they wanted to see a movie

Twelve people died at a movie theater shooting in Aurora Colorado on July 20, 2012. Ten died at the scene, and two died later at a hospital. The victims were:

Jonathan Blunk, 26
Alexander J. Boik, 18
Jesse Childress, 29
Gordon Cowden, 51
Jessica Ghawi (aka Jessica Redfield)
John Larimer, 27
Matt McQuinn, 27
Micayla Medek, 23
Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6 (Her mother Ashley was pregnant, was shot in the chest, miscarried a week after the attack, and was left a paraplegic.)
Alex Sullivan, 27
Alexander C. Teves, 24
Rebecca Wingo, 32

After rigging his apartment with homemade explosives and incendiary devices, the perpetrator went to the theater, bought a ticket, and then left the theater via an emergency exit, propping open the door. At his vehicle, he dressed in tactical clothing and retrieved his weapons. He then returned to the theater through the exit door and set off tear gas grenades then shot into the audience with multiple firearms. Eighty-two casualties were reported. Seventy were hit by bullets. The tear gas grenades irritated four people’s eyes, and eight additional people suffered non-gunshot injuries when trying to escape the theater.

Weapons used: Seventy-six shots were fired from a 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, 65 shots were fired from a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, which eventually malfunctioned, and five shots were fired from a .40-caliber Glock 22 Gen4 handgun. He shot first to the back of the room, and then toward people in the aisles. A bullet passed through the wall and hit three people in an adjacent theater screening the same film.

Button Sunday

Somebody gave me this button years ago, and I figured I’d never use it for a Button Sunday. When I moved from LiveJournal to here, I resolved to give as little of my blog real estate as possible to people who I find deplorable. If I wouldn’t invite someone into my home, why would I let him/her hang out here?

But I decided if ever there were a time to use it, it’s this week. I really don’t care what politics you espouse, there are lines that decent people don’t cross. I can’t think of a single group he hasn’t exploited and mocked for his own personal gain; this past week, it just happened to be my gender.

Do I believe in free speech? Of course. I also believe exercising that freedom doesn’t mean there are no consequences when we choose our words unwisely.

Wisdom has never been a trait of bullies.

Button Sunday

Helen, who I know through Tim, sent me this photo of a button that she says has “a political statement close to [her] heart.” Mine, too, Helen. Mine, too.

Thanks, Miss Harris, Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Adair, Mrs. Couch, Mrs. Lester, Klaus Duncan, Toni Niblett, Mike Craton, Joene Bedwell, Billie Bryan, Sandra Rhodes, Helen Jones, Arlina Jones, Gary Sanford, Mike Fincher, Sheila McElroy, Culpepper Clarke, Don Noble, Phil Beidler, Jewel Hudgens, Henry Jacobs, Dwight Eddins, Virginia Foscue, Gerald Globetti, Pat Herman, Neal Lineback, Francoise De Rocher.

Work of Art, 2:5

Bravo’s Work of Art challenge as described by Lindsey on Follow Work of Art: Find a headline from any newspaper that strikes a chord with you and create a piece of art illustrating the story you select. Additionally you need to find a way to incorporate some of the newspaper itself into the work.


“The Polarizing Nature of Celebrity Outing”
Mixed media on 8×10-inch canvas

I drew words from newspaper articles and ads to illustrate contentious issues around the public’s near-obsessive speculation about celebrities’ sexual orientation. These words surround closet doors which, when opened, reveal an article about yet another couple thrust into the limelight and the “Are they? Aren’t they?” publicity that surrounds them.

Button Sunday

I found this button a while back in some of my mother’s belongings. I could be wrong, but I’m reasonably sure my mother never voted for Richard Nixon and only had it because she liked to collect political buttons. This one is from the 1972 campaign and was distributed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President, later known as CREEP. Most of the committee’s members landed in legal trouble and even prison for criminal activities relating to the election, including a little action known as Watergate.

Houston is coming up on an election of its own. Though I’m being driven nearly mad by political phone calls, this button is a reminder that it’s good to be mindful of where my vote goes.

Magnetic Poetry 365:299

Working on my final PR collection while watching the first season of The Vampire Diaries. When I’m not reading the news. Which is making me feel, as it has for about eight years, uncomfortably prescient. It’s one of the “benefits” of having turned thirty-five a few times, I think.

One of the other “benefits” is that I know no one much gives a crap about my politics.