By Darling Nicky

The Sand Will Settle eventually on Penn State

“Clearly Mr. Sandusky is not using Tiger Woods’ PR team.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

You don’t have to be a sports fan to know that ex-Penn State assistant football Coach Jerry Sandusky is embroiled in one of the most sensationalized child abuse and molestation scandals since Michael Jackson. This month, he was arrested and charged with 40 (FORTY!) counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period.

He recently shocked the already punitive public when he voluntarily participated in a telephone interview with NBC’s Bob Costas where he surprisingly all but admitted to all of the behaviours the prosecution is accusing him of except for the most heinous of rape and sodomy.

“I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them, and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact,” Sandusky said.

Re-read that quote again. May I point out that Mr. Sandusky is a 67 year-old man, so at any point during this 15-year period in question he would have been at least 40 to 50 years older than any of the boys that have come forward with their stories? That, in and of itself, illustrates that he is guilty of inappropriate conduct with minors, and when asked directly by Bob Costas if he was “sexually attracted to young boys?” Sandusky stumbled with returning a clear and deliberate answer and repeated the question before indicating that he enjoyed their company but would not refer to it as sexual attraction.

“Sexually attracted, no. I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But, no, I’m not sexually attracted to young boys.”

Give me a break! This is a guy who has held a position of authority and respect in the lives of young boys as an athletic coach, and much like priests in the Catholic Church, used the trust that was given to him to lure impressionable young people into his clutches. A former Penn State graduate assistant has even come forward to admit that he walked in on Sandusky allegedly “raping” a young boy in a campus locker room when he described the boy’s hands being against the shower wall, and the sounds of “slapping” could be heard. (Needless to say at this point of the interview, I wanted to both vomit and throw sharp objects at the inset square where Sandusky’s still shot sat on my television screen). This case has had a widespread effect effect throughout the Penn State Athletic department as several other officials including Joe Paterno, former head coach and President Graham Spanier who have both been fired from the University.

The Northeast is still recovering from a massive takedown of perpetrators within the Roman Catholic Church over the last decade, and now it seems Jerry Sandusky has single-handedly returned the child-abuse spotlight to an area of the United States that is otherwise known for strong family values and winning football teams. You won’t need me to keep you up-to-date on this case; I believe it will be one of the biggest news stories for months to come.

“So, what was supposed to be Jerry Sandusky’s PR repair played out more like a confession. #HesGoingDown” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

A House Made of Glass

“So, experts are saying that glass-walled condos are the lemons of real estate (in Toronto). Hope everyone likes lemonade!” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

What is it about shiny high-rise glass-walled condo towers that Torontonians are so fascinated with? Is it that they reflect the moonlight bouncing off Lake Ontario? Is it that they are deterrent to graffiti unlike blank palettes of concrete and brick walls? Or maybe it’s the vanity of having makeshift mirrors for all of the pedestrians passing by on the sidewalk? Whatever it is, developers have honed in on the city’s addiction to them which explains why Toronto has the highest number of glass-walled condo towers under construction in North America (130 towers according to CBC Canada).

But unlike cars which typically depreciate over time, real estate should increase in value hence why we refer to it as an “investment”. The problem is that the glass-walled condos only have a lifespan of about 10 to 15 years before they are rendered useless in protecting residents from letting the outside elements in. Sealants erode, insulation fails, water leaks, heating and cooling costs go up….truth is, if you own one of these trendy cribs right now, you may be hard-pressed to get rid of it in five years time.

Retro-fitting all four sides of a 100 story building could take years to complete and cost millions of dollars, a cost that will be passed onto the homeowner. I hope that the same ballin’ attitude that lead many buyers to choose this type of home is present when those condo fees start to look more like mortgage payments.

“You know what they say….people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Darling Nicky is an entertainment writer, blogger and publicist. Check out her out at www.darlingnicky.ca

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