Crazy ex-wives, Freedom of Speech

I read an article this morning about a guy named Anthony Morelli who started a blog in 2007 to complain about his exwife and their divorce and custody battle and all the crap she was putting him through.  It wasn't so much a "bitch blog" as it was a way for different people to share their similar experiences in the hopes that they could all learn something from each other about how to better handle those situations.  It seems Mr. Morelli's exwife had a problem with it and filed suit to have it taken down. She had asked him to and his children had even asked him to take it down but he chose not to.  In June of this year a judge ordered that he remove his blog, siting that it was causing emotional stress on his children and his exwife.  He is appealing the court's decision based on his right to freedom of speech.

First of all, I salute you Mr. Morelli.  I have had to deal with crazy exwives, the harm they cause the children they claim to "love" and the hell they put a father and anyone in his life through.  I admire you for having the courage to voice your opinions and give others a forum to express theirs and share their experiences.  Maybe it was a "bitch blog", but we all have a right to complain every now and then and, unless it's untrue, we should have a right to say what we feel about other people, especially if they are hurting their (our) children.  For the judge, shame on you.  Did you do your homework?  Did you have psychiatric reports on the children that proved it was having a negative effective on their lives?  Did you take into account what the exwife was doing to him and his children?  There had to have been a reason he referred to her as "crazy" and felt the need to start a blog in the first place.  I hardly doubt she was a saint and that she never said anything derogatory about him.

If you can't tell, I am definitely an advocate of father's rights.  I believe fathers should have equal time, equal responsibilities and equal rights where their children are concerned.  I tried to make sure my children always spent as much time with their father as he wanted and, until recent years, he and I both made it a point to get along for the kids sake.  Things change over the years and what was once an amicable relationship can turn into a very bitter one, especially when/if new people are introduced to those relationships.  I agree, there are many crazy exwives and my exhusband would probably tell you I am one of them.  He's probably the only one that has that opinion so it doesn't amount to a hill of beans to me.

I think it is wrong that Mr. Morelli had to remove his blog and I hope for his sake, and ours, he wins his appeal.  We all have the right to freedom of speech.  If the crazy exwife and the kids don't want to know what he and other people are saying they don't have to read it.  I don't believe he should be told he cannot express those opinions. 

This is just me exercising my right to freedom of speech and applauding him for doing the same.  I'm on your side Mr. Morelli.

Getting excited!

Just three more days and I'm off to England!  I'm excited, nervous, excited, scared, excited.  Did I say excited?  I've never been (that far) out of the USA before.  Never been anywhere where I had to have a passport.  Never flown on a plane that long (10 hrs) and I'm not excited about that part.  But I can't wait to see another part of the world.  I'll be on my own most of the time I'm there and I have so many things I want to do.  Visit castles, historical sites, etc.  The part I'm most excited about is spending the weekend in London with Robin.  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace.  All the things I've always wanted to see, and now I can!  I haven't even thought about packing yet.  The weather over there right now is like our early spring (lows in 50s at night, highs almost to 70 during the day) so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.  We looked at the weather forecast and there's not a single day of rain predicted!  In England?  No way!  Anyway, no matter what we do, it will be new and exciting (to me anyway) and I can't wait to get there!

Ready to travel!

I'm so excited, I am going "across the pond" in a few weeks.  This will be my first trip out of the country (that cruise to the Caribbean Islands doesn't count).  So many things to do!  Have to get a passport.  How did I make it to 50 without ever going anywhere that needed a passport?  Not looking forward to a 10 hour flight, certainly not looking forward to flying home by myself, but definitely looking forward to discovering a new land, new customs, new adventures.  I can't wait!