DeeEl's Mo Chroí Scríofa

The US Government Is The Greatest?

An old story has returned to the news.  Three years ago, Nadya Suleman was in the news for giving birth to octuplets.  She already had six children at home and the birth of eight more gave her 14 children total.  It was reported that she went through treatments to have more children hoping for a multiple birth. 

Ms. Suleman said she would not go on welfare to assist her in raising these children.  For a time she was “earning” money via the reality television realm.  There had also been reports that she was dating men in hopes of landing a wealthy husband to help her with her children.

This morning she was on NBC’s Today Show where it was reported that she is, in fact, receiving $2000 a month from welfare and she also stated she has posed for pornographic magazines to make money.

She is doing all of this public stuff to make money and is still receiving government assistance.  In 2010, I was unemployed, and unemployment had run out.  My savings was gone trying to live and get disability.  I filed for welfare and food-stamps.  I was put through the wringer to make sure I had no other means of supporting myself.  I was denied financial assistance and medical insurance.  They did however, allot me $200 a month in food-stamps.

During this time, I began selling my possessions to pay my bills which still had to be paid.  When it was time to re-certify for food-stamps, I stated I had just been approved for disability and  had sold personal items to pay my bills.  I was berated and my food assistance went from $200 a month to $16 a month.

How is it that a woman in her mid 30s can go out and make babies she can’t afford, take her clothes off for money and still get government assistance?  The government systems set up to help people are supposed to have safeguards to prevent people from abusing them.  These are really to prevent people who deserve and truly need the services from getting them while the Nadya Suleman’s of the world flourish and make money and still receive assistance.

Nodar Kumaritashvili ~ Georgia

Yesterday, I was in Second Life hosting a Celtic gig at my pub when the corner of my eye caught sight of the news.  The report was telling of a fatality which had occurred during a practice for the luge in the Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver.  I quickly turned on the volume of my television to listen and advised everyone of the accident.  I did not catch which country the man was from but noted there had already been a dozen accidents, but this was the first fatality.  In fact, Nodar Kumaritshvili’s death marks the first fatality in the winter games since 1992 and the first fatality in the luge during the winter games since 1964.  One of the patrons in the pub told me that the man was from Georgia.  I just watched in wonder as the reporter completed his story.

I was already planning to watch the opening ceremonies as they are my favorite part (I will write about the reason for that later).  The chatter with the reporters covering the games was whether or not the Georgian’s would remain for the games and if so, would they even participate in the ceremonies hours following the death of their teammate.  I forced myself to stay up waiting and watching.  It was mesmerizing watching the Georgian athletes walk into the arena and being greeted with a standing ovation.  Each of the delegation wore a black armband and there was a single black ribbon attached to their flag.  I sat wiping the tears from my eyes as I looked at each of the Georgian’s displayed on the screen.  I re-watched that segment today as I had taped the ceremonies to watch in their entirety.  Again I was struck by the entire situation and the words which had been brewing in my mind began to spill out.  Here, I place the verse in memory of Mr. Kumaritshvili and to honor his family, friends and teammates.

Georgia

Stepping through the arch
Somber, still, brave
Your flag, it is draped
With a lone ebon tie
The thin veil of hope on your face
Does very little to hide the
Deep pain bleeding within
There were those who wondered
Would you stay?  Or would you go?
Many, they did doubt
This festive walk you would take
When your journey began
Your number, it was nine
Then fate stepped in on
A wretched, deadly curve
Now, with one slipped away
He continues on,
a different journey he must take
You, now face the world
His name to make known
When you fly, when you glide
His memory will go with you
You were, after all,
One solid crew
Never destroyed, ever renewed
You are Georgian through and through.

February 13, 2010
© DL Bach

Here’s A Clue

Hoax.  Duped.  Taken for  a ride.  I believe all of these apply to the Heene family who are in the news a great deal these days.  The media must be feeling a bit singed now that it has been released that the “Balloon Boy” was a total fabrication to get the Heene family back into the spotlight.

I watched part of Entertainment Tonight last night as they attempted to knock on the Heene’s door for an interview.  You could see the media lined up across the street watching as ET knocked without getting a response.  Although I didn’t see the initial broadcasts regarding “Balloon Boy”, I have followed things since the balloon landed finding no one on board.  I did not know at the time who Mr. Heene was nor that he had been on a reality television show.  I really don’t care about reality television as it is as far away from reality as Snow White. 

As I watched the various segments of the news which covered this story, things didn’t seem right to me.  I believe the first time my head didn’t seem to wrap around this properly was hearing what seemed two different locations the seven-year-old was hiding in.  The first I heard, Falcon was found hiding behind some boxes in the family garage.  Than there was a turn around and it was reported that he was hiding up in the attack.  It seems that each time the news story airs, there is something new, a different twist to what has happened and why.  Friends and former colleagues of Mr. Heene stating they believed from the very first news cast that this was a hoax and just another attempt of Mr. Heene to get into the news.

I had heard about the segment of NBC’s Today show where young Falcon vomited.  I pulled the video on-line and watched it.  I was totally appalled that the child sat there vomiting and his father just made faces like he didn’t want to be anywhere near the vomit and was grossed out from the ordeal.  This, in my opinion, is not how a caring, loving father should react when his young son gets ill.  Had he suggested stopping the interview to see to the child, then I, perhaps, would have had second thoughts about his current situation.

The “question box” for the media was yet another mind-boggling event.  It seemed Mr. Heene was doing everything he could to be on camera as he could.  And the entire time, the media fed his cravings.  They gave him exactly what he wanted.  They gave him air time to show he is still around and will be back in the spot-light when ever he wants.

Here’s a clue people, leave his front door.  Let the authorities deal with him.  He will be charged, misdemeanors, but still he will be charged.  If you continue to feed his unbalanced cravings to be on camera in even the smallest way, he WINS.  Pack up and move out.  Yes, this post is about Mr. Heene, but I will not add his name to my tags which would inadvertently bring him even more publicity.  I really do believe that the media is the biggest problem now, GO AWAY and LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!