Around the Water Cooler 11/4/2011

Another crazy news week has come and gone.  Who would have thought that a major snow storm would have been taken over the front page news?  This was really taking the phrase "frost on the pumpkin" to the EXTREME.  (just to be accurate...the original poem said "frost on the punkin"  but close enough)

As always, I prefer to ignore the mainstream news of political scandals, governmental impasses, and all the news related to the economy, in favor of the "far" less important back page news.



Speaking of Halloween..... I noticed a story about a little Trick or Treater, that caught my attention.

I Am Dressed as Future Convict

Aiken, S.C. - South Carolina officials say a 10 year old trick-or-treater pulled a 9mm handgun on a woman who joked with him about stealing his candy.

The Auguste Chronicle reported that a 28 year old woman reported that when she "jokingly" told the boy that she was going to take his candy, he yelled "no, your not!" and then pulled out a handgun and pointed it at her.

The boy was taken to the police station and turned over to his parents.  It was also reported that his brother, also a 10 year old, was taken in as well.  He, too, had in his possession a gun and ammunition.

The boys had taken the guns and ammo from their grandfather without his permission.

First of all, it isn't a good idea to tell two ten year olds that you are going to take their candy.  Some jokes aren't funny.   My second thought is that I would be keeping my eye on these two ten year olds and keep the guns under lock and key.

Could You Open This For Me?

Complaining that a 95-year-old neighbor has been harassing him, a 75-year-old Florida man called police Monday to report that the nonagenarian twice pulled a pocket knife on him--but that the older man did not have the strength or dexterity to actually open the weapon.



good thing he doesn't have a
switchblade



Panama City police reported that the dispute between Charles Woolard and Joe Taylor dates back three years, when Taylor accused Woolard of stealing his walking cane. Since then, Woolard told a cop, Taylor has taken swings at him, but he has succeeded in blocking the blows.

Woolard, who denied stealing the cane, said that Taylor, “pulled a closed pocket knife on him twice,” adding that the older man “tries to open the knife but can’t.” Woolard remarked that, while he is not afraid of Taylor, he is “concerned he might have to act if he actually get the knife open.”

Police made no arrests in connection with the pensioners’s dispute.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

H&H Photographers was started by Curt Fried and Harold Gillet after returning from serving in World War II. After decades of celebrated work the two handed the business down to their sons, Dan Fried and Larry Gillet.  According to Dan Fried, after having more than 65 years of happy clients he is upset that he is having to deal with a "less than satisfied" customer.

Todd Remis, an equity research analyst, married Melena Grzibovska on December 28, 2003 at Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown, NY. Remis has filed a lawsuit against H&H Photography as well as its original founders for $4100.00 (the cost of the photographs) and $48,000 to bring back all the original attendees to recreate the wedding so new photos can be taken.

According to Fried, Remis came to the office in January 2004 to pick up his wedding proofs (though in legal papers, Remis denies getting any pictures). "He complained to us right away," says Fried. "And the company made an effort to try to find a common ground with him. We said if we missed something, we would be happy to offer another type of shoot or do touch up on some images and make some changes for the prints for the wedding album. But that was not enough for him."
Remis continued to file complaints but never picked up his wedding album or paid his final balance. After years, H&H sent Remis a bill for the outstanding amount due. "He responded with a threatening letter and then shortly thereafter, he sued," says Fried. That was in 2009, six years after the wedding, a year after the couple separated and a few weeks before the statute of limitations would have expired.
 What Remis failed to disclose in his legal papers is that he got divorced in 2008 -- and he doesn't know the address of his ex-wife, who returned to her native Latvia.


So far, the Frieds and Gillets have spent about $50,000 in legal fees. And it's not over yet. Justice Doris Ling-Cohan of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan dismissed most of Remis' claims, including his claim for infliction of emotional distress, but has allowed the case to continue. At a hearing on Thursday, a court date was set to meet with the judge in December to discuss a settlement. "A settlement is not something that sits well with us, but we have to obey the judge's orders," says Fried.

Are we wondering, why this guy is divorced?  I think maybe I should bring back all the attendees of my wedding for the sake of a "reshoot".  This time I would change the fashions that were popular in 1971.


Last and Certainly the Least important story of the week is Lindsay Lohan's newest "exploits".


Lass With Class or Crude Nude?

If mom, Dina, says nude pics are tasteful, it must be so.  I am sure
we all could trust her perception of what is "in good taste".

Whether you like it or not, Lindsay Lohan really is shedding her clothes for an upcoming issue of Playboy.

Lohan's media-loving mom, Dina, talked to The Insider about her daughter's racy shoot, and clarified that no, she won't be baring all and going fully nude in the pages of Hugh Hefner's magazine.

"It will be tastefully done," Dina says of the shoot, adding that both Lindsay and Hefner will decide if a scandalous photo of her will grace either the magazine's December or January cover.

Lindsay, who appeared in court Wednesday for violating her probation, is facing a 30-day jail sentence -- which could ultimately be bumped up to 300 days -- as well as mandatory community service.

According to E!, Lindsay was given until Nov. 9 to report to jail in order to fulfill her $1 million Playboy contract. The actress completed a photo shoot last week, but apparently Hefner was not pleased with the results. A new photographer has been hired and Lindsay is set to try again this week.


This can't be good. Hef isn't liking the nudy pics?  If he doesn't get the money shot soon,  he might have to do the photo session in her cell.


The Good for the Day.... Some of the very best things I see on Facebook come from 5 or 6 people.  Stan is one of those people.  Thought this was cute.

The Bad for the Day....A California inventor claims to have developed a laser technology to change brown eyes into blue. 

Gregg Homer, founder of Stroma Medical in Laguna Beach, Calif., told the Daily News he’s already tested the irreversible cosmetic treatment on about 12 volunteers in Mexico, safely removing small patches of brown pigment from at least one eye in each subject. He is hoping to get FDA approval and have the procedure available in the US in about three years for around $5000.00

The Weird for the Day- I was reading a list of 10 things to help you if you want to raise a "geeky" kid.

(and why would we want to do this?)  Still here a couple of things to help you to that end if you are so inclined.



web design for babies???? Really???




a geeked-out stroller



Weapon of Mass Instruction

Two Thoughts for Tuesday




Thought #1

I am thinking that the most powerful weapon on the planet...no more than that really....the UNIVERSE is the power of the media.   It seems that within minutes of anything happening the media is all over it.  AND not necessarily in a good way.   News programs have wafted into editorial programs.  What might otherwise just be a report of an event turns into inferences of who is right and who is wrong, who might be responsible and who might be the victim or hero as the case may be.

Recently, I was taking a personality assessment test (related to work) that asked the question "Do you consider that most people can be easily led and tend to follow the pack?"  I customarily would scream out "Hell, yes, no doubt about it.... but that particular answer wasn't among my choices.  I picked a answer in the middle as I am a coward and don't want to come across as a total cynic (even though that should be apparent to anyone that has ever talked to me). Are any of us so naive that we would think that the majority of us are truly independent thinkers? 

Take for example, the media coverage of the missing baby in Kansas City, Lisa Irwin.  Now, I haven't got a clue as to what happened to the little girl  but nor will I understand the bizarre twists that seem to be revealed daily that are linked to this tragic event.  No sooner was the Amber Alert issued, then  quickly removed that stories started coming out about problems between the police and the baby's parents.  Within a day or two of the story breaking, a local man was on the news saying he had volunteered to join in a search group for the little girl but there wasn't one to join.  The reason there weren't search parties was due to the fact that on the  preceding night the local news venues were saying that the parents were being uncooperative.   A day later when the news programs reported that the parents were again talking to the police, the search was back on.  It appears that the public interest/involvement peaks and ebbs according to the positivity or negativity of the reports involving the parents.


My point is that an inaccurate or biased slant on a story can turn the direction on how the public perceives, reacts and judges any and all events.  A news story can quickly turn someone into a villain or a hero. They can be made into someone being idolized or despised. 

.


Thought #2

Aren't I glad that my life isn't subject to constant media reporting.  I would hate to think that every misstep I ever took was broadcasted on the nightly news.   That would be especially true if the story was reported from a biased point of view.  Still, it would be lovely if I was the equivalent of "one of Ophrah's favorite things" or one of Kate Middleton-Windsor's outfits where everyone just wanted to love all that is Cheryl P.


Alas, my life is fairly small...no big media blitzes to hype my products, my style or my philosophies.  I don't have hoards of people trying to emulate my every move nor do I have any really big salacious stories that would make front page news in the gossip rags....my dirty laundry  is really

What are your thoughts?  Is the media setting the tone for the positive outcome or the derailment of any given event?????   If you were the subject of a media blitz, do you think you would come across as the hero or the villain?  Would you be the beloved celebrity or would you come across as the "not to be trusted"?




The Good for the day...That we have access to the news that is important.

The Bad for the Day....the hype and media that makes vapid celebrities famous.

The Weird for the Day....The media circus that creates the interest in million dollar weddings that lead to marriages that last 72 days. That, my blogees, could be a whole other discussion.

Around the Water Cooler 10/28/2011

This week I missed most of the news as I was traveling or sick or sick of traveling...anyway missed a lot of the big news.  Here in KC most of our news currently is the ongoing search for little Lisa Irwin, the missing 11 month old.  Tragic and very confusing story that continues to shift day by day.

As for some the the lesser reported news this week, as usual there are some odd albeit interesting happenings that made some of the back pages of news publications.


Here Comes the Judge


A former Creek County judge convicted of exposing himself and using a male enhancement device while seated at the bench is not eligible to receive judicial retirement benefits, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

Donald D. Thompson, a 23 year employee of the Oklahoma legal system was found to have violated his oath of office by using a penis pump while presiding over trials.  The high court upheld the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees decision to quit paying Thompson the $7,789 a month pension that he would have otherwise been eligible for. The pension stopped when Thompson was sent to prison for 20 months after being found guilty in 2006.

During his trial, Thompson unsuccessfully argued that the criminal actions did not disrupt the proceedings in his courtroom, Tulsa World reported.

Wouldn't you just hate to lose $7,789 a month for some ill advised multi-tasking.   There is a judge that used some really poor judgement.


Can You SEE Me Now

This camouflage might work well in nature, but it really stands out in the police station. Oregon investigators believe Gregory Liascos, 36, was wearing this "ghillie" camouflage when he attempted to break into the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals last week. After setting off alarms, the suspect allegedly fled into a wooded area nearby. Officers only found Liascos when a police dog bit what appeared to be a patch of grass -- which yelped in pain. On Oct. 12, 2011, authorities said Liascos failed to show up for his trial. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Be on the look out for a wayward bush that has a warrant out for his arrest.  

She Didn't Draw the "Get Out of Jail" Card

A New Mexico woman repeatedly stabbed her boyfriend after accusing him of cheating during a Monopoly game early yesterday, according to police.

Laura Chavez, 60, and her boyfriend were playing the popular board game at her Santa Fe apartment when the dispute occurred. Chavez, pictured in the mug shot at right, allegedly admitted stabbing her beau, Clyde "Butch" Smith, with a kitchen knife.

Police reported that both Chavez and the 48-year-old Smith appeared to be intoxicated. The man, who cops found bleeding heavily from wounds on his head and right wrist, was hospitalized yesterday in stable condition. Smith told investigators that Chavez first hit him over the head with a glass bottle and then “grabbed a knife and began cutting him, causing injuries to the top of his head, neck, left eye brow and right wrist area."

When cops arrived at Chavez’s building, she was sitting under the porch “covered with suspected blood.” Asked if the blood was Smith’s, she answered, “Yes, I fu**** him up.”

Chavez went to jail, went directly to jail on a variety of charges, including aggravated battery on a household member with a deadly weapon and battery on a law enforcement officer. She is being held in the Santa Fe county lockup in lieu of $5000 bond (or until she rolls doubles).

Not that this story isn't entertaining enough, but it would have been a bit funnier if she would have used a "butcher" knife on Butch instead of a kitchen knife.  Guess she just wasn't thinking clearly.


There's an app for that.
New App Helps Track Your Straying Spouses...Last week Apple released an app that lets you track the whereabouts of your friends, family members and if need be cheating spouses.  Recently a suspicious husband used the app by a suspicious husband to check up on his wife. Someone by the name of ThomasMetz posted to an online forum MacRumors with the following post.

Divorcing wife. Thanks iPhone 4s and Find My Friends

---

I got my wife a new 4s and loaded up find my friends without her knowing. She told me she was at her friends house in the east village. I've had suspicions about her meeting this guy who live uptown. Lo and behold, Find my Friends has her right there.

I just texted her asking where she was and the dumb b!otch said she was on 10th Street!! Thank you Apple, thank you App Store, thank you all. These beautiful treasure trove of screen shots going to play well when I meet her a$$ at the lawyer's office in a few weeks.
thankfully, she's the rich one.

I guess there is no way of knowing if the comment referenced a factual event but  it does bring up a point, if you are prone to cheating you better make sure your smart phone is where you are supposed to be...even if you aren't.

Passing Notes Can Get You In Trouble

Especially if you are a TSA agent that is leaving the following note in a suitcase.  A US airport security agent who found a vibrator in the baggage of a transatlantic traveler, and then advised her in writing what to do with it, is facing disciplinary action.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Wednesday that a handwritten note that lawyer and blogger Jill Filipovic found in her checked luggage was "highly inappropriate and unprofessional."

Filipovic tweeted a picture of the note, which read: "Get your freak on girl." Under the image, she added: "Just unpacked my suitcase and found this note from TSA. Guess they discovered a 'personal item' in my bag. Wow."

"TSA quickly launched an investigation and identified the employee responsible," the federal agency said on its blog.

"That individual was immediately removed from screening operations and appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated."

Note to TSA agents...You can think it but don't write it down.

Just in Time For Halloween

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Police in Bellingham, Wash., say a man who walked into a medical clinic with his right arm severed has indicated he cut his own limb off with a homemade guillotine.

Officers who checked a wooded area near the urology clinic Thursday found the severed arm and the guillotine. The victim and the arm were taken first to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.

Police spokesman Mark Young says the man was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in hopes the limb could be reattached. Young tells The Bellingham Herald the arm was severed above the elbow.

The victim was not identified and his condition was not immediately known.

Young says police will dismantle the guillotine.

If he was trying to check to see if his guillotine worked...he got his answer, YES.

The Good for the Day...If you are a St. Louis Cardinal fan...you are still in the game.

The Bad for the Day...A truck load of spilled pumpkins spilled onto the Freeway and slowed down the rush hour traffic near Farmington Hills.  Snowplows were brought in to clear the highway.

The Weird for the Day....Medical news!!! Not intended for underage viewers....

Mrs. Pumpkin delivered healthy baby

Our Lives by the Numbers

Thought I would jot down a quick post so you all know I am still among the living.  The dearth of my posts most likely will continue into the middle of next week. 

In the last week or so,  I was traveling for 4 days, being down with a nasty cold 4 days and generally being aggravated about some things which I will be bitching about in a post next week.

This week our grown son is visiting and I don't want to be sitting for extended periods of time in front of the computer.  It's not that I don't love you all, blogees but I rarely get to see my youngest and want to devote my time to him.  

Which brings me to today's post.  This is going to be an example of plagiarism at its finest.  I happened upon a website that has a lot of interesting graphs.  As you might remember in some of my past posts, my own graphs that I created to quantify the important **cough cough** aspects of our lives have appeared from time to time.  I am a very visual person and love to see the black and white of all things.  Of course, this makes no sense as I am known to disagree, analyze, dispute, ridicule and overall, find fault with every poll, survey and opinion that was ever put forth.  Still, there is nothing better than a colorful graph to try to entice me to think a certain way.

So thanks to a friend that recognizes my adoration for "life by the numbers" and   GraphJam for making those numbers so creatively visual,  here are a few "expert"  generate graphs of life as we know it.

So...my friends, until I get back on schedule have a great day!!!

Around the Water Cooler 10/21/2011

Busy week for the news broadcasters.  Dr. Murray's trial for involuntary manslaughter continues, exotic wild animals are released from sanctuary in Zanesville, OH and last and LEAST is the re-arrest of Lindsay Lohan for parole violations. I use the term "arrest" in the loosest of connotations, as she made bail before ever being taken to jail. 

With the big news out of the way, let's see what the lesser reported stories for the week are.


OK Children, What Rhymes with Corn? 

Computer hackers took control of the Sesame Street You Tube page yesterday and replaced 20 minutes of child friendly footage with pornographic content before the site was taken down.

A contact told the Huffington Post joked that "between  the Bert and Ernie coming out petition and this is yet another sex controversy for the program....seems everyone wants "the Street" to teach sex ed.

As of Monday, the site was still down with an apology from the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street saying, " "Our channel was compromised and we are presently working with YouTube/Google to restore our original content. We always strive to provide age-appropriate content for our viewers and hope to resolve this problem quickly."

If the same parents that had the video of Katy Perry yanked because they felt that it was to "sexualized" for their little ones,  20 minutes of porn must have had them imploding.





Honey, I Left the Kids During a Heist

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Associated Press) -- Authorities say a couple shoplifted a cellphone and makeup from a Walmart, but forgot two children as they fled the store.

Police in Louisville, Ky., say 20-year-old Michael S. Kaufman took a cellphone and tried to take a tablet computer, destroying the attached display in the process. Police say 19-year-old Kelsey Grobmeier hid makeup under a baby car seat. When confronted, the couple fled, leaving a 3-year-old and 18-month-old behind in the store around 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

Police say Grobmeier returned to the store about an hour later to retrieve the children.

Kaufman and Grobmeier are each charged with theft, criminal trespassing, endangering the welfare of a minor and tampering with physical evidence.

I can only imagine the conversation when these two, got home and realized they forgot their children at the Walmart.  




Not a Good Plan

Miami, FL-  A South Florida woman got a really big surprise when she opened her cell phone bill and found that she owed $201,000. 

It wasn't a mistake.  Celine Aaron's owed the $201,000 to T-Mobile for overages not covered by her plan.

Celina has two brothers on her plan that are deaf and mute.  They communicate by texting and watching videos on their phones.  Normally, that isn't a problem. Her current data plan covers them and typically her bill is around $175.00.

The problem arose, when her brothers went to Canada and Celina failed to switch her plan to the International Plan. Her brothers sent over 2000 texts and downloaded videos that weren't covered by her plan.  When Celina called T-Mobil they told her the bill was correct. 

Celina, contacted a Miami TV station, who in turn contacted T-Mobile and the bill was reduced to $2,500. The cell provider has given her 6 months to pay. 

This might be one of the few examples that being deaf would be an advantage.  Celina probably had some really bad words coming out of her mouth...I suspect that she was also using some serious sign language in their direction.


Keep the Car, I Don't Want It Back
New Jersey police may have cracked the case of a thief that breaks into cars to burglarize them and leave a little "surprise" in the back seat.

Hadith Caesar was nabbed Saturday after a witness called the authorities to report that they saw a suspicious person inside a car on their neighbor's driveway.  This is the third incident of cars being broken into with feces being left behind on the backseat.

As, New Jersey statutes do not specifically cover deficating in cars, Caesar is being held on theft and harassment with a bond of $15,000.

I think they need to add another $10,000 to the bond for being "disgusting".  I guess New Jersey is going to have to write a new law to prohibit using the backseat of cars as toilets.


Don't Come Knocking When the Buick is Rocking

The 71-year-old Michigan woman arrested last month after police found her naked and having sex with a younger male companion in the back seat of her Buick was fined $585 and sentenced to a probationary term after she pleaded no contest today to a misdemeanor charge.

Rita looks very happy while Tim...not so much.

Rita Daniels entered her plea to a disorderly intoxication count this morning in District Court in Farmington Hills. Prosecutors dismissed an indecent exposure charge that had been filed against the septuagenarian following her September 3 arrest with Tim Adams.
Adams, 54, today also entered a no contest plea to disorderly intoxication (and had an indecent exposure charge dropped by prosecutors). He was placed on a year’s probation (like Daniels), fined $785, and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.  
As detailed in a City of Farmington Police report, Daniels and Adams (who was also nude) were discovered trysting inside the vehicle (license plate: DIVA 145), which was parked in front of a pair of restaurants. The car was rocking gently and its windows had steamed over, noted Officer Andrew Morche.
After opening the Buick’s passenger door to break up the Saturday evening clinch, Morche asked the naked pair what they were doing. Adams provided a succinct reply: “I’m fu***** this chick."
Cops subsequently learned that Daniels and Adams, pictured in the above mug shots, had met for drinks at a nearby bar “before moving to the back seat of the Buick.”

There is just so many question to ask about this one.  Exactly how drunk was Tim to get naked in the backseat of the Buick with a 71 year old that has Diva 145 on her license plate?   Why did Rita only get fined $585 and Tim got fined $785 and given community service?  Did he get a harsher sentence for telling the cop that he was Fu***** this chick.


The Good for the Day...That so many weird stories are out there to give us something to talk about.


The Bad for the Day...Lindsay Lohan was late today for her first day of mandated community service.  She was 40 minutes late to report to the LA Morgue where the judge from yesterday hearing told her to report.


The Weird for the Day....Chicago woman was charged with domestic battery (or is that batter-y) for throwing cupcakes at her husband during a dispute.  He said he was fearful for his safety.  She was charged and levied with a $10,000 bond.

Dating or Stalking

Two Thoughts for Tuesday




Thought #1

I was reading an article this morning by Maria Lin

Is the Creepiest Internet Stalking Tool Yet Right at Our Fingertips?

Her article is about the search tool that Google has where you have the ability to search by image as opposed to searching by words.  Now in theory, this tool is so you might search for the name of a particular piece of art or perhaps a type of plant or animal that you aren't familiar with. 

How flipping handy is this?  You see a plant such as this:

You take your picture and put it into Google Image search and you find out.....OH CRAP...I just was messing around in a patch of this:

Good to know!!!!

Anyway...back to the article...Maria pointed out something that I wasn't aware of.  Instead of searching for such mundane things as poison ivy and such, this could be used for more nefarious endeavors such as finding out more about those people that we run across on such sites as Facebook.  It turns out a friend of Maria's figured out that you could put people's Internet pictures into the search and it would often bring up things like where they work or where they live.   Lo and Behold...a techy way of stalking has presented itself.

So  to prove his theory, Maria's friend, downloaded 35 anonymous photos from dating sites such as Match.com and Howaboutwe.com into Google Image search to find out what came up.  All types of fun interesting facts came up, actually.  Information such as first and last names, places of employment, religious background, home addresses, and one photo  was the press picture for a Bollywood movie star.

As I am not currently stalking anyone, nor am I seeking a date with an unknown person, I hadn't thought to use Google Image search in that manner.  (calm down, husband...this is for educational purposes only)

Now that Maria's article has thrown out the inspiration which I have caught into my "net" of another way to piss away time, I, of course have to do some searches.

Thought #2

So if I take a picture of me

and add it to Google search

What?  What the HELL???

It matched me to my old lady photoshopped image and a bunch of men.  Now mind you that some of the men aren't bad looking....but Google seems to think I look like this

OR THIS

Come on, Google...I really don't see the resemblance

OR THIS

OK, I kind of see a resemblance plus I like
this guys name...Lancelot "Capability" Brown.

NARY A WOMAN MATCH IN SIGHT, I THINK I AM HURT.


Note to Google:  My dearest Google, I still adore you for all the information you provide to me on a minute by minute basis.  You have cut me to the quick thinking I only look like men but all is forgiven.  I still love you my dear, Google.   Cheryl P.

The Good for the Day:   Google, such an easy way to find an answer in a hurry.

The Bad...the guy on the dating site that used the Bollywood star's picture.  What a poser???

The Weird for the Day....The technology that searches pictures and match them to all the information on the Internet.  Very cool but still...weird.

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Socially Conscious Preschoolers

As usual...I am  conflicted.  

I was reading a really interesting article over at injaynesworld called Call a Spade a Damn Spade.  She was talking about the introduction of the newest muppet character, Lily. Lily was created to launch a  PBS special concerning childhood hunger.  In the program, hunger is referred to as "food insecurity", hence, Jayne's title.  I totally agree with her. If they are going to do a program to teach our little one's about people going hungry, why can't they use the word HUNGRY?  I guess that referring to people going hungry is now politically incorrect.

Lily is a bright pink muppet whose family struggles to put food on the table.  Seems her muppet daddy got laid off from his job and now the family is struggling to put muppet food on the table.




Lily's friends include Elmo and Rosita, another young Muppet who was recently featured, along with her disabled father, in a separate Sesame Street special aimed at the families of war veterans.

 After reading a number of articles this morning on the topic, I find that the majority of parents feel that this new character is a welcome addition to the other social issues that Sesame Street has introduced to their youngest TV viewers.  In the past they have done programs about divorce, death, disabilities,  and  diversity just to name a few.

 I think Sesame Street is a great program. Since it's premiere on November 10, 1969 it has aired nearly 4300 episodes to teach the preschool set any number of things including reading, writing and behavior.  Kudos, to them!!!

So why am I conflicted?   All the articles were effusive in their praise for children being exposed to social issues and several parents pointed out the fact they like that a program was introducing a "serious" subject in a fun and innovative way.  (I can see where the subject of children going hungry can be made more entertaining...really doesn't it just lend itself to fun?)

OK...see where my road is diverging in the woods here?   Do we need a puppet...sorry...muppet to teach our kids things that we are not prepared to teach them ourselves? Do we need to introduce new phrases such as "food insecurity" into our children's vocabulary? I am not entirely convinced that a three and four year old should be taught social consciousness from a puppet about the possibility of going hungry...oh I mean food insecure.   Can't our little preschoolers be kept a little clueless to the harsh realities of this economy at least until they have their molars in?

Or maybe I have lost touch with what little four year olds need to know... I was reading a Newsweek poll this morning that showed the number of those polled that thought this was a great addition to Sesame Street far out weighed the "no's" and the "not sure's".

What are your thoughts????


You can read the entire article and see a video clip at:
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20111008/poverty-stricken-muppet-debut-lily-111008/



Note to my regular readers:  Due to some other obligations that are taking up my time, I may be posting a little less often in the future (at least for a time).   I hope you all check back from time to time to say hi and leave a comment.  I hope to write more on The Art of Being Conflicted, Facebook page. 

Here is a funny video that deals with another politically incorrect subject.





Maybe we should have a Muppet with a smoking habit talk to our preschoolers?

Around the Water Cooler 10/7/2011

The major news this week is the passing of Apple founder, Steve Jobs.  Whether you like Apple products or not, this man played a major role in the way the world communicates. 


The are other stories out there that you might have missed.  We can't have that...so here are a few lesser reported stories.






Advertising that Works

Last month the officials in Chicago, sent mailings to 10,000ish offenders to invited them to participate with a company called C.W. Marketing to try out  and rate appliances.  In exchange for their feedback, participants would receive $75.00 and keep the appliance that they tested according to the letter.

While many went unanswered and others came back as "undeliverable", more than 100 lucky participants...errr..stupid law breakers...made appointments to participate in a product survey.  In "Operation C.W. Marketing" 102 persons  wanted in traffic offenses, unpaid child support and contempt of court cases were lured to come participate in the supposed marketing campaign that would net them plasma TVs, video game systems and cash.

 As the offenders came to the designated sight of the marketing event, undercover officers welcomed them to the party.  The offenders were greeted with officers wearing bright colored T shirts and balloons.  Empty plasma TV boxes and game system boxes lent to the authenticity of the big event.  After the fake celebration was under way 102 fugitives were arrested, but not until after the participants had their pictures taken and their identity confirmed.

What a major disappointment.  No TVs...no gaming systems...just handcuffs.




With Friends Like This


Denver - A man accused of driving around Denver with a dead friend in the back of a car and running up a bar tab with the dead man's credit card maintains he thought his friend was drunk and NOT dead.

Haven't we seen this story
before?

At least that is what he was saying at his court hearing on Thursday where he was being charged with abusing a corpse.  (really?  that is the charge?)


Investigators say that Robert Young and Mark Rubinson drove around town with the body of their friend, Jeffrey Jarrett in August. According to them, Jeffrey had passed out.


According to the policed, the two men found their friend passed out when they went to pick him up for a night on the town.  Finding him passed out didn't deter the outing.  They loaded him into the back seat and went to a bar.  Jeffrey remained in the car, while his buds went in and drank for more than an hour. The two "conscious" partiers did have the presence of mind to grab Jeffrey's credit card to pay for the drinks.


It was noted in the police report that they didn't have Jeffrey's consent to use the card.


After coming out of the bar, Young and Rubinson discovered that their friend was actually dead and called the police.   After that was taken care of the two continued on to a strip club.


No need to waste a night of partying worrying about a drunk or dead (hard to tell which) friend.




Third Time's the Charm


Charles Burnett, 29 robbed the same Sovereign Bank of more than $26,000 before being apprehended this week.   This is not some run-of-the-mill bank heist though.  

The chauffeur that was hired to drive the
OCD robber to the bank

Charles started on Monday and 9:19 for the first installment of his crime spree.  He pushed a customer out of the way and shoved a bag towards the teller, saying he had a gun and would shoot her if she didn't hand over the money.  She gave in $2, 258.


The very next day he returned to the SAME bank demanding another teller to hand over the cash after telling her that he was going to "blow off her f***** face".  He left with $14,000.


AGAIN...the next day...third day in a row at the same bank, Charles goes back to demand for the 3rd time that the teller hand over her cash but not before an employee had shouted out "That is the same dumbass that robbed us yesterday!" 


After getting $10,002, Charles was tracked down after a short chase by police officers in the area that recognized him from pictures. Those would be pictures at the police station  that had been put up the previous day from security camera footage.


Upon apprehending him police found receipts for his room at the Hyatt and the chauffeured luxury SUV that he had hired for his get-away car. 




Is anything better than customer loyalty to your bank?




Before Stealing Know Who You Are in Line With


Williston, FL - A would-be bank robber picked the wrong time and LINE to steal a charity jar off of the counter at a Florida convenience store.

Falling through a plate glass door
doesn't aid in the ability of
sign holding.

Williston Police Chief, Dennis Strow says that Michael Wayne Aurilio went to steal a jar containing $35.78 but didn't realize the person behind him in line was an off-duty Marion County Sheriff Deputy. As Sgt. Willima Dietrich tried to take Aurilio into custody the two fell through a plate glad door. Meanwhile Williston police officers arrive to take Aurilio into custody.


Aurilio was charged with robbery and felony battery on a law enforcement officer.


I dare say, he might be thinking all of this wasn't worth $35.78.






What's Not To Like?

Carlsbad, N.M. - A Texas man is facing battery charges after police say he hit his estranged wife and pulled her hair because she didn't respond to his Facebook status update. 


The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports the Benito Apolinar of Pecos, was arrested on Monday following a fight at the home of his ex, Dolores Apolinar.   According to the complaint, Benito posted a comment about the anniversary of his mother's death and expected his ex-wife to acknowledge it by hitting the "like" button.


Benito pleaded guilty to one charge of battery.


That could of gone either way.  If she hit "like" does that mean she liked his comment or that his mother died.

The Good for the Day....The wait is over.  The men of First Parish in Framingham have done a calendar called "Celebration 2012".  Twelve elderly men have put together a nude calendar to raise some money.  You can order it on line. 

http://uuframingham.org/fpfcalendar/preview.html




The Bad for the Day....If you can't think of something bad, your aren't even trying.

The Weird for the Day.... Things to do to improve your mug shot or NOT.  A Missouri man that is a known sexual offender was arrested for being to close to a playground.  He has changed somewhat in appearance since an earlier arrest in 2003.

CCCCRRRREEEEEPPPPPYYYY!!!!!!!