Bits & Pieces
Bits and pieces from this reporter's notebook.
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....Michael Jackson has gotten himself into trouble for dangling his infant son from over the side of a balcony at a hotel in Germany where he'd gone to receive an award. He held the child, Prince Michael II, with one arm above a crowd of adoring but then concerned fans four stories below. The media went wild world-wide, wondering about what might have possessed the self-styled King-of-Pop to pull such a stunt. Kinda late to begin wondering about Jackson. If you saw a picture of him last week when he was testifying in court, it's clear that fruitcake is not just a holiday offering.
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....There are failing fathers everywhere, sometimes with fatal results. A Virginia jury yesterday convicted a father of 13 of negligent homicide in the death of a toddler daughter. Last May, the 21-month-old child was left for seven hours in a van in which the temperature rose to 140 degrees. The father said he'd left the baby in the charge of two of the older children, but the excuse didn't find friends among the deliberators.
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....There are gonna be lotsa people headed for court in Redding, thought most cases will be settled with the insurance companies. With the FBI investigating two heart surgeons for allegedly performing unnecessary procedures, local and outta town attorneys are buying large ads in the local rag offering consultation in the field of malpractice. We're talkin' hundreds of cases, 'cause these doctors, for better or ill, were prolific, one of them collecting more than $1.6 million from Medicare last year.
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....Speaking of ads and surgeons, a doctor on the coast -- four hours away -- is trying to drum up business inland with invites in the newspaper announcing a FREE seminar for women who want to be "You, only more beautiful." The "topic of discussion" is breast "enhancement" and promises "very little or no downtime" with "financing available." He might add, "Egos inflated at no extra cost."
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....I wouldn't necessarily make a connection with the driver of a car I saw the other day, but she might have been one of the attendees. A large woman, and I could tell that just from seeing her head resting on very little neck, was behind the wheel of an older vehicle with a license plate frame that read "Excuse me, are these your eyeballs cuz I found them in my cleavage." No doubt on her way to charm school.
Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....Finally, and I don't know why I even bring this up, 'cause it's only another example of television and madness, but a recent film was promoted as "one of the few inspirational movies that will actually inspire someone." That's one way to separate yourself from the competition, I suppose, but how many people are thinking, I've really not been inspired by those other inspirational films?
And that's SetonnoteS...I'm Tony Seton.
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