictionaries banned from schools
More Banned Books Week news:
The American Library Association has a list of books banned or challenged in 2009-2010. For the record, the American Library Association is NOT banning the books...they are protecting your right to read books even if someone else deems them "offensive." The list is titled, "Think for yourself and let others do the same."
As an example of the danger of letting someone else determine what you can or cannot read, here is one of the books that was pulled from school libraries because it is inappropriate for children:
Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
"Pulled from the Menifee, Calif. Union School District (2010) because a parent complained when a child came across the term 'oral sex.' Officials said the district is forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the dictionary."
Librarians are corrupting the next generation and providing salacious material to your children...in the form of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. What will these radical militant librarians think of next?
The American Library Association has a list of books banned or challenged in 2009-2010. For the record, the American Library Association is NOT banning the books...they are protecting your right to read books even if someone else deems them "offensive." The list is titled, "Think for yourself and let others do the same."
As an example of the danger of letting someone else determine what you can or cannot read, here is one of the books that was pulled from school libraries because it is inappropriate for children:
Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
"Pulled from the Menifee, Calif. Union School District (2010) because a parent complained when a child came across the term 'oral sex.' Officials said the district is forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the dictionary."
Librarians are corrupting the next generation and providing salacious material to your children...in the form of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. What will these radical militant librarians think of next?
Radical Militant Librarians
James A. Bauch accuses librarians and the American Library Association of being "goodie-two-shoes" who are depriving Americans of their civil liberties by banning books. Mr. Bauch is referring to a full-page article in the September issue of AARP Bulletin which lists books that have been banned because they are "irreligious," "offensive," "too political," or have "too much sex." He finds the American Library Association's list of banned books "totally unacceptable."
I sympathize with Mr. Bauch, except for one thing: The ALA is not banning the books...they are promoting them. The ALA and librarians in general regularly put their necks out to ensure that Americans have the freedom to receive information (which has been determined to be a component of "freedom of speech"). In fact, librarians have been called flaming liberals and terrorists for their efforts to protect the right to read. Librarians have been challenging the Patriot Act for several years now, trying to ensure that law enforcement cannot see what books you have checked out at the library. Four librarians from Connecticut refused to comply with a National Security Letter and filed a lawsuit against the FBI, which was fishing for any patrons who might have checked out any questionable books. FBI agents complained about the "radical militant librarians." Librarians are protecting you from Big Brother, Bauch, and they proudly wear the "radical militant" badge. You should be thanking the librarians, whose motto is "Scimus quae legis, et non dicimus," or "We know what you read, and we're not saying."
To be fair to Mr. Bauch, he was not the only person who misunderstood that the Banned Books article was about books that the ALA is encouraging you to read, or at least encouraging you to have the right to read if you choose. The ALA's office of Intellectual Freedom was bombarded with complaints about the banned books. They responded with an article titled, "Relax AARP Bulletin Readers, Librarians Do Not Celebrate Book Banning."
Finally, I would like to point out that September 25 through October 2, 2010, is ALA's Annual Banned Books Week, so go read something controversial!
I sympathize with Mr. Bauch, except for one thing: The ALA is not banning the books...they are promoting them. The ALA and librarians in general regularly put their necks out to ensure that Americans have the freedom to receive information (which has been determined to be a component of "freedom of speech"). In fact, librarians have been called flaming liberals and terrorists for their efforts to protect the right to read. Librarians have been challenging the Patriot Act for several years now, trying to ensure that law enforcement cannot see what books you have checked out at the library. Four librarians from Connecticut refused to comply with a National Security Letter and filed a lawsuit against the FBI, which was fishing for any patrons who might have checked out any questionable books. FBI agents complained about the "radical militant librarians." Librarians are protecting you from Big Brother, Bauch, and they proudly wear the "radical militant" badge. You should be thanking the librarians, whose motto is "Scimus quae legis, et non dicimus," or "We know what you read, and we're not saying."
To be fair to Mr. Bauch, he was not the only person who misunderstood that the Banned Books article was about books that the ALA is encouraging you to read, or at least encouraging you to have the right to read if you choose. The ALA's office of Intellectual Freedom was bombarded with complaints about the banned books. They responded with an article titled, "Relax AARP Bulletin Readers, Librarians Do Not Celebrate Book Banning."
Finally, I would like to point out that September 25 through October 2, 2010, is ALA's Annual Banned Books Week, so go read something controversial!
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