I took her on a simple trip to see her husband's family, and on the way upon her hip, was laid my head down gently

Let's talk about Mel Gibson. Sound like a good idea? Alright, then, let's proceed. I don't watch TV and I don't visit websites like TMZ, so I'm telling you right off the bat my knowledge of the situation is limited. I have heard the tapes that have been released, those equally incriminating and disturbing artifacts of a man unhinged, and I think they're all I need to get a handle on the situation. I'm betting Access Hollywood isn't going to illuminate me any further.

A couple of days this week, I've listened to talk radio's analysis of Gibson-gate and the reaction's been pretty much what I expected. There were callers that thought what Gibson said and allegedly did was an affront to decency and moral integrity and there were those who thought the same, but with the caveat that he was driven to such extremes by a woman who knew how to push his buttons. No one sided with him wholly.

To the assertion that Gibson was driven to such extremes, I suggest that each of us is responsible for our thoughts and deeds and that no one can make us think or act a certain way. You may feel very strongly that something outside of yourself is manipulating you, but the truth is we manipulate ourselves. Let's say on Monday you come home from work with a pounding headache and all you want to do is lie down. Your mate starts talking about remodeling the kitchen. In your head you may be thinking, "You are really annoying me. Please leave me alone. I don't care about the damn kitchen". Saturday comes along, you've had a great night's sleep, the weather is beautiful. Your mate serves you a delicious breakfast. As you eat, he or she brings up the kitchen again, only this time you're more receptive. "You know, redoing the kitchen is not a bad idea. We should get on this." Nothing changed between Monday and Saturday except your outlook. This isn't rocket science, but it supports what I'm saying. Back to Mel.

Some callers, all men, with the above-stated belief, added that Mel's ex (I don't know her name) probably deserved what she got, although to them there was a distinction between deserving to be abused and actually being abused. If there's a distinction, it's slight. Anyone who says someone deserves to be killed, shot, hit, whatever....isn't that far away from actually doing any of those things. To wit: when Mel's ex scolded him for hitting her while she held they're baby, he replied that she deserved it. Back in the day, when Ralph Cramden cocked his fist and said, "To the moon, Alice!", everyone laughed. Imagine how that would play these days. Maybe not so funny.

I don't know how Mel is going to recover, publicly speaking. He already had one racist tirade under his belt and now, with these tapes, he's really gone off the deep end. His actions were inexcusable, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some compassion for him. As terrible as the things he said are, to me they were coming from a man in a lot of pain. His ragged breath, the outbursts - none of it came from someone on top of his game. I can't help but feeling for the guy, and not just because I like think he's a good actor and director.

It's important to understand that each of us is capable of anything. A lot of the people calling in to the shows I was listening to would disagree vehemently. Many said things like, "I would never, not in a million years, treat my wife like that!" Really? Sure, you don't intend to, but you might lose your shit someday. You may come upon hard times. You may lose your composure. You may drink too much. You may lash out. It's possible that Mel Gibson has always been this out of control, but I have trouble believing it. The likelihood that I'll pull a Gibson someday is virtually nonexistent, but it could happen. We are all of us capable of anything. Good or bad. Heck, even Jesus lost his cool when he and Peter beat James to within an inch of his life. Man, did they stomp his ass!
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The weekend approaches. I am glad. Today found me a bit lethargic, probably because I went for a vigorous run yesterday and then stayed up well past my bed time. After work, I practiced yoga and made a delicious salad. I am revitalized.

Watched The Blind Side last night. Thought it was going to be a lot better than it was. It was so formulaic and corny, so awfully corny, that I ended up fast forwarding through bloated scenes of football games and by-the-numbers montages. Sandra Bullock was good, but did she deserve an Oscar? Sure, why not. Want to see a great, uplifting, sports movie? Watch Rudy.

I'll leave you with this. While in the men's room at the registry in Salem the other day, a guy came in and said, "Hey, is this where all the dicks hang out?". At the time, I was a little creeped out, but I've since found the humor in what he said. Just figured I'd share that with you.