He’s stated that he has not met them in real life.  His credibility is being called into question because of the lies he initially told regarding the scandal.  His judgment is part of that controversy in regards to his career. Many people are wondering whether someone who would lie to his constituents, his family, his friends, and the media could do his job with honesty and integrity.

Anthony says that he admitted to his wife of 11 months, before they got married, of his inappropriate online relationships that took place before his marriage; but it appears, that she was not aware of his recent interactions.  His wife, Huma Abedin works for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Media reports say she is consulting with the Clintons about how to save Anthony’s job in the shadow of the scandal.

Questions abound in our world about the role that social media plays in the lives of everyday people and people who are famous, public figures, or people in roles of leadership.  How people conduct themselves online has a direct affect on their work, their reputations and in their relationships both online and off.

Whether Mr. Weiner is able to retain his position as a lawmaker will depend on what information is garnered through the ethics investigation that Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has asked for.  If he has violated the rules of conduct or has used government resources in these circumstances…he could lose his standing among his fellow lawmakers not to mention other repercussions if any laws were broken.  His marital relationship has to be addressed as well; counseling would probably be advised for the best possible outcome, if they wish to heal the damage.  The pressure has to be tremendous as many people are calling for him to resign; which at this point, he has refused to do.  One would hope that in his quest to save his job, that he doesn’t sweep the issues under the rug that allowed him to make choices that were so potentially detrimental to his well-being.

It is human nature to try to avoid consequences when we screw up…however, the responsibility of a person in the position that he holds requires that he hold himself to a higher standard than most.  I am sure that he wishes he could go back and undo what he says he has done regarding posting those pictures and writing allegedly sexually charged exchanges with those women.  His actions supposedly goes back a few years…so this is not new behavior.  Yet, it was unchecked because he has continued to reach out through digital means & through the phone to women who are not his spouse to interact with racy exchanges.  It is said that these types of relationships can become addictive.  We know that they can be destructive.  It will take a lot of work to regain trust and respect of those people in his life that he had those things from, before this behavior came to light.

The whole situation goes beyond Democrat/Republican politics…because it doesn’t matter what a person’s political stance…this issue is a human issue.  I hope it doesn’t get turned into that kind of a discussion…because outside of his particular offense… both political parties struggle with individuals who have made serious mistakes in their behavior regarding sexual boundaries and values.  Immoral behavior is immoral behavior…no matter what party you belong to; in my opinion.

In any case, Anthony Weiner will have to show true remorse and take steps to correct the mind-set that allowed him to place himself in such a position as to lose ground as a lawmaker, and as a new husband.  In America we do believe in second chances and the opportunity to turn your life around…whether he will deserve that opportunity to go back and restore his reputation will depend on what they find out from the investigation, how he handles that information; and, whether he reforms how he conducts himself in the future.

Trust, dependability, integrity, honesty = a person’s reputation…the value of those attributes are immeasurable.  A person’s name and reputation is important.  There were so many plays on Anthony Weiner’s name in the last few days in the news headlines…but, truthfully, all that kept running through my mind was a little advertising commercial jingle that Oscar Mayer had on television, years ago, as I grew up.

IF I remember right, it goes like this.  “oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener, that is what I truly want to be; cause, If I was an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me”.   Right about now, I would imagine that Anthony Weiner wishes his first name was Oscar, so that he too could have the love and support of all the American people, much like the kind of relationship the company Oscar Mayer has been able to forge over the years with the public.  Then again, to the best of my knowledge, that company has never been involved in any kind of scandalous behavior…

What is your opinion on the situation with Anthony Weiner…should he remain in office?

That show, called Two and a Half Men, has stopped production on their show for the rest of the season; since Charlie has made a public statement on interviews that disparages the producers of the show, television show creator Chuck Lorre, Alcoholic Anonymous, his ex wife, and women in general.   He says horribly vile things about Chuck Lorre and shows nothing but contempt for women, in my opinion, when he says things about women such as he has fame and those women have nothing and that all they will ever have is that night with him and that he will forget about them as soon as they leave.  He says that he is “special” and will never be one of the AA because they are a “bootleg cult”.  Seriously? 

It comes across through many of these examples that he considers himself above everyone else.  He believes that he alone cured his (in his opinion) so called disease with his own mind.  He has made recent statements to the fact that he is in control of his partying.   The truth of the matter is that he couldn’t be more wrong.  He has been in legal trouble for alleged domestic violence, he has had custody issues with his ex-wife who does try to support him in public while at the same time  tries to shield their daughters from the horror of these out of control antics that are harming him physically, emotionally, spiritually,professionally, and financially. His young sons with his second wife are very young…but they will grow up with the legacy of their father’s public displays as well.

People who work with individuals who struggle with addictions will give you all of the facts on how addicts fool themselves into thinking that they are “in control” and the rest of the world is the one with a problem.  Charlie may not live on the streets, he might not be homeless, he might not be stealing to support his habits…but he is in denial about his lifestyle choices and the effect that it is having on those who care about him (meaning his friends and family).

He has children that are growing up; and they are now, and will continue to be affected by his behavior and the choices that he makes.  He has a famous brother Emilio Estevez and then of course, there is his father Martin Sheen they have stepped up and said they continue to love him, support him and pray for him.  He has ex-wives who love him enough to try to work through their issues to maintain some sort of relationship for their children. Who can help an adult who is in a situation such as this? Can he be forced to get help through an emergency order? Is he having some sort of emotional breakdown or is he just acting out because of the damage caused by his partying?  He appears to feel all powerful and that no one has the right to tell him no, or draw a line in the sand regarding his conduct.   He has fans that he asks to support him; even though he is acting in ways that are hard to support.  He wants them to help him fight against the injustice of it all…saying that his fans are his people…not “theirs”.

In response, to the decision of his show stopping production, he slams the powers that be for stopping it…saying that they are keeping money from him, his family, and the crew of the show.   In my opinion however, if they continued to produce the show they would be irresponsible…enablers of a man who seems to be bent on self-destruction.  A week or two ago, there were articles that claimed that Charlie said that he only partied when he was bored and not working.  When he was working, he says, he was fine.   There are consequences to behaviors…and recent pictures of him show him possibly having had his teeth affected by his conduct.

Relationships suffer, professional connections become damaged and finances can become scarce because of a persons addictions.  In his case, this doesn’t just affect Charlie…he has a whole crew that is going to suffer consequences because of this situation.   A professional intervention needs to happen, because even though he says he is clean…that doesn’t mean he is stable.   I say, if he isn’t careful to get medical help, put his rehab knowledge and education to heart, and live addiction free…he is going to be bored to DEATH; and, we will be reading Charlie’s very sad obituary.

That would be a terrible waste of life; how much better to see him find his way to health and wellness and use his experience to help others in the same situation?  People who do not have fame, fortune or money deal with addictions too and the consequences are no less severe for them or their loved ones.

What are your thoughts? Do you love someone who struggles with addictions?  What have you done to survive the ups and downs?  Where did you find help?

I blog the same way that I cook.   If I begin my cooking using someone else’s recipe…I can’t help but tweak it a little.  You know, a little of this and a little of that.  Spice it up and toss in a few ingredients that normally, one wouldn’t think would go along with that kind of a dish.  Well, it is going to be absolutely no different here with this blog challenge.  Sorry, Karin…I just never was one to color strictly between the lines.  So, here goes…

I am thinking…I write because it is what I do.  If I were to “talk” the way I blog…my rambling, over the top, shout it out thought process about whatever moves me, on any given day; it would drive everyone out of my life-except the random, unsuspecting person who stumbled along my path that day.  See, if I start on a subject, I have to examine it closely.  If it’s something that I am passionate about it could, and often does, get lengthy; and let’s face it, I am passionate about everything I write…otherwise, why bother?

And as far as 10 reasons why you should read my blog…well, I am just not sure you should.  See, #10. I have things to say and my family gets tired of trying to invent ways to escape the room when I am trying to move them to my point of view-really, you are doing them a service by reading the blog;   #9.  I am TV free and the issues I blog about are often news items that other people get to view nightly on TV and they often accept that subject as fact-on my blog…we discuss what ifs and what you think about that kind of subject;   #8.  I give you an opportunity to express your opinions on things from relationship issues, to health concerns, to spiritual matters, as well as subjects you may have never even considered before;   #7.   I am all about family, friends and heart matters-some people have a hard time with all of that deep thinking on touchy feely matters;  #6.   I have a lot of curiosity about the world and I am not afraid to indulge myself;   #5.   I find that blogging is a way for me to explore my deep need to understand myself and the minds of other people-Just so you know…in real life…people get weirded out when you push them to think deep and “talk” about it; as my profile on Twitter says, I am addicted to interesting people, places, and subjects and I blog about it all;   #4.   I need feedback and blogging is the best place in the world to get it without getting “stuck” in an uncomfortable conversation with someone if they get a little too intense on a subject;   #3.   I am very entertaining most days and even when I get serious about something…I try to be very sensitive to the reader because I never know who will be reading the blog and how it will affect them;   #2.   My blog has been known to create relationships – I found this especially rewarding on subjects such as triple negative cancer patients who were trying to connect with others with information that impacted their lives;   The  #1.   reason you should read my blog is because I think there are too many places in this world that focus on the negative aspects of life and really…life is too short to be focused on negativity…we need to encourage one another and find joy where we can.

As for the twist on the recipe part of the blog…here are a few added ingredients…I was distracted much of this summer from my blogging.   I need to feel moved to write; that is just how I was created.   However, consistency is a main ingredient for any blogging success.  My last post was August 16^th and today is September 7th.   I have needed a shot in the arm to get the creative juices flowing…and since it is the back to school season…immunizations are a big thing right now.  I want to thank Karin for giving me my booster shot.

My twist on this challenge is that I should have turned in a list of 10 reasons why I DIDN’T write more this summer…but really, those reasons would just turn out to be excuses with some mundane explanations thrown in the kitchen soup.  The truth of the matter is… that I was very busy living my life and enjoying it immensely.  I make no apologies for that.  I have gained some wisdom over the years and one of the most important things I have learned is that if you don’t take the time to enjoy life and merely become an observer (which in my mind is what I do on my blog…observe, document, inspect, and regurgitate for the reader) then you find yourself with many regrets at the end of your life.  I want no regrets.  Life is precious…I am greedy…I want to see, do, hear, witness and participate in all that I can, so that I can feel peaceful about how I spend the days of my life.  Thanks for being a part of it all!

       It is sort of like my observation of how one eats a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  Everyone has their own style.  Some put the cups in their mouths whole…some nibble around the edges…while others insist on poking holes into the center of the peanut butter cup and putting the cups on their finger to eat.  Me myself, I have a refined…delayed self-gratification style of putting the package into the freezer and leaving it just long enough to freeze the chocolate.  Then, I delicately nibble on the edges of the fluted cups…leaving the soft peanut butter centers to melt in my mouth.  Yum, I am hungry for chocolate all of the sudden!  Where was I?  Oh yeah, my observations on bubble wrap popping.

      I have multiple children…they all do it differently; popping the bubbles I mean.  I have one who likes to put it on the floor and stomp on it.  One who likes to pop them slowly…over time.  One who likes to twist the sheet of bubbles into a cone shape and then pop them all at once; cackling all the while when the rest of us complain because we didn’t get a chance to pop some of them while he “wasted” all of the bubbles.  Ha!

      Me, well, I love to pop them one at a time.  My children find that annoying (especially when they are watching TV or a movie).  I can do it for hours if I have enough bubble wrap.  One would think maybe, with my style of bubble popping that I would have a method to my madness; and of course, I do.  I go up and down the rows in order…pop, pop, popping my way.  How is it then, that when I am all done…I can still go back and find a few unpopped bubbles here and there?  That is a question for deeper thinkers than me.  All I know is…when I am done…not only the sheet of bubbles is deflated…so is my response.  I can’t believe I popped the whole thing!  Flat bubble wrap is NO FUN!  There is a sense of sadness about that; at least until I get my hands on another sheet of bubbles.  LOL

       I admit, I have a fondness for bubble wrap…it was created four years before I was born.  Just in case you are wondering, it was invented in 1957.  Two engineers were trying to create wallpaper out of the air bubbles which were backed by paper…it was a goal that failed in it’s orginal concept.  However, the engineers, Alfred W. Fielding & his partner Marc Chavannes were not discouraged.  They came to the conclusion that their invention had value as packing material and because of that…we have come to know bubble wrap as a wonderful thing in our world.  It is very useful for protecting fragile objects when we are shipping them to and fro.

       Mr. Fielding and Mr. Chavannes founded a company, that makes bubble wrap in 1960, called Sealed Air Corporation.   Happy 50th Birthday Bubble Wrap!!!  These bubbles vary in sizes from small 1/4 inch on up.  In fact, I have seen very large filled “pillows” used as packing materials.  I find bubble wrap to be fascinating.  It got me to wondering…what other uses could we come up with for bubble wrap?

      I had a conversation one day with some friends of mine about that.  We were kicking around the idea of what else could be done with bubble wrap.  We had silly ideas, we had creative ideas…and we even ventured into the risque with the idea of bubble wrap lingerie.  Ooooh la la  

     It was time to redirect the subject…one of our friends is a mail carrier…I couldn’t help but ask him; are you ever tempted to pop the bubbles in the packages that you carry each and every day?  Oh yeah!  His wife seemed slightly shocked at that…I wasn’t; who could resist the urge.   I would be fired from that job because I wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation!  How about you…can you resist bubble wrap or what?

       Everyone at one time or another has felt the need for more energy.  People everywhere will indulge in a cup of coffee, tea, soda pop, or candy bar to give their energy level an occasional boost.  There are better ways to gain energy such as proper diet, rest, and exercise; but, we are all guilty of taking short cuts, at one time or another.  

          Kids need energy just like adults; but, between poor role models and a sedentary lifestyle that many young people have grown accustomed to; they are even more easily persuaded to get their energy out of a can.  Many marketing images are over the top and come across as radical, or illegal with the names of the products; which can be enticing to a teen who is open to the idea of coming across as rebellious.   Some who are easily influenced are vulnerable to the idea of an easy fix for low energy reserves.   A whole new thriving industry has emerged centered around these energy drinks, and their counter parts; anti-energy drinks, for those times when too much energy is a problem>insert sarcasm here! 

         There are several problems that I see when it comes to marketing these products to teens and children.  Adults should take care to monitor their own use of such products; because your kids will pattern their behavior after the adults in their lives.  The problem is, that kids don’t always have the maturity, or the knowledge, that they need to make wise choices in this area of life.  Creative advertising for these energy drink products has made these products sound not only benign; but, good for you.

          However, not all of these products have the same ingredients as one of their competitors products; nor do they have the same effects, on every person’s body.   There are some good products out there and some not so good products.   The idea behind energy drinks is to increase the energy level of the consumer.  This is done through a variety of ingredients; the main ones being caffeine and some form of sugar.  The levels of those two main ingredients varies from brand to brand…and, it is important to read the labels and compare the results.   You can’t assume that just because they are on the market for purchase that they are all safe to use for every person; because that may not be the case.

        The much sought after goal of gaining more energy is underscored by many consumers who believe that higher levels of caffeine is good.  In fact, it can be rather harmful.  Adding too much caffeine to a person’s body can raise blood pressure levels, put stress on the heart and it’s ability to regulate it’s rhythm; as well as other organs.  They can cause headaches and nausea.  The long term effects of this roller coaster ride can be very harmful to the body. 

        There is a huge dependence on these energy drinks in the daily diet, by many teens and preteens.  Parents may or may not be aware of their child’s use of these drinks.  It is critical that parents are made aware of the physical, social, and even the mood- altering impact, on their children, of the energy drinks; and, even the so called anti-energy drinks.  Side effects from some of the ingredients can be made worse if there are extra strains on the body such as extreme physical exertion from participating in a sport or an underlying health complication.

          Many young people are taking prescription medications for various conditions such as ADHD, ADD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Autism, Depression and many other chronic medical conditions.  Mixing these drinks and the ingredients they contain with legal, and or illegal substances can harm, or even cause death for some individuals with underlying health conditions. 

          Only a doctor or pharmacist can determine whether any specific individual can safely consume these products along with the medications they are taking.  However, I don’t think that message gets communicated properly to the consumer.  Talk to your family doctor; discuss the issue with your kid’s school nurse and make sure that they are aware of  the effects of energy drinks on the health of minor’s bodies which are growing and changing at a rapid rate.

          Advertising for many of these drinks can appear to promote health because one or two of their ingredients may have positive health benefits like vitamins, minerals, or herbs.  Again, some of those ingredients can be harmful…some herbs can have stimulant or depressant properties.    Wisdom demands that you be aware of mixing any kind of substance that has the power to affect how the body operates or functions.  Care must be taken because you could be, in effect…mixing medications by drinking these drinks along with taking legal, prescription medications.   The average person or teen may not be aware that drinking  these drinks can cause a harmful interaction.

           The availability of these drinks is as easy as the nearest vending machine, convience store/gas station or grocery store.  They can be a bit pricey, generally around $3.00 a piece.   The products often appear as a can of soda in an aluminum container…sometimes they are bottled in glass.  Do you know if your child has had access to these drinks today? 

            Adults use these products as well.  However, if you are going to purchase these drinks for your teen or preteen; or, allow them to be used by your children; at least teach them to read the labels.  Teach them to understand that the numbers are often doctored by dividing the calories, sugar levels, caffiene numbers according to servings; not by listing the total amounts in the can.  The consumer has to understand that there may be MORE than one serving per can.  This makes all the difference in how the person’s body handles the drink; consuming a serving or the whole container in one sitting can be the difference between a positive or a negative after effect.

         Whether the consumer is an adult, or teen, or pre-teen; it is a good idea to communicate that too much caffeine (whether it be in coffee, tea, soda, hot chocolate energy drinks) can dehydrate the body and damage the kidneys, heart, or other organs.   Encourage them to drink plain old water to re-hydrate the body when they drink these kinds of energy or anti-energy drinks.

           As a side note, please be aware that some of the anti- energy drinks can have just as damaging effects on the body.  They are just like they sound….the opposite of energy drinks.  They have substances such as herbs and hormones in them that produce a slowing down of energy levels.  Some of them even add melatonin, a hormone that is naturally produced in the brain to promote sleep.   However, when this hormone is added into these anti-energy drinks it is not being naturally produced.  How much is too much for your or your loved one?

          Some users of these anti-energy drinks are using them to self -medicate either physical or emotional conditions.  If a person struggles with mental illness, depression or any other type of mood disorder…could these drinks cause them to experience mood swings of a harmful nature?  It would makes sense to me that it could.    There are also conflicting reports on the internet about these drinks ability to produce a positive result on drug tests.   For those individuals who are on probation or under a courts jurisdiction, this could impact them legally as well, if it is true that the drinks can affect a drug tests results. 

          I have even read that there are people who combine these drinks with alcohol.  Whenever people start using substances to alter their physical or emotional state of being you have to be careful.  These can become not only physically; but, psychologically addicting.  Teens who are wanting to “escape” painful emotional or physical situations can find themselves on a roller coaster of dependence…affecting not only their health; but, their relationships with their parents and their peers.  If they already struggle with addictive behaviors or choices…using these drinks to self-medicate can cause additional problems.

       Parents, many of you will not even be aware of this culture with your teens or their circle of influence…but, teens using these drinks is common.  If you purchase these energy drinks, or anti-energy drinks for your home…at least control how often these products are used.  But also be aware, they may be consuming them when you are not around to monitor their actions. 

        In my opinion, it is better to prohibit the use of these drinks altogether.  I don’t see the potential benefits outweighing the risks, to the health and well-being of the person drinking them.   However, if you are going to allow it…at least educate yourself about your child’s views on these drinks and how they and their friends see these products in their daily lives.  You may be shocked at what you hear.  Many young people see them as non-harmful; and use them as commonly as they drink soda pop.  Do some research for yourself.  What are your thoughts on this subject?

      This is not ok.  The reason that it is not ok is because our country is increasingly finding out that our kids are in trouble.  They often have relationship issues, drug/alcohol abuse issues, eating disorders, trust issues and more.   Many of their role models have not been good ones; and finding good leadership for them to learn from is difficult.  Teen years are challenging at best when it is natural for them to try to discover who they are and what freedoms they can enjoy.

       They are in trouble in school, at home, out with their friends, in trouble with the law, they are isolated, angry, hurt, sad, frustrated, fearful and many are finding it hard to trust anyone or anything to be there for them.  Yet at the same time, there is resistence or open rebellion when it comes to accepting advice or rules meant to help them, keep them safe and meant to guide or direct them.  This not only creates difficulty in having a healthy, loving and respectful relationship between parent and child it also puts the child/teen at risk of being influenced by others who have no real vested interest in making sure that the child/teen is happy, healthy, productive and well-balanced in their life.

       One of the situations that came to my attention was a situation in which a school in the US runs a health clinic.  At the beginning of the year, a parent signed a consent form allowing the child/teen to go to the clinic if the need arose for treatment.  This would have allowed that student to receive care for a headache, a physical, birth control, and a multi-tude of other services.  One of those other services appears to be pregnancy counseling and get this…the facilatation of setting up and transporting the student off school grounds to receive an abortion-without informing or getting the consent of the legal parent of said student.   This did in fact happen, a student was put in a taxi from my understanding of the news report and sent off to receive an abortion.  Evidently by signing that generic consent form this “allowed” the high school student to receive such services.   This is outrageous; it is not like that student had a hangnail removed…this student made a life altering decision; one that will impact her physically, spiritually and emotionally…without parental involvement.

       That is or should be unacceptable to most families.  It is as if the school assumed a superior level of authority over the parents in an area of life that should have been left up to the student, her parents, the student’s boyfriend and his parents and if they could not handle the situation then, and only then, maybe the court system.  

        Parental rights and parental authority are under attack in this country.  We see it at every level of society from commercials on television and radio, to the internet, to entertainment such as music videos, movies, and television shows…the parents are made out to be interferring, control freaks, laughable buffoons to be made fun of, and if at all necessary someone to distance themselves from.   Yet when kids get out of control behaviorally, emotionally or physically…many other venues from the schools, to law enforcement to businesses want the parents to “handle or correct” the situation with their children/teens.   You can’t expect parents to be an authority figure to their kids if you are putting down, reducing the effects of parental authority/control, or are in some way ridiculing parental involvement in their kids lives.  

       It is hard when parents are often told how they can and cannot discipline or correct their children.  The respect for parental authority is challenged in court and in the classroom.  It doesn’t help when many families are broken or in fact have never formed legally in the first place.  Kids get conflicting sets of rules and expectations and often in those situations are told by whatever person in authority over them at the time tears down or directly tells the child/teen that they do not have to listen to or respect the other parent’s rules or expectations if they differ from their own.

       In the news also is the case of a father who took his child to church against the wishes of the mother.  When the mother and father were together they agreed to raise the child in the Jewish faith.  When the parents were no longer together…the father decided to go back to his Christian faith and take his child to court.  Now the court says he can not expose the child to his faith.  Who has more authority with the child; the mother, the father, or the court.  Evidently the court does.  

        This is why in previous generations there were warnings about “mixed marriages” when it came to beliefs or what the old timers called being unequally yolked or joined together.  It is hard to have a respectful blending of beliefs and raise children in those kind of relationships.  Can it be done?  It seems only if the couple agrees to expose them to differing viewpoints…because in this particular case, the court says no, the father may not take his child to his church to educate the child about his beliefs.   Is this right or wrong?

        I have a friend who has a special needs child who is in his 30′s who lives in an assisted living type of home.  That individual developed some complications with his health years ago and almost died.  The parent in that situation had to fight tooth and nail to keep authority over the medical treatment of her son.  Again this past week, her parental authority was challenged.  

        The doctor in charge wanted to medicate her child to battle some health issues that a lifestyle change would also help to fascilitate his return to health.  It looked as if the powers that be would escalate the struggle to the next level and would have even gone beyond harsh words and a pushy agenda in gaining the upper hand in who was in control over the medical decisions regarding the young man.   The parent had to push to “temporarily” removed him from the environment and stressed that the same goal of reducing the health risk to her son could be achieved by changes to his diet and exercise plan on a daily basis.   This is going to come down to what they can achieve and the documentation of her approach.  If it doesn’t work the way that the parent knows to be true; then the facility will try to enforce their plan of medication which in his case can have an extremely dire affect upon his health because of the side effects.

         All of these situations and more every day are jeparodizing the importance of the role that parents play in shaping the lives of their children.  We who have children have to step up to the plate and demand that we be given the opportunity to raise our children to the best of our ability with full legal, moral, physical and spiritual authority; unless we prove that we are not capable of handling that authority.  Parental authority/parental rights should only be challenged or threatened in cases of abuse/neglect/or endangerment.

        What are your thoughts on this subject?  Do you have an experience that you would like to share?

        Human trafficking or modern day slavery is nothing new unfortunately…it has been in existence since the beginning of time documented in the Bible even.  It is a horrible way to live and it is dehumanizing.  It must stop.  No one should own, buy, or sell another human being for sexual purposes or any other purpose.  Help to spread the awareness of it.  Help to educate people that even joking about or ignoring the prostitute on the street is ignorance of the fact that they may not be prostituting themselves willingly.  They may be a victim of human trafficking/modern slavery. 

        For those people who patronize prostitute, men or women, you may not only be guilty of illegal activity, immoral activity; but, also of an inhuman indecency by subjecting another human being to dehumanizing behavior.  There is a growing trend to visit other countries with the intent of sexual tourism…meaning going to other countries with the intention of using other people for their sexual pleasure.   

        Speak up, speak out tell someone that it is wrong….help someone who needs help by lending a hand to those who are homeless and on the streets, runaways who are vulnerable to those who prey on individuals who appear to be fragile and without a friend, with no one to turn to.  Get involved and call the authorities, talk to teens and tell them of the dangers.

         People disappear every day on the streets of America and all around the world; this includes men, women, teens, and children.  Where do they go, many individuals are never heard from again.  Those that are found and rescued have horrible tales to tell.  A life time of scars and emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual, and sexual healing to do. 

          Believe it or not, but there are actual networks of predators who buy/sell/trade human beings from one area to another all around the world.  Some individuals actually take vacations to other countries to take advantage of those in sexual servitude.  Speak out against such practices.  For updates on this subject and more please visit:  http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/869

         For those who are addicted to Twitter either for communication, for social media purposes or for business connections these outages are frustrating.  The online traffic is mindboggling and temporary outages due to high traffic times are expected…but when the site is actually under attack…that is different.  People get nervous about their private information being taken.  Those who monitor such things have to really step up their defenses…and, there should be high consequences legally for those who are found to be behind such criminal behavior.

          It used to be that people never gave it a second thought.  They would do one of two things; either they would dump them down the sink or flush the down the drain, or they would throw them away in the trash.   Both of those methods can be dangerous.  We now know that medications are getting into our sources of water and contaminating the water supply of our nations.  We must be wiser in how we dispose of unwanted or unused medicines.

           There are some things that you can do.  First off, if your medication is an antibiotic…finish the perscription unless you have developed an allergic reaction to it.  Dont save it.  Never give your medication to another person.  Consult with your doctor or pharmacist when that situation occurs.    Truly, modern medicine is a miracle.  Medications have the ability to help save lives like never before…however, some of them have devastating effects or consequences for those who are exposed to the if they are not needed.   Extra care must be taken when handling some of these powerful medications.  We dont know the long term effects of being exposed to unnecessary medications or residual medications that have found their way into our environment.

            If your doctor changes your perscription to another medication and your perscription is not usuable….then it is best to dispose of the medication so that no one else accidently gets their hands on it.  Medication is powerful stuff and taken by the wrong person or if accidently ingested by a child or a pet it could cause serious harm or deaths. 

              Knowing what we know now about the importance of living in a more green fashion and taking care of our earth…we must be very careful how we dispose of the medicines that we no longer use.  Simply dumping them in the garbage can to go and sit in a landfill isn’t all that great of an idea either.  However, if you do decide to throw them in the garbage; take some precautions.  If the medication is a liquid in a bottle you can add water to it to dilute it and then tape the bottle shut with a strong strapping tape or a duct tape.  Put it in a ziploc bag inside of the trash bag, this will help to keep the contents from leaking into the environment. 

            If the medication is in pill form in small containers you may want to them in a small amount of liquid and again go through the procedure of taping the bottle shut and putting it into a ziploc bag.    On all perscription bottles you will want to remove any traces of identity such as your name, phone number, address, and even your doctors name.  There are too many people out there with ulterior motives when it comes to stealing the identity of others; you must be wise in how you protect yourself. 

             Over the counter medications can be just as bad for the environment and if it gets into the hands of a child or a pet.  Perhaps you could take these medications and do all of the previous suggestion along with putting any and all medications inside a resealable container such as a peanut butter container or a used plastic coffee container.  This will give an added barrier to the medicine affecting people, pets, or ground water quality.

             Some pharmacies are trying to tackle this issue and offer a safe disposal program.   Some experts say that the safest solution is to incinerate unused medications, and that may be; however, it is worth talking to your local pharmacy and asking if they have a disposal program.   If they dont have one in place already, why not encourage them to put a plan into action.   After all, the health and well-being of their customers should be at the forefront of their business at all times.  This is a responsible way to encourage both pharmacists, doctors and patients or customers to all work together for a solution to a big problem. 

            As a side note: lets remember all the dangerous chemicals that are thrown into the landfills or dumps as well.  Cleaners and chemicals that can be wrapped and protected from breaking down into the environment should also be given consideration.  If you can seal those cans, bottles and containers from leaking by take a few extra steps before throwing them away it will be worth it for the improvement of our health and well-being.  Thanks for reading!  Do you have any ideas or suggestions on this subject?  Please share.

Redmond has been sitting in jail awaiting court proceedings because of drug charges.  It is alleged that he was arrested for heroin possession at a jail facility where he was picking up/dropping off a friend.  He goes to court this week; but prior to that…this past Saturday, a judge allowed a three hour visit with his mother, Farrah who is ill.  It is possible that Redmond will be allowed to go back into rehab.  It is being said, that those in custody, in jail, are occasionally allowed supervised visits when a family member is seriously ill, or when there is a death in the family.  Spokespersons are saying that Farrah is no worse  health-wise, then when she was hospitalized in recent weeks.

My feeling is that this visit was allowed because whether Redmond is allowed back into rehab, or he is sentenced to more jail time for possession of drugs…he would be housed further away from his ill mother; making visiting her difficult, should her circumstances change during that time.

I wonder, how bittersweet was the moment of the visit.  Surely, Farrah was thrilled to see her son…filled with love and affection; as well as parental concern about his future.  On Redmond’s thoughts you have to wonder…does he understand the weight of the worry that his mother bears about his future?  This has to be extra ordinarily difficult for her; to continue her fight against this disease and, to not be able to physically stand alongside of her child to help him battle his alleged addictions.

The bonds of mother and child are a legendary thing.  Can she communicate how important his well-being is to her?  Will he be able to gain the upper hand in his  alleged struggles with drugs?  Will his battle take him away from his mother when she needs him most?  Redmond is her only birth child…she does have step children with Ryan O’Neal; but, if the media has correctly portrayed the family situation; family relationships are strained with Ryan’s children.  This family is a family filled with talented and passionate people, but they have struggled over the years; the O’Neals have had their public battles; custody issues, divorce, drugs, violence and anger issues.   Celebrity brings public awareness to some of the same issues that plague non-famous families around the world.  Often it is harder to heal those hurts when in the public eye.

The media has sent mixed messages to the public about Farrah’s medical condition.  It is all beside the point; she is definately a fighter.  I can only imagine how difficult that visit must have been…to only have three hours in which to squeeze in the transportation to and from the visit…and have so little time to actually talk and spend quality time together.  There was no time to waste on things of little importance.   One hopes that this is not the last visit that they are able to have with one another.  Addictions are a terrible thing; so is cancer…they both destroy if they go unchecked.  Let’s hope that there is long term healing in store for them both…mother and child.