36
POPSGot any nude photos of your baby? Shred them. Now! Several people, all of whom I'd objectively call "innocent," have been investigated by the FBI, humiliated, arrested, and effectively destroyed by scandal when photo-developing and computer-repair shops discovered that they had photographed their young children naked. One father lost custody of his kids for taking a photo of them mooning him. The argument is: "we all have to view innocent photos through the eyes of a pedophile, for the good of the children." Effing scary. I mean, I've taken several pictures of my son in the bathtub, and according to this article, that makes me effectively guilty of child pornography. Better take those shots off of Snapfish.com.
29
POPSParadox of the false positive "Here's how that works: imagine that you've got a disease that strikes one in a million people, and a test for the disease that's 99% accurate. You administer the test to a million people, and it will be positive for around 10,000 of them – because for every hundred people, it will be wrong once (that's what 99% accurate means). Yet, statistically, we know that there's only one infected person in the entire sample. That means that your "99% accurate" test is wrong 9,999 times out of 10,000!" "If we were good at understanding statistics, then here's what would happen when you flew to Las Vegas. You'd step out of McCarran airport, stare down the Strip at all those glittering, palatial casinos and say to yourself, "Holy crap – think of all the suckers who must have lost everything to finance this place!" Instead, our foolish minds are filled with thoughts like, "Man, look at all the money in this town – I'm going to win big!" And another casino is built."
26
POPSChildren's sexuality shouldn't be stifled "Children must learn about sexuality, otherwise things can go very wrong," said Langfeldt. "Children can't object to something they don't know about, and children can more easily and readily report assaults if they already are aware of their own sexuality." Juul conceded that "many are disturbed by children's sexuality, but I think it's important to put it on the agenda. That, in fact, is what we're doing."
20
POPS1 in 3 Female Recruits RAPED by fellow Soldiers in "this man's army"
There is a deeper problem of widespread abuse and a system that protects the criminals. Unfortunately, the abuse in the recruitment system is prescient of military service, where a third of women who serve will be raped by fellow soldiers. It's high time that girls courted by military recruiters are kept out of harm's way here at home. Compare this with highly publicized abuse cases involving Catholic priests. Recruiters given administrative punishment do not. Ironically, priests aren't fixtures in most public schools but military recruiters are. Recruiters have unprecedented access to girls thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act which demands that public schools turn over student contact data to military recruiters so they can "work their market." The majority of school districts in the country have relaxed rules that allow recruiters to come and go at will. So more young people have personal and sustained contact with recruiters. by Former Army Specialist Aimee Allison
13
POPSMore Veterans speak out against war. I WILL SALUTE NO MORE FOREVER As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth. My family, my school, the movies, TV taught me to believe that fragment of fabric stood for good things. I watched my father, a World War II Army veteran, give homage to that wad of material. As an airman I saluted that banner for the four years I served in the Air Force where I stood ready to help launch Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles on command. Then I became aware that the wonderful things for which that clump of colors is suppose to represent, have not been achieved. I came to know that awful, unlawful, unwise and immoral acts have occurred under the stars and stripes. But I still clung onto the belief and hope that someday, somehow conditions would change and the good things for which that rag is still supposed to stand would yet be realized.
12
POPSThings to think about " Forbidden fruit? " We have forbidden fruit? " Hey Eve ...we have forbidden fruit !!!!! " No Way!" " Yes way!" " Do not eat the fruit ! said God." " WHY " "Because, I am your Father and I said not to!" God replied, (wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants) A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! " Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit? " God asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" said the Father. "I don't know," said Eve. "She started it!" Adam said " Did not " " Did to " " Did not" Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. But there is Reassurance in this Story ! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give your children wisdom and they haven't taken it ... don't be hard on yourself .... If God had trouble rais
11
POPSIrish "Peace comes dropping slow" Equivalent to the Pope building a Protestant church in Vatican City, or to Bush saying he was wrong to invade Iraq. The symbolism is momentous. On a par with Australian PM Rudd's recent offer of a long overdue apology to the Aborigines, but most welcomed by right thinking persons. The Orange Order did not have a distinguished history in Ireland. If we can do it why not ...