I had a long day at work and when 5 o’clock hit I was eager to get out of the office.  Things are busy for our family during the summer months.  Dawson begs for long days at the beach and Owen just loves riding in the stroller on long walks.  I’m just happy to spend time with my boys as they are growing so fast.

Dawson had T-ball right at 5 p.m. and thankfully my parents picked up the boys from daycare and I met them on the field for the game.  Dawson had one fabulous hit at bat.  He also played first base and caught a ball that was thrown to him.  He was super excited.

After the game I took the boys to a concert at a local park.  Tom Pease was playing at the band shell and what looked like hundreds of kids were eager to sing and dance to their favorite folk tunes.  Tom is a wonderful entertainer.  He sings, he has actions for his dances, he makes the most outrageous noises, and he can make up lyrics for a song in minutes.  (And here’s a secret: he’s been performing since I was in elementary school.  I still remember a concert he gave at Roosevelt School when I was in 3rd grade.  You do the math!)

Owen was mesmerized by the music.  The last Tom Pease concert we went to when he was just a few weeks old.  This time he was able to dance, and it was so cute.  I hope you enjoy the video.

He received the award why?  I still do not understand it.  Meanwhile, he’s sending more troops overseas, a move he criticized former president George W. Bush for doing.

30,000 U.S. troops are being deployed to Afghanistan and our president is accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.  Oh, the irony.  I laugh at thee.

I can still remember all the anti-war rhetoric he spewed, and now suddenly he’s defending this war.  Is it because he’s in the hot seat?  Because he’s trying to play left and right field?  Mr. President, I hope you have two well fitting gloves.

I do not support war unless it is absolutely necessary.  My brother spent many long months in Kuwait two years ago and I humbly support our troops 100%.  I understand that our troops are working to help the Afghan people and to bring order their country.  However, I’m thinking you have to eat a lot of crow right now.  You are “obligated to protect and defend the United States” and yet you attacked your predecessor for doing the same damn thing?

This is completely maddening.

My mother and grandmother were devastated over the loss of such a talented actress, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time of her death. They also felt sad for Tate’s husband, director Roman Polanski, and the grief he felt over losing his wife. My family is of Polish heritage and back in the late 60s, there was a kinship felt for “one of our own.”

Several years later, in 1977, Polanski was convicted of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” and subsequently fled the United States prior to his sentencing. He has said in interviews that he was afraid the judge would give him a harsh sentence.

Polanski raped a 13-year-old girl.  Thirteen.  He was 44 years old at the time. Forty-four.

Polanski plead guilty to the lesser charge of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” but didn’t stick around to serve his time.  He spent 42 days incarcerated while undergoing a psych evaluation, but he never paid for his crime.  He fled to France immediately after his release.  His victim did receive a settlement from Polanski,  and has since stated she has forgiven him for his crime and just wants to move on.

I understand this woman just wants to be left alone, but if Polanski is let off the hook for raping a young girl, what does that say about our American justice system?  That sexual assault is okay, as long as you’re famous and can buy your way out of it?  That all you need to do to get away with rape is to flee the country in which you committed the crime?

Polanski himself said he didn’t think anyone was truly hurt.  He doesn’t believe he raped this young girl.  His victim was drugged and pumped with alcohol.  He forced himself on her multiple times, despite her pleas to stop.  She said no. Last time I checked, NO means NO.

Polanski has been living life as a free man for the last 32 years.  He has continued to make films, despite having an arrest warrant out for him since 1978.  He’s taken every action imaginable to avoid extradition, by choosing not to travel to countries that may arrest and extradite him.  In so many ways, he “got away with it.”

The fact that many Hollywood actors and actresses, journalists and artists are defending Polanski, and asking for his release sickens me.  It makes me want to vomit.

Whoopi Goldberg saying “it wasn’t really rape-rape” is infuriating.  Rape is rape, Whoopi.  If this were any other Joe Schmo, and not a famous director, you would be screaming from the rooftops that the offender be locked away in jail.

Debra Messing saying that Polanski served his time is outrageous.  If this was a case against Mel Gibson and his drunken rants and insults to Judaism, you would be outraged.  I’m certain some anti-Catholic rhetoric would be thrown in to the mix as well.

And this bullshit that Polanski has lived a difficult life and suffered through the Holocaust makes me angry.  Yes, it’s awful that his mother died at Auschwitz.  Yes, it’s horrible that his wife and unborn child were murdered.  I understand the grief and the trauma he has suffered, but this does not make it acceptable to rape a 13-year-old girl.  It does not make it okay to flee the country to avoid jail time.

Should we let every rapist who suffered the loss of a parent or the murder of a family member go free?  Of course not.  Doing so undermines the rights of the victims to receive justice.

I’m so angry about Polanski, it’s hard for me to express every thought running through my head.  But this article says everything I’ve wanted to get out.   I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Roman Polanski, you deserve to serve your time.  You committed a crime and should be punished for it.  Thank you, Switzerland for doing the right thing and arresting Polanski.  May justice be served.

But OHMommy?  OH how wonderful and right and true her post is. And the best part is she declares herself not a Republican or Democrat, not a conservative or liberal, but a concerned American.  Just as I am concerned with the fate of this country, and it’s health care debacles, we need all Americans to be just as concerned.

In my own post, which I may or may not publish (still think it’s missing something) I wrote a sentence in which I say:

When thinking about all the people I’ve met and spoken with about why they voted for Obama, so many have said that they want better health care options, they want all people to be insured and to receive health care coverage.

My question is, do they want better health care coverage and access and choices?  Or do they just want the government to foot the bill?  Because really?  Government footing the bill equals taxpayers footing the bill which then means the middle class is strapped with the bill.  Don’t tell me that’s not true.  You know it’s true.  Are the rich really going to pay for the rest of America to have health coverage?  We can’t ask the poor, or those who cannot afford coverage to pay for it, now can we?

And then another thought comes to mind.  How many people will take advantage of this “free” government funded taxpayer funded health care package, causing more finacial strife in this already shitty economy?  All for cheap, low-quality health care coverage?  Seriously?

Why do some Americans believe they can have health care coverage and not have to pay for it?  Remember, someone else is paying for it, and it sure ain’t Barack Obama or Congress or any other politician.  It’s my dime, and your dime (if you pay taxes), that pays for this health care bill.  And I’m sorry, but I’m not going to pay for shitty coverage.  WHY? Because, I do that already.

This country needs to do something about health care, but socialized medicine is NOT the answer.  There needs to be structure and competition and these multi-billion dollar insurance companies need regulation so that all Americans can be covered and eligible. They are making money hand over fist, and still people who need health care are not being covered for various “reasons” that I swear these insurance companies make up as they go along.

I’m so frustrated about the direction this country seems to be going in.  This is the land of the free, yes, but that doesn’t mean we get whatever we want for free.

Whatever happened to working hard and paying our own way?  My parents didn’t raise me to take advantage of the system. I’m not talking about those Americans who truly need those benefits and programs.  I’m talking about those who abuse the system.  (I know several.  They openly admit to not working so they can reap the benefits of Medicaid and food stamps and low-income housing and only work for cash to avoid paying taxes.  One of these people even gets a tax return, and she doesn’t pay taxes.  How is that possible?)

Speaking of “the land of the free,” perhaps we should we change our motto to “the land of the government ruled?”

I agree with OHMommy when she says, “Hey, President Obama.  I want the same health care plan that you and Congress are getting.”

Earlier this evening Doug and I were watching the news and heard that Michael Jackson was rushed to a hospital and that paramedics were performing CPR on the way to UCLA medical center.

“Drama, drama, drama…” I said. “I do hope he’s alright.”

And then for a split second I thought about the tragedy, should Michael Jackson die.

Not more than a minute ago I saw the news while checking e-mail, and I was in absolute shock. I had to turn on CNN just make sure the news was true.

I’ve always loved Michael.  I’ve been a fan since I was a kid.  I first loved the Jackson 5 (my mom had a few albums) and when my brother and sister and I were younger we’d do our own version of their music and called ourselves the J3 (Jurgella 3).

Little bro Nathan and I used to beg mom to put the Thriller album on in the 80s.  We loved all the songs.

I’ve never understood some of Michael’s crazy antics in his later years.  I’ve attributed it to depression or an inability to handle his mega stardom that began when he was young.  Still, it’s tragic that he has passed away.  He was only 50 years old.

I keep thinking of Elvis.  Mr. Presley died at 42.  I’m a huge Elvis fan, too.  In many ways, the two musical greats were similar in many ways.  Both took (and abused) prescription drugs, both suffered heart attacks (according to Larry King, Michael Jackson suffered cardiac arrest.)

I can’t even believe it.  Such a horrible tragedy.

Rest in peace, Michael.

The job was wonderful for the first few years.  But when AIG bought Travel Guard, things were quite different.  Management was quite different.

The merger brought many changes and problems and ultimately I’d had enough.  I was no longer an employee of a small town company with a national and international client base.  I became an AIG employee and I hated it.

There are many other reasons why I quit, but some of them are too private to share and I really don’t want to rehash it three years later.  Not only that, they do sell a great product.  I use it whenever I fly.  It’s just too bad that the management, well… sucks.

After AIG received bailout money from that fabulous government we have, Travel Guard dropped the AIG name.   I’m think it was because Travel Guard CEO (and original owner of the company), John Noel, was embarrassed by the big corporation’s schemes and bad dealings.  Of course I’m merely speculating because the local newspaper reported that PR exec Dan McGinnity stated the Travel Guard name sold more insurance than the AIG brand.

Go figure.   AIG has a bad name? Insert sarcasm here.

When I read that the AIG company is refusing to pay claims to the passengers of US Airways Flight 1549, I wasn’t at all surprised.  Instead I was furious.

[But] aviation liability insurance is different. It is activated by a finding of negligence on the part of an airline. If there is no negligence, then arguably there is no liability, and no obligation to pay claims.That poses a problem for the passengers of US Airways Flight 1549. They suffered real losses and injuries, but they are widely perceived as having been saved from sudden, violent death by their heroic and quick-thinking flight crew, led by Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger.

While I’m sure the passengers of the flight are grateful to Capt. Sullenberger for saving their lives, they still suffered many injuries and inconveniences.  They lost luggage and laptops and other valuables that, yes, can be replaced, and should be replaced by the airline’s insurance company.

When I worked with claims at Travel Guard, the company insured some of these items at face value minus depreciation.  I don’t think the passengers are asking for too much by requesting reimbursement for medical expenses and compensation for lost or damaged luggage and electronic items.

AIG needs to belly up to the bar of responsibility and buy a damn drink.  They’ve got government money they so desperately needed (again, sarcasm) to stay afloat and pay outstanding claims (or maybe it was to pay all those billionaire salaries?).  Now they’re going to bulk and screw over the very people paying for that damn bailout?

I’m so mad I could spit nails.  Thank God, I don’t work for that company any longer.

So, I logged on to the StevensPointJournal.com and read this local news story and nearly peed my pants laughing.  Perhaps I’ll hang them out my car window later to dry them off.

Pantsless woman arrested

A 29-year-old Plover woman who was talking on a cell phone and driving without pants was arrested for drunken driving following a crash in the town of Port Edwards, according to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department.

Jessica L. Jackson, who was driving her pickup truck east on Highway 54 just before 8:50 a.m. Sunday, had her pants hanging out the window to dry when the vehicle hit the highway shoulder, and Jackson overcorrected, according to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department Accident Report. Jackson crossed the centerline, entered the ditch and rolled the vehicle.

Jackson was transported to Riverview Hospital, where she was treated and released. She was arrested for drunken driving, Wood County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Dave Laude said. The preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of 0.18, more than double the legal limit.

Now, the act of drunk driving itself is not funny.  Not funny at all.  I’ve lost many friends to this kind of tragedy.

But when I read the headline and then the part where her pants were hanging out the window, I could not stop laughing.  I can’t help it.  I just find that part hysterical.

I can’t imagine the look on the cop’s face when discovering a pantsless woman in a car accident.  Maybe because this woman is from Plover (where I live) that made me laugh even harder. 

Only in Wisconsin…seriously.

In Nelsonville, Wisconsin, a town with a population of less than two hundred, a man killed his girlfriend and two of their three children.  He then poured gallons and gallons of gasoline throughout the home.  When police entered the home, he was sitting on a chair with his infant child, and both persons as well as the sheriff’s deputies were overcome by the fumes.

This story is absolutely devastating. It’s a case of domestic violence.  It’s another example that this type of violence happens every single day, and women and children are most often the victims.  Small children.  Two and three years old. It makes me sick.

Nelsonville is 15 miles away from my home.  This woman and her children may not be my next-door neighbors, but they were members of my community.  This woman was ending a relationship with her attacker and he killed her and their children.  The rumors around town are flying, the most common one being that he shot the victims and planned to burn the house down.  I can’t even describe how sad and angry I am.

It’s stories like these that make me check the locks in our house two and three times a night.  It’s crimes like these that make me aware of how common domestic violence is, even in small towns.  It’s tragedies like this one, that me me realize that men and women need to be educated on domestic violence.  We need to raise our sons and daughters with the notion that domestic violence will not be tolerated any longer.

I still can’t understand how this man could just take the lives of his children and their mother.  I hope he rots in jail.  I know it sounds harsh, but he deserves a punishment that neither you or I have the right to grant.  I’m not a believer in capital punishment, because I don’t believe any human has the right to play God — but when children are murdered, death is the only punishment for the criminal that seems just.

Lately, while reading about our President’s plans and listening to reporters talking about his first month in office, when I hear something I don’t like, I’ve been giving President Obama a pass.  Because I like him. I may not agree with him, but I’m no Rush Limbaugh.  I don’t want the President to fail.

However, when I read news articles like these, my blood boils.

His goal is to prevent millions of American families from losing their houses because they can’t make mortgage payments.

I confess.  I reacted first.  I was angry.  If I don’t make my mortgage payment, does that mean I get a free pass?  A free house?  Wrong.  If I don’t pay my mortgage, the bank will take my house.  No one is going to step in and save my ass.

Then I read this:

“We must stem the spread of foreclosures and falling home values for all Americans, and do everything we can to help responsible homeowners stay in their homes,” Obama said Tuesday as he signed his tax cut and spending package into law.

Okay, that’s better.  The President wants to help the responsible homeowners.  Wait a second.  How will the government determine who is responsible and who is simply looking for a free ride?  The article says that it is unclear who will qualify for relief.

My only concern is the message this new plan is sending to American tax-payers.  Why do some Americans feel entitled to owning things they can’t afford?

If you came to visit me, I’d show you the big and beautiful homes that are being built in a subdivision near my neighborhood.  These homes are appraised in the $250,000 to $400,000 range.  In flippin’ Wisconsin.  Only doctors, lawyers, and bankers make enough money to afford those mortgages.    I live in a small town of less than 30,000 people, most of which hold jobs in the school district or insurance industry.  Not many can afford the houses they live in.

Stevens Point (and surrounding areas) used to be a thriving paper mill city, but with the economy in the tubes, mill workers are being laid off left and right.  They have been for years.

Wisconsin Rapids, a city twenty-two miles away, was once a boom town, with people living high off the hog and building huge houses.  In the last ten years, thousands of millwrights were given the boot and slowly the city has become a ghost town.  Numerous business have closed their doors, hundreds of homes have gone into foreclosure and people have been forced to move to places where they take the first available job they can find, even if it’s minimum wage.

Working in a title company part-time, I cannot count how many foreclosures I’ve seen.  The number one reason for these is medical bills.  The second highest reason?  People buying houses they knew they can’t afford.  What were they thinking?  Were they praying for a miracle or that they’d win the lottery?  Or were they just waiting for a President who would promise to “help” them pay their mortgages?

The worst is yet to come, says Howard Davidowitz.  Sadly, everything this man says is true.

All I can say is, “Thanks be to God.”

Wow.

I’m just….speechless….  And I’m thankful that everyone made it off the plane alive (according to the news, but this is not an official confirmation.  I’m praying that everyone is alive and being well taken care of).

I keep thinking about the fact that I flew into and and out of La Guardia airport.  I went on a Circle Line cruise. I can’t even fathom anything like this happening.  To be on a plane one moment and then landing in freezing cold water the next!  I can’t imagine being on a sightseeing tour and suddenly helping to rescue passengers from a plane crash!

It truly is a miracle.  God works in ways we may never understand or comprehend.