What's Goin' On?

I have been stunned by two events that are in the news right now.  These are serious subjects and I can't believe how little we have learned to get to this point.

The first was the American soldier gunning down 16 people, 9 of which were children  (The others were women) a couple of weeks ago, in Afghanistan.  This man served 3 tours in Iraq; had suffered a head injury and lost part of one foot.  He had been promised he would not be deployed again.  He was.  He had spent some time drinking with fellow soldiers before he walked out of camp, fully armed.  Alcohol is illegal in Muslim countries.  Why was it there?  I'm smart enough to know that anything banned is black marketed as soon as you can snap your fingers.... and we've been  there for  a decade now.  So, I'm not really surprised it's there. 

I don't doubt he shouldn't have been deployed.  This is a very troubled individual for sure.  Life, as he knew it, is over.  It is also over for his family.   It absolutely destroyed many Afghan families. 

This followed the burning of many Korans in Bagram Air Base a few weeks before.  I believe our soldiers did not realize what the books were.    This is what I choose to believe.  Maybe I am naive.  That started riots in the streets and attacks on our forces, putting them in more danger than usual.

Now this.    Our troops have been ordered out of the cities (humble as they are) and back to the bases.  I say.... get out.   The time has come to bring our men and women home.

I can't believe we are in the same position we were in, during the 1970s when Marvin sang this song.

The other news story that has me hanging my head. is the down right murder of  17 year old Trayvon Martin by "Neighborhood Watch"  member George Zimmerman.    Zimmerman was told by the 911 operator to stop pursuing the teen.  He did not.  Trayvon was carrying a can of iced tea and a bag of Skittles.  Zimmerman was carry a revolver and shot the defenseless teen.  The boy can be heard crying for help on the 911 tape before you then hear the sound of a shot being fired.  It rips out my heart.  I cannot even begin to comprehend how his parents feel.

Leave it Marvin Gaye to ask the question we all are wondering. 

 ( I'm also wondering about the guy in that green suit behind Marvin.  Some things from the 70s should not come back in style!)

Random Thoughts

While I was taking some time off from blogging, I kept reading, hearing and seeing things on Television that spurred me to ask " Are You Kidding Me?"

So here, I am back to ask you what you think about this.

1.  In Alabama, the "Honeymoon Husband", Gabe Watson was set free after serving 18 months in an Australian prison while he waited trial for killing Tina,  his bride of 11 days.  Charges were dropped because the prosecution did not have enough evidence to prosecute.

He had taken her scuba diving off the coast of Australia, after she had completed only a few shallow water lessons ( where she had panicked) , and Tina had drowned.  He was a "rescue diver" and he left her on the bottom of the ocean while he went to get help. he says.  Remember seeing the photo of her lying on the bottom of the ocean floor, through the pretty blue water?  He had promised her family he had stayed with her all 40 minutes it had taken to get her from the ocean to rescue on shore, when , in fact, he had been on another boat.....not with his wife.  This guy is going to be on 20/20 tonight. (Friday)

 Her father had stated that Gabe wanted her to take out more life insurance and to make him the beneficiary of the insurance she did have.  She had done neither.    Her father inherited.

I say...if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...well then...It must be a lying - no good - darn duck! 

2.  This brings me to the gut wrenching case of Josh Powell, husband of the missing Susan Powell, that blew up his 2 sons after he took an axe to them, and himself in the explosion of his house.   I know you remember this one.  He "took his two toddler sons "camping" in a blizzard the night his wife disappeared.  Only recently had the older son drawn a picture of the Dad with the boys camping.  When the teacher asked "where's Mom?", the little guy responded. "In the trunk."    Josh's father had been arrested on having child porn in the home where he and the children had been living after he had packed up and moved from Utah (after he had donated or dumped all of Susan's possessions,  to Washington.  The boys were delivered to him that day by their social worker.  My heart goes out to that woman and to the family of Susan Powell.  

3.  As if these weren't enough... then there was the murder of the wife, Monica,  of Survivor Producer, Bruce Beresford-Redman, in Cancun at the Moon Palace resort.  Having been a travel agent, I can say, the Palace resorts are high end.  They are not cheap. You are not going to get riff raff staying here.

  Her body was found under a covered sewer not far from the couples room.Not next door close, but still inside the resort area.  She was naked and had been beaten to death. He says she left that morning at 8am to go "shopping"(her cell phone was in the room)  and by 10pm, 14 hours later, she was still not home. Then he says he started looking for her. He had surrendered his passport to Mexican authorities (right?) but still managed to get back across the border to his home in sunny California.

  He has since been detained and is now in a Cancun jail, purported to be a "dangerous and vile" place. (Good)  I, for one, would not vacation in Mexico for any reason, resort or not, but that's just me.  My daughter and her family did, recently spend a grand time in a Cancun resort, but this Nana did not rest easy until they were home. 

There seems to be mixed witness statements on his guilt.  He had been having an affair, loud noise and loud voices were heard coming from their room.  They had their 2 young children with them.  The neighboring room had called the front desk to complain but no one was sent to check out the noise. Ole Bruce says they were playing a game jumping fro one bed to another, as a 6'6" man (or there abouts...he is a big man) is likely to do.  Doesn't your husband jump on the beds in your hotels?  Sure... right...all the time. 

I think they are all guilty.  I would not be chosen for these juries...  that's for darn sure.  I would add them to the list of O.J., Drew Peterson, and Casey Anthony... all got away with murder...in my humble opinion.

4.  Bristol Palin, mom of a toddler now and daughter of Rep. former Alaskan Gov... (she quit, remember that?)  and running mate of John McCain, what were you thinking?)  is going to have her own reality show on the Lifetime Network.  Seriously!  What has she done other than be a teen Mom and  Dancing With the Stars?  She did get "jaw" surgery which seemed more like an excuse for a lypo sculpting thing to me.  I think this show will be as interesting as watching paint dry.

5.  OK.... Angelina's leg at the Academy Awards.   Trying a little too hard?  I think so. 

6.  Lindsay Lohan confirms she will play Elizabeth Taylor in a made for TV movie.  Oh. My. Goodness.    The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and Mean Girls ......    That's what she's bringing to the table.   Tell me this isn't so.  I could see Kate Beckinsale  or Katie Perry even....but not Lindsay.  Probably because these other women have a career, not a "time served" on their resume.

I think that's enough.  Look what happens when I take time off.  Now I can't shut up. 

I Have No Words

Sometimes there are no additional words needed.  This was on my local news.  Unbelievable.

It's one of those things that maybe sounded like a good plan after a night of drinking.  I'm still speechless.

Really?

Back in the last 1980's Arsenio Hall had a late night talk show that included a monologue on "Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm?"

I have a few of those thing now too.

1.  What the hey is Benneton thinking with their ads featuring world leaders kissing.   For instance:

I may be alone here but I don't think this is at all respectful to any world office, and is absolutely not something I want my President featured in.  I'm not talking about the man, I'm talking about the position of President of the United States, period.  Man or woman.

2.  I watched a Dr. Phil I had DVR'd because he had Prosecutor Ashton on from the Casey Anthony trial.  I had seen a commercial where he asked "How did you get it so wrong?" about picking a jury.   He also had Mark Geragos from the Michael Jackson molestation case and Marcia Clark from the O.J. trial on as well.   The whole point is... Have you seen Macia Clark lately?

If he had not introduced her by name, I wouldn't have known who she was.  Now that I think about I don't look like I did back in 1995 either.  I look older.  She doesn't.  I'll drink that water.

3.  This one is more trivial, but if you are a DWTS fan, and those that are fans know that is "Dancing With the Stars".    I was a fan until this season which slipped about as far as they could go to call these contestants "Stars", so I haven't been watching.   But, I've still been hearing ans seeing my guy Maks, one of the Pros, behaving badly.   He's always been more verbal than the other Pros about the judges scores, but this season his criticism has been over the top, I feel.    I have a feeling his contract may not be renewed for the next season, which is too bad because he is one of the more popular Pros, but Maks, Maks, it's only dancing buddy.  Get over yourself.

4.  This last thing that makes me go hmmmmm is the Chevrolet Dealership where we've taken our car for work.  After  hurricane Irene came through but before we went to Savannah, I went to the dealership, sat for 2 1/2 hours to get a front end alignment and 2 new front tires.  2 Days ago Terry took the car to another service place for 4 new tires and another alignment.  The new tires were extremely worn in the same pattern as the first time.  That car sits in the driveway most of the week.  I don't go far  and rarely do we go far on the weekend.  We did take our trip south, but that's about it.  He doesn't  think the dealership did the alignment.  Now we're out $500.00 more.  I told him I would take it back to the dealership but he said they would just say we hit a hole or something  to cover their butts. 

Has something been making you go hmmmm too?   

Headlines

Well, it's easy to have an opinion on the Penn State atrocity.  If you knew about it and did nothing, you are equally guilty.  Period.   I know if I had personally seen a man raping a little boy in a shower, I would have screamed it from the rooftops, not just telling the coach.  ( If I didn't attack the SOB right that moment!)   I don't care what position you have, what the program is, who the perp ( yep, call it what it is)  is, you know this is wrong. 


Another child is missing in Bellevue, Washington..  A 2 year old little boy that the mother says she left in a parked car while she and another child went to get gas.  The police say the car had plenty of gas to get to a location for help.  No one can remember seeing Sky Metalwela in the last 2 weeks.  More than something fishy going on  here.


Billy Crystal is hosting the Academy Awards again, after Eddy Murphy dropped out.  Yay!!   I watch every year.  Some years I've even seen some of the movies nominated.   I'm looking for the fashion hits and misses.  I've been missing Billy.  No one does it as well as he can.



My random thought is this video that's gone viral.  This poor guy was only trying to surprise her.  I guess he did.

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When Innocence Was Taken

I've posted in the past that I watch a lot of the forensic/who did it?/ Disappeared/ 48 Hours, shows.  I think I keep watching because I want to know that the bad guy gets caught.  I had DVRed 20/20 on ID and watched it this morning.  This hour was about the first child disappearance that made national deadlines.  Etan' ( pronounced A-tan') Patz.  This little guy disappeared on the first morning he was allowed to walk to the school bus stop, at age 6, in NYC.  It was the last day of school before Memorial weekend, 1979.

Six is way to young we say.  His parents do admit that, as it turned out, it was.  I had to remind myself that is the case that put the face on the milk cartoon.  Truly, this was the case.  I also remembered living near downtown Flint, Michigan in the mid to late 1950s and my mother sending me to the A & W by the jail, no less, to get hot dogs for us when my brother was a baby, my sister was 3-4 and I would have been  6-7 years old.  I walked about 3 -4 blocks and back, to bring home hot dogs, for goodness sake.   It was still a time of innocence.  What happened to Etan' told us innocence was lost.

I remember his name so well.  I was 29.  My oldest daughter was 5.  We lived in the little town I grew up in.  A place where we didn't always lock the doors.  A place where kids could ride bikes from one friend's house to another.  The  Etan' Patz case in far away, New York City changed my world.

Two years later another 6 year old little boy was taken.  Adam Walsh....

I feel the reason we know more about who Adam Walsh was, is, no doubt, a tribute to his father's media experience.   By the time Adam disappeared there was a pretty good link between Etan' and the man  authorities are convinced abducted Etan', molested him  and disposed  of his body in the man's, (Jose' Ramos) furnace in his own apartment building.

This man was arrested some years later in Pennsylvania on molesting another child and is serving a 20 year prison sentence.  He has talked about his involvement with Etan', with jail house snitches.  He confessed and recanted to police, way back, nearly 30 years ago. Did the police drop the ball all those years ago?  I think so.  The scary thing is that 20 years is up in November 2012.  He could be back out on the street again.

Did these things happened before? Of course they did. The Lindbergh baby was kidnapped in the 1930s and made huge headlines.   Evil wasn't born with Jose' Ramos. But, I believe this was the first time we knew evil could happen to the common man, or to our children.  

I've wondered for years about this little boy.  I didn't know there was someone in the bull's eye for it.  Now he may go free.  I hope not.

A Mother's Love

Here and there amongst the news of "that" trial I have been seeing commercials for the upcoming Diane Sawyer program on and with Jaycee Dugard.  I'm sure you all (my southern roots are showing there.) have heard of the little 11year old from Lake Tahoe that was snatched off the street of her home and held captive for 18 years.  As a teen she gave birth, in a backyard, to 2 little girls and was able to educate them, to the best of her ability, with a 5th grade education. 

I think the idget that kidnapped her and his wife both pled (pleaded?) guilty.  He's in jail for 300 plus years and her for 38.  I wish he could live every one of those days of those 300 years.  But here's the thing.  Diane Sawyer was on another program this morning and shared this bit of information.  The police, in those 18 years, had been to that house because of complaints, of girls in the backyard, noise, etc....... 60 times!! that's right 6 .  0.   60 times and never physically walked into the backyard. Not once.   Oops!  I remember reading she was awarded a huge settlement because of it, but how does that happen?

Jaycee's book, A Stolen Life,  comes out July 12th.  This is one I will buy.  I will give this lady my money.   I will watch the program and celebrate her will to survive and applaud her mothering skills.