Tragedy is bad, avoidable tragedy is worse
15 year old Ruby Rubio was very happy. She'd earned a new cell phone from her mother for working hard in school. She loved her phone. So much so that when a thief plucked it from her hand, she gave chase. The man jumped into a waiting car's passenger seat. Unwilling to let the phone be stolen, Ruby did what she's seen people do in movies and on television. She jumped onto the back of the car, grabbing the antenna.
The driver pulled out, swerved violently and Ruby was thrown to the pavement. Forcefully. Two days later, she died of her injuries. So why did she take such a big risk? One media outlet reports that she may have been concerned that her mother would be upset, as Ruby had already broken two phones. That's an irrational, but understandable thought.
Truth be told, her mother would rather Ruby have come home safely, sans phone. She would much rather have a live daughter than be a victim of a senseless crime and tragic death. Phones, money, credit cards, cars and the like can be replaced. A life cannot.
So there might be a tiny bit of meaning to the loss of this child, teach your children to NOT chase thieves. Teach them to NOT resist when someone is robbing them. The stuff they lose is not worth risking their life.
* * *
Malia Obama has been in Los Angeles, doing a part-time internship on Halle Berry's TV show. She went with friends (and Secret Service detail) to a well-known restaurant and a paparazzo got photos of her. The pap send the photos to an agency to market, but before anyone purchased the pics, the White House called and applied pressure to the agency to take the photos off their website and to refuse to sell them.
This is a bit heavy-handed. Like it or not, every member of the Obama family is a public figure. Now while the kids should not be photographed in a way that would compromise their safety, and definitely not where they go to school; when in Hollywood, they are the same fair game that the teen children of entertainment industry children are.
It is true that the Obama Administration has agreements with several major media outlets that the children won't be photographed unless they are with their father, but media outlets who aren't party to those agreements should not be bound by them.
If you don't want the trappings of celebrity, live a life out of the public eye.
* * *
A salesperson in a women's clothing store found something shiny on the floor. Turned out it was the $40,000 diamond a customer had lost in the store. The salesperson called the woman who was very grateful for the return of her missing gem. It had been a retirement gift from her husband when she'd retired from working.
There had been no mention of a reward, but the gem's owner insisted the salesperson take one. That was a good thing. While honesty is its own reward in many ways, those who benefit from someone's honesty should show their appreciation. In economic times that are so bad for so many; temptations are more difficult to resist, even for the most ethical of people.
I remember an incident where I found someone's wallet in the pre-internet age, and there was a nice sum of money in it. Credit cards and identification in the form of a driver's license was there as well. Unable to track down a phone number, I decided to drive to the address on the license and start there.
The wallet belonged to a young woman and it was her mother who answered the door. The home was an expensive one in Palos Verdes Estates. She asked me what I wanted and I asked if the person whose name was on the license lived there. She nodded and asked me why I was asking. I pulled the wallet out, handed it to her and told her I had found it. "Oh good" was her only words before closing the door in my face.
I wasn't there to get a reward. But I did want at least a thank you. Guess that was too much to expect. I drove home knowing that I had done the right thing.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
The last thing Candy Crush saga needs is new candies. Maybe not. We'll see.
President Obama's choice to avoid visiting the border is a cowardly one.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn't pay $35,000 for a night in an extremely plush suite at the Palms in Las Vegas.
On the other hand, if I had the money, I'd spent the $10,000 or so to buy a dentist's lawsuit judgment of nearly $3,500 owed to him by none other than Kim Kardashian. If for no other reason, to get a judge to order a Supplementary Proceeding and force her to appear in court to have her finances examined; so that I could collect on the judgment.
Did the announcers working the Germany vs Brazil World Cup semi-final game get sore throats from having to yell GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL so frequently?
That it's big news that 55 year old Madonna is dating a 26 year old man, but a 55 year old celebrity male dating a 26 year old woman would be a non-story makes it clear gender equity doesn't exist in entertainment "journalism."
If Jim Brown can produce a police report claiming his championship ring was reported stolen, he should get it back from the company that is currently auctioning it off. Stolen property should be returned.
Bill Plaschke's column in the L. A. Times on the testimony of Donald Sterling on Tuesday is well worth reading.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey made a bad call in charging Justin Bieber with only a misdemeanor in the incident where he and others allegedly egged a neighbor's house. The amount of damage done to the home demands a felony charge. Celebrity justice once again in Los Angeles.
* * *
July 9th in History:
455 – The Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
491 – Odoacer makes a night assault with his Heruli guardsmen, engaging Theoderic the Great in Ad Pinetam. Both sides suffer heavy losses, but in the end Theodoric forces Odoacer back into Ravenna.
660 – Battle of Hwangsanbeol: Korean forces under general Kim Yu-shin defeat the army of Baekje at Nonsan (South Korea).
869 – A magnitude 8.6Ms earthquake and subsequent tsunami strikes the area around Sendai in the northern part of Honshu, Japan.
1357 – Emperor Charles IV assists in laying the foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague.
1386 – The Old Swiss Confederacy makes great strides in establishing control over its territory by soundly defeating the Archduchy of Austria in the Battle of Sempach.
1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
1572 – Nineteen Catholics suffer martyrdom for their beliefs in the Dutch town of Gorkum.
1701 – War of the Spanish Succession: Austrians defeat France in the Battle of Carpi.
1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after.
1755 – French and Indian War: Braddock Expedition – British troops and colonial militiamen are ambushed and suffer a devastating defeat by French and Native American forces.
1776 – George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out loud to members of the Continental Army in New York, New York, for the first time.
1789 – In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution.
1790 – Russo-Swedish War: Second Battle of Svensksund – in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian fleet.
1793 – The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited.
1807 – The Treaties of Tilsit are signed by Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia.
1810 – Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland as part of the First French Empire.
1811 – Explorer David Thompson posts a sign at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, US), claiming the land for the United Kingdom.
1815 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord becomes the first Prime Minister of France.
1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.
1821 – Four hundred seventy prominent Cypriots including Archbishop Kyprianos are executed in response to Cypriot aid to the Greek War of Independence
1850 – U.S. President Zachary Taylor dies and Millard Fillmore succeeds him as 13th President of the United States.
1850 – Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia.
1863 – American Civil War: The Siege of Port Hudson ends.
1868 – The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
1875 – Outbreak of the Herzegovina Uprising against Ottoman rule, which would last until 1878 and have far-reaching implications throughout the Balkans.
1877 – The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins.
1896 – William Jennings Bryan delivers his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
1900 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom gives Royal Assent to an Act creating Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government.
1900 – Boxer Rebellion: The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children.
1903 – Future Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin is exiled to Siberia for three years.
1918 – Great Train Wreck of 1918: In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history.
1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier'.
1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution.
1943 – World War II: Operation Husky – Allied forces perform an amphibious invasion of Sicily.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Normandy – British and Canadian forces capture Caen, France.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Saipan – American forces take Saipan in the Mariana Islands.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Tali-Ihantala – Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive.
1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London, England, United Kingdom.
1958 – Lituya Bay is hit by a megatsunami. The wave is recorded at 30 to 91 meters high, the largest in recorded history.
1961 – Turkish voters approve the Turkish Constitution of 1961 in a referendum.
1962 – The Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test is conducted by the United States.
1962 – Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.
1972 – The Troubles: In Belfast, British Army snipers shoot five civilians dead in the Springhill Massacre.
1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by the famed "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
1981 – Donkey Kong, a video game created by Nintendo, is released. The game marks the debut of Nintendo's future mascot, Mario.
1986 – The Parliament of New Zealand passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.
1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act that would legally divide the Northwest Territories based on plebiscite results.
1999 – Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran.
2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.
Famous Folk Born on July 9th:
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Emperor Reigen of Japan
Ann Radcliffe
Matthew Lewis
Elias Howe
Jan Neruda
Barbara Cartland
Clarence Campbell
Eddie Dean
David Diamond
Edward Heath
Ed Ames
Susan Cabot
Red Kelly
Vince Edwards
Lee Hazlewood
Donald Rumsfeld
David Hockney
Richard Roundtree
Dean Koontz
Bon Scott
O. J. Simpson (someone said he's playing split end on the prison football team)
Chris Cooper
John Tesh
Lindsey Graham
Jimmy Smits
Tom Hanks
Kelly McGillis
Jim Kerr
Kevin Nash
Courtney Love
Scott Grimes
Jack White
Fred Savage
Amanda Knox
The driver pulled out, swerved violently and Ruby was thrown to the pavement. Forcefully. Two days later, she died of her injuries. So why did she take such a big risk? One media outlet reports that she may have been concerned that her mother would be upset, as Ruby had already broken two phones. That's an irrational, but understandable thought.
Truth be told, her mother would rather Ruby have come home safely, sans phone. She would much rather have a live daughter than be a victim of a senseless crime and tragic death. Phones, money, credit cards, cars and the like can be replaced. A life cannot.
So there might be a tiny bit of meaning to the loss of this child, teach your children to NOT chase thieves. Teach them to NOT resist when someone is robbing them. The stuff they lose is not worth risking their life.
* * *
Malia Obama has been in Los Angeles, doing a part-time internship on Halle Berry's TV show. She went with friends (and Secret Service detail) to a well-known restaurant and a paparazzo got photos of her. The pap send the photos to an agency to market, but before anyone purchased the pics, the White House called and applied pressure to the agency to take the photos off their website and to refuse to sell them.
This is a bit heavy-handed. Like it or not, every member of the Obama family is a public figure. Now while the kids should not be photographed in a way that would compromise their safety, and definitely not where they go to school; when in Hollywood, they are the same fair game that the teen children of entertainment industry children are.
It is true that the Obama Administration has agreements with several major media outlets that the children won't be photographed unless they are with their father, but media outlets who aren't party to those agreements should not be bound by them.
If you don't want the trappings of celebrity, live a life out of the public eye.
* * *
A salesperson in a women's clothing store found something shiny on the floor. Turned out it was the $40,000 diamond a customer had lost in the store. The salesperson called the woman who was very grateful for the return of her missing gem. It had been a retirement gift from her husband when she'd retired from working.
There had been no mention of a reward, but the gem's owner insisted the salesperson take one. That was a good thing. While honesty is its own reward in many ways, those who benefit from someone's honesty should show their appreciation. In economic times that are so bad for so many; temptations are more difficult to resist, even for the most ethical of people.
I remember an incident where I found someone's wallet in the pre-internet age, and there was a nice sum of money in it. Credit cards and identification in the form of a driver's license was there as well. Unable to track down a phone number, I decided to drive to the address on the license and start there.
The wallet belonged to a young woman and it was her mother who answered the door. The home was an expensive one in Palos Verdes Estates. She asked me what I wanted and I asked if the person whose name was on the license lived there. She nodded and asked me why I was asking. I pulled the wallet out, handed it to her and told her I had found it. "Oh good" was her only words before closing the door in my face.
I wasn't there to get a reward. But I did want at least a thank you. Guess that was too much to expect. I drove home knowing that I had done the right thing.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
The last thing Candy Crush saga needs is new candies. Maybe not. We'll see.
President Obama's choice to avoid visiting the border is a cowardly one.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn't pay $35,000 for a night in an extremely plush suite at the Palms in Las Vegas.
On the other hand, if I had the money, I'd spent the $10,000 or so to buy a dentist's lawsuit judgment of nearly $3,500 owed to him by none other than Kim Kardashian. If for no other reason, to get a judge to order a Supplementary Proceeding and force her to appear in court to have her finances examined; so that I could collect on the judgment.
Did the announcers working the Germany vs Brazil World Cup semi-final game get sore throats from having to yell GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL so frequently?
That it's big news that 55 year old Madonna is dating a 26 year old man, but a 55 year old celebrity male dating a 26 year old woman would be a non-story makes it clear gender equity doesn't exist in entertainment "journalism."
If Jim Brown can produce a police report claiming his championship ring was reported stolen, he should get it back from the company that is currently auctioning it off. Stolen property should be returned.
Bill Plaschke's column in the L. A. Times on the testimony of Donald Sterling on Tuesday is well worth reading.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey made a bad call in charging Justin Bieber with only a misdemeanor in the incident where he and others allegedly egged a neighbor's house. The amount of damage done to the home demands a felony charge. Celebrity justice once again in Los Angeles.
* * *
July 9th in History:
455 – The Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
491 – Odoacer makes a night assault with his Heruli guardsmen, engaging Theoderic the Great in Ad Pinetam. Both sides suffer heavy losses, but in the end Theodoric forces Odoacer back into Ravenna.
660 – Battle of Hwangsanbeol: Korean forces under general Kim Yu-shin defeat the army of Baekje at Nonsan (South Korea).
869 – A magnitude 8.6Ms earthquake and subsequent tsunami strikes the area around Sendai in the northern part of Honshu, Japan.
1357 – Emperor Charles IV assists in laying the foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague.
1386 – The Old Swiss Confederacy makes great strides in establishing control over its territory by soundly defeating the Archduchy of Austria in the Battle of Sempach.
1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
1572 – Nineteen Catholics suffer martyrdom for their beliefs in the Dutch town of Gorkum.
1701 – War of the Spanish Succession: Austrians defeat France in the Battle of Carpi.
1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after.
1755 – French and Indian War: Braddock Expedition – British troops and colonial militiamen are ambushed and suffer a devastating defeat by French and Native American forces.
1776 – George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out loud to members of the Continental Army in New York, New York, for the first time.
1789 – In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution.
1790 – Russo-Swedish War: Second Battle of Svensksund – in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian fleet.
1793 – The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited.
1807 – The Treaties of Tilsit are signed by Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia.
1810 – Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland as part of the First French Empire.
1811 – Explorer David Thompson posts a sign at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, US), claiming the land for the United Kingdom.
1815 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord becomes the first Prime Minister of France.
1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.
1821 – Four hundred seventy prominent Cypriots including Archbishop Kyprianos are executed in response to Cypriot aid to the Greek War of Independence
1850 – U.S. President Zachary Taylor dies and Millard Fillmore succeeds him as 13th President of the United States.
1850 – Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia.
1863 – American Civil War: The Siege of Port Hudson ends.
1868 – The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
1875 – Outbreak of the Herzegovina Uprising against Ottoman rule, which would last until 1878 and have far-reaching implications throughout the Balkans.
1877 – The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins.
1896 – William Jennings Bryan delivers his Cross of Gold speech advocating bimetallism at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
1900 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom gives Royal Assent to an Act creating Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government.
1900 – Boxer Rebellion: The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children.
1903 – Future Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin is exiled to Siberia for three years.
1918 – Great Train Wreck of 1918: In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history.
1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier'.
1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution.
1943 – World War II: Operation Husky – Allied forces perform an amphibious invasion of Sicily.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Normandy – British and Canadian forces capture Caen, France.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Saipan – American forces take Saipan in the Mariana Islands.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Tali-Ihantala – Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe. The Red Army withdraws its troops from Ihantala and digs into a defensive position, thus ending the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive.
1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London, England, United Kingdom.
1958 – Lituya Bay is hit by a megatsunami. The wave is recorded at 30 to 91 meters high, the largest in recorded history.
1961 – Turkish voters approve the Turkish Constitution of 1961 in a referendum.
1962 – The Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test is conducted by the United States.
1962 – Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.
1972 – The Troubles: In Belfast, British Army snipers shoot five civilians dead in the Springhill Massacre.
1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by the famed "Nazi hunters" Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
1981 – Donkey Kong, a video game created by Nintendo, is released. The game marks the debut of Nintendo's future mascot, Mario.
1986 – The Parliament of New Zealand passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.
1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act that would legally divide the Northwest Territories based on plebiscite results.
1999 – Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran.
2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.
Famous Folk Born on July 9th:
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Emperor Reigen of Japan
Ann Radcliffe
Matthew Lewis
Elias Howe
Jan Neruda
Barbara Cartland
Clarence Campbell
Eddie Dean
David Diamond
Edward Heath
Ed Ames
Susan Cabot
Red Kelly
Vince Edwards
Lee Hazlewood
Donald Rumsfeld
David Hockney
Richard Roundtree
Dean Koontz
Bon Scott
O. J. Simpson (someone said he's playing split end on the prison football team)
Chris Cooper
John Tesh
Lindsey Graham
Jimmy Smits
Tom Hanks
Kelly McGillis
Jim Kerr
Kevin Nash
Courtney Love
Scott Grimes
Jack White
Fred Savage
Amanda Knox
posted by me at 11:45 PM
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