Of course Nicole wanted to put the blame back on Mia in typical fashion. Oh sure she was wonderful to the girl. She seems to forget that she’s the adult and Mia’s the kid that she took advantage of and bullied. That was low of her to try to get Mia to help her when she thought Mia didn’t know the truth. Where did Nicole think Mia would get the bail money? I’m thinking she isn’t getting big bucks at Java?

Brady worked his computer magic and decrypted a file revealing Victor as the one running drugs. He confronts Victor which doesn’t go very well since Victor claims he’s looking out for Brady. So was he helping when he was dealing drugs? Ari and Brady do know that Victor sold the business so they have no idea that Enormo is the dude they’re looking for. Damn he’s still in the dark about Nicole. I don’t think he’d be so supportive when he finds out the whole truth. Isn’t Victor already alone and bitter? Caroline can’t get past his business which is why he’ll always be alone since he’s been pining away for her for years.

Enormo gets company and reverts to his jackass status which is a relief since it’s odd to see him act almost human. Now he’s back with the threats and of course there was yelling. Crap I forgot the name I renamed the DA with. He showed up with Roman and Abe. It turns out that the hitman is now saying Enormo was the one that hired him. So now he’s pissed at Daddy but he hasn’t figured out that Daddy knew about the baby switch.

Melanie went to see Poofy to try to get him to butt out of her life. Maggie did the same. Color me not surprised that Wishy Washy is up to no good. Am I the only one that thinks she might be pregnant? Also she might want to throw those shoes away since it might be them. Sure heels can be used for a handy weapon but aside from that I think the things are pretty much useless. Melanie did tell Nathan about the Poofy calls. He would be the better guy for her but I’m thinking the guy that showed up is trouble. Find out first who is at the door before opening it to avoid a sitch like that. Or you can do what I do and ignore it unless it happens to be the pizza guy.

The few who follow what I write here regularly may see that I sometimes may be contradicting myself when talking about Maryse. I seem to be anti-Maryse some of the time, but then I make it sound like her return is something great. The fact that I like to be sarcastic makes it even harder to tell what I really believe. To put it simply, I believe there are obvious pros and cons to having Maryse back. I just want to make those clear.

Why am I happy to see Maryse back? The Raw diva division has been a wasteland for creativity, properly building talent, and giving respectable and meaningful matches since Maryse left for her surgery a few months ago. That does not mean that none of the women left behind were capable of bringing what I felt was lacking. It does not imply that Maryse’s capabilities alone carry the division on Raw. The WWE just cared less when the diva they wish to make it huge was away. Why bother building any other talent too much when the real person you intend to have the solid spotlight will return shortly? Is that kind of treatment fair? Can you really blame Maryse entirely for what the WWE did? Fact is, the second Maryse returned, things changed for the better. I have been pointing out that Melina never got a chance to speak on Raw since the trade. On Raw this week, she finally did. And why? So Maryse could attack her. An actual feud is finally here again. Yes, it will be another title feud. However, it will be more personal and intriguing than any other “feud” for the Diva’s Championship since Maryse lost it. The build will involve more than just what happens in the confines of a match. It will be more than a match to find the top contender followed by the title match. It already has been more than that. The second Maryse returned, you could tell the WWE had something creative planned again. That is a sign of better treatment for the Raw divas.

What makes me still uncertain about the great hope Maryse will bring? How had she been performing since she returned from her previous injury? Not too great. Her matches were more about character than actual wrestling. Most fans do not care. Guys like that she is hot. Girls like that she is acting funny. And when she strips, like she was doing a little of this week on Raw, she may be getting the best reaction for a heel diva right now. But will the reaction last? That is what the WWE wants. How far will they be willing to go to get this woman over? You have seen some of the things they will try to get Michelle McCool heel heat. Back to the main problem, how will she perform in the ring? She has been working off the ring rust in recent weeks, but what does that mean? Does that mean she will be wrestling better than she ever has when she returns? Does it mean she will bring the same performance she did in between her two breaks from the WWE? Or does it mean she will botch horribly and severely during the first big spot she is really tested? If that happens, the WWE basically held off treating the Raw women properly for months so they can stall for another failed Trish Stratus to return.

I do not really want Maryse to fail. I may not be completely in love with her character, but I understand that some people like her. Her character does have potential. It is her wrestling that really needs  to be taken into another level. There is another reason I do not want her to fail. Will it cause the WWE to just go stale on their Raw divas  again? They already have enough reason not to have too much faith in it. Then they go and punish the trained wrestlers for bad matches with inexperienced models? That is one of the biggest problems the WWE has. Do they honestly think doing what the women do out there is easy? Anyone can do a chinlock. I can do a chinlock. I can do a bodyscissors. I can do a lot of basic wrestling holds. I have never had any wrestling training, or any fighting training, in my life, but I can still do it. But I cannot do risky counters Mickie James even attempts. Once Rosa Mendes masters a chinlock, she is ready to put on a solid performance with any diva? The WWE is punishing the wrong women. If you go to a garage dump to plant one flower to make the place seem more fresh and appealing, do you honestly think it is going to work? Garbage dump = The standard WWE diva division at times. Flower = One female wrestler that knows what she is doing, has the heart to push herself to entertain, and can bring results. One flower, or even a small number of them, cannot stand much of a chance in undoing the stench of the entire garbage dump. It becomes ridiculous to even waste time planting it there. The flower is left looking stupidly out of place. Does my comparison fail? Yes. In wrestling, the reputation and very safety of human beings is on the line. If a flower gets squashed, a person may not cry. If an inexperienced wrestler misses doing her part correctly in one spot, someone may get injured. There will be tears. Someone will be criticized. The WWE, however, just never seems to learn. Sorry for the tangent. Point is, if Maryse should really fail in the wrestling aspect this time, I seriously want to see the WWE change their strategy in treating these women. Maryse has not proven herself to be a flower surrounded by the garbage. She has proven herself to often be part of the garbage. She is not as bad as others, and does have redeemable qualities, but she has not helped the overall atmosphere. She has not brought a serious respect to wrestling action since her return earlier this year. She has not brought much of the crowd’s attention into her or her matches well enough. Crickets used to reign supreme when she would make her entrance. Will they be returning too?

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and it made me think alot today about what I should be thankful for. First of all, I am most thankful that God, our Father, gave us Jesus Christ to die for our sins and that we can have access to the Father. No one comes to the Father but through Him (Jesus)! It’s by His grace that I am saved not by my works. And Jesus have redeemed me from the curse of the law! So I am perfect in Christ and without Christ, I am nothing more than dust.

I am also thankful for my wonderful wife, 3 daughters, one more child on the way, a home, a car to drive, and peace. I am blessed and will continue to be blessed because God is a loving Abba!

Fahter, thank you for everything and I want you to know that I am grateful and blessed to be your beloved son! Thank you for health, wisdom, and peace in my body, mind, and spirit! Thank you in the Name of the Most High and His name is Jesus! Amen!

Unfortunately, that’s the reason we’re saying goodbye to Iverson today. He’s been unwilling to accept a secondary role, and who can blame him for not wanting to backup Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo, two young guys who he clearly can still outplay. As much as I love Iverson, he’s always been a me first guy, at least on the outside looking in.

His remarkable talent made us love him. The fact that he could carry a sorry Philadelphia team on a nightly basis, and even get them to the Finals in 2001, was an accomplishment in and of itself. When Michael Jordan departed, Iverson stepped right in as the league’s most popular player.

He started cultural trends. Remember how he showed up to the 97′ All-Star game with Timberland boots and Cornrows. That was unheard of at the time. Now half the guys in the league wear braids.

Make no mistake, Iverson isn’t leaving the NBA because he doesn’t have game, he can still get you 30 on any given night. The problem is his style of play can be difficult to mesh with other players, and he isn’t young enough to build a team around. However, he may unretire if a team has a need, due to injury or some other mishap.

If this is indeed the last we’ve seen of Allen Iverson on a NBA court, he’ll leave as one of the 50 greatest players to have ever graced the hardwood. Iverson is 17th on the all-time scoring list. He has 10 straight all-star appearances, and has the 2nd highest playoff scoring average of all-time at slightly over 29 ppg. Thats just behind MJ’s 30.4 playoff average. Allen Iverson is a surefire 1st ballot hall of famer.  

He may be the best little man to ever have played, along with guys like Isiah Thomas and Nate “Tiny” Archibald. Even though he never got a championship ring, Iverson always displayed the heart of a champion. That’s how I’m going to remember him.

Just in case you forgot just how talented Allen Iverson was on a basketball court, here’s a friendly reminder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTBss7D1Y8&feature=fvw

A sad note, but an interesting one as well. I can clearly remember watching, hearing and hearing about the numbers of our fallen heroes in Iraq and also hearing about the coverage of those numbers. An article at RedState discusses the lack of coverage we see now regarding the stories of how many military men and women we have lost. On the surface one would think that this is a good thing as it should mean that we are not suffering too many casualties, but in reality we have unfortunately lost almost twice as many fighting men and women in one year under President Obama as we did during the worst year of losses under President Bush. Is this all over the MSM? Not that I have seen and not according to Haystack over at RedState. If anyone can prove RedState wrong then I would be happy to see it as the apparent double standard regarding the reporting of our combat losses is pretty sickening.

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Source

Vivian and Carly were amusing. The guy should get fired or something for letting the Dragon Lady slip in. S0 now she wants to apologize for burying Carly alive. I don’t think Hallmark has a card to fit this occasion. And I think she’s a little late on the whole apologizing thing anyway so it’s a case of too little, too late and why would she accept an apology for anyone. Come on Vivian was rolling around on top of the grave laughing while Carly was buried and still very much alive. Vivian just wants to have fun tormenting Carly. She doesn’t seem to know what the it is. She said it so I’m still clueless about what this it is.

Wow that was good of Sami to allow Nicole to say goodbye to Sydney before the cops took her away. I’m just guessing but I’m thinking Nicole won’t get out on bail and I’m guessing she isn’t going to be around much longer. Well it does get harder and harder to ignore Ari’s growing belly. I kind of feel sorry for Nicole since she has no one because Chloe isn’t feeling very friendy.

So now Mia knows the truth. Of course she goes to see Nicole. I do agree with Chloe which sounds weird but I think in her own way Nicole was trying to do the right thing when she had Mia say goodbye to Grace. But Grace did have a loving family so that should bring her some comfort. And now Nauseating needs to know since he deserves to know the truth.

I think I stepped into a bizarro world because Enormo was almost human for a second but it passed like gas. He even expressed his gratitude to Rafe for revealing the truth and guilt for throwing his daughter away like trash. He agreed to let Sami take her home when a cop showed up wanting to take him to the station.

Why is everyone being so mean to Bo? Justin called Bo a jerk. Do I have to start calling you Jumbo again or maybe Dumbo Justin? I don’t want to kick you when you’re down since Adrienne served him with divorce papers so I’m guessing that means Judi won’t be  back which sucks. Hagster’s the bad guy but at least she isn’t blaming Carly which is the nicest thing I can say about her these days since she’s just being a royal bitch.

Objectionable? Oh yeah but pick your battles people. Rihanna’s near nudity, Shakira’s pole dance. Weren’t they good indications of what the music world is likely to be showing.

What’s really sick is anyone listening to Eminem and his rape rap. He makes money - from women? Nothing could be more objectionable than that.

Janet Jackson’s wardrobe mishap and Adam’s um, unrehearsed actions combined are pure as the first snowfall of the year compared to what comes out of Eminem’s mouth. Besides, little kids are less affected by Adam Lambert than by the dozens of murders they see on prime time shows. Protest if you need to. This is America and we can do that. Move hand forward, pick up remote, push off and if you feel a protest coming on next time you go shopping, remember, and hit em where it hurts, don’t buy anything advertised during the programs you find objectionable.

 Fit for him fitness 

- Kate Moss - Major Fashion Faux Pas -

When Kate Moss, 35, was asked in a recent interview what motto or slogan she might use in the context of fashion, the veteran model answered ‘Nothing feels as good as skinny feels’.

This highly inappropriate slogan used to describe her thoughts on the fashion scene has caused uproar for its connotations surrounding eating disorders.

This slogan is also used on the pro-anorexia website ‘Starving for Control’. When I tried to access the website’s page, I found that the site had been frozen, but I did find this quote on the link: ‘hunger hurts but starving works. - pain is progress and control is beautiful’. - A powerful message for impressionable young eyes. -

With fame and high profile, comes huge responsibility. Kate Moss is the new designer for Top Shop, one of the major players in the high street for the youth of today. She has massive influence on the young fashion conscious girls out there and she should choose her words more wisely.

The message that this careless reference gives out is that to be skinny is the desirable state and the perfect form for wearing fashion.

Waif like Kate Moss has been modelling since being discovered by Storm Model Agency 20 years ago and has always maintained her slim size throughout her varied career. And now with a child of her own, Lila Grace, 6, who Kate is now passing on her vast modelling experience tips to.

In fashion magazines and catwalk high fashion the clothes have always been modelled by lean models close to the bone and the fashions are portrayed as ideal on the slimmer frame, denoting that they are not meant for the fuller figure. In fact it is a known fact that some fashion shops don’t go above a size 14, which I find ridiculous.

Meaning, a healthy size 16+ is forced to be categorised as overweight and will be heading straight to Evans outsize shop, which actually do amazing clothes these days, but that is beside the point. A size 16 is not outsize!

Nothing feels as good as Skinny Feels – The message is clear here and frighteningly persuasive when it comes from the lips of a top model.

The art of airbrushing an imperfect female image to ridiculously impossible proportions within magazines has done nothing to help the flagging morale’s of impressionable teenagers and pre-teens who feel that unless they are slim they are not the correct build, and therefore cannot compete within a perfect world that is portrayed to them inaccurately throughout the pages of glossy magazines.

These misconceptions have led to a nation of under confident youngsters with low self esteem who strive to be thin, sometimes with devastating consequences.

There is a Lib Dem proposal at the moment which aims to stop the practice of air-brushing ads aimed at the under 16’s. If put into practice by law, this will be a huge step forward in alleviating the pressure of perfect body image that young people are exposed to today.

Fashionista, Guru Gok, through his popular TV programme, How to Look Good Naked, is running a petition for schools to include Body Image into the national curriculum. He is aiming for the 20, 000 signatures needed to take the petition to Downing Street for consideration. If you would like to help the cause, follow link below.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/bodyconfidence/

- Gok -

So when it comes to sweeping statements and ‘clever’ catchphrases, people in the limelight should be extra careful when answering questions flippantly in the world’s press. It has the power to change lives. –

Christianna Garrett-Martin

“The moment we got a prerelease copy,” said Calvin Woodward of the Associated Press, “we cut the spine off and scanned it in for analysis. But I can reassure you that it was entirely done by computer, and no journalists risked harm by actually touching a copy.”

The book details Mrs Palin’s rise from mayor of Wasilla to Governor of Alaska and failed Vice-Presidential candidate. After this has been covered in the first five pages, the rest of the book has been left blank, to save on ink.

“We don’t need to read a book,” said Palin fan Buffy Busybody at a signing today. “That’s dangerous and un-Christian. Nope, we know what she thinks. She’s like us. A good God-fearing down-home moose-shooting hockey mom who’ll lead us against the Muslin French terrists in Wall Street. ‘You betcha!’ You’ll see.”

The book is expected to remain in the Apocalyptic Fiction bestseller list for some time and has already been made into a movie, 2012, about the end of all life on Earth a month after her election.

Get daily email alerts of new News of the News — home delivery via Feedburner!

Moving on to other sexy news, how bout that Ryan Reynolds? As we have established before, he is my man-crush, Deadpool is my favorite character, Green Lantern is awesome, and with all of that brought together by Ryan Reynolds I am ecstatic. He recently had an interview over at MTV’s Splash Page. I’d recommend you check it out as Reynolds discusses the scope of the upcoming Green Lantern movie, his reaction to Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and how much fun he had being Wade Wilson. Watch the Ryan Reynolds interview here.  And for the record, I thought Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson was spot on, the Deadpool part was what got messed up.

A trailer for the film was released earlier this week, and now we have three sexy posters featuring the stars of the movie looking hotter than ever. I know I’ve been personally waiting to see this one if only to see Kate Hudson sing. Rumors are she doesn’t have that bad of a voice.

Nine hits theaters in a limited release on December 18th before going nationwide on Christmas Day. You can check both the new posters and sexy new trailer for Nine below. What do you think? Has Rob Marshall scored another hit? Or is this one set to be a dud? Will you be heading to theaters to see Nine?

(more…)

So Mom turns out to be Betty White. I had a feeling she’d come to town because she’s dying. It does make me want to watch The Golden Girls. Come on how can you not love Rose. She had Pam and Stephanie meet her at Paradise Cove and she even wore red which she hates. Wasn’t that the name of a soap? I’m sure it was something like that and Ingo was in it. No I’m not going to attempt to spell his last name although I’d probably get it right or pretty damn close.

So Sandy formerly Agnes is Whip’s cousin but just like Buffy I don’t believe in coincidences. He didn’t bust her. Something wonky is going on but he pretended they were strangers when Jackie and Owen came in. Sure I get why she changed her name but things are fuzzy around the edges about why she pretended to be someone else like her cousin wouldn’t know her. It did sound like they were close at one time.

Nick and Bridget are happy but I have to wonder if things will come crashing down around them. I think Sandy might want to keep the baby for herself or maybe she wants to sell it. I’m sure mucho dinero could be had for a baby. Who knows how much you could get for one. Damn where’s a baby to sell when you need one?

Scripture described Jesus as the suffering servant. In Phil 2:7-8 we read, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Again in Hebrews 5:8 we read, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”

Are these verses teaching us Jesus was passive in all He experienced? Was He forced? Did He have no say, no choice, no escape? Once He committed to come to earth, was He set upon a path which, although He sought to avoid it, He was driven to follow? Is this what Scripture is teaching? In other words was Jesus acted upon, perhaps against His will?

John Murray answers these questions and more as he sets forth to clarify Jesus’ part in our redemption. First off, Jesus obedience was both active and passive. Scripture describes these two distinct aspects of Christ’s obedience. Consider John 10:17-18. “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

When theologians use the phrase ‘passive obedience,’ we are not to understand this as Christ being an involuntary victim of something forced upon Him. Such an idea contradicts obedience. Murray explains it thus, “. . .our Lord was not the passive recipient to that of which He was subjected. . .death itself did not befall Him as it befalls other men.”

His life was not wrenched from Him. Instead we see His obedience was so complete He willingly yielded up His spirit, even to death. Therefore we must be careful never to assume the word ‘passive’ (in this context) means He was apathetic in any aspect of His life or death.

Furthermore, the terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ as applied to Jesus’ life and work are not intended to delineate certain acts or phases or periods in His life. Murray warns, “. . .we must avoid the mistake of thinking that the active obedience applies to the obedience of His life and the passive to the obedience of His final sufferings and death. . .It is [the] twofold demand of the law of God which is taken into account when we speak of the active and passive obedience of Christ. . .[He] took care of the guilt of sin and perfectly fulfilled the demands of righteousness. He perfectly met both the penal and the preceptive requirements of God’s law. The passive obedience refers to the former and the active obedience to the later.”

Thus we understand Jesus’ death upon the cross was His supreme act of obedience. However, we must also recognize obedience is not merely the accomplishment of acts. True obedience is the disposition, will, and volition revealed by these acts. Thus we must ask: Where did Jesus get the disposition and will, in His human nature, to give up His life in such a manner? Murray says He acquired the necessary obedience through suffering. His perfect obedience came from having His heart, mind, and soul forged in the fire of temptation and suffering. Murray makes several valuable points:

“It was only as having learned obedience [in this manner]. . .that His heart and mind and will were framed to the point of being able freely and voluntarily to yield up His life in death upon the accursed tree.”

“. . .it was the obedience learned and rendered through the whole course of humiliation that made Him perfect as the captain of salvation. . .It was by obedience. . .He wrought the work that secured [our salvation]. Obedience, therefore, is not something that may be conceived of artificially or abstractedly.”

Having clarified the nature of Christ’s obedience in the atonement, John Murray progresses to clarifying the nature of the atonement, itself. In so doing he articulates four areas of the atonement:

- sacrifice

- propitiation

- reconciliation

- redemption

First he looks at the sacrifice. Our sin is a liability. In other words, our sin makes us debtors to someone- God. God is holy. When we sin, we act in a manner completely contrary to God’s holiness. Since that first sin it has always been thus.

In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites the ceremonial law which included animal sacrifices. These blood sacrifices were symbolic but not efficacious. In other words, they did not really remove sin, but they pointed to an event which would remove sin. So, as Murray points out, “. . .what was constituted in the Levitical sacrifices must also have been constituted in the sacrifice of Christ.” Thus Jesus’ sacrifice was:

- expiatory (it made atonement) but it was finally and eternally so

- efficacious (it produced the desired effect - sin removal) but more completely so (Heb 9:14)

When making the correlation, we must remember its limitations. Christ’s offering was so far above what could be typified in animal sacrifice. Furthermore, while an animal was a victim, Jesus was not only the sacrifice but also the priest. Thus He offered up Himself. Murray explains, “. . .in the climactic event which registered and brought to completion His sacrificial act He was intensely active. . .in offering to God the oblation that expiated the full toll of Divine condemnation against a multitude whom no man can number. . .”

Next time we will look at the second, third, and fourth aspects of the atonement.

- Funny Line of the Original Article -
“For the White House, establishing a commission would show that the Obama administration is serious about tackling the deficit while postponing any real moves until after the 2010 elections.”

Because nothing shows how serious the White House is than setting up a commission that would do nothing until after the 2010 elections!

Source
Source

Inspired by true accounts and the craze that took place
in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, follows in the footsteps
 of classic horror films from that generation. In 1980, ten year
 old twins Toby and Cindy Richards were abducted by a group of demented
 satanic cult members. Cindy managed to escape, but Toby was never found.
 Twenty-five years later, a group of six friends take a canoe trip to re-kindle
 their friendship, only to find themselves in trouble with crazy, small town locals
 and the same satanic cult that took Toby years ago. Can the friends make it out of
the town of Thornwood alive and in one piece, or will the become victims of sacrifice?

Maybe Harry has some magic up his sleeve. But I don’t see how he gets those four votes [Sens. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.)] without compromising the bill,” Dean concluded.”

Jack Moss’ translation? “We won folks. We can say it, we won the battle to stop Obamacare from passing.” He predicts that Obama will continue to tank and that 2010 will be the beginning of the end for socialism in America. Thank God!!!

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=11568681

Statewide survey shows “ball tapping” problem widespread

Posted: Nov 24, 2009

WTHR’s survey of school nurses shows ball tapping is common in Indiana middle schools and high schools. WTHR’s survey of school nurses shows ball tapping is common in Indiana middle schools and high schools.

Jake Arend endured years of repeated ball tapping by classmates, resulting in surgery. Jake Arend endured years of repeated ball tapping by classmates, resulting in surgery.

Jake’s father says parents must talk to their kids about the problem. Jake’s father says parents must talk to their kids about the problem.

Mary Conway says teachers, principals and school nurses must be more aware of ball tapping, too. Mary Conway says teachers, principals and school nurses must be more aware of ball tapping, too.

It’s a disturbing game with devastating consequences, and a new WTHR survey suggests it is rampant in Indiana schools.

“Ball tapping” is the act of intentionally hitting or kicking a male in the genitals. Earlier this month, an Eyewitness News investigation showed the game has become commonplace in some area schools, resulting in serious injuries for students.

As part of the investigation, WTHR also conducted a statewide survey of school nurses. The results are in, and they show the problem of ball tapping is more common and widespread than many school officials had realized.

“New perspective”

School nurses from 163 Indiana schools participated in the anonymous survey, and 33% of those nurses said they’re aware of ball tapping happening at their school within the past twelve months.

But a closer look at the statistics shows the problem is much more serious in some schools than in others.

23% of school nurses who work at the elementary level say they’ve seen or heard of ball tapping at their school. That number nearly doubles in high schools, where 43% of school nurses say they’ve seen it.

And in middle schools, 62% of school nurses said they’re aware of students engaged in ball tapping.

“I would have expected it to be a low number,” said Mary Conway, president of the Indiana Association of School Nurses. “I would not have expected [school nurses] to have had much experience with it at all … because I think it’s something most kids won’t talk about with a nurse. I’m very surprised by this whole issue and it’s given me a new perspective.”

Among the 72 middle school and high school nurses who participated in WTHR’s survey, 50% said they had seen students who came to the school clinic seeking assistance related to an incident of ball tapping. Half of those nurses also reported they had observed the problem several (more than two) times each school year, and about 10% said it happens at their school on a daily or weekly basis.

Some nurses offered comments with their survey responses. A sample of those comments provides insight into what those nurses are dealing with:

* “This is not a new situation. It has popped up periodically in our school system from year to year. Students seem to think it is “funny” or “harmless”. We have gone to a great length to educate our students (esp. middle school aged students) that this is not acceptable conduct and that it can result in horrible injury. It seems to be a middle grade mentality type of thing. We have issues with both boys “tapping” other boys, and girls “tapping” boys because it gives an immediate reaction.”
* “I have had on occasion had a student come in complaining of pain in that area, and never a reasonable explanation of why he hurts in that area. I am better informed to possibly identify that this is taking place.”
* “I have seen it done both maliciously and just as guys goofing around. I heard from one student that he had to have one testicle surgically removed after being kicked in his genitals during summer school. Our school may treat this as an assault if a student or family complains that it is done in a malicious manner. It is probably more often overlooked as horseplay.”
* “I had a case early this school year of an injured boy, with that type injury, but it was claimed to be accidental & no adults witnessed it. Now, I wonder.”
* “We had a local male pediatrician talk to the boys about this last year and we have seen a dramatic decrease in incidence of this behavior since then. He talked specifically about the physical harm that occurs and it was very effective. I would recommend a similar discussion at other schools experiencing this problem.”

“Just want to fall and cry”

Jake Arend doesn’t need survey results to convince him ball tapping is a serious problem.

Classmates began hitting him in the groin when he was in sixth grade and it continued for years.

“I was just the scrawny kid everybody picked on to make themselves look better,” Arend said. “If you get hit in that area, you just want to fall and cry, but I tried not to.”

By the time Jake got to Danville High School, he says he was being ball tapped every week – sometimes even three or four times a day.

“Sometimes it would be just the flick of a wrist, and there was one time I actually got hit in the area with a socket wrench,” he recalled. “When I got hit with that, I actually just hit the ground and just laid there in the fetal position for five to ten minutes for the pain to go away, then I got up and went to class.”

Jake never told his parents and he never told his teachers, fearing the bullies at school would hit him ever harder if they got in trouble.

“I just thought ‘It’s pain. I’ll deal with it,’” said Arend.

When Jake graduated in May 2009, he thought all that pain would be a thing of the past. It was just getting started.

Emergency surgery

In late October, Jake was rushed to Hendricks Regional Hospital in Danville where doctors performed an emergency operation. Years of enduring ball tapping had finally taken its toll. Undetected scar tissue had completely sealed off Jake’s urinary tract, resulting in horrifying pain.

“It was a pain like I’ve never felt before. It was like taking a knife and just jamming it down in your stomach and dragging it all the way down through your genital area,” he said. “The urologist said the signs can go undetected for years until it hits you like it hit me.”

Doctors placed a catheter in Jake’s urethra and told him he will need another operation to fix all the damage caused by repeated blows to the groin.

For Jake’s father, that recent trip to the emergency room was the first time he had ever heard of ball tapping. “I never in a million years would have thought this was happening to him,” said Eddie Arend. “Evidently it’s happening at a lot of schools. It’s not just his school.”

School nurses confirm that’s true.

“A real wakeup call”

“It’s a more serious problem than what I had imagined,” Conway said. “I had no idea the kids were that violent with it. Watching your video, I was appalled and the survey is somewhat surprising.”

Conway says the Eyewitness News investigation and survey should be “a real wakeup call” to schools and school nurses across Indiana. She says the IASN board of directors will further research the issue because Conway believes more education and awareness is needed for teachers, administrators and school nurses to help protect students. 52% of school nurses who completed the 13 Investigates survey said they had never heard of ball tapping prior to learning of WTHR’s investigation.

“I’m surprised nothing has really been said about it,” admitted Conway. “I think any issue that impacts health in a permanent way needs to be addressed.”

Jake’s father says parents must address it, too.

“A lot of times as parents, do we forget to talk to our own children? I guess we do,” he said. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to take away his pain. I just never knew it was happening and the sad truth is, [Jake] has to pay the rest of his life for this.”

It’s a costly and terribly painful lesson Jake wants other students to remember.

“If you’re in school right now and you’re dealing with it, don’t be afraid to say something,” Arend said. “Ask teachers, go to counselors, ask the nurses … I wish I told somebody.”

For advice about how to talk to your kids about ball tapping, see WTHR’s original investigation.

…………………………………………………………..

Back in my day, when I was a child, I was taught I was to never hit or touch another child for any reason unless it was in self defense. These boys will grow up sterile if they don’t wind up being eunuchs. Parunts out there, do try to teach your child to act civilized and not like the Golden Sprog from Christ. These people are just getting themselves looked down upon more and more every day. Teachers need to take back their right to discipline children at school. And from wherever these kids are learning to kick each other in the privates, needs to terminated immediately.

Amanda doesn’t like the real people campaign although I’ll admit that Jonah was pretty adorable because he was so excited about Riley being on a bus and in a magazine. Too bad it was Riley since she’s about as appealing as dishwater although I’ll admit that she’s pretty. Since her bio wasn’t appealing a fake was created and she went along with it to get paid. Um shouldn’t have have been paid already? Since she couldn’t keep up with the lying she won’t be getting paid now.

Amanda decided to test Ella with Melissa who offered Ella a job and there was some kissing too. Ella turned her down although she admitted to enjoying the kissing. It turns out that Ella doesn’t want to be as much like Amanda as she thought. She refused to tattle on Riley who used sick days for the week it took to get the pictures. But Amanda called the Principal and Riley got fired. Looks like Jonah has to do the accounting thing now.

Now I did think it was too obvious that Auggie killed Sydney. Yes his blood was on the knife but that’s because he was stabbed but David woke up with the knife. So who was being set up? I’m thinking that Violet is the one that killed Sydney. Because of David who jumped to the Michael conclusion he did some snooping. He found Sydney’s bloody necklace in Michael’s car and she was in the car so she could have planted it there. Michael’s wife is a stupid bitch. Uh he cheated on his other wives so she wouldn’t he cheat on you too? Hello he did. How odd he was in Rome at a medical conference and I’m thinking he probably screwed someone there too.

Hey LA has seasons but they are just more subtle and free of that evil white stuff although it does show up in California so you don’t have to go far if you’re insane and like the stuff. I don’t get it myself but people like it for some reason. David was sweet since he got a bunch of leaves that he put in the apartment along with some special chili called Skyline. But thing things started heating up Lauren pulled away. I’m thinking having a relationship while hook just might be a wee bit tricky. He was sweet about it and Ella declared him a cheeseball at least I think it was a cheeseball.

Auggie isn’t doing too well since pretty much everyone assumes he killed Sydney. Well he did stab a guy so it doesn’t look good. But I think Riley was the one that hurt him the most since she turned him in. The whole I ruined my life thing had to do with taking a swing at Marchello. Is that spelled right? Maybe there isn’t a h but I just find myself putting one in. He had a bottle of booze but Violet stopped him and they had sex instead. So instead of reaching for the bottle when you get the craving have sex with a psycho that’s probably a killer.

“Have a little more gravy on those potatoes?”

“I wouldn’t, except it’s better than last year’s gravy (if that’s possible).”

“Did you try the green bean casserole?” she says as she shoves the bowl under my nose.

Gradually, my plate overflows with another slice of turkey, a tiny smidgen of sweet potatoes and another crescent roll to help me sop up the gravy puddling on one side of my plate. Am I overeating? Oh no I’m not. I’m complimenting the cook. Thanksgiving tradition rule #1 is: if everyone isn’t holding their stomach in both hands and groaning in minor pain afterwards, the dinner was a flop. I simply don’t want to be rude by not confirming the glorious tastes left in my mouth by every dish served. I conform to the tradition and you should too.

Ways to Rationalize Overconsumption of Food on Thanksgiving:

1. It’s only once a year.
2. It’s rude to refuse a second helping.
3. She’ll think we don’t like her cooking.
4. If we don’t eat it all, there won’t be enough space to store it in the refrigerator.

I’m guessing you can add a few more of your own to the list. (Please post a comment, I need some more excuses).

Remembering the episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond” when Debra (Ray’s wife) served fish on Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all I will enjoy tomorrow; family, food and an unreliable scale that allows me to ignore the reality of the five pounds I will no doubt gain…

Pass the word. Email the league. Put it up on every social networking site. Do whatever it takes.

That’s it, you may now go back to whatever it was you were doing.

Keep an eye out for any part of your guitar, like the truss rod cover, that can be upgraded and customized because when you add a lot of them together, they can create a whole new appeal for your axe.

Yes I wouldn’t mind bitch slapping Annie. She is so stupid not wanting to know the truth about her wannabe Edward boyfriend being a drug dealer. Even Harry and Deb thought something was off about the guy so they forbid her to see him. Yeah that always works. He’s certainly no Dylan. Can killing someone cause your brain to break?

Mr Big Dix? Really? That sounds like a porn name. They wanted to recreate the recording of Jen spilling the beans. See Liam I told you deleting it was a bad idea and I guess you can’t undelete something. I’m on board with bringing that bitch down who I don’t like in case you haven’t noticed. Well you might have stumbled across this post accidentally.

It wasn’t good that Harry mentioned Navid since Edward oops I mean Jasper threw him down the stairs. It’s just a good thing it was during the day which means people are around. Of course Annie’s being a stupid bitch doesn’t seem to realize that Navid has no reason to lie about Jasper being a drug dealer. Put in a require for a new brain stupid.

I think Ryan’s thinking with his little Ryan. What does he see in Jen? At least he finally speaks up about her always making him go to parties and clubs instead of asking him what he wants to do. You really should know what charity it is because they are pretty pricey. He suggests camping of all things. Damn that was a lot of crap she bought with Naomi’s money. I guess she was going with the Boyscout motto of always being prepared.

They go but someone forgets to check the weather. Yes it does rain in California although people seem to forget that. So they end up in the car and Ryan ends up falling asleep. While he’s sleeping Jen sets the camp up which stunned me. How did she pull that off? Wasn’t she afriad to break a nail or strain a brain cell? She admits to pissing away all the money to snag her husband and of course there’s the part about her still being married. Ryan run away quickly. Just get in the car and go. She spent the money Naomi gave her for the divorce on a pony that hasn’t been seen since. So does this mean she spent ridiculous sums of money on crappy ass shoes you can’t even walk in? Must be nice to have so much money but I wouldn’t spend six hundred bucks on a pair of crappy heels.

It turns out that Jackie did survive barely. Kelly of course doesn’t want to see her. She does end up saying goodbye because she found the room empty which led to her briefly thinking Jackie was dead but she was just moved to another room. Jackie was holding on so she could say goodbye to Kelly. Wouldn’t this have been a good time for David to show up? Jackie was right since Kelly’s been more of a mother to Silver than Jackie was although there’s still the mystery of her being a blonde when she was little only to turn into a not blonde although I have to admit the age is pretty accurate since it was season two or possible three when Silver or rather Erin was  born since David was Silver at the time.

Naomi actually feels bad about using Green Boy whose name I can’t remember. I’m sure he has a name. I just don’t know what it is. She confessed and apologized for using him which impressed the roommate and dmaned if I know his name either. Jamie?  But she realizes that she’s not over Liam. Well duh!

Naomi did catch Adrianna with a bottle of pills. Since Navid was worried he went to Naomi but of course Adrianna lied although this time around she isn’t doing coke. Oh yeah she also claims to be over Navid. Sure we believe you. Not! Who knows maybe she’ll start hanging out with Edward oops I mean Jasper and Annie now.

In Walford, there’s soon to be the pitter patter of not one but two sets of feet - because both Ronnie and Stacey are soon to find out they’re pregnant!

Ronnie’s pregnant by Owen, but by the time she finds out that she’s pregnant, Owen’s mysteriously disappeared. But of course, that’s because Lucas has murdered him!

Mind you, I don’t think Ronnie’s going to care too much; it’s just a baby she wants, not a daddy!

And as to who is the father of Stacey’s baby, well, it looks like it’s going to be a Heather style whodunnit. Let’s hope it’s not Darren again!

Here she is in a sneeky pic taken during filming that shows her bump…

Of course, it could be Bradley who’s due to arrive back from Canada soon, but it could also be Ryan, maybe even Max or someone Stacey met while she was missing for all those weeks.

I can’t wait to find out!

Oh my.  Most of the ten are stand-alone questions too!  What have I gotten myself into?!  LoL!  Well, here goes….

Do Swiss people speak English / What do the Swiss speak?
Switzerland has FOUR official languages: German, French, Italian and an ancient Romansch spoken only in like one valley or something.  In school, children are taught at least two of the three languages, plus English.  As such, my mother can boast of knowing (not necessarily speaking or being fluent in) five languages: French, German, Italian, English and Malay.  I can lay claim to 3 ½: English, Malay, French and (Italian & Spanish).

Do Swiss mountain dogs shed?

Zughund by sennenhunde.at

First, did you know that there are actually four different types of Sennenhund, or Swiss mountain dogs?  All four have the same markings, and are differentiated mainly by size. You can see in this image a short-haired Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs a long-haired Bernese Mountain Dog: these two are about the same height, but the Bernese tends to be half the weight of the Greater.  The other two breeds are the Appenzeller and Entlebucher Mountain Dogs.

Thanks to dogsbreedinfo.com I found out that the Bernese requires lots of grooming and is a seasonal heavy shedder.  The other three have easy grooming needs and are average shedders.

Do Swiss Army watches have batteries?
Looking at the Victorinox website, they have self-winding watches, those that require manual winding, and battery-powered ones. A cool feature of those with batteries is that the watch will have an end-of-life indicator — the second hand will pause for 2-4 seconds then speeds back up to the correct time — to tell you when you need to get the battery changed. Do note that Victorinox recommends getting the battery changed at authorised dealers or service centers otherwise its warranty is void.

Do Swiss banks pay interest?
Yes.  If you have an account containing Swiss francs, it’s at a pretty low rate, and there’s a witholding tax levied as well.  If you have an account for foreign currencies, the money goes into a money market fund where interest is earned.

Do Swiss men like black women?
Wow. Ummm. I’d like to think that Swiss men, like men in general, have preferences that range over the entire spectrum of choices, including black women.

Do Swiss balls work?
Sure!  Swiss women are getting impregnated all the time!  Duh!

Wait, what?  Ohhhhh you mean that which is also known as a body ball, fitness ball, gym ball, pilates ball, Pezzi ball, stability ball, therapy ball, or yoga ball?  Riiiiiight!  Yeah, they work too.  Good for core muscles.  And there’s a related How to do Swiss ball crunches? question; here’s a video that I found informative:

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What do Swiss people eat?
Did you know that in 2008, the average Swiss consumed twenty one kilograms of cheese?  And 2007’s figure for chocolate consumption was 12.3 kilograms.   So yeah.  Cheese. Chocolate.  Of course that’s not all, so check out wikipedia and TravelLady for more info.Interestingly, there were no questions about whether or not Swiss tourists need visas for certain countries: anyone want to speculate why that might be the case?

… and there you have it, dear readers, the final part of what I hope to be many more trilogies of autocomplete-inspired posts!  Hope you had as much fun reading as I had putting these posts together.

We now have the actual music video for the single For Your Entertainment. That was released just yesterday, and I’m sure it will only add even more flames to situation already out of control with the AMA performance still fresh on the minds of people.

What do you think of the performance and now this new video? Check out the video below.

Discuss! I’m interested to hear what you all have to say.