Good Bye to Pope JP-2

Well, it's been announced that the Vatican has given Pope John Paul 2nd his last rights. Now it's time for someone new to step in; But who could hold such a prestigious position? I mean with Hilter gone and Saddam in Prison I think the only possible candidate is Osama. I mean, who else has the capacity to oppress and condem so many people on such a large scale? Who else could carry on the traditions of the Catholic Church? Time honered tradtions like "Non-Involvement" during the Holocaust, The Spanish Inquisition, child raping, and holding back the advancements of women, gays, blacks, Jews, Arabs, Asians, Eskimos, and midgets? So join me is saying

"Osama for Pope"
My name is Jiggs and I endorced this ad.




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Read the article on JP-2 here

Pic of the Day

Here is a pic from Bush's Yale yearbook.


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Celebrity news

Now blind and deaf people can hate Celine Dion as much as the rest of us!


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Real Magazine Names

So, you all know that I work for a media relations company. Sometimesmy job requires me to research small and unusual publications. Here are a few of the most interesting:

Philadelphia Gay News

Draft Horse Journal

The world's foremost heavy horse & mule publication

Golf Car Advisor

Modern Drunkard

Creative Loafing

Mold & Moisture Management

Honey Hole Magazine

About Bass Fishing

Gene Simmons' Tongue

Hosiery News

Fish Taco Chronicles

Fish Sniffer

Musky Hunter

Laundry Today

Lesbian News

Milk & Liquid Food Transporter

Moldmaking Technology

Murder Dog

What year is this again?

Believe it or not phamacists are beginning to deny women birth-control pills at alarming rates because of their beliefs. Doesn't the Hipocratic Oath state that they are there for the sole pourpose of helping people including granting them the medicines that an accredited doctor perscribes. This shit really pisses me off! Check out this article:


Pharmacists’ rights at front of new debate Because of beliefs, some refuse to fill birth control prescriptions
By Rob Stein
The Washington Post
Updated: 11:12 p.m. ET March 27, 2005

Some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs.

The trend has opened a new front in the nation's battle over reproductive rights, sparking an intense debate over the competing rights of pharmacists to refuse to participate in something they consider repugnant and a woman's right to get medications her doctor has prescribed. It has also triggered pitched political battles in statehouses across the nation as politicians seek to pass laws either to protect pharmacists from being penalized — or force them to carry out their duties.

The rest of the article is here.

Last Days in Michigan

Well, I wish I could tell you that the rest of our time in Michigan was as exciting as Chicago; but that would be a lie. Over our last few days there we went to Lansing a few times and drove around. For those of you who have been/or live in Oregon Lansing is much like Eugene. For those of you who don't know Eugene, it's much like any other college town with a population of around 50,000.

On Tuesday we went to Detroit which is a cesspool of dirt and poverty. Although there are some nice parts and beautiful buildings, the general feeling is much less enjoyable than that of Chicago. While there we crossed over the Detroit River (actually under the Detroit river) into Windsor Canada. Windsor is... well, it's just like Detroit except the people are nicer. We stayed in Canada for a total of a bout 20 minutes before we were back in America.

After that we spent most of our time there visiting Lisa's family; aunts, uncles, grandmas, etc. Most of it was pretty dry except for Lisa's "funny" grandma (maternal) who is famous for her one great Jew joke; which of course I love. Here it is:

Why don't Jews eat pussy?
Because it's too close to the gas chamber.

Now that joke is funny enough as it is, but told by a 70-something grandma makes it that much better.

The only other interesting story I can really think of right now is the story of Scooter. Scooter is an African Grey Parrot owned by Lisa's mom's husband Steven. The bird is about two years old and--although he belongs to Steven--he is at home all day with Lisa's mom. Scooter doesn't really know what he is talking about most of the time, but has a pretty extensive vocabulary. He spends most of the days mimicking Lisa's mom's commands to her dogs. The bird says things like "Maggie get down" or "Bad Emily!". Lisa's mom also walks over to the cage on occasion to talk to the bird and says "Scooter scoot, Scooter scoot" and walks away. As she left the bird mimicked her... Including her mid west accent. Sho here is an African Bird saying
"Scoohtar sc-ooh-t, Scoohtar sc-ooh-t". Well, it probably looses a bit of it's hilarity in the written word, but it was funny to me nonetheless.

On Thursday morning we packed up, got in the rental car, and headed back to the airport. The car was due back by noon and we arrived back at midway at around 11:57. hustled to the terminal, and waited for 2 1/2 hours till our plane left. We got home just before 6pm and headed home (thanks to a ride from Jeremy). Josh had picked up Lola from the Kennel and all was over by 7:30.

This was one of the most enjoyable trips I have ever taken to a new place. I highly recommend Chicago as a destination. The people are friendly, it's clean, and safe, and less expensive than the Bay Area. My next trip is Oregon in June and then possibly New York in December. After that, I am really hoping to go to Europe next Spring.

Red Shift: Coming to a town near you!!! 

First Day in Michigan

Well, the truth of the matter is that I am now home and actually sitting at work on my lunch break. I didn't get much time to write while in Michigan because Lisa's mom only has a dial up connection and it kept freezing while I wrote the last two entries. So I figured it might be best to write the remaining stories from home.

We awoke early on Friday morning and walked around the Magnificent Mile one more time before we had to leave. We walked to the John Hancock Building, got some coffee, and browsed the strip before returning to our hotel.

Before I go on I feel I should show you a few pics of what I have been talking about. The first Pic is the John Hancock Building:



Here is a pic of some classic Chicago pizza:


And here are a few of the city:

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An here are a few from the top of the Sears Tower:

(the first is Soldier Field where the Bears play)
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And here is a picture of the Sears Tower itself:
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And lastly (for now) here are a couple of Lake Michigan:

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Now, back to our trip.

After returning to the hotel we packed our bags, hit the "El", and headed back to Midway to pick up our rental car. From there, we headed around the southern tip of Lake Michigan through Indiana, on our way to Lisa's mom's house in central Michigan.

After leaving Illinois we decided to get a bit to eat at a Wendy's just outside of Gary Indiana. This would be my first taste of what I would eventually call "the Mid West Stare" (at least that's what I said to myself although I don't believe I ever said it out loud). Upon entrance of this fine fast food eatery I could feel the eyes of some god-fearing kin-folk on the back of my neck. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't feel threatened or anything, just stared at. My appearance in general didn't seem to cause any ruckus, but my earrings on the other hand, seemed to. I spent the rest of my time in small town America feeling this "stare" at least once a day.

Another item that struck me as odd were the little tin ashtrays on every table inside the Wendy's. It has been a while since I've seen ashtrays in any restaurant, let alone a fast food place. I knew at this point I wasn't in Berkeley anymore.

After about 4 1/2 hours in the car we arrived in Owasso; a small town halfway between Lansing (the state capital and home of Michigan State University) and Flint (home of poverty and GM) . Owasso is a small town of about 2,600 people spread out over 10 or so miles. It is connected to a larger town of more than 10,000 that has a Wal-Mart, major grocery store, and various small town businesses. Upon arrival Lisa's mom Nancy asked us if we wanted to go out for "Sliders" which I soon learned was a slang term for greasy hamburgers. We agreed and headed into "town".

The "Slider" establishment was an Irish bar (or at least appeared to be a few days after St. patty's Day) in the center of the adjoining town. While we waited for our burgers I got to know Lisa's mom and her husband Steven. At one point Lisa Mentioned something I had said to her in Jest a few days earlier. She told her mom and Steven that I was interested in seeing Flint,which I mentioned only because it was a town that I had heard of besides Lansing and Detroit. At this point Steven leaned in and quite casually told me:
"I'm not a racist or anything... But that town is full of Niggers."

At this point I wasn't quite sure weather to be angry or laugh hysterically. I mean, who precludes a statement like that with "I'm not a racist"? So, as Lisa squeezed my knee under the table in anger, I smiled and nodded my head thinking: They still make people like you?

Well, that's all I have time for right now, but I do have some more stories that I'll get to as soon as I can. But for now...

-Ciao

Last days in Chicago

Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day and we believed that we would be in Chicago for the parade and when they dyed the river green. We were sad to learn that the parade however, was the Saturday before we got there. So we decided to walk around town again. We took a bus to the Field museum that also sits on Lake Michigan about a mile south of the Navy Pier. We spent a few hours walking around looking at Native American and Eskimo artifacts and the fossils of the best preserved dinosaur; a Tyrannosaurs named Sue.

After the museum we got back on the bus and headed for Michigan Avenue, a stretch of shopping and attractions in downtown Chicago nicknamed "The Magnificat Mile". While walking around looking at random shit we decided to have lunch in an Irish bar called O’Neil’s; we figured we should have at least one beer on St. Patty’s Day. So we ordered a couple of sandwiches and beers and waited about an hour until we finally got our food. This ended up being our only crappy experience in town as we paid almost $50 for 3 beers, an order of potato skins, and 2 sandwiches that took an hour to arrive; man we were pissed when we left.

We spent the rest of the day walking around and ended up retiring to our hotel room early to rest up for the next day’s traveling. I almost forgot to mention our hotel. The Amalfi sits just 4 blocks from Lake Michigan and is totally sweet. This was one of the nicest hotels that I have ever stayed at. It had Egyptian cotton sheets, a great view, and really nice decor. Furthermore, each morning came with an awesome breakfast spread laid out on every floor. The hotel sits across the street from the Broadcast Arts Museum, Harry Carey’s, and the House of Blues. It was central to everything we wanted to see and could walk to almost anywhere.

The next morning it was time to head out for the second leg of our trip. We walked around in downtown for a brief time then headed back to our hotel, packed up, and headed for the El. We took the train back to Midway where we picked up our rental car and hit the road to Lisa’s mom’s house.

The drive from Chicago to Lansing takes about 4 hours and takes you East around the lake, through Indiana, and into Michigan. The drive went well, there wasn’t much to look at. A lot of Bush-Cheney Stickers, and pick-up trucks. We stopped at a Wendy’s just outside of Gary Indiana and I got some pretty weird looks; I don’t think people are used to seeing stretched ears. One odd thing that I did notice is that the Wendy’s had little disposable ashtrays available so you could smoke inside; very odd to me. Anyway, the drive went smoothly and we arrived at Lisa’s mom’s house at around 5pm. That’s when the real fun began! But I’ll save that for later.

I hope your all well,
Happy birthday to Cristina,
See ya’ll soon,
-Mike

First Days in Chi Town

Good Morning All.

Well it’s Saturday morning and Lisa and I are now in a small town called Owosso in Central Michigan. We are between Lansing and Flint just about 90 miles East of Detroit. We got here last night after spending 3 days in Chicago.

We arrived at Midway at around 3 pm Central time Tuesday afternoon. I knew it would be a good trip when the flight attendant came on to the PA and said "thank you for flying Southwest. This is our final destination... Unless you wanna go back to Oakland!" Right then I had to laugh knowing that her felling was Chicago was much more fun than Oakland.

Almost immediately I noticed that my ideas about Chicago were completely misguided. The buildings were dirty from car exhaust, but the streets and El (elevated train system) were very clean; overly clean in fact. The people were polite and accommodating and by the end of the first day I had fallen in love with Chi Town.

I knew that I had a few destinations that I had to go to. On the top of my list were home town pizza favorites. So at the end of our first night in town we went to a place called Geno’s East for some deep dish Chicago-style classic pizza. We stuck with the basics and just got pepperoni. The pie was probably a little over 2 inches thick and piled high with cheese, sauce, and topping. The crust was made of some kind of hybrid between regular flour and a corn meal, It was crumbly but tasty. All-in-all it was good, not mind-bending or oh-my-god, but really good. It did not make me re-think my views on NY pizza being the best.

It didn’t take long to notice how bad the drivers are in Chicago though. In other major cities a driver will honk his horn as he is slamming on his brakes yelling "git outta my way." In Chicago the horn is used as a warning. A driver will honk at you to tell you "I am coming trough so you’d better move." Chicago drivers don’t slow down if you’re in their way, they leave the getting to you.

Another thing that I noticed about the city is that EVERY business uses revolving doors. Hotels, restaurants, even 7-11's use revolving doors; I have never seen so many in one city. I was thinking about coming back and making a photo-montage of just revolving doors; there had to be thousands of them.

On our second day in town we did some tourist stuff. We hit the Navy Pier which is kind of like the boardwalk in Santa Cruz; Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, and other carnival attractions. The Pier sits on Lake Michigan which was a beautiful shade of greenish blue; again, much cleaner than expected. Of course, you can’t see the other side making it seem much less like a lake and much more like an ocean. From there we walked around downtown for hours until we got to the Sears Tower.

The Sears Tower is the 3rd tallest building in the world and the tallest in the US at 103 stories (The twin towers were 110 stories, but shorter in actual feet). From the observation deck at the top we could see all of Chicago and other parts of Illinois. If it had been clearer we would have been able to see Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. From there we made it back to our hotel to rest for the evening.

That night (Wed. the 16th) we celebrated Lisa’s Birthday (her birthday is actually the 21st) By going out for a night on the town. We started at a place called The Kinzie Chop House where we had an amazing steak dinner and a fine bottle of wine. After that we took a cab over to Lincoln Park -- or as the cab driver called it, the gay district. We got to The Briar Street Theater just before 7:30 to get our seat for The Blue Man Group and settled in for the show. For those of you who have never seen the Blue Man Group, I highly recommend it, we had a blast. I will go into more detail at another time but, sufficed to say, it was well worth the effort.

After the show we were exhausted from all of the walking and sight seeing so we retired to our room for the next day’s festivities. Well, that’s all for now as we are heading into Lansing now for some more sightseeing. I’ll try to write some more as soon as I can. I hope you all are well and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care,
-Mike

Last Day in Town

So in 24hrs we depart for our long trip to the Midwest leaving our beloved Lola behind with a babysitter. Only one problem though, our babysitter has totally flaked. So we're totally stuck trying to find a place for her by the end of night; no pressure. So, if anybody out there has any ideas, I am totally open to them.

Anyway, the main reason I am actually writing this is to let ya'll know that I will be on vacation for the next two weeks or so but plan on trying to keep a trip log. So, if you're interested in my trip, come on back and hear about Chicago Pizza, The St. Patrick's Day Parade, green beer, and anything else we might encounter in our trip to Chicago, Detroit, Lansing, and possibly Cleveland.

Ciao for now.
-MB

Pic of the Day

What do you do when you're an ugly band with no talent? Well, follow KISS of Course!
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Slipknot is a 9 piece teavesty to the music industry that hails from that hard-rockin, kick-ass city of Des moines Iowa. At least we all know now that they look as bad as they sound!

Chronicles of Lola

Well, it's been three full days since we brought Lola home and it's definitely had it's ups and downs. She's really a handful; lots of energy. We've had a blast taking her almost everywhere we've gone and walking her around the neighborhood. She is having a little problem with getting a little too out of control with her biting; she has drawn blood once on me and once on Lisa, but both times we had our hands in the wrong place as she was trying to play tug-of-war with our pant legs.

We're up every two hours during the night to take her out which kind of sucks but has been working really well. We're using the crate training technique which means we keep her in a pet carrier overnight. At first I didn't really like the idea of confining her all night but the truth is that you wouldn't put a baby loose in the kitchen for 8 hours alone so why does it make sense to do it to a puppy? The added bonus to this method is that dogs do not like to crap where they sleep, so she would rather whine to get out than crap in her bed, so it helps a lot with the training.

we're getting ready to leave for Chicago & Michigan in 4 days or so and I am already sad that we're leaving her being. I feel like we've just begun to make progress and this trip will be a huge step backward. But the pup will most likely be going to Kelly and I have full faith in her ability with animals. Plus, Pits are supposed to be really good with kids (although I still need to warn her about the biting thing).

Well, I guess I should get to work now, so I'll write more updates as they come. Also, I am really going to try to keep up with this while I'm in Chicago so check back all next week and the following week for updates on the big trip to the Midwest.

Hell yeah, I can't wait for:

St. Patrick's Day in Chi Town

Pic of the Day

Phil Mickelson (news) flinches in agony after missing the putt on the 18th green that would have tied the score with Tiger Woods (news) Sunday, March 6, 2005 at the Ford Championship at Doral in Doral, Fla. Woods won with a score of 24 under parr, one shot better than Mickelson.
AP Photo/Steve Mitchell)

A New Kind of "Special" Brownie

This article brought to my by Frankis Molloy:

Teen Admits Putting Semen On Brownies Shared At School.
POSTED: 8:49 am EST March 10, 2005

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho --
A teenager has agreed to admit to three counts of disturbing the peace after anonymously sending semen-frosted brownies to a fellow student.

The recipient shared the treat with two other teens, police said.

They said the 17-year-old Coeur d'Alene High School student was upset after a prank in which the other student put peanut butter in his cheese sandwich days before. He told a school resource officer that "he hated peanut butter and it made him more mad than he could explain," according to the police report.

The teen later told School Resource Officer Jeff Walther that he got the idea of putting his semen on the brownies from the movie "National Lampoon's Van Wilder," in which characters send pastries filled with dog semen to a fraternity house.

The student was arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center. He has since been released on a judge's order that he has no contact with the students who ate the brownies.

The youth is to be sentenced on April 4 on the three misdemeanor counts, which are each punishable by up to 90 days in detention, prosecutors said.

The victims' parents were notified and the children were tested for anything that could have been transmitted through the body fluid, although Panhandle Health spokeswoman Susan Cuff said the chance of the students' health being affected would be "extremely remote."

School Superintendent Harry Amend declined comment on any school discipline against the teenager.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Article taken from here.

The Woes of Doggyville Conclusion: It's a Girl!!!

Well, what can I say? I'm a sucker for a cute puppy. We picked her up last night in San Jose at around 7:30. The foster parents were extremely nice. They took her to the vet for a check up (clean bill of health), the bought her really high-quality food, and flea control, and obviously gave her lots of love.

She is 7 weeks and 7lbs. We named her Lola. Here are a few pics:

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I'll have better (and bigger) pics in the coming days.

The Woes of Doggyville

So I get a picture this morning in my email of the cutest little Pittbull puppy I've ever seen. Brown and white with a stripe down the front of her nose and only six weeks old. I could already hear Lisa's voice saying "can we keep him?" I guess I should start from the beginning.

Lisa frequents a blog site for motorcyclists (more specifically sport bikers) called BARF or Bay Area Riders Forum. It seems that one of her fellow bikers awoke this morning to one of his "wife's WT (white trash) friends" leaving a puppy on his doorstep. According to the blogger, this woman just said she couldn't have him and left. Of course, the guy who wrote the posting couldn't have him either so he turned to his biker buddies. Lisa, being the dedicated BARF'er that she is, logged on this morning only to see the face of this extremely cute but obviously sad puppy. Of course, seeing something like this first thing in the morning can be severely detrimental to rational thinking; so she sent me the pic.

Now I'm not going to say that I am not a sucker for this dog; in fact I might want him more than she does. However, we have many huddles to jump through before we can take on such a responsibility. I assumed that the easy way out was to list the hurdles to her and allow her to attempt to overcome them herself:

We have to ask Greg
We have to ask Josh
We're going away for 10 day who'll watch her
what about a vet check up before hand

Well, that kind of backfired and I'll explain how. You see Greg approved almost immediately, I found a volunteer to watch her for 10 days while we're gone, and the poster of the ad is taking her to a vet today for a check up. So, we're down to Josh.

Josh is a 50/50 bet as to how he'll feel about it. Personally, I'll be fine with which ever way he goes. But c'mon, Isn't this the cutest thing ever:

Police break in to find home-alone hamster.

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters)
A German man who went on holiday left his stereo and lights on so that his pet hamster would not feel lonely in the empty apartment, a police spokesman said on Monday after breaking into the home over fears the man may have died.

The spokesman for police in Bremen said police broke open the door after being alerted by neighbors that loud music was playing nonstop for five days and the lights were left on. No one answered the door when they knocked, police said.

"There was a fear the occupant might have been disabled or dead," a police spokesman said. "All we found was a pet hamster. The occupant was away on holiday. A friend of his arrived and said he left the music on so the hamster wouldn't feel lonely."

The spokesman said the friend of the occupant, who is still on holiday and not reachable, told police she visited every few days to feed the golden hamster food and provide water. She promised to turn the music down and come by more often.

Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved

Read article here.

Welcome Home Martha!

After 5 long months of hard labor in a minimum security prison, Martha Stewart was released from her West Virginia cell early this morning. Although Stewart is out of prison, her confinement is far from over. The Domestic Diva will spend another 5 long months sequestered to her New York Estate. I, for one, would like to send a congratulations to Ms. Stewart for completion of her time in jail and wish her the best in her coming house arrest.

Recent stories have surface about Martha Stewart's cell block antics and the hard labor she was forced to endure. According to Marjorie "larger Marge" Jenkins, Stewart "was the best cell mate ever." Jenkins went on to say "[Stewart] was so accommodating. She made my bed every morning, knitted me a new blanket, and even tossed my salad every night; after reading me a bed time story of course."

Along with brandied peach tartlets, crocheted foot cozies, and decorative doiles Stewart spent most of her time hard at work delegating kitchen authority and watching reruns of Leave it to Beaver.

One might think "What's next for the Kmart Queen? How will she recover from her hard time?" Well, fear not. Stewart has teamed up with Survivor and Apprentice creator Mark Burnette for not one, but two upcoming shows. The first will be a Real World like journey into the hell that is house arrest in a multi million dollar estate complete with big screen TV's, all the venison you can cook, and a plethora of Mexican and Philippino house boys.

The second show is going to be The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Since we all know she can't use "you're fired" as her catch phase, we'll have to wait and see as to what her technique might be. I imagine it will be something casual and light hearted in attempts to reconcile her image; something like "You fail to be assimilated" or an elegant "fuck off."

So Martha Stewart fans, don't fret. Your icon isn't going anywhere. In fact, she will probably be more famous now than she ever was before; especially if her stock is any indicator (for those of you who don't know, Martha Stewart Living stock has more than tripled in the last 5 months).

Angry Chimps Strike Again

This post is for Liz who is sitting sadly alone in her dank, dark cubicle in storage room B.
Liz, while you're there would you take care of the cockroach problem?

Two male chimpanzees escaped their California cage and attacked a man's eyes, limbs and private parts.

Medics bagged a severed nose, foot and an eye of the victim, St. James Davis, who was listed in critical condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center, the Bakersfield, Californian reported Friday. t was not immediately known if any of the severed parts could be reattached.

"Everybody was trying to get the chimp(s) off," said Kern County sheriff's Cmdr. Hal Chealander. "(Davis') face was literally ripped off."

A family member of the chimps' owners shot the two chimps to death. Two female chimpanzees also escaped but did not participate in the attack and were put back into their cages.

Davis' wife suffered less severe injuries to her arm as she tried to help him and was taken to a local hospital, officials said.

http://www.kget.com/news/weird_news/story.aspx?content_id=D6E92518-820F-4590-8942-23A88539170A

What's Wrong With French People?

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Child sex trial opens in France
Dozens of men and women accused of the rape and abuse of children have gone on trial in one of the biggest court cases in France's legal history.

The trial, which involves 66 defendants and is expected to last four months, is taking place in a specially built hall in the town of Angers, western France. Some 60 lawyers are taking part and the prosecution case runs to 430 pages, AFP news agency reports. There are 45 alleged child victims whose ages range from 12 to six months. France has been horrified by the case, wondering how such widespread abuse could have gone on for so long unnoticed by social workers or the police, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris.

Children 'bartered'
Of the 66 defendants, 39 face charges of raping children under 15 and of pimping. A total of 39 men and 27 women are going on trial. The crimes could incur jail terms of up to 30 years.

In Thursday's hearing, the accused were asked to stand in turn and give their age, profession and home address. The court is also expected to rule on a request for the proceedings to be heard behind closed doors. The victims are not expected to appear in court - their testimony has been videotaped. The evidence being presented in court suggests a cycle of abuse down the generations, our correspondent says.

The couple at the centre of the trial were themselves both sexually abused as children.
They in turn allegedly raped and abused their own children, and allowed family members, neighbours and friends to do the same. Almost all the defendants come from deeply deprived backgrounds; few have jobs or training. Some are illiterate and almost all lived in the same rundown council estate on welfare benefits. The prosecution says most crimes were perpetrated in the flat of a former convicted sex offender and in sheds on garden allotments.

"Parents of one kid sold her for a new car tire," said lawyer Philippe Cosnard, quoted by the AFP news agency. Other children were allegedly bartered for small sums of money, food or cigarettes.

A girl of 10 was allegedly raped by more than 30 adults.

Outreau case
The alleged crimes reportedly came to light when investigators monitored the activities of another convicted sex offender released in 1999. The two men are said to have run the paedophile ring. The crimes allegedly took place between January 1999 and February 2002 in Angers' Saint-Leonard district. Prosecutors say about half of the accused have admitted their guilt. But the prosecution hopes to avoid any repetition of the errors that plagued a previous high-profile paedophile trial - the Outreau case in northern France last year.

In that case, the accused spent months in prison awaiting trial and 13 people were implicated on the testimony of a woman who later admitted she had been lying.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/4313747.stm
Published: 2005/03/03
17:47:13 GMT

Stupid Cat or Stupid Owner? You decide.

Cat Survives 10-Mile Trip Atop Car -
Thursday, March 3, 2005
Inkom, Idaho (AP) --

Torri Hutchinson's cat might just have one less life to live. Hutchison was driving along Interstate 15 one day recently when a motorist kept trying to get her attention and pointing to the roof of her car. She said she was wary of the man, but wondered if perhaps her ski rack might have come loose. She pulled over to the side, but kept her doors locked and the motor running. The man pulled up behind her. Hutchinson rolled down her window to hear the man frantically shouting, "Your cat! Your cat!" He reached for the roof of her car and handed the shocked Hutchinson her orange tabby.

She had driven about 10 miles with the cat on top of the car, and didn't even notice the feline when she stopped for gas.

Hutchinson said Cuddle Bug, or C.B. for short, had climbed into the back of her car as she was getting ready to leave. She put him out, but he must have jumped on the roof while she wasn't looking, she said.

from: Idaho State Journal,
http://www.journalnet.com/

H.S. Thompson: 'Suicided' By The Gov't?

Hunter Thompson was working on WTC collapse story before mysterious sudden death, warned he'd be 'suicided'
By PAUL WILLIAM ROBERTS
Toronto Globe
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Page F9

Hunter telephoned me on Feb. 19, the night before his death. He sounded scared. It wasn't always easy to understand what he said, particularly over the phone, he mumbled, yet when there was something he really wanted you to understand, you did. He'd been working on a story about the World Trade Center attacks and had stumbled across what he felt was hard evidence showing the towers had been brought down not by the airplanes that flew into them but by explosive charges set off in their foundations. Now he thought someone was out to stop him publishing it: "They're gonna make it look like suicide," he said. "I know how these bastards think . . ."

Hunter S. Thompson ... was indeed working on such a story.

Now check out this February 25 Associated Press story about Thompson's death. Sounds a lot like a professional hit with a silencer:

"I was on the phone with him, he set the receiver down and he did it. I heard the clicking of the gun," Anita Thompson told the Aspen Daily News in Friday's editions.

She said her husband had asked her to come home from a health club so they could work on his weekly ESPN column...

Thompson said she heard a loud, muffled noise, but didn't know what had happened. "I was waiting for him to get back on the phone," she said.

Click here to read the article in its' entirty.

Click here to hear Thompson's Acusations toward the Government.

This was article brought to me by Frankis Molloy

Celebrity Bacteria, Skin Cells, & Fecal Matter

Have you ever wanted to buy

Jack Black's Poop,

Jeff Bridges' skin cells,

or

Robin Williams' Urine?

Well, you're in luck! Check this out:

http://www.blackpitchpress.com/celebrityskin/film.htm

Blogging in Political Jeopardy

The coming crackdown on blogging
By Declan McCullagh
Story last modified Thu Mar 03 04:00:00 PST 2005

Bradley Smith says that the freewheeling days of political blogging and online punditry are over.

In just a few months, he warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign's Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines.

Smith should know. He's one of the six commissioners at the Federal Election Commission, which is beginning the perilous process of extending a controversial 2002 campaign finance law to the Internet.

Click here for the full article

Band Update: SHOW FINALIZED

Hey Guys,

We're proud to announce the debut of Red Shift in just a few short weeks. I can't tell you how excited I am about this; I haven't played a metal show in a year and a half. Anyway, the info is below and I hope to see all ya'll there.

Wednesday April 13th,
The Stork Club
2330 Telegraph
(510) 444-6174
Red Shift
Evil Beaver
Doors at 8,
Show at 9,
(price has not been determined yet)

Check out Evil Beaver on their website at www.evilbeaver.us

Yosemite and the Elusive Moonbow.

It was decided earlier in the week that it was definitely time to get out of the city and get in touch with our inner hippie. So, on a whim we rented a minivan, got a map, made some sandwiches, and hit the road. It was just after 5:30 AM when the five of us hit the road. It was myself, Lisa, Josh, Becky, and Ian in a Dodge Caravan heading East on our journey to Yosemite national Park.

Lisa was the only one who had been to the central California attraction before, but she had not had much time for exploration. Ours however, was a trip destined for exploration, invigoration, and frolicking. Initially it seemed like a bad idea for us to attempt to depart at such and early stage of the day, however our jubilence for the upcoming event awoke us all with a aire of exhilaration.

Cruising across I-580 East before the sun rise made the trip feel like the beginning of a long cross-country journey. Here we were, a group of 20-something adventurers embarking on a quest for the unknown. All we did know was that we were leaving civilization behind; at least for the day. Or so we thought.

Trading the stereo-play between renditions of Willie Nelson's On The Road Again and Soundgarden's A Sides, the trip's sound track began to take shape. The mean time was spent passing Jefferson Airplanes from front to back and enjoying all the beautiful scenery that this rural part of the sunshine State has to offer.

It was almost 9:30 when we reached the park and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Towering sheer mountains, crystal clear running rivers, waterfalls that stretched to the sky and deep, dense forests full of beautiful trees, flowers, plants, and birds; we even saw a small coyote running down a pathway not too far off the road. We spent hours hiking around eventually making our way to Nevada Falls where we sat, ate, smoked, and meditated.

I feel that no amount of explanation could truly explain the day. I have a plethora of pics that I will put online for all to see. All I can say is if you haven't been there, you HAVE to go; there is truly nothing like it.

'Tony's Law' Would Require Marijuana Users to Inform Interested Neighbors
WASHINGTON, DC—Citizens spoke before Congress Monday in support of Tony's Law, a Senate measure that would require all marijuana-law offenders to inform their neighbors if they're holding.

"Right now, countless Americans are living on the very same blocks as convicted illegal-drug users," said Sharon Logan of the Weed For Tony Coalition. "Without a federal mandate requiring full disclosure, how are unsuspecting residents supposed to find any decent weed?"

Designed to protect Americans from dry spells, Tony's Law was named after 19-year-old New Jersey resident Tony DiCenzo, who went nine months without getting high before discovering that he lived in the same apartment building as a reliable marijuana source.

Can you imagine the shock and anger Tony must have felt when he found out that the guy on the second floor possessed the Schedule I federal controlled substance?" Logan said. "The offender could have invited poor Tony into his apartment to smoke some at any time. It's heartbreaking."

Tony's Law would create a national public registry of drug-law offenders' names, addresses, and pager numbers. Additionally, offenders charged with dealing marijuana would be required to either post signs or go door-to-door and let neighbors know when they're holding.

Privacy-rights groups oppose the legislation on the grounds that it violates the individual's right to a stash, but Austin, TX's James W. Clancy is one of many stoner-rights lawyers who traveled to Washington to rally in favor of the law's passage.

"Millions of Americans love to be high," Clancy said. "Unfortunately, their neighbors often keep them in the dark about what kind of shit is going around."

Clancy and other proponents of Tony's Law argued that the bill would result in increased domestic trade in consumer snack products and a heightened sense of community and well-being. More powerful, perhaps, were the personal testimonials of hundreds of drug-drought victims, who stood before lawmakers to share their experiences with dope deprivation.

"As a parent, I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to finding weed," Minneapolis resident Kyle Berman said. "All my wife and I wanted to be able to do was get Tina and Tyler to bed, put on a movie, and smoke a joint. It wasn't until the police busted the guy across the street for growing marijuana that we realized how close we'd come to actually finding some pot. A whole set-up with lamps and everything was less than 50 feet from our living room. It sickens me to think about it."

Several lawmakers have spoken out in opposition to Tony's Law, largely due to what Rep. Chris Chocola (R-IN) called "complications stemming from the illegality of marijuana."

Nonetheless, the bill's many devoted supporters said they'll continue their fight.

"After nine months of hell, Tony eventually found a hook-up through the friend of a guy whose brother met someone at a former girlfriend's birthday party," activist Stephen Miller said. "In spite of the nightmare he was going through, Tony didn't give up...and neither will we."

From The Onion.

Corpse Bride Trailer

If you haven't seen it, check it out below:

http://corpsebridemovie.warnerbros.com/

The Corpse Bride is Tim Burton & Johnny Depp's 5th movie together (Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride). It comes out around Halloween and is animated much like a cross between The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.

Personality Test

I just took an online personality test and thought I'd share the results. Man, this thing doesn't hold back, but I'm sure anyone who knows me will probably find it to be accurate:


The Caring, Interpersonal Type:
Generous, Demonstrative, People-Pleasing, and Possessive.

Basic Fear: Of being unwanted, unworthy of being loved
Basic Desire: To feel loved,

Healthy:
Empathetic, compassionate, feeling for others.
Caring and concerned about their needs. Thoughtful, warm-hearted, forgiving and sincere. Encouraging and appreciative, able to see the good in others. Service is important, but takes care of self too: they are nurturing, generous, and giving — a truly loving person. At Their Best become deeply unselfish, humble, and altruistic: giving unconditional love to self and others. Feel it is a privilege to be in their lives of others.

Average:
Want to be closer to others, so start "people pleasing", becoming overly friendly, emotionally demonstrative, and full of "good intentions" about everything. Give seductive attention: approval,"strokes," flattery. Love their supreme value, and they talk about it constantly. Become overly intimate and intrusive: they need to be needed, so they hover, meddle, and control in the name of love. Want others to depend on them: give, but expect a return: send double messages. Enveloping and possessive: the codependent, self-sacrificial person who cannot do enough for others — wearing themselves out for everyone, creating needs for themselves to fulfill. Increasingly self-important and self-satisfied, feel they are indispensable, although they over rate their efforts in others' behalf. Hypochondria, becoming a "martyr" for others. Overbearing, patronizing, presumptuous.

Unhealthy:
Can be manipulative and self-serving, instilling guilt by telling others how much they owe them and make them suffer. Abuse food and medication to "stuff feelings" and get sympathy. Undermine people, making belittling, disparaging remarks. Extremely self-deceptive about their motives and how aggressive and/or selfish their behavior is. Domineering and coercive: feel entitled to get anything they want from others: the repayment of old debts, money, sexual favors. Able to excuse and rationalize what they do since they feel abused and victimized by others and are bitterly resentful and angry. Somatization of their aggressions result in chronic health problems as they vindicate themselves by "falling apart" and burdening others. Generally corresponds to the Histrionic Personality Disorder and Factitious Disorder.

Key Motivations:
Want to be loved, to express their feelings for others, to be needed and appreciated, to get others to respond to them, to vindicate their claims about themselves.

Examples:
Mother Teresa, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Leo Buscaglia, Monica Lewinsky, Bill Cosby, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, Kenny G., Luciano Pavarotti, Lillian Carter, Sammy Davis, Jr., Martin Sheen, Robert Fulghum, Alan Alda, Richard Thomas, Jack Paar, Sally Jessy Raphael, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Ann Landers, "Melanie Hamilton" (Gone With the Wind), and "Dr. McCoy" (Star Trek).

If you want to try the test click below:
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/discover.asp
there is a link in the Paragraph that says "Free Sample Test"

OUCH!!!