Van Plew v. Madeo

You never saw this post coming!

The real lesson to be learned from this controversial Capital District incident, is that NOTHING is what you think it is. You might think there is protocol or sensibility to any given situation. That is not so. A series of events carries no guarantee things will play out the way you expect them to.

The Albany teacher shot to death in western NY a few months ago when he wandered into the wrong house in the middle of the night probably didn't have a clue that he was entering the last minutes of his life.

Thank goodness the Bethlehem teen involved in the so-called "Ding Dong Ditch" ("Nikki Nikki Nine Doors") prank didn't succumb to a similar fate. Thank goodness he is just a suburban kid and not some tough punk from a project that wouldn't have given a second thought to rendering the Van Plew children fatherless.

DING DONG DITCH ::: Ashton Kutcher brought the old prank back to life in the spring of 2009

Point is, that whatever situation you may find yourself in or you should chance upon in 2010, expect that anything can (and sometimes will) happen. The keyword is CHANCE. Think before you act or speak. Be ready. (And be careful!) The trouble is we are often completely blindsided by unfolding events, kinda like when that car comes out of nowhere, t-boning yours.

Outcomes cannot always be predicted. The way people or police act in any given situation is no longer "textbook."

The Bethlehem Incident isn't over yet. It is a disaster for everyone involved. Maybe that's why the Albany County D-A doesn't want to get involved. The waters of discontent are circling the drain, threatening to drown those who get trapped in the sink.