Goodbye, Billie J.

The last eight months, I've been taking care of an elderly lady with dementia.  It has been one of the most pleasant jobs I've had in my working career.  Billie was part of a loving, lovely family and this evening she passed away. She had been in a short term nursing facility after a fall left her with a broken pelvis and she seemed to be ok.  But tonight Billie died suddenly and peacefully.  I'm going to miss her like the dickens.

Her daughter Judy called to let me know right after calling her brothers and sister-in-law which was a pretty nice honor and I was able to go to short term facility to say goodbye to her before her mortal body was taken away, and to hug and cry with the people who've loved her best for over 65 years.  Billie and her husband Larry were married for 67 years this year and she was the love of his life.

Gods, I was so blessed to get to work for her and to get to know her family.

Geography of Unemployment Over The Last Decade

And we've tolerated this from corporations and government for what reasons, exactly?

A Travesty In Iran

Today the AP reported that the woman facing death for alleged adultery, Sakineh Mohammdi Ashtiani has "confessed" to being "an unwitting accomplice" in her husband's murder.  I'm sure she did confess -- after being tortured, deprived of sleep, tortured some more, left to go hungry and then tortured some more.  This confession is how the Iranian state is going to rationalize her death to the masses.

The thing is that we know that torture is a tool the state uses to get people to say what the state wants them to say -- it doesn't get to the real truth.  It merely gets people to say what the state wants.  The Greeks and Romans used torture, the Spanish Inquisition used torture, Henry the VIII used torture on witnesses, evidence from which was used to execute Anne Boelyn,  the Salem witch trial used torture, and on it goes.

The thing we need to be clear on is this:  if Iran executes Ms. Astiani as it surely plans to do:  We here KNOW she was tortured to get what the Iranian state wanted so they can legitimize executing her.  We know the truth doesn't matter to them.  Even if they don't stone her to death, which may not happen because of world outcry, they will end up killing her by hanging or some other way.  But we still know their only goal is executing yet another human being whom they pervertedly see as being a threat to their regime.  We don't buy their torture purchased version of the truth. 

Hey Montana

Just a clue, girlfriend:  Making a porno is not a great way to jump start a legit acting career.  So sorry to see you were afraid of putting in the real work necessary to doing the job right given the path of your dad's career.  As part of the over 50 crowd, it just comes across as so sad.  The Kardashian girls, Paris Hilton and all the other celebutantes who've done porno (deliberately or inadvertantly), are NOT on the star track the way other young entertainer/actresses like Jennifer Hudson are.  Get a grip and keep your stuff private.