Nie.Nie seems to be having a breakdown

[bionicmlle]

Regarding Christian leaving her in the plane -- I don't feel that critical about it -- I think if I was on fire I probably wouldn't have the presence of mind to help anyone else out (he was burned as well). When she was on Oprah (or on the Dateline (20/20?? dunno) special) she admitted to having some very real adn troubling feelings of anger towards Christian for "leaving her" there - I thought it was very big of her to admit in such a public forum.

[onlyorganic]

Whoh... I've never heard of these people before! How did they get past me? After seeing some burn victims and knowing that the flight instructor lost his life, I'd say these people were really lucky. And yes, those "don't read my blog, don't comment"- persecution type posts bug me. If you run a blog on a the very-public internet, you can't expect everyone everywhere to think you're amazing. The comment she was referring to seems justified. She's pregnant again. There are many people out there who can't get pregnant. Then there are some people who get pregnant just from passing the tater tots in the frozen food section of the grocery store. I wish those people who be more appreciative of what they have...

[Beeks]

Regarding Christian leaving her in the plane -- I don't feel that critical about it -- I think if I was on fire I probably wouldn't have the presence of mind to help anyone else out (he was burned as well). When she was on Oprah (or on the Dateline (20/20?? dunno) special) she admitted to having some very real adn troubling feelings of anger towards Christian for "leaving her" there - I thought it was very big of her to admit in such a public forum.

Agree. But like I said upthread, I get his thinking that the kids needed at least one parent, too.

[mirele]

Please tell me you're joking!

I wish I was.

She and her husband, their kids, and others are suing the following:

* City of St. Johns, AZ dba St. Johns Industrial Airpark (owner of the airport)

* Navopache Electric Cooperative (provides electric power and constructed the poles and lines around the airport)

* Stantech Consulting, Inc. (the company that designed the airport)

Maricopa County civil case #CV2009-025997

[deelaem]

That article reads like bad (is there any other kind) Christian fiction. It must be from a Mormon-owned newspaper. Nie-Nie and her husband seem like they're acting out roles instead of living lives. Wait, I just described most of Mormon society...

[anniebgood]

I get a chill when ever I see Nie.Nie written. My nickname from kindergarden through 8th grade was NieNIe. The last 3 letters of my first name and the first 3 of my maiden name. But I'm not Mormon nor am I a plane crash victim.

I wonder if I can sue her for appropriating my name ?

[clibbyjo]

I wish I was.

She and her husband, their kids, and others are suing the following:

* City of St. Johns, AZ dba St. Johns Industrial Airpark (owner of the airport)

* Navopache Electric Cooperative (provides electric power and constructed the poles and lines around the airport)

* Stantech Consulting, Inc. (the company that designed the airport)

Maricopa County civil case #CV2009-025997

Seriously? Good luck with that. If I lived in AZ I would sue them for wasting money. Her husband wrecked the plane due to his lack of experience, how do they think the city,airport and electric company are at fault?

[kb2]

If this is her first pregnancy after getting burned, I can see how she could be surprised by how bad it is. Or maybe she just forgot what morning sickness was like? Or maybe this time is just worse, for random reasons?

OTOH, getting a note that says, "You're being whiney," seems mild by internet standards. Seems like it could have been ignored just as easily. But maybe I just have higher standards for what to get upset about after hanging out here for a while. : )

As for the crash, I've never been put in the position to drag my husband out of a burning vehicle, so I don't know what I would do. Maybe the guy feels really bad for causing the crash that killed the pilot, but he was never strong enough to announce that to the world, so he kind of glossed over it. All the lawsuits seem a bit shady, though.

[darkplumaged]

I really can't deal with Twee Mormon Blogs, and this is a good example. I checked it out quickly when Nie Nie came up here a few weeks ago and had to stop after just a few posts. I can't even put my finger on why. I guess it's the forced combination of QUIRKINESS! and WHOLESOMENESS!

[julie]

I read forever ago that one lawsuit has to do with where power lines were placed? Anyone else remember her writing about it?

[anniebgood]

I read forever ago that one lawsuit has to do with where power lines were placed? Anyone else remember her writing about it?

If you fly your aircraft into a power line it's not the fault of the power company.

And when you crash it's uncontrolled contact with terrain. Sounds like a very inexperienced pilot, bad weather (wind gusts)

Here's the NTSB report on the crash:

The certified flight instructor (CFI), pilot undergoing instruction (PUI), and one passenger were departing from an airport with a density altitude of 8,690 feet mean sea level. The fuel tanks were filled to maximum capacity, and the estimated gross weight was about 130 pounds less than the maximum gross weight. During the takeoff, a witness at the airport observed that as the airplane traveled down the runway there was no change in engine sound. The witness further stated that as the airplane lifted out of ground effect , it did not climb any higher. It continued down the runway and at its end, the witness saw the airplane stall and turn to the left, prior to ground impact. The PUI reported that during the takeoff, “We used virtually the entire runway for takeoff.†The PUI was focused on obstacles ahead of the runway and notified the CFI that they had cleared the obstacles. The PUI indicated that the CFI then assumed control of the airplane and entered the airplane into a climb to clear additional obstacles. The PUI stated that as the flight controls were pulled back it felt like they had less available power, most likely due to the attitude of the airplane. The airplane then collided with obstacles. Post accident engine examination showed that the intake lifter for the Number 4 cylinder camshaft lobe was worn and the follower was heavily pitted. Both the intake and exhaust lifter for the Number 3 cylinder were heavily scored and the corresponding camshaft lobes were heavily worn. While the exact amount of degradation to the engine's power output could not be established, the alteration of the cam lobe profile will alter the amount and duration of the valve opening, thus affecting power output. The engine was overhauled 10 years prior to the accident and had accrued about 330 hours during this time. Although the engine's storage history for the last 10 years could not be determined, the amount of corrosion and pitting found make it highly likely that the internal engine components corroded due to inadequate lubrication resulting from lack of consistent operation. Lycoming Service Letter L180B states that, "Engines in aircraft that are flown only occasionally may not achieve normal service life because of corrosion." A Lycoming publication states that, “Corrosion is a known cause of tappet and cam lobe wear. The engines of aircraft that are not flown regularly may be extremely vulnerable to corrosion...Once started, the process is not likely to stop until it reaches a point where these parts are doing an unacceptable job.â€

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The failure of both pilots to abort the takeoff when a suitable climb rate could not be attained. Contributing to the accident was the reduction of available power due to the camshaft lobe and lifter corrosion/wear, the high density altitude, and the CFI’s inadequate supervision.

[mirele]

I read forever ago that one lawsuit has to do with where power lines were placed? Anyone else remember her writing about it?

Yes, the location of the power lines is a big part of the suit, but the pilot's (relative) inexperience is also going to come into play here. Of course, lawyers will sue whoever has the deep pockets here, but this could bankrupt the city, the electrical cooperative and the consultants. I really hope it doesn't come to that. Of course, Nie.Nie went back to Utah, so she doesn't care that she and her husband are putting the hurt on a small Arizona town.

ETA: Thanks to msanniebgood! That NTSB report is pretty damning. It doesn't mention power lines as a contributing factor at all. The factors that are mentioned: failure to maintain the aircraft, improper supervision and failure to abort the takeoff are all things that will weigh against the Niel.sens recovering any monies. I think the family is hoping to wear down the city, utility and consultants so they'll get their insurance to settle. (That is, if the city and utility aren't self-insured.)

[julie]

Yikes. That's all I've got. I can't believe she hasn't been called out for this publicly.

[anniebgood]

My first stepdad lost his entire family (wife and 3 kids) in a plane crash in Rome in 1964. I know a lot about suing airlines, aircraft manufacturers and OEM's because of that. And people get friggin greedy when they think there are deep pockets, to the point of suing other victims families for perceived favoritism.

[emesbe]

Yikes. That's all I've got. I can't believe she hasn't been called out for this publicly.

I don't think there's anywhere to really do that. Unless someone in tv or news would do it. Which I don't think would happen, oh, I was burned, don't be mean!!! And she hasn't allowed comments on her blog for ages.

[Confused_by_religion]

So wait, forgive my laziness as I don't want to go check out her blog and search for the story, but he crashed the plane then left her in it to die...?

There is a long article that is linked on her blog. According to this, their plane crashed and caught fire. She was still in the helicopter and unconscious. He crawled out and just away from the plane instead of getting her out. Then she came to and got out herself, burning. That's I guess why his injuries are not as bad as hers - he got out first.

I can't really blame him either, of course it would be the noble thing to do to look for other survivors but in such a situation survival instinct may take over and then you may not act nobly or even rationally. I think the situation must be hard enough for both of them to live with that knowledge - that the man she relied on just left her in that danger.

In her blog, she always makes it look as if he saved her. Maybe it's a little fiction she's keeping up for herself so that she can go on respecting and living with him.

[Confused_by_religion]

Agree. But like I said upthread, I get his thinking that the kids needed at least one parent, too.

This just sounds a little strange to me - I wouldn't expect anybody to rationally think the situation through in such a dangerous situation Okay, are the kids better off if I try to save mom? On the one hand...on the other hand...blah blah. I would expect gut instinct to take over and that might just tell you to get away from the plane quickly. What do you think?

[Clementine]

There is a long article that is linked on her blog. According to this, their plane crashed and caught fire. She was still in the helicopter and unconscious. He crawled out and just away from the plane instead of getting her out. Then she came to and got out herself, burning. That's I guess why his injuries are not as bad as hers - he got out first.

I can't really blame him either, of course it would be the noble thing to do to look for other survivors but in such a situation survival instinct may take over and then you may not act nobly or even rationally. I think the situation must be hard enough for both of them to live with that knowledge - that the man she relied on just left her in that danger.

In her blog, she always makes it look as if he saved her. Maybe it's a little fiction she's keeping up for herself so that she can go on respecting and living with him.

I really can't stand that Stephanie has created some mythological love story from this tragedy, where somebody actually DIED! (Hello NieNie, why do you always forget to mention the flight instructor?

Her handsome husband takes her up in the clouds, they go on a romantic planetrip together so NieNie can buy a pair of moccasins in New Mexico, the plane crashes and while she is trapped inside, her brave husband rescues her from the flames, carries her in his arms to a safe place and now he rubs her burn wounds with cream every night and against all odds they are expecting a new lovechild, Lil Peanut. *barf*

She talks about planes and crashing here - this is before the accident:

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/200 ... ation.html

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/200 ... oolou.html

[Confused_by_religion]

I really can't stand that Stephanie has created some mythological love story from this tragedy, where somebody actually DIED! (Hello NieNie, why do you always forget to mention the flight instructor?

Her handsome husband takes her up in the clouds, they go on a romantic planetrip together so NieNie can buy a pair of moccasins in New Mexico, the plane crashes and while she is trapped inside, her brave husband rescues her from the flames, carries her in his arms to a safe place and now he rubs her burn wounds with cream every night and against all odds they are expecting a new lovechild, Lil Peanut. *barf*

If my husband left me to die and I had to go on living with him and not hating him, I guess I would also work really hard to construct my own reality, aka "mythological love story". :l-)

The whole "rubs her burn wounds with cream every night" and "we are soooo in love, four kids later" smacks of "the lady doth protest too much".

[ChickeyMonkey]

If my husband left me to die and I had to go on living with him and not hating him, I guess I would also work really hard to construct my own reality, aka "mythological love story". :l-)

The whole "rubs her burn wounds with cream every night" and "we are soooo in love, four kids later" smacks of "the lady doth protest too much".

"It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again." -Jame Gumb, "Silence of the Lambs" :D

[QueenMother]

Oh lord - I thought i could not read one.more.single. post on how she she was sick and miserable while being like 8 weeks Preggo

someone else thought so too - emailed mrs.nie.nie and the girl done went off on her on her blog and posted the readers name.

My guess is nie.nie is off her meds for depression due to her preggo status and is losing her shit.

anyone else read there and think mrs.happy.mormon inspiration is losing it?

Her whinning is anoying. All she has talked about for the last 2 years is how much she wants to be pregnant. Now she is pregnant and I have yet to read how very happy she is. I know her body is different this time around, but the whinning is still hard to listen to. This comment comes from me, one who wishes she could be so blessed to be pregnant.

I picked up the new issue of Glamour today at the nil salon and low-and-behold Stephanie has an article in there about her. It's a chapter from her new book out next year. I don't believe for a minute she is writing this bok her self--she has to be uisng a ghost writer. Stephanie can't write woth beans.

[Clementine]

"It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again." -Jame Gumb, "Silence of the Lambs" :D

:D

[Katiebug]

Wasn't there an article in Salon about the Mormon mommy blogger phenomenon and how a lot of working women/WOHMs read them with a sort of envious feeling? I have to admit I do read a few.

There's one non-prominent Mormon mommy blogger who is local to me - they met at BYU (both graduated), she hasn't worked since their first kid was born while he was in grad school, the husband is a medical resident, they own a cute house in a fairly affluent area (i.e. you're not buying a starter house for under $250-300K), they've done fertility treatments several times, and have several kids with another on the way. Their house looks like something out of a design magazine, they did some substantial and expensive-looking remodeling when they moved in, and she and the kids are all fashionably clothed and do fun activities. I know for a fact that I alone earn more than this blogger's husband, yet when I look at our basic expenses (mortgage, small student loan, one modest car loan and the other paid-for, food for 2 adults and 1 toddler, etc. ) and subtracting child care and commuting costs for one of us, there is absolutely no way that this family can live the way they do without substantial financial help from their parents.

There is a sense of the grass being greener - that lifestyle seems pretty damned idyllic to a stressed-out WOHM whose house is a comparative disaster, whose kid wears clothes from the consignment store, whose only "Mommy and Me" activity is a weekly swim lesson at the YMCA, and whose own hobbies and interests have completely fallen by the wayside due to lack of time. Part of me would love to live that lifestyle; hell, who wouldn't like to not work and have nice things? Then I remember that these people are my age and are still mooching off of mommy and daddy and/or going into substantial personal debt all in the name of avoiding Evil Daycare. That the rate of antidepressant use among Mormon women is sky high. That this woman probably feels immense pressure to appear to have the perfect All-American family.

I suspect that with the big Mormon mommy bloggers like NieNie, a lot of readers get sucked in by the nature of their stories. With NieNie there seems to be some revisionism of how the plane accident happened and what her husband's actions were, along with an apparent lack of caring about the husband of the man who DIED because of a poorly maintained plane and an inexperienced pilot. And now she's having a super dramatical pregnancy (that she probably shouldn't have attempted). It just seems really over the top that NieNie wants to make her blog a showpiece rather than a real reflection of her life.

[Beeks]

This just sounds a little strange to me - I wouldn't expect anybody to rationally think the situation through in such a dangerous situation Okay, are the kids better off if I try to save mom? On the one hand...on the other hand...blah blah. I would expect gut instinct to take over and that might just tell you to get away from the plane quickly. What do you think?

Well that's true too. My point was that I don't blame him in the least for leaving her behind. His justification was that he wanted the kids to have at least one parent (instead of him possibly dying to try to save Nie and then having her die too). I have no idea whether he actually had the presence of mind to think that through, but either way I think the guy just did the best he could.

[lilah]

If my husband left me to die and I had to go on living with him and not hating him, I guess I would also work really hard to construct my own reality, aka "mythological love story". :l-)

The whole "rubs her burn wounds with cream every night" and "we are soooo in love, four kids later" smacks of "the lady doth protest too much".

I really sincerely hope she is in some kind of therapy, anyone in her shoes would have major PTSD. I get the impression that Mormons like other devout christians are anti-psychiatry and believe in prayer over therapy but I hope she can get the help she needs.