Wonders never cease.  Because of an agreement reached three years ago between plastic surgeons and clergy, plastic surgery centers are springing up in the streets of Riyadh.  It appears Saudi women are fond of cosmetic surgery, especially skin lightening.  I find this surprising in that it seems cosmetic procedures, especially those involving a knife,  would violate Islamic tampering of God’s creation. 

A young unmarried professional woman said she attends many private occasions where, when the robes come off, women are in deisigner clothing and with trendy hair styles.  They also want to look their best when traveling abroad with husbands.

I am glad they have this opportunity, if they so choose, to boost their own self esteem and make themselves feel better.

A drive by shooting occured last night within blocks of my house, small town which felt safe. In the past a few occurences have happened which bring the crime of a larger city into view, such as a murder a few years ago that left one dead in front of his house, with the shooter plowing his car into our neighbor’s tree, needless to say that was an open and shut case. But this was the first drive by. I think each one makes us feel our small town living is becoming more violated.

This story makes me feel good.  It is from the Dog Whisperer’s newsletter: 

Katya is a tiny little lady of 66 who has dedicated her life for more than 30 years to the dogs that people abandon in front of her ‘shelter.’ Her husband passed away 11 years ago, and she is now nearly single handedly taking care of 300 dogs, aided by a person who comes for several hours each day to clean, help feed the dogs, etc. Her property is by no means large, and its facilities would not satisfy international norms, but at least offers a safe haven for the dogs while they wait for a loving home. Some of Katya’s dogs have been lucky enough to have been adopted in Germany, Austria, and France, thanks to the intervention of dedicated people who work with Katya.

A new book, a wonderful book.  I find that chances of discovering a memoir that seems to stir your mind long after you have read the last words is one that must be shared with all of you.  Do I recommend getting it?  Yes, I do.  And so I have written my own private thoughts for you as I have looked back on it:

We are book lovers.  Of course.  But, upon reading a memoir, how often do we come away - book still in hand - with enough fascinating stories of famous people that will make any dull dinner table conversation the brightest in years?  Peter G. Peterson’s The Education of an American Dreamer is all of that — and so much more.  Most of us easily recognize Peterson as that rare breed - "the billionaire of Wall Street".  But how this Greek boy from Kearney, Nebraska rose from his humble beginnings to his position of influence and privilege is a page-turning tour de force.

My husband and I flew to the Florida Keys this past weekend to scuba dive.  I’m always in awe of the beautiful green of the water.  But I’m more in awe of the creatures from the deep.  There are coloroful fish of every description - every type of sea creature.  And the beautiful coral - the colors are breath taking.  It’s a wonderful area to scuba.  One of the wonders of this world that will always be hard to describe. 

Articles are all over the internet today commenting on the Pope’s stance against "over use" of social networking sites by teens and the overall use of the internet. Claiming that there is a direct link to this act and suicide among teens.

Although I do agree with the concerns being raised by the Pope in that it can cause isolation and sense of being unconnected to the rest of society. It does raise a topic I have been trying for years to broach but at every turn I am met with anger and attack. Where is the parental role in relation to children/teens and the internet?

I have yet to meet one person who has a child and likes hearing that their parenting methods may not be ideal. Everyone feels insulted. On this site as an example, when we discuss Bristol Palin or other teens who engage in activities they shouldn’t at a young age and the link between their actions and possible poor parenting, I am accused of "being out of step" and "not realizing this is a new era, kids will be kids, you can’t control them"

My questiion is why. AS I have said in the past, my father was a minister and raised his 11 children to think and behave a certain way. My dad could have left me alone in a kitchen with a plate of brownies as a child and said "when I come back, I expect to find everyone of these brownies here untouched, do you hear me" And the result would have been they would be untouched. Not because I feared my father and what he would do if I had eaten one (for indeed I have never in my life received a spanking) but because I respected him and what he had to say. I assumed everything he told me was being said for a reason.

Too many parents today are attempting to be friends first and parents seconds. Their kids don’t respect them or what they have to say. And this is where I think the church and the Pope has missed a huge opportunity.  His message should be more about parental intervention and guidance in terms of computer use. His message is the equivalent of blaming the drugs instead of the teen. "The poor boy died from an overdose….those damn drugs!" -  The poor girlkilled herself because she was being bullied online!"

You can’t blame the drugs and you can’t blame the internet. The Pope should change his teachings in this regard to address the parents role. Why aren’t they monitoring what theri kids are doing online? Just as they need to monitor what they watch on TV. Could it be they aren’t monitoring because they are allowing "things" to occupy their kids time to keep them out of their hair? How many parents today sit down with their children everyday and ask what is going on in their lives? How many go into their teens rooms to see what they watch on TV and where they search when online?  As one blogger on this site argued with me once, her 14 year old son has a right to his privacy and opinions, she is not going to impart her beliefs to him. What?

The role of the parent doesn’t end after the child leaves the mother’s womb, that is just the beginning. From that moment until 18 later it is your responsibility to set limits, goals, instill family values and beliefs. These are the aspects the Pope should be telling his parishioners. This is what i see as missing.

When a teen kills themself because of actions online, it is not the machine that caused their death, it was the person (people) in their lives who failed to care enough to ask "so what’s going on in your life, need to talk?"  

http://www.examiner.com/x-14552-Providence-Social-Media-Examiner~y2009m8…

This past week, one of the worst traffic accidents in Westchester County, NY history occurred on the Taconic State Parkway where a woman in a minivan drove the wrong way for several miles before crashing head-on into an oncoming car. A total of eight people died, including the woman, her daughter, her three young nieces and the three men in the car she hit. Only her five-year-old son survived, and his injuries are so critical his status is very iffy. Why was she driving the wrong way? Why? Theories are flying in the local papers and in the blogosphere - and thus far, there are no answers to this mystery. The first responders to the scene included many passerby, dozens of volunteer firefighters, EMT’s, State Troopers and Police, and for me, as the daughter, granddaughter and cousin of volunteer firefighters, EMT’s and nurses, I know the devastating impact this accident has had and will have on so many of those who responded. Out of this terrible tragedy, I’m left with immense pride in the folks who give their time and energy so selflessly to turn out and assist when disaster strikes. I’m also left with concern that these same responders - volunteers and professionals alike - will get the help they may need in coping with the trauma. Any accident scene involving injury or death will take a toll - but when so many of the victims are children it is dreadful. With so many cuts in budgets, so many cuts in health care and mental health coverage being enacted every day, I hope we can somehow preserve enough to ensure that we take care of the caretakers.

Health care has been such a major news story in recent months. When this awful accident occurred, it was as though someone had thrown a giant rock into a pond, and the waves hit every inch of the shore. We may never learn WHY this happened, but we have to ensure that any health care reform addresses first responder needs. So for me, this news story triggered off many concerns: for the families of the dead, for the well-being of the first responders, and for a health care reform that will be sensitive and inclusive when it comes to helping with trauma and grief.