Maddie’s Blog

Police are still searching for a Sioux City man who shot his wife on their wedding day on Saturday. The bride is at St. Luke’s Hospital in satisfactory condition.  Click here for a word from the police.

The groom, Richard Brunson, used a .22-calibre handgun to injure his new wife, Laurette Kenny Brunson. The attack occurred after Mrs. Brunson hurled a plate of wedding reception macaroni salad at her husband. This took place three short hours after the ceremony and certainly ended it with a bang.

About 30 guests attended the ill-fated event, including Mrs. Brunson’s three children. To hear their comments on the situation click here.

*still trying to get audio to work…

The story I found was about a 12 year old girl who helped her mom deliver a baby at home.  I thought it was an interesting story, and it had a happy ending.  I feel the broadcast does a decent job of telling the story.  It has a lot of images and enhance the story and even incorporates audio from the 911 call that makes the viewer feel like he/she was there.  The interview with the paramedic also makes the story more believable too.  The images of the baby as happy and healthy can also draw in the viewer.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33533905#33491577

I feel the print version does a good job of telling the story.  However, it does not match the video.  I would much rather watch the video because all of the images and audio makes the story seem more real.  In print form the story seems kind of bland.  In addition, the print version does not quite capture the appreciation and love that the family feels for each other.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33486441/ns/local_news-spokane_wa/

In Delaware, a six year old boy was recently suspended for bringing a weapon to school.  Apparently the weapon was a Swiss army knife he had received in cub scouts and planned to eat with the knife, not use it violently.  However, according to the school’s no tolerance policy, the boy is suspended and must attend a reform school for 45 days.   The boy’s parents and some school officials want to change this policy and take back the sentence since the child did not have a violent intent with the knife.  This issue is causing a large amount of controversy and forcing the school officials to rethink their zero tolerance policy.

This article makes me sad.  I feel sorry for the little boy who obviously did not want to use the knife for harm.  He simply wanted to play with his new toy at school and eat with it.  However, the knife was still a weapon and I feel the school did the right thing.  I think that no matter who the student is, they should be repremended for bringing weapons to school.  It is a rule, and he should of followed it.  Now, I realize he is only six years old and obviously does not always understand what is appropriate for school or not.  In this case it should be up to the parents to make sure nothing like this happens.  Especially an incident like this that was merely an accident.  This little boy learned “to always ask before taking something new to school.”  The parents should have been watching.  I feel that if the school changes their policy it will become harder to determine who is innocent and who deserves reform school.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33289924/ns/today-today_people/?GT1=43001

In Albertville, Alabama, a woman was pulled over recently with a cardboard box on the top of her van. The woman said the box was secure because her daughter (13) was inside the box weighing it down. Apparently, the box was attached to the roof by a clothes hanger. The mother has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Fortunately, the daughter was okay and is currently under the custody of a relative.

All I can say is wow. How stupid could a person be? I do not know what kind of thoughts went through that woman’s mind before she decided placing her daughter in a cardboard box on the top of a moving vehicle was a good idea. That is definitely not mother of the year material. Moreover, I cannot believe she justified her actions by saying the box was safely secured with a clothes hanger! If the box does not fit in the van, why take it? It had to have been an empty box before the daughter was inside, so how important was it? Apparently it was more important than her child’s safety.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33184919/ns/us_news-weird_news/

Roman Polanski Arrested… Finally

Apparently Roman Polanski, a famous film director, was taken into custody in Switzerland. Thirty years ago, Polanski fled to France after pleading guilty to statutory rape with a 13-year-old girl. He of course fled the U.S. so he couldn’t be sentenced. The Swiss authorities have been working for a while on arresting the director.

All I can say is, it’s about time! It’s one thing to plead innocence and want to escape a sentence that isn’t deserved. However, it is completely different to admit to committing the crime and still flee the country to miss out on punishment that is obviously deserved.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/09/27/roman-polanski-arrested/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32969604/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

5 family members found slain in Illinois home

This article described a recent murder of a family in Illinois.  The crime took place sometime on Monday afternoon and authorities were contacted by neighbors after gun shots were heard from the house.   For some reason, that could not be disclosed at this point in time, the local police station did not release information on the atrocity until this morning.  The Logan County Police would not give any information regarding the crime scene.  The only survivor was a three year-old-daughter.

This is a horrible story.  One that you don’t like to hear about.  You would think with all of the evolving and productive changes humans have been making, that the basic rule to not kill one another would be common knowledge .  Obviously this is not the case.  I am rather curious as to why the police refused to release information until the morning after the incident.  Also, I want to learn more about this case.  I plan on researching more to find out what could have been a cause of this tragedy.  What would cause someone to murder an entire family?  Children included?  Furthermore, my heart aches for the surviving child.  Hopefully, since she is so young she will not remember much of this incident.  Unfortunately the guilt  she must feel of being the sole survivor of a horrible mass murder will follow her for a lifetime.

From where I am sitting, the sun is barely peaking above the trees and hitting my face. I look out the window and see a man in a charcoal shirt morosely riding on the back of a lawn mower. The sun becomes shy and hides behind the trees. In the shade, the temperature of the area in which I am located drops. This relief only lasts a short while however, soon the sun has returned. The new brightness shimmers through the towering windows in this long hallway, decorating the marble floors with diagonal lines. The gray-checkered sofa that I am sitting on grows warm. Behind me, I can hear a young child chuckling, destroying the silence that once surrounded the building.

If only I knew where I was…

http://www.tmz.com/2009/09/14/ultra-d-bag-kanye-hijacks-taylor-swift/

At the VMA’s, Taylor Swift won the award for best female artist video.  Unfortunately for her she  was unable to accept the award properly because Kanye West ran on stage, stole her mic, and proceeded to declare that Beyonce should have won.  Meanwhile, the entire crowd sat in shock and Beyonce looked horrified.

Okay, that’s enough.  Kanye West needs to stop.  He should have stopped a long time ago, but this time he has gone WAY too far.  Seriously, it’s one thing to act like a complete butt-head after South Park makes fun, but its another thing entirely to walk up on stage,  snatch the microphone away from a 19 ear old girl, and declare someone else deserving of an award.  Now, I hate Taylor Swift as much as the next person, but no one deserves that.  Apparently Kanye has issued several apologies, but none seem to be directed towards Swift.  I think Jay Leno put it best by asking him, “What would your mother think?”  I’m pretty sure she would think her son has gone too far also.

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=430034&GT1=28101

Article: “Annie Leibovitz risks losing copyright to images”

The article I read focused on the current financial crisis that famed photographer Annie Leibovitz is facing.  According to msn.com, Leibovitz took out a loan last year and used all of her photography and her home as collateral.  Apparently, she owes $24 million and may not be able to pay back the loan.  The due date is tomorrow.  If she is unable to pay back the loan, she will lose her home and all the copyrights to her work.  Leibovitz is a very well known and respected photographer who has captured quite a few controversial images of famous individuals.  She is most remembered for her Vanity Fair covers.

I found this article to be interesting but it also made me slightly frustrated.  I realize that nearly everyone is impacted by this current financial crunch, but with someone who makes so much money as it is, I thought that maybe this would not be an issue.  Furthermore, why would someone with such valuable and famous work as Leibovitz use it as collateral on a loan unless she was absolutely sure she could pay it back?   According to the article Leibovitz needed the loan to pay back mortgage payments and other undisclosed overdue bills.  However, no matter how frustrated this article makes me, I am also rather nervous as to the results of this current crisis Leibovitz is undergoing.  It would be a tragedy if she were to lose the rights to her photos.  Not only are those images timeless and some controversial, they are also worth a large sum of money.  However, maybe that would be the wakeup call Leibovitz needs.