Gangsta Behaviour - Not Pretty!

So disappointed in the motorcycle gang killings!  How sad (whether motorcycle gangs or any other gangs) that people feel the need to harm or kill another person just for their patch, color or association. And what a bad deal for motorcycle riders across our nation.  I personally do not ride, but know plenty who do.  And the majority of those people are normal, productive citizens who just happen to enjoy riding a bike.  And they are "organized", but I surely wouldn't refer to them as "gangs".  Their "organized" groups do wonderful things.  They collect toys for less fortunate children.  They raise money to help prevent child abuse. They raise money for cancer research.  And though some may look "rough" by society's standards, most are the first on the scene when someone needs a helping hand.  They are one big "famiily".  And underneath those leather jackets and helmets are some of the kindest people you'll ever meet. 
We are all humans.  We all put our pants on one leg at a time.  We all get up and eat breakfast in the morning.  Why do some feel the need to separate themselves from others?  I would make a guess that most of these involved were under 50, and probably most of those were under 30.  If only they could see through the eyes of and old person.  I feel they would realize that all those "things" they thought were so important, important enough to die for, were really  not important at all.  Those that were involved and lost their lives were someone's dad, son, brother, husband, uncle.  I am sure their loss of life has sorrowed a great many people. Did they ever stop to consider the people who would be impacted by their choice of behavior? Probably not. Most likely, they were so filled with anger and hatred, they were only thinking of themselves. I am sure the mothers and children of those that were killed would most definitely tell you that whatever their "cause" was, it wasn't worth trading their life for it.  If only we all had the capacity to stop and think before we acted, and weigh the consequences of our actions and the impact it will have on our loved ones. 
They remind me of dogs - you get a puppy and it's young and excited and yappy.  It barks ferociously at everything that comes its way. But that same dog a few years later naps contentedly on the porch, merely raising its head to have a look at a cat passing by.  How time mellows us.  With age comes wisdom and caution. If only hindsight could be glimpsed while we were young!

Hope You Packed A Healthy Lunch!

Is it just me, or is everyone making a mountain out of a mole hill over what parents pack for their kids' lunches?  What is the big deal? I hate to tell these people, but I was among the pickiest of eaters when I was a kid. (Obviously, I have gotten less picky as I have aged!)  My mom would pack a lunch that I would eat.  Some days she would include a fruit or veggie, which was promptly deposited in the trash at school.  My staple was peanut butter and jelly, some chips and a couple of cookies.  I ate it.  I obtained needed food to be able to continue my day at school without being hungry.  If she had packed what I see pictures of now, I wouldn't have eaten it, and would have had trouble concentrating the rest of the day from being hungry.  The times I purchased school lunches, most of what was on the tray was thrown away. Peas, broccoli, carrots, apples, those items may have been on my tray, but I didn't eat them.  So, should we pack crap for our kids to eat?  Probably not.  Is there any harm in having some Oreo's?  No.  But all this so-called "healthy" lunch initiative is obviously planned by people who either have no kids, or don't know their kids.  Kids eat their vegetables at home, while their parents threaten them with various things if they don't eat them.  They don't eat them at school.  Kids need food.  Food they will like and eat to give them calories and energy for the rest of their school day.  I always ate the school lunch when they had pizza, hamburgers, taco's, corn dogs, etc.  That is what kids want to eat.  Oh, sure, there was always that one guy who ate his peas and everyone else's but most kids dumped them in the trash.  And in my day, the poor kids didn't pack their own lunch.  They got free lunches and were served what the school provided.  And they didn't eat their veggies either.
I think the schools should provide food kids like and will eat - sliced peaches, applesauce, corn, and green beans are healthy foods that nearly every kid will eat.  And remember, they are only given like 20-25 minutes to eat their lunch. If they have to peel and orange in that time, they probably won't have time to actually eat it. 
And maybe, just maybe, our government should concentrate a little more on protecting its citizens and a little less on what parents pack for their kids' lunches.  As far as I'm concerned, Michelle Obama doesn't even live in the real world, and shouldn't have a say in what our kids are served in school.  And maybe we should use our tax dollars to concentrate more on educating our kids and less on whether they missed 3 days to watch their dad compete in the Boston Marathon. 
Somehow our schools and government have invaded our homes and our jobs as parents.  We don't need lunch police.  We need dedicated teachers who care about whether our students learn.  And our schools have taken away the ability of a parent to decide whether their child needs to miss school, making all absences unexcused unless the school approves them. I am sorry, but if we are having a family tragedy and I feel like my child needs to stay home and would be unproductive if I made them go to school, then they are staying home, excused or not. I realize there are those parents who are oblivious to their kids' needs, and won't send them to school.  But all the rules and regulations our schools operate by have somehow missed including a section on "common sense".  I know there must be rules.  But they must be tempered with common sense, and looking at each child's invidual situation.  I don't know if our administrative employees are not allowed to do this, or they just choose to not deal with anything and use the "Well, those are the rules" card.