It ought to be interesting to say the least ...

Former tough-guy actor sets sights on US Senate

Sonny Landham carved out a tough-guy reputation in a series of big-screen roles, from roughing up Sylvester Stallone to getting tossed out a window by Carl Weathers. He pulls no punches in his newest role: Libertarian challenger to a man known for political toughness, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Now 67 and living in northeastern Kentucky, the man who played Billy Bear in "48 Hours" and was killed by an alien in "Predator" admits his action-movie days are behind him. "I think I'm having wild action when I take two aspirin with my hot chocolate at night," he quipped.

The actor known for his powerful physique, booming voice and his American Indian heritage says he's serious about his longshot bid, because too many politicians are indifferent to voters' problems.

"I am running to win," Landham said at a news conference Wednesday at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort.

He promised to keep his campaign simple and direct: "It's about the economy, which nobody in this whole election year is truly speaking about."

Landham refers to McConnell, a four-term Republican, as "Boss Hogg" after the corrupt politician from "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show. He bluntly called Democratic candidate and millionaire businessman Bruce Lunsford an "elitist."

Even President Bush is a target: "He took us into a war on lies," Landham said in an earlier interview, claiming the actual intent was "to put 'Big Oil' back into Iraq."

To qualify for the November ballot, Landham must collect at least 5,000 valid petition signatures by Aug. 12. State Libertarian Party Chairman Ken Moellman said the petition drive began recently and he believes Landham will make it.

But the bid includes some campaign baggage that seems scripted for Hollywood, instead of socially conservative Kentucky. Early in his acting career in the 1970s, Landham bared it all in adult films.

Asked whether that could hurt him politically, Landham replied, "What can I do? That was a part of my life you cannot call back."

But he does express regrets.

"If I was going to do it now - knowing that I'm going to have four children, knowing that I was going to run for office - no, I wouldn't make that choice," he told The Associated Press in an interview. "But at the time I made the choice of getting a paycheck, staying alive for your big break."

Landham also served more than 2 1/2 years in federal prison after being convicted of making threatening and obscene phone calls to his ex-wife. The conviction was thrown out by a federal appeals court that found he committed no crime.

Libertarians, with their "live and let live" philosophy, look past his history.

"We look at the character of the man today, not what he did 30 years ago," Moellman said, noting the actor "asked his Maker for forgiveness, and that's all you can ask a man to do."

He said Landham lives "a better lifestyle" today, residing in Ashland with his fifth wife and three of his children.

Landham's family joined him for his campaign launch Wednesday, including an infant son he toted from the parking lot to the Kentucky Capitol in a car seat.

The cast of 1987's "Predator" featured two future state governors: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. But the prospects of winning office seem far more remote for Landham.

Political scientist Michael Baranowski, of Northern Kentucky University, predicted minimal impact on the Senate race, though Landham could take some votes from McConnell.

"I'm not sure which is more of a hurdle for Landham, being a former porn actor or being a Libertarian Party candidate," he said. "But if the race between McConnell and Lunsford is tight enough, the votes Landham pulls from McConnell might be critical."

McConnell campaign adviser Scott Jennings said Landham won't push the Republican incumbent off his message of how he has "delivered for the commonwealth time and again."

This isn't the first dabbling in politics for Landham, who struggled to get odd jobs after being released from prison. Now he still dabbles in acting, but Social Security checks and an acting pension are his main income.

He flirted with running for governor as a Republican in 2003, left the GOP and promised an independent run. He ultimately stayed out and backed Republican Ernie Fletcher, who won.

Landham is as blunt on issues as he is skewering rivals. He equates abortion with murder. He supports scrapping the North American Free Trade Agreement. As for political correctness, he said, "PC is BS. Say what you mean, mean what you say."

Moellman said such unscripted frankness will grab voter attention.

"Sonny is very upfront," he said. "You ask Sonny a question, he'll tell you the answer. He isn't going to pull any punches, which is why I know this race is going to be a lot of fun."

Daily Funny

Who says men don't remember anniversaries!

A wife awakened one night to find her husband missing from the bed Throwing on her robe she went downstairs looking for him.

Seeing him alone, in the dark, sitting at the kitchen table she flipped on the light to see he was staring at the wall with a tear running down his eye.

She went to him, touched his shoulder tenderly and asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

He replied, "Do you remember that night, exactly twenty-years ago, you were sixteen, and we were in the back seat of my car, and..."

Reaching out she grasped his hand with her heart fluttering that he remembered the exact date she interrupted, "Oh yes, my love, I remem..."

Without pause, he continued, "And your dad came out and caught us, and shoved a shotgun in my face and said I'd have to marry you or he'd have me put in jail."

With tears running down her face and all choked up she looked at him silently with utter love and devotion.

He said, "I'd be getting out today!"

They're Back!

Beaver dam built in England after long absence

Beavers are back, doing what they do best.

The native beaver population in England was hunted into extinction in the 13th century, but a pair of 2-year-old beavers brought over from Germany have in the last 10 days built a dam in southwest England. It is believed to be the first time in centuries that has happened.

Conservationist John-Michael Kennaway, from the Escot Estate in Devon, said the construction of the dam is a welcome milestone in the plan to reintroduce beavers to England.

He said the dam is now about seven feet wide and three feet deep, made of dead wood, branches, mud and stones.

Beavers have been reintroduced over the past few years to Britain, but the other 15 pairs live on lakes where they do not build dams.

The two beavers live in a 2-acre enclosure that includes ponds, where the beavers have built their lodges, and part of a stream, where they are building their dam. Because it is illegal to release them into the wild in Britain, the beavers must be kept in the enclosure, Kennaway said.

"The hope is to have British stock born in Devon that could then be relocated if that was appropriate," he said.

Kennaway is confident the beavers are already doing their part to make this happen. He's seen the two beavers carrying what he called "maternity materials," softer rushes than would normally be used for construction. A maternity lodge has been built to accompany the larger family lodge and sparse "bachelor lodge" that already existed.

"We're fairly hopeful they actually have young in the lodge," Kennaway said, explaining they will know for sure if young beavers, or kits, emerge from the underwater lodge entrance later this summer, possibly in mid-July.

The two beavers were brought over from Bavaria. They were caught in the wild as part of ongoing maintenance of the beaver population in Germany, Kennaway said.

*****

Just a little fluff piece that if you think about it really isn't fluff at all but actually a stern commentary on the world condition and what we humans have done to it. Then again on the lighter side ... a beaver dam makes a wonderful 'swimmin' hole'!

Child rapists can't be executed, Supreme Court rules

Not that I ever going to 'side' with the stacked court we suffer under today - with this decision I say ... Why Not!?

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Wednesday that child rapists cannot be executed, concluding that capital punishment can be applied only against murderers.

The ruling stemmed from the case of Patrick Kennedy, who appealed the 2003 death sentence he received in Louisiana after being convicted of raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion that execution in this case would violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, citing "evolving standards of decency" in the United States.

Such standards, the justice wrote, forbid capital punishment for any crime other than those that take a life.

"We conclude that, in determining whether the death penalty is excessive, there is a distinction between intentional first-degree murder on the one hand and nonhomicide crimes against individual persons, even including child rape, on the other," wrote Kennedy, who is not related to the convicted rapist.

Patrick Kennedy, 43, would have been the U.S.'s first convicted rapist since 1964 to be executed in a case in which the victim was not killed.

Kennedy was convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter in her bed. The attack caused severe emotional trauma, internal injuries and bleeding to the child, requiring extensive surgery, Louisiana prosecutors said.

In the majority opinion, Anthony Kennedy acknowledged "the victim's fright, the sense of betrayal, and the nature of her injuries caused more prolonged physical and mental suffering than, say, a sudden killing by an unseen assassin."

But the justice -- supported by Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer -- wrote that when determining what punishment the Eighth Amendment prohibits, "evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society" must be taken into account.

After a review of the "history of the death penalty for this and other nonhomicide crimes, current state statutes and new enactments ... we conclude there is a national consensus against capital punishment for the crime of child rape," Anthony Kennedy wrote.

Attorneys at the Capital Appeals Project who represent Patrick Kennedy issued a statement applauding the ruling.

"We can only hope that the money that Louisiana has been spending drafting and defending this anomalous and unconstitutional statute will be reallocated to efforts at treatment for victims of sexual abuse and for measures that actually reduce the risk of such abuse in our communities," attorney Ben Cohen said in the statement.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the dissent, saying, "the harm that is caused to the victims and to society at large by the worst child rapist is grave." He was supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Alito also wrote that the majority ruled against the death penalty "no matter how young the child, no matter how many times the child is raped, no matter how many children the perpetrator rapes, no matter how sadistic the crime, no matter how much physical or psychological trauma is inflicted and no matter how heinous the perpetrator's criminal record may be."

Wednesday's ruling will affect six states that allow the death penalty for rape, including Louisiana, where Patrick Kennedy was recently joined on death row by another convicted child rapist, Richard Davis.

Because of the ruling, the sentences of Davis and Kennedy will automatically be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Capital Appeals Project said.

"Mr. Kennedy, who has consistently maintained his innocence, plans to continue to pursue his appeals in state and federal court," the appeals project said.

Florida, Montana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have death-penalty laws for rape but have not applied them in decades. Texas enacted a version a year ago, but no defendant has been designated death-eligible for child rape in any state but Louisiana.

U.S. Supreme Court rulings in 1976 and 1977 barred capital punishment for rape and, by implication, any other crime except murder. But in 1995, Louisiana passed a law allowing execution for the sexual violation of a child under 12. State lawmakers argued that the earlier high court cases pertained only to "adult women."

Supporters of Louisiana's law say that besides murder, no crime is more deserving of the death penalty than child rape and that the punishment would be used only in the most heinous of circumstances.

"A lot of people think there should not be a death penalty because the child survives," sex crimes prosecutor Kat Bartholomew said. "In my opinion, the rape of a child is more heinous and more hideous than a homicide."

She said a sexual assault on a child "takes away their innocence. It takes away their childhood. It mutilates their spirit. It kills their soul."

Death penalty opponents contend, among other things, that it could give attackers a reason to murder their victims. In Wednesday's ruling, Anthony Kennedy agreed, writing, "A state that punishes child rape by death may remove a strong incentive for the rapist not to kill the victim."

After the ruling, Lynn, a cousin of the victim's, said, "Just knowing the kind of man [Patrick Kennedy] is, we'll never be comfortable."

The high court has in recent years banned execution for the mentally retarded, underage killers and those deemed to have had an inadequate defense at trial.

Other state and federal crimes theoretically eligible for execution include treason, aggravated kidnapping, drug trafficking, aircraft hijacking and espionage. None of these crimes has been prosecuted as a capital offense in decades, if ever.

*****

Nothing is more heinous than a crime against a child ... any crime, let alone rape ... I see no problem with the cessation of the perpetrator's life in such cases as the one lain out in the piece above.

Faster than a fart dissipates in a wind storm.

The Haters are deniers about everything pure and simple.

Their ranting that Global Warming doesn't even exist and human haven't had any impact on it are disjointed to say the least.

They are wrong on both counts: Global warming is a fact and is occurring. Humans have had an impact on it.

This is not a "Liberal Agenda", this is a hard fact and since when is a clean environment to live in a bad thing?!

Luckily for the world the haters are losing what little influence they have left faster than a fart dissipates in a wind storm.

And I Quote

"... I have a very low tolerance for idiotic bullshit!"

~ George Carlin

You and me both, George, you and me both - except I think mine is actually lower.

Queen Elizabeth confers knighthood on Salman Rushdie

Author Salman Rushdie slipped into Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II that had angered many parts of the Muslim world when the honor was announced last year.

In a break with normal procedure, the palace did not announce ahead of time that Rushdie would be honored Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the queen, who asked not to be identified because of the monarch's policy, said Rushdie was not listed among those to be honored because he was a late addition to the investiture. She refused to comment on whether his name had been withheld because of security concerns.

Security has been a major concern for Rushdie since 1989, when Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on the author, accusing him of blasphemy against the Muslim world in his novel "The Satanic Verses." The edict forced Rushdie to live underground with constant protection for many years until it was finally withdrawn in 1998.

Rushdie, dressed in a formal morning suit and obviously pleased with the honor, told reporters after the ceremony that he was not sorry about writing "The Satanic Verses."

"I really have no regrets about any of my work," he said when asked about his most inflammatory novel.

"This is, as I say, an honor not for any specific book but for a very long career in writing, and I'm happy to see that recognized."

Rushdie, 61, published his first novel, "Grimus," in 1975, but it drew little attention and few readers.

Success came with his next book, "Midnight's Children," which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

"The Satanic Verses," published in 1988, created a firestorm of controversy, first in Britain and then in Iran, where Khomeini, who had recently come to power after the overthrow of the Shah, pronounced his death sentence on the writer.

The Indian-British writer was forced to accept round-the-clock protection from British special agents and to stay completely out of the public eye. He moved many times and constantly changed his routine in an attempt to throw pursuers off the track.

The Iranian government withdrew the death sentence in 1998, and Rushdie has gradually returned to public life. Recently he has divided his time between New York and London.

"It's been a long time. My first novel was published 33 years ago, but I think the thing you hope to do as a writer is leave behind a shelf of interesting books, and it's great just to have that work recognized," Rushdie said outside the palace as he posed for photos with his medal. "At this stage, you know, it's certainly not a day to talk about controversy. It's a day for myself and my family to celebrate this."

Pressed about which of his books was his favorite, Rushdie said he could not pick one over the others.

"It's difficult to choose between your books," he said. "You wouldn't choose between your children would you?"

Normally cool and composed, Rushdie said he was nervous before the ceremony and appreciated the help with etiquette and protocol provided by palace staff before the ceremony.

"We all get coached in the green room beforehand, and I was very grateful for the coaching because, even though it's a relatively simple set of procedures, it's really easy under the nervousness of the moment to mess them up and I almost did," Rushdie said.

Veteran actor Sir Ian McKellen, best known for his role as Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, also was honored by the queen. McKellen, a longtime gay rights activist who was knighted in 1990, was made a Companion of Honor at the investiture for services to drama and equality.

And you thought they actually worked?!

Have you ever wondered why nothing gets done in Congress?!
This video clip explains it quite nicely:
And you know it's a republican without looking at the bottom of the screen. It's that obvious.

Captain Beefheart - Diddy Wah Diddy

Question of the Day

If as they say ... 'the cream rises to the top'... why is it that the curds and the whey are floating there?

North Carolina police are investigating another pregnant soldier's death

Authorities are investigating the death of a soldier who was seven months pregnant after her body was found at a Fayetteville, N.C., motel.

Spc. Megan Lynn Touma was identified Tuesday, two days after her body was found. The 23-year-old dental specialist with the 19th Replacement Company was from Cold Spring, Ky.

The Fayetteville Police Department called the death suspicious in a release but didn't say why or immediately return a phone message. The release said the cause of death isn't known.

She had arrived at Fort Bragg from a base Germany less than two weeks ago.

Touma is the second pregnant service member to die in North Carolina this year. A fellow Marine has been charged in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and is awaiting extradition from Mexico.

*****

I know we called Fayetteville, Fayette-Nam back in my day (and with good reason) but this trend of dead pregnant soldiers is a little creepy even for an old war horse like me.

Aww, just when it was going good ...

Judge issues gag order in Texas swingers club case

or if you prefer

Judge issues gag order in Texas swingers club case

A judge has issued a gag order leading up to the next trial involving an East Texas swingers club that allegedly forced children into sex shows.

State District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. in Tyler issued the ruling Tuesday after lawyers for defendant Patrick Kelly subpoenaed two local reporters who have covered the case.

Attorney Thad Davidson has said he plans to ask a Tyler Morning Telegraph reporter and a KLTV reporter about alleged personal relationships with the lead prosecutor in the case. Davidson wants the trial moved outside of Smith County.

The paper will seek to quash the subpoena at a hearing Friday.

Kelly faces life in prison on charges that he helped run the swinger's club, where children as young as 5 allegedly performed sex acts.

In addendum:

An East Texas newspaper acknowledged Tuesday that a reporter covering a trial of a child sex club dated the prosecutor until five months ago, an allegation the defense team is using to seek a change of venue.

A reporter from television station KLTV is also accused of having a personal relationship with Smith County Assistant District Attorney Joe Murphy. But the station's news director called the allegation "pure slander."

State District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. issued a gag order Tuesday in the trial of Patrick Kelly, who is accused of helping run an East Texas swinger's group that forced children as young as 5 to perform sex shows.

Thad Davidson, Kelly's attorney, wants Tyler Morning Telegraph reporter Casey Knaupp and KLTV reporter Danielle Capper to testify Monday when he seeks to get the trial moved from Smith County.

Davidson contends that coverage by Knaupp and Capper has been biased because of their personal relationships with Murphy, and that their stories in turn biased the prospective jury pool.

The newspaper and television station said they will seek to quash the subpoenas at a Friday hearing.

In a story on the Tyler Morning Telegraph's Web site Tuesday, the newspaper acknowledged that Knaupp had dated Murphy and the relationship ended more than five months ago. The first trials in the case were in March.

Knaupp told her paper she keeps her "personal and professional lives separate."

"The allegations by Thad Davidson that my coverage of this case are biased are wholly unfounded," Knaupp said in the paper's story. "I believe anyone who reads my articles will see that."

Kenny Boles, news director of KLTV, said the station's coverage has been "groundbreaking, responsible and balanced."

"I stand by our reporting of both the investigation and criminal trials related to the tragic abuse of the East Texas children in these cases," Boles said.

He called the allegations made of the relationship between his reporter and the prosecutor "pure slander," but wouldn't comment further.

Dave Berry, managing editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, has said the paper wasn't of aware of Knaupp's relationship with Murphy but stood by his reporter. He declined further comment Tuesday, and messages left for Knaupp at the paper were not immediately returned.

Phone calls to reach Murphy at his office after business hours Tuesday rang unanswered.

Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham told The Associated Press this week that he was aware Murphy and Knaupp dated, but said he did not see how it is relevant to the trial. He said Knaupp, the paper's courts reporter, has written stories that were not always favorable to his office.

"Yeah, (Murphy has) been out with her," Bingham said. "I don't know how that affects whether or not his defendant is guilty of sexual assault of a child."

Kelly, 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity. Davidson has said his client passed a lie-detector test and is innocent.

Tomato Update

Salmonella can ride water into tomatoes

Pick a tomato in the blazing sun and plunge it straight into cold water. If that happened on the way to market, it might be contaminated. Too big of a temperature difference can make a tomato literally suck water inside the fruit through the scar where its stem used to be. If salmonella happens to be lurking on the skin, that's one way it can penetrate and, if the tomato isn't eaten right away, have time to multiply.

That doesn't mean people shouldn't wash their tomatoes - they should, just probably not in cold water.

But as the Food and Drug Administration investigates the nation's outbreak of salmonella from tomatoes, the example shows the farm isn't the only place contamination can occur - and checking things like water quality and temperature control in packing houses and other supply stops is one key to safety.

Raw fruits and vegetables are crucial to a healthy diet. But they're also the culprits in a growing list of nasty outbreaks: E. coli in spinach and lettuce. Hepatitis A in green onions. Cyclospora in raspberries. Salmonella in cantaloupe. Shigella in parsley.

This newest salmonella outbreak is the 14th blamed on tomatoes since 1990.

Preventing future illnesses depends on learning how salmonella sneaks onto and inside tomatoes, which might seem to be pretty well protected by their smooth waxy skin. Yet scientists have few answers, prompting the FDA last year to begin a Tomato Safety Initiative that is studying industry practices in Virginia and Florida, origin of several previous outbreaks.

Florida's agriculture department on July 1 begins enforcing so-called "tomato best practices," farming and handling guidelines that leading growers pushed the state to formally adopt, and that many farms voluntarily began following in the past year.

The FDA likewise wants the authority to set mandatory safe-handling rules, what it calls "preventive controls," for growers and suppliers of foods linked to repeated outbreaks of serious illness, such as tomatoes and leafy greens. Congress hasn't yet acted on that request.

"We need them, we've asked for them, and we don't yet have them," says Dr. David Acheson, the agency's food safety chief, who is directing the CSI-like hunt for the tainted tomatoes.

Further complicating the picture, budget woes mean the FDA's inspections of food-producing facilities have plummeted by 56 percent between 2003 and last year. Acheson says the drop has continued this year, and the FDA plans to hire more inspectors with a pending budget boost from Congress.

But inspections aren't the solution to food poisoning, insists Acheson, who also hopes to double or triple the 10 percent of FDA's budget historically devoted to prevention.

FDA "is not arguing that you can inspect your way out of these problems," he says. "The critical point is to build safety upfront, not load up inspection at the end."

There are some common themes when fresh produce sickens, either from salmonella - bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of humans and numerous animals - or other microbes: Water sources, worker hygiene and wildlife or domestic animals near fields are frequent culprits because they involve points where safety systems can easily break down.

Washing fresh produce under running water is a commonsense consumer defense.

"We know you can wash off some salmonella," says Virginia Tech food microbiologist Robert Williams, who accompanied FDA scientists to Virginia farms as part of the tomato initiative. But, "nobody's ever shown it washes off all salmonella."

Water is an automatic first suspect. Was clean water used to irrigate, mix pesticides sprayed on crops, wash down harvest and processing equipment, and wash field workers' hands?

Then in packing houses, tomatoes often go straight into a dump tank, flumes of chlorinated water for a first wash. To guard against salmonella washed into the water in turn being sucked into the tomatoes, producers often keep wash-water 10 degrees warmer than the incoming crop, says food-safety scientist Keith Schneider of the University of Florida, also part of FDA's tomato initiative.

Beyond packing houses, the industry points to cases where suppliers were shipped unwashed, warm tomatoes and dunked them in ice-water baths to firm them for further processing.

Another question: How often does the water have to be changed? Dirt, leaves and other sediment reduce the chlorine's effectiveness.

Studies never have shown that plant roots can suck salmonella up and inside the tomato, where it can't be washed out, says Virginia Tech's Williams, whose lab is working to confirm that. Still, if contaminated water is sprayed onto the leaves or blooms, or bird droppings fall directly onto the foliage, salmonella might be absorbed internally, he says.

In fact, salmonella may be particularly hard to prevent in a variety of crops because birds, reptiles and amphibians carry it - the same reason children should wash their hands after handling a turtle, iguana or frog. The tomato industry's guidelines already advise surrounding fields with bare soil "buffer zones" to discourage reptiles.

"You're not going to stop a bird going through a field. You're not going to stop a frog," Schneider says.

Soap Opera: episode 9 million and one

Key teen witness in sect case denies Texas' claims

A 16-year-old girl is a key witness in the state's effort to pursue criminal charges against members of her polygamist sect, even though she denies investigators' claims that she was abused.

The girl, a daughter of the sect's jailed prophet, says she's never been married and doesn't have a baby. She denies church elders are influencing her and wants to fire her lawyer. The state can't even prove her alleged abuse happened in Texas.

A court filing shows that the girl has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury Wednesday, the day the panel convenes in Schleicher County, home of a west Texas ranch run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sex abuse.

Her attorney, Natalie Malonis, was also subpoenaed, according to Tim Edwards, an attorney for the girl's mother who is trying to have Malonis removed from the case.

It's unclear who else will testify. Grand jury proceedings are secret and the Attorney General's office, which is handling the prosecution, has declined to comment.

The criminal case follows state child welfare officials' ill-fated April seizure of more than 400 children at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado.

The state accused the sect of widespread sexual abuse of teen girls, but the Texas Supreme Court forced the state to return the children from foster care in June. The high court said the state overreached in taking all the children from the ranch when only a handful of girls may have been abused.

It's not clear what, or whether, criminal indictments of FLDS members may result. But the girl scheduled to testify Wednesday illustrates that to win indictments, prosecutors may have to overcome the denials of the teens they allege were abused.

The girl initially fought attempts by Malonis to finalize an emergency restraining order issued Friday to force her mother to keep church elder Willie Jessop away from the girl.

Malonis said Jessop was influencing the teen and encouraging her to be uncooperative. The girl denies that and accused her lawyer in a letter to the judge of falsely claiming the girl was spiritually married at 15 and had a child.

The girl wants a new lawyer but agreed Tuesday to allow the restraining order to stay in place another 90 days.

Asked whether she had any comment as she left the courthouse on Tuesday, the teen said, "What do I say, except that I'm sick of everything?"

Malonis has said she would not fight with her client through the media. She has said state investigators have given her the information that leads her to believe her client has been abused.

Jim Bradshaw, an FLDS attorney, said Jessop denies any wrongdoing. Jessop has done "nothing that is in the realm of threatening witnesses," he said.

FLDS leaders have consistently denied there was any abuse at the ranch and vowed earlier this month not to sanction underage marriages.

FLDS spokesman Rod Parker said he's not sure whether the girl will be cooperative in her grand jury testimony or whether other FLDS children have been subpoenaed to appear.

"If they're going to be asked to testify against their parents, that's a real dilemma," he said. "I don't know if they're going to be that cooperative."

Under Texas law, a girl younger than 17 cannot generally consent to sex with an adult. Bigamy, which is generally considered a crime of fraud, is also illegal in Texas, although FLDS plural marriages were not sanctioned by the state.

Any criminal prosecution on sex charges is likely to be difficult. The state does have DNA material collected from most YFZ ranch residents to help them sort out family groups after the April 3 raid, and FLDS officials fear the evidence could be used against them in a criminal case.

"I thought from the beginning there was a secondary reason they wanted it," Parker said.

Texas Child Protective Services said it would turn over the DNA test results to criminal prosecutors if it were subpoeanaed by a grand jury or ordered by a court to do so.

Even if they had DNA evidence of abuse, prosecutors would have jurisdictional problems. Without the cooperation of the sect's teen girls, prosecutors will be unable to determine what state any alleged abuse occurred in. The sect has homes in Texas, Arizona and Utah and elsewhere.

The FLDS is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago. Historically, church members lived along the Arizona-Utah line, where authorities had not sought criminal charges in decades until allegations of underage marriages - and willing witnesses - surfaced several years ago.

Still, just a handful of criminal cases have been prosecuted in the sect, estimated to have 6,000 members. Warren Jeffs, the girl's father and the leader who is revered as a prophet, was convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for his role in the marriage of a 14-year-old and her 19-year-old cousin. He is jailed awaiting trial on Arizona charges related to marriages involving young girls.

*****

OK, you folks in Texas - the laughs are getting shallower and fewer ... it's time to move on to another 'story'.

I know ... what about live sex shows with children? Oh, wait they've already done that story, too!

Sylvia Plath Reads 'Daddy'

Finnish Butter Commercial

June Posts

200 posts in June - it's been a busy month!

CDC: About 8 percent of Americans have diabetes

The number of Americans with diabetes has grown to about 24 million people, or roughly 8 percent of the U.S. population, the government said Tuesday.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data from 2007, said the number represents an increase of about 3 million over two years. The CDC estimates another 57 million people have blood sugar abnormalities called pre-diabetes, which puts people at increased risk for the disease.

The percentage of people unaware that they have diabetes fell from 30 percent to 25 percent, according to the study.

Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation, said the report has "both good news and bad news."

"It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are at high risk," Albright said in a statement.

"On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are aware that they have diabetes."

A message left Tuesday night seeking further comment from the CDC wasn't immediately returned.

The disease results from defects in insulin production that cause sugar to build up in the body. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the country and can cause serious health problems including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

Among adults, diabetes increased in both men and women and in all age groups, but still disproportionately affects the elderly. Almost 25 percent of the population 60 years and older had diabetes in 2007.

After adjusting for population age differences between various groups, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among American Indians and Alaska Natives (16.5 percent). This was followed by blacks (11.8 percent) and Hispanics (10.4 percent), which includes rates for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans (8.2 percent).

By comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was 7.5 percent, with whites at 6.6 percent.

*****

Not the rosiest report the CDC has ever made, now is it. Eight percent is eight percent too much. We need to find a cure and work on prevention as well. Find out all you can about Diabetes ... it is true that knowledge is power and the more you know about Diabetes the better you can handle it.

A Life 4 Sale

What is 'A Life 4 Sale' ?

Hi there, my name is Ian Usher, and I have had enough of my life! I don't want it any more! You can have it if you like!

No, I'm not contemplating suicide, I am going to sell my life!! I have my reasons, for further details click the "Why" tab below. However, I am still not sure whether this is inspired madness, complete foolishness, or just some sort of mid-life crisis.

Whatever it is, it's all going up for sale in one big auction. Everything I have and everything I am.

On the day it is all sold and settled I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other, nothing else at all, and get on the train, with no idea where I am going or what the future holds for me.

*****

Not quite sure what to make of this story I found on the net. I know we all have entertained such notions as just chucking it all away and going 'walkabout', but this fellow seems to be planning on just that in reality. We'll see how he does.

Potty Humor

Beijing enlists army of toilet trained staff

Beijing has dispatched 8,000 toilet maintenance staff, each responsible for a specific public restroom in the city and trained in hygiene standards and techniques, Olympic knowledge and practical English expressions, Xinhua said Friday.

There will be selective inspections every week and the results will be posted on the website of the Municipal Utilities Administration Commission, said the news agency.

The city was also struggling with which style of commode would be best, noting Westerners prefer seated toilets, which are more comfortable and convenient for the elderly or infirm.

Told you So!

Long time readers may remember I said as much back on May 30th, 2008

Controversy around "uncontacted" tribe photos

Last month, this photo was released of an "uncontacted" tribe in the Amazon rain forest. It's an amazing photo, but it's now come out that the tribe had actually been known since 1910. The photographer, José Carlos Meirelles, went to where they were thought to live specifically to take their pictures. Meirelles works for Funai, the Brazillian Indian Protection Agency, and apparently was trying to attract publicity to help protect indigenous people in the area. Meanwhile, a post on the blog of Survival International, the indigenous rights group which works with Funai, denies that there's been any wrongdoing on their part at all. From The Observer:

Survival International, the organisation that released the pictures along with Funai, conceded yesterday that Funai had known about this nomadic tribe for around two decades. It defended the disturbance of the tribe saying that, since the images had been released, it had forced neighbouring Peru to re-examine its logging policy in the border area where the tribe lives, as a result of the international media attention. Activist and former Funai president Sydney Possuelo agreed that – amid threats to their environment and doubt over the existence of such tribes – it was necessary to publish them.

But the revelation that the existence of the tribe was already established will provoke awkward questions over why a decision was made to try to photograph them – a form of contact in itself – in order to make a political point. Link

From Survival International:

The only people who ever claimed that the Indians photographed were ‘lost’ or ‘undiscovered’ were…. the press, despite the fact that Survival has been campaigning for the protection of the many isolated Indian tribes on the Peru-Brazil border for more than twenty years.

Indeed, you might have thought that the fact that the Indians are living in a government reserve set aside for isolated Indian groups would tend to indicate that they weren’t exactly ‘unknown’.

For the avoidance of doubt, let’s just make it clear – yes, the tribe is uncontacted, that is to say, has no peaceful contact with outsiders. But no, they’re not ‘lost’ – they know where they are, and anthropologists, Survival, other NGOs and the Brazilian government have known that there are many isolated Indian tribes living in that region for decades. Link

Shipping children by postal mail: illegal since 1913

From the Smithsonian's Flickr stream of historic, public domain photos, a shot commemorating the end of being able to ship your children by postal mail:

This city letter carrier posed for a humorous photograph with a young boy in his mailbag. After parcel post service was introduced in 1913, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples.

Link

Thanks to the folks over at Boing Boing for this gem.

Mission Accomplished

If you have made one person smile in your life then you have lived a life worth living.

This is a message left for me (cited in part) telling me that I have accomplished my mission in life for I have brought a smile to at least one person's face:

... just wanted to let you know that I also joined both of your communities. You're a very interesting, creative person. After leaving you a thank you message, I looked at your communities. In a manner of minutes, you brought "Sunshine Into my Foggy Day".

Enjoyed watching Mr. Carlin's video. I've been going through some horrific, storms of life; thank you for brightening my day. . You had one more joke that made me smile about "7 ... Women ... Shopping". Did you ever think of being a comedian? Maybe where you live they have comedy clubs? I believe that "knowledge is power".
Besides being a comedian, I read somewhere in your tags or blogs, that you love poetry and quotations. Now I owe you a second thank you; I've been moving around so much since college day; fav quotation book got lost along the way. After I joined your community, "lo & behold", the book that I've been missing was found. You use great quotes, but you also provide your community with info on where to go and find more info. "Seek and ye shall find." Never had chance to finish college, but they say it's never to late.

Not only Walt Disney has the power to create magic & fantasy come to life, but also each person holds the key(s) to reach their dreams. So many people wish they did this or that, why wish? It took me a long time to figure it all out. It's too late for me, but if I can help man, woman or child reach their goals or dreams, then I do.

Take care, may you and your family & friends have a great summer vacation!!!! When all is lost, but not forgotten; when life seems to fall apart; remember that after every hurricane comes sunshine. No matter what life brings us; we have to be strong; take the good, bad, ugly and sad. I think that my writer's block has disappeared.

Before you change you mind about my membership to your community, it would be an honor to be a part of either one. Are there any prerequisites for being a member? I'm new to the world of blogs. Have a "GRRRRReat" day!

In response to the last two questions: Why would I change my mind about membership in my communities ... only Haters are looked at askew? Alas, there is a prerequisite for membership ... being a human (sorry, but other species will be considered on a case by case basis only).

*****

Thank you for allowing me to fulfill my mission.
I am glad.
I am also, glad I am checking my in-box more regularly as well.

The Haters and the Second Amendment

The haters don't have a clue about anything and the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is no exception.

There is one particular verbose hater on another forum who keeps trying to dance semantic with ones who are equipped and well versed and in true fashion is failing miserably. Quoting the NRA's misinterpretation of the Amendment as holy gospel is not correct, yet he continues to blather with his blinders on full steam ahead.

No comprehension of 18th century grammar and syntax is no excuse for trying to foist what is an out-and-out lie as truth is nothing but a hater agenda ploy. The Second Amendment does not say 'every citizen has the right to own a gun' what it says (and means) is the each state has the right (and the obligation) to form and maintain a "well regulated militia". In fact the federal government does not have the right to form or maintain a military or militia under the Constitution and does so at the benevolence of the individual States - not something the haters understand either.

Some people don't deserve to be a mother

Police say DUI suspect went to bar instead of jail

A woman charged in the drunken-driving death of her son went to a bar after his funeral instead of reporting back to jail, state police said.

A judge had given Erin Howard, 26, of Corry, permission to leave the Erie County Prison for 24 hours to attend her son's funeral in Ohio, with orders to return to the lockup by 3 p.m. Saturday.

Instead, Howard went to a bar in Hamilton, Ohio, about a mile from the church where the funeral for 6-year-old Samuel Carpenter was held, police said.

Calls to Howard's public defender went unanswered after business hours Monday.

Howard had been in prison in lieu of $75,000 bail on charges that she was driving drunk when she crashed into a creek bank near Corry, killing Samuel on June 14 - her 26th birthday.

Pennsylvania police found out Sunday morning that Howard had been arrested in Ohio after her son's father allegedly tipped off authorities to her whereabouts. She was being held in Ohio awaiting extradition to Erie.

Howard has now been charged with escape in addition to involuntary manslaughter, drunken driving, child endangerment and other charges related to the crash.

*****

Let's hope they throw this bitch (pardon me, ladies, but that is the nicest way to say it) under the jail house and forget she is there!

A Nation unto himself

Man declares island (population: 1) to be new nation

A 65-year-old man who owns a 2.5 acre island in the Shetland Islands in the North Sea has declared independence from the UK.

Stuart Hill, 65, has lived in the Shetland Islands on the edge of the Atlantic since 2001, when his boat capsized there during an unsuccessful attempted to circumnavigate Britain.

He is Forvik's only resident, and his home is a tent on the storm-battered island. He says on his website that he plans to create Forvik's own currency -- the "gulde" -- print his own stamps and raise his own flag.

"There will be no income tax, VAT (value added tax), council tax, corporation tax, or any of the other taxes instituted by the British government," Hill wrote.

Link

Every Woman's favorite Latin Quote

Veni, Vidi, Visa

I Came, I Saw, I Shopped

Trial delayed in Texas sex club involving children

What is it with Texas recently?!

First the Polygamy Story, now this:

The third trial of an alleged member of a swingers club accused of forcing children into sex shows was postponed Monday amid allegations that the foster father to the young victims molested other children.

Prosecutors said the California child sex charges against John Cantrell, who has custody of three siblings who allegedly performed inside the club, has nothing to do with their case in Texas.

Cantrell, 64, was charged last week with sexually assaulting two of his foster children in 1990. His wife has denied the allegations.

Margie Cantrell first told authorities in 2005 about what the children - now ages 12, 10, and 7 - revealed to her about having being forced into sex at the former daycare.

"What does the fact that he was investigated 18 years ago, when the victims in our case were not even alive, have to do with the guilt or innocence of these defendants on trial today?" Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham said.

State District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. pushed back the start of the trial of Patrick Kelly until June 30, granting a request by Kelly's attorneys to allow time to investigate the charges against John Cantrell.

Texas Child Protective Services has temporarily forbidden the foster parent to see the children. Cantrell is awaiting extradition.

Kelly, 41, is the third alleged member of the so-called "Mineola Swingers Club" to stand trial. He and five others are accused of teaching children as young as 5 to have sex with each other and dance provocatively for crowds as large as 100 people.

Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants.

Thad Davidson, Kelly's lawyer, says his client passed a lie-detector test and is innocent.

Also Monday, two local reporters who have covered the swingers club trials were subpoenaed to testify Friday about allegedly dating the state's lead prosecutor in the case.

Davidson said he plans to ask Tyler Morning Telegraph reporter Casey Knaupp and KLTV reporter Danielle Capper about their relationships with Assistant District Attorney Joe Murphy.

Davidson is fighting to move the trial outside of Tyler, about 25 miles from where the club was located. He says the reporters' coverage of the case has been biased and has colored the prospective jury pool.

Dave Berry, managing editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, said the paper will seek to quash the subpoena at a Tuesday hearing. KLTV said it would have no comment.

*****

So, all you Texans out there - What Gives?!

Seven Simple Rules For How to Take A Nap

Seriously: we all know the whys — they improve mood, creativity, memory function, heart health, and so much else — but how many know the hows of how to take a nap.

Read more from 7 Simple Rules For How to Take A Nap

The Seven Words will never be spoken again

George Carlin, the frenzied performer whose routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He was 71.

"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.

Carlin's jokes constantly breached the accepted boundaries of comedy and language, particularly with his routine on the "Seven Words" - all of which are taboo on broadcast TV and radio to this day.

When he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, freed on $150 bail and exonerated when a Wisconsin judge dismissed the case, saying it was indecent but citing free speech and the lack of any disturbance.

When the words were later played on a New York radio station, they resulted in a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government's authority to sanction stations for broadcasting offensive language during hours when children might be listening.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," he told The Associated Press earlier this year.

Despite his reputation as unapologetically irreverent, Carlin was a television staple through the decades, serving as host of the "Saturday Night Live" debut in 1975 - noting on his Web site that he was "loaded on cocaine all week long" - and appearing some 130 times on "The Tonight Show."

He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 - a testament to his range from cerebral satire and cultural commentary to downright silliness (and sometimes hitting all points in one stroke).

"Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?" he once mused. "Are they afraid someone will clean them?"

He won four Grammy Awards, each for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy awards. On Tuesday, it was announced that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which will be presented Nov. 10 in Washington and broadcast on PBS.

Carlin started his career on the traditional nightclub circuit in a coat and tie, pairing with Burns to spoof TV game shows, news and movies. Perhaps in spite of the outlaw soul, "George was fairly conservative when I met him," said Burns, describing himself as the more left-leaning of the two. It was a degree of separation that would reverse when they came upon Lenny Bruce, the original shock comic, in the early '60s.

"We were working in Chicago, and we went to see Lenny, and we were both blown away," Burns said, recalling the moment as the beginning of the end for their collaboration if not their close friendship. "It was an epiphany for George. The comedy we were doing at the time wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and George knew then that he wanted to go in a different direction."

That direction would make Carlin as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years.

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things - bad language and whatever - it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition," Carlin told the AP in a 2004 interview. "There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

Carlin was born on May 12, 1937, and grew up in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, raised by a single mother. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, he joined the Air Force in 1954. He received three court-martials and numerous disciplinary punishments, according to his official Web site.

While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston.

"Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot," his Web site says.

From there he went on to a job on the night shift as a deejay at a radio station in Fort Worth, Texas. Carlin also worked variety of temporary jobs including a carnival organist and a marketing director for a peanut brittle.

In 1960, he left with Burns, a Texas radio buddy, for Hollywood to pursue a nightclub career as comedy team Burns & Carlin. He left with $300, but his first break came just months later when the duo appeared on Jack Paar's "Tonight Show."

Carlin said he hoped to emulate his childhood hero, Danny Kaye, the kindly, rubber-faced comedian who ruled over the decade Carlin grew up in - the 1950s - with a clever but gentle humor reflective of the times.

It didn't work for him, and the pair broke up by 1962.

"I was doing superficial comedy entertaining people who didn't really care: Businessmen, people in nightclubs, conservative people. And I had been doing that for the better part of 10 years when it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people," Carlin reflected recently as he prepared for his 14th HBO special, "It's Bad For Ya."

Eventually Carlin lost the buttoned-up look, favoring the beard, ponytail and all-black attire for which he came to be known.

But even with his decidedly adult-comedy bent, Carlin never lost his childlike sense of mischief, even voicing kid-friendly projects like episodes of the TV show "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" and the spacey Volkswagen bus Fillmore in the 2006 Pixar hit "Cars."

Carlin's first wife, Brenda, died in 1997. He is survived by wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law Bob McCall; brother Patrick Carlin; and sister-in-law Marlene Carlin.

Click on the Audio MP3 for George's classic "Class Clown"

Question of the Day

I hesitate to bring this up - but who do you ask if you think a word in the dictionary is misspelled?

Tainted Tomato Toll Now Stands At 552

I haven't posted on the Tomato contamination problem before but it is getting a bit worrisome.
Here is the latest:

The victim count in the tainted tomato outbreak leaped to 552 Friday even as U.S health officials announced that the salmonella contaminant did indeed come from farms in Florida and Mexico.

The huge increase in victims since the nationwide outbreak began on April 10 appeared largely a result of the state of Texas now reporting 265 illnesses, according to the latest count by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 53 people have been hospitalized, Ian Williams, chief of the CDC's OutbreakNet Team, told reporters at a mid-afternoon teleconference.

"The FDA is sending teams to Florida and Mexico this weekend to begin inspection of these farms," Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for food protection at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, added. "We are also working with the state of Texas to identify the cluster of illness there."

The increase in people sickened by the singular strain of salmonella saintpaul was not unexpected. Last week, the count was below 200; two days ago, it jumped to more than 380. At least 32 states, plus the District of Columbia, have now reported cases.

On Thursday, health officials had warned that the end was not yet in sight.

"The marked increase is not due to new infections, but mainly because some states improved surveillance in response to this outbreak, and laboratory identification of many other previously submitted strains has now been completed," said Casey Barton Behravesh, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a Thursday teleconference.

"We are continuing to receive reports of ill people," added Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the CDC's division of foodborne, bacterial and mycotic diseases. "We do not think the outbreak is over."

On Friday, Acheson said the investigation into the outbreak has now zeroed in on "a number of farms" in both Florida and Mexico.

"These farms along with their associated distribution chains are going to be part of an ongoing investigation," he added, noting, "We do not have a specific farm involved in the contamination; we have to look at the whole chain."

Health officials last week had said that the bulk of the tomatoes available at the start of the outbreak in April had come from Mexico and parts of Florida.

But on Wednesday, Acheson seemed less certain than he has in the past that the exact source would ever be identified. "I have to acknowledge that we may not ultimately know the farm where these came from," he said. "But we're continuing to go flat-out, assuming we are going to get to that point."

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in humans. Some 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States each year, although the CDC estimates that because milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be 30 or more times greater. Approximately 600 people die each year after being infected.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on the salmonella outbreak.

Rain, Mac Duff and pondering in a storm

We're getting a good taste of what the Midwest has had over the past few days - Rain ... and a lot of it and heavy at the moment.
Not that it is a bad thing right now because we are still in a drought even with all the rain the last two months but it drives Mac Duff to distraction.
I have never known a dog so afraid of rain - that and overweight cats!
Looking into those sad scared eyes pleading 'daddy make it go away' as he tries to get under my skin literally - and how does a 13 pound dog instantly weigh over 100 pounds when he's curled up on your chest?!

Things I am Pondering:

When did life get to be a job? Was it in Kindergarten? Or, maybe High School? Then again the first time you turned over in your crib?

Why are Yellow Freight trucks painted orange?

When is enough, enough?

Why are there obstacles on the road?

What is the meaning of life and did Monty Python really have the right answer?

How, do you make progress going backward?

The Soap Opera Continues ... Part twentythree and three fifths

Polygamist leader's daughter wants new lawyer

A convicted polygamist leader's teenage daughter, who was among the children removed from her sect's Texas compound during an abuse investigation, is fighting her attorney's attempt to shield her from a church official.

Teresa Jeffs, 16, is one of hundreds of children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with an attorney appointed by a state judge as part of a child welfare investigation into allegations of abuse. Her father is Warren Jeffs, the church's imprisoned president and prophet.

More than 400 children were rounded up as part of the Texas investigation and later released. Teresa Jeffs denies allegations by her attorney that she was forced into a spiritual marriage at age 15 with an older man and that she has a baby. She told The Associated Press on Sunday that she wants a new lawyer.

But the court-appointed attorney, Natalie Malonis, believes Jeffs is being swayed by a church official.

On Friday, Malonis successfully sought a restraining order against church spokesman Willie Jessop, who she said was intimidating and improperly influencing the girl.

"I believe that (the girl) was avoiding service because of coercion and improper influence from Willie Jessop," Malonis wrote the judge.

Malonis sought the protection order after the girl asked State District Judge Barbara Walther to release her from the case and appoint another attorney.

Jessop, a Utah-based member of the church, denies trying to influence Jeffs and criticized restrictions that prohibit her from visiting the sect's Yearning For Zion ranch near Eldorado, Texas.

Teresa Jeffs says she doesn't need and didn't approve of the restraining order and doesn't want Malonis as her lawyer anymore.

"I have asked her many times to please step aside," Teresa Jeffs told the AP by telephone on Sunday from Texas. "I need more help. I want my attorney to listen to me."

In one letter she released to the AP, Teresa Jeffs wrote: "Natalie, quit all your lying about everything." She asked Malonis to "let me get a different lawyer."

Malonis declined Sunday to respond to her client's complaints.

"I'm trying to help her," Malonis said. "It's really not in any child's interest to waive their attorney-client privilege. I'm not going to fight with her in the media."

Jeffs said she plans to appear Wednesday before a grand jury opening a criminal investigation into the polygamist group. The state attorney general's office refuses to confirm anything about the proceeding, saying it's secret under Texas law.

In 2003, the sect began moving some of its estimated 6,000 members to the YFZ ranch. Acting on an allegation of child abuse, Texas authorities raided the ranch April 3 and seized more than 450 children. A court returned the children this month, although a child welfare investigation continues.

Church members have traditionally made their homes in twin towns on the Utah-Arizona border. The church practices polygamy in arranged marriages, which have sometimes involved underage girls, resulting in criminal charges against some FLDS men.

The mainstream Mormon church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, renounced polygamy long ago.

Last year, a Utah jury convicted Warren Jeffs of two first-degree felony counts of rape as an accomplice for his role in the 2001 marriage between a 14-year-old follower and her 19-year-old cousin. He is currently in an Arizona jail awaiting trial on other charges related to marriages involving young girls.

*****

Round and round she goes - where she stops nobody knows!

Eight Hundred

Not bad for an old typewriter with an old typewriter!

Thanks to The 'Defective Yeti'

Typical Reaction to the Revelation That I Do Not Own a Cell Phone, By Year

1998: Solidarity ("Yeah, me neither--I hate those things!")

1999: Envy ("Lucky you; I had to get one for work.")

2000: Indifference ("Okay, what's your home phone number then?")

2001: Encouragement ("You should get one--you can play Tetris on them now!")

2002: Confusion ("I thought you were, like, a tech guy.")

2003: Sympathy ("They're getting pretty cheap. You'll be able to afford one soon.")

2004: Irritation ("So how am I supposed to get a hold of you?")

2005: Derision ("If we go out tonight I'll send you a fax.")

2006: Skepticism ("Are you serious?")

2007: Awe ("Wow, you're like the last one.")

2008: Incomprehension ("You don't ... how ...?")

*****

It is amazing that we got along so well with our lives before cell phones, isn't it?!

Miniature Paris replica made from trash

Gerard Brion's garden in the south France town of Vaissac contains a replica of Paris built from junk, trash, glue and paint.

The Frenchman, 29, has spent 15 years crafting landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré Coeur out of old concrete blocks, baby food jars and soup tins.

Link

Curry vs. obesity and diabetes?

Findings presented to ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco this week, show that a spice found in curries has remarkable properties when administered to obese and diabetic mice:

"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."

For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric – and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin – reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.

Link

Life (in prison) is too good for them!

Texas town reels from horrific abuse in its midst

In the windowless front rooms of a former day care center in a tiny Texas community, children as young as 5 were fed powerful painkillers they knew as "silly pills" and forced to perform sex shows for a crowd of adults.

Two people have already been convicted in the case. Now a third person with ties to the club, previously known in town only as a swingers group, is set to go on trial Monday not far from Mineola, population 5,100.

"This really shook this town," said Shirley Chadwick, a longtime resident of Mineola. "This was horrible."

Patrick Kelly, 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity.

In all, six adults have been charged in connection with the case, including a parent of the three siblings involved.

Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants, who were accused of grooming the kids for sex shows in "kindergarten" classes and passing off Vicodin as "silly pills" to help the children perform.

Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo were sentenced to life in prison. Kelly also faces a life sentence if convicted, and Smith County prosecutors hope for another swift verdict.

Thad Davidson, Kelly's attorney, said his client passed a lie-detector test proving his innocence and worries about getting a fair trial in Tyler, 25 miles southeast of Mineola, which is in Wood County.

"I think it's impossible to get a fair trial within 80 miles of Smith County," Davidson said.

Mineola, about 80 miles east of Dallas, is a close-knit, conservative bean-processing town of with more than 30 churches. Residents there want to put the scandal behind them as quickly as possible.

The one-story building where prosecutors say four children - the three siblings, now ages 12, 10 and 7, and their 10-year-old aunt - were trained to perform in front of an audience of 50 to 100 once a week has been vacant since the landlord ousted the alleged organizers in 2004.

Down a slight hill is a retirement home, and even closer is the office of the local newspaper. Doris Newman, editor of The Mineola Monitor, said rumors of swinger parties spread around town but that no one mentioned children being involved.

Newman, who can see the building from her office window, said she remembers the parking lot filling up with more than a dozen cars at night.

In August 2004, an editorial under the headline "Sex In the City" opined that if the swingers left quietly, "we'll try and forget they've infiltrated our town with their set of moral standards."

"It's not that we're trying to look the other way," Newman said. "But there's a lot more to Mineola than that."

According to a Mineola police report, the department first investigated a complaint in June 2005 in which the siblings' foster mother said one of the girls described dancing toward men and another child saying that "everybody does nasty stuff in there."

In the second trial, Child Protective Services caseworker Kristi Hachtel testified, "I've seen a lot and I never in my wildest dreams imagined this. They were preyed upon in probably one of the most heinous ways possible."

The children are now doing better, the welfare agency said.

"Through counseling and therapy sessions, these children are now finally feeling secure and safe," agency spokeswoman Shari Pulliam wrote in an e-mail.

Permanent custody of the three siblings was given to John and Margie Cantrell. This week, prosecutors in California charged John Cantrell with sexually assaulting a child in the state 18 years ago. Margie Cantrell said her husband is innocent.

Kelly's attorney moved Friday asking to postpone the trial in light of the allegations against Cantrell, a state witness. Texas Child Protective Services said it would be "common" for the agency to investigate.

The Rev. Tim Letsch is opening a church in the yellow-plastered building where the children were abused. He acknowledges that building a congregation might be difficult because of the stigma attached to the property.

"You got to decide whether you're willing to forgive those kind of things," Letsch said. "It's a hard deal. Especially for a spiritual person to walk in and say, 'This happened here.'"

*****
(From the AP)

Daily Thought

Ulcers are caused not so much by what we eat as to what's eating us.

Solstice came and I missed it.

No embolisms , but all day at the hospital was not how I had planned to spend my Solstice. Of course with her history of embolisms they are keeping her for a few days - so I am a 'bachelor' until at least Wednesday.

Now if I can only stay out of mischief ...

Pulmonary Embolisms

It's off to the ER ... the Mrs., survived blood clots in her lungs last year (8 out of 10 do not survive 1, she had over twenty), so we are taking no chances with what could be a new crop of clots in the deep tissues and veins of the legs.

There seems to have been a spate of clots among people we know since the Mrs'., bout last May (2007) and it has been among the 30something ladies we know. Just this past May one of our 30something friends had a clot in her lungs and in her leg and survived. So, far all our friends have survived -there have been four - and with the odds of fatality being 8 out of 10 there has been a lot more people who have had clots who have not made it.

Word to the wise:

If you can flex your foot back toward the leg and you can see a redness in the skin that was not there before you flexed your foot go to your doctor or better yet the hospital and have it checked out - it could be that in doing so you save your life. Clots in the leg are not fatal per se but they tend to travel and if they get into the lungs you might not beat the odds.

SAY WHAT!?

MPAA - "We shouldn't have to prove infringement took place before collecting $150k per file in damages"

In an amicus brief filed in the Jammie Thomas trial, lawyers for the MPAA argued that it was unreasonable to ask copyright holders to prove that infringement had taken place before awarding them damages of up to $150,000 per file.

"Mandating such proof could thus have the pernicious effect of depriving copyright owners of a practical remedy against massive copyright infringement in many instances," MPAA attorney Marie L. van Uitert wrote Friday to the federal judge overseeing the Jammie Thomas trial.

"It is often very difficult, and in some cases, impossible, to provide such direct proof when confronting modern forms of copyright infringement, whether over P2P networks or otherwise; understandably, copyright infringers typically do not keep records of infringement," van Uitert wrote on behalf of the movie studios, a position shared with the Recording Industry Association of America, which sued Thomas, the single mother of two.

Link

Say what! You don't have to prove your case before you are awarded monetary compensation! Alrighty then, where do I go to collect my compensation just because I say I should be compensated!

A Slice of Philosophy

Utility is when you have one telephone; luxury is when you have two, and paradise is when you have none!

And I Quote

“There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.”

~ (Ret.) Major General Antonio Taguba

South Carolina executes James Earl Reed by electrocution

A South Carolina man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents 14 years ago was executed in the state's electric chair Friday night after a last-ditch effort to halt the sentence was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

James Earl Reed was pronounced dead at 11:27 p.m. Friday in the state's death chamber in Columbia. He did not issue a final statement.

The execution, first scheduled for 6 p.m., had been put on hold as defense attorneys successfully obtained a stay from a federal judge, only to see it vacated by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Their attempt to get the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution was subsequently denied.

Reed, 49, was the first person executed by electric chair in the U.S. in nearly a year and South Carolina's first since 2004. He had been on death row since 1996, after being convicted of murdering Joseph and Barbara Lafayette in their Charleston County home two years earlier. Prosecutors said he was looking for his ex-girlfriend.

In South Carolina, anyone sentenced to death may choose the electric chair or lethal injection. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, eight other states electrocute inmates.

During his trial, Reed fired his attorney and represented himself, denying the killings despite a confession and arguing that no physical evidence placed him at the scene. Jurors found him guilty and decided he should die.

In the request for the stay that was granted Friday, the defense attorneys cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision made the day before regarding defendants' rights to represent themselves. The high court on Thursday said a defendant can be judged competent to stand trial, yet incapable of acting as his own lawyer.

Thousands revel at Stonehenge for summer solstice

The summer solstice drew thousands of revelers to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise over the ancient monument Saturday for the first time in the new season.

Beating drums and wearing rainbow cloaks, the celebrants walked through light rain Friday to talk, dance and meditate as they awaited the start of the event.

Ray Smith, 60, of Hengistbury in southern England, came wearing blue face paint and a multicolored skirt.

"I think it's a place of our ancestors, its a shrine to our ancestors, and I think it's very important to celebrate each season," he said.

Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my mid-life crisis." She left her West London office amid gentle teasing from her colleagues Friday afternoon to see a very English tradition.

Organizers expect 25,000 people to journey to the ancient site. They will be allowed access to the stone circle, which is usually closed to visitors. Representatives of English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, will be on hand to make sure no one carried away with the celebratory spirit climbs on or vandalizes the stones.

"People generally respect the stones and we don't have a problem," English Heritage spokeswoman Rebecca Milton said.

The solstice in England occurred at 12:59 a.m. Saturday (7:59 p.m. EDT Friday), marking the start of the day with the most sunlight of the year.

Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain about 90 miles southwest of London, was built between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C. It is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 750,000 people visit every year.

Solstices were an important part of Europe's pre-Christian calendar and many speculate Stonehenge's orientation offers clues to its creators' pagan traditions.

The original purpose of Stonehenge is debated, but recent evidence has shed some light on the mystery. In May, researchers reported the stone circle was used as a burial ground since its initial construction. Cremated remains found at Stonehenge date back to 3,000 B.C. and radiocarbon dating shows burials continued at the site for at least 500 years. It is estimated that at least 240 people were buried at Stonehenge.

One of these years I will make it there for the solstice.

Thought for the Day

Everything is possible, just not too probable.

Wouldn't Surprise Me If ...

Bill O'Reilly = Child Molester?

Why was Billy Boy in Child Whore Houses in Panama

in 1978-1979 having sex with 12-15 year old girls?

Now this I believe:

Damn, the asshole can speak the truth, who knew!

Life (about a third of it is anyway) Is But A Dream

. . . We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
Shakespeare: The Tempest

You spend roughly one third of your life asleep. But that doesn't mean that it's wasted time. Many believe that the dreams you have during the night offer insights into aspects of your waking life.

Plus, theories abound on how the brain actually problem-solves while you're asleep. That's why you sometimes wake up in the morning with the answer to something that has been puzzling you. Dream symbolism and interpretation can provide a fascinating glimpse into your psyche.

The Four Stages of Sleep

Stage 1: The first stage of sleep is very light and usually lasts just a few minutes. If you are not disturbed, you will quickly journey into Stage 2.

Stage 2: This is a much deeper sleep than Stage 1. In Stage 2, dreams start to form. Although there are no clear images, vague thoughts and ideas drift through your mind. If undisturbed, you will soon drift off into Stage 3.

Stage 3: This is a deeper sleep than Stage 2. Your muscles are all relaxed by now and your heart rate has slowed down. Your blood pressure is also falling and your breathing is steady and even. You are very difficult to wake now. Only two things can wake you: a loud noise or a repetitious calling of your name. Before long, you will venture into Stage 4.

Stage 4: This is the deepest sleep of all and is the time full-fledged dreams occur. You are difficult to wake now. If there is a loud noise or if you are shaken, it will take a few seconds to wake up. Both your blood pressure and heart rate fluctuate and your brain heats up slightly. Then comes REM (rapid eye movement). If you are woken up during this period, you will be able to remember recently dreamt dreams. The first REM period lasts only about ten minutes. After that, you go back into a deep Stage 4 sleep. Again, you go into another REM stage after a short period and cycle through REM and Stage 4 until you awaken.

Check out the links below for more on dreams and even learn how to remember more of your nocturnal adventures!

Assoc. for Study of Dreams

Lucid Dreams
Freud's Take on Dreams
The Dream Foundation
On Dreams by Aristotle

Working with Dreams

Paraguayn inmates riot for more sex

Paraguayan prisoners rioted Friday to press a list of demands including more sex.

Inmates seized the Esperanza prison's director and other administrators, demanding nighttime conjugal visits and an end to mistreatment by guards.

Paraguayan prisons allow such visits during the day - but that clashes with working hours at Esperanza, where inmates have jobs, such as at a prison clothing factory.

Justice Minister Derlis Osorio said the riot ended after four hours with no deaths or injuries.

It was not clear whether prison authorities agreed to allow nighttime conjugal visits, but local media reported that they agreed to investigate claims of abuse and end strip searches of visitors.

*****

Mistreatment, I can see fixing that, but just because you have a conflict with work and afternoon nookie is no reason to riot ... besides you're in prison - there are some limitations placed upon you in prison ... don't want the limitations, don't be in prison - it is that simple.

Be a leech in only two years

Chicago's Northwestern to offer 2-year law program

Northwestern University School of Law will offer an accelerated, two-year program for law degrees starting in 2009, becoming the only law school among top-tier institutions to offer both two- and three-year programs, university officials said.

The accelerated track will require the same number of credits as the three-year program, but will cost less because the study will take place in a compressed five-semester period.

The new program is aimed at high achievers eager to begin their law careers, Dean David Van Zandt said, noting that Northwestern will require accelerated candidates to have at least two years of post-undergraduate, full-time work experience.

The plan requires two new courses for both two-year and three-year degree candidates. They will cover analytic skills like accounting, finance and statistics, and "legal services behavior," which will involve social networks, teamwork, leadership and project management.

*****

Just what we need more leeches faster!

Cambodia destroys Ecstasy ingredient

Well, your next RAVE may not be such a rave ...

Cambodian authorities working with Australian police destroyed an enormous stockpile of 33 tons of safrole-rich oil, a key ingredient used in producing the synthetic drug Ecstasy, officials said Friday.

The amount could have been used to produce 245 million tablets of the drug. It had a potential street value of more than 7.6 billion Australian dollars (US$7.3 billion), the Australian Embassy said in a statement.

The oil, which is extracted from the roots of the sassafras tree, was burned over a three-day period starting Wednesday, said Lour Ramin, a police lieutenant general and secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs.

"If this oil had been used to produce Ecstasy tablets, millions of people would have suffered," he said.

Members of the Australian Federal Police oversaw the burning of the oil in a remote village in Cambodia's Pursat province, about 100 miles northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh, he said.

"These seizures demonstrate that Cambodia faces the challenges of suppressing drug production for regional export, as well as challenges faced as a transit center for regional and international drug market," Philip Hunter, an official from Australian Federal Police, said at the ceremony.

The destruction "was a significant blow to the trade of illicit drugs in the region," Hunter was quoted saying in the embassy statement.

At the request of the Cambodian government, an Australian police team of four technicians and two forensic chemists traveled to Pursat province this week to help destroy the oil, it said.

Cambodian authorities have been working since 2002 to stem the distillation of the oil and since then have succeeded in detecting and dismantling more than 50 clandestine laboratories capable of producing up to 15 gallons of oil a day, it said.

In addition to cracking down on the drug trade, Cambodian officials are trying to preserve the sassafras tree, which is classified as a rare species that grows mainly in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, said Lour Ramin. To distill oil from the tree's roots, the entire tree is cut down.

With 7 plus billion gone somebody is gong to to be pissed. We can look for more from this story.

Random Photo

Just a random photo

Thought for the Day

Never knew there was so many ways to obfuscate but the haters are masters at it. Reality must be so painful to them.

Hoops and garters

If you have never seen a bunch of Rennies sewing costumes you have really missed something!
The topics of conversation would make the saltiest sailor blush as would the language - remember there are sharp pointy objects all about not including the scissors that everyone has in multiples so you know we're all on our best behavior!

How many overskirts does one woman need anyway?

Needless to say I have just experienced this phenomena again for the billionth time this evening and it is still going on ... going into phase three - yes, there are phases each 'session' goes through.

The Entry phase ... where all is discussed at length and then some before the first stitch or cut is made. It is in this phase that sizing and colors are determined.

The Whirlwind phase ... where there are at least ten different costumes being worked on at the same time (more likely 15, but who's counting).

The Frenzy phase ... when the realization that there are ten costumes in various stages of development and they all have to be finished by 8am.

The Solution phase ... where all costumes are completed and discussion begins on the next set of costumes they are going to make (this phase has been known to morph directly into the Entry phase and the whole thing start over again immediately - there have been three such instances in the past month alone where one of these sewing sessions lasted the entire weekend - literally)

Through all four phases whips and chains; nude sunbathing; cooking; belly dancing; British comedies; film noir; dogs; motorcycles; learning to speak with an accent; babies; sex in general; shopping; making candles; swords and blades; sports and more that I cannot remember at the moment were the topics of conversation ... and this is the ladies.