Mother sells baby for … car payment

Prepare for the strangest story of the month, year, if not the decade.

A mother in Colorado is under arrest today for allegedly selling her 5-month-old baby.  The mother, 23-year-old Nicole Uribe, is accused of selling her child for cash and a down payment on a car. According to Sgt. Brett Wilson of the Pueblo Police Department Uribe “negotiated the down payment as part of the sale of her baby.”

I can’t wrap my arms around this one. Let me see if make heads or tails of this one. A mother gives birth to a baby five months ago. She decides she wants to purchase a new to her car. Unable to come up with the cash through her assets, she decides to sell her baby. And then, to make matters even more outlandish, someone actually purchased the baby.

The only thing I can think is what are these people thinking? Or are they even thinking?

First lets look at the mother, how can you sell a human life, a child, that you have raised? Wouldn’t you have a sense of concern for the child’s safety? My hope is that whenever the mother gets out of jail she loses all parental rights. And how about the child. One day that baby boy is going to learn about his mother and learn about this episode. This is just disturbing.

As much as I find fault with the mother, I find as much fault with the buyers - Jose-Juan Lerma, 47, and his wife, Irene, 27. What made them think this was a good idea? They are facing child trafficking charges as well. But how do you say, yes, this is a good idea and go ahead and go through with it?

This is wrong on so many different levels. Hopefully all involved will get some serious help and the child will be placed in a loving family envrionment.

Does West Virginia belong in the NCAA Tournament?

A surprise team in the Big East Conference this year has been the play of West Virginia, given the fact that the Mountaineers lost four of five starters from a team that went to the Sweet 16 last year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, yet the Mountaineers have been ranked in the top 25, of both polls, racking up more than 20 wins, the most impressive coming against UCLA at home earlier this month.

But with an RPI hovering around 60 and a horrible out-of-conference schedule, outside of UCLA, WVU is back on the outside of the NCAA bubble. Honestly, it’s probably where they will remain unless the Mountaineers can defeat Cincinnati and take two or three during the Big East tournament next week.

The Mountaineers had a great shot of taking a young, inexperienced squad into the NCAAs, but the fall over the last 10 games will hurt, as will not being competitive, at the end of the game, against a Pitt team that will be a No. 2 or 3 seed in the tournament.

But for this Mountaineer squad, a NIT berth would not be a bad suggestion. This team was projected to finish among the bottom of the pack in the Big East, and is on the bubble of the NCAA. That’s a lot for a program that is still attempting to build a solid foundation of talent to compete on a regular basis on the national level. Remember, Gale Catlett, outside of recruiting Kevin Pittsnogle, didn’t really leave the program in great condition when John Beilein took it over in 2002-2003.

Name change

For almost 27 years my mother has had to hear me complain about my first name. As a guy, having a name that is commonly, in America, a female name is a difficult task. My poor mother used to attempt to make me feel better about my name by reminding me that “Shannon” is a traditional Irish name for males.

Yeah, that doesn’t help when letters are constantly referring to me as “Ms.,” or emails to people I am seeking information from come back with the “Ms.” as well. Add in the latest of having my ideas in a column denounced and have the “she” reference in the rebuttal.

So maybe I should change the name or shorten the first name. Any suggestions?

Random Thoughts Going through the Mind

Ah, I’m having a time concentrating today. Perhaps its my exhaustion or maybe its the fact that looking at budget numbers can be quite mind numbing.  Perhaps if I clear my mind, I’ll be able to return to looking at the differences between continuation appropriation and expansion items, which I need to finish by tomorrow morning.

Next week, I’ll add another candle on the cake, but I’m not sure about what to do? I thought about having some people over for the conference tournaments, or even going to a concert. Though the one concert that I would be interested in hasn’t even posted ticket information. But it’s not even around the birthday; it’s a week later.

Probably the best birthday that I’ve had in recent memory was two years ago. I was finishing up my divorce and the WWE  was in town for the Monday night program. Two of their performers were going to be at a car dealership to sign autographs. Me and my now roommate then intern headed out to the dealership to meet Stacey Keibler and Chris Benoit. We could have cared less about Benoit, we were only interested in meeting Keibler. We didn’t go away empty handed. We got an autograph and a smile.

I could probably do better for a birthday celebration, but anytime you can celebrate your birthday and Stacey Keibler is involved (even if only through meeting at an autograph signing), it’s a good day.

I went home this weekend to the great state of West Virginia. As much as I love going home and being in the mountains of West Virginia, it always amazes me how much I enjoy leaving after a few days and returning to North Carolina. Both places mean a lot to me, each for their own reasons. Yet, sometimes I feel more at home in North Carolina than I do in West Virginia. Maybe it’s because I’ve been here for some time now, almost four years. Maybe it’s because I have a good group of friends. Or maybe it’s because of the barbecue, ok maybe not the barbecue.

I don’t tell a lot of people this, but as a young kid growing up in West Virginia I knew West Virginia wasn’t the end destination for me. The jobs just weren’t there and continue to not be there to this day. I always looked at North Carolina as the destination, especially Charlotte because of the “job market.” I’m not alone in that. Many people who grew up near where I did in southern West Virginia look at the Charlotte market as a place to move to to find a better job than working in the mines or at Wal-Mart. It’s the same for the people in the north, but they look more towards Pittsburgh.

That doesn’t alter my affection for West Virginia. It makes me appreciate more the struggles that hold the state back, from its antiquated tax structure, to its dependency on the federal government for money and jobs, and a business climate that is adverse to new businesses locating into the Mountain State.

For instance, West Virginia has a regressive tax on the sale soda products, especially on the items needed to produce soda, that has kept bottlers and soda companies from opening locations in the state. The tax has been used to build the West Virginia University School of Medicine, but the 50-year-old tax needs to go because it is keeping jobs out of the state. Pepsi recently opened a plant 60 miles from the border and company officials said they would not consider West Virginia because of the tax. Gov. Joe Manchin sought the tax’s elimination, however legislators changed his bill and made it a “study bill.” In legislative terms, the bill is dead, because in the line of government appropriations a lobbying effort from WVU or the government trumps the concerns of businesses that may or may not want to open locations (and thus create new jobs) in the state.

This is just one example. There are many more. My hope is that one day West Virginians see what is going on in the state. But whenever someone has tried they are accused of
being too political, dirty, and going up against the union.

Open for Business

This weekend, a group from my church went to the motherland of West Virginia for some worship, relaxation, Guitar Hero, and skiing. It was a great weekend that was well needed.

However, this posting has nothing to do about the scriputre we read or the funny moments that came from the trip. Oh, trust me - that blog is coming. No, this blog is about a sign. A simple road sign announcing people that you have arrived in West Virginia.

It reads - West Virginia: Open for Business.

Do what?

Not West Virginia Wild and Wonderful or West Virginia Almost Heaven, two slogans that have been linked to West Virginia in the past. Nope, Open for Business greets people as they enter the state.

Really? This is how we are going to let people know you’re in West Virginia. Letting them know we are Open for Business. What happens at 6 p.m.,  should the sign say “sorry, we’re closed. Come back tomorrow?” What about at lunch? Be back in an hour?

The sign is a strange political reference on a tourism sign. Gov. Joe Manchin when he ran for governor 2004 ran on a platform of business change to make the state more business friendly, something that has yet to happen in his administration. Yet, Manchin wants to promote the idea to industries that West Virginia is now open for business.

Tourism officials in West Virginia need to replace the signs and return to the old signs that said simply “Wild and Wonderful,” for that is what West Virginia is - a state that is beautiful with various activities. We’re a long way to being Open for Business, and even if we were, it’s not how we should greet our neighbors.

An embarassment to football

Adam “PacMan” Jones was a highly recruited wide receiver out of Georgia when he signed to play football at West Virginia University in 2002. Three years later, after some stellar play, Jones left for the ranks of the NFL.

But that’s not the PacMan Jones we have grown to know over the years. No, the PacMan Jones we all know is the one who is in and out of trouble with the law, including a recent accustation that is just disturbing on many levels.  Jones is accused of slapping a stripper during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas and leading to an incident where shots were fired by members of his groupies.

This is not the first time Jones has been in trouble with the law. If something doesn’t happen soon, it won’t be the last.

Let’s take a look at his criminal past,

• 2003 - Sentenced to one year in prison following a bar fight in Morgantown. Sentence was suspended in lieu of two years probation.
• 2005 - Arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism following a nightclub incident.
• 2005 - Jones arrested at a Nashville Sports Council luncheon when he refused to wait for valet service to pick-up his vehicle.
• 2005 - West Virginia files charges against Jones for not maintaing the agreements of his probation, including notification of his previous arrests. A 90 day extension of his probabtion was approved.
• 2006 - Jones is arrested for disorderly conduct and being drunk in public after a bar incident where he also spat on a woman in a Tennessee bar. He is ordered to stay away from nightclubs.
• 2006 - Jones is cited for a misdemeanor assault for spitting on a girl from Tennessee State University at a nightclub.

Get the picture?

Through all of this, Jones is continued to allow to participate in the NFL, even though his criminal record would make the Bengals blush. Jones is an embarassment, not only to the Tennessee Titans, but also West Virginia University. If the allegations are true - and there are no reasons to doubt the allegations levied against him - it’s time to stop putting Jones on probation and make him serve some time in jail.

As Dan Patrick said on his radio show today, we keep saying the next time is the last time. Well, this is the next time. Jones shouldn’t be given another next time of probation. It’s time for tougher treatment on a player who has a lot of talent as a corner back and returner, but yet has seemingly squandered it away with a reckless attitude and outlook on life.

More Funny Moments that Only Come From Being Me

This was a popular feature back in December when I did this the first time. Since there is enough accidental comedy in my life to go around, I figure there was enough material for Funny Moments, Part Deux.

There She Is … Mr. West Virginia?

Most of my friends know that I take a lot of grief for my first name, especially given the fact that I’m a guy. At least once every other week I get an email asking or “Ms. Shannon” or a look somewhere wanting to see my ID because they don’t believe I’m actually who I say I am.

Well, nothing was more embarassing than senior year of high school.

On this day, I’m sitting in science class when one of the office aids brings in a brochure that had addresses on them and handed them out. They were given to all the girls and then me. I’m assuming this is something where the organization had gotten our enrollment roster and preaddressed them and mailed them to the school.

So, I opened mine up and it was a brochure to participate in Miss Teen West Virginia. There is not a thing about me that reads female, yet I was invited to participate in Miss Teen West Virginia. I was going to participate, sort of like Screetch in that episode on Saved by the Bell where he wins the Ms. Bayside contest. My hope was just to be the grand prized winner for the winner.

Mom, please step away from the Governor

Another high school moment. When I was 16, I was raising money for Junior Civitans and the International Dance-A-Thon. The Dance-A-Thon, to give a background was where you raised money for mental retardation research. Students who raised enough money were able to participate in the Dance-A-Thon outside of Toronto.

So I was a pretty gung-ho fundraiser about not being ashamed at whom to ask for money. Knowing the governor was coming to town, I went to the event hoping to make the fundraising pitch to the governor at the time. My mom went with me. We participated in the meeting - which was about how to improve the town we lived in.

At the end, I was able to meet the governor where I talked to him about the plan and he agreed to support my effort. My mom was not next to me at the time. She comes in as soon as the governor asked how to donate. When I finished saying, you can pay with check, my mom comes around the corner screaming “you can ask the governor for a check.”

The governor laughed and handled it well. Everyone was pretty embarassed, especially my mom. He came through with the donation by the way.

Where’s My Room?

I don’t know if this one is funny as much as it is lucky.

In 2001, I was able to cover the Pocono 500 for the newspaper I worked for at the time. I secured the room near the track and was ready to head up. Well, I travel up there and followed the directions - or so what I thought were the directions - and arrived at the hotel. They have no reseveration and no available rooms.

Now, if you’ve ever tried to get a hotel room on NASCAR weekend when you don’t have one within a 20 mile area, it’s a mad mess. No one had room for the Big Guy. I went outside of Pocono by some 30 miles and found a Days Inn, or something like that, where they had a room. Well, it was more like a closet with a bed, but it was a room.

You’ve heard of fat guy in a little suit. Try fat guy in a little room with tons of NASCAR publications and documents scatered. OK, and pizza boxes.

Funny thing is, I would have a similar experience with hotel rooms and missing reservations on my honeymoon night during my first marriage.

Why NASCAR was right for holding the yellow

Forty-eight hours removed from the running of the 49th Annual Daytona 500 and it seems the controversy surrounding the final lap won’t go away.

Should NASCAR have thrown the caution flag once the wreck started to occur? Let’s take a closer look at the entire situation, first looking at the rule. NASCAR implemented, a few years ago, a rule that ended racing back to the stripe on a caution to promote safety of all drivers. That created the so-called Lucky Dog rule, placing the first car one lap down back on the lead lap unless the car is the cause of the caution.

Scoring loops are used to determine where a driver is in the field at the time of the caution.

Now, let’s go through those final few moments of the race. Kevin Harvick was racing on the outside with a strong run on Mark Martin, who was guarding the lower line. The higher line was prefered off the draft, especially with the push Harvick received from Matt Kennseth. Coming off turn four, Harvick and Martin shared the lead at several moments, with Harvick finally taking the lead at the line. When the wrecks started to occur, the cars were going off the track, making it relatively safe for drivers to complete the race. Once drivers, like Clint Bowyer, came back into the track is when the caution was displayed - after Harvick and Martin had crossed the line.

The time difference - 1.9 seconds. That is how long it was between the wrecks and NASCAR throwing the caution out. I can’t decide what I want to order at McDonald’s in 1.9 seconds, let alone decide to end a race in caution.

Let’s say NASCAR threw the flag out prior to Harvick and Martin crossing the line, then you have to go to scoring loops to determine the winner of the biggest race of the year. Is that really how you want the Super Bowl of Auto Racing decided? Think of it like this, in April you’re watching the NCAA Championship Game and a referee calls a foul with no time left on the clock sending a player, who missed the shot, to the foul line for two shots. The game is tied, so the game is decided on the foul line. You wouldn’t want that.

The wreck had no reflection on the outcome of the race, but NASCAR was in a situation where it was in a no-win situation.

However, the controversy boils down to this - would there be much discussion about the finish had Martin held Harvick off to win the Daytona 500, giving the media the story of the retired driver wins the big one? Would the fans be as concerned?

My answer - No and No.

A time to prepare

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. I’m sure you already knew that.

I was drawn on two reminders of the start of Lent today. The first as I was preparing for work when the announcers were celebrating “Fat Tuesday” with the announcer stuffing himself with brownies. The other when a friend asked what I was giving up for Lent. It’s something I’ve thought about, especially when my good friend, Greg, has talked about spending more in prayer over these next 40 days, especially as we walk through the wilderness of darkness, just as Jesus did.

Now, going into really thinking about this, I had given the non-commital “I’ll give up soda” this year, which I will likely continue. (Though in reality, I’m actually giving up sweets and pizza.) But I want to add something and I think that addition is facing the things - the questions - in my life that need to be addressed. Certainly, the larger theme of this is surrounded around the question of “Where are you leading me?” I know there is a call, but what does it look like? What road am I going on? Am I going for deacon or elder?

These are questions other have had for me and it’s one that I wasn’t ready to answer. Perhaps because I spent so much time discerning if there is a call that I never took the time to let it be shaped. So in these next 40 days, I want to pray, read, discern more on what this future looks like. I don’t expect the answer to be given to me Easter morning, but I pray that I come out of this more prepared and ready for the voyage that God has placed me on.

I’m heading on a road that is exciting while also scary. In the corporate world, I know what lies ahead of me. That provides comfort. Not knowing what lies ahead scares me. I need to be more prepared and trusting that God knows what is in store for me at Asbury and where else I may go in service of Him.

So may we step foot into these next 40 days in prayer and preperation for God’s will and light to be shine in all our lives.

That has to be the worst haircut of all time

I didn’t want to blog about this. I really didn’t, but it’s just such a fascinating, not in a good way, story that you just can’t pass it up.

Britney Spears is bald. We’re talking clean shaved as if she was ready to report to basic training. And now the hair is for sale … on eBay. What’s not on sale on eBay?

It’s easy to make jokes about Spears - the obvious one being one I heard on “Mike and Mike in the Morning” when one of the hosts said when Kevin Federline looks like the responsible parent you know we’ve got issues.

But, seriously, you have to wonder about Spears. You really do. Here is someone who has fallen so far, so fast, that rock bottom seems like a way up. From the images of her holding her child on the front seat while driving, to the infamous party lifestyle after her seperation, and now entering rehab with a buzz cut. My hope is that she turns her life around - soon rather than later - if not for herself but for the protection of her children.

Until then, this is just a sad, sad train wreck that no one seems to be able to avert their eyes from watching.