Saying No Is OK. They’ll Love You Just The Same.

Could Natalee Holloway’s mother or father have saved her?

While hearing the emotionless Joran van der Sloot confess to having disposed of Natalee Holloway’s body, I hesitate for a moment but then proceed forward contemplating a different outcome if Natalee was never allowed to attend the informal school vacation.

I reflect back on my own teenage and young adult years where my mothers constant response of “no” drove me crazy. I was always the friend who had the earliest curfew, was unable to stay out the night of prom, and never allowed to attend far distanced trips unless one of my parents were a direct chaperone. Life at the time seemed so unfair.

As I get older and move further away from my teenage years and closer to having my own daughter one day, I think about the discipline and freedom that I will allow my children to have and I cannot help but think – unless myself or her father were present, my daughter would have not been allowed to attend the Aruba trip. And I am sure tears would have streamed down, red hot tempers would have flared and a few ‘I hate you’s’ would have been said, but in the best interest and protection of my child my answer would too, like my own mother, have been no.

What right does an 18 year old have to go to Aruba with a group of friends for a high school graduation party? Is a barbeque and pool party in the backyard no longer sufficient? Were parents aware that their children would be of legal drinking and gambling age in Aruba? Did any of these mothers and fathers stop to think that perhaps their teenage child was not yet mature enough to be situated in an environment that is loosely controlled? Even more disheartening is that the ratio of chaperone to students was 7:125, and as this was an “informal” high school event and all the students had recently graduated, the chaperones lacked the ability to implement hardcore consequences for poor behavior. If a student broke their curfew (were there even curfews?), became intoxicated, or slept in the opposite genders bedroom for example – what would be their punishment? They could not be expelled, miss graduation, or receive detention – all the possible deterrents that chaperones can typically emphasize and enforce were absent in Aruba.

Teenagers are not adults and that is why they are labeled with a term that references a transitional stage of human development. Teenagers, no matter how well they are raised, do not always understand the ramifications of their actions or overindulges – parents do. And parents are to be the literal and physical boundary which protects their children from the known and unknown harms of the world.

Natalee was not protected in Aruba. And I can only hypothesize that a response of ‘No” with a few “I hate you’s’ could have saved her life.

Black Out

Britney just found out that her Father has been named the conservator of her estate and http://www.tmz.com/ reports that she went ballistic inside the UCLA Medical Centre.

Even being celeb-obsessed, it sickens me that an insider is feeding this information to a for-profit, spread-your-dirty-laundry, paparazzi friendly company. That healthcare professional or associate (be it the nurse, receptionist, or janitor) broke the law to respect and keep sensitive the privacy and rights of patients seeking treatment. They should be fired.

And TMZ is just as dirty as that insider mole. Do they not carry any sense of responsibility or understanding of a fragile girl who needs to gain control of her life? Gaining this control equates to eliminating the open door policy she so easily and regularly endorsed. The media needs to strike on Britney. Stop the coverage! Ignore her. Dim your lights and turn away. Britney is just as obsessed with the attention she receives from these hungry-for-a-dollar men, as they are for their next best money making shot. Each get off by the others actions and the sick relationship between the two have stripped away any sense of fascination and intrigue.

What is left to know about Britney Spears? I think we have seen and heard just about all of what could and could not be true. We simply can create her own reality in our minds by piecing together the puzzle as we see it best fit, just as the paparazzi do.

Perhaps her future would look brighter if all the lights went dark.

Still Recruiting

Tom Cruise new prey is Ryan Seacrest! Hollywood sources are claiming that Cruise has been trying to causally introduce Seacrest to Scientology.

Seacrest needs to be out!

My Haircut.

I chopped my hair off. And please, when you see me don’t ask if I like my new do while you hesitate to tell me your true feelings to see if they are aligned with mine. They’re not. I love it. I feel sophisticated. I feel chic. I feel sexy. Sorry you are boring or don’t adjust to change well.

Victoria did it. Katie did it. And so did I.

Brit-Aster

Adnan Ghalib, the nasty, scheming, former paparazzi who is currently the lead user in Britney’s life is supposedly married. My question is, why haven’t any of the gossip mags or paps tracked down his to get some clarification as to whether this is true or not?

A few photographer stalkers coupled with badgering questioning might just make his wife want to be in the spotlight herself – offering up her side of the story for a ton of potential cash.

US Magainze suggested that the wife is in support of Ghalib’s infidelity so long as Spears is the only other woman – Britney is their winning lotto ticket.

Ghalib unfortunately, is just like the other media hungry, dying-to-be-their-own-star, Starbucks and Target companion of Spears. Spears picks associates who love the publicity as much as she does. Having another fame whore standing to her stand somehow makes her deep desire to remain famous okay.

Let me be Miss Cleo for a moment and predict the following:

• Once Ghalib has award winning, never better, wait until the world see’s this footage – surprising, shocking, how did TMZ get that video material of Spears will surface probably showing some sort of disturbing behavior.
• Within the next five weeks, in the interim of Spears not having any sort of visitation rights with her children, Spears will have another, potentially deadly meltdown.

Hopefully my crystal ball is wrong.

Big Girls Don’t Cry … Especially When Campaigning

Yesterday Senator Hilary Clinton reminded us that she is a woman. Bad move.

Clinton’s emotionally charged response to a Portsmouth, New Hampshire audience member question caused her to become teary eyed when replying, “You know, this is very personal for me. It’s not just political it’s not just public. I see what’s happening, and we have to reverse it.”

For many, Clinton’s behavior reinforced the hesitation of electing a female Commander-in-chief. Her red eyes and shaky voice stripped her of the ‘tough guy’ image she regularly portrays and reminded voters that she is as feminine as Jessica Simpson.

Perhaps Clinton’s reaction was strategic and staged – but in a time of great uncertainty and change, Americans are searching for a leader not a crier. And although the ramifications of her tears have yet to be determined, this much is sure – On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Clinton became a ‘typical woman’.

From the start to the end – her campaign may be a trail of tears.

What do you think? Did Hilary show she was more human, or will the perceived weakness end her campaign?

*First published on http://www.mindsay.com/, January 8, 2008

Flat again

Ms. Spears has yet another flat tire. Hmmm...has anyone stopped to think that maybe the paparazzi are creating her flat tires so they can get close to the star and have an upfront photo shoot? Just a thought....

Pap's to the rescure - see the footage on TMZ.COM, file "Britney Has Another Breakdown"

http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1369819657