Can Addicts Be Moms?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19758646

 

In Scotland, there is a new sort of rehab that allows drug addicted moms to spend time with their children while detoxing and recovering from their various addictions. This family service, Aberlour Childcare Trust was started in 2005 after statistics showed that drug addicted moms were on the rise. While in utero, the fetus consumes everything the mother does, so when a pregnant woman is hooked on meth, it’s a pretty horrible thing. Not only will mom go through withdrawal, baby will, too. And of course the stress of being pregnant adds to the need to use because of changing hormone levels and bodily changes in preparation for the baby.

I personally admire some drug users. Don’t get me wrong, drugs are absolutely the stupidest thing you could possibly get into, but if you can overcome something as strong as meth, you truly are admirable. I have troubles getting through the day without caffeine. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to try to get off something more addicting. I think that rehabbing with your kids is brilliant, because if you give the person a reason to keep going, they will try harder. And perseverance is something moms defiantly need. I am a simple high school student, who needs at least a bottle of Mt. Dew and a Hershey bar to get though the day without falling apart mentally. I surround myself with cat pictures, bright colors, and the word ‘Love’. I still fall apart sometimes. Everyone does. But I tell myself I have to do this for my future, because I want to have a family and kids. If I had a little one depending on me to detox, I bet I could do it. I know that a withdrawn mom can be extremely dangerous to the kids, but with under supervision children could become closer with their mothers and aid in the process. This is brilliant.

Why Didn’t I Think of This?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-19755078

How stupid would you feel if today, when you came home from school or work to try to enter your house only to find that your door refuses to open? This happened to over 25 homes in Letterkenny. Vandals used industrial strength glue to glue doors of homes shut, and in some cases, trapping people inside of their homes! How quiet would you have to be to glue someone in? How many people are doing this? Why are they doing this? I bet it’s a Boy Scout troop who was angry that the neighborhood didn’t buy their popcorn. It is that season. Where did they get the glue? That has to be some great stuff to glue doors to their frames trapping people in and outside of their houses. If it’s Mighty Putty, someone give me the 1-800 number. I want this stuff. Not only did they have to remove the glue, the police also had a lock smith come and replace all of the locks, because whoever did this did every house from the inside. Now that’s skill. In a nearby street, over 90 houses were glued, and some cars! Police say there isn’t a large amount of anti-social behavior in the area, but are working hard to find the culprits. Unfortunately, my new heroes will likely soon be caught, because the police are running forensic tests to determine who has done this. Who thought of doing this? Did a couple of guys wake up one morning and say “Hey. Let’s glue some stuff today.” And just do it? Were these specific people targeted? WHO’S IDEA WAS THIS? This is brilliant! I have got to try this! Who has the time to do this? Did a bunch of World of War Craft subscribers just not play today?

15 Year Old Missing In France… Found.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19756698

Following up from my post last week, Megan Stammers was found after missing for a week. She was reported missing on Friday, after not returning home from a field trip at school. She was reported getting on a ferry late Saturday night in France, with her math teacher, Jeremy Forrest. He was arrested on grounds of suspected child abduction and was taken into French custody. Megan is now in protective custody and police will not reveal her location. She has had contact with her family and friends, and everyone is very relieved to hear she is alright. In the article it was stated that her friends and family used Facebook and twitter to help find her, but doesn’t say exactly how it was helpful in the investigation. Upon hearing that his daughter was okay, Mr. Stammer’s made sure to tweet “Thank you everyone for everything, massive relief and thrilled to bits, more to follow later.” Who updates their twitter when they hear their daughter was found? Nowhere in the article does it say that he tweeted first, but I’m pretty sure my dad wouldn’t tweet until he beat the living hell out of who ever took me. Or, were I to be taken my math teacher, ask if I at least got something out of it like learning how to complete the square. Thanks Dad (yes, I asked him). Again, they are not saying for sure that Jeremy Forrest abducted her, but wouldn’t they know by now? She was found early this morning, and was I to be found in a different country I’m pretty sure I’d tell the police why I was there. Wither the answer was “My math teacher nabbed me” or “Just wanted some African Snails!” I’m pretty sure they’d be the first words out of my mouth. I can’t decide if BBC just hasn’t reported the information yet, or what exactly is taking place. Possible blogs to follow up on this.

Bringing Snails Though Airport Security is Frowned Upon…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-19648071

A man heading from Amsterdam to Scotland was busted with 36 large African snails while heading through airport security. These snails are 15 cm long with shells the size of a human fist. The Nigerian man attempting to bring them through security claimed they were for food, but after some googling I have found that they are actually excellent in many dishes throughout the world. I get that they could be a health issue, but why smuggle them? Is it expensive to transport them legally? Did he name them? I have to wonder what the man is going to be charged with… Is he going to face prison or a fine? Next time I go through an airport, I’m going to make sure I ask the security guard about bringing snails through. I wonder how many people actually succeeded in smuggling these slimy guys in. Someone has to have achieved such a feat. Someone must know how to hook me up with some African snails. What do they even taste like? Are they high in protein? Before I die, I shall eat one of these African snails. What possible diseases could they be carrying? I understand that Scotland’s ecosystem isn’t immune to various germs from Africa, but I’m interested to see what might happen if the snails were released into the wild Scottish terrain. Aside from of course, certain death and what not. How often do people get caught trying to smuggle animals? Why would someone try to smuggle an animal in the first place? They x-ray luggage. Do snails have bones? Would they even show up on an x-ray? Part of me wants to get some African snails and try to sneak them past airport security. They’re too big to fit in a pocket, so put them in a carry on?

Canadian Dentist Looking for Irish Mate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19685982

I can’t decide if this is cute or creepy. Basically, Sandy Crocker went on vacation to Ireland. He met a girl at a café a day before he left and completely fell in love with her. He spoke to her for a little while, told her she was amazing, and went back to Canada. After telling friends and family about this wondrous mystery girl, he was persuaded to return to Ireland to find his red-headed beauty. I’m shocked at how much media attention this has gotten. How long till she is drawn out? Did anyone see him talking to this girl? Maybe he is delusional or something. Have they scanned his brain for schizophrenia? He traveled across an ocean to meet a girl he knows nothing about because he’s convinced he’s in love with her. Does his mother know what he’s doing? As adorable as all of this is, it’s pretty creepy too. Assuming she is real, what if she thought he was crazy? What if she’s married or actually a man dressed as a woman? There are all kinds of deal breakers that Mr. Crocker doesn’t know about. He’s basically throwing his heart out on a whim for someone he met in passing. She could be anywhere or dead for all he knows. She could have been an alien from a different galaxy checking out our cows and natural recourses. I sincerely hope that everything works out for Mr. Crocker, but this is something crazy that obviously not many people do. Is he sweet or just insane? If she turns him down, he’s going to make an idiot of himself in front of the world, isn’t he worried? Why didn’t he just put a physical description of her on the back of milk cartons and wait?

15 Year Old Missing in France

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19694872

Okay, so this article is a little vague. Megan Stammers is clearly missing, last seen with her math teacher, Jeremy Forrest crossing the channel. She’s been missing since Friday, but so far no one thinks she is at risk or in danger. I know if I went to Canada with my math teacher, there’d be a swat team tracking me down. In the report, it doesn’t sound like anyone is too terribly worried about this girl. She’s been gone for two days, no sign of her, and her parents just want her to call home? My parents have probably GPS chipped me while I was sleeping. They never let me go anywhere without knowing when I will be home or where I’m going and with whom, and they always know what I’m wearing. Or at least, they know more than a ‘white vest and a silver necklace’. Did she leave the house without pants that day? Maybe it’s a European thing to let your kids roam free… But there is a 15 year old girl missing, and her parents just want her to call home? Did she run away with her math teacher? Did she get in a fight with her parents? Why did she just up and leave? Either BBC sucks at reporting, or the French really can’t investigate. This makes me think of the movie Taken. She could be anywhere right now, and they just want her to check in? She could be dead, what is wrong with her parents? Am I the only one worried about this girl? Why was she alone with her math teacher in the first place? Did he make advances on her or act differently towards her than he did to other students? Why is there no background? Does BBC suck at reporting, or do the French suck at investigating?

Still Nothing To Be Found in Alps Shootings…

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/10/world/europe/france-shooting-probe/index.html

 

Following up from a blog post last week on the shootings in the French Alps, there have been a few things released to the press upon what happened at the crime scene. French reporters have now released that Saad and Ikbal al-Hilli, Saad’s mother, and Sylvain Mollier, a passing cyclist, were all shot in the head twice, execution style. Seven year old daughter Zainab was brutally beaten and shot through the shoulder, while her four year old sister Zeena remained untouched because of her ability to hide among the bodies of her mother and grandmother. French authorities still have no clues as to who did this and why, but have speculated that it could have been a robbery of some sort.

If it was a robbery, wouldn’t they notice if things were missing? Wallets, purses, jewelry, etc.? Either the authorities know more than they’re telling us, or they’re really bad investigators. It’s been a week since the shooting took place, and the released information keeps changing. They are now stating that the whereabouts of the two sisters is classified for their safety, but last week announced that they were both flown home for medical attention and family placement. They could at least get their story straight, for the girls’ sake. Investigators are now saying that as many as 25 shots were fired, but if the killer shot execution style, wouldn’t it be pretty hard to miss? They could at least state how they know 25 shots were fired. Did they find bullet casings? Or were the victims shot more than just two to the head? The information keeps changing, and if the authorities can’t communicate successfully, how on earth are they supposed to find who did this? Why did they even check the al-Hilli home for “suspicious materials”? Did they have some reason to believe that there possibly was something going on? Why release half of the story and change the facts?

 

The Autumn Moon Lights His Way…. To Jail.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19585483

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19359761

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19209224

Mr. Stephen Gough, a former marine in the royal navy, has decided that clothes limit his freedoms and that nudity is the way to roam. This “Naked Rambler” earned his name for “rambling” his way from Lands’ End to John O’Groats in 2003. For those who are unaware, “rambling” is the British term for wondering/being homeless. On July 20^th, Mr. Gough was photographed rambling through a children’s park in Dunfermline, Fife, earning him the charge of “breaching the peace” and sending him into jail. Social workers pleaded with Gough to take a mental health assessment, but only to his refusal. Even at his court date, Mr. Gough arrived in nothing more than walking boots, white socks, and a towel to lie on the bench where he sat. When told that his attire (or lack of such) was not suited for court, he merely stated that he would never wear clothing in court, and continued to insist that he did not need a lawyer. Gough clung to his not guilty plea, sitting in court with nothing more than socks and shoes.

If you’re going to plead not guilty to breaching the peace, maybe you want to show up in clothes? Just a suggestion… I’m all for freedom, but there are limits. If you want to be naked at your own home, go crazy. If you want to be naked in your yard, just please have a fence or live in a remote area. But strolling by a children’s park on a Friday afternoon butt-naked is most defiantly in my mind, a breach of the peace (if not also a breach of the senses). This man is 56. That’s old enough to be my grandfather, and he is walking by in nothing but shoes, stating there is nothing wrong with his mental state. How was he not arrested before? I’m kind of fuzzy on British laws, but I can’t imagine people strolling around there in their birthday suits buying bread at the market. Not to mention the fact that going from being a marine to a naked hobo might cause a mental break or two… Hey, maybe I’m the crazy one.

(Title is a Led Zeppelin referance. I weep for the future if no one understands it)

People in Libya Reacting to Offensive YouTube Video, and My Angry Two Cents.

My understanding is that the producer of the film, Sam Bacile, is an Israeli real estate developer in the United States. He made the film “The Innocence of Mohammed”, and the trailer was shown in a theater in Hollywood, and was picked up by an Arabic television talk show. Bacile told the wall street journal that the movie was to be “political, not religious” and that Muslim was a “cancer” (Unfortunately, I cannot find the full quote of this so I’m unsure of its validity or context). Most of the people who have seen this video have seen it online, but I can’t find a full legitimate link anywhere. From what bits I have heard, the film depicts Muhammad as a fraud and pervert, which is obviously a huge offence to every Muslim.

An offence large enough to storm an embassy? I sure don’t think so. I am all for people speaking their mind through protests, riots, and what not. But storming an embassy killing three people isn’t exactly the way to absolve this. Especially when you know… you kill THE UNITED STATES AMBASSATOR TO LIBYA, someone who has spent a great deal of his life working with and for the people of Libya, communicating back and forth between our government and theirs, someone who had done nothing to them. If it were up to me, I’d stick Sam Bacile on a plan to Libya, march him right up to the doorstep of whoever began or formed the riots, knock on their door and say “Delivery!” and run. They have every right to be mad at Bacile, but killing our ambassador just made everything worse. Now we can’t just turn the other cheek or anything, now we can’t ignore it. Especially when the election is two months away. This is going to turn into a way bigger deal than it should be, and Bacile and the people in the riot should be held responsible and things should go back to whatever normal in that country is.

Alps Shootings

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19534578

Last Monday, the al-Hilli family of the United Kingdom went on a camping trip to the Alps in France. A British man was cycling in the area, was passed by French Sylvain Mollier also biking on the road. A few minutes later, the British cyclist found the body of Mollier, dead on the side of the road by the al-Hilli family vehicle, shot in the head. Outside of the car, he found seven-year-old Zainab al-Hilli, thoroughly beaten and shot in the shoulder. Inside of the car were Mr. and Mrs. al-Hilli and their mother-in-law, also shot in the head. Zainab’s little sister, Zenna, was found hiding under the legs of her dead mother and grandmother, scared out of her mind. After initial medical care, the sisters were flown immediately to the UK, with Zainab in a coma. She awoke today, but is still too injured to address what has happened. Although this is a primarily French case, UK investigators are helping by searching records and the family’s home. Friends of Mr. al-Hilli report that he and his brother had an argument over some money, but the brother denies this, saying there was no dispute whatsoever. So far, the British police do not feel that questioning four year old Zenna is necessary.

I think the authorities are going about this all wrong. I’m not a detective or anything, but who would go all the way to the Alps to shoot five people? I sure wouldn’t. I believe it was probably some crazy guy who tried to mug the family or something on his way through the Alps. It makes more sense to me that this was a random attack rather than a planned one, because the cyclist had no connection to the family. Wouldn’t an organized killer ensure that there were no unnecessary deaths of passer-bys? And actually take the extra minute to turn off the car before he fled? He didn’t even check the car for the second daughter. If this had a connection to Mr.al-Hilli’s brother, wouldn’t he know if he had two nieces?