A FAMILY TRAGEDY

"NORCROSS, Ga -- "I love my daughter. I love my daughter, but I love my wife," said 58-year-old Gold Pak. His emotions are torn for his wife of 38 years and the daughter now accused of murdering her.

Pak, his wife, two daughters and a son came here from South Korea nearly 30 years ago. All but the oldest daughter have shared a town home in Norcross for the past five years.

The yard still shows scorch marks from an unthinkable act that has devastated them all.

Tuesday afternoon the youngest daughter, Na Yong Pak, 32, doused her mother with gasoline and set her on fire. Her mother, Myong Hui Pak, 58, died of her injuries about 10 hours later.

Her family took several photos of her final moments in Grady Memorial Hospital's burn unit. They asked 11Alive News to show them to help tell their story. Specifically, to help convey her final wishes about her daughter.

Her husband says his wife was aware of what her daughter had done, but still forgave her.

"She said, 'I love Na. Don't put her in jail'," Gold Pak told me during an interview sitting on the floor of the family's town home.

He says his daughter started showing signs of mental illness about three years ago. She began beating her mother, convinced her food was being poisoned.

Pak says his wife kept the beatings a secret at first to protect their daughter, who she hoped would get better.

Police finally arrested Na Yong Pak for attacking her mother last fall. She was sent to Georgia Regional Medical Center for evaluation in early December.

The state mental hospital released her just two weeks ago over her family's objections. They didn't think it was safe for her to come home.

"That's not normal," Pak told me, insisting she should have been kept for more treatment.

Now Pak is haunted by the murder charge against his mentally troubled daughter and by his dying wife's wish that Na Yong be forgiven and get more treatment.

"I love Na," her father said. "I still love her."

State officials say privacy laws won't allow them to discuss Na Yong Pak's case. But the family admits she refused to take her prescribed medication or return for followup treatments.

The family has set up a fund to help pay their funeral expenses.

Donations may be sent to the Myong Hui Pak Funeral Fund care of The Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc., 3760 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA 30340, telephone number 770-936-0969."

Hanh: OH. MY. GOD... I couldn't believe this story. It devastated me as if they were my own family. There's so many factors going on. If the daughter was sane & killed her then it would be so easy to lock her up without a key. But she wasn't & now the dad doesn't want her to go to prison because that's his daughter, you know? What a complicated tragedy. I feel a trillion times so bad for them.

And the fact that the daughter started beating up on the mom 3 years ago & she kept quiet to protect her? THAT is crazy. Not trying to be culturally biased as I'm sure Americans would too, but that is definitely an Asian thing. For your parents to not call the authorities on you even if you do them harm because they don't want you to go to prison? That's definitely culture. It's also mainly because they don't want to stain their family image & feel embarrassed by their judgmental peers.

Man. I'm in such disbelief over this story. I could never imagine even arguing with my mom, let alone killing her. May God (or Buddha) watch over Myong Hui Pak & let her rest in peace. Bless her soul & bless her heart.

COPS, MUSIC VIDEOS & BASKETBALL. SOUNDS LIKE BET'S BLACKBUSTER NIGHT TO ME

LOL! I kid I kid! Well, not really. Haha. Ya'll know that's what's all of them movies are about. Don't even front... I be on 'em sometimes.

:-D

Happy Friday everyone! Whew! Long week! I'm glad that it's OVERRRR.

So tell me why I've never gotten a traffic ticket before (I got into an accident when I 1st got my license but didn't even get a ticket for it) and just got 3 at once on Tuesday night?Long story & I really don't feel like elaborating. lol.

Freaking cops. Did I ever mention that I hate cops? Yea, I do. And not because they just gave me 3 tickets (well, partly) but I've always hated them. UGH! They always pick on random people when they're supposed to be out fighting crime. You're pulling me over for something that drivers do every day when there are people out there getting killed, robbed & Lord knows what else. UGH! They're such assholes sometimes.

Of course there are exceptions & I commend those cops. I've ran across some pretty decent ones, but they are indubitably outnumbered by farrrr by jerks like the one I just encountered. It's often that they're no help whatsoever when you need them... So here's to you Mr. Officer. Mr. I'm over 50 & still trying to look cool by riding a motorcycle with my fat ass & ugly haircut. You're probably not good enough, that's why they didn't even give you a squad car AND you're stuck doing traffic. I hope you get caught in the rain & all the (little) equipment you have gets wet & tase you. Not electrocute, just enough zzz to make you fall off your bike & block a 4-way intersection causing a Budweiser truck to crash & beer to fall out & spill all in your mouth & you get arrested by somebody in your own station for drunk driving AND wreckless driving AND blocking an intersection. You DICK!

~ Speaking of violations, I just saw Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows" video and it was WHACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. I mean, for real though. The song is good & I love the beat & refreshing concept but for it to be called Bust Your Windows there was no window busting whatsoever. NONE. (Well, I saw bits & pieces at different times but I'm pretty sure there weren't any.) I mean, really? I know she's just starting out & probably didn't have a big budget but damnnnn. If they didn't have enough money to bust real windows then at least CG it or something. Or is that too expensive too? Either way, she's not pretty enough to carry on a whole video by herself. Just like how Cassie couldn't dance well enough to carry the "Me & You" video by herself. Come on people! Get it together!

If it was me I would've shot it in black & white with them dressed old school & dancing in a ballroom. (With her lips, the flower in her hair & her nails still red.) It flashes back & forth between them dancing all intimately on the dance floor to her catching him in bed & busting the windows out his car. When the bat (or brick) touches the window it'll change into different colors. It also shows numerous other women busting the windows out of numerous cars. And it changes from decade to decade & century to century. All played by the same guy but with different girls. Like he's reborn into another life but he's still the same jerk. It's hard to explain but I see it in my head... Just a short overview as I haven't thought that deep into it, but still. Anything would've been better than just her in the camera the whole time.

~ Speaking of videos, T Pain's Chopped & Skrewed video is HOT! Now THAT'S how you're supposed to do it. Given his status & budget it's not a fair comparison but you can do a nice video on a low budget. No excuses!

~ Speaking of how you're SUPPOSED to do it, I'm just gonna end it with these pix.

How cool is he? lol. My President can ball, what about yours? BIATCHES!

YES WE CANNNNNNN

I'm sure everyone is blogging about the election but... HOW CAN YOU NOT?!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

OBAMA WON!!!!!!!!!!
YES!!!!!!!!!!

We took Q down to his county to vote & guess what? He was in & out within like 10 minutes. I swear! I was like dang! We should've waited till today to vote. Oh well, I don't mind standing in line for change.

We hung out at his dad's place for a minute & went back home around 6 or so. I watched the entire process on CNN all night; from beginning to end. Well, I switched to Trading Spouses, Real Housewives & Rocky inbetween but I caught most of it. I wanted to be surprised at the numbers so didn't want to watch it the whole time. At 1st McCain was in the lead 8-3 & then I turned back & it was like 33-16 (or something) in favor of Obama. Can't remember the specific #s but Obama kept soaring & never looked back. I screamed for joy EVERY. SINGLE. TIME his # went up, even if it was 4 points. lol. By the time he reached over 270 I was ecstatic. I ran in the room to tell Actor, high fived Q & screameddddddddddddddddd. Longest scream I've ever done in my entire life! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I wanted to go outside & run around & scream but decided not to. lol.

Everybody started calling us & we called others & all screamed & talked shit. Everyone we knew were rejoicing.

It was THE most amazing thing that I've ever seen in my whole entire political life. For the American political life period. The 1st African American president. Wow. I'm SOOOOOOOO proud. I feel deeply honored to be a part of this. I've always been a huge supporter & believer of civil rights. I'm so thankful for those before us that led the way, fought, bled & stood their ground so that we could come to this. It's a beautiful beautiful thing. I might not be black but my family & friends are & I'm a minority in this country so I still feel proud. I feel proud for Actor & Q & all African Americans. It's indescribable how much the atmosphere has changed. At that exact moment.

Actor said (looking at the tv) that black people actually look like they belong now (referring to this black lady host amongst her white counterparts.) That black children actually have a shot at becoming a president now. Nothing is impossible now. He said that back then black parents used to tell their kids that they could be anything, but they knew deep down inside that it couldn't be a president, you know? Can't kill a kid's dreams though.

Him & Q said that there's no excuse for black people now. Especially men. Alot of them feel like society and/or the judicial system is against them or whatever & now they can't say that. They can't use that excuse anymore to be sorry at anything. At parenting, having a job or any race related cop out.

I personally hoped that alot of racist people were watching, people who think white people are the only good or that only the blacks were happy for Obama's win. The crowd proved otherwise. Obama coming out & everyone at Grant Park (blacks, whites, asians, hispanics... everyone) cheering brought me to tears. It was refreshing & life changing to see that everyone wanted him to be president. Not just blacks.

That leads me to another subject: haters. I just don't understand why people are so hateful, angry & narrow-minded. Every since this election started there were strong supporters on both sides. But people are so wrapped up in their own views that they are condescending to the opposite party & I really can't stand it. My coworkers get so worked up & upset at each other talking politics that they don't speak to each other for days. I don't discuss politics at work anyway so don't ever engage them. But it's so disturbing to hear people call each other stupid & narrow-minded when you're the one doing the same but even worse. Everyone has their own opinion, who's to say who's right or wrong? Just stick to what YOU believe in & let others feel how they feel, you know?

On that note, I couldn't believe that the McCain supporters booed while he was making his congratulatory speech. Are you kidding me? Have some class and/or respect for your country & new president. HE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE. At that moment I actually felt a little sympathetic towards McCain. He's a good guy & he ran his race. Not many people can say that they've ran for President.

But they did & Obama won. By more than double. Now THAT I wasn't expecting. Since both sides had such strong supporters I thought this was gonna be the most heated & close race in history but it was quite contrary. I couldn't believe the numbers; I know alot of McCain supporters didn't believe it either. But that just goes to show that AMERICA wants Obama. Not just blacks. Not just younger people. But EVERYONE. Refer to the crowd at Grant Park for proof. And the number; numbers don't lie. He even won Florida & numerous other "Republican" states. Goes to show even further that everyone feels like change is needed. And they feel that Obama can bring that change. So for all those who say that people are stupid for voting for Obama I guess the whole nation is stupid then. We'll all be stupid together.

I'm extremely proud that this election broke voting records. From people voting for the 1st time to those who are voting again after a long time. From younger & more urban people to older & conservative people. From gays to straight, rich poor, abled & disabled. Everyone showed up & did their thing. That makes me proud. To see everyone unite for a cause worth believing in, for change that we needed. Shows that anything is possible when people work together.

Many people are fearing assassination plots and such. I refuse to believe that someone will carry that out. I'm sure many are thinking it, but if someone were to try then I'd be so disappointed at this country. I would lose my patriotism. I just, I dunno, I pray for his safety but I also pray that I wouldn't have to pray for his safety, you know? I shouldn't have to. People need to stop being so hateful.

But at the end of the day, I am proud to say that I am VERY happy that Obama is our new president. I pray for him to be successful, loved & respected. I pray that he makes the right decisions, change the right things & make a positive impact in this country & world. I have so much faith in him as I'm sure millions of others do. Make us proud Mr. Barack Obama. We'll stand by you every step of the way.

Love,
Hanh

A BLIND DATE THAT TURNED INTO 60 YRS.

From NPR.org:

"They've been together for over a half-century — but Ben and Bernice Finn met on a blind date. It was eight months after the end of World War II, and Ben had recently returned home to Brooklyn, N.Y., after serving in the Army.

"My two best friends were Hank and Eddie," Ben said. And unlike Ben, they both had girlfriends. So, the two asked Ben if he'd like to go out with them — and a blind date.

"In those days, you wore a suit and a tie when you went on a date," Ben said.

"I didn't have a suit to my name. So, I bought a suit to match the tie that I had."

That sparked a memory from Bernice: "Did it have apples on it?"

"It had apples on it, yes."

"I was very nervous," Ben said. "She was so pretty."

"I remember that day very well," Bernice said. "And no, you weren't pretty."

But when the couples all went out that night, there was a chill in the air.

"And I took your arm," Bernice said.

"I was thrilled by that," Ben said.

"And the reason I took your arm is, you seemed nervous. And I wanted to make you more comfortable."

The group went to a coffee shop, where they all started ordering hamburgers and drinks — everyone, that is, except for Ben. He didn't order anything.

"And I say to myself, 'Oh my God, I bet he doesn't have any money,' " Bernice remembered.

"And there I am, starving," she said. "And I ordered black coffee. Because I was afraid my date didn't have any money. So, you owe me a hamburger," she told Ben.

"I have no memory of that," Ben said. "Maybe it was I didn't have any money. Maybe I was just cheap. I don't know."

"Okay," Bernice said. "I'll buy that second explanation."

The couple dated for two years before getting married. Ben eventually got a master's degree in education and taught elementary school. The Finns have two children, Gail and Steven, and three grandchildren.

Their 60th wedding anniversary will be this Christmas, Dec. 25"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanh: That story is so inspiring & uplifting. It touched my heart so I just had to share. This is what I want; something true & long-lasting. I still want my husband to be my best friend even when we're 90 :-D

MAN HITS SHARK TO SAVE DOG

"ISLAMORADA, Fla.

A dog is recovering after a Florida Keys carpenter dove in to save his pet from a shark. Greg LeNoir said he took his 14-pound rat terrier Jake for a daily swim at a marina Friday.

The five-foot shark suddenly surfaced and grabbed nearly the entire dog in its mouth.

LeNoir said he yelled, then balled up his fists and dove headfirst into the water. He hit the shark in the back and the creature finally let go of the dog.

Man and dog made it safely back to shore. The dog suffered bite wounds but was not critically injured."
------------

Hanh: Wow. What a brave guy. He must really love that dog. I love Brando too but I dunno bout jumping in & hitting the shark. Might have to shoot the shark or something. Either way it's animal cruelty. *sighs* You can't win.

Way to go Hero of the Day!

GRANDMA GLOCK

Tue Aug 19, 11:25 PM ET

POINT MARION, Pa. - An 85-year-old woman boldly went for her gun and busted a would-be burglar inside her home, then forced him to call police while she kept him in her sights, police said. "I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," Leda Smith said.
Smith heard someone break into her home Sunday afternoon and grabbed the .22-caliber revolver she had been keeping by her bed since a neighbor's home was burglarized a few weeks ago.

"I said 'What are you doing in my house?' He just kept saying he didn't do it," Smith said.

After the 17-year-old boy called 911, Smith kept holding the gun on him until state police arrived at her home in Springhill Township, about 45 miles south of Pittsburgh.

The boy will be charged with attempted burglary and related offenses in juvenile court, Trooper Christian Lieberum said. He was not identified because of his age.

"It was exciting," Smith said. "I just hope I broke up the (burglary) ring because they have been hitting a lot of places around here."

~~

Whoo! Go Grandma!!! Now THAT is some news! lol! She's so nice. If someone were to break in my house they'd get more than a call to the cops I tell you that much. Don't you get 3 "warning" shots? ...

WOMAN vs. LION. WHO WINS?

"ACAPULCO, Mexico - A Mexican woman says she fought a 500-pound lion with a machete near the resort city of Acapulco and scared him away.

Celsa Aleman said she and her 7-year-old niece were riding a donkey Monday along a road when the lion went after the animal's legs.

The 35-year-old woman said she found the courage to fight the lion because she thought it would attack her niece. She said she hit the animal with a machete until the beast ran away and Aleman and her niece were unharmed.

The state government said in a statement that the lion had escaped from a private zoo owned by a former local congressman. It said the animal killed two dogs and ate a pig before it was sedated and taken back to the zoo."

~~~

Wow. She is the truth! Go her! But... where'd she get the machete from? They're just riding a donkey around town with a machete in their purse. lol.

MONEY MAKING MAMA

People crack me up. hahahaha. On the news:

"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A Bakersfield woman faces charges that she counterfeited money and identification cards after her 10-year-old son turned her in to authorities.

According to Kern County Superior Court records, the boy gave sheriff's deputies phony money last month that his mother created. The child told investigators she also had a computer that makes fake ID cards.

Deputies executing a search warrant seized computer disks, scanners and printers.

The thirty-year-old woman is due in court Friday. She faces several charges, including possessing equipment to commit forgery.

Deputies said she was arrested July 4 and posted $50,000 bail the same day."

Hahahhaha. First of all, what a smart little 10 yr. old. He knows the difference between right & wrong. Good for him. Second of all, I wonder if he did it out of spite because she wouldn't give him any of the money that she was making. hahaha. And thirdly, she was arrested & posted $50,000 bail the same day. Uh, she probably paid with the fake money that she made you idiots! LMAO!