Actions Speak Louder Than Words

People may or may not tell you how they feel about you, but they will definitely treat you how they feel about you.

Sort accordingly.

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Television News Coverage of Michael Jackson

Surely, somewhere, something else is happening.

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MIchael Jackson is Not Coming Back

What a wild ride that was...

I caught a short replay of Jackson's public life on one of the (every existing) channels covering the news of his death and for a moment I forgot all the controversy in his last years. I remembered how utterly cool Michael Jackson was when I was a kid. And when I saw him on stage with Guns N Roses guitarist Slash, I was shocked to realize I had forgotten all about that song - that was a great song!

I don't know what to say about his strangeness, the rumors, the accusations. Even at the time, I recognized an easy target in a man who might actually have been... grossly misunderstood, even if disturbed. Still, I ignored everything Michael Jackson just in case. I wasn't that comfortable.
And so I forgot, I suppose.

One thing was certain: Michael Jackson was huge. He was huge my entire life. I heard on the news today he was set for a European comeback tour. It's strange that he's not coming back - not with a new face, not in pajama pants, not at all. He's gone.

What a phenomenal talent and tragedy Michael Jackson was.

What a wild ride that was.

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This Modern Life 2

I was sitting in the hospital ER with my 14 year old daughter and my 12 year old son, the youngest having bounced off of his head just before lunch. I hadn't made it to the bank yet, so we were hungry, without small bills, and digging for change in wallets and pockets - all ours, of course.

I didn't see the man approach the registration nurse, but I heard the exchange.

"Do you need to be seen?"

"Yeah, I think I need to speak to someone."

Speak? Odd. But, whatever. I had a down payment on a bag of Cheetos.

And then, "I'm bipolar. I'm having suicidal and homicidal urges."

"Okay. Well, we can get it taken care of."

I felt a pang of compassion for the man, pride for the nurse. What it must take not to react with anything but kindness... After some more formalities, the nurse waved the man toward the waiting room. Where he then sat. Next to us.

Fuck!

So, I thought about this. He was asking for help; the likelihood of his actually executing a plan, and us, was probably small or at least, not as high - as what, who knew? Not the point. The best thing for me to do was probably not make any sudden moves, right?

Or something.

So I texted someone, cc'd another, explained the situation. And, "if he shoots up the place, tell the media they just sat his ass in the waiting area with the rest of us!"

What else was I going to do? Walk back and forth in front of him and quack like a carnival duck?

Really. I smiled at the man. A real one. He looked confused. That confused me.

(The boy had a concussion and a cervical sprain. He is okay now.)

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This Modern Life Part 1

After talking to another thirty-something who is job hunting (his pursuit after a layoff), I think I have to say, hands down, the worst part about being slightly matured and actively seeking employment in this economy or any other has to be being interviewed by someone who is probably no more than five hours out of Kindergarten and wouldn't know the "real world" if you yanked him out of his chair by his iPod and tossed him off his Trojan with it.

Honestly, who hires that guy?

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News: Dr. Tiller, Laura Ling, Euna Lee, Holocaust Museum, and My Birthday Goes On

I've been so disgusted by the news lately (still), I couldn't do the feeling justice. I'm so disgusted by the murder of Dr. Tiller and by the media handling the story... As if the murder of the Holocaust Museum security guard might have -- at all -- been handled the same way.* Do you watch them ask questions of anti-abortionists as if they might offer ANY reason not to see his murderer as anything other than a hateful, murdering piece of human waste (terrorist), just like the hateful, murdering piece of human waste (terrorist) who murdered the security guard kind enough to show the 88 year old Nazi-type some courtesy? There is no difference and no one should be comfortable naming one spade and not another.

The story of Laura Ling and Euna Lee - sentenced to 12 years in a North Korean labor camp for supposedly willingly crossing the border - makes me sad. That's all I know to say about that.

Between my bruised hand (and by the way, that's why I've not posted any links - bruised hand, mobile post, forget it) and trying to reenter the workforce after... @:&%"+>... so long, oh and my new books, I'm plenty distracted. I had a birthday. 35. It feels no different than 34, except I feel that it's time now. For what, hmmm, I'm not entirely certain. But I got 8 books off my Amazon wishlist, including a hardcover copy of Edgar Allan Poe, a "complete and unabridged" collection of his poetry and short stories. I've read a little, but mostly I just pet that one for now.

It went on.

Oh, and I'm not smoking.

*Edited: I take it back. I'm watching CNN's Anderson Cooper throw them all in the same pot. I really, really heart Anderson Cooper anyway. He suggested if abortion clinic bombings and hate fueled assassinations of doctors and security guards were the work of bin Laden's group... You shouldn't need me or Anderson Cooper to fill in that paint-by-number.

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Suicide: Not for the Commitment Phobic

The short of it is this: A guy blocked traffic for five hours while he threatened suicide by bridge dive. Then, he said, "Nevermind."

A motorist - an apparent unrepentant road-rager perhaps late for some Kung Pao Chicken - said, "The hell you say after 5 friggin' hours," and pushed the man right off the bridge.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interests," [said Lian Jiansheng, a 66 year old retired soldier.]

[...]

[The would-be jumper] fell 8 metres (yards) onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion and was hospitalized with wrist and back injuries. Lai was detained by police.
- Rueters

Heh. Bet that cured what ailed him.

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