In the late nineties to the first few years of the new millennium Americans clamored over attention deficit disorders. They needlessly medicated their kids and forced all sorts of pointless new politically correct practices on schools. Now today's parents can't keep using an old disorder like that - it's soooo nineties! So, let's usher in the age of autism. It is the over diagnosed, pop-psychology disorder of today's America.

Yes, there are real cases of autism out there. Just like there really are people out there with ADHD. But, if you were to take in all these media reports of parents screaming about unjust treatment of their "autistic" child, and the utter stupidity of the idea that one out of every hundred-twenty-two children are suffering from it, you'd have to assume there's something in our nations supply of air.

This boy was a possible danger on the plane and the crew and pilot did the responsible thing of having him removed. If the boy can't take being on a plane for whatever reason he certainly shouldn't be forced to endure what was apparently causing him great distress. If the pilot had to tell him that he had to be in his seat that means he WASN'T IN HIS SEAT! The plane can't take off unless all passengers are in their seats, with their belts on! IT'S A SAFETY STANDARD!

Had the plane taken off while the boy wasn't seated he could have been seriously hurt. If a minor accident had occurred and he hadn't been belted into his seat, a big scare and a little bump would have turned into a potentially life-threatening injury. And who would Mom have blamed? Certainly not herself. Not her fault for bringing a child onto a plane who maybe shouldn't be there. Not her fault she felt he should be free-range on a plane and was hurt as a result of disobeying safety instructions. Odds are on Mom would hire a lawyer and sue those nasty plane people for allowing her son to get hurt, or worse - killed. A few million will replace an autistic boy nicely won't it Mom?

Mom had no right to expect a few hundred-thousand people to be delayed while her son "adjusted" to his surroundings. It's not just one flight that gets delayed, it's every flight that plane makes for the day. All those people with connections would miss flights, or those flights are held up to allow them to catch it but then they're delayed and behind schedule for the day, etc., etc., etc. Do you see the picture? Do you want to be held up and possibly miss a flight because some kid wasn't ready for a plane?

I know we love to hate the air industry nowadays. It's fun to bitch and rant and rave about the lack of common sense and intelligence displayed by the industry. But not every Mom and kid kicked off the flight are poor innocents at the hands of cruel child-eating monsters. Some of the kids just have really ignorant mothers who don't care about their safety.

I think my inner kosher girl just threw up....

Geeze, can't he keep any secrets? Now, it's not going to surprise and we'll have to reschedule the whole blasted thing!

I'll bet his followers get through one truck load of rations then die for eating all the radiated food. Has he bothered to study not just what you need to survive, but where it must be stored?

I think that labeling the foreclosure of McMahon's home as a sign of how bad the mortgage crises has gotten is poor. McMahon has admitted that he failed to manage his money, and that he, spent more money than he made. This has nothing to do with the mortgage crises, which has in fact been caused by the sale of bad loans from unscrupulous lenders.

Worst movie ever .... Zombie Honeymoon. I still want the two hours I spent watching this back. Plus the rental fee. This movie was really bad and in not in a fun, but more like "Oh, gee, I think stabbing a spoon in my eye would be more fun than this!"

I love zombies. They are, the best things in the world. For good bad zombie films, check out Zombie Strippers. Gore, bad dialog, and undead Jenna Jamison stripping.

Edward:

It's not really a wasteful law. I live in San Diego and I see this happening all the time. In fact, I know a guy who died because his little lap dog fell to the floor and then scared crawled under the brake pedal. There was heavy traffic and he had to stop, but was afraid to do so because of the dog under the pedal. He hesitated to apply the brake but finally did, crushing and killing the dog, but still causing a car accident that killed himself.

People think it's cute or fun to drive with their dogs in their laps but it's downright dangerous. No one who really loves their dog, or any animal, would drive with them in such a manner.

I'm not really surprised that people here in the Western world have no idea those "freedom" flags are being made in Chinese factories. And do any of these "freedom" loving American's and other westerners know just how much these factories earn in a year? I'll bet not. Let the westerns do what they do best, scream about injustices without bothering to actually arm themselves with facts.

Ah, poor baby.

You know what's really frightening? In the current legal system, this .... blob, might actually win the case.

No more gross than eating cow, or pig, or chicken or fish. Just because you call it a "pet" here doesn't mean that someone else in another part of the world doesn't call it "dinner". Think how horrible we are to Hindu's eating a sacred animal for 99 cents from greasy fast food joints.

@ Patricio

Amen!

Anyways, I'm getting really tired of the US bashing lately. It's like no one ever wants to consider that maybe the US wasn't the first to the role of Imperialist occupier (not that that situation is what happened with the western states - those were won in war, and I'm betting if Mexico had won that war and maybe claimed some northern lands they wouldn't get viewed like the US does for it). Has no one the time to read any history books?

@ ted

Guess what? I did! Best thing I've ever done.

@ priscilla

I never suggested she couldn't love her own kids. Just that she isn't able to open herself up enough to love those who really need it.

I'm sorry you don't consider parents who adopt as being equal to those who have their own. But I've always seen the ability to open your heart and home to a child in need as a greater thing than having your own. Only the strongest can take that journey and suffer the heartbreaks and setbacks that often occur. If you truly want to make the world a better place, start with the kids who need families.

What a misleading post title. Shame on you!

The study results are accurate. So what if it was funded by the US military? Don't you think that if your country was invaded, your home constantly under threat, your life so frequently on the wire every time you step foot in the street that you would build a strong identity with your homeland and people?

I'm sorry, I don't think this is anything to be proud of. She already has passed along her genetic disorders to one child, and this second could very well pass along the same traits to their kid.

If she felt she had to have kids regardless of her disabilities, that's great - but why not adopt? Nah.... that's okay if two more kids in this world grow up without loving homes, if they're lucky enough to grow up at all.

Actually, this isn't one I made - but one I got when I was a full-time student and working two part-time jobs to pay the bills. It said: "You lack ambition". Worst thing a cookie could tell you.

I just can't help but think that picture makes the house look like a hovel. If the world is going to successfully promote green-construction, then .... find a better example.