Off The Cuff

Trumpet Scares Citizens Of Salt Lake City

If I wasn't laughing so hard, I would be able to tell you about the poor little trumpet that scared some of the citizens of Salt Lake City recently. So, what happened, you ask? Well, apparently there was this package that was left just outside a fast food restaurant. Ah suspicious.

So, several citizens watched the package, thinking it might be something to alert police about. Talk about new found paranoia. The police show up and bring the bomb squad. Two hours they check out this package. For several blocks around, no one can go in near "the package". After a while, they decide it ain't gonna blow itself up so they did. Blow it up, I mean. With a robot. Mr. Tooty trumped his last trump.

Ya gotta hand it to 'em. They really got in there and saved the day. The terrorist plot to blast a trumpet to pieces. Don't know if the nation can handle another one like that.

Car Buried For Fifty Years Undriveable

Someone thought that it would be a great idea to bury a car in a time capsule so that in the year 2007, when there would be no more gasoline used, they could look back to 1957 and enjoy those days. Unfortunately, the car is undriveable. However, the gasoline that was buried with it in two 10 gallon containers may well be valuable to scientists.

A 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was buried in a time capsule with the gasoline and other items they believed would be interesting to those who opened it this year. The car, muddy and almost unrecognisable, was unearthed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the courthouse on June 15th.

Insurance Companies Cancel Policies Retroactively

Ever heard of rescission? Insurance companies certainly have. Those who can only buy insurance themselves, not through a group policy, are going to be dealing with that term if they try to use the policy. One lady did that. She is a young person in her twenties who has never been sick in her life. She believed that the policy she bought as a student would take care of anything she needed it for. After all, she had never been sick before.

Recently, she found out that she has a rare optical disorder that, if not taken care of through surgery, she will go blind. She has already lost part of her vision. She sent in a claim so that the surgery could happen. What came from the insurance company was a series of letters detailing her account being investigated for fraud. They were threatening rescission, which is actually a retro-canceling of her policy so that they do not have to pay out anything.

ABC news got involved when they heard about her. They contacted the company involved, Blue Cross of California. They said that they were not intending to cancel her and that they had sent out only one letter that told her they might investigate. This, of course, is not true. Since then, the company has stated to ABC news that they stopped the investigation and are going ahead with paying for her surgery. At the time of the story, the lady in question had no contact from the company saying this.

Isn't it time that the insurance companies wake up to the fact that the public are their bread and butter and if the public chooses not to have a policy with them, they will go down like so many other companies have in the past? I can't be the only one who remembers how insurance companies dropped the ball during the Katrina crisis and are still doing so as long as they do not pay out on policies owned by people with needs from that storm. WAKE UP, AMERICA!!! This is a shame we cannot ignore.

Ethanol Cheaper But You Can't Find It

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I am truly angry at the price of gasoline in this country. I do realize that other countries have had this problem for years and they pretty much tell us "Waaaa". If we had already had that situation, I would feel the same.

Nevertheless, we did not have that situation for all these years so I am angry at the companies who put out the product but hold back until the price is through the roof. Then, if that were not enough, they post huge profits from our dollars and thumb their noses at the buying public since we appear to not be able to effect change in any way. I do think that is wrong. If only enough people would have the courage to say no to those companies for a day or two, it would surely effect a change.

Now, about today's post, the same oil companies that have been thumbing their noses at us with those horrifying prices are doing so in another area. Some of the new cars coming out now have the ability to run on a mix which is called "E85" and is a blend of ethanol and gasoline at 85%. Those who do produce this type of fuel say that it is an alternative to the higher priced gasoline.

There is, however, a hitch in the gitalong. Seems that there are few stations selling the mix. There are many more cars out there that are capable of using the stuff but there are very few stations able to sell it. The vehicles able to use this mix are called "flexible fuel vehicles" and there are about 5 million of them on the road right now. On the other hand, in all of this country there are only 1,145 service stations available to the public for those same cars. Believe me when I tell you, that usually does not include many rural areas. At least, it does not include where we live in a rural area.

The real kicker here is that by the year 2010, the automakers have promised at least double their current production of the flexible fuel vehicles. In fact, of those who have that type of vehicle now, not all of them are aware that they have such a vehicle. Weird, huh?

Now, the problem lies in the hands of the gas station owners who are steadfast against spending a load of money on this addition to their stores. 167,000 retail gas stations exist in this country and almost all are extremely slow to work this out. The problem there seems to be that they have a load of trouble trying to get the pumps certified. Plus, the market is so new they do not want to take the risk.

There is this other thing about the ethanol mix. It is not as fuel efficient. While the current price of the mix (IF you can find it) is around $2.59 rather than the national average of $3.14, it drops the fuel economy about 10-15 percent. Not so hot either. At this point in time, it appears to be a toss up.

Woman Left To Die In The Emergency Room While Nurses Watch

Can you be shocked? I didn't think that I could with this country going to the dogs the way it is but I am shocked at what people are capable of putting other people through.

Seems a woman who went to the emergency room to get help was ignored for 45 minutes while she lay on the floor and vomited blood. The doctors say that if she had gotten help in time, she would not have died. Take a look at the bigger picture here.

The husband sees that his wife is not receiving care for her obvious distress. Why not? The nurses are just watching her distress without helping her at all. So, he calls 911. The dispatcher blows him off telling him that it's not really a crime to let his wife die on the floor of the hospital. The dispatchers, there was more than one dispatcher called by the bystanders in the emergency room who could see that she was dying on the floor with no care whatsoever, told each caller that it was not an emergency and that they could not help the quality of the care received. They did refuse to dispatch paramedics who, they say, would not have responded to a hospital when it was obvious that the person was already under medical care.

Want the kicker? The police arrive to do something about all the calls...there were several people who called dispatch. When the police take the woman out on a gurney, it isn't to go to another hospital...they are ARRESTING HER FOR A PAROLE VIOLATION.

HELLO????? What kind of idiots are actually in that city? What kind of idiots are on the police force? What kind of idiots are in that emergency room? The name of the hospital, just in case you want to avoid it like the plague, is King-Harbor in Los Angeles. They have had many, many problems before this. Can you say LAWSUIT? I would.

Oh yes, one more in case you haven't had enough. The coroner called it an ACCIDENTAL DEATH!!!!! Is he getting a kickback from the hospital or something?

WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS ARE RUNNING LOS ANGELES?????? Remind me to NEVER ever go to that place again. Yes, I have been there before. The place did not impress me then. It certainly does not impress me now. And apparently never will.

Land Of The Free, Home Of The Brave--Unless You Don't Agree

Imagine this. The soldier spends far more time in Iraq than was thought possible a few years ago. He risks his life for his country and Iraqi citizens as well. He is honorably discharged from active duty having served his country in time of war. Unlike the Vietnam vets, he comes home to those who actually are grateful that he served in the military for those who could not.

Then one day, the government steps back into his life by putting him under investigation for marching in a protest of the current war in Iraq. Apparently, he was wearing military fatigues, without insignias, during a mock patrol exercise while protesting the war. This is obviously a NO NO to the marines that he served under.

Now there is to be a military panel in Kansas City, Mo. to determine if they should discharge him from the marines and what type of discharge if they do that. He is apparently under review because he wore a uniform to a political event. Bet the politicians NEVER do that, right? HA!

By the way, there was another marine involved in this but when he was called on the carpet about it, he denyed knowing about the rules concerning wearing uniforms to such events, told them he would never do that again. They let him go. Because the first marine chose to tell them no, they are pursuing the matter.

The ironic part of this is that this marine and the others that do this, have been to Iraq, served their country, tried to help give freedom to the Iraqis and comes home to find out he is NOT FREE in his own country to protest a war, be it the same one or some other war. He can fight for us and get paid but he can't fight against the government or he gets punished. Wow! Can anyone see anything wrong with this???

More From The Twilight Zone

Remember that story about the Big Donor Show in the Netherlands? You know, the one where there was a woman dying of a brain tumor and she wanted to make sure her parts were going to be doing some good? She signed up to do this TV show in the Netherlands where contestants vie for the first place and the prize is this woman's kidney. Remember that?

Ah, well we are now told it was all a hoax to get the government aware of the problems with the organ donor program they have in that country. Apparently, the government is not putting new laws in effect that would help the people who are dying. 200 die every year from lack of donor kidneys vital to them.

Right before the show was to air on television, it was announced that the whole thing was a hoax, that the woman was not dying of a brain tumor. The three contestants were real enough. They all do need a kidney but they were aware of the hoax and approved it. In fact, the whole thing was geared to put pressure on the government to get legislation in place.

Many people, including myself, considered the show extremely tasteless and immoral. Thing is, under Dutch rules, the donors of a kidney must be friends or relatives. It would not be according to the rules to obtain a kidney via a television contest.

As they were "trying people out" for the show, the 25 people who applied made moving pleas to win the contest. In my opinion, that alone is tasteless and horribly unfair to those who were so hopeful of winning and receiving the probably lifesaving kidney.

One last thing. The Cabinet chose not to ban the show even though lawmakers urged them to do so. The members stated that it would be censorship.

I really do not think I need to say anything else besides tasteless, immoral, unethical. That about covers it.

Last Thing We Need...More Harry Potter

I realize that there are a whole load of Harry Potter fans out there but I am definitely not one of them. With the books teaching our children to be wizards and casting spells, I think that the books themselves are dangerous. Now they want to have a Harry Potter theme park. Oh no way!! But they will whether any of us like it or not.

So, the only way to deal with the problem is to boycott the theme park when it opens or put up enough blogs and articles online to tell the people building this that it is not acceptable. Unfortunately, a lot of Potter fans are going to embrace the idea of the park.

Universal Orlando Resort is opening "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" in 2009 complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village.

What is particularly scary to me is that teens and smaller readers of the books are anxiously awaiting the opening of this park because they would rather be on a Harry Potter ride than go to Disney World in Orlando. Some of these teens cannot seem to get enough of the books already. Some have read all the books, seen all the movies.

While 325 million copies of the books have been sold, they have also been translated into 65 languages as well. Isn't it about time that the Christian community addresses this problem and problem it is. Our young people are being subjected to this spiritual trash just as they are with the heavy metal bands out there. When are we going to wake up?

You Know You Are In The Twilight Zone When....

I noticed in the news this morning that in the Netherlands, they have I guess you would call it a reality game show called "Big Donor Show". Contestants vie for the grand prize, a kidney from a young lady, 37 yrs. old, who is terminally ill. Unlike what it sounds like, the lady is fine with this since she wanted to know who was going to receive the lifesaving organ before she died.

The program will air on Dutch TV on this Friday evening. The contestants tell their stories and share what day to day life is like for them in a bid for, not only the sympathy of the donor, but also, more importantly, the audience. This is a 90 minute show that will include interviews with the family and friends of the people who need the organ.

The chairman of BNN, the network in the Netherlands, that is broadcasting this game show, says that the whole thing is tasteless but it brings in viewers. He feels that it is much more tasteless for these poor, ill people to have to wait it out on a donor list for years. He goes on to say that "at least the contestants in the show have a 33 percent chance of getting a new kidney. They would have to wait much longer in real life for the same deal." Despite his beliefs on the subject, the Dutch politicians and the media have censured the network for allowing such a show to air and for exploiting such a serious issue just for a ratings grab.

Not only is this tasteless but it is definitely exploiting the catastrophy of people's lives. It puts the plight of these folks out in the public eye, which in some cases could be great, but in this case is simply exploiting them, getting their hopes up when they should not. This is not right and it sets a horrifying precedent that we will not want to have in our future.

What happens when another idea comes floating in about a TV show that has contestants vie for the next body part but this time it's for parts of a guy who is NOT sick. Maybe they get volunteers (people will volunteer for anything these days) or it might be someone who did not volunteer but is captured. No way, you say. Not in this country! Yeah right.

This country is totally free too, right? We do not have laws that will harm us someday soon, right? This country is free politically but you can't protest in front of a President or candidate. They show you the " free speech zone" as the person passes you by. This country is free religiously but in the Capitol building you cannot pray openly in the rotunda or you will be escorted out. It is against the rules in the same place that has prayer before they open their meetings. This country is free except when you want to show the Ten Commandments in a government building, owned BY THE PEOPLE, I might add.

Are you kidding me? If people had a clue about all this, they would band together like they did after September 11th. (remember that? Everyone had something to say about the towers and what the enemy did to us. No one does that anymore.) They would get together to take out these stupid and extremely damaging TV shows. It is not about TV shows. It is about our very heritage, our beliefs, our freedom, the thing that our forefathers fought for in the wars, to preserve our freedoms from harm. Is this keeping us from harm to have such shows? No! Then do something about it. Take up the cry. This is going to bite us one day if we do not.

Doctor Death Is About To Be Back

It has been 8 years since we last saw Dr. Kervorkian also known as Doctor Death. He has been in prison for that time. His sentence was for 10-25 years in the death of a Michigan man. However, he has assisted in too many deaths to count. His release from prison on June 1 is, in my opinion, entirely too soon. He is coming out of prison to find that only one state has actually adopted the assisted suicide law, Oregon. All other states that put it on the ballot found out that people do not want an assisted suicide law in action. Even Oregon has found out that few people want to end their lives prematurely.

What has happened instead of following in his footsteps, people have now become more aware of taking care of terminally ill patients. We now have more hospice caretakers and better pain management than ever before.

Now that Kervorkian is coming out of prison, he has promised he will never again advise or counsel anyone about assisted suicide once he's out. We shall wait and see about that. This is yet another sign of the time of the end of the age. We are so close to the final seven years of this age prior to Jesus coming back to take His throne in Israel. But people need to see their need for Jesus as their Savior before this happens. The world is getting more and more evil as we wait. It will not truly get better until Jesus steps back onto this earth and cleans it up again.

This Is One For The Books! The First Thing Is HUH?

I have never heard of this before and, frankly, if I never hear about it again, I will be a happy camper. One of the truly strange stories I have seen in a while concerns women of the UK who are interested in what they are calling (Ugh!) "designer vagina". WHAT? You heard me.

The number of "labial reductions" has doubled to 800 a year in the last 5 years, so says the British Medical Journal. This is mindboggling to me. These women are troubled by the shape and size of their of their vulvas. Who does this? Well, obviously British women do. The question is why? Is there a medical reason for this? I guess not. It is all cosmetic in nature. The women get the idea that they need an "ideal" genital size, shape. This they get from private genitoplasty web sites and porn pictures. Personally, from what I have heard about porn pics, I would not want to have cosmetic surgery to look like that!

Frogs Gone, Now What?

While this may sound a tad funny, it is anything but funny. In San Jose, Costa Rica, the frogs are becoming extinct. They are only one of several populations including reptile and monkey that are disappearing from the area. The culprit appears to be global warming or so say the usual range of experts who, I have decided, generally know about as much as we do about it, which is likely to be little and none at all.

17 amphibian species are gone without a trace, 5 of which are indigenous to Costa Rica only. Scientists are now saying that this is only a taste of what is to come. It is likely to be devastating to the world. Yes, that would be true. With these creatures disappearing, a time will come when other, certainly more familiar species will be extinct as well. Why? Because of man's intrusion so say the scientists. Global warming is the big culprit. The lush jungles of Costa Rica are only a few of several areas in the world that have the same problems.

In La Selva, a biological station run by Duke University, scientists discovered that a 75 percent decline in amphibian population has happened over the last 35 years or so. Scientists do suspect a higher temperature which is inhibiting plant growth. Reptiles and insect populations are on the decline as well around the biological station. They are not the only ones affected. The monkey population diminishing too.

Is it a scare tactic for these statistics to come out? No. It is now time to see that the last days are upon us and that we need to make up our minds to deal with it by seeking the Lord Jesus. The time is so short.

For more information on this and other subjects like it, please visit Lura's Bookcase.

This Will Make You Sick

I received a call from my best friend (other than my husband) at around 10pm tonight. She told me that she was about to be sick. It seems that she had seen a story about a Texas couple who had a 2 month old child. They were apparently staying at a Quality Inn in Galveston. The 19 year old father put their 2 month old baby into a microwave for a few seconds. The child is in the Shriners Burns Hospital in Texas in critical condition. They believe she will live but are unsure about the long term effects.

The father said that he was frustrated about caring for her. The mother, on the other hand, says that her husband couldn't do that and that he was in Galveston to be a minister but that the devil made him do this.

While this is shocking, the more horrible thing is that while I was searching out the story, I ran across a number of similar cases of a child being in a microwave by parents or babysitters.

There is so much pain, suffering and horror right now. People need Jesus so much. It is time to put our faith in God instead of even trying to figure this world out. It is impossible. Things will only get worse until Jesus comes back. We need the protection and salvation of the Lord Jesus. It is time to ask Him into your heart because if you don't, one day you will find that the time has slipped by and it will be too late. Please come to Jesus right now. Ask Him into your heart. He is waiting for you at this moment.

Is Microwave Popcorn A Health Hazard?

This morning on Good Morning America, there was a story about micowave popcorn, of all things. For some reason, the chemical they use to give the treat it's buttery smell also has a side effect for some factory workers....lung disease. The chemical name is diacetyl.

Now, I know that there are a multitude of things out there that will do horrible things to us if we eat too much or play too much or anything too much, but get real. This is a workplace hazard. Yet, they have to debate whether it is also toxic in the home. Hello!!! The fumes are the problem regardless of where you find them...be it home or workplace.

I think it's time to take a hard look at what factories use for their products even though they tell us how wonderful the item may be.

Here is the story from GMA:

Could Microwave Popcorn Be Toxic?

May 16, 2007

Microwave popcorn is one of America's favorite couchside snacks, but the butter flavor is raising questions about whether the crunchy treat could be dangerous to something other than the waist.

The chemical that helps create microwave popcorn's buttery aroma has been linked to serious health issues for workers who make the snack.

After working for 10 months at a St. Louis, Mo., flavoring company, 53-year-old Jerry Blaylock developed a life-threatening disease commonly called popcorn lung, which is linked to the chemical diacetyl. Now his once healthy lungs can hold just 45 percent of breathing capacity.

"I've got grandkids and we used to go to the zoo and amusement parks, but I no longer can do it," Blaylock said.

Let someone know what you think! They have people on this site telling others "well, we have to die sometime." Oh really? Do we want to speed that along?? I think not.

Zen And Los Angeles Government

What do Zen and the Los Angeles city government have in common? (Watch out. It's another ARE YOU KIDDING ME? moment) Almost $19,000 to date. The L.A. housing dept.is paying a Zen buddist priest for management training (no kidding here) in breathing with sphincter control, learning how to stand and playing with wooden sticks. Hello!!! Does ANYONE have a problem with this? I DO!!!!

About 30 people are attending training in these and other subjects. The manager (who obviously needs some type of brain function test) says the training is designed to help the employees and executive types to do their jobs better. Yeah, I guess they could do better if their sphincter was in control, right?

Zen And Los Angeles Government

The Los Angeles Housing Department has paid thousands of dollars to a Zen Buddhist priest from Hawaii for management training that includes teaching breathing with sphincter control, learning "how to stand" and playing with wooden sticks.

Norma Wong, a former Hawaii state legislator and leadership consultant, has been paid $18,819 since 2005 to conduct at least four training sessions for executives and other staff. The most recent one was last week.

Mercedes Marquez, the general manager of the department, said the training was designed to help "center" Housing Department managers and teach them to react nimbly to problems such as the city's housing shortage. Up to 30 people attended each session.

"She asks when you center yourself to hold yourself in," Marquez said of the instructor.

The breathing exercises and stick play, she said, were a small part of two-day sessions, which also included discussions of team building and improving department procedures.

Some staff members, however, have found aspects of the training objectionable.

Lynn Hansen, a former assistant general manager, said she was put off by the presumption that she and her colleagues "had to be taught how to breathe and how to stand."

"I'm not sure how that helps me face an irate constituent," she said.

I agree with that lady. I think there is a whole lot wrong with someone who has to teach grown people how to control their sphincter with breathing exercises. Oh brother.

Discounts On Gas Prices Illegal? Are You Kidding?

What is wrong with this picture? A gas station owner in Merril, Wis., was told recently that he had to stop giving the customers discounts, in some cases up to 3 cents a gallon, because it violated Wisconsin's Unfair Sales Act. Are you kidding me?

Seems he was giving the discounts to seniors and through cards that were helping the local youth sports groups. Everything was good until the government, of course, stepped in and shut it down. Want to see more? Okie dokie.

Gas Discounts Stopped In Wisconsin

MERRILL -- With gasoline prices rising, a Merrill service station made an attractive offer: Save 3 cents on each gallon and support local youth sports at the same time.

Senior citizens also paid less for gas, saving 2 cents a gallon.

That was until the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection heard about the offers and informed Center City BP owner Raj Bhandari his discounts were too good to be legal.

Bhandari said he was unaware the offers -- a card supporting the Merrill Youth Hockey Association and a senior discount -- violated Wisconsin's Unfair Sales Act, which requires retailers to sell gasoline for about 9.2 percent above the wholesale price.

The law had been explained to retailers in a December 2003 letter. Bhandari has owned the Merrill store since May 2006.

My take on this is that the government, be it state or federal, really does NOT want the prices of gas to go down. Had they wanted that, they would have worked it out by now. They have known for lots of years that this was coming. Do I need to remind anyone who is at least 40 about the long lines at the gas stations when we were told that the suppy was running out? Hello!!!

I don't know about you but I am disgusted with government that is willing to not help those in need (Tsunami victims, Katrina victims, Rita victims, etc.). How about you?

Remember Backscatter X-rays?

A few days ago, I told you about a sensor that would be more discreet than other technology already being tested by Homeland Security called a backscatter x-ray. That particular screening device would be able to tell what a person's genitals looked like and if a woman had a mastectomy among other things. Critics of this particular technology say it is too invasive. I agree.

Unfortunately, the government, in it's infinite wisdom, is already using this device in the airport in Phoenix. They say that it's 100% voluntary to have this thing check you out. Yeah right. Maybe right now it is but I will be willing to bet that when, I said WHEN not if, the machine proves to be a great searching tool, which I have no doubt it will, then it will become the searching of choice for the government "to be sure" they get all the bad guys. The idea will be that this machine will take away any doubts about a person and what they have on their person.

Backscatter X-rays at the Phoenix Airport

February 24. 2007

The Phoenix airport yesterday became the first in the United States to test new X-ray technology that can see through people's clothes and show the body's contours with blush-inducing clarity.

Critics have said the high-resolution images created by the "backscatter" technology are too invasive. But the Transportation Security Administration adjusted the equipment to make the image look something like a line drawing, while still detecting concealed weapons.

Can anyone who reads this, in good conscience, actually believe that this is a good thing? What happens when you are the one that they want to search? "It's all in the name of security. We have to give up a little freedom so we are not terrorized." Yeah, well are you not seeing that this is a form of terrorizing? Are we not seeing that yet another freedom is going by the wayside in the name of security? What happens when we, the people, are the ones they consider to be terrorists just because we do not happen to agree with something the government wants to do?

Right now, we still are able to have our own say in these matters. We can talk about it all we want but I can tell you that this technology is already being used. It will eventually be so good that it ends up in more and more airports. Then it will be train stations, boat docks. Sometime later, it will end up in any type of place that needs some type of security measures. Like Walmart. All in the name of security.

Tell me, do we actually need THAT MUCH security? You decide.

Sensor Sees Through Clothes But It's Modest

I ran across this story on a brand new sensor that sees through clothes for security purposes. The scientists that have brough us the "peekaboo" sensor say that it will see some things but not others, like naked skin. Oh yeah, how are we to actually KNOW that for a fact? Hmmm?

This is instead of another Homeland Security item built to discover threats to our safety. They call it a more acceptable way of detecting concealed weapons than the backscatter x-ray technology that Homeland Security started testing a few months ago in Arizona.

Personally, I think that they really ought to find something that doesn't show all ya got, ya think?

Sensor Sees Through Clothes

The backscatter machines bounce low-intensity x-ray beams off skin to create black-and-white images that render clothing transparent. Concealed weapons like ceramic knives and pistols are completely revealed.

But so are intimate body parts.

In U.S. congressional testimony last year, the American Civil Liberties Union called the backscatter technology a "tremendous invasion of privacy" that could reveal personal details like evidence of a mastectomy or genital size.

In The Aftermath At Virginia Tech

I am not going to go on and on about the Massacre at Virginia Tech. Frankly, I think that too many people have put their two cents worth in already. As is the usual case in any tragedy, as long as one small something comes up that no one knew about prior to this, the media does a saturation campaign the likes of which we only see when such things happen.

I recall the day that Kennedy got assassinated. I will never forget it. Why? Because the media covered every angle, every curve, every thought of everyone involved and a few that weren't. Picture after picture of the motorcade, of the trip to the hospital, the bloody clothing on Jackie, the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald and the resulting capture of Jack Ruby. I remember most of that due to the constant and indepth coverage of the whole situation. The television was alive with the aftermath of the tragedy just like it has been and still is with this one. When is the media going to get a clue that the more things are sensationalized, the more people like that guy are going to do it again and again because they want to either prove a point or become famous, even if only for the few minutes that the media sensationalizes this time.

Maybe it is time for the media to see and get a clue that perhaps we, the people, do NOT always have to have all the tiniest bits of information concerning this and other tragedies. Perhaps we can start to live in a world where, as long as we do not get all that info, the perpetrators will not choose to be "famous" or in this case, "infamous" because they will not have a forum for it. Let's think about that for a while, okay?

Man Jailed For Surveilance

A landlord in Oneida, N.Y., has taken things a bit too far this time. Believe me, I have had landlords almost like this guy. Anyway, the landlord was in court Thursday for having hidden cameras in his tenants' apartments so he could watch as they had sex. His sentence was 2-6 years in state prison for four felony counts of unlawful surveillance. I think he got off pretty lightly. He said he was sorry. Uh huh. Oh, and there was one more little thing about the guy. He was a retired Fire Chief. Nice.

Man Jailed For Surveilance

ONEIDA, N.Y. - A central New York man was sentenced Thursday for installing hidden cameras in his tenants' apartments so he could spy on them while they had sex.

Patrick Kaiser, 49, of Oneida, was sentenced to two to six years in state prison. He was convicted in December of four felony counts of unlawful surveillance.

He was sentenced in Madison County Court, Kaiser told the judge he was sorry for installing cameras in an apartment so he could spy on his tenants while they had sex.

Here's the thing. If we do any surveilance, we are as likely to get into hot water as not. Yes, there are circumstances where we are able to lawfully do surveilance but we run the risk of being sued or being in trouble with the law one way or another. However, the government is allowed by law to do this and it is perfectly legal. Why? Because they are doing so in the name of national security!

Is America going to wake up? We must!!! If we do not, SHAME ON AMERICA!!