News

One thing I've always done was keep up with current events (or try to). I'm never home in time to watch the national news, nor do I watch the local news because it's all about ratings. I read the newspaper, and then get online and read as many newssites as I can. I think the reason for it is because I used to get up every Saturday morning, and Dad would be reading the paper with his coffee, or on Sunday, get up to have pancakes and the paper was open on the peninsula while he was cooking bacon and flipping the pancakes. Sunday morning was the only time we got to anything besides eat and talk at the family table, and I always read the front page and their continuation inside, the sports page, and the comics. (April 8 passed between my past posts, don't think I forgot about it.) Then it turned into all of the front page and the sports page. I learned I had a knack for it when I started winning medals in the current events at academic meets. Then in academic quiz bowl meets, pretty much sports (with the exception of Lou Gerhig's number, thanks Andrew) and current events were the questions that I got to answer, because Andrew was way too fast on the trigger.

[Side story...literature was always a McKenzie (at least the twins) weakness in those quiz bowl. We had a four member team, and it was Andrew, me, and then two fill ins for the stuff we didn't know. Problem was, they were supposed to be good at lit and they never were. So we never won state, and that was why. Its funny to insert the cricket sounds from our reaction to literature questions. Now I just stay away from it on Trivial Pursuit.]

Anyway, there was a pretty grizzly murder in Purcell, Oklahoma last week. Apparently, a 10 year old girl was murdered by her downstairs neighbor, and he was planning on eating her to, as his apparently said, to see what it would be like. An Amber Alert was issued, first Oklahoma, then Texas, then nationwide. Three days later, turns out she was directly underneath where she lived, where her family had been waiting for three days. First, it was thought she met a guy via myspace and left with him. But, she just went outside and never came back. I had a problem with the news stories "how to protect your kids, etc." when it had nothing to do with it. Never did. But, the news had to try to scare people into watching, rather than just inform. All the local stations do it, and to a point, that's what Dateline has turned into as well. From the sex predator thing (which is high-larious) to sending some Middle Eastern family to a NASCAR race to see if they would get bothered by all the rednecks. Too bad they dont' know that its a fairly popular sport, not just for the south anymore, and they didn't get bothered at all...I'm sure much to the chagrin of NBC. My current event need has been following the story, etc. Now, I get why the family is upset, I can't find fault in it. But, here's my query. Why, oh why, are people that never knew the person, or even really knows where Purcell Oklahoma is, getting so upset about the way that she died. Yes, it was brutal. Having to hear that your daughter had saw marks in her neck probably isn't the way to spend your Easter. But, why are some people so upset about it? So upset that they're hurling death threats. Now, it might it a spot for parents. Ok. But, along with the Natalie Holloway thing that is STILL going, why keep it going? Is it the media's fault? Is it the people who care that much? I don't get it. Nor do I care that much. Sad story? Absolutely. Is it going to get me upset at all? Not in the least. Could I make a joke about it? I'm sure I will someday.

I didn't know where I was going so I'll just end it with...

:::jazz hands::::

Look what I did

Took me two weekends, but couldve done it in one if I had pushed hard enough. I'll post more of the in progress pics later, but here's after my first cut, and then after the final screw. Anyone want to play? :)