So ... What Exactly is This Mess, You May Ask?

 

Well, it's the raw materials for the fall wreath I'm making :)

I'm still deciding what I want to go where, so check back in a week or so to see if it's still a mess, after I make it, when finished ;)

Plus I'm not quite ready to actually decorate the house for fall yet, but we're almost there :)

Where I Was When 9/11 Happened, and After ...

 

(*edited) 

So where was I, on September 11, 2001?

I was sitting in the waiting room of the therapist, I had mentioned, who at the time, worked for a local clinic.  

The Today show was on, and they broke in with footage of the first plane.   

At that point, we weren't sure if it was an accident or intentional.

When I went into session, we discussed the possibilities if intentional - but she also had this remarkable calming effect - not that everything was going to be okay, but that whatever it was, we would handle it.  

My first thoughts were how I was going to handle explaining this to my daughter when home from school, when I knew so little - so we spent the next 50 minutes talking about that. 

One thing we both agreed on - if it was terrorism rather than accident, this event was going to change America irrevocably - and we were right.

After the session, everyone was gathered around the TV because now the 2nd plane had hit, and we learned it was definitely terrorism.

The 1st call I made was to the elementary school where my daughter was in 1st grade. 

I asked them to please not tell the children what happened, let us as parents do that, please - but they were way ahead of me.

They said they were releasing the children in 1 hour and sending them home and would not explain why to the children, just telling them their parents would explain it. 

The 2nd call I made was to my older sister, whose husband, a project manager of construction, was working on renovating O'Hare Airport in Chicago - the 3rd largest international airport in the country - and we didn't yet know where the planes were coming from. 

Me:  "K, have you seen the news?"

 

K:   "No, I've been working, I've got a deadline.  What's the problem?" 

 

Me:  "Okay, apparently now it's 2 commercial jets that have crashed into the World Trade Center.  The buildings are on fire and are expected to collapse.  They suspect there are more, headed towards other locations, but they don't know which airports these planes are coming from - would you please call M and ask him to come home from O'Hare for the day?  Just for the day. They're even sending kids home from the schools here in Kentucky." 

 

K:  "Jesus, stop being so melodramatic! IF that even happened, which it likely didn't, it's probably an isolated event and won't affect us.  IF that happened, it was probably an accident, air-traffic-controller error or something. My GOD, you're so fucking selfish!  You get me so upset!" 

 

Me:  "Oh - so it's about YOU and whether or not YOU are upset?"

"That's funny - I thought it wasn't about you OR me, but about commercial planes being used for terrorism - and the fact that your husband is currently working at Chicago's O' Hare Airport, one of the largest international airports in the country, right now - literally renovating a jet hangar." 

"But yeah, you're right, ya caught me - I personally did this, just to upset you. I personally orchestrated crashing planes into the WTC -  for the sole purpose of upsetting YOU." 

"And aren't I selfish, calling you to try to keep your husband physically safe, because we don't know which airports these planes are coming from yet? 

"But all YOU care about is whether YOU are upset by it."

"K, seriously -  this isn't about you OR me -  this is about the safety of your husband! They're even sending the kids home from school here!" 

"Just turn on the TV - I'm just worried about M working at a hangar in O'Hare, because we don't which airports they're all coming from.  I'm not making this up! It's really, really bad." 

 "If I'm being dramatic, then so is the rest of the world, they've grounded planes and shut down airports in some places, even Canada, even some in Europe, because they don't know  the details on yet!"  

"But fine - call me whatever you need to - just promise me you'll get him away from that airport, just for today, okay? Just so we can be sure he's safe until we know more."

 

K:    "Whatever.  But you didn't have to call me and upset me about it."  

 

(Click.)

???? 

Yeah, so that's my older sister K, who despite calling everyone else a drama queen, is actually the biggest drama queen I've ever met, next to my mom. 

Like me, my younger sister can be emotional due to trauma as well, but not like K or my Mom - with us, it takes certain specific triggers -  and we're a bit more self-aware after therapy.

My 3rd call was to my fiance, at the time, my first husband (not Mark).  

We decided that when his son got home, he would bring him there, with my daughter, sit them down on the couch with us, with them in our laps and our arms around them, explaining what happened.

By that time, a plane had hit the pentagon, and we also learned there was another plane yet unaccounted for.

For some reason, I remember saying, "Somebody fought back.  That plane isn't going to hit its target."

My fiance said, "How do you know?"

I said, "I don't know that, for a fact, I'm just hoping.  Just because it hasn't hit its target yet, like the others, and they have no idea where it is or why, only that it hasn't hit anything.  That's just what I'm hoping, is they figured out what was going on somehow and fought back? If so, those people are heroes, my God, the bravery, knowing they were likely going to die either way."

Of course, that ended up being United Flight 93, and we know now that Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, and Tom Burnett told dispatch operators they had a plan to rush the hijackers in the cockpit, using a food cart. 

Then Todd Beamer told the dispatcher, Lisa Jefferson, that one of the hijackers had a bomb vest on.

Then he led everyone in the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23, then his last words to dispatcher, Lisa Jefferson, were "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."

The next sounds recorded were the sound of the food cart ramming the cockpit, several sounds of fighting and yelling, with one hijacker yelling in Arabic in pain, the sound of crashing glass, suggesting they were able to breach the cockpit, and then several utterances between the Arabic pilot and Americans, suggesting they were struggling for control of the yoke, ending with "Pull it up! Pull it up!"

But it was too late, they were already in a dive, landing in an empty field in Stoneyfield, Pennsylvania.

The plane was believed to be headed for the White House.

In fact, out of everything that happened, the one thing that can still make me tear up is what happened on United Flight 93 :(

Later, this would be the story we focused on, when telling our kids about 9/11 - but first, it was how to tell them what we knew thus far.

At the time, my daughter was 7 and my former stepson was 6.

So the first thing we did was hug them like there was no tomorrow when we saw them, smile and smother them with love, and then sit them down on our laps.

My fiance (again, not Mark) had already said, "You talk.  I'm too shook up. Plus I'm fucking pissed, at whoever did this, and I don't think I can hide it, and we're trying to keep them calm."

So we said a prayer first for wisdom and the right words to say, before they came home, and then I said:

"Okay, everybody comfortable? Okay. So you're going to see some things all over the TV, because every channel is showing it, even kids channels have interrupted their regular programming - some very scary things." 

"I wish I could tell you they weren't real, like a movie, but they are - I want you to understand that although it looks like a movie, it's not a movie, it's real. A lot of people in New York City and Washington D.C. have been hurt and killed." 

 

 "BUT - I also want you to also know that you're safe - that is why the schools sent you home - you're safe with us."

"Here's what happened so far. Some planes crashed into the World Trade Center and they're on fire and collapsing. Those are some very tall skyscrapers in New York City, with thousands of people in them. A plane also crashed into the pentagon, which is where all our military leaders work and military decisions are made. There's also another plane that they just found in a field, which they think was headed towards the White House, where the President lives."

"You're going to see a lot of this all over the TV and at school, people will be talking about it, so let's talk about it as a family now, and then we'll turn the TV on, for a limited time - we're going to put a time limit on it, and watch WITH you - in case you have any questions. 

"Just know that whatever you see, you're safe, you're home, you're okay, and we're here if you need us, okay? "

"I also want you to know, however you're feeling is okay - scared, mad, sad - it's all normal and okay - you have every right to those feelings."

"So let's talk about those feelings, it's important to talk about them with us and each other. Just use your words rather than show us, okay?"

 

Then I explained what happened and asked if they had any questions, telling them there is much we still don't know.

Their questions were:

Kids:  "Who did this?  Why?" 

 

Me:  "We don't know yet, just some very bad people.  There are more good people in the world than bad people, but there are some bad people, too, so it's important to be careful.  

"Now - having said that - you're going to hear a lot of people accusing lots of other people, and lots of people blaming things like the country they were from, even their skin color or maybe even their faith - but lots of people say a lot of things - we don't believe things just because people say so, in this family - we don't listen to gossip, we wait for facts and proof, okay? 

 

"But what I want you to know is, countries are big, they have a lot of people, and like I said, there are more good people than bad."  

"Religions are big, they have a lot of people, and there are more good people than bad in them, too." 

"Groups of people with darker skin are big, they have a lot of people, and there are more good people than bad in them, too." 

 

"Every group of people in the world has a lot of good people and a few bad ones - so we don't blame an entire group of people for what a few people choose to do - especially because of the country they're from or the color of their skin or who they pray to, okay?"

 

Kids:   "Okay.  How far away is New York and D.C.?  Are those bad people coming here?   

 

Me:  "We don't think so.  We're in Kentucky, there's nothing they'd really want, here, and no one they want to hurt as much as big buildings in big cities, especially our nation's government buildings, so you're pretty safe because we are hundreds of miles away" 

"But keep in mind, just because it didn't happen to us and WE'RE safe doesn't mean everyone was or that we shouldn't care about what happened and be respectful." 

"Also, this happens a lot in other countries, it's just the first time it's happened  in multiple locations here in continental America in our lifetime, so remember how lucky we usually are, too."  

 

"Also, we have lots of soldiers, police, firemen, EMTs, doctors and nurses going up there to help.  So you may go to school with some of the kids of these people, who have a family member or friend that were in New York or Washington DC and the places they hit, or they are one of the police, firefighters, EMT, or soldiers called in to help, so we need to remember that - be kind to other people and be careful what you say, because their family or friends could be hurt or even die there, okay?"   

 

"Also remember these are some very brave soldiers, police, firefighters, EMT, doctors, and nurses doing everything they can to make sure we're safe now, getting control of the situation and help people heal, so thank your soldiers, police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors and nurses, okay?"

Kids: "So are YOU scared?" 

 

Me:  "I was scared, at first - but we're home safe, and the more information I get, I feel better - education is always the key to feeling better, the more you know.  Plus the good people are getting control." 

"Now I'm just sad - very, very sad for all of those people, for how much MORE scared THEY must be and for those that were hurt and died - but I'm also very, very proud of all of the brave heroes working hard to take care of us.  See, you can feel lots of things at the same time and that's okay and normal, too." 

"J?" 

 

J (My Ex-Husband):  "Yeah, I was scared.  But now I'm just mad.  I don't know who I'm mad at, I'm just mad at the bad people who did this and want to do something about it."

 

Me:  "So see?  We may feel the same about it or differently  and that's okay, you're allowed.  You have the right to feel however you want to - let's just talk about it, not show us by slamming doors or yelling at each other." 

"It's more important than ever that we appreciate each other and focus on love, okay? Because that's what bad people want.  It's okay to be scared, but the bad people want us to STAY scared, all the time, and forget to appreciate and love each other." 

"So it's more important than ever that we keep remembering to appreciate and love each other, and keep going, regardless of what happens, because if we don't, that's how the bad people really win."

 

Then we turned on the TV and the images were everywhere, holding them tight and waiting for questions, until their questions had subsided for the moment.

I don't talk about my daughter much, here, for security reasons after prior events online - and she  unfortunately doesn't remember a lot from when she was little - but she does remember that day and nearly verbatim what I said, confirming that I handled that one well, she felt very safe but also very empathetic to what happened.

Thanks be to God and a good therapist I ran it by first :)

Speaking of that therapist, she returned her now private practice to Lexington a few years ago, and I went to see her.   As I said, I was not only sitting in her office when 9/11 happened, but she was the first person I told the full story of what happened with that family member. 

 She was also there when a lot of other things happened in my family and knew the truth (because my mother briefly attended the same clinic she used to be a therapist in, but refused bipolar treatment until 2011).

Thus, she cried with me, for everything that had happened since, horrified to what had happened since, verifying for me, in my self-doubt, that the family was extremely dysfunctional and toxic, I was the scapegoat, and they had resisted the healthy techniques I had begun to employ in my own life and was teaching my daughter, as well as beginning to stand up to them in more healthy ways.

Since she returned to her private practice to Lexington, I began seeing her again full-time, and she has this amazing calming effect on me, I can't explain it.  

I guess because this is a person whom I've known for 22 years, who knows everything there is to know about me and gets me.

She's extremely intelligent, an intellectual, but also a Christian - a liberal/Democrat Christian, like me.  She has this balance of science and spirituality that just - works - and she knows I was telling the truth, the entire time, about everything  :)

In fact, though I've had therapists since her, I can't explain it but - I'm just doing the best I've ever done in my life returning to her, when she returned back in town.

Of course, it helps that I've had a lot of time to heal, completely removed from my family, and a wonderful, supportive loving husband, and a few good friends, but she gets me.  That is not to say we always agree or that she doesn't ever confront me, but she has the gentlest way of doing it, mostly in the form of, "Okay, let's talk about that.  I understand why you want to confront this, but let's talk about the backlash, and the toll it will mostly take on you, if you do" - like a role-playing thing in advance, in a way. 

Mostly, I just felt like I got it all out - I felt safe enough to re-experience the pain, the grief, the anger, the shame, without judgment or misinterpretation, in a safe place.

It's interesting thinking about 9/11 today and being in her office - because at the moment, she's away with her daughter, after the birth of her very first grandchild last week :)

That's life, isn't it?  That we remember these things, but that also life goes on regardless ...

Speaking of Some Children at Home, Manny the Manatee's Message ;)

 

The other day, I wrote about not knowing what I would do, if I still had a daycare-age or school-age child, right now, with COVID and bus routes and daycares and childcare canceled.  

Luckily, there are people like my friend, who is a grandmother to 7 children, and has become the childcare during COVID.

She sent me a video today, of three of them, saying hello to me, and showing me their stuffed buddies, whilst (not-so-quietly) reading their books lol - it made my day! 

(I won't share it due to privacy, of course, but believe me when I say they are precious, precious, precious!)

But what I can share is the message from MY stuffed pal, Manny the Manatee, giving kisses and praises for reading books, in hopes of giving encouragement and a smile back :)

She said they were thrilled - aw, so glad, those boys are precious!

Well, it's good to know I can still pull out and dust off all those crazy voices, I once did, to entertain my daughter lol.

Let's see, there was "Lion Friend" and "Mr. Elefante" (who was actually a dog toy but became part of the gang) and "Floppy" the bunny, but her favorite, believe it or not, was when times were tight or rough, I used to put a sock on the end of my hand, whom we called "Monsieur Ticklebug," who appeared when she refused to go to sleep.  He rarely spoke, but when he did, he had a French accent, and used to give her kisses and tickled her until she finally agreed to go to sleep :) 

Awesome New Fayette County Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard (Which Unfortunately Also Includes a Letter to the KGA Co-authored by Uncle Cracker ;)

There is an awesome new dashboard, upon which staff, parents, and students can follow the weekly COVID count, which includes a breakdown of each school and staff building - the link is  at https://apps3.fcps.net/covid-dash/v4/dashboard.asp.

Here's a screen shot from this morning... 

Thank you, great job, Dr. Liggins, to keep everyone on the same page and informed!

Also great job to the FCPS Data Team!

(Which Mark is on, but not the COVID count) 

Also, here is the newsletter on COVID-19 from Superintendent Liggins that is sent to staff, parents, and students, which gives an additional vaccination report.

 

Note that only 27% of children 12-17 are vaccinated.

Note also that unvaccinated individuals account for  70% of all the new COVID cases, 80% of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and 90% of all COVID-19 patients in the ICU. 

I'm not sure it could be much clearer than that - it proves the vaccination is working, largely to prevent more severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

HOWEVER - we also took note that the Kentucky General Assembly convenes today to discuss COVID-19 matters - and that Fayette and Jefferson Counties, and their school-board chairs, have written a letter to Governor Beshear, requesting "safe" continued in-person learning. 

Okay, I like keeping us informed with counts - but good luck with that, considering only 27% of students age 12-17 are vaccinated in Fayette County.

Sigh.  

Oh, and great, Tyler Murphy is on that case, coauthoring the letter to the KGA, I feel so much better and safer now.  

(Yes, that was sarcasm.)  

He's the School Board Chair I've mentioned that claims to be a Democrat, but we don't claim back, because he acts like a Trumper, including throwing public fits when he doesn't get his way, making crazy false accusations/backs conspiracies, and literally goes after people's jobs when they don't cave to his demands. 

In total, Tyler has vindictively targeted the jobs of 4 people - including his fellow board member - anyone who didn't cave in to his tantrums - two white and two black - and with the other person of color,  he told the interim superintendent that she needed to advise this person to:  "be nicer to white people."

???

If you all knew who this person was, you'd laugh - because every time he saw my white husband, he'd give him a giant bear hug - long before (during and after) Tyler accused this person of reverse racism and had the interim superintendent "counsel" him.

Methinks Tyler just meant be nicer to him  - kiss his ass and give in to his temper tantrums - because the tension between them had nothing to do with Tyler's white skin color ;)

This from a supposed fellow Democrat, sitting on an all-white school board.

Regardless, the targeted person found work elsewhere and quit after being told that, because he recognized he was being targeted by Tyler for not giving into his demands, and making their disagreement about race when it wasn't.

And can I just say how hilarious hypocritical it is that his most recent accusation is of a fellow board of member's dishonesty, after he himself spearheaded a petition to have the former superintendent (Manny Caulk) removed for not returning the children to school sooner, then when Manny died unexpectedly from cancer, he acted like his best friend and actually held memorials for him?

Yeah - he's THAT kind of a guy - total weasel.

Many parents love Tyler, because he talks a good game in person and they don't know, unless they attended or saw the broadcasts of school-board meetings (particularly closed sessions) - which is unlikely - they didn't see him make crazy-paranoid accusations about transparency, throw fits and walk out of meetings, and they don't know how he has successfully gone after people's jobs when they don't cave to his demands (or just people he doesn't like), although the school board is supposed to have zero control over internal hires and fires. 

I also think that if the parents of color knew about the above-mentioned staff member being told to "be nicer to white people" (meaning himself), as well as falsely accusing any staff who stands up to him, he'd be a lot less popular.

In short, don't be fooled, fellow Dems, this time on our side - just like Trump, Tyler Murphy will say anything to get elected - he's your stereotypical power-hungry, populist, vindictive, questionably racist little weasel, regardless of what political hat he wears - and I don't mind saying so publicly.

That may sound harsh and as you know, I'm a big fan of kindness and giving people the benefit of the doubt (my husband would say I give too many chances).

I don't like being rude, mean or name calling - but even Jesus had his exceptions, calling Pharisees and publicans a "brood of vipers" lol.

My 3 exceptions are:

(1) Someone who has used up all of their chances/benefit of the doubt with me, and yet keeps pushing me into self-defense/defense of others I care about. 

(2) Bullies. 

(3) Similarly, an elected official  who abuses power.

In this case, I don't know this person personally, so at first I gave the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to gossip - until I saw for myself, ON VIDEO and audio recordings, of the unnecessary drama and temper tantrums from Tyler creates, with crazy accusations without proof and tantrums  - so Tyler Murphy falls into both categories 2 and 3.

In fact, I'm not going address him by his name anymore - henceforth and hitherto, he shall only be addressed as "Uncle Cracker."

Not like the band with this name, but because he looks like a creepy uncle AND because he is the very definition of a "cracker."

For those who don't know the derivation of the term "cracker,"  it originated during slavery, and it means a white person of power who cracked the whip on their slaves to keep control, imagining themselves as "benevolent patriarchs" doing what's best for society :/

  

Holiday Weekend, Then Back to Work/School - with 12 Bus-Route Cancellations for Fayette County Public Schools

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day :)

We didn't go anywhere, this time, except a new walking/hiking trail for us, and we also decided to unplug from the internet and news for the weekend :)

We did binge-watch "Clickbait" on Netflix, though, which was worth a watch. Being a retired aspiring screenwriter (lol), I'm pretty good with "whodunit" stuff and can usually tell you "whodunnit" after 15 minutes in - but this one stumped me. 

Well, the twists do almost reach the absurd, after a point, but it does reveal some interesting things about our own prejudices, much like "The Undoing" - only in the opposite direction.

It also shows us what's possible with social media, how quickly we snap-judge assumptions about a person's life and character, based on an online snapshot of them, as well as how easily influenced we are to believe or disbelieve something -  even a person's guilt or innocence -  by what we think we see and hear online, even though we know much online content is deceptive and sleight of hand may be involved - and also asks us as a culture if we really believe what we say about justice in our constitution or not, when it comes to judging what we think people deserve based only on what we think we saw? 

If you haven't seen it, stop reading now, SPOILER ALERT. 

Our culture tends to think where there's smoke, there's fire, and sometimes that's true - but it can be a different story, someone else can create the fire and smoke - especially online.

Sometimes the motivation is jealousy, rejection, or retaliation for some wrong the perpetrator felt was done, either real or imagined, etc. - but law enforcement is discovering more and more these things are often done randomly, out of nothing more than the perpetrator's own boredom, sometimes the perpetrator just wanting attention or to feel powerful, not knowing the victim at all. 

(Thus, it doesn't feel like a real crime to the perpetrators, because people tend to objectify people online anyway, especially perpetrators with the "boredom" and "wanting to feel powerful" motivation). 

In fact, though this is not a true story, the examples they stumbled upon while investigating were in fact taken from real cases across the U.S. and the problem with online legalities, to include "freedom of speech" arguments, as well as extradition issues if the online crime was done in another state or country.

It's worth a watch, and though it's worst-case scenario-almost-to-the-point-of-absurd, considering the fact that much of the content was taken from real law-enforcement cases that had at least been initiated online, it's worth a watch, if for nothing more than to show you what's possible online and how unsafe and un-legally protected we really are.

Just because you haven't been a victim of a cybercrime in some form yet - from random hacked email or social media account to identity theft with banking or otherwise, even up to stalking/harassment - it does NOT mean you're either more or less attractive than others, a nicer and/or better person than others, smarter than others, or saner than others - it in no way means that you're either more or less "deserving" of being a victim of cybercrime than anyone else - it means you're lucky - period.


(And if you think otherwise, check your victim-blaming attitude and have a chat with your local law enforcement about the reality of crimes -  especially cybercrimes.)


Also worth a watch to show you that mob rule doesn't make the mob right, when it comes to a person's guilt or innocence, especially when it comes to what we think we see online, and again, makes us question ourselves, as a culture, as far as what we say we believe isn as justice in our constitution versus how behave when it comes to justice, especially online?


Anyway, it's back to work today, and here was a rude awakener ...

At present, we have 12 morning bus routes to Fayette County Public Schools Canceled. This is due to lack of bus drivers for two reasons - COVID and children acting out/fighting on the bus.

At last count, we had 324 people with confirmed COVID, with 70 of those being children - three people with breakthrough infections in my husband's department :/.

Yes, breakthroughs for the vaccinated are mostly milder, but still - with my husband's stroke in 2017, I worry.)

The new superintendent, Dr. Liggins, is from Texas, and is used to a district that demanded schools reopen early, during the original lockdown, and is trying to keep them open here due to similar demand.

Here, however, it's not just Trumpers that created the backlash previously (although we had those, too, standing outside the new Central Office, ranting about having to wear masks, and some recently carrying rifles and guns).

Also the backlash also came from poorer parents, who had no childcare and could not afford to pay for child care or be home to home school their children due to work.

(I don't think people realize the rules are stricter for people with menial jobs - no, you don't get to leave work to drive your kids to and from school or soccer practice and your 15-minute and 30-minute breaks are clocked in and clocked out, if you even really get them.)

Honestly, if I still had a school-age child, and wasn't working from home, I don't know what I would do, so I feel for those upset parents :/

However, what I'm 100% certain I would NOT do is  - instead of going to work -  stand outside the new Central Office to protest mask mandates, all day, with my children, carrying a rifle or gun (this picture was taken before the gun-toters showed up).

Because first of all, I'm a mask believer (at least offering some protection) and secondly, the only person there I understand being there at all is a disabled person, for whom wearing masks/getting assistance with masks is difficult (but then again, the solution to that problem is not NOT wearing a mask at all, but getting assistance with it or virtual learning for now).

Everyone else has no excuse for missing work and involving their children in a selfish protest. 

Honestly, are that bored or over-privileged, that wear a piece of cloth over their nose and mouth to protect them/ their children from a contagious virus is worst thing to ever happen to them or their community?

Again, ask yourselves - "What's the worst that can happen if I wear a mask?" 

And then "What's the worst that can happen if I don't wear a mask?"

True, there is a chance you could still get COVID either way, but at least a mask offers some barrier for protection?

OMG! JoBeth Williams is on Josh Gates Tonight (Talking About Those Scenes That I Literally Posted About 2 Days Ago!)

 

I literally just wrote a post,  two days ago, about what JoBeth Williams had to endure in the filming of Poltergeist (in the Val Kilmer post, about what a bad idea it is, to ever argue with directors/filmmakers - you do what they tell you, period - using JoBeth as an example) - and she's on the brand-new episode of Josh Gates Tonight (S4: Episode 22) called "I Am (Urban) Legend" talking about it - and she just confirmed again that they were real skeletons!!!

(However, she says she didn't find out until years later they were real - I thought she didn't know until after the first few takes.)

I'll post a clip of it when available.

Interestingly - keep in mind the 40-year-old rumor I mentioned in that post - about Steven Spielberg having an unhealthy obsession-bordering-on-stalking of JoBeth, and these scenes being retaliation for rejecting him, as she had just married John Pasquin, whom she's still married to -  as you read the way this interview went ... 

Josh asks her, straight up, if Tobe Hooper directed Poltergeist or Steven Spielberg, because there's been a lot of controversy over that (to say the least). 

She said Steven was the producer, but he was there, every day, it was really his film.

Josh mentions that Tobe - who directed "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" - had always been known for using fake blood and skeletons -  but used real ones, this time?

JoBeth pauses and says, "Yeah, apparently they were cheaper lol"

Real human skeletons from India were cheaper than plastic-mold casts? 

Allllrighty.

Josh then asks her what he (Steven Spielberg) was like.

She says, without missing a beat: "Like a 13-year-old kid with his favorite toys."

Mm-hm.

Josh asks her about the bedroom scene.

(AKA the overly-aggressive near-spiritual rape scene, that I mentioned in that post - that went on way too long, was oddly out of place with the rest of the film, included inappropriate cheap, crass, through-the-legs panties shots, and inappropriately attempted to make rape sexy, rather than what rape actually is, just another method of power abuse.)

Josh didn't say any of that last paragraph, he just asked her about it, clearly being careful, and seeming slightly uncomfortable.  He awkwardly throws it out there and kind of just waits to see what she'll say about it now.

Interestingly, she tells another story I hadn't heard - which is that she did about 75 takes of that bedroom scene,  in a rolling room (to make it look like she was on the wall and the ceiling) -  and by the time she was done, her legs and arms were bruised and bleeding. 

She said, "Steven, I'm bleeding ..." 

... to which Steven Spielberg replied, "Don't worry about it, we can clean that up, no one will see it."

???

Then Josh asks her if she was okay with all of this?

She says, "As long as I'm still getting residuals, yes, lol" 

Brilliant answers, what class act, love her - she laughs it off as if she's teasing Steven as a friend, putting a positive, funny spin on it -  but there is an undeniable slight edge to it, too.

HOWEVER ... hmm ... not sure that helped dispel those rumors or actually lends more credence to them. 

Like I said, JoBeth will never tell, if she ever wants to work again, and she is still working -  but she does seem to drop us hints, doesn't she? 

(And she's still married to John, almost 40 years, mind you.)

 

Fun With Scam Callers

 

Now, iPhones now alert you to spam and telemarketing, but it doesn't get them all.  Today, I was waiting on my doctor to call me back, and they sometimes call from their private lines, so I answered an unknown number - and of course it wasn't my doctor. 

Guy:  "Hi, this is Dan, am I speaking with Chrystal Chaplow?

 

Me:  "Yes.  But I was expecting a call from my doctor.  This doesn't sound like my doctor, unless you're a medical assistant?"

 

Guy:  "No, it's not your doctor's office, but I am calling with good news - you've won $3.8 million from Publisher's Clearing House!"

 

Me:  "Really? That's amazing - especially because I never entered the Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes!" 

"Listen, "Dan" ... I'm waiting on a call from my doctor, so I need to go-"

 

Guy:  "Well, you'll want to hear this, your doctor can wait.  We can send you $3.8 million right now."

 

Me:  "Dude - I'm pretty sure I just told you I'm waiting on an important call from my doctor and need to go, but you want to persist in telling me that I magically won $3.8 million, from a sweepstakes I've never entered."

 "So if that's true, then either send Marie Osmond or Brad Paisley to my house with the famous giant check and balloons, write me a prescription for Cipro for my UTI,  or hang up, because I'm sure as hell not giving you my bank account number to direct deposit this magic check in, which I'm sure was your next question-"

 

*CLICK*

Hehehe - ain't I a stinkah? 

I really hate being rude to anyone, but I also love messing with scammers, for my own amusement, I can't help myself - because, I mean, they really are the scum of the earth.

I've even been know to say things like this, if they persist:

Me:  "So ... what are you wearing?"

Guy:  "I'm ... sorry?"

Me:  "You heard me.  Are you into cosplay or furries?  Oooh, tell me you're in a giant panda suit, that's hot ..." 

*CLICK*

Hehehe - that usually does it, if all else fails! 

However, already not feeling well today, snark was the best I could muster.

But laughter is the best medicine :) 

But seriously - are people really dumb enough to fall for that stuff?