It’s Not Too Late To Get Started!

Today we have about two weeks before school gets back in session. It marks a time for change for a lot of people who anticipate curbing summer habits for themselves and their kids. The key to working through change for some is moderate transition; others decide and break habits immediately. The point to day is to become a bit more aware of opportunities and steps to start the school year on a good path!

The link below offers a few suggestions and is from the BPHC, but want we want to know is what do you do for yourself or your family as we grow into a new season….let us know!

Click Here to Visit

Thanks…..chef Bernard Kinsella

Middlesex Superior Court / Woburn

It was my 1st time being called for Jury Duty and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  When I walked in, I was given a # and told to take a seat so that they could go over everything with us.  There was about 125 or so people there so I figured I had a great shot at being sent on my way.  To my surprise, we were then told by the court officer that there were 15 trials scheduled to start that day and we would all most likely be needed!  Thankfully, I brought my IPod and sat back waiting for what would happen next.
About an hour later, I found myself in a courtroom being asked a few questions and then sent back into the hall.  We were all brought back in and my # was called.  I was now Juror #7.  We were told the case would go until at least Friday and possibly Monday or Tuesday so it looked like I was going to be spending quite a bit of time in the new courthouse.

Jury Duty was not like the movie!

At this point we are all seated in our box and we start to get the details of the case.  Long story short, the defendant is charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.  Back in August of 2008, there was an incident outside of Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School and the victim was injured after a confrontation that left him with 2 stab wounds.  At the time, the defendant was 19 and already out of school and the victim was 15 and taking summer classes.  At 1st when I heard the basic details, I was thinking that this guy was guilty and what was he thinking stabbing this kid!

The Prosecution started off calling witnesses to the stand.  At the time of the attack, the victim was with 4 of his summer school classmates.  The victim, along with 2 of his friends were called as witnesses.  Then a few detectives/officers were called and then followed by a few experts.  It was your typical “Law & Order” episode.  Listening to everything and seeing all of the evidence (especially the pictures of the young boy in the hospital and his blood soaked clothes), you really felt bad for the victim. 

One thing that was odd was that the friend’s testimony was all different.  I knew they were young, but you would think being there when this happened, they would have been a bit more convincing.  They were all consistent saying that they did not draw the defendant to them…that he walked by them and then came back to start with the victim.  They all said the defendant pulled a knife and stabbed the victim. 

But what was strange was that they said the victim and the defendant were arguing, but not raising their voices and they didn’t hear a thing.  One said they were about 5 feet away, one said more like 10 and one estimated more like 15.  1st, I have heard many people argue before, and it is never in a calm, quiet voice.  2nd, there is a big difference between them being 5-15 feet away.  And 3rd, I could not understand how they did nothing to draw the defendant in…that he walked by and came back to approach them.  It just doesn’t sound logical to me.
There was no doubt that something happened and the victim was stabbed BUT, something just didn’t add up.  The defendant had headphones on and was listening to his mp3 player.  Why would he just walk by, walk up the street and then come back?  Is it logical the defendant would come back to start trouble with 5 boys especially since he is much shorter and most likely weaker than them?  And why would he want to do this seeing he was on his way to meet a guidance counselor at his old high school to help him fill out some financial aid papers and get himself into college?
But then things started to get a bit clearer.  It was brought up by the defense attorney that the defendant was gay and that as the defendant was walking down the street, these boys made “gay type” gestures to the defendant.  The defendant has experienced this type of behavior before and had had enough.  He went up to the boys and asked them why they were doing that.  A verbal confrontation ensued with the victim pushing the defendant and spitting in his face and then a few punches were exchanged. 

At the same time, 1 of the other boys was standing behind the defendant.  The victim put him in a headlock, and the defendant, fearing for his safety, pulled a knife he had in his back pocket (which he stated he had because he was sick of being treated this way) and started waving it around to get the victim off of him and in the process, stabbed him at least 4 times, 2 of which penetrate into his side and sternum.  The defendant now free, ran off to the school seeking the counselor he was supposed to meet.
In the meantime, the victim tried to get a cab to take him to the hospital, telling the cab driver he was stabbed.  The cab driver REFUSED to take him and said that he didn’t want blood in his cab!  This was really bothersome to me.  This kid was 15, stabbed and bleeding, and this cab driver refuses to help and drives off leaving him in the street to find some other way to get to the hospital.    I hope at some point, they figure out who that cab driver was and that he gets fired!  There is no reason to refuse anyone, a child or adult, a ride to the hospital when they need it, especially when he is bleeding in front of you!   Thankfully, a member of the Cambridge Public Works was driving by and gave the victim a ride without question.
In the end, the victim was released from the hospital 2 days later and to this day, has no serious lasting effects.  During the trial, not 1 doctor was called to talk about the victim and the stab wounds, which I thought was odd, but also had me thinking that maybe injury was not as serious as it looked.  As jurors, it was our job to decide the fate of the defendant.  We were told to think the details over, talk about it and use the guidelines we were given to declare him guilty or innocent.  We were to also use common sense and ask ourselves if the Prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty as charged.  In the end, we found him innocent as we believed he was acting in self defense and did not go to the school that day with the intent to harm or murder anyone.
I won’t get into what we discussed as I don’t want to share what my fellow jurors had to say (nor do I know if legally I should share it), but the consensus was the defendant was enticed into this by the harassment he received when walking by, and in an attempt to say he was sick of it and to stop, a confrontation ensued and quickly it was 5 against 1.  His only choice was to take out this knife to get free.  At 1 point, the Prosecutor did say the defendant could’ve said he was sorry and that he made a mistake and then walked away, but as much as people want to think that is an option, it isn’t.  If there were 5, maybe.  But when you are talking about young boys and fists are coming out…if the defendant would’ve tried that, nothing would’ve changed.  Kids at that age don’t care.
Now, why am I sharing all of this?  Obviously there is nothing funny in this blog post and all of my blogs either are silly or stupid and hopefully make you laugh.  But this time I am writing to all parents to take a minute of your day and just talk to your kids about bullying.  In the past, I’ve told my son to make sure he never does it, especially after watching the news and seeing how kids are taking their own lives or how they live in misery and nobody seems to step in and do anything about it. 

But after being a juror on this case, you have to add that when you bully someone enough, they may take things into their own hands to get you to stop.  And it could be you that gets hurt.  In my heart, I didn’t believe the defendant meant to kill anyone.  He clearly had enough and this was the day someone pushed him too far to the point he wanted to speak up and during a fight in which he was going to be out numbered, he used the only thing he had that he thought would get him out of it…a knife.  In the end we are lucky nobody was killed.  But again, it is a HUGE warning sign!

While we should all be telling our kids to get along and not to bully others, we should also be teaching them to stop their friends from doing it or step in when they see someone else getting bullied and break it up.  We do not need to have kids hurting each other with words and weapons and especially hurting themselves to the point they take their own life.  It is easy to do nothing and think “my kid isn’t like that,” but how would you feel if you get a call that your kid is the bully and has pushed a fellow student to the point where something tragic has happened?

It doesn’t matter if someone looks or acts different, is gay or straight, is loud or quiet or dresses in designer clothes or hand me downs, we need to teach our kids to treat others with respect immediately!  If you don’t like someone, keep it to yourself and move on.  It is time we all do our part to stop this growing problem before it gets out of hand anymore that it already has.  This trial I was just a part of didn’t have to happen.  The defendant would’ve filled out his papers and been in college.  The victim would have continued on his way to play basketball with his friends and never would’ve been stabbed.  The defendant and the victim probably would never walk past each other again and went on with their lives.  Instead, August 4, 2008 will be with them forever and they both will never be the same because of it.

Hopefully some of you will share this link with other parents so they can see what can happen and talk to their kids as well.

((And for the record, I probably unintentionally left out a few parts of the story and explained things in the way I interpreted or understood the details.  Any thoughts and opinions are meant to be mine only and are not meant to sound like I am speaking for anyone else on the Jury.   This was more to summarize it and to get the point out that we need to talk to our kids about the growing problem with bullying.))

Fresh healthy salads are a favorite this time of year and are preferred by this cook any time. Take for instance the two we have featured. There a great starter; add to a main course or carry to lunch as a bonus. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain. It’s considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids. Quinoa is also higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains, and it provides a rich and balanced source of vital nutrients. It can be used similar to rice…our fresh bean salad with fennel is wonderful as a garnish to pan seared scallops, which I made the other evening. The creative use of fresh ingredients goes on and on…cooking may take a bit of time, but at least you know what you’re eating! The balance I think is that when you cook you get better at it and the benefits are even greater for yourself. Tell us how you’re benefitting these days with what’s cooking….     

Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS:                                                                                                   Serves 4

½ cup Quinoa

1 cup vegetable stock

½ cup red pepper diced

1 cup fresh spinach

¾ cup black beans, (can) rinsed and drained

½ cup white onion diced

½ cup cilantro leaves chopped

1 clove of garlic smashed and chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

 PROCEDURE:

1. Cook Quinoa according to package directions in vegetable broth.
2. In a bowl toss the next 6 ingredients, blend the oil and lemon juice to emulsify. Then add to the ingredients and toss to coat. When the Quinoa has absorbed the broth completely, fluff then add to the ingredient mix when warm.   

Marinated Fresh Beans and Fennel Salad

INGREDIENTS:                                                                                                                    Serves 6

2 Cups fresh green beans, washed and ends clipped

1 Cup yellow beans, washed and ends clipped

1 Cup fennel bulb, washed and thinly sliced

½ Cup red onion thin sliced

¼ Cup sliced black Greek olives

¼ Cup crumbled feta cheese

For the Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon shallot, minced

3 whole sundried tomatoes

1 t minced garlic

1/4 cup white balsamic or white wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T fresh oregano leaves

 PROCEDURE:

1. Bring 6 cups water to a boil & add 1 t, salt. Then add the first 3 ingredients. Bring back to a boil and cook for 2 mins.
2. In a food blender add the shallots, sundried tomato, garlic & vinegar.  Blend and add all the oil slowly, to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Strain bean and fennel mixture from water, place in a bowl toss with remaining ingredients then toss to combine. Drizzle with ¼ cup of sundried tomato vinaigrette and fresh oregano leaves.  

Ciao and  thank you,

 chef Bernard Kinsella

Dear MIKE-FM,

The other day my 12-year-old daughter came home from school, and I noticed she was wearing foundation, blush, eye shadow and mascara.  She said she bought the makeup at the drug store, and all the girls at her school wear it.

Is my 12-year-old daughter too young to be wearing makeup?  At what age should girls start wearing makeup?  Should I tell my daughter she needs to wait a few more years before she can wear makeup to school?

Thanks,

Lisa

———

Ok Lisa…in no way, shape or form am I am expert in anything, nor should you take my advice with any hope that I know what I’m talking about, but I would say no way.  12 is too young to me!  Kids seem to be jumping into yound adulthood (is that even a word?) earlier and earlier in my opinion.  Once you start letting them do things, good luck getting them to stop!

My daughter is 8 and she wants to wear makeup.  Since the only money she has is what she “helps herself to” from my pockets and is not allowed to go anywhere alone, I feel confident my ”NO” is good enough.  But at 12, your daughter  can get away with it and not tell you if she washes it off before you see it.  Plus, makeup will attrack boys and the longer she can avoid boys, the better!   The only thing you can do is home school her and not let her go out until she is 25, which is a good age to release her into adulthood.  Sounds like a easy, solid plan to me!

That is my opionion.  Anyone have a different one?  Share it here.

Big Daddy

The MTV Video Music Award nominees were announced yesterday and Lady Gaga led with 13 nominations.  That’s more VMA nominations than has been received by any other artist in a single year.  Eminem had the second most this year, with eight.

Gaga received 10 nominations for “Bad Romance” and three for “Telephone”, her collaboration with Beyoncé.  Meanwhile, Beyoncé got five nominations for  “Video Phone” which was her song featuring Gaga.  (Apparently, the “Telephone” nominations belong solely to Lady Gaga, and the “Video Phone” nominations are strictly Beyoncé’s.)

Paramore singer Hayley Williams is also enjoying some multiple nominations.  Her band is up for Best Rock Video for “Ignorance” and she’s featured on the B.o.B. hit “Airplanes”, which is up for four awards.

It’s probably also worth noting that Taylor Swift and Kanye West are both up for one award each.  It was at last year’s VMA’s that Kanye stole the mic from Taylor after she won Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me”.  (You know, because he desperately wanted the world to know that Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” was one of the best videos of all time.)

This year’s awards go down on September 12th.  Voting is open until August 24th and you can cast your vote HERE. 

Here is the complete list of nominations:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
–30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
–Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”

BEST COLLABORATION:

–Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone”
–Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
–B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
–3OH!3 featuring Ke$ha, “My First Kiss”
–Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”

 BEST FEMALE VIDEO:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone”
–Taylor Swift, “Fifteen”
–Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
–Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, “California Gurls”

 BEST MALE VIDEO:

–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–Usher featuring Will.I.Am, “OMG”
–B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
–Drake, “Find Your Love”
–Jason Derulo, “In My Head”

 BEST NEW ARTIST:

–Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, “Baby”
–Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
–Jason Derulo, “In My Head”
–Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett, “Massive Attack”
–Broken Bells, “The Ghost Inside”

BEST POP VIDEO:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone”
–Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, “California Gurls”
–Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
–B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars, “Nothin’ On You”

 BEST HIP HOP VIDEO:

–Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem, “Forever”
–B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz, “On To The Next One”
–Kid Cudi featuring MGMT and Ratatat, “Pursuit of Happiness”

 BEST ROCK VIDEO:

–Paramore, “Ignorance”
–30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
–Muse, “Uprising”
–Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
–MGMT, “Flash Delirium”

 BEST DANCE MUSIC VIDEO:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull, “I Like It”
–Usher featuring Will.I.Am, “OMG”
–Cascada, “Evacuate the Dancefloor”
–David Guetta featuring Akon, “Sexy Chick”

 BEST DIRECTION:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
–P!nk, “Funhouse”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”

 BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
–Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone”
–Usher featuring Will.I.Am, “OMG”
–Janelle Monae featuring Big Boi, “Tightrope”

 BEST BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO:

–Dan Black, “Symphonies”
–Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack, “Stylo”
–Coldplay, “Strawberry Swing”
–The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”

 BEST ART DIRECTION:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
–Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
–Mumford and Sons, “Little Lion Man”
–Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”

 BEST EDITING:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–Rihanna, “Rude Boy”
–P!nk, “Funhouse”
–Miike Snow, “Animal”

 BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS:

–Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
–Eminem, “Not Afraid”
–Muse, “Uprising”
–Green Day, “21st Century Breakdown”
–Dan Black, “Symphonies”

Tony called today to talk about his new show on NBC called “Breakthrough with Tony Robbins” which airs on Tuesday nights at 8pm.  Click here to listen to my interview with Tony.

I remember being in college and buying his books and I think watching a ton of infomercials he was in.  Of course, I remember him from one of my favorite movies, “Shallow Hal”.  The guy has been around for awhile and still has the energy of someone who chugged down 10 red bulls!  I guess when you’ve had the success he has and make the money he has made, you do whatever you have to do to keep it going!

He was really cool and I had a great time talking with him.  I’m thinking I may take him up on his offer and check him out in New York, although I’m not to sure I want to walk on fire!  I’d rather just follow him everywhere and have him buy me an expensive meal!  Maybe even buy me one of those nice suits he wears.

Check out the show and his site at http://breakthroughinsider.com to share your story and help a friend.  I know I am going to submit one of my good friends!  To see a clip of his show, click here.

Here is a funny clip of Tony on Lopez Tonight where they measure his head and shoe size!