Drafted

The Journal is asking me to write a column that I'm sure would lead to (more) hate mail and serious flack. Hell, I got hate mail when I wrote about SNOW. They asked for volunteers, and when no one raised their hand she wrote me and asked if I'd please di it .    .

Nevermind.

Well, the Journal settled matters. The editor sent out a mass email announcing I'd been assigned the column before I even said yes. yee-haw. Great.Nevermore.

Update: For all my b*tching and moaning, the column poured out onto the page easy-peezy, and it's already in the editor's mailbox. So what to do with the rest of the night . . .

is home from camp and kids are clean and in bed, and I'm EXHAUSTED! - Lisa

A New Favorite Doctor

I've said before that David Tennant was in grave danger of passing Jon Pertwee as my favorite Doctor ever, and now I think it's official. Plus, after seeing the two part "Human Nature", I think I now have a new favorite episode, possibly the first that I'll ever force Lisa to sit down and watch. Best. Sci-Fi. Series. Ever.

ps. Martha Jones aka Freema Agyman . . . my word.

William Tell visits Russia's Got Talent

What a sad testament it is to human nature that I LMAO when I saw this. I have to think this is fake, although the judges of "Russia's Got Talent" certainly don't seem to be in on it. Again, I "think" it's fake, but I have no proof to dispute the folks online who are calling it 100% real.




UPDATE: I can't stop giggling each time I see it. I am a bad, bad person.

Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson

I don't think I've seen a book, outside of partisan political tomes, that's generated the kind of venom leveled at Unmasked. Online reviewers slam the book and all but wretch in print (although very few seem to have actually read it) and I've met an MJ fan whose face wrinkled in disgust when I mentioned I was reading a copy.

Much of the anger seems to surround a chapter that alleges Michael was homosexual. In the end the correct response to that is that it shouldn't matter if he was gay, straight, or asexual. However, I'll agree that the lurid need to 'out' everyone famous, whether they are truly gay or not, gets tiresome and offensive. Moreover, the allegations in that chapter are backed by 'secret' sources, all "sworn to anonymity", and some of it is counter-intuitive: somehow I doubt a hypochondriac like Jackson would be keen on having sex in a roach filled hotel room.

If he was gay, you won't find the proof here.

The problem is when author Ian Halperin engages in speculation, or ventures into an area where there are no hard facts to guide him, the book completely falls apart. His prose is readable but he injects himself into the story at every opportunity, often painting himself as the hero going the extra mile for a story. Frankly, it sometimes reads like a bad blog post.

But what the fans ignore - stupidly - is that the book, which originally set out to pin MJ as a chronic molester, ends up exonerating him.

Whenever Halperin has documents and on-the-record sources to guide his hand, the book maintains a steady and believable footing -and there are certainly enough resources about the alleged molestation cases to fill the bill. Among other evidence, the book includes a *45* page transcript of a session between his '90's accuser and a child psychiatrist.

This isn't the time or place to go over all the facts, but it appears to be a clear case of extortion orchestrated by a man who'd had his medical licence suspended for unethical behavior and who (oddly) dreamed of Jackson financing his screenplay. Many of the media 'revelations' were also patently untrue, and often seem to have been consciously manipulated by D.A. Tom Sneddon.

Most shocking - his accuser, who comes off as an intelligent and well spoken teenager in the transcript, stated to authorities that Micheal was circumcised. This, along with other 'distinguishing marks' he identified, were the reason behind the infamous nude photos the D.A. took of Jackson.

The problem? To quote the doctor on scene: "The subject is clearly not circumcised."

At the time the media jumped on the photos as 'proof' of the accusations, when at the very least they strongly cast doubt on the intimate details of the case.

As for the trial in the middle of this decade . . . start to finish it appears to be a farce. To quote Stephen King:

This came down to a prosecutor either so sure Jackson was bad or so offended by
Jackson's combination of celebrity and wackiness that he rushed into a case that
looked shaky from hello. It looked worse as Tom Sneddon went along, and had
become nearly ludicrous by the time Jackson's ex-wife left the stand. No matter
how pure Sneddon's motives may have been (and I'm not saying they were, believe me), he began to look like a man pursuing a vendetta, one whose chief hope of
securing a conviction lay in the obvious fact that the trial was a sideshow and
the accused was . . . well, a freak.

Would I let my kids sleep in the same bed with a grown man? HELL TO THE NO. Did Jackson display horrific and naive judgement in continuing his behavior even after the '90's debacle? Yes. Was Jackson, as one detective theorized, a grown man only in business affairs, and a 'regressed 10 year old' otherwise? It certainly appears so.

An interesting book, and I'd give it a read . . .just maybe not at full price.

Smiley's Insect Picnic

Those of you who know us and are on Facebook have probably already seen these pics, but what the hay. My mother-in-law took Smiley to an MPS Recreation Department class called "The Insect Picnic", just as she took LuLu and YaYa in prior years. Here's what she had to say on Facebook:

Had a busy day, and boy I'm tired. Worked at "Share" with two grandaughters then on to the Insect Picnic from Milwaukee Rec. with my Grandson. I did some walking in the woods at Hawthorn Glen, we then ate worms in a bun, aunts on a log, beetle juice, salad, and worms in dirt.

Thanks Jeanne. He had a great time, and I'm sure Ginger's already looking forward to her turn :)

More Pointless, Grainy Photos

Continuing the (mostly) pointless picture posting . . . the other day I took the kids and their friends to the park, and it turned out to be one of the most miserable, frustrating, "please kill me" trips home ever. Constant meltdowns by LuLu, fighting between her and her sister, their friend complaining . . .ugh.

About the only worse trip lately was when I picked up LuLu from school last week. She completely spazed because I wouldn't stay to let her play on the jungle gym. There's nothing like being a 300 pound man, across from an elementary school, dragging a six year old to a van while she screams "NO! NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO! STOP! STOP!" and strangers look on wondering if they should be dialing 911.

Deep Breath. Exhale.

Ok, anyhow, there was one good part about that walk home. Out of the blue Smiley and YaYa regained their composure and tried to calm down the rest of them by putting on a show.

(yeah, I can't explain why my phone routinely decides to change the photo resolution setting to "COLECOVISION" every other day. I'll work on it.)

Jonah and Smiley - July 23rd

My sister and her kids are currently on the east coast, en route to a vacation cottage in Cape Cod where they'll take part in a Reunion for her ex's family. On the way out the door Smiley stopped to hug his cousin, and I snapped this rather grainy camera phone pic.

BTW, at age 15 years and 5 days Jonah now stands a good inch taller than me, and I'm a few inches past six feet. It's weird to think of Baby Jonah and picture him having to hunch down to look me in the eyes. I better get used to it though. Smiley has my genes on one side and Scandinavian/Germans on the other. I'll be lucky if he doesn't surpass my height by eighth grade :)

Sword Song: The Battle For London

Sword Song is Bernard Cornwell's continuation of the Saxon Tales, a history of Britain's 9th Century King Alfred the Great as seen through the eyes of his reluctant heathen warrior, Uthred.

Uthred, the son of a deposed northern ruler, is hungry for revenge and loyal to Danish (read: Viking) religion and culture, but is bound by an oath to serve the pious Alfred as he solidifies the island into a single nation.

Enter a new wave of Danish warriors, men who threaten both that nation and the fragile peace of the time. Somehow Uthred and the King's army must find a way to take back the city of Lundene (London) if river traffic is to continue and the Danish invasion be thwarted.

Start to finish this is a rollicking, estrogen free adventure. It is bloody and unrepentant, just like the crass and Thor worshipping Uthred. It is also written very well, as you can expect from a Cornwell novel, mixing in history with a rich and vibrant cast of characters.

Recommended.

Crowley: "I have nothing to apologize for."

CNN) -- A Cambridge, Massachusetts, police officer said Thursday he will "never apologize" about how he handled the arrest of prominent black Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.

"That apology will never come from me as Jim Crowley, it won't come from me as sergeant in the Cambridge Police Department," [said] Sgt. James Crowley . . . "Whatever anybody else chooses to do in the name of the city of Cambridge or the Cambridge Police Department which are beyond my control, I don't worry about that. I know what I did was right. I have nothing to apologize for."

* * * *

You know, for all my problems with my neighbor, if they saw someone trying to force their way into my house and called the police, I'd owe them a thank you. If it turned out I was the guy at the door, and simply lost my keys or the lock was stuck, the thank you would stand and I'd also thank the cops who showed up to protect my life and property. I sure as hell wouldn't berate them, argue about their need to verify I was the homeowner, or scream at them and drag in my political friends.

Is racism real? Sure. *Could* it be an issue here? Of course. Or, it could be what it seems like - a rich guy doing what some rich, well connected people do best, abuse and berate people of lower socio-economic stature.

That's a pretty posh area right? People living there probably don't worry about the exhaust pipe of their rusty Escort falling off on the way to work, or break into sweats when they see a Utility Company van pull into the alley. I'd imagine at some point, no matter where you started from, you lose perspective.

On the other hand I've lived in plenty of places where crime was a problem, and so I appreciate a bit of honest investigative work, even if afterwards I'm a little ticked off at the intrusion.

From what I can tell, he should have stayed cool and it would have been over and done in a few minutes. And no matter what party you belong to, it was WAY out of line for the President to comment on behalf of a friend in a criminal matter, especially when he admitted not knowing the details. The White House is doing damage control as we speak, but even if my man Dubya had spoken the words, I'd be saying "WTF?".

UPDATE: I saw a clip of Gates on CNN and I am now certain of my position. Arrogant and pompous when faced down by friendly interviewers, I can only imagine his tone and behavior when confronted by police.

BTW - He's 5'7". While this might sound flippant, I assure you I'm serious: In my 35 years on Earth, I've found that most (not all) men who fall well short of six feet carry a massive chip on their shoulders, one that tends to cause them to overeact in situations where they believe their masculinity is threatened.

* * * *

On a Boston radio program this morning, Bill Cosby suggested that President Obama spoke too soon on the controversial arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates.

“I’ve heard about five different reports [on the details of the arrest],” Cosby said on Boston’s WZLX. “If I’m the president of the United States, I don’t care how much pressure people want to put on it about race, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

“I was shocked to hear the president making this kind of statement,” Cosby said referring to the president’s remarks during last night’s press conference. . .

Cosby cautioned those from coming up with their own conclusions, but gave the president some leeway.

“People who have not been there, people who don’t know are beginning to have their own personal feelings, but they weren’t there,” Cosby said.

“Does this include the president?” asked the FOX25 reporter.

“It includes everybody,” Cosby said.