Friday, February 28, 2014

Dorothy Kilgallen - Game Show Panelist and Woman With a Secret?


As a child, I used to watch various game shows along with my mother. I always liked shows like "What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret". They were televised versions of the game 20 Questions most of us have played, but with celebrity panelists and the occasional celebrity guest. In the case of the celebrity guest, the panelists were given blindfolds so that they could not recognize the guest. On occasion, the guest's voice was so recognizable that the host would answer the questions on behalf of the guest. I thoroughly enjoyed these game shows.

Dorothy Kilgallen was one of the celebrity panelists on the "What's My Line?" game show. Most of the other panelists I had seen elsewhere. Even as a child, I knew they were known through their films or television activity. But, I could never figure out who Dorothy Kilgallen was. Not until, that is, last night when at long last I decided to make use of my favorite thing in the world - the Internet.

It was there that I learned that Ms. Kilgallen was the daughter of a Hearst corporation journalist and had become a journalist herself. She frequently covered stories not


traditionally covered by women in her time. Although she did pen a gossip column, she was also a crime reporter, an area of news dominated by men.

One of the criminal cases she reported on was the Sam Sheppard murder case. She did not believe he had bludgeoned his wife to death. She was also instrumental in Sheppard's being released from prison and re-tried because she was a witness to the judge at the original trial making verbal declaration prior to that trial that Sheppard was guilty, proving that he was not an unbiased jurist. She was not the only witness to the judge's remarks.

But, the most famous of her criminal cases was that of the Kennedy assassination. She managed to obtain a copy of the Warren Commission report long before it was released to the public and had also interviewed Jack Ruby out of earshot of prison guards. She believed she had irrefutable evidence that the assassination did not transpire as claimed and made public statements to that fact. It was not long after these statements that she
mysteriously died. Although she regularly took sleeping pills, her cause of death was supposedly due to taking a 'moderate' dosage of barbiturates with alcohol...something she had been doing regularly. Additionally, her notes from the Ruby interview and other sources she'd interviewed with regard to Kennedy's assassination were never found. Her husband said he would take her interest in the case to his death and never did speak of it with anyone. It makes you wonder if his reason for this was fear for his well-being if he were to tell what he knew or concern for his wife's professional reputation. I doubt we'll ever know.

Image of the What's My Line? cast - This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in that it was published in the United States between 1923 and 1977 and without a copyright notice.

Image of Kilgallen's Newspaper Column - I (Gertrude Lawrence), the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. (This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.)

Image of Shepherd release headline - This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
+KennedyAssassination +Kilgallen +JFK +Whatsmyline

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Cycle of Violence

The cycle of violence is the pattern that develops in an abusive relationship where there are good times and bad times and times wherein the victim knows the abuse is preparing to happen again.

Examples where both partners contribute to the cycle of violence include the victim apologizing for having caused the perpetrator to attack (whether verbally or physically doesn't matter), both of them finding excuses for the behavior of the batterer - such as having had too much to drink, too much stress on the job, being an adult victim of child abuse, etc. (even if partially true, the batterer must take responsibility and stop blaming things outside themselves for "causing" them to act this way), the belief that the woman is beholden to the man in all aspects (usually a cultural or religious influence on this one, or the fear of being able to make it on one's own without the "provider" who also happens to be the batterer.

The cycle of violence can be stopped first of all by separating. Although this can be literally dangerous depending on the situation, shelters are available for women where active protections exist to prevent a violent partner from harming them. Counseling is also available for one or both partners and works well when the batterer has come to recognize that they have a problem and seek counseling. The victim is helped by counseling because they need to understand that they have not caused the person to hurt them and to help them improve their self-image enough to avoid falling back into such treatment in the future.

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Dumb Criminals - Gotta Love Them

I read an article on our local ABC news channel's website that made me laugh. And, the reason I said you "gotta love them" with regard to dumb criminals is because they're so easily caught!

These two guys decided that breaking in to the local Sunoco gas station store would be a good idea. And, sure, maybe since there weren't many cars on the road at that time since we were in the midst of another of our snows, sounded like a good idea and one that would leave little chance of being witnessed committing the crime, these doofuses failed to realize that the snow on the ground, the same snow that kept traffic off the roads, would allow their footprints to be visible. So visible, in fact, that police were able to follow them back to the very house they'd taken everything they stole!!!

So, way to go, you two. You just made law enforcement's crime solving a piece of cake!! D'OH!

Photo credit - Some rights reserved by Bernt Rostad (
www.flickr.com/photos/brostad/)

Link to the original news item -
abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&;id=9433570

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Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System

Law enforcement agencies throughout the nation are seeing an increase of domestic violence calls that they say is directly related to the decline in the economy. Fifty-six percent of the responding agencies to the national survey say that, although domestic violence is not a separate category, the economy is causing an increase in responses to domestic violence calls. This doesn’t always mean charges are filed.

I can actually see how this could be. Stressful times cause tension and how people respond to tension varies. Unfortunately, some strike out at those closest to them. One of the most tension causing situations is when money is tight and things don’t seem to be improving. All too often, people begin to blame one another instead of the economic situation beyond their control.

This definitely affects the criminal justice system because there will eventually be arrests, injuries, protection orders, and time spent behind bars. It might not happen in every situation, but if the pressures aren’t diffused during the first few calls, they are likely to escalate into levels of violence that are damaging to the physical and psychological well-being of those involved, particularly children. The mere fact that police have to be called, even if charges aren’t filed, means that the law enforcement stage of criminal justice has been engaged.

This essay was drawn from information found in the following news article: goo.gl/aXqJyJ

photo credit - Some rights reserved by USAG-Humphreys (www.flickr.com/photos/usaghumphreys/)


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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Do you believe in Karma? (Or any of its variations?)

It's interesting that the concept of Karma seems to be universal, even if it isn't called that by the various cultures that believe in it. The Christian culture believes in "an eye for an eye" (although Jesus actually said turning the other cheek is preferred). One Christian scripture states "what ye sows, so shall ye reap". Another one states "those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same". A popular colloquialism says "what goes around, comes around". Sometimes, it's referred to as "paybacks" or "just desserts". Basically, you will be dealt what you deal in return or you will get what is coming to you.

So many times we wish these Karmaic responses were more immediate - that those who have behaved improperly will receive some sort of negative response as punishment. We feel a certain sense of justice when something bad happens to someone who has done bad things. So, I'm wondering if any of you have a different view of this. Does your belief system include this concept? If it doesn't, how do you view those who have done bad things?



oto credit - Some rights reserved by tobstone (www.flickr.com/photos/tobstone/)

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Monday, February 24, 2014

What do you think the worst invention is?

For me, that would be Viagra!!! Of course, it wasn't created for the purpose it's currently sold for. It was just heavily marketed for that once they discovered the side "effects". And, the men I know who use it don't need it - they just use it to "enhance" what they already have. But, male doctors and the pharmaceutical marketing executives know this. However, the med itself has value for those who truly need it and it is also currently being used as a treatment for primary pulmonary hypertension because of its ability to increase blood flow.

Then, there are silicone implants and penis enlargements. Other than those who are virtually lacking in those departments, these kinds of things are mainly used to gain bragging rights, particularly men who love the phrase "hung like a horse". Seriously, is that really desirable? Wouldn't your pants fit poorly and your ability to walk be hindered in some way? As for the women, it's no walk in the park carrying the equivalent of two backpacks on the front while trying to maintain both a straight posture and straight shoulders. Why anyone would voluntarily choose that is beyond me.

What do you think?

Photo credit - Some rights reserved by labnol (www.flickr.com/photos/amit-agarwal/)

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Friday, February 21, 2014

WKRP in Cincinnati - I've missed this show so much!!



I used to love this show. It hasn't been on the air in almost 30 years. I am so happy to find it on Hulu. I've been watching one episode after another. My daughter groaned when she saw what I was watching, but it wasn't long before she began to laugh at the classic jokes being done on the show. It was so far ahead of its time. The things it presented then are still relevant today. Some things never change and the subjects they discussed then are still happening now. They make it so obvious how ridiculous some of those things are and do it with humor. If you ever get a chance to see this, please watch it. It's STILL a great show!

Photo credit - Some rights reserved by diamondNikon (www.flickr.com/photos/diamondnikon/)

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

I've moved a lot in my life.

I came upon a website within the last year that actually showed the last 10 addresses I've had. It turns out that was from 1981 through the present. I had almost as many from 1981 back through 1975 when I first moved away from home.

I remember my mother having to buy a new address book because she'd run out of spaces for all my new addresses and phone numbers. I averaged one move every 2 years for a long time.

Here's a list of my addresses, with house numbers redacted, that doesn't even include my current address:

1. ### Tatum St #6A, West Deptford, NJ 08096
2. ### Nicholson Rd #B, Gloucester City, NJ 08030
3. ### 21st St, Ogden, UT 84401
4. #### Pingree Ave, Ogden, UT 84401
5. ### Repauno Ave #4, Gibbstown, NJ 08027
6. ### Main St, Sewell, NJ 08080
7. ### Yuma St #6, Huachuca City, AZ 85616
8. ### Mullica Hill Rd #B126, Glassboro, NJ 08028
9. ### 5th St #2, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
10. ### East 1700 South (Antelope Drive), #C, Clearfield, UT 84015

Turns out, that's not all of them. I also lived at the following addresses:

1. #### Liberty Avenue (twice), Ogden, UT 84403
2. 249 W. 21st Street, Ogden, UT 84401 (house is gone and a business is in its place)
3. 1080 South 1500 East, Clearfield, UT 84015 (Pepper Ridge Apartments)
4. ### 22nd St., Ogden, UT 84401
5. 563 23rd Street, Ogden, UT 84401 (now an empty lot - was owned by the Elim Lutheran Church when I lived there)

Of course, these don't include the addresses in Salt Lake and Provo where I lived between 1975 and 1981.

Is it any wonder that my parents gave up trying to keep up with my continuous address changes? LOL

Photo credit - is from a screen shot of Google maps street view and is of the apartment building I lived in on Antelope Drive in Clearfield.

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

52 Week Ancestor Challenge - Jesse Chew



I found another Bubbler was doing a weekly post for something called the "52 Week Ancestor Challenge" and, since I've been working on my family history since 1974, I just knew I had to take that challenge as well. Here is my first week's post, some four weeks later than the original challenge began. But, I will catch up.

JESSE CHEW (1738 - 1812)

Jesse Chew was my 6th great grandfather. He was born 25 November 1738 and, at the time of the Revolutionary War, was considered a Loyalist. Jesse was the 3rd great grandson of John Chew who emigrated to the America Colonies from Whalley Parish, Lancashire, England in the early 1600s to James City, Virginia. John's son John moved to Long Island where he met and married Ann Gates. Their son Richard was born on Long Island but eventually moved to Gloucester County, New Jersey where the family has remained.

There is a story told of Jesse that I have always found humorous. How much truth there is in the details depends on how accurately it was passed down through the generations, but the date of the event was recorded in the Quaker Meetinghouse records in Woodbury, NJ. On January 3, 1800, Jesse, a Methodist minister of some renown, interrupted a service of the Quakers to preach to them the errors of their ways. These peace-loving Quakers summarily removed Jesse from their service bodily and locked the doors to prevent his return.

Jesse died 26 January 1812 and is buried in the family cemetery within 100 yards of the home that he built.

The house you see in the photo is Jesse's home built in 1772 of Jersey Sandstone. It is in good condition with all original hardware in place as well as the original fireplaces. It is currently a private home, but they do occasionally rent out the carriage house on the property. This house is located 1.7 driving miles (probably closer to a mile as the crow flies) from the house where I grew up and is in the same township.

Jesse was only one of many Methodist ministers in my family, most of them on my father's side of my family.

Photo credit - This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 72000797. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Revealing Prejudice - The Underbelly of the Beast


This is my response to someone who said Sotomayor was an activist who was more interested in "brown pride."

If you were always being criticized for who you were and what your ancestry was only because you looked different than those in the majority, you'd develop some pride in defending yourself against such unfair characterizations as well. Maybe you might even call it "white pride" (or whatever your visible ethnicity and genetics has given you).

Tell me this - when your kids were being picked on or someone called your cousin a name or made fun of your family, did you not stand up and demand that those who were doing those things stop? You had pride in your family, even though you knew there should be no difference in how your family was treated compared to how their families were treated.

Now expand that thought to entire groups of people who have been singled out for verbal abuse and discrimination simply because their ancestry differs from others around them. What is wrong with their standing up for their group and saying "Enough is enough!!"? Why is it OK for YOU to stand up for your demographic group but not OK for HER to stand up for her own demographic group? But, here is the difference. She KNOWS the law and she applies it equally to all. That doesn't mean she can't personally reject the notion that people within her demographic group are all too often judged to be less than and frequently are denied the same opportunities that YOUR demographic group receives.

Consider this - in 1948, the Corpus Christi (that means body of Christ, if you didn't know) Naval Air Station DENIED HEALTHCARE TO HISPANIC VETERANS OF WWII!!! Why? They were fellow military, fellow veterans and fellow CITIZENS who had served their country defending FREEDOM. But, they were HISPANIC! Their service, their matching allegience to serve and to give their lives for this country, the fact that they swore the same oaths upon enlisting as the non-Hispanic military members of the Naval Air Station meant nothing because they were HISPANIC! And, you don't think things like this should be opposed??

And, just in case you don't believe me on this one (and many like you won't), here is a link to the very event I just mentioned:
www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/19.html

I was pretty fired up by both things. The bonehead who accused her of "brown pride" thought his comment was the perfect answer to MY commentary that I've posted to another Bubble. Once the fire is burning, I jump in, feet first, and stay until the flames have died down. Now that they have, I'm posting both things here.
+Bigotry +Politics +Puerto-rico +Puerto-ricans-are-citizens +Puerto-ricans-are-not-immigrants +Unrelenting-hate


Photo credit - Some rights reserved by raymaclean (www.flickr.com/photos/raymaclean/)

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Monday, February 17, 2014

Laura Ingraham thinks Supreme Justice Sonia Sotomayor is too focused on her "immigrant family background." Um....Sotomayor was born in the USA!!!


Did Laura Ingraham, a right-wing talk show host, seriously accuse Justice Sotomayor of being too focused on her "immigrant family background"? Precisely where did Ingraham's family come from? The bogs of Alabama? Because they sure as hell didn't get to this country without HER family background coming from somewhere else. So, why should HER family get better treatment than the families of others?

Since the only difference between Ingraham and Sotomayor is that Ingraham is paler than pale and Justice Sotomayor is not, I can only assume that is the basis for her reasoning. And, it is UGLY reasoning. It is DISGUSTING reasoning. It makes me ill just knowing there are people in this country of FREEDOM who hold so much hate for anyone who doesn't look like them or share their ethnicity. Like her, I am paler than pale, my ancestors having come from Sweden, Ireland, England, Germany and France. But, I was taught acceptance and non-judgmentalism by my parents. I was taught that we are ALL equal under the law. I was taught that we are all equal even without the law. The older I get, the more I appreciate that example my parents set for me. I wish they were still here to thank them.

And, as others have pointed out, Puerto Rico IS America! Its citizens are American citizens. They do not immigrate to the US from Puerto Rico. They are already IN the US. I love pseudo-intellectuals pretending to know anything while denying their bigotry.



Photo credit - Some rights reserved by keithpr (www.flickr.com/photos/keithpr/)

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Friday, February 14, 2014

Do you believe in a "higher power"?



I do, because I don't believe in the absolute randomness of the universe. The way things work; the way they are organized; the fact that, in general, everything has a place and a reason for existence all points to someone else having a role in all of it. I don't care what some of these extremists say, science and God do coexist. HE created it all and He can use whatever method He wishes to use to accomplish that. For them to put limits on God is to say God isn't omniscient or omnipotent, but that God can only act within the limitations they've chosen for Him. That's a very narrow view of Someone who can organize so many particles into cohesive organisms. I choose to not place limits on Someone so powerful.



photo credit - Some rights reserved by SnapClickPicT (www.flickr.com/photos/snapclickpict/)

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

If you had to go a week without either your phone or your car, which would you choose?

I haven't had a car since 2010, but I'd go bonkers without my phone. It isn't that I make call after call. I have no idea how people can be on their phones talking incessantly. But, my phone lets me send and receive texts (again, not incessantly) and lets me get online when I'm not around my computer (or when our internet was shut off for a couple of months, my phone was my lifeline!) I also take pictures with it and keep in touch with my son who lives in Utah. So, definitely, the car is much less an issue. Besides, I can get rides from a friend when I need to go somewhere.

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

What was your favorite place to visit as a child?


I used to love going to Cape May and hunting for Cape May Diamonds (a type of quartz found along the beach there). When we would go camping in the Poconos, I loved seeing Boulder Field. I couldn't imagine how all those huge boulders all got placed there together in one spot. Then when we were living in Venezuela, I loved going to Colonia Tovar on top of a mountain southwest of Caracas. They spoke German and served the most wonderful food and breads and the pottery shop was my favorite spot to go to look. I also loved going to the beach in Puerto Cabello. We'd stay at a beach house owned by friends overlooking the crystal blue Caribbean. I still favor forested areas, mountain camp sites, German food and pottery/ceramics shops. I'm not so fond of beaches now - way too many people.
 
 
 


Photo credit for Boulder Field - Some rights reserved by Paul J. Morris (www.flickr.com/photos/aa3sd/)
Photo credit for Cayo Morrocoy, Venezuela -By Danny86 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit for Cape May Diamonds - Clark Perks at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

What's your favorite type of weather?


 
I like rainy days. I think the rain has a calming effect on me. At the same time, I feel more energetic. I've often said it's because the rain positively ionizes the surrounding atmosphere, but I have no idea if I'm right on that. It just sounds right. I'm not so fond of violent thunderstorms, but I do love the rain. I love how it sounds and how it feels if you allow yourself to get wet. I love that it cleans the pollution out of the skies so that when the sun comes out, everything is crisp and clear again. I like the way rain smells. And, I get the best sleep when it rains.


photo credit - Some rights reserved by steve p2008 (www.flickr.com/photos/stevepj2009/)

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Monday, February 10, 2014

Who is your "go to" person when you need advice?

Believe it or not, I often ask my daughter for advice. She's one of the brightest people I have ever known. She's tech savvy and knowledgeable about so many different kinds of things. You see, she likes to learn and will often study random things just for her own satisfaction. Right now, she's working in accounting, soon to be replacing a man who has a Masters in Accounting, yet she has no college at all. But, she understands it and is working with him in Holland to learn more about his job before he leaves the company. She's just super smart!

Then, I'd go to my guy friend who is a genius with regards to politics and government. If I have any questions about elections or anything like that, he's the one I depend on for an accurate answer. Although, he was wrong about the 2008 election results. HA!



photo credit - Some rights reserved by A.M. Kuchling (www.flickr.com/photos/akuchling/)

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Sunday, February 9, 2014

What are your thoughts on same sex marriage?

As far as I'm concerned, it shouldn't matter to anyone. Nothing my cohabiting neighbors does affects what I do in my own home. My marriage fell apart because it was a bad marriage. Not because two guys or two girls wanted to get married or because other people were having sex outside of marriage.

If you believe it's a sin, fine. Don't marry someone of the same gender. But, be sure you hold people having premarital sex to the same standard. Sin is sin. If you're a Christian, then the New Testament should mean something to you and it says that to break even the smallest portion of the law is to break the entire law. So, treat ALL sins equally. Don't pick certain ones for attack while turning a blind eye to the rest. Plus, Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's - in other words, keep them separate!!

What's sad is that there are people who have been together for decades, devoted to one another, and when one of them becomes ill or dies, they are locked out of their loved one's care. Being married or having at least a civil union (which to me means the same thing) gives them the legal rights they are currently denied. I don't advocate for having sex on the streets or in public parks, but I don't have a problem with two people who genuinely love one another having the right to make their being together legal. No problem at all.



Some rights reserved by Marc Love (www.flickr.com/photos/marclove/)

It hasn't been that long since headlines like these being shown in the Bibliography of "Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption" By Randall Kennedy were major news. Just look at the publications they were found in! Has changing the law allowing interracial marriage harmed so-called traditional marriage? Marriage between ANYONE is only as good as those involved.

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Saturday, February 8, 2014

Is an education important for success?

I would have to say yes and no. I think you need to be educated - absolutely. But, by that I mean literacy, able to read, write, SPELL, and having a good basic understanding of the world around you. That is so lacking today, even by those who are supposedly educated!

My grandmother had more knowledge with an 8th grade education than most high-schoolers do today (and not a few college grads!) But, with the advent of proprietary schools that focus on your career of choice rather than a four-year degree and the certificate programs now being offered by many traditional colleges, you don't have to have a degree so much as a proven proficiency in one area. Still - far too many are being allowed to graduate or complete programs without even having a good grasp on grammar or spelling. It's maddening to read what some of these educated masses are writing!

photo credit - Some rights reserved by Bestindiaedu.com ()www.flickr.com/photos/educationinindia/


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