Not in My Back Yard

How many of you ARNT involved with a caseworker from Children's services on a weekly basis? That a problem. See people dont "get involved" unless it directly effects them. Its the NIMBY syndrome. If the problem isnt in your face you may care but you arnt doing anything about it. You know - Jesus didnt sit in church..

Every week I read stories about Children's services caseworkers not doing their job, kids dying, and nothing changes. Here in a recent one. This stuff happens because people who ARNT abusing thier children dont really get involved. If its NIMBY, its someone else's problem.

“He looks like he just came out of Auschwitz,” Lederman said. “This is like a neon sign for child abuse. It would have been obvious to anyone who came in contact with this family the last few years.”
Among those who came in contact: a child-abuse investigator from the Department of Children & Families, a mental health counselor from Jackson Memorial Hospital and educators from the 9-year-old’s school — who called the state’s child abuse hotline recently seeking help for the boy.

MOTW : Depeche Mode's “Everything Counts"

Kool dad. How many times do you think they practiced that? And you send your kid to daycare?

10 days without news

Sorry for the lack of posting. Here are some links you might find of interest.

Public schools collecting data on students
Student suspended for taking picture of sleeping teacher
US deploys 15,000 troops to Kuwait
Animal euthanasia down to 4 million a year from 20

One more story of interest - that being Obama's request that government draft laws requiring people to stay in school till they are 18. I was just thinking about this sort of thing the other day. Except..totally opposite of Obama. We need less "public school" not more. I want to see public school end at 15. At that point a kid can choose to attend a junior college or university if he/she/it is ready or get a job/take on an apprenticeship, join the military whatever. Junior and Senior years of high school are culturally decadent and often times scholastically unnecessary since they just get repeated in the first 2 years of college.

We were a better culture when a boy became a man at a job around adults rather than the festering social decadence that is the education system these days.

Pictures of the A-bombs dropped on Spain

Reported on this story a while back. Found a photo that makes a good follow up for a slow news week. Scary stuff.

News links even an Armadillo could love

Public school requires students wear tracking device
Study finds at least one planet per star in our galaxy (200 billion stars)
Rich families pricing poor families out of kid's sports programs
Father abandons 10yo for "playing like crap" at soccer game
Arrest made for sidewalk chalk art
Canadian and Russian Presidents rumored to play hockey together
World's smallest frog!
Florida Law now requires patients to go to ER, not family doctor
6yo arrested and placed in mental hospital without parent involvement
Popular computer programing language now made kid friendly
3500 year old tree in Florida burned to the ground
Man accused of selling Canadian Navy secrets! OH NO!!!

Leisure Suit Larry 7 reviewed

These were a blast when I was like 12. Never played the one they are reviewing though. Trying to figure out how I got my parents to buy them since we didnt have the internet to pirate from back then. 

MOTW: I wanna be just like you

Food Mission : Find Chor Ladda

Flower shaped pasta with cocunut milk and minced chicken. Its a Thai dish. Gotta find some and try this!

Lets play Crusader Kings 2

Here is a great video of a gameplay example of Crusader Kings 2. The guy's voice starts annoying but he's fairly good at describing everything thats going on. What a complex game!

Quick parenting guide

One of my parents asked for some advice parenting with 13yo son so I wrote a little guide. Click below to read it and tell me what you think!

Healthcare rant

So my blood pressure meds ran out three days ago and I had the pharmacy call the doctor. After two days of unreturned calls I go to the clinic in person to ask why they arnt returning calls. Click below for the rest of the story!

National Online Primary vote

Via the Dave Ross show, folks are using true democracy to find a way to get a 3rd party on the presidential ballot. Watch the video and try it out

Crusader Kings II

This sounds pretty nifty..I love the idea of a dynastic character driven strategy game. The sims (bleh) meets risk. Best part is that it not on Steam (boo) like Sengoku was. check it out!

Cincinnati built a subway system its never used

Got this one off Fark..apparently in the early 1900's the Cincinnati used a system of canals to transport goods around the city. When trains became the norm however someone got the idea of converting some of those canals to into underground rail. Quiet a bit of it got built before the war and city politics causes delay after delay. Now the land is used for parks, except for the underground part which is locked up and home to who knows what government secrets.

Mother of all useful news links

My saved links to share on the blog got backed up over the holidays so this list is a little plump!

Help scientists examine photos for earth like worlds
Major e-booksellers caught pricefixing
Florida Mom sends toddler to beg for money in heavy traffic
Two 5.0 Earthquakes strike US
Child care system rarely holds itself accountable
The glory that is NERF
Us troops arnt even out and Iraq Pres accuses VP of "terrorism"
Fort de Soto beach now only for wealthy
Obama signs bill allowing detention of US citizens without trial
Library sends police to interview 4yo with overdue books
Belief in unrestricted Internet now an official religion in Sweden
Air force "needs" next gen fighter
Seattle police plan to sue people requesting public records
Ancient British porn found!!
Chris Gregoiure trying to further spoil Party chances of staying in power
Scientist at Burt Renolds Museum trying to communicate with Dolphins
Personal Lobbyist better investment than stocks or bonds

Bark Mitzvahs

Sigh ..dog people are strange...though at least the yamaka makes a good frisbee..whats next circumcision?

Major meteor showers of 2012

Via the JPL - dates for the worth-seeing meteor showers of 2012. After the break cause its a longish list.

Poem by unknown author

The Last Battle
If it should be that I grow frail and weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this, the last battle, can’t be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don’t let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn’t want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they’ll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree,
It is a kindness you do to me.

Teen makes moving video about death; dies xmas day

Via the Dori Monsion show, a well produced video by a teen about the various near-death experiences hes had due to heart problems, made just weeks before his actual death on xmas day.