San Andreas, Jurassic World, P.S. I Love You and Popcorn

This week I've spent a tremendous amount of time watching movies. A new movie place opened up in town called Flix Brewhouse. The theater seats remind me of leather office chairs (with no work required). They're super comfortable and you can lean back and relax. In front of you, is a slide out tray and ordering pads. They brew their own beer, have a great bar, and amazing food (the bratwurst hoagie and fries are to die for). You write down what you want, push a button, and they come get your order. A little while later, they bring it right to you. It's a brilliant idea, really. Quality food and drink, silently delivered, so you can watch the movie and eat dinner at the same time. Brilliant. 

The first movie we saw was San Andreas and all I can say is wow. The film is intense almost from the very start and really, what woman is going to find it hard to stare at The Rock for two hours? Honestly!

This morning we went back to see Jurassic World. In preparation, we'd rented and watched all three previous versions, even though the second one just made me angry. The third was better than I remembered and Jurassic World was crazy good. We were all three jumping out of our seats at every turn but we loved it. The food was good, the movie was good, and of course spending time with family is always good. 

Saturday progressed with the normal chores until I decided I refused to do grown-up things today. Instead, I did a little shopping, a little reading, and then I realized something. Even with two trips to the theater, I hadn't had any popcorn. That simply couldn't be allowed to stand. 

Even though it meant putting my jeans back on, I ran out and got a bag of popcorn (two bags but don't tell anyone) and a single serving pizza for Sean. When I came back, I tried to read and eat popcorn but then you run the risk of getting the pages greasy, and it's hard to hold a decent size book in one hand and eat with the other, so I did what I wanted to do all the time. I found another movie. 

Even as I write this, I'm wearing Phil's flannel pants, an over-sized sweatshirt (I swear the air conditioner is working overtime...it's FREEZING in here), and watching P.S. I Love You. You see, after two high action and intense movies, I had to go back to a sentimental favorite that tugs at my heart instead of my nerves. This movie makes me laugh and makes me cry, makes me want to  yell at my mother and then turn around and hug her. It's the perfect movie to end a perfect week of movie watching, plus I have popcorn. 

I hope your week has been as thrilling as mine, and don't forget the popcorn. :)

Angela Roe

Take a Pass on Passing Judgement

I'm the first to admit it. I'm way too quick to pass judgement on people. It's one of the things I dislike the most about myself. A few months ago, I found myself reading about a woman being kind to a parent struggling with a child having meltdown in a grocery store and it changed my perspective. I made a decision to stop passing judgment at that moment.

You might have heard about the woman in Texas who posted a video condemning a child for having a tantrum in a grocery store. I won't post her name or link to the video because there isn't any useful reason to do so.

The truth is, kids have bad days. They might be in pain and in the grocery store waiting for a prescription to be filled. They might have an underlying condition that isn't visible like autism or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or any one of countless other health issues that impact behavior or cause intense pain and yet have no outward physical signs.

The point is, we don't know why someone else's child is upset. Sometimes, we don't even know why our own child is upset. The last thing we should be doing is condemning the child or the parents. We need to support and nurture each other. Instead of passing judgement, pass on a smile of understanding, a word of encouragement, a pat on a shoulder. We live an an angry and hostile world. Let's change that, shall we?

Monday Funday

Monday is a day that either goes great or goes straight down the tubes. Thankfully, although the day came with quite a few challenges, those challenges were met with laughter and camaraderie. My team members and I moved multiple computers and monitors and rearranged desks on less than half a cup of coffee and five minutes notice. Because of everyone's good humor and willingness to jump into action, what could have been a stressful and uncomfortable start to the day was simply an unexpected and exciting one that we faced and conquered as a group. I'm blessed to be surrounded by such a talented group of people, a group of people dedicated to working together and achieving success as a team.

I hope you're choosing to surround yourself with the same high quality people. Whatever success you want to achieve in your life, whether personally or professionally, seek out and surround yourself with those who have achieved that success already. Ask them to mentor you. Learn from them so you can emulate their habits and behaviors. And when you achieve your success, remember how they helped you and pass that same assistance on to those who are on their way to success. 

Chicago Marathon, Jamie Winston, Nascar Fistfights, and Martinsdale-St Mary's Volleyball Team

Eliud Kipchoge beat his closest competitor, Sammy Kitwara, in the 37th annual Chicago Marathon this morning. In terrific weather, Kipchoge ran the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 11 seconds. Honestly, I am equally impressed and confused by such feats. I've no idea why anyone would want to do something so grueling. Oh wait, the $155K prize money might have something to do with it. And what's up with that extra .2 miles? That has to be tacked on because running 26 miles isn't sufficient enough?




Jameis Winston is exploring his options today. One of those options may be dropping out of Florida State in an effort to avoid the impending investigation into his alleged activities including misconduct and rape. The university is apparently concerned enough over possible litigation from the rape victim, that they've decided to open this investigation. Note that it's October 2014 and the assault took place in December 2012.

No charges or disciplinary action were taken against Winston when the rape was initially reported. The rumored litigation would, if you listen to the chatter, include Florida State, Winston, and the Tallahassee Police Department.

So as Winston considers his next move, dropping out of Florida State prevents him from participating in the university's investigation, it allows him to leave the state and completely ignore the investigation entirely, and it separates him from his possible co-defenders in the lawsuit the victim is thought to be contemplating.

What happens if Winston does leave Florida State? Well, he then becomes eligible for the NFL 2015 draft. Something tells me he'll fit right in. I write fiction and even I can't make this stuff up.

Tempers were hot at Charlotte last night as drivers fought to stay out of the elimination race next week at Talladega. Brad Keselowski raised tempers by causing contact between his vehicle and those of both Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin. Both drivers showed their displeasure with Keselowski on the track.

Following the race, Keselowski went down pit row and hit Kenseth's vehicle-it's worth noting that Kenseth had removed most of his safety equipment before being struck, a practice that is routine at this point in the race-Keselowski bounced off of Kenseth's car and hit the car of Tony Stewart. Stewart promptly responded by throwing his car into reverse and bashing into Keselowski. Keselowski fought to get away from Stewart and in doing so, it the car of Danica Patrick.

Keselowski ended his temper tantrum by doing burn outs in the garage area and running over some of his own equipment that was on the ground near his hauler.

Matt Kenseth, known as a mild-mannered and even-tempered guy, was so angry that he went after Keselowski as he stood between two haulers. It took several crew members to separate the two men.

After the race, Keselowski blamed the two other drivers for causing the trouble, insisting that they ruined his night by hitting him on the track and he was simply retaliating in kind.

Hamlin disagrees, calling Keselowski out of control . "It's either four or five of us are wrong or he's wrong," says Hamlin. His concern is that Keselowski will try to wreck him, Stewart, and Kenseth next week at Talladega. "He'll just be out of control like normal," Hamlin said. "We'll do what we have to do to get in, and that's the big picture."

NASCAR officials are reported to be reviewing tapes and talking to all involved before any decision regarding disciplinary actions are taken.

Meanwhile, a group of volleyball players from Martinsdale-St. Mary's high school, located south of Des Moines, Iowa, were playing a game in which one player struck the ball, causing it to go into the stands and hit a young girl in the face. When the game ended, the girls rallied around the girl to apologize to her for the wild hit.

According to the mother of the 10-year old, her daughter has the mental capacity of a child half her age and thought the players were angry and that's why she was struck in the face with the volleyball.

The team made a point of apologizing to the child and reassuring her that it was an accident, that she had done nothing wrong, and no one was angry with her.

I don't know about you, but I think this group of high school girls could teach NASCAR drivers and football players the meaning of sportsmanship.

Emma Watson, Women's Rights, the U.N. and the War on Women That Isn't

Emma Watson, the actress who starred as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, is the Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N. In speaking for women's rights and against the daily and sometimes subtle and sometimes overt hostility against women, Ms. Watson has become a target of threats against her safety and against her reputation. But there is no war on women. For doing nothing more than speaking for equality, Ms. Watson is now the target of webpages threatening to release nude photographs of her in an attempt to tarnish her reputation, to humiliate her, and to cause her to stop speaking.

Now I don't know if there are nude photos of her, nor do I care. We all know how rampant photoshopped photographs are and before one more person says, "If you don't want nude photos leaked, stop taking them", I suggest you listen to the speech this impressive woman gave to the U.N., because you are part of the problem. What a woman does in her private life, is not anyone else's business and when that business is hacked and leaked, the blame should rest solely on the criminal, not the victim.

What the vast majority of people don't realize, both male and female, is that such an attack should be an affront to all of us, regardless of who we are or what we believe. If one person is stifled by threats of violence, and you sit back and do nothing or say nothing, you are as guilty as those who make the threats. And if you sit back and do nothing and say nothing, what do you expect to happen when someone threatens you as a way to intimate you into silence? Are you going to look around and wonder where the outrage is? Are you going to be looking for support in righting the injustices that happen to you when you didn't rise to that challenge when faced with the injustices happening to those around you?


When did women wanting to be treated with respect become such an affront to so many men? I am surrounded by loving, caring, compassionate men, all of whom want to see the women in their lives succeed and be happy. None of them are walking around cat-calling women, degrading them, blaming them for being attacked or raped. None of them think that because their wives or daughters wear athletic clothes to run means it's okay to attack them or wearing a skirt means it's okay to put a phone under her skirt and take photographs of her panties.

How did our world become so upside-down and when are we going to right it? Too many men are
keeping silent while women are victimized daily. Too many men are being silent when other men talk about women asking for it, liking it, wanting it, deserving it. Too many men are doing nothing while women's rights are being stolen.

If you think there is no war on women, I challenge you to go onto Twitter and search #YesAllWomen and listen to the issues that women face every day. Read the comments and take in the anger at these women for doing nothing more than vocalizing their personal experiences on Twitter. If you think there is no war on women, I challenge you to read some of the laws proposed in the past two to three years restricting women's access to health care and birth control. If you think there is no war on women, I challenge you to go to this site and read the bills that have come up in the past several years. I don't care if you read the article. I'm not trying to slant or sway your political views at all. Read only the last portion, if you like, which lists the bills and what they do.

Bill HR 358 is a bill in Pennsylvania that allows insurance companies to deny birth control to the extend that hospitals can refuse to do the abortion and refuse to transfer the patient to another facility, even if the mother's life is at risk.

Bill 1217 is a South Dakota bill that was signed into law in May of 2011, that requires women to have spiritual counseling prior to any abortion. It also limits who can provide that counseling. The councilor will make the final decision as to whether the abortion is performed or not.

Bill HB1166, also in South Dakota, is a bill that forces doctors to tell women seeking an abortion that they're at higher risk of suicide, a claim that is unsubstantiated by any scientific or medical evidence.

Bill 1210 in Indiana requires that physicians tell women that abortions cause breast cancer, even though there is no scientific or medical evidence that this is true.

Bobby Franklin is a State Representative in Georgia and has proposed a law making both abortion and miscarriage illegal. He calls it prenatal murder and wants it punishable by the same code as homicide, which means a woman who has either an abortion or a miscarriage could be sentenced to death.

Texas has made the so-called creeper photos, a protected right. What this does is make it perfectly legal for anyone to shove their cell phone or camera under your skirt or down the shirt of women, take a picture, and be protected from any criminal charges.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court threw out a lower court ruling penalizing a man for taking photographs up women's skirts and dresses on the public transportation system. State lawmakers quickly created a new law making this specific activity illegal.  You can read about it here.

This has to change, people. Look at the women you love and ask yourselves what life you want for them. Stand up.

Read this and tell me there is no war on women. Read this and tell me you're okay doing nothing and saying nothing. Better yet, read this and do something.



 

Beyonce Baby Rumors, Child Abuse, and the NFL

Rumor has it that Beyoncé and Jay Z are expecting baby number two. Wonder what color they'll name this one? I'm not a fan of odd names for children, which will come as some surprise to my children.

Let me explain. My kids all have traditional names, however, they're all spelled oddly. I didn't realize my spellings were as far out of the norm as they were, but as four of the five are grown adults, I can't fix it, either. Sorry, kids.

And on a side note, someone buy her a pair of pants. Seriously. Doesn't she ever get cold?


Let's talk about the difference between disciplining a child who's misbehaving and beating a child. Honestly, I didn't think the distinction was that difficult to figure out, but NFL players just don't seem to understand how to control themselves. Minnesota Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson, has been arrested for child abuse.

He says he didn't abuse his four year old son, Adrian Junior. He says he disciplined him. I ask you. Does this look like discipline to you or does this look like a man who lost control?

Discipline is the act of teaching. Discipline is meted out with reason, thoughtfulness, love, and compassion. This was a beating. This left marks, wounds that were open and bleeding, and bruises on a four year old child. There is nothing of discipline in these photographs. This is child abuse.

The images were released by CBS 4 Minnesota, the same station which reports that the child was taken to a doctor upon his return from his father. The doctor states the child suffered open wounds and lacerations on his buttocks, thighs, and lower back, along with his hands. The doctor termed it as child abuse, an allegation that was substantiated by another person termed as an examiner by the news station.

According to the child, his father also has hit him with a belt, has had leaves put in his mouth, and his father has a special room in the house in which these whoopings take place.

Now keep in mind that Adrian Peterson makes no excuse for his actions, nor does he deny them. What he does deny, is that it's abuse. He maintains he disciplined his child and nothing more. I ask you this. If someone did this to you, would you consider it abuse?

Do not misunderstand me. I care not whether you perpetrate such acts on your child or another. I care not how you justify this behavior. I care not for your talents on or off the football field. You are a child abuser. That is all I need to know of you.

Wonder what the NFL and Roger Goodell will make of this? He won't be playing on Sunday. This week, anyway.

Can't make this stuff up, folks. Can't even use this in a book. I wouldn't treat a fictional child this way. Let alone a defenseless four year old child.

 

NFL, Ray Rice, and Delayed Justice

Okay, so taking the chance that I'm boring you stupid with my utter contempt of Ray Rice, I have to give the NFL credit for finally doing the right thing. I've several contemptuous blogs noting the total lack of integrity with which the NFL, the Baltimore Rav
ens, and Roger Goodell responded to Rice's clear abuse of his then girlfriend Janay Palmer...who eventually married him and announced that she was somewhat responsible for her own abuse...can this situation sicken you even more, you ask? The answer is yes.

The latest video to emerge shows the left-handed knock-out punch delivered to Palmer's face. It's a vicious, brutal, and extremely dangerous assault. The video shows what happened inside the elevator. Prior to this, the only video released was the video showing Rice pulling Palmer out of the elevator by her hair, caveman style. This video shows Palmer launch herself at Rice, who then strikes her, leaving her crumbling to the floor of the elevator.

Should Palmer have launched herself at Rice? No, of course not. Did she deserve to be beaten unconscious for doing so? Again, of course not. Does anyone honestly expect us to believe that Rice couldn't control her without delivering a potentially lethal blow to her face? Seriously, people.

I wonder if this is a case in which it's appropriate to say, "Better late than never?" I am glad justice is finally being dished up by the NFL and I pray that Rice and Palmer (Palmer especially) get the deep therapy they both obviously need. Still. I have to wonder how it is that Rice was allowed to take a few anger management courses and avoid serious jail time. I guess in this case, some justice is better than no justice.