The hypocrisy of stem cell attitudes seems outlined so eloquently by Tilam. So, an organ donor is okay to give up his/her body, but an unused fertilized egg, which might develop into a human, isn't? What is the difference here? An organ donor signs his/her pieces away legally with a document, why can't the stem cell donors do the same? If we are all true believers, then how can we donate organs, when as good christians and such, life doesn't "truly end" at death, but begins as specified by many of our religious teachings! Some people, as we have seen time and time again, just use words and positions to enforce their political agenda, and of course, that of their lobbyists and campaign contributors. And yes, if federal funding is decreased, then private funding should step up and see how far this avenue of human advancement can go.
Oh, and amazingly enough, I haven't commented on Ricky's return to the Dolphins. If the fish had ANY guts, they'd say "hey, yanno Ricky, we sort of drafted this great runner out of Auburn, have a nice life". Looks like Ricky burned through his money a little earlier than expected. :)
What to say about Danica Patrick. WOW! What a great and promising young driver - her 4th place finish in the Indy 500 as a ROOKIE is incredible and to be applauded. But tO highlight the fact that she led for 17 or so laps of the race as a woman OVER the fact that she could have won as a rookie and had a great car (but fuel tightness ultimately caused her to have to drive too conservatively) is to disrespect the driver over the woman. She's a race car driver, get over the woman part - 'cause boyz, she's the REAL DEAL! And frankly, before this season is over, I predict she will have one win - you heard it here first! But also, let's not stifle the male chauvanist in us all and say "she's kinda cute, wonder what she looks like outta that complete coverage racing suit". :)
Musing and Notes and Opinions in the world of sports:
Frank Thomas is injured in his first game back - kinda gives new meaning to the term "the big hurt".
Phoenix is DONE against the Spurs. It's only a matter of time.
So the top 2 drafts of the MLB finally ended their holdouts, the longest in history. Here's to wishing them a complete meltdown in the big leagues, the selfish little pricks...oh wait, their agent was Scotty Boras. The selfish prick.
I'm getting a bit tired of "moral victories" for the US National Soccer team. While our skill level is catching up with the rest of the world, and while we have a great and successful record under Bruce Arena, we need to beat the "men" of the world. It's time to come to the stage and perform, not just "show up and give 'em hell".
Out for now.
5.26.2005
Stem Cells
Like Thew, I have a pretty hard time getting worked up over "destruction of stem cells = killing." I simply do not believe it is.
I understand the argument that "life begins at conception." I am even sympathetic to it. But I believe that is a political position, not a scientific or even religious one. For example, take a person who has just died. How is that clump of cells different then a blastcyst? If you said that the difference is that is can become a person or has potential to be a person, then you admit my point: it is not YET a person. Death clearly delineates when the body ceases to be person, but when does a body become a person? The body performs functions after death, so the presence of living human cells simply does not qualify.
What is not arguable is the potential stem cells have for helping others. At some point, this may be just another miracle that did not pan out, but right now, the potential impact is incredible. (I can see my grandkids [yet borne] saying, "you mean that some had to donate a kidney?")
I also don't buy the mad scientist crap. In every human endeavor, there are those who seek to exploit or profit or produce harm. That is okay. Or at least it is not a reason to stop progress.
Of course, it begs the question, if the soul of a person does not start upon conception, when does it? The heart's first beat? Self-awareness? Viability? I will not offer my opinion right now.
I will also admit the President Bush does not mean to ban research on stem cells, he is limiting federal funding for research on stem cells. I agree with this, not from a moral point of view, but from a "small government is better government" point of view. Let's face it, if the private sector does not think that stem cell research has potential (medical or economic) then there is a fair chance it does not.
I am willing to trust the capitalists on this.
I understand the argument that "life begins at conception." I am even sympathetic to it. But I believe that is a political position, not a scientific or even religious one. For example, take a person who has just died. How is that clump of cells different then a blastcyst? If you said that the difference is that is can become a person or has potential to be a person, then you admit my point: it is not YET a person. Death clearly delineates when the body ceases to be person, but when does a body become a person? The body performs functions after death, so the presence of living human cells simply does not qualify.
What is not arguable is the potential stem cells have for helping others. At some point, this may be just another miracle that did not pan out, but right now, the potential impact is incredible. (I can see my grandkids [yet borne] saying, "you mean that some had to donate a kidney?")
I also don't buy the mad scientist crap. In every human endeavor, there are those who seek to exploit or profit or produce harm. That is okay. Or at least it is not a reason to stop progress.
Of course, it begs the question, if the soul of a person does not start upon conception, when does it? The heart's first beat? Self-awareness? Viability? I will not offer my opinion right now.
I will also admit the President Bush does not mean to ban research on stem cells, he is limiting federal funding for research on stem cells. I agree with this, not from a moral point of view, but from a "small government is better government" point of view. Let's face it, if the private sector does not think that stem cell research has potential (medical or economic) then there is a fair chance it does not.
I am willing to trust the capitalists on this.
Return of the Thew!
As always, the demise of the Yankees was greatly exaggerated. Robinson Cano is shaping up nicely in his role, Jason Giambi is ummm, well, a gimp without the sauce but I admire his grit and effort, the pitching staff is now pitching the way they can. Yes, even Kevin Brown is pitching. Gadzooks people, it was only APRIL! Don't look now, but the Bronx Bombers are only 4.5 games back of the O's, in third place, only .5 games behind the Sawx. Woo Woo!
Tiger missed a cut, and the world didn't end. He was pissed, handled the miss with grace and dignity in his interview, then went off to rant and sulk and fume. He's earned it, let the man have his alone time.
Now on to the BIG stuff...
Stem cell research. I've got to admit, I'm in favor of it under certain conditions. We are talking about harvesting cells from discarded embryos left over after successful in vitro fert...so if they are going to be discarded, why not use them? With the donor's written permission perhaps?
I have to say that if my family had successful in vitro fert and they were just going to discard the embryos, then I would sign a permission slip to use them. There is SO much good that can be done with this research, I believe we should explore it. Will there be dirty abuses of the system - possibly; as a society today, if you can find a loophole to be dirty and illegal and screw people, someone generally finds it and exploits the common man. But that will be rare. Perhaps keep a few for future IVF, and donate the rest of the embryos? There is a solution, I have to admit I'm in favor of it, and have no moral ambiguity here. The cells would be harvested from a 5 day old blastocyst which, if discarded, isn't going to become a life anyway. So if they are going to be discarded or are signed away by the parents, I don't see the big deal.
Revenge of the Sith - date night with Mrs Thew coming soon.
The runaway bride - paying back upwards of $13K and is being charged with lying to authorities. Fitting. Score one for the law and common sense and accountability on this one. :)
Tiger missed a cut, and the world didn't end. He was pissed, handled the miss with grace and dignity in his interview, then went off to rant and sulk and fume. He's earned it, let the man have his alone time.
Now on to the BIG stuff...
Stem cell research. I've got to admit, I'm in favor of it under certain conditions. We are talking about harvesting cells from discarded embryos left over after successful in vitro fert...so if they are going to be discarded, why not use them? With the donor's written permission perhaps?
I have to say that if my family had successful in vitro fert and they were just going to discard the embryos, then I would sign a permission slip to use them. There is SO much good that can be done with this research, I believe we should explore it. Will there be dirty abuses of the system - possibly; as a society today, if you can find a loophole to be dirty and illegal and screw people, someone generally finds it and exploits the common man. But that will be rare. Perhaps keep a few for future IVF, and donate the rest of the embryos? There is a solution, I have to admit I'm in favor of it, and have no moral ambiguity here. The cells would be harvested from a 5 day old blastocyst which, if discarded, isn't going to become a life anyway. So if they are going to be discarded or are signed away by the parents, I don't see the big deal.
Revenge of the Sith - date night with Mrs Thew coming soon.
The runaway bride - paying back upwards of $13K and is being charged with lying to authorities. Fitting. Score one for the law and common sense and accountability on this one. :)
5.24.2005
ROTS Revisited
I should note that there are a number of scenes that are in the official script (get it at Borders or B&N), but are not in the movie. I think there are several important omissions, but they fall into two categories.
1. Senatorial Plot. Lost in the movie is the fact that Padme, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and several other Senators were plotting against the Chancellor. The introduction of Captain Antilles at the very end makes it clear that this is the start of the Rebellion of Ep. IV. Several scenes of this nature are cut.
2. Ancient Order of the Whills. The apparition of Obi-wan, Yoda and Anakin has its basis in the Ancient Order of the Whills and it is the ultimate power of the light side of the Force. At it turns out, Yoda and Obi-wan learn it from Qui-gon Jinn, who, like Obi-wan in Ep. IV, initially appears in voice form only. The later manifestation is the apparition. The power is to use the force consciously, but without a physical presence. Mastering this power allows one to be one with the Force. It also explains why Yoda and Obi-wan did not have bodies in Ep. IV and VI, but why Qui-gon (who had not yet mastered it in Ep. I) did. Most importantly, Yoda and Obi-wan become Qui-gon's apprentices in the time between Ep. II and Ep. IV.
The Shaman of the Whills and the Ancient Order of the Whills were left on the cutting room floor.
I sincerely hope Lucas adds those scenes back in the DVD version...
1. Senatorial Plot. Lost in the movie is the fact that Padme, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and several other Senators were plotting against the Chancellor. The introduction of Captain Antilles at the very end makes it clear that this is the start of the Rebellion of Ep. IV. Several scenes of this nature are cut.
2. Ancient Order of the Whills. The apparition of Obi-wan, Yoda and Anakin has its basis in the Ancient Order of the Whills and it is the ultimate power of the light side of the Force. At it turns out, Yoda and Obi-wan learn it from Qui-gon Jinn, who, like Obi-wan in Ep. IV, initially appears in voice form only. The later manifestation is the apparition. The power is to use the force consciously, but without a physical presence. Mastering this power allows one to be one with the Force. It also explains why Yoda and Obi-wan did not have bodies in Ep. IV and VI, but why Qui-gon (who had not yet mastered it in Ep. I) did. Most importantly, Yoda and Obi-wan become Qui-gon's apprentices in the time between Ep. II and Ep. IV.
The Shaman of the Whills and the Ancient Order of the Whills were left on the cutting room floor.
I sincerely hope Lucas adds those scenes back in the DVD version...
5.23.2005
Revenge of the Sith
It is unfortunate that Star Wars: Episode III will be abbreviated ROTS. My expectations were very low due to my disappointment with Ep.I and Ep.II. Oh, sure. I knew the special effects would be great and the script kitschy, but would it venture into Ep. IV and Ep. V territory?
Yes and no. (He said unequivocally.) It was certainly the best of the "First Trilogy" (Eps. I - III). It was darker, more adult. It offered more tidbits about the Jedi and Sith then either TPM or AOTC, so it satisfied my thirst for more Force info.
But the "Second Trilogy" had more soul. Not in the "Godfather of" sense, but in the sense that there was something deeper about the Force and the Jedi's life. More than my revulsion of the "virgin birth" (explained in Ep. III), was the mitachlorians. In the First Trilogy the Force and Jedi had a very eastern religion feel to them. That with study, self-discipline and introspection, anyone could become a Jedi Master. With mitachlorians, that is not the case. My M-count determines my destiny (kind of like Jedi HDL/LDL). It was as if Lucas wanted to say, in the Second Trilogy, "we are all in this together," but by the First Trilogy (with more money than God) he changed his mind. In the First Trilogy the message is "you are born into your lot in life and your fate is determined by your genes, not your ambitions."
I was generally satisfied about Lucas' tying in Ep. III and Ep. IV. The only two major inconsistencies I saw right off were Leia's Ep. VI recollection of her mother (impossible, since Padme died in childbirth) and Obi-wan's seeming ignorance of Leia as Luke's sister in Ep. V (OW: That boy is our last hope. Yoda: No, there is another.) (I will ignore the seeming complete lack of recollection of Obi-wan and Darth Vader of the droids in the Second Trilogy.)
This is not a kid's movie. The numerous dismemberments were not so bad, but the roasting of Anakin and the subsequent transformation of his burned corpse in Darth Vader was gruesome enough that you really need to understand how your <13 year old child will react. I delivered the bad news to my 8 year old this morning (he is as big a fan as I am). He was devastated, but that was not a scene for the sqeamish.
The Sfx were great. The acting was not great, but I am darn sure Hayden Christensen is a better actor then Mark Hamill ("But I was going into Toshi station to pick up some pwer converters..." Luke whiiiiines.) Enough said.
The conversion of Anakin was better done then I expected. Put aside the question of how this all powerful Jedi is such a freakin' mamma's boy, Palpatine is masterfully manipulative. After Anakin kills Dooku, he frets about the killing of an unarmed prisoner. So when Mace is about to slay Palpatine (ostensibly unarmed), Anakin feels that stopping Mace is the right thing to do. I did not see this as a fall, but rather a reluctant slide. (I do wish Lucas would have spent more time in Ep. II and III examining Anakin's "rule the galaxy" impulses. Any beef one might have with the "abruptness" of the conversion is fair, but, seriously, any further examination of Anakin's descent would have cut out those Sfx. Be reasonable.)
I also thought (I can't believe I am saying this) that Ep. III "justified" the re-conversion of Anakin in Ep. VI. Given the choice a second time, Anakin does the right thing. When I first saw Ep. VI, I was horrified that Darth Vader, the symbol of pure evil, could be turned good, but now it makes sense.
I will see it again and come back to this. I am anxious to get Thew's view, as he is not a Star Wars fan to the extent I am. Overall, I rank this behind Ep. IV and V as the third best of the series.
Yes and no. (He said unequivocally.) It was certainly the best of the "First Trilogy" (Eps. I - III). It was darker, more adult. It offered more tidbits about the Jedi and Sith then either TPM or AOTC, so it satisfied my thirst for more Force info.
But the "Second Trilogy" had more soul. Not in the "Godfather of" sense, but in the sense that there was something deeper about the Force and the Jedi's life. More than my revulsion of the "virgin birth" (explained in Ep. III), was the mitachlorians. In the First Trilogy the Force and Jedi had a very eastern religion feel to them. That with study, self-discipline and introspection, anyone could become a Jedi Master. With mitachlorians, that is not the case. My M-count determines my destiny (kind of like Jedi HDL/LDL). It was as if Lucas wanted to say, in the Second Trilogy, "we are all in this together," but by the First Trilogy (with more money than God) he changed his mind. In the First Trilogy the message is "you are born into your lot in life and your fate is determined by your genes, not your ambitions."
I was generally satisfied about Lucas' tying in Ep. III and Ep. IV. The only two major inconsistencies I saw right off were Leia's Ep. VI recollection of her mother (impossible, since Padme died in childbirth) and Obi-wan's seeming ignorance of Leia as Luke's sister in Ep. V (OW: That boy is our last hope. Yoda: No, there is another.) (I will ignore the seeming complete lack of recollection of Obi-wan and Darth Vader of the droids in the Second Trilogy.)
This is not a kid's movie. The numerous dismemberments were not so bad, but the roasting of Anakin and the subsequent transformation of his burned corpse in Darth Vader was gruesome enough that you really need to understand how your <13 year old child will react. I delivered the bad news to my 8 year old this morning (he is as big a fan as I am). He was devastated, but that was not a scene for the sqeamish.
The Sfx were great. The acting was not great, but I am darn sure Hayden Christensen is a better actor then Mark Hamill ("But I was going into Toshi station to pick up some pwer converters..." Luke whiiiiines.) Enough said.
The conversion of Anakin was better done then I expected. Put aside the question of how this all powerful Jedi is such a freakin' mamma's boy, Palpatine is masterfully manipulative. After Anakin kills Dooku, he frets about the killing of an unarmed prisoner. So when Mace is about to slay Palpatine (ostensibly unarmed), Anakin feels that stopping Mace is the right thing to do. I did not see this as a fall, but rather a reluctant slide. (I do wish Lucas would have spent more time in Ep. II and III examining Anakin's "rule the galaxy" impulses. Any beef one might have with the "abruptness" of the conversion is fair, but, seriously, any further examination of Anakin's descent would have cut out those Sfx. Be reasonable.)
I also thought (I can't believe I am saying this) that Ep. III "justified" the re-conversion of Anakin in Ep. VI. Given the choice a second time, Anakin does the right thing. When I first saw Ep. VI, I was horrified that Darth Vader, the symbol of pure evil, could be turned good, but now it makes sense.
I will see it again and come back to this. I am anxious to get Thew's view, as he is not a Star Wars fan to the extent I am. Overall, I rank this behind Ep. IV and V as the third best of the series.
My Has Time Flown
I haven't posted in a while and was taken to task by Thew over the phone. (Argh! Old technology! At least it was a cell phone.)
Ostensibly, the reason is that the Tilam clan has moved. Sure, it was within town, but packing and unpacking is the same no matter how far you travel. And the move makes Mrs. Tilam nuts. Which puts your humble servant on edge.
Tonight I plan to see the new Star Wars flick. I promise to give my opinions. My oldest wants a Star Wars birthday party and his younger brother and sister will (no doubt) want to come along. I am being selfless by interrupting my evening schedule to pre-view it. What a guy.
So, a round-up on random thoughts:
What I am reading: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
What I can't wait to see: the Dark Knight.
What I am concerned about: have there been a rash of child kidnappings?
What I am not concerned about: anything you read here.
What I am listening to: Millie Manning. (Don't bother, you can't find her. Yet.)
What makes me smile: it was only April.
See ya.
Ostensibly, the reason is that the Tilam clan has moved. Sure, it was within town, but packing and unpacking is the same no matter how far you travel. And the move makes Mrs. Tilam nuts. Which puts your humble servant on edge.
Tonight I plan to see the new Star Wars flick. I promise to give my opinions. My oldest wants a Star Wars birthday party and his younger brother and sister will (no doubt) want to come along. I am being selfless by interrupting my evening schedule to pre-view it. What a guy.
So, a round-up on random thoughts:
What I am reading: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
What I can't wait to see: the Dark Knight.
What I am concerned about: have there been a rash of child kidnappings?
What I am not concerned about: anything you read here.
What I am listening to: Millie Manning. (Don't bother, you can't find her. Yet.)
What makes me smile: it was only April.
See ya.
5.05.2005
It's a wonder they sell anything!
Best Buy. Comp USA. Circuit City. They all have crappy reputations with the computer geeks of the world (and i mean the TRUE geeks) because their salespeople don't know jack about computers - they just know enough to spout out the buzzwords, get you fired up, and close the sale. They don't HAVE to know everything, they just need to know more than YOU!
I would never have put Dell into this group - but now i have to. My gaming computer died an ugly death, it appears to be a motherboard issue. So i called Alienware to order a new computer - well, the folks at Alienware were at least honest enough to let me know that i would NOT be able to use the parts in my old custom assembled PC (DDR SDRAM, 256MB AGP graphics card, et al) in their spiffy proprietary "don't touch my stuff" computer. So i called Dell...
Well, the Dell sales asswipe says "oh SURE, you can add your RAM to our mobo!", and "of course, you can drop your AGP graphics card into our slot". DICKHEAD! It turns out that my DDR SDRAM is NOT able to be dropped into their DDR2 SDRAM slots, and my AGP card is completely and utterly NOT compatible (without a sledgehammer) with their PCIexpress graphics slot. So, after I purchased this computer with minimal specs, i found out that it must stay with those minimal specs or else i have to pay $300 or more to add the proper RAM and graphics card to make it perform even remotely close to my old one. Now, i called back and talked to the customer service folks, and they said "oh, the technical support group can ship you new hardware for free to make the computer perform better, like the old one, don't worry". The technical support team said "he's lying, we are not authorized to do that". ARGH!!! So instead, I'm returning their P.O.S. and spending $200 at NewEgg.com and purchasing a new case, mobo, and hard drive, after which I'm going to reassemble and reload my old gaming PC. AND, I'm going to reload Win2K on the comp, not piece of s**t WinXP.
Dell, you suck. Your people suck. They don't return phone calls, they LIE to make sales, they are worthless. Your customer service sucks too. AS SOON AS I CAN, I'm going to dump your piece of s**t stock too - although that might be a while because I'm losing money on it...I wonder why.
I would never have put Dell into this group - but now i have to. My gaming computer died an ugly death, it appears to be a motherboard issue. So i called Alienware to order a new computer - well, the folks at Alienware were at least honest enough to let me know that i would NOT be able to use the parts in my old custom assembled PC (DDR SDRAM, 256MB AGP graphics card, et al) in their spiffy proprietary "don't touch my stuff" computer. So i called Dell...
Well, the Dell sales asswipe says "oh SURE, you can add your RAM to our mobo!", and "of course, you can drop your AGP graphics card into our slot". DICKHEAD! It turns out that my DDR SDRAM is NOT able to be dropped into their DDR2 SDRAM slots, and my AGP card is completely and utterly NOT compatible (without a sledgehammer) with their PCIexpress graphics slot. So, after I purchased this computer with minimal specs, i found out that it must stay with those minimal specs or else i have to pay $300 or more to add the proper RAM and graphics card to make it perform even remotely close to my old one. Now, i called back and talked to the customer service folks, and they said "oh, the technical support group can ship you new hardware for free to make the computer perform better, like the old one, don't worry". The technical support team said "he's lying, we are not authorized to do that". ARGH!!! So instead, I'm returning their P.O.S. and spending $200 at NewEgg.com and purchasing a new case, mobo, and hard drive, after which I'm going to reassemble and reload my old gaming PC. AND, I'm going to reload Win2K on the comp, not piece of s**t WinXP.
Dell, you suck. Your people suck. They don't return phone calls, they LIE to make sales, they are worthless. Your customer service sucks too. AS SOON AS I CAN, I'm going to dump your piece of s**t stock too - although that might be a while because I'm losing money on it...I wonder why.
5.03.2005
Women are crazy for all the wrong reasons!
Jennifer "cold feet" Wilbanks...Welp, we found her a couple of days ago. After a frantic, hysterical 911 call during which she said she was abducted, then a recant and admission that she "got cold feet", then some more info about travelling around Vegas and New Mexico with a couple (that she met on the internet?!), she's home and meeting with authorities. They are thinking of a) pressing charges, and b) forcing her to reimburse the town of Duluth, GA for the expenses involved in her womanhunt, which took on a huge life of it's own and apparently cost up to $60,000.
A) She purchased her bus ticket a WEEK in advance, so this was fairly premeditated.
B) she called 911 and falsely reported a crime, which is a crime in and of itself, and the prosecutor of Duluth is thinking of pressing charges against her for this.
c) her fiance, the son of the ex-Duluth mayor, gave her the ring back and says the wedding is "postponed".
OMGz, they are BOTH complete idiots. First of all, she met that couple on the internet and ran off to meet them after getting cold feet - that might explain why she purchased the ticket a week before bolting. BUT, this is a high profile union, it seems, with a huge wedding party (14 maids and ushers and 600 guests), and I BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS that if this wasn't as high profile (the ex-mayor's son and his rich little girlfriend) then we would have NEVER devoted all that time and energy and public resources to finding her. So YES, make the stupid bich pay back that money.
Yes, press charges against her like the law dictates. Just because she's marrying the ex-mayor's son that doesn't mean she is exempt from prosecution to the letter of the law. She should be arrested and do time as stipulated by law.
Now, I feel bad that she got cold feet, but this whole episode squeals of something more than just that. A premeditated bus ticket. A shady couple met on the internet. A fleeing bride the week before her wedding - a womanhunt for the bride of the high profile ex-mayor's son. A false call to 911 claiming kidnapping. Call me crazy, but I'd be a middle class normal person than a rich idiot with no common sense and all the apparently mental and emotional problems they have!
*****
NO comment on the Terrell Owens fiasco in Philly. The guy's a playa, but he's also an asshole. Stop pissing and moaning about more money, win Philly a Super Bowl THEN renegotiate your contract...
*****
On the "youth can sure be stupid" front: Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. sustained internal injuries and complained of chest pains after he was injured in a motorcycle accident, the team said Monday night. But lookie here...Beyond the injuries, there are possible financial ramifications as well, and Winslow may have given the team an opportunity to recover a portion of his signing bonus and option bonus, if he is found to be in breach of his contract. Two league sources said Monday night that Winslow's contract includes language which is even more specific and limiting, and which expressly forbids riding a motorcycle. Siiiiigh...will they every learn!?
*****
And on to my pet peeve topic of the week: young girls and their self images...my oldest daughter is having image problems - self-image, that is. And it's no wonder! The image that women, and young girls, are expected to model themselves after is ridiculously impossible. We could all look like those women on the pages of magazines if a) we never worked or went to school and spent all day in the gym and b) had a zillion dollars to spend for someone to come in and do our hair and make up each morning before we left the house, or c) never ate any food (bulimia included). Since the VAST majority of women do NOT live this idyllic life we don't look like super models or teen super stars. So, we end up hiding our true selves inside loose fitting clothing or developing eating disorders thinking that will help us attain that impossible "Perfect Image". If we all looked like the women and girls in magazines we would be useless. The world would literally grind to a halt. Why you ask? Because those women don't actually DO anything. They don't play sports and become role models for future generations; they don't usually want to bear children because they don't want to risk loosing their figures and so never get to experience the joy of being a mother. They don't become nurses or wives or doctors or business women, or teachers, or any other profession that actually contributes anything useful to society because they are so obsessed with their looks that they develop a very narrow and vain view of the world. And that view is that the only thing that matters is what they look like. What an utter waste of a life! YOung ladies would never see their own potential to be a positive person. I have friends who have young daughters/nieces and they say it is so frustrating to get them to understand that REAL beauty is not found superficially. REAL beauty is not visible, but rather found deep within a women's heart and in her soul. It is a measure of those that she loves, the lives she touches, and the contribution she makes not only to society but to her family. I hate to see a young person get lost on this path because it is truly a slippery slope and one misstep can lead to a lifetime of insecurity. The girls who are a size two with those waif looks are abnormal and not to be admired. Rather they should be pitied because they are stuck having to maintain that size and their looks and run the risk of becoming very, very sick. How do you think those girls maintain a size one? They either starve themselves or they are puking. Oh, and don't get me started on air brushing and picture altering...
A) She purchased her bus ticket a WEEK in advance, so this was fairly premeditated.
B) she called 911 and falsely reported a crime, which is a crime in and of itself, and the prosecutor of Duluth is thinking of pressing charges against her for this.
c) her fiance, the son of the ex-Duluth mayor, gave her the ring back and says the wedding is "postponed".
OMGz, they are BOTH complete idiots. First of all, she met that couple on the internet and ran off to meet them after getting cold feet - that might explain why she purchased the ticket a week before bolting. BUT, this is a high profile union, it seems, with a huge wedding party (14 maids and ushers and 600 guests), and I BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS that if this wasn't as high profile (the ex-mayor's son and his rich little girlfriend) then we would have NEVER devoted all that time and energy and public resources to finding her. So YES, make the stupid bich pay back that money.
Yes, press charges against her like the law dictates. Just because she's marrying the ex-mayor's son that doesn't mean she is exempt from prosecution to the letter of the law. She should be arrested and do time as stipulated by law.
Now, I feel bad that she got cold feet, but this whole episode squeals of something more than just that. A premeditated bus ticket. A shady couple met on the internet. A fleeing bride the week before her wedding - a womanhunt for the bride of the high profile ex-mayor's son. A false call to 911 claiming kidnapping. Call me crazy, but I'd be a middle class normal person than a rich idiot with no common sense and all the apparently mental and emotional problems they have!
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NO comment on the Terrell Owens fiasco in Philly. The guy's a playa, but he's also an asshole. Stop pissing and moaning about more money, win Philly a Super Bowl THEN renegotiate your contract...
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On the "youth can sure be stupid" front: Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. sustained internal injuries and complained of chest pains after he was injured in a motorcycle accident, the team said Monday night. But lookie here...Beyond the injuries, there are possible financial ramifications as well, and Winslow may have given the team an opportunity to recover a portion of his signing bonus and option bonus, if he is found to be in breach of his contract. Two league sources said Monday night that Winslow's contract includes language which is even more specific and limiting, and which expressly forbids riding a motorcycle. Siiiiigh...will they every learn!?
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And on to my pet peeve topic of the week: young girls and their self images...my oldest daughter is having image problems - self-image, that is. And it's no wonder! The image that women, and young girls, are expected to model themselves after is ridiculously impossible. We could all look like those women on the pages of magazines if a) we never worked or went to school and spent all day in the gym and b) had a zillion dollars to spend for someone to come in and do our hair and make up each morning before we left the house, or c) never ate any food (bulimia included). Since the VAST majority of women do NOT live this idyllic life we don't look like super models or teen super stars. So, we end up hiding our true selves inside loose fitting clothing or developing eating disorders thinking that will help us attain that impossible "Perfect Image". If we all looked like the women and girls in magazines we would be useless. The world would literally grind to a halt. Why you ask? Because those women don't actually DO anything. They don't play sports and become role models for future generations; they don't usually want to bear children because they don't want to risk loosing their figures and so never get to experience the joy of being a mother. They don't become nurses or wives or doctors or business women, or teachers, or any other profession that actually contributes anything useful to society because they are so obsessed with their looks that they develop a very narrow and vain view of the world. And that view is that the only thing that matters is what they look like. What an utter waste of a life! YOung ladies would never see their own potential to be a positive person. I have friends who have young daughters/nieces and they say it is so frustrating to get them to understand that REAL beauty is not found superficially. REAL beauty is not visible, but rather found deep within a women's heart and in her soul. It is a measure of those that she loves, the lives she touches, and the contribution she makes not only to society but to her family. I hate to see a young person get lost on this path because it is truly a slippery slope and one misstep can lead to a lifetime of insecurity. The girls who are a size two with those waif looks are abnormal and not to be admired. Rather they should be pitied because they are stuck having to maintain that size and their looks and run the risk of becoming very, very sick. How do you think those girls maintain a size one? They either starve themselves or they are puking. Oh, and don't get me started on air brushing and picture altering...
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