Cruel Intentions

Three teenagers (two age 18, one age 17) were arraigned for assault and murder in South Florida this week for cruelly beating three homeless people with baseball bats, so mercilessly that one 45-year-old man was killed. The entire incident was captured on film by a security camera.

After the arraignment, Micheal Gottlieb, the 17-year-old defendant's attorney, had this to say:

"It's gut-wrenching. He's a baby."
"He's being judged for one day in his life. It's really a tragedy for one day and one decision in your life to affect the rest of your life."

Did this attorney grow up in some different world than I did? A 17-year-old is not a baby, especially under these circumstances. He's dangerous. He certainly understands that beating a man to death for sport is wrong, both legally and morally.

And this 17-year-old gave no thought as to how this "one day and one decision" affected the rest of Mr. Norris Gaynor's life. It ended it.

Yes, it is a tragedy. But that tragedy was caused by this teenager, and he should be judged and held responsible for it.

Out of the mouths of babes

Well, they aren't "babes", they're twenty-somethings, but I really can't believe the asinine things that come out of my daughters' mouths sometimes.

Stacy: Serena is giving me a kitten for my birthday.
David: You know your mom is going to be angry when she gets home from Mexico and sees it. She isn't going to let you have it.
Stacy: Why not? She let Tara have a baby.

I guess it would be pointless to try and explain the difference to her....

Cat

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

It's been an awfully long time since I updated. Sorry about that. I've been off gallavanting in Mexico again.

Finishing up my trip this week, in one 24-hour period I traveled on every type of public transportation imaginable. No, that's not entirely true. I didn't travel anywhere by boat.

For sheer comfort, the 6 hour bus ride on ADO from Mexico City to Oaxaca was the best. Roomy seats that reclined so far back I was almost laying down.

Inconvenience? American Airlines/Mexicana top the list. Since my trip ended, unplanned, in Mexico City and I had a ticket from Oaxaca-Mexico City-Miami, I called the airline to see if I could just board the plane in Mexico City. Sure, for a $200 change fee. And if I just didn't get on in Oaxaca? Well, then, they'd show me! They wouldn't let me on the connecting flight in Mexico City if I didn't use the first part of my ticket. Therefore, I got to take the comfy bus ride, only to fly back to where I started.

The most exciting ride was in the taxi during rush hour in Mexico City, through one of the busiest intersections in town, while the traffic lights were not working, and the intersection just turned into a free-for-all. That was hair-raising terror that no Disney ride could equal!

And as for scheduling, the TriRail train in Florida was so determined to be exactly on time, they only allowed 30 seconds per stop for passengers to board and unboard the train. I made sure I was close to the exit a stop ahead of time so that I could jump off before the doors closed.

I had a good, and I believe successful, business trip. Now I'm home to a foot-high stack of mail, an inbox full of saved messages that I need to attack, and a business that needs the finishing touches put on it so that I'm ready to get to work as soon as my merchandise arrives.

Have a good holiday weekend everyone!