General Ramblings

Murders at the Duck Pond Leave Me Pondering Man’s Inherent Goodness

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Ask yourself. What kind of a person could beat one of these to death?

People astonish me, they honestly do. I’m sitting here trying to process what I just read and I just can’t. I’m revolted and appalled and angry and more than a little alarmed.

I sat down to read Facebook this morning and stumbled upon this story in the Gloucester County Times, NJSPCA to investigate West Deptford Twp. duck abuse. Go ahead, read it. I’ll wait for you to catch up. As you’ve now learned from reading the article there is a group of kids in West Deptford who are killing ducks and turtles for entertainment. These are not hunters. No, these are little monsters beating animals to death with sticks and bats.

What blows me away is that according to the newspaper this isn’t happening in the dead of night. No this is going on between 4pm and 7pm.  The killers are so brazen they commit their crimes right out in the open and fight back when people try to stop them. I’m most troubled by the next 2 sentences.

“West Deptford police have responded numerous times to calls of the abuse. But there’s only so much they can do unless the children are caught or there is sufficient evidence to charge any individual.”

Are they serious? Are they really serious? Nothing can be done because they have to be caught? *beats head on desk* Oh my God! They’re doing it right out in the open and they can’t be caught? Here’s an idea. CATCH THEM! For the love of God get some undercover cops out there and catch them in the act. It’s not as though they’re afraid of an audience. Hell they probably enjoy an audience.

I understand, honestly I do, and I know that police departments are understaffed and overwhelmed but in my eyes this is no small crime. I know you’re tempted to say they’re just ducks and they’re just kids, but they aren’t. These are killers, stone cold killers, who should be locked up for life. They should just throw away the key and walk away.

Dear God! These are children ages 5-13 and they’re killing for enjoyment or for thrills. They beat mama ducks to death with bats and sticks while mamas tried to protect their ducklings in their nests. When they’d succeeded in killing the mama ducks they used the ducklings as baseballs. These aren’t bored kids lacking supervision these aren’t even troubled kids these kids are a wild pack of stone cold killers. An otherwise normal human being just doesn’t one day decide to beat another living being to death and they most certainly don’t do it repeatedly even after being caught. These are fearless and violent individuals who should be locked away for the safety and good of society.

After reading this morning’s news I’m back to pondering if man is in fact inherently good or in fact evil.

Fuddy-Duddys Can’t Be Food Bloggers & Other Birthday Tales

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Wow! So I’m very behind in using my mind and creativity. It’s been 3 days since my last Bloggy Summer Camp post and I haven’t worked on either of my writing prompts yet this week.

I just had an overwhelming feeling of depression and I thought to myself I need to do something to jump start my mind, which of course made me realize that I haven’t done much writing this week.

I was so upset last night that allowed something someone said derail me for the evening. I suppose maybe I’m still nursing that wound and dwelling on it so that’s on me. Well then, we’re here now and I have three Bloggy Summer Camp questions to answer.

Day 5 -What do you prefer to do on your birthday?

Truthfully, I’m not much for birthdays. Mine is Christmas week and everyone’s so busy trying to get last minute things done that really it’s more of an inconvenience than a celebration. My grandmother used to tell my mother we should celebrate my birthday in the middle of summer instead. I sometimes think she was right.

Honestly we don’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas here at Casa de Soapboxville. I married into a big family and with more than 10 people to buy for so that leaves no money for Christmas gifts for each other or birthday gifts for me. Mr. Soapy (the hubs) gets robbed too because his is in June and there are quite a few family June birthdays as well as the annual round of graduations and such. In the 13 years since we’ve been married we haven’t bought any birthday or Christmas gifts for one another.

The weather plays a big part in celebrating my birthday as well. Two years ago we were supposed to go to Longwood Gardens to see the Christmas display and it snowed 2 feet that weekend. *laughs* You know what they say, man plans and God laughs.

I suppose my most favorite way to spend my birthday would be to go do something. Many, many years ago Mr. Soapy bought us tickets to see the Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. We had an amazing day in New York. I even still have the Christmas Ornaments I bought at Macy’s that day.

Of course last year’s meal at Tortilla Press in Collingswood was pretty good too. I suppose my answer is I like to eat and I like to go places. *laughs* So I guess eating while going somewhere would be my perfect birthday.

Day 6 – When was the last time you tried something new? What was it and what was the result? Have you ever done something just so that you could blog about it?

Here, my dear readers is where you learn that I am a fuddy-duddy, a stick-in-mud, a creature of habit if you will. I don’t try new things. I don’t eat food I haven’t eaten before and I don’t venture very far outside of my comfort zone. In all honesty I haven’t tried anything new in years. I’d probably say that eating at Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant with the hubs (then the boy friend) was the last new thing I tried. As it turns out I love Mexican food so go figure.

As for doing something just to get a blog out of it, see the above paragraph. *laughs* I have however thought to myself before going someplace like the Morris Arboretum or down to Cape May or out to Longwood Gardens that when I get home I’ll have great photos to use for my Weekly Winners or Sundays in my City sets.

When I was still actively working on the 365 Sunsets project I did seek out newer and more better places to take sunset photos. So I suppose that counts as doing something just so I could blog about it.

Day 7 – What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Do you read food blogs or would you ever consider writing one?

Well for breakfast I love pancakes and bacon and a glass of tomato juice from Samuel’s Pancake House in North Wildwood, NJ. I wholeheartedly recommend a drive down there for breakfast and don’t forget to stop by and pick me up on your way there.

Hmmmm … Lunch??? I like hoagies, specifically Boars Head Honey Turkey and New Yorker American cheese lettuce tomato and mayo. Um, no I’m not at all particular or fussy. Why are you looking at me like that?

Dinner, hands down is chicken fajitas from Tortilla Press in Collingswood. I used to love Don Pablo’s before I knew better. To tie this all together I’m actually thinking about trying Los Amigos in West Berlin. I’ve never been there and they got rave reviews on Open Table.

I love to eat but I’m not one for trying new and different foods so I don’t think I’d make a very good food blogger. OMG! I totally lied to you in the last question. Thinking about food reminded me that I have in fact tried something new and loved it in the last year. This year at Thanksgiving we had two Thanksgiving meals, one with my parents because they wanted to be thankful with me at the table this year and one with my in-laws with whom we normally eat Thanksgiving dinner. Each year my parents and my brother and sister-in-law eat at Cannstatter’s German restaurant up on Academy Road and each year I’ve heard mom tell me that Tommy (my brother) got duck for dinner. I’ve always wanted to try duck and because I was assured a meal whether I liked my duck or not I went for it, I ordered the duck. It came as a whole bird, which kind of freaked me out but I tried it anyway and it was delicious.

So there you have it 3 days of Bloggy Summer Camp blog posts in one big missive. I’m not depressed anymore and you’ve learned that I’m not much for birthdays, fuddy-duddy and a finicky eater to boot.

So This is Being an Adult?

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Day 4  of Bloggy Summer Camp, What has most surprised you about being an adult?


I’ve spent the day pondering this. I asked the hubs and his take on it is that decisions don’t get any easier. *laughs* A friend answered no snow days. I think for me it was the realization that the cattiness and cliquishness never goes away. When I was in grade school I always figured that one day I’d grow up and people just wouldn’t act like this anymore. I can’t believe how wrong I was.

Gossip and whispering are what fuels water cooler conversations. If the movies are to be believed there is a hierarchy of PTA moms and getting to the top of the phone tree is as much an honor as it is a popularity contest. (see Practical Magic) When I was a child I could have never believed or imagined that teasing and bullying don’t so much go away as they morph into sideways glances and whispers. I’m guilty of it myself.

What surprised you the most about being an adult?

My Guilty Pleasures

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Day 2 of Bloggy Summer Camp, What are your guilty pleasures?

I don’t know how guilty my guilty pleasures actually are. I think anyone who knows me or anyone who reads my blog knows that I LOVE, with a capital L bad reality TV. I suppose my obsession began with the first season of the The Real World. You name it I watch it.

  • The Real Housewives? I watched a few seasons. They got too angry and too bitter for my liking.
  • Rock of Love? Loved it.
  • Daisy of Love? That too.
  • Megan Wants a Millionaire. *laughs* Okay, maybe I’m a little ashamed of watching this one.
  • The Surreal Life? A few seasons.
  • My Fair Brady? You betcha!
  • America’s Next Top Model. Love it.
  • Jerseylicious? Oh you know it!
  • The Jersey Shore? I love them in all their fist pumping glory.
  • I watched my way through Laguna Beach, The Hills, The City, and Kell on Earth.
  • Dog the Bounty Hunter, Parking Wars, Storage Wars, Intervention? Yes, yes, yes and yep.

But what I love most of all are bridal/wedding reality shows. My Fair Wedding, Say Yes to the Dress, Girl Meets Gown, Four Weddings, Rich Bride/Poor Bride, I don’t love Bridezillas but I watch it from time to time too. I can’t wait for Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta to return to the airwaves next week and I absolutely can’t wait for the premiere next week of Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids.

So there you have it, my love of trashy reality TV shows revealed. Thanks for stopping by from Bloggy Summer Camp!