Crimestoppers Textbook

We had a "Pictures at Eleven" moment in an on line update of one of our local newspapers yesterday, Man charged with killing cat that ate his bird which, for reasons that say a lot more about me than I should ever be comfortable admitting, tickled me in a Tweety vs. Sylvester sort of way.

My favorite part in what is a very short article, O. Henry would have been proud, may well be the reference to "Police say they were at L*sco's home on an unrelated matter when they learned of the cat killing." The moving finger, having writ, or in this case, keyboarded, moves on. We never learn what the original, though unrelated, matter that brought law enforcement to the house was, and I suspect we never shall.

And for those who despair about the disappearance of majesty in the English language, and I'm thinking of you Sara J., there in the front lines teaching on The Other Coast, how can you not love a fragment such as "... and the cat, named Pepper, jumped..." It makes the heart leap!

Please, don't send me any 'animals are people, too' notes or upbraid me for trivializing the demise of Pepper at the hands of Greg. In the abstract, I find the story, as do you, a sad commentary on who we are and who we got here (supposedly we love our pets, so what's all this then?) in the early part of the 21st Century--but hand on my heart, I can be neither surprised nor disappointed.

Look at how we treat one another and then tell me the part again about why animal cruelty shocks you. If I'm shocked, it's only because there's not more of this stuff in the newspapers on a daily basis. It certainly isn't because it's not happening. And read the on-line comments--they are, in many ways, more amazing than the article itself. And prove my earlier point about how we treat one another.

And speaking of unrelated matters (I couldn't resist; and every time I typed it, it came out as unrealted mutters-huh?) from our "Video Killed the Radio Star" file, submitted for your inspection, this gem, Craigslist Bogus Ad Case Continued. Admittedly the Ewwwwww! factor on the original story, guy sets up a group sex situation with his unwitting neighbor, already pegs the gross meter, but then, with one of those 'didn't see that coming' is this, "Police said the ad led to a sexual assault at another West Hartford home. Police said Richard Z*h, 29, of Newington read the ad and showed up at the wrong home looking to have sex. Police said Z*h sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman at that address. Z*h is claiming his dyslexia is to blame." Could this be a successful defense? Check for yourself.

-bill kenny