My critique of TSA...IDK' post

TSA...IDK

           I disagree with your commentary on the full body scans not seeing you naked. Here is a picture of one of the full body exams. This is the TSA Security Laboratory Director Susan Hallowell and you can find it on Wikipedia. I think that is crazy and a little unprofessional. She looks pretty naked to me. This could be a pretty embarrassing thing for someone. What if they were not very endowed (female or male) or they had some type of implantation. Airport security gets a pretty good idea of what you look like up close and personal. I believe this is more of an invasion of privacy than a pat down or at least equivalent.

These are virtual strip searches without probable cause which could questionably be illegal and violate basic human rights. Also, x rays produce radiation. If these things are not handled correctly could have some long term health effects as well.

        On the other hand, I can see where they are really useful. They are quick, effective, and potentially save lives. Which is more important our privacy or safety? I am leaning toward safety. I do hope the people doing the scans are not able to save the pictures. If they can’t I dont think they are as harmful. The problem you get is when you start seeing them pop on the internet like this picture.

        My last comment is your post seems a little unclear as to what’s your argument. Are you for or against the scan? How do you think the government should regulate this issue? What would you do if you were the government? I think if you just cleared up these questions you would have a stronger post. Otherwise, I liked what you had to say and I could definitely see people causing a scene. Your argument could be that the drama from the scans could be counterproductive to the so called time you are saving by having the scans....

Should the US government take control of our children’s nutrition? YES YES YES!!!

I believe the government should pass the Child Nutrition Bill.  The $4.5 billion Senate bill, which passed with unanimous consent in August, would expand eligibility for school lunch programs, establish nutrition standards for all school meals, and encourage schools to use locally sourced food. It would also raise the reimbursement rate to 6 cents per meal, marking the first time in over 30 years that Congress has increased funding for school lunch programs. The House of Representatives has delayed their vote on the subject.

I support Obama’s crusade on nutrition. Yes, it may seem expensive at first but it will save out country billions in the long run. I grew up in a middle class home but nutrition was not a priority. Not because my parents hate me. Physical exercise was a daily part of my life. But, I also drank sodas and ate ice cream every night as well. I was skinny so everybody looked at me like I was healthy. Unfortunately, these bad habits stay with you throughout life unless you change them. It is a lot harder to break bad habits and form good habits. This is not entirely my parents fault. They were not educated on nutrition and didn’t understand the importance on health. I was literally addicted to sweets.

However, my boyfriend was raised up not eating sweets and drinking sodas. He also learned the value of nutrition. He has taught me a lot and I now lead a healthier lifestyle. But, it is a constant struggle. One good side effect, I don’t get migraines anymore. I save over $200/month by not having to buy medication for migraines. It really took me being educated on nutrition (at the University of Texas) and a support system (my boyfriend) to stay healthy.

What I am getting at is a healthy life starts when you are young. This is when it is a lot easier to establish and maintain healthier eating habits. The problem is that most of the parents don’t know what is really healthy. Most labels say the healthy but they are full of preservatives, sodium, and artificial sweeteners. You could solve this by having at least one meal that is healthy at school. This will cut down on health problems and create a healthier future of Americans. It is time for the government to step in and take control of our nation’s obesity problem. This is one way for them to do it. The quicker this is passed the better for everyone.

ABC News

Renewable energy - the wave of the future

I agree with your argument that our future is in renewable energy. We need to jump on the bandwagon but in a big way. We should have been more heavily invested in renewable energy a long time ago. I don't like the idea that we are behind China and Europe on this concept. This is a problem if we want to be the greatest power on Earth. It seems that we just keep going more into debt and China keeps gaining ground.  What baffles me is that we are willing to spend millions and billions of dollars on going to the moon just to be number one. We also spend trillions of dollars on fighting an oil war in Iraq. So why are we not focused on fighting the renewable energy battle?  The problem is that the politicians that are in office don't see the results of their money spent if they focus on renewable energy. This is a process that takes years and years of money and research. The politicians will be out of office before there are any results.   

I agree with you that states need to come together and government needs to allow renewable projects to happen. I also agree with your comment that it will create alot of jobs and would be great for our economy.  Now we just need to get Congress on board. If Congress thought less on staying in office and more on the people they are supposed to be serving, renewable energy could be our future. I also would have like to seen more on what you think should be done and how you feel about it. Not just the author.I do like how you mentioned that we needed to go green "for survival of the fittest" as country. Renewable energy 

U.S.-Mexico 'war on drugs' a failure

I am thankful that I am an American citizen and I would like to protect that. Most of us would. We go and fight in this war thousands of miles away for years trying to protect our freedom. This is nothing new to our country. We have been all over the world fighting our battles and others. It seems like there is always a new cause we are fighting for and no end in sight. We spend unending amount of money feeding the fire of our nation’s real pastime, war.  Now I will admit I don’t know everything. There is a lot of government stuff that happens behind the scenes that I am unaware of. But I do have one question: What about Mexico? Correct me if I am wrong but we are willing to go thousands of miles to help people out, but we don’t even help our neighbors fight the war on drugs and the Mexican Cartel? This is in our backyard people. This is our war.  I mean there is a so called border separating us from our friendly neighbors but has that stopped drugs from getting over onto US soil? No. This is a daunting task. I have seen border wars, the show where they stop one cockroach (drug runner) and 12 million more pop up. This is another form of terrorism. The cartel has no regard for human life and the more south you go the less safe you are. Also, the drugs are coming in at an alarming rate but no one is talking about it. Maybe it is that concept out of sight out of mind. Obama and our nations politicians are in Washington D.C., we are in Texas. From my perspective the government is not doing much to protect our borders from the drugs crossing over and insuring people’s safety. What if this is just a closer version of terrorism (one drug at a time) killing our people. The fear is so bad that reporters in border towns can’t even report the violence for fear of their lives. The media is supposed to be our new source to what is going on. It’s hard to get the news if no one is reporting. My opinion is that the government should do more before this issue crosses the border and heads more inland. We need to plan ahead before it is too late. Not wait for it to become a crisis and then let’s fix it. Prevention is important. But please inform me of your opinions I would love to get closer to the answer and that comes from getting all the information possible. Talk to me people...

His name is Dick by Ann Coulter....critiqued by Danielle Burns

Ann Coulter 


My first impression of Ann Coulter was that she was crazy! Most people are familiar with her and her radical opinions. She is a lawyer, legal correspondent for Human Events, a column writer for Universal Press Syndicate, guest on many popular television shows, and author of 7 New York Times best selling books. Even if you don't agree with her, she has accomplished a lot of professional success. I am really interested in is her article " His name is Dick". She claims that Connecticut Attorney General, Richard (Dick) Blumenthal, doesn't care about how many law abiding citizens he destroys on the way to the top. He is running for Senate against Linda McMahon and Ann believes he must be stopped. She argues that Dick is gaining fame at the expense of taxpayer citizens. Case in point, Dick sued businesswoman, Gina Kolb, claiming she overcharged the state 500K. "No supplier should be permitted to shortchange or overcharge the state without severe consequences." So Kolb was arrested on 7 charges of larceny, which were later dismissed. but the damage was done. She later countersued and was awarded 18 million for Dick's "pattern of conduct" that destroyed her business and life. He couldn't take it so he attacked again and got the number reduced. I mean the guy is ridiculous he spent thousands of taxpayers dollars on a "witch hunt". How else is he going to gain the fame and prestige to get into Senate, other than looking like a hero taking down a "criminal". What a win win for him. He did not have to use his money or reap any repercussions. He abused his power. That is not okay. Oh, did I mention that Dick lied about being a Vietnam war verteran? I mean who does that? How can you trust someone who will lie about something so serious? You can't. So I may not agree with Ann Coulter stands for. I also understand that Dick is a democrat and Ann is a Republican, so of course she wants to highlight Dick's negatives. But she does highlight some important things. She is holding a politician's feet to the fire and making him accountable for things he does. This is the kind of issue that John Stewart addressed on CNN's Crossfire. We got to call the politicians out on things. Of course people are going to do something if they aren't held accountable and no one knows about it. They are human. But if we want quality representatives in office we have to take responsibility as Americans and hold their feet to the fire. This is what passionate people like Ann and others can do. This just reinforces the idea of factions factionalizing the factions and I think it can work for us.

Critique of " The Only Policy Left: Growth"

The Wall Street Journal

          The author, Daniel Henninger, is the deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in editoril writing in 1987 and 1996. The author's intended audience in this piece "The Only Policy Left: Growth" says its the American People. But I definitely believe he is pointing the finger at American politicians as his main target. He is arguing that nothing so far politicians have done has helped the economy. Unemployment is still at 9% and our solution is economic growth. Henninger's evidence comes from economists all being in agreement on the proven wonders of economic growth. It is proven to create jobs, increase individual wealth, reduces debt, and enhance national well being.  Democrats are too focused on the public sector. Republicans hardly remember how to give Economic growth the starring lead. The Solution: let the Americans solve this problem the American way: work, compete, innovate. Pretty much do whatever it takes to create economic growth
He also talks about the American people being fed up with politicians that they are " cheap, lying, no good, etc..."  I believe its time to stop placing the blame and lets do something about it. But we do need good solutions to the problem instead of just throwing money at it. Also, some of our problems we need to take care of ourselves. If you cant afford it dont buy it (unless medical are starving issue). The American dream comes at a price, hard work and accountability.
I agree with what he says, that we just need to get out there and work. Any job is better than none. I do think that our generation has the idea that we are "owed" something (aka job). But it doesnt work that way. I think he is trying to say that the law of natural selection applies, the strong will survive.  I still believe we have to help people that need it.  But those who actually deserve it. We need to go on a strict budget and stop frivolous spending. Henninger mainly says the solution is: people need to work, compete, and innovate. Henninger does say the challenge of political leadership is a population being asked to sacrifice needs, to be able to believe something better is possible. He does make a good argument but I believe he needs more examples of how to stimulate economic growth. I think his argument would be stronger and less philosophical. Last thing to say is that I believe he is also saying the Republican Party are the leaders that will solve this problem. So I do believe he is biased.

“Congress Poised to Hit Campaign Trail Before Finishing Basic Budget Duties.”



(I thought this was funny.Kids are hilarious.)









Hello guys, I just wanted to post this article from FoxNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/16/congress-poised-hit-campaign-trail-finishing-basic-budget-duties/. The headline reads, “Congress Poised to Hit Campaign Trail Before Finishing Basic Budget Duties.” I think this article is good because it talks about how are government money is being spent and the forecast for the economy. This information affects all American citizens. I think reading an article like this is a great way to gain useful knowledge and become better informed. I just wanted to provide you with a quick summary of the main highlights of the article. I found out that the poverty rate is at 14% which is the highest it has been in over 10 years. Home foreclosures last month were 25% higher than a year ago.. Congress is stalling on budget talk because of their upcoming November election and is more like to keep the current spending amount. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, feels that the president and his team don’t understand what they are doing. Boehner said that excessive government spending and struggling small businesses is hurting the opportunity to create jobs. Obama’s solution is just to keep spending.  Even senators like Ben Cardin, who supported Obama’s $814 billion dollar stimulus package last year, does not agree with more spending now. "We can't use (stimulus spending) always," Cardin said. He continued on by saying, "Now the deficit is a drag on our economy and that is part of the equation as we develop the next round of fiscal policies."  Whatever your political ideals are, good money management just  makes sense. In my opinion, most Americans got into debt trying to live the American dream, credit card maxed out. Maybe Obama should meet with finance whiz, Suze Orman. She would probably tell him, “If you don’t have it, don’t spend it.” I agree .....:)