Netflix Pick: Amanda Knox

Beware: this documentary is gritty and shocking.

I thought I'd pretty much decided for myself that she was not guilty back when I read this book, but this documentary makes me think again. But then I have to wonder why she would go along with this documentary if she really was guilty.....why put the question out there again? And to be fair, she was ultimately acquitted.

I still stand by her not being very likeable and not making very good choices......this doc puts that on full display. But again, as I said in the previous linked post, being stupid isn't a crime. I felt like this doc tried to humanize her and was really working to make the audience empathize. I mean, there she is in her lint-picked sweater, cooking in her small kitchen, surrounded by cats. That's cute and all, but skeptics still have questions.

This case reminds me a lot of the West Memphis Three case and its subsequent books and films....it looks like a local inept police department rushes to judgment in order to put the quiet town at ease. In the end, the saddest thing of all is that there's still no closure on who killed any of the victims in either case. (Even the guy who went to jail here still maintains his innocence.)

This piece also makes a case for the torrential current of media on the case and how inappropriate it can be at times. Maybe we all just have too much of a thirst for blood and salaciousness. Maybe that's why fictional crime shows are so popular. We're begging to be shocked and titillated.

And all at the cost of young lives and freedom. When crimes like these are committed what can we really do once it's done? Other than pursue justice, of course. But can we ever go back to the more kinder and gentler time when some details remained in the records and for private audiences only? And privacy and respect were valued above tawdry headlines? That's a journalistic pipe dream of mine for sure.

And even though I doubt she would ever read this post, I really don't wish a single bad thing to Amanda Knox. If she's truly innocent, I truly feel sorry for her. Her life has pretty much been ruined by simply having a roommate who was murdered. But if she is guilty or is implicit in any way, the personal hell she is living in is deserved. Not all crimes are punished by imprisonment behind walls and bars. Some are of our own making.

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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