Chuck's Ruminations: Nature or Nurture?

To misquote Eric Burdon, It's my blog and I'll write what I want. The adopted daughter of Michael Jackson attempted suicide yesterday. Someone better get that girl in therapy. Growing up with all that baggage couldn't possibly have screwed her up. There must be something else going on.

Two excerpts from an on line magazine:

We appreciate every ones thoughts at this time and their respect for the family's privacy.

Jackson's brothers, Jackie, Marlon, and Tito just sent this statement: Thank you for the outpouring of concern and support for Paris. She is safe and doing fine. We truly appreciate you respecting our family privacy at this time.

PRIVACY? Every major news organization around the world covered this story. A search returned 83,000,600 hits. When ever something like this happens to a (and I use the term loosely) "celebrity" they or the family asks for PRIVACY. They live their lives in a fish bowl. They thrive on the crowds approval and adulation, but still they ask for PRIVACY.

PRIVACY? Look, I understand this is a (for whatever reasons) troubled kid. But according to several sources she sent out "cryptic" tweets before using a meat cleaver on her wrist.

A family lawyer adds, "Being a sensitive 15-year-old is difficult no matter who you are. It is especially difficult when you lose the person closest to you."

Michael Jackson has been gone for what will be three years at the end of this month......just sayin' is all.

A source connected to the family said Paris "threw a fit" last night after she was told she couldn't go to a Marilyn Manson concert. We're told she ran into her room screaming and slammed the door. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The problem may just be a two letter word, N-O.

And the news this morning says that Jackson's daughter may have felt "bullied" at school. She is creative and perhaps didn't feel she "fit-in" with the other kids. How could any child raised in that environment "fit-in?"

I just finished reading a food related article extolling the culinary virtues of various cheese combinations. PB&J grilled, with cheese. Mac and cheese pancakes, fried bananas and cheese, and cheese topped fudge. If these sound yucky you don't want the spaghetti and cheese flavored ice cream sold in Venezuela. And I thought chicken and waffle was a strange combo.

I'm sure by now you know the $590 million Powerball winner in Florida is an 84-year-old widow. I wonder how many marriage proposals she'll get over the next few months? She lives in a small duplex. I saw an interview with her next door neighbor this morning. If I lived that close I'd be sorely tempted to tell Wanda to go away for a while and propose marriage myself. "Yes, I know there's a twenty year age difference but after all, who's counting?"

10 million...20 million...30 million...40 million

If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have luck at all. I love the story that someone let the winner go in front of her in line. I think the machines are all wired into a central computer so the winning quick pick may not have been waiting for the next buyer. So, it's not as if the polite person lost out on the money. But, what if that was me?

I'm standing on line in a market waiting to buy my lottery ticket. I look behind me and see an old lady leaning on a cane. It's warm and the slowly moving line is starting to fatigue her. Just as I am about to step forward and buy my tickets I decide to be a good person and wave her in front of me. The old lady buys the winning ticket. That would make me crazy so what would I do?

I'd be sorely tempted to tell Wanda to go away.....

Wanda Honey, you know I love you and no amount of money could ever change that.

10 million...20 million...

I'm adding pictures of the Nevada City ladies, or the "Boa Broads" as they are affectionately called. Wanda reminded me we tried to get the guys together but we weren't smart enough to all be in the same place at the same time.