What’s your reaction to this story? Should Singer get the max? Did he deserve to lose his job? Do children’s museums need stricter background checks?
I answer:
My reaction is, well, he sounds like a messed up dude. He’s 49-year-old father of two, described by a neighbor as “perfectly nice”.. bet nobody ever guessed what his secret hobby was. He should get the max penalty that he can get for this offense. Yes, he deserves to lose his job.. it’s a CHILDREN’S museum for chrissakes… even if it’s been closed since ‘04 and isn’t opening till 2012. What else would they do… let him keep his job and hope that by 2012 everyone’s forgotten about his secret hobby? As far as background checks go, I think every job where a person will be working with children or people of ANY age for that matter in a trusting environment like a museum needs a nice, strict background check… as strict as they come.
Of course then the following question must be asked: what do you do for those people who fall through the cracks? The people who haven’t been convicted and so don’t have records that prove their depraved ways?
I do have family over in California…. but thankfully they haven’t been in the danger zone… and I hope to all that is holy that they stay safe……….
I honestly am at a loss for the words that will best convey my feelings about the horrific fires in California. I don’t know how I should express my feelings of sorrow for the tremendous losses and heartaches that our west coast neighbors must endure…. if you’re affected by this disaster… this letter’s to you.
Dear friend,
I just want you to know that there are people out there who care. There are people out there who want to help you. Although we can’t truly feel your pain, and although we can’t see things through your eyes and feel the effect that this devastation has had on you, I want you to know that there are those of us who want to help you get through this difficult time.
Even if you just need to vent a little, a shoulder to cry on, or a hug, we’re here.
You are not alone, and you will get through this, because there are people all over the country who want to help.
I just read such a heartbreaking article in the paper… My eyes were tearing up as I went through the article…
A little 8 month old boy was being pushed in a stroller by his grandmother, and yes, they were on the sidewalk. The little boy was run over by the driver of an SUV who was backing out of a cramped parking spot.
This is a response to the Utterz.com topic of the day on Oct. 18, 2007, which is titled: "Birth Control in Middle School?" and was prompted by the decision of a school district to pass a measure that would allow middle school children to have access to prescription birth control without their parents’ permission.
Sure, this new measure would help the middle school children who have parents who don’t educate them early or point them to resources about sex, STDs, abstinence and other forms of birth control. Something that I think I forgot to mention is that just giving the kids access to birth control isn’t enough: I think that district also has to take steps to properly educate the children all about the contraceptives as well as the physiological and hormonal effects that taking contraceptives may have, as well as the psychological and emotional effects that having sex may have.. and I think this may even mean ongoing counseling for certain kids.
Being 13 is a whole world away from being 16. I would totally expect this for a high school, not a middle school. That said, it does make sense, because it’s true that kids are maturing, at least physically, earlier these days, and if their hormones are THAT strong, these kids WILL find a way to have sex — with or without the education or contraceptives. __ If you found this on my blog, please leave a comment here, or at Utterz.com, where you can read and listen to other responses
Extra taxes for obese people would just be wrong. Higher health and life insurance rates are reasonable… obesity is after all a health risk… unless of course it’s some sort of glandular or hormonal problem that is causing you to be obese, then any increase in insurance premiums should be based on that particular health issue…
Comments? What do you think? Respond here or at Utterz
The first thing that came to mind yesterday when I heard about the steam pipe explosion was: “Holy crap I hope we’re not getting attacked again.“ You must admit that this doesn’t seem like such a silly wish in this day and age, especially when you live in New York City (or any surrounding area).
I opened the paper this morning, and there was a photo of the sidewalk by Lex and 41st, which was littered with sandals and loafers from the freaked-out New Yorkers who witnessed the 30 story burst of mud and water (dubbed the “Volcano on 41st St” by the Daily News) and desperately tried to flee the area.
I wonder if there’s more than one person out there who’s cursing Con Edison, the city, even God for this tragic event, but not for those injured, not for the one fatality, but for her lost designer shoes. Yes yes, quite a perverse thought, but altogether possible. There are some ridiculous people in this wonderful city, and I can almost picture some diva having a fit due to the loss of some vintage something or other’s.
Well, apparently the burst was due to “a failure of our infrastructure” and not some terrorist plot. That really doesn’t lessen the shock and fear, though…. almost like this burst was just waiting to happen, for that one day when there just so happened to be a little too much pressure to cause the pipe to fail in this way.
