RBN # 12 - 6/19 - 6/20/05

[waitingtoknow]

folks- it has been a long day. i need to get some rest.  it has been good.  sleep tite and don't come up with any more half baked theories while i am gone.  just more arrests and some clarity here.

good night iquitos....sweet dreams..you are appreciated!

You just wanted to to the quote thing again huh, lol?

yes...lol...and by george I think I've got it!!  thanks for the hints...I had my bbc thingie off and was clicking enter before typing...so after fixing those errors, it worked (plus, I took some cough medicine that makes me loopy   )

[tuberide]

Tuberide,
I forgot to mention that I am holding 10 sets of keys right now. I thought maybe I should sleep in my driveway or something.

thats too funny.....just slash their tires and tell them its for their own good ; )

[Another K in Texas]

Kerin, you just don't sleep.  Don't you know parents give that up for 20 years at least.  

[mbhs05]

On the trip thing--we went through this last night.  Most families, even those in the working classes will find the money for trips such as this if the child really wants to go.

I had a friend who sold tamales to make the money for her daughter to go on a school trip to DC.  Where I teach now one of the teachers makes breakfast burritos and sells them and then takes herself and her daughter somewhere special with the money--this spring break that meant a trip to Europe.

Kids get jobs to help pay, and many of these trips even allow the payment in a couple of installments to lighten the load.

Going on the trip does not make a person rich.

what is your point already??? regardless on how the trip was paid for, in the eyes of MANY foreigners, ALL americans are rich, ESPecially those on vacations

This is very true...my experience out of the country has taught me that we're easy targets...and that Americans are sought after, because others really do think we're all rich. Our teachers warned us about that over and over on our french trip...being American makes you more likely to be pick pocketed or robbed. We had money taken from the hotel room...shortchanged at exchange booths...attempted pickpocketing...all because we were young, naive looking Americans. Not necessarily rich.
Although a few of the people on that trip most certainly were...and it was apparent from their way of dress. That made it even harder to blend in.

But I think people are so defensive because we've been accused of being just a bunch of dumb rich kids...people assume she has ridiculous connections...people assume she's over priviledged...I think that's why this topic keeps coming up...as it relates to Natalee, it IS important to realize that you don't have to be rich to take one of these trips...but in general you're right about Americans being percieved as rich.

[KerinTX]

Joran and his father were known to frequent bars and casinos until the wee hours of the morning.  Who among us would allow our teenagers to go out without a curfew no later than midnight?  Nothing good happens in the early morning hours.  IMO, the lack of rules assigned to Joran has contributed to this crime.

Hey I'm allowed out after 12...and believe you me my parents are the "tight rein" type. Ask Dash. My mom is nuts about that. Granted I have to have a good reason to be out later...like prom or something, but still. These things aren't the judge of a good parent. I think what's more telling is that his dad lets him gamble and drink underage, and that his parents don't know where he is. I mean when I stay out after 12, I'd better damn sure be telling my parents my every move, or my keys are gone in a heartbeat.

So MBHS...since it is slow and you are talking teen stuff...let me ask a question. When I have teens spend the night here, I collect all their car keys until the morning. What would you think about this? (since your mom and I seem to be the same "type")  

Making note for when my daughter is 16 lol I don't think it's bad Kerin, my daughter is only turning six and I already have the new Guardian Angel with her all times.

Yeah, I am an overprotective mommy lol.

As am I.  
I just always wondered what the kids thought of handing me the keys. I actually have a jar on my bar and they are so used to it that now when they come in, the first thing they do is drop the keys in!
Hey, my father was police chief. I got away with nothing. (as far as he knew!) LOL

[friend of monkeys]

Joran and his father were known to frequent bars and casinos until the wee hours of the morning.  Who among us would allow our teenagers to go out without a curfew no later than midnight?  Nothing good happens in the early morning hours.  IMO, the lack of rules assigned to Joran has contributed to this crime.

ya think???it is probably genetic

FOM....LMAO
( I love it when the Monkey gets going )

het geraldos girlfriend is funny too
no wiz tho

dag
shout out on the internet song/email is kinda funny, too.
"ww.neverget over you?"
maybe the dj is funny...what is his name and is this guy on all nite??

[Shell]

My first time to post, although I have been
lurking here for days. I have 3 daughters.

One of my daughters was given the date rape drug. I  think Natalie was given the drug as well.
I think the combination of too much alcohol and a drug in her system killed her. Nobody has mentioned how much they saw Natalie drink. We do not know how many shots she had. I did read in a post somewhere that someone was at that bar on vacation and that establishment likes to give shots, all in the spirit of the party atmosphere. I do not know, have not been there. Perhaps someone who has could enlighten us.

17 year old kid, drinking...from all accounts, I think this kid has a drinking problem. You get a kid like that with hormones raging, an incapicitaded female, and bad things happen.

[katya]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

Right, Profe. Your values are suoerior and there are no murders in the States?

Odd, very odd.

[NativeLingo]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

With all due respect professor.....It is NOT Aruba´s fault, and believe me we have very high values and morals....

Speaking of which..... most teenagers from anywhere traveling to anywhere WILL leave most of their so called values on the airplane....

[Whitney]

...anyone watching replay of "Geraldo" with Mr. Bicker, attorney from Aruba...that guy is the first Aruban attorney who, I think, has a very good "appeal" to US TV-types...stoic though he is, he gives remedial points-and-authorities on Aruban law, without giving points and authorities.

Sort of the Schwarzenegger cut through about american politics applied to the TV-telling of Aruban law.

I've been saying for as long as this case has been reported...Aruba's gotta get wise to providing their spokes peeps with basic talking points about Aruban/Netherlandic law on "at least" habeas corpus issues...

He was the first that I've seen in the last 1.5 weeks...((((((((applause))))))))

[mbhs05]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

With all due respect professor.....It is NOT Aruba´s fault, and believe me we have very high values and morals....

Speaking of which..... most teenagers from anywhere traveling to anywhere WILL leave most of their so called values on the airplane....

Sadly true, but not the case with Natalee.

[luna]

Dan Riehl is reporting that there will be a National Enquirer story out this week about Nat and that the reporter is keeping info very close to his vest.

Don't laugh about the Enquirer....they had some of the  best investigative reportage about Chandra Levy....some scoops as I recall.  So this may be informative.

[KerinTX]

Kerin, you just don't sleep.  Don't you know parents give that up for 20 years at least.  

Yeah sleep is something I don't get a lot of (especially since this happened with Natalee). Or food. Plus I am hoping FOM sends that cleaning fairy over here tomorrow.  

[friend of monkeys]

...anyone watching replay of "Geraldo" with Mr. Bicker, attorney from Aruba...that guy is the first Aruban attorney who, I think, has a very good "appeal" to US TV-types...stoic though he is, he gives remedial points-and-authorities on Aruban law, without giving points and authorities.

Sort of the Schwarzenegger cut through about american politics applied to the TV-telling of Aruban law.

I've been saying for as long as this case has been reported...Aruba's gotta get wise to providing their spokes peeps with basic talking points about Aruban/Netherlandic law on "at least" habeas corpus issues...

He was the first that I've seen in the last 1.5 weeks...((((((((applause))))))))

                 hey what happened to dj (taylor?)

[KerinTX]

Tuberide,
I forgot to mention that I am holding 10 sets of keys right now. I thought maybe I should sleep in my driveway or something.

thats too funny.....just slash their tires and tell them its for their own good ; )

One problem with that...they all leave at 5am and I am not going to be out there with a tire repair kit!

[Getagrip]

Whew! Finally caught up...you people are PROLIFIC!

iquitos, BBC should be ON. Type outside the brackets - everything in the brackets is part of the quotation.

I know that arubagirl has gone to bed, but NativeLingo and maybe others may be around. From what I can gather, I know you don't receive FOX News in Aruba, but please try to understand the frustration with the new developments today - not the ones reported by FOX, but the ones coming out of Arubans:

- Elio Nicolaas, suggesting that Natalee's parents should be the ones polygraphed - he was cut off before he could verbalize his suggestion based on the theory that Natalee has run away (as many rumours we have heard, that Natalee has run away in the past, which are false)

- Mariaine Croes, giving the limited answers we have come to expect from her, and evading the question of what is PVDS's exact role within the Aruban justice system (odd?)

- Ruben Trappenberg, who imho is the poster boy for all government spokespeople (the man deserves a RAISE, he has been wonderful throughout all this!), confirming that PVDS is a judge-in-training, but losing his usual composed self, being on the defensive and stating that FOX commentators have no clue, because they don't know the facts of the case (he has a point, but then again we are used to transparency, which has its good points, just as the Dutch system has its good points as well).

We then learn that PVDS's status has changed to 'witness'. He has retained a lawyer (as have the Twittys).

Then we hear the Current Affairs reporter (Paris forgetherlastname) report that she tried to obtain information from the Public Information Officer (PIO) about the decapitation case - the PIO reportedly told her that he won't go into details about that. The reporter Paris asked about the Aruban crime statistics, and he replies that he knows she's there for the Natalee Holloway case, and that he had made an 'executive decision' to not divulge any information (that is supposed to be publically accessible???).

The bottom line is, there has been a visible shift in the past day or so. People are going on the defensive because there are no results. The 3 last people to be seen with her are in custody - they have changed their stories suggesting that they have something to hide.

Despite all the great things we have heard about Aruba and the people of Aruba, something's not right here. Please don't dismiss me as another 'cowboy' American. I am Canadian, born and raised in the Caribbean.

The longer this case goes unsolved and people are not held accountable, the worse of a PR disaster this becomes for Aruba. I think Aruba needs to hire a PR/image consultant, learn the truth, which I think authorities already know (or have a pretty good idea about) and find ways to minimize the damage. Where has the PM been hiding after saying that the case would be solved in 24 - 36 hours, over a week ago?

Blah! I hope this didn't come off as harsh. I wouldn't mean for it to come out that way. All the Arubans on this message board have been wonderful in keeping us informed and you have been amazing representatives of all the people on the island who do not deserve anything but praise in their care about Natalee's disappearance.

[nancy_drew]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

Oh, please. I certainly DO NOT blame the trip or the location for this situation!!!  There are bad eggs everywhere!!!  Aruba is not immune.

I am against trips like this. I have many reasons for this that I'm too tired to go into.

But, this is about a bad person, not a bad country. AND, this trip, the chaperones, the parents, the kids are not at fault in the least!!!

The fault lies with the person, or persons who are responsible for Natalee's disappearance.

[Professor]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

Well...for one the highschool chose nothing. Parents and kids chose it. Also it's been going on for a few years, with no problems. I saw nothing scary about the island when I was thinking about going. Much less scary than other places I've been out of the country.

I'm not so sure I feel confident now...they didn't start looking soon enough, and didn't make arrests soon enough...it's not like I think that this is a common thing, it's just that it doesn't seem to be handled well. They haven't had experience with this.

Hey. You didn't know any better. No one did.

Now you do.

[unsurelok]

Fox confirms beheading - Public Affairs Officer refused to comment!!!

Its such a coverup -

[CaliGirl]

When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that Mountain Brook High School made a big mistake in choosing Aruba as the site for their senior getaway trip.

I say this with all due respect for the people of Aruba. They have their own values and customs, and we, as Americans must respect that.

We can't expect everyone to hold the same values as we do.

With all due respect professor.....It is NOT Aruba´s fault, and believe me we have very high values and morals....

Speaking of which..... most teenagers from anywhere traveling to anywhere WILL leave most of their so called values on the airplane....

Wooooaaaahhh.. okay I MUST reply to this.

How a person/persons/country/culture or what ever you would like to insert here, chooses to raise their children, has nothing to do with what happened to Natalee PERIOD!

How many OUTSTANDING political figures in american didn't exactly have the best upbringing i.e. people who lived in the "ghetto" but rised above it all or abuse on and on. How many convicted child molestors or serial killers had wonderful sweet parents!

You can be the best parent or the worst parent but children make their choices. We can steer them, stalk them, stay on them but in the end, we can not control how they turn out.