Tucson Citizen Police Academy Week 3 Drugs!

Lt. Quinn McCarthy explained his role as a drug recognition officer.  How watching someone gives an idea of what they are on.

Drugs seem more prevalent in our society.  I asked if he thought legalizing drugs was a good idea.  Until last Wed., I had no feelings about it either way.  He talked about a survey of pilots on pot trying to function in airline simulators.  Ninety percent of the time, they would crash the plane.  Would you want your heart surgeon to have a couple of tokes before he works on you.  Lt. McCarthy felt he would just be arresting people for Domestic Violence for example instead of drugs.  He would still have a workload.

Also, when you find out what dealers may cut the stuff with, you should be turned off.  Remember, s/he is your dealer, not your friend.  Last Wed. was enough to convince me the stuff should be illegal.

Lt McCarthy’s son is in the class.  I don’t have kids but was curious, how do you raise your kids and keep them away from this?  He pointed to his son and said, “I look in his eyes when he gets home from school every day!”  Parents have to take charge in a society where the kids are becoming slicker and threaten to report them to CPS (Child Protective Services).  You don’t want to see kids abused, but you also don’t want your teenager trying out his freedom on something that can kill him or her.

I have a friend at work from Rwanda.  I was sitting with Anastase one day in his house when he received a phone call from the teacher of one of his four sons, who had blown off a homework assignment.  Anastase hung up the phone, turned to me and said, “In Africa, I would beat that boy!”  Maybe not a beating, but oh, you were going out Saturday night?  Not any more!  He regrets the lack of discipline.  An occasional firm spanking from a loving parent, who wants to prevent worse things down the road may not be such a bad thing.

The pictures of Meth addicts especially made me sit up and take notice.  Lt. McCarthy also made it clear that drugs can leave permanent damage even with a few uses.

Look at a person’s friends and that should tell you something.  I have learned from my own experience, negative people pull you down, positive people pull you up.  There is no high falutin’ psychology in there, just plain ol’ personal observation.

Put your kids in activities, they may not excel at or like everything, but it beats them hanging out with no guidance.

This country is at a crossroads with our sick economic system and our insane Presidential election.  The kids are our future.  Make sure it is there for ‘em.

Last week was enough to turn me against legalizing drugs completely and it has to do with practical, not puritanical reasons.  Anyone who wants to see this “dark side” gets a quick understanding.

Afterwards, I asked Sgt. Himmelrob who helped in Week Two with the defensive driving about my Australian friend who had a problem with someone and what would have happened in Arizona.

She was on an down escalator with her Fifteen year old daughter and nine month old baby.  The man on the step behind her was staring down her blouse.  She asked him to step back.  He went off on her screaming at her and followed her to her car.

I am learning about how the police work for my writing.  I enjoy the fact I can ask these questions.  What I also enjoy is the fact it is obvious they are not doing it just because the boss said they have to.  They really enjoy meeting us and doing this class.

I apologize to my readers for being so late in putting this up.  The tooth problem I had really put a damper on things.

McCain vs. Obama Tale of the Tape Round 6

Well the first debate occured.  You saw their styles and I could not see a clear winner.  Next Thursday’s Vice Presidential Campaign should be somewhat more interesting.  There, it is like a soap opera.  Will Joe Biden say something totally dense?  Will he talk too much?  And what will Sarah Palin say? When Biden says something stupid, will she decide he is a moose and shoot him?  Bullwinkle, alias Joe Biden?  Will she be charged with moose hunting out of season?    What sort of penalty does the moderator call?    This is too Pythonesque for words.

Tune in Thursday, October 2nd for the ultimate wild card.

The Other Palin (2)

This was on Michael Palin’s website, Palin’s Travels, from the man himself.

I’m conscious, as ever, that a lot of water has flown under the bridge since my last message. Since then I’ve been working hard at an edit of my Diaries 1980 -1988 in time for publication next year, whilst watching Archie grow up and trying to come to terms with my identity theft by a hockey mum in Alaska. And no, Sarah Palin is not my sister, daughter or alias. And I’m Sahara Palin not Sarah.

Take it anyway you want LOL!

Elaine Brancaccio

Elaine Brancaccio was my junior high school English and Social Studies teacher in Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, New York.  There were times when I could not stand her, but being a writer now, I wish I had listened a little more carefully.

She was really strict about not having pen and paper in class.  She would ask, “would a carpenter go to a work site without his tools?”  She is right.  Preparation, folks!

This was almost forty years ago, but paying attention to my writing reminded me.  I wrote in an earlier post the English Language is a great tool wherever you are.

Wherever you are, Ms. Brancaccio I learned it finally, or as my French teacher, Anne Boster would have said, “Mieux vos tard que jamais,” (better late than never)!

The Tooth Got It’s Eviction Notice.

I have not been posting for a couple of days because of a bad wisdom tooth.  Well today, it received its eviction notice.  My regular dentist saw the X-Ray and felt an Oral Surgeon would be better for this nasty tooth.  The tooth won a stay on the eviction notice; just long enough for me to drive to the Oral Surgeon.  The tooth fought eviction, but to no avail.  An Oral Surgeon and two assistants are enough in the way of Sheriff’s Deputies to evict such a bothersome tooth.

I feel so much better therefore, I am back.  I pride myself on being tough, but this rebellious tooth was pushing my toughness buttons almost to tears.  It is over, I can see clearly now, the fog is gone.

Realties for the Next President.

Click on Washington Post.

Will comment tomorrow in detail.

Commenting on the Triple Whammy

Click on Triple Whammy. I will let you read the piece and formulate your own thoughts, but allow me mine.

Mr. Cox complains about Republicans rigging the vote, but no one has a monopoly on that or the fact that politics will be played cleanly.  It isn’t in the office.  I will be surprised if the Democrats do not have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Before we continue, again, I make clear I am bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball.  I will use the debates to help me make a decision.  I would have preferred other candidates, but you know, you leave the dance with the one who brung you.

Politics is dirty, American Football can be dirty.  Why do you think you have all those referees? LOL!

In Jim Webb’s latest book, he described winning his 2006 Senate election as climbing out of a sewer.  His friend put it to him during the election as; you are now dancing with the bears.  When you dance with a bear, the bear decides when the dance is over.  The bear outranks you! LOL!  On the levels we are discussing now, you are dancing with some very LARGE bears (unless Governor Palin decides to take one out).;-)

The author mentions race in this election.  No question, only someone naive would claim it is not there.  There is a flipside to this, however.  According to polls, 90% of African Americans are supporting Senator Obama.  Yet, if I, as a “white man,”  (I happen to think race is a meaningless term) decline to vote for Senator Obama, it marks me as a bigot.  In other words, the unsaid comment is, “I am not comfortable with his positions,” or “I like Senator McCain,” (who happens to be my Senator), it marks me as a bigot.    I would have worked for and voted for Jim Webb or Colin Powell, but they were not running.  Again, you dance with the one who brung you.

The author, Mr. Cox mentioned the back and forth of the polls.  There is an easy conclusion for you.  The American people as a whole, are undecided about this entire affair.  There is nothing strange about this.

If y’all read your American History, the Founding Fathers did not believe in “Universal Suffrage.”  They believed there would always be some sort of “aristocracy” to guide the nation.

Much of the nastiness in this entire campaign in due to where I am writing this.  On the Internet.  It makes more extreme opinions easier to find.

The author picked on John McCain’s intelligence.  Weren’t the same things said about President Reagan?  We survived, didn’t we?  The Cold War ended, didn’t it?  We are electing a President, not a dictator.  Something tells me Congress will want some input in this.  Even if (a bad joke a heard in a Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest yesterday) you ask, “If the opposite of PRO is CON, what is the opposite of PROGRESS?  Why CONGRESS of course!:-)

We knew this was going to be a historic election from the beginning.  The first in eighty years without an incumbent.  The worst the economy has been since the Great Depression.  It’s been a bumpy ride.  Dirty tricks?  To paraphrase the movie Casablanca, “I’m shocked, SHOCKED that there’s gambling going on here.  Your winnings, sir.”

All I want to be able to do is earn a decent living, be with family and friends, do interesting things and write.  I am not asking for the sun, moon and stars.

I could not buy into the articles’ gloom and doom.  As I said.  Read for yourself.

Feminists and Sarah Palin

I was reading an article by Phyllis Schlafly in the San Francisco Chornicle (I am surprised they printed something by Ms. Schlafly there).

I never thought I would agree with Ms. Schalfly on anything but I had to here.  A woman has made it to be McCain’s choice for V.P.  This is also not an endorsement of the Republican ticket but to point something poignant out.

For someone such as Gloria Steinhem, why is it great for Hillary Clinton to be the candidate, but not Sarah Palin.  Do I detect a note of “It is OK if our women make it, but not others?”

Food for thought.

North American Union.

I have been reading a lot about this lately.  Someone’s idea of one North American currency called the Amero.  Former Mexican President Vincente Fox giving a speech at Wayne State Univ. in Detroit on this topic.

If I thought for a minute it was benefit the people of the United States, I would be all for it.  Something tells me this is not going to be beneficial to us and once it happens, can it be undone?

There are some days of the week, when hunkering down in my beloved Sonoran Desert is looking better and better.

BBC Magic Bus, Arizona and New Mexico

I am just catching up with the posts.  Yes, a major issue in the Southwest is immigration.  Building a border fence is not going to solve the problem.

Do Americans really want to do the jobs the illegals do and can we make them?  If we invest in these other countries, will that keep them from coming?

Questions that must be asked before anything simplistic is done.  This will actually lead to another post which will be up shortly on those who want to unite North America into a “tighter” union.