A Letter to Katie Holmes

Now does anyone doubt me when I say that he's a whack job? Tom Cruise has read the "research" on Ritalin and the history of psychiatry. Hmmm. And any minute now the entire cast of Cirque du Soleil is going to fly out of my behind and peform Quidam on top of my desk.

That is completely laughable. So this fool is basically saying that he is as qualified as any medical doctor to properly evaluate and comment on the effects of drugs to treat mental illness. Right. If that's the case, what are all those idiots wasting time and money on med school for? He should have told people that they could just ask him the answers a long time ago, and we wouldn't even NEED doctors.

It is with this in mind that I felt compelled to write Ms. Holmes a letter:

My Dear, Sweet, Gullible "Joey,"

Please open up your pretty eyes and see that standing before you is a buffoon. He's an adulturous loser who's more interested in feeling "in love" than making a marriage work. Once he gets tired of jumping up and down on people's couches and you get a few years on you, how long do you think it will be before you'll hear about your own version of Penelope Cruz on the news? His ex-wife was young, and sparkley-eyed once, just like you.

I understand that you dreamed of marrying him as a little girl. But you're not a little girl anymore and it's high time you realized that marriage is NOT a fantasy. He said the same things about being all in love with Nicole that he is now saying about you. You aren't special, honey. You're just fresh. Look at his past and see that while he claims to know how to run everybody else's life better than they do, he can't even honor his promises before God or whatever higher power he believes in. If he would lie to GOD, my dear, he would certainly lie to you.

Run, "KATE," run.

Update: Mississippi Burning

GUILTY!!!!! After deadlocking on murder charges, the jury in Philadelphia, MS, found Edgar Ray Killen guilty of three counts of manslaughter. Although it's not the murder conviction prosecutors wanted, each of the three counts carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He hasn't been sentenced yet, but basically this monster will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

If he's not scared, he should be. Prison should be the least of his worries, although I do hope that he will always sleep with one eye open. Now he can see what it's like to live in terror. There are monsters behind those walls, and they are extremely good at getting into places you think they can't reach. The difference is, the monsters in there won't be dressed up in bedsheets because they aren't afraid to show their faces.

He has enjoyed 41 years (to the day because the three young Freedom Riders disappeared on June 21, 1964) of freedom to live life and enjoy his family. While the families of James Chaney, Micheal Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman have had to relive their losses like car wrecks every June 21. Now they can rest a little easier knowing that the man who masterminded the murder of their sons is getting some of what's coming to him.

In any case, I think we can say that some measure of earthly justice has been done. The justice he will face when he leaves this world is not something I would want hanging over my head. I am very proud of my homestate of MS for taking some steps to show the world that things ARE different there. No matter what people think of the state, there are plenty of supposedly "progressive" states in the union who are doing absolutely nothing to deal with hate crimes that have gone unpunished. Did you know the state of NY has one of the HIGHEST hate crimes rates in the US? Maybe it's time the rest of the country starts trying to be like Mississippi and gets busy flushing the roaches out from under the baseboards.

Read the full story here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8290795/.

Things That Make Me Go Hmmmm.....

Why do people go to the same fast food places they always go to, but when they get there, they stare at the menu board like it's the matrix? Just pick something, you idiot! It's the same crap that was on the menu when you went there YESTERDAY.

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Why is it that criminals think that THEY are the ones who are going to beat the cops and the helicopters in a high-speed chase? Have these people ever seen a chase on TV? How many of them actually end with the driver getting away? Here's a thought. Don't commit crimes.

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Why is there always somebody in line at the grocery store with $75 worth of stuff when they know they only have $25 to their name? Now, mental math is not everyone's strong point, but you have to have some idea of how much the stuff you picked up is going to cost. What? Are you hoping for an at-the-register sale to help you make up the difference?

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While we're on the subject of the grocery store, God save me from the fool who is determined to pay for his groceries with CHANGE! Unrolled change, no less.

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If you're driving around in a $45K Lexus that has a busted out back window, which you have patched up with duct tape and a garbage bag, your choice of vehicle is out of your league. If you can't afford to fix the window, you don't need the car.

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Just because they make spandex in your size doesn't mean that you must buy it. Big people, it's NOT your friend! Remember how many pairs of biking shorts were eaten alive by large thighs during that craze? Stop the carnage!

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If you see a tube top in the store and it looks like a tire, recognize how wrong that entire concept is and leave it where you found it. If that's your size, you don't NEED a tube top.

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Repeat after me. The check cashing place is NOT a bank.

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Why would anybody RENT rims for any car, but especially a hooptie?

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Why don't people teach their daughters to pick up their feet when they walk. If I see one more young girl sliding through a store in flip flops like a train, I'm going to scream!

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Why do aliens return abductees? What could you possibly do to get kicked out of SPACE?

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If I have the right to remain silent, why are you talking to me?

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Feel free to add!

Why We Love the Batman

The latest installment in the Batman series has finally hit the theatres. Some critics are saying that Christian Bale is the best bat to date because he really delves into the darkness within Bruce Wayne that forces him to don the cape and cowl.

But why do we love the Dark Knight? Why have generations of people watched the TV shows and cartoons and turned the movie franchise into money-making and merchandising juggernaut? Because he reminds of us that place within each of us that would love to have the power to avenge wrongs and strike fear in the hearts of those who hurt us. Bruce Wayne's motives may have evolved into altruism, but they are rooted in a deep-seeded anger over the loss of his parents at the hands of a common street thug. He does not use guns because he sees muzzle flashes in his nightmares right before he sees his mother and father fall to the ground. His vengance is cold and personal. He wants to put his hands on you and pull you close so he can see your fear, and you can see his rage.

Why the bat? I'm sure there are many theories on that, but since medieval times, humans have associated bats with the undead. The vampires that come out of the night to bite our necks, suck our blood, and drain our lives. Vampires are shape-shifters and the legends say that they morph into things that people in the Middle Ages would have feared most. Bats, wolves, vaporous spirits, etc. But the bat endures as one of the most feared of the vampiric forms because they can fly and they do bite and suck blood.

In any case, I would venture to guess that Bruce Wayne chose the bat because they are prevalent in the old buildings in Gotham and he knew that a large, half-bat/half-man would twist the primal fear of old legends and ghost stories that we all keep hidden in the corners of our minds.

We also love the Batman because he is our protector. Where the police fail, he succeeds. He is seemingly everywhere all the time. We feel safe because even though law enforcement calls him a vigilante, someone in power sends up that bat signal everytime something bad happens. We are reassured by the knowledge that a dark angel guards the night.

And finally, we love the Batman because we feel for him. His choice to become our protector is also a choice to be alone. His solitude and isolation protect his secret, but they also forbid him from getting too close to anyone. Anyone who loves the Bat and is loved by him is a target. He didn't really choose to be Batman. Fate chose him. Even if he wanted to stop, he couldn't and still be able to look directly at the face in the mirror.

So we look up at the rooftops with a silent mixture of gratitude and guilt because we know he has given his life to us. We love the Batman because he lets us sleep at night knowing that in a world full of evil and chaos, there ARE still heroes.

The Toddler's Tao

Sometimes I watch my 13-month-old son and I try to figure out how he sees the world. From what my limited adult mind can grasp, it's a great view from where he's sitting. Everything is new. He's a blank slate and he wants to be written on by all these wonderful, interesting, very large (compared to him) things. I don't remember what it's like for life to be so simple and uncomplicated, but based on my interactions with him, here are the simple philosophies he lives by:

I see, therefore I can have.
If you don't want me to touch it, don't put it where I can reach it. If I can get to it faster and reach it first, it's mine.

I don't have to be big to get my way. I'm CUTE!
There isn't much that they won't do for me if I open my big, brown eyes wide, show my four teeth and grin.

No? What do you mean NO?
At some point, I'm going to have to train them to realize that it really is much simpler to just let me do as I please. If it wasn't good for me, I wouldn't WANT to do it.

On Love.......
I'm not altogether sure what this means, but it must have something to do with them hugging me and kissing me and making sure I'm dry and full. I know I feel safe and happy, so I guess it's good. I love them, too.

On Toys......
I think it's cool that I have all this great stuff to play with and when I'm done, I just leave it wherever it falls. And it magically appears in my box where it belongs the very next day. Now that's a sweet deal. Although, I do wonder why the toy fairy doesn't just leave my stuff where I put it. I like it where it is. Mommy and Daddy should really just learn to watch where they're going. If I can manage to go around the toys, so can they.

On Colors......
I see so many things now that I'm outside. When I was inside, all I saw was dark. Now I can see all these different colors not just on things, but on people. Of course, it doesn't matter much. I don't have a favorite crayon or a favorite color of face. I just like faces that are kind and smile a lot.

On Growing Up......
I AM a big boy and I can do it myself! Man, I want to be big so bad so I can reach all the things they try to put up high. I'll be able to dig in the garbage if I want to, play in the toilet when I feel like it, and put my feet in the sink while I wash my hands. And why precisely can't I bash toys into the coffee table?

On Taking Naps......
Naps?! I don't need no stinking naps! When I'm big, I won't EVER want to just be able to sleep whenever and wherever I choose. In fact, the big people I know sleep too much. If I can get up at 4AM, they should be able to.

On The Sky......
Why is everybody in such a hurry? I think the sky is pretty and it has birds in it. Sometimes airplanes and helicopters. But the big people never seem to look up. Maybe it's just because they're tall. They're closer to the sky than I am. When I'm big, I'm going to look up.



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I reserve the right to add to or subtract from these thoughts as I continue to observe him and his interactions with the world. I am realizing that this is the point in his life when I'll know the most about what he thinks and feels because he shows everything. He feels out loud and laughs that way, too. He doesn't know how to be embarrassed or to keep a secret. He just likes being alive. I hope he'll always feel that way.

Mississippi Burning

I'm sure most of you learned about the Freedom Riders in school. At least I hope you did. They were people from the north who came down to Southern states to help register Black people to vote. Three young men (2 white Jews and one Black) who came down to Philadelphia, MS, in 1964, were chased down, beaten and shot to death by the KKK. Since lately people have been talking about the history of race in the US, I thought I would share some wonderful news.

After 41 years of silence, the mastermind behind the plot to murder and dispose of those three brave young men is on trial. Today, in Philadelphia, MS, he will sit in a defendant's chair before a jury of Whites and Blacks. And I'm hoping with all that is in me that he will spend the rest of his life rotting in cell and waiting for the day he has to beg God to spare his life even though he took it upon himself to end someone else's.

This kind of thing is why the Confederate flag should not be flown over public buildings. This is what it represents. We have come so far in the US, but we have miles to go before we sleep. So if you're thinking that bigotry and racial terrorism are a thing of the past and should just be let go of, imagine how you would feel if your loved ones were slaughtered simply because some animal decided that his white skin made him a god and that the true God somehow gave him a pass on that "thou shalt not kill" thing. Imagine knowing that your son, husband, brother, sister, etc., was killed for trying to help people vote and living with the knowledge that no justice would be done. And imagine waiting 41 years to see someone pay for the crime.

This is why we need these dialogues about race and we must remember history and pass it on to our children. People like Edgar Ray Killen have long thought that they could hide behind time, fading memories, and fear. This SOB was a MINISTER!!!!! Can you believe that? But see, as long as we pretend that prejudice only exists in PBS reruns of "Eyes On the Prize," garbage like him will be able to hide in plain sight around decent people. He counted on people being too apathetic or fearful to come forward and I'm sure he convinced himself that he got away with it after being acquitted on federal civil rights violation charges back in the 50s.

But now the state of MS is taking a stand, just like it took a stand when it convicted Byron de la Beckwith 30 years after he murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers on the porch of Evers' Jackson, MS, home. If Mississippi, one of the historical strongholds of racial prejudice and hatred can stand up and try to right wrongs, the least all of us can do is have the conversation so the cycle of hate can stop.

Read the full story here:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7209834

Let's send up our collective prayers for justice to be served ice cold and a bit of solace for the families of the Freedom Riders.

My Say So

This blog is a creative outlet. I write; therefore I am.....or something like that. I will use this space to share my thoughts and opinions about things that are going on in the world. My hope is to impart some knowledge, open some minds, and start some conversations.

Not everything will be about world issues. Some things will be about issues in my world. I am a mother, and that most important job has changed how I see things. You know, taught me to have a more critical eye, but also to find the humor in things.

One thing you can always count on is that I won't pull any punches. I will tell it like I see it. So welcome! I hope you enjoy reading my say so.