Texas teachers could be armed with guns themselves following Friday’s stunning Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The state’s governor, Rick Perry, has expressed support – at least for allowing districts to determine whether their teachers can carry concealed weapons. It has also been reported that one Texas district already permits teachers to pack concealed handguns in class; Perry says he is open to expanding the idea. Perry told the NE Tarrant County Tea Party on Monday evening: “In the state of Texas, if you go through the process, have been trained, and you are a handgun-licensed individual, you should be able to carry a gun anywhere in the state.” In addition, Virginia Gov. McDonnell said Tuesday, “I know there’s been a knee-jerk reaction against that [but] I think there should at least be a discussion of that.” “If people were armed, not just a police officer but other school officials … certainly there would be an opportunity to stop aggressors coming into the schools.” “So I think that’s a reasonable discussion that ought to be had,” he added. Virginia and Colorado have already seen gun sales spike this week. In the Harrold Independent School District in Texas, a policy was already implemented in 2007 that allows teachers to carry concealed handguns in schools. Harrold superintendent, David Thweatt, has said “We’re a rural community. We’re in a county about a little smaller than the state of Rhode of island.” “We’re 30 minutes from law enforcement. Thirty minutes is an extremely long time.” In Connecticut last week, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his mother dead, then drove to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. He broke his way in before murdering 20 children as well as six adults in the school. After the slaughter, Lanza turned the gun on himself and shot himself dead. It was one of the worst high school massacre shootings in United States history and has sparked a wide debate on gun control and regulations in America. What do you think: Should teachers be allowed to carry guns? Yes, it could actually prevent violence! No, that would be utter insanity … View Poll »
SMH !!!!! Utah Boy Brings Gun To School Following Newtown Tragedy A 6th grade student brought an unloaded handgun to West Kearns Elementary School Monday. Via Fox 13 reports: The 11-year-old boy allegedly told other students his parents encouraged him to bring a gun to school for protection following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. The boy reportedly pulled the gun, a .22-caliber pistol, out of his backpack during recess Monday morning. “At recess, he pointed a gun to my head and said he was going to kill me,” said Isabel Rios, one of the boy’s fellow 6th grade students. Granite School District officials say students didn’t notify teachers about the weapon until 3 p.m. “Once the teacher knew there was a weapon in the classroom, the student was apprehended in 30 to 45 seconds and immediately brought down to the office and the police were on site within five to 10 minutes,” said Granite School District Spokesman Ben Horsley. Granite School District sent a pre-recorded message via telephone to the parents of West Kearns Elementary students at 5:30 p.m. By then, some of those parents had already heard about the incident from their children. “There was no lockdown. No one was called. Nothing was done. And then we had to hear it from our kids,” said John Klaus, the father of a student at West Kearns Elementary. School administrators said they didn’t lock the school down because the gun was taken into possession quickly and they felt a lockdown would have scared the students. Jesus take the guns!!!!!
So basically, what you’re sayin’ is… According to Politico , the NRA made an announcement, just so they could announce that they’ll hold a press conference Friday: The National Rifle Association is promising to make “meaningful contributions” as the debate surrounding gun violence in the United States rages, the group announced Tuesday. Breaking the NRA’s five days of silence after the deadly shootings in Newtown, Conn., the largest gun rights group in the country announced a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday to address the issue. “The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters – and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown,” the statement said. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting.” The group’s statement continued: “The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again” Do they really think a week after this tragedy is still a good time to have a cotdayum press conference?? SMH. We can’t wait to hear what these cowboys have to say. Images via tumblr
This is totally out of character for me, but I am actually very affected by the shooting that happened Friday, which is weird as I am normally the first to mock tragedy to get a rise out of people for no reason other than personal enjoyment, laughs and giggles….but the fact that they were kids, little fucking kids and is just too fucking twisted for there to be any spin on it…even “last day of school” jokes don’t make me laugh….the whole thing makes me fucking sick to my stomach. That said, here’s an interesting article that I read earlier today – that in the wake of the events, I think is a good story, written by Liza Long, a blogger over at Anarchist Soccer Mom who will be getting a book deal now that this has gone viral…in what I think may be the first viral article…something I find relatively exciting…because it means people still read…you should read it…because guns aren’t the issue…violence behavior and mental health is…. Three days before 20 year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants. “I can wear these pants,” he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises. “They are navy blue,” I told him. “Your school’s dress code says black or khaki pants only.” “They told me I could wear these,” he insisted. “You’re a stupid bitch. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!” “You can’t wear whatever pants you want to,” I said, my tone affable, reasonable. “And you definitely cannot call me a stupid bitch. You’re grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school.” I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me. A few weeks ago, Michael pulled a knife and threatened to kill me and then himself after I asked him to return his overdue library books. His 7 and 9 year old siblings knew the safety plan—they ran to the car and locked the doors before I even asked them to. I managed to get the knife from Michael, then methodically collected all the sharp objects in the house into a single Tupperware container that now travels with me. Through it all, he continued to scream insults at me and threaten to kill or hurt me. That conflict ended with three burly police officers and a paramedic wrestling my son onto a gurney for an expensive ambulance ride to the local emergency room. The mental hospital didn’t have any beds that day, and Michael calmed down nicely in the ER, so they sent us home with a prescription for Zyprexa and a follow-up visit with a local pediatric psychiatrist. We still don’t know what’s wrong with Michael. Autism spectrum, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant or Intermittent Explosive Disorder have all been tossed around at various meetings with probation officers and social workers and counselors and teachers and school administrators. He’s been on a slew of antipsychotic and mood altering pharmaceuticals, a Russian novel of behavioral plans. Nothing seems to work. At the start of seventh grade, Michael was accepted to an accelerated program for highly gifted math and science students. His IQ is off the charts. When he’s in a good mood, he will gladly bend your ear on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to the differences between Einsteinian and Newtonian physics to Doctor Who. He’s in a good mood most of the time. But when he’s not, watch out. And it’s impossible to predict what will set him off. Several weeks into his new junior high school, Michael began exhibiting increasingly odd and threatening behaviors at school. We decided to transfer him to the district’s most restrictive behavioral program, a contained school environment where children who can’t function in normal classrooms can access their right to free public babysitting from 7:30-1:50 Monday through Friday until they turn 18. The morning of the pants incident, Michael continued to argue with me on the drive. He would occasionally apologize and seem remorseful. Right before we turned into his school parking lot, he said, “Look, Mom, I’m really sorry. Can I have video games back today?” “No way,” I told him. “You cannot act the way you acted this morning and think you can get your electronic privileges back that quickly.” His face turned cold, and his eyes were full of calculated rage. “Then I’m going to kill myself,” he said. “I’m going to jump out of this car right now and kill myself.” That was it. After the knife incident, I told him that if he ever said those words again, I would take him straight to the mental hospital, no ifs, ands, or buts. I did not respond, except to pull the car into the opposite lane, turning left instead of right. “Where are you taking me?” he said, suddenly worried. “Where are we going?” “You know where we are going,” I replied. “No! You can’t do that to me! You’re sending me to hell! You’re sending me straight to hell!” I pulled up in front of the hospital, frantically waiving for one of the clinicians who happened to be standing outside. “Call the police,” I said. “Hurry.” Michael was in a full-blown fit by then, screaming and hitting. I hugged him close so he couldn’t escape from the car. He bit me several times and repeatedly jabbed his elbows into my rib cage. I’m still stronger than he is, but I won’t be for much longer. The police came quickly and carried my son screaming and kicking into the bowels of the hospital. I started to shake, and tears filled my eyes as I filled out the paperwork—“Were there any difficulties with… at what age did your child… were there any problems with.. has your child ever experienced.. does your child have…” At least we have health insurance now. I recently accepted a position with a local college, giving up my freelance career because when you have a kid like this, you need benefits. You’ll do anything for benefits. No individual insurance plan will cover this kind of thing. For days, my son insisted that I was lying—that I made the whole thing up so that I could get rid of him. The first day, when I called to check up on him, he said, “I hate you. And I’m going to get my revenge as soon as I get out of here.” By day three, he was my calm, sweet boy again, all apologies and promises to get better. I’ve heard those promises for years. I don’t believe them anymore. On the intake form, under the question, “What are your expectations for treatment?” I wrote, “I need help.” And I do. This problem is too big for me to handle on my own. Sometimes there are no good options. So you just pray for grace and trust that in hindsight, it will all make sense. I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother. I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother. I am Jason Holmes’s mother. I am Jared Loughner’s mother. I am Seung-Hui Cho’s mother. And these boys—and their mothers—need help. In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness. According to Mother Jones, since 1982, 61 mass murders involving firearms have occurred throughout the country. Of these, 43 of the killers were white males, and only one was a woman. Mother Jones focused on whether the killers obtained their guns legally (most did). But this highly visible sign of mental illness should lead us to consider how many people in the U.S. live in fear, like I do. When I asked my son’s social worker about my options, he said that the only thing I could do was to get Michael charged with a crime. “If he’s back in the system, they’ll create a paper trail,” he said. “That’s the only way you’re ever going to get anything done. No one will pay attention to you unless you’ve got charges.” I don’t believe my son belongs in jail. The chaotic environment exacerbates Michael’s sensitivity to sensory stimuli and doesn’t deal with the underlying pathology. But it seems like the United States is using prison as the solution of choice for mentally ill people. According to Human Rights Watch, the number of mentally ill inmates in U.S. prisons quadrupled from 2000 to 2006, and it continues to rise—in fact, the rate of inmate mental illness is five times greater (56 percent) than in the non-incarcerated population. With state-run treatment centers and hospitals shuttered, prison is now the last resort for the mentally ill—Rikers Island, the LA County Jail and Cook County Jail in Illinois housed the nation’s largest treatment centers in 2011. No one wants to send a 13-year old genius who loves Harry Potter and his snuggle animal collection to jail. But our society, with its stigma on mental illness and its broken healthcare system, does not provide us with other options. Then another tortured soul shoots up a fast food restaurant. A mall. A kindergarten classroom. And we wring our hands and say, “Something must be done.” I agree that something must be done. It’s time for a meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health. That’s the only way our nation can ever truly heal. God help me. God help Michael. God help us all.
And yes, it’s actually a decent discount this time.. Walmart To Cut Prices For iPhone And iPad During The Holiday Season If you were hoping to get your hands on an iphone or ipad sometime soom without making it rain with your rent money, you just might be in luck. Walmart recently announced plans to sell the gotta-have gadgets at a discounted price during the holiday season. via CNN Money If you’re looking for the cheapest iPhone or iPad that isn’t used, Wal-Mart is the first place you should turn this holiday season. The retail giant announced plans Friday to offer the 16 GB iPhone 5 for $127 (normally $189.97) and the 16GB iPhone 4S for $47 (normally $87.97), along with a two-year contract. They’ll also sell the third-generation iPad for $399. While it was reported elsewhere that Wal-Mart is discounting the recently announced fourth-generation iPad, a Wal-Mart spokesperson confirmed with CNNMoney that it is, in fact, the third-generation model, which has a less powerful CPU. See? You really DIDN’T have to join the Black Friday stampede of animalistic people thirsting for discounted goods.
Trey wasn’t acting very gentlemanly at the gentleman’s club! Via TMZ reports : Throwing dollar bills at a woman (aka MAKING IT RAIN!!!) seems harmless, but it got Trey Songz arrested for assault in New York recently … TMZ has learned. Songz (real name Tremaine Neverson) had an album release party on August 21 at a gentleman’s club in Queens. According to police, somewhere between 4:00 and 4:15 AM on the 22nd, Trey became involved in an altercation inside the club. Cops described the incident this way in the criminal complaint: “Tremaine Neverson, did throw a sum of United States currency at the complainant and said sum of United States currency struck the complainant’s left eye causing substantial pain to her left eye.” It is unclear if the woman in question was … how do we say this nicely … a dancer. Songz was not arrested that night, but rather a month later for misdemeanor assault. Songz had a court date in NY on November 1 and an order of protection was issued. He is due back in court in February. Sounds like Tremaine got confused. Doesn’t he know you’re supposed to slap the dancer on the azz with the money? Wrong end honey! This sure ain’t gonna help those gay rumors go away.
Celebrities and skater enthusiasts from all over the country flocked to Avalon in Hollywood Tuesday night for an exclusive red-carpet premiere of DGK’s indie skate film “Parental Advisory” and to celebrate the second limited edition, collaborative timepiece encompassing skateboarding culture and G-SHOCK’s signature rugged and tough technology. Pro-skater and DGK co-owner Stevie Williams hosted the event, produced by Echoing Soundz, featuring stellar live performances by Trinidad James, Juicy J, DJ Green Lantern and DJ Justin Credible. Stars came out to show their support including Cee Lo Green, YG, DJ Mustard, Too $hort, Brooke Bailey, Drumma Boy, Taz Arnold, Camilla Poindexter, Toccarra, Vanessa Veasley, Karen Civil, Black Chyna, Lil Neko, Neima and Cena of Pink Dolphin, Benny Cassette and more. Over 1,000 skater enthusiasts packed the house to watch the much-anticipated film and celebrate the premiere with an after-party hosted by Karen Civil. “Parental Advisory,” directed by Randall Kirk, features celebrity cameos by Lil Wayne, DMX, Beanie Sigel, Lil Niqo, Karen Civil, 12th Planet, Salman Agah, Fabian Alomar and Kareem Campbell, with riveting skater action by Josh Kalis, Marcus McBride, Jack Curtin, Rodrigo TX, Lenny Rivas, Wade Desarmo, Keelan Dadd, Marquise Henry, Derrick Wilson, Dwayne Fagundes, Dane Vaughn and of course, Stevie Williams himself. Check out more photos below:
Virgin Mobile is teaming up with What’s Trending for a live holiday fundraising spectacular airing December 13 on YouTube.com/WhatsTrending at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. For the first time ever, the TWEET-A-TUBE-A-THON HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR will bring together YouTube stars, celebrities and bands live from New York and Los Angeles for a night of comedy acts, musical performances and goodwill. Performers and participants include Snoop Lion (formally Snoop Dogg if you’re behind the times), actor Kevin Pollak, iJustine and the cast of Annoying Orange, plus many more. This live holiday experience will be unlike any other online or offline; it’s a variety show for our digital age. For every viewer that tweets the hashtag, #Tubeathon, during Dec. 13, Virgin Mobile will donate $1 to Covenant House (covenanthouse.org), a non-profit organization with shelters around the country serving homeless youth. The Covenant House has shelters in 22 cities throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America, including homes in New Jersey and New York that were recently decimated by Hurricane Sandy. Let’s go!!! TWEET #TUBEATHON guys!!!
Do you remember this Florida crazy ? Via Huff Po reports : A Florida man accused of having sex with a miniature donkey named Doodle is protected by the United States Constitution, his lawyers say. In a motion obtained by Ocala.com and filed with Marion County court, Carlos Romero’s attorneys argue that the state’s anti-best***lity law deprives Romero of his “personal liberty and autonomy when it comes to private intimate activities.” Romero’s lawyers said the statute violate’s their client’s due process rights and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. The 32-year-old previously rejected a plea deal that would have required a year of probation, a $200 fine, a psychosexual evaluation and possible treatment, STD testing, no contact with children in a school setting, no ownership or possession of any mammals and revocation of his license to work in horse racing. The accusations stem from an August incident in which a witness reportedly saw Romero with his pants down “up against the rear of the donkey,” according to the Smoking Gun. Romero reportedly stepped away from the donkey and pulled up his pants when he saw the witness. But, when Marion County detectives questioned him about the incident, he allegedly admitted that, when the donkey is in heat, he will stand behind her, scratch her withers and pleasure himself. He says he “likes the way her fur feels on his privates,” according to WSTP-TV. GeekoSystem writes that Romero’s lawyers deserve credit for fighting for their client. All joking aside, no one can accuse Romero’s trio of public defenders — Joshua Wyatt, Scott Schmidt and Joshua Lukman – of not doing absolutely everything in their power to win the day in court for the so-far less than entirely cooperative Mr. Romero. These three guys are going to have their names attached forever to a legal document stating that sex with animals shouldn’t be against the law because they believe their client deserves the best representation they can offer. Romero has testified that he wants his case to go to trial. If he’s convicted of sex with an animal, Romero could face a year in county jail. SMH. There is no way in hell that the Constitution should allow for this nonsense. What about the Constitutional rights of poor Doodle? Maybe she doesn’t want her burro backs blown out. Then again, wouldn’t she buck him if she didn’t like it? Ewwwwwwww
The Screen Actors Guild unveiled its nominees for outstanding performances in 2012 in film and television Wednesday morning. Nominees were named in five film and eight primetime television categories in Los Angeles. Les Misérables , Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook lead the theatrical motion picture nominations with four each, while Argo , The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , The Sessions and Skyfall followed with two each. [ Related: ‘Lincoln’ And ‘Les Misérables’ Lead Critics Choice Award Nominees ] The Screen Actors Guild Awards styles themselves as the only ones “selected solely by actor’ peers in SAG-AFTRA.” Two nominating panels — one for television and one for film — each composed of 2,100 randomly selected union members from across the United States chose this year’s actor and stunt ensemble honors nominees. Final voting information will be mailed via postcard on Friday, Dec. 31, 2012. The eligible SAG-AFTRA membership across the country, numbering approximately 100,000 actors, may vote on all categories. [ Related: Oscar Index: ‘Zero Dark’ Domination & McConaughey’s ‘Magic’ Moves ] The following nominations include information provided by SAG-AFTRA. 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Theatrical Motion Pictures Nominations: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role BRADLEY COOPER / Pat – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company) DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures) JOHN HAWKES / Mark – “THE SESSIONS” (Fox Searchlight) HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean – “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures) DENZEL WASHINGTON / Whip Whitaker – “FLIGHT” (Paramount Pictures) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role JESSICA CHASTAIN / Maya – “ZERO DARK THIRTY” (Columbia Pictures) MARION COTILLARD / Stephanie – “RUST AND BONE” (Sony Pictures Classics) JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company) HELEN MIRREN / Alma Reville – “HITCHCOCK” (Fox Searchlight) NAOMI WATTS / Maria – “THE IMPOSSIBLE” (Summit Entertainment) [ Related: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Takes Top National Board Of Review Honors ] Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel – “ARGO” (Warner Bros. Pictures) JAVIER BARDEM / Silva – “SKYFALL” (Columbia Pictures) ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr. – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company) PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Lancaster Dodd – “THE MASTER” (The Weinstein Company) TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures) ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine – “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures) HELEN HUNT / Cheryl – “THE SESSIONS” (Fox Searchlight) NICOLE KIDMAN / Charlotte Bless – “THE PAPERBOY” (Millennium Entertainment) MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly – “THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL” (Fox Searchlight) Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures) BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders CLEA DUVALL / Cora Lijek VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov [ Related: LA Film Critics Name ‘Amour’ Best Picture, Boost ‘The Master,’ Jazz Up Oscar Race ] THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (Fox Searchlight) JUDI DENCH / Evelyn Greenslade CELIA IMRIE / Madge Hardcastle BILL NIGHY / Douglas Ainslie DEV PATEL / Sonny Kapoor RONALD PICKUP / Norman Cousins MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly TOM WILKINSON / Graham Dashwood PENELOPE WILTON / Jean Ainslie LES MISÉRABLES (Universal Pictures) ISABELLE ALLEN / Young Cosette SAMANTHA BARKS / Eponine SACHA BARON COHEN / Thénardier HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Madame Thénardier RUSSELL CROWE / Javert ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine DANIEL HUTTLESTONE / Gavroche HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean EDDIE REDMAYNE / Marius AMANDA SEYFRIED / Cosette AARON TVEIT / Enjolras COLM WILKINSON / Bishop LINCOLN (Touchstone Pictures) DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT / Robert Todd Lincoln HAL HOLBROOK / Preston Blair TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens JAMES SPADER / W.N. Bilbo DAVID STRATHAIRN / William Seward SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (The Weinstein Company) BRADLEY COOPER / Pat ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr. ANUPAM KHER / Dr. Cliff Patel JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany CHRIS TUCKER / Danny JACKI WEAVER / Dolores [ Related: NY Film Critics Circle Spices Up Oscar Race With ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Best Picture Pick ] SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Columbia Pictures) THE BOURNE LEGACY (Universal Pictures) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Warner Bros. Pictures) LES MISÉRABLES (Universal Pictures) SKYFALL (Columbia Pictures) LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Screen Actors Guild 49th Annual Life Achievement Award) DICK VAN DYKE (Television nominees follow on the next page)
