I figured that it would be interesting to blog from the basement while tornadoes and hurricanes swirled above my head. No, seriously this is some scary shit! I hate tornadoes, and yes I know hate is a very strong word. Currently, the east coast is experiencing its worst storm in over 50 years. Philadelphia is under a state of emergency, and no, not one of those normal emergency states... this one is directly from the government and hasn't happened since '86.
I never thought that I would say that I missed winter, but I'd much rather have a blizzard right now. Hopefully, these old Philly buildings can hold tight. Hopefully, the earthquake from earlier this week didn't loosen them up. Yes, I just wrote earthquake from earlier this week. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! What an interesting post this would be if only I could have read it from the past. Granted, the earthquake only caused a small amount of damage.
Still, there was an earthquake! And, it wasn't in California it was in Virginia, AND I felt it in Philly. Something is going on, or maybe it's nothing. It's probably nothing. Just a series of unlikely events tied together in one week. Maybe I should play the lottery before the week ends? Oh yeah, everything is closed. Anyways, this alternate reality is for the birds. I wish it would just chill out, so I can get back to thinking musically, and living life as normal.
A few weeks back I went to Radnor Elementary School to see my guys Diverse Pop Group perform for an event the school was having. For those that haven't heard of Diverse, they consist of two young men who dance and sing, and basically get down with their bad selves. Things are still in progress, but we may be working with them over at Black Ink Management and Music Group (www.blackinkmmg.com). Check Diverse out here Video.
While I was there watching the performance, I stopped by a booth that was giving away free ice cream. The ice cream was awesome, but that is not why I'm writing this post. I'm writing this post, because of the wonderful lady that I met that was running the booth, and the story that she told me about her mother. Michelle Scolnick runs an annual blood drive in memory of her mother, Carol H. Axelrod, who received numerous blood transfusions as part of her treatment for cancer. Michelle had a booth set up at the Radnor event promoting the upcoming drives. This year, they will hold their fourth blood drive. The drive will take place on Wednesday, October 5, and Thursday, October 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, at Lankenau Medical Center (where her mother received her transfusions) in Wynnewood, PA.
Because of the Red Cross, and the blood transfusions that her mother was able to receive, Michelle was able to spend extra time with her mother. She stated, "The extra time we shared with her truly was a gift that blood donors gave our family. When my mother passed away in July 2008, we wanted to give something back to the Red Cross, so we decided to start a blood drive in her memory."
Everyone who comes to donate will receive a gift bag, free parking, special post-donation snacks, automatic entry into a drawing for prizes that have been donated by area businesses, and a free meal, snack, or beverage in the cafeteria. Plus, because each unit of donated blood can help save up to three lives, everyone will leave with the knowledge that they may be helping three families spend more time with their loved ones!
Tragedy hit way to close to home today as a mad man killed seven people (two Copley High School students and an 11 year old) before being killed by the police. This all happened in my hometown of Copley, OH, literally not even a half a mile away from the house I grew up in. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.
Copley police confirm that eight people, including a gunman, are dead after a shooting rampage Sunday morning. Two other people were wounded, one critically.
Chief Michael Mier says a gunman opened fire around 11 a.m. after an argument in a home on Goodenough Avenue. Five people were killed at that location. The gunman then took two more lives on nearby Schocalog Road. One of the victims was an 11-year-old child. -Lindsay Buckingham Fox8
"Somebody knocked on my door, and a woman was on my porch -- hiding on my porch. I went out the door, she ran in the house and told me that somebody had shot her husband point blank in the head," McCrady said. "[The woman] said 'there's a lot of people shot,' and she started screaming 'my son, my son, my 11-year-old son.' [The woman's son] went the opposite direction she went, and she was looking for, wanting her son, but she said 'oh, my God, I'm a widow,' " McCrady said. -I went to Copley High School with Ms. McCrady's daughter. This is too scary.
Like I stated before, way too close to home, and from what I've been told, the 11 year old was chased down. This angers me beyond belief.
A candlelight vigil was held Sunday evening at Copley Community Park to remember the victims.
Something has to be seriously wrong with you to chase down and kill an 11 year old kid. My nephew is 11, and I could only imagine the horror. Police are still actively investigating the shooting and plan to release more information at a noon press conference on Monday.
More Shocking News Via Ellen Miller, newsnet5.comLink
Police have identified the gunman in a shooting spree that claimed seven lives in Copley as Michael Hance, 51.
NewsChannel5’s Dan Haggerty talked with a woman named Monique, whose sister lives at 1219 Schocalog Avenue. Her sister, Melody, saw 11-year-old Scott Dieter running through the neighborhood and called him into her home to hide from Hance.
The child ran to the basement to hide with Melody’s 9-year old son. They turned out the lights.
The family locked the doors, but that apparently did not stop the gunman. He shot holes in the locks and broke the glass to get inside.
Monique said Hance held a gun to Melody’s head, demanding to know where the boy was. When she would not tell him, he searched the house and went down to the dark basement with a gun in one hand and a penlight in the other.
The gunman found the boys and killed Scott Dieter without saying a word, then left.
Hance was killed outside the home when he exchanged gunfire with police.
I figured that it would be interesting to blog from the basement while tornadoes and hurricanes swirled above my head. No, seriously this is some scary shit! I hate tornadoes, and yes I know hate is a very strong word. Currently, the east coast is experiencing its worst storm in over 50 years. Philadelphia is under a state of emergency, and no, not one of those normal emergency states... this one is directly from the government and hasn't happened since '86.
I never thought that I would say that I missed winter, but I'd much rather have a blizzard right now. Hopefully, these old Philly buildings can hold tight. Hopefully, the earthquake from earlier this week didn't loosen them up. Yes, I just wrote earthquake from earlier this week. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! What an interesting post this would be if only I could have read it from the past. Granted, the earthquake only caused a small amount of damage.
Still, there was an earthquake! And, it wasn't in California it was in Virginia, AND I felt it in Philly. Something is going on, or maybe it's nothing. It's probably nothing. Just a series of unlikely events tied together in one week. Maybe I should play the lottery before the week ends? Oh yeah, everything is closed. Anyways, this alternate reality is for the birds. I wish it would just chill out, so I can get back to thinking musically, and living life as normal.
