I really love it here. My son loves the ocean too. It was warm today, so we went to the beach and plaid in the water, on the swings, and just had fun. I’m trying to decide - do I like California, Hawaii, or Florida better? Not sure - though I guess it depends on the season and place.

My son Tobey playing in the sand. He always gives these dorky smiles when I tell him to smile.

Some beautiful flowers in CA.

Some cool chairs in CA - and thank goodness no that is not a Bible.

So those are some pics from California. Here are a few from Hawaii:

The beach-line view from hotel room

The view from the side.

Now these were hard to get. It's better I think than my picture from CA - I'll have to dig that up.

Awww, sunsets . . . A beautiful lady, a glass of wine, and a sunset - how can it get any better?

Teenagers Who Make Such Promises Are Just as Likely to Have Sex, and Less Likely to Use Protection, the Data Indicate

“New research shows that, whether or not they wear purity rings or make other pledges that they will protect their virginity, more than half of American teenagers become sexually active before they get married. (By Jonathan Dyer — Hilton Head Island Packet Via Associated Press)”

So, what the religious right is doing is not working. Will they admit it and find a better way, or will they continue to cram religion down our throats, and continue to blindly say that it works? The fact is, when you make it a off-limits subject and your kids can’t talk to you, you have issues. Just like Palin’s daughter - birth control and condoms were bad - and they were not supposed to be having sex - well that worked real well. The thing is to have a relationship with your kids so that as teens they respect you enough that they talk to you. It’s better to have them using protection than not at all because they are afraid of their parents. To me, it’s better to have a relationship with your kids and don’t teach them religious bull shit. If you teach them they need to be of age instead of telling them to wait until marriage (which they will not do), I think you’ll have better luck with preventing teen-age pregnancy.

Season’s Greetings to some of my readers. I’m enjoying Xmas. I thought I would not make it to families - but things worked out and I was able to get here. I love the ocean - whether it is in FL, HI, or CA. I need to see the ocean on the East Coast now. And yes, Deist can celebrate Xmas.

If you have been watching the news recently, there have been a number of stories in the news about children and horrible abuse that Child “Services” had a responsibility to protect, but failed to do so. We have the one in California which seems to be taking center stage.

So what’s the answer? Well, one I believe that child services needs major overall.

1. I think we need to have a review board that has members of the general public on it.

2. I think we need to require that children have a right to challenge their cases.

3. I think we need to force all employees to take polygraph tests. Ask them if they care about children. Ask about their personal histories. Remember these people are working with children.

4. I think that workers who clearly let cases slip need to be punished by jail time. If real abuse is reported, and they do not investigate, they should be charged with a felony child abuse and neglect.

Yes, these are extreme measures, but I believe we need to take steps to protect our children.

I can remember when I was younger and my parents were investigated for beating us children. When the child service worker saw the bruising on me and I told her that yes I was “spanked” when I was 16, she replied by telling me she had no issue with that and that she herself spanked her 3 month old baby.

To me that worker should have been charged with child neglect and abuse, not just in the case of me and my brothers and sisters, but in the case of her own child! Spanking a 3 month old baby! That’s just wrong!