The Week That Was

2 News Stories from the Global Week that Was

Affluenza – AKA Rich, Spoiled and Entitled - It appears that being young , wealthy, and a criminal is now a solid defense strategy.  The “Affluenza”  defense was successfully argued in a Texas courtroom this week, sentencing a 16 year old defendant  to  (up to) 10 years of probation at a rehabilition clinic.  Obviously a much more lenient sentence than what the prosecution was seeking - 20 years in jail. 

“Affluenza” is a term that was coined in the 1990’s and, in essence, means that a juvenile comes from a wealthy home in which no boundaries or limits were set.  Affluenza is also a synonym for rich, spoiled brat, but I digress.

Being “afflicted” with such a condition has allowed this 16 year old to get away with murder.  Literally.  Not only was this 16 year old caught on camera stealing cases of beer.  Not only was the blood alcohol content 3 times over the legal limit.  Not only did he flip his truck, severely injuring passengers in his own car – one to the point of suffering severe brain damage where he can no longer move or speak -  BUT -this teenager also happened to KILL 4 innocent people.  He killed 4 people by drunk driving his truck and plowing in to them on the side of the road.  That’s how “strong” this “affliction” is.

So, to recap, because Mommy and Daddy didn’t establish any consequences for his behavior, the judge has now reinforced Mommy and Daddy’s lack of parental ability, by giving him a slap on the wrist.  Does this make sense in anyone’s mind?   Oh, and Daddy has to fork over $450,000 a year for each year this creature stays in rehab. 

What is wrong with this picture?

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The Sign Language Affair - It was a somber event in which many of the world’s leaders were gathered.  Nelson Mandela, who passed away on December 5 at the age of 95, was honored and revered by his country and the world at a memorial service on December 10, 2013, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Unfortunately, the news story that has made the world scratch its universal head, has now become about the sign language interpreter who ‘signed’ the program for the hearing impaired.

It appears that the sign language interpreter has a few demons, a few problems, and more than a few skeletons in his closet.  Apparently suffering from schizophrenia, the interpreter claims he had a full-blown attack during the memorial service on Tuesday, signing words for “rocking horses” and “prawns”, which were not – no doubt – part of anyone’s speech.

To add insult to injury, it now appears that this interpreter has a very shady past, to say the least.  Numerous charges have been brought against him since 1994, some of which include rape, murder, and kidnapping.  The plot thickens when we learn that the murder court case file is mysteriously empty.  The plot gets downright muddy when it was uncovered that the firm that hired this interpreter has apparently vanished like dust in the wind.

The fact that all of this was uncovered by a news outlet after the man was hired and was standing next to some of the most powerful people in the world, at a memorial tribute for a legend – makes this story seem like a bad Hollywood movie.

2 News Stories from the Local Week That Was

Human and Feline Stomach Virus Linked? – In a Northern New Jersey suburb, a strikingly attractive woman with a gift for gab  was suddenly silenced, when a stomach virus took hold of her intestinal tract on Wednesday, December 12, 2013.  While details were not shared, the experience was captured with this quote from the gravely ill:  “UGH. I feel like ass.”  A truly telling statement, indeed.

Adding to this medical mystery was the fact that not only was this beautiful woman struck down with illness, it appears her Felis Catus, or housecat, was also afflicted. 

There has been no conclusive study conducted that proves the connection between feline and human viruses, however it seems clear that we have a potential case in this small hamlet, located 20 miles west of New York City. 

While authorities were not called in, the CDC is aware of the episode and plans to keep a vigilant eye on both the woman, as well as the cat.  A spokesman for the CDC, who wished to remain anonymous stated, “It is easy to track the movement of the woman.  Her habits are routine, and her schedule is consistent.  The Feline, on the other hand, has proven to be quite tricky.  A female cat, this animal has been known to hiss when approached and to swipe her claws, even when not provoked.   Without access to specimens from both subjects, we can only assume that the Feline in question poisoned the woman with its apparent malcontent.”

The Feline was unavailable for comment, but did provide a glaring look through the window, aimed directly at this reporter’s camera. 

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2 Working Days Left – A female, who is presumed to be the same woman who contracted the potential Feline/Human Stomach Virus earlier this week, has been gleefully announcing to all around that she “…only has 2 working days left in 2013.”

Interviews with the recipients of this proclamation have offered varied quotes, again with the certainty of anonymity:  “What the (expletive deleted) do I care how many days left of work this (expletive deleted) has?” said one vocal recipient.  Another offered these words, “If that woman says one more thing about her remaining working days, she will be counting her remaining days. Period. “

The woman was unavailable for comment, but a quick look at her FaceBook page did show that she was “Doing a dance of joy, 2 more work days left in 2013.”

With Love

Lady Butterfly

xoxo