Totally "Messed" Up... Why?

Something is wrong...  Why should anyone have to wait to graduate high school to experience happiness?  The story of a College freshman begins here:

Just hours after his nosy roommate tried to turn a Rutgers University freshman’s date into free gay porn for his iChat buddies, the freshman was standing on the George Washington bridge.

When 18-year-old Tyler Clementi figured out his roommate was video taping his dates via Skype, he felt death was a better option than living on campus as an openly gay man.

A shy Rutgers freshman was so humiliated when two cruel classmates secretly streamed live video of his gay encounter that he leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge, authorities said yesterday.

“Jumping off the gw bridge sorry,” Tyler Clementi, 18, posted on his Facebook page just eight minutes before his plunge at around 8:50 p.m. on Sept. 22.

It all started on September 19 when Dharun Ravi tweeted “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my Web cam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”

If that wasn’t enough, authorities say Ravi didn’t keep the video to himself:

Ravi, 18, activated the Webcam on his computer and headed to high-school classmate Wei’s room down the hall.

Using Skype, the two remotely accessed the feed and saw Clementi engaged in a “sexual encounter” with another man, authorities said.

That’s when they had their “American Pie” moment — callously sharing it with Ravi’s network of friends on iChat.

It’s unclear how many people saw the streaming video, but Ravi bragged about his sordid spying in a Twitter post later that same night.

The roommate tried to do the same thing on September 21 and tweeted: “”I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes its happening again.”

Tyler’s body was discovered Wednesday. His two tormentors were arrested earlier in the week.

Ravi was arrested Tuesday, charged with invasion of privacy and freed on $25,000 bail. Wei, 18, of Princeton Junction, was arrested Monday on privacy-invasion charges and released without bail.

These freshmen had only been in college for a whole month...  Why does it have to start in College?

Over, "Out" and pissed off that someone took his own life because of bullying, from Portsmouth, VA

Not so Lady GAGA...

Corrine sent me a link to this video over on Facebook and I knew I had to share it over here:

I am still laughing...

Over and "Out" from laundry day, in Portsmouth, VA

Over and "Out" for Four years...

I just realized today, that I have been closing most of my posts with that line for over four years...  I have often thought about varying from that line and occasionally have purposely omitted it, but always come back to the fact that it's "my moniker", "my line", not unlike "Good Night and Good News" or "And That's the Way it is"... 

Perhaps it's alot less known in the world, but it is ME...

I guess my question, to anyone reading this is, is it annoying? Is it offensive?

Simple post for a rainy day from home, in Portsmouth VA

Oye Vey...

This week is going to be a killer...  I worked Saturday, Sunday and Today and I find I have even less tolerance for stupidity than I ever have... Most of our sales staff have been around for over a year, yet they never cease to amaze me with questions that only a month old "rookie" would ask.  Sometimes I just want to go over, slap them upside the head, and ask them if they took "stupid pills" on their two days off...  But I don't, I just let it get to me...  

I am off tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday, work early shift on Thursday, all day on Friday (bell to bell), but now have Saturday off.  We will leave earlier on Saturday for Miami and probably find a non-descript motel somewhere on the I-95 corridor in South Carolina or Georgia along the way to break up the long drive.

More to come, in the coming days...

Over and "Out" from home, in Portsmouth, VA 

Stepping Down, Part Two...

We, Michael and I, head to Florida this coming Saturday...  I am so looking forward to meeting my Grandson.  We will also head back up the coast to re-visit my Mom, hopefully reconnect with a great friend in Merritt Island, then visit another friend in Daytona, on our way back home to Virginia...

When we return I will no longer be the Operations Manager at the VCF Store at Chesapeake Square...  I will be (one of many) Home Furnishings Consultants (read: Sales Persons) at the VCF Store across from Greenbrier Mall, also in Chesapeake.

I am so looking forward to just minding my own business, and not having to deal with any one else's issues or complaints...   Good Lord I need a break...  Hopefully this will do the trick for awhile...

Greetings, and thanks for reading...  From Portsmouth, VA

Harry Potter... The end of a Phenomenon

I was never a big Harry Potter fan, until about halfway through the series of movies...  I have still never read, although I do love to read, any of the books... These movies, coming out in November of this year and July of next, seem the appropriate way to finalize the Harry Potter story...

Over and "Out" from my world in Portsmouth, VA

Stepping Down...

I have been pondering again, this past Saturday was the 55th anniversary of my birth in Bucks County, PA (yes, I am truly a Yankee), oddly enough, I spent it in Richmond (the Capital of the Confederacy) with my daughter.  While there, I got to thinking about work (how messed up is that? I hadn't seen her in over a year, and I was thinking about work)...

As a few of you might remember from posts back in May and June of 2007, I was excited about getting back into management after some time refocusing and de-stressing in the wake of my Cardiac Event in 2005. Part of that process included selling furniture on a 100% commission basis (enter my now five years with American Signature/Value City Furniture).  Anyway, back to this past weekend...  While enjoying time with my daughter, talking about stuff most parents and children never have to talk about, I started thinking about stuff that needed to be done at work, and whether my boss and the new Sales Manager would be able to handle the operations stuff for a whole weekend.  I realized the stress and anxieties that I had once shed, had returned...  I went back into management for the steady paycheck and because I know I am good at what I do.  A year after taking this job, I found out that the bonus I was promised, and had met all the criteria for, had been eliminated/terminated by the company (they forgot to communicate that fact with a few of us).  No biggie though, I knew I was excelling in this position, and I knew my merit increase would make up for some of the bonus loss.  

Enter the Bush Administration induced economic collapse and most signs for at least, a cost of living increase. The following year was pretty much the same, as is this current year (all merit increases for all associates happen in September/October)...  Mine will be less than 2%.  FUCK that!

On Tuesday, I sent an email to my store manager and the regional manager asking to "step down" from my current position as soon as a sales position at a neighboring store opened up...

More to come, as I process it...

Over and most certainly "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

Just being silly...

I thought this a good way to finish my day...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA

US Senate Vote 2:15pm 9/21/2010...

And better yet, this video from today:



Who would have thought that 24 year old Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) would be the one to reach out to the Millions of young Americans (represented by the same politicians that we are) that will be voting this year and the years to come.  The same youth that have been going to High School, College, and the MILITARY with other American GLBT friends, family, and acquaintances.  The same youth that already realize that DADT is an antiquated idea that could be reversed by the Defense Authorization Bill coming up for a vote tomorrow...

My thoughts, from my world...  In Portsmouth, VA

My Favorite version and video of F.U.

Thanks to my Cousin Jane, I remembered and am reposting this video in the shadow of DADT being voted on once again... Lighten up everyone, it's not the end of the world (oh wait, that's another great video)...

Over and "Out" once again from a day, less productive than I thought it would be! Thank goodness for previous posts and You Tube!!!

United 93... The one that got away...

I watched this film last night for the first time.  I felt it an apt end to the 9/11 weekend and my work week.  I have to tell you, I was tired when I got home at 9:30, but this movie kept me engaged until it's well known climax at Midnight... As soon as we got comfy in bed to watch this, I heard the little snarling noises coming from Michael's side of the bed and knew he was out...  It's usually the other way around. Michael can not fall to sleep with the TV on, yet for me it's like a mild sleeping pill. Once my body goes horizontal I am usually out like a light... After watching this last night it took me another 45 minutes or so (due to my brain still remembering that day), to fall asleep.

Anyone that feels a need to relive the date, the probable experiences of the heroes on that flight, and the chaos and frustration the FAA, Military, and Air Traffic Controllers had, must see this picture...  It was very intense...

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...  Michael and I are enjoying our mid-week weekend (we are both off today and tomorrow).  I go back to work Thursday and Friday, then head up to Richmond on Saturday (my 55th) to see my youngest and only daughter, then meet up with Michael on Sunday to head over to Kelly's (and Jeff's) wedding reception.  It should be a jam packed weekend...

Time to head to the grocery for some essentials, then start some laundry (I know, how domestic huh?)...

Over and "Out" from my little world, in Portsmouth, VA

ps: I changed the post date on this to yesterday...  just for fun...

Remember tomorrow...

It's been 9 years but I remember it like yesterday. So many lost, so many lost friends and family...

Remembering from my place in Portsmouth, VA

Earth Shattering News from Minnesota:

I was trying very hard to get a Stephen Colbert video to load correctly on blogger, but failed miserably...  Instead I bring you this breaking video from my Mom's birth-state of Minnesota:



Over and "Out" on a cooler evening, from Portsmouth, VA

Roller Coaster...

I love it that AT&T has used this theme for the new blackberry...   My cell service is through AT&T even though I choose not to browse the web on my little "zoo-lander" Walkman flip phone.  Regardless of my uses for a cell phone, I applaud the commercial...

Over and "Out" on the first day of September, from Portsmouth, VA