My Best Friend

My mom, Shirley O'Brien, was an impressionable woman.  I remember once when a friend told her that nobody uses breadboxes anymore, she kept the breadbox but always left the bread outside of it.  When people told her something, it sank in.   Likewise, she had a way of leaving an impression on people.  That made her the perfect person for sharing life's ups and downs.  Whatever would happen - well, almost - I had to tell her.  Sometimes I'd take her advice; sometimes I wouldn't.   One thing was consistent: she always wanted the best for me and my brother.   She always had her worries about my being in a business not exactly known for longevity and my brother being a policeman with all the danger that could entail, but she was proud.  All she wanted was a little attention.  It was something she didn't always get growing up in an extended family with a father and mother who couldn't always be there.   I saw her practically every day, especially after my father passed away 33 years ago.  I know she had to leave for a better place when she passed away last Sunday on her 87th birthday.   I already miss having that person to share my hopes, joys and fears.   

End Times?

Religious broadcaster's billboard predicting end times

I was going to post my shock about the news that 41% of Norwich kindergarteners and sixth graders are considered obese, wondering what that bode for the future of society.   Then another group indirectly pointed out that this sobering statistic may not matter much.  According to Harold Camping, the 89-year-old founder of Christian network Family Radio Worldwide, his prediction of when our world will begin to violently unravel - Judgment Day - has been suddenly moved up to this Saturday, May 21st.   Family Radio owns 66 radio stations, including AM 1170 WCTF in Tolland County, CT and a giant waste of major market FM signal on 94.7 WFME New York.   Just when we thought we were OK until at least 2012 (according to the Mayan calendar and a few folks on the History Channel), now comes this cataclysmic claim of worldwide earthquakes that would have the potential to ruin a lot of people's weekends, not to mention a couple of my friends' birthdays.   I know the sluggish economy and world conflicts are among everyone's concerns.  Hey, even our week of rainy days makes we wonder if there's a Noah out there preparing for more nasty weather.   It's bringing the Doomsday crowd out of the woodwork.   There are many times in history when the Rapture has been incorrectly predicted, and this Family Radio guy hasn't exactly been batting 1,000 himself in earlier forecasts.    As for myself, this student of history will rely on what Comedy Central's "fake news" anchor Jon Stewart said last year: "These are tough times, not end times."   If Saturday passes for anything like a normal day, I promise not to gloat on Sunday.

UPDATE 5/23:  We're still here.

It Says More About The Adults

James Tate taped up these letters outside Shelton High School

James Tate's attention-getting way of asking Sonali Rodrigues to the Shelton, CT High School prom got him in hot water with school administrators.   His method of getting a prom date worked, but school officials were not amused.  Tate admitted his unorthodox approach may have deserved some penalty, but barring him from the prom struck classmates, internet posters and even some town leaders as too severe.   Legalities and "zero tolerance" attitudes aside, this unbending reaction by the school headmaster sends a bad message.   The negative reaction to excluding Tate from his prom was overwhelming, as this kid won over the hearts and minds of peers, parents and people way beyond Shelton.  The punishment could have been changed, but how dare these people question authority with their dissent?   People expressed their views responsibly, but that didn't matter to the headmaster.   What does that tell kids?   Talk about "sending a message."

Speaking of adults out of control, don't even get me started on that crazy mom who allows and even approves of her 8-year-old daughter getting Botox treatments!   

Bin Laden Is Still Dead

Celebrations outside White House of bin Laden death

Osama bin Laden's death seemed to meet with some skepticism until al-Qaeda acknowledged it themselves.  There are some critics of the Obama administration fresh off the derailed movement questioning his birthplace who insisted they had to see the bin Laden death photos.  Over the weekend, I heard a woman on Boston's WRKO saying we couldn't trust the President, so he had to show the photos.   This premise was outrageous.   For one thing, I certainly trust the Navy SEALs.   Secondly, whether you like him or not, what has President Obama done to deserve that level of distrust?   The operation itself was one gutsy move.   If the photos were released, does anyone believe this would sway doubters in parts of the nation and world?   Are any positive results produced in places that show disturbing images all over the media?    That same WRKO host also acted shocked and horrified over young people across the country celebrating the bin Laden killing, as if that were disrespectful to the victims of 9/11 and the subsequent wars.   60 Minutes' Andy Rooney witnessed in 1945 how crowds cheered from New York to London on V-E Day.  Both events were triumphs over monsters.  Both celebrations are totally appropriate.  

Bin Laden Is Dead

Minutes ago, President Obama announced that U.S. forces in Pakistan had killed the head of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.   The military has custody of bin Laden's body.    Americans and peace-loving people around the world have something to celebrate.   Amid the joy, we remember the victims of this modern madman who sought to take the world into an era of darkness.   The President is right - justice has been served.   To our brave military: mission accomplished!