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So, what's your role like. I mean, you're known as kind of the… when someone's in crisis they come to you. Some people might think, and I don't know you well enough to have an opinion, that you're like a lawyer. You'll just take any case as long as it's juicy. Do you turn down more work than you take?
I turn down a lot of work. I turn down a lot of work. One of the cases people use 'against me' is Isaiah Washington, and before I represent Isaiah Washington, I made sure of one thing. I thought Isaiah lost his temper. I thought Isaiah made a mistake. But what he is not, and nobody can tell me differently… he's not homophobic, OK? I know the man too well. And if he was homophobic, I wouldn't have been interested in representing him. I would have seen no reason.
It seems in the age we live in, with the Perez Hiltons and all, things happen so fast now…
I've been around long enough in this world that I'm pretty comfortable with who I am. People know me, and they know my record in this world, and I certainly took some heat from certain people, but you just do what I tell my clients to do, which is: get a thick skin about it. In your heart, the people that love you and support you know who you are, what you've done, and what you stand for.
And on the other side of this, you also worked with the actors in Brokeback Mountain. And I'm always curious about this issue, because most of the actors I just assume are cool with it, and you're just preparing them for people asking them repeatedly? Or do some actors really need that coaching?
I think most need some level of coaching. And it's not that they're not good, but it's how to direct it, how to steer it, and how to make it work in the context of what they're trying to achieve. I think far too many people out there, frankly, go and say 'Ok, youre in this movie, and you're doing this interview with People Magazine, and here you go…' and push you in the door.
I believe it's not fair to push people in the door and not tell them what to expect and here's the tough questions. And a lot of publicists say, and they probably say it to you as a journalist, 'Don't ask about this particular issue,' or 'Don't ask about that issue.' Well, I'd much rather have a client that's prepared to answer that issue, and say 'I've talked about that issue at length, and what I'm really here to talk about today is my movie.' And then you've gone through it, and what do you say at that point? If they say 'No, I don't wish to talk about it. Thank you.'
I went to the press conference they had in San Francisco for Milk and James Franco answered the question, but you got the sense that he was just like 'I'm an actor. I was playing a gay role. That's my boyfriend. And I kissed him. Why wouldn't that be part of this role?' And he just seemed to handle himself with a lot of grace, but I always wonder how much of that is his grace…
It is. When an actor plays a gay role, it doesn't mean they have to be something they're not. It's called acting. (laughs) And if we want gay actors to play straight guys credibly, then we have to accept when straight actors play gay guys.
So what was your story? When did you come out?
I came out right after college, when I went to Chicago after studying at the University of Michigan, and I wanted to wait until I was living on my own and supporting myself. I had gone through therapy in college, and said I want to change, I'm not happy, and left therapy like most people, saying, OK that's what I am. I accept it and love myself. In fact, I was doing an interview with Larry King a month ago, and he said 'Boy, it must've been hardcoming out 30 years ago.' And I said, 'Yeah, the only thing harder I can imagine would be living a lie.'
Yeah, when I started this website in 1995, people would be 17 or 18, and as it's gone on… now people are 11, 12 13…
Oh, kids know at such an early age. The Internet has changed everything. Kids can aggregate, find people to talk to. When I grew up in Flint, Michigam, you felt pretty alone, and I don't think kids have that same sense of aloneness. I hope.
It's a little of both. It's sort of like Facebook, where you have 500 friends and no one to talk to. So you have a lot of virtual connections where you can be open, but no one in your actual life.
Well, the other part of that that I find is… I had a couple companies, and certain had gay people, and people have to come out on their timeframe, not your timeframe. And just because you think they should be out and be comfortable, that's fine, but that's not what the bottom line is. The bottom line is when they feel comfortable. You don't know how they were raised or what their grandmother thinks. So, we have to be sensitive and let people do it in their own time.
Since we have people on the site that want to be novelists, musicians, everything else… how can they get their mindset about building a career in a slow cooker?
I think my book is a pretty good roadmap for exactly how to do that.
And do most people naturally want to do that?
No! Most people want to be discovered overnight. But they have to fight that and get the discipline. Even in Hollywood, people that we think of as overnight discoveries are people who have worked a very long time who you may have become aware of overnight, but that doesn't make them an overnight discovery. George Clooney wasn't an overnight discovery when he got E.R. He had multiple pilots that didn't work, and false starts, and guest appearances, so it takes a while. And the best careers are made my a thousand steps in one direction. Not a leap in one direction.
Yeah, that reminds me, I just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. And he points out that people who put 10,000 hours into one objective are the people we think of as the successes.
Exactly, it doesn't come overnight. When I was a young man in PR, I was aggressive, fearless, and creative… but I wouldn't want to start over again without having my knowledge base.
Do you have any advice for the gay youth who don't want to be famous?
Don't be naïve enough to think that you don't have some sort of public image. We all have a public image, be it Facebook or whatever, and you want to maximize that. Because there will be a time when you will be looking for a job, or a boyfriend, ot looking to get ahead, and it's going to serve you better by doing that. It's not going to serve you better by not doing that. We need intention, particularly in this world.
So, whether being famous is your objective, the steps are still the same.
That's one of the main premises of my book. You don't just have a public image when you're famous, it's everybody.
Yeah, I used to write in PR for Macromedia, so when I was reading your book, a lot of it was familiar from there. Those were multi-million dollar products, but the fundamentals were the same.
Did you learn anything?
I think I wasn't reframing all of those lessons from the software world into how to promote my novel when that's done, but I think there was a lot more 1 to 1 than I initially thought there would be. But yeah, I do tend to be cautious of what I post on my blog and on Facebook, thinking that someday, these will all be accessible to people who read my novel.
Exactly, you don't know how they're going to turn up. I had a young man who was 25, one of my students at USC, and I asked him 'What's your Facebook like?' and he said 'Oh, a bunch of drunken party pictures.' And I said, 'You really need to get beyond your drunken party pictures. You're trying to develop a career. You're 25 years old. This is not putting your best foot forward, dude.'
Yeah, over the years, a lot of people came out young and were into putting their full name on my website, and now I get these e-mails where it's like, 'Yeah, I'm 28 and applying for jobs now, and I don't really want employers to read my ramblings as a confused gay teen…'
So, I've done a lot of exorcising of last names over the years, when they realize the power of Google and that these things don't go away.
It's true. Information on the Internet is like herpes.
Sounds like a good book for me to read this summer...if I ever get college figured out...
And good advice for keeping last names out of the site!
"But don't be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it."
-Stephen Colbert
He teaches at USC, so you can just take his class, no? Actually, another friend of mine just got hired to teach play writing at USC, as part of their interdisciplinary writing program, so there's another one, too, heh. And he's good friends with Diablo Cody...
"People who are happy are slugs... They do not move the human race forward."
-- Camille Paglia, on Oasis
Hey, maybe I can! I'll know in 1-3 days if I definitely can or probably can...I've kind of decided that even if I don't win this ridiculous sum of money, I'm still planning on going, despite any loans it may incur. Just don't tell mom...!
Man, I just watched the new episode of United States of Tara, too. Genius.
"But don't be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it."
-Stephen Colbert


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Billy Corben Will Have to Explain His Jury Duty Tweets in Court
Billy Corben, lawless Twitter renegade. |
A Miami-Dade judge has ordered the filmmaker to appear in court May 25 to explain his reasons for sending Twitter and Facebook messages while he was serving jury duty during a trial in February, the Miami Herald reports.
Corben's tweets weren't exactly what you'd call provocative. He mostly did what everyone does on Twitter and Facebook: whine sarcastically about the mundane details of his life at the moment.
They didn't seem to make any waves at all until the defendant in the case, who was convicted of armed robbery by the jury on which Corben served as foreman, appealed the ruling, claiming that the tweets are grounds for throwing out the conviction.
Now, everyone seems to have an opinion. The claim sounded like a reach to us at the time; Herald columnist Fabiola Santiago had, well, a different reaction.
But if there's one thing we should all agree on, it's this: Holding an official judicial hearing over a couple Facebook messages about some low-quality bistec is a waste of everyone's time and taxpayer money. Unless he tweets from the stand, in which case, we're all winners.
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
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Hello all you 405rs, after a storage disaster I'm restarting my mk6 chief, so far I've rebuilt the helmet, chest, biceps, gauntlets, and a shin so got the thighs cod and other shin, after collecting materials over winter now all that's missing is some decent weather.
the chest piece is coming along well bigger than i thought but aw well. i'll keep updating my blog as i complete pieces.
Hey guys and girls, I've just finished building my first gears of war Marcus fenix piece. theyre looking good and will post pics in the forums when i can.
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Romo thanks Cowboys fans after win over Giants
SEP 09, 2013 11:36a ET
But Romo had something else he wanted to mention.
"One more thing," Romo said. "I just want to say, that was as good as I've seen our home stadium. The crowd was exceptional. They were outstanding from the moment it started to the end of the football game. If they continue to do that, it's going to be a tough place to play. I was just really excited about the way that they brought the energy and the noise level there was throughout that football game. It was awesome to see."
And Romo was right. The 85,348 in attendance made AT&T Stadium as loud as it's been for a Cowboys game during the last three seasons. At times, the venue had an atmosphere similar to the Alabama vs. Michigan and LSU vs. Oregon games played there.
Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray also noticed.
"I've been here for three years," Murray said, "and I've never been around a louder environment than that."
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota


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South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
You are here: SAFLII >> Databases >> South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria >> 2012 >> [2012] ZAGPPHC 102 | Noteup | LawCiteMmthethwa v S (A1015/2009) [2012] ZAGPPHC 102 (13 June 2012)
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SAFLII Note: Certain personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been redacted from this document in compliance with the law and SAFLII Policy |
[1] The appellant was the second accused in the court a quo namely Piet Retief Regional Court. According to the charge sheet he is 19 years of age. The charges were that the accused on 20 September 2008 at Kwangema/Dirkiesdorp kidnapped (charge 1) and raped (charge 2) N N, a fifteen (15) year old female. I may immediately mention that although the complainant is indicated in the charge sheet as fifteen (15) years, that according to her birth certificate which was an exhibit, she was in fact only fourteen (14) years old.
[2] Accused 1 was discharged in terms of section 174 at the close of the State case. The appellant was found guilty on both charges. The magistrate took both convictions together for purposes of sentence and sentenced the appellant to ten (10) years' imprisonment.
[3] With leave of the trial court this appeal is against the convictions and the sentence.
[4] The complainant's evidence was that on the night in question approximately 21:30 she was at home watching TV with other family members. The first accused entered and asked her to go outside with him. She thought that he was going to take her to his house so that they could listen to CD's. Outside she found the appellant who grabbed her and started pulling her saying that they should go to his home. According to her he pulled her the whole way to his home which is about 700-800 meters away, whilst at the same time beating her with open hands, fists and a white stick he had with him. This was along the gravel road running through the area.
[5] Arriving at his house, the appellant took her into his bedroom where he assaulted her further. He forced her onto the bed. At that stage they were both still dressed. He lifted her skirt and pulled off her panty. He then had sex with her against her will. She first testified that he penetrated her anus. From further evidence it is not clear whether the penetration was anal or vaginal but for purposes of charge 2 that is irrelevant. In any event the appellant admits sexual intercourse but pleads consent.
[6] The complainant spent the night there. Early the next morning the appellant took the complainant home. It is common cause that at some distance her father saw them coming and wanted to assault them. They both ran away. The father, Mr Ngema, who was described by the court as an impressive witness said that he was outside very early that morning feeding the chickens when he saw them coming along. He was clearly angry because the complainant had no permission to spend the night away from home. He forthrightly states that he wanted to give the complainant a hiding. She saw that and therefore she ran away. When he eventually found her he saw that she had already been assaulted and therefore he did not give her a hiding. Her face was swollen and she had been assaulted all over her body ("orals aan haar lyf was sy geslaan"). Most importantly, she had a tooth missing.
[7] I share the court's view that Mr Ngema is an impressive witness. He candidly admits that he would have assaulted the complainant, had she not been assaulted already and that he also gave chase when the appellant ran away. The appellant jumped over a fence into a neighbour's property and got away. According to the accused Mr Ngema also had a 'knopkierrie'.
[8] The niece of the complainant gave evidence on one aspect only. The relevance of her evidence is that she was watching TV with the complainant but the time was about 17:30, not 21:30, when the first accused together with Bongani Ngema came in and asked the complainant to accompany them. After she had gone out with them, Bongani came back and informed them that complainant left with the first accused and the appellant. In her evidence she says that the complainant left with "Shaka-hulle".
[9] The last state witness was a policeman, constable Nkosi. He gave evidence only on a witness statement which the appellant allegedly made. During his evidence Mr Robbertse, who defended both accused, stood up and informed the court that the voluntariness of the statement is not disputed. According to the evidence presented, the only relevance of the statement would have been that the appellant in that statement allegedly denied that he had had sex with the complainant. This is of course directly contrary to the defence presented by the appellant at the trial.
[10] However, this statement was never admitted in evidence. Mr Robbertse put it to constable Nkosi that the statement was not taken down correctly because the appellant had in fact admitted intercourse to constable Nkosi.
[11] Once the correctness of the statement was in dispute a trial within a trial had to be held. The voluntariness of a statement is only one aspect that has to be satisfied for the admission of an extra-curial statement. The State also has to satisfy the court that the statement was correctly taken down with evidence relating to the language in which the statement was made, whether there was any translation in writing the statement down, whether it was read back to the appellant, and if so if that was again a translation and whether an interpreter was used etc. The position was put as follows in S v Tshabalala 1999 (1) SACR 163 (T) where the court remarked as follows:
"Mef ander woorde jy kan nie die verklaring in kruisondervraging gebruik tensy dit vas staan dat die getuie wel daardie verklaring gemaak het nie. Soos ek netnou verwys het na die getuienis waar die getuie Mhlangu ondervra is in hierdie saak oor sy vorige verklaring, kan daar nie sommer met die deur in die huis geval word aan die hand van ln verklaring in die dossier en aan die getuie gestel word, maar jy het so gese nie, daar moet eers gevra word: 'het jy dit gese, is dit jou verklaring, is dit jou handtekening?' En as hy dit erken en dit is teenstrydig met wat hy nou se in die hot le dit 'n basis vir kruisondervraging." (at 167f-h.)
[12] The State conceded the above, namely that the police statement is inadmissible evidence. No reliance can therefore be placed on this statement as the Magistrate did in his judgment.
[13] The appellant's version was that he and the complainant had a love relationship since 2006. She informed him that she was sixteen (16) years old. That they at some stage had a relationship is common cause also from the complainant's evidence. There is no evidence that at any stage this was a sexual relationship. The accused's version was that the complainant willingly accompanied him to his home. On arrival at his home his mother and brothers Robert and Andries were also there.
[14] During the course of the evening he received a telephone call from a Mr. Nyembe, who is the complainant's neighbour, and who informed the appellant that he had to "Voetsek" as the complainant is his girlfriend and that she was with him the previous evening. He continued to testify that that made him very angry and therefore he assaulted the complainant by hitting and kicking her. At that stage his older brother Sapagha Mnishwa came into the room and reprimanded the appellant. He therefore stopped assaulting her. He gave her a sponge mattress to sleep on. He got onto the bed to sleep. The complainant kept on crying and protested that the incident with Nyembe on the previous evening was against her will.
[15] He said that he felt sorry for her and took her into the bed to comfort her. She in fact requested intercourse and he said that at that stage he would have done everything to please her as he regretted that he had assaulted her.
[16] The next morning when he wanted to take her home she was reluctant. She said that he had to accompany her to within view of her parent's house so that her parents could see them and realise that they had a relationship. When he saw the complainant's father with a "knopkierrie" he ran away.
[17] Appellant further testified that after the incident the complainant's friend M brought him a letter. Although the letter was not formally granted an exhibit number in the record, it is common cause that the handwritten letter in the court file is the letter in question. There is also an official translation by a sworn interpreter of this court. The letter reads as follows:
How are you? I'm fine but I'm always heart-broken about what has happened. Shak, I think we should take it easy for a while because our parents are embroiled on our affairs.
Please be patient with me, because if I can break up with you, it is obvious that I will never find true love like I found in you. You know that what happened is not your fault and I don't know what to say.
Good bye - give your reply to M
I wish you sweet dreams."
[18] When this letter was put to the complainant in cross-examination, she denied that she had any knowledge of the letter.
[19] On behalf of the appellant the complainant's friend M was then called. Her evidence was that during 2008 she knew that the complainant and the appellant had a relationship. She remembers very well when the letter was written. They were at school together and in class when the complainant asked to borrow M's pen. She then proceeded to write the letter to the appellant whilst M was present.
She said to M that she wanted to write the letter to apologize to the appellant about what had happened. The complainant also asked her to deliver the letter to the appellant, which she in fact did.
[20] In evaluating the evidence it is firstly of importance to note that the Magistrate put great reliance on the appellant's alleged warning statement to the police. In the judgment the policeman is described as a key witness. In the same vein the court continues to say that this evidence was fatal to the version of the appellant. Once this evidence is eliminated, as it has to be done, this court must come to its own finding on the admissible evidence.
[21] The judgment a quo did not refer to the complainant's letter at all. The evidence on behalf of the defence about this letter has to be accepted. There is no basis to reject the appellant's evidence in this regard and especially no reason at all to not accept M's evidence.
[22] The acceptance of this evidence leads to the inevitable conclusion that the complainant was lying when she denied any knowledge of this letter. There is no question that she could have been mistaken about whether she had written that letter or not - she quite clearly lied under oath. This fact alone means that she is not a reliable single witness as required by the long list of authorities pronouncing on the effect of section 208 of the Criminal Procedure Act. This is, however, not the only aspect. During argument the State quite properly conceded that the complainant must also have falsely implicated accused no 1 in the alleged kidnapping. The complaint that she was kidnapped also by accused 1 could only have come from the complainant. Accused no 1 was totally innocently drawn into this case. Under cross-examination (record page 25) she said that Themba, that is accused no 1, did nothing. The following passage then follows:
"Nou waarom het jy vir die Polisie gese Themba het gehelp om jou te trek ... om jou te gryp en jou te trek? - Miskien het ek dit gese, maar ek is nie seker daarvan nie."
[23] A third criticism of the complainant's evidence is the time she testified that they left her home namely 21:30. Her niece testified that it was approximately 17:30 whilst the accused said the time was 18:00. The time difference between these versions is so remarkable that it cannot be said that the complainant was merely mistaken. Thus, on the complainant's version the kidnapping occurred at night, whilst on the version of her niece and the accused it was still daylight.
[24] As no reliance can be placed on the evidence of the complainant, it means that any finding of guilty can only be based on the following: the evidence of her father, her niece, M and the objective evidence. The objective evidence includes the nature and extent of her injuries (see the J88, exhibit "C") and the letter she wrote to the appellant.
Against this evidence the evidence of the appellant has to be evaluated.
Charge 1: Kidnapping
[25] As it has now been established that this occurred during the day and not at night, it makes the version of the complainant that she was pulled along a public street for a distance of up to 800 metres whilst continuously being assaulted not only with open hands, fists, but also with a stick, highly improbable. Certainly members of the public would have intervened in seeing this young man assaulting the girl continuously in this manner. Her evidence was that she was beaten all the way to the appellant's home. If that is the case she must have arrived at appellant's home in an injured state. If that had been the case then surely the accused's mother and brother who saw her on arrival would have noticed that. On the other hand the probabilities favour the version of the appellant as it is not in dispute that they were involved in a relationship. The contents of the letter also lend strong support for a finding that she went with him willingly. In any event, there is no reason to find that the appellant's version is not reasonably possibly true. The conviction on kidnapping has to be set aside.
Count 2: Rape
[26] It is common cause the appellant assaulted the complainant at his home. According to the medical report she had a blackened left eye and one tooth missing. The appellant admits that he slapped her once and also kicked her on her body whilst wearing shoes. It is not in dispute that her face was swollen and nose bloodied.
[27] Undoubtedly, one aspect on which the appellant's version cannot be accepted, is that he denies knowledge of the lost tooth, implying it was not he who inflicted that injury. He attempted to shift the blame to the complainant's family who would have assaulted her when she came back home. I reject this suggestion as the evidence of her father is totally reliable in this respect.
[28] Of course, the fact that a witness lies in one respect, does not mean that everything that witness says must be rejected. As I attempted to make clear above, that evidence has to be weighed against the other acceptable and objective evidence. The crucial question remains: did the complainant after the assault consent to intercourse? Once again certain probabilities come into play. It flies in the face of probability that the rapist on the next morning accompanies the complainant to her home and furthermore that she also ran away when she saw that her father was aggressive. On probabilities the appellant would, if he had raped her, not have wanted to be seen with her in public at all and furthermore the complainant would not have run away from her father but would rather have run towards him for protection. Once again the content of the letter is crucial evidence. That is not a letter one writes to a person who had raped you.
[29] On the other hand one must also ask the question how probable it is that sex would have occurred after an assault of this nature. Although this might at first seem strange, it is not unusual that after a lover's quarrel, even if violence was involved, the parties regret what had happened, attempt to make up and seek to comfort each other, which eventually leads to sex. This is the version of the appellant. I cannot, on the question of consent, reject the appellant's version beyond reasonable doubt. The conviction on rape has to be set aside.
[30] What is left then is that the appellant assaulted the complainant. In State v Zwezwe 2006(2) SACR 599 (NPD) the following was said at 603 (b - d):
"Regarding the second leg of the enquiry, what distinguishes the crime of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (assault GBH) from common assault is that, in the case of assault GBH, the offender must have intended to cause the complainant grievous bodily harm. The enquiry into the existence of such an intent requires consideration of the following factors :-
(a) The nature of the weapon used and in what manner it was used;
(b) The degree of force used and how such force was used;
(c) The part of the body aimed at; and
(d) The nature of injury, if any, which was sustained. 1
[31] None of these facts can be viewed in isolation. The appellant did not use any weapon but still slapped her in the face with sufficient force to dislodge a tooth. However the extent of the injuries was not serious. According to the evidence of the doctor contained in the J88 the only injuries he noticed was the blackened eye as well as the missing tooth. There was no evidence of any injuries to her body caused by the kick. There were also no lacerations. Of course, if he had kidnapped her and hit her continuously with a white stick, there could have been some injuries to the body, but I have already rejected the complainant's version in this regard. On weighing of all these factors I cannot find that assault GBH was committed, because the intent to do grievous bodily harm was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.
[32] I conclude that the appeal must succeed. Assault is a competent verdict on charge 2.
[33] It thus follows that we must impose a new sentence. The accused was 19 years of age and in grade 10 when he committed the offence.
[34] However, he assaulted a complainant who was only 14 years old.
[35] The court a quo correctly emphasised the following:
"Wat myns insiens verswarend is, is dat u die klaagster redelik ernstig beseer het deur haar aan te rand, en onder andere 'n tand uit te slaan. Die gemeenskap, en spesifiek vrouens en kinders, word swaar deur hierdie voorvalle getref en hulle verlang ook sterk optrede in die geval."
[36] On the other hand the following factors weigh heavily in not sending the appellant to jail:
36.1 He is a first defender;
36.2 He is 19 years old;
36.3 He was still at school in grade 10;
36.4 The assault occurred because he was jealous;
36.5 He showed remorse in the sense that he admitted that he assaulted her;
36.6 There was reconciliation between the appellant and the complainant after the incident. This is evidenced by her letter to him quoted above. It seems that she still loves him.
[37] These six factors weigh heavily and militate against sending this young man to jail. I therefore conclude that a suspended sentence would be appropriate.
I therefore propose the following order:
1. The convictions and sentence are set aside;
2. The order that the particulars of the accused be entered into the register of sexual offenders in terms of s 50(2)(a) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offenders and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 32 of 2007 is set aside.
3. The following is substituted:
"3.1 The accused is found guilty of assault;
3.2 The accused is sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
3.3 The sentence is wholly suspended for 5 years on condition that during the period of suspension the appellant does not commit any crime of which violence is an element and for which he is sentenced to imprisonment without the option of a fine. "
I agree
I agree
1S v Dipholo 1983(4) SA 757 (T);


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LOUISIANA — Tony Chachere's to Launch "Bold" Seasoning
Louisiana will be the launch site for Tony Chachere's newest product—Bold Seasoning, says President and CEO Don Chachere.
"As a Louisiana-based company doing business around the world, it is fitting that we introduce our newest product to our Louisiana customers who helped make us the leader in Creole seasonings and food products. Our new Bold Seasoning is a direct response to consumers who have been asking for a spice blend that retains the wonderful flavors unique to our products but with an added kick of heat that people have come to expect from our South-Louisiana Creole cuisine. We're thrilled to present Bold; it is not only the first seasoning blend we've released in more than 20 years, but it's also our spiciest blend to date! We believe we have delivered an incredible Creole spice with a Bold, new flavor combination that people in Louisiana and around the country will enjoy just as much as they have our traditional spice blends," he says.
Marketing Director Celeste Chachere says the product will be available in most Louisiana stores beginning in late October, but that it is also available now through the website at http://www.tonychachere.com/. She says the site will also feature exciting new recipes showcasing the Bold Seasoning.
"The Bold Seasoning is perfect for those dishes that need a punch of heat to jump-start the taste buds. It turns a simple dish into a signature dish by enhancing the flavors of food with spice – without overwhelming. Anyone who has visited Louisiana and enjoyed our incredible food will certainly welcome this new addition to our product line," she says.


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Space doesn't allow us to do justice to each of the twelve cuts, so we'll note the highlights. The Brothers Four's dull, white-bread reading of the Beatles's "Revolution" takes on new meaning in the post-Republican landslide era of the Angry White Male; the Manhattan Strings's Muzak-inspired treatment of "(Theme From) The Monkees" takes a snappy pop tune and reduces it to the level of a funeral dirge; Bing Crosby bum-bum-bumbles his way (literally) through the chorus of "Hey Jude"; Jim "Gomer Pyle" Nabors tediously saps every ounce of soul out of Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." And Mitch Miller, the crotchety sing-along bandleader who never made a secret of his contempt for rock and roll, stammers his way through the free associations of "Give Peace a Chance" with such apparent pain that even Captain Beefheart would have to admire the old guy's spunk.
That's not to say that all the cuts are severely painful. Velvet-voiced Mel Torme gets down with a definitive lounge version of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" which actually improves on the original. When the Vegas vet croons "'Cause I've made my mind up/You're going to be mine/I'll pick up your hands and slowly/Blow your little mind," you can almost hear the cocktail glasses tinkling in the background.
And then there's a cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," by the Living Voices who, in their less drug-induced phases, collaborated with Henry Mancini on such film scores as Breakfast at Tiffany's. All diction and no fire, the song is so utterly without redeeming qualities that it's fucking brilliant and, ultimately, far more evil than the original from which AM radio programmers of the Sixties hoped to protect their innocent listeners.
By Jim Murphy


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Now that I'm packin, my instructor suggested talking with the family about how they should react in different circumstances. As he said, If were siting in a Coney Island eating dinner, and some scumbag comes in to rob the place, the last thing I want to hear is :"DAD! YOU HAVE A GUN, DO SOMETHING!"
What I'm looking for is your input on what I should over with them. The boy is 10 and the girl is 13, if that matters. The wife won't tell how old she is.
So I'll start with : 1. keep your mouth shut.
then maybe add: 2. If shooting starts, don't cling to me.
What else?


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By Fr Munachi E. Ezeogu, cssp |
Homily for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - on the Gospel |
Let God Be God
Numbers 11:16-17,25-29 | James 5:1-6 | Mark 9:38-43,47-48 |
Ned goes over to see his neighbour who has a very ferocious-looking dog. As Ned approaches the door the dog begins to bark wildly and his neighbour says to him, "Come on in, Ned! Don't be afraid of my dog. You know the old proverb: A barking dog never bites." "Yes," replied Ned, "I know the proverb, and you know the proverb, but does your dog know it?" Before we have an agreement on when a dog can bite and when it cannot, we must first make sure the dog is party to the agreement. In the same vein, any attempt by humans to legislate on where and through whom God can act or cannot act is nothing but a futile attempt to limit God. For God cannot be limited. In one diocese in Nigeria a priest began a high-profile prayer ministry in the diocesan pastoral centre. Many other priests had similar prayer ministries in their parishes, but on a smaller scale. Now this priest goes to the bishop and makes him sign a declaration that his prayer ministry is the only officially recognised one in the diocese. Any person in the diocese who needed the healing ministry must, therefore, go nowhere else but to his centre. What that document says, in effect, is that God has no right to heal anybody in the diocese except in the pastoral centre. Such attempts to limit God do not work. God never allows Himself to be so limited by human narrow-mindedness. Moses, more than 3000 years ago, knew this. The Israelites, whom he was leading to the Promised Land, had clear ideas about God's holiness. They made their camp in the valley, far from the mountain where they believed God lived. Halfway between the camp and the mountain they built a special tent, a place of meeting between God and their leader Moses. Anyone who strayed to the mountain was put to death; he or she had trespassed into God's territory. Similarly, they believed that God would not trespass into their own territory by coming into the camp. The lines were clearly drawn. Everything was neatly worked out. They believed they knew where God belonged and where He did not belong. But God cannot be limited. This bitter truth dawned on them the day they were consecrating seventy elders as Moses' assistants. As we read in the first reading, the seventy elders had been selected beforehand. On the day of their consecration they were to present themselves in the Tent of Meeting where the Lord would impose on them some of the spirit that was in Moses. On the appointed day they all turned up except two, Eldad and Medad. Who knows why they failed to turn up? Did they oversleep, were they drunk, or did they simply forget? It doesn't matter. The important thing is that when the spirit of the Lord descended on the sixty-eight men in the Tent of Meeting, it also descended on these two who were still in the camp. And they began to prophesy just as the other sixty-eight in the Tent were doing. That God could cross the lines that were so neatly drawn in their minds regarding where God could or could not operate was a shock to the Israelites. Immediately they ran to tell Moses, and Joshua asked Moses to stop them. Suppress the evidence and deny the fact. But Moses knew better. He simply smiled and said, "Are you jealous for my sake? How I wish all God's people were prophets and that God would put his Spirit on them all!" (Numbers 11:29). Wouldn't that make the job a bit lighter? Narrowminded control freaks like Joshua have never been wanting among God's people. In the Gospels we see them in the persons of James and John, the Sons of Thunder, who wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume some conscientious objectors to the Jesus movement (Luke 9:52-56). In the gospel it is John who reports to Jesus how he tried to stop a man who did not belong to their group casting out demons in Jesus' name. Why did he do that? Because, according to his poor theology, God should limit himself to the Jesus group. But Jesus, the new Moses, was there to correct him, "Do not stop him. ... Whoever is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:39-40). Do not stop him. He is doing a good job. It is by their fruit you will know them, not by their foliage. Many Christian people lament that God no longer has a place in our world today. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places. If we looked beyond the Tent of Meeting and beyond those who belong to our group, it might surprise us to see that God is as active in our world today as He has always been. He may be working with those we regard as the wrong people, and in places we deem to be the wrong places. Our prayer today is that God may give us the humility and common sense to acknowledge and welcome Him wherever and through whomsoever He chooses to make Himself known in our world today. |
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Police are appealing for anyone who attended a New Years Eve party at 2 Herkomer Road, West Shore, Llandudno to contact them urgently.
Police were called to an incident at the address shortly after 5am on January 1 following reports of a disturbance which resulted in a man sustaining severe head and hand injuries.
Investigating officer PC Kate Bithell of Llandudno police station said: "This was a serious assault which has left the victim with extensive injuries and unable to work in the short term.
"We believe there were more than 60 people at the party and we are keen to trace anyone who can assist in any way."
Anyone with information should contact PC Bithell at Llandudno police station on 101, if in Wales, or 08456071001 (Welsh line) 08456071002 (English line). Alternatively call Crimestoppers Cymru/wales anonymously on 0800 555 111 or text 66767 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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For Sale: 2004 Haulmark 48' Edge with Living Quarters
Financing with approved credit!!
Ad #182248173 Posted:2014-12-02 17:38:14
This ad expired 87 days ago.
2014, 14ET-20, All steel frame construction, welded A-frame tongue, tongue jack, 6" C-Channel tongue (heavy duty0, 2 516" coupler, stake pocket tie down loops, pressure treated 2x8 Yellawood deck, 16" tires and wheels, all DOT approved lighting, spare tire mount, recessed lighting, 14K GVRW, 6" Main Frame, Fold down ramps, Dovetail. Call Mike 863-602-2193 or stop by 7220 US HWY 98N, Lakeland, FL 33809 (Mon-Fri 9-530, Sat 9-3). enclosed trailer, cargo trailer, used trailer, uhaul, moving, relocate,. budget trailer, trailer, atv, harley, dirt bike, motorcycle
Business Phone Number: 863-667-4448
This item is USED
Trades ACCEPTED: Other Trailers
Payment options:
Item Location:
BRISTOL, WI Get Directions To This City
This item is USED
Trades ACCEPTED: Other Trailers
Payment options:
We finance (wac) |
Business Information
Ad posted by:
righttrailers (#78097)
Right Trailers, Inc.
7220 US Highway 98 North
Lakeland, FL 33809
(863) 602-2193
Member Since: 2005-04-13
Phone Number: 863-667-4448
Member Feedback
Number of Honor Payments: 1
Average Accepted Sale Price: $1,976.00
Average Honor Payment: $3.75
- Ad #182387378: Haulmark Passport
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Report the sale - click here


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Women's Star-Spangled Banner Newsprint Tee
Item #25722
Price: $48.00
Availability: Out of stock. This item is no longer available for purchase.
A Smithsonian Institution Exclusive |
- Description
- Reviews
Be in the historic moment with this Women's Star-Spangled Banner Newsprint Tee. Casual and patriotic chic at its trendiest, this boatneck mesh top features a word collage commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner and the National Anthem that it inspired Frances Scott Key to write. Soft 100% cotton. Machine wash. Tumble dry. Handcrafted in the U.S.A. Sizes S, M, L, XL.
Museum Provenance
This Women's Star-Spangled Banner Newsprint Tee celebrates the Star-Spangled Banner, which flew over Fort McHenry during the unsuccessful British bombardment of 1814. This year the National Museum of American History—where it is protected, preserved and displayed—is hosting a year-long celebration of its 200th birthday. For six short weeks this summer, the Star-Spangled Banner will be accompanied by the original manuscript of our National Anthem for which this flag was the inspiration.
Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or inspired by an object or objects in our collection.
View Size Chart


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It's crunch time at the post office. Nationwide, today is considered one of the busiest shipping days of the year.
If you want that gift under the tree by Christmas morning, timing is everything.
Around the holidays, long lines at the post office come with the territory, as packages of all shapes and sizes head to far away destinations.
Michael Donato, USPS operations manager reported, "I've seen all kinds of gifts from skis to fishing poles. All kinds of packages."
The United States Postal Service estimates between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than 19 billion letters and packages travel around the country.
Steve Oakes of Wilmington said, "Every other year, I've waited till January to do it. So I decided to go ahead and get it there on time this time."
When asked if she realized this was the busiest mailing day, Linda Kleckner replied, "No I didn't until I had to drive around three times to find a parking space."
To keep the holiday season jolly for customers, employees are working around the clock to make sure deliveries are made on time.
With the ease of e-mail, mail volume has been declining for some time, but that all changes around the holidays.
Independent shipping companies like mailbox express have seen the same increase in business.
Harry Van, Mailbox Express owner said, "It's actually been busier than we thought it would be today. We've had a steady stream, sometimes 8 or 10 people in line waiting hour after hour so we are really pleased."
Just remember, as we get closer and closer to Christmas, you can expect shipping costs to get higher.
Anything going out Monday is guaranteed to end up under the tree by Christmas.
It's a good idea to insure your packages, in case of damages or lost shipments.
The absolute last day to send your letters and packages for Christmas Eve delivery, is the 23rd.


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When it comes to making beautiful jewelry, no detail is too small to be ignored.
So we don't.
- Simon G.
At Gabriel & Co. we're redefining the word "Engaged" to once again capture the magic and beauty of this committed love.
Hamilton has a history of creating timepieces with out of this world design and functionality.


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RES Run/Walk 4 Technology
Sorry, but the online registration is no longer available for this event.
Randleman Elementary School will host a 5k run / walk to raise money for Nooks in the classrooms. Nooks are fabulous devices that will allow students to research on the Internet, participate in educational applications as well as read electronic books.
This fun filled afternoon is for avid runners put on by On the Mark Sports as well as the casual runner and walker. Come out and support Randleman Elementary School while excercising. In order to provide 5 Nooks to each class we would have to raise over $30,000. That of course is our goal. Make plans to come and support Randleman.


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"Here's a typical scenario," Bancroft continues. "Someone calls us up extremely pissed off because they've got a notice in the mail saying they're either going to get fined or have been fined because they don't have a new rabies tag. They've had the shot for the dog but they haven't paid the $25 for the tag. They call up livid and scream. They think we've turned them in to the county. If you're a couple months late, they'll really start harassing you." While Bancroft declines to discuss any specific cases, citing client confidentiality, she says she knows people who also have been fined hundreds of dollars and have had liens put on their houses.
"It is a little absurd," concurs North Bay Village vet Dr. Stephen Brown. "We've had a lot of clients who've had this happen to them. As soon as they get the fine, they rush in to get the vaccination taken care of. The problem is, they think once they get the vaccination, that's it. The fine is still there."
Given Miami's proximity to the Everglades, which is home to many rabies-carrying animals, annual rabies shots for dogs are indispensable, Brown stresses. "I can agree with that totally," he says. But he also notes that the county, perhaps fixating on the bottom line, is not inclined toward compassion and understanding.
"I had one client who happened to be out of town for a long period when it came time to get her dogs vaccinated, and as soon as she got back, she found all these notices of fines," says the vet. "She immediately had her dogs vaccinated but refused to pay the fines. So they put a lien on her property. I talked to someone at Animal Control and said, 'Look, I'm not making any excuses for her, but be reasonable.'" According to Brown, his client was finally let go with a stern warning: Don't ever let this happen again.
According to Ochmanski, matters such as these used to be treated as criminal misdemeanors. But in order to keep the courts clear, county commissioners years ago passed an ordinance making these and other offenses civil matters. As such, they can be appealed to a so-called hearing officer, and if that fails to resolve them, they can be taken to court. But to Ochmanski's knowledge, few cases have ever gotten that far.
"What we're looking to do is not necessarily recover the full value [of the lien]," he says. "We do reduce lien amounts." All the county really wants, Ochmanski insists, is for the original delinquent "base fine" to be paid.
According to a recent state court decision, though, the county's method of fine collection may be improper. Florida's constitution states that a citizen's homestead property is exempt from the levy of creditors, except for taxes and assessments. Two years ago, ruling on the case of Demura v. County of Volusia, Florida's Court of Appeals for the Fifth District not only found that a "code enforcement fine" is not a tax or an assessment, but also held that it is unlawful to use such a lien as a foreclosure tool.
"A basic principle of Demura is that involuntary liens, except for taxes and assessments, do not constitute liens on homestead property," says Howard Cauvel, the Deland-based attorney who won the Demura case. "What [Dade] County is doing, frankly, is rattling a saber to try to get the money when they don't have a real claim against the property."
It appears that Dade is unique in this respect; most other jurisdictions, Broward included, still treat animal code violations as criminal misdemeanor infractions and don't use the lien as a weapon. But Broward also differs from Dade in two other respects. There, rabies tag fees cost twenty dollars (ten for spayed and neutered dogs). Dade gives only a $2.50 discount for altering a pet. "That doesn't give people that much of an incentive to spay or neuter, which ends up putting more strays on the streets," comments veterinarian Dr. Catherine Bancroft.
But the biggest difference between the two counties is that Broward law requires cat owners to have their felines vaccinated and tagged, too. Though cats can carry rabies, Dade's cat owners aren't required to vaccinate or pay the county for a license. In other words, dog owners subsidize animal-control services in Dade County. (This seems to suit cat people just fine: The last time it was proposed that the Metro Commission even consider a licensing regulation, the idea was killed amid a flurry of threats and petitions.)
As for Randy Natalino, he and his wife currently own three dogs, all of which, he says, are up-to-date on their vaccinations.


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Clumsy Ponglike tennis on the Mac
Batting a ball back and forth, losing almost every time, gets old fast.
Screen Tennis is like a time-warp back to Pong days. There are two controllers, which are big colored blocks on either side of the screen, and a round white blob in the middle that is the ball. The ball bounces back and forth and you control one paddle. The app installs easily and launches quickly, sitting over top of your desktop and wallpaper.
You have some very basic customization available with Screen Tennis. You can change the color of the two paddles and the ball, for example, and select whether the AI controls the left paddle (the user always controls the right paddle). Scores show up on the lower part of the screen as big numbers. And that, basically, is it. You control your paddle up and down, but in practice this seemingly simple action is difficult to do at higher speeds. Over a number of games we had real trouble scoring on the computer AI, and didn't win often.
We were disappointed with Screen Tennis. The graphics are clumsy, the customization was nothing interesting, and the AI won almost every time. It's free, so Screen Tennis is worth a quick play, but we doubt there will be any long-term players. A few changes to the app would make it a lot better, in our opinion.


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Election Pivots From Wall Street to ... Sesame Street?
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The election has turned to the woes on Sesame Street.
Out with a television ad on Tuesday, the Obama campaign has slammed Republican nominee Mitt Romney's bizarre reference to Big Bird during last week's presidential debate.
"Bernie Madoff, Ken Lay, Dennis Kozlowski -- criminals, gluttons of greed. And the evil genius who towered over them? One man has the guts to speak his name," a voice over says to images of the convicted businessmen, "Big Bird."
The ad, approved by President Barack Obama, claims that Romney knows it isn't Wall Street that Americans must worry about but Sesame Street. The ad ridicules Romney's comment in last week's debate that he would cut funding to public broadcasting. The GOP nominee added that he liked Big Bird and Jim Lehrer -- the debate's moderator who has been a staple newsman on the Public Broadcasting Service since the 1970s. Big Bird, the gigantic yellow bird created by legendary puppeteer Jim Henson, made an appearance on Saturday Night Live last weekend after chatter grew at the thought that Romney, if elected, would "fire" him. When asked by writer Seth Meyers if he had any political statement he wanted to make, Big Bird instead told a joke. "No, I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but I do have a political joke," the bird said. "You know who loves De-baits? De fishes ... because fish eat bait. It's a thinker." The Romney campaign emailed reporters Tuesday morning to shrug off the ad as proof that the Obama campaign would rather talk about Big Bird than issues that are affecting millions of struggling Americans. "With 23 million people struggling for work, incomes falling, and gas prices soaring, Americans deserve more from their president," said Amanda Henneberg, a Romney spokeswoman. The Sesame Workshop requested that the Obama campaign take the ad down. "Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns. We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down," Sesame Workshop wrote in a statement on Tuesday. -- Written by Joe Deaux in New York. >Contact by Email. Follow @JoeDeauxCheck Out Our Best Services for Investors
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