"Pick Something More Manly"

A 20 year old blogger slash retail manager witnessed something yesterday that many folks witness every day - or even do to their kids every day - without batting an eyelash. However, she did what very few people would have done in the same situation.

A teenage boy and his kid brother (around age 10) came into the store she works at. The kid brother asked her if there were any games where he could be a female character. She directed him to one, and then he asked for girl-colored controllers. He found a purple one and had his heart set on it when his dad walked in the store and starting dogging on him for having a 'girl' controller and a 'girl' game and was telling him to pick something more manly, with some shooting and stuff. He even went so far as to threaten to spank him if he didn't change his mind.

That's when the big brother stepped in and told Dad what was up. Big brother told his dad that it was his gift to his little brother and if he was going to hit anyone, it'd be him - not his brother. The dad stormed out of the store.

The rest is Kristin's story to tell.

That's when big brother stepped in. He said to his dad, "It's my money, it's my gift to him. If it's what he wants, I'm getting it for him, and if you're going to hit anyone for it, it's going to be me." Dad just gave his oldest son a strong stern stare-down, and then left the store. Little brother was crying quietly. I walked over and ruffled his hair (yes, this happened all in front of me). I said, "I'm a girl, and I like the color blue, and I like shooting games. There's nothing wrong with what you like. Even if it's different than what people think you should." I smiled, he smiled back (my heart melted!). Big brother then leaned down, kissed little brother on the head, and said, "Don't worry, dude."

If more people were like this big brother... if more people were like this retail manager... the world would be a better place. Don't try to change your kids. They are who they are. Be thankful they're brave enough to be individuals instead of clones of everyone else.

Would you allow your son to use a pink or purple controller? Or would you encourage him to embrace his individuality? On the other hand, would you allow your daughter to pick out a "boy" video game? Where do you draw the line?

Only in Wal-Mart

Only in Wal-Mart can you buy all the ingredients needed to cook meth, and actually do so for six hours without being noticed.

What!? Yep, you read that right. Elizabeth Greta, 45, entered Wal-Mart in Tulsa, Oklahoma around noon and grabbed all the ingredients needed to make meth and set up shop. Six hours later, on-site security officers finally noticed her suspicious behavior and called the police.

"She didn't have the money to make the purchases of the chemicals that were needed so she was taking what was needed in the bottle," said Officer David Shelby, who arrived on the scene, to FOX 23 News. "When firefighters were on the scene she made statements to them that is what she was doing, she was attempting to obtain these chemicals and was in the process of trying to manufacture meth. However, she said she was not very good at it."

I am trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, because it was dangerous and could have been deadly, but really??

Meth really is a serious epidemic in our country, and it must be hooking them pretty badly if they're going to be trying to cook it in fucking Wal-Mart.

*The image above is not of the woman in this story.

Logical Fears

I've never trusted elevators (escalators, either, really). I don't like them at all. I'd rather walk up ten flights of stairs than get on an elevator. However, with kids in tow that is a huge pain in the ass. Plus, everyone is always like "Oh nothing ever goes wrong in elevators". Yeah, well guess what? Now there's justification to my elevator phobia.

When Suzanne Hart stepped into an elevator — it suddenly shot up. Hart was dragged up the shaft and became wedged between the elevator and the wall. “One of my guards was behind the lady,” he said. “As soon as the lady stepped in, the door did not close. So the elevator went up and smashed the body."


Such a tragic, sudden ending to a beautiful life. I know it was a freak accident, but this is the kind of things an elevator-phobic (is there a word for that?) has nightmares about! And her poor family. I can't even imagine.

I guess I'm going to start hopping over the threshold and hoping I survive. Can you imagine the looks I'll get?

Oh, and this isn't an isolated incident by any means. The most recent I recall is when Ohio State paid a $1 million settlement to a student's family for a similar death.