whyznott's Blog

I was on another Philly channel's site, and read the story about the man from Texas who killed his own son.  It was a very sad, tragic and disgusting story.  It was accompanied by a slide show, which I looked at.

The pictures were just gut wrenching, horrific...then at the end of these slides, was an add for the "Local Gladiator" show, with a (somewhat) attractive woman dressed in next to nothing!!!

How inapprorpriate is that????

Then, it happened again yesterday, as I looked at a slide show related to the murder of a young mother in front of her kids by their father, and at the end of the show, was that same barely dressed woman!

These are such sad stories, and to end them with such pictures, just is not right.

I wrote to the station (it was not easy to find the correct email form) but I have received no answers.

I like this station so much because they allow us to provide feedback via these blogs, easily and clearly and have not edited what I have said, even if it is negative.

Thanks Fox29 and shame on the other channel for being so insensitive.

First of all, I am glad that the school shooting plot in Whitemarsh was foiled.  Good work to the informant, the police and the other officials involved for stopping this potential tradgedy!

But the boy at the center of this issue is still tragic.  Fortunately he hurt no one, but he is obviously hurting, and I hope now he will get the help he needs!

Clearly troubled, he was teased mercilessly at school, and I wonder what the school staff did to address the issue.  The teasing did not cause the boy's troubles, but it did not help either.

As someone who was teased quite a bit in school myself, I know how painful it can be.  I did not react violently, instead I worked to change, grow, and developed a thick skin, I also began to drink quite a bit as a means of coping and of fitting in.

No, teasing was not the cause of my issues, but did not help.

I would like to see schools do more to make school a safter place for all kids.  No, I do not expect miracles, but at least to address the causes of school violence more effectively, maybe even have some kind of team building activities to allow kids to get to know each other better, and see that their differences are not all that dramatic after all--to find common ground.

Just an idea.

I am glad the boy is getting some help, and hope that this incident may cause other troubled kids to get some help.

When football teams lose over and over again, the coach is usually replaced...same for baseball, and for business also, when a manager or CEO does not perform consistently, they are usually removed.

Philadelphia is suffering from high crime, shootings, a record number of murders, this morning a SEPTA bus was shot up, the other day we had a shooting in a church parking lot, and the list goes on and on....

So why isn't Philadelphia looking for a new Police Commissioner?

I think the fan give a ways, to help seniors beat the heat, is a great idea.  Years ago, I met an elderly man who got one of those fans, but did not know he had to leave his windows opened, and he almost died in his apartment from the heat.

He kept his window closed due to fear of crime in his neighborhood--which was a valid fear.  He was hospitalized for a long time, but wound up dying of cancer, his condition weakened from the extreme heat and dehydration.

My idea was, instead of fans, to collect old air conditioners (I often see them in yard sales and waiting for trash pick up) and have the local technical school students rehab and rebuild them, as part of their education, and then give these out to seniors.  There may not be enough for every one, but it would help especially when there is need due to a medical condition.

The air conditioners will keep them cool, and allow them to keep their windows closed and help them to feel safe.

The main problem would be how these seniors in need would pay their higher electric bills--and I thought the cost for running the a/c units could be subsidised by money from the lottery (funds are to go to seniors), the casinos, or perhaps something can be worked out with the utility companies.

The idea is not perfect, but maybe, if someone reads this, and thinks it is a good idea, more suggestions could be offered that would make this program work.

Thanks

How sad that a man can kill his mother and himself and then never be missed.

No one to check on them, or to care, no wonder he might have felt helpless and overwhelmed by his mother's condition.

You have to wonder how people can get so isolated.  Did they have family, friends, anyone? 

We all have connections to others around us, even it if is just to neighbors, but these people lost their connection and that is very sad.

This story makes me think of the connections I have in my life, my daughter, my family, my ex wife, my two jobs, my church, my friends, and I know I could never get so lost...or could I?

It would not take much to break connections--were I to start drinking again, those connections may not prove to be as strong as I think...

"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. "

This passage is from the first chapter of Moby Dick, and Ishmael refers to the wanderer, the one cast out, foresaken and alone.  In Moby Dick he was a drifter, without ties or connections, in the Bible Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar and was cast out and foresaken by his father.

The Virginia Tech shooter was an English major and certainly knew this passage from Moby Dick, it's meaning and it's source, and I think it fits that he would use the name Ishmael on the package mailed to NBC--as the shooter also appears to have felt alone and foresaken, lost and wandering--alone in the world.

This whole incident is so tragic.  The loss of life is horrific, and the fact that a person can feel so foresaken and lost, and separated from humanity, and from God that he can lose all compassion for others, and can cease seeing value in human life, it is just so very sad.

I have kept all those lost in this and other tragedies in my prayers, and pray that the next Ishmael finds the help he or she needs before it is too late.

I liked how Lynn spoke her mind, this "surge" of police is not the answer, the answer comes with more police over all, and more work within the community to deal with the cause of crime--to support people and families in need, and to help people find alternatives to violence and crime,

The solution will be found through the police, city, community and families all working together to change things, not just a clamp down or a "surge" designed to quiet things down.

Now, I do have something to say--I have been wondering if the self proclaimed goddess of the right wing, Ann Coulter, says such crazy things like calling Edwards a "BLEEP" and sayng the 9/11 widows are glad their husbands died because they got rich--just to get people thinking?

Maybe she is something like Howard Stern, and wants to be outrageous, just to be outrageous--and to get people to talk, especially about her?

I am starting to suspect that Miss Coulter is much smarter than I originally gave her credit for--though I still do not agree with her opions--she is interesting, and I have to admit that she is also very attractive. (and yes I just hate myself for saying so)