Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Katrina.... beautiful name for a wicked storm

Yahoo has a great photo essay containing over 500 pictures of damage caused by Katrina in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.

I've been a Red Cross volunteer since 1991, and have been to countless local disasters and several large national disasters. Despite stories you may hear from some people, I can tell you personally that the American Red Cross is a great organization, and is stellar during times of national disasters, like Katrina. Please... Donate Now.

Glenn Reynolds has a list of charities going, and Technorati has some outstanding updates on the aftermath of what could be the most expensive natural disaster to hit the USA. As usual, the blogging community is coming out in droves to support relief efforts. Thursday, Sept. 1, has been designated as Hurricane Katrina Blog Relief Day. Please go register your blog, and stay tuned for more information regarding Blog Relief Day. H/T: That Dude From Philly


Tuesday, August 30, 2005

YEAH! Gratuitous Carrier, Aircraft, and Gun Porn!

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Call me a dork, but I had NO idea that New York has an aircraft carrier, a submarine and a Concorde jet in the harbor at the end of 42nd Street. IT WAS SO COOL! Instead of milling around the city on Sunday, we took off for the harbor and toured the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

It's one of 24 Essex class carriers, including the Yorktown. The Yorktown is on display in Charleston Harbor, NC, at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. 13 Essex class carriers saw significant combat, but none were ever lost to enemy action. The Intrepid was commissioned on August 16, 1943, and decommissioned on March 30, 1974. During that time, it survived one torpedo, three bomb hits, and four kamikazi crashes, and numerous near misses. She served the world during World War II, three tours in Vietnam, was a recovery vessel for the Mercury and Gemini space missions, and participated in the Cuban Missile Naval Blockade.

Over the years, the Intrepid has been host to Hellcats, Corsairs, Panthers, Crusaders, Avengers, Skyraiders, Helldivers, Skywarriors, Skyhawks, and Seasprites, amongst others. They tried launching F-4 Phantom II's from the Intrepid, but it just wasn't big enough.

The Intrepid was armed with eight 5-inch, 38 cal DP guns, which fired anti-aircraft, high capacity, and high explosive rounds. They also carried a limited number of illuminating and smoke projectiles. Other than the big guns, they also defended the ship with heavy and light machine guns. By the end of WWII, the Intrepid had been outfitted with 17, 40mm quadruple and 61, 20mm single mounts heavy machine guns. The 20mm and 40mm guns were eventually replaced by twin 3-inch 50 calibur guns. In 1947, when its armament was at it's heaviest, the Intrepid was outfitted with 8 5-inch/38 cal. singles; 28 3-inch/50 cal. twins; 68 40-mm quads, 38 20-mm twins and another 38 20-mm singles.

By the end of WWII, the Intrepid was credited with destroying 13 enemy planes and assisting in the downing of 5 others. The air group shot down 160 enemy planes, destroyed 86 grounded enemy planes, sank 11 ships (possibly 13) and damaged 41 more. Over the course of three Vietnam tours, her aircraft were involved in 2,486 combat sorties, 858 combat support sorties, and 55 photo recon missions. During her 31 years of service, 274 men who served on her perished- most during WWII.

Currently, the carrier is docked at the end of 42nd Street, in New York City, the flagship of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. In addition to the Intrepid, you can also tour the USS Growler, a nuclear-deterrent submarine, and a British Airways Corcorde jet.

On the Hanger Deck of the Intrepid, you will find the ORIGINAL Iwo Jima Memorial Statue. That's right... THE ORIGINAL. It's twelve feet tall, as compared to the 60-foot version at Arlington, and toured the country for many years before being forgotten in a warehouse. Discovered again in the early 1990's, the statue was restored and put on permanent display on the Intrepid in 1995- 50 years after the original photograph was taken. Also on display on the Hanger Deck are three aircraft which flew from the Intrepid during WWII- the Hellcat, the Helldiver, and an Avenger. We also saw a fully restored Cobra, and I even got to sit in the cockpit of one!
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Up on the flight deck, you will find many different aircraft, including the Tomcat and Intruder above; an A-12 Blackbird; a Crusader, a Phantom and a Demon; a Harrier; a Dassault Entendard; a Coast Guard helicopter, and several Huey's.

Seeing Ground Zero, Ellis Island and the Intrepid were unique experiences I will never forget, topped off by seeing an amazing show on Broadway. It was a very cool trip- thanks for the memories, Bryan.


I don't normally support hackers, but....

THIS is outstanding. Someone hacked into Cindy Sheehan's website and put up a pro-military message yesterday. SNARKALICIOUS!


jeez... all we need now is a riot or something.

Could things possibly get more exciting around Cincinnati? Yesterday, a train tanker started leaking styrene gas. The area around the tanker has been evacuated due to fears it may explode. Apparently styrene requires an additive to keep it stabilized. The additive only lasts for about four months, and then *POOF*.... no more tanker. It was last added to the tanker in December- EIGHT months ago. The real question here: Why in the helk was a hazardous material left sitting in a tanker in a residential area for 7-9 months? *morons*

And just in case we get bored with that, Mother Nature is throwing the reminants of Hurricane Katrina straight up my driveway. I know we need the rain, but jeesh! An inch a day for a week would be a lot more appreciated, Mother. We could get anywhere from 4-8 inches, depending on which meteorologist you listen to.

If Red Cross doesn't call me tonight, I fully expect to hear from them tomorrow. Disaster Kitty may need to get into the action! Wheeee!

***UPDATE***
I left my house at 7:30am today, knowing that traffic would be a little worse than usual due to the rain and road closures. However, I did NOT plan on an HOUR AND A HALF commute! Holy crap.... you'd think there was a snow storm out there or something. *sigh*


Monday, August 29, 2005

Stupid Question

Why... oh WHY... do I continue to get my fingernails polished, when the job never lasts for more than 3 days? WHY????????????

*sigh*

I'm done now...


Give my regards to Broadway.....

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My husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on Friday. Well, I THOUGHT we did. Actually, the Jimmy Buffet concert the week before was our big celebration. We don't usually get each other much more than a card and dinner, so I thought the concert would be a nice addition. However... hubby had different plans. He secretly planned a weekend getaway trip to New York City, complete with a hotel on Times Square and a show on Broadway- "Wicked". I was quite floored, to say the least.

On Sunday we got to visit the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier, which is docked at the end of 42nd Street. I'll post more on that later, since there were SO many kewl things to see on the Intrepid. In the meantime, here are some pix from Saturday to hold you over:
Hubby... on Wall Street.
Moi... on Wall Street.
Gun Pron for John... with more to follow later.

And we visited Ground Zero... an experience I'll never forget. And shouldn't forget, for that matter.
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Steel workers who were working on clearing away the rubble noticed that many girders formed crosses, and began cutting them that way. This one was mounted at Ground Zero for all to see. They also cut small crosses out of the girders and gave the cut-outs to family members of WTC victims. The example shown here is actually on display at the Intrepid:
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Most of the personal tributes left at Ground Zero are gone, except for this one, dedicated to a fallen firefighter. Zoom in and read the letter from his firefighter Dad, if you can bear it.

One thing I noticed about the skyline, is that no matter how far away I was from Ground Zero, I knew EXACTLY where those towers should be. It's like a hole in the New York skyline. Someday, new buildings will be there, but it won't ever be the same. In some ways, I think that's a good thing. We will always remember....
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Friday, August 26, 2005

Ethics in America (specifically, in Ohio)

*sigh*

It's getting embarrassing to be from Ohio again. Here in Cincinnati, we've had race riots; outlawed any sort of porn; banned Maplethorpe, and is (or rather was, because she's dead now) home to Marge Schott, one of the biggest bigots I've ever heard of.

Two weeks ago, our governor, Bob Taft, was charged with (and convicted of) ethics violations pertaining to undisclosed gifts worth more than $75.00 each. He did not deny the charges- as a matter of fact, he's the one who alerted the police to the omissions on his tax return. However, for someone who demands a high level of personal ethics standards from his staff, he's not exactly leading by example. He's fired people for lesser offenses, yet he refuses to step down as governor. The Democrats are busy trying to figure out if they have enough support to impeach him instead.

Then earlier this week, Nancy Zimpher, President of the University of Cincinnati, delivered an ultimatum to basketball coach Bob Huggins: Quit, or be fired. Her reason? Because Huggs hasn't been recruiting the level of quality students she wants in her university, and both Huggins and an assistant coach got DUI's last year. The fact that he's the winningest coach in UC history doesn't mean crap, apparently. His DUI and drafting practices (he often signs kids who have been in trouble and JuCo players) don't portray the right image Mrs. Zimpher wants UC to have. Since he was let go, UC's biggest advertiser has pulled their support and tossed it to the other big university in town, Xavier. Top recruits have now crossed UC off of their list. Coaches across the country who used to be held accountable for their team's scorecard are now afraid that they will befall the same fate as Huggins if their players cross the line too many times.

Ethics in Ohio... taking some VERY strange twists, indeed. On one hand, I understand why Huggins was fired. He's brash, doesn't play well with others, and only wants the best basketball players. His "forget their academic or police records- let's go win some b-ball games" attitude has propelled UC into the national spotlight on numerous occasions- for both good and bad reasons. But on the other hand... wasn't he doing the job he was hired to do? Win games. Promote the school. Attract big-dollar sponsors. The basketball program at UC is the ONLY profitable sports program they offer. His players- both ex and current- love the man, and continue to support him. It wasn't his abilities that cost him his job- it was his personal ethics.

And Governor Taft. Man, oh man... The charges against him are minor compared to some things other politicians across the country have been charged with and convicted of in the past. These were not big dollar payoffs, but rather a series of small golf outings and dinners over a period of several years. Was it wrong? Sure it was. But do I think he should resign? NO. After all, he turned in the evidence HIMSELF. The police didn't have to lift a finger to gather it. The prosecution didn't have to work at a conviction either, because he pleaded no contest and was fined right then and there. No trial- just one appearance before the judge. It's a shame that he didn't report the dinners and outings like he should have, but damn... he's being pretty darn up front and honest about it now and taking his swats like a man.

Hopefully, someday soon, Ohio will get its proverbial shit together and overcome these questions of honesty, morals, integrity and ethics. The past two weeks however, have been a wee bit over the top for me. I don't think Huggs should have been fired, nor do I think that Taft should step down. Are they perfect? Hell no. Who is? But neither of them did anything so incredibly wrong as to lose their jobs.


Day By Day... featuring Valour-IT

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Click HERE or HERE to get more information about the program featured in today's Day By Day cartoon.


Thursday, August 25, 2005

So much to do, so much to say....

First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILLT!

Next.... today's Valour-IT update has been brought to you by Cool Blue.

Then there's Noah's story, which is just unfolding. Go check out his Mom's experience with dealing with her son's injuries so far. Get out your hankie, and check back daily- updates will follow, I'm sure.

I have an ethics post in my brain, and as soon as the words make it to the keyboard, I'll post it. My head is swimming right now... so much going on. My baby started riding the school bus today. I guess he's not a baby anymore, is he? My older son starts next Tuesday, and on Monday the childcare center he was supposed to go to told me that they didn't have room for him after all. "Sorry".... JOY! So after a day of scrambling, I got it worked out. My 10th anniversary is tomorrow, and my husband suprised me with a trip to NYC- including a hotel on Times Square AND.....(drum roll, please).... tickets to see the show "Wicked". Totally unexpected. My exact words upon discovering the tickets in the card yesterday were "HOLY SHIT". Of course I'll be posting on that next week.

Enough rambling... that's all for now, folks.


Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Fusileers... take note!

Donations to Valour-IT are still coming in, and the first 10 laptops are getting ready to be distributed. How wonderful is that!?!?!?!?! Our fearless leaders, FbL and Chuck, are both in recovery mode right now. FbL's trying to get over a nasty sinus infection, and Chuck is at finally out of the hospital, and may be home VERY soon! In the meantime... it's up to the rest of us grunts to spread the word about Valour-IT and make this dream come true.

Barb has some words to say about it today, including these:

We are surrounded by more gadgetry and technology today than ever before. Cell phones, computers, cordless phones at home, DSL, Satellite HDTV, DVDs ... high tech all the way.

Go check out the rest, and then gather up some dough for a great cause!


YAY! I've got my own trolls!

You know... I never thought it would happen, but it did. My post about Casey Hilmer being attacked by Benjamin White was controversial. I knew it would be- that's why I put it out there. Being an outsider to the case, all I had to go by was what the local media was printing. One commenter was at the trial, and had some very interesting insights. I never said there shouldn't be any repercussions... but I did say that I didn't think the parents should be held responsible for this act. I figured the post was over and done with, but I'm still getting comments on it- 22 days later.

Last Thursday I got this comment:
I'm sorry but I know Casey Hilmer and they diserve the money. it was uncalled for. the parents are def responsible
I made no comment. It appears to be from a child, given the spelling errors, and the fact that the commenter knows the child who was attacked. Plus, it was made anonymously.

Then I got this:
Get the facts! These parents were not only negligent but blatantly disregard their son's need for help. So what that they took him to a doctor if they didn't follow through and allowed the problems to escalate. Parents are responsible for the actions of their minor children. The only thing these parents understand is when it hits them in the wallet!
Hmmmm.... should I respond? Nahh... besides- it was again left by an anonymous commenter who didn't leave email addresses either. Besides, I DID have the facts. I stated, "His parents have had him under doctor's care for these conditions since fourth grade." in the original post, which is true. Nothing I wrote has been disputed as incorrect information. ADDITIONAL information has been presented, but nothing I wrote was incorrect.

Today, I got this one:
You know I wrote this whole big response but, I really only need to say one thing your an ass.
After I read the comment a few times, I realized that it should have said "You know, I wrote this whole big response, but I really only needed to say one thing: You're an ass."

Note to trolls: If you're going to leave nasty comments, anonymous or not... you could at least do yourself the favor of using proper spelling and grammar, and not make incorrect statements. You might be taken more seriously next time. And if you REALLY want to be heard... grow a set and leave your name and email address.

Oh yeah-
I suppose I ought to tell you how the trial ended. The jury awarded Casey Hilmer $10 million- $3.5 to be paid by Benjamin White, and the other $6.5 million to be paid by his parents. Interesting... considering that they only sued for $25,000.00. However, I do now believe the parents had some responsibility in this case due to facts that were brought out in the trial which were never covered by the local media. Things like Benjamin being diagnosed as bipolar, but his parents weren't ensuring he was medicated, and inconsistencies in the mother's testimony.


Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Random Musings

Bloodspite wrote a wicked cool post about Valour-IT. It needs no introduction- just go read it. It's THAT good. Or skip right to Soldier's Angels to make a donation.

Here's another great link for you- posted by Dusty at the Castle Argghhh! It's a fantastic post, featuring a speech made by Ben Stein recently. It's another "just go read it" post. So what are you waiting for?

Here's a link found by my husband which shows all military fatalities in Iraq (and few in Kuwait). When you push the red button, a map of Iraq will appear, and then these little dots will start popping up. If you select "Place Names" under Geography (on the right top sidebar)... you will see how many have been killed geographically. It's kinda cool, even though it's left-wing anti-war fodder.

And there's this intuition quiz that FbL posted on her site. I ended up 77% emotional and 62% scientific, which is supposed to mean that I am in tune with the physical and emotional surroundings of both myself and others. It also puts me in the "unusually smart" quadrant. Well, that's certainly up for debate- especially considering that after two days I couldn't get the ding-dong-dangle quiz to post correctly on my site! Oh well... go visit FbL and bump her numbers.

eeeb-ba-deee-ba-eeeb-ba-deee-ba... That's all folks!
(pretty lame attempt at spelling Porky Pig's studder, don't ya think? lol....)


Changes In Attitude...

It's those changes in latitudes,
changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.
With all of our running and all of our cunning,
If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.


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Welcome to Margaritaville! It's Jimmy Buffet time in Cincinnati, home of the Parrotheads. It was 20 years ago that Jimmy Buffet first set foot on a stage in Cincinnati. 20 years of coconut bras, hula skirts, wild hats, and just a leeeeetle bit of alcoholic beverages. 20 years... yet this was my FIRST Jimmy Buffet concert. Can you believe it? It's almost embarassing. Almost...until you look at this get-up we wore to the concert:

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They played the big classic hits, like "Cheeseburger in paradise", "Changes in attitude, changes in latitude", "Margaritaville", and some borrowed favorites like "Brown-Eyed Girl". If you ever get the chance... I highly recommend you get all dressed up and go see Buffet!

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Saturday, August 20, 2005

WOWZER!

When ALa updated her site, thanks to Web-Divas, I knew I HAD to get a new design for mine. I looked at their site, and saw this really cool design by Shara. I told her the following:

It's a very small blog... not much traffic, but it's fun. It's a place for me to vent, to brag, to lash out, to "hang my hat". The name, "My side of the puddle" refers to my stubborn ways, and my desire to express myself without reprecussion. I want my site to reflect my silliness, my patriotism, my girly nature, my passion, my giving nature (I LOVE being a Red Cross volunteer and supporting our soldiers however I can). I like the design Shara did that looks like the blog is "breaking out" of the screen. It reminds me of myself, and my use of the blog to "break out" of my persona and get back to my soul.

And THIS IS WHAT I GOT! I am SO EXCITED! Like ALa, I HIGHLY recommend Web-Divas for blog designs. WHOOOO HOOOO!


Thursday, August 18, 2005

Happy Birthday, IBD!

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Today, August 18, is my oldest son's birthday. Eight years ago (at this very moment), we were just arriving at the hospital, me in full labor. Five hours later, at 1:15, I was holding my new son. All 8 pounds, 3 ounces of him. He looked so serious (after he stopped crying, that is). His little forhead was all wrinkled and red, and his eyes all squinty. Like "The Thinker"... he looked like he was trying to solve all of the world's problems at the early age of 1 hour.

I'll never forget his dark eyes and dark hair, or the moment they announced, "IT'S A BOY!!!!!!" My husband and my Mom both wanted to find out if it was a boy or girl at the sonogram half way through the pregnancy, but I said NO. There aren't many true suprises in life anymore, and that magical moment when they say it's a boy or it's a girl is one of them. I didn't want to miss that chance, and I'm so glad I stuck to my guns and didn't find out.

Since that day eight years ago, so much has happened. We live in a different house; he's in 3rd Grade; he has a younger brother; he has MANY younger cousins; he's played soccer and t-ball; he likes to fish and swim and go boating. He's still a thinker- his cognative skills are off the charts. He's still beautiful, with those dark eyes and adorable dimples.

Most of all, he's still the joy of my life. I love you, Itty Bitty Dude!


Wednesday, August 17, 2005

OU812

Remember that album? I loved the title- so creative. I see vanity plates everyday, and I love figuring them out. Sometimes they're stupid, like "URAPEON" (saw today on my way home from work; sometimes they're creative, like "2 6E4U" (too sexy for you), and "2NAHHTR" (tuna hunter), and sometimes they're just dorky, like "2FAST4U". Yeah, yeah.... whatevah.

But seeing "URAPEON" today made me want to find some really good ones for you to decipher (and share your own in comments). So..... here you go!

2N2R4

2PCME

2ZRESQ

4QU2

4 PLAY

6UALDMN

9WONWON

8ISEXC

AHEADAU

AV8R

DOUSWALO

DR IIII

FAWQ

GOZNGOZ

ICUQTPI

IMEZRU

JK MNO

IML8 IML8

OK.. that should get you started. Which vanity plates have you seen?


Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Honor

When Lance Cpl. Taylor Prazynski was killed on May 9 in Iraq, his father knew the 3rd Battalion homecoming just wouldn't be the same anymore. When Taylor left for Iraq this past January, his family was SO proud of their Marine. After hearing about his death, his father said, "My son is a hero, not just because he died, but because he was there in support of what he believed. He told me the greatest thing any father would want to hear from his son - that he was where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing."

Now THAT'S a proud Marine Dad who "gets it". He understands "the rules", as set down by John Donovan with his family before every deployment, in case he didn't make it back: If you must talk to the press, remember I was a Soldier, and a volunteer, and I went willingly with my eyes open; I support the mission, even if you do not; and please don't be mad at me just because I zigged when I should have zagged.

Early one morning in May, John Prazynski got the news everyone fears: Taylor had died in a hospital in Fallujah from shrapnel wounds caused by an exploding mortar round. Instead of anger and resentment, this father is honoring his son's service to our country, and those who served along with him. He had promised Taylor he would be there when his unit returned from Iraq. "I still plan to be there," he said. "I promised my boy I'd be there, and I will."

This past weekend, John kept that promise. As the family and friends of the 3rd Battalion ran to their loved ones, Mr. Prazynski hung back, watching; dreaming. Finally, someone recognized him, and slowly, yet surely, he was welcomed by the returning Marines. They lined up to thank him for his son, and to personally let him know how much Taylor touched their lives. "Your son lifted us," said Taylor's squad leader, Sgt. Craig Corsi. "He was an awesome, awesome Marine."

That's the way to remember our fallen servicemen. Not like this. Or this.


Monday, August 15, 2005

HEY YAH!

I'm BAAAAAACK! Didya miss me? I'm sure you did...
Michigan was, well... Michigan. Kinda cold, but relaxing. But you know the blogworld- miss a week.. and you miss 7 days of ranting and raving. I totally missed the beginning of FbL's Project Valour-IT last week, but I'm happy to report that my presence wasn't missed. It's going GANG BUSTERS! Even got an MSNBC note. Whooo Hoooo! Way to go guys! You SO ROCK!

So... for those of you who have been living under a rock, let me explain Valour IT a bit. Capt. Z was injured last month in Iraq, resulting in hand injuries which make it extremely difficult for him to type. He asked for voice recognition software, and was rewarded with a program almost immediately. Multiple offers came in, prompting FbL to encourage Capt. Z to direct the additional offers to other injured soldiers. That turned into a Quest for our dear Fuzzy. With a bit of help, and incredible enthusiasm, she started Project Valour-IT which will hopefully provide 150 or so voice-activated software equipped laptop computers to EACH of 7 military hospitals around the world. The total cost? A whopping $600,000.00! But this is a long-term project- not something that will necessarily be accomplished overnight.

Soldiers Angels is providing the financial management end of things, which is really cool, because all donations will be considered tax-deductible. Corporations, foundations and individual donors are all stepping up to the plate to make this dream a reality. The first few systems are scheduled to be delivered within the next week or so- and fund raising just started a week ago! Can I get a YAHOOOO from ya'll? ****YAAAHOOOOOO**** Don't you just LOVE bloggers with passion?

So... get on it everyone, and let's raise some greenbacks for these laptops!

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Thursday, August 04, 2005

Flap your wings!

YAY!
Thanks to all of my loyal readers and many linky-loving friends... I'm a FLAPPY BIRD!

*flits around... doing happy flappy dance*

And in other animal news....
The US is home to yet ANOTHER baby panda! Tuesday night a baby panda was born at the San Diego Zoo. The little darling weighs about 4 ounces and is about the size of a stick of butter, according to zoo officials.

That got me thinking... A 4 OUNCE BABY PANDA???? How fair is THAT? I mean, that Mama Panda probably outweighs me by a couple hundred pounds, but yet she gave birth to a stick of BUTTER??? I saw an Animal Planet show that said on average, baby elephants weigh 2.5% of the mother's total weight- and baby humans weigh 5% of their mother's weight... confirming what every Mom I know will tell you- BIRTHIN' BABIES IS NOT EASY!

I've made up my mind: I'm putting in my order to God to be reincarnated as a panda or an elephant the next time around.


Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Who's to blame?

Who do you blame when your kid is a brat?
Pampered and spoiled like a siamese cat.
Blaming the kids is a lie and a shame.
You know exactly who's to blame-
The mother and the father!


Two years ago a priviledged young man brutally attacked a girl from his school. Luckily, the girl survived. On July 13, 2003, the boy, Benjamin White, got into a fight with his brother and proceeded to leave the house. His parents, on their way to dinner, saw him walking through the neighborhood. They stopped, asked him if he needed a ride, but then rescinded the offer(since they were in a two-seat Porsche), and told him to check in with them later if he still needed the ride. That's when White spotted 13 year old Casey Hilmer jogging nearby.

Benjamin snatched Casey off the path, carried her into nearby woods and stabbed her four times in the face, neck, and side. Casey fought White off, and recognized him as a boy who once rode her school bus. White was ordered to spend 10 years in prison for attempted murder and felonious assault.

Benjamin has always been a troubled child with documented neurological and psychiatric problems like Tourette's Syndrome, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. His parents have had him under doctor's care for these conditions since fourth grade. As any good parent would do, they loved their child and sought medical help for him throughout the years.

Fast forward to today, two years after the attack. Casey and her parents are suing the White family for $25,000.00 (plus), claiming that the parents are responsible for the attack on their daughter. They allege Mr. and Mrs. White knew Benjamin was dangerous and they should have controlled him, yet they did nothing to stop him from being angry and out in public.

I'm sorry... but that is just messed up! Yes... parents have a responsibility to make sure their child is safe- and that others are safe from him, but how far should it go? These parents did not ignore Benjamin's needed for medical and psychological help, yet they are being sued for negligence.

How far does a parent's responsibility go? Sound off everyone... I wanna know. If parents do everything they can to help their child, yet the child still does something unruly or illegal, should the parents be held responsible?


I have nothing to say, really

But... it's been a few days since I posted anything, so I figured I'd let you all know I'm still alive and kicking (and sometimes biting and pinching, but that's another story).

Have you ever had so much going on in your life, that you just don't have anything to say about it? That's sorta where I am. My husband and the boys are in Michigan until the 15th, so I have the house to myself for the next week or so. I'm joining them next week.. but until then, it's kinda quiet around my house. Which also means... plenty of ME time! Yes, I know... I'm being self-centered, but sometimes you just gotta take care of you.

Saturday meant a day at the spa- 11:30 until almost 6pm! What an afternoon! The spa even calls the package An Afternoon Affair- how funny is that? My husband bought me an afternoon affair. I ate lunch, got a full body massage, a wonderful facial, a pedicure, a manicure and a new hairdo. *sigh* I have to tell you though... the facial was my favorite- and the pedicure was right behind it. I'm so pleased with the polish I'll probably go buy it from the salon. I'm really hard on manicures- my nails NEVER stay polished, yet this polish is sticking!

I haven't made any clothes in a long time, so I decided to make a sundress. I started it last night... and it's turning out SO cute! Maybe I'll post a picture when I'm done. Who knows. Tonight is clean-the-house night and finish-the-dress night. Tomorrow.... my Mom's birthday. Thursday... clean-the-house and pack night. Friday night- vacation officially starts!

OK... for someone who didn't have anything to say, I've rambled on long enough. Perhaps I'll come up with something profound to write about later today. Maybe solve world hunger. Or figure out a way to get the Lefties of this world to come into the light and leave the Dark Side of the Force. *Use the Force, Sister...*