Toddlers and Tiaras- How can any parent be ok with this?

Watching this segment with Anne Curry on the Today Show this morning gave me the shivers.

I don’t care what these mothers' say…. I don’t really believe that these kids really enjoy all this beauty hoopla. I think the mother’s pressure them into it and that it is a sick and twisted way to live vicariously through their children. I only say this because while never a beauty queen, I was a ballet dancer at one of the most prestigious and elite ballet academies in the United States- School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center. I met more stage mother’s there who constantly pressured their daughters to be ballerinas- daughters who eventually out grew it and had no desire anymore to pursue dance, yet the Mom’s still dragged them kicking and screaming with bleeding toes and dance bags stuffed with tights, leotards, pointe shoes, hair pins, and carrot sticks to the David Rose Building on 66th and Broadway. The movie Center Stage does an excellent job portraying the mother/daughter dynamic I am speaking of. Thankfully, my mother was one of the rare parents who never forced me into the bun head world, I just happened to love it.

But I know first hand that what seems all glamorous and fabulous has consequences. For one thing, while certainly not the only thing, ballet played a huge role in the onset of my eating disorder with the pressure to be skinny and the pressure to be perfect. And now TV networks are producing Television shows such as this documentary – (link pasted below) promoting little girls parading around in make up and heels and competing in beauty pageants as young as three.

http://wbztv.com/entertainment/beauty.pagents.toddlers.2.918747.html

I think this is disgusting, unworthy of any kind of endorsement by any television network or advertiser, irresponsible parenting, and well, just down right creepy. I was appalled looking at all of these kids on the couch in their ridiculous make up and sexy outfits that are completely inappropriate. Exploiting our children in this manner does not give them confidence, poise, self esteem, grace, and all this other bullshit their stupid ass mothers’ claim. It is not cool. It is setting them up to be a magnet for sexual predators. Does anyone remember this deceased little beauty queen in the picture above? That's all I have to say to prove my point in the Gospel According to Michele Christine.

When is free speech appropriate?

Part of the reason why I started this blog was to vent my feelings on the insanity of the world- especially in this God forsaken city. But my two main reasons for starting it were to raise awareness about how our criminal justice system needs a major over-haul and the dangers of eating disorders.

Referring to the latter, while I am all for free speech, I am appalled at some of the websites I have read about in recent news promoting eating disorders- AKA- Pro-ANA & Mia.

For those of you who don't know, Ana is code for Anorexia. Mia is code for bulimia. Hundreds and thousands of websites have been started by people who suffer from these deadly disorders offering tips on how to stay sick. As much as I struggle with my Anorexia, I would never ever endorse such a thing. I wonder sometimes for teenagers who have eating disorders- do their parents know what they are doing on line?

My eating disorder started long before the on line information age so this movement is a little foriegn to me. But parents need to be aware of what their eating disorderd child might be doing. These pro eating disorder sites have sparked national attention and resulted in legal action across many states and countries to shut them down. Is free speech really ok when it could cost someone their life?

What would you do?

I am unfortunately, a sucker for Lifetime movies- AKA the Man-hater Chanel. Some are just beyond so horribly constructed that they are entertaining on a rainy day. But some, like one surprisingly that I had never seen before, called "A reason to Believe" struck a chord with me.

The long and short of it was about a girl who attended a fraternity party and was raped by a friend of her boyfriend's who was a fellow frat brother. I caught the movie 20 minutes into it and did not understand why the boyfriend never went w/ her to the party but that's besides the point.

The point is, she was raped by her boyfriend's fraternity brother. She said no. She was drunk, but not drunk enough to say "Stop it. NO. You are hurting me."

And of course, when she realizes what happened and reports it, no one stands by her and the college tries to cover it up in their as my friend Liz would say, Mickey Mouse court jury of students on a disciplanry comittee. Call her a whore, a slut, you asked for it.

While I agree that a buddy system should be in tact in these situations, sometimes, people can get carried away under the influence of alcohol. I have back in the day. But, when it is clear that one is not in a position to consent, gentleman should be gentleman. I don't think that this boy was so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing.

While I have my doubts that these kinds of wild and crazy frat parties will ever cease, campus's need to eduacate students on what can happen when no means no.

I don't know what the solution is to this problem. College kids are going to drink, go to parties, and when you designate one who vows not to and fulfills and delivers that promise, offers to see their friend home safe, what if that friend resists and says she is fine when you the sober one knows she is not and fear for her safety? What do you do? Do you drag her back to the dorm? Do you call campus security? What do you do?

So I ask myself, what would Michele Christine do? Michele Christine would do whatever she had to if she could prevent a friend from being at risk for rape, and hope that one day, someday, I saved someone's life from a crime that inflicts so much pain.

Angel Face?

Yep- I kid you not... that is what the American press is calling Amanda Knox- a foreign exchange student I blogged about awhile back accused of slitting her flat mate's throat in Italy last Halloween in a sex and drug infused fantasy game gone array, the prosecutors allege.

Because she's attractive, the American media calls her angel face. Her parents on the today show yesterday said everyone is just targeting her because she's a pretty American girl and they resent her. Really? Then why is your daughter's DNA all over the murder weapon? Her trial began in Italy yesterday. The photo I posted is of her and her then boyfriend, also a suspect, kissing outside the flat while police investigated the crime scene. In the gospel according to Michele Christine, she doesn't look so angel face to me. If my roommate had just been brutally murdered and I was so innocent of it, I wouldn't have the stomach to kiss any boyfriend. I'd be shitting my pants and scared to death the police would suspect me of comitting the crime and having panic attacks on the phone to my lawyer. DUH?

Who's the real Victim in all of this tragedy?

The recently released tapes of Casey Anthony and her parents of their conversation in jail is really pissing MC off. "No one will let me speak... No one will hear my side..." Oh? What side? Which version? The fake Nanny who is now suing you because she lost her job, credibility and integrity who never existed that you claim took her? "Everything has been taken from me." Oh? What about how you took your daughter from everyone who loved her in a selfish act called BABY MURDER? You can see the story here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/857578.html

I don't understand how this girl if she wants a chance at all is so freaking stupid to be opening her mouth when prison rules mandate all communication from visits to phone conversations are public 411 unless it's your attorney. If I were her attorney, I'd get rid of her because she's so dumb as fuck. If you ask me, he's in it for the fame. I can not believe for a moment he believes she is innocent and is being pretty downright unprofessional by only being involved in this case for the attention and media interviews it will get him to boost his practice. Putting this girl through a trial instead of plea bargaining, as much as that process disgusts me, will be the only thing that will take the death penalty off the table because a jury will convict her in a NY minute. The evidence is just too damning.

No one will let me speak... wa wa wa... Sure we will. Admit you killed your daughter because that's the only thing that will save you from the chair. How sad is it that her daughter will never get the opportunity to live again... to experience childhood, never again smell the flowers, ride her first bike, miss her first day of Kindergarten, and the excitement of her first date? I have no sympathy for Casey Anthony. Her disgusting throw me a pity party because I am a victim too is beyond nauseating.

Come on.... it's just trail mix!

This morning, I went down to walgreens downstairs from my house- Yes, in the cold, and in the snow. I needed to buy eggs for my cheddar omelete. This woman in front of me was purchasing three bags of trail mix that were advertised 3 for 3$. The cashier refused to sell them to her and said "You bought 3 yesterday. I can't sell these to you. There's a limit." SAY WHAT? I can't tell you how many times I've been down there in the course of a week and capitalized on the five campbells hearty soups for 5$ that's on sale, or whatever else I need that's on sale. No sales person has ever said to me- I recognize you, you can't buy this today because you bought it yesterday.

The woman got very angry and started screaming that this was ridiculous. I can't say I blame her- I'd be pissed off too on principle. But at the end of the day, on both ends- it is just trail mix. In defense of the customer, I said, there's another Walgreens on 68th and third. I bet they won't give you a problem there. Gosh Golly Miss Molly!

He gets to go home AGAIN???

After the news broke that a judge ruled against the appeal to revoke Bernard Madoff's bail... well... all I can say is that all of my investment bankers and I were utterly shell shocked watching this decision across the MSN TV's.

In my observation of his sly smirk every time I see him on Camera, this man shows no remorse for what he did. It's almost like you can read what he is thinking. I translate it to an explanation of this:

Yep, I did it, Yep, I know I am going to jail... but the money is gone, and I can't do anything about it now. I screwed everyone and now I know I am screwed so let me live my last few months of freedom in my $7mm penthouse on East 64Th because I will most likely die in prison if I don't kill myself first. At least I am trying to cooperate, I confessed, and am trying to work out a deal to avoid a trial.

That is what his attitude says to me... like it's ho hum, and oh well. I am not an attorney, don't particularly care for them, and have a very hard time understanding just why the judge sees no reason to hold him in a cell after his fraudulent crimes.

I guess it is a matter of tracing everything he did in order to successfully indict him on criminal charges which could take the prosecutors months to prove that would render sufficient grounds to remand him to custody. It just really sucks that judges must rely on the diplomacy and guidelines of the law rather than what they know is the obvious. If this were a body missing and not money, he'd be in jail for sure.

I seriously felt on my walk home from 57th & Lex, paying a visit to East 64th and park and hurling a grenade at the top floor. Justice sometimes isn't fair and royally sucks.

He didn't know selling his Minor daughter in exchange for food and booze was illegal?

You don't say! Give me a freaking break. PLEASE. I saw this story on line and it infuriated me how a parent could actually claim not to know that selling his child into an arranged marriage was illegal. To read that the chief of Greenfield Police actually believes the bullshit hogwash that this vile excuse for a human being didn't know it was wrong due to differences in cultures and laws further incenses me. I don't even want to know what this poor child has been through. I am going to be ill.

See the link to this absolutely disgusting story.

http://www.kcba.com/Global/story.asp?S=9661699

Why doesn't America just legalize stealing?

I just got the news alert that the judge in the Bernie Madoff case allowed him to remain free on bond in his Manhattan Penthouse. This a photo of him just content as a clam watching TV in his huge ass digs on the UES. Nice! Way to go Your Honor!

Red Carpet Divas and Disasters

Every year, I always pick one best dressed female and one worst dressed female. I could care less about the men. This year, I was tied on the worst dressed list. I don't know what Maggie and Renee were thinking. Renee looked like she rolled out of bed after falling asleep in her clothes the night before from too much partying and Maggie looks like she's a dyed leopard at the zoo.

Can a video game help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

I saw this in the Post and on the Today show this morning.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/01/playing-tetris.html

A new study reports that the game Tetris can help with symptoms of PTSD for those victims who suffer from traumatic memories. I think it is a fascinating study, but I was a little surprised by the fact that it's really not a theory that's very new and that's how they are marketing it.

It almost exactly mirrors a popular treatment for PTSD called EMDR therapy- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a treatment that I have undergone to help cope with my flashbacks. The process involves a lot of eye movements either following a light or movement underneath the guidance of a therapist while recalling traumatic memories. The theory is that by focusing on something repetitive, it can help reduce the frequency of flashbacks or at least help get you through them that can distract you from feeling like you are reliving the event in the present even while it's in the past- a symptom all too familiar for those of us who suffer from PTSD.

The more interesting thing is that, nobody seems to know including the people who invented it, why it works. I can not sit here and say that EMDR or therapeutic tactics such as this recent study have eliminated all of my awful memories from what I went through, but focusing on repetitive tasks and learning how to ground myself with my surroundings has worked to help soothe me through the fires of hell when friends or family are not around. Whatever works says the Gospel according to Michele Christine.

My feelings on the death Penalty in regards to criminal Justice

I can recall the very day at my job where me and and many of my friends were jumping up and down when Scott Peterson received the death penalty for his wife Laci and it was announced all over tv and email blasts. Everyone known to man knows he killed her and his unborn child Connor, just like the jury who acquitted OJ knows damn well he killed Nicole and Ron Goldman. Why they did, I am not sure. My belief is that it was payback for Rodney King.

After a fellow blogger friend of mine posted a link on Carlie Brucia, I almost went ape shit. She was an 11 year old girl from FL returning on a walk home from a sleepover at a friend's house where she was abducted on tape by a convicted felon out on probation in the parking lot of a gas station. She was raped and brutally murdered.

The Link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJoID7VwRtM

Enough evidence convinced a jury he was drop dead guilty and he was sentenced to death, as well he should be. Now, his attorney is trying to over-turn his death penalty senntence. PLEASE!!!

I have not a grain of rice of mercy for rapisits or child molesters, particualarly, those who rape or molest children. The damage of sexual abuse is life long- be it child or adult. Call me a bad Catholic, but I really don't care. From my own experience, I simply do not believe sexual predators can be reformed, and I resent my tax dollars keeping rapists and murderers alive.

Not so Poppy in the Gospel according to MC

I have never had a drug problem, thank the Lord. But, I have an eating disorder that I grapple with every day that feels like just as much of an addiction as one who struggles with substance abuse. Be your vice too much booze, too many drugs, too much gambling, too much food, or in my case, too little...I don't think mental illness is something to make fun of. Jay Leno's comment that most nutritionists would find Amy Winehouse's crack addiction more nutritious than a pop tart really pissed me off.

I am guilty- I LOVE Amy Winehouse's music. I think she is incredibly talented, but I don't think her problems are anything to laugh at. My nutritionist thinks I just like her because she's a bad girl- a rebel and relate to her. She won't stop doing drugs, and I sit in front of the just eat police every two weeks and ask, when there are potatoes in my soup, why do I also need to have a baked one? Because for somebody at your weight, just soup is not enough.

I wonder if perhaps, she may be right at how I relate to Amy Winehouse. Regardless, I would love to see the day when my nutritionist appears on Jay Leno and claim crack is healthier than a pop tart, when she would probably give me a gold medal If I dared to eat one, pathetic as that sounds.

Damn it Oprah, SHUT UP ALREADY

Is anyone sick and tired of hearing Oprah bitch about how big she is? I am for sure. Why is it necessary for her to announce to the world what her weight is? I mean, who the hell gives a hoot? I don’t think she looks that bad. Not for nothing, but I find it a little ironic how the Queen of Self Esteem is whining all over the media how embarrassed and ashamed she is of herself for being so big. I mean doesn’t she preach about loving yourself all the time?

I am so sick of all these segments and reality shows like the biggest loser in the media promoting diet and weight loss. I am sick of my nutritionist’s very famous boss on TV talking about weight loss, and no, I don’t give a fuck if she reads this. I rarely hear any talk about Anorexia or Bulimia except on shows like Access Hollywood, where they debate how much Kiera Knightly weighs, and is she or isn’t she?

I understand obesity is a big problem in this country that can lead to heart disease and even death and it’s an important health issue. But so is Anorexia. It has the highest mortality rate more than any mental illness in the country. That is a published fact. I think it should be given an equal amount of attention.

How did it happen?

The sudden death of Jett Travolta is a horrible tragedy. As a person with seizure disorder who suffers from the exact same kind that he did, I know how terribly frightening they can be and how seriously one can injure themselves. In my last one, I fell down four flights of stairs, broke my nose, lacerated my jaw, and had to have four teeth extracted which are still being worked on.

There has been a lot of speculation and reports in the Media about his parents’ beliefs in Scientology, whether or not they stopped his medication, and whether or not he was Autistic. Only the family knows for sure. While I definitely have my opinions on what I have read about this case, I will refrain from expressing them out of respect for the family while they grieve the loss of their son. However, I am leaning towards the belief that his death could have been prevented.

Yet Another Diet Book

Since I am a member of the Barnes and Nobles rewards club, I get these offers for new books in my emails all the time. This one in particular pissed me off.

The statement by the author that he can make you thin, is in my view pretty ballsy. I don't think anyone can make anyone do anything they don't want to do. I also think all these books geared toward being "thin" and books like "skinny bitch" only further promote our society's obsession with beauty and thinness and play a huge role in making people at risk and more susceptible to eating disorders.

I wouldn't wish an eating disorder upon my worst enemy. It's a horrible, twisted, and very difficult disease to recover from and to cope with. A nine year old girl that I have known for years and was babysitting for yesterday kept staring at me. I said to her, why are you looking at me so strangely? She was hesitant and then said... well... it's just that you are so skinny. I wish I could be as skinny as you. I was mortified. Of course, I can't explain to a 9 year old child that I have anorexia and chalked everything up to being limited to what I can eat with my teethe, which is partially very true, but I thought to myself... You are 9 years old. If I had to live my life over again and I knew I would have developed this illness, I'd run from it from the hills. Unfortunately, once you have it, it doesn't work that way, just like it doesn't work that way with people who struggle on the opposite end of the scale that I do. I feel for them and know how hard it is, as only people who have these disorders know and understand.

This child is very talented in art and drew me a picture as a Christmas Gift, and she drew me narrower than a pencil. I was horrified that a 9 year old girl can see what I can't see and wishing she could look like me. It's time for diet books to go away and Michele Christine to get her rear in gear and gain some weight.

What a way to ring in 2009!

Just a short while ago, I was checking my email when I received a message from an ex boyfriend of three years ago to friend him. It really spooked me, especially since it did not end well. What occurred to me is how when I tried to end it, he still relentlessly pursued me, despite my repeated requests to back the fuck off and do not contact me.

And three years later, he's STILL looking for me, thinking about me. It's giving me the creeps and I just had the most massive panic attack. What part of the word NO do men not understand???