No really, via the Virginia Beach Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #8.  Each year, the FOP asks churches and local schools to send in the names of needy families who are then invited to “Cops and KIDS”.  Each child is assigned an off duty VA Beach police officer or Sheriff’s deputy who holds a $100 gift card allowing the child to choose whatever they want in the store up to that dollar amount.

This was an amazing event which would remind any Scrooge out there about the spirit of Christmas.  Seeing the excitement of the kids with their mouths hanging open trying to figure out what to get was just terrific!

Out of the 42 children shopping this morning, one of the shopping carts stopped me cold.  The boy pushing it around the store was about 12 years old and his cart had mostly clothing.  According to the officer with him, his school nominated him to receive this shopping spree because he wore the same clothes to school every day.

Talk about a reality check.  We take so much for granted in our comfy middle class world.  I’m not saying that my life is perfect but seriously?  The other day I noticed in a Neiman Marcus catalogue that they were selling 4 pieces of 1 inch square cheesecakes decorated like Christmas presents for $110.  Who actually buys that stuff????  How can you if you have a conscience?

I realize that we all make choices in life, but there are families out there that despite hard work, still can’t make ends meet and the kids are suffering.  They suffer not because they don’t have the latest Ipad but because they sleep on a mattress on the floor of a shelter and the concept of “Mom, what’s for dinner” becomes a whole different ball game!  Can you imagine?

I personally have a really hard time donating cash to charities because of the history of mismanagement and fraud in some organizations but I had no problem handing cash to my friend Susan for next year’s group of kids.  I should have known to bring some Kleenex when I volunteered to photograph this event because with all the cops around I sure as hell couldn’t get away with shoplifting any.  

If you would like to contribute funds for next year, please make checks payable to the FOP#8 and write Cops and Kids in the memo section.  100% of the proceeds will go directly to a child in need.  For more information, like where to send the $$, you can contact MPO Doug Zebley at dzebley@vbgov.com.  (Just don’t ask him about his hair)

The reason for my first blog in over a year – pay it forward.  Click here to see more pics!

By the light of the silvery moon, the Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni welcomed the new Virginia Beach Chief of Police James A. “Jim” Cervera during our meeting last night.  While he has enormous shoes to fill with the retirement of Chief Jacocks, I got the impression that he welcomes the challenge!

Although born in New Jersey we shall not hold that against him.  (My husband is from NY so I had to get that little jab in)  That challenge has left him with a wicked sense of humor and strong communication skills!  He was even kind enough to welcome ME to “The Dark Side”.   A quick learner, he realized quickly that I was already there.

Although, part of me fears he might have suffered some minor brain damage during his 32 year career on the force since he mentioned that he shrank over the years from 6’4″ to his current 5’9″ stature.  Wow!  This is a tough job folks!  As I’ve stated before in previous blogs, he also has complaints about the Department causing hair loss.  I see a pattern here….

While this gentleman has a history of Martha Stewart like “Good Things”, my favorite is the fact that as a Lieutenant, he was responsible for the development of the Citizen’s Police Academy of Virginia Beach back in the mid 90s.  This is a super program that gives you the inside scoop on how a real police department runs and best of all it’s FREE!  If you are interested in attending, here’s a link to an application for the 2011 spring classes.  Maybe you too can meet the Chief in person – from the RIGHT side of the bars!

I’d also like to give kudos to Bob Christman last night for a super, although at times challenging, presentation about the technology available to the Department!  Believe it or not, even with the current budget challenges, this city is actually in the 21st Century!

(I’ll have you know that I’ve been running around like crazy to prep for the retirement of my husband, the Lt. Colonel, from 21 years in the Marines Corps so for me to take the time to blog for the first time in months should tell you something.)

Today’s dilemma – while I don’t believe I’m invited as a guest to random gatherings solely because I’m a photographer, I gotta wonder sometimes when people seem to expect it.

My problem is that I really can’t go anywhere without my camera and just LOVE taking pics.

Seriously, how do other pro photographers handle this one?  Do you charge the attendees (other than the birthday girl for example) for photos of themselves and family members even though you weren’t hired to shoot the party?  Do you leave your camera at home and miss the perfect shot?

PLEASE help a sister out!

Thanks everyone for a really fun, smooth photo shoot this year! Karen and I are very happy with the results and I’m really excited about the results so here they are! 

Broadway Dance Academy May 2010

You will notice that the different groups of girls are broken down into their own album to make your review easier this year.

I am in the process of automating the order process but in the meantime, please make a “favorites” set and email me with your order information. I will then send you an invoice via PayPal which can be paid by an major credit or debit card and/or money transfer. Upon payment, I will process the order and get it out to you within 3 business days.

The pricing list is as follows:

Digital Photos with personal copyright permission so you can make all the copies you want, email to relatives, use on Facebook, etc….:

• $30 for individuals or $45 for a group or
• 4 photos of an individual for $100

Prints:

• 4×6          $15
• 5×7          $25
• 8×10       $35
• 11×14      $50
• 12×18     $80
• 16×20     $90

Please let me know if you would like to order any photos on canvas, matt board or styrene board and I will send you an estimate.  (Examples of these were on display at the Studio during the photo shoot)

Here are the instructions for Creating a Favorites set:

After you have created a Favorites set it will be available for 30 days. The expiration date is available for your reference at the top of the page.

• Navigate until you are looking at a Thumbnails page with the photographs you would like to select
• Mouse over the bottom, left corner of a photo thumbnail and click on the black circle that appears. A check mark will be added.
• Repeat this action with each favorite photo thumbnail until you have selected all desired photos
• Click the Add to Favorites link located at the top of the page. A Favorites set will be created based on your choices and a My Favorites link will be visible at the top left hand corner of the screen
• Click on the My Favorites link, your set of favorite selected photos will load.
• Mouse over My Favorites and click to drop down a new menu
• Select Rename as you mouse over the set
• Type the name you would like to use for your favorites set
• Click Save

• Now that you have created a Favorites set drag and drop photo thumbnails to re-arrange into a specific order if needed
• If you decide to remove a photo from the set, highlight the thumbnail and then click Remove at the top of the page
• Note: To view images larger within the Favorites set right click on a photo thumbnail and choose View Image. You can also double-click any thumbnail to display it larger. To change the size of displayed thumbnails, click one of the ascending gray squares on the far right side of the page at the top.
• Sharing a Favorites set with the Photographer
• The photographer will receive a notification and will be able to make changes to the set of Favorites.
• Click on the name of your Favorites set in the top left corner
• Click the Share button in the top, right corner. A pop-up window will appear.
• Select the Share with Photographer tab
• Enter your name and email address
• Enter a message
• Click Share

I hope you enjoy them and please contact me with any questions!!

Shannon@sdrphotography.us

571-212-6336

One of our favorite speakers came in Tuesday night to give us a learn on about gangs!  Yes – I was shocked to learn that we have gangs in Virginia Beach.  I prefer living in my little ‘hidey hole’ of pleasant ignorance about this issue, as do you I would venture to guess.

Special Investigations Detective Chris Carroll definitely gave us lots to think about and something new to keep an eye out for with regard to our children.  Just what I needed – another reason to fear my inadequacies as a parent!

If you take away ANYTHING from this topic it is this:  IF YOU ARE A PARENT DO YOUR JOB!  As Hillary once said, “It takes a village”.  She is correct and it’s your job to make sure it’s a village you approve of.

Do you really want your kids to hitch their wagon to a gang because momma don’t have time to hear about their favorite Pokemon cards or the latest antics of iCarly?  It’s that simple.  Gangs swoop in like Toothless the dragon grabbing kids as young as NINE showing them the love and attention they’ve been looking for.  After a while, kids are made to feel obligated to participate in various crimes committed by their brothers and sisters. Before long, they’re stuck in a world they feel helpless to leave.

Here are some stats for you as of 2007:

• A violent crime occurs every 22.6 seconds
• Homicide        31.4 seconds
• Aggravated assault     36.2 seconds
• Robbery 1.2 minutes
• Forcible Rape              5.5 minutes
• Violent Theft              25.5 seconds
• Battery            15.1 seconds
• People in jail 747,000+
• People on parole          784,000+

So I left class a bit early last week – primarily due to a migraine but part 2 because of an uproar I started.  Not me you say???!!

We had a very kind VA Beach Police Chaplain speaking with us about his role in the Department.  He went on to discuss the diversity in the Department and that they were actively looking for individuals of the Muslim and Buddhist faith to volunteer as police chaplains.  

When the search for Muslim chaplains was mentioned, my panic button went off.  I was immediately brought back in time to almost 9 years ago when my daughter was 3 weeks old, her father was working in the Pentagon, and her uncle was working at the World Financial Center in NYC on 9-11-01.  Just writing this is painful for me.

Fortunately, my husband had moved out of the infamous wedge the Friday before that fateful Tuesday in September and he is still with us.  It took his brother 7 hours to return home that day and he subsequently needed intense therapy to get over seeing bodies falling out of the World Trade Center located right across the street from his office.

If you’ve read my police blogs, you know that I am the Department’s biggest fan – one of the primary reasons being that our Citizen’s Police Academy class has always been very forthcoming in answering any questions or concerns we’ve had over the past several weeks.  

I therefore posed the following:  “How can the Department ensure that they do not enlist the help of a radical Muslim?”  If I did not use the exact word radical, my additional comments indicated same and the uproar began……….  Some folks mentioned that they were grateful that I had posed the question while others basically accused me of being a racist/bigot.

Not hardly.  I laugh and throw a shoe at anyone going down that road.

What do Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal Ayyad, Abdul Rahman Yasin and Ahmad Ajaj, the Cole attackers, 9/11 bombers, Richard Reid, Fort Dix Six, Assem Hammoud , Nidal Malik Hasan, Faisal Shazad, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad all have in common?  Let me give you a hint, it is not that they are all men….  It is that they are all “radical” Muslims who have violently attacked, or were foiled in their attack, on innocent Americans in pursuit of furthering their faith.

So YES, I asked about what type of background checks would be conducted because among other things I also fear a potential repeat of the Fort Hood shootings perpetrated by Hasan.

Here’s a little background on me.  While I was raised in a “Christian” household, I can best be described as non-practicing or lapsed.  But don’t get me wrong, I am all for our constitutionally protected right of Freedom of Religion.  However, I apply Thomas Jefferson’s caveat on the issue: “[b]ut it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”  Unfortunately, lots of legs (and worse) have been broken in the name of one religion in the past twenty years.  

Because of the direct affect on my family the aforementioned hellish day of 9/11, I think I have the right and responsibility to be concerned, as well as question any issue that constitutes the basis for our way of life’s clear and present danger!  Regrettably, too many people, as well as Islamic organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), to name a few, use our political correctness (PC) and established laws to prevent responsible questioning of the motives behind this very active threat. 

In addition to the violent murders they perpetrate in the name of their faith, this is a form of intimidation known as Lawfare - just look at Europe to see its effect.   But, I don’t solely base my concerns on emotion. 

Here are some facts put together for you by myself and my husband Ted who teaches classes on radical Islam at the collegiate level.  We provided some additional references at the end if you’d like to undertake this quest for knowledge.

The basis for any proper (by Western style education, not Islamic instruction) understanding of Islam is an understanding of both the factual history, as well as mythos of the religion because they are not the same.  Nevertheless, this type of analysis got an active Fatwa proclaimed on Salomon Rushdie, so be aware that you may be accused by many Muslims of being unable to comprehend Islam since they claim it can only be accurately taught in Islamic scholarly institutions…. 

To start, one needs to comprehend the Qur’an, and Sunnah (including Hadith).  To the uneducated, these documents are mistakenly compared to the Bible (Old and New Testaments and Gospel).  However, since they are the direct word of God and literal examples of the Prophet (Mohammed), they are more akin to the Ten Commandments and not open to interpretation.  Once that is understood, one must comprehend the principle of Abrogation.  Often one will hear that the “Radicals” are “cherry-picking from the end of the Qur’an [better known as the Meccan Period] and the majority of the Qur’an is peaceful [mostly written during the Medinan Period].”  However, this statement disregards the Islamic scholarly principle of Abrogation.  In short, the Qur’an has a number of contradictions. 

Mohammed was asked how God can contradict himself and the revelation of the principle of Abrogation came into being.  Basically it says that all Qur’anic revelations are good but the later ones are “more good” (accurate and appropriate).  This is important to us because of Surah Nine which primarily refers to Jihad by the Sword (often referred to as the Lesser Jihad) is the last (or second to last depending on whom you ask) revelation.  Consequently, ipso facto, it is the MOST important revelation by Islamic Abrogation definition.  Now some may say that Jihad is a peaceful inner struggle to improve the individual and this is true (frequently referred to as the Greater Jihad).  However, this revelation came during the Medinan Period and is therefore a lesser and not as complete understanding of the revelation.  Moreover, the emphasis of Surah Nine and a return to the period of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs is the underpinnings of Sayyid Qutb’s foundational writing known as Milestones and is the Campaign Plan that both Al’Queda and Associates and the Muslim Brotherhood base their actions.  All of the terrorists in my first sentence were/are disciples of this principle and writings.

Oh, but you say this only applies to a few extremists…, think again.  One must now understand the Islamic schism that occurred after assassination of the Caliph Ali and the different Fiqhs.  After the assassination, the Shi’a branch of Islam was created (as opposed to the Sunni).  Basically, the issue was who would succeed Mohammed in leading the faith.  No resolution to this issue has occurred, but both sects (including Sufi—considered an Islamic cult by the two main sects) agree on the “irrefutable” principles of the Qur’an and the Sunnah (including Surah Nine).   The sects and differing fiqhs (schools of Islamic jurisprudence and thought) are primarily different views on the observance of rituals, morals and social legislation (including Sharia Law which recognizes no separation of Church and State and is considered higher law than the Constitution).  They are not akin to differences that sprung from the Christian Enlightenment and none disavow Surah Nine.   This is a main reason why there was little Muslim American outcry when Richard Reid tried to light his shoes on fire, but why CAIR went apoplectic when President Bush used the term “Islamic Fascists” to describe the terrorists.

But again, you say, Christian and Jews, by the Prophet’s own teachings are “People of the Book” and will not be persecuted.  To that I say, learn about the Dhimmi and Dhimmitude.  Unless you are okay with the revocation of the freedom of religion, don’t believe in equal rights, and are willing to be heavily taxed for your faith, quickly disabuse yourself of this notion.  Oh, and don’t get me started on the treatment of women and their rights…!

One final bit of knowledge anyone potentially hiring a Muslim must consider is the issue of taqiyya (religious deception) that sprang from the Shi’a branch but is increasingly being utilized by Sunnis:  When doing a background check, is a Muslim being truthful if lying for the purpose of advancing their faith is sanctioned?

Moreover, the undeniable fact is that Al’Queda considers itself the Vanguard of the Islamic faith’s revival to a period resembling the time of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs (the period of the farthest expansion of the Islamic region—Dar Al’ Islam—House of Peace/God) and they are conducting a global insurgency against the Dar al’Harb (House of War–us).   If we don’t start taking this clear and present danger seriously and are willing to discuss it honestly and intellectually, Qutb’s Milestones will continue to be achieved until we are all of the faith or Dhimmi.

I have friends that are Muslim and let me end with emphatically stating that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all (current) terrorists are Muslim.  You decide on how we need to address this…

Recommended Readings:

• Reliance of the Traveller: The Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law Umdat Al-Salik by Ahmad Ibn Lulu Ibn Al-Naqib , Noah Ha Mim Keller
• Milestones by Sayyid Quṭb , 2007 (reprint)
• Methodology Of Dawah in American Perspective by Shamim A. Siddiq
• Peace and the Limits of War : Transcending Classical Conception of Jihad byLouay M Safi
• Join the Caravan by Abd Allāh Azzām
• The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam by Yusuf Al-Qardawi
• Tafseer Soorah al-Hujuraat by Abu Ameenah Bilaal Philips 3^rd Ed.
• Freedom of Expression in Islam by Mohammad Hashim Kamali 1997 Ed.
• “Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam” ,Aug. 5, 1990, U.N. GAOR,

            World Conf. on Hum. Rts., 4th Sess., Agenda Item 5, U.N. Doc.             http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/cairodeclaration.html

• What Islam is All about: student textbook by Yahiya Emerick 2002 Ed.
• Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power by by Josef Pieper   
• War and Peace in the Law of Islam by Majid Khadduri
• The Quranic Concept of War  S. K. Malik 1992 Ed.
• The Islamic Law of Nations: Shaybani’s Siyar by Majīd Khaddūrī
• Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
•  The Death of the Grown-Up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization  by Diana West

Here’s a few shots from my high school senior photo shoot last week!  These were taken at Foxridge Farms across the street from the Hunt Club here in VA Beach – you know – where they have the pretty yellow fields in the spring time and the ELECTRIC FENCE?

The sad part is that when we got there, I noticed the wires and warned Lindsey about them so what did she do???  She immediately started tapping on them with her fingers.  Kids.

I suppose she is some kind of magical being because I leaned against the post to get a shot and got ZAPPED!  Go figure.  Still a great shoot as you can see!

Welcome to my world!

There are so many issues surrounding the search and seizure of Jason Chen’s property that I hardly know where to begin except to say this could be the story of the year for legal professionals!

The short version of the story:  The next-gen Iphone prototype was inadvertently left in a bar by Apple insider Gray Powell.  It was then found and sold to the Japanese corporation Gizmodo and an editor, Chen, created a video to show it off to the world.   Although Apple never reported the device as lost or stolen to the local police department, they screamed “FOUL” and a search warrant was executed.

For the sake of argument, let’s say Chen knew that the phone was considered “stolen”.

Section 485 of the California Penal Code states:

• [o]ne who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.

How many times has this particular law EVER been used to break down someone’s door for the search and seizure of computers? Is Chen a potential pedophile or murderer and the media forgot to mention it?

Also, why does the Powell still have his job if the situation resulted in potential felony charges?

What about the Constitutional rights of Chen as a blogger/journalist under the California shield law?  § 1524(g) forbids search warrants for materials covered by the shield law.

Once again I can’t help thinking of OJ. If it weren’t for fame, OJ would have been “Orenthal the bus driving murder” (Chris Rock) and his conviction would have been cut and dry.

In Chen’s case, he disrupted the fame of the Apple cart!  This in your face political power is downright scary!  Who the hell does Steve Jobs play golf with to have generated this warrant in the first place?

While I don’t necessarily agree with what Gizmodo did, Apple needs to suck it up and revisit their security procedures for new products.

In the meantime I’m going to sit back and enjoy watching the state of California and Apple fighting off lawsuits!  Popcorn anyone?

I was browsing through the Facebook posts on the fan page for “Trying to get 1 million AGAINST the ban on pitbulls” and stumbled across a story about “rescue pit”.  This was a 2 yr old pit who ran to the aid of a woman while her estranged husband was trying to drag her across the street.  Dog Thwarts Husband’s Attack

While my dog Thorbob is actually an American Staffordshire Terrier, the world at large takes one look and screams, “PIT BULL”!  When he was just a puppy we were living in Southern California and people would cross the street to avoid walking anywhere near him.  It was the CRAZIEST THING!  

Granted, just up the road in LA these dogs were being stolen left and right to become fighting dogs for gangs. Seriously, how many  red headed gangstas do you know?

These days, at age 11.5 this dog’s favorite thing is watching tv from his ottoman.

Regardless, the point of today’s story is think again folks!  This fan page already has over 66,900 fans so maybe people should turn off their auto prejudice over this breed of dog?

How many times have you heard, “It’s how they are raised”?  Um, maybe it’s because there’s a great deal of truth in that statement!  That phrase works on any breed of dog and some kids I know!

Check out these 2 I think Golden pups and they are best friends!

THIS picture scares me and they were just playing!

By the way, I’m also trying to help a lady that is looking for a breeder in the VA Beach area so if you know of any, particularly in the Rosemont/Damn Neck area please let me know.  Thanks!

So my saga continues…..

After we picked up the EPO and tried calling the guy we didn’t even get out of the parking lot before getting a call about an accident right next door to the station in the Harris Teeter parking lot.  A very nice elderly woman had apparently blacked out while pulling in and drove off into the grass clipping a light pole in the process and flattening a Verizon box.

The whole front end of her car had been ripped off and the car ultimately came to a stop partially back on the pavement.  Her front driver’s side tire was shredded to the point that the rim was touching the ground you could see see her washer fluid.  Crazy!

When we pulled up, she didn’t appear hurt and more importantly I don’t think she was sure that she had even been in an accident.  When questioned if she had any medical issues, she said no and asked if she could drive away when we were done.  Not so much.

As it turned out, she was driving on a suspended license.  The fire department discovered during more detailed questioning that she was taking medication for Epilepsy.  When we asked if she was aware of the status of her license she said yes but that her doctor was supposed to contact DMV because her meds were working.  I’d rethink that one……

Fortunately, she eventually allowed the EMTs to take her over to Sentara to get checked out.

After an accident occurs, the officers can’t just leave the car.  Someone must wait for the tow truck to remove it from the property so we were rescued from boredom by a VA Beach Community Service Officer.

Not only did he say he would stay with the car for us, but when the tow arrived a few minutes later,  he offered to take the tow truck driver’s business card to the lady in the hospital.  How nice was that?  See!  There is some good left in this world!