So, I’m pretty much sick of thinking and talking about Paris and Lindsey.  I’m over Anna Nicole, her monasery of man whores and her kid. 

Thank God there was something fun in the news today!

This dude, err, chick, err, well I think its still a dude, Robert Kosilek, wants the state of Massachusetts to pay for his sex change surgery.

Um. Yah.  He just isn’t happy being a he and isn’t going to be happy living as a he anymore, dammit!

Whatever.  This asshat killed his wife in 1990 after she dumped hot tea on his testicles.  I’d probably have dumped hot tea on his testicles too, but I would have run for the hills and not looked back.  Apparently she wasn’t that smart and he strangled her.  How I don’t know.  I can only assume that if I had hot tea spill on my nuts, I’d be in the fetal position crying like a baby.

Anyhoo.  So, this guy has been in jail for murder for many moons.  Now, I don’t know about ya’ll, but I am all for swift offing of anybody who is a murderer.  I mean, why are we wasting our tax dollars on feeding and showering these folks?  I am not tolerant of blatent evil or being mean for the sake of it, but I think there are way too many murderers, child molesters, and rapists in prison, living the good life, instead of getting a needle in the vein.

And this jack ass wants the state to pay to remove his penis and give him a vagina?   If they do it, I hope he gets molested by the biggest, baddest man in the prison. 

Any Tom, Harry, or Dick in society would be fighting with a multitude of shrinks to get the sex change, not to mention spending a small fortune on the operation itself.  How in the world could his request even have gotten so far as to have made it into court?  And not only did it make it into the courts, but an obscene amount of money has been spent on mental evaluations of this guy because he keeps threatening suicide.  Good God, let him do it!

Dang, give me the needle or let me have control of the switch, I’ll euthanize him and save the fine tax paying citizens of Mass. a whole lot of money.

That’s the question I heard as I picked up my to go order. I thought it deserved saying again.

People get murdered every day.

Why did this particular event become the headline? Why do I care at all about this particular event hundreds of miles from me and unrelated to anyone I know?

Why is this headline news on all the networks? Does anyone ever ask that at the network? Does anyone ever ask if they are hurting or helping both the victims and their families, and the viewers? Does anything but sensationalism and ratings matter?

I really don’t give a shit about these headline stories. They have absolutely nothing to do with me or anyone I remotely know.

News should matter to the viewers. It should have some relationship to their lives. It should not be a slow drive by a crash on the highway.

That’s sick.

Monday Melee

1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

I hate the fact that there are so many awful people out there that would wait until their wife/girlfriend/lover is about to burst at the seams with impending child birth and kill them.  I mean, come on.  If a man is cheating, or doesn’t want a baby, or whatever… WALK OUT ASSHOLE!  Don’t kill her because you are a bottom-feeding freak of nature. 

Don’t prey on someone who is in too vunerable a condition to be able to appropriately fight back.  She (and her baby) has a right to live.

Pure evil.

And, as usual, drama queens and attention whores will forever be something I just loathe.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

I have only one in mind, and I’m not so sure it would be a good thing.  So, since I can’t say something nice today, I’ll keep my yap shut.  ZZZZZip.

I will expose myself though.  I am a complete fake.  I am not the sweet, kind, loving, caring, angelic individual that you all know and love.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

I’m unhappy that I am simply not a morning person.  I would go so far as to say I’m anti-morning.  I manage to drag myself out of bed just in time to have a shower, pour some coffee down my throat and drive to work with my head hanging out the window in order to get that wicked windblown look. So, I am unhappy that I can’t appreciate a new day any earlier than 5:00pm.

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

Today I give my fiancee complete and total credit for putting up with my constant string of shit.  I generally give him a run for his money.  But, lately I’ve been extremely emotional (imagine that) and have been taking him on the rollercoaster ride of the century.  Lately I’ve been worse than a spoiled 5 year old.  He over looks my sarcasm most of the time and doesn’t take it totally personal.  Go Tony.  You’re one hell of a man, man.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it.

I think it’s good that I can admit being a total ass-munch.  See #4.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

This week to hurry and be over.  We go on vacation next week.  So, all the good stuff I wished for on last week’s Melee may just come true. 

At least the cold beer and sex part.

Go Diva, Go Diva, Go Diva

Now it’s your turn.

You can take part in The Monday Melee, even make it a regular feature at your site by visiting The Monday Melee page and following the steps. Kick-start your brain on Mondays and meet other bloggers.

     It’s May 2nd, and as promised last month, it’s time to spotlight another talented artist.

     Seattle-based Phil Hansen fits the bill.  He’s quite different from the last couple of artists I’ve blogged about.  While the others are speed painters with incredible skills, that’s only a small portion of what Hansen does.
     Hansen uses a myriad of techniques, tools and materials from construction equipment to Starbucks cups.  When you think “Modern Artist,” and perhaps even “Avant-garde,” this is the type you end up with.

     He’s earned himself quite the controversial reputation by making a number of political statements with his artwork.  From Rosa Parks to the KKK, from a homeless man to George Bush, he’s come up with some damned fine work and managed to get more than a few people thinking.
     My personal favorite is entitled, “48 Women.”  It’s a portrait of convicted serial killer Gary Ridgway, aka The Green River Killer.  Up close, you’ll see that the portrait is made up of pixelated photos of a few of his forty-eight victims, including some which merely read, “Jane Doe.”

     Hansen defended the painting on a 2004 news clip from KIRO:

Some people don’t want me to give more glory to him, more fame, more exposure.  But at the same time, if we’d never do that, if we never see his face again, we’d forget those forty-eight women.

     On to the timelapse…

     In one of his more tame moods, he karate chops Bruce Lee onto the canvas:

     Next up, in a work entitled “The Value of Blood,” Hansen paints North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il … yes, in blood.  Kids, do not try this at home…

     Be sure and check out Phil’s other videos on YouTube.  And, of course, you’ll definitely want to check out his website at philinthecircle.com.

     And, hey… if ya like it… Check out his store.

     Today’s Monday Melee is brought to you by the Letters A, K, and the number 47…

1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

     What the Hell snaps in peoples’ heads and makes them go on a rampage and start shooting people?  Certainly, I can imagine having one person tick you off so badly that you’ll seriously consider it.  But how do you get from that point to shooting more than fifty people on a college campus?
     That’s hardcore.

     And there are many, many more where he came from… people who have absolutely no value or respect for human life.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

     Earlier today, a couple of Mormons saw me pull into my driveway and came knocking on my door.  When I answered, they wanted to tell me all their story, despite my having told them, “I’m busy working.”
     It’s sort of amusing, really, when you consider that the basis of their religion relies heavily of the word of an angry teenager who was exiled from his Utah township.  Eventually, when hunger and the elements took their toll on him, he returned home with an elaborate hoax and was celebrated as a Saint.
     Seeing these two kids walking around, out of school and without jobs, certainly makes it seem that maybe, just maybe, that old tradition is alive and well…

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

     I am currently unhappy that I cannot find a pair of shoes anywhere near as nice as the ones I’m wearing right now.  They’re old.  They stink.  They’re falling apart inside.  But I can’t let them go until I find a suitable replacement.
     These were built extremely well, dress-style in Italian leather, with a boot-style sole that makes them equally comfortable as casual shoes.  They’re the type of go anywhere, do anything, all-purpose, sensible shoes which look just as good with a tailored suit as they do with a t-shirt and jeans.
     And do you think I can find anything close to that for less than $400?  Oh, HELL no.

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

     I read a few of Diva’s blogs last week, and was pretty impressed with a few of them.  I gave her the opportunity to jump in here, and she’s hit the ground running with some pretty good material.
     Kudos, Diva.  Good job!

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it.

     Last week was tough, with the two court cases.  I was willing to negotiate in the first one to a large degree, but as they were unwilling, I still came out with exactly what I asked — and without having to bend over backwards.
     The second case was very difficult emotionally, and I got through it anyway — also in my favor.  I can’t take all of the credit, as I’ve surrounded myself with some pretty damn good people, as well.  They’ve propped me up when I’ve needed it.

     To the end, I attempted to make a lot of concessions and be reasonable with my family, which amazes me when I consider the Hell they were putting me through.  I tried to do the right thing, and was more than fair.
     At the same time, some of that probably has something to do with the fact I hang around with people who expect me to be that way.  I’m damn glad I’ve made the choice to hang around with them.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

     I wish I had written this earlier today…

Now it’s your turn.

You can take part in The Monday Melee, even make it a regular feature at your site by visiting The Monday Melee page and following the steps. Kick-start your brain on Mondays and meet other bloggers.

The news of the double murder of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom is shocking. But I want to know where this all began. We know where it ended and who is in custody, and who died. Young white kids from the West side died East Side of town.

What will be truly telling is where it all started. Why are they holding that back? I think the answer will be that it started somewhere “safe” like ”Turkey Creek” and they don’t want people to know that. If it had happened in the Old City or downtown, you can bet it would have been news from day one.

I really want it to have happened in West Knoxville. I want the world to give up this notion that parts of town are “safe” and parts are “unsafe.” Why doesn’t the media report the number of thefts and robberies and other crimes in the parking lots of Turkey Creek and West Town Mall, but seem to regularly report anything that happens downtown? If people knew the facts, it would change a lot. When Bill Haslam’s mother’s purse was snatched at the mall, they were unable keep it quiet. News this big can’t be kept quiet either.

We will see if there is a real reason the location is unknown, or if it is just their way of protecting some economic interest’s investments, or maybe some segment of Knox County’s notion of “safe.”

Suddenly everything is out of whack. The light came on today.

There is a lead story here about some kids who threw a rock off an overpass and killed a woman in a van. Someone suggested that we should now add fences to every overpass in the state to prevent this from happening. That did not pass because it would bankrupt the state and in the end, likely stop little or nothing from happening. Yet people were saying “you can’t put a price on life” as though fences on overpasses would actually keep them alive somehow.

After 9-11 I wanted to kill and kill and kill in very painful ways, everyone responsible. I thought going into Afghanistan made sense. Like many I don’t see why we are in Iraq, but, we are.

Today we have the President’s budget for this nation that gives lots more money to fight terrorism, which has somehow become Iraq and a lot of other things, and domestic services are all slashed. We are spending heaps more money on the military to “fight terrorism” and cutting the funds to care for our elderly, sick, unemployed, etc.

When I think of stopping terrorism, I think of more resources for the CIA, FBI and various other agencies who gather intelligence and try to uncover plots. I do not see how more aircraft and National Guard troops is fighting terrorism.

And that’s when I saw something terrible. What have terrorists done? A bomb in the World Trade center. Destroyed the World Trade Center and badly damaged the Pentagon while crashing planes and killing people. And we are now spending billions of dollars to make the military bigger at the expense of our own citizens and welfare.

That’s insane. It’s the actions of the paranoid. We have made this enemy bigger than the Soviet Union ever was, and the reality is, it’s smaller than Crawford Texas! But the fact that it’s unknown allows us to make it bigger than we can imagine. And it allows us to be lead by the President to give up our good living to throw money at a boogieman. Bankrupt the country fighting an illusion.

There is a threat. There is a possibilty. But putting fences around every overpass is just throwing away money and in the end won’t stop anyone who wants to from tossing a rock over that fence or some other stupid act.

But putting up those fences will bankrupt the state. Do we let what two dumb kids did destroy our state out of paranoia?

I hope not.

In other German news today, Austria denounced Arnold Schwarzenegger for not granting clemency to Tookie Williams. What, like we should have patted him on the back and given him a Nobel Peace Prize?

A bad man died today, but a number of people whose movies I’ll no longer watch are still whining, “Why, he redeemed himself! He became a good Christian! He wrote children’s books! He became a spokesperson, speaking out against hatred! He doesn’t have hate in his heart! He’s all about Love and Compassion!”

Sorry, but I’ve heard this same spiggot of bullshit from or about the KKK, Adolph Hitler and Charles Manson. So why are so many people of the opinion that Tookie Williams didn’t deserve the Death Penalty?

Never mind that Tookie was one of the founders — more on that later — of the violent Crips street gang. Never mind that he was convicted, by a Jury of his peers, of murdering a 7-11 clerk. Never mind that he was convicted, by a Jury of his peers, of killing a Taiwanese family; yes, even their daughter. Never mind that he was convicted of two counts of robbery. Never mind that he was involved in multiple attacks on other inmates and guards while in prison.

No evidence? Never mind that the murder weapon was one he had purchased, legally, years earlier — or that it was found in his home after the murders. Never mind that Tookie bragged about having done these terrible things to many people — including friends, family, roommates and other Crips members. Never mind that others who were with him during the crimes turned on him, as well.

Never mind that this case has had a full twenty-five years of judicial and investigatory review supporting the fact that he is not only guilty, but deserves to die.

Never mind that this guy was not just a “deluded and confused young African-American” who was “in with a bad crowd;” in fact, Tookie, himself, claims that he was the bad crowd: a founding member of the Crips. Never mind that that being the case, we will probably never know all of the atrocious behaviors, that this man personally ordered or coerced, of many deluded and confused young African-Americans.

No, let’s ignore everything we know about Tookie! Let’s make another movie about him depicting him as a humble father who loved children and never hurt anyone!

In my book, being a Man is all about taking responsibility for your actions, and accepting the consequences thereof. It is that mentality that seperates the Men from the Boys.

Schwarzenegger said it right:

“…without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings, there can be no redemption.”

I don’t even want to hear why this so-called ‘man’ deserves to be exalted the the status of Nelson Mandela by offering him Nobel Peace Prize.

And if State-Sponsored execution does in fact upset Austria’s sensibilities and remind them of Hitler during World War II, so be it. That’s a sure sign that they need to start denouncing Hitler more and Schwarzenegger less.

     Thank God these kids haven’t gotten off yet.

     Maybe you’ve seen some blurb about it on the news wherever you are. Four “adults” and two “teenagers” killing three people and leaving another with a bullet in his head.

     You wouldn’t think much of it, of course. This sort of thing happens ever day in America. I guess that’s why if you go to AltaVista, you come up with only a few occurrences of one of the victim’s names.
     Joseph L. Risner, 20. Edward D. Mullins, 19. Natasha W. Cornett, 18. Crysta R. Sturgill, 18. Karen R. Howell, 17. Jason B. Bryant, 14. All from Kentucky.

     Kids.
     On Sunday, April 6th, 1997, they attempted to kill four people. No big deal, I’m sure. Happens every day. Six kids go out, and kill three people, and leave one barely alive with a bullet in his head.

     Just kids.
     Your normal, average teenagers. Another “tragic tale of youth gone wild in America.” Nothing to worry about whatever.
     The two under the age of 18 are being tried as adults. Three counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder. But it’s no big deal. At least it wasn’t four counts of first degree murder, right?

     You know, just kids.
     All six of them. Out joyriding in their victims’ car after they left them dead and dying in a ditch in Baileyton, Tennessee, just a mile off of interstate 81.
     The worst thing the two “youngsters” will ever face is life without parole. Being juveniles, they’re too young to face capital punishment for a childish mistake, aren’t they?

     Because they’re just kids.
     Arrested April 8th in Douglas, Arizona by U.S. Customs agents as they tried to make their way to into Mexico. There was some squabble about extradition for a few days, and finally everyone was back in Greene Co., Tennessee to be arraigned for trial.

     Just some kids…
     That’s all. No more, no less. Just some remorseless, evil little shits who grinned and smiled for the camera, acting like nothing at all had happened. They were cold and calm. Completely uncaring.
     They’re from broken homes. They were brought up badly. Their father/mother/aunt/uncle was an alcoholic. They were sexually molested as children. The Devil made them do it. It wasn’t their fault. Oh, no.
     And as faithful followers of Brother Bill Clinton and the ACLU, it’s our moral, American responsibility to feel sorry for them and abolish the Death Penalty, isn’t it?

     Because they’re just average kids!
     They made a bad judgement call. They need to be felt sorry for, and rehabilitated, and made into productive members of society again.

     Hmmm… how about a dose of REALITY?

     A whole family.
     Vidar Lillelid, 34. Delfina Lillelid, 28. Tabitha Lillilid, 6. Peter Lillelid, 3. They were driving from home from a religious function when they ran into the aforementioned “model citizens” who are on trial for this brutal crime.

     Tabitha and her brother Peter were still alive when officers found them at 8:45PM. She died the next afternoon at 12:05PM. Her three-year-old brother, with a bullet in his head, held onto life. He will never, ever recover fully from that injury. After being discharged from the hospital, he was awarded custody to his father’s family in Sweden.

     I’ve never been much for Capital Punishment, either, but how the Hell can anyone feel sorry for these six kids who killed a family, and just for the Hell of it?!
     Their lawyers have pulled every trick in the book to get everyone to feel sorry for them. And the final straw was today… the day they claimed the youngest one is the one who actually shot and tried to kill the entire family.
     I only hope the jury is competent enough to realise that even if he is the one who did do it, the other five didn’t care much, or else they would’ve done something other than make off with thier victims’ vehicle.

     Fucking murderers.

UPDATE! 13-Mar-98 - 19:00 (EST)

     Risner, Mullins, Cornett, Sturgill, Howell, and Bryant have received two sentences. Life Imprisonment Without Parole, and 25-Years for the attempted murder of the three-year-old, Peter. To be served consecutively.
     This situation … It’s a travesty. Those six nooses from the picture above well-illustrated the general feeling of most of the people around here. They were put up last May, if I remember correctly, by a convenience store owner. He was ordered to take them down because of their proximity to an elementary school.
     I can’t help but think that if they had been allowed to stay up, and the parents and teachers had to explain to these children what these screwed up teenagers did, and exactly why people felt that they should die for their crimes, then there might be one-hundred eighty some odd children in East Tennessee who wouldn’t grow up to be complete and utter pricks with no regard for human life.

     If life wasn’t good enough for a mother and father, a six-year-old and a three-year-old, then why should it be any good for the ones who killed three of them and left the other clinging to life with an injury from which he will never recover?

     Now the American people get to pay for the rooms, meals and security measures that house these six murderers for the rest of their lives.

     Is it just me, or does it seem a terrible waste of money?

     ”Oh, but there’s been too much killing,” said one person close to the Lillelid family.
     ”That’s just desperation talking,” said another.

Photos copyright © 1997 & 1998 Knoxville New-Sentinel, a Scripps-Howard company. reprinted with permission.