Where's his other foot? Wait--do I not want to know???
Funny how celebrities like Paris Hilton, Bruno Mars and LiLo can get slaps on the wrists from the legal system for drugs and keep on puffing along---but kids get their entire worlds destroyed, by a school system, for a little pot. Does not compute.
Guns? Violence at school? True harm to others? I can see zero tolerance. Some legal, or even illegal pot, and you get a life-altering sentence like getting kicked out of school? That is devastating to a kid, especially in the high pressure cooker which is the public school system in NoVa. Something just ain't right about that.
I mean, these are teens. Children. They don't have it all figured out yet, by definition. Maybe more teaching and less life-destruction is in order.
Guns? Violence at school? True harm to others? I can see zero tolerance. Some legal, or even illegal pot, and you get a life-altering sentence like getting kicked out of school? That is devastating to a kid, especially in the high pressure cooker which is the public school system in NoVa. Something just ain't right about that.
I mean, these are teens. Children. They don't have it all figured out yet, by definition. Maybe more teaching and less life-destruction is in order.
@pajamarama: So wise. This is the smartest damn thing I have read in a long while.
No one cares about the statements after the "but"---just shut your mouth and grow some more empathy.
No one cares about the statements after the "but"---just shut your mouth and grow some more empathy.
@Belkin: He is 16 years old, evidently, but quite youthful.
Dude, sorry to step in the middle of your kurfuffle, but if you are a 1) married guy 2) father 3) elected Representative to the United States Congress you should have better judgment and wisdom than to seek out romance on Craigslist, for cripes' sake. All this woman did was reveal his already-in-existence douchery.
Oh, and to blame a complete stranger for not holding his indiscretions secret? How about his responsibility to his family and voters? If you act a fool, you might be revealed as a fool.
Oh, and to blame a complete stranger for not holding his indiscretions secret? How about his responsibility to his family and voters? If you act a fool, you might be revealed as a fool.
My heart breaks for Bill and for anyone else who is suffering such horrendous pain in silence. What a tragedy that for them the world has not been a wonderful or loving place, but a nightmare.
I want to tell those of you who feel so alone and too damaged to continue-- real love does exist. Unconditional, accepting and generous real love. Nurturing love, maternal love, fraternal love, love amongst friends and parents to child. I am not talking theoretical, religious love, I am talking about people right now on this planet. Other humans who you can connect with in real life who will listen and not judge. Who love you just as you are. They do exist, they really do, although Bill barely had contact with any in his short life.
Keep searching. Don't give up hope, though it may be hard to find this love or trust people who offer it to you. Real, true friendships and relationships exist. Families and friends who would protect you, cherish you, die to keep you safe. These people do exist in this world, please don't give up yet until you find at least one.
Bless you Bill and I am so sorry you never got a true chance to be happy. I am so sorry your experience of this world was so painful and sad. I hope you are at peace and I forgive you and accept you, unconditionally, as a real person. You are not just an animal and you never were just that.
I want to tell those of you who feel so alone and too damaged to continue-- real love does exist. Unconditional, accepting and generous real love. Nurturing love, maternal love, fraternal love, love amongst friends and parents to child. I am not talking theoretical, religious love, I am talking about people right now on this planet. Other humans who you can connect with in real life who will listen and not judge. Who love you just as you are. They do exist, they really do, although Bill barely had contact with any in his short life.
Keep searching. Don't give up hope, though it may be hard to find this love or trust people who offer it to you. Real, true friendships and relationships exist. Families and friends who would protect you, cherish you, die to keep you safe. These people do exist in this world, please don't give up yet until you find at least one.
Bless you Bill and I am so sorry you never got a true chance to be happy. I am so sorry your experience of this world was so painful and sad. I hope you are at peace and I forgive you and accept you, unconditionally, as a real person. You are not just an animal and you never were just that.
How dare our sex objects express physical affection in public without a sexual context!!!
Who told her she could bear children and love them--in public--thus destroying our carefully constructed sexual fantasies of her?
And if she didn't still look so hot, would everyone be as bothered by this?
Who told her she could bear children and love them--in public--thus destroying our carefully constructed sexual fantasies of her?
And if she didn't still look so hot, would everyone be as bothered by this?
If the author of this article volunteers to live under these conditions for 6 months and then reports back to us that they aren't that bad, then I would give his opinion some credence.
To consider 6 months "not longterm," particularly when you haven't been convicted of a crime, is pretty arbitrary. I would consider it long-term, especially since he has little human contact or contact with the outside world. Even the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are allowed contact with one another.
Read: [www.newyorker.com]
[www.asafeworldforwomen.org]
To consider 6 months "not longterm," particularly when you haven't been convicted of a crime, is pretty arbitrary. I would consider it long-term, especially since he has little human contact or contact with the outside world. Even the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are allowed contact with one another.
Read: [www.newyorker.com]
[www.asafeworldforwomen.org]
But is Gawker trending up or down over time?
I actually do feel sorry for this woman. If something was so broken or sad in her life that she felt the need to go to such lengths to get attention, then she obviously has serious mental health issues.
Think about actually concocting a story, walking into a police station, and telling your tale to however many officials. Only a truly desperate person would do that, and for what? Attention? Well, she is already on tv! So it must be more than that, something she was starved for-- sympathy, comfort, caring...etc.
Obviously, she committed a crime and should face some consequences, but maybe committing her is more appropriate. It is like CSI-related Munchausen by Proxy.
(And it should be stated again, a million times, that rape is ridiculously under-reported in this country as opposed to a tiny fraction of false claims such as this, which only further hurts true crime victims).
Think about actually concocting a story, walking into a police station, and telling your tale to however many officials. Only a truly desperate person would do that, and for what? Attention? Well, she is already on tv! So it must be more than that, something she was starved for-- sympathy, comfort, caring...etc.
Obviously, she committed a crime and should face some consequences, but maybe committing her is more appropriate. It is like CSI-related Munchausen by Proxy.
(And it should be stated again, a million times, that rape is ridiculously under-reported in this country as opposed to a tiny fraction of false claims such as this, which only further hurts true crime victims).
I am socially liberal, but financially libertarianish.
Can someone who is very smart and economicky please explain to me why we can't just eliminate all tax deductions and tax everyone above the poverty line some agreed upon percentage (say, 30%) to keep the country running? Eliminate fancy accounting and tax preparation and all shenanigans, everyone who can basically afford it (if you have to redefine poverty line, fine) pays the equal percentage. Maybe the only exception for a deduction is charitable giving, so accountants can still have some kind of fun around tax time.
So please explain why this is bad?
Can someone who is very smart and economicky please explain to me why we can't just eliminate all tax deductions and tax everyone above the poverty line some agreed upon percentage (say, 30%) to keep the country running? Eliminate fancy accounting and tax preparation and all shenanigans, everyone who can basically afford it (if you have to redefine poverty line, fine) pays the equal percentage. Maybe the only exception for a deduction is charitable giving, so accountants can still have some kind of fun around tax time.
So please explain why this is bad?
@pembaus: You are both right and wrong in your assessment. So much depends on the area you live in.
There are definite fishbowls where the cost of living is ridiculous, "necessary" student debt is massive, and housing is extraordinarily expensive. Look at Arlington, Virginia, where the average income is $100,000 per year. AVERAGE. There is extreme wealth in this area, thanks to the short commute to DC and the fantastic public schools, but what you get for that wealth is hardly anything. For a family of four, 100,000 is struggling, believe it or not.
The average home here is tiny (1300 square feet) --a 2 bedroom, 1 bath brick cape cod (with finished basement) in North Arlington would go for around $700,000. EVEN NOW in this market. After accruing the expensive school debt to be qualified for a job in DC, you are pretty much hobbled right away. We live in a 2-bedroom condo that costs roughly the same as our parents' houses combined ($525,000). Try adding on retirement savings, college savings, clothes and food for kids, car payments and you are not living a lifestyle that anyone would consider wealthy.
This is a choice, though, and it is important to remember this and keep perspective. (Sidenote: this is where all the politicians and policy makers live, dear nation, so can you see how their perspective might be skewed?) You can live further out and commute, rent rather than own, move to an entirely different city. And I feel fear and awe for those who are living in this area near the poverty line, (they simply cannot live here, honestly). But at $100,000 a year in Arlington, Virginia, you are barely scraping by, so I certainly see how you might think you are not rich.
The travesty of it all is when you look statistically and see that you are indeed considered "rich," yet have so little to show for it in real life. (And they claim this is the most educated are of the country?). Now, excuse me why I go sob some more into my keyboard while googling the cost of living in Denver...
There are definite fishbowls where the cost of living is ridiculous, "necessary" student debt is massive, and housing is extraordinarily expensive. Look at Arlington, Virginia, where the average income is $100,000 per year. AVERAGE. There is extreme wealth in this area, thanks to the short commute to DC and the fantastic public schools, but what you get for that wealth is hardly anything. For a family of four, 100,000 is struggling, believe it or not.
The average home here is tiny (1300 square feet) --a 2 bedroom, 1 bath brick cape cod (with finished basement) in North Arlington would go for around $700,000. EVEN NOW in this market. After accruing the expensive school debt to be qualified for a job in DC, you are pretty much hobbled right away. We live in a 2-bedroom condo that costs roughly the same as our parents' houses combined ($525,000). Try adding on retirement savings, college savings, clothes and food for kids, car payments and you are not living a lifestyle that anyone would consider wealthy.
This is a choice, though, and it is important to remember this and keep perspective. (Sidenote: this is where all the politicians and policy makers live, dear nation, so can you see how their perspective might be skewed?) You can live further out and commute, rent rather than own, move to an entirely different city. And I feel fear and awe for those who are living in this area near the poverty line, (they simply cannot live here, honestly). But at $100,000 a year in Arlington, Virginia, you are barely scraping by, so I certainly see how you might think you are not rich.
The travesty of it all is when you look statistically and see that you are indeed considered "rich," yet have so little to show for it in real life. (And they claim this is the most educated are of the country?). Now, excuse me why I go sob some more into my keyboard while googling the cost of living in Denver...
This is just plain old nasty mean.
No purpose to this snark but bullying. You are not taking down the powerful elite who are screwing over the little guy or calling out powerful hypocrites. You are just picking on a woman whose livelihood depends on her face. For shame.
No purpose to this snark but bullying. You are not taking down the powerful elite who are screwing over the little guy or calling out powerful hypocrites. You are just picking on a woman whose livelihood depends on her face. For shame.
@Poodle_Heart: ...so wrong it's right!
When I see her face, I just think she looks so very, very young. So tired. So sad.
Any new mother, so young, so tired, so unprepared and lacking the tools (maturity, patience, perspective) to deal with the inordinate stress of raising a newborn, could snap. Thank God most just cry, freak out, call for help but don't act out on the baby. A newborn is so very fragile.
Moms should be taught coping skills. If you have to put the baby in the crib to cry while you compose yourself or get help, do it. Put in ear plugs and take 5 minutes to control yourself, but do not act out on your child.
I can't hate this woman. This isn't a crime that benefited her. She didn't plan to do this, she snapped. This was a meltdown, a very bad day, a moment of sheer frustration and lack of control and it has destroyed her baby and her life. I feel nothing but sadness for her and her family, and above all, for that poor, sweet little baby.
Any new mother, so young, so tired, so unprepared and lacking the tools (maturity, patience, perspective) to deal with the inordinate stress of raising a newborn, could snap. Thank God most just cry, freak out, call for help but don't act out on the baby. A newborn is so very fragile.
Moms should be taught coping skills. If you have to put the baby in the crib to cry while you compose yourself or get help, do it. Put in ear plugs and take 5 minutes to control yourself, but do not act out on your child.
I can't hate this woman. This isn't a crime that benefited her. She didn't plan to do this, she snapped. This was a meltdown, a very bad day, a moment of sheer frustration and lack of control and it has destroyed her baby and her life. I feel nothing but sadness for her and her family, and above all, for that poor, sweet little baby.
The answer in these cases always seems to be: the seemingly-bigoted man is a closeted gay who is either 1) deeply infatuated with or 2) seethingly jealous of someone leading the life he desperately wishes he could have. Or both.
Nobody is this obsessed unless they have some personal demons at play. Just come out already, dude, and enjoy your life!
Nobody is this obsessed unless they have some personal demons at play. Just come out already, dude, and enjoy your life!
@blametheredline: Means she is denigrating housewives. Hunh.
@kiddicus: Your waist isn't the only thing that hasn't grown up since high school.
@anchower: Joking, right? Right?!
