SEXTING!

I do not have teenagers (thank the Lord), but I know what it is like to be a parent. I often think how difficult it is to be a parent and an adolescent in today's world. Let me tell you that I hate the news because it is all about the negative, rarely emphasizing the positive, however sometimes I do learn something by not switching the channel as soon as a newcast comes on the airwaves. Is anyone out there familiar with sexting?

From what I am told sexting is texting semi nude or nude photos to the object of your affection. In my day we use to pass notes (but I digress), but now in the technological age we are able to reach out in a more intimate way;-) Text-messaging, it seems, has become the communication mode of choice among teenagers. That has opened the door to growing abuses.

Apparently teens taking risqué photos of themselves is turning into a full-on epidemic. Researchers from Teenage Research Unlimited have finally put some hard numbers to the anecdotes about teens getting themselves in trouble with revealing photos. According to the study, commissioned by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and and unplanned pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com, 22-percent of teenage girls and 18-percent of boys have taken nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and sent them to someone or posted them online. And a third of young adults (20-26 years old) have done the same.Young adults and teens view sending these photos and suggestive text messages as simple digital flirting. 39-percent of teens and 59-precent of those young adults say they've sent naughty texts a means of flirting.

Do you think this is harmless flirting or is it a growing problem among teens?

Another Journalist Put Her Foot In Her Mouth

Is it just me or has the world gone MAD? FOX News contributor Liz Trotta thought it would be a good idea to joke about killing Sen. Barack Obama, since Hilliary Clinton busted the seal on the idea with the RFK comment, I guess it's fair game to joke about. If anyone had made a comment about assassinating the current president, albeit jokingly, they would probably be arrested immediately. The same respect and courtesy should be afforded to all elected governmental official. I do not like the way Bush has run this country in the ground, but I would not advocate that anything happen to him other than being impeached.

Back to Trotta, if you watch the segment closely you will see that this was not a mere slip of the tongue, and that she is clearly not an Obama supporter. As I have said before when remarks have been made about doing bodily harm (lynchings, etc.), we should not let one comment like this slide. Not one. But since it looks like she'll get away with it, please no more assassination remarks or jokes on national television! Ms. Trotta did apologize for her comments, but there was really no sincerity in my opinion. What do you think?




Here is the apology issued by Trotta

Senator Obama and Senator Byrd – Politics and its Strange Bedfellows

So this is on the record. It's not a hoax, like the Klan’s fictional support hoax we saw earlier this year.

Apologetic KKK alumni Senator Robert Byrd has endorsed Barack Obama, saying:

“I believe that Barack Obama is a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq, and lead our country at this challenging time in history”.

Byrd has long since apologized -- and been forgiven -- for his past membership in the Ku Klux Klan and opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, But, how does one "apologizes" for being a recovering racist and member of an American terrorist organization is beyond understanding. Obama's cool with it. So there you have it. Indeed, armed with a letter signed by Obama, Moveon.org Political Action Committee was the top contributor to Byrd's 2006 reelection campaign. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.

In his announcement, Byrd pointedly made note that Obama is a "noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian." This will help lay to rest rumors that Obama is a Muslim. Additionally, Byrd's endorsement should help Obama pull some additional votes in the Kentucky primary, which borders West Virginia. I was wondering why Senator Obama would risk being associated with yet another controversial figure (remember Reverend Wright), but I guess it’s is okay if it can garner votes.

I have a question. Does anyone else feel that this Democratic Party Primary nonsense has gone on long enough or is it just me? The way I am feeling today, I would vote for the Satan if it would get the prices of gas under three dollars. That last sentence was a joke, so don’t post comments about me endorsing the devil.

Old and Ailing Man Extradited

I am very interested in criminal justice or lack of criminal justice in the judicial system. Sometimes our moral and ethical judgment is tested in the interest of so called justice. In Raleigh, North Carolina an ailing 81-year-old man who escaped from a Maryland prison 43 years ago was taken into custody Friday to face extradition, a move his attorneys decried as a waste of time because he is ill and aging. Willie Parker, who suffers from several health problems, only served about a quarter of his sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon before escaping in 1965. He was tracked down in February as part of a Maryland effort to clear outstanding warrants.

Parker, who has been living in North Carolina, was unexpectedly arrested during a court hearing Friday and was held for about an hour before extradition documents arrived from the governor’s office. The question becomes why are they wasting our time with this old man? Parker is now a sick old man, requiring hospitalization at times, which the state of Maryland would have to pay the cost for if he is detained.

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said Maryland officials will decide how much time he owes once he is returned. It is reported that he would essentially pick up where he left off; however it appears that he would be eligible for parole since he served a quarter of his sentence. He was arrested after Maryland authorities reviewing old case files discovered he had a North Carolina driver's license. U.S. Marshals found Parker in bed at a home in rural Clinton, a town south of Raleigh, where he was being cared for by a nurse. He suffers from diabetes, heart trouble, hepatitis and stroke complications.

I get the fact that this guy is a fugitive from justice albeit almost a half century has passed since his escape. I frankly cannot fathom what can be gained by arresting this man. He is no longer a threat or danger to anyone and would more than likely be a burden on the taxpayers of the state of Maryland. Have I got it wrong? Should he pay for his crime regardless of his health and age? Let me know your thoughts.

DeGeneres, de Rossi Plan to Marry

DeGeneres announced her engagement to Portia de Rossi during a Thursday taping of her show, telling the studio audience that the California Supreme Court had struck down state laws against gay marriage. The studio audience leapt to its feet for a long ovation, and De Rossi was sitting in the audience, beaming and clapping. This monumental decision that will allow other states to join the state of Massachusetts in recognizing same-sex unions as legally binding.

The court ruling means same-sex couples could be able to tie the knot in as little as a month. However, religious and social conservatives are seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage. I do not believe right-wingers will be successful in overturning the decision. This ruling will do for gay marriages what the Roe vs. Wade decision did for women’s right to choose.

Recognizing these unions is important because in some instances it allows partners to benefit from medical insurance, survivors rights, and to have a say in the decision making process during medical emergencies, etc. I do not see why others would have a problem with these unions.

Gay relationships can be just as committed as their heterosexual counterparts and it is only fair that they receive the same rights and privileges as married couples. Some people get hung up on the title of “marriage”, believing that the title should be reserved strictly for unions between men and women. It doesn’t have to be called marriage, in fact maybe we should have a contest to determine an appropriate moniker for same-sex unions.

Supercentenarian Turns 115

Edna Parker, who is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest known person, turns 115 on Sunday. Researchers want to know why she and other supercentenarians (people 110 and older) enjoy such long lives. Scientists who study longevity hope Parker and others who live to 110 or beyond can help uncover the mystery of extreme longevity.

Mrs. Parker’s 59-year-old grandson provided insight on why his grandmother has lived as long as she has by stating that "she's never been a worrier and she's always been a thin person", so maybe that has something to do with it. So essence most of us need to lose some weight and adopt a positive, worry-free attitude. I am sure I won't make it to be a supercentenarian and I don't know if I would want to if it was possible.

On Friday, Parker laughed and smiled as relatives and guests released 115 balloons into sunny skies outside her nursing home. Dressed in pearls, a blue and white polka dot dress and new white shoes, she clutched a red rose during the festivities.