Parents Fight at Little League Baseball Game

Sorry it's been so long since I posted.  Been super busy, and nothing has jumped out at me that forced me to take a few minutes to post....

....until now.

As I am checking up on sports news on ESPN, I run across this story:  http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/6758108/colorado-parents-charged-youth-baseball-brawl.  It's very abridged, but it catches my attention.  I'm thinking, "I can have read that right, there is no way this kind of thing is happening."  So I google the story to try and find a more detailed account, and sure enough, it is happening.

I'm into sports.  I play a lot of basketball, including some actual leagues with score keepers and certified referees, plus I coached basketball for a number of years.  As such, I am fully aware that there are sometimes just some really crappy calls that are made by the ref (or umpire as the case may be).  But we are talking about 12 year old boys playing little league.

A guy and his son left the stands to go to the center pavilion where the tournament was being played so that he could find an official there to dispute a call.  It doesn't say what the call was, nor does it matter.  That in itself deserves a "What?" from me, but that's not the best part of this story.
At this time, his15 year old son got into an altercation with 16 year old about the situation and then the mother of 16 year old and the father of the 15 year old got into a scuffle with the boys, after the father put the 16 year old in a headlock and punched him a few times.  That's gotta make you feel like a man to beat up on a 16 year old.

Really?

What makes it even better is that the lady is a town prosecutor.  So an intelligent, professional representative of the law (on the state's side no less) is at the center of a ruckus at a little league baseball tournament.

It's sad really.  I've had times where the ref's call left me puzzled and even dumbfounded, but it really never occurred to me that I needed to go punch someone about it.

All I can say is.... "What?"

Anyways.  Just remember that the crazies are out there, so take care of yourself.  There are lots of good and decent people, but it's that 1% of craziness that brings down the average and makes a mess out of things.

Till next time.....

Surgeon operates on child's wrong eye

I know it's been a while since I posted anything here, life has been very busy.  I wasn't even planning on posting today, but as I read thru some news headlines at lunch, I just couldn't believe what I saw in regards to this story.

A 4-year old boy goes in for surgery on his right eye because it is "wandering".  Clearly this is a somewhat delicate surgery as you don't want to permanently damage the eye, but you need to do what you can so that the boy's eye functions like the other.

It turns out that the surgeon performed the entire operation on the left eye, then realized she had made the mistake and performed the operation on the right eye.  WHAT?!?

I understand completely what it's like to have vision and eye limitations.  I have a lazy eye and if something ever happened to my good eye, I would potentially be very handicapped.  So this surgeon has now increased in risk of issues in the boys good eye by performing unnecessary surgery on it.

Here's the real kicker - look at this quote from the article:

“Something went wrong with their checklist,” said Dale Matlock, Jesse’s father. “They came in and circled his eye, for which eye they were going to operate on. Then (Dr. Goodman) proceeded with the left, the wrong eye.”

They CIRCLED HIS EYE and the surgeon still operated on the wrong one.  How is that even possible???  I am not a proponent of patients sueing doctors as there are way too many frivilous malpractice suits that cost everyone and tie up the court system.  But I think is a case where the parents should seriously consider speaking with an attorney.

Until next time....

Co-Pilot doesn't know how to pull aircraft out of dive?

I haven't been posting as frequently and, for the most part, it is because I haven't been finding the kind of quandaries and idiocy that makes me ask the question - 'What?'

But, I found this one today, and it's a good one.

Let me set the scene - Back in May, A Boeing 737 Air India flight was at Cruising altitude, when the Pilot needed a bathroom break.  No big deal, that's why you have a co-pilot.  So after the pilot leaves, the co-pilot realizes that he needs to adjust his seat.  As he's doing so, he hits something on the control panel and the plane went into a 26 degree dive and lost 7,000 feet of altitude.  7,000!!  It lost so much altitude because the co-pilot (Who was only 25 years old) was not trained on how to handle this particular situation.  The pilot had to come rushing back into the cockpit to save the plane and passengers.

Let me repeat that - The Co-Pilot of a commercial airline 737, which was carrying 113 passengers, but can hold more, plus crew, did not have the training on how to pull an aircraft out of a steep dive.

WHAT??

I'm not a pilot, but I've played enough games and simulators in my time to know that if you're diving, you pull up by pulling back on the stick.  I'm sure that the commercial 737 has all kinds of buttons and controls and stuff like that, but it still has a stick.  When all else fails, turn off auto-pilot and pull back man.

Anyways - The world never ceases to amaze me.  Happy flying!!

And until next time....

Ban on Happy Meal Toys?

I ran across this article this afternoon and just had to pass it on.  This is the type of ludicrous, just down right stupid, behavior that does nothing but cost our tax payers money and clog our courts.

A county is going to sue McDonald's to remove all toys from the Happy Meals, because the toys  "...lure children into McDonald's restaurants where they are then likely to order food that is too high in calories, fat and salt." 


What????


Now, unless something is really different in California McDonald's than here in Maryland, Happy Meals are geared to kids under the age of 8 or so.  While many of us get one for older kids, or even as adults, they are geared for young kids.  The last time I checked, no one under the age of 8 should be going to McD's on their own.  If they are, there are larger problems at hand than just what the kids are eating.


I'm not defending McDonald's as a healthy food, that's just stupid.  But you don't take your 5 or 7 year old to the golden arches for a healthy dinner.  You go there to reward them, as a little break from home cooking or because your traveling and you know what you are going to get.  


Check out this next quote -
"McDonald's is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children," Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group (Center for Science in the Public Interest) said in a statement. "McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children's developmental immaturity."


Look, if the parent can't be adult enough to say to a kid under 8, no we are not eating at McDs tonight, or you are going to get the apple slices instead of fries, then we really do have much larger issues.


Happy meal toys are not the problem.  The problem is that parents take the easy way out with dinner options for their kids and for themselves.  If you hit up fast food restaurants every night, then yeah, you're going to have health issues.  The toy isn't making the kids fat.  


Let the Happy Meal alone.

What people will do for Guinness World Records

You know, I get that people are drawn to a little bit of fame.  To have your name in the Guinness Book of World Records would be pretty cool. 

But, to do it by putting 16 cockroaches in your mouth?  What?

I found this story of what appears to be a pretty average guy from Michigan who works at a pet store, who decided to break the world record by putting 16 Madagascar hissing cockroaches in his mouth at one time.  What the hell?

The link also has a short video of the event.  The guy turned it into a spectacle, which most people do when they try to break Guinness World Records, and you can see him putting all 16 cockroaches in his mouth.  You can see them moving around as he adds the next one.

I know, and respect, that different cultures eat different things, but a cockroach?  Really?

Anyways, until next time, keep an eye out for those things just make you ask "What?".

Teen shot by 45 year old over baggy pants

Sorry it's been so long between posts.  I got real busy with work and then took a needed week off.  I hope to be back to more regular updates.

I need to thank my friend Jay Burkey for finding this article.

I have never been the most stylish person, anyone who knows me can attest to that.  And as such, I've never gotten in the real baggy jeans style that is usually associated with fans of Hip Hop and Rap.  You know what I'm referring to, jeans down do low that the pockets are at about the knees.  It's not my style, but hey if it is someone else's style, what do I care.  Aside from school or work place dress codes, it's not really affecting the scheme of life if someone wants to wear their jeans or other clothes super baggy.

But, Kenneth Bonds, 45 of Memphis Tennessee, appears to disagree with me.  After seeing two teens wearing their baggy clothes, he yelled at them to pull up their pants.  After the normal male teenage response to such a statement, which I'm sure involved something like "Go screw yourself old man", Mr Bonds decided to "pop a cap" at the boys.  Nailing one in the buttocks as they were running away.

What?

You know, we have enough problems in our county with guns that we don't need 45 year old shooting at high school kids because of how they are dressing.  I thought about taking my comments down a direction associated with the number, and ease of obtaining, handguns and small assault weapons, but I really don't want to get into a 2nd Amendment argument.  We'll save that for another blog entry.

So, until next time, Keep your guns locked up and just people be themselves. 

Later........

You've heard of Air Guitar Competitions, well...

I don't even know what to say about this.  The "Air Sex World Championship".

What?

Someone thought it a good idea to hump the air, with vigor no less, and turn it into a competition.  This sounds like something that you have seen on Beavis and Butthead or South Park.  Not something that adults (well, at least they are over 18, we won't get into their actual mental capacity) would partake in.

But, it is reality.  The competition travels from city to city and eventually crowns a champion.  Is that something that gets you a guest shot on Good Morning America or The Late Show with Letterman??

Fictional Interview:
  Host:  "Your the Air Sex World Champion, how to did you train for this achievement."
  ASWC:  "Well, I took up some yoga to work on my flexibility.  I wanted to have good air thrusts.  Then, I watched some good adult films to get the technique down.  I was focused and ready for the competition."
  Host:  "Uhh, hmmmm.  So what do you normally do for a living."
  ASWC:  "I maintain adult websites from my parents basement.  It's a great gig."
  Host:  "Okay, that's enough of this loser.  Let's get right to our musical guest and have them play two songs instead of just one."

They even have their own website:  http://www.airsexworldchampionships.com/

Craziness.  Until next time....

French Senate Approves ban on burqas/face coverings

This is insane.  The French government passed a measure (by a vote of 246 to 1 - with about 100 abstentions) that makes it illegal for a woman to wear a burqa or other face covering in public.  So the French government has just made a law to guide what a person can wear.

What??

This has got to be one of the most stupid laws I have ever seen.  And the fact that it passed by such an insanely large margin makes the whole situation even sadder.  While there is no question that the women are wearing these as a result of their faith, for the state government to prevent that by law makes no sense.

The sad thing is that I could easily see many people in this country saying that this would be a good idea for here.  This just proves why America is superior than the other nations of the world.  However, if our governing body would even consider a measure like this, it could really propel us down a road that would lead us to a place we do not want to be. 

What do you think?  Do you agree with me?  Agree wtih France??  Comment here.

Till next time - Look around and ask "What"?

Bride Fakes Cancer to pay for Wedding

I see this article, and there is also a matching video story about it on CNN, of a woman who is 23 and she apparently claimed she had terminal leukemia to get her wedding paid for, and I am just shouting at the screen - "WHAT??". 

She even shaved her head, to receive donations to cover her wedding, reception and even the honeymoon.  The fiancé/husband did not know she wasn't sick.  When someone tells you that they have cancer, you usually don't go following up on that with the doctor.  Someone you love says they have a few months to live, you probably take a little faith in that and assume they aren't lying.  I can't imagine what he must have felt when he realized that she didn't have any disease, except maybe a mental one.

He has since filed for divorce and custody of their baby girl.

This takes Bridezilla to a whole new level.  What do you think??

**Sigh**

Until next time - look around you and ask the question... "What?"

Florida Church to Burn Qurans?

What???  Why??

Here we go again.  Another one of these very, very touchy subjects that will instill severe bias to one side or the other.  A church in Florida has planned to burn some number of Qurans on September 11th as a protest against the attack on America 9 years ago.  However, the US Military has asked them not to for fear of repercussions against American troops in Afghanistan.  Apparently, there was already some reaction in Kabul to the news of the planned burning.  Now the beauty of America is that they have the right to do this.  They have the right to be moronic.  However, they should still look at the bigger picture and step back to say - "Hey, this might not be a good idea right now."

I'm not insensitive to what happened.  I understand that there is still hate, and there probably should be, against those that did this and their leaders in Al Qaeda.  However, burning that book on American soil isn't really helping anything, is it?  What Purpose does it serve?  Again, as has been presented to the congregation by the US Military, this action will probably only hurt our troops in theater.  The book is not the enemy.  The enemy is those who follow Al Qaeda and the extremist philosophies that it spews, hiding behind the book.

I never intended for this blog to delve into these kinds of issues, but when I scour the news for my subject content, I become bewildered - almost dumbfounded - at some of these people.  I'm no saint, I have to admit that I've given a second look to a Muslim at the airport in my various trips over the last few years - especially the first few years after 9/11.  Also, both of my nephews are in the military, with the oldest having spent time in both Iraq and Afghanistan, so I don't want some idiots who think they are doing the religious right to stir up the pot any more than necessary and put them or any other of our troops more in harms way than they already are.

But hey, I'm just one person.  What do you think?  Post your comments and let me know.  I'm sure some of you think I should be hit, and that's OK because another great thing about this country is that I'm allowed to do this.

As always, look and around and see where you can ask the question:   "What?"

Woman Attacked with Acid

What in the world would possess someone to throw acid in the face of a stranger?

This story has seen some national coverage the last 24 hours, and so it caught my attention.  The woman was assaulted after leaving a Starbucks in the evening.  Makes me wonder if she was attacked because of that.  She could have been the random victim in a planned attack against Starbucks.  But, somehow I doubt it.

In my opinion, there has got to be more to this story than just an attack of a complete stranger on a person with Acid.  Using acid is very cold-hearted and purposely meant to deform someone.  Maybe I've watched too many crime dramas over the years, but I just can't believe that it was completely random.  Someone had a major grudge against this woman and really showed her how they felt.

But what do you think???

Here's a CNN Story on the attack as well - http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2010/09/01/pn.acid.attack.hln?hpt=T2

As always, keep asking What when you see lunacy in the world around you.

Man Robs Cop at Convention

Did I mention that it was a police convention for about 300 narcotics officers?

I can't even ask the question, this guy just gets a big **SIGH**

It's stories like this that make me start believing in the dumbing down effect that has been characterized in films and print (The movie Idiocracy comes to mind).  I understand that there are those out there who are going to mug someone for their cash to buy whatever, and that many of these people are probably not the most educated in the world.  But how can you not have some understanding of your surroundings to see that there are a few hundred people in a hotel lobby/conference center area, with most being (I assume) of good physical condition.  Plus, I'm sure there was a few signs to show there was a convention happening relating to police work. 

The best part is his getaway plan, waiting out front for a Taxi!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone.  Keep asking the question:  "What?"

How much would you pay for a toilet?

$14,740 for a toilet?

What??

Now, granted, I don't have the cash to go souvenir shopping like some collectors out there.  I know that some people will spend mucho bucks on their childhood heroes and memories.  People buy signed posters, gold albums, #1 Edition Comic Books and the like.  There are conventions and all kinds of stuff. 

But where does it end?

A porcelain toilet that once belonged to John Lennon just sold at auction for 9,500 Pounds (about $14,470).  So what is someone going to do with a 40 year old porcelain toilet?  Do you put it in use?  Do you mount it on the wall?  Do you hold open houses and show it off.

Anyways, I'm not judging, just asking the question.

Till tomorrow.... Keep asking the questions.

Tiger Cub Smuggled in Luggage?

I am a cat person.  I especially love the big cats.  Tigers, particularly White Tigers, are probably my favoriate of the breeds.  But it appears that someone really wanted to take one with them on a trip.  Security luggage screeners at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport found a sedated, but very alive, 2-month old tiger cub in a suitcase with some stuffed toys.

What?

How does someone think that it would be a good idea to stuff a tiger cub into a suitcase? 

The article then goes on to say that the flight was to Iran.  It's really fortunate that security found the cat, because many luggage areas aren't pressurized like the rest of the plane, so at 35,000 ft it's going to be damn cold and not a whole lot of oxygen.   The cub would most likely have died.

I think we should sedate this guy and throw him in the luggage compartment for a flight.

Cab Driver Attacked for being Muslim

Sigh

Okay, so I'm scanning the news of the day, trying to find out who my "winner" is for today and I find this article.  A NYC cab driver was stabbed in the neck and face after confirming that he was indeed of Muslim faith after the passenger asked him.  Michael Enright, 21, who I resembles your stereo-typical WASP, hailed a cab on Tuesday early-evening and then attacked the driver after asking him if he was Muslim.

This is clearly not the only religious war going on in NYC right now.  We've all heard and read about the protests going on because the city approved for a Muslim Mosque to be built close to ground zero.  Which is in itself another completely ludicrous event.  I recently read something about this that I so completely agree with that I wanted to share:

"There's a small chance you have heard about a plan to build a mosque near (not "at") Ground Zero in New York. The controversy is puzzling on many levels, most important, that this is America! Freedom must not be an empty concept. Freedom of religion means freedom of religion. The basic bargain of the First Amendment, as regards speech as well as faith, is that the sole way to protect the right to opinions and beliefs is to protect all opinions and all beliefs, keeping government out of the business of deciding which ones we like or don't like.

The people who attacked the United States on 9/11 might have called themselves Muslims, though clearly they were breaking the tenets of their faith. All religions have produced a few murderous fanatics -- we don't hold this against the faith when Christianity or Judaism is involved. Baruch Goldstein, raised as a Jew, used a machine gun to murder 29 Muslims in 1994 in Hebron on the West Bank. Goldstein was a monster, not a religious believer, and was breaking the tenets of the faith he claimed. No sensible person would say that because of Baruch Goldstein, synagogues should not be built on the West Bank. Timothy McVeigh, who was raised as a Christian, murdered 168 people with a terrorist bomb in Oklahoma City, and it's clear to everyone he was breaking the tenets of his faith. Why can't we understand the same thing about the 9/11 killers? No one would object to a Christian church being built near the Oklahoma City terror bomb site.
Here's what really puzzles me -- with all the snarling on display regarding the proposed downtown New York mosque, there's been no discussion of the mosque that already exists inside the Pentagon. Islamic services are held in an interfaith chapel quite close to where a plane flown by murderers struck on 9/11, and that has caused no problems. The Washington Post buried the story on Page A-11, and most newspapers and newscasts haven't mentioned the Pentagon mosque at all. If the people who work inside the Pentagon can see past their differences and embrace religious tolerance, how come this is impossible for people such as Newt Gingrich?"
- Gregg Easterbrook

We have seen what religious wars have done over the years.  Look at Israel and Palestine now, they are still fighting.  America is the country of freedom of speech and religion.  We are living in a different place that we were 10 years ago, I understand that.  But if we are are not careful, we are going to continue down a road on internal religious strife that will be more costly than any individual terrorist acts.

Just my opinion, what do you think.  Agree?  Disagree?  Think I should be punched?  Post you comments.