Blaming an 11-year-old for being raped is inexcusable

Information & Education, Youth
In a small Texas town, about 50 miles outside of Houston, 18 men (ranging in age from 14 to 27) were recently arrested for gang raping an 11-year-old girl last November. As is all too common in the headlines today, police officials weren't made aware of the sexual assault until a graphic cell phone video began circulating online. Remind me again why giving kids cell phones capable of doing anything more than talking is such a great idea? Here’s what’s most disturbing about this story – there are actually residents who blame the girl and her parents for being raped. Some have said she hung out with kids who were older than she was, that she wore clothes and makeup which made her look much older. Come on already. You…
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The Kardashian Motto – No Skills Equals Big Bucks for Nothing

Life & Living
A story in the Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that reality star Kim Kardashian and her dysfunctional family made $65 million last year. Yes, you read that right. Author and columnist Mitch Albom had this to say regarding the matter: “That’s a whole lot of something for a whole lot of nothing.” As we continue to argue the salaries of public workers, I can’t help but wonder why no one is saying, “Gee, $65 million dollars is an awful lot of money for someone whose only contribution to society is herself.” Big whoop! What’s interesting about her life is that she doesn’t produce anything someone would buy, she doesn’t have any skills or talent and her only claim to fame seems to be some homemade sex video that spread across the…
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Living in a World Without Leadership

Life & Living
Life is saturated with individuals who claim to be leaders, but do little to deserve the title. The way I see it, there are two kinds of leaders in the world: those who lead and those who simply boss other people around. I’m afraid the later is the more popular choice here in America from politicians to managers and supervisors to heads of households. Donald Clark, a leadership expert, sums it up best: “Although your position as a leader gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in your organization, this power does not make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.” Sound familiar in areas of your…
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The Bachelor is less about the reality of love and more about ratings

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
I never thought I'd tune in to "The Bachelor". Boy was I wrong. On my weekly outings to see my grandmother, part of the evening is inevitably spent watching something on television (or the boob tube as she commonly refers to it). Most of the time we’re tuned in to the popular game show “Wheel of Fortune” – where grams always comments on Vanna’s wardrobe and how she’d love to have her job. I don’t mind the show really – remembering how often I used to watch it as a kid during summer vacation. But the other night she caught me by surprise when she asked if we could watch the season finale of “The Bachelor”. I wasn’t about to say no to a 90-year-old woman, even though I wanted…
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It’s Really Okay for Men to Cry

Life & Living, Youth
Famed author and renowned lecturer Leo Buscaglia championed the cause of how we seek happiness and create loving relationships over the course of our lifetime.  He once told the story of how he was asked to judge a competition in search of the most caring child alive today. To the surprise of many, the young boy who won did so based more on his actions than on his words. The young boy had an elderly neighbor whose wife had recently passed away.  Upon seeing the old man crying, the little boy made his way into the neighbor’s yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there silently with him. When he returned home his mother asked what he had said to the old man while he was there on his…
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