How Much Public Affection Is Too Much?

A few days ago, Leisha Hailey, who stars in the American cable TV network Showtime's drama "The L Word", was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight for kissing her unidentified girlfriend.

Lesbian Actress Removed From Southwest Airlines Flight

"L Word" Star Booted From Flight After Kiss

This made me think about a couple of things.  First, as a frequent air traveler, I can't begin to describe the unseemly activities in which I have seen fellow fliers engage on airliners.  Among other (ahem) "interesting" things, I have seen couples engaging in deep kissing, performing mysterious acts under blankets, and going into lavatories together. 

My question to you, dear readers, is two fold.  Item the first:  How much public affection do you think is too much, be it on a plane, a train, or a public place?  Item the second:  Do you think the fact that Ms. Hailey was being affectionate with a same sex partner played into her fellow passengers, and possibly Southwest Airlines, negative reaction to their kissing?  Did Ms. Hailey's reaction to the complaint exacerbate the situation?

My opinions, and they are just that---MY opinions, are that anything beyond handholding, some low key cuddling, and an occasional peck on the lips is unacceptable on an airplane.  These are closed places.  It isn't like a public park where others can merely pass by the behavior.  I really feel like behavior more intimate than this needs to be kept in the privacy of a hotel room or a home.  If folks can't control their urges for the duration of a flight, perhaps they should have stayed home.

As far as the reaction being more negative because this was a same sex couple, I would really like to think that in 21st Century America, we are used to seeing two women kiss, two men hold hands, etc., but I have my doubts that all of society shares my view on this.  (On a related note, I should like to state that the opinion in the paragraph above applies to opposite sex and same sex couples.)  Still, can we not allow same sex couples to tastefully display affection for each other in public places? 

I can also understand why Ms. Hailey would have reacted defensively to being singled out for her behavior, but doesn't becoming aggressive or confrontational only make the problem worse and set the case of gay equality back instead of moving it forward?

I should very much like to know your thoughts and opinions, friends.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Thank The Liberals

Let's return to my semi-regular feature that I like to call "Thank the Liberals".

Did you like the Marshall Plan?  Thank the liberals.

Do you like the FDA?  Thank the liberals.

Do you like the direct election of Senators by the people  Thank the liberals.

Do you like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and workplace safety laws?  Thank the liberals.

Do you like Social Security?  Thank the liberals.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

How Do I Maintain A Positive Outlook?

How do I maintain a positive outlook?  This is a question I am frequently asked especially when people learn how much death, destruction, and sickness I see on a first hand basis.  Really, the answer isn't all that difficult, and I hope you will find it helpful regardless of your chosen profession.  The following things help me keep my head up and keep me going forward.  I hope they will help you as well.

Treat others with unconditional positive regard.  This essentially means giving others the respect and dignity that all humans deserve regardless of their race, religion (or lack thereof), gender, sexual orientation, politics, or nation of origin and regardless if they are mentally or physically ill, if they follow societal norms for hygiene and grooming, if they are homeless, etc.  (Yes, I know I sometimes fail in this endeavour, but it isn't for lack of trying.)

Practice random acts of kindness.

Practice random acts of generosity.

Give to charity.

Help the less fortunate.

Stand up for who you are, what you are, and what you believe in.

Be honest. 

Do good work.

Lend a helping hand to a person in need.

Spend time with those about whom you care and who care about you; don't waste time on those who don't.

Do not engage in battles of wits with unarmed people. 

And lastly.........................

Treat others the way you would want them to treat you.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go...................................

Number Five:  An unidentified hockey fan from London, Ontario, who took it upon himself or herself to chuck a banana peel at Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds during the Flyers neutral site exhibition game versus Detroit on 22 Sep 11.  The apparently racist incident took place while Simmonds, who is African-Canadian, was in the middle of his shootout attempt.  Simmonds showed the class that NHL players are known for when discussing the incident after the Flyers ultimately fell to the Wings 4-3:

"When you're a black man playing in a predominantly white man's sport, you've got to come to expect things like that," Simmonds said. "Over the past 23 years of my life, I've come to expect some things like that. But I'm older and more mature now, I kind of just left things roll off [my back]. I try not to think about stuff like that."

"Fan" Throws Banana Peel At Black NHL Player

Well, folks, is this 1961 or 2011?  Why, in this day and age, would someone choose to act like this much of a cad?  If you have this much of an issue with black folks, do me a favor and stay home from the rink.  The vast majority of hockey fans, myself included, don't behave like this, but your inane action will make all of us look bad.  Pathetic.  I don't for a second believe that this incident was not racial in nature; but even in the outside chance that it wasn't, does this buffoon have no idea how seriously a player could be injured if he fell over a banana peel (or any other debris) on the ice?  I say again, pathetic.

Number Four:  Ranchhodbhai Lakha, 61, of Alpharetta, Georgia who was recently sentenced to six months in prison for sexually assaulting a a sleeping 20 year old female passenger on a Dallas to Atlanta light in 2010.  The victim awoke to find Lakha touching her below the waist.  She told him to stop after removing his hand, after which he, like any good pervert, did it again.  He was reported to a flight attendant and arrested when the plane arrived in Atlanta. 

"Man" Gets Six Months For Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Airline Passenger

One of life's unanswered questions, amis.  Why do certain men think women are nothing more than their sexual playthings?  I just don't get it.

Number Three:  We have a group award for number three on our list this week.  The dishonor goes to the crowd at the Republican presidential debate in Orlando, FL on 22 Sep 11, who loudly booed an openly gay American solider who asked former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum if he would reinstate the recently repealed "Don't Ask; Don't Tell" policy regarding gay troops in the US military.

Republicans Boo US Soldier

That's right, dear readers, those high and mighty, incredibly patriotic citizens known as Republicans booed, BOOED, a member of the US military serving in Iraq.  You will recall that this is where the unjust, illegal, immoral war was stared by their fellow Republican, George W. Bush.  This young man, who happens to be gay, is putting his life on the line day in and day out to defend this country, and these lowlifes have the audacity to boo him for asking a perfectly acceptable question of Santorum regarding DATD?? 

Let me explain something here, friends, REAL Americans appreciate and respect all members of our military, regardless of their sexual orientation and regardless of our opinion on the wars that Bush started.  May I also take this opportunity to remind you, dear readers, that these are the same people who continuously question liberals and President Obama's dedication to, and love for, this country while they behave in such an atrocious manner?  They should be ashamed.  I am sure they are not, but they bloody well should be.

A Dicknozzle of Douchbaggery goes to right wing zealot Santorum for his rambling attempt to defend DADT by babbling about sex in the military and "social experimentation".  (Will someone please tell me what "social experimentation" is?) 

Santorum Rambles About Gay Members Of The Military

First of all, this isn't about sex, although Lord knows conservatives have more sexual hangups than Carter has liver pills,  It is about equal rights.  Should a married military couple not have sex, Mr. Santorum?  Should two heterosexual members of the military who develop romantic feelings for each other not engage in a sexual relationship if both parties decide that is what they want to do?  Ridiculous.  This is not about sex, sir, this is about gay and lesbian Americans who wish to serve their country, and you would deny them that opportunity merely because they are gay?  Or would is be okay if they served as long as they didn't have sex?  You, sir, are a disgrace to this great nation and to your party.

Number Two:  Ethel Fay Hampton, 40, of Las Cruces, NM, who was arrested on suspicion of negligent child abuse, along with her brother Rex Earl Hampton, 45, after police discovered Ethel Hampton's 22 month old son living in a house infested with cockroaches and spiders.  The squalid home was also reported to have an overwhelming stench of cat urine and feces.  The baby appeared to be suffering from insect and spider bites. and, along with Ethel Hampton's other children, is in state custody.

Children Found In Filthy, Roach Infested Home

Why, ladies and gentlemen, do people allow their children to live in filth?  The child has no say in the matter, and I am always disturbed by those who don't keep their children safe.  It is one thing to not adhere to what is considered the societal norm.  It is quite another to put your children at risk for disease and possible death.

Number One:  Muriel Keer, 39, of Denver, CO, who is currently under investigation for child abuse resulting in death of her infant son.  Ten month-old Aldrich Leathers was found floating in an overflowing bathtub by a man living in Keer's home.  The baby died after being rushed to hospital.  And what was Keer doing while her baby was drowning?  "Working" on a computer in her kitchen.  Lovely.

"Mom" Was On Computer When Baby Was Found Dead In Bathtub

Every week, I say it, folks.  I don't make this stuff up.  I just report it.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Gay Teen Provoked His Own Murder????

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand why well known anti-gay activist, Randy Thomasson of Save California, recently suggested that a teenage homosexual, who was murdered by a classmate, provoked his own killing.  No, I am not making this up.  I wish I were, but I am not.

First, some background on the case, fifteen year old, Lawrence "Larry" King was openly gay and also a cross dresser.  He was very flamboyant and thought nothing of chasing others boys around the school.  He relished the attention that his being out and his appearance brought him.  After making his interest in another boy obvious and public, the other boy shot King in the head twice in a computer lab at the school.  King died from brain injuries two days later.

Folks, there is a lot going on with this story, both positive and negative.  A young man being brave enough to be who he is.  Some teachers and students who support King.  An assistant principal who may have used King to advance her own agenda.  Many, many students who bullied and harassed King.  A city where the gay community is almost non-existent.  The fact that King was very provocative and sexually suggestive with his male classmates.  The behavior of a lot of people involved in this case is questionable.

Young, Gay, and Murdered

That being established, however.................................

Does any of King's behavior justify his being gunned down in cold blood by another middle schooler?  Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, think about this.  Even if King were parading himself about in front of his killer while telling the young man "You know you want me", does that justify cold blooded murder? 

Thomasson certainly seems to think so.

Gay Teen Brought On His Own Murder

The audio clip in the above link is beyond repugnant.  The killer was being "harassed", so it is understandable that he would pump a couple of bullets into King's brain.  "Bad teachers" supported King to promote the "homosexual agenda".  (On a side note, I have been asking for years what the "homosexual agenda" is, but I have yet to receive an answer that wasn't an illogical homophobic rant.)  Allowing King to dress in female clothing caused "sexual tension".  Allowing students to express themselves through their dress is "social engineering".  Anti-bullying statues that include gays are "indoctrination".

This "gentleman" (and I use the term VERY loosely) is reprehensible.  His anti-gay bigotry is sickening.  His attempt to justify murder is stomach churning.

The killer in this case also had some serious mitigating circumstances in his life.  These must be considered in court, but to suggest that King's homosexuality, cross dressing, and behavior legitimize his murder is abominable!

Quite frankly, friends, I would like to see this fanatic be forced to sit and listen to first hand accounts from gays and lesbians about the bigotry and prejudicial treatment that they endure on a day to day, hour to hour, basis.  Maybe then, he could remove his cranium from his anus and realize that homophobia is criminal and that gays deserve the same rights, respect, and dignity as everyone else.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

What Do You REALLY See When You Notice That Little Old Lady In The Corner?

The essay below is geared more toward nurses, but I really think it is relevant to us all.  As we go about our hectic lives, how many of us have totally ignored, or gotten frustrated at, an elderly person?  Think about this the next time you encounter a senior citizen, regardless of where you meet them or your line of work.

"What Do You See, Nurse?"

What do you see, nurse, what do you see?

What are you thinking when when you look at me?

A crabbled old woman, not very wise.

Uncertain of habit, with farway eyes.

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!".

Who seems not to notice the things that you do

And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.

Who unresisting or not, let's you do as you will

With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.

Is that what you're thinking, is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit there so still.

As I move at your bidding, as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters who love one another.

A young girl at sixteen with wings on her feet

Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.

A bride soon at twenty---my heart gives a leap

Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five, now, I have young of my own

Who need me to build a secure happy home.

A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast

Bound to each other with ties that should last.

At forty my young will now soon be gone,

But my man stays beside me to see I don't mourn.

At fifty once more babies play round my knee.

Again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead.

I look at the future.  I shudder with dread.

For my young are all busy rearing young of their own.

And I think of the years and the love I have known.

I'm an old woman now, and nature is cruel.

'Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles; grace and vigor depart.

There is now just a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells.

And now and again, my  battered heart swells.

I remember the joys.  I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living life all over again.

I think of the years all too few---gone so fast.

And accept the stark fact that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, nurse, open and see.

Not a crabbled old woman---look closer---SEE ME!!

Author Unknown

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.



An Example Of Rick Perry's Hypocrisy

According to recent media reports, wildfires have consumed 3.6 million acres of Texas since December of 2010.  To put that in perspective, it is essentially an area the size of Connecticut.  Over 700 homes have been destroyed and at least four people have been killed.  Six of the ten largest wildfires in Texas history have occurred this year.  Isn't that an interesting thought?

Here is another interesting thought.  Texas governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry has cut funding for volunteer firefighters, who respond to ninety percent of all wildfires in Texas, by seventy five percent.  While the fires raged, Perry left his underfunded firefighters to fly to a Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Library where he proceeded, in his best tea party fashion, to bash "big government" while simultaneously praising "the brave men and women who put themselves in harm's way to protect Texans' lives and property" whose funding he slashed. 

Wow, Gov. Perry, it must really be difficult to talk out of both sides of your mouth like that.

Conservatives act as if the government is some alien, foreign entity when the Constitution (Are you listening tea partiers?) simply says, "We the people".  The government is us.  Among its other accomplishments, the federal government has, during our history, freed the slaves, defeated Hitler, built the interstate highway system, won the Cold War, integrated the South, put men on the moon, and killed Osama bin Laden.  Perhaps the next time an al Qadea operative needs taken down, the tea party and Gov. Perry can call one of their millionaire CEO buddies out of the executive suite to complete the mission.  Maybe Mr. Perry can ask the same CEO to hop on a fire engine and respond the next time his state catches fire.

Along those same lines, during the aforementioned debate, Mr. Perry praised, and rightfully so, the Navy SEALs who killed bin Laden while, in the next breath, stating that government does not create jobs.  For whom, pray tell, does Perry think the SEALs work?  BP?

(Special thanks to Paul Begala for contributing part of the material for this column.)

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go.........................

Number Five:  Television's Dr. Mehmet Oz who has gotten flak from the FDA for getting his fans ginned up about allegedly dangerous levels of arsenic in many brands of apple juice while totally ignoring FDA tests that say just the opposite.  One of Oz's medical school classmate called the report "irresponsible". 

Apple Juice Or Arsenic Juice?

Isn't this a microcosm of what is wrong with this country, folks?  Let's just throw something out there, and damn the facts.  I mean no disrespect here, but Dr. Oz's fans don't strike me as the type to follow the news, so they will probably be convinced that their apple juice could be deadly.  Maybe Dr. Oz needs a lesson in laws regarding slander.

Number Four:  We have a tie for number four this week, dear readers.  Robert Young, 43, and Mark Rubinson, 25, of Denver, CO, who are accused of loading the body of a deceased friend into a car and going bar hopping with it.  Jeffrey Jarrett died last month at 43. The cause of Jarrett’s death is still being investigated.  After taking Jarrett to two bars, Young and Rubinson then withdrew $400 from Jarrett's bank account.  Rubinson and Young face charges of abusing a corpse, identity theft and criminal impersonation. A relative said Young was living with Jarrett and came home on Aug. 27 to find him dead, but didn’t call for help.

Let's Take Our Dead Buddy Out Drinking................

Okay, this is wrong on so many levels.  First, why the hell was the body still in these guys' house?  Second, why, of the date of death was known, was the body not removed by the coroner?  Third, what kind of sickos put a three week old corpse in a vehicle and drive about town with it??????

Number Three:  Again, we have a tie....................  Unidentified 14 and 16 year old Osborn, MI students who assaulted a teacher in his own classroom.  Reports dictate this started as a bit of prank (if we can call it that) when the teacher was hit in the back with a stapler.  After which, these two fine examples of American youth hid in a closet and then pummeled the teacher when he opened the closet door.

I'm Bored. Let's Chuck A Stapler At The Teacher And Beat The Tar Out Of Him When He Finds Us

I remember when our idea of messing with a teacher was hiding all the erasers or chalk.  We certainly never threw anything at them, and I shudder to think what would have happened to me should I ever have laid a hand on an educator.  The kicker about this is that the 16 year old was on probation for carrying a gun.  Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!

Number Two:  Jason Brensen, an assistant coach with the Morrisville (PA) high school football team, who is said to have offered a $100 bounty to any of his players who would knock the star running back from the opposing team out duing Morrisville's 29-6 loss last Saturday.  Of course, contrary to eye witness accounts, Brensen claims he merely said that if his defense continued to work hard against the opposing rusher, they would wear him down.  Brensen resigned rather than face suspension.

You Can't Put A Bounty On A Kid's Head!!!!! I Just Did........

This is yet another fine example of sportsmanship at its best, isn't it?  I realize at the high school level it is about winning, but a bounty on another kid?  What would have happened if one of Morrisville's defenders would have taken the coach seriously and injured the opposing player?  This is just unconscionable!!!!!!

Number One:  Speaking of unconscionable, meet our number one twatwaffle for the week, Kimberly Fry, 38, of North Kingstown, RI, who is on trial for allegedly strangling her eight year old daughter to death tow years ago.  The dead girl's offense?  She wouldn't take a bath.  The girl's father found her lifeless body in her bed the next morning.

Mom Strangles Daughter Over Bath Refusal

Wow.  An eight year old who didn't want to bathe?  Shocking.  That is what eight year olds do.  Again, folks, I don't make this stuff up.  I just report it.  I do find Ms. Fry's last name to be appropriate since she, I would think, deserves to fry.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Are Americans A Nation Of Wimps?

Dear readers, do you recall about a year ago when the NFL postponed a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the host Philadelphia Eagles due to a winter storm that was moving through the East Coast at the time?  After the NFL's decision, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D) referred to the US as a nation of wusses.  Please see the link below for a memory refresher.

A Nation Of Wusses

At the time, most of us got a chuckle out of Mr.  Rendell's comments, made him the punchline of an occasional joke, and really didn't give his remarks much credence.

However, as time has gone by, I have begun to wonder if the good Mr. Rendell wasn't on to something.  Consider the following, friends and frenemies........................

Today, the high temperature was 62F (17C) here in North Central Indiana where I live.  I witnessed more than one person wearing heavy overcoats and scarves.  Overcoats intended for winter weather and scarves?  Seriously?  On a pleasant late summer/early fall day?  Outerwear of this nature might be acceptable in climate like this were we on the equator.  However, we are not, and these people are obviously wimps.  I shudder to think what they will do in January when the high temperature is 10F (-12C). 

Recently, and acquaintance of mine went on a tirade on a social media website because the nozzle on her shampoo bottle wasn't functioning in a manner that she found acceptable.  That's right, folks.  Her biggest challenge of the day was washing her hair.  It wasn't finding enough to eat.  It wasn't finding shelter from blistering heat, driving rain, or bitter cold.  It wasn't needing a place to urinate or defecate because she didn't have a permanent home.  It wasn't being able to adequately care for her children.  It wasn't having to flee an abusive relationship.  It wasn't facing foreclosure or eviction because she didn't have enough money to meet her obligations.  No.  She couldn't wash her sodding hair the way she wanted to.  Pathetic.

Consider this as well.  I cannot tell you how many people I have heard whine and cry about the price of their fast food.  "Ohmigawd, it cost me eight dollars to get a salad and baked potato at Wendy's!!!!"  How about pausing to give thanks that you have a spare eight bucks to toss down at your local fast food establishment?  How about being grateful that you have the means to feed your family with have a bit left over to enjoy such a treat?  Are you so bloody self-centered that you don't know there are people in your community that go to bed hungry on a regular basis?  Are you blind to the homeless that live day to day and moment to moment under your very nose?  How about you try to look past the end of your own nose for once and see things for what they really are?  Sickening.

How many times, dear readers, have you heard others act like the biggest trauma they could possibly endure is their air conditioner going on the fritz.  Now, don't get me wrong, folks,  I love my AC, and Ol' Doug hates the heat, but...........................  Since when did AC become a necessity as opposed to a luxury?  As you sit in your air conditioned SUV on your way to your home with central air, try to give more than a passing glance to the rat hole apartments and mobile homes that have no air conditioning.  Give special thought on those horrible hot, humid Indiana summer days.  Are you a wuss?  Probably so, and self-centered as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, we all have our moments, myself included.  Lest we forget the meltdown I had on this very site over the sodding poor service I received from Best Buy's Geek Squad regarding a television repair.  What was that about?  An HDTV.  Something that is totally meaningless when the big picture is considered.  Isolated incidents are perfectly acceptable and are human nature.  However, the examples above speak to pattern.  These things go on nonstop, and they are not isolated incidents.  They are examples of the very nature of our country.

Back to the original question.  Are we a nation of wimps?  Yes, we certainly are.  We are also self-centered, egotistical, short sighted, and oblivious to the pain and suffering around us.  These are not the principles upon which this country was founded, and I wonder if the Founding Fathers would recognize the country they fought to establish.  Think about that for a while.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

The Tea Party Is Cheering The Deaths Of The Uninsured

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand how the so-called Tea Party can be so callous that they are actually cheering the deaths of the uninsured.  Seriously.  It was repulsive enough when they lustily cheered Rick Perry's Texas execution record, but now they are celebrating the death of the uninsured.

Example number one involved an exchange at a Tea Party rally involving libertarian favorite Ron Paul (R-TX).  When asked about who should care for an uninsured thirty year old injured in a traffic accident, the Tea Party crowd actually cheered at the moderator's suggestion that the person in question die due to lack of care.  (Notice the classy sign being held by the Tea Bagger in the attached link.)

Tea Party And Ron Paul Cheer The Death Of An Uninsured 30 Year Old

Example two occurred during this week's Republican/Tea Party presidential debate.  While the aforementioned Gov. Perry was attempting to attack former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's healthcare plan, the Tea Baggers in the audience actually cheered at the idea of a twentysomething dying because he/she could not afford health insurance.  Yes, you read that right.  The Tea Party is happy about death by poverty.  Just when you think they can't be any more reprehensible...........  See the 9:23pm entry in the attached link.

An Uninsured Twentysomething Died? Hell, Yes!!!!!!!!!

And here is a very personal story from someone who lost an uninsured loved one to cancer.  I am sure my Tea Bagger readers either won't read this link, or will come up with some ignorant, inane "reason" why this man should have suffered like he did, and I can tell you on first hand authority that this is not an isolated incident.

Here Is What You Shameful Tea Party Hacks Are Cheering

Ladies and gentlemen, I just cannot fathom this.  The Tea Baggers are happy, nay---celebratory, because those who cannot afford health insurance may prematurely die.  Yeah, that is just great.  You scumbags make me oh-so-proud to be an American.  The biggest problem this country has right now is that all anyone cares about is what they have and how they can keep it.  If the other guy doesn't have it and has no chance to get it, who gives a damn as long as I can keep mine!!!!  Unconscionable!!!!  What is wrong with the people in this country???  Have we lost our compassion and charity??????  The Tea Party most assuredly does not represent the America that I love and am sworn to defend.  I do not recognize the America that they put forth, and I hope you don't either, dear reader.  Let us be sure that their despicable agenda is stopped in its tracks.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go.......................

Number Five:  Adam Chumley, 17, of Acworth, GA, who during a high school football game pulled an opponent's helmet off and began pummeling him with it.  Yeah, this is a great example of sportsmanship, huh?  The fourteen year old kid who was repeatedly struck with his own helmet suffered a possible concussion.  Chumley has been charged with battery.  The very best parts of this story are that Chumley's team was leading 33-0 when the altercation occured, and the two schools involved in the game were Christian schools!!  So much for turning the other cheek................

Football Players Beats Opponent With His Own Helmet

Number Four:  An unidentified Altamonte Springs, FL couple who were forced to move from their rental home due to falling behind in their rent and left their dogs behind to starve to death.  As I say week in and week out, friends and frenemies, I don't make this stuff up.  I just report it.  One dog survived while two others died in squalid conditions.  How about this, dear readers?  How about we find this couple and let them live in stench while sitting in their own excrement and urine without food and water for a couple of weeks?  Sound like a plan?  I think so, too.

Couple Move and Leave Dogs To Die

Number Three:  We have a tie for third place this week.  Brandy Mills and  Teresa Mendenhall of Union City, IN who will soon be charged with neglect of a dependent after they not only allowed their 16 and 17 year old daughters to engage in a fight in a public park, but also encouraged them to do so.  They also reportedly prevented onlookers from breaking up the fight.  Two real Mother of the Year candidates, huh?  Dicknozzle of Douchebaggery dishonor goes to the twenty onlookers who encouraged the altercation and did nothing whatsoever to stop it. 

Classy Mothers Encourage Classy Daughters To Fight Each Other

Number Two:  Another Mother of the Year candidate, 22-year-old Elizabeth Escalona of Dallas, TX, who was arrested for injury to a child.  Escalona reportedly drug her two year old daughter by the feet, glued her hands to a wall, hit her in the stomach with a milk jug, and beat her with a belt and shoes.  The child had broken bones, bruises and head injuries.  Anyone who has followed this column knows how I despise those who abuse children, our most vulnerable citizens.  This case is particularly heinous, and I sincerely hope that this woman, if found guilty, does a great deal of time in prison where she will most likely take the same type of beatings that she allegedly gave to her little girl.

Mother Tortures Toddler

Number One:  Donald Hardy, 31, of Chicago who was recently sentenced to 50 years in prison for setting his former landlord, 77 year old Harlan Hayes, on fire in 2008.  Hardy was evicted by Hayes after the former was found to be selling drugs out of his apartment.  Hardy doused Hayes in gasoline and set him alight.  Hayes suffered burns over ninety percent of his body and succumbed to his injuries a week later.  You know, I often try to make some type of humorous remark while listing the weekly Twatwaffles, but there is nothing remotely funny about this.  In fact, I hope that Mr. Hardy spends the next fifty years alone in a prison cell with the screams of his victim echoing in his ears twenty four hours per day!!

Man Gets 50 Years For Setting Landlord Alight

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Why Do We Allow Fellow Americans To Sleep On The Streets??

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand why, in the United States, we have people living in the streets and going hungry?  I don't understand why homeless shelters and food pantries struggle to survive.  In this country, with all our resources, why do facilities that serve the downtrodden operate on shoestring budgets?  This is a nation that has spent over $10 billion PER MONTH to wage a meaningless war in Iraq for the past ten years, but we can't subsidize places for our friends and neighbors to get back on their feet?  We fancy ourselves this guiding light of morality, but we allow fellow human beings to sleep under bridges, in doorways, in bus depots, and under stairwells.  How can we justify this?  How in a nation that has so much can we allow this to go on?

Here is another thing that just grates on me....................  Have you, dear readers, ever stopped to think about how much food is wasted in this country?  I don't just mean what you and I buy from the market, allow to spoil, and then discard, although that also is disgraceful in and of itself.  I am referring to what restaurants and supermarkets discard. 

Here is a prime example.  Logansport, Indiana is a town of approximately 26,000 residents.  Last year, the food pantry in town distributed 11,500 bag of food.  While there are a select group of restaurants and stores, Little Cesar's being among them, that do donate a great deal of food to the pantry and the local shelter, the vast majority do not.  Have any of you ever seen how much perfectly edible food gets thrown away by your local McDonald's and supermarket?  Why can't this food be given to the less fortunate?  Why do we have people eating out of dumpsters behind McDonald's instead of having this food donated to the homeless shelter or even to a school?  Do they have some liability concern?  Can laws not be written to protect and even reward them for giving food away instead of tossing it in the bin?

Stop and think about this, folks.  How immoral and tragic is it that our dumpsters, garbage disposals, and pets eat better than three quarters of the human beings on this planet?  How horrible is it that the homeless struggle to find enough to eat, and their shelters struggle to fill their shelves and refrigerators while restaurants and markets throw tons of food away like so much garbage day after day and year over year?  I find this to be utterly disgraceful, and I find it unconscionable.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.