"On the plains of Oklahoma, with a windshield sunset in your eyes like a watercolor painted sky, you'd think heavens doors have opened."
Fly Over States



Saturday, August 16, 2008

Not MY Grandchild!!


As I sit on my deck, relaxing with a cheap glass of red wine, I have some questions for you.

Do you have a Myspace or a Facebook?
Does your grown child or grandchild? Do you know?
Is there ANYONE who hasn't gotten the message that anything you post online is likely to stay there, forever?
Are they still teaching young people that, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"
Are you really sure that the person you have granted access to private areas of your MYSPACE/Facebook (assuming you have the good sense to not make the whole thing public) is trustworthy?

I broach this subject because, yet again, MYSPACE/Facebook has reared its ugly head in one of my cases. These days, I swear it comes up in most of them.

Easychick27. There's a good screen name for a woman in a custody battle (I made that up - some of the real screennames are not fit for mixed company and my son reads this blog).

How fun are the pictures of you taking hits off a bong or making out with same sex friends when your Ex is painting you as a degenerate!? Even showing up to court in a nun's habit is not going to be much help.

And isn't it special when a young lady posts scantily clad pictures on her mother's MYSPACE and Mom agrees in the comments that the 13 year old is "hot" like her mama?

I've mentioned, before, that I don't take private clients so I don't have to really worry about screening them for sanity and good sense. As GAL, I just assume that most of them come with issues and, fortunately, it is not my job to try to hide them. However, if I DID take private clients, I think one of the things I would do, in the initial interview, is to have them give me a list of every MYSPACE, Facebook or blog they run and pull it up with them in that meeting to take a look to see what is on there. I'd do this BEFORE they have a chance to pull it down (They tend to trust the gods that if they pull it down on the eve of trial, no one else has already done their homework and will be waiting to whip out S & M pictures in court.) Does a questionable MYSPACE/Facebook site mean the person is a bad person? No, of course not. It speaks more to judgement than morality.

Attorneys who are considering representing the grandchildren of their best client might want to make it a requirement that before they take the case, the grandchild be willing to share with grandpa what the attorney might be up against. I am not sure, ethically, how well that goes over but I can't imagine how difficult it would be to keep the secrets of a drug smoking/promiscuous, mean spirited grandchild who is losing his custody battle just by being himself, all the time worrying that grandpa (the lawyer's best client) is getting pretty ticked that the attorney to whom he is paying a ton of money to represent his precious grandchild apparently sucks at domestic law. Talk about a conflict of interest!

A judge in Oklahoma City used to routinely ask prospective jurors (who, like all of us, tend to lie when asked if they are bigoted or otherwise have any undesirable traits) what bumper stickers they had on their car. It is roughly the same idea as mine.

I indulged myself a few days ago with ordering fabric that I don't need. Most of it arrived within a couple of days. Here are a few pictures:



The name of this fabric line is "sand." It really looks like sand! My hope is to use some of it to create a shadow effect in some project not yet determined.


Here is some fabric that I really like from Blank Textiles.


I also ordered some binding from Moda. I've never tried it, before so we'll see how I like it.


Jezebel's nose - looking pretty fine!


I've had several people ask how Jezebel is feeling. She has been in a great mood, all day, although somewhat hyper. She has been darting around, yipping, demanding to go out (and in and out, and in and out, and in and out), coming by to snuggle, etc., since about 3:00 this morning. My theory is that she has probably had a pretty sore nose and/or headache and is starting to feel better. Her nose looks shiny and a bit swollen but her muzzle hair is growing back. As I have said, before, I don't think she knows she is sick. Thank you to those who have been checking in on her.

From the front, her muzzle looks fairly white.

From the side, it looks darker.


Here is the back of the patriotic quilt - I am still in the process of assembling the top. I didn't get too much done on it, today, but that is what Sunday's are for.


Hope your weekend is going well.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know how you keep your sanity, considering some of the stories you tell. Hmmmm, maybe the quilting helps.

Janet

dee said...

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and say Hi to me. Your dog is beautiful and the patriotic quilt is really a gem. The peace of quilting must be a joy after that workday. Come visit again.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

I am surprised by some of the things that people say on Facebook and on blogs. Of course things can be taken out of context or misinterpreted, but some things are just so obvious!

lrmart said...

Ahh Myspace where people tend to run their mouths and show their true side...
2007 a very good friend of mine's son was the first murder of the year. Within a few days the boy who shot and killed him was behind bars because hours after killing he posted details of the murder on his Myspace...They also found enough details to arrest him in 2 other unsolved murders.
When I was doing PI work if I received a runaway or deadbeat parent case first place I looked was on Myspace... I can't even begin to tell you how many Dad's I found, I'd friend them and get friendly with them till he's suggest we meet. I'd set it up and then have an officer to arrest or Agent to serve meeting him instead of me.
Teens might be runaways but they are hooked to Myspace so I'd setup a myspace within their age group and 9 times out of 10 they would trust me enough to tell me where they were at....
Keep up the great work and keep quilting for your sanity..

Lisa

jacquie said...

i've worried about my boys and myspace for years. i do my best to check in and check on...they both are in bands and have band sites too...some of the comments are so nasty...it's a different world out there.

Lady Beekeeper said...

Wow, Lisa. It is hard to believe someone would be so careless! I am sorry for your friend - how horrible. I know that many probation officers check MYSPACE and facebook for their clients. As a GAL, I check them out, too.

One of my favorite stories was the mother who was ordered to not drink or expose the child to drinking who had posted pictures of her 6 year old pumping a keg at her house. She denied doing any such thing and then they whipped out the pictures...