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Saturday, April 30, 2005

Massive Sandstorm in Iraq


Click on the picture to see all the images of the sandstorm.

HT: Drudge

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/30/2005 02:00:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Tightening Parental Rule for Abortions

WASHINGTON, April 27 - The House passed a bill on Wednesday making it a federal crime for any adult to transport an under-age girl across state lines to have an abortion without the consent of her parents. A vote on a similar bill is expected in the Senate later this spring or early this summer, and backers says its chances are good." (more from NYT)
This bill, which is designed to keep young girls from side-stepping the rules of a particular state regarding parental notification, should fly through the Senate. It's common sense and it is the right thing to do. There should be no loopholes allowing teenagers to circumvent the involvement of their parents. Of course, a related issue is the fact that many (not all) of the girls in this position are there because of parental uninvolvement in the first place.

HT: Corner

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/28/2005 07:40:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Home Stretch

I am coming into the final leg before graduation May 13th. As a result, blog entries will probably be sparse over the next week as I wrap up final assignments (read: procrastination). I will try and write when I can, but no promises.

If you are new to Espresso Roast, I encourage you to browse through the archives over the next several days. If you find something that strikes your fancy, you are more than welcome to post a comment. There is a search feature to the left if you have a particular topic in mind, you can see if I've written on it. Thanks for taking the time to come by.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/27/2005 08:55:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Ridiculous item of the week: The one candidate who can be two places at once.

"SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - The leading candidate for mayor of San Antonio admitted on Thursday using his twin brother as a stand-in at a civic event without telling anyone it was not him.

Julian Castro, a 30-year-old city councilman, said brother Joaquin, his identical twin, rode for him in the annual River Parade through downtown San Antonio on Monday.

Videos showed Joaquin smiling and waving to the crowd as he floated along the San Antonio River in a barge for city council members.

'He was standing in the River Parade because I had to host a neighborhood leaders meeting,' said Castro.

The others on the barge knew it was Joaquin riding with them, but most of the onlookers in the crowd of about 250,000 did not, city council members said."

The two appeared together at a press conference on Thursday in T-shirts making light of the event.

"I am Julian," read the one worn by Julian. "I am not Julian," said Joaquin's.
Coincidentally, the candidate currently has a double-digit lead over his competitor.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/24/2005 09:15:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Saturday, April 23, 2005

And now a word from the radical left

In response to a call for the radical left to fight the "Bible nazis/false propheteers/talibaptists/talivangelists" and a number of other names they have come up with for conservatives that I will not repeat here, a radical progressive lefty on a radical lefty blog votes for starting a new religion for the "progressives":
I think many posts here show that Americans have a kind of secular theology. That is, they believe in our Constitution as a faith. I know I do. I think the strongest appeal is to the Constitution vs. the Rethugs [religious thugs].
Secular theology. Brilliant strategy.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/23/2005 09:50:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Day of "Thunder"

Today kicks off the Kentucky Derby Festival here in Louisville with "Thunder Over Louisville." This is, of course, the festival leading up to the 131st running of the Kentucky Derby. "Thunder" consists of a pretty spectacular air show (which we are watching as I type) followed by the largest fireworks display in North America. Last year we went down to the riverfront, fought the massive crowds and watched it live...that was when the weather was sunny and about 78. This year, cloudy and 45 (wind chill in the lower 30s with a chance of rain later). We'll just watch it from home this year. Though I must say, in spite of it all, it is an amazing experience.

Life in Louisville during the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby is like nothing I've ever experienced anywhere else. Louisvillians go absolutely nuts over Derby. The women wear big hats and Hollywood stars come out to play. This is an almost sacred event to many of the natives.

This morning, for instance, I was talking with a co-worker and told him that I really enjoyed Thunder last year, but I enjoyed the 4th of July fireworks show in Boston better because it's a much more emotional/patriotic time celebrating the birth of our country rather than a horse race that lasts for about 2 minutes in which thousands of people lose tons of money. I found out patriotism only goes so far.

If you ever get a chance to come and experience some of the festivities yourself, I recommend it.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/23/2005 04:50:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Friday, April 22, 2005

Wendy's Finger-lady jailed

The woman who claimed she found a finger in her bowl of Wendy’s chili last month has been arrested, the latest twist in a bizarre case about how the 1 1/2-inch finger tip ended up in a bowl of fast food.

Anna Ayala was taken into custody late Thursday at her Las Vegas home. She was arrested on a warrant alleging grand larceny and attempted grand larceny, Las Vegas Police Sgt. Chris Jones said. [more here]

I don't think the fact that this was a scam is a surprise to anyone.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/22/2005 02:00:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Espresso Shots [4-20-05]

And the winner is...
Though the papacy is of no consequence to me, there is no denying that what this person does (as we saw with John Paul II) has a big influence over many people of differing faiths. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how this new pope the Catholic church has elected will address Jewish populations.

According to at least one report, some in Israel are rather nervous, given the affiliation of Ratzinger with Nazi Germany as a boy. Israel has issued a statement believing that his affiliation as a young boy with Nazism will actually prompt a more outspoken condemnation of all types of oppression.

In a written statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said, "Israel is hopeful that under this new papacy, we will continue to move forward in Vatican-Israel relations and we are sure that considering the background of this new pope, he, like his predecessor, will be a strong voice against anti-Semitism in all its forms." Will this German pope address the issue head-on or let it lie quietly under the rug? It should be an interesting relationship to watch develop.

4/22/05 Update: Pope Reaches Out to Rabbi

World's Greatest?
Lance Armstrong has indicated that he will retire following this years Tour de France. After having won the event an amazing six consecutive times, Armstrong has decided to call it quits. For anyone who has watched this amazing athlete in action, this is sad news. For the cyclists he's competed against, perhaps a day of hope. After having overcome various forms of life-threatening cancer including brain and testicular, Armstrong fought back in a way never expected. In spite of the winner of the Olympic decathlon being dubbed the "world's greatest athlete" or the silly notion by some a couple of years ago that Tiger Woods should hold the honor, Lance Armstrong has proven on and off the bike that he has legitimately laid claim to that title.

Intelligent Design Blogs
There are two new blogs dedicated to the study of Intelligent Design. One is the blog of William Dembski, one of the leaders in the ID movement and the new professor of Science and Religion at Southern. The blog is called "Uncommon Descent". The second is "Intelligent Design: The Future" with Dembski, Michael Behe, Guillermo Gonzalez and others from the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. Great information and insights into the Intelligent Design movement.

Another New blog in the sphere
I want to invite you to check out a new blog called Sporos (Greek for "seed") by a fellow Southern student . Take a jog over to Barry's site and see what's cooking. He has some interesting commentary on current events and issues.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/20/2005 01:25:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Monday, April 18, 2005

A ‘Starbucks Effect’ on traffic...that's rich.

According to this article by the Washington Post, some researchers believe that increased trips to specialty coffee shops like Starbucks have resulted in a cumulative increase in traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution. This claim is, however, disputed by other experts claiming that, though traffic congestion may be on the increase at certain times and locations, air pollution and gas consumption are probably no more significantly affected than with the numerous fast-food restaurants that have been around for decades.
Alan E. Pisarski, author of "Commuting in America," said that although McGuckin's findings are noteworthy, he doubts that coffee-and-bagel-seeking commuters are running up much extra mileage. Most people don't have to drive far out of their way for coffee, he said, and their engines probably remain warm enough during those relatively brief stops to prevent high-polluting "cold starts" -- the engine ignitions at the beginning of trips that produce the dirtiest exhaust.
My solution? Get a good espresso maker, quality coffee and make your own. To me, it's not so much the commuting problems, it's the outrageous prices you have to pay for the stuff when you get there.

Props: WorldMag

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/18/2005 11:50:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Is this a classy guy or what?

"Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Friday that his party would wield the Terri Schiavo case against Republicans in the 2006 and 2008 elections, but for now needed to stay focused battling President Bush on Social Security.

'We're going to use Terri Schiavo later on,' Dean said...

'This is going to be an issue in 2006, and it's going to be an issue in 2008,' Dean told about 200 people at a gay rights group's breakfast in West Hollywood, 'because we're going to have an ad with a picture of Tom DeLay saying, 'Do you want this guy to decide whether you die or not? Or is that going to be up to your loved ones?' '

Dean, a practicing physician until he became governor of Vermont in 1991, added: 'The issue is: Are we going to live in a theocracy where the highest powers tell us what to do? Or are we going to be allowed to consult our own high powers when we make very difficult decisions?'" (LATimes)
No, Howard. No one would expect you to consult any higher power other than yourself. I think you've made that point abundantly clear.


HT: PowerLine

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/17/2005 07:37:00 AM 1 comments links to this post |  

Friday, April 15, 2005

A Parental Vacuum

The Roanoke Times reports of a girl, 14, being shot by her 28 year-old boyfriend:
Police have arrested a 28-year-old man they say shot his 14-year-old girlfriend Wednesday evening in Blacksburg...

[Blacksburg Police Lt. Bruce Bradbery] said that at around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, [Michael Paul] Collins arrived at the girl's home and fired several shots at her mother and another family member before wounding the girl. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital where she is listed in stable condition. (complete story)
It seems like everyday unbelievably tragic stories like this are coming out in the news involving children. A couple of days ago, I commented on the disabled girl who was basically gang-raped in the school auditorium in Columbus, Ohio while "dozens" of students watched (See "Disabled Girl Abused at School"). Now, this story of a fourteen year-old girl, shot by her twenty-eight year-old boyfriend. A twenty-eight year old boyfriend?! What the heck is going on here? What are parents doing letting a fourteen year-old girl have a boyfriend twice her age? Has it really gotten so bad that parents have just completely given up on the whole idea of actually parenting?

I have posted before how well I know that parenting is incredibly difficult (see "A Kiss Before Dying"). There are times you do things and you wonder what you were thinking. There are certainly times I have felt I must be the lousiest parent in the world. Though moments of failure hurt deeply, there is a huge difference, in my opinion, in moments of failure as a parent and simply failing to parent. When you let your child into this type of situation, you are, frankly, not fit to parent.

This is not to say that the parents are necessarily bad people (I have no idea what type of people they are), but simply the observation that we are dealing with an area (that of raising children) where failure is not an option. No, there are no perfect parents, but please, when there is such a deficiency of common sense on the part of those charged with raising and protecting a child, we're talking about a parental vacuum.

I hope and pray this girl recovers quickly and as soon as she does, I hope she is placed in a situation where she will be protected from this kind of parental negligence.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/15/2005 12:00:00 AM 1 comments links to this post |  

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

World Magazine Blog: Bill would let schools teach intelligent design

World Magazine Blog: Bill would let schools teach intelligent design: "A bill introduced into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would give schools the option of teaching intelligent design alongside evolution. 'To say we're smart enough to know that there isn't an intelligent designer, we're being very arrogant in our thinking,' said Rep. Thomas C. Creighton (R., Lancaster), the bill's prime sponsor." (more)

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/13/2005 09:55:00 PM 1 comments links to this post |  

How bad do you need to go?

Nah, nothing deep here, but I thought if you haven't seen this you might find it interesting. This is an actual sidewalk toilet in Houston, TX (or so I'm told). Cool mirrored toilet, huh? But do you have the nerve to actually use it? Click here to see what I mean.


(click for a larger image)

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/13/2005 09:30:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Disabled Girl Abused at School

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A 16-year-old disabled girl was punched and forced to engage in videotaped sexual acts with several boys in a high school auditorium as dozens of students watched, according to witnesses.

Authorities are investigating and no charges have been filed in the alleged attack last month at Mifflin High School. Four boys suspected of involvement were sent home and have not returned to class. Read the rest of the story here.
The negligence demonstrated by the leadership of this school is certainly worthy of termination, but the fact that the principal has not been brought up on charges is, in my opinion, outrageous. Not only did the principal fail to take appropriate actions, but discouraged the father of this girl from calling the police so not to stir up publicity. I can understand why the concern. The fact that this could happen in the school auditorium while dozens of students watched is unbelievable.

This is the kind of story that needs publicity. Apparently, no teachers were anywhere to be found while this happened in one of the largest open spaces of a school. It's not like this happened behind a gym with only a couple of students involved.

There must be more action taken when these types of events occur. So far, nothing more than the boys who were directly involved were sent home from school. As the investigation is not over yet, I assume--I hope--there will be more consequences for the actions of these students. You better believe there will be consequences that the young girl and her family will have to deal with, but the boys that did it, the one that taped it, and the ones that watched must be held accountable.

HT: Drudge

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/12/2005 11:20:00 PM 1 comments links to this post |  

Monday, April 11, 2005

Whirlwind Weekend

Just got home a little while ago from our trip south to pick up Jacob who spent the last two weeks with my parents. We met them and camped for a couple of days at Tannehill State Park, about 30 miles west of Birmingham. That's a really cool place to camp for those who are into it and in the vicinity. It was a lot of fun, but we're absolutely exhausted.

Tomorrow I have to try and catch up on what's going on in the world. Since we were camping, I have no idea. (nobody else died, did they?). Anyway, I assume the future head of the Church of England finally made an honest woman out of Camilla over the weekend. Well, good for him...I'm sure England couldn't be prouder.

I did catch this briefly: "Cardinal Bernard Law, whose failures to stop sexually abusive priests sparked the worst crisis in American church history, led a Mass for thousands mourning Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica on Monday..." (FNC) The only commentary that deserves is what the heck were they thinking?

Well, Spring Break is over, Jacob is home and I'm heading into the home stretch of school. I'm pretty excited about being done, but at this point am not sure what is next. Working on this degree has been a mix of fun, hard work, enjoyment but also incredibly frustrating. It has re-affirmed what I've known all along--I am not ivory tower material. I prefer to deal with real people with real problems in the real world. I was going to write more about that, but as tired as I am, I figure I better not. As a matter of fact, being this tired, I better not write anything else at all. To bed I go. Perhaps more tomorrow.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/11/2005 11:10:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Friday, April 08, 2005

Espresso Shots [4-8-05]

A Royal (messuva) Wedding
LONDON — Prince Charles and his wife-to-be, Camilla Parker Bowles, will confess their sins and admit they were adulterers at a church blessing of their marriage that will be broadcast to millions of people on Saturday.

Charles is to acknowledge his 'manifold sins and wickedness' and pledge to be faithful after he marries his longtime lover." (Fox)
Hmmm...a man who has been involved in an adulterous affair for 35 years promises to be faithful this time.

You know what they say, "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission."

(...but the consequences can still bite you on the butt.)

Out of the Wilderness

Nick Queen's seventh "Out of the Wilderness" blog showcase is up with two new blogs. Check them out at NickQueen.com or you can access the new blogs using the banner to the right.

Better Good Than Lucky?

I overheard part of a conversation the other day (not that I was eaves-dropping or anything), in which this guy innocently, and probably thoughtlessly, said "I'd rather be lucky than good any day." Cliché or not, I got to thinking about that and wondered how many people really have that attitude? Is there a greater value on doing the hard work of living up to your potential or are we more content finding the breaks, waiting on an inheritance, or playing the lottery (after all, somebody's got to win...might as well be me)?

Certainly, it is easier when we get breaks that go our way, but it is more a question of value. Which would we rather have? Seems to me that the times I've had to struggle or work hard for something is when I valued that thing the most, appreciated what I had, and learned so much through the process. If we give up the desire to work hard and succeed and become satisfied with coasting by, caring little about quality or results, we've lost much of what it means to be a growing, maturing human being and we end up terribly short-changing ourselves and those around us. Yet that is exactly what we seem to find the most in modern society: lack of concern over quality, a de-emphasis on service, and the customer is never right. That is the predominant attitude in business, yet it speaks to the heart of the individuals who make up the work-force.

This is a problem that continues to worsen. It seems to be part of the general deconstruction of society. I didn't have a quick fix regarding this, but I left feeling the urge to spend a little reflection time on my own attitude. Do I strive for excellence in every area of my life? As a Christian, do I do everything I do for the glory of God? Am I living up to my full potential? Do I set out to make the lives of the people around me better?

These are tough questions if we're serious, but it seems to me that society is suffering precisely because we're not a little harder on ourselves; because we don't take the time to evaluate who we really are. Maybe this would be a good weekend to start.

I suppose I could go on, but since these are supposed to be bite-sized thoughts, I'll stop there. Perhaps you have some thoughts or observations on the subject. Feel free to toss in your two cents.

Finally, a bit of information and encouragement to help you on your way:



Have a great weekend. I'm off to Birmingham.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/08/2005 04:45:00 PM 1 comments links to this post |  

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Favorite subject? Recess, of course.

For the past week, I have been running in neutral, mentally speaking. A wonderful combination of events has contributed to this cerebral down-shift: First, this week has been "Spring Reading Days" at Southern. That's their way of saying, "Yes, it's spring. Yes, there are no classes. No, you don't get a break...READ!" As much as I understand the sentiment, in reality--it's Spring BREAK. I have, I must say, "broken."

Secondly, the weather in Louisville has been absolutely fabulous. Beautiful sunshine, mild temperatures, flowers in bloom, man! You just can't think very clearly in this kind of weather. Every fiber of your being yells out at you, "NAAAP TIIIIME!" Since I've always been the obedient sort, I try to do as I'm told.

Thirdly, Jacob has been out of town for the past two weeks at my parent's home and Karen and I have had a song welling up in our souls, "Free at last, free at last..." It's a beautiful song, really. Though we've missed our little JC, we have basked in the freedom and felt like kids again. Last night, for example, we went to a movie...at 7:30! Those of you who are parents understand that the only thing going on at 7:30 every night is teeth-brushing time, bath-time, story-time, snack-time, prayer-time and bed-time. We were so excited that afterwards (9:30!), we decided we weren't done yet. We were going to paint the town. What would we do? Whatever the heck we wanted! So, after about a half hour of deliberation (we're very much out of practice), we decided to go to a coffee shop for a nice relaxing cup of coffee and conversation...did you KNOW that all the coffee shops in town close at 10:00 during the week??

We were back home by 10:15. Yep...party animals.

Well, next week everything will be back to normal. That's a good thing, though. I'm very thankful for my son and also the opportunity to study. Fortunately, the weather should still be good and graduation is only a month away. God is good. Who knows, maybe by next week I'll actually get up the energy to write a decent post about something substantive. Until then...man, it's almost 4:00...nap time!

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/07/2005 03:45:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Big ol' blog problems

Wow, what was supposed to be a smooth transition from one blogging program to another was anything but. If you tried to access Espresso Roast at just about anytime in the afternoon, you experienced the problems.

I decided, after much consternation, to ditch the whole thing and go back to what I had. Unfortunately, that also means that I still have no updating RSS feed. I don't know why. I can't figure it out.

So after a long night of fighting with this, I'm going to bed for the four hours I have left. More tomorrow...I guess that would be later today.

Update: News feeds seem to be working now...don't ask me.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/07/2005 12:45:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

How do you like YOUR job?

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/05/2005 07:57:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

News Feed Woes

Sorry for those of you who are trying to get an RSS or Atom feed from this blog. I don't believe it is working correctly, even though the feeds listed appear valid. For some reason, though, it doesn't seem to be including new posts after the move. I will keep trying to figure it out and will post when it's working. Again, another option is the email subscription on the right sidebar. You can be notified by mail when new posts are submitted. Thanks!

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/05/2005 07:20:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Monday, April 04, 2005

Craziest Item of the Day: Woman breastfeeds newborn tiger cubs

A Burmese woman is breastfeeding two tiger cubs at a zoo in Rangoon after they were removed from their aggressive mother.

Hla Htay, 40, who has three children, the youngest seven months old, offered her services after the Bengal tiger cubs' mother, Noah Noah, killed the third member of her litter.

The two others, a male and a female, were taken from her and now receive bottle feeds as well as Hla Htay's milk four times a day.

"I felt sorry for them so I decided to feed them before their teeth grow," she told the Myanmar Times, a privately-owned English-language paper in the capital.
Yikes! I guess she'll know when the teeth come in.

HT: Drudge

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/04/2005 10:10:00 PM 1 comments links to this post |  

Older By the Day

Day By Day by Chris Muir
I feel this way more and more every day!

From: Day by Day

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/04/2005 06:06:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Espresso Shots [4-4-05]

Thoughts on the Passing of the Pope
Up to this point, I have deliberately withheld my thoughts about the death of the pope. As a protestant evangelical Christian, I have serious problems with the theology of Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church in general. I do not mourn his death in the same way many are mourning it as a great spiritual leader. His belief and teachings regarding Mary, for example, are incredibly unbiblical and cannot be supported. For instance, after being shot in 1981, the pope reportedly prayed to Mary, saying that if she would allow him to recover he would dedicate the rest of his life to her. This, of course, stems from his belief that Mary is co-redemptor with Christ. The doctrine stands in stark contrast to what Jesus said of himself in John 14:6 when he declared, "I am the way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." For one to hold to the idea of praying to anyone other than Christ, who alone is mediator between man and the Father, one must embrace a teaching that is found nowhere within Scripture.

At the same time, as a man, this pope has demonstrated an amazing courage in the face of adversity, showing us how to stand up to evil in our world as well as demonstrating how to truly die with dignity. I do mourn his death as a great leader and defender of human dignity, moral integrity, and life. The world will miss his leadership in these important areas and as an example of peace and compassion.

As I was mulling over these thoughts, I came across Al Mohler's commentary for today. He articulates many of these same sentiments in an extensive and eloquent way, paying homage to the man while maintaining the important distinctives between the faiths. I commend it to you.

EO's New Blog Symposium
Evangelical Outpost has announced the upcoming blog symposium on the topic of Judeo-Christian morality in an ethically pluralistic society. This is a very important topic and promises to provide a good deal of insight into the thinking that relates to evangelical approaches to postmodern thought.

First Openly Gay Bishop Promotes View of a Homosexual Christ
In a post entitled, "Reaping What They Sow," Christweb points out an outlandish claim from the first openly homosexual bishop of the Episcopal Church:
The first openly gay Anglican bishop has sparked outrage for suggesting that Jesus might have been homosexual. The Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church of the United States, said that Jesus was an unmarried, "non-traditional man" who did not uphold family values, "travelled with a bunch of men" and enjoyed an especially close relationship with one of his disciples.
I suppose, based upon the disregard for Scripture that both Robinson and the Episcopal Church of the U.S. has demonstrated, these views should not be surprising...yet I never cease to be amazed. Read Christweb's complete post here.

Espresso Roast Has Moved
Finally, if the yellow notice over to the right didn't get your attention, please note the new address for Espresso Roast. I'm going to try to figure out how to do a redirect, but if you will go ahead and make the changes to your bookmark and site feed, that'd be just swell. Also, I've changed the email link on the left to my new address, but if you'd like to make note of it, I can be reached at David@espressoroastblog.com. By the way, I'm currently having trouble configuring the news feeds for the new site. I'll get that up and running asap. If you continue to have trouble, you can subscribe to an email notification on the right sidebar.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/04/2005 12:00:00 PM 2 comments links to this post |  

Saturday, April 02, 2005

A kiss before dying

CNN reported an unbelievable story today of a fifteen year old girl who was shot in the eye for refusing to give her date a kiss:
When a frustrated suitor named Alfred Bishop asked her for a kiss, [Elise Hernandez] refused him. Again and again, he asked. She said no. When he pulled out a revolver and pointed at her head, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz said, she pushed it away.

"She laughed him off," Blitz said.

The rejection cost her: After being rebuffed, Bishop shot her through the eye, cutting short the life of a bubbly, self-assured high school sophomore who loved hip-hop and dancing and went by "Lisa," according to authorities.
Among the many disheartening aspects of this story is the part the parents played. Bishop's mother reports that, "he had been drinking and smoking marijuana earlier that night...who talked to her son by telephone after the killing." Though I don't know for sure, I have a sneaking suspicion this was not the first revelation of her son's habits. As for the girl's parents, they were certainly not clueless regarding at least the possibility of a problem with their daughter's boyfriend:
Bishop had threatened Hernandez previously, according to Hernandez's family.

'That was not any accident, because two days before he killed my daughter, he was in my house drinking with me,' said Luis Santiago, 34, the victim's father. 'And I told him, `Yo, stop playing with a gun like that. You're a young kid. I've been in jail too much time. You will find yourself in jail for life.'

'Also, he told my daughter `You are going to be mine, or you are going to be dead,' (italics added)
I have no doubt that many good and valid discussions and debates can occur regarding many issues related to this situation. However, it seems clear that much of the responsibility lands squarely on the parents that not only saw a problem and did nothing, but very possibly cultivated the problems.

Sadly, this is more than likely a generational problem that began several generations earlier. Is that an excuse? I don't think so. A reason, yes, but not an excuse. Until parents decide they're going to be responsible parents, regardless of ethnicity, social status, background, etc., we're going to see more and more of this kind of insanity taking place. Is this kid to blame for his actions? Absolutely. Are the parents just as much to blame? More than likely. Is there a quick and easy fix? Not hardly. Nevertheless, at the bare minimum, it is the obligation of parents to take responsibility for their own actions and for the care and well-being of their kids. Likewise, it is our responsibility, as a society, to encourage them to do so and hold them accountable when they do not.

I will be the first to attest to the difficulty and challenges of parenting (and my son is only 4 years old!), but there is a huge difference between trying and failing and failing to try. I'm afraid, based on the report, we're seeing the sad result of failed parents producing failed kids...and when that happens, everybody loses.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/02/2005 11:30:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Friday, April 01, 2005

Water on Mars.





Happy April Fool's Day...man, I must be tired.

Image Source: Nasa's Astronomy Picture of the Day

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/01/2005 06:40:00 PM 2 comments links to this post |  

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