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In November, an Illinois middle school struck what it deemed to be a blow for public decency by suspending a 13-year old girl for violating its ban on “public displays of affection.” Her crime: hugging two friends goodbye at the end of school one day. The punishment: two days in detention, one day for each hugged friend. The predictable public reaction to date: laughter…up to the point that the public realized that the school was being quite serious, and that these people are in charge of educating the next generation.

But the American system of justice-in the courtroom, as well as in the court of public opinion-has always been one that listens before it condemns (or laughs, as the case may be). And so before drawing any conclusions, we should first know something about the background leading up to the school’s hard line against soft or tender emotions.

Back in the 1990s, Mascoutah Middle School in Mascoutah, Illinois adopted a rule banning “public displays of affection.” It is a rule which school officials insist has worked well in keeping adolescent hormones under control. And it is probably not terribly different from similar rules in place throughout the country. But the suspension of young Megan Coulter, for putting her arm around her friends and squeezing their shoulders as they parted company for the weekend, has brought ridicule and scorn upon her school. And it has left some of us questioning whether we should be spending billions of dollars looking for intelligent life on other planets, when it appears to be so hard to find here on Earth.

The actual policy itself is probably not to blame. The rule itself reads: “Displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time. It is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment, and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved.” It appears aimed at preventing kids from making out on school grounds, and is a policy which fathers of teenaged girls everywhere will applaud. And though it doesn’t actually specify exactly what constitutes a “display of affection,” suspending a couple of students for sucking face in full view of the rest of the school-or any impressionable and volatile adults in the vicinity-would probably have drawn yawns, rather than headlines.

In this case, though, the “display of affection” involved was no more than a shoulder squeeze. Between girlfriends. After school. And as they were heading home for the weekend.

Like any sane human beings would do, Megan and her family immediately protested the school’s decision, figuring that the administration couldn’t be serious. They dropped their protests when the girl was threatened with suspension if she didn’t report as ordered for detention. Presently, we have heard nothing from the local chapter of the ACLU about any anticipated legal action for sex discrimination: the boys’ equivalent to the girls’ shoulder squeeze-a punch on the shoulder-probably wouldn’t qualify as a “display of affection,” so the opportunities for further embarrassment to the school appears promising.

In the end, though, there is probably no need to add to the well-earned ridicule the school and its woolen-headed administrators will be getting in the coming weeks. Rather, we should all worry about the messages we’re sending to the next generation. Like those we ourselves learned while growing up, most of these messages are unintentional, but they are ones that the kids will carry with them to adulthood.

In Mascoutah, the school seems to be teaching its students that in a world often filled with hatred and division, the adults in charge of things don’t believe that there is any room for love, kindness, or friendship. They are demonstrating the danger of taking themselves too seriously, and the risks that come from being unable to ask the right question. They also seem to be demonstrating that it is better to make others suffer, rather than to admit making a mistake. And sadly enough, the lesson the kids are most likely to draw is that they will all need to sort out what’s important for themselves, because so many of the grownups around them have lost their ability to think.

Certainly, this wasn’t the intent of the school. In fact, their decision was probably the result of a desperate effort to avoid the need to think in the first place, and the escape the responsibility of making the sorts of distinctions that all of us make in our lives everyday. But this will be the result of their unthinking application of rules that seemed quite logical at the time they were adopted-rules which, like most rules, carry unintended consequences if applied mechanically, without the involvement of someone’s cerebral cortex. Those who can adapt to the world manage to avoid applying the wrong rules at the wrong time, because they see that rules merely are there to guide us through life. Those who cannot do so-and who believe that enforcing rules is an end in itself—make much of the trouble in the world, and often end up making fools of themselves in the process.

In the meantime, most of us can thank the Mascoutah Middle School for all the amusement they have brought into our lives. But they really owe the young lady, and her classmates, an apology.

Jeffrey Caminsky, a veteran public prosecutor in Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. Both his science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the first volume in the Guardians of Peace ™ science fiction adventure series, and The Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating, are published by New Alexandria Press, http://www.newalexandriapress.com.

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Pain. Immense pain. Sometimes unbearable, and sometimes incomprehensible. So many of us live life in pain. The pain of decision-making. The pain of thinking about life. The pain of keeping dead relationships alive. The pain of memories that haunt us. The pain of fear. The pain of getting up in the morning and the pain of sleepless nights. The pain of loss of someone most dear and the pain of waiting for them to return. Pain, and more pain in everything.

It is life. The life of pain. Look at your own eyes in the mirror and many times you will see the pain of tiredness. The pain of trying to run away from pain. Why? Because, we all live. Yes, pain comes because we live. Only dead have peace. Or very small children or saints. Rest of us are in some pain at all the times. Pain becomes such an essential part of life that many times, we tend to forget that we are living in pain. We become unaware of a life of cheer, and a painless life.

Is there anyway to counter the pains? Sometimes, when we begin losing our balance, we do approach psychiatrists. But if the choice is wrong, that may lead to bigger pain. Is a president of a nation without any pains? Ask him/her and you will get a basketful of surprises. Is a young teenager without pain? Ask and you will get another basket. Keep on listing and keep on asking. CEOs of companies, students, junior executives, shop owners, movie makers, celebrities, poor people…The list will be endless and so will be the story of pains.

Any way out of pains? One can reflect about what is happening in one’s life that is killing the essence of living. But that exercise will not take away any pain, unless we change ourselves totally. How to do that? Let us begin with reflecting and finding out what gives us pains. Count even the smallest pain. Let the journey of making enquiries begin. Coming out of pains will only follow that exercise. Take the first step. After reflecting about and counting all the pains, you may realize that some pains are totally inescapable.

CD Mohatta writes content for ecards on Love and all other topics. A good ecard can make a big impact. Good text can enhance the value of an eCard. View some of his eCards here. eCard- Love, eCard- Passion, eCard - I Miss You

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Although I have not been affected by the devastation, my family were in the World Trade Centre just two days before it went down. A little too close for comfort from where I’m sitting. I can’t even begin to imagine how it has affected others who really did lose loved ones - all I can offer you is my deepest sympathies and condolences.

What better way to cherish those that passed by having a permanent memorial inked into your skin? There is such an overwhelming and beautiful variety of tattoos dedicated to the terrorist attacks that it is simply best to keep words to a minimum here, and urge you to look at the links I have found so you can focus on the imagery instead.

This stunning backpiece worn by Michael Golding.

Just after the actual attacks five years ago, tattooists all over the U.S. donated their skills by tattooing survivors and families of the victims for free. Since 9/11, tattoos dedicated to the event itself have been growing ever more so popular, often now featuring as a whole separate category to display the vast amount of images inked up in tattooist’s galleries.

Although I do not need to recount the happenings of that day, the tattoos etched into skin at this time (and even today) are a wonderful reminder of how society can mourn, cherish, remember, rebuild and become stronger because of it. It is a strangely eerie feeling looking over these tattoos, but one that leaves you impressed and completely blown away nonetheless.

Take a look at the following links to see some breathtaking, touching and very loving and affectionate tributes to all that lost their lives on September 11th - and have your own silent little moment for what has been and what now is.

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatart/l/blgal911.htm

http://www.firehouse.com/terrorist/

http://modblog.bmezine.com/2005/09/09/september-11th-tattoos/

http://modblog.bmezine.com/2005/09/10/firefighter-tattoos/

http://www.strikethebox.com/

If you would like to share your own memories, links and/or photographs of this fateful day (particularly tattoos), then please do not hestiate to get in touch. Please, feel free to register as a member and add your thoughts and comments if you have the time.

Scott Jones organizes Tattoos by Design Zine at http://www.tattoos-by-design.co.uk/zine/.

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Within the last several years, the headset industry has contracted from several major manufacturers to basically only two viable competitors in the marketplace. Throughout this era of merger, acquisition and attrition, the value of special programs offered to the headset customer has become increasingly more important in each manufacturer maintaining a competitive advantage in the industry.

Programs that offer one “free” unit with each and every purchase of a pre-determined number of headsets is one program that benefits the customers prepared to order at or above the minimum level.

While at initial glance a perk of this nature may be viewed as a National Account partner as having tremendous value in cost savings, a closer investigation into this cookie-cutter offer may reveal a program that is more advantageous to the manufacturer than to the customer.

The first consideration is a National Account’s willingness to commit that every order placed will be of a certain size in order to receive the free unit. In analyzing current level of purchases from most companies using headsets and projecting a potential number of orders received from company facilities over the life of an agreement, it is unlikely all orders would meet the minimums of receiving free product with every order or for every headset category. (a Buy 10, Get 1 Free is a popular program but for corded headsets only). In the event that many orders would not qualify, would offices delay procuring headsets for employees in need of hands-free communications to allow enough time for 10 or more people to be prepared to order? Would some offices be pressured to increase the size of their orders as to not “miss out” on some perceived benefit?

If a company were given the option of batching orders to maximize the amount of free units earned, which locations would benefit from the free unit? If those orders contained a variety of headset styles and compatible amplifiers, what free unit would the company receive? Finally, who will be responsible for administering this program and managing the logistics of this product allocation and how it is accounted for?

Most National Accounts standardize on a headset manufacturer and a distributor to realize tangible cost-savings initiatives. Unfortunately, this free product program is often more flash than substance as it relates to the bottom line.

Many times Corporate Purchasing Departments discover excess headset inventories stockpiled in supply closets and equipment rooms earned through these types of programs. As technologies or telephone equipment changes, many times these products are of little or no value to the customer. At this point the negotiated contract price for procuring headsets seems to fly in face of fiscal responsibility.

Be sure you can negotiate to insure that you are getting the full benefit of these programs before contracts and purchasing agreements are complete. Involve the headset manufacturer and you will feel that you have the best value and program available in the market today.

Melissa Vokoun - From 1983 to 2005 she was COO and VP of Sales and Marketing for a national headset distributor. Her passion for headsets, the Call Center market, as well as recruiting, training and managing these staffs continues to be her inspiration. She is now President and Founder of NuVo Partners, an Assessment, Training and Coaching firm specializing in Inside Sales staffs and Customer Service Representatives. To learn more about Nu-ances of Headsets please visit the website at: http://www.nuvopartners.com or call 847-392-6886.

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Gun control is one of the most controversial topics being discussed today. Many people believe that it violates their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Others believe that it is essential to keep guns out of the hands of those who might use them for harm. Either way, every state now requires some sort of firearm background check before a gun can be sold.

The Brady Bill

This is a result of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, (The Brady Bill), which was enacted in 1994. At a minimum, each state requires a firearm background check to include a search of the National Instant Check System (NICS), which identifies anyone barred from owning a gun.

However, states vary widely in their requirements for enforcing the law. Twenty-one states require only the NICS check. In the states of Connecticut, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia both state and federal firearm background checks are required. Residents of Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Missouri are only required to pass a federal firearm background check but they do need a permit. One problem with the law is that only licensed firearms sellers are required to comply with it.

Private sales of guns

Private sellers can easily sell to anyone who wants a gun and no firearm background check is required. The Brady Law was passed to prevent the sale of guns to people who are mentally incompetent to handle firearms, have violent histories, or otherwise might not use guns wisely. It was never intended as a violation of anyone’s constitutional rights. And it has worked, to a degree.

Although a firearm background check helps identify people who are barred from buying firearms, a lot of people are not included due to errors or omissions. The database is only as accurate as the information put in to it and, if the information was entered incorrectly, a name may not show up. A simple spelling or address error may mean that someone who is barred from owning a firearm can get one. But the Bureau of Justice reported that in 2007 over 8.6 billion background checks were done for individuals wanting to purchase a gun or get a concealed carry permit.

Despite its flaws, the practice of doing a firearm background check is still reducing the number of guns being put in the hands of some dangerous people. And it is protecting a lot of other, innocent people.

Scott Elliott owns and operates http://www.BackgroundCheckAdvice.com
Background Check Advice

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I have not, as yet, decided for whom I will vote, although I have a very good idea who I will NOT vote for. The ‘debates’ are supposed to be for us to see which candidate expresses our views best. The League of Women Voters use to sponsor these debates .

NBC - whose parent company is General Electric - has changed the rules. In a recent political debate, GE decided who can and cannot be present in the debate televised on NBC. Dennis Kucinich was invited, and accepted. At the last minute GE said no, he could not be present.

The lower court ruled otherwise. In the 11th hour, GE had the Nevada Supreme Court rule the debate was private and NBC could decide who could, and who could not, be present in a nationally televised presidential debate.

This is fine, if NBC had said at the beginning of the debate they only invited certain people to attend. Instead, NBC tried to give the impression this was an open debate and all candidates were invited to be present.

This led to a lot of questions in my mind. GE - those people who bring good things to life - also happens to be the biggest arms dealer in the world. There is more profit in bringing death to people than good things to life. Now, why would they not want Dennis Kucinich present at the debate they sponsor? Could it be because he is against this ‘war’ in Iraq? If America started pulling out now, then GE would sell fewer weapons to kill people with and therefore make less profit?

The next question that came to mind is - exactly how much behind the scenes influence corporate America has on the coming election? If they say who can and cannot be heard expressing views does that not mean they have already decided who will win primaries and the general populace basically has no voice in the decision?

What can we, as average citizens, do to counteract the influence of corporate America? I strongly suggest forget who the media claims are the front runners and read the views and positions of the ignored candidates.

We recently heard there seems to have been a problem with the voting machines in New Hampshire’s primary. This did not surprise me. In the 2004 presidential election, I was a volunteer in one of the poorer neighborhoods in West Palm Beach. There were three voting machines, one which did not work. People were lined up for up to four hours waiting to vote. Of the two machines that did work, one automatically changed every 50th vote to G. Bush. In my neighborhood, which is a little more affluent and heavily republican, there were 12 voting machines and they all worked fine.

I am not going to list all the illegal things done in the last two elections. Either people remember for themselves or ignore the obvious. It is the coming election that is important. We all have to vote this year. The more people that vote, the less likely the election is manipulated. If Iowans could turn out in record numbers in below freezing weather to vote in their caucus, there is no excuse for the rest of the country not to vote, unless of course, people like the direction this country is headed.

Athena Louise

http://www.athenalouise.com

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You have heard a lot about credit cards and now you want one for yourself but you just can’t have any one. You want the best card available from issuers and Card Hub can help you to find it. Actually many people like you are on the lookout for the best one which gives the maximum benefits that they can provide and comes with very little hassles. In fact, lots of cards are available in the market but before you choose one you have to ask yourself a few questions. First you should know what exactly you are looking for and then you should analyze your spending habits. Once you find the answers to these two questions then finding the best one would not be a problem.

You must find out how you spend your money or if you have a tendency to use your card on every single purchase. If you often do so then you should opt for one with good rewards. But before that you need to curb your tendency to overspend. If you overspend then it would not be possible for you to pay the minimum payment on your credit card and in such a case all the rewards that you earn on your purchases would stand cancelled. So the trick lies in drawing the line to get the maximum benefit from a good rewards one.

Credit card debts are always bad and they can ruin many lives. If you cannot control your money and spending then you would soon accumulate huge debts. If you have an addiction for unaccounted shopping you would be better off without one.

You have lots of options when you can manage your credit. If you have a excellent credit history, then you should go for a high reward one because it will give you 5% cashback on your purchases.

People who travel a lot can opt for the frequent flyer cards for airlines. If you spend substantial amount of money on fuel, then get a fuel cost saving one. They offer a high cashback percentage on fuel purchases or traveling. Ultimately it is clear your money spending habits determine the type of credit card that you should have. Using it judiciously will ensure that you get all the benefits that it has to offer. You must know what your limits are and curb bad habits of spending more than what you are permitted because your card has a limit.

Find more information about Card Hub and Credit Cards in our site. We will always find reliable and correct information in the site.

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The Rooster years are 921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, and 2005.

There are no idle moments for a Rooster. Time is very precious to him. They also expect too much from themselves and from others. They have troubled relationships because they always think they are right; which most of the times is true enough. Although they are outwardly adventurous, they are actually timid persons. But don’t be fooled by this timidity! They are very brave persons.

If you were born in the year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac calendar you are likely the kind who strut his stuff. Roosters are very careful about their appearance, manner and dress. They don’t take unnecessary risks. A keen observer, a Rooster can take in details that he uses for his judgment. So it is sure that many great surgeons, accountants, and lawyers are Roosters! And they don’t mince words when they speak their minds. It is also very hard to fool these people. However they can be very generous with their praise.

Roosters do not hide behind lies and falsities. They are open about themselves. They wont pretend to love you when they do not. But they would love it if you show that they are special to you. Being practical people they don’t have flights of fancies. They are stuck with the realities of life. So you cannot expect a Rooster to have quixotic quests.

As a partner, with the right sign, a Rooster can be loyal through thick and thin. However they are chronic naggers. They expect people to live up to their ideals. This causes a lot of conflict in a Rooster’s personal and professional life. He expects his family and lovers to keep up to his expectations-an impeccable house and the right clothes and accessories. That’s a rooster for you. But unexpectedly, paired with a wrong sign, a Rooster cannot reach his full potential as he will be henpecked down the pecking order. The ideal partner for the rooster is the Ox or the Snake.

In the year of the Pig, the rooster may have both good and bad luck. The Fire Pig is detrimental to the element of the rooster - metal. The Rooster will experience five favorable and seven bad months. In his career, he may face a significant problem. So Roosters should not take any drastic career moves.

A Rooster will enjoy his family greatly this year. They will be his source for constant joy and happiness. This is also the right time to have a baby or get married. Cupid’s bow will hit a Rooster’s heart right on target this year.

But a Rooster should take care this year because there is a danger of accidents. Stress related health concerns should also be taken seriously. Care must be exercised not create conflict in the workplace.

A Rooster may come into money this year from an unexpected source. If investments were made, expect some returns. A Rooster should learn how to live with others and not expect too much.

Tischenko Irina is one of the top rated Copywriter and SEO on most of outsourcing portals. She is ready to write for you on any topics under this holy sun. Contact her for Article Writing Services.

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Cellular Phone is a portable device for enabling communications on long distance.

Cellular phones are much more advanced than regular phones, and they are capable of transferring data such as text messages, SMS, connecting to the internet, receiving and sending emails, playing movies and music and much more. Cellular phones have become so popular that many of the phones can carry cellular phone accessories to go along with.

It is no secret that the more advanced your cellular phone is, the more features it will support.
To some of you, these features would mean nothing, and to others they would make the decision of whether to buy the cellular phone or not.

Some of today’s common features on cellular phones are:

Camera Cellular Phone

Internet browsing

Recordings

Music playing

Organizers

Bluetooth Connectivity

Radio

Wireless Modem

Video Calls

Today’s leading manufacturer of cellular phones is Nokia, which holds about 35% of the cellular phones market share.

Cellular phones come with a large variety of accessories- which capture a rapidly growing market size of purchases related to cellular phones.

Some of the most popular cellular phones accessories are:

Antennas, Bluethooth, body glove cases, charms, codi cases, color keypads, connectors, data cables, hands free, holograms, memories, mp3 accessories, Naztech cases, protect chargers and more..

A list of popular U.S cellular phones accessories providers:

Mitsubushi cell phone accessories - HTC cell phone accessories - Nokia cell phone accessories - Panasonic cell phone accessories - Sanyo cell phone accessories - Samsung cell phone accessories - Sony Ericsson cell phone accessories - Siemens cell phone accessories
- Audiovox cell phone accessories - Danger cell phone accessories - HTC cell phone accessories - Kyocera cell phone accessories
- LGIC cell phone accessories - NEC cell phone accessories - Palmone cell phone accessories - Pantech cell phone accessories
- VK Mobile cell phone accessories - UTStarcom cell phone accessories

cellular phones accessories

Cellular phone accessory

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If you’ve ever wondered how to make money online, then you’ve probably already looked into it. You’ve probably seen that there are virtually thousands of people ready to tell you how to make money online. And you may have found that they aren’t all being honest with you.

The simple truth is that the internet is quite literally a whole world of customers and every kind of business wants to tap into that world. The internet is also a world full of people just like you, who want to know how to make money online, and there are a whole lot of people who know it and some of them aren’t honest people. If you’ve already learned this the hard way, don’t despair. There really are honest ways to learn how to make money online.

One way is to go to the online auction school that teaches you how to make money online by selling your things at online auctions. You will initially make a few bucks, but eventually you will run out of things to sell. Another way is to build your own website and sell your own products that you invented. There is a website that shows you how to make money online doing this. But have you invented anything? And do you have enough of it to sell?

These are certainly a couple of ideas of how to make money online, but you probably want an opportunity that is already established, something that is tried and true. An opportunity that can show you that others have made money on the internet using the same opportunity. There is such an opportunity and the people who began it have been in business for quite some time, and have shown a lot of people how to make money online. And, many of those people have made a lot of money doing it, too.

This opportunity is not one of those hyped up online scams you’ve fallen for before. Do you know how to tell? You can tell because this opportunity is up front about how much it costs to buy into the business. The information is right on the home page. They don’t make you sign up and log in so that they can send you 25 spam e-mails a day to try to bully you into giving them money. This opportunity lays it on the line and lets you decide for yourself. That’s how you know that this is the way to learn how to make money online.

To learn more about this article and How to make money online, visit Mike’s Big Ticket To Wealth website.

About the Author: Mike Day has generated over 20 million dollars in sales and is one of the most sought after mentors. Mike has helped countless people achieve extraordinary incomes in very short periods of time. He devotes the time, energy, and effort into his team and imparts his vast knowledge and marketing wisdom to provide opportunity for Huge success and income for those fortunate enough to be mentored by him.

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