To Burn Or Not To Burn The Qur'an?

    The Qur'an is the main religious text of Muslims.  Muslims believe it is the book of order and divine guidance for all of mankind.  Islam believes that Allah disclosed the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad, verbally through an angel Jabril, over the course of 23 years.  It basically means to Muslims what the Bible means to Christians.  Needless to say, It is very offensive to intentionally damage or disrespect the Qur'an.
     There is a Reverend in Florida, named Terry Jones, that has very controversial views of the Muslim faith to include the Qur'an.  He has recently gained worldwide attention because he plans to burn copies of the Qur'an to celebrate the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States.  Some people are praising him as a hero and some people are attacking him as a derelict.  Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Jewish leaders have condemned his plans.  Jones is clinging on to his First Amendment rights and plans to go through with it.  He calls the Qur'an evil because he says it supports something other than the biblical truth and it agitates radical and violent behavior among Muslims.  Jones said that if Muslims wanted to burn Bibles, they would be protected by the First Amendment as well.  He wouldn't like it but he wouldn't threaten to kill them either.

     Jones has been warned by many that if he goes through this, he could endanger himself, U.S. troops and Americans everywhere.  Amid hundreds of death threats, he still says he is going to do it on September 11th.  In Indonesia, Muslims have already held demonstrations, at the U.S. Embassy, and threatened violence should the Reverend go through with it.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the plans are outrageous and disgraceful.  She hopes that it is not considered an act of patriotism.  General David Patraeus the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan has even tried to get him to back down.  General Patraeus said that this definitely could endanger U.S. troops, American citizens, and the overall effort in Afghanistan.

     I know that everyone is protected by the Constitution in the United States but does there come a time where it may be detrimental?  And if so, should something be done if it's a matter of national security? I think that's a tough one.  Let's not forget that there are Americans who are Muslim and the fact that not all Muslims are terrorists.  I do not think what the Reverend has planned is smart at all.  Why would you intentionally jeopardize the lives of yourself and others by doing something that in itself is so disrespectful?

Acid Attacks!!!

     Acid throwing is an attack where a person throws acid at the intended targets face.  The acid burns and damages the skin and sometimes dissolves the bones.  Usually they occur in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Cambodia.  In Asia, these attacks are used as a form of revenge for a woman refusing sex or marriage proposals.  In Cambodia, usually, it's the wife who attacks the "other woman" with a dose of acid.  In Afghanistan, women who decided to attend school were targeted by extremists.  There is basically no good reason for such despicable actions.  Unfortunately, these evil attacks have made their way to the United States.

     Just last Monday, Bethany Storro was attacked by a stranger near a coffee shop in Washington.  The attacker, who was a woman, walked up to her and said, "hey pretty girl...do you want to drink?"  Then, she threw a glass of acid in Bethany's face.  Bethany said that her clothes started to dissolve and her face was bubbling and sizzling.  If she had not been wearing sunglasses, she might have lost her eyesight.  The attacker is still unidentified and appeared angry at the time of the incident.

     On September 3, there was another acid attack in the U.S.  This seems like maybe it was a copycat crime of the first one.  This one occurred in Arizona.  Derri Velarde, was the victim of this malicious offense.  She said that she was in the parking lot of her apartment building when a woman splashed a cup of acid in her face and ran.  She had thought the attacker had a cup of water as she approached her.  When the acid hit her face, it started burning.  

     Who would do something so awful?  These attackers are deliberately destroying these women's faces.  How cruel do you have to be?  So far there have only been two attacks in the U.S. and both were committed by people that the victim did not know.  Both women who committed these assaults are still at large. So is this just a coincidence or is this going to spread nationwide?  Hopefully, they are just very unfortunate events that will stop and not become the norm. 

WARNING!!! Disturbing Video Footage Of A Deranged Nanny: Caution Is Advised!!!

This is a nanny caught on hidden camera video mistreating an 11-month old little boy.  In the video, you will see her kick, slap, and throw things at this helpless child.  When police saw the video, they had enough to charge Jeannine Campbell with battery on an infant.  She is 53 years old.  What in the world was this woman thinking?  As it turned out, the married couple put the camera up after they discovered this same child had a black eye.  So she was whooping him for a while.  What would you do if you discovered something like this?  It's absolutely horrible and I don't think she could run fast enough to get away from me, if that was my child.  The sad thing is that this isn't the first case of a nanny abusing a child that was left in their care.  Quite a few have been caught on "nanny cam" since the invention.  A lot of people already don't trust leaving their child with a nanny or babysitter as it is.  Would you still consider using a nanny to watch your baby?

Golfer Causes A Fire!

     I couldn't pass this story up.  An unidentified golfer started a fire with his golf club.  It happened at Shady Canyon golf Course in California.  He hit a bad shot into the rough (higher grass). Then, on his next shot, he hit a rock causing a spark that ignited the dry grass around him.  The fire spread through the rough and over the hillside that was covered with brush.  By the time it was all said and done, about 150 firefighters were involved.  There weren't any charges pressed against the golfer.  That's crazy!  I have definitely never heard of that before.  I bet if he was looking for a rock to start a fire, while camping, he wouldn't find one...lol.

Mad Mel Gibson...

     Mel Gibson has been involved in a horrible scandal ever since those "alleged" abusive recordings have been made public.  The latest polls taken have shown that there is very little impact on whether people go watch his movies.  About 75% of the people polled said that the recordings would not determine whether or not they watch him on the big screen.  The poll was conducted as a joint venture involving Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes.  Of course, his movies include "Braveheart" and "The Passion of The Christ" but should he be forgiven for such outrageous outbursts?  Let's not forget that this wasn't the first time that his mouth got him in trouble.  He made some anti-Jew comments to a California police officer in 2006.

     He has two movies that are about to come out, "The Beaver" and How I Spent My Summer Vacation."  The last movie that he put out "Edge of Darkness" didn't do so well at the box office.  So do people really not care about what he has "alleged" said?  I say alleged only because the case has gone to trial yet.  When you hear the tapes there is no mistaking that it's his voice.  After the racial slurs, anti-Jew comments, degrading and verbally abusive nature of his messages, does he deserve a second(actually third) chance? Take a listen and then you tell me what you think.

Tea Party Crazies

     By now, I am sure that all of the citizens of the United States of America are aware of the Tea Party movement.  There is nothing wrong with speaking out against what you don't agree with or wanting things to change for the better.  Unfortunately, this group of people don't seem to have that in mind.  People have gotten angry because times have been better.  There are positive ways to focus that energy to be part of the solution.  Is there even a clear cut plan for the Tea Party or is it just the I don't like this and I don't want that syndrome?  The Tea Party thinks that the government is too big, spending is out of control, and President Barack Obama's polices are making things worse.  They have every right to have those opinions.  What I say is work on constructive ways to help improve things; not destructive ways to make things worse.  There have been numerous allegations of racism, anti-gay rhetoric, anti-semitism, and other abusive types of behavior.  The Tea Party has staged many demonstrations and protests throughout the U.S.  Many of them have been tainted by irresponsible behavior.  Here are just a few examples of this.

     Movement protesters have carried several different offensive and threatening signs.  During one gathering, there were signs that stated, "Bury Obama-care With Kennedy".  This came not too long after Senator Edward Kennedy's death.  There was an incident that transpired on Capitol Hill at a rally against health care reform.  Signs were carried by members that threatened gun violence if health care passed.  The sign said, "Warning: If Brown can't stop it, a Browning can".  This was in reference to Senator Scott Brown and a Browning firearm.

     There have also so been some physical violence and offensive words shouted at people while protests were under way.  In Virginia, the brother of a congressman who supported health care reform, had a gas line severed at his home.  A Tea Party activist posted his home address on an internet forum, thinking it was the congressman's, and urged angry opponents of reform to pay him a visit. Now this is the insane and reckless behavior closely associated with the movement.  While a group of Tea Party members were protesting the Patient Protection and Affordable Car Bill, protesters shouted out racial and anti-gay slurs at people passing by.  Congressman Emmanuel Clever was spat on and black Representatives Andre Carson and John Lewis had the "n" word shouted at them by the crowd.  At the same demonstration, congressman Barney Frank, who is openly gay, was directly called a faggot.  There is no place for such racism and bigotry.  Also, on several occasions, bricks have been thrown through government office windows.  These are just a few of the happenings associated with the Tea Party.

     Tea Party members behavior is out of control  and getting worse.  They are trying to get people who represent this party elected to congress.  What a scary thought. I would hate to think what would happen to this country if they got control of the government.  Hopefully people aren't dumb enough to make that nightmare come true. 

Too Much Water Can Kill You!

     I am sure that you never thought that you would hear those words.  Actually, too much water can kill you.  It is called water intoxication or Hydronatremia.  It happens more often than you would think.  There are a couple of different scenarios where it is most likely to occur.  Usually it happens when people have strenuous workouts for more than four hours and drink such an excessive amount of water that they dilute the sodium concentrate in the blood.  This puts vital body functions in jeopardy and can result in death.  Signs and symptoms of water intoxication are similar to that of dehydration.  The victim may experience difficulty breathing, nausea, muscle cramps, slurred speech, and disorientation.  They need to be taken to the hospital immediately.  While waiting for medical help, sit them upright, keep them as calm as possible, watch for seizures, and try to increase their sodium levels by giving them salty foods like chips. 
     People who live in hot environments and sweat profusely should not rehydrate with water alone.  They need to rehydrate with drinks that contain electrolytes and eat salty snacks to replace the loss of sodium.  Sports drinks by themselves won't replenish your sodium if you exercise for several hours.  Here are some examples of water intoxication cases that resulted in death.
     In 2002, 3 year old Rosita Gonzalez died of water intoxication when her babysitter punished her by forcing her to drink 3 quarts of water in a four hour period.  The babysitter was arrested for first degree murder.  In 2007, Jennifer Strange was found dead hours after trying to win a Nintendo Wii.  A radio station in California held a contest where contestants had to drink large quantities of water without urinating.  The family sued the radio station and were awarded $16.5 million in the wrongful death lawsuit.  In 2008, Jacqueline Henson died after drinking 4 liters of water in under 2 hours as a part of her diet plan.
     Water isn't bad for you.  But, like everything else, do not overindulge or you will have issues.  Water intoxication is real and can occur when you exercise for long periods of time and drink only large quantities of water.  If you are gonna workout for extended periods of time, then bring along a salty snake and drink a sports drink.  You can also die of water intoxication if you drink large amounts of water in a short period of time.  Such as in a water drinking contest or as a part of an extreme diet plan.  Please drink responsibly!

Golf's Stupid Rules

     Golf is always referred to as the gentleman's game.  That same holier than thou attitude was definitely prevalent during the Tiger Wood's scandal.  Although Tiger allegedly had more extramarital affairs than the average guy; you can't tell me that he is the first golfer to cheat on his wife.  How can so many "gentleman" screw up the game with stupid rules?  It has even bled over to the women's game as well.  A lot of these PGA and LPGA rules are really petty.  I don't understand the mentality on a few of them.  And if it was just because the founders of the game made these rules, then why don't they change them today?  The rules stand out because they have caused a lot of would be champions to be disqualified.  Many sports have had rule changes and rule additions to help try to make things better.  Here are a few examples of some of the more silly rules in professional golf.
     In 1987, at the Andy Williams Open, Craig Stadler's ball landed in the mud, under a pine tree, on the 14th hole during the last round.  Due to the positioning of the ball, he had to kneel down to play it.  He put a towel down so he wouldn't destroy his light-colored pants.  He went ahead and finished the round and he placed second at the end of tournament. So the trophy was handed out and everybody went home.  The very next day, someone saw the error on the highlights and notified PGA officials.  Stadler was disqualified for illegally building a stance by kneeling on the towel.  Again I say he had finished in second place.
     In 2008, at the State Farm Tournament, Michelle Wie had turned in her second place scorecard and forgot to sign it.  She had only walked out of the room and someone called her back so she could sign it.  She came right back in the room, in a matter of minutes, to find out that she was disqualified.  She didn't leave the course, or the grounds, or even the clubhouse.  Just because she left a roped off scoring area, that disqualified her.  Just like Stadler, she had a second place finish.
     The most recent case involves Hall of Fame golfer Julie Inkster.  In 2010, Julie Inkster was disqualified from the Safeway Classic Tournament.  During the tournament, there was a 30 minute delay at the 10th hole.  She put a weight on her club and took some practice swings to loosen up.  She later comes to find out that's not legal during tournament play.  A television viewer saw her breaking this rule and informed tournament officials by email.  Inkster finished the round and on her way to the clubhouse, she was informed that she was disqualified.  She was only three shots off of the lead at the time.
     These petty rules have got to go.  If I go out and play the best golf in my life and win a tournament, it could be taken away just because I forgot to sign my scorecard before I leave the room.  That's crazy to me.  I think the PGA officials should look into changing some of these rules.  Imagine if all sports had this kind of officiating.  Someone watching the superbowl could call the NFL and say that they saw a player on the offensive line commit a holding penalty.  Then what would they do; take the trophy away from the New Orleans Saints?