Today it will be thumbs up and thumbs down. Tomorrow there won't be a blog post. I have to take Mom in early in the morning for a blood test. It is one of those fasting test so she has to get there early. Then it is running errands for her. I will be back on Wednesday with bells on.
THUMBS UP
To the FBI, the New York City police, and Homeland security for stopping not one but two terrorist threats that were considered the most serious threats since 9-11. One was to take place on the anniversary of 9-11 but a traffic stop scared the terrorists into delaying the attacks.
To Mackenzie Phillips who divulged her personal past in order to potentially help others involved in "consensual incest." At first I thought that story was best kept out of the paper. Now I am in the camp that if that is going on out there we need to be aware of it and work to stop it.
To a new AIDS vaccine that has reduced new infections by thirty-one percent.
To Casie Cathrea a 13 year-old girl that made a hole-in=one in a LPGA Event.
To Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos for landing the job of their dreams. They get paid to ride roller coasters. The Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau hired the New York City pair to spend 67 days seeing and experiencing every ride, restaurant and spa they could squeeze into their days. For their $25,000 salary, they have to blog, photograph, and tweet every move in a marathon blitz of social media marketing.
THUMBS DOWN
To Najibullah Zazi the alleged terrorist in the above plots.
To Mackenzie Phillips' dad who according to Ms. Phillips had a consensual sexual relationship with her. Barf city. What kind of dad would do that do a daughter?
To Randy Quaid and his wife who were arrested after leaving with out paying a ten grand hotel bill. And apparently this wasn't their first time bailing on a hotel bill!
To the bureaucracy that if followed means it will be several more years before the AIDS vaccine that reduces new infections by thirty-one percent will be available for wider use.
To the unnamed man whose romantic proposal killed 60 baby sea turtles. The light from the man's romantic proposal on the shore of Hilton Head Island confused 60 baby loggerhead sea turtles who died trying to find their way to the sea.
Comment on my thumbs up and thumbs down then give me your thumbs ups and thumbs down!
TODAY'S TRIVIA:
Yesterday's answers: Mamie Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Abigail Adams.
LET'S PLAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY:
DISCLAIMER: THE MONEY MENTIONED IS IMAGINARY MONEY ONLY MEANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFICULTITY OF THE QUESTION AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY IT AS A PRIZE FOR GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
SUBJECT: PEOPLE IN HISTORY. YES WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE BEFORE BUT THAT IS THE WAY THE GAME FELL.
$400
In 1996 this MIT graduate became prime minister of Israel.
$800
Benjamin L. Hooks, a lawyer and civil rights leader, was executive director of this organization from 1977 to 1993.
$1,200
In 1876 this man was created Earl of Beaconfield then Prime Minister.
$1,600
Benjamin Cardozo, the second Jewish supreme court justice, was a cousin of this "newcolossus" poet.
$2,000
This 14th Century nomadic leader's corpse was exhumed by Russian scientists in 1941.
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12 comments:
I'll go along with all your thumb-pointing, though I'm just a tad suspicious of Mackenzie Phillips' rather late accusations of her dead father. If true, he should have been prosecuted at the time, and she certainly has my sympathy. I liked her and was sorry to see her career go in the dumper due to drugs.
The good results of the AIDS vaccine were "modest", and could have been skewed by a lot of factors, from what I read. Much more research needs to be done, and to make it commercially available will take a while in any case. What "bureaucracy" is holding it up?
I'll add a thumbs-down. To the prosecutors who seem to want to spend tons of taxpayer dollars to extradite and imprison 76 y/o Roman Polanski for a 30 y/o crime. Granted what he did was unconscionable, but the woman in question has been paid off, has publicly forgiven him, and there was a lot of chicanery in the original prosecution that resulted in his fleeing the country and being barred from travel to countries with which we have extradition treaties. Enough, already!
Hi Pat
The FDA always holds up approval of drugs. Right now there are several drugs available in England and elsewhere that we can't get here due to the FDA. Same thing will happen to the AIDS drug. It will be available in Outer Mongolia before we get it here.
I was skeptical of Phillips claims especially when one of her sisters disputes it but then I thought of what would be her motive in coming out now other than as a step to healing.
I think they should leave Polanski alone. There are better ways to spend their time and money then going after him.
Bill
The FDA is slow, all right, no argument there. But are they involved with this vaccine? I assume they will be at some point, but it's a little early now.
As to Phillips' motivation, it could be healing, it could be to get her name back out there, as she hasn't worked, to my knowledge, in a very long time. No, wait, I take that back. I just looked it up, and apparently she has been working sporadically, with guest shots on some long-running shows.
Hi Pat
When I worked at a dental manufacturing firm we had to deal with the FDA. As soon as that article came out about the vaccine someone from the FDA contacted them is my guess.
Phillips could have been doing it to get more work or to get pubilicity for a book she has written or is going to write. I just am going with the charitable side and say it is part of the healing process.
Bill
I'll go with your thumbs up. As to Phillips, regardless of her reasons, it it makes people more aware of the reality of incest and its various forms, it's a good thing. I have friends who suffered from sexual abuse from relatives as children and each of them has suffered through everything from drug and alcohol abuse to severe obesity (if I'm fat, he won't want me). Just saw a brief blurb on the new AIDs vaccine and don't know enough to comment. I'll also go with your thumbs down.
I'll add a thumbs-down. To all the partisan politicians who are more interested in satisfying lobbyists and high dollar campaign contributors than in honestly and sincerely searching for a solution to health care and economic issues.
Hi DR
It does make people more aware of it. I honestly didn't know there was such a thing as consensual incest, I assumed all incest was rape. The more we aware of crimes going on the better position we are to take measures to stop it.
And do I ever agree with your additional thumbs down!
Bill
OK, I will go along with your thumbs up too. As a long standing fan of the Mamas & Papas, I was sad to hear of the personal past of lead Papa. Although, with the long history of drugs/etc, I am inclined to believe the story. Especially since step Mama Phillips is disputing the story. (I never much liked that one)
It is sad that these stories never seem to come out til one party is gone and cannot defend themselves.
But I still believe it.
And I also think they should leave Polanski alone.
Not too sure if I agree with the thumbs down on the guy who inadvertently killed the sea turtles. I hate they died and I am sure he is too. I think it was an accident, although I haven't got the complete details so, I mostly just feel bad for both the man and turtles.
See, one more person educated. I'm not real clear on how they distinguish "concensual incest," quite honestly. In most cases, from what little I've read and what my acquaintances have revealed, the parent or relative basically convinces the child this is a "good thing" and will make both of them feel good and it will be just their secret. And if they start early enough, by the time the child is ten or twelve, he/she believes this is something they're doing out of shared love with the other person and to make them feel good. By that point, the child may even have a sense of power (for lack of a better explanation) and may occasionally initiate the contact, for (as one woman told me) any number of warped reasons. It's very sad.
As far as I'm concerned, any sexual abuse/relations with a child qualifies as rape, because the child has no knowledge or ability to make a decision or understand what's going on. I also suspect that "consensual incest" may often begin as rape of a very young child.
Hi Dona
The not being able to defend the accusations bothers me a lot too.
And I like your stance on the sea turtles. However, I think if you are going to do a weird proposal in a weird area you should have enough brains to ask the locals what would be a good idea and a bad idea. He probably feels really bad so maybe I change my stance to yours and just feel sorry for both of them.
Bill
Hi DR
The relationship continued well into her twenties and only stopped when she got married.
And you are right, it did start as rape when she was very young.
I just think if he was alive and was guilty of a sexual relationship with his daughter he should be shot.
Bill
"I just think if he was alive and was guilty of a sexual relationship with his daughter he should be shot.."
Yeah, I agree.
Hi Dona
I'm glad we agree!!
Bill
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