New Clues in Mickey Shunick's Disappearance

Shunick Family Photo

A few days after police released surveillance video of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick riding her bike home from a friend's house, two fishermen spotted it in the Atchalafaya River.

Police later discovered the black and gold Schwinn in a muddy basin under a bridge in Whiskey Bay Sunday morning. The bike was located over 25 miles from where Shunick, a senior at the University of Louisiana, was last seen on surveillance footage riding her bike home from a friend's house at around 2 am May 19.

Investigators have identified two of the three vehicles shown on the same surveillance cameras, but have ruled out any involvement by the drivers of the four-door car and white, four-door pickup. They are still looking for the owner of the third vehicle, a white Chevrolet Z-71 pickup, to determine whether that person has any involvement in the case.

Police speculate that Mickey might have been hit by a car or truck as she was riding home because her bike had a damaged rear tire and a bent rim. Hope still exists that Shunick might be found alive.

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Big Week for Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg capped a week that included turning 28 May 14 and taking Facebook public May 18, by marrying his long-term romantic interest Priscilla Chan Saturday. Typical of his style, Zuckerberg and his bride kept the ceremony low-key and held the number of guests to under 100. He gave her a ring designed to encase a simple ruby to mark the occasion. Even the guests didn't know that the reason they received an invitation involved a marriage ceremony. They thought they were celebrating Chan's graduation from medical school.



After extolling the virtues of Wall Street on the day of Facebook's IPO, Zuckerberg beamed his greed in a wide smile and bragged about the fact that Facebook surpassed the net worth of many blue chip companies, catapulting him to the uber rich category. After the closing bell, he shouldn't have felt quite so filled with himself, because opening day disappointed analysts and investors.

He must now report to an exacting boss, the people who purchased stock and now share ownership of the company he founded eight years ago. Perhaps that will inspire him to toss the hoodies and dress in business casual when he appears in public. He has much to learn about inspirational leadership.  Ham on Wry predicts we might see some petulance from the man who rocked the world of social media.

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Soring, the Horrific Practice Used to Train Tennessee Walking Horses

A Tennessee Walking Horse Showing a Natural Gait

Ham on Wry felt pure revulsion when the story broke May 17 about a trainer who had beaten a Tennessee Walking Horse, using the practice of soring. Soring involves using chemical agents on the pasterns, bulbs of the heel, or coronary bands of the horses, causing burning or blistering of the horses' legs in order to accentuate their gaits. Trainers must use a brush and wear gloves when applying the caustic substances because of their toxicity. They then wrap the horses' legs in plastic while the chemicals are absorbed. Soring causes extreme pain, and horses often can't stand after the treatment. In another method, trainers use pressure shoes, where the hoof is trimmed to the quick so that the sole is in direct contact with the pad or shoe. The horse may then be "road foundered," ridden up and down hard surfaces on the over-trimmed hooves, until they are very sore.

Gait After Soring

St. Francis of Assisi captured the essence of the type of person who would treat an animal as abusively as the trainers who use soring on Tennessee Walking Horses. “If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men”  He has been proven right when it comes to predicting psychopathic behavior. Studies have shown a strong correlation between people who torture and murder animals and those who eventually do the same to human victims. 

Damage After soring

Pepsi announced Thursday that it had ended sponsorship of the National Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, after seeing a video shot by the Humane Society of the United States capturing footage of soring as it occurred.  Ham on Wry applauds Pepsi's immediate response and would drink Pepsi as a show of support, if I drank colas. 

As seems more and more typical of state lawmakers, instead of policing organizations that make a living using animals, they have outlawed undercover investigations. Now there's an innovative solution. Stick your head in the ground and pretend not to see. I'd love to punish the trainers who use soring by applying the same treatment they use on horses as their punishment for the damage they cause to otherwise gentle animals.

Shame on all of those who have turned a blind eye to such cruelty!

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The Sad Case of Brooklyn, the Greyhound

Ham on Wry is publishing this blog using the contents of an e-mail sent by a friend and fellow writer to raise awareness of the plight of greyhounds used at race tracks around the world. I have removed the direct links in the original message, except for the one to the site of the organization that created the petition. Readers can choose to act or not, but a racing greyhound's life is anything but pleasant. Greyhound rescue organizations make a huge difference, and I'm told these dogs make docile, wonderful pets. They're grateful for a more typical dog's life.


Dear Friends,

Today we bring you troubling news about Brooklyn, one of the greyhounds racing at the Canidrome, Macau's only dog track. Brooklyn has been injured and his immediate future is now very uncertain.

On May 5, the four-year-old dog fell while racing. Track records document that he was cut and wounded.

This was the fourth race in a row in which he has finished in fifth place or worse. According to the Macau Daily Times, when dogs finish outside the top three in five races in a row, they are destroyed. As many as 400 greyhounds are killed each year. We know that Brooklyn's days are numbered and your help is needed to force the Canidrome to release him.

As revealed in our published analysis of January 2012, in a ten-week period from October 21, 2011 through December 31, 2011, more than 300 injuries took place at the Canidrome. Of these, 54 injured dogs were "recommended to retire."

But there is no "retirement" program for greyhounds at the Canidrome! Unprofitable greyhounds are simply killed at a rate of 30 each month and new dogs are shipped in to take their place. As Albano Martins, head of the Macau Society for the Protection of Animals (ANIMA) has stated:

Dogs are just "things" here. They are bought, sold and then thrown away like garbage.

There is some good news to share today, however. Last week, Albano received a letter from track officials promising to let one dog leave the facility and to launch an adoption program in thirty days. But thirty days is too long for Brooklyn and unfortunately, the track already made this same promise two months ago.

So now Albano has requested a meeting with Macau's Chief Executive to force the track to act. You can help now by signing our petition to Chief Executive, Dr. Chui Sai On or by e-mailing him directly at gce.raem.gov.mo.

Sadly, unless Brooklyn receives the help he deserves, he will be killed. Please take action now and give Brooklyn the second chance he deserves. You will find regular updates on Brooklyn, related news stories and blogs at www.RescueBrooklyn.org.

Thank you for caring!

Christine A. Dorchak, Esq. President, GREY2K USA

Carey M. Theil Executive Director, GREY2K USA

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Facebook Co-Founder Renounced American Citizenship to Save Taxes

Eduardo Saverin, who co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg, moved to Singapore last September in advance of Facebook's public offering of stock. In doing so, Saverin will avoid a significant portion of taxes he would owe if he had remained in the United Sates.

After his relationship soured with Zuckerberg, he was booted out of the company, but he won a four percent share in a lengthy court battle.

So why does Ham on Wry care what Eduardo Saverin does? Because his actions illustrate the mindset some members of the One Percent have, and it has a connection to the blog's May 12 post.

In theory, the uber rich will reinvest money into the economy here and will increase the wealth of the middle class eventually. What a bunch of bunk! He helped to create something that no one really needs. Many people have a Facebook addiction, but that doesn't mean they need it.



Saverin, the son of a wealthy Brazilian, moved to the United States to avoid being kidnapped for ransom and met Zuckerberg at Harvard University. This country offered him the opportunity to create wealth.and attend a world-class university. His gratitude is truly underwhelming (yes, it's a legitimate word). People like Saverin care mainly about retaining wealth and not so much about giving back to the country where he made the money.

He received citizenship as a means of escaping possible harm and renounced it so he could hold on to this money. That, readers, blows a hole in the notion propounded by so many Republicans that the wealthy pay their fair share already. Oh, a few people like Warren Buffett are committed to stepping up to the plate to pay more taxes, but too many are consumed by greed and the power that money buys. They prefer to keep it and use if for themselves.

Shame on Eduardo Saverin for his selfishness and his manipulation of our system. Moving to Singapore isn't illegal, but it certainly smacks of ingratitude. The same can be said of people like Mitt Romney who have offshore accounts so that they can avoid paying taxes. Most readers don't have the luxury of having so much money that they can ship it out of the country clandestinely. I'm tired of Americans succumbing to the wool pulled over their eyes. These people would have plenty of money, even if they paid 50% in taxes, because the have so many loopholes.

Eduardo Saverin has shown total disregard for American citizenship.  Good riddance!

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Former Romney Colleague Vehemently Defends "The One Percent"

Edward Conard, a former Bain employer who once worked for Mitt Romney, has written a book, “Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About the Economy Is Wrong,” in which he writes a treatise on the importance of the 1%. His conclusion comprises arguments in support of his belief that the vast income inequality in the United States reflects just how well our economy is working, and if the number expands, all economic classes would benefit.  Better for whom, Mr. Conard?


He erroneously asserts that the wealthiest 1% made their money by taking huge risks on innovative ideas that eventually reaped them mega bucks, while creating a plethora of jobs. I can buy that premise for people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg, but many people who have made it to the top did so as CEO's of companies they didn't establish. Other gained monetarily be chopping and dicing American companies, with some forced into bankruptcy and others outsourcing jobs overseas. Thanks for that! I absolutely adore trying to explain a customer service issue to people in another country who must transfer me back to the US because they don't have the authority to handle my problem. This is, if I can negotiate through the automated voice response system that winds callers through myriad sidetracks before reaching a human. Count that so-called innovation as one of my biggest pet peeves.


The disparity between the average income of $51,000 for the 99% and $717,000 for the 1% provides reason enough to lament. It gets worse. The top 1% controls 43% of America's wealth. It doesn't take a math whiz to subtract 43% from 100%, leaving 57% of the nation's wealth in the hands of the remaining 99%. I don't care how you cut the pie, Mr. Conard, that leaves very little for the rest of us to live comfortably. Many Americans have devoutly clipped coupons, shopped sales and frequented discount stores to make up for rising a food prices, soaring health costs, and shrinking earnings.


Conard asserts that we simply need more innovators. I say we need more quality innovators and vastly more people who execute the innovations here in the US. Apple manufactures its iPads in China, rather than here. Thousands of examples of this type of outsourcing, which decimated many areas of "The Rust Belt", exist. I'm certain Conard would label that an innovation, but I disagree. It's an unwanted change that resulted in poor quality products, including contaminated drywall, baby clothes, children's toys, and clothing with mismatched seams and lacking in finishing work. I'm positive readers could share hundreds of additional examples relating to sub-par Chinese products.


Draw your own conclusions, Readers. I'm skipping "Unintended Consequences." I think Edward Conard has lost touch with his middle class roots, and he misses one salient fact. Many of the 1% gained their riches by losing their integrity and taking money that they didn't earn. Bernie Madoff was aptly named, because he made of with billions from his investors. The lack of a moral compass is the biggest unintended consequence of all.

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US Conference of Catholic Bishops Launches Girl Scouts of America Inquiry

Anna Maria Chavez, Girl Scouts of America CEO/AP file photo

Ham on Wry finds it interesting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is investigated the Girl Scouts of the USA. Why?
Because they have concerns about program materials that some Catholics find offensive, and they claim the Scouts associate with groups that promulgate positions which conflict with church teaching. Huh? I didn't realize that the Girl Scouts is a Catholic-sponsored organization that must abide by the tenets of the church. Wait! The Girl Scouts don't fall under the Catholic hierarchy.




This ridiculous situation offers another example of the ludicrous charges brought about by conservative religious leaders that waste the time of an organization that has existed for 100 years and has helped millions of girls learn the value of teamwork, responsibility, and dedication to principles of honor. Perhaps the Catholic bishops should reflect more on the atrocities of sexual abuse that occurred under their watch. Not only did they turn a blind eye to the thousands of children affected by these crimes, many labored to cover it up and transferred the criminals to other parishes, enabling them to continue the abuse. The kind of damage wreaked by that kind of atrocity lasts for a lifetime.

Ham on Wry offers this suggestion to the Girl Scouts of the USA. Don't make changes based on this unfounded inquiry. Push back and remain true to the founder's purpose and to the organization's mission. The blogger also suggests that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops launch a thorough investigation into their own internal affairs. Perhaps it is targeting the Girl Scouts as a red herring to take heat off the Catholic Church, which still has much to accomplish before it can ensure the safety of its young parishioners. Stop worrying about other organizations until your own "house" has been thoroughly cleansed of clergy that abuse children!

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Jermaine Greer Wins The Voice

Jermaine Paul now reigns as the season two winner of The Voice, beating out Juliet Simms, who followed him in second place. Tony Lucca won third place, and Chris Mann came in fourth, only one-half of a percentage point behind Lucca.

Paul came on strong in the last two episodes with a rousing rendition of Soul Man Monday, sung with his coach Blake Shelton, that brought the audience to its feet screaming in appreciation. Tonight, he brought back former contestants Pip, Jamar Rogers and James Massone to perform I Want You Back with him. Again, the audience love it and continued clapping long after the song had ended.




Ham on Wry still believes that Juliet Simms was the real winner. Her consistent soul-wrenching performances sung with her signature raspy voice never failed to entertain. Jermaine Paul was slower to hit his mark and his delivery sometimes wavered.

I preferred the debut season of The Voice to this one. The coaches didn't steal the show as much, and the contestants weren't made to pay so much tribute to their mentors. This year's contestants had diversity of style and talent, and their performances were more entertaining than any of the guests. I hope next year sees a return to the basic premise of a focus on the contestants.

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Governor Rick Scott Fails Florida Citizens

Governor Rick Scott won the 2010 race by promising to create 700,000 jobs in his first year. He didn't. He said he would lower taxes. He did, but for businesses, not citizens. He pledged an open, honest administration. That hasn't happened. Hundreds of e-mails magically disappeared from his computer and those of others in his administrations, and he violated the Sunshine Law on many occasions..

Rick Scott bought his way to the Governor's mansion by spending $77 million dollars on his campaign, much of which from his own accounts. He made promises that he knew he wouldn't keep.


What has Governor Scott accomplished that has made the life of Florida's citizens better? I don't know. He has cut budgets that forced reductions in police, fire and social services. He slashed education budgets in his first term, and now claims he added $1billion dollars to those same budgets for the next school year. Wait a minute!  That $1billion equals what he cut from the current budget, so the net effect is a zero sum gain. He singed a bill that created a 12th public university the Florida didn't need. He signed a new law that limits PIP injury claims to $2500 unless the victim seeks medical  care within two weeks and has an emergency condition, whatever that means. The law doesn't define it. At the same time, the law eliminates massage therapy and acupuncture coverage, often a less expensive way to treat minor injuries. Good luck to anyone who discovers a problem after the 14-day time limit. Who will benefit from all this? Insurance companies, both those who provide motor vehicle coverage and those who provide health care.

Governor Scott presides over a government skewed to the far right and has helped to make Florida a national laughing stock. His approval record plummeted in the first few months after he took office. Shame on the voters who didn't do their homework before they marked his name on the ballot. One of his campaign ads featured his mother saying, "He's a good boy." Phooey! He led an organization that paid a huge fine for Medicare fraud and was booted out just before the Feds investigated. He has failed in his duty to provide for the welfare and security of the state's citizens. Unfortunately, voters must endure him for another two and a half years, because the constitution offers no mechanism for recall.

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France Elects Francois Hollande as President

Behold Francois Hollande in the photo above, the man who defeated Nikolas Sarkozy in yesterday's run-off  for President of France by a slim margin, 51.9%-48.1%. Sarkozy conceded the election soon after polls closed, wishing his opponent well as he ended his term as the country's leader

Frank Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Seventeen years have passed since the country's last Socialist President, Francois Mitterand, left office. 

Hollande faces the daunting task of righting the economy, in addition to several other major problems, such as whether France will continue its military presence in Afghanistan.

Several violent incidents of social unrest have erupted in the past few years with rising discontent among minority populations. To answer some of the protesters' complaints, Hollande pledged that he will renegotiate a European treaty on budget cuts. He plans to increase government stimulus and all government spending, although the EU might push back strongly against that strategy, given the Greek debt crisis and the fact that France has accrued huge debts.


Ham on Wry wonders how Sarkozy will handle his defeat, after his meteoric rise to the presidency. Perhaps he'll join his wife in show business.

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Mitt Romney's View on Working Women

A writing friend sent this a few days ago, and, fair or not, it made me smile. Mitt Romney had experience in firms with women working in high-level positions, so he probably treated them professionally. It doesn't change this blogger's opinion of the irony in the image at left. Romney doesn't interact much with that socioeconomic group. They can't donate large sums of money to his campaign.






No matter what economic status a woman holds, the voting booth is the ultimate equalizer.  Women must remember that 31 Republican senators, all of whom were men, voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.  Do you think Romney or Obama shows more support for women? That's a central issue in the campaign for president this year.

According to the framer's of the constitution, the real job of government concerns the welfare and protections of its citizens and not its businesses and corporations. Citizens can't expect government to create jobs, but they can expect government to create a climate of cooperation with businesses. Women's health and general welfare depends on accessibility to jobs that pay living wages today.

Band together, women of America, and let's send a strong message of support for legislation that recognizes the importance of women in the 21st Century. If a woman can afford not to work and chooses to stay home, she has the freedom to do so. If a woman can afford not to work, but chooses to have a job, she has the same freedom. Many women have no choice and must work to support a family. Bear that in mind when you review voting records and political platforms for the next election.

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Voice Finalists Chosen

Ham on Wry predicted The Voice finalists with a 50% accuracy rate.  Chris Mann, top left from Christina Aguillera's team, made it to the final four, as did Juliet Simms bottom left on Cee Lo Green's team, as I predicted. However, voters selected Tony Lucca from Adam Levine's team and Jermaine Paul from Blake Shelton's team rather than Katrina Parker and Erin Willett, Ham on Wry's choices as finalists.

Christina and Blake scored each of their team members with 50 points; whereas Cee Lo and Adam used a 60/40 split in theirs. In Cee Lo's case, America agreed that Juliet Simms was the clear winner because Jamar Rogers wouldn't have won, even with a 50/50 vote. That is not the case with Katrina Parker, and I lost some respect for Adam Levine when he said that he had related well  to Tony Lucca from the beginning but had built a stronger relationship with Katrina, as she improved each week.

Katrina would have won, if Adam had voted 50/50, so American didn't really choose Tony Lucca.  He certainly has a good voice and masterful stage presence, but Katrina has a more distinctive voice with clearer tones. I think Katrina was robbed and Adam showed favoritism not because one had more talent, but because he related to him more.

Ham on Wry suggests a change for next season.  By the time contestants reach the semi-finals, take the pressure off the judges and let viewers choose the finalists and ultimately the winner, as they already do.  The coaches have already performed their magic by that time, and it should be left to the performers to show their stuff to the people who will pay for their music.

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Predictions for The Voice Finalists

The eight semi-finalists pictured above-- Jamar Rogers, Juliet Simms,  Lindsey Pavao, Kris Mann, Katrina Parker,Tony Lucca, Erin Willett, and Jermaine Paul-- performed last night on The Voice to determine who would move forward as the finalists in the competition.

Ham and Wry predicts all four winners, but those who will definitely make the cut leave behind someone who hit the mark last night. By far, the best performance must go to Juliet Simms, a hard-rock singer that has consistently wowed audiences. Her teammate Jamar Rogers, both on Cee Lo Green's team, also stirred up the audience to a fever pitch, but only one of them can compete as a finalist, so I choose Juliet. From Christina Aguillera's team, Kris Mann definitely takes it, and Adam Levine's Kristina Parker emerges as the winners from his two remaining singers. Although close, of the two singers on Blake Shelton's team, Erin Willett outshone Jermaine Paul.

This blogger also predicts that Juliet Simms will take it all. The other three will have offers because all have  talent and stage presence to succeed.

This post will update later to announce the actual results.

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