BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 06:01 PM

These Okies and Texans, they're f**kin' nuts when it comes to football. Literally. From the Star-Telegram today.

OU fan accused of gruesome injury to man clad in UT shirt
The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- To some University of Oklahoma football fans, there are things that just aren't done in the heart of Sooner Nation, and one of them is to walk into a bar wearing a Texas Longhorns T-shirt. That's exactly what touched off a bloody skirmish that left a University of Texas fan nearly castrated and an Oklahoma fan facing aggravated assault charges that could put him in prison for up to five years.

The case has set off a raging debate in this football-crazed region about the extreme passions behind a bitter rivalry. Some legal observers even question whether this case could ever truly have an impartial jury. "I've actually heard callers on talk radio say that this guy deserved what he got for wearing a Texas T-shirt into a bar in the middle of Sooner country," said Irven Box, an attorney in this city 20 miles from OU's campus in Norman.

Police say Brian Christopher Thomas, 32, walked into Henry Hudson's Pub on June 17 wearing a Longhorns T-shirt and quickly became the focus of football trash talk from another regular, Sooners fan Allen Michael Beckett, 53. Thomas told police that when he went to the bar to pay his tab, Beckett grabbed him in the crotch, pulled him to the ground and wouldn't let go, even as other bar patrons tried to break it up. It took more than 60 stitches to close the wound, and police interviewed Thomas at a nearby hospital.

Beckett's attorney, Billy Bock, concedes that his client commented about Thomas' shirt but said that it was just good-natured ribbing and that he apologized to Thomas when it appeared to upset the Texas fan. Later, Bock said, Thomas approached his client at the bar and threatened him.

Thomas' attorney disputes Beckett's version. "That's total malarkey," Hughes said. "My client never said a word to him. He got up to pay and when he paid and left a tip, the guy grabbed him."

Beckett, a church deacon, federal auditor and former Army combat veteran, has pleaded not guilty. His next court appearance comes Oct. 4, two days before the Sooners and Longhorns tangle in their annual football game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 12:36 AM

I heard about this from my friend Pam, who runs the parks in Ventura County. She did all of the leg work but her boss took the credit in all of the interviews. It's that kind of hierarchy.

story link

Blue Whale washes ashore near Ventura

The carcass of a 70-foot blue whale rolled gently with the incoming waves at a beach about 10 miles north of Ventura this morning as scientists from as far as the San Francisco area rushed to the scene.

Blue whales, the largest animal on earth, have been migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel. How the one that drifted into the rocks off Hobson Beach died will not be known until scientists have extracted tissues and examined its vast body.

Beached less than 100 feet from the Old Pacific Coast Highway, the whale has drawn dozens of spectators ambling on the roadside, taking photos and giving their children a rare glimpse of a huge marine mammal.

"Amazing!" said Terry Hewitt, a cook at Cal State Channel Islands who came to view the whale on her day off. "I was swimming out there yesterday, and if that thing had passed me in the water, well, Ohmigod!"

Authorities had been tracking the carcass for a couple of days before it ran ashore. Ron Barrett, an enviromental specialist for the Navy and a volunteer for a local wildlife group, said he could not recall a blue whale dying and washing ashore on the Ventura County coastline.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 01:15 PM

From the Star-Telegram this morning:

Driver kills himself after police chase

A 30-year-old man fatally shot himself early Saturday after trying to run over a Dallas police officer during a routine traffic stop, Dallas police said.

The driver fled after the stop, which came at 12:55 a.m. near Fitzhugh and Capitol Aves., north of downtown Dallas.

Officers chased him into Allen, Lt. Vernon Hale said in a statement.

After about an hour, the man crashed his vehicle. At some point during the chase, he shot himself, Hale said. No other injuries were reported.

I suppose it is accurate to say "at some point," but it would be my guess that this shot occurred at the very end of the chase.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 01:58 PM

Depends on where he hit, I suppose. If he lost consciousness gradually from blood loss rather than brain destruction, he might have made a few wild turns and swerves before he lost control,no?



A

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Mickey191
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 03:14 PM

AP Story- Poughkeepsie,NY Journal:

"POLICE: BALD MAN TRIED TO STEAL HAIR PRODUCTS

Ossining,NY A bald man who stole 5 bottles of hair loss treatment was caught while running away. Police arrested Mark Hoousendove 42, on petty larceny charges. He had just dropped off friends at SING SING PRISON on Sunday when he went into pharmacy & stole $50.00 worth of the treatment. An officer nearbye chased & grabbed him."


There's gotta be a song in here somewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 10:51 AM

Someone Tries to Sell Belgium on eBay Sep 18 10:23 AM US/Eastern By PAUL AMES Associated Press Writer BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -

Hidden among the porcelain fox hounds and Burberry tablecloths on sale at eBay.be this week was an unusual item: "For Sale: Belgium, a Kingdom in three parts ... free premium: the king and his court (costs not included)."

The odd ad was posted by one disgruntled Belgian in protest at his country's political crisis which reached a 100-day landmark Tuesday with no end in sight to the squabbling between Flemish and Walloon politicians. "I wanted to attract attention,"...

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 11:00 AM

Posted on 09/18/2007 3:44:37 AM PDT by chessplayer


Villagers in southern Peru were struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area, regional authorities said today.

Around midday Saturday, villagers were startled by an explosion and a fireball that many were convinced was an airplane crashing near their remote village, located in the high Andes department of Puno in the Desaguadero region, near the border with Bolivia.

Residents complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a "strange odor," local health department official Jorge Lopez told Peruvian radio RPP.

Seven policemen who went to check on the reports also became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized, Lopez said.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 01:45 PM

Beat me to the eBay story, Amos.

link here to the rest of the story.

Someone Tries to Sell Belgium on eBay

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Hidden among the porcelain fox hounds and Burberry tablecloths on sale at eBay.be this week was an unusual item: "For Sale: Belgium, a Kingdom in three parts ... free premium: the king and his court (costs not included)."

The odd ad was posted by one disgruntled Belgian in protest at his country's political crisis which reached a 100-day landmark Tuesday with no end in sight to the squabbling between Flemish and Walloon politicians.

"I wanted to attract attention," said Gerrit Six, the teacher and former journalist who posted the ad. "You almost have to throw rock through a window to get attention for Belgium."

Six placed the advertisement on Saturday, offering free delivery, but pointing out that the country was coming secondhand and that potential buyers would have to take on over $300 billion (euro220 billion) in national debt.

Like many of Belgium's 10 million citizens, Six is exasperated that the power struggle between the county's French- or Dutch-speaking political parties has left Belgium in political limbo since June 10 elections.

Demands for more autonomy from the Dutch-speaking Flemish are resisted by the French-speaking Walloons, making it impossible to form a government coalition and triggering concern the kingdom is on the verge of a breakup.

Six decided to vent his frustration through the Internet ad.

"My proposal was to make it clear that Belgium was valuable, it's a masterpiece and we have to keep it," he told Associated Press Television News. "It's my country and I'm taking care of it, and with me are millions of Belgians."

Six' idea got a mixed reaction on the streets of Brussels.

"Very funny, typical Belgian humor," said Anne Graux. "It's ridiculous," snapped Nathalie Ginot, a Brussels resident who had her own pragmatic solution to Belgium's woes. "We think it would be good to split Belgium into the three and make Brussels a tax-haven, a capital exempt from all taxes," she said hopefully.

Six vaunted Belgium's attractions to potential buyers from art nouveau architecture to the headquarters of NATO and the European Union and some great beers. But he also warned of the pitfalls of taking on the cacophonous mix of Flemish nationalists, Walloon Socialists and the mayors of all 19 Brussels' boroughs.

EBay was happy to take Six' advertisement.

"It was a really fun listing made by a Belgian," Peter Burin, PR manager of eBay Belgium. "This person, in a very funny way, reminded the Belgians what a great country Belgium actually is and it would be a shame to sell it."

However, the company decided to pull the add Tuesday after receiving a bid of euro10 million ($14 million)

"We decided to take it down, just to avoid confusion," he told APTN.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 09:35 PM

Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Lawn Case
link. There are a couple of photos.

OREM, Utah - A 70-year-old woman arrested in a dispute over her brown lawn pleaded not guilty Tuesday, then stood by as a Los Angeles lawyer waved handcuffs for the cameras outside court. "I ask the citizens of Orem: How many of you would like to have your great-grandmother taken from her home with bruises and blood and placed in handcuffs for failing to water her lawn?" Gloria Allred said. "Let's bring sanity back to law enforcement," she said.

Betty Perry is charged with resisting arrest and failing to maintain her landscaping, both misdemeanors. She was arrested July 6 after failing to give her name to a police officer who visited her home. During a struggle, Perry fell and injured her nose. She spent more than an hour in a holding cell before police released her.

The mayor and City Council apologized, and the police department said the incident could have been handled differently. But the city attorney still is pressing charges against Perry. She pleaded not guilty and will return to court Oct. 11.

Allred is a noted feminist who has been involved in several high-profile cases, including representing Amber Frey, the girlfriend of Scott Peterson, who was sentenced to death for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci. A state investigation found Officer James Flygare acted properly in arresting Perry after trying to get her to cooperate.

Perry's water had been turned off for about nine months, at her request, although she was living at the house at the time of the arrest. Orem has a shut-off policy for people who are away for extended periods.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 01:37 PM

Police: Irate Woman Throws Baby At Trooper

NORTH EAST, Md. -- A Maryland mother was arraigned on drug and child abuse charges after police said she threw her 6-month-old child across a room at a police officer.

According to court documents, the incident happened in late July at a home on Inverness Drive in Cecil County.

According to court documents, state troopers were called to a trailer on Inverness Drive to check on the well-being of Evelyn Doninger, 23, of North East, and her two small children.
Officers said that they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the home, so they told Doninger they would be coming in. The court documents said that Doninger told police they had no right to enter her home.

Police said that they noticed a hand -rolled cigarette and a bag with what they believed was marijuana in it, as well as various drug paraphernalia. They also said they found two men inside the home and two children -- a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old.

Police said they told Doninger she was being arrested. The documents said she became "incredibly irate," stood up from a chair and threw the 6-month-old at least 5 feet at one of the troopers.

The child struck the trooper's chest and he caught the baby just before it hit the floor, according to court documents. Doninger then shoved the trooper, striking both him and the baby.

Neighbors who spoke with WBAL TV 11 News said that the allegations are shocking, but most turned away when 11 News asked them about it for fear of retaliation from drug dealers who the neighbors said have a strong presence in the area, according to 11 News reporter Lowell Melser.

A woman who neighbors said was Doninger's mother -- but would not identify herself to Melser -- said that there was some validity to the story, but would not give details.

Police said that the 6-month-old baby is doing fine.

Doninger has since been released from jail. She is facing eight different child abuse and drug charges.

A trial date has not been set.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 01:45 PM

Rove corruption investigation dropped due to lack of funds.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/09/budget-shortfal.html

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 01:48 PM

New US pain weapon renamed due to sounding like a former US President's name.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=482560&in_page_id=1965

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:40 PM

Judge Orders Concord Man To Bury Mummified Baby

CONCORD, N.H. -- A judge has ordered a Concord man to lay an unusual family heirloom to rest.

Probate Judge Richard Hampe said the mummified baby known as "Baby John" passed down for generations through Charles Peavey's family must be buried because there is no DNA evidence proving kinship.

Peavey said Wednesday his family is disappointed but will not appeal the decision.

"I'm just washing my hands of it," said Peavey. "I'm disappointed it came to this."

Until police confiscated Baby John last year, the mummy had been on display on a bureau in Peavey's home. Relatives and friends treated the desiccated infant as a family member, giving it cards during holidays and even a dried fish as a pet. Authorities learned of the mummy's existence after Peavey's niece mentioned to day care staffers that her uncle kept a dead baby at his house.

Peavey said his family believes the mummy is the stillborn child of a great-great uncle.

Testing by the state concluded the baby died of natural causes shortly after its birth and confirmed the remains were decades old, but did not determine the mummy's age or origin. Peavey said he can't afford DNA testing, and the state won't release the remains unless there is proof of a family relationship.

"It's one of the few things from our family past that we have left," Peavey had written in a petition to the court. "And when I pass on, I was looking forward to passing it on to another family member, to keep some of the history for future family members."

In court, prosecutor Richard Head raised concerns about the family's treatment of the mummy if it were returned, pointing to Peavey's page on the social networking site MySpace that opens with the "The Addams Family" theme song and makes joking references to Baby John, including a photo of a small crypt and a suggestion that it may hold the remains of Baby John's sister.

Peavey said the page was created as a joke by his niece and he was going to ask her to take it down.

"I do not think this is a joke. I've never treated him like a joke. No weirdness was going on," he said.

article with picture

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: frogprince
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 09:02 PM

That is way, way, beyond bizzare. Is that the family from the movie "The Hills Have Eyes"?

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 10:38 PM

There have been some really wacko stories in the news the last couple of days. I've been too busy to post any, but that's probably just as well.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 11:15 PM

This story has a "happy ending," but what on earth did this group think, leaving all of those valuables in a vehicle parked at a trailhead for 10 days? I used to work in that park, pass that trailhead frequently. It's easy pickings for the kind of folks who prey on hikers. Quick off the road, hit the cars, back on before anyone else comes along. NEVERNEVERNEVER leave valuables in a vehicle like that.

Returns happily accepted
link

GRANITE FALLS — An early September trip to the wilderness turned into a real-life crime drama for a group of university students visiting Washington from Montana. Just like on TV, this story ends happily. The cast includes a bad guy from Granite Falls, about a dozen University of Montana college students and a determined small-town police department.

It all started a few weeks ago when students stumbled out of the wilderness after a 10-day hiking trip to discover their van broken into and their property gone. "We were just kind of devastated," said sophomore Clara Schahczenski, 19, of Whitehall, Mont. The students thought for sure their backpacks, wallets, iPods and other belongings — including irreplaceable jewelry and school work — were gone for good.

But two days after reporting the thefts, Laurie Ashley, 32, a university instructor in the Wilderness and Civilization program, got a phone call from Granite Falls Police Chief Tony Domish. "It was like, oh, my God, something's happening," Ashley said Wednesday from Missoula. "It was the beginning of what turned into a cop TV-like drama for us."

For the students, it all ended Wednesday in Missoula after Domish and officer Win Matter drove more than 500 miles to return students' stolen property. "Normally a police department wouldn't have brought it back. But he was really sweet about it and took the time to get it and bring it back," Schahczenski said.

The group had come to hike in Washington because of wildfires in Montana. They arrived in Washington on Aug. 31 and chose to hike in the Mount Baker Wilderness in Skagit County. On Sept. 7, the students emerged from the woods in a bliss-like state, they said, only to discover that civilization had paid them a visit.

"It's a little bit too classic to have a really amazing wilderness experience and your first contact with civilization to be very negative," Ashley said. The students scrambled to cancel credit cards, lining up at a roadside pay phone. Until they could get credit and debit cards replaced, they borrowed money and begged friends to use their cell phones.

During the long ride back to Missoula, with glass on the floor of the van and a window busted out, the exhausted students were miserable. When Andrea Manes, 21, got back to campus, she had to walk back to her apartment dressed in dirty, pink long johns because her clean clothes were stolen. "I probably looked like a meth addict instead looking like being robbed," she said. The college junior had to crawl through a screen in her apartment until she could get the locks changed. Her car sat unusable in a campus parking lot, the keys stolen.

Meanwhile, in Granite Falls, police had stopped a man in his mid-40s on suspicion of driving with a suspended license. In the car, police found several other driver's licenses. Domish started making phone calls and learned they all belonged to the University of Montana students. Through interrogation, investigation and a lot of legwork, Domish began to unravel what happened.

The Granite Falls man police believe was responsible was driving his girlfriend to a court date in Omak. Along Highway 20, he apparently stopped at the Ross Lake trailhead where police believe he siphoned gas from the students' van, broke the window and stole their stuff. "Each one had a cell phone, iPod, thumb drives with dissertations ... irreplaceable stuff," Domish said. "They had to make it home with nothing, no credit cards, no phones."

In just a few days, police believe the suspect used the stolen credit cards to buy gas and used the cell phones to place calls, Domish said. The suspect filled gas cans paying with the stolen credit cards and then likely sold the gas for cash. For many students, the hiking trip was their first visit to Washington, and Domish didn't want their perceptions colored by the theft, he said.

He set out to find all the stolen property. "I was determined," he said. Domish recovered items in Granite Falls. Tips lead him to a trailer in Omak where he found more of the stolen property.

Domish called Ashley every few hours to give her updates. "I knew he was working very hard and that this was pretty intense. He was meeting with the bad guys, learning where everything was," she said. "I could tell it was important to him. It was clear that he had worked really hard on this case."

On Wednesday, Domish surprised the students by walking into class in Missoula with his arms full of their property. "He's amazing," Manes said. "I grew up in a law enforcement family. I've never seen this kind of effort for a car being broken into. The amount of progress they made in a couple of days is astonishing. It's good to know there are officers out there like that. It's pretty rare."

Domish shrugs off the praise. "It was great," he said on his way back to Granite Falls on Wednesday afternoon. "How often do you get to meet the victims and return their stuff?" The suspect is in Snohomish County Jail for investigation of four counts of identity theft. Snohomish County prosecutors may charge the man with additional crimes, Domish said.

Ashley said the university students were grateful. "We're super thankful to the Granite Falls Police Department," she said. "Whereas two weeks ago I didn't even know the town existed, now I feel very indebted."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 04:50 AM

Loss from vehicles can occur anywhere, it has happened often enough to visitors here for the Calgary Stampede and off hiking in the Rockies. It happens to we locals as well.
The problem is that there is no really safe place to leave belongings.
They should have kept their credit cards and ID with them, however. That was dumb.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 10:28 AM

'God' responds to legislator's lawsuit

LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response.

One of two court filings from "God" came Wednesday under otherworldly circumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.

"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here -- poof!" Friend said.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha sued God last week, seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty for making terroristic threats, inspiring fear and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers, a self-proclaimed agnostic who often criticizes Christians, said his filing was triggered by a federal lawsuit he considers frivolous. He said he's trying to make the point that anybody can sue anybody.

Not so, says "God." His response argues that the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and the court lacks jurisdiction.

It adds that blaming God for human oppression and suffering misses an important point.

"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you," according to the response, as read by Friend.

There was no contact information on the filing, although St. Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness, Friend said.

A second response from "God" disputing Chambers' allegations lists a phone number for a Corpus Christi law office. A message left for that office was not immediately returned Thursday.

Attempts to reach Chambers by phone and at his Capitol office Thursday were unsuccessful.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 12:39 PM

The next step, obviously, is a suit filed by the "real God" charging identity theft against those who impersonated him to file these counters(?).

I'd guess it might have to be handled as a "class action" thing due to the number of self-proclaimed imitators (dozens in my own home town). That would be a quite novel development, as class action precedent largely is limited to classes of plaintiffs, and new processes might be needed to handle a mass class of defendants.

John

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 01:27 PM

Hindu gods could get a class action going pretty easily, I would think.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 01:32 PM

CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan man who had been declared dead woke up in the morgue in excruciating pain after medical examiners began their autopsy.

Carlos Camejo, 33, was declared dead after a highway accident and taken to the morgue, where examiners began an autopsy only to realize something was amiss when he started bleeding. They quickly sought to stitch up the incision on his face.

"I woke up because the pain was unbearable," Camejo said, according to a report on Friday in leading local newspaper El Universal.

His grieving wife turned up at the morgue to identify her husband's body only to find him moved into a corridor -- and alive.

Reuters could not immediately reach hospital officials to confirm the events. But Camejo showed the newspaper his facial scar and a document ordering the autopsy.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 05:37 PM

Baha'i international leader dies

A longtime leader of the Baha'i religion, Ali-Muhammad Varqa, has died in Haifa, Israel. The Holy Land, particularly the cities of Haifa and Acre, are considered the spiritual home of Baha'i.

Dr. Varqa was appointed in the 1950s as one of the protectors and propagators of the faith by Shoghi Effendi, a descendant of the founder of Baha'i.

The Baha'i faith is based on the principle that all human beings are one family, and that humanity is nearing its goal of a peaceful and just world order. It has about 6 million followers.

Here's the full news release from Baha'i World News Service.

BAHA'I WORLD LOSES MOST DISTINGUISHED MEMBER

HAIFA, Israel, 24 September 2007 (BWNS) -- The worldwide Baha'i community has lost its most distinguished member with the death of Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa.

He passed away on the evening of 22 September 2007 at his home in Haifa.

In 1955, Dr. Varqa was appointed to the high rank of "Hand of the Cause" by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Varqa served in that capacity, on the international level, for 52 years until his passing. He was the last survivor of the 27 Hands of the Cause who were alive when Shoghi Effendi passed away in 1957.

Dr. Varqa came from a well-known Iranian family that has served the Baha'i Faith with distinction for generations. After obtaining a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950, he taught in Iran at the universities of Tabriz and Tehran and served the Baha'i community there in various administrative capacities. In 1979 he moved to Canada, and later established his residence in Haifa to serve at the Baha'i World Center.

He was born in 1912 in Tehran, Iran, and received his name from 'Abdu'l-Baha
in memory of his grandfather, who had been killed for being a follower of Baha'u'llah.

Dr. Varqa traveled to many countries as a representative first of Shoghi Effendi, then of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Baha'i Faith. In that capacity, Dr. Varqa attended the first national conventions held in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Congo, Mauritania, Central Africa Republic, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Czechoslovakia and Greenland.

Dr. Varqa is survived by three daughters and six siblings. His funeral was to take place the morning of 24 September, with burial in the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa.

To view the photos and additional features click here:
http://news.bahai.org

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 11:01 PM

Not enough worker bees!

On September 19, the Fort Collins Coloradoan published a guest opinion credited to Lois Burnett suggesting that "[t]here would have been far less need or opportunity for foreign workers to come [to the United States] illegally" if during the last "34 years, the lives of 45-plus million babies" had not "been terminated by abortion." The op-ed further stated that, if not for abortion, "[s]ervicemen and women" serving in Iraq "would not have had to return for two or three deployments," adding, "It's very likely that there would have been far less casualties all around if the United States had the volume of forces needed to rapidly gain and keep control."

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Douglas County Republican Party official Rick Murray reportedly made similar assertions at a May 25 GOP breakfast, saying that "[s]ince Roe v. Wade we have flushed 48 million babies down the toilet. So we have these jobs filled with illegal immigrants. Draw your own conclusions."

Burnett was arguing in favor of Senate Bill 351, which would amend Title X of the Public Health Service Act "to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions." She wrote, "There has been recent (but not new) concern for shortages of farm workers, industry and construction laborers, military recruits, school teachers, and doctors and nurses in rural areas." Burnett then added, "For 34 years, the lives of 45-plus million babies have been terminated by abortion, babies who would have been these laborers, workers, servicemen and women, teachers, researchers, doctors, nurses, and the list goes on." She further claimed:

    There would have been far less need or opportunity for foreign workers to come here illegally. The masses of illegal immigration to our country have been a bitter pill to swallow. Can one dare to speculate that, in these 34 years, Mexican citizens may have united in their own country, forged positive change and great strides in their own economy and quality of life?

    I firmly believe, also, that a heavy deployment of armed forces, had they been available, to Iraq at an early time would have substantially improved their effectiveness and shortened our time in Iraq. Servicemen and women would not have had to return for two or three deployments. It's very likely that there would have been far less casualties all around if the United States had the volume of forces needed to rapidly gain and keep control.

The op-ed concluded with a reference to the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, asserting, "We are all paying a terrible price for one irrespective law of 1973. Let us at least stop financing the rogue Planned Parenthood with our tax monies."

Media Matters for America has noted similar claims by conservatives including convicted Watergate felon and Prison Fellowship Ministries founder Charles W. Colson. During the April 11, 2006, broadcast of his daily BreakPoint radio commentary, Colson claimed that legalized abortion created a labor shortage, forcing the United States to solicit undocumented workers from other countries to fill jobs that might have otherwise been occupied by the "40 million sacrificed since 1973."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 11:20 PM

[signed: The Pope]

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 11:36 PM

[No kidding, SRS!]

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 11:39 PM

Wow!! Cannon Fodder of the masses is the Answer! We just need more flesh to pound! Obviously!! How blind we have been.


(Jaysus, some folks give stupidity a real bad name, ya know?).

W didn't write those letters, did he? Just askin'


A

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 08:57 AM

In my local newsrag 24 SEP 2007
Estimate of human trafficking wildly off
BY JERRY MARKON
Washington Post

WASHINGTON Outrage was mounting at the 1999 hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building, where legislators were learning about human trafficking.

A woman from Nepal testified that she had been drugged, abducted and forced to work at a brothel in Bombay. A Christian activist recounted tales of women overseas being beaten with electrical cords and raped.

A State Department official said Congress must act – 50,000 slaves were pouring into the United States every year, she said. Furious about the "tidal wave" of victims, Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., vowed to crack down on so-called modem-day slavery.

The next year, Congress passed a law, triggering a little-noticed worldwide war on human trafficking that began at the end of the Clinton administration and is now a top Bush administration priority. As part of the fight, President Bush has blanketed the nation with 42 Justice Department task forces and spent more than $150 million—all to find and help the estimated hundreds of thousands of victims of forced prostitution or labor in the United States.

But the government couldn't find them. Not in this country. The evidence and testimony presented to Congress pointed to a problem overseas. But in the seven years since the law was passed, human trafficking has not become a major domestic issue, according to the government's figures.

The administration has identified 1,362 victims of human trafficking brought into the United States since 2000, nowhere near the 50,000 a year the government had estimated. In addition, 148 federal cases have been brought nationwide.

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told Congress last year that a much lower estimate in 2004 – 14,500 to 17,500 a year – might also have been overstated.

Yet the government spent $28.5 million in 2006 to fight human trafficking in the United States, a 13 percent increase over the previous year. The effort has attracted strong bipartisan support.

Steven Wagner, who helped HHS distribute millions of dollars in grants to community groups to find and assist victims, said "those funds were wasted." "Many of the organizations that received grants didn't really have to do anything," said Wagner, former head of HHS's anti-trafficking program. "They were available to help victims. There weren't any victims."

Deja vu?

On June 25, 1910, President William Howard Taft signed into law the White Slave Traffic Act. Named for its sponsor in Congress: the Mann Act.

The bill was aimed at the criminal traffic in women. But it also served as a rallying point for the social purity movement. As one supporter argued, those in favor of the bill included "every pure woman in the land, every priest and minister of the living God, and men who reverence womanhood and who set a priceless value upon female purity." On the other side of the bill, "you would find all the whoremongers and the pimps and the procurers and the keepers of bawdy houses. Upon that other side you would find all those who hate God and scoff at innocence and laugh at female virtue."

Stanley Finch, one of the first heads of the Bureau of Investigation, used the hysteria to build a personal fiefdom within the federal government. After he became Special Commissioner for the Suppression of White Slavery, he told audiences, "It is a fact that there are now scattered throughout practically every section of the U.S. a vast number of men and women whose sole occupation consists in enticing, tricking, or coercing young women and girls into immoral lives. Moreover, their methods have been so far developed and perfected that they seem to be able to ensnare almost any woman or girl whom they select for the purpose. This is indeed an extraordinary statement, and one almost passing belief, but that it is absolutely true no one can honestly doubt who reviews any considerable portion of the mass of evidence which is already in the possession of the Attorney General's Bureau of Investigation."

There was only one problem: No one could find a widespread, organized traffic in white slaves.¹

And is it déjà vu all over again?

Later, the honorable J. Edgar Hoover repeatedly cited FBI statistics showing that the number of young women forced into sexual slavery in the US each year exceeded the number entering high school in each of the same years … …

¹ The Century of Sex, Petersen, 1999, ISBN 0-8021-1652-3

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Sep 07 - 11:56 PM

Lab Tech Bites Boy, 3, During Blood Test
From Associated Press
September 26, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - A laboratory technician was fired after the parents of a 3-year-old boy claimed she bit his shoulder during a blood test, a hospital spokesman said.

Faith Buntin took her son Victor to St. Vincent Hospital on Friday to have blood drawn because of recent recalls of toys involving lead. She said she saw the worker put her mouth on Victor's shoulder as she restrained him so another lab worker could draw the blood.

"I looked at her like that was the craziest thing that I'd ever seen," Faith Buntin said Tuesday. "She looked at me and smiled and said, 'Oh, it was just a play bite. He's not hurt.'"

Buntin said she saw teeth marks on the boy's left shoulder after they went home, and her husband drove the child back to the hospital, where he was prescribed antibiotics.

"Taking a bite out of him like he's an apple, this is heinous," said James Buntin, the boy's father.

St. Vincent is "reviewing the capabilities" of the employees of the subcontractor that does its blood work, hospital spokesman Johnny Smith said.

No charges have been filed.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 12:00 AM

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Three Mexican minors detained in California on suspicion of smuggling drugs stole a U.S. Border Patrol car while still wearing handcuffs and drove it back across the border to Mexico.

Police in the Mexican border city of Mexicali said on Tuesday the three boys had been driving a pick-up truck on a remote Californian highway when a Border Patrol agent stopped them.

Suspicious they were carrying marijuana, he handcuffed them and put them in his patrol car while he searched their truck.

"As the agent was doing his search, he left the vehicle running and the keys in the ignition, so one of the lads, still wearing handcuffs, grabbed the steering wheel and they headed back to Mexico," a police spokesman said.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 10:59 AM

ID thief almost ties innocent woman to crimes
From the Everett Herald

Jean Nelson will never forget June 2002. It was her birthday month and her husband proposed to her. Another reason she won't forget: It was the month in which she became a victim of identity theft.

A childhood friend who knew her well used Nelson's birth date and other personal information to escape a theft charge in King County. Nelson was dragged through a Burien municipal court system insisting on her innocence, but even her own attorney accused her of lying, she said last week. "Every day since the first incident in 2002 not a day goes by that I'm not worried that somebody's going to use my identity again," she said.

Someone did. More than once. Nelson hopes a string of credit problems and brushes with the law will finally end with the sentencing of the old friend, Susan Michele Tate, 44, of Lake Stevens. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wynne on Tuesday sentenced Tate to prison for a little more than two years.

The case is just one of about 150 serious identity theft and fraud cases now being prosecuted by a small unit started up late last year by the Snohomish County prosecutor's office. The unit has identified nearly 670 people whose personal information wound up in the hands of identity thieves who have been convicted this year, lead deputy Halley Hupp said. Many more victims are associated with cases that have yet to be prosecuted.

The theft of Nelson's identity was a little unusual because it was personal, Hupp said. Tate twice used Nelson's identity to get out of trouble with the law: the theft case and a 2006 citation by Marysville police for not wearing a seat belt. Nelson received a $47 ticket in the mail from Marysville. A Marysville police officer figured out what was going on and arrested Tate. The ticket was erased.

In 2004, somebody opened an account was using Nelson's name and Social Security number. She was notified by Boeing Employees' Credit Union about it. Nelson also had bogus checks issued in her name in 2006, and she spent hours clearing her name. She and her husband are still banned from writing checks at Home Depot, she said.

Hupp's unit consists of himself, deputy prosecutor John Juhl and assistant Cheri Wantola. It started in November with the idea of tackling the most complex identity theft and fraud cases, and charging the thieves with somewhat near the number of crimes they actually committed. They tried to keep the number of cases they were juggling to about 100. But it hasn't worked out that way. The crime -- a less risky way for drug addicts to support their habit -- is mushrooming.

The prosecutors try to charge defendants with enough counts to get the most severe penalty possible, and to properly represent all the victims, Hupp said. For example, Edward Tom Brockavich Jr., 31, of Federal Way pleaded guilty to 23 counts of identity theft and was sentenced last week to more than two years in prison. On Wednesday, Nathan Dean May, 26, of Snohomish pleaded guilty to 16 identity theft charges. "We are only handling the more sophisticated cases, the ones with a large number of victims, those associated with a large financial loss and defendants with a history of identity theft," Hupp said.

Less complex identity theft cases are being prosecuted by other prosecutors in his office, he said. The unit has become a resource for police, helping to schedule tasks among agencies when several jurisdictions are involved in a case, and even training detectives to be alert for certain things. Hupp and Juhl frequently hold meetings with investigators from several police agencies to divvy up the work on complicated cases stretching across municipal boundaries.

"There's a lot of paperwork, and it's nice to have prosecutors who specialize in (identity theft), Everett police Sgt. Mark Thaker said.

The cases often are hard for the cops to get a full grasp of what's going on. The prosecutors follow the money and financial documents, Thaker said. "When they get a case, they know what to look for," Thaker said. "It's nice to have a unit in the prosecutor's office where we can gather to plan an investigation on a subject or group of subjects. We're understanding more clearly what the prosecutors need to make their cases."

The unit has closed nearly 140 cases so far this year. That includes a conviction of 89 individuals. Many had multiple cases, and multiple investigations by police. The result of the preparation and police interaction has been "well prepared cases that we can prosecute," Hupp said.

The cases are so well prepared that Hupp said he has not had to reduce charges to coax guilty pleas. When offenders plead guilty, they nearly always admit to the original charges, Hupp said. The unit also tries to notify people that personal information stolen from the mail or from some other source was found in a crook's hands. That's time consuming, and the unit doesn't have the personnel to notify everybody, Hupp said.

Victim Nelson is happy that Hupp's unit paid attention to Tate's activities. "I called Hupp when I was told that he may take an interest in my case. For the first time in over five years I finally found someone in the justice system that was willing to take notice," Nelson said. "It scares me the different way (Tate) could have ruined my life," she added. "I could have been the person going to prison now."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 03:21 AM

          Don't go to Michigan this week.

          The State is CLOSED

Michigan's state government partly shuts down

Lawmakers scramble to reach tax increase deal; essential services in place

The Associated Press, Updated: 1:02 a.m. CT Oct 1, 2007

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan's state government partially shut down early Monday as the new fiscal year began with no budget deal in place to plug a $1.75 billion deficit.

The Senate voted to raise the state's income tax from 3.9 percent to 4.35 percent, a key step toward implementing a budget deal, hours after the measure passed the House. It now heads to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is expected to sign it.

Granholm was waiting for the income tax increase and a bill placing the state's 6 percent sales tax on a wide range of services before she would sign a 30-day continuation budget that would keep government running.

While the House earlier passed the bill expanding the sales tax, the Senate had not voted on the measure.

The House and Senate also approve a measure that would change the way some teacher and state worker health benefits are determined.

In one of the first signs a shutdown was looming, campers were asked to leave some Michigan state parks Sunday night. Some highway rest areas closed and some state troopers did not start their overnight shifts.

Services that protect public health and safety, including prisons and state police, kept running.

Without a budget deal in place, 35,000 of the state's roughly 53,000 workers were expected to be barred from going to work Monday morning.

© 2007 The Associated Press

John

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 03:32 AM

Woman gives birth to own grandchildren

Woman received four embryos from her daughter

The Associated Press
Updated: 9:22 p.m. CT Sept 30, 2007

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A 51-year-old surrogate mother for her daughter has given birth to her own twin grandchildren in northeastern Brazil, the delivery hospital said.

Rosinete Palmeira Serrao, a government health worker, gave birth to twin boys by Caesarean section on Thursday at the Santa Joana Hospital in the city of Recife, the hospital said in a statement on its Web site.

Hospital officials were not available for comment on Sunday, but press reports said the grandmother and twins were discharged on Saturday in excellent health. The Caesarean section was performed about two weeks ahead of time because Serrao was having trouble sleeping, the statement said.

Serrao decided to serve as a surrogate mother after four years of failed attempts at pregnancy by her 27-year-old daughter, Claudia Michelle de Brito.

Brazilian law stipulates that only close relatives can serve as surrogate mothers. De Brito is an only child and none of her cousins volunteered, so Serrao agreed to receive four embryos from her daughter.

©2007 The Associated Press

So these two boys are brothers
to the daughter who's their mother
and ... ?

I'm thoroughly confused, I think.

John

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 11:10 AM

Makes Chinatown look simple, doesn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 10:04 PM

"Talk about sex toys is once again the buzz around Alabama. The United States Supreme Court refused to hear the Alabama sex toy case, ending a nine year battle for the right to keep and bear (well, more accurately, purchase) sex toys in the state. Sherri Williams provided the money quote in this AP article:"
An adult-store owner had asked the justices to throw out the law as an unconstitutional intrusion into the privacy of the bedroom. But the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, leaving intact a lower court ruling that upheld the law.
Sherri Williams, owner of Pleasures stores in Huntsville and Decatur, said she was disappointed, but plans to sue again on First Amendment free speech grounds.

"My motto has been they are going to have to pry this vibrator from my cold, dead hand. I refuse to give up," she said.

Alabama's anti-obscenity law, enacted in 1998, bans the distribution of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs for anything of pecuniary value."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: bobad
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 10:11 PM

The state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.

P.E.Trudeau

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 11:10 PM

The Albertson's stores around here (Texas) sell a massager (with a heater element) by the Wahl company, and continued to do so while a similar case was tried in the courts here (charges were eventually thrown out). This "massager" was designed specifically to be a vibrator, and this is the one that rates a 4 on the 1 - 5 rating at Good Vibrations (http://www.goodvibes.com/). The Wahl Coil (5 of 5) turns up in there every so often also--no warming element, just the basic attachments and a powerful, silent motor. I always chuckle when I walk past that aisle--they banned the Playboy magazines years ago, but left the sex toys. I wonder if any of my holier-than-though Baptist neighbors have slipped one into the shopping cart? :)

Antique Vibrator Museum.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 12:39 AM

Holier-than-thou. They can buy vibrators also, even if I can't spell. :)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 01:26 AM

So, what shouldn't we be aware of now that it's October?
By ALYSON WARD
link

Welcome to October. And as you settle into this crisp new month, we offer this advice: Please be sure you are aware at all moments.

Aware of what? Just about everything.

Some journalists have labeled October "National Month Month" because it's been claimed by so many awareness campaigns that we don't know what to be aware of first. According to the National Health Information Center, October is second only to May for monthlong health awareness campaigns.

You probably know already that it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with its pink ribbons and fundraising. But October is also the month we should be aware of — ready for this? — healthy lungs, eye injury prevention, dental hygiene, lupus, celiac disease, Down syndrome, spina bifida, sudden infant death syndrome, physical therapy, chiropractic health and Halloween safety. Among other issues. All month long.

Of course, there are plenty of other health issues that don't get the full month, so don't forget those. Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day. Oct. 22 is International Stuttering Awareness Day. And Oct. 31 is Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Day. (You probably wanted to dress up in some silly costume and trick-or-treat. Thoughtless.)

[There's a lot more to the story but the online version is truncated. If I can get my scanner to work (it has it's moments, and this is not one of them) I'll send the rest. Easier that having to read all of my typos.]

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 10:32 AM

Family Hit By Second Tornado In 9 Years

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Lynnville family is forced to pick up the pieces after their home is hit by a tornado for second time in nine years.

Tornadoes touched down Sunday in both Poweshiek and Jasper counties. High winds blew apart business and farm buildings.

They also damaged several homes, including one that's now been hit by a tornado twice in the last decade. Mark Hay saw his neighbor's farm get hit by a twister.

"I got down in the storm cellar and hear the lumber go 'brrrr,' and within about 15 seconds, it was all over with," he said.

The garage was destroyed, the roof blew off and the insulation was draped in trees.

"Here's where the tornado came right through here, hit the garage, went right across the field, missed my aunt Mildred over there, which I was very thankful," he said.

His family was safe, but his belongings are gone.

"Anything I had in the garage is gone. It's completely gone. It's strung out for about a mile clear across my whole field," he said.

Hay said the damage will probably take nine to 12 months to clean up. He knows because that's how long it took him last time.

"Last time, it came from Des Moines. Grimes got hit. It came right across here and just, same spot again. It must be tornado alley all I can figure out," he said.

Some people live their whole lives without having to experience severe weather such as tornadoes.

"I guess since it happened to us once. I'm always wondering," said Kendra Hay.

"I'm blessed. It's twice now and we both walked away from it, no scratches, not a lick, just a lot of sad memories of all your pictures are gone," Hay said.

The debris stretches for more than 15 miles. At least five farms got hit and so did a business.

Hay said the farmer he bought his property from lived there for 40 years and never had a tornado come through here. "I get here and I got whacked," he said.

Several people came out to help storm victims by either boarding up windows, building a temporary roof or hauling away debris.

The Hays said they think they'll be able to live in the basement while their home gets fixed and they're just hoping twice is enough.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Amos
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 01:11 PM

I think it is a sorry reflection on mankind that National Mental health only gets one goddam day to be the Awareness Du Jour. It just goes to show ya, people got no sense of priorities. If National Mental Health had been the keynote for a whole YEAR, like, say, 1999, effing W would be shining shoes for a living in Potluck, Texarkana.


A

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 10:49 AM

Woman Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted By Devil

DETROIT -- The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to review a sex assault case involving allegations against a local pastor, and the devil.

The case surrounded Gennaro Piscopo, the 55-year-old pastor of Evangel Christian Church in Roseville.

In 2003, Piscopo was convicted of sexually assaulting a female church member during a deliverance ceremony in which Piscopo said he expelled the devil from the woman's body.

Michigan's high court has agreed to hear the case because a key piece of testimony, about the devil, was not allowed. According to court records, the woman indicated she "had been raped by a demon" and sexually assaulted by Satan himself, who she claimed was living in her attic at the time of the exorcism.

"Either way it's a reason to doubt the truth," said defense attorney George Michaels. "And it's reason to doubt whether or not there was a criminal sexual conduct."

The woman has also claimed that she was sexually assaulted, during a separate incident, by her own father, who also happens to be a minister. The allegation against the woman's father was not part of the Piscopo trial, but Michaels said it should have been. "The jury was out for five days. Had they had this information that would have gone toward her credibility."

Michaels also argued during Wednesday's appeal that the exorcism by Piscopo was performed in front of more than 100 people. According to Michaels, none of the witnesses said it was inappropriate to touch someone while performing an exorcism.

During the first trial Piscopo was convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault which refers to "unwanted touching without force." Piscopo is on probation during the appeals process. It is now up to the Michigan Supreme Court to decided if Piscopo gets a new trial.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 10:58 AM

Lawmaker shows naked woman during school lecture

NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- A state legislator surprised a high school class when the computer he was using projected a photo of a nude woman during a lecture on how a bill becomes a law.
State Rep. Matthew Barrett was giving a civics lesson Tuesday when he inserted a data memory stick into the school computer and the projected image of a topless woman appeared instead of the graphics presentation he had downloaded.

Police interviewed Barrett and school officials and seized the data memory stick and the computer to determine where the image came from, a state highway patrol spokesman said.

Barrett said there were a few snickers from the approximately 20 students in the senior government class at Norwalk High School when the image appeared. He said he immediately pulled the memory stick out of the computer.

The legislator said he finished his lecture using printouts and then met with the school's principal and technology staff, who examined the stick. He said the school's technology director determined the stick had a directory of nude images in addition to Barrett's presentation on civics lessons.

"I have no idea where these came from," the Democrat said.

Barrett said the data memory stick was a gift he received about three weeks ago from a legislative liaison from the state Library of Ohio.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 03:20 PM

The Associated Press
Updated: 4:56 p.m. CT Oct 3, 2007

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A man accused of drunken driving reportedly tried to outrun the police, but his vehicle wasn't up to the task.

Michael Ginevan of Bunker Hill was driving a riding lawnmower on Runnymeade Road about a mile from his home when a Berkeley County sheriff's deputy attempted to pull him over. Ginevan, 39, allegedly sped away, and Deputy J.H. Jenkins stopped his cruiser and gave chase on foot, according to magistrate court records.

Jenkins caught up to the lawnmower after a short chase, but Ginevan allegedly wouldn't stop, so the deputy pulled him off the machine. Ginevan refused to take a field sobriety test and was arrested. Jenkins then found a case of beer strapped to the lawnmower's front, court records show.

Ginevan was charged with fleeing while driving under the influence and obstructing an officer. He was being held Tuesday at the Eastern Regional Jail on $7,500 bond.

A person who answered the phone at the jail did not know whether Ginevan had hired an attorney. There was no telephone listing for Ginevan in the Bunker Hill area.

© 2007 The Associated Press.

So get a turbocharger on that mower before you take it out.

John

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 09:44 AM

His silence mistaken, deaf man is attacked
By ALEX BRANCH
Star-Telegram staff writer

FORT WORTH -- A store cashier struck a deaf customer in the head with a crowbar after he mistook the man's silence for rudeness and disrespect, police said.

The cashier, Ricky Benard Young, 20, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The customer, Cody Goodnight, 31, suffered "a large knot" on his head during the incident, which occurred Saturday at the Family Dollar Store at 4117 E. Lancaster Ave.

"I can't believe someone would hit him for not speaking," said Goodnight's mother, Kay Goodnight. "When you're deaf, you don't make a point of starting conversations with people."

Young's defense attorney, Mark Scott, said Thursday that he was recently assigned the case and declined to comment.

Kay Goodnight called police after her injured son returned home from the store late Saturday morning. Family members translated Cody Goodnight's story to officers using sign language.

Goodnight said went to the Family Dollar several blocks from their house to buy a soft drink for his 5-year-old son. Inside the store, he put the soda on the counter to pay.

The cashier tried to speak to him but got angry when Goodnight didn't respond, Goodnight told police. The cashier threw Goodnight's change at him, scattering it on the floor.

As Goodnight picked it up, the cashier hit him in the side of the head with the crowbar, Goodnight said.

Officers went to the store, where Young immediately asked if they were there about what "happened earlier," said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a police spokesman. The cashier told officers that he had tried to start a friendly conversation with Goodnight but that Goodnight wouldn't acknowledge him.

At one point, Young told officers, Goodnight mumbled something that Young thought was racial in nature, Sullivan said. Young told officers he struck Goodnight because he thought Goodnight was going to assault him.

After officers told Young that Goodnight was deaf and unable to communicate verbally, Young responded "Oh," Sullivan said.

"Upon further investigation, it appeared the suspect became frustrated when the victim wouldn't respond or acknowledge his attempts to converse," Sullivan said. "He became outraged and struck the victim in an unwarranted attack."

The store's surveillance tape was erased or taped over prior to officers' arrival, Sullivan said.

A corporate spokesman for the Family Dollar Store did not return a phone message Thursday.

Cody Goodnight was treated at the hospital for his injury but still has pain in his head and neck, Kay Goodnight said Thursday.

Deaf since the age of 2, when he suffered a high fever, Goodnight speaks in guttural sounds -- "deaf speak" as his mother calls it.

His stepfather, Barry Adair, said Goodnight doesn't like talking to people he doesn't know.

"He gets embarrassed because people make fun of the way he talks," Adair said. "He's not trying to be rude or unfriendly. You just can't understand him unless you're around him a lot."

Emily Robinson, a Fort Worth deafness resource specialist, said that while it is unusual for a deaf person to be attacked physically, misunderstandings are common. People sometimes take deaf people for rude when they are unresponsive, she said.

"It is a really big problem," Robinson said. "Businesses should be professional and sensitive to deaf people. There are training workshops about the deaf culture and what to expect in interactions with us."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 10:19 AM

Wesley, I saw that story on the front page this morning. I'm working on getting my 15-year-old son in the habit of reading the paper (he's beginning to catch on) so I read that one out loud while he ate because he was in a hurry and wanted to know what the story was. That clerk has some anti-social problems, to say the least.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 10:55 AM

No sh*t. To be annoyed is one thing, but hitting the guy with a crow bar, good lord.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 10:58 AM

The store's surveillance tape was erased or taped over prior to officers' arrival, Sullivan said.

That's the guilty act that is going to get him when he appears in court.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 11:09 AM

It bothers me that - so far as I can tell - Dollar General hasn't announced the employee's dismissal.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 01:55 PM

Early Halloween is their treat for an ailing girl

Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH -- For two hours Thursday night, 7-year-old Trinity Rhyan Bright, in costume as a baby holding a big bottle, went trick-or-treating in her northwest Fort Worth neighborhood. For most children, Halloween's not for four more weeks. Didn't matter. Trinity's family and friends just want to make her happy and Trinity loves Halloween. The first-grader has diffuse pontine glioma, an inoperable brain cancer.

A neighbor, Scott Nipp, said the idea for an early Halloween started recently when Trinity's parents, John and Angel Bright, asked neighbors if they would hand out candy during a mock night of trick-or-treating. Nipp said his wife, Rhonda, and other neighbors quickly organized a much bigger celebration. "Everyone has been touched by her story," Trina Booker said. "If we can just make one day special for Trinity and her family, we'd stop at nothing to do that."

Fire trucks, police cars and clowns showed up in the neighborhood near the corner of Boat Club and Ten Mile Bridge roads. Friends dressed in elaborate costumes and more than a dozen neighbors decorated their homes and handed out treats. Activities included a bean bag toss and fishing for toys. "We're excited to see all of the people who were here for her," said Trinity's mother, Angel, who wore a black-and-white striped prison costume. "This was good because she loves to dress up and she loves candy."

The Brights' Web site describes the family's shock at the sudden onset of the cancer. Trinity first experienced double vision March 3; by March 13, an oncologist at Cook Children's Medical Center was giving the parents the devastating news that their daughter has a rare cancer that is hard to treat. Most patients live only six to 12 months after diagnosis.

"At this time we are currently seeking treatment options around the world. There have been no reported cases of anyone beating this disease, but we want to," they write on the Web site. Thursday night, Trinity's wheelchair was pushed mostly by her father, John, who also wore prison stripes.

Trinity's speech was slow and slurred. She is swollen from steroid medications, her mother said. But she was taking it all in. "It was fun because I got to see Trinity," 8-year-old schoolmate Alycia Savage said. "She was happy and she smiled at me."

Sydney King, 7, another schoolmate, said: "It's fun, exciting and inspirational."

"We wanted to make it the most memorable Halloween that any kid could hope for," Scott Nipp said.

How to help

Donations can be made to Trinity Bright and her family at these banks:

First Bank, account No. 1313766

Bank of America, account No. 488003556995

To find out more about Trinity, go to: www.forevertrinity.com

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: beardedbruce
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 02:20 PM

Ig Nobel awards celebrate the sillier side of science

Story Highlights
Argentina teams finds that Viagra cuts jet lag recovery time for hamsters

World's first comprehensive study of sword-swallowing injuries finds the obvious

Researchers discover "a very simple formula" can explain sheet, skin wrinkling

Though the research sound silly, some could help solve real problems



   
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Good news for your Viagra-using hamster: On his next trip to Europe, he'll bounce back from jet lag faster than his unmedicated friends.

The researchers who revealed that bizarre fact earned one of 10 Ig Nobel prizes awarded Thursday night for quirky, funny and sometimes legitimate scientific achievements, from the mathematics of wrinkled sheets to U.S. military efforts to make a "gay bomb."

The recipients of the annual award handed out by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine were honored at Harvard University's Sanders Theater.

A team at Quilmes National University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, came up with the jet-lag study, which found that hamsters given the anti-impotence drug needed 50 percent less time to recover from a six-hour time zone change. They didn't fly rodents to Paris, incidentally -- they just turned the lights off and on at different times.

Odd as it might be, that research might have implications for millions of humans. The same cannot be said for another winning report, "Sword Swallowing and its Side Effects," published in the British Medical Journal last year.

It was the world's first comprehensive study of sword-swallowing injuries, said co-author Dan Meyer of Antioch, Tennessee, one of only a few dozen active sword swallowers in the world. Not surprisingly, throat abrasions, perforated esophagi and punctured blood vessels were the most common injuries.

"Most sword-swallowing injuries happen either after another smaller injury when the throat is tender and swollen, or while doing something out of the ordinary, like swallowing multiple swords," said Meyer, who went a month without solid food after doing the latter in 2005.

The Ig Nobel for nutrition went to a concept that sounds like a restaurant marketing ploy: a bottomless bowl of soup.

Cornell University professor Brian Wansink used bowls rigged with tubes that slowly and imperceptibly refilled them with creamy tomato soup to see if test subjects ate more than they would with a regular bowl.

"We found that people eating from the refillable soup bowls ended up eating 73 percent more soup, but they never rated themselves as any more full," said Wansink, a professor of consumer behavior and applied economics. "They thought 'How can I be full when the bowl has so much left in it?' "

His conclusion: "We as Americans judge satiety with our eyes, not with our stomachs."

Harvard professor of applied mathematics L. Mahadevan and professor Enrique Cerda Villablanca of Universidad de Santiago in Chile won for their studies on a problem that has vexed anyone who ever made up a bed: wrinkled sheets.

The wrinkle patterns seen on sheets are replicated in nature on human and animal skin, in science and in technology.

"We showed that you can understand all of them using a very simple formula," Mahadevan said.

His research, he says, shows that "there's no reason good science can't be fun."

Other winners include a Dutch researcher who conducted a census of all the creepy-crawlies that share our beds, and a man who patented a Batman-like device that drops a net over bank robbers.

This year's planned Ig Nobel program included a two-minute speech by keynote speaker Doug Zongker consisting only of the word "chicken," and a mini-opera entitled "Chicken versus Egg," performed by professional mother-daughter opera singers Gail Kilkelly and Maggie McNeil.

Most winners are more than happy to accept their awards from real Nobel laureates at the typically rowdy ceremony, including seven of the 10 winners this year. But there are still a few sticks-in-the-mud, magazine editor Marc Abrahams said.

The U.S. Air Force won the Ig Nobel Peace Prize this year for its proposal to develop a "gay bomb" -- a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers want to make love with each other, not war with the enemy.

Abrahams talked to a number of retired and active Air Force personnel to try and get someone to accept the prize in person on behalf of the military. None would.

"Who in their right mind would turn something like this down?" Wansink said.