Don't Stand So Close To Me

Sippin' on some Christmas blend today. Note to self: never use eggnog as a creamer in a Christmas blend that already tastes like egg nog. Puh!

I was recently diverted to a bit of a "situation" at a high school in Rocklin, CA. The local drama teacher found himself in, well...a bit of trouble:

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/12/23/whitney-high-teacher-arrested-for-texting-underage-girl-nude-photos-asking-for-sex/

Smart phones; dumb users. Now, before I judge this man (like everyone inevitably will)...I can't help but think that it takes "two to tango". How long did this kind of activity go on before the girl reported it? Did this girl like this teacher? I sure hope that the girl was the victim in this case, but sometimes you really just can't know the truth. Not at all justifying this teacher's actions...oh hell, no!

Not a popular belief among the human species these days, but...there are creatures on this planet that are actually aware of their surroundings - environment, habitat, "social" structure, etc. http://www.earthintransition.org/2012/07/scientists-declare-nonhuman-animals-are-conscious/

It's quite fascinating to see that such a myriad of instinctual creatures might actually act upon and differentiate between that "pit in the stomach" difference between the "conscious" and "conscience"...which causes me to believe that, in distinguishing between the two...humans might be a bit more advanced, but there are many cases where it's, obviously, not by much. You would think that the creature that takes the time and effort to understand its environmental, cultural and social structures to survive would be more advanced than the creature that ignores them. Heavy sigh...I guess it's just another example of how a degree of education does not determine intelligence. These days, I have more respect for those who would have a degree of common sense.

I've done my time as a parent of teens. Both of my kids are now adults, and have taken their own paths. Regardless of the fact that they were both raised in the same "Petri dish", I always have (and always will) hope that they will make the right decisions - the types of decisions that will make them much wiser, more cautious, more aware of the dangers, lures and traps that might hinder their journey. It doesn't always happen that way, however...sometimes logic and reason don't quite kick in until too late.

I hope that many parents at this school will learn from this incident, and keep a better eyeball on what's going on in their children's lives...and the dumb activities on their "smart" phones.

Would love your thoughts.

It's trying to be Friday. Back to my bottomless mug. Can't wait for this year to end. Tick tock...

Carol

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Quote of the Moment:
"Man was made at the end of the week's work, when God was tired." - Mark Twain
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Stuff going on...

Over at Bg's Lounge, there's some stuff going on. Full Funky Gorilla is on the roster on Saturday, Full Circle is there for New Year's. Check it out: BgJackson.com

Richard Green (aka "Richard the Rock Star") is at Ace of Spades in Sac on New Year's. richardtherockstar.com

Tessie Sell and the Poor Man Band will be at the National Hotel in Jackson on New Year's, www.tessiemarie.com

Hero's Last Mission will be at the Owl Club in Roseville on New Year's, heroslastmission.com

New York Fitness is having a "Freeze Your Butt Off" Swim a Thon on New Year's Day. Bring a can of food for the Interfaith Food Bank! www.nyftyfitness.com
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Logan got a new toy for Christmas. It's a dinosaur-"ish" thing.

Before...

...and after. It had a floor life of about 20 minutes.