Monday Weisblog: A most unwelcome piece of advice

Saturday afternoon, our family was at Flagler College moving my daughter, Chawney, into her new college dorm room. I knew that at some point, I was going to feel some sadness knowing that my daughter, who I’d just adopted in March, was not going to be accompanying us on the ride home.

That time came at around 4 pm Saturday, when the parents and students were ushered to separate “orientation” classes. One of the first things out of the mouth of one Daniel P. Stewart, Dean of Student Services, was that the parents needed to learn to “let go.” In other words, they had to let their kids make their own decisions and take responsibility for themselves.

When he said those two words, “let go,” I felt as if someone had kicked me flush in the stomach. I suddenly realized that I’d spent all last week trying to imagine what must be going through the heads of Chawney and/or my wife (Christina). This mother/daughter combo is as closely knit as two people in those roles could be.

In this one split second, I discovered I’d never actually taken the time to stop and consider how saying goodbye to someone who’s been an integral part of my life for the last six-plus years would affect ME. I was so worried about everyone else I didn’t really ever stop to deal with my own thoughts and emotions.

But now here we were and there was no turning back. I was going to have to say my goodbyes within the next couple hours, and quite frankly, I knew it was going to be something I was not prepared to handle.

It was everything I could do to not stand up and shout, “BITE ME, Daniel P. Stewart!”

See, what Mr. Daniel P. Stewart doesn’t understand is that I will NEVER let go, at least not completely. Sure, Chawney now has the ability to make decisions on her own and lead her own life, but I am always going to be her dad. I will always be there for her and her brother – no matter how old they are, where they live or what they become.

During dinner, our last “official” gathering together, we were all unusually quiet – and if you know “the Weises,” you know we are normally among the most chatty, animated families on the block. We all knew the time was drawing near, and there was no conversation or humor-driven banter that could gloss over the emotions we all felt.

I had an entire laundry list of emotions going on: I was proud simply to be the father of such a magnificent kid; I was feeling grateful for having Chawney under my roof for the last six-plus years; I was feeling cheated because I only had her under my roof for six-plus years; I was thrilled for Chawney because I do feel this is a great opportunity for her; and I was feeling sad that life as I knew it was never going to be exactly the same. Maybe it was a little selfish, but that latter one was by far the strongest.

Prior to dinner, I’d promised myself that because I was a man – and men don’t get all emotional, I would be strong for my wife and Chawney. But who was I kidding? I didn’t even make it through dinner before starting to cry – and I don’t mean just a little. I literally sobbed for the rest of the time we were there and about a third of the way home. Just re-living the moment now makes the water works start all over again.

“Let go.” You’re joking, right?

As Chawney closes one chapter of her life, I intend to be a part of the new one – even if it means going from being a major player to a “best supporting role.”

Bite me, Daniel P. Stewart!

One more reason to love AMW

I still remember the first time I watched America’s Most Wanted. I fully expected it to be nothing more than a show that would create a few curious onlookers, but would never last. But after just one episode, I was hooked – and apparently so were many others.

To date, the show has helped capture nearly 1,100 heavy-duty fugitives, both in the United States and abroad.

While I do think the show has gotten a bit more “schlocky” in recent years (especially in the opening credits when host John Walsh looks at a criminal who’s just been placed in handcuffs and says, “It’s a bad day for you!”), it serves a very useful purpose other than just to entertain us.

Such was the case late last week when another fugitive was plucked from off the streets – this one for a crime committed in my home state, Florida. Jorge Ivan “Angel” Villamizar-Ayala, 36, was taken into custody in Brownsville, TX as he left a church service last Friday night.

Villamizar-Ayala is accused of killing his then-girlfriend Bianca Sierra in Pompano Beach in 2004. The death was particularly gruesome, as he allegedly killed her with a sledgehammer and left her to be discovered by her two children. Villamizar-Ayala then disappeared until a recent broadcast of America’s Most Wanted.

If you think this makes Villamizar-Ayala seem like a bad guy, well, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet! He’s also accused of killing his wife in Colombia prior to fleeing to the United States in 2001. He is also charged with attempted murder in New York of another girlfriend, Luz Jackelina Fuentes.

Villamizar-Ayala tried one last trick to elude authorities, giving them a false name and ID, but they weren’t buying what he was selling. Once the fingerprint results came back, they were certain they had the right guy.

For his sake, I sincerely hope Villamizar-Ayala absorbed everything he heard in church while he was on the outside!

Nice job, America!

PLEASE NOTE: This is my last blog of the week. I’ll be back on Monday as usual. I’m taking a few days off to celebrate my birthday and help get my daughter moved into her new college facility.

Tuesday Weisblog: Toe the line

Today’s blog is in honor of the first day of school here in Seminole County!

A few years ago – maybe one generation ago, to be exact – you’d hear stories about kids getting their knuckles popped for misbehaving in school.

It appears that a Tampa, FL assistant principal has brought back old-time discipline, this time with a slightly new wrinkle.

King High School assistant principal Olayinka Alege has apparently gotten into the habit of “toe popping,” that is, having a student remove their shoe and literally popping them on the toes.

“(I) was ordered to remove a shoe and sock, and lift up a foot and Mr. Alege popped his toes by pulling them out and bending them down,” said one student.

Another student said he was told by Alege that, “I will pop a toe for each bad grade you have.”

He allegedly told another that because he could not hit them, he would pop their toes.

There have been a number of accusations, though all students claim the form of punishment did not hurt. Most said it was just “weird,” and I have to agree.

Despite his oddities, Alege is very popular at the school, and it appears that nothing is going to happen to him except that he’s no longer allowed to pop toes.

It doesn’t appear that there are any long-term effects from this, as long as it’s not being done repeatedly – as it’s much like knuckle-cracking.

A psychiatrist interviewed on the subject said she thought it was abusive. “Nobody is allowed to touch a student in the form of discipline or otherwise,” Stacey Scheckner said. “And whatever actions the students did, the consequence needed to be directly related to that misbehavior. The consequence needed to be specific, concrete and related to the incident that will actually teach them a lesson. Next time, instead of choosing to misbehave, they would think about what they were doing.”

Unfortunately, Alege and his principal were not available for comment. Too bad. I’d like to hear from them.

Monday Weisblog: Good stuff, Maynards

Less than a week before her wedding, a woman named Ida who lived in Ansonia, Connecticut was attacked by a masked man at her home. The man threw a blanket over her and beat her with a baseball bat before fleeing her domicile.

The police investigated, and the perp turned out to be Keith Maynard, an Ansonia town official. He’s been charged with second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful restraint and first-degree reckless endangerment.

For her part, Ida was treated at a local hospital for abrasions and released.

Authorities say that Ida – NOW MRS. IDA MAYNARD, came home to find Keith already inside the premises, where he committed his assault (allegedly).

“I love my husband more than anything and to know that five days later was my wedding and he could do that and go through with the wedding. I was very surprised,” Ida Maynard told reporters outside the courthouse.

Makes you wonder if Ida’s having second thoughts! The article I read as a point of reference left a couple key questions unanswered, the most important of which was, “Did Ida know Keith was the perp BEFORE the wedding?”

I’m guessing she did not from her comment, though I cannot say for sure. Either way, this marriage is on shaky ground – and Keith’s probably going to get some time to cool down and think about what he’s done.

Friday Weisblog: Stuff to think about

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY CHARLIE REESE, A FORMER NEWSPAPER REPORTER. AN INTERESTING READ TO BE SURE.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices. 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Wednesday/Thursday Weisblog: Drug Money

If you are fortunate enough to have a few dollars in your wallet or purse, chances are it’s tainted. No, it’s not fake … but it is more than likely tainted.

How is it tainted? Well, according to a study by the American Chemical Society, about 90 percent of all United States paper currency contains traces of cocaine. Yes, cocaine … the illegal drug. The percentages were even worse in cities like Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Miami and, sadly, in my area (Orlando).

In the worldwide study, the United States and Canada were the world’s worst offenders, while China (20%) and Japan (12%) had the “cleanest” currency.

Apparently, cocaine likes to attach itself to the green ink on the bills – but the amounts are so small that unless you go around sniffing your money all day long you’re probably OK.