Waking Up To Find The World Is A Bad Place...

You know how sometimes you are looking for one thing and find something else instead? Well, I was checking out cnn.com to see how the "Top Kill" was working in the Deepwater Horizon incident. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, for heaven's sake turn on the TV or something because I know about this and I am practically a hermit!) Anyway, while looking around the site I noticed a story about the Atlanta Child Murders that took place 30 years ago.

I remembered those murders from when I was a child. I was about 7 or 8 when they started and I recall the news coverage. That was back in the day when there were only 3 channels on TV and we still watched the news instead of iCarly or the like. My 8 year old brain saw, maybe for the first time, that there were bad things in the world. Being the child that I was, I didn't want to think that could happen to me in my city (Atlanta was the big bad world) so I decided that it couldn't happen to me where I lived. Then came Peaches.

Peaches was the nickname of a 6 year old girl who lived in Montgomery Village...better known as "the projects" in South Knoxville. On the day after Christmas in 1980, she walked to a store near her home and disappeared. I knew the store well as it was on the way to where my aunt lived. After that fateful day, whenever we past it, my mother would point it out as the last place Peaches was seen.

I guess it is just "degrees of separation" or something that made me remember Peaches. You know, the Atlanta article on cnn.com jogged my memory. So, I did a search for Knoxville TN Peaches Murder on Google and the first return was for an article that ran just last Saturday in the Knoxville News-Sentinel on the cold case! Apparently, the police thought the prime suspect was dead but the newspaper reporter found him very much alive and living in a nursing home. As I read the article, it took me back to that horrible time when my own backyard became the bad place in the world.

The article details the events of December 26, 1980. Peaches' mother sent her to the store on Old Knoxville Highway to get her a Coke because she was thirsty. Let's just stop right there and let me set the scene. Montgomery Village was a bad place to live in 1980 (still is) and it was freezing outside. The walk to the store took about 15 minutes roundtrip...and it was in the snow. SO...this mother of three who was only 22 at the time (three kids by 22...that is some fast work) SENT her 6 year old out in the snow...in freezing temps...to buy her a Coke because she was thirsty. Just so I am clear...it was the mother who was thirsty. I am just going to make the wild leap based on the whole 22 and has 3 kids thing that she wasn't the most responsible mother in the world. As a mother, I am wondering what was up with this lady. I mean, it wasn't like the world was totally innocent in 1980. Those Atlanta Child Murders were on the news all the time from '79 to '81. Also, Montgomery Village was crime infested.

So, we have a little 6 year old walking to the store to get that all important Coke. Then she never showed back up at home. The search was on but Peaches was not found that night...or the next...or for more than a year. During the time she was missing, a relatively famous psychic in the area, Bobby Drinnon, was called in. The police were desperate and were looking for help from anywhere they could get it. Drinnon told them (based on my memory) that Peaches was dead. She would be found in a wooded area by water. In January of 1981, hunter found a skeleton in the woods near Rockford (the town I lived in). The police were called in and the remains of clothing, shoes and hair ribbons marked the end of the search for Peaches. She was found in the woods and her body was near a stream.

The story is a cautionary tale for all parents. It is a tragedy. It is also sad for a myriad of other reasons.

A suspect was almost immediately questioned just after the little 6 year old went missing. He was one of her mothers many boyfriends. In fact, the mother had a fight with this boyfriend because, according to the mother's words "he wanted her to be his old lady and she couldn't decide" just moments before Peaches was sent to the store to buy that Coke...with money the mother borrowed from that boyfriend. Oh...that same boyfriend told the mother as he was leaving that he would make her pay. Was his revenge the murder of her child? Maybe. The police could never pin the murder on him and all evidence on the body was long gone after a year in the elements. To this day, the man claims he is innocent. He is a really upstanding guy too. Only like half a dozen arrests and significant prison time on his record. But, who am I to judge...(HE DID IT PEOPLE!)

It has been 30 years and Peaches' mother still lives in Montgomery Village. I feel sorry for her loss. BUT...I wonder why a mother would send a 6 year old to the store...in the snow...with a mad boyfriend on the prowl...for a Coke. I also wonder why, after 30 LONG years, she is still living off the government in Montgomery Village. Actually, I am not really wondering about that part. I think I know.

Peaches will always remain stuck in my memory as the little girl who didn't get to grow up like I did. I always look at that store on Old Knoxville Highway and remember her. I can point to her disappearance and murder as when I figured out the world was a bad place full of people that might want to hurt others.

As a mother now myself, I can't imagine losing one of my children. I am not sure what I would do if something similar happened...such as one of them being taken by someone I knew. I do however know what my mother, their grandmother, would do. She has laid out the game plan. She would hunt the person down and use her particular set of skills to make them pay. Do I doubt her? Not one bit. She would happily sit in prison (if she were caught) because she would have gotten them in the end. Yeah...she scares me a little. What scares me a little more is the fact that I think I would help her but I would plan it out better where she might be a hothead. There is always places to bury folks in the mountains. Bleach gets rid of almost all DNA evidence and you need a rock solid alibi. Don't worry folks...I am just thinking aloud...

For all I had to say about Peaches' mother, I feel she has more than paid for her error in judgement. We all make mistakes and she paid a very high price for hers. I pray that she will one day be reunited with her daughter in that land that is fairer than day...

Coming Soon

It's almost here. As some folks in this neck of the woods anxiously anticipate the swell of Rocky Top being played in Neyland Stadium on the first football Saturday of the year, I look forward to summer movie season! Yep, that time of year where the Oscar contenders are no where to be found and the over-the-top sequels, reboots and shoot 'em ups arrive in theaters!

What am I looking forward to seeing? Glad you asked. Here's my countdown.

7. The Expendables - I think this one has probably very little story line. Why would I put it on here? Well, there are several reasons...Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Austin, Rourke, Willis, Schwarzenegger and lots of guns and explosions! How could all these guys together be bad?! Sounds like a first-class summer popcorn flick to me! See what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6RU5y2fU6s

6. The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - The first trailer I saw for this one made me worry. The next one caught my attention. So, even though I am not sold on it, this one is going on the list. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a guy...the prince I assume...who finds a dagger that holds the sands of time. By activating this dagger's special powers, the holder can turn back time. Of course, the bad guys want said dagger to destroy the world...it always happens that way! Anyway, it has promise because I do like Jake Gyllenhaal and he seems to have some nice banter with the girl cast as his love interest. Also, Jerry Bruckheimer usually knows what he is doing. FYI - That stupid G-Force movie will be forgiven if you make good with this one, Jerry! Here's a sample.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8EA7EbFX4k&feature=related

5. The A-Team - I LOVED this TV show so I hope the movie lives up to my childhood memories. I wonder about the casting of Liam Neeson as Hannibal but I love the casting of Bradley Cooper as "Faceman"! We shall see if they pull it off or not. Check out this trailer...just try to get past the part where they parachute out of a plane IN A TANK then start shooting in mid-air. Like I said, I hope they can pull it off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z93AADd2Dpo

4. Shrek Forever After - Most of you know something about this one. This is the fourth (and they claim final) chapter of the Shrek series. Looks like all our old friends are back to play in this installment of the odd little franchise that continues to make good. I think this one is a sure bet to rake in the bucks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7__TG7swg0&NR=1

3. Eclipse - Yes, another chance to visit the world where Kristen Stewart can't act and Robert Pattinson has great hair. Back, once again, we go to Forks, Washington to visit with accident prone Bella and the love of her life/death, Edward. I predict more action in this one since the guy that directed 30 Days of Night got his hands on this installment. Victoria shall finally get dispatched and Bella and Edward come one step closer to their happily ever after her heart stops beating. If you have no idea about any of this, then this one is most certainly not for you! Check out the trailer anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1D5goGz0SY

2. Toy Story 3 - Eleven years ago, Woody was stolen and Buzz and crew had to get him back from Al of Al's Toy Barn. Along the way, Jessie and Bullseye joined the gang. They made it back in time to welcome Andy home from cowboy camp! Yee Haw! Now, Andy is leaving for college and the toys are getting a new home...at a day care center. YIKES! Yep, they are not so happy about this new arrangement so they plan on busting out of the joint! Pixar hasn't let me down yet so I expect this one...the third installment of the one that started the very lucrative Disney/Pixar venture...not to disappoint!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_FfHA5whXc

1. Iron Man 2 - Tony Stark is BACK! (Cue Black Sabbath) Robert Downey, Jr. returns in this sequel to the wildly popular (and I think best movie based on a comic book ever...but you probably shouldn't ask me on that one) Iron Man from summer 2008. We now have the backstory with how he came to be Iron Man, now let's see what Tony has up his sleeve for this one! I am certain it will be a wild ride! (This link is to the official site because the trailer loads much faster. You might have to launch the trailer.)
http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

I can almost smell the popcorn! See you at the movies...

Remember This One?

Tonight I was walking in Home Depot (yes, I know my life is gloriously exciting) and I heard a song playing. Mind you, it was hard to hear it playing over the fighting being done by my three boys, but I heard it nonetheless. It was like a nice little piece of the past had stopped by to visit. I love this song...always have. What is it about? Well, it is about the end of innocence. Actually, that is the title...The End of The Innocence.

I don't know that Don Henley has ever said what the song is exactly about, but most folks say it is about the Reagan era and the loss of small town America or the American farm. Some claim it is the loss of a different kind or kinds of innocence. I think it is probably all of the above and then some. It is a great song and I thought I would share. I bet you find yourself singing along...I did.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FPEBWZ1EOY

Who knows, maybe next time I will throw a little Bruce Hornsby your direction...

I Have A Blog?

Apparently, I have a blog...here it is! I know, you would think if I have one I would write on it. Not so much lately.

After reading some of my entries, it seems I talk about movies...A LOT. So, I am going to again write about movies. I know you guys have just been waiting for me to return to the keyboard with brilliant insight! No? Really?! Hummm...

Inglorious Basterds - Saw this one by myself in the theater. Normally you can't say that a movie based on WWII is laugh out loud funny but this one is. It is also not at all historically accurate. Quentin Tarantino decided to just blow off the history books and film how he thought WWII should have went down instead. Kudos to the brilliant performance of Christopher Waltz. He is amazing and deserves an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He got the Golden Globe. I hope he can nab an Oscar too!

So, what is this movie with the misspelled title about? It is several stories, told in chapters, that all tie together in the end. The group that give the movie its title are part of the story in that they are a mostly Jewish-American team dropped into Nazi occupied France with the sole purpose of freaking out the Germans by doing things Lt. Aldo Raine's way. Aldo...or Aldo the Apache...is played by Brad Pitt. He turns in a delightful performance as the head of the Basterds who just happens to be from Maynerdville, TN. His accent is pretty dead on...I am sorry to say! Anyway, the Basterds cause mayhem and Hitler is none to pleased. Another large portion of the film involves a Jew (Shoshana) who escapes from Waltz's character (the Jew Hunter) and sets herself up as a cinema operator in France.

The movie weaves in and around France following the exploits of the Basterds and Shoshana. It all ends with a bang when everyone finally gets together.

It is Tarantino's best work. The story works and the actors are excellent. It is long, and bloody at times, but a fantastic movie! I give it nothing less than an A!

Zombieland - Saw this one in the theater by myself too. Guess no one wants to see movies with me anymore! As you might guess from the title, this one has Zombies. It also has Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenburg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. The four are survivors of the zombie plague. They join up, reluctantly, and travel across the country.

One of the funniest...and most clever...parts of the movie is the way Eisenburg's character gives his rules for surviving Zombieland. The rules actually pop up on screen when they are needed. It is just hilarious! Oh...and there is a celebrity cameo that rocks! You got to see it...I'm not telling you who it is or what happens!

At the end of the day, Zombieland is full of gore, laughs and even a touch of romance. It is one of those "put your mind in neutral" movies. I loved it! Is it Oscar bound? Heck no! Is it fun? Heck yes!

Be sure to check it out when it is released next week.

Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey, Jr. plays Holmes in this movie based on the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Downey brings his brash and comical vision to the character. Opposite him, in what can only be described as a bromance, is Jude Law playing Dr. Watson. Sherlock Holmes is a fun ride through England in the late 1800s. The movie is visually appealing and fast paced. In fact, the dialogue between Holmes and Watson is so rapid that I had a hard time keeping up at times. Of course, they needed a woman so this thing didn't take on some weird Brokeback Mountain vibe so enter Rachel McAdams. She has a past with Holmes and seems to be the only one ever to have gotten the better of him. She is a fireball and jumps right into the action with the guys.

The story was not exactly my cup of tea but the movie moved at a rapid pace and kept my attention. I certainly hope we have not seen the last of Downey in this role!

Well...that is about all I have seen on the big screen. I have been enjoying some stuff on TV. If you are not a fan of The Big Bang Theory, Castle, 24 or The Vampire Diaries, I suggest you give them a try. Oh...and that little show known as LOST will return in just a few days to answer all those nagging questions...or maybe not! Since this is the final season, I have high hopes for the show that I believe is the best to ever grace the small screen!

It Worked For Stephenie Meyer...

If you have heard anything about the Twilight Saga, you probably know that the author, Stephenie Meyer, says that the idea (a whole chapter really) came to her in a dream. She saw Edward and Bella and knew Edward was a vampire, Bella was a human and all the other stuff that makes up the Twilight world. When she woke up she remembered the dream so vividly that it was like it happened. So, she got up, turned on the computer and wrote down the dream. Voila! The Twilight Saga was born!

So, I had this dream last night. It was really vivid and I still remembered all of it when I woke up. Maybe, just maybe, this is the new Twilight Saga! Let me give you guys a little look into what I dream.

OK...unlike Ms. "I Dream of Twilight", I dreamed about myself and not other people. I am quite a character so I think I could work with that...in a literary sense. Some other people I know popped in so they can become characters too! No problem! Also, I was much younger in this dream...probably in my 20s because I wasn't married at the beginning of the dream. OK...scene set...off we go...

Apparently my best friend and I were mail order brides. Not sure how we ended up on this path but we both got "ordered" and that is where the dream starts.

Oddly enough, my best friend ended up with her current husband but he was very different. For one thing, the dream version was a redneck. I mean a four wheel driving, off road, mullet sporting, camo wearing redneck who was spitting tobacco juice everywhere. My best friend was so happy with this guy! She jumped right up in the four wheel drive truck thing he was driving and off they went into the sunset!

I was "ordered" by this guy who seemed nice enough. Then he took me "home". His house was a disaster! The whole place was dirty and the floors were covered in this really ugly indoor/outdoor carpet that was brick red! Even weirder was the fact that the same ugly carpet covered the kitchen counters! Now, my new "husband" was getting us ready to go on our honeymoon which was suppose to be a cruise. I never made it to the cruise part in the dream but I can only guess it was some type of pontoon boat that Cousin Eddie might have owned! The oddest thing of all was that I seemed as happy as my best friend had been when she drove off with Mr. Deliverance! See...love conquered all...even rednecks and dirty houses!

There you go! I think I can just write this love story down and make a fortune! Watch out Ms. Meyer...I'm going to knock you off your sparkly vampire pedestal!

New Moon Review

Last night...OK, really early this morning...I saw the second installment in The Twilight Saga. Now, on limited sleep, I will attempt to review it for my dedicated blog followers!

New Moon is book two in the series and the movie carries the same name. This is my least favorite book in the four book series. Why? Well, Edward leaves Forks, Washington because he thinks it will be the best thing for Bella...but, I am getting ahead of myself.

New Moon opens with a dream sequence where Bella imagines herself old standing beside a perpetually 17 Edward (rocking a great suit with that trademark messy hair that I find really sexy!). She wakes to her 18th Birthday. Off to school for a lesson on Romeo and Juliet in English class...the death scene. It is foreshadowing that nearly reaches out and slaps you! Anyway, things follow the book closely with presents from her parents and a day that ends with a party at the Cullens. All it takes in the Cullen household to really ruin a good party is for a human to get a paper cut. So, things fall apart when Bella's blood hits the floor. This sets into motion the departure of Edward after his vampire brother Jasper attempts an attack on Bella. (Now, if you thought the guy playing Jasper had really weird/bad hair in Twilight, get ready for one of the crappiest wigs I have seen outside of the Children's Ministry's wig closet at my church! I can only hope they get him a better wig for the next movie.) So, Edward decides it would be best if he left Bella so she could live a normal life...without him.

Enter Jacob. After several months of walking around like the living dead, Bella bounces out of her Edward coma and strikes up a closer friendship with Jacob. She is on the page that says "I like Jake because he is a good friend" and Jacob is on the page that says "I love this girl". Now, that never goes well. During the course of the friendship, Jacob's Indian genetic pattern rears it ugly head and he becomes a werewolf (technically a shape shifter). Bella sure can pick them! From vampire boyfriend to werewolf best friend.

I felt a bit sorry for Jacob because the actor really pulls off his feelings for Bella and she just doesn't have the same feelings back. She only reconnects with him as a friend because she discovers that if she does something dangerous, she will see and hear Edward. (This is a bit different from the book where she just heard him...the movie had to add in Robert Pattinson in a few more places. To that I say...THANK YOU!) She rides motorcycles with Jacob to see Edward. She also learns, through Jacob, of a little sport known as cliff diving. That cliff diving will become important...well, that and the fact that future seeing vampire Alice can't "see" if a werewolf is close.

Remember that Romeo and Juliet lesson in English? Well, it plays out with Bella and Edward. It is the classic deal where one thinks the other dead and wants to die too but the other one is really alive. It just goes a bit different in the vampire world than Shakespeare wrote it! We get to meet the Volturi and the guy playing Aro does a good job. They add in a fight sequence between Edward and Felix that is really good. Vampires can really bust a place up fast! Alice saves the day by showing Aro (he can read thoughts if he touches you) that Bella will become a vampire. Aro gets to "see" a beautiful Edward and Bella running through the forest...both as sparkling vamps. This scene was the cheesiest in the movie and the theater goers actually laughed at it!

All is well that ends well...right? Well, Bella and Edward are back together and Edward now seems to have this deal where he wears suits all the time. That part is GREAT! Did I mention that Robert Pattinson rocks a suit? I actually had a great dream about him last night where...well, you guys don't need to know!

I would give New Moon a B...maybe a B+. It isn't a great movie but, if you like Twilight, it is probably in the must see category! The special effects were MUCH better than the ones they tried in Twilight. The wolf morph, vampire fights and infamous sparkle are all good. You can tell that a different director made this one...and he had more money! The posters for the third movie, Eclipse, were already up. Mark your calendars for June 30, 2010. That is the date that Edward, Bella, Jacob and friends will return to bring the Twilight Saga back to life!

Random Thoughts...

My head hurts. It has been hurting for days. Stupid sinus pressure!

Work meetings...one of Dante's levels of hell? Discuss...

Ever heard the song "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot? He wrote it in 1969 but I really like it..."And if you read between the lines..." Deep stuff Gordy...

FBI Citizen's Academy tonight! Yippee!

New Moon...two weeks and counting....Yippee!

YES...this is all I am writing...