Happy New Year!

I was watching the news coverage of the blizzard that hit New York City. They were talking to people and they had many of the same complaints that we had here in Seattle when we got hit by snow: slow response times, being unprepared, not having effective plans in place. As the interview was taking place, the camera was panning over a street in New York City that obviously had not been plowed, and you could see cars lining either side of the street all covered by at least 2 feet of snow. And down the middle of this snow covered street, a big white and orange cat comes trotting towards the cameraman, just going about his business, seemingly unconcerned about the snow. Seems like there might be a lesson in there somewhere.....

So, imagine that you are a seventh grade student in Oklahoma City. Imagine that you are sitting at your desk writing on the desk with a permanent marker. Try to imagine the next scene in this little story. I'll give you a moment or two. Okay, be honest now. How many of you imagined yourself, as the student, being arrested?

That's what happened in Oklahoma City. The teacher saw the student writing on the desk and made a citizen's arrest. The teen was then transferred by police to an intervention center for minors because there's a city ordinance in Oklahoma City against possession of a permanent marker.

The law states, "No person may possess an aerosol spray paint container or broad-tipped indelible marker on any private property unless the owner, agent, manager, or other person having control of the property consented to the presence of the aerosol spray paint container or broad-tipped indelible marker."

I don't know how long the teen was detained there, or what the parents' reaction is. If I do see a follow up story, I'll keep you posted.

I hope that 2011 is everyones' best year so far!