Ban on Happy Meal Toys?

I ran across this article this afternoon and just had to pass it on.  This is the type of ludicrous, just down right stupid, behavior that does nothing but cost our tax payers money and clog our courts.

A county is going to sue McDonald's to remove all toys from the Happy Meals, because the toys  "...lure children into McDonald's restaurants where they are then likely to order food that is too high in calories, fat and salt." 


What????


Now, unless something is really different in California McDonald's than here in Maryland, Happy Meals are geared to kids under the age of 8 or so.  While many of us get one for older kids, or even as adults, they are geared for young kids.  The last time I checked, no one under the age of 8 should be going to McD's on their own.  If they are, there are larger problems at hand than just what the kids are eating.


I'm not defending McDonald's as a healthy food, that's just stupid.  But you don't take your 5 or 7 year old to the golden arches for a healthy dinner.  You go there to reward them, as a little break from home cooking or because your traveling and you know what you are going to get.  


Check out this next quote -
"McDonald's is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children," Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group (Center for Science in the Public Interest) said in a statement. "McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children's developmental immaturity."


Look, if the parent can't be adult enough to say to a kid under 8, no we are not eating at McDs tonight, or you are going to get the apple slices instead of fries, then we really do have much larger issues.


Happy meal toys are not the problem.  The problem is that parents take the easy way out with dinner options for their kids and for themselves.  If you hit up fast food restaurants every night, then yeah, you're going to have health issues.  The toy isn't making the kids fat.  


Let the Happy Meal alone.

What people will do for Guinness World Records

You know, I get that people are drawn to a little bit of fame.  To have your name in the Guinness Book of World Records would be pretty cool. 

But, to do it by putting 16 cockroaches in your mouth?  What?

I found this story of what appears to be a pretty average guy from Michigan who works at a pet store, who decided to break the world record by putting 16 Madagascar hissing cockroaches in his mouth at one time.  What the hell?

The link also has a short video of the event.  The guy turned it into a spectacle, which most people do when they try to break Guinness World Records, and you can see him putting all 16 cockroaches in his mouth.  You can see them moving around as he adds the next one.

I know, and respect, that different cultures eat different things, but a cockroach?  Really?

Anyways, until next time, keep an eye out for those things just make you ask "What?".

Teen shot by 45 year old over baggy pants

Sorry it's been so long between posts.  I got real busy with work and then took a needed week off.  I hope to be back to more regular updates.

I need to thank my friend Jay Burkey for finding this article.

I have never been the most stylish person, anyone who knows me can attest to that.  And as such, I've never gotten in the real baggy jeans style that is usually associated with fans of Hip Hop and Rap.  You know what I'm referring to, jeans down do low that the pockets are at about the knees.  It's not my style, but hey if it is someone else's style, what do I care.  Aside from school or work place dress codes, it's not really affecting the scheme of life if someone wants to wear their jeans or other clothes super baggy.

But, Kenneth Bonds, 45 of Memphis Tennessee, appears to disagree with me.  After seeing two teens wearing their baggy clothes, he yelled at them to pull up their pants.  After the normal male teenage response to such a statement, which I'm sure involved something like "Go screw yourself old man", Mr Bonds decided to "pop a cap" at the boys.  Nailing one in the buttocks as they were running away.

What?

You know, we have enough problems in our county with guns that we don't need 45 year old shooting at high school kids because of how they are dressing.  I thought about taking my comments down a direction associated with the number, and ease of obtaining, handguns and small assault weapons, but I really don't want to get into a 2nd Amendment argument.  We'll save that for another blog entry.

So, until next time, Keep your guns locked up and just people be themselves. 

Later........