Joel's Blog

2005-11-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

DISBELIEF! Fans stunned as Wing stricken

November 22, 2005

BY M.L. ELRICK and JIM SCHAEFER

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

From left, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Kris Draper and Robert Lang take a gurney across the ice to the Red Wings' bench as teammate Jiri Fischer is being treated by medical personnel. Monday night's game was postponed with Nashville leading, 1-0. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press)

Fans expecting to cheer on the Red Wings against the Nashville Predators at the Joe Louis Arena on Monday night were stunned as they watched defenseman Jiri Fischer collapse on the bench during the first period, and teammates and medical personnel rush to his aid.

Don Aaron, 70, of West Bloomfield, was sitting in Row 7, Seat 15, right on top of the tunnel where Fischer collapsed.

"We just saw him come off the ice," Aaron said. "It looked like he sat down and he just fell over. A couple of the players saw he was down and threw stuff on the ice to stop play."

Fischer was not moving, Aaron said, and the nearby crowd was in stunned silence: "They couldn't talk. ... This is a game. It's not supposed to be for your life."

Teammates, including Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman, yelled for assistance. When Fischer dropped, he was surrounded by other Wings defensemen.

"He was out cold," said Kevin Duffy, 47, who is from the Philadelphia area and was in town for the holiday. "They started pounding on his chest and that's when Yzerman and all of them started freaking out. ... It was evident that (Fischer) wasn't breathing."

Many in the packed arena weren't sure whether a player had collapsed or whether a fan had fallen over a railing into a tunnel leading to the Wings' locker room.

Rosemarie Green, 35, of Rochester brought her two sons, Cameron and Griffin, to the game to celebrate Cameron's sixth birthday.

"From our seats we could see the doctor doing CPR, which was very scary to us," she said.

Throughout the arena, fans were baffled at the scene unfolding on the ice. Many spoke on their cell phones trying to find out what happened or reporting to others what they knew. Few got through because circuits were jammed.

Just a minute or so after the collapse, most of the Wings bench and the Nashville players headed to the locker room. Yzerman, Shanahan, Kris Draper and Robert Lang stayed on the ice, hovering over their fallen teammate.

At one point as Fischer was being treated, Shanahan and Lang skated to the Zamboni entrance and helped his fiancee, Avery, to his side.

Herman Houin, 48, of Grosse Pointe, who said he is a plastic surgeon at Henry Ford Hospital and was sitting near the Wings bench, said later that he was surprised to hear the public address announcer say Fischer had suffered a seizure. Houin said it looked like a heart problem such as arrhythmia from his vantage point.

"It didn't look like he was breathing," Houin said. "They were breathing for him."

Other witnesses said team personnel had at least three defibrillators near Fischer's side as they worked to revive him.

Yzerman and Shanahan skated a stretcher to the bench, and fans cheered a few minutes after it appeared the crisis was over. But they fell silent after no one was loaded onto the stretcher and it was taken away.

After rescue workers held up what appeared to be a pair of shoulder pads, fans realized a player had been stricken.

Many headed to the concourse after the public address announcer said the ice would be re-surfaced and play would resume in about 15 minutes. One rumor running rampant was that Fischer had taken a puck to the throat and collapsed on the bench.

Shortly after the game was cancelled, Nashville players waited by their bus outside the arena, chatting on cell phones. Around 9:30, a Detroit police car arrived to lead a procession of six luxury cars and SUVs that appeared to be driven by Wings players westbound on Jefferson.

One officer on the scene said he assumed they were headed to the hospital.

Contact M.L. ELRICK at 313-223-3327 or melrick@freepress.com. Contact JIM SCHAEFER at 313-223-4542 or jschaefer@freepress.com.

Goblet of Fire

2005-11-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

Thursday night we saw Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. It was amazing. The only complaint that I have is that it was pretty rushed and incomplete - but they couldn't make it 4 hours long or anything so they did the best they could I suppose.

New Respect

2005-11-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

The other day Mary Joe Buttafuoco was on Oprah. I know it sounds stupid, but this is an incredible woman. She has been through so much (even more than I had realized) but it turns out that she’s an intelligent, wise, well spoken woman. I had often wondered about some of the choices she made (staying with Joey for so long after the whole ordeal was “over”, etc.) but after seeing her on Oprah it all makes sense. Her daughter was on the show as well, and she’s also a very bright, wise, well spoken woman. I was really impressed with both of them. Who knew that the Buttafuoco women were people to look up to?

Which do you want first?

2005-11-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

Let's start with the bad news. I did horribly on both tests in Gross II. It's possible to pull myself out of the hole I'm in but I'll really have to work my ass off. Ugh.
The good news: I'm doing really well in the rest of my classes. Except for Gross this is the best quarter I've had so far. And even though I'm failing Gross at the moment, for some reason I'm still in a really good mood. This is probably due to a few things, and here they are in no particular order:
1. Goblet of Fire comes out on Friday and we're going to see it Thursday night (technically Friday morning) at 12:01. WOOHOO.
2. I've been talking to a really nice (not to mention dead sexy) guy for the past few days. That's all I'll say for fear of jinxing it.
3. For the past few days my meals have ended with a warm slice of apple pie.
4. Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm actually kind of looking forward to going home. You know, the three Fs: Family, friends, and food. I just wish Rabea could come with me. :(

2005-11-13T11:26:00.000-05:00

'Go-getter,' 18, ousts mayor in Michigan

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

Michael Sessions is too young to drink champagne legally, but the 18-year-old high school senior has reason to celebrate: He unofficially won a race for mayor Tuesday by defeating the baby boomer incumbent.

Sessions, who turned 18 on Sept. 22, ran as a write-in candidate because he was too young to get on the ballot in the spring. The young politician used $700 from a summer job to fund his door-to-door campaign in Hillsdale, Mich., a town of about 9,000.

Unofficial results show that Sessions got 732 votes, compared with 668 for Mayor Doug Ingles, 51. Once his victory is certified and he's sworn in — the ceremony is set for Nov. 21 — he may be the youngest mayor in the USA. The U.S. Conference of Mayors lacks the data to determine whether he'll be the youngest mayor ever, says spokeswoman Elena Temple.

At least two other teens have been elected as mayors in recent years, but they were a tad older and represented much smaller towns. Jeffrey Dunkel was one month shy of 19 when he was sworn in as mayor of tiny Mount Carbon, Pa., in January 2002, and Chris Portman was 19 at his inauguration in Mercer, Pa., the same month.

"I've always been interested in politics," says Sessions, who registered to vote the day after his birthday and became a write-in candidate one day later. "It's certainly hard to be a write-in candidate," he says, adding that he drove around town Tuesday afternoon, nervous that people didn't know his name.

He says many voters told him they wanted "new energy," but he was still caught off-guard by the support he received.

"He was a real go-getter during his campaign," says Steven Brower, a government and economics teacher at Hillsdale High School. "He acted like he was running for president."

Brower, who gave his former student campaign tips, says he's thrilled: "There are too many kids today who laugh at government." He says Sessions, by carefully researching issues before taking a position, will serve responsibly in the largely ceremonial, four-year post.

The job comes with no office, no chair, no filing cabinet — not even a drawer, says incumbent Ingles. The mayor, who gets a $250 monthly stipend, casts one of nine votes on the City Council.

Ingles, who runs a roller-skating rink, says he's not upset by his loss. "It's an honor to serve. I'm proud of that," he says.

Dunkel says the toughest part of being a young mayor was getting people to take him seriously. After he proved he could do the job, by getting a police protection grant in his first year, he says residents came around. He won re-election this week.

Sessions says his parents were skeptical at first but are now "very supportive." He says he has no agenda but wants to meet everyone. "I'm trying to set up a board of advisers" that will include a former mayor and leaders from Hillsdale College, which he hopes to attend next fall.

Sessions plans to devote after-school hours to the job and use his bedroom as his office.

Oops

2005-11-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here I sit, stuck at school. Haha...that sounds like the opening line of a weird limerick or something. Anyway, this morning I had a lab practical so after it was over I had about an hour before my next practical so I decided to go home and chill for a bit. When it was time to head back to school I left the house (locking the door behind me of course) and immediately realized (realised if you're Rabea) that I had left my keys in the house. My new roommate had left just moments before I did so I called her cell phone hoping she'd turn around and let me in...but of course there was no answer. So I had to run to school. We all know that I'm not a very active guy, so I was not pleased. The practical I had was for x-ray full spine. That professor usually won't let you sit the exam if you're late so I was a little worried. I ended up walking in 2 minutes late but she didn't say anything. Now I'm stuck at the library until I can get in touch with Kim.

My phone is a piece

2005-11-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

My phone is becoming more and more useless by the day. At this point I can only make/receive calls about 35% of the time. If you call and can't get though just leave a message and I'll get it...eventually. Ugh.

Singles

2005-11-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mike and I went to a singles party. On one hand it was fun, but on the other hand it was a little depressing. When we got there they gave us name tags with our names and numbers on them (mine was 007 - hot). Throughout the evening if you see someone you like you're supposed to go to the table and write his number and a little note for him on a card, then the male-man delivers it to him. Well, I didn't get any of those. Bummer. There were over 100 people there, and I got nada. On the other hand, I did get a guy's phone number from him in person, so I guess that's better anyway. I'll probably give him a call sometime this week.
There was a guy there that I was talking with for a while and he seemed really cool and nice, plus he was pretty hot. Later in the evening I finally got the balls to go talk to him again and get his number but he had already left. Damn. All in all it was a fun night though. Mike and I made a new friend that we'll probably end up hanging out with sometime.

Quiz

2005-11-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

I've been up since before 7:00. I was bored, so I made a quiz...

Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

Luke

2005-11-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Luke, my cousin's son.

2005-11-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

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2005-11-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

2005-11-05T23:02:00.001-05:00

2005-11-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

2005-11-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

Finally

2005-11-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Finally, after a week of having no cable tv or internet access, I'm back online. To make a long story short, Comcast sucks but they're the ONLY company that offers these services to my area. Oh well. Other than that, midterms are next week so I've got a lot of studying to do. Sorry, but boring life = boring update. Deal with it.

Rufus & Edgar

2005-10-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

Here are the Jack O' Lanterns that Kim and I made.

The Dark Mark

2005-10-25T12:35:00.000-04:00

These people in Texas made a dark mark over their house. I'm both impressed and jealous.

Taste of Lexus, Rufus, Edgar, etc...

2005-10-25T12:32:00.000-04:00

I don't write here much these days because there's really not much to write about. A few cool things did happen in the past few days though.
On Sunday I went to the Taste of Lexus at Stone Mountain. It was really cool. We got to drive all the Lexuses (Lexi?), and they had tons of food. My favorite thing to drive was the new luxury hybrid SUV. It was really nice, plus I have a soft spot for hybrids so I was kinda excited. The food was really good, so of course I stuffed myself. They also had a place where you could go get a massage, but we decided to leave that for the end of the day, and when we went to go get one we found out that you had to sign up for an appointment and that they were booked. Oh well.
Last night Kim (the new roommate) and I carved pumpkins. Hers is Edgar and mine is Rufus. They turned out pretty well, especially since we decided to do it all free-hand.
I guess that's about it.

Civil rights icon Rosa Parks dies at 92

2005-10-25T08:42:00.000-04:00

Long known as the 'mother of the civil rights movement'

Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Posted: 4:07 a.m. EDT (08:07 GMT)

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(CNN) -- Rosa Parks, whose act of civil disobedience in 1955 inspired the modern civil rights movement, died Monday in Detroit, Michigan. She was 92.

Parks' moment in history began in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.

Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system by blacks that was organized by a 26-year-old Baptist minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (See video on an activist's life and times -- 2:52)

The boycott led to a court ruling desegregating public transportation in Montgomery, but it wasn't until the 1964 Civil Rights Act that all public accommodations nationwide were desegregated.

Facing regular threats and having lost her department store job because of her activism, Parks moved from Alabama to Detroit in 1957. She later joined the staff of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat.

Conyers, who first met Parks during the early days of the civil rights struggle, recalled Monday that she worked on his original congressional staff when he first was elected to the House of Representatives in 1964.

"I think that she, as the mother of the new civil rights movement, has left an impact not just on the nation, but on the world," he told CNN in a telephone interview. "She was a real apostle of the nonviolence movement."

He remembered her as someone who never raised her voice -- an eloquent voice of the civil rights movement.

"You treated her with deference because she was so quiet, so serene -- just a very special person," he said, adding that "there was only one" Rosa Parks.

Gregory Reed, a longtime friend and attorney, said Parks died between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. of natural causes. He called Parks "a lady of great courage."

Parks co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development to help young people pursue educational opportunities, get them registered to vote and work toward racial peace.

"As long as there is unemployment, war, crime and all things that go to the infliction of man's inhumanity to man, regardless -- there is much to be done, and people need to work together," she once said.

Even into her 80s, she was active on the lecture circuit, speaking at civil rights groups and accepting awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999.

"This medal is encouragement for all of us to continue until all have rights," she said at the June 1999 ceremony for the latter medal.

Parks was the subject of the documentary "Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks," which received a 2002 Oscar nomination for best documentary short.

In April, Parks and rap duo OutKast settled a lawsuit over the use of her name on a CD released in 1998. (Full story)

Bus boycott

She was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. Her marriage to Raymond Parks lasted from 1932 until his death in 1977.

Parks' father, James McCauley, was a carpenter, and her mother, Leona Edwards McCauley, a teacher.

Before her arrest in 1955, Parks was active in the voter registration movement and with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where she also worked as a secretary in 1943.

At the time of her arrest, Parks was 42 and on her way home from work as a seamstress.

She took a seat in the front of the black section of a city bus in Montgomery. The bus filled up and the bus driver demanded that she move so a white male passenger could have her seat.

"The driver wanted us to stand up, the four of us. We didn't move at the beginning, but he says, 'Let me have these seats.' And the other three people moved, but I didn't," she once said.

When Parks refused to give up her seat, a police officer arrested her.

As the officer took her away, she recalled that she asked, "Why do you push us around?"

The officer's response: "I don't know, but the law's the law, and you're under arrest."

She added, "I only knew that, as I was being arrested, that it was the very last time that I would ever ride in humiliation of this kind."

Four days later, Parks was convicted of disorderly conduct and fined $14.

That same day, a group of blacks founded the Montgomery Improvement Association and named King, the young pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as its leader, and the bus boycott began.

For the next 381 days, blacks -- who according to Time magazine had comprised two-thirds of Montgomery bus riders -- boycotted public transportation to protest Parks' arrest and in turn the city's Jim Crow segregation laws.

Black people walked, rode taxis and used carpools in an effort that severely damaged the transit company's finances.

The mass movement marked one of the largest and most successful challenges of segregation and helped catapult King to the forefront of the civil rights movement.

The boycott ended on November 13, 1956, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that Montgomery's segregated bus service was unconstitutional.

Parks' act of defiance came one year after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision that led to the end of racial segregation in public schools. (Full story)

U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a Democrat, told CNN Monday he watched the 1955-56 Montgomery drama unfold as a teenager and it inspired him to get active in the civil rights movement.

"It was so unbelievable that this woman -- this one woman -- had the courage to take a seat and refuse to get up and give it up to a white gentleman. By sitting down, she was standing up for all Americans," he said.

National Coming Out Day

2005-10-11T18:42:00.000-04:00

Anybody have anything you need to tell me? ;)

1 Week Down, 10 More To Go

2005-10-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

I'm finished with week 1. It was ok, but I think that this new schedule is going to be exhausting. Having three 7AM days and two 1PM days makes it difficult to get into a routine. Plus, two of the 7AM days are 7-5, and one is 7-6. It sucks. I'm pretty worn out already.

John Mayer & Adam Levine (of Maroon 5) Kissing

2005-10-04T08:38:00.000-04:00

But why the skirt, Adam?

First Day Back

2005-10-03T17:38:00.000-04:00

Today I went back to school. The good thing was that I only have one class on Mondays, and it's not until 1:00. It's Visceral Clinical Diagnosis. It seems like it's going to be a good class, but I think the lab will be somewhat challenging. Dr. Elsangak seems pretty cool, and I think I have Dr. Roche for lab and she and I already get along well. So far things seem to be going well. I hope it stays that way.

More on sailing

2005-10-02T13:04:00.000-04:00

I feel the need to say more about sailing. It was a lot of fun. I'd like to learn more about it. I think it would be awesome to actually sail somewhere...like up &/or down the coast, stopping at different ports and meeting new people and seeing new things along the way. Of course, this will probably never happen but I can dream, can't I?

Short & Sweet

2005-10-02T00:24:00.000-04:00

Today was a really good day. I went sailing/swimming with Andy & Sarah, then went to Salsa lessons with Shannon, Maria, & Stephanie. The lesson was fun, and I didn't do as terribly as I thought I was going to. After the salsa lessons we went to Don Pablo's for dinner, then went to see The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It was really good. It wasn't scary, but it was good nonetheless.

I AM THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE!!

2005-09-23T20:03:00.000-04:00

Ok, maybe not...but I passed all my classes this quarter. These days, that's the best I hope for.

2005-09-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

'Not Quite Perfect' McDonald's Opens In Illinois Outlet Mall

May 11, 2005 | Issue 41•19

GURNEE, IL—Hungry shoppers at the Gurnee Mills outlet mall can now get a name-brand lunch at a bargain-basement price, thanks to the Monday opening of McDonald's first "Not Quite Perfect" outlet store, offering imperfect and irregular items from the fast-food giant's menu.

Enlarge Image

The new outlet store.

"It's true that consistency is part of what makes McDonald's the leader in the fast-food industry, but so is good value," said Brian Landers, manager of the McDonald's outlet. "When customers see the low, low prices, they're more than willing to give our Six-Piece Quarter Pounders and Fish McGriddles a try. The food's a little different at this McDonald's, but it's really very close."

Continued Landers: "Now, who's ready for factory seconds?!"

Located next to a Levi's outlet store offering mis-stitched and off-season apparel, the McDonald's outlet will be the destination for all products that do not meet the strict requirements of the restaurant's 30,000 regular stores worldwide.

"McDonald's prides itself on having exacting standards for its products," Landers said. "But throwing away all-carrot Salad Shakers, parallelogram-shaped hash browns, and McRibNuggets seemed so wasteful. With more of our customers struggling to make ends meet, we knew people would appreciate the opportunity to buy these slightly irregular products at irresistibly low prices."

In addition to factory mistakes, the outlet will offer items that were tested in limited markets but never received a wide release.

"We had a warehouse full of meat patties made in the shape of our golden-arch logo," Landers said. "A young, quickly fired executive thought it would be a good idea to make an 'M'-shaped burger, but it was expensive to produce, and depending where you took a bite, you had a very good chance of getting no beef. Plus, who's going to open up a burger just to look at the oddly shaped meat patty? Now, we're thawing them out and serving them up for only 30 cents apiece."

Landers said that, while a number of customers have been wary, the prices are so astounding that "people always come back for more."

"I've seen more than one person approach our firm-serve cones with skepticism," Landers said. "But at 20 cents each, we can hardly keep them in stock."

Landers added, "Once they get over the mental block after eating a flash-frozen pyramid of vanilla ice cream, customers realize they just can't beat these prices."

The outlet store, at 32,000 square feet, is the largest McDonald's in the world. In addition to serving irregular meal items, the outlet store houses irregular McDonald's decor.

Enlarge Image

A $1.99 value meal available at the "Not Quite Perfect" McDonald's.

"These aren't the traditional McDonald's color schemes," Landers said, gesturing to chairs and tables in puce, mottled gray, and army green. "And while some customers make comments about our posters—a printer placed a black child's head on top of a white, elderly cashier's body—well, I think they look very nice once you get used to them."

The outlet also features a shop that sells irregular McDonald's products like boxes of frozen foot-long fries and bags of unsweetened orange-drink syrup.

"The bulk-foods section of the shop hasn't caught on as well as we'd hoped," Landers said. "We think that may be in part a question of functionality. Our 10-gallon buckets of McRib sauce, for example, are reasonably priced, but most people don't have condiment pumps at home. Of course, even those who do are sometimes disappointed to find relish inside."

The outlet's PlayPlace features not-quite-perfect McDonaldland icons.

"Parents worry about our ball pit, but those triangular balls meet Illinois minimum-safety requirements," Landers said. "What we've really gotten complaints about are the statues of the McDonaldland characters. Ronald McDonald's eyes were put in wrong so he's looking in two different directions, our Grimace is pink, and for some reason, the Hamburglar has no teeth."

In spite of the few complaints, most outlet patrons say the bargain prices are well worth enduring the irregular food.

"It's not like the meat's tainted," said Mack Vesper, a longtime McDonald's customer. "A Quarter Pounder on a half-size seedless bun tastes just as good. And, while the gray Shamrock Shake took some getting used to, once you realize that you're getting all the flavor at an eighth of the price, you adapt. Besides, who looks at the color of the shake once you start drinking it?"

Some customers said the "Not Quite Perfect" McDonald's is not for them.

"I'll never take my children there again," said Anita Sibakis, mother of three. "They opened up the Happy Meal and there were headless Mulan figurines in there. It scared the bejesus out my youngest."

Random Question

2005-09-18T17:20:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know what the first tv show that came out on DVD was? For some reason this stupid question has been bugging the crap out of me.

Volunteering

2005-09-12T17:07:00.000-04:00

So, I've been neglecting this little blog lately. Sorry, but I've been busy, tired, lazy or some combination thereof lately. Finals are this week & next week so that probably won't change in the near future.
Yesterday I volunteered at the Red Cross Mega Center. Oh, wait...did I tell you about that? My school has pretty much been taken over by the Red Cross (well half of it anyway). They're using it as a mega center where they "process" the evacuees (although I hate calling it that for some reason). Anyway, the evacuees go there to get aid. HUD, DFCS, etc. are all there. They also get healthcare, etc. Anyway, I volunteered there yesterday. We were serving meals to the evacuees and the Red Cross volunteers. It was actually a lot of fun. 99.9% of the people were really nice.

That's about it for now. I'll update again if I can think of anything else.

In Defense of the Oxford Comma

2005-09-04T01:21:00.000-04:00

The argument for using it is that it reduces the risk of ambiguity. For example, if you were to write “He studied Roman history, international politics and economics” it is not obvious whether international refers only to politics or also to economics. Putting the serial comma in removes that doubt. In practice, an alert writer will spot the potential problem and can often write around it.

Perhaps the best argument for the serial comma is that apocryphal book dedication: “To my parents, Ayn Rand and God”.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-oxf1.htm

I knew this was coming...

2005-08-31T23:40:00.000-04:00

Group links Katrina to annual gay party

Christopher Curtis, PlanetOut Network

published Wednesday, August 31, 2005

An organization of Christian fundamentalists claims the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina is God's judgment against New Orleans for holding festivals like the annual gay Southern Decadence party.

"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," said Repent America director Michael Marcavage on the organization's Web site. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. May it never be the same."

Southern Decadence, which was scheduled for the Labor Day weekend, has since been canceled.

The comments from Repent America come as New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin noted Katrina probably killed thousands of people in the "Crescent City."

"Let us pray for those ravaged by this disaster," Marcavage said. "However, we must not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long."

Repent America's Web site noted New Orleans' past three mayors issued official proclamations welcoming visitors to Southern Decadence. The Web site also noted the "New Orleans City Council made other proclamations recognizing the annual homosexual celebration."

"May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded, adding a biblical citation from Matthew 5:45: "[God] sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

The Rev. Dr. Cindi Love, executive director of the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), quoted back from the Bible. "Jeremiah 29 says, 'I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.' We rest on these promises."

"I feel sad that anyone is taking advantage of the suffering of people when they are so vulnerable," Love told the PlanetOut Network. "So, I am praying for our brothers and sisters who are blaming gays and lesbians for this disastrous hurricane. I ask them to use their energy to pray for those afflicted and to take the resources being used to attack gays and lesbians and use them to provide relief. There are far more 'straight' people, including children, suffering in this incident than gay people. I don't believe God punishes any of us with natural disasters, and I believe that God is with us in this one all the way through."

Love added that the MCC was organizing a relief effort.

"The scripture that comes to my mind is 'Jesus wept,'" said the Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity, an LGBT Episcopal group. "Jesus weeps today for the loss of life in New Orleans and he weeps that his gospel is being hijacked by the rabid rhetoric of the religious right -- that is in its own way as destructive to our national fabric as Hurricane Katrina has been."

"What needs to happen is people of all backgrounds need to unite and focus instead on helping bring supplies to the people in need," Russell said. "Hurricane Katrina did not discriminate in its path of destruction, and neither does God's love."

Missy Elliot - Da Real World - Track 14

2005-08-31T19:31:00.000-04:00

So, Katrina's pretty much a bitch.
2 of my friends from school (Kristin & Jenn) are from New Orleans. Both of their families are coming to stay with them because their houses are uninhabitable. I haven't got all the details yet so I'm not sure if their houses are underwater, gone, or what have you. Either way, it's not good. If you pray, please include them as well as everyone else affected, of course.
In much less serious news, Georgia is basically out of gas. I was able to fill up after a long search, and it ended up costing me nearly $50. I feel like a jerk complaining about such a trivial thing, so that was the last you'll hear about it from me.

Brokeback Mountain

2005-08-28T18:35:00.000-04:00

Trailer

2005-08-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, but that's because there hasn't been much going on. I'm still trying to find a new roommate, but the Student Life people have yet to put me on the list (I've asked 3 times). I think I'm going to go into the office on Monday and bust some skulls.
Last night I went to Hoedown's with Mike and some new friends, Gena & Jesse. It was fun. Mike got propositioned for a 3-way by a couple. Stuff like that never happens to me.
Today I really need to study. I'm in the mood to go to the pool (which rarely happens) so hopefully I'll have a chance to do that at some point today.

2005-08-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

This is kinda cool

2005-08-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

postsecret.blogspot.com

Finally!!

2005-08-22T00:02:00.000-04:00

I know I'm posting this a little late, but here it is...

NHL 2005-06 coming this October!

July 22, 2005

NEW YORK (July 22, 2005) - The National Hockey League's Board of Governors today ratified the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated with the NHL Players' Association, ending a 310-day work stoppage, signaling a new era of cooperation and partnership, and ensuring the League will resume play for the 2005-06 season.

The six-year agreement, scheduled to run through September 15, 2011, may be reopened by the Players' Association following Year Four (2008-09). The Players' Association also has the option to extend the agreement for one year at the end of the scheduled term.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a completely revamped economic system under which, during the first year, total player costs of the 30 NHL Clubs will not exceed 54% of League-wide revenue. The calibration of the percentage in future years of the Agreement will be linked to a percentage of League-wide revenue, and could rise to 57% if League-wide revenue exceeds $2.7 billion.

No Club payroll for the 2005-06 season will be less than $21.5 million and no payroll will exceed $39 million -- including all salaries, signing bonuses and performance bonuses. Each individual player contract currently in existence will include a 24% reduction of NHL salary for every year of its term, and no individual player salary can exceed 20% of a Club's Upper Limit on payroll.

The economic system also includes provisions for enhanced revenue sharing.

Accounting of League-wide revenue will be monitored jointly by the NHL and NHLPA. In addition, the League and Players' Association have agreed to create several joint committees that will work together toward the advancement of the game in a variety of areas, including competition, broadcasting and marketing.

The new Agreement also creates, for the first time, a joint program dealing with the use of Performance-Enhancing Substances. Per the agreement, every NHL player will be subject to up to two "no notice" tests per year. The first positive test for performance-enhancing substances will result in a mandatory 20-game suspension without pay to the player. A second positive test would result in a 60-game suspension, and a third would result in permanent suspension; however, such a player would be eligible to apply for reinstatement after two years.

Other elements of the agreement:

COMPLIANCE BUYOUTS -- Clubs may buy out player contracts at no charge toward the Club's Upper Limit from July 23, 2005 to July 29, 2005 at 5 p.m., ET. A player who is bought out may not rejoin his old club during the 2005-06 season.

CONTRACTS FOR 2004-05 -- Contracts for the 2004-05 season have been eliminated.

ENHANCED REVENUE SHARING -- Enhanced revenue sharing will see clubs eligible for subsidies if they rank in the bottom half of League revenues and operate in markets of 2.5 million TV households or fewer.

ENTRY DRAFT -- The Entry Draft has been reduced to seven rounds from nine, beginning with 2005.

ENTRY-LEVEL SALARY -- The entry-level salary limit is $850,000 for 2005 and 2006 draftees and reaches a high of $925,000 for 2011 draftees. Entry-level performance bonus categories and thresholds have been revised.

MINIMUM SALARY -- The minimum salary has been increased from $185,000 under the previous agreement to $450,000 in 2005-06. It will rise to $500,000 in the final two years of the agreement.

OLYMPICS -- NHL players will participate in the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 (Turin, Italy) and 2010 (Vancouver); no All-Star Game will be played in Olympic years.

RENEGOTIATION -- Player contracts will not be re-negotiated, upward or downward, during their term.

SIGNING DEADLINE -- Restricted free agents who do not sign contracts by December 1 of a given year will be ineligible to play in the League for the balance of that season.

TRADE DEADLINE -- The trade deadline will be moved from the 26th day to the 40th day prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Presuming an April 18 conclusion to the 2005-06 regular season, the trading deadline would occur March 10.

TWO-WAY ARBITRATION -- Eligibility rules for Player Salary Arbitration have been modified and Clubs will now have the ability to elect Salary Arbitration for eligible Players.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY -- The age of unrestricted free agency remains 31 (with four accrued seasons of 40 or more games on an NHL Club's roster) for 2005-06. It will drop to 29 (with four accrued seasons) or eight accrued seasons -- regardless of age -- in 2006-07. The following season, the age drops to 28 (with four accrued seasons) or seven accrued seasons, and falls to 27 (with four accrued seasons) or seven accrued seasons in 2008-09.

WAIVER DRAFT -- The Waiver Draft has been eliminated.

I got durned

2005-08-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I studied for a while, then went to the pool party @ Shannon's apartment complex. They have a really nice pool and there was free food so it was cool. Plus, I haven't seen Pam in a long time so it was nice to chat with her. Unfortunately, I got a little durned. No, that's not a typo...if I've never told you the Tanny & Jin story let me know & I'll fill you in. Anyway, Shannon only had SPF 4 so needless to say, my pasty self got a little crispy.
Friday night I saw Skeleton Key. It was more than decent, but I think I'd recommend to wait for the DVD. I figured out part of it, but there was another part that I hadn't figured out so that was cool.

Why are we attracted to things that are bad for us? People, food, attitudes, substances, etc. It seems that we crave things & people that end up hurting us. Everyone is guilty of it to at least some extent. I guess I've just been noticing it a lot lately...in myself & in others. I've noticed it in almost everyone I know within the past few days. I notice it in myself all the time.

Stay Inside!

2005-08-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

Heat Advisory In Effect From Noon Today To 6 PM EDT This Evening...

The National Weather Service In Peachtree City Has Issued A Heat Advisory For Much Of Central And Northern Georgia From Noon Today To 6 PM EDT This Evening. The Heat Advisory Is In Effect For The Areas Along And South Of A Line From Dalton To Canton To Commerce.

A Strong Ridge Of High Pressure Will Persist Over Georgia Today Bringing A Combination Of Above Normal Temperatures And Dewpoints. High Temperatures This Afternoon Will Reach Into The Mid To Upper 90s And Dewpoints Will Be In The Mid To Upper 70s. This Will Result In Heat Index Values In Excess Of 105 Degrees Over Much Of North And Central Georgia. Some Areas In Central Georgia Will See Heat Indices Of 112 Degrees.

A Heat Advisory Is Issued When Heat Index Values Are Expected To Exceed 105 Degrees And Overnight Low Temperatures Do Not Drop Below 75 Degrees. The Heat Index Is A Measure Of The Combined Effect Of Heat And Humidity On The Human Body. When It Reaches 105 Degrees... The Human Body Becomes Less Effective In Cooling Itself Through Perspiration.

Mid-terms, Moving Out, Mental Health

2005-08-18T20:36:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a while since I've written here. I think I've said that a lot lately. Anyway, not much has been going on...other than school that is. We're in the midst of mid-terms. Somehow I managed to get a B on my Gross Dissection Lab test. I really thought that I had failed it. On the other hand, I thought that I got a B on the lecture test, but I ended up with a C. Go figure.
Tomorrow is the Visceral Physiology test. I'm feeling pretty confident, but of course that never means anything (see the above comment about the Gross lecture test).
Saturday night I'm going to a singles party. It's scary. I only know one person who's going to be there, and I don't even know him very well. I'm really nervous about it but I guess the only way to get over my social phobias is to just do it. I guess not knowing anyone is a good thing, because if I make an ass of myself at least I don't have to see them again. Mike (the ex, not the roommate) was going to go with me but it turns out that he has a work thing to go to. Speaking of Mike (this time the roommate, not the ex), he's moving out at the end of this quarter. Karel is his best friend at school, and Karel's roommate is moving out so Mike's moving in with Karel. So...if anybody knows of a clean, non-partying, non-smoker who needs a room let me know.

I'm not having a particularly good mental health day today. Nothing new, just the same old insecurities, etc. Sometimes my feelings for people (not necessarily romantic ones) seem stronger than their feelings for me. That feeling isn't always accurate, but sometimes it is. I think that that is the greatest contributor to my poor mental health. How do I get over it? Any suggestions? Maybe I need to start going to the $5 therapist. Jenny seems to like it.

Sylvia Browne's Predictions for the Next 100 Years

2005-08-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

What do you think about all this? I'm not so much asking if you believe in this stuff - I'm more interested in what you think about the predictions. There are some pretty crazy (yet specific) predictions here. Let's see if she's right. I'm particularly looking forward to number 12.

Eradication of cancer as we know it, using sound waves, photo sensitive drug therapy, and "self-addicting" cells.

Robotic houses, controlled by computerized switchboard.

Electrical cars with flotation ability for water travel to bypass freeways.

Houses made from pressed paper with plastic coatings; interchangeable walls

Separate body parts cloned for organ transplants; not an entire body.

New form of painless tooth extraction, using a type of suction, with immediate replacement of new tooth.

Diagnostic chambers which map the body's electrical balance to predict health problems before the come.

Cylindrical rooms in which people enter to see an automated projection of the clothing and color that would look good on them; select what you want, take your measurements, then two days later pick up the goods.

Third floor of houses have rollback roofs to allow Hovercrafts to come and go.

No more surgery with knives. Some type of molecular ionization device that knows how to take out the afflicted cells then seal the wound without a single scar.

Remolding of the whole face structure, to duplicate any look that you wish.

New exercise equipment that you sit or stand in, and it literally stimulates your muscles with electricity to achieve the same effect as physical exercise.

Babies will be birthed in water all the time, with music, incense, and green and lavender lights.

People will be able to simply "walk out" of their bodies upon death.

There will be no US Presidency; our government will go back to a Greek Senate structure.

No longer a single Pope, but a triumvirate of Popes, each assigned to a geographic collection of Catholics.

Peace in the Middle East will prevail by 2050.

West Coast goes under in 2026. Parts of the East Coast also get inundated. Tsunamis will wipe out a large portion of Japan. The Hawaiian Islands will have upheaval and be the site of a large new landmass.

Atlantis will begin to show itself by 2023 and be fully visible by 2026.

After 2050, the "Age of the Messiah" is upon us. People turn totally toward Spirituality, peace will rein for a long time. People will return to community living, loving each other, and working together.

Treatment for depression and mood disorders will come from a "control chamber" that emits sensory stimulation gently to the brain, including certain smells, which will elevate mood.

Medicine in pill form goes away; instead we have air-injected delivery through the skin.

Atomic batteries will run cars.

No more gas propelled rockets in space; we will have nuclear powered cylinder shaped objects that travel everywhere.

A moon base is created for people to visit, and as a stopping place for further trips.

By 2055 most people will live in domed cities due to poor atmospheric conditions.

A virtual reality headset will stimulate brain waves so people can learn whole libraries of information within hours.

Giant fruits and vegetables will be grown in hothouse environments. The nutrients will be synthesized into a highly condensed injection.

Proteins are developed without animal meat, very powerful, builds immune system.

Addictions will be a thing of the past because of a brain stimulation, which eradicates all addictions, with no side effects.

Execution for the death penalty will become a complete vaporization of the body.

No separate governments, one planetary government will form.

Great earth changes will occur and germ warfare will be used before the world finds peace. But eventually from all of the bad comes good. The pendulum will swing back to humanity and love.

No world war is coming, but lots of civil disorder and small skirmishes. No nuclear holocaust.

Peace will last from 2050 until 2100, and then I see nothing beyond, which could mean "the end will come like a thief in the night."

Toward the end of things, the veil separating our world from The Other Side will thin, so much so that most people will see decease loved ones and speak with their Spirit Guides.

There will be many false prophets that rise up proclaiming to be Jesus on Earth, and try to lead people astray. We are already seeing this in the big rise of occultism.

People will again find Spirituality, not so much in organized religion, but in the spiritual brotherhood of coming together and finding their Temple within.

Four more comets will pass by before the end times.

Aliens will begin to show themselves in the year 2010, they will not harm us, they simply want to see what we are doing to this planet. They will teach us how to use anti-gravity devices again, such as they did for the pyramids.

http://www.sylvia.org/home/2000plus.cfm

"What do you want to eat?" "Your mom". "You did say that you want sushi". "Well my mom does have rolls".

2005-08-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

Tonight I went to PJ's coffee house with Sarah & Kristy to see Jay (& friend) play the gee-tar. It was fun. We played a game of Yahtzee! which I nearly won until Sarah got a Yahtzee! at the last minute. Even with her last minute low-brow Yahtzee! (I say low-brow because it was all 1s) she still only beat me by four points. I think this proves that even though I technically lost, I'm the superior Yahtzee! player.
Anyway, the coffee was good, the pie was good, the music was good, and the company was good. All in all, it was a good evening.

Hungry

2005-08-11T17:32:00.000-04:00

I'm hungry, but I don't know what I'm hungry for. I have pretty much zero food in the house so I'l have to go get something - but what?
In other news, I have a crap-load of studying to do.

The End

2005-08-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

2005-08-08T21:26:00.000-04:00

Brown ends her long run at 89X

July 27, 2005

CIMX-FM (88.7, 89X) rockin' morning co-host Kelly Brown has joined the ranks of the unemployed.

Brown said she left on her own accord after 15 years and it was "just time to move on." The station's owners CHUM Group's increasing austerity probably greased the skids, although brass didn't return inquiries. She couldn't have been axed for ratings: The show was a very respectable fourth in the mornings with a 6.0 in the age 18-34 target demo in the latest Arbitron ratings.

89X used to be an awesome radio station, but it's recently gone down hill. I can't help but wonder if that's why Kelly left. Whatever the reason is, I have a feeling that with her gone it's going to get even worse. It's a sad, sad day.

2005-08-08T17:26:00.000-04:00

Two Jackson jurors say they regret acquittal

Both plan to write books on trial

Monday, August 8, 2005; Posted: 3:14 p.m. EDT (19:14 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Two of the 12 jurors who voted to acquit singer Michael Jackson of child molestation and other charges said Monday they regret their decisions.

Jurors Ray Hultman and Eleanor Cook, who both have pending book deals, planned to appear Monday night on the MSNBC show "Rita Cosby: Live and Direct."

In a preview shown Monday on NBC's "Today," Cosby asked Cook if the other jurors will be angry with her.

"They can be as angry as they want to. They ought to be ashamed. They're the ones that let a pedophile go," responded Cook, 79.

Hultman, 62, told Cosby he was upset with the way other jurors approached the case: "The thing that really got me the most was the fact that people just wouldn't take those blinders off long enough to really look at all the evidence that was there."

Hultman has said previously that when jurors took an anonymous poll early in their deliberations he was one of three jurors who voted for conviction.

On June 13, the jurors unanimously acquitted Jackson of all charges, which alleged that he molested a then-13-year-old boy in 2003, plied the boy with wine and conspired to hold him and his family captive so they would make a video rebutting a damaging television documentary.

Explaining the turnaround by Cook and Hultman, consultant Larry Garrison, who is working with both on their separate books and a combined television movie, said all the jurors "had an agreement [to be united] and then basically when they went on 'Larry King Live,' both Eleanor and Ray couldn't tolerate what was going on anymore. They said, 'Enough is enough."'

Cook told Cosby: "The air reeked of hatred, and people were angry, and I had never been in an atmosphere like that before."

In June, Hultman told The Associated Press about the verdict: "That's not to say he's an innocent man. He's just not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with."

During an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" with five other jurors in June, Cook was one of three who raised their hands when asked if they thought Jackson may have molested other children but not the 13-year-old boy.

"We had our suspicions, but we couldn't judge on that because it wasn't what we were there to do," she said at the time.

Hultman's book will be called "The Deliberator" and Cook's is "Guilty as Sin, Free as a Bird," said Garrison. Part of the profits from their book sales will go to charity, he said.

Both were in seclusion and unavailable for comment until after the MSNBC broadcast, Garrison said.

August 30, 2005

2005-08-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

"No time, no time, there's never any time! I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so...scared!"

2005-08-07T13:53:00.000-04:00

As usual, there's not much to report. I've just been studying, eating, sleeping, going to class, and relaxing a little when I get a chance.
I need some motivation. I need to work out. I need to study more. I wish I had more time to hang out with my friends, especially the non-Lifers. I would really like to hang out with them more, but I just feel so overwhelmed. Even when I hang out with the people from school it seems to revolve around studying. Maybe I'm just a bad friend.

2005-08-02T20:18:00.000-04:00

This cracks me up, but maybe I'm easy to please.

Are you kidding me with this?

2005-08-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

This is a letter I found on the website for "The Beacon", which is the student newspaper of the Palmer College of Chiropractic. It is quite possibly the most nonsensical thing I've seen written by a professional. I'm embarrassed that this guy is a member of my future profession, not only because of his obviously flawed argument but also because of his horrible grammar.
His name sounds familiar...I think he may have spoken at assembly or something.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Natural Vs. Unnatural
By: Bill Tickel , Palmer Alumni

Chiropractic is natural. And as natural as you can get in health care. Unless you pervert it and make it for what it was not designed to do and be by our founder and maker. The same is true in our sex lives. It is natural to be with the opposite sex, to be natural, to procreate and do what our founder and maker instructed us to do. Unless you pervert it and stop creation and make sex as unnatural as you can.

It has always boggled me that chiropractic being so natural could be attractive to someone who practices so unnatural. No other animal on the earth engages in such lewd behaviour. I guess we could begin to accept it (maybe) when we start seeing 2 male horses getting it on with each other. Until then it’s not good and I am disappointed to see such a club formed on the campus. Is this where some of our alumni contributions go? Out.

Published: April 2005

I can't really believe that his whole argument is based on animal behavior. There are so many obvious ways to contradict him, not to mention the fact that some animals do in fact practice homosexual behavior. Most animals don't mate for life. Many animals eat their young. Shannon's dog goes snacking in the kitty-litter. Animals don't use toilets. If we've got to do everything like animals do, we're all in big, big trouble. I'd like to think that we've risen above the rest of the animal world in many ways, but I guess Dr. Tickel hasn't.

A crap-load of birthdays

2005-07-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the party for Jenn & Jenny. We're going to Jenn's house for Mexican food. It should be a lot of fun, and I'm glad that that crew will get to meet Mike.
On Tuesday I went to Sarah's house for her birthday fondue dinner. It was a lot of fun, and I got to see PA & Christy & Richard, who I haven't seen in a while. Jay was there too, so I finally got to meet him. He seems like a really nice guy. Unfortunately, I had to leave that party a little early because I had a Visceral class the next day, and I refuse to fail that class twice. It's a good thing that I did leave the party early because I ended up with a B on the test.
Speaking of school, Gross Dissection SUCKS. I don't feel like I'm learning anything.

The End

No Title Today (except this one, but it doesn't really count)

2005-07-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

Friday night was a lot of fun. I met Shenoa and her boyfriend Matt at their friend Seth's house. We pulled up and got out of our respective cars at the same time, so there was no awkwardness, which was nice. Seth seems like a nice guy (and he's pretty cute). His roommates were cool too, but I didn't really feel like I had a lot to add to their conversation. They pretty much talked about who was screwing who , who was too fat, and how much they paid for their jeans. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not my bag. I didn't want to be like "mine were $12.99 at Target". So after we hung out at Seth's for a while we went to Red Chair. It's a nice place, plus it's smoke-free which is a HUGE plus in my opinion. I think that Red Chair has the highest concentration of hot guys that I've ever seen. At first I felt like I wasn't good looking enough to be there, but then I got over it and decided to enjoy the scenery.
Yesterday I finished Harry Potter (nearly cried...I know, I'm pathetic), studied, then went to the homecoming BBQ thing with Shannon and Maria. It was pretty lame, but we got free food so it was all good. After that we just hung out, etc.
Today I've studied, went to Target (no, I didn't buy any jeans), and now I'm going to eat and study some more. Mike comes home today (finally - it seems like he's been gone forever), but I'm not sure when he'll be here so I don't know if I'll get to see him tonight or not.

Tacos, the Happy Couple, Red Chair

2005-07-22T21:39:00.000-04:00

I haven't done this in a while. I guess I just haven't been in the mood.
Let's see...what's new? I FINALLY got to hang out with Andy & Sarah. I went to Sarah's new apartment (which is awesome) and we hung out, had tacos, played games, etc. Sarah's sister Kristy is cool. I had a lot of fun and I didn't get frustrated, so it was a very nice evening.
Last night I hung out with Rabea, then we met up with Shannon, Carita, Jenny, & Maria for some celebration drinks at the Four Seasons. What were we celebrating? Glad you asked. Shannon proposed to Carita, and Carita said yes. We were also celebrating the fact that Maria got a guy's number at dinner earlier in the evening (which is quite a feat in mid-town).
Tonight I'm hanging out with Shenoa and some of her friends. I think we're going to Red Chair. I've never been there, and I've never met most of these people, so I'm a little nervous. I'm socially awkward...what can I say?
I guess that's it for now.

2005-07-15T06:35:00.000-04:00

Man accused of killing his 'gay' baby son

By Larry Buhl

published Thursday, July 14, 2005

Ronnie Paris would shake, wet himself and vomit as his father forced him into a box and repeatedly slapped him on the head in an effort to prevent him from being gay, the child's mother, Nysheerah Paris, testified Monday. The boy was 3 years old when he died from swelling on both sides of the brain on January 28.

Others backed up the mother's testimony on the first day of the capital murder trial of Ronnie Paris Jr., 21, of Tampa, Florida. Paris is accused of physically abusing the toddler until the boy slipped into a coma.

"He was trying to teach him how to fight," the boy's aunt, Shanita Powell, told the court. "He was concerned that the child might be gay."

"He didn't want him to be a sissy," Shelton Bostic, the defendant's Bible-study friend, testified.

Ronnie's death followed a history of physical abuse, according to Prosecutor Jalal Harb.

In 2002, the Florida Department of Children and Families placed the boy in protective custody after he had been admitted to the hospital repeatedly for vomiting, the Tampa Tribune reported. He was returned to his parents Dec. 14, five days after his third birthday. The boy slipped into a coma on Jan. 22, and was taken off life support six days later.

But it wasn't until the boy's mother was questioned by investigators on Feb. 1 that she talked about the abuse. She is charged with felony child neglect, which carries a possible 15-year prison sentence.

Although the defense so far has tried to shift the blame to the mother, it is possible that the father's "gay panic" defense might come into play, especially after witnesses tried to explain the father's motive. If Paris' lawyers try that, it would "bring the gay panic defense to a whole new level of absurdity," according to Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida.

"It is almost an impossibly that a 3-year-old toddler would be expressing sexuality," he told the PlanetOut Network. "It may have been that the child was not masculine enough. We've found that gender expression is more often the motive behind bashing (of gay adults)."

And a jury would probably shoot down such a defense, Winfield said. "Juries in even the most conservative states reject gay panic as a defense for murder." In this case, it is even likelier to fail, he continued. "There can be no good reason for beating a child to death."

Day 2

2005-07-12T21:01:00.000-04:00

Another day finished. This one sucked a little, too. I only had 2 classes, but I guess I'm just not feelin' the school thing yet this quarter. I had Orthopedics lecture, which wasn't horrible except for the fact that the professor seems socially inept. She'll stop in the middle of the lecture to ask strange questions like "why are you squinting at me?" or "what was that chuckle for?" It's just weird.
After Ortho I had Gross lab. I already feel like I'm way behind. Everyone else was naming all the muscles, arteries, etc. but I had no clue what anything was - everything in there pretty much looks the same. Also, I didn't dissect much - not because I'm squeamish, but because I'm not confident in my scalpel-handling abilities so I'm afraid that I'm going to accidentally hack up the body. Our lady had a big cancerous tumor, so I'm guessing that that's what did her in. OK, I know that this is weird, but I couldn't stop looking at her feet. She has really pretty feet. I know, I'm a freak.
Other than that I've pretty much just been studying all day, although I did take a break to watch an episode of Alias on dvd.

2005-07-12T07:17:00.000-04:00

Gay.com » News

Nigerian faces stoning for gay sex

Ben Townley, Gay.com U.K.

published Monday, July 11, 2005

A man in Nigeria has been sentenced to death by stoning, after he admitted having gay sex.

The man, who has so far remained unnamed, was given the punishment by a Sharia court. The hard-line Islamic law has been criticized in the past for its advocating of stoning as a punishment.

Now, a senior United Nations expert has called for the gay man to be protected from the death sentence, according to Reuters news agency.

Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the case needs to be reviewed, and suggested sexuality should not be a reason for execution, even if it is considered wrong by religious leaders.

"Sodomy cannot be considered one of the most serious crimes for which, under international law, the death penalty can be prescribed," he told reporters over the weekend, adding that the punishment is "wholly disproportionate."

Reuters says the 50-year-old man had been acquitted of having sex with a younger man, but he was given the sentence after admitting to previous gay sexual encounters.

Alston is now calling for an international intervention, which has previously helped others sentenced to stoning by Sharia law. Previously, women have faced stoning for having sex but have been released after complaints from international human rights bodies.

School Sucks

2005-07-11T18:56:00.000-04:00

A lot has been going on lately. I've been busy getting ready for school (today was the first day), cleaning up my house, and catching up with friends (as well as making a new one).
School today pretty much sucked. First I had Visceral Physiology which is the class I failed last quarter. We had been told that a different professor was teaching it this quarter, but it turns out that we have the same snide SOB that we had last time. I don't dislike the guy because I failed the class - I'm not one of those people who blames the professor for my own failure. I'd dislike the guy even if I had gotten an A. Needless to say, I was upset when he walked into the room instead of Dr. Rigby. Don't get me wrong - Dr. Rigby is no Mary Poppins either, but at least she's a somewhat effective instructor.
After that I had Gross lecture. Dr. Cane took 2 hours to tell us info that he could have told us in about 10 minutes. I hate it when people waste my time.
After Gross lecture I had Spinal Hygiene. The only good thing about that class was that I finally got to see my quarter-mates. One of the worst things about failing a class is that I'm not with all my friends anymore.

Thanks, Sarah

2005-07-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

Thanks be to Sarah for suggesting a name for my car. Carol is a great suggestion, but I don't want to settle on anything too hastily. If anyone else has a suggestion, let me know.
Thanks.

The Taurus.

2005-07-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

My new car. I haven't named him yet. Maybe because I'm not excited about having a taurus.

2005-07-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

Family on the beach

2005-07-06T13:39:00.000-04:00

Taken while parasailing

2005-07-06T13:38:00.002-04:00

My Cousins Matthew & Lauren

2005-07-06T13:38:00.001-04:00

Ominous Sky

2005-07-06T13:38:00.000-04:00

Florida Sunset

2005-07-06T13:37:00.000-04:00

My cousin Matthew swinging

2005-07-06T13:35:00.000-04:00

Matthew cut his foot in the Gulf

Michigan & Florida

2005-07-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

Jeez, it feels like I've been gone for a long time. It's good to be back.
I went to Michigan for a week, then Florida for a week, then back to Michigan for a few days. It seems that whilst in Michigan pretty much all I did was look for/buy a car. Not fun. I won't bore you with the many stories of horrible salesmen, etc. but just trust me when I say that the whole ordeal was a pretty maddening experience. It might have all been worth it if I was actually excited about getting a new car. I loved my Golf (Bodo, for those of you who knew him well), so I hated giving him up...but I had to be practical and decided that I should go with something more economical. My payment is $80/month less, which helps ease the pain a little. And I guess it's not horrible. I mean, a Taurus wouldn't be on my top 25 list of cars I want, but it could be a lot worse I suppose.
Florida was awesome. It was really hot, muggy, and rained almost every day, but I was with my family so it was cool. Nothing really exciting happened. My cousin had about 5 baseball games while we were there and he lost them all. His team had been doing well before we got there, so hopefully now that we're gone they'll start winning again.
The 4th was cool. We had a cook out at my parents' house and everyone in the family (almost) was there, so it was cool to have almost everyone together.

Well, that's my break in a nutshell. Maybe if I'm feeling spunky I'll post a pic or 2 tomorrow.

Michigan

2005-06-19T05:51:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm about to hit the road to head to Michigan. I'll be back July 5th.

Only 2 More Left

2005-06-14T21:46:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I have Radiology & Visceral Physiology. I'm confident about Radiology, but I'm not feeling so good about Visceral. I need a 51/60 to pass the class, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I'm certainly going to try my best, but let's be realistic here.

Mean People (revisited), etc.

2005-06-13T17:54:00.000-04:00

If the person being ridiculed doesn't care, then why should I? I guess it's in my nature to be kind and I tend to think that people should build one another up, not tear each other down. That said, if someone likes being torn down, who am I to say that they shouldn't be? If they really didn't like it they could either stop it or not expose themselves to it anymore. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm finally realizing that it's not really any of my business. Who am I to say what type of relationships people should have? Being gay, I should have realized that sooner. Sorry for butting-in in the past.

Not long ago I took a little study break and watched the casting special for the upcoming new season of the Real World (it's in Austin). I'm disappointed that there don't appear to be any homos in the cast. I guess it's only fair though - there were two last time. I saw a little snippet of two of the girls kissing, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything - and even if it did, lesbians don't count anyway.

Not Guilty

2005-06-13T17:24:00.000-04:00

Well, Michael Jackson was found "not guilty" on all counts. Honestly, I never really thought that he molested anyone, but I did think that he was kinda dumb. I mean, if it were me, I'd stop having little boys sleep in my bed after the 1st accusation. Actually, I wouldn't have had little boys in my bed in the first place - but you know what I mean.

More Finals

2005-06-13T11:39:00.000-04:00

I just took my Human Development final. It was no problem. So, tonight I'll study for the Toggle Test tomorrow, then after the Toggle test I'll study for the Osteology test. Tomorrow night is going to suck because on Wednesday I have Visceral and Radiology back to back. But after that, I'm done. I can't wait to go to Florida with my family. It's going to be so much fun. I just wish Grams was going.

I'ma go get some lunch. There's not much to eat in the house so I think I'll get some takeout. Hmmm...what do I want?

Mean People

2005-06-12T22:34:00.000-04:00

i have serious cruelty issues. i don’t like people being mean - even as part of “fun” or a “joke.” sorry if it seems selfish or immature, but it’s just how i feel…and it’s not funny to me. i’m not necessarily mad at anyone, i just need time to calm myself so i don’t say things i don’t mean, or say things i mean, but don’t want you to hear.

-adapted from pieceofschmidt.com

Another One Bites the Dust

2005-06-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

One more final down, 5 more to go.
Now I'm off to Jurisprudence.

Ford

2005-06-09T08:03:00.000-04:00

Ford doesn't hate me. If you don't hate me either, support Ford here.

Be Thou My Vision

2005-06-08T23:47:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to get to sleep for a little while now, but I'm having a hard time because I have the song "Be Thou My Vision" stuck in my head. It's always been my favorite hymn. What can I say, I'm a sucker for eloquence and I think that this hymn is probably the most eloquent one I know of.
Check it out...

Be Thou my vision O Lord of my Heart
Naught Be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
waking or sleeping thy presence my light

Be thou my wisdom and thou my true Word
I ever with thee and thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father and I thy true son
Thou in dwelling and i with thee one

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High king of heaven my treasure thou art

High king of heaven my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joy, Bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision O ruler of all

-- Words: Ancient Irish; translated to English by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, 1905
Music: “Slane,” of Irish folk origin

1507 Martin Waldseemuller Map

2005-06-08T21:30:00.000-04:00

I'm a map guy, so I find this interesting. This is the first known map to include "America" (although not very accurately). It was also the first map to show the planet as a sphere. Click on the pic for a larger view (America is on the far right). The map recently sold at Christie's for over $1000000. Cool, huh?

1507 Martin Waldseemuller Map

Hell Week(s) so far

2005-06-08T13:56:00.000-04:00

Today I had my first 3 finals. I was most nervous about X-ray lab...not because I thought it would be particularly difficult, but because you have to pass both lecture and lab independently in order to pass the class, and this was the only lab test. Plus, the test only had 20 questions, so you can only get 6 wrong. There's a little bit of pressure having your entire grade depend on 6 questions. But the good news is that I think I did quite well. I also had x-ray lecture, but that wasn't a big deal. The last think of the day was the Toggle lab practical. I only got 9/10 because by high arch pisiform wasn't arched quite high enough. Oh well.
Tomorrow is Osteology, which I'm not very worried about. Friday is Lasting Purpose. Next week I've got Human Development, Toggle Lecture, Osteology Lecture, Visceral Physiology (yikes!), and the x-ray lecture final. Again (or still), wish me luck. :)

My dilemma

2005-06-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

Here's my dilemma: I wanted to put my pic on here, but the best one I could find isn't very flattering. I also don't like how it's on all the comments I make on my own blog, as well as the blogs of others (see here for an example).
Maybe I'm just being vain. Or maybe I'm just trying to write anything to avoid studying. Yeah, probably the latter.
Speaking of studying, I have 3 tests tomorrow: X-ray lecture, X-ray lab, and Toggle lab. Wish me luck.

Drinking & Drugs

2005-06-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

I don't understand the obsession (or even interest) that many people have with drinking, drugs, etc. You drink a lot, act like an ass (which you may or may not remember the following day), fall asleep, and wake up the next morning feeling like crap. Am I missing something? Not being in full control of my faculties seems like a bad idea to me, and from the complaining about hangovers that I hear from the people who do drink, that doesn't seem like fun either. Don't get me wrong - I don't think that there's anything inherently wrong with drinking, but I guess the negatives just far outweigh the positives in my opinion. I guess since I've never been drunk I can't say for sure - maybe there's some mind-blowing orgasmic experience that nobody is telling me about - but somehow I doubt it.
As far as drugs are concerned, I guess I feel pretty much the same way, except more strongly. Is life really that bad that you have to use mind-altering substances to make it seem better (seem being the key word here)? Not to mention the legal issues (and licensing issues in my case). If I were to get caught with any kind of drugs it would be next to impossible for me to get a license to practice, and if I were to get caught when I already had a license I could lose that license for four years (on top of the other consequences). Even if I had the desire to smoke pot, the temporary joy I may or may not get is not nearly worth the small chance that I might get caught with it and lose my source of livelihood for four years. But even for people who don't have such licensing issues, it still seems like a bad (I might even say ignorant) idea to me. Are the possible consequences worth it? Nope. But that's just my opinion.

Silhouette

2005-06-06T21:17:00.000-04:00

This one is kinda artsy-fartsy.

Picasa

2005-06-06T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just downloaded Picasa so now I can post pictures on my blog. WooHoo.
Here's one of Kristin & Rabea in New Orleans...

2005-06-06T20:45:00.000-04:00

Kristin & Rabea

Finals & Creamy

2005-06-06T08:01:00.000-04:00

Hell week (make that 2 weeks) starts today. This week is lab final week and next week is lecture final week. Ugh, it sucks. The worst part is that, unlike most schools, we still have classes during finals.
Yesterday I went to church with Sarah, then she and Andy and I went to Schlotzky's for lunch. After that we went to Cold Stone Creamery (or Marble Slab, I'm not sure - they're the same). There was a hot guy there so we left him our phone numbers. All of them. I highly doubt that he even got them though, because we just left them on the table so I'm sure someone probably threw them away before he had a chance to see it. We named him Randy (Creamy for short).
After that we just hung out for the rest of the night.

Wish me luck on my finals. I need it on a few of them.

Matthew, Matt, Buca, & Studying

2005-06-04T21:10:00.000-04:00

Last night my cousin Matthew and his friend Matt stopped here for the night on their way to Florida. It was a short visit, but it was cool to see him for a little bit. When they got here we just sat around and talked for a while, then we went to dinner at Buca Di Beppo. That place is so freaking good. After that we came back here and watched some Family Guy, then they went to bed so they could get up early and continue their trip. They're going to be in Florida for 2 months for baseball training (they play for Eastern Michigan University).
Today I've pretty much been studying all day. Hopefully tomorrow Sarah and I will go to church (I still haven't confirmed that though), then I'm planning on hanging out with Andy, Sarah, and Richard. I need to take a break from studying.
Ummm...that's about it.

Where I've Been

2005-06-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

I've been studying so much lately. It's getting to be the end of the quarter, so I've got a butt-load of tests coming up next week and the week after that. It sucks. I'm a little worried about visceral physiology. I've got a bit of a hole to dig myself out of in that class.
Friday my cousin and a friend of his are driving from Michigan on their way to Florida. They're stopping here to spend the night, then finishing the trip on Saturday. It will be cool to hang out with him for an evening.
Saturday my plan is to study all day. I also have to finish gathering crap for Jurisprudence (torts, insurance quotes, malpractice info, contracts, etc.). Hopefully Sunday I'll be able to take it easy and hang out with some people. I feel like I haven't seen Andy, Sarah, and/or Richard in a while. Hopefully they'll be able to do something Sunday afternoon. Note to self: Call them tomorrow.

I'm so freaking tired. Nighty-night.

Miguel's Move

2005-05-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I had another date with Miguel. Again, it was awesome...except for the part where he told me that he's moving to California in a month. That sucks. We're just going to keep hanging out for a month and see what happens.

Not much else has been going on...it's been a pretty quiet weekend (which has been nice).

The End

Turkey Burgers, Old Bananas, Bikes, and a Date

2005-05-27T21:51:00.000-04:00

The past few days have been a bit of a blur; everything is running together. Mainly it's been business as usual. My new kick is turkey burgers. I bought some during my last Publix trip, and now I'm addicted. They're so freaking good, and relatively healthy so it's all good.
Tuesday afternoon Maria and I made banana bread. We both had old bananas, and that's what you do when you have old bananas, right? Right.
I've been looking for a bike. I went to Wal*Mart & Target, but I wasn't impressed. They actually had some decent bikes as far as quality goes, but they were all kinda ugly. Any suggestions as far as where I could get a good, not ugly, reasonably priced bike?
I had a date on Wednesday night that went quite well. We're planning on hanging out again tomorrow.

Why I Don't Own a Gun

2005-05-25T03:33:00.000-04:00

It's 3:30 AM. I have to be up in 2 hours or so. There's a little tiny dog barking (nay, yelping) outside my window. It won't shut up. If I had a gun, I think I'd use it.

Nada Mucho

2005-05-22T23:52:00.000-04:00

For the most part, today was pretty unproductive. The only productive thing I did today was go to church with Sarah. After we went to church we had lunch at Chipotle, then I came home and did pretty much nothing...I basically just watched TV all freaking day (don't get me wrong - it was nice, but I feel like I wasted the day). I went to Maria's to hang out with the crew at about 8:30 or so, and I just got home. So yeah...not much to report.

My Week

2005-05-22T00:43:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a while since I updated this little thing I like to call a blog. The past week has been really good, but also quite busy. Wednesday I had 2 mid-terms. Visceral Physiology was pretty rough...I may have to do a little damage control there. The Toggle Lab test went well for the most part. I lost 1 point because apparently I didn't hold my patient's shoulders as I placed him on the table. I thought I did, but I guess I didn't. I still got an A though, so no biggie. Also, after I was done Dr. Franz asked why I was so nervous. I wasn't unusually nervous so I asked what he meant. He said that he could tell that I was nervous because I was so fidgety. I laughed a little and told him that I'm ALWAYS fidgety, so it didn't have anything to do with being nervous. He said that I should try to stop being so fidgety because people will perceive me as nervous. He's probably right.
Wednesday after classes I went to Rabea's house. We hung out there for a while, then went to take his computer to CompUSA to get fixed. Luckily he still had about a month left on the warranty. Then we just hung out for a while, got some dinner, etc. (the usual stuff). After a while we finally came back here and watched TV until about 6:00 AM, then finally went to bed.
Thursday we hung out all day again...same ol' stuff (don't get me wrong - the same ol' stuff is awesome).
Friday I had a Jurisprudence test. It was pretty easy. I hope I got at least a B on it (which I'm pretty sure I did) because if I did then I don't have to take the final. Friday evening I hung out with Sarah. We went to mid-town to eat (we wanted something different). We ate at Cow Tippers, then went to Jake's for ice cream. Earlier that day Sarah had finished the first Harry Potter book, so after dinner we came back to my place and watched the movie.
This morning I went to my friend Brian's house and helped him with some yard work. It was actually a lot of fun. Since I've lived in the condo I haven't really had a chance to do something like that - you know, get my hands dirty. After we finished we were both really tired, but the good kind of tired you get after you accomplish something. In the middle of the yard work we went to Dairy Queen for a break, and they served us our Blizzards upside down, like they used to in the olden days. It's been a while since I've had my Blizzard served upside down.
After I left Brian's house Sarah called and asked if I wanted to go see Star Wars with her, Richard, PA, and PA's girlfriend Christy (Kristy? Christie? I'm not sure). I had never met her before. She was nice, sweet, fun, etc...just a really cool girl. Plus, she's incredibly beautiful. Before the movie we went to Tom's for dinner. It was really good (I had my first Bison burger - I recommend it). The movie was awesome, except for the loud-mouth guy behind us. I kept shooting him dirty looks, but he didn't take the hint. There was also someone in a wheelchair with all sorts of tubes and stuff hooked up to him. During the movie something started beeping and his nurse that was with him started messing with the tubes, and at one point was giving him rescue breaths. Then they just kept watching the movie like nothing had happened. It was kinda scary for a second. But yeah, dinner was good, the movie was good, and the company was good. It was a really fun evening.
So, that's been my week. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to church, doing laundry, doing homework, and relaxing. We'll see how it goes though.

Tomorrow

2005-05-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I've got classes straight through from 7:00 - 3:00, including two tests. The tests are Visceral Physiology and Toggle Lab. The Visceral test is going to be rough. The Toggle test shouldn't be too bad, except for the fact that it's a practical and I have a habit of choking on practicals. Wish me luck.
The good news is that after class I get to go hang out with Rabea. It feels like I haven't seen him in a really long time, so I'm glad we get to hang out.

I don't know if I mentioned that Carlos & Carla from school had a baby a few weeks ago. She was very premature and of course very underweight. Unfortunately, a few days ago little Coral passed on. If you pray, please include Carlos & Carla in your prayers. Obviously, this is a rough time for them.

Quarterly & Overcompensation

2005-05-17T10:38:00.000-04:00

I didn't sleep much last night, but I feel surprisingly good. Today I had a Toggle test at 7:00, then I had an advising appointment at 8:00, but my advisor didn't show up until about 8:20. I thought it was weird that our appointments were made before the quarterly came out, and when my advisor finally met with me she wondered why I hadn't made a schedule for next quarter. I said "but the quarterly isn't even out yet". Apparently I was supposed to make a schedule based on the old quarterly, then make a new one when the new one comes out. That's retarded.

I've finally admitted something to myself that I've pretty much known for a long time. The unfortunate thing is that I think I've overcompensated. I need to get my head straight.

Today's Lesson

2005-05-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

Has someone ever told you something that shocked you? When that happens, you usually look back and think to yourself "I should have seen the signs". It usually takes two people for miscommunication to happen. For example, if someone tells you something but acts in the opposite way, it's your responsibility to see the signs and either call them out on it, or simply realize that actions speak louder than words and move on. That's easier said than done though: We usually see & hear what we want to, not what is actually there. Of course, it's also likely that the person was sending mixed signals, but this is another case where it's your job to call them out on it. When such miscommunication happens, it's important for both parties to take responsibility (even though it was probably unintentional by both parties). If both parties do take responsibility, chances are that the conflict can be resolved with no irreparable damage done.

The Charity Event

2005-05-15T03:08:00.000-04:00

I just got back from the charity event at My Sister's Room. When I got there I was in a bad mood, but I quickly turned it around and ended up having a good time. It looked like a lot of money was raised for Atlanta Pride. Honestly, at first I was a bit irritated that Andy didn't go (hence my bad mood at the beginning), but then I stopped to take a second and realized how much he would have hated it and felt bad that I even asked him to go in the first place.

On an unrelated note: I hate it when people say that they're going to do something (even casually), then don't do it. Please don't do that to me if you can help it.

Today

2005-05-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

Today has been pretty productive so far, but a bit boring. All I've done all day is study, clean, do laundry, etc. I'm planning on doing that for most of the day (although I'll probably watch a movie/tv at some point). Tonight I'm going with Shannon, Maria, Jenny, Nimo, etc. to the lesbian bar for a corset party. I'm not thrilled about going, but I told Shannon that I'd be the DD, plus it's for charity so I can suck it up. I wish Sarah was old enough to go.

Cool, but kinda creepy

2005-05-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

King Tut

FYI

2005-05-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

Historic and historical have different usages, though their senses overlap. Historic refers to what is important in history: the historic first voyage to the moon. It is also used of what is famous or interesting because of its association with persons or events in history: a historic house. Historical refers to whatever existed in the past, whether regarded as important or not: a minor historical character. Historical also refers to anything concerned with history or the study of the past: a historical novel; historical discoveries.


		Michael Sessions, 18, attends school Wednesday in Hillsdale, Mich.
		By David P. Gilkey, Detroit Free Press