Weekly Article (Oddity)

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2009/01/13/i-was-bashed-with-a-dildo-by-man-in-leather-mask/

January 13, 2009

A 49-year-old woman who was beaten by a sexual device by a man in a leather mask and her dog was killed by being taped to a tree by the same man. Shaun Michael Burke, 38, appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with burglary, armed robbery and wilfully and unlawfully killing a dog at night. When the had found the dog there was blood in his mouth which they think that the dog had bite Burke because he had cuts on his arms which could have been dog bites. The woman and her son were at home and at around 3am a woman knocked at the front door to distract them so Burke could break in and rob the house. The son was chased through the house, into the back yard and he jumped over a fence to escape. The woman was hit with the sexual device which “appeared to be wrapped in such a way with duct tape to make it a better bludgeoning weapon” Sgt. Scott had said. The woman then had ran away when she could. Burke had alcohol and mental health issues and would get better treatment if granted bail. The woman who had distracted the female victim, has been granted watch-house bail to appear in court on January 29.

This would definitely be considered an Oddity news because it is a very unusual story and not something that happens normally. Usually when someone would be beaten its not with a sexual device and the criminal doesn't usually go after the house pet. This is going to affect the female victim her son for the rest of their lives. For something like that to happen to someone is awful and unforgettable. This is could a be warning story for people to be on the watch for things because anything could happen no matter how crazy it is. And anything could be used as a weapon obviously.

I think that this a something that I would expect to happen to someone. I could never picture anyone using a sexual device to beat someone with. Its just so odd, the criminals could have used a bat or pole or something, but they used something so different. I will definitely take in to consideration from now that anything can be used as a weapon. Its also just terrible to think that they killed the dog, I mean what could a dog do so bad to someone ten times its size. Burke wasn't able to kill the woman or son so he decided to kill their dog?? That's just not right. He really must have been a sick minded person. I think that this guy and the woman that helped him should be put in jail for a very long time.

3rd post

1. Reactions to the latest pages you have read. What have you found interesting so far? What do you agree/disagree with?

Well now that I have started a new and more intresting book "On the Bike with Lance Armstrong" I've read so many more interesting things then my old book. Lance was definitely independent when he was younger, he did what he wanted to and didn't let anyone drag him down. His mother supported everything he wanted to do. He started off in triathlons and the first one he had no coach or anything but what he had done in the past with running, swimming and biking. He won the race in record time. That is very interesting to me. I don't really have anything to agree or disagree with yet. Except when he was older and racing for the national team he decided not to listen to his coach durring a big race in europe (not the tour de france) and he tired himself out to fast and the coach told him to do something that wouldn't tire him out so fast in the begining. But he still came in 11th place and thats the highest any american had came in during that race.

2. What leadership traits has the subject of your book shown? Or what leadership traits has your author talked about being important? Use specific examples from the book including page number.

Lance does what he wants. He doesn't let anyone stop him, he doesn't consider second place to be good enough or a win for him. When he was younger the kids at his school always told him that he isn't good enough and he isn't good at anything. But he proved them wrong in a school race where he beat all of the athletic football and basketball guys.

3. Talk about a specific quote or passage that has stood out to you so far. What is it? Why do you feel it is important?

"One of Lance's favorite training tactics was to try to ride fast enough to time traffic lights so he wouldn't have to stop. Sometimes he'd race through the light even after it had turned yellow." Lance would also not wear a helmet when he would train. So one day he was ride his bike along with the traffic and was coming up to an intersection that when he approached it the light was already yellow. He was going to fast to stop so he just kept going and a woman in an SUV didn't see him and she saw the green light she should started going and then she had hit Lance broadside. He went flying threw the air and landed head first into the pavement. All this time he didn't have a helmet on. In the end he had a concussion and a sprained knee and he had to have stitches in the foot and head. After reading that I was very surprised that a guy who wanted to be a professional bicyclist decided not to wear a helmet and risk the possibility of getting a serious head injury. I thought he would know more about that stuff and be smart enough to wear a helmet especially when going at the speeds he went. He could have lost his whole future at the that point.

4. Give me an example of a time that you had to make an ethical decision. What was the situation? Who (no names necessary) was involved? What was the ethical dilemma? Ultimately what did you decide to do and why?

Well I guess I have to make them all the time, on Sundays I usually spend time with my family even though I have a bunch of homework to finish up. So every morning have to choose between spending time with my family and having fun or staying home and doing boring homework. Of course almost always I just say forget about my homework I'll do it later but then its way late when I get home and I'm too tired to do anything. So I usually choose the wrong decision and always regret it.

2nd post

1. Your reactions to what you have read so far since last time you posted. Have any of your thoughts about the book changed? What has stood out so far? What do you agree/disagree with?

Pretty much my thoughts about the book are the same, its pretty much describing how his daily life is so far. It still just amazes me that he could have something like this and he can do everything he used to do and doesn't really worry about his problem. I wish he would tell more about what his struggles are and ways to overcome them, but i guess I'll read about that later...

2. Have your views of what you thought leadership was changed in any way so far? If so How?

Just a little bit, because he hasn't really said anything about leadership but he might be and I just don't understand it yet. I'm not really getting much just out of what he does everyday.

3. Can you relate a time when you were put in a leadership position. What was it? How do you feel you did in this position? Is there anything you regret? What would you do differently?

I'm sure I have before, I don't remember much but I'm sure that I was just encouraging the people around me to get whatever we were doing done. It was problem during a game or something and i'm very competitive person and I will always step up and be a leader when playing a game. But all I really do is tell people they can do it and get it done. So I don't really know if that would be consider a "leadership" thing... But I can say that it is hard to get some convince people that they can do it and get it done.

4. Following up from the question above, citing particular quotes or passages from the book, write about something you can use that the author said or did when you are put in leadership role now or in the future.

I'm now reading a new book called "On the Bike with Lance Armstrong" and I think that Lance Armstrong is much more of a leader than Michael J. Fox. I have read so many things that he had to do that would be considered a leadership position. He is definitely someone to look up to.

1st Reaction

So far I haven't read that much but I can tell that it's going to be a good book about leadership. Just knowing that this Michael J. Fox hasn't let this disease take over his life and ruin everything he worked for, has let me know that you can't give up just like that if something bad happens, you get help and you can before you know it you will be back up on your feet and doing what you enjoy again. I think that this is going to be a good book because he really seems like someone who can influence a lot of people. He was a great actor and when he was diagnosed with this disease it pretty much messed up his big acting career. So he didn't want to do to much after that and he wrote a book and is a star of the tv show "Spin City." He is doing good now so far but he still has so issues to overcome...