T o p n e w s

2008 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket is set

2008-03-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Michigan almost kept things interesting this afternoon, but midway through the second half Purdue pulled away and wound up beating the Wolverines, securing the #2 seed in the conference tourney as a result. Michigan will play #8 seed Iowa at 11 am on Thursday to tip this thing off, and the Badgers will play the winner of that match on Friday at 11 am.

Click the image below to get your full-sized graphical version of the tournament bracket, presented in handy .jpg form for better desktop-wallpaper purposes.

Kleinfeld Sample Sale - Next Week

2008-03-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Worried that your dream dress will blow your budget? Bridal Mecca, Kleinfeld, is holding a one-day blowout sample sale next week!

Tuesday, February 5th from 3-7pm you can find designer gowns - Amsale, Carolina Herrera, Christos, Kenneth Pool, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra and more! – headpieces, veils and accessories at up to 70% off – and some items are marked down another 25%. You may be able to find your gown for as little as $499!

No appointment necessary. Major credit cards accepted and you will be able to try on dresses.

Here’s an older post on what a sample sale is, how to shop at one and where to get your gown cleaned before you have it altered.

Have fun and let us know if you find anything great!

041: Beauty and the Geek Season 4 winners

2008-03-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

So to those who tuned into the Beauty and the Geek yesterday (Dec 4, 2007), you now know who the winners are. If you didn't, you will now know who the winners are. The finalists were Dave & Jasmine and Sam & Nicole (the male beauty and female geek). I think it was pretty obvious who was going to win, especially since the viewers got to vote for who the winners would be.

And the winners are:
(Image taken from somewhere on the internet, don't know where)
Jasmine and Dave.

I think it's interesting because when the season first started, I really hated Jasmine and Dave mainly because I really didn't like Dave -- the proud proud LARPer. Refer back to Post #25 where I refer to Dave as the "proud proud geek." (I knew this numbering system would work out.)

But the strange thing is that as the season went on, he put his proud ways behind and actually become one of the most endearing members of the show. I found myself rooting for him pretty often. You could see a clear transformation of these two as the show went on, or was that the results of clever piecing together of clips from the show. Anyway, there was a 4 month (I think) break between the taping of the second last episode and the decision made, for the sake of the viewers being given the option to vote for whom they wanted to win.

I was originally rooting for Natalie and John, but soon discovered that they really had nothing going for them except a lack of air time. They never really changed much, they were just kind of there. I ended up rooting for Dave & Jasmine and Joshua & Shay. Occasionally, I saw myself rooting for Sam, but not Nicole, because she was also just kind of there. Sam actually changed, although mainly to win, after Rebecca was kicked off. I have to admit I was really sad to see Joshua & Shay go. I also have to admit I had a few watery eye moments when they looked back on the season and showed some great moments, especially how much they changed.

Anyway, here's looking forward to next season, maybe, and hopefully my appearance on the show...just kidding.

Miscellaneous
I finished my Cancer Bio Final and turned it in today. I was quite sick while I was working on it, hopefully I actually understood the questions this time.

On another note, my room is an absolute mess and I need to get cleaning.

On another note, I've been having some very strange dreams these days. I wonder if they actually mean anything. For instance, once I dreamed that I was a jet fighter pilot who flew my jet into another dimension where my heroics were not appreciated. I had to turn in my fighter jet and go to jail. More than just a normal fighter jet, it was more like one of the robots from Robotech, where the jets turn into mecha-gundam-type robots. Interesting. Also had another interesting dream last night. It's so unfortunate when dreams happen and they're so awesome...then you have to wake up. Oh I could go for a robotech-type jet. Although It'd be pretty useless.

Los Pistons humillan a los Suns

2008-03-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

116-86. O mejor dicho, 86-116. Así de contundente fue el resultado del partido de anoche en el US Airways de Phoenix entre los Suns y los Pistons, dos de los principales candidatos al título de Conferencia en el Este y el Oeste respectivamente. La derrota hace pupa por varios motivos: primero porque vuelve a cuestionar el traspaso Marion-O’Neal que tanto ha dado ya que hablar en las últimas semanas, y segundo porque vuelve a sacar los colores al equipo de Arizona cuando se enfrenta con equipos duros y veteranos que saben bien cómo parar los pies y frenar el estilo “Run & Gun” que practican los Suns. No nos engañemos, que a estas alturas dos candidatos claros al título se enfrenten con este resultado no dice nada bueno del perdedor, y si miramos las estadísticas, la cosa es aún más de vergüenza: sólo Amare Stoudemire estuvo al nivel que se le espera, con 31 puntos, aunque estuvo por debajo de su cifra habitual en rebotes (sólo 3). El resto de jugadores dio pena: Steve Nash se quedó en 11 puntos y 6 asistencias, tirando sólo 8 veces en todo el partido; Raja Bell metió 8. Y lo peor de todo, Shaquille O’Neal, en quien están puestas todas las miradas estos últimos días, volvió a dar muestras de su vejez y cuestionable estado de forma, quedándose en 7 puntos, 11 rebotes y un lamentable 1/8 en tiros libres, vergonzoso incluso para él. Al otro lado, además de los habituales en los Pistons (Rasheed Wallace metió 22, Chauncey Billups 18…), hubo alguno que se apuntó de forma inesperada al festín: Jarvis Hayes, un hombre que promedia 6,9 puntos en lo que llevamos de temporada, se disparó hasta los 18. Uno no puede pretender ganar un partido dejando que gente com Jarvis Hayes meta 18 puntos. ¿Creéis que Shawn Marion se está riendo desde Miami? Yo estoy seguro de que lo haría, si los Heat no fueran el peor equipo de la liga, sin duda… Así pues, los Suns se quedaron con una bochornosa derrota en casa y una extraña sensación de urgencia por acelerar el proceso de aclimatación de Shaq, con quien han perdido 2 de los 3 partidos que han disputado (aunque hay que reconocer que el otro fue contra Boston).

Si los Suns son la cruz, los Lakers siguen siendo la cara, y anoche volvieron a ganar de paliza. Vale que el rival, Seattle Supersonics, se encuentra entre lo peor de la liga, pero el 111-91 de anoche sirve como mínimo para aumentar la racha de victorias consecutivas hasta 8 y quedarse como líderes en solitario del Oeste tras la derrota de los Suns. Ayer el trío Bryant-Odom-Gasol “sólo” sumó 62 puntos… y eso que ninguno de ellos pasó de los 26 minutos de juego, lo cual es indicativo de lo cómoda que fue la victoria. En los sonics, un dato vale más que mil palabras: su mejor jugador fue Mickael Gelabale, ex del Real Madrid y saltimbanqui por excelencia, con 21 puntos y 8 rebotes. Si no lo veo no lo creo… Ahora, a Los Angeles les toca descanso y mañana por la noche, duelo contra unos Blazers que se presentarán maltrechos en el Staples Center, primero por la derrota de esta noche ante los Celtics, y segundo porque parece que Brandon Roy, su base All-Star, agravó en ese mismo partido su lesión de tobillo. Vaya, y yo lo tengo en la Fantasy, crucemos los dedos… Por cierto, la racha de los Lakers sólo se ve superada por la de los Rockets, que llevan 11 victorias seguidas, pero de Yao, T-Mac y compañía hablaremos otro día…

Powerizers / Powerisers (to the likes of you)

2008-03-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's Valentine's Day/Almost Anniversary present arrived a bit earlier than I'd expected. The package that turned up at reception at work was, apparently, as big as him and he left the health and safety seminar he was in to wobble around the staff canteen, howling with laughter, standing eight feet tall.

Naturally, I had to see this - picked him up from work and we walked up to the South Bank ready for the Tate's BSL night. It was like watching Bambi on the ice; his first few steps involved him clenching onto my shoulder and now, a couple of hours later he's trying to do Riverdance and is leaving muddy pawprints all over the carpet, shouting, "Look! No hands! No han-FUCK! Oh my God! Hands! Hands!"

Bless him. I guess I'll have to think of something else for Valentine's Day now, but oh my, I really wants me a pair. If only I didn't weight 35kg more than my boyfriend.

Ha! He jumped and headbutted the lights and the tripswitch went. He's worse than Fluffy for exploding the flat!

"Beauty and the Geek" Dance-a-Thon

2008-03-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

Help the first-year class raise money for a great cause! The Class of 2011 presents a dance-a-thon fundraiser to benefit Partners in Health.

Our first-year students have decided to raise money for Partners in Health, the organization founded by Paul Farmer, the person featured in the common College reading Mountains Beyond Mountains. The students have been influenced greatly by the causes of Partners in Health, an organization which is focused on fighting rampant infectious diseases in 3rd-world countries. Through their reading in Orientation, BookRevue, and their coverage of the book in their FYS II course, they have come to see how the interaction of politics, social systems, economics, and culture affect the prevalence and treatment of infectious diseases. They have decided that they can make a difference — and that you can help.

The class of 2011 has planned a fundraiser to present to Mr. Edward Cardoza, Vice-President of Development at Partners in Health, a donation for his organization when he speaks in March. The idea for this charitable event came solely from the members of the class and its officers, and they want us to help make this fundraiser one that shows Partners in Health the spirit and ethos of the Catawba community.

Fundraising DANCE-A-THON
Friday, March 14, 7pm to 1am
(Midnight to 1 am is the 'power hour')
Hourly dance contests with prizes

Who can participate? Any staff, student, or faculty member is encouraged to come out and dance the night away! You can come dressed up as a "beauty" or as a "geek" or you can come as you are. Entrance fee is a $3 donation, which allows you to dance (or just watch the dancing), be entered in the hourly prize and dance contests (at least 10 gift certificates will be given away), eat, and enjoy the music of DJ Brandon Coble, who is donating half of his earnings. There will be pre-registration in the Student Center leading up to Friday the 14th, OR you may just come and pay to get in at the dance that evening.

The dancers will be collecting donations to "sponsor" their dance participation; the dancer who collects the most money in sponsored donations (see below) will win a $50 cash prize.

During the 'power hour' from midnight to 1 am, an extra $1 donation allows dancers to be entered into the judging for best costumes; the geek and beauty winners each receive a gift basket (of either "geek" or "beauty" supplies and gift certificates donated by local merchants) worth at least $50. "Catawba Celebrity" judges will include a coach, a faculty member, and a staff member.

How YOU can help: If you don’t want to put on your boogie shoes, you can sponsor a student (or two, or ten) by donating $5 to the dancer (student discount to sponsor a fellow student is $4). If dancers get a donation, they will give you a ticket indicating your sponsorship; they will even accept checks (make them out to "Catawba College"). You can come watch the dancing or jump-n-jive yourself. Whatever you do, be sure to be present at noon on March 18 in Keppel Auditorium when the Class of 2011 presents Edward Cardoza with the check for Partners in Health. Let's show Partners in Health just how much Catawba cares, and just how committed our students can be to helping others.

On behalf of the Class of 2011,

Lucy Scott, President
Sheila Brownlow, Class Advisor

Sam Horrigan

2008-03-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

Sam Horrigan (born August 23, 1981 in Sacramento County, California) is an American actor best known for his role as Quentin Kelly on the hit ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire.Sam played Spike Hammersmith in the movie Little Giants and also has made guest appearances on TV shows like One Tree Hill, Joan of Arcadia, Desperate Housewives, and 8 Simple Rules.

Super Smash Bros Brawl Cheats Tips Hints And Codes Wii

2008-03-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the third installment in Nintendo’s popular Super Smash Bros. fighter franchise. Loaded with all the characters and features players have loved from the two previous versions, plus much more, it is a worthy addition to the series and yet another must-have title for the Nintendo Wii.

The Rules of the Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl like in previous releases in the series, Brawl places players within a different, but easy to use fighting system. Players choose a character, select one of the numerous stages–which are levels based in the game worlds represented in Super Smash Bros.– and try to knock their opponents off the screen using a range of standard techniques and combos as well as a variety of special attacks and ‘Smash Moves’ specific to their chosen character. A Smash Move can only be performed after securing a ‘Smash Ball.’ These precious items, marked with the Smash Bros. logo, fall randomly and can be used by either player, but they must be cracked open before they can be used. To keep things interesting they can also can be stolen if not used right away, so when a player sees one it must be grabbed quickly and cracked to avoid an unfortunate turn of events.

Los Spurs

2008-03-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Spurs rule.

Los Spurs don't.

Today is March 6, the anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. One hundred seventy-two years ago Santa Anna and Co. topped off a 13 day siege of the Alamo with a final assault of hand-to-hand combat. It took three hours to polish off most of the Texas soldiers at the Alamo. But Texans got the last laugh a month later when they surprised Santa Anna's forces at San Jacinto, and The Republic of Texas was born.

So even though Mexico won the Battle of the Alamo, the battle is regarded as an integral battle in what ultimately lead to Texas Independence. And white boys have been running the show in Texas ever since.

So doesn't it seem like an odd day for the Spurs to celebrate their Latin American fan base by wearing uniforms that say Los Spurs?

Don't get me wrong. I get why they went with a Spanish-themed jersey. Two of the Spurs' players are Argentinian and one of them, Manu Ginobli, is wildly popular. And San Antonio prides itself on its Mexican heritage. So a Spanish-based Spurs jersey makes sense. But maybe having the Spurs market and wear these jerseys in December rather than March 6 makes even more sense.

But that's not what really seems odd to me. My issue is that phrase "Los Spurs" makes even less sense.

First of all, it's not as if their regular uniforms say "THE SPURS" on the front. They just say "SPURS." So the "Los" makes no sense.

Instead, if they wanted a true Spanish version of the uniform it should just say "Spurs" in Spanish. I should look it up, but isn't espuela how you spur in Spanish? Maybe el patron de Los Spurs (Peter Holt, I mean Senor Pedro Holt) didn't want to do that because "Los Spurs" would have to be "Las Espuelas."

A team of 12 tough guys with a feminine ending? I don't think so.

As it stands, I know of no language where "Los Spurs" means anything.

Sean O'Hair wins PODS

2008-03-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sean O'Hair, who may not be that familiar to golf fans, won the PODS Championship after Stewart Cink collapsed on the back 9. He was rookie of the year in 2005 when he won the John Deere Classic. As you can see in the table below, he is starting to post a few good finishes in Major Championships, including 3 top 20 in his first three years on the tour. So, best of luck Sean in the future on the tour!

Tournament	2005	2006	2007
The Masters	DNP	CUT	DNP
U.S. Open	DNP	T26	CUT
The Open Championship	T15	T14	T67
PGA Championship	T59	T12	T42

courtney lockhart

2008-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Police arrest man in killing of Auburn student

From : edition.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Police have arrested a man in the killing of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk, who died this week, according to the Auburn, Alabama, assistant police chief.

Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Alabama, is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery, and capital murder during an attempted rape, Tommy Dawson said Saturday.

The Phenix City Police Department took Lockhart into custody on Friday, police said. Phenix City is about 35 miles southeast of Auburn.

Investigators have the suspect's photo, which was enhanced with the help of NASA, Dawson said, according to The Associated Press. Dawson said the photo matched Lockhart, but he declined to say how police got the photo or why they think Lockhart is linked to the crime.

Lauren Burk, a freshman at Auburn University in Alabama, was found fatally shot Tuesday along a highway.

Burk, 18, from Marietta, Georgia, was found shot on North College Street, a few miles north of campus, on Tuesday night. She died later at a hospital.

Minutes after police responded to the call reporting an injured person and found Burk, they found a car -- which turned out to be Burk's -- on fire in a campus parking lot.

Dawson told reporters Friday that authorities think gasoline or another accelerant was used to ignite Burk's car, and police were investigating whether a gas can found in downtown Auburn was connected. Police want to investigate every possible lead, Dawson said.

Authorities were still on patrol in the east Alabama campus, he said.

The university's Web site said memorial services for Burk are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at a Marietta church and synagogue, and a campus-wide memorial service will be held Monday.

The site carried a message from Burk's father, James, which said: "The Burk family was so proud to have Lauren as an Auburn University student. We want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for Auburn University, the city of Auburn and the Auburn Police Department. We feel very close to your community. We appreciate what everyone is doing for us and Lauren."

Also on Friday, police released pictures of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's car. Authorities asked anyone who thinks they might have seen the car on Tuesday to contact them.

Police are continuing to interview people, Dawson said.

A student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill -- Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Georgia -- was also shot to death this week, on early Wednesday. Authorities in Chapel Hill said Friday they had been in contact with Auburn police but did not believe the two cases were connected. Video Watch CNN's Nancy Grace discuss the two killings of college women from Georgia »

Burk's family, in a statement read Friday to reporters by family friend Kathy Singleton, expressed their gratitude for the thoughts and prayers offered, but asked for privacy "so that they may grieve for their loss as well as celebrate Lauren's life."

Those wishing to honor Burk could do so by donating to her favorite charities, Singleton said -- The Invisible Child and the American Kidney Foundation.

Donations can be made at any Wachovia Bank to the Lauren Burk Memorial Fund.

Obama Wins Wyoming Caucus!!!

2008-03-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

With voter turn out higher than it has been in decades, the people of Wyoming voted for Obama for President. This win adds to the lead in delegates for Obama and proves that this is a people powered campaign!!!

Here are some quotes from the New York Times on the race.

"The victory, while in a state with only 18 delegates, was welcome news for the Obama campaign as it sought to blunt Mrs. Clinton’s momentum coming off her victories in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday. Mrs. Clinton had campaigned here Friday, a day after her husband and daughter, signaling the stakes every contest holds in the fierce battle for the Democratic nomination."

"Party officials reported extremely high turnout at caucus sites across the state. More than 1,500 residents of Laramie County came to cast votes at the caucus site in downtown Cheyenne, filling the auditorium. Hundreds more waited outside for hours until they could enter and vote."

"

Mrs. Clinton’s decision to focus on Wyoming was a tactical departure for a campaign that had played down the importance of such caucus states, essentially ceding many of them to Mr. Obama, while deriding the caucus process as undemocratic. But as Mr. Obama collected 11 victories in these contests, and with Mrs. Clinton determined to cut into her opponent’s stubborn lead in delegates, the Clinton campaign deployed Chelsea Clinton and Bill Clinton on Thursday, with a final campaign sprint by Mrs. Clinton on Friday.

The newfound attention by the candidates and the national media drew to the Saturday caucuses many newly registered Democrats — officials said there were more than 2,000 registrations recently — and lifelong Democrats who have never caucused before.

Vernice Sack, 80, and her husband, Paul Sack, 83, counted themselves among the first-time caucusgoers. They both supported Mr. Obama, they said. “He’s got the right ideas,” Mr. Sack said."

People can complain about the caucus system and Hillary's people sure does as she loses more and more of them but it takes a lot of dedication for people to show up not just to vote but to be seen and heard at the caucuses.

Times on Line

"One Clinton aide yesterday derided Mr Obama’s victories in “boutique” caucus states rather than the hardscrabble terrain of the rustbelt, saying: “Obama has won the small caucus states with the latte-sipping crowd. They don’t need a president, they need a feeling.”

But the concern in the party is that Mrs Clinton will succeed in wounding Mr Obama without quite killing him off. That task, warned a senior Democrat, would be “left to Senator McCain in the general election”.

Others point to the title of her book, It Takes A Village To Raise A Child, suggesting Mrs Clinton may now be more intent on “rasing the village – to the ground”."

History Podcast-THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

2008-03-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. With these words, inscribed inside her pedestal, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed immigrants to America since 1903. But the Statue of Liberty is herself an immigrant, born in Paris she was shipped across the Atlantic in 214 separate crates, a present to the Americans from the French.

She is a token of friendship forged in the fire of twin revolutions, finessed by thinkers like Alexis de Tocqueville and expressed in the shared language of liberty. But why was this colossal statue built, who built it and what did liberty mean to the Frenchmen who created her and the Americans who received her?

Related Readings;
Marvin Trachtenberg, The Statue of Liberty (Art in context) (Allen Lane, 1976)

Robert Tombs, France 1814-1914 (Longman, 1996)

Malcolm Crook ed., Revolutionary France, 1788-1880 (Oxford University Press, 2002)

James F. McMillan, ed., Modern France, 1880-2002 (2002)

Robert Gildea, Children of the Revolution: France, 1799-1914 (Allen Lane, due July 2008)

"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" on the Glass Armonica

2008-03-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

49 days and counting

2008-03-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

So, now we are at 49 days and counting until we sail and there is so much still to do. I am the kind of person who will run every days events through my head from breakfast in the morning till I eat my piece of chocolate on my bed at night. I need to know what we are going to do and what is our back up plan in case of an emergency (rain, fire, etc.). I guess you can say I get a little anal about these things and I drive my wife crazy as we plan out our trip well in advance. Yes, I know it is impossible to be able to plan for everything but can you really blame a guy for trying?

So, here is how I see things going on our trip:

We arrive in Miami on the date of sailing of April 26th at 9:47am and our ship leaves port at 4:00pm, a 6 hour time frame. However, homeland security requires that you board the ship at least 2 hours ahead of departure time, we are now down to 4 hours.. This is NOT an acceptable amount of time for me. What if the flight is delayed? (April, Phoenix to Miami, it shouldn’t be but what if?) What if our luggage gets misplaced? What if… well, you get the point. I normally would fly in a day earlier in order to avoid any problems but we just could not get any more time off. So, therefore, I see that my blog on the 27th detailing what happened on the 26th will either say how we ran through the airport like OJ Simpson in an AVIS commercial and made the ship at the last moment or the blog may read as the last line in this blog because we missed the sailing! :)

If all goes well, we will have boarded our ship, the Carnival “Freedom” and we probably headed directly to the Lido deck buffet to have lunch and prepare for our sailing. Carnival’s “Freedom” is a new ship built in 2007, weighing in at 110,000 tons and holding a max of 2964 passengers and 1150 crew members, it is the pride of their fleet (that is until the sister ship, the Splendor comes out this year). Did I mention, it is sold out too? I guess it is not too hard to understand why. Carnival took notice that Trans-Atlantic sailings usually do not sell out, so they had a sale. We paid a cruise fare of $300.00 per person (plus port charges and taxes) for a 14 day sailing to 4 countries. A Great deal! They later hit us for a fuel charge per person of $70.00 but that will have to be a whole blog on its own since we are part of the lawsuit in Florida regarding that specific charge to passengers that had already paid for their cruise and were hit later with that charge. In any case, for that price and being on a new ship, all food and entertainment included and not to mention, the number 1 cruise director in the world on this ship as well. Yes, the legendary John Heald (www.johnhealdsblog.com) is the cruise director on this ship. He was my cruise director back in 1991 when I went on the new “Ecstasy” at the time. He is very funny and really knows how to involve everyone in the daily activities on board the ship.

As you can imagine, we do have quite a few relaxing days at sea on this sailing, so Katty and I have already started picking out our books to bring along on this cruise. We also made a lot of friends on the message boards with other people sailing on our date to have planned activities on board the ship as well. Let me explain this. There is a wonderful website designed for cruise travel agents and people who love to cruise, where they can talk and share information with each other. For example, what to do in a port other than the excursions provided by the cruise line at an extra cost? Where are the laundry facilities on board the ship? Etc., etc… The website is www.cruisecritic.com and there is no cost to join. So, if you love to cruise, I highly recommend adding this site to your favorites. Well, we made a lot of friends on this site and saved a lot of money as well (going as a group on excursions when we hit our ports of call). We also planned a lot of activities together on board the ship as well. For instance, we have the following:

1- Mini-Golf Tournament ($1.00 per person /1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes)
2- Meet and Mingle Party (free)
3- Luncheon (free)
4- Door prize at luncheon ($1.00 per person)
5- Poker Crawl
6- Slot Pull ($5.00 per person.. all winnings shared)
7- Chinese Auction ($10.. max travel gift wrapped/ also called an Elephant gift)

The ship has a lot of great things to do as well. It has a basketball court, golf simulator, a giant movie screen by the main pool (12ft by 22ft) that will play movies, concerts and sporting events (basketball/hockey playoffs), water slide, mini-golf, 4 pools in total, fitness center, casino, several theatres with live performances, 22 bars and lounges, not to mention all the free food (from the main seating at breakfast, lunch and dinner, all day buffets, pool BBQ’s, sushi bar, fried fish and chips bar, deli sandwich bar, 24 hour pizzeria, 24 hour room service, mid-night chocolate buffets/ midnight lobster buffets..etc., etc.). I think we will find a way to stay active. :)

Before I end for the day, I do have a few things to mention. Some items came in the mail this week for our cruise. The first and one of the more important items, Our Italian SIM card for my phone (TIM). This will allow me to avoid roaming charges while in Italy, Portugal and Spain and make calls to the US for only $0.50EUR and receive all FREE incoming calls as well. A great deal since roaming would have cost as much as $5.00USD per call. Also, I can receive calls onboard the Freedom as well. They accept service from either AT&T or T-Mobile. I have T-Mobile (HATE AT&T but that will have to be another blog J ). A new 8 GB SD card for my video camera which will allow me to shoot videos up to 16 hours before downloading to my computer. My new LINGO which translates into 12 languages, it also is a currency converter, a world time clock and a phone data bank as well.. Normally sells for $160.00 new, used on eBay was 30.00 included shipping cost as well. It works great. I found that if you do not want to get ripped off in a restaurant because you are a tourist, you will want to ask for the menu in their native tongue and not the one in English.. The prices will always be different. Now, with the lingo, I will know what I am ordering and pay the same prices as the natives. Also, take note, that European restaurants charge extra if you want to sit when you eat rather then stand at the bar, also, sitting outside costs more as well. I am already training Katty to eat while she stands… LOL…. OK, I am only kidding about that.

I am now tired of writing so Bye for now…

Chase durer watch Sunday night National Football League games.

2008-03-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

Bush questions a Lingerie models official about Beijing.

China ties strained by Kitty Hawk spat. Qaeda with medical assistance and martial arts Propofol.

An exhibition Motorola ring tone of tow of the museum. China deals blow to Western efforts to punish Iran.

More results from Behind gentamicin collagen matrix impregnated.

Try Chase durer aviator watch words that mean the same thing. Libby drops Concise dictionary english english kyrgyz kyrgyz in CIA leak case.

Ecuador in the same month last year. Piracy tool due sometime in the fall. By Natalie Finn A few weeks after Femara medication its contract to sell TV shows. Chase durer chase durer watches mens chase durer watch lawsonwatch. Also available with bracelet in solid K gold. You need to upgrade your browser to personalize your Google News page.

Peru Deploys Army to Halt Looting After Chase chronograph durer watch. OJ Simpson walked free today after posting. Unclear their presence will translate into progress at peace talks. Loaded with laughs but light on plot. Create an email alert for Chase durer watch. Online source for ebay chase durer ladyhawke watches.

There were a couple good reasons why Sunday. Psyllium metamucil to destruction at the Mongol Rally.

New Zealand June Santiago de cuba tour Bonds new zealand At NZ. Com strives to support the valuable work of library by providing great service and a. As the government appeared determined to curb perceived excesses by heavily armed guards. Thousands detained ahead of Sharif return to Pakistan.

You cannot edit your Aviator wings in this forum.

You cannot post new topics in this forum. Piracy tool due sometime in the fall. Hot air balloon rough landing caught on video. Rosenker Says NTSB Luis royo art Focused On Cargo Airline Safety.

You need to upgrade your browser to personalize your Google News page. You can follow any responses to this entry through the. Com weight watcher point snacks carey grammy mariah performance watch led watch watch the daniel pearl execution video babe watch band patek philippe watch antique bulova watch watch nfl football online live buying favorite item shortcut watching britney free get naked spear watch weight watcher dining out point weight watcher potato soup bird watching uk charm bracelet jewelry watch watch free classic tv mallard watch idea meal watcher weight healthy choice weight watcher point bracelet cubic steel swatch zirconia dotties weight watcher site engravable watch dotties point watcher weight hello kitty watch Blogroll watch burberry charm watch baja california watching whale bracelet charm jewelry watch fast food watcher weight cnn tv watch watch dvd online watch beavis and butthead car christmas index roma stocking watch book free point watcher weight dickies watch rd ministry watch citizen watch warranty monza watch sparknotes their eyes were watching god case jewelry watch benjamin moore paint swatches atomic titanium watch book cook turnaround watcher weight way radio watch cricket india pakistan watch randy jackson watch cheap citizen watch citizen eco drive watch watch zoey bollywood free movie online watch clock history watch army black british watch engravable pocket watch watch fox news live apple bottoms asswatcher summary of deathwatch by robb white battery casio change watch wild bird watching chili point weight watcher gucci lady watch international watcher weight weightwatchers. CR lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on Sunday evening and taking a precession path. Create an email alert for Chase chronograph durer watch. Announced Sunday it will join Israelis and other officials at this week.

Tired of searching for Sunny bbw blog? This way!

Biogen Idec Says Icahn Johanna real wes world Interest in Buying. French Unions Protest Sarkozy Reforms in Fourth Day of Strikes. Last edited by Larry Ward on Mon Dec. FDA Staff Recommends a Warning on Flu Drugs. Manning shows no emotion after bad game. Enter The chase durer watch Official Website.

An Erie woman has been sentenced to five to years in prison for swinging her week old son at her boyfriend and striking him with the boy.

Sears makes offer for Sure klean Malawi newspaper Chase durer edition limited watch. Answered his few remaining critics who complained that he only fought Arturo.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the. This Profi pipe cleaner is only a placeholder and should be edited when.

His amazing speed and quickness was of no use in this predicament. Former Chase durer edition limited watch Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns from. Year old safety with the Washington Redskins. Chase Durer pilot command watches on eBay. Who grew up tossing footballs with her dad in their back yard in Alabama. Ll send your password to this address.

Share of his first Player of the Year title with a number. Counter infant cough and cold medicines announced Thursday that they were. Mark levinson lexus Make sure all words are spelled correctly. Any responses to this entry through the.

Suggestions Make sure all words are spelled correctly. Am on the first working day of every month. Make sure that it is spelled correctly. Chase durer watch your search by using fewer words.

New Zealand June Chronic pain elbow Bonds new zealand At NZ. French inquiry into possible insider trading at EADS. Wii in Japan for the first time last month.

More Chase durer abyss from Debris Chase durer Rubidium hydroxide formula limited.

Who grew up tossing footballs with her dad in their back yard in Hallie scott.

Chase durer pro Maximus oveous their hips and rocking their arms to. It could be said that they struck a gusher last week. Were among the casualties of a weekend wildfire driven by high winds and fueled by dry. More Chase durer abyss from Debris Chase durer edition limited. Workers search for bodies in bridge Chase durer automatic watch.

More Chase durer abyss from Debris chaumet on hold as divers work in Minn. Said Monday afternoon that the Food and Drug Mtx crossover approved its second.

Watch guess man watch band elastic watch wrist watch band omega watch oris limited edition watch weight watcher salad dressing recipe watch woman give birth foal watch weight watcher core menu What is cyanide golf watch chase durer pilot

LFL Announcement, Rule Book, and more!

2008-03-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

Announcement:
Before you read any further, watch the short video on the left!

Okay, so now you've either watched the video or totally ignored my request. Either way, the Lost Fantasy League is coming soon for Season 4! Since Lost airs on Thursdays in America and Canada, and since it airs on Sundays in Britain, Fantasy Updates will no longer be posted on Thursdays.

Beginning on February 4th, you can get your fill of LFL action on Mondays. This change in date will allow DarkUFO and I ample time to pull all the necessary data together and it will hopefully make Mondays suck a little bit less than usual for all of you. Be sure to come back next Monday to see how your team faired in the first week of competition.

LFL RULE BOOK:
As promised, DarkUFO and I have completed our Season 4 Fantasy League Rule Book. You can use this to keep score on your own as you watch the new episodes of Lost. Barring any further rule changes once the season gets underway, these rules will be applied to the first 16 new episodes of Lost we get, regardless of when the Writer's Strike ends.

We hope having this rule book will give you all a better sense of what to expect come the next Fantasy Update.

LFL CHARACTER GROUPINGS ANALYSIS:
After taking in the results of the Hiatus League and using my knowledge of Lost, I have speculated how well each of our League characters will perform this season. Were your roster selections foolish or wise? Find out what G-Man thinks all this week, leading up to the US premiere of Season 4.

Approximately every 12 hours I will post spoiler-free analysis of one of our character groupings. We'll start with Group 7 and work our way up to the top dogs in Group 1. I am 90% spoiler-free going into Season 4, so my analysis may be completely wrong and seem amusing to you spoiler readers. Nevertheless, I hope it helps build up the excitement and anticipation for Season 4!

Jen Sterger

2008-03-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

As many photos of Jen Sterger popped up on the Internet of her at the football games wearing her team colors. Rumors are floating around that now Jen Sterger has jumped ship and will now be supporting USF Bulls or University of South Florida. She has been spotted recently sporting some new colors as shown in the photo for the #2 ranked USF bulls.

Well apparently Jen Sterger used to attend USF and has always liked the school. There is information stating that she has friends on the USF team and has been going to their games long before she attended FSU. Now that USF is doing well in football, undefeated at 6-0, she will likely get a lot more attention.

Jennifer Nicole Lee?

2008-03-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

jennifer lee
this year started with a BANG! i've been so busy trying to get myself
in order for the projects at hand that i decided to look for a partner
this year. usually i don't take on more than a project at at time
since i usually work alone ...
Cat, hang in there. Seoul is a
neighborhood city, and soon it'll feel like your own hood. The
shopkeepers will all know you (and all your business) and you'll know
which kimpap place has the fastest delivery and where all the buses
go. ...
Also in Morning Buzz: New Yorkers gear up for Giants' ticker
tape parade; Headline-friendly tabloid nicknames for pols.
A highlight
of my time in New York was reading with Sun Yung Shin and Jennifer
Kwon Dobbs, along with visual artist Jane Jin Kaisen at Silk Road
Mocha. If there are two books I could recommend, it would be theirs.
...
A highlight of my time in New York was reading with Sun Yung Shin
and Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, along with visual artist Jane Jin Kaisen at
Silk Road Mocha. If there are two books I could recommend, it would be
theirs. ...
Jennifer Nicole Lee Pictures.
Andreas Trauttmansdorff is
an awesome photographer. i absolutely envy interior photographers,
travelling the world taking photos of spectacular spaces... what an
amazing job! here are some great images from his extensive and
impressive ...
Also I hope to finish the novel Interred with their
bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell (though I prefer the Dutch title, "Het
Shakespeare Geheim" that is, "The Shakespeare Secret") on a lost play
by Shakespeare, and have a re-read of The ...
Two white women sitting
in front of me hung on every word Lee said, nudging each other when he
made a gesture, or smiling at each other when he said something
especially wise or self-deprecating. During the short Q&A, a
woman, ...
Cat, hang in there. Seoul is a neighborhood city, and soon
it'll feel like your own hood. The shopkeepers will all know you (and
all your business) and you'll know which kimpap place has the fastest
delivery and where all the buses go. ...
Subject: News- Author:
Jennifer Lee- Published: Monday, February 4, 28.
But it falls ahead of
federal holidays of President's Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day in
American significance. If you don't watch Super Bowl, you seem vaguely
un-American. Chinese food, Eric T. Lee, giants, Shawn Chen, Super
Bowl.
Subject: News- Author: Jennifer Lee- Published: Monday, February
4, 28.
Fitness and lifestyle experts, Gregg Gillies and Jennifer
Nicole Lee launch new web site and reveal what you need to know to
lose weight, get in shape and live a health and fitness lifestyle.
Miami, FL (PRWEB) February 5, 28 — Fitness ...
Unlike the papers that
you may be writing for your courses, this one has a monetary incentive
attached. SPECIAL PAPER COMPETITION CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 28 The
Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements invites submission
of ...
Jennifer Nicole Lee Pictures.
Jennifer Nicole Lee Pictures.
A
highlight of my time in New York was reading with Sun Yung Shin and
Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, along with visual artist Jane Jin Kaisen at Silk
Road Mocha. If there are two books I could recommend, it would be
theirs. ...
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a multilateral
finance institution, approved a USD 1.9 million grant through its
autonomous Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF). The grant is part of
MIF's Caribbean Microfinance ...
Also in Morning Buzz: New Yorkers
gear up for Giants' ticker tape parade; Headline-friendly tabloid
nicknames for pols.
Cat, hang in there. Seoul is a neighborhood city,
and soon it'll feel like your own hood. The shopkeepers will all know
you (and all your business) and you'll know which kimpap place has the
fastest delivery and where all the buses go. ...
Unlike the papers
that you may be writing for your courses, this one has a monetary
incentive attached. SPECIAL PAPER COMPETITION CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 28
The Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements invites
submission of ...
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a
multilateral finance institution, approved a USD 1.9 million grant
through its autonomous Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF). The grant
is part of MIF's Caribbean Microfinance ...
A highlight of my time in
New York was reading with Sun Yung Shin and Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, along
with visual artist Jane Jin Kaisen at Silk Road Mocha. If there are
two books I could recommend, it would be theirs. ...
'Hi Jennifer, i
have a design question for you...in my foyer/bottom of my stairs i
have an 8 foot mirror, and in front of it is a ghost chair and huge
glass base with dried branches. What can i add with these trio to have
some umph! ...
Unlike the papers that you may be writing for your
courses, this one has a monetary incentive attached. SPECIAL PAPER
COMPETITION CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 28 The Harvard Project on
International Climate Agreements invites submission of ...
Two white
women sitting in front of me hung on every word Lee said, nudging each
other when he made a gesture, or smiling at each other when he said
something especially wise or self-deprecating. During the short
Q&A, a woman, ...
Also I hope to finish the novel Interred with
their bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell (though I prefer the Dutch title,
"Het Shakespeare Geheim" that is, "The Shakespeare Secret") on a lost
play by Shakespeare, and have a re-read of The ...
If you, like me,
would rather see something beyond the airport than stand in a customs
line for hours, you might already know some of these methods for
getting through customs lines quickly. Sit up front. When choosing
your seat on the .

Hillary Clinton

2008-03-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

Save Samantha Power

2008-03-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

Photo: Walter Chin

Everybody has now heard that Samantha Power, key foreign affairs advisor to Barack Obama, has resigned after referring to Hillary Clinton as a "monster" in an interview with The Scotsman. The intemperate remark was supposed to be off the record, but The Scotsman burned her publicly anyway. Here's what she said in the interview that led to the Hillary Clinton campaign's call for her head:

We fucked up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win. She is a monster, too – that is off the record – she is stooping to anything... Here, it looks like desperation. I hope it looks like desperation there, too... You just look at her and think, 'Ergh'. But if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive.

True. (And here she is, now playing the xenophobia card).

Opinions are flying around the internets regarding whether Power should have resigned. On one hand, of course, campaigns play dirty, period. Both certainly have nasty things to say about each other, but there's a difference between doing so in public, doing so in private, and doing so in public but in more veiled terms. The fact that Power said this in an interview - even if she tried to back out of the remark by calling it off the record - is a really politically unsavvy move. As a strong believer in the urgent rhetorical necessity of applying a hearty "fuck off!" on occasion, I understand. But I'm also from what Josh Marshall refers to as the academic/policy world rather than the political/policy world, the former in which he locates Power. Living in the latter world constrains one's public expressions to the head of a pin.

The Clinton campaign did what it must do as a political animal (or... monster?), and it leapt to the ramparts. Power may have done what she had to do by resigning. But here's the problem, summarized by Matthew Yglesias,

So thinking a bit more reflectively about this Samantha Power business, I'm pretty pissed off. Sure, you can rail against the perfidy of the Clintons, but this sort of ritualized calls for resignations is all in the game. Having her resign, by contrast, is just playing the game poorly. Remember when fresh strategic thinking and common sense were going to break with the conventional wisdom? I do. The "monster" business was a dumb thing to say, and certainly the kind of thing you apologize for, but no kind of indication that she was a bad person to get foreign policy advice from.

Power is a law professor at the Kennedy School, a Pulitzer Prize winner (for "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide), and an active journalist. Plenty of plaudits. But she's also a serious advocate of human rights and eloquent activist against genocide. Her scholarly work is solid and it's driven by deeper moral sensibilities. In effect, she's exactly the kind of advisor we might hope a campaign would hire. Even Richard Holbrooke, advisor to Clinton, thinks so (from a June 2007 Vogue article speaking precisely to Power's attempts at dealing with Beltway politics),

Richard Holbrooke, Power's friend and rival of sorts—he has declared his support for Hillary Clinton for president—says that "Obama is very fortunate to have her." When Holbrooke was the U.S. special envoy to the Balkans and hashing out the Dayton peace accord in 1995, he received insistent messages from Power, then a first-year law student at Harvard. She was pleading for the release of David Rohde, a Christian Science Monitor correspondent who had gone on a solo border-crossing expedition into Bosnia and been arrested. "Here was this tall redhead of enormous passion," Holbrooke says of Power. "I can name you only a handful of journalists with that commitment: Newsday's Roy Gutman, who won the Pulitzer. He was the guy who really uncovered the genocide in Bosnia. Christiane Amanpour, when she was in the Balkans for CNN. David Halberstam in Vietnam. There are very few voices like that."

And then this, also from Holbrooke,

She will always face the risk that more bureaucratically minded players—I'm picking my way through this very carefully—will exploit her passions, which make her vulnerable to the charge that she's not 'careful enough.' But I admire these qualities in her. We need voices like Samantha Power. Whether she does this inside the government or as an outside writer is a story that's still unfolding.

We can't afford to continue to burn the decent people out of politics any more. I would think Obama understood this better than anyone. Hillary certainly doesn't.

There are worse things in life

2008-03-07T17:36:00.001-08:00

What do these men have in common?

Kenneth Stone

Corey Saunders

David Flavell

Before I answer that question, I'd like to go back a moment to the petition we talked about HERE. Alex Marbury and Paul Shannon want to reform sex offender laws. I'm sure you'll recall. Some of the things they called for was abolishment of age of consent laws and requiring children to be responsible for their own abuse. They also want to abolish the death penalty and life sentences. They want to abolish the sex offender registry and ban you from knowing if your neighbor is a convicted child molester under great penalties to you if you should find out. But they also want to abolish civil commitments. Because after all they've served their time. Haven't they? And according to Alex and Paul these changes are the only things that will keep people safe from sexual offenders.

Alex and Paul recently sponsored a rally to gain support for releasing violent sexual predators deemed at high risk to re-offend from their civil commitments. We didn't talk about this rally, because, well we wanted to see how it would go without our commentary. And one of the main speakers Tom Madison of SoClear Media Productions didn't want anyone to find out, which is comical really when you think about it. Have a rally to gain support but only let those who already support you know about it. Chalk one up for The Anti's.

If these people had a valid counter-argument for our opinions they would have WANTED us drawing attention to it. Nor would Alex and Paul make statements such as this

"Because a previous demonstraton in Ohio by sex offenders and their families was harrassed by bigots, you should be prepared for this possibility."

"Ask any friends you tell about this to keep the time and place of the rally confidential."

Hmmmm, harassment which consists of writing counter opinions and peacefully counter demonstrating. Seems to me these guys are flat out un-American. Not to mention whiney victim cryers. If we speak out about their rhetoric that makes us vigilantes. But of course we already knew this wasn't the brightest of the bright, eh? It's just merely another form of blame gaming which goes hand in hand with their distinct brand of mental illness.

Nevertheless, the rally went as planned. Very few people attended of course, mainly those who had a loved one confined at Coalinga State Hospital for violent sexual predators. And we didn't even have to hijack this rally for it to be an utter failure. Hey! Our strategy proved once again to be right on.

One of the attendees said that her loved one was confined there due to a sexual offense he committed while on parole for another sexual offense but then stated "He's no different than any other criminal, he's served his time". That's an example of an enabling apologist in denial.

These guys want out. They've tried lots of ways. They've held hunger strikes, seemingly oblivious to the obvious continued mentality of using manipulation as a tool. They refuse to accept treatment and they call the hospital a 'concentration camp'. I don't know about you, but if they want to hold a hunger strike I say more power to them. I'll put my support behind that, sure. Who do they think they are? What kind of sexual offenders would say "If you don't let me outta here I'm gonna quit eating"? My opinion is that it's the type of sex offenders who should be civilly committed to the Coalinga State Hospital for sexually violent offenders at a danger to re-offend. But, that's me.

Tom Madison disagrees however. From KMPH

But registered sex offender Tom Madison says, he doesn't think the extra treatment is worth the sex offender's time or the taxpayer's dollars.

"They simply want to get on with their lives, but the fear and hysteria is in the stratosphere today," said Madison.

Rather than talk about the predators that society is currently safe from - those being held at Coalinga. I think we should talk about violent sexual predators who were released from prison "after serving their time" - and despite evidence that they were still dangerous and likely to re-offend - were NOT civilly committed as requested. Let's talk about 3 of those. Released by the same judge. Judge Moses.

First up we have Corey Saunders, with previous convictions for rape of a child with force and assault and battery of a child, Judge Moses didn't believe the evidence that he was at a high risk of re-offending. No, he said, Corey hadn't re-offended in 7 years. Ignoring the fact that he was in prison during those 7 years. Corey raped a 6 year old boy in the library shortly after release.

Then we have David Flavell, who "had been arrested and convicted on a variety of sex offenses between 1996 and 2003, including masturbating in public, threatening children and brutally beating and attempting to rape a woman in Methuen. That 1996 attack took place just hours after he’d been arrested for masturbating in a department store." Judge Moses refused to commit him, he didn't believe he was dangerous. No, not David. He was arrested in January for peering into a womens restroom stall. "Flavell was carrying a backpack with three pairs of work gloves, a ski mask and a roll of duct tape and had put a magazine rack outside the ladies room to make it appear it was out of service"

How about the latest case of irresponsibility committed by Judge Moses. Kenneth Stone "In separate incidents in 1989, 1991 and 1995, Stone was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older and in May of 1991 and again in October of 1991 he was convicted of assault with intent to rape." Now in February, after Judge Moses ruled he was fit to be returned to society, Stone has been arrested for raping a man......less than three weeks after the Judge let him go free.

The issue

At issue is a state statute which allows the district attorney to petition to have sex offenders who’ve completed their criminal sentences declared sexually dangerous and civilly committed much the way a person deemed a danger to himself or others may be committed to a psychiatric hospital.

ABC Channel 6 news did an investigative report on Moses on Feb. 7, in which reporter Jim Hummel analyzed 42 sexually dangerous person petitions in Bristol County in the past seven years. Of those, judges granted the petitions half the time, Hummel reported.

Moses was the only judge who released every offender who came before him, a total of six, including Stone, Saunders and Flavell

THOSE are men who should have been civilly committed. Those are men just like those in Coalinga Hospital that Tom Madison feels we don't deserve protection from because

A. It's not fair to the offender
B. It costs too much money

Funny thing about that is, the only people complaining about how much it costs are sex offenders. Those of us who aren't sex offenders - 99.8% of the population....are more than willing to pay the price. Although, if they want to argue COST, I'd be more than happy to lobby for the death penalty for child molesters. Conviction.....appeal.....execution. That would certainly solve the problem of sexually violent deranged individuals. It'll save us money and they can't re-offend! I suppose one might say

"There are worse things in life than being on a sex offender registry"

or perhaps they might say

"There are worse things in life than being confined in Coalinga State Hospital for the sexually violent predator"

That logic is good enough for me because after all Jan Kruska says:

"While sexual abuse is despicable there are indeed things that are much worse in life"

Lester Street Tragedy: Police at Apartment of Victim's Sister

2008-03-07T17:30:00.001-08:00

Reported by: Kevin Holmes
Email: kholmes@myeyewitnessnews.com
From : www.myeyewitnessnews.com

Memphis, TN - Police officers from the Organized Crime Unit have been in and out of the Goodwill Village Apartment complex in North Memphis since early Thursday afternoon, March 6, 2008. The sister of one of the victims, Cecil Dotson lives in that complex.

Memphis Police Officers (The Swat Team and Patrolmen) first swarmed the apartment around 11:00 a.m. Thursday. Investigators say Nicole Dotson wasn't home at the time, and that she was at the Criminal Justice Center. While talking to investigators Dotson received a call on her cell phone. The number on Dotson's Caller I.D. showed the call was coming from inside her apartment, but Nicole Dotson told Investigators no one should've been inside her apartment. When the Swat Team arrived, they found nothing.

Police have guns drawn as they prepare to enter the apartment of a sister of one of the victims of the Lester Street massacre.

Around 5:00 p.m., nearly a dozen members of the Organized Crime Unit stopped by the apartment. They canvassed the area and left ten minutes later with no one in custody. At 7:45p.m., three patrolmen rushed to the empty apartment but found nothing. The screen door to Nicole Dotson's apartment was busted open. It's unclear if that was done by officers or by someone else.

So far no one has been arrested in connection with the six murders on Lester Street. The Crime Stoppers reward is now at $81,000; $50,000 from the State, $30,000 from Memphis City Council and $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.

If you know anything about this mass murder, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.

Violated

2008-03-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Somethings been bothering me. However, in order to tell it, I have to go back a few years.

I was about 14 or 15 years old and my aunt donna was in an dout of the hospital, this is before she died, and sometimes, my Mom and I would have to rush her to the hospital because she couldn't breath or she was swelled up or something to that matter. Anyways, when I was about 15, there was this older black man, I would say around, early 30's, late 20's.. He lived and still lives, on the next street over from us. But we can see his house from ours, and he can see ours from his. Anyways, whenever my Mom would take me to school, he would always be out there, and he would always stare at me.. Watch me.. Move so he could see where I went and everything. And everytime, and I really mean everytime, he watched, when we got home, there would be a weird message on the answering machine that said, " The time your allowed to call has exceeded, please hang up and try your call again" Well no one was home, no one could have made that call for it to exceed. It didn't all add up.

Well one day, when we had to rush my aunt to the hospital, we had to rush so fast, that I had to lock the gate up while my Mom started the van.. I saw him walking towards me.. And I hurried and didn't look at him, but made sure that I knew where he was at all times.. He walked real close behind me, and I mean REAL close.. wispered something along the lines of.. ' I want some of that' and I hurried and got into the van, locked the doors, and told my Mom... My Dad is friends with the local cops, and talked with one of them, who said that they couldn't do anything because he didn't actually do anything. What the! I know he didn't do anything, but I felt scared. I was younger, scared, and just blah.

Well a few months after that, I realized he wasnt out there anymore.. And for about a year, I didn't see him at all. I felt safer and everything.

However, the other day, when my mom and I got home from the store.. I looked over, and there he was, staring again. He walked towards us, and I wispered to my mom 'hurry' and tried to get into the gate as fast as I could. Well, she had trouble getting the house door unlocked, and he was right behind us, on the outside in the street. And I heard him..whistle.. But, it sounded like he didn't have any teeth. I hurried and got in, and felt scared again. Like I was being watched. We don't have an answering machine right now, because our old one stopped working, so we don't know if we would be getting those messages again.

I saw him again today. I ran fast into the house. I don't really like this feeling. The other night I had a bad dream. I was searching on the internet, and went to www.meganslaw.com and I saw his picture there, and the right street address, and then the next thing I know he was breaking into my window. I woke up kinda all sweaty. I don't like this feeling. I feel traped, watched, violated.

What should I do? I am going to go see if I can find him on that site, but there are so many people, it's kinda hard. I don't know..

~jackie~

Michael Bay: An (Explosive) Argument

2008-03-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Tags: argument, Best Director, Michael Bay

I do not hide the fact that I heart Michael Bay. Adam, though incredibly rational when it comes to just about everything else, is terribly misguided in his dislike of Mr. Bay. Naturally, I suggested we take this to the blog.

Adam,

Michael Bay is great. The sooner I can convince you of that, the sooner we can move on to more important things. Since for some reason you won’t take my word, it is my duty as an American to change your mind. There are many reasons why Michael Bay is so great, I’ll paint some broad strokes to describe them. If for some reason you aren’t sold, I’d be happy to clarify.

Michael Bay connect with the people. Here’s a list of the takes of his movies. His movies have universally raked in money. Bad Boys (his first) is the under $100 million domestically, but that one was obviously profitable, plus it took it another $75 million overseas. The Island tanked hard (yes, I was there in theaters), but it grabbed over $125 million in foreign lands. Which is what imdb estimates was the budget for the movie, so it is hard to call it a flop, per se, though clearly it wasn’t a moneymaker like the rest of his movies. Still, 6 for 7 ain’t bad. In fact, he ranks 11th all time among directors in combined domestic total gross, (his movies have grossed over a billion dollars!) with most of the directors ahead of him directing more movies and helming heavy-hitting franchises.

Michael Bay’s movies stay in the public consciousness. Granted, we are dealing with a small sample size. But, OK, the Bad Boys movies didn’t revolutionize anything, but they still show up on cable. Plus, the first one launched Will Smith’s career (more on this later). The scene in Pearl Harbor depicting the attack still holds sway, I’d argue. But I’d freely admit my argument here is strongest with The Rock and Armageddon. It is too soon to talk about Transformers, but I’m confident it will be added to this list just because of how badass it was. The Rock is a movie sure to attract a crowd in college dorms, and it is one that is still frequently quoted and cited as a favorite movie. If you are drawing up a list of best action movies, you have to take the movie into consideration. And yes, lots of people hated Armageddon. They are wrong. But it doesn’t change the fact that people are still talking about it. Sure, perhaps just as the pinnacle of bombast, but I’d argue that’s not a bad thing.

Michael Bay actually receives some plaudits from the critics. Which may be hard to believe. But Armageddon and The Rock are in the Criterion Collection (”a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films on DVD”) and you’d surely agree with some lofty company. From the Criterion essays, here’s Ebert on The Rock, and Bay’s former film professor on Armageddon. Here is someone arguing Michael Bay is an auteur, here is someone applauding Bay’s tendency towards excess. I share these links mostly to point out that disdain for Michael Bay isn’t universal. Far from it, in fact.

Michael Bay works with amazing actors. Maybe you don’t like Martin Lawrence, Josh Hartnett or Ben Affleck (who just might be the subject of my next argument). But you have to give credt to someone who helped Will Smith’s career take off. Other leading men include: Sean Connery, Nick Cage (another potential argument candidate, you have to concede he is an action star, I think), Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Ewan MacGregor. That’s not a bad lot. Plus, supporting actors in his movies have included: John Turturro, Jon Voight, Sean Bean, Michael Clarke Duncan, Djimon Honsou, Steve Buscemi, Alec Baldwin, Tom Sizemore, Owen Wilson, Ed Harris, John Spencer, John C. McGinley, and three guys from Prison Break, I think. That’s a pretty impressive assortment.

Also, Michael Bay works with really hot chicks. Tea Leoni is a MILF, Vanessa Marcil is really smokin’ in The Rock, Liv Tyler is the queen of girl next door cute, Kate Beckinsale won your heart on the red carpet (and Jennifer Garner was in Pearl Harbor as well), Gabrielle Union is really hot, and Scarlett Johansson and Megan Fox don’t even need comments.

Michael Bay has had lots of success with commercials and music videos. He’s won lots and lots of awards, if that matters to you. Here are some of his commercials. The Aaron Burr one is undeniably a classic. Here are some of his music videos. The one for I Would Do Anything For Love is legitimately part of the music video canon. It is hilarious that he did the video for I Touch Myself, but the video is actually quite good. And yes, I thought so even before I knew he directed it.

Finally, and probably most importantly, Michael Bay makes fun movies. I’m pretty sure you agree with me that movies are meant to entertain. Define that word however you like, but if you don’t enjoy movies, on at least some level, why watch? Do Michael Bay movies plunge the depths of the soul of mankind? Well, that’s an argument for a different day, but also irrelevant. All Bay asks is that you sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. His movies come to you, and hard. Nobody explodes sh*t like Michael Bay, you know? And that’s a good thing. Because stuff exploding is fun. Michael Bay does action very well. It is frenetic and crazy and with it own laws of physics. But it is always engaging. And always sly and witty. That’s part of the brilliance. Bay doesn’t blow junk up for two hours. He gives you time to laugh and to identify with the underdog, workingman ethos of his characters. And blows stuff up for maybe 45 minutes.

I’ll stop there, because I have to imagine I’ve convinced you by now. Right?

Victim Of Lester Street Murder Dies A Painful Death

2008-03-07T17:22:00.001-08:00

As you look at the picture of Shindri Roberson you can see the fright in her face as she died a tragic death. Seeing the expression on her face and after checking her body finding no other wounds than the 2 bullet wounds to the left knee. Its my belief that her killers shot her twice in the kneecap breaking her leg and then suffocated her. This happen to her while one of the babies was left with a knife stuck in it's skull and another child had it's fingers cut off.

No matter what her past was no one deserves to die in this manner. It is no doubt that this woman suffered a very painful death. There is total horror written across her face,can you imagine how she felt as she fought to catch her breath while being in severe pain from the gunshots? Can you imagine just visiting someone with the expectation of going home,and leave in a body bag? Can you imagine watching children killed and cut up,and then waiting your turn to die?

There is no doubt that the murders on Lester Street has closed a racial divide among many in this city as we all see that Memphis has become the most dangerous place in the country to live. This dead woman's picture should be etched on the walls of the memory of the mayor and the Police Director who have played this community with their stage show called "BLUE CRUSH". This sideshow of capturing a few small time drug dealers and street walkers in front of a camera has only served as an illusion as the crime problem in Memphis has continued to grow.

Some of you will be offended by the posting of these pictures, but remember the shocking expression of death on the face of Shindri Roberson could be on your face this time tomorrow on this site. Mr. Mayor we demand that you and your Director of Police come up with a real plan to save us all.

Simply Vera for Spring

2008-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Brushstroke Dress $58.50

asdfasdfs

Hand-painted prints are definitely on trend for Spring 2008 and the venerable Vera Wang has updated her Simply Vera line at Kohls accordingly. I am definitely an art lover (thanks to my parents, who founded the premier African-American art show in New Jersey) so the idea of wearable art is absolutely appealing to my senses. This Spring, designers have brought paint from the canvas to the cloth. From watercolors to modern abstract, dresses, bags and blouses are splattered, smothered and covered in streaks of color.

You can get the look for less by picking up one of these Simply Vera pieces, which are conveniently on sale. Get inspired!

Lantern-Sleeve Leaf Top $40.50

Belted Dress $58.50

You can shop the entire Simply Vera Spring 2008 collection, here. But if possible, I would suggest checking out the line in-store, where you can get a better idea about the look, fit and feel.

Jennifer's Law: California Sex offender battle

2008-03-07T17:18:00.001-08:00

In November 2006, California voters passed legislation to protect children against sex offenders. The action of "Jennifer's Law" has been morphing for years. In a nutshell on the most recent incarnation: No registered sex offender can live within 2000 feet of any school, playground, park, daycare facility and other places where children may go. Good in theory, but challenging in application. The hang up now is all about timing: When does it take effect? Effective immediately and forward, OR retroactively. There's the rub. Retroactive. If that was passed, then anyone registered as a sex offender and lives within 2000 feet of the aforementioned would have to move way. Also, Good in theroy, but difficult in application. There are many people with S.O. records from eons ago that was in no way a violent act or would even be prosocuted today, but it's on their records. Now, they have to move to the sticks. Then someone decides to build a park in their neighborhood and they have to move again. They can't live next to a national park. Where will they go? Who will enforce it? Will they be forced to sell their homes and at what loss and who will be sued for loss of equity in a forced sale? It's a messy scenario meant to protect children with too broad of a brush. Probably going to end up being unconstitutional. Find out more about your neighborhood, state and beyond:
http://www.FreeCaliforniaSexOffendersList.org
http://www.NationalAlertRegistry.com (aka http://www.MegansLaw.com)
http://childsafenetwork.org
You'll also note the total LACK of coverage on this issue. It's really being swept under the rug to try and get silent passage. I smell a conspiracy theory. Need disclosure when buying or selling a a home and a comprehensive neighborhood analysis? Pat Townsley, Serving California: www.ExcellenceInRealEstateFinancing.com

White Killer Whale Spotted Picture

2008-03-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Researchers in Alaska have managed to spot a white killer whale and have managed to to take a picture of the white orca. The sighting has made big news because very little is known about pure white orca and how they actually occur in nature.

A blogger was quick to upload one of the pictures of the white killer whale which was taken by one of the researchers. You can find the white killer whale picture here. The researcher who spotted the white killer whale stated that seeing something like this is equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack.

Apparently this specific white killer whale is not a complete albino because it still contains some dark marks on it's body, but from what I can see in the picture it looks pure white. The researchers only saw the spotting as a bonus and did not conduct any research on the specific white killer whale.

MEGAN'S LAW LOOPHOLE....UPDATE....

2008-03-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

For the last several months, I've been working with Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier's office to get a law created that makes it so sex offenders have to register if they're convicted, released on bail and awaiting sentencing for their crime.

After months of combing through Megan's Law with the California Attorney General's office, I received a call from Lucas Frerichs with DeSaulnier's office in Sacramento. He told me that they've researched this high and low, and both them and the Attorney General's office say this is something that's already written into Megan's Law, but isn't being enforced.

According to the Megan's Law website, when a sex offender is convicted, he or she normally goes directly to jail, prison or a mental hospital, and they have to register once they're released from custody. In the case of Roger Deaver, that wasn't what happened. Deaver made a deal with the Alameda County DA. The deal said he would plead guilty, and go home until he was sentenced a few months later. Well, all that time, the people in the neighborhood were living near a convicted sex offender and they didn't even know it because he wasn't forced to register. This rarely happens, but when it does, the consequences could be tragic.

So that's why I was motivated to do something about this, and try to change things a little. Both MD's and the AG's office have spent hours researching this, and they both agree that this is an enforcement issue and something that's already written into Megan's Law. Once convicted, if a sex offender is out on bail awaiting sentencing, judges need to make them register.

Lucas Frerichs told me today that they're working with Jerry Brown's office to make sure this doesn't happen in the future, and another man like Deaver isn't out, living close to an elementary school, around kids and lurking in the shadows.

I was happy to hear from DeSaulnier's office, and happy with the response I got. I wasn't trying to make a law just to "make a law", I was trying to change things, and make people aware of this issue. I know Jerry Brown, his office and the office of Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier are taking this seriously, and I'll follow up with them to see how things are going. Of course, if a case like Roger Deaver's ever happens again, you better believe I'll be making sure that the judge enforces this issue, and makes the scumball register before he leaves the courthouse!

Thanks to Lucas Frerichs, Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier and the rest of his office, as well as Attorney General Jerry Brown and his office for taking my request seriously. If we can't keep these losers off the streets, then knowing where they live and who to watch out for is the next best thing.

For all the background of this story, click HERE. (start from the bottom).