Felony Child Endangerment?

Maybe that, maybe not...what DO you do with a typical headstrong, positive thinking, almost totally logical, immature but nearly completely THERE physical specimen of a female who knows how to sail, even alone or mostly so and desires with all her being to be the youngest person to have ever circumnavigated the planet by boat? Long sentence but it nearly wraps up the conundrum. Let 'er go? Help her go? Follow along behind? Get out of the way? She's ONLY 16 years of age, not the age of Majority in the US of A, that's 18 years. Say no? Can you hear the screaming? Can you hear the logical blabber? Kids die in car accidents. Yes and I regret that too.
They shouldn't drive at all until they are at least 18, but that's my stupid idea. It's cut down on the heartbreaks I think if it were so. But what about this Abby Sunderland kid? Skilled, oh yes, skilled...all the way from Marina Del Ray in Southern California down and around Cape Horn non-stop and was intended to BE totally non stop until technical difficulties caused her to go into port in Cape Town South Africa after crossing the Southern Atlantic Ocean ALONE in a 40 foot boat.
Damn folks, she has balls! Big ones too! Bigger than mine I'll tell you! The ocean is The Ocean, it is merciless and cruel and beautiful and very, very big. She wanted to do it, cross them all and come home to fame and fortune, book tours, more sailing, be an expert at a young age and show us all what the human spirit can accomplish. Where WERE her parents mentally in this exercise? Were they wondering of it at all? Did they have doubts? Did they read every account of blue water sailing and these sorts of adventures and think "oh, she'll be fine." Are they nuts?
Capsizing, more than one, de-masted in a 60 knot storm with huge waves for days at a time across the Southern Ocean as remote a place as you could find on the Earth. And what about the sponsors? The magazines that waited for the daily reports, the blogosphere that hung onto her every word? No one said, "stop, WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO?" "Sail where?" "By Herself?!" All those boaters who followed her out of the bay at Marina Del Ray rooting her 16 year old self on, were they in their right minds too? The frenzy, the excitement, the thrills...all worth the life of this young heroine? Really? Someone or some company got her the 40 foot vessel she desired. Someone set it up with sails and supplies. They are all guilt by association with it and her near loss. Attempted Murderers or accomplices at least. Pandering their needs for money, fame and notice in the support of Abby's Folly. I'm sorry but that's the way it feels, the way it is. Now what? Will she get a new mast fitted and continue this attempt? It may happen folks, it very well may happen. Money is no object to these pimps, if they can find a fool to go on their errand they will do whatever is necessary. Now...is she and her parents their fools?

What's The Use?

You know I love a good philosophical argument, a rousing political or religious one is wonderful too. Alas, in the current atmosphere in the United States I find it increasingly difficult to have these exchanges. Its no longer stimulating or fun, it has become serious, even between friends. I have long and dear friends who will always have that status with me, I respect and admire them for their viewpoints and willingness to share them with me. I believe they hold the self-same thoughts as I. I say that and yet some of the content of our exchanges anger me and my responses, them as well. We do not live in like worlds, we see it differently, unalike, convoluted from each other, different and distant. Still I respect the discourse itself yet feel I must back away during these times to protect us all from the loudness of our screams. The United States has never been an easy to understand place; it's politics, it's belief system, it's modernity, it's past. The anchor drags along the bottom as the ship drifts this way and that. This could be the time of the 2nd revolution in the US of A. I am far to old to join the active battle for the hearts and minds of the populace. The right has it's points, the liberal leaning Democratic left, always weak in the US, is suddenly ahead of the game while being pursued vigourously by the Republican and religous right. The current financial situation has polorized the public. Red or Blue, Right or Left, Secular or Not. Yet we are all citizens of this great country, a star among the nations of the earth, un-perfect but stiving to be so. This season of discord will pass, times ahead will reveal themselves to be better and more dynamic. These are the doldrums of our nationhood, the teenage years of angst and separation. We abound still, financial crisis or not, the world IS our oyster. Our culture is complex and yet accepting of those unalike and wanting. My optimism counters the pessimism of the times, I think I'm right and that we will accend to a greater place and time. My friends will remain my friends, to confound them, to confront and create angst in them is not my desire. Creating hope and confidence in the future is far more a goal, a toast to tomorrow for them. Maybe there's a chance for us all.

Oh and here is a groove from Mr. Willie Dixon, oh how he can play the Bass! Wow!