Lost In Lima Ohio

Today, we have questions for a blogger that's performing a service ... often unpleasant ... but necessary. Taking questions is Lost in Lima Ohio...



Our questioners are ready...



Now, the first question...


Are you cuter than you are bitchy? Or bitchier than you are cute?


Before I answer that, I wanted to thank basil for having me here, and for doing such a great job in his role as "The Larry King of the Blogosphere".

I'd like to say that I'm cuter than I am bitchy- but it'd be a complete out and out lie. In fact- I'm even bitchier than my kids are cute- and they are pretty freaking cute. To get a good idea of just how bitchy I am- here's me and my youngest. (see attached photo) But, it's a good bitchy.


As a woman, how does blogging about crime affect you?


I don't see much difference in doing it as a woman and doing it as a man- at least from my prospective. Now, the reaction I get from some people due to being a woman is outrageous at times. I could write the same story as a male crime blogger- and be told that I'm "just an angry woman" while "he is insightful and informative"... yep it's really happened. BTW, I'm really not all that angry. Really.


What is your favorite song,and why?


Forever here to stay- by George Jones. It's the perfect song. It's just an honest song about two people, one who drifted and came back and one who waited and took her back. He doesn't judge her for what she has done, and at the end of the day- he still believes in her and believes in the love that they have surviving through it all.


Yours is a tough blog to read. Ever regret not doing lighter stuff?


I haven't really regretted it, but there have been times when I needed to take a break. I want it to be disturbing to read- because unless people start finding themselves upset or angry or just fed up with what is happening around us- nothing will change.

For those times that I get overloaded on the crimes happening, I've been able to find a nice balance thanks to Sam (http://www.samanthaburns.com/) and John (http://macstansbury.org/) inviting me to guest write at their places. I owe Sam a world of thanks for believing that I actually could do lighter mooded blogging, and John for being so completely jealous that he insisted I blog at his place too.


Given the choice of MacStansbury.org and The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, were you forced at gunpoint, which would you choose to pledge your eternal loyalty, seeing as how one of us cleans up your multiple spelling and grammar errors, and the other makes it look like all you do is read Playboy and spend all day at nude beaches?


Well... I guess it would depend on just who was holding the gun.


Seriously, what was up with that nude beach thing?


Well, I only went there once. And that was because you sent that pretty invitation with all the cute hand drawn flowers on it and I thought I was following directions to a Tupperware party. Thankfully, I've learned to just discard party invitations from you. Please, stop sending them.


who's on first?


It depends on what time of day it is.


What's the best thing you ever wrote for a blog?


I'd have to say Kesley's Story. It wasn't really my writing that made it the best thing- it was the reaction from other bloggers that made it the best. When I first wrote about Kelsey's story- I didn't know the family or just how bad the whole story really was. After hearing from her aunt and grandmother- I knew it was something bigger than what I could handle alone- and so I passed the story to bigger bloggers- and so many of them opened up and shared the story. The support that was given- and still is- to Kelsey's family was incredible. It became the best when it stopped being a story I wrote about and it started being a story shared by so many people.


What's the best thing you ever wrote not for a blog?


My tenth grade English report. We had to pick our own topics, and I decided to do my essay on sex. I've always liked to shake things up so- I handed out condoms- just to get their attention and then began lecturing on a woman's right to say no, and a man's obligation to respect her refusal.


Why did you start crime-blogging?


If you look back at my first few posts- I really had no direction at all. Then, I read a story in the news one day about a local little boy who was murdered by his father- and I started blogging it. One story lead into another, and another and the next thing I knew- that's all I was writing.


Name 3 people you would most like to meet for lunch.


Cindy Sheehan- so I could explain how she is corrupting the memory of her son- and remind her of the honor that he deserves for his sacrifice. And so I could make sure to stick her with the bill when we were done.

George Bush- so I can tell him why he's so wrong on this immigration thing, explain why every soldier should be paid more, and to thank him for not being John Kerry.

My husband, because lunch with him twice a week just isn't enough.


What's the most fun you've ever had with your clothes on?


That's hard. Everything I do with my kids is "the most fun ever".


If you could ask three questions of anyone in the Bible, who would it be and what would you ask?


If I could only ask one person- it'd be very hard to choose. I'd rather ask a a question to three different people.

I'd like to ask Job how it was that he was so strong and passionate in his faith even while enduring the loss of his children, and everything else that he loved.

Eve, well I'd really like to know just how she could be so selfish. I mean, I get that she wanted to taste the fruit, but how could a woman be so self centered that she'd deny her future children a chance to live in paradise for eternity? What she couldn't wait till after having kids to eat the forbidden fruit?

Isaac, I'd like to know what he felt when he realised that he was the sacrifice his father Abraham intended on giving to God upon the mountain, and of course I want to know how relieved he was when the goat appeared instead. Can you imagine the conversations they had later? "Hey dad, remember that time you were going to sacrifice me?"


Who's the greatest character in all of literature?


This is were some might raise an eyebrow at me. There's not one book for my personal reading on my shelf that was published in the last 30 years. That being said- one of my favorite characters comes from the 1936 edition of The Best Loved Poems of the American People. That's were I first read about Mary Stuart when I was 12 or 13. A more complete history of her life was given to me in the from of Mary, Queen of Scots the 1969 book by Lady Fraser. What she endured throughout her life just leaves me in awe.

Atticus, from To Kill a Mockingbird comes a very close second.


Why are many women afraid of getting older?


Because even now, so many women still weigh their self worth by their appearances. If all they have ever put time into is working on their physical beauty- what is left of them when it fades away? As women we must begin teaching younger generations that a beautiful personality, and a beautiful educated mind is worth more than any physical feature that nature (or a good surgeon) can provide.


Who is your favorite musician / favorite band?


Johnny Cash, George Jones or Kenny Rogers (but only his older songs)


Have you always had an interest in crime stories?


Yes. Except I pull away from the crime and my personal interest gravitates toward the human response to the crime. I'm much more interested in how a given crime will effect and mold a person's life, than the actual details of the crime itself.


What is the name of your book going to be?


I really can't imagine ever writing a book. Once, I wrote a short story as part of my finals in English. The teacher said it was tripe and I ended up in summer school. I really hated her.


Do you think "parenting" classes should be mandatory? If so,what would the age restrictions be? Should the classes be taught by book-learned folks,or kid-learned parents?


Yes, they should be. I'm not sure about age restrictions- because some people are always going to be unacceptable as parents despite their age.

In order to properly teach, and also to be able to make a suitable judgement call on whether or not the prospective parent has "passed", the instructors should have some background in education, and physcoanalysis. They should also know what it's like to be alone with a two year old who has a ear ache and has been screaming for hours on end, or to go weeks without a full nights sleep because a four year old is scared of the dark. So- I'd demand the classed be instructed by educated child rearing parents.


What's the worst blog post you ever wrote?


The one that has spent the last two months in the "draft" stage.


What's the most Redneck / White trash thing you've ever done?


I worn garden shoes to my kids school. In my defense, it was the very first day of school- and I always follow the bus so I can take photos of them exiting the bus at school. The bus had taken longer to get to the house than I thought it would, so I slipped off my shoes and put my garden shoes on to do a little weeding while we waited... and then the bus came... and I forgot to put my real shoes back on before leaving. I'm pretty sure all the other mothers sporting their high heels chalked me down for white trash.


what's your opinion of the new BK big chicken commercials?


It makes me want to punch the creepy King.


You're not really as neurotic about what you write on the internet, are ya?


Sort of. But, few people notice it until they get to know me really well.


What was the first blog you ever read ... and liked?


Dan Rielh's Riehl World View. And I still read it first, everyday.


What was the first blog you ever read ... and hated?


Blogging the Fifth Nail- the blog written by Joseph Duncan.


What makes you realize that for just "now" you have to take a step back and not read anymore of a story?


When I start cussing at my computer, or when my youngest asks why I'm crying. Some stories just take control of me- they invade my thoughts until I forget that I'm only writing the stories. It's those times that I have to pull away just so I can regain myself.


What Democratic President do you most identify with?


Andrew Jackson, because he was so stubborn and unrelenting in his beliefs.


What Republican President do you most identify with?


Theodore Roosevelt, but there's not enough room to explain why.


Would you rather spend an entire day with Adrian Monk or with Vic Mackey?


Monk. Mackey is too much a "dirty cop".

Again, thanks to basil for all his work here, and thanks to everyone who submitted questions. It's been a lot of fun.

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Thanks to you for Lost In Lima Ohio and all the work you do bringing attention to the parts of society we really don't want to know about. It's good work and we thank you.

Also, we thank you for taking the time for agreeing to the interview. We really appreciate it.

Next week, we have interviews scheduled with Contagion of Miasmatic Review and with Rachel of Tinkerty Tonk. Those should be fun.