That was a close one, let's go to the video
The current residents of an apartment in Santa Monica can't see that in the wall next to the fireplace, beneath decades of repainting, that wall had to be repaired when someone threw a bowling ball at it. Or that the door to the bedroom closest to the street once had the handle of a hockey stick thrust through it. I know about those things because I did them. Long ago, when I was a teen, my temper and inability to control my emotions was a serious problem. Thanks to people I encountered as I moved forward in life, I learned to take firm control of my emotions. I don't break things in frustration.
ESPN correspondent Britt McHenry is on the sidelines for a week, and while a first glance at the video that went viral makes her look guilty, there is a problem here. That video is clearly edited. Heavily edited. The thing is, even if this "Gina" had baited or been rude to Ms McHenry, that would not justify the rant we saw. There was no need to edit the tape. Or was there?
The Advanced Towing Company is where Ms McHenry went to retrieve her car. They have horrible reviews on Yelp. We must note that there aren't a whole lot of companies engaged in the business of towing people's vehicles without their consent that are favorably reviewed on Yelp; but the company's rating of F from the Better Business Bureau doesn't help. Nor does the fact that of 40 complaints filed with the BBB, Advanced Towing failed to even respond to 37 of them.
Did Advanced Towing mistreat Ms McHenry? Maybe, maybe not. But she shouldn't have gone off on the lot attendant like that. It accomplished nothing except perhaps to put her career in jeopardy. We hear all the time about in vino veritas, Latin for "in wine there is truth" and it is valid. There is also a lot of truth to be found in how people act when they lose control of their emotions. Everyone has a side they don't want others to see and we got a glimpse of Ms McHenry's "other side." The majority of the time the world sees her as an attractive, intelligent, well-educated and competent sports reporter. Seeing her so angry and cruel did not jibe with what we're used to seeing and that is why it is so jarring.
Does she deserve to lose her job? Probably not. Is a week's suspension fair? Sure. ESPN has to do damage control. Did she really learn a lesson? Only time will tell.
* * *
In Chicago, it is set at 63. In the state of Massachusetts, it is set at 50. A report from the Federal Office of Personnel Management, published in July of 2004 said that the maximum retirement age for federal law enforcement officers should be raised from 55 to 57.
Tulsa reserve sheriff's deputy Robert Bates is 73 years old. There is no good reason for anyone over the age of 70 to be an armed law enforcement officer outside of a time of severe crisis. None. Even if he had 30 years of training and experience, it is just too dangerous. As proven by the fact that this "pay to play" cop killed a man because he didn't have the proper training and experience to distinguish between his firearm and his Taser. It's tough enough for someone in their 30s or 40s to do this extremely dangerous job and get it right. Lives are put at risk every single time an officer goes out on the street.
Ever wear the "gear" of a law enforcement officer (LEO). I have. One big thick leather belt, with a holster on one hip carrying a handgun. Extra ammo in pouches or clips. At least one and often two pairs of handcuffs. In my days of being a LEO we didn't have Tasers. We carried mace. There was also a big metal flashlight and a "walkie-talkie" on my belt. It wasn't overly burdensome but it wasn't lightweight either. Had that can of mace been a Taser on my other hip, I'd have been constantly aware of the difference between the two. Then again, my days of wearing that equipment ended before I turned 30.
Today I am 55 years of age. Even if I did not have the various physical maladies that hamper my abilities, and even if I were in tip-top physical condition, I know I don't have the abilities I had in my 20s. My reaction times are still excellent, but are they good enough to be a reserve cop? Hell no. Now Mr. Bates might be in better shape than me, but I have a lot more training and experience than he. The difference is I wouldn't put the lives of others or myself at risk by taking on a task I'm not fully equipped to perform.
That's the problem here. The sheriff who allowed this man to walk the streets and play at being a cop should have known better. It was a bad decision to allow Robert Bates to do what he was doing and as a result someone is dead. Mr. Bates should not be the only person held to answer for this totally avoidable tragedy.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Every time I see clips of Hillary Clinton saying she wants to be the champion of the American people, I want to be able to show her this and ask her if she plans on being the champion of prevarication. Her later claims of having "misspoke" and having been "sleep-deprived" are ridiculous.
Then again, it isn't like any other candidate for the presidency is a paragon of honesty either.
I may have to finally break down and pay for HBO if the deal to bring Whitney Cummings to the network goes through. She's awesome.
There's no good reason for Michelle Bachmann to be trending on Yahoo or anywhere else.
Tammy Baldwin is the junior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and one of her former staffers has filed an ethics complaint against her. Imagine, a Senator acting unethically. LOL
Let's all send positive thoughts and energy to Mayor Tyus Byrd of Parma, MO. Many city employees quit after her election, obviously due to the bigotry and racism of said employees. The people elected her, she deserves everyone's support.
Kanye West has no room to be angry with Amy Schumer for upstaging him on the red carpet the other night. Not after what he's done in the past to others.
ESPN correspondent Britt McHenry is on the sidelines for a week, and while a first glance at the video that went viral makes her look guilty, there is a problem here. That video is clearly edited. Heavily edited. The thing is, even if this "Gina" had baited or been rude to Ms McHenry, that would not justify the rant we saw. There was no need to edit the tape. Or was there?
The Advanced Towing Company is where Ms McHenry went to retrieve her car. They have horrible reviews on Yelp. We must note that there aren't a whole lot of companies engaged in the business of towing people's vehicles without their consent that are favorably reviewed on Yelp; but the company's rating of F from the Better Business Bureau doesn't help. Nor does the fact that of 40 complaints filed with the BBB, Advanced Towing failed to even respond to 37 of them.
Did Advanced Towing mistreat Ms McHenry? Maybe, maybe not. But she shouldn't have gone off on the lot attendant like that. It accomplished nothing except perhaps to put her career in jeopardy. We hear all the time about in vino veritas, Latin for "in wine there is truth" and it is valid. There is also a lot of truth to be found in how people act when they lose control of their emotions. Everyone has a side they don't want others to see and we got a glimpse of Ms McHenry's "other side." The majority of the time the world sees her as an attractive, intelligent, well-educated and competent sports reporter. Seeing her so angry and cruel did not jibe with what we're used to seeing and that is why it is so jarring.
Does she deserve to lose her job? Probably not. Is a week's suspension fair? Sure. ESPN has to do damage control. Did she really learn a lesson? Only time will tell.
* * *
In Chicago, it is set at 63. In the state of Massachusetts, it is set at 50. A report from the Federal Office of Personnel Management, published in July of 2004 said that the maximum retirement age for federal law enforcement officers should be raised from 55 to 57.
Tulsa reserve sheriff's deputy Robert Bates is 73 years old. There is no good reason for anyone over the age of 70 to be an armed law enforcement officer outside of a time of severe crisis. None. Even if he had 30 years of training and experience, it is just too dangerous. As proven by the fact that this "pay to play" cop killed a man because he didn't have the proper training and experience to distinguish between his firearm and his Taser. It's tough enough for someone in their 30s or 40s to do this extremely dangerous job and get it right. Lives are put at risk every single time an officer goes out on the street.
Ever wear the "gear" of a law enforcement officer (LEO). I have. One big thick leather belt, with a holster on one hip carrying a handgun. Extra ammo in pouches or clips. At least one and often two pairs of handcuffs. In my days of being a LEO we didn't have Tasers. We carried mace. There was also a big metal flashlight and a "walkie-talkie" on my belt. It wasn't overly burdensome but it wasn't lightweight either. Had that can of mace been a Taser on my other hip, I'd have been constantly aware of the difference between the two. Then again, my days of wearing that equipment ended before I turned 30.
Today I am 55 years of age. Even if I did not have the various physical maladies that hamper my abilities, and even if I were in tip-top physical condition, I know I don't have the abilities I had in my 20s. My reaction times are still excellent, but are they good enough to be a reserve cop? Hell no. Now Mr. Bates might be in better shape than me, but I have a lot more training and experience than he. The difference is I wouldn't put the lives of others or myself at risk by taking on a task I'm not fully equipped to perform.
That's the problem here. The sheriff who allowed this man to walk the streets and play at being a cop should have known better. It was a bad decision to allow Robert Bates to do what he was doing and as a result someone is dead. Mr. Bates should not be the only person held to answer for this totally avoidable tragedy.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Every time I see clips of Hillary Clinton saying she wants to be the champion of the American people, I want to be able to show her this and ask her if she plans on being the champion of prevarication. Her later claims of having "misspoke" and having been "sleep-deprived" are ridiculous.
Then again, it isn't like any other candidate for the presidency is a paragon of honesty either.
I may have to finally break down and pay for HBO if the deal to bring Whitney Cummings to the network goes through. She's awesome.
There's no good reason for Michelle Bachmann to be trending on Yahoo or anywhere else.
Tammy Baldwin is the junior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and one of her former staffers has filed an ethics complaint against her. Imagine, a Senator acting unethically. LOL
Let's all send positive thoughts and energy to Mayor Tyus Byrd of Parma, MO. Many city employees quit after her election, obviously due to the bigotry and racism of said employees. The people elected her, she deserves everyone's support.
Kanye West has no room to be angry with Amy Schumer for upstaging him on the red carpet the other night. Not after what he's done in the past to others.
posted by me at 1:23 PM
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