jer-bear

On the other side of the world, I've been riveted by this case. For almost two weeks, I would check the news before I went to bed and after I woke up for the latest developments. The gag order and closed courtroom prevented play-by-plays. The items being reported was enough to make any person need a good disinfectant from the slime.

Whether the victims did it for financial gain or other motives, it takes courage to constantly be grilled many times by many people in front of millions and go through such personal traumatic memories from a cache of horrible memories and experiences typical of 'at-risk' children. No amount of money can ever make up for that.

Sandusky was sick. Perhaps he went through his own demons and the little I've read about his family life with his parents, it would not surprise me if he went through some sort of abuse himself. He is responsible for making his own decisions though as an adult, and many who have been abused consciously make different decisions. However, it appears as if there were a number of enablers, and those are the ones I find just as, if not more, reprehensible and despicable. I, for one, hope that the next chapter of this nightmare is to have each one of them pay for the decisions that they made. Karma, justice...whatever you want to call it...time for it to come a'knocking!

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Update February 12, 2017:

Sandusky's karma continues via his adopted son Jeffrey, who has been arrested for 14 charges related to sex crimes involving children, including statutory sexual assault. A five-year investigation that ended in 2016 uncovered 45 victims of Sandusky. His adopted son that was arrested had professed his father's innocence, even after the adopted son had allegedly molested two girls while living with their mother.

As I recently heard, someone doing something to you is his/her karma; however, your reaction is your karma. Unlike his adopted brother, Matt Sandusky, another adopted son, had chosen to speak up against his father during the trial, thus further validating many of Sandusky's previous victims that others were bashing. Matt has also chosen to continue to be involved in supporting the victims and co-founded Peaceful Hearts, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for survivors of sexual abuse as well as educate children and adults on sexual predators to prevent victimization of children.

The one person who continues to remain silent to this day is Sandusky's wife Dottie, who clearly turned blind eyes and deaf ears and was the biggest enabler of them all. When she did speak during Sandusky's trial, she blamed the victims for being money grabbers. She is joined by Camille Cosby as those who chose to support their spouses as trade-offs for fame and money. I, for one, hope that one day, they will choose to end their karmic cycle by walking in the light instead of darkness.

mind masturbation

I had the pleasure of hanging out with a number of men this weekend who were from Australia but now living in different parts throughout Asia or still in Australia. It occurred to me how much I miss intellectual stimulation. I really, really do!!!

I used to read a lot but for some reason I haven't quite gotten into it during my time in Vietnam. When I travel, I do bring a book from a collection of romance-based novels that a friend had given me before I left. While I liked these books when I was younger and still believed in Prince Charming, it no longer has the thrill it used to and is just mindless reading. I would like to say that the lack of reading my usual thrillers and adventures is because of access to reading material but quite frankly, I haven't even tried, and I don't know why. Last 6 months was due to work and lack of time but even before that I dropped the habit, perhaps novelty of the market and too much partying although the same 5 places to go are getting boring quite fast.

But I really miss the stimulation of having an engaging debate on taboo topics such as religion, politics, financial markets, and even sex. Although people here have no issues with broaching taboo topics such as age, marriage, or salaries and giving advice on everything you don't think is their business (see me love you long time (part 3)), there is a true lack of debates from knowledgeable people. The few times I have seen it, there is usually someone dominating who has to be right and likes to think she/he is the expert that the rules of healthy debate goes out the window so I don't even bother. I have also experienced it from an expat (who also happens to be an Australian who has lived in Asia too long), but in that case, he didn't like that he was debating with a woman who didn't automatically just tell him he was right and so smart. He once told someone that his type is someone like me but 'more agreeable'. 

Whether expats or locals, the genders tend to separate with men discussing sports, drinking and ladies, while the women gather to discuss domestic matters, gossip and what I call busy body topics. I don't know why people avoid even topics of aspirations and future plans, perhaps it is because so many come and go especially the expat community that they focus on the here and now.

Like the body, a girl needs periodic mind masturbation. Unfortunately, unlike the body, many times, doing it solo isn't so stimulating. 

rice patty

I get the purpose of bunless burgers for those on the crazy low or no carb diets. Even the buns made out of whole wheat or other ingredients, including rice-based, make sense. However, I find myself baffled by the burger held together by a bunch of rice mushed together. Isn't the purpose of the buns to keep the burger together when you eat it?