A New Dad Asks, If Male Violence Is the Biggest Threat to Women—How Do I Raise a Kind Son? by Christopher Zumski Finke

And a very interesting article…

I am raising a son myself.. My wife and I are attempting to ensure he lives his life with values and goodness, with kindness and manners. But we know, from experience and common sense, that there will be an endless amounts of paths he can take, and some we want him to take that he won’t.. Innocent little Ayden, now just under the age of three, is going to be faced with an abrasive world. We know that, too..

And even more troubling to me, the people he surrounds himself with will often lead him into barren and endless abysses, just because they can.

We may give him the every bit of knowledge to be wholesome and pure, but he will be up against so many who are not.

Parenting is difficult. I never expected some of the most difficult things about it, though, would be the unknown—those future times when we may get disappointed in a child we love so much. But it’s all apart of growing up and growing old. 

My only prayer is that when my wife and I grow to a ripe old age, if God allows us to, we see our son grow to make us proud.

Isn’t that the dream  of any parent?

A New Dad Asks, If Male Violence Is the Biggest Threat to Women—How Do I Raise a Kind Son? by Christopher Zumski Finke

Photo of couple engaging in public sex act actually picture of rape, female student says

The couple, described as being in their early 20s, is seen in several shots leaning against a Chase Bank window on Court Street - just a block from the Athens police station - as the man has oral sex with her.

It is oral sex.. Debate online is intense about this one already

In our Internet age I predict stories like this will become sadly more numerous…

Photo of couple engaging in public sex act actually picture of rape, female student says

Speaker John Boehner is considering letting the House take the initial vote Wednesday on a Senate-prepared bill to lift the debt ceiling and restart funding for the shuttered federal government—apparently even if House conservatives object.

Bill House of the NATIONAL JOURNAL reporting at this moment..

But today, the news will change by the moment.
Chaos in the halls of Congress.
Politics is weird and strange.. And on days like today potentially disastrous of the wrong choices get made..

China mocks U.S. as debt default looms

Tacky.
But that’s what you can do when you own a nation I guess.

China mocks U.S. as debt default looms

Default day.
Meanwhile in Congress

I honestly cannot believe just how close this nation is to defaulting

So many said, ‘they’ll never do it.’
Tonight, there’s still no deal in DC..
Unbelievable.

I honestly cannot believe just how close this nation is to defaulting

Ex dishes on sex life with Steve Jobs

But even more interesting to me…Jobs also thought he had a past life and a World War II pilot. Fascinating—and much more so than the sordid sex ..

Ex dishes on sex life with Steve Jobs

The world can rest its weary eyes… Justin Bieber has grown facial hair.

An "Old Jail" review

I feel I have done a great disservice to readers.. I had a wonderful experience this weekend at a ‘haunted’ attraction and failed to do any in depth posting about it.. My apologies..

I am relatively close to the beautiful town  of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. If you are too, or willing to take a drive to get there, it’s worth the travels over the next few weeks until the end of the Halloween season.

The town itself is filled with culture, classy restaurants, cool stores, and one of the most interesting court houses you’ll ever be in: The Old Jail.

If you have a lack of knowledge of the coal region of Pennsylvania, know only this: Coal barons were in charge at one time. There were company stores.. there was slave labor.. child labor .. any kind of labor. Deaths in coal minds occurred regularly. Even  the town of Ashland, PA, in Schuylkill County, had a hospital established that, at that time, served only the miners who succumbed to often life threatening injuries in their daily work. I have miners who were in my family.. A great grandfather that I sadly never met had a career in mining before his untimely death prior to my birth in 1980..

And also know this: Molly MaGuires became the first true labor union that organized and often fought their way to social justice. It’s worth your research or simple Google searches if you wanted to read anything further about the Mollys and their brand of unionization..

The ‘old jail’, then the Carbon County Prison, Molly Maguires who were convicted of murder (that they perhaps never committed) and met their fate: Public hangings.

The Old Jail Museum website explains the story of why their prison this way with emphasis added by me in bold:

"The building is best known as the site of the hanging of seven Irish coal miners known as Molly Maguires in the 1800s. On June 21, 1877, today known as the Day of the Rope, Alexander Campbell, Edward Kelly, Michael Doyle and John Donohue were hanged at the same time on gallows erected inside the Old Jail Museum cell block. On March 28, 1878, Thomas P. Fisher was hanged here, and on January 14, 1879, James McDonnell and Charles Sharp were hanged on the same gallows. Historians today feel the Molly Maguire trials were a surrender of state sovereignty. A private corporation (a coal/railroad company) initiated an investigation through a private detective agency (Pinkerton Detectives), a private police force (the Coal & Iron Police) arrested the alleged offenders, and private attorneys (employees of the coal companies) prosecuted these men. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided only the courtroom and the gallows. “

The site goes on to explain this, bringing in that strange paranormal element:

"Before their hanging, the men proclaimed their innocence and today historians believe many of the condemned men were falsely accused of murder. Before his hanging one of the man, thought to be Alexander Campbell, put his hand on the dirty floor of his cell and then placed it firmly on the wall proclaiming, " This handprint will remain as proof of my innocence." That handprint is visible today for everyone to view even though past wardens tried to eradicate it by washing it, painting it, and even taking down part of the wall and replastering it.”

Not mentioned in the description: Children of the rich, powerful, and important in then Mauch Chunk, were playing on the gallows the night before the hangings. The privileged few were reportedly mocking the men who would die the next day at the hands of injustice and wealthy coal barons being in charge of law..

I did see the hand print in cell block 17 when I was there.. You are not permitted to photograph the hand or touch it. No photos because, money talked and the current owners copyrighted the print.. Smart move, I suppose.  So while you may not be able to have a photo proving you saw the hand, you can buy some sweat pants to prove it!

The overall atmosphere wasn’t filled with actors jumping from behind curtains, or groans in the dark with speakers.. No, this ambiance of the Old Jail Museum is just plain, maybe low key to some, and filled with dark history for others. The real paranormal story is the hand print—and a couple other little tales, probably tall, of whispers and pats on the back.. One of the tour guides told me after the show that he is aware of a female tour guide that, during one particular evening, had her hair not only touched but moved up into the air while she was conducting her presentation..   The website has a few photos of ‘ghosts’.. I personally did not see any this weekend when I was there, though I really didn’t want to. There is a certain amount of ‘ghost hunting’ that I find a little disingenuous. If there are truly spirits, I don’t think we should talk to them.. I am sure they’ll talk to us if they need something.  Sometimes it’s better to let things be….without the EVPs …(A few folks did have recorders on my experience)..

The aspect of the Old Jail Museum that amazed me more was the history of it all: This old jail, filled with concrete windowless solitary confinement cells and a history of wrongful public hangings, was still used until 1995 after an inmate sued the county for'wretched housing' at the prison.. imagine! A cell in which prisoners were being injured on a regular basis just under 20 years ago.. My friend remarked to me, ‘imagine a guy being picked up for drunk driving, being put into a cell with a freaky hand print that never goes away?’ …too true.

Some researchers have tried their best to debunk the hand..  The very idea of the hand has been  the talk of the town for decades.. Some still think it’s a fraud.. others think it’s a sign of innocence.. 

Other legends of the area are as profound.. For example, Molly Maguires were being called out during church services at Saint Ignatius in Centralia Pennsylvania (maybe you’ve heard of this town, the ‘hottest place on earth’?) .. a priest was reportedly taken to the back of the cemetery where he was beaten by activist Mollys.. The priest then,  legend would say,  condemned the town to misery. A mine fire later consumed it and now only a few people remain under imminent domain.. 

Tales like that are fun.. curses, hexes, and stories of mystery and intrigue.

And while the Old Jail Museum may not scare you as other attractions, it will allow you to get a glimpse into the past, examine your present, and wonder about your future. Did Alexander Campbell leave his mark for generations to come? …and the deeper question… did the Molly Maguires win the battle against unfair corporations, or are they still in charge?

The CW trims ‘Reign’ masturbation scene

Call me a prude.. but am I the only one who doesn’t really like what’s happening to network TV?

The CW trims ‘Reign’ masturbation scene

Walmart shelves in Springhill, Mansfield, cleared in EBT glitch

Saturday night chaos.

And you think that a post debt default world would be good? Take a peek at the human being with this story from KSLA..

A snippet:

Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.

The chaos that followed ultimately required intervention from local police, and left behind numerous carts filled to overflowing, apparently abandoned when the glitch-spurred shopping frenzy ended. 

Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, “It was worse than any black Friday” that he’s ever seen.

Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman  said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food. 

Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.

"Just about everything is gone, I’ve never seen it in that condition," said Mansfield Walmart customer Anthony Fuller.

Walmart shelves in Springhill, Mansfield, cleared in EBT glitch

So this is what people are reading now?

Dinosaur on human sex novels..

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Oh the fun you can have by muting QVC and playing Robin Thicke…

Why you won't see me at Pennhurst..

HAPPY VISIONS THAT NEVER WERE

Every year I am approached by a friend who tells me they yearn to go to Pennhurst State hospital in Spring City, Pennsylvania.. and it seems, in turn, that I have to tell someone yearly of the true horror that happened at that location in the late 20th century, during our lifetime, and in modern history..

It’s a place where misery occurred. True horror happened.

And yes, it’s the site of a modern day ‘haunted house’.. and that truly upsets me beyond compare.

Here is my opinion, should you wish to read on…

Pennhurst is one of those places that maybe should just get demolished….burned to the ground..destroyed beyond repair. Actual events that took place nightly at that damned place are a hell of a lot more frightening than anything the current owners can create to scare paying customers.

Children were left to fend for themselves.. they fought for their own lives. The “mentally retarded” and “misfits” were often malnourished..beaten.. treated worse than a sick dog.. And the ratio of patient to staff was so undercut that it created a nightmare for patients who lived to remember it.

And that is why articles, like this appearing in the Tri-County RECORD, anger and repel me.. The author of the story, titled ‘PENNHURST ASYLUM IS ONE SCARY PLACE’ writes this gem:

Can you imagine being a child left in such a place? It must have been terrible to be taken away from your family (if you had the benefit of having one that cared) and basically dumped off at an institution that labeled and discarded you into one of their many buildings or cottages. Understaffed the ratio of care taker to residents was absurd and the institute was severely underfunded, having little ability to change anything. Children were basically left to fend for themselves or tied into beds, becoming often the victims of neglect, beatings and even rape. Children drew into themselves, failed to progress – some became silent. Thankfully, Pennhurst was closed down in 1987. New laws emerged.

"New laws emerged." That is the most that can be said? All of the years of misery and torture, pain and  misguided government policy in the state of Pennsylvania, and that is all we can say?

AND NOW, folks, it’s a ‘haunted attraction.’ You can pay someone loads of cash to enter a facility that one facilitated abuse and mistreatment, heard the screams of innocent children on a daily basis, and became a living nightmare for countless people who were forced to experience the trauma of it all…

And not it’s a haunted house.

There may be no respect for the dead, but I don’t think there’s respect for the living either.

1987 isn’t that long ago.. Patients and employees are undoubtedly still living. 

But now it’s a haunted house………….?

During this season of the witch, everyone is entitled to ‘one good scare.’ But raking in loads of money off of true suffering—suffering that happened during many of our lifetimes? Nah.. I find that tacky…disgusting.. maybe even reprehensible.

So get your tickets here and be a part of the agony that the children suffered.. laugh at their mistreatment.. Shriek at the fake horror..

And suffer the children,

Always the children.

..always the children..

SPIDERS GALORE

I received a message today from a reader who inhabits a home somewhere in my neck of the coal region woods.. Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania..  I was asked if I am seeing orange spiders. I am..

I have seen spiders this year that I quite honestly have never seen before.. White bodies with black legs.. hairy legs with yellow bodies.. And yes, now that it got warm this autumn, these giant orange ones.. They are all over. It’s bizarre.. and quite frankly I am a little scared of them.. 

I get snakes in my house about once a year. This year they were in the house four times—that I know of! But that’s no big deal to me.. Compare that to the little eight legged freaks? I’d rather the snake.. At least the snake would eat the spider.

Anyone out there seeing bugs and spiders you’ve never seen before??

A job engine sputters as hospitals cut staff.. and lots of them cuts lots of jobs..

Hospitals, a reliable source of employment growth in the recession and its aftermath, are cutting thousands jobs amid falling insurance payments and in-patient visits.

BOOM!

Another great week.

A job engine sputters as hospitals cut staff.. and lots of them cuts lots of jobs..

Miley Cyrus' back-up dancer reveals she was left 'shaking' after VMA's

Los Angeles-based performer Hollis Jane revealed on her blog: ‘I was a bear in Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance and for the first time I felt ashamed of being a little person.’

I don’t know what to think of this.. everything lately associated with Miley Cyrus is a big giant freak show. This latest story only amplifies that fact..

Not to be TwerkJerk, but I’d still venture to say this Hollis Jane knew what she was getting into before …right?

Miley Cyrus' back-up dancer reveals she was left 'shaking' after VMA's

The photo you’re looking at is an example of Victorian post-mortem photography.

Our modern world may call this creepy and weird. But think of the times it happened in.. kids weren’t living very long due to disease and other issues. A big family of 10 could be taken down to much less due to some type of medical ailment. The photos, though taken so long ago, still reverberate with some bit of ‘strange’ quality.. but I find it to be just an example of how we, the living, deal with death. Maybe this does not happen now, but for it’s time, it was a touching tradition that was meant to honor the people taken too soon from life. Perhaps these photos are not for the squeamish..

The EBT crash.. 'Was it a dry run?' someone asked. Nah, said me. Then my brain started to ponder..

….but how long would it take before social unrest if they never did?

I asked this question of myself a number of times yesterday. If you didn’t know, the EBT system was down in much of the United States. The technological glitch stopped people from using their food stamps to purchase items at grocery stories across the nation. 

I heard one person asking, “Is this just a dry run?”

And that is a fascinating question, given the possibility that if our government can’t agree on anything, October 17 may be a very bad day in the markets, and the global economy. That’s the date we default.. on debt.. owned by lots of other nations.

China will be seeing red!

Nonetheless, the prospects of permanent inactive EBT cards—and social security checks that stop being sent—are possible Armageddon-like scenarios that the United States faces. About 49% of people live in a household that receives some type of government assistance.  that can be minor, to major. 

I have long held a belief that the people on welfare and other programs, though maligned and used as political fodder during election campaigns to divide voters, don’t pose much of a threat to anyone.. As a matter of fact, numbers back up my way of thinking: The government spends MORE on corporate welfare and programs than it does on the social end of it.. fat cats stay fat while stray cats pick at the garbage .. The same goes for humans, where big companies can achieve greatness with the held of a long arm  of Uncle Sam, while social programs seem to simply keep people in the darkness of a permanent lower class ..

But all of that aside, the prospects of the food stamp program going down …right now.. are interesting.

That comment, ‘was it a dry run,’ keeps sticking in my mind like glue. 

I don’t propose any form  of conspiracy theory that the government would use some sort of weird experiment to see how people would react (now they’d never do such things, right?), but it’s surely interesting timing. The week coming up when the system may actually halt, and this weekend a little 17-state issue for people trying to use their cards.. 

Corporations that rely on government have their safety net already. They bought it—often with money from the government.. but those relying on a weekly check or a pittance of money to live? They don’t have a safety net.. Their net is tattered and filled with holes.. filled with pitfalls. What would happen if the social security checks stopped? The EBT cards? The rest of it that 49% of Americans rely on? Some others have speculated on what would happen..  I will let them do the speculation. I am just asking questions—questions based on what we saw yesterday with the system crash.

And if you don’t believe me, or other non-experts in the field of anything, rely a little on the good word of CNBC. They know their money. And they also wrote about 7 doomsday default scenarios that the United States could experience should the house of cards fall down..

So was it a dry run?

Probably not.

But I sure bet the powers that be, whomever they be, are studying the outcome of just a few hours of a system crash to see what would happen if one of those seven disasters played out in a post October 17 world…

Great autumn nights in Jim Thorpe

I went to Jim Thorpe, PA, with a friend last night.. Coming up next week: I will be going there with my wife for our 6th wedding anniversary.. 

It’s a great place. Worthwhile if your visit, should you be inclined. This time of year, especially, is perfect for a visit to the OLD JAIL MUSEUM where Molly MaGuires were wrongfully hung in public for a murder they did not commit. The town is loaded with history,  mystery, culture,  great food,  great spirits, and maybe some real ‘spirits’ too..

I feel lucky to be so close in proximity to the gem in the refuse pile.. Jim Thorpe is a downright cool place.

I envision other towns in the coal region to be future great places.. I really do. Maybe that’s the hope in me..there is so much history in other locations—but the changing area and diminishing importance of it solidifies the role of backwards nothing, unless someone comes along and wants to make the town they live in the next historically preserved JIm Thorpe.