Parents are liable for children missing too much school

I thought this article went along well with our discussion of a parents liability over children's actions.  I find it interesting that this law doesn't apply to high school students, but only to students between kindergarten and 8th grade.

http://articles.ivpressonline.com/2010-12-30/student-attendance-review-board_26352387

Dalai Lama visits San Diego

 Very interesting and relevant comments by the Dalai Lama in San Diego:



His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, on the first day of a five-day visit to Southern California, urged students at UC San Diego on Wednesday not to be distracted by materialism.
A large house and a good salary, he told a morning gathering at the La Jolla campus, should not be considered the "meaning of life."
"No, certainly not!" the 76-year-old spiritual leader of the Tibetan people said during a panel discussion on global warming attended by more than 4,000 persons in the campus basketball arena.
People everywhere should strive to promote tolerance, nonviolence and concern for the environment, he said.
"This is something serious, very serious," he said. "This small blue planet is our only one…. This beautiful planet (was) created by God. It is wrong just to exploit (it) as much as possible without care."
Still, the Dalai Lama did not underestimate the difficulty of vexing issues balancing the environment against economic growth.
With a slight laugh, he said it is good to remember the advice of an 8th century monk: if a problem has solutions, do not worry; if a problem has no solutions, do not concern yourself.
The Dalai Lama said that while he is not a scientist, he respects the scientific method: "Without skepticism there are no questions; with no questions there is no research; and with no research there are no answers."
At a press conference before the panel discussion, he was asked about the Los Angeles Times decision to publish photos of American soldiers with dead Afghan insurgents:
"All violence is wrong, I abhor all violence," he said.
In San Diego, the Dalai Lama is also scheduled to give speeches at the University of San Diego and San Diego State.

Source:  April 18, 2012 Los Angeles Times Local

'Stand Your Ground'

Is "stand your ground" actually relevant to George Zimmerman? In terms of legal defense, maybe not. "Stand your ground" is an expansion on the so-called Castle Doctrine, the right to defend one's homestead. Instead of defending yourself on your own personal property, though, "stand your ground" lets you carry that immunity into public property, which can include places of business, like a bar. Now that the case has moved onto legal turf, the arguments will become accordingly technical: Is this immunity even relevant, or would simple self-defense kick in?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/y-big-story-zimmerman-arrest-questions-stand-ground-043707411.html

Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin Florida Self Defense Case

Zimmerman turned himself into prosecutors last night and is now facing trial for second degree murder.  He has new a defense attorney and plans on pleading not guilty to hopefully receive bail. The prosecution has different plans however and thinks that Zimmerman's claims of self defense will not be supported in court.  The case is scheduled to go to court today, Thursday April 12, at 1:30 pm.  We will find out soon what will happen to Zimmerman.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/11/zimmerman-to-be-charged-by-florida-special-prosecutor-report-says/