This is the sixth in a series discussing how characters in The Shamra Chronicles would deal with current hot-button issues and pressures that confront today’s teens. Would a teenage Dara be into tattoos and piercings?

Dara was always a rebel. Shamra females didn’t wear jewelry, kept their hair short and wore loose-fitting beige dresses to hide their curves. Non-conformity was frowned upon. Dara, nevertheless, wore a necklace with a piece of red wood that had been passed down by her family for generations. She wore a red and black bandana, also passed down by her ancestors. She let her hair grow long though she wore it in a bun when in public. She knew when to choose her battles and when defiance was pointless. But, when she was in the fields with Pilla or in the forbidden swamps she let her hair down . . . literally. And, once she was forced to flee her country, when it was enslaved, she kept her hair long. She also smeared her hair with the blood of slain enemies. It made her look more fearsome to her foes.

So, what would contemporary Dara do? She would be intrigued with tattoos but wouldn’t desecrate her entire body with them. A discrete tattoo on her ankle, another on her wrist and another one or two would be all she required. Each would have significance to her. Dara wouldn’t plaster her body with body art just for the sake of showing off something that “looked good.”

She’d also be intrigued by piercings; earrings, a ring through one eyebrow, and a nose ring would have their allure. She might consider a ring in her lower lip if it didn’t interfere with eating. She would have no use for a tongue piercing, though, as it would make eating difficult. She would also have no interest in piercings that would be covered by her clothes. Why have rings that couldn’t be seen? she would think.

Dara would also subtlety streak her hair (though not with blood) and change the color of the streaks often to mirror her emotions. She wouldn’t completely change the color of her hair on a whim. If she were a brunette she wouldn’t want to completely alter herself by dying her hair blond. She might add a bit of red to her hair but only a smidge – a tint, not a complete makeover. And she would wonder why those who dyed their hair purple, pink, blue or green went to such extremes. While contemporary Dara wouldn’t be shy she wouldn’t want to call undue attention to herself with such drastic changes. At the same time she wouldn’t condemn those who so drastically changed their appearance—to each her own was her mantra.

Now Pilla would be a different story. More lady-like than Dara she might opt for a single tattoo, probably on her ankle where it wouldn’t scream out for attention. And Pilla would have no regard for piercings other than earrings. There’s all manner of jewelry she would gladly wear that wouldn’t leave permanent marks on her body. Pilla would keep her hair its natural color, though she’d be tempted (and probably give into the impulse) to streak her hair discretely when Dara did. After all Dara and Pilla were soulmates; closer than sisters.

Several incidents occurred on Black Friday this year that makes one wonder what’s wrong with our society. In one case CNN showed a video of a woman spraying fellow customers with pepper spray at a Walmart near Los Angeles as she attempted to get a discounted X-Box console. Not only did she apparently get away with the stunt but, as of last Friday, police had not yet apprehended the suspect. Then came an equally disturbing report from a Target store in West Virginia of a 61-year old man who collapsed and was ignored by numerous customers. According to an AOL report “some shoppers ignored and even walked over the man’s body as they continued to shop.” He later died as a result of his heart attack.

Jeff Gardere, a clinical psychologist who appeared on CNN, discussed the pepper spray incident. He said the hordes of customers who flock to the Door Buster Black Friday sales are taking the opportunity to “be children again” and it’s a “high for them.” He called Black Friday “like going to an amusement park.” Really???

Ironically, it’s not like these were necessarily the “best” sales of the year. The sale prices were in place well past Black Friday. On Cyber Monday many large retail chains honored the sale prices of Black Friday (Best Buy, for example, said 95% of the Black Friday merchandise was on sale for the same price by ordering on-line). And just after the weekend Toys R Us ran a TV commercial bellowing how their prices this coming Friday (one week after Black Friday) was the “best sale ever.”

I don’t give retailers a pass on this either. Walmart (open all day Thanksgiving, I imagine to avoid the floodgate of customers who crushed one another last year giving the chain bad press) began their Black Friday sale at 10PM. Target opened its doors at midnight. In another few years Black Friday sales will begin the day after Halloween if the trend continues. Anything to make a buck.

I’m no psychologist but I can’t attribute this sick mentality by some people as adults wanting to be children again or their waiting on line for hours (or in some cases days) being a high for those who cause mayhem. There is something seriously wrong with anyone who would pepper spray others to get a game. And, there’s something just as reprehensible about customers who would walk over the prone body of a man who collapsed from a heart attack (what is a 61-year old man doing at a Black Friday sale anyway?).

And isn’t it odd that there were no reports of such incidents by those who waited in line for days on end to see the newest installment of the Twilight series, “Breaking Dawn, Part 1”? I don’t give them a pass either. It seems that all a good portion of America is about these days is instant gratification. “Breaking Dawn” must be seen on the first day it opens. Items on sale must be purchased on Black Friday, not three or four days later. Psychologists can have a field day with trying to explain away rude and dangerous behavior (Gardere blamed it, in part, on the economy) but this need for instant gratification cannot be excused. To me such behavior is just sickening and cannot in any way be justified.

This is the fifth in a series discussing how characters in The Shamra Chronicles would deal with current hot-button issues and pressures that confront today’s teens. How would Dara feel about today’s social media – namely Facebook, Twitter and texting?

In The Shamra Chronicles Dara has always dealt with others face-to-face. In school she questioned her teachers who told her all Shamra heroes were male. Dara didn’t believe this for a second, made her opinion known and was put in her place by her teacher. Still, her beliefs were unshakeable. Dara also valued her privacy. She continually disobeyed rules. Rather than join in with other females her age she would go alone into the forbidden swamps to explore the many dangers and surprises that awaited her. Only her best friend, Pilla, was aware of Dara’s journeys into the swamps. And, once her country was invaded and enslaved and she became the leader of the resistance Dara learned the value of keeping thoughts and plans close to the vest. Betrayal, once foreign to the Shamra, while not commonplace was something to be feared once the Shamra were enslaved.

So, how does this relate to today’s social media? Dara might have a Facebook page but she would never spill her most private thoughts in so public a forum – one in which it’s difficult if not impossible to remove what’s been said. Her profile would be terse; not allowing a window into her soul. If a friend asked Dara a personal question (“What do you think of so and so?” for instance) there’s no way Dara would use social media to respond. She might not even use email to respond to something so personal, as emails can be forwarded to third parties. She wouldn’t be afraid to give her opinion, but she might tell her friend to call her or, if in close proximity, talk to her in school the next day.

Dara would find texting a waste of time for the most part. Being athletic Dara would take part in a number of extracurricular activities and wouldn’t have the time to text back and forth to those who have their Smartphone attached to their hand 24/7. A text to confirm what time to meet to go somewhere would be acceptable, but gossiping – no, Dara wouldn’t engage it gossiping in any form so she certainly wouldn’t want to give her opinion about someone via texting.

And she would probably have a good laugh regarding Twitter. There would be those Dara would have great respect for (Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama to name two). She might want to hear them speak on issues of the day. But she wouldn’t care what a celebrity had for lunch or what a celebrity was reading in the bathroom. And, while impatient and impetuous Dara would never Tweet her opinion. First, as mentioned above, she would never want the universe to know her opinion. And, she would be aware of the damage that could follow her by tossing out a first impression without allowing time to decide if what is on her mind what she really wants to share with others. Too many jot down their thoughts then hit “send” without considering the consequences. Apologies often follow, but the original Tweet is still out there.

So, if you want to deal with Dara pick up the phone or better yet chat with her the next day at school. Send a text and you might be waiting until hell freezes over for a response.

Actress Lindsay Lohan was jailed once again for violating conditions of two 2007 DUI convictions. She was to serve 30-days in prison after getting booted out of a community service assignment at a women’s shelter. Instead she was released in less than five hours due to jail overcrowding. Lohan has been jailed five different times since her conviction and each time has been freed within a ridiculously short period of time. She probably spent more time putting on her makeup and choosing an appropriate outfit to wear than she actually spent in prison (in 2007 she spent all of 84-minutes in jail as a result of her conviction).

The no-nonsense judge had threatened to throw the book at Lohan. If she doesn’t complete her community service at a morgue she risks serving an additional 270 days in jail. Or does she? While the judge is well-intentioned his threats are toothless. With overcrowding a chronic problem he can send her to jail until hell freezes over and she’ll still be released within hours.

Now, I’m not a celebrity-basher. There are other non-violent offenders who are escaping imprisonment due to overcrowding. But because Lohan is a public figure we hear about her release. The overcrowding situation is one that allows Lohan to continue with her risky and contemptuous behavior without any real threat of punishment. She knows she can violate the conditions of her sentence time and again with no real consequences. It empowers Lohan to do as she pleases.  Lohan obviously has problems and needs help. The fact that whatever help she might be getting isn’t working (as judged by her flaunting of her community service obligations) makes a sad situation even worse. With no threat of punishment Lohan might one day be behind the wheel of car drunk once again and end up killing herself or someone else.

It’s time that this (or another) judge truly lays down the law, telling the corrections facility that Lohan might be sent to that she is not to be released under any circumstances until she completes her sentence. It’s one thing to show contempt of court once, even twice. But when she shows contempt on five separate occasions then regardless of her being a non-violent offender she (and anyone in similar circumstances) should have to face the music. It may be the only way Lohan can save herself from herself.

This is the fourth in a series discussing how characters in The Shamra Chronicles would deal with current hot-button issues and pressures that confront today’s teens. A former student of mine suggested on my Facebook page that I discuss how Dara and Pilla would respond to bullying.

Dara was an outcast among her own people until she found out in Sharma Divided that her clan had been exiled by the Shamra two hundred years earlier. She looked different than the typical Shamra female and she certainly acted differently. As a result she drew disapproval from adults and teachers. The only reason she wasn’t bullied is because she was a match for any Shamra male. In today’s society Dara wouldn’t be part of any clique (the “popular girls” as my granddaughter puts it; girls who hang together and poke fun at others). If others were picked on Dara would step forward to end the bullying. She wouldn’t be one to go to a teacher and rat on the bullies. That’s not her nature. She would attempt to put an end to the bullying herself, even if it meant fighting the bullies and getting suspended from school. She also would have no problem pointing out to authorities which teachers knew about bullying that was taking place but turned a blind eye. Sadly, too many teachers ignore bullying. Dara, in Curse of the Shamra, didn’t have a great deal of respect for her teachers, so why would contemporary Dara change?

As for Pilla, with her gentle soul, she would never resort to bullying. While different from Dara in many ways (she looked like your typical Shamra female and was quite popular) Dara was her lifelong companion, even if she was an outcast. Pilla never was part of any clique and in contemporary society she wouldn’t join the “popular girls”, even though she might well be asked. Without the physical strength (nor desire to fight) of Dara, Pilla might speak to the school counselor or a trusted teacher if she saw someone being bullied. She isn’t quite as cynical as Dara and would think there was someone at school who would intercede to stop the bullying. But, Pilla would also have Dara’s back. If Dara fought girls who were bullying another girl Pilla wouldn’t hang back. Just as she did in Curse of the Shamra she would probably take self-defense lessons if she lived in contemporary society so she could defend herself in a fight with others.

Bullying is just not something that Dara or Pilla would accept. It’s not in their nature. They might handle bullying differently but to both of them bullying would be unacceptable, as well as ignoring bullying that took place.

This past week I took my granddaughter to see The Blue Man Group. While audience participation was encouraged a woman sitting next to me and one of her friends sitting in front of her took participation to a new and aggravating level. They continually yelled, screamed, hollered and whooped, often while the rest of the audience was intently watching the show. And, since our society is made up of copycats when they went bananas a few others followed suit (fortunately, they were not near us). I found myself almost sitting in my granddaughter’s lap trying to get as far away from this clown as possible. Someone sitting below us even shouted for this woman to “shut up” to no avail.

Now, if this were an isolated incident I could chalk it up to a bad experience. But far too many people today show a lack of consideration and common decency. Too many are just plain rude and obnoxious.

Case in point: I belong to one of the new mega-gyms that are popping up across the country (one of those that has something for everyone including an outdoor water park). When I go to take a shower there are wet towels scattered across the shower room floor, as if those working at the gym are their personal servants. Just how tough is it to drop your towel into one of the many bins in the men’s locker room? When I come down the staircase to get to the locker room, at least once a week, there are groups of two or three people chatting, blocking the way for myself and others (there are designated areas where people can converse without disrupting the entire gym). And one of my favorites are women (sorry, but in this case it’s invariably women involved) on stationary bikes who have completed their workout but need ten more minutes to finish their conversation . . . while still on the bikes. Ask to use the bikes and you get a dirty look.

I have this irrational impulse to stand in the middle of the gym and yell “Wake up people—this is not home!!!”

Rather than walk into a Colorado gun shop and purchase an Uzi to use to show my displeasure I do have an outlet for my rage. I put these people in my adult novels in the most unflattering manner. They will never know how I vented but this is my form of revenge. While I may feel better the next day I encounter more of the same.

It’s time for people to stop thinking only of themselves. It’s time for many of us to stop being just plain rude!

This is the third in a series discussing how characters in The Shamra Chronicles would deal with current hot-button issues and pressures that confront today’s teens.

Today’s teens go through phases. Many teens at one time or another decide to forego meat and become vegetarians or vegans. Some become supporters of PETA, who sometimes use extremist and controversial methods to make their point. Would Dara be a vegetarian/vegan and supporter of PETA? I think not.

Dara is one teen who would turn her back on PETA, though as long as they didn’t bother her she wouldn’t have a problem with their presenting their agenda. Dara is a descendant from a warrior/hunter clan. Hunting is in her blood. Her ancestors often ventured into forests in search of food. The hunt in and of itself was exhilarating. That her clan usually returned home with food was an added bonus. However, Dara would never hunt with a rifle. She would consider it barbaric. She would use a bow and arrow, spear or knife to pursue her prey. She would want to get up close and personal with her prey giving it a chance to kill her before she dispatched the animal. And, like American Indians she would hunt only for sustenance, never for sport. She would also use the entire animal she killed – intestines for the bow-string for her arrow, the hide for clothing or blankets, bones for tools. Dara would also not be averse to fruits, grain and vegetables. One can’t subsist on meat alone. And Dara would have no problems wearing leather or the skin of animals she killed. Hunting is in her blood. So, for those who want to get technical Dara would be feeding off of free range animals, not those who are housed and killed in slaughterhouses.

Now, Pilla is a slightly different story. No, she wouldn’t be a supporter of PETA. While not a hunter herself there’s not much she wouldn’t eat. While she’d prefer free range animals (possibly killed by Dara) she would have no problem purchasing her meat at a supermarket. Pilla wouldn’t be swayed by PETAs tactics though, like Dara, she would respect their right to express themselves. What neither she or Dara wouldn’t tolerate would be others telling her what she should or shouldn’t eat and what she should and shouldn’t wear. “To each his own” would be her mantra as well as “Don’t mess with me.”

Amanda Knox was released from prison October 3^rd (her murder conviction having been overturned) and one of the first questions that cropped up was when would she sign a book deal? And the thought made me sick.

There’s nothing like a high-profile criminal case to turn a nobody into a household name. And, in our celebrity-crazed culture someone like Knox already (reportedly) has publishers knocking on her parent’s door for the right to publish a book. Amanda Knox is no hero. There are many Americans who travel abroad who get into trouble with the authorities and spend time in foreign prisons. Their anonymity remains intact, as it should. But cable news and tabloid magazines have so plastered Knox on TV and magazine covers that she’s become a celebrity. And, she most definitely will cash in on her fifteen minutes of notoriety.

This is not something new. I remember shaking my head at the asininity of Marcia Clark landing a big book deal after she helped lose a slam dunk conviction against O.J. Simpson because she did a lousy job. She parlayed that later into TV appearances as an “expert” on criminal cases. The prosecution did a horrendous job yet because this was a high profile case it was Clark who scored the biggest book deal and the most lasting fame. So, she profited from being a lousy attorney. Only in America.

That Knox will be the beneficiary of a lucrative book deal (besides paid magazine interviews and paid TV appearances) reminds me of another pseudo-celebrity who scored a book deal solely because she was the daughter of a famous celebrity-politician: Brisol Palin.

All Palin did was to have a child out of wedlock while her mother espoused abstinence. There are far better role models to discuss the consequences of pre-marital sex (obviously unprotected sex, to boot) than Bristol Palin. But, they don’t happen to share the same last name as Sarah Palin. Even the title of her book: Bristol Palin: My Journey So Far is laughable. Just how much of a journey does a twenty year old have to trot out? Other than getting pregnant and making her mother look like a fool her journey isn’t all that different than your typical teenager. And, this merits a book?

The Knox family will undoubtedly respond to critics saying the proceeds from the book will be used to pay off the legal fees Knox incurred during her trial (and appeal). Sounds logical, right? Not really. Thousands a people a year incur exorbitant legal fees in this country each year but don’t (or can’t) sell their story to make money to pay for their legal representation. And, many have to resort to public defenders because they can’t afford high-profile attorneys. The Knox family decided to spend their savings to defend their daughter. Good for them, but this in no way justifies making money from a book deal.

So now Amanda Knox will make out like a bandit without having done anything to justify her celebrity. What’s next . . . a contestant on Dancing With the Stars?

This is the second in a series discussing how characters in The Shamra Chronicles series would deal with current hot-button issues and pressures that confront today’s teens. How would Dara (and other members of the Stone Mountain Shamra) and Pilla deal with pre-marital sex?

Females in Dara’s family (members of the Stone Mountain Shamra) seldom married and sex was mainly for procreation. Dara wanted nothing to do with marriage, showing disinterest in other males, while her life-long friend Pilla was planning her marriage. Dara, as were many of her ancestors, were single mothers. At the same time Dara was a vibrant young woman. Facing danger in the swamps and leading Shamra warriors into battle when her country was invaded served the purpose sex would for others. If Dara was living in today’s society she might well indulge in casual sex to meet her needs. She wouldn’t have “crushes” on teen boys. She wouldn’t go “steady.” She certainly wouldn’t find her true love until she was at least in her twenties, if she would at all.

Pilla, on the other hand, believed in many of the values of Shamra society. Yes, because of Dara’s influence she had become rebellious in many ways, but she had one love, Wren, who she planned to marry before her country was invaded. She remained faithful to him after her people’s enslavement. Had she and Wren married she would have remained faithful to her husband. That was the Shamra way and without the blood of the Stone Mountain Shamra running through her she would have adhered to many traditional Shamra values. In today’s society she wouldn’t casually give her body to any boy unless she truly loved him. And, she wasn’t the type to have a crush on another teen. While she wouldn’t abstain from sex until marriage, Pilla definitely wouldn’t sleep around. When she found love she would engage in sex prior to marriage but only if she felt committed to her partner. Pilla might wait six or more months into a relationship before she had sex with her partner. Pilla, while no prude, unlike Dara, wouldn’t give into carnal desires just for the sake of instant gratification. At the same time Pilla wouldn’t be critical of Dara because her lifestyle differed from her own.

As one of my past blogs prove I’m no fan of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), their agenda or most of their petty antics. While researching a story dealing with PETA’s setting up a porn website to promote their message I also came across a story from 2008 that merits comment. Ironically, in this case, I find myself coming to their defense.

In 2008 the good people at YouTube rejected PETAs “naked” celebrity ads, in which the celebrities were far from naked. PETAs YouTube account was temporarily suspended. The ad quickly flips through dozens of images of celebrities in different states of undress with PETA messages scrawled across their bodies or on the Playboy like covers.

Is the ad provocative? Yes. That’s PETA’s goal. Is it degrading to women, as some who commented on the ad suggested? I think not. Women (celebrities, no less, who aren’t undressing for money) are taking control of their lives and their bodies. If they want to flaunt their curves more power to them. Is it tasteless? Not anymore than the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or the scantily clad wannabe models on America’s Next Top Model; neither who would attract the ire of YouTube. What YouTube did was censorship, plain and simple and they should be taken out to the woodshed and exposed to some naked cows.

PETA though has jumped the shark with its newest idea, which was announced in mid-September. PETA is planning to launch a pornographic site to promote its animal rights and vegan agenda. PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt says the site “will feature tantalizing videos and photographs which will lead viewers into animal rights messages.” She goes onto say the porn site will “allow PETA to reach a broader audience and that publicity about the site is just as important.” If publicity is the aim PETA has succeeded but at the cost of offending many longtime supporters of the organization. Not necessarily a winning tradeoff.

Initially PETA’s porn site may draw a large audience of those curious to see what kind of porn will be shown. I seriously doubt that it will be XXX porn that can be found on hundreds of other websites. And when the curiosity factor wears off the site will stop drawing attention. It’s also doubtful that many who come to the site to view porn will stick around for images of slaughterhouses and the like.

What will happen instead is PETA will continue to turn off those in the mainstream they are attempting to lure. J. Justin Wilson, a senior analyst for the food-industry backed Center for Consumer Freedom sums it up best when he refers to this new PETA undertaking as the work of “whack” jobs. He calls them “their own worst enemy if they’re trying to win the hearts and minds of people…”

PETA launching a porn site? It seems like a sketch that might run on Saturday Night Live, thought up by writers who’ve had a bit too much to drink or smoked a bit too much weed. Simply put: whack jobs.