Mary Beaver

What a name.
What a person.
She was sentenced last week for her embezelment from JVPro of Rockford. She was the bookkeeper for NAT for many years, and they went out of business after losing money hand over fist for years. Just sayin'
Here's the report from people in the courtroom.

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Well, Rod and I went to the sentencing yesterday, and wonder of
wonders, she was finally sentenced! I took notes because so much was
said; it was all very interesting. Both defense and prosecuting
attorneys were there...I'll just tell you what happened from my notes
in the order that I took them. There's one bit at the end I didn't
understand but I'm going to ask Jamie about it when we go to see
"Christmas Carol" on Saturday. Hey Diane, she was dressed kinda
frumpy and still had that severe haircut, shaved all around except
long on top, and the the long part was practically white. Bizarre.
So anyway, here goes, I'll just type what I have in my notes...

It was established that Mary is under on-going medical care for her
knee and takes the prescription drug Celebrex.

The State's Attorney argued for a jail sentence instead of probation
because of the severity/amount of money taken.

Defense said Mary does not dispute the amount of restitution that
would be needed: $45,384.32.

The Judge gave her the opportunity to take the stand under oath to
make her statement and possibly be cross-examined. She declined.
She was then given the opportunity to make informal remarks and that
she did do. She asked to make them not from the Defendant's table,
but to walk to the podium in front of the judge. Judge said OK. Rod
and I were the only people there and I'm wondering if she didn't want
us to hear, because when she started speaking she was practically
whispering...but I listened hard and I heard most of what she said.
She limped up to the podium and said she was very, very sorry for
what she did, no words can tell how sorry. I have no excuse but I
was stressed out, I had no money, my mortgage was [late or not paid]
and I made the wrong decision. I've worked 2 jobs for ten years, I've
tried to teach my children well, I have a job now and I work hard. I
will pay everyone back if I can keep my job. My family has medical
problems (more on that later) and my knee is bad. Then she broke
down crying. I'm ashamed, I help with my grandkids every weekend, I
want to be able to continue to do that but I can't if I'm not allowed
to keep my job. (She never said "if I go to jail", just "keep my
job"). I'm so sorry, how many times can I say I'm sorry.

Then the State's atty spoke: JVPro is not only out the $45,384.32
but also the expense of the audit that was done, plus other
expenses . And yes, she did "make the wrong decision", but for 16
months? She stole in a variety of ways, a multitude of ways. This is
a serious crime, he asked the Court to put her in jail. Said people
go to prison for a lot less than this, and she also has a long record
of traffic violations. He asked the Court for a jail sentence to
deter others from doing the same and thinking they won't go to jail.

Defense: you can't tie a sentence to just the amount of money taken.
(Wow, I thought you could...) There are "other things to consider"
here...Mary has no history of breaking the law, no criminal record.
(Well not written down, maybe.) He asked Court to understand how
taking the money could "snowball" over 16 months. (That was so lame
that it SOUNDED lame when he said it.) She has been a law-abiding
citizen up til now and this wasn't a violent crime. Let her keep her
job and pay the money back, she'll get a 2nd job (I thought she
already worked a second job..) and pay JVPro back. Her going to
prison would not benefit JVPro. She has a good job and recently got a
good performance evaluation, is an exemplary employee at JLClark. It
would be a tragedy if she loses that job. Allow her to continue, she
is remorseful and would agree to any conditions of probation that
would be set forth. Give us 45 days and she will make a substantial,
good-faith payment, her family members will help her.

Someone, either the judge or the State asked how much and Mary and
her atty put their heads together and said she would make a payment
of $10,000 but she needs 45 days.

Then it was the Judge's turn. (Rosemary Collins) She said she was
going to go ahead with the sentencing today because this has gone on
long enough or words to that effect. She said that people go to jail
for less than what you stole. Some people steal food, or gasoline,
and we send them to jail. You are worse than that...you didn't steal
to feed an addiction, you just stole because you wanted more money!
Under cover of integrity, you stole over $45,000 from people who
trusted you. I would be justified to send you to prison; you
deliberately schemed to steal, you had an elaborate, clever scheme
and you were successful for a time...your cunning deceit is worse
than any street criminal. It was your business [to steal], because
you just wanted more money! This is a very serious offense, it was
deliberate, a systematic pattern of deceit. Times are tough right
now, but you started this before they got so tough. If you steal,
you get punished, but you have no prior criminal record, you've never
done this before (and then she looked at Mary and said "I hope that's
true?") (Yikes! Maybe she heard rumors about NAT too.) She told Mary
that her record of speeding/traffic violations shows a disrespect for
the law, but there's no theft record and so:

She got 4 years probation, must pay $10,000 within the next 45 days
and the remainder ($35,384.32) within two years. You made those
people suffer, now you have to give it all back. If that means a
second job or that you have to sell your house and get an apartment,
so be it. You may not drink any alcohol or take any drugs except
for prescriptions, and be careful with that because you say your
family has a history of drug abuse (that was probably said when she
was mumbling at the podium about her family having medical problems).
You must undergo any and all counseling the Probation Dept. wants you
to, and you will be regularly tested for drugs and alcohol. You may
not leave the State of Illinois except with written permission, and
you can't own any firearms. Must pay $25 per month in Probation
fees, plus $200 for a DNA testing. Must work full time. Also
sentenced her to 100 hours of Public Service but that won't start for
another 2 years until AFTER she has paid back all the money. The
Judge said that is so you can't say you haven't been able to earn
enough money to pay back because you have to spend so much time on
Public Service; that won't start until you've made restitution.

Then she said something about 6 months of jail time but that's the
part I'm not sure of and am going to ask Jamie about tomorrow.

So that's it folks. I'm done with Mary and her shenanigans. I
wouldn't want to be her...even she had to be humiliated by the things
said about her in court. I almost felt sorry for her, but not
quite. After hearing all that, I wondered why anyone would risk
running afoul of the law, it was horrid and humiliating.

Pat
>>>
So that's it. I thought some of you ex-co-workers might enjoy the update.

Texas hates me

Maybe not all of it, just one little stretch of I-35 just south of the Oklahoma border. Same stretch of road I fishtailed on in the rain last March.

Ok, the full story. We're renting 6 intelligent lights for the next show, a dance show. The place that gave us the best deal was in Dallas; and since we blew the budget on the units, we (meaning I) had to go down to get them in a box truck, a 15 footer. It's only 3 hours down. No sweat. I decided, knowing Wife as I do, that if she knew I was going down alone, she'd pitch a fit and worry the whole time. Ok, I won't tell her. I leave at 8 or 8:30 as usual, down by noon, pick up, leave by 1 latest, back by 4. I'd tell her when I got back of course, but not before.

Going down, no problem. Picked up the units and started back. The truck had been a bit of a gas guzzler, but I had nothing to compare it to. I had just about a quarter tank as I left the rental place. I'd pick up gas somewhere north of Dallas, out of traffic (It is noontime, remember). North of Dallas, maybe 20 miles south of the border, I happen to look in my mirrors to check traffic, and notice I'm spewing white smoke. A lot of it. A car pulls up alongside and gestures down at my tire emphatically. So I pull over at the next exit, which also has a Shell trucker plaza.
As does the guy next to me. I figure, cool, if he knows anything about motors, he knows more than I do. We get out and it wasn't my tire he was gesturing at, it was the motor and the smoke billowing out of it. But I'd looked at the guage, and the motor was normally hot. There was also now a growing pool of dark liquid streaming out of the engine. Looks a little thin to be oil and it's not hot. Turns out it's Diesel fuel. The damn thing had blown a hose into (or out of) the fuel injector. The Ryder mechanic who came out told me that, and that it would be at least two hours to get TO the hose, stripping the engine as he went. Wife finally gets the call that I'm gonna be late for dinner. She's not happy, and concedes that if there WERE somebody else with me, nothing would happen any faster. The mechanic called up for a replacement truck, but the nearest was in (get this) GrapeVine, Texas. Right by Dallas. Well, the truck broke down at 2. The mechanic got there at 3. The truck gets ordered and is given an ETA of 2 hours. About a half hour later, I get a call back asking if I wanted the tow truck to take me to the station to pick up the truck or have them bring the truck to me. HELL NO, bring me the damn truck, I'm already an hour out of Dallas!
So I wait.
And wander the selection of finest gift ideas that a TEXAS rest stop has to offer.
And I wait.
And wander the (getting chillier) afternoon air.
And I wait.
And watch the trains go by on the nearby tracks. The same ones that probably go by Norman. 153 cars on one! Yep, I counted. 5 trains total during the time I was there.
And I wait.
About 6 I get a call that the new ETA is an hour.
Another hour.
It's now too dark to see the train, but I hear it.
And I wait.
The tow truck arrives, new truck in tow. I've been told it's an Isuzu, as if that makes any difference (actually it was a really smooth ride.). The tow truck driver is glad that the old one runs at least. "Sure," I said, "but it spews gas like a fountain!" "I don't care," he said, "it runs."
Thankfully I don't have much cargo. If I'd been loaded up, it would have been a problem. Just 4 road boxes. And the new truck has a lift on the back. Sweet. Send 'em up; push 'em in. Jump up to strap 'em in, hitting my head on the half-closed roll door. By 7:40 I'm on my way again. I hate night driving. Although there is something cool about driving a truck. So I get into Norman, and traffic is INSANE! at 9:30 at night. I chalk it up to the big game the next day, but still...
I drop off my load to my students, and take the truck back to the Ryder place in OKC. Ya know? That drive up to the city isn't very long in the grand scheme of things. It went by rather quickly. Most times I drive it, it's a chore, now, it was a breeze. Drop off the keys with a night mechanic, with a brief explanation of why it's a different truck, and back in MY car to Norman. Home just after 10. One VERY long day.

All weekend, my head and neck hurt from hitting it on the roll door.

Another simple pleasure

Bread Machines.
Waking up to the smell of hot fresh bread is a little bit of heaven.
As is a warm slice with butter for breakfast.

Simple pleasures

In the brisk morning air, standing in the hot shower, water streaming over the back of my head, watching the waterfall of rivulets dance around my face, gradually working their way towards my eyes.

But then, a hot shower on a cold morning is, itself, a simple pleasure.

Ow!

We broke down and bought a Wii this weekend. Needless to say, both Wife and I are a little sore.

OK,

more than a little.

Thoughts on the election

FINALLY!!

It's over.

I'm in Oklahoma. About as red a state as you can get. Neither of the candidates ever visited the state (well, Bill Clinton came here stumping for Hillary), or put a lot of money here, because it's a foredrawn conclusion. But driving around you see more Obama signs than McCain signs. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in this state (and I heard, Nationwide, as well.), but McCain won the state by almost a two-to-one margin. All the State officials are Republicans.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

He took EVERY county in the state. Even the ones with Universities (traditionally more intelligent, er, I mean, Democratic leaning). It really makes you question whether your vote counts. But, I suppose, the flip-side, is that a Democrat vote in a Democrat state is just as pointless. I was just hoping that for once, the state would defy expectations and go Blue.

So Wife and I got out last Saturday to Early vote. HA. Since early voting was at the commission headquarters, the line was over two blocks long! A friend said he waited 2 1/2 hours to vote. We didn't. Tuesday we went to the polling place and were in and out within an half hour in the early morning. That evening I listened to NPR while I did some computer work, but then gave up and went in to the TV. I was kind of impressed with McCains concession speech. The speech itself, that is. What made my blood boil was when the crowd booed every time he mentioned Obama. Not so much that they did (still bad form, though), but McCain didn't chastise them for it, merely held his hands up to quiet them. That was the point where he should have gone off script and said, "Cut that crap out! He won honestly, the way it's supposed to work. He deserves more respect than that, and I expect better of you than this!" But nothing. He (like Hillary before him), has whipped his supporters into such a frenzy of partisanship that any semblance of concilliation, or cooperation, is impossible. He's whipped them into such a frenzy of fanatic loyalty that any opposition is, and will forever be, undiluted evil. I think that this is one of the things that helped sink his campaign in the latter days, the attacks that were not so much policy-based, but personal. Then again, maybe it's so ingrained and imbedded into modern politics that we've lost all expectation of civility, politeness, and mutual respect. But to continue...
Obama's speech impressed me as well. He struck just the right chord of, "Well, we did it, yes it's historic, but now the real work has to begin. And it's gonna be a LOT of work."

The one thing that still gives me night sweats: the thought of Sarah Palin being the figurehead for the Republican party. When are people going to wake up to the fact that she's a political dingbat; whose "gosh golly gee" folksy, whiny, voice gets annoying very quickly when she has nothing substantial to say.

And once again, I'm going to urge everybody I know to write their congressmen to abolish the electoral college and go to a straight vote for the presidential elections. We can do it, we have the technology. We no longer have to transport the votes to Washington via Pony Express; which is why we had the electoral college in the first place. At one point of the news coverage, the popular vote was close, but the college vote spread was wide, and the Republicans were whining. I thought it would be the best and greatest irony if McCain won the popular vote but lost the election. Then Al Gore could stand up and say.
"Suck it!"