text: May 6 TEXAS: Tracy Lane Beatty Returns To Court Claiming Trial Attorneys Ineffective Death row inmate Tracy Lane Beatty was back in a Smith County court Friday claiming his trial attorneys were ineffective. Beatty was convicted in 2004 by a Smith County jury and sentenced to death for the Nov. 25, 2003, capital murder of his mother, Caroline "Callie" Click. Evidence showed the 46-year old killed his mother, stole her car, drained her credit and bank accounts to buy drugs and alcohol, gave away her personal items and buried her nude, contorted body in a shallow grave behind her mobile home. Attorney Jeff Haas is representing Beatty on the routine writ of habeas corpus, a court proceeding that determines whether someone has been lawfully imprisoned or convicted. Beatty is claiming that Robert Perkins and Ken Hawk, who were appointed to defend Beatty at his capital murder trial, provided ineffective assistant in his defense. After witness testimony, which began Friday and will conclude next week, 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. will rule whether the attorneys were ineffective. Perkins, who has been a lawyer since 1990, testified he has tried, either as a prosecutor or defense attorney, about 20 capital murder cases, with Beatty being the last. Perkins, Hawk, an investigator and several experts appointed by the court worked on Beatty's defense, he said. With the facts and circumstances, they felt like Beatty was likely to be convicted so they tried to get him convicted, of a charge other than capital murder so he would not face the death penalty. During opening statements, Perkins said he told the jurors his client was guilty of murder but not capital murder, which he said he still believes. He said he did not believe prosecutors could prove he committed capital murder. He said they did not call any of their experts to testify about mitigating factors during the punishment trial because their testimony would have hurt Beatty rather than helped him. Several family members testified for the state, and others would have hurt Beatty if the defense would have called them to testify, Perkins said. At one point, Beatty said he killed his mother in self defense but, Perkins said, there was no evidence to support it. For a claim of self defense, Beatty also would have had to testify in the trial, and cross examination by prosecutors could have hurt his case, he said. Perkins said he would have been happy with any evidence to support the murder was committed in self defense or sudden passion. He said Beatty told them many different versions of what happened with his mother. "Between everybody involved, I feel we did everything we knew to do," he said. Beatty never voiced concerns about the way attorneys defended him in trial, he said. NEW WITNESSES Beatty's former stepfather, stepbrother and stepsister also testified during the hearing. The former family members did not testify in Beatty's capital murder trial. Tim Day, of Gainesville, said he married Beatty's mother in 1978 and they were married for 5 years. He said after he married her, he learned she had serious mental problems. He said she overdosed on prescription pills several times. He worked late hours and never saw her abuse Beatty or his 3 children, he said. Day said he saw 1 act of violence between Beatty and his mother but he didn't know who the aggressor was. Day characterized Beatty as a high-strung, hot-headed person. He said Beatty escaped from a state reform school when he was 17 and once stole his mother's car and wrecked it. Chad Day, Beatty's former stepbrother, testified Ms. Click physically abused him and his sister. He said they never told their father because she told them not to. He said he never saw her beat Beatty, who once threw his mother against a refrigerator and knocked her out. Kami Bentley testified her former stepmother, Ms. Click, was physically and mentally abusive. She also described being beaten and odd things she would make them do, such as walk around in circles outside in the heat all day. She said Ms. Click did not beat Beatty and he never saw Beatty beat her. As Beatty was being led out of the courtroom at the end of the proceedings Friday, the judge had to warn Beatty he could be held in contempt of court if he continued making comments to Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham. Assistant DA Mike West is also representing the state in the proceeding, which will continue Monday. (source: Tyler Morning Telegraph) ******************* Infant died of 'catastrophic injuries,' prosecutors say----Prosecutors say after autopsy, mom admitted punching boy in the head A baby who initially was said to have been dropped on a linoleum floor suffered skull fractures, 2 wrist fractures, broken ribs on both sides and a broken ankle, prosecutors said Friday. Leonardo Gonzalez's massive injuries were detailed as his mother, Joanna Michelle Vasquez, 22, made her first court appearance to face a capital murder charge. The 2-month-old boy died April 27 of "catastrophic injuries," prosecutors said. He had been placed on life support shortly after being taken to a hospital on April 24 by Vasquez and her common-law husband, said Assistant District Attorney John Jocher. The father is not a suspect, authorities have said. Vasquez at first told medical personnel and police she had shaken the baby and dropped him on the "soft tile kitchen floor" in her north Houston apartment, Jocher said. After being confronted with the autopsy findings, however, she admitted punching her baby 4 times in the head, prosecutors said in state District Judge Michael McSpadden's court. Estella Olguin, spokeswoman for Harris County Child Protective Services, said recently that Vasquez admitted hitting and shaking her baby because he would not stop crying. Several friends and relatives attended the hearing and spoke with Vasquez's attorney, Chuck Hinton, afterward. They and Hinton declined to comment. Vasquez is being held without bail. Her 2-year-old child from another relationship is living with an aunt, authorities said. No decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty, Jocher said. (source: Houston Chronicle) ******************* Man pleads guilty in shooting over wheel covers A Waco man who shot and killed Joel Alvarez Perez because he and 2 others reportedly wanted the wheel covers off Perez's truck pleaded guilty to capital murder Friday. Tony Lee Johnson, 33, became the 1st capital murder defendant from McLennan County to plead guilty under a new law that allows capital murder defendants who don't receive the death penalty to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. The law went into effect Sept. 1, 2005. Previously, those convicted of capital murder who didn't receive the death penalty were eligible for parole after 40 years. Judge Matt Johnson of Waco's 54th State District Court postponed sentencing Johnson because part of his plea bargain with prosecutors' calls for him to testify, if necessary, against his co-defendants: Jason Clovis House, 34, and Alton Degrate Hawkins, 33. House and Hawkins have pretrial hearings set for June 15. Prosecutor Crawford Long said Friday that the district attorney's office has not determined if it will seek the death penalty in those 2 cases. Although Johnson fired the shot that killed 32-year-old Perez, House and Hawkins are eligible for the death penalty as parties to a capital offense, Long said. Perez was killed during a robbery Sept. 28 in the 500 block of North 24th Street. His truck was driven to the 2900 block of Maple Hill Circle where Perez's body and his truck were found, police have said. Perez reportedly was killed for the wheel covers on his truck, Long has said. Johnson's attorneys, Russ Hunt Sr., of Waco, and Michael White, of Temple, said that Johnson is a drug dealer with a prior robbery conviction and that Perez was killed during a "drug deal gone bad." (source: Waco Tribune-Herald) ***************** Detectives try to keep up as homicide rate grows Every 73 hours last year, someone in San Antonio was slain. By year's end, police had cleared about half of the 119 killings, leaving dozens of families desperate for answers and impatient for justice. As slayings in 2006 jumped by nearly a third over the previous year, the rate of cases solved dropped by a similar amount, making the department's homicide clearance rate one of the lowest it reported in the past decade. The city's 11 homicide detectives struggled to keep up, solving a lower rate of cases than Dallas, Houston, Austin, El Paso and Fort Worth, and below the national average. Compared to their counterparts in those cities, the detectives handled from almost double to more than 10 times the number of cases. The odds could be considered stacked against them: the SAPD unit has, for example, fewer detectives than Austin, which is smaller and had 1/6 the homicides last year. And unlike many departments, detectives here usually aren't called out in the middle of the night to investigate fresh murder scenes. They reconstruct the details based on overnight reports left on their desks. "If people really knew how little resources are put toward these murders, I think some of the families would be a little upset," said one San Antonio homicide detective who, like most interviewed, asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation from his superiors. "But we just don't have the manpower." Police Chief William McManus, who declined repeated requests for an in-person interview, said through e-mail that the 50.4 percent clearance rate is "not where we would like it to be." Those rates "vary from year to year and depend upon a number of factors regarding the complexity of each case," he said. In his first year with the department, McManus was faced with the spike that, at 9.5 homicides per 100,000 residents, meant San Antonio experienced a higher murder rate than San Diego and even New York City. But as McManus funneled more resources into preventing homicides, the number of detectives assigned to investigate them shrunk. Last month, with one position vacant, one detective on medical leave and another up for promotion, only eight were left to handle new cases - the same number of detectives who investigate homicides in Fort Worth, a city with half the population of San Antonio and half the homicides. McManus did not directly address whether he thought there were enough homicide detectives but wrote, "Staffing needs are being identified and will be further discussed through the budget process." City Manager Sheryl Sculley said, "We will look at all aspects of the Police Department in the upcoming budget, including homicide detectives." For the families of the victims whose cases remain unsolved, no effort feels quick enough to bring them resolution. "You just feel so powerless and so helpless," said 25-year-old Kate Richardson, whose mother, attorney Christia Mitchell, was found strangled and drowned in the bathtub of her Northwest Side home in January 2006. "It makes me so mad." Overloaded An arrest might help Shelly Delgado understand why her 36-year-old brother Kevin was shot dead in a crowded Northeast Side sports bar last year as he watched television. More than a year later, she knows little about what happened - detectives, she said, never return her calls. Detectives say overwhelming caseloads mean something's "gotta give" - often, that means communication with victims' families. "I get tired of telling people, 'I haven't gotten to that yet,'" one detective said. Last year, San Antonio homicide detectives - who also investigate all unnatural deaths and police-involved shootings - handled an average of 10.8 murder cases each. In comparison, Houston detectives handled about 6 cases each; Dallas detectives investigated about 7 murder cases apiece; and Austin detectives worked about 2. For the SAPD homicide squad, a particularly brutal month last year may be a case in point: 13 people were slain in July. Ten months later, only 3 of their cases have been solved. In 2006 detectives logged a total of 2,945 hours of overtime - about 500 more hours than they collectively earned the previous year. This continued this year: in January alone, homicide detectives investigated 14 new murders, and worked nearly 500 hours of overtime. As each new case lands on their desks, they're carving out time to chase down older cases. "You take the case that's got the best leads and run with that one," a detective said. Manpower has been an issue at the department for years because the number of officers hasn't kept pace with the city's astronomical growth. In his 1st months as chief in 2006, McManus made it a priority and netted 54 new patrol officer positions in this year's budget. Over the past few years, as the city's homicides dropped to levels below 100, the homicide unit gradually lost positions to other sections like aggravated assaults. Homicide Lt. Mark Witherell said he'd welcome more detectives but couldn't guarantee it would mean more cases solved. "I think I'm in the category of every other police department around here or in the country saying, 'Hey, we'd love more,'" Witherell said. "But give me 10 more people and I'll get you more clearance rates? I can't say that. I just don't think that's true." McManus said most homicides are solved at the scene, and added that they are "difficult to prevent." Still, he developed two programs this year aimed at curbing violent crime: a Tactical Response Unit, a mobile team of officers who target troubled neighborhoods and a policy requiring officers to secure an immediate arrest warrant for domestic violence suspects, after that type of homicide almost tripled in 2006. "You can never measure how many murders are prevented by proactive policing," McManus said. The approach A 1999 study for the Justice Research and Statistics Association, done by University of Maryland criminologist Charles Wellford, found the number of detectives assigned to a murder case had a "significant effect on closing the case." So did the way detectives investigated a homicide. Detectives were more likely to solve a case, according to the study, when "three or more" saturated the crime scene within the initial crucial hours, normally considered the first 48. Such a method was used when video game store clerk Amber Belken was found suffocated a few months ago in a storeroom at work. The case received a lot of publicity because Belken was 24, her parents' only child and the type no one expected to fall victim to such seemingly random violence. Nearly all the available detectives joined the initial effort to find her killer, who remains at large. But detectives said that protocol usually isn't followed in day-to-day detective work because they don't have enough people and is more the exception than the rule. A return to the team approach last year in Houston "contributed significantly to our clearance rate improvement," said HPD Homicide Capt. Dale Brown, whose squad cleared 71 % of its cases in 2006 - a 12 % point improvement over the previous year. And while detectives here work long hours and return to the office late at night if a case breaks, unlike many other departments, they don't respond to new slayings that happen overnight. Instead, the heavy log of overnight killings usually is left for detectives with the Night Criminal Investigations unit, who respond to all major crimes - including robberies, sexual and aggravated assaults, in addition to homicide calls - between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. In the morning, they turn over what they've learned to the homicide section.Wellford called it an "unusual approach," one he hadn't encountered with the dozens of other homicide departments he'd studied. Detectives here decried the method, complaining that instead of working a "hot" crime scene, they get stacks of homicide reports to read in the morning. Confusing numbers Figuring out how many murders are solved in any given year can be difficult. Numbers in the FBI Uniform Crime Report are considered the national standard in measuring crime. By that measure, San Antonio's homicide clearance rate was lower than the national average, 50.4 % compared to 62 %, according to UCR criteria. But the department still lists its clearance rate as 36.1 % on its Web site. 3 days before this report about the clearance rate, a police spokeswoman said that number was wrong and no explanation was provided when the new number was given. Internally, the department lists even a higher clearance rate - at 57.98 % of homicides solved. That's because SAPD considers a homicide solved if it has an arrest warrant - even if the suspect has fled to Mexico, for example. UCR does not. According to UCR criteria, a murder is cleared only if someone is arrested and in custody. But cases cleared by "exceptional means," such as the death of a suspect, also are counted. Of SAPD's 69 cleared homicides last year, seven were solved because the suspects died at the time in murder-suicides. One suspect was shot dead by police during a standoff with officers. Changing times Nationwide, the average homicide clearance rate has dropped 22 % over the past few decades, from 79 % in 1976. Experts believe a change in homicides is partly responsible for that decline, said Derral Cheatwood, a criminologist and professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Decades ago, homicides were more likely to be committed by disgruntled lovers or angry friends. But as cities are faced with increasing populations and more gang and drug-related crimes, homicides between strangers are increasingly common. It's difficult to pinpoint a suspect if he or she has no link with his victim. Better legal protections for suspects and a higher burden of proof for prosecutors also contributed to the falling rate. Police departments today also work more closely with prosecutors to build stronger cases. Bexar County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Scott Simpson visits the SAPD homicide office about once a week for case updates. "It's not our job to just arrest somebody," said Witherell, the homicide lieutenant. "Our job is to solve cases and prepare a case that's good enough so that when it gets to the (district attorney's) office it's going to get an indictment or it's going to get a jury to say 'guilty.'" That higher bar makes the department's clearance rates "more credible," he said. "We're not taking credit for something that we're just putting on somebody else's desk and hoping for the best." Looking for closure For the bereaved families of those shot and stabbed, bludgeoned and strangled, only one case matters. Sharon McKenzie, whose son Marshall Iglesias was found shot and burned on an isolated highway median, once felt so desperate for information she called the FBI. "'I need help,'" she said. "I figured they could get on the case faster." A Texas crime victim bill of rights details various privileges granted survivors - from the right to know the dates of any relevant court proceedings to the return of their loved one's property - but it does not obligate law enforcement or prosecutors to release any information to victims' families that could jeopardize a case. "It's at their discretion whether they can share information with families or concerned others," said Kevin O'Brien, director for education and victims services at the National Center for Victims of Crime in Washington. "It's very difficult for families to live with that." But their job is to solve a crime. And the more phone calls they field from relatives eager to share new leads, the less time detectives have to focus on the cases, said Jimmy Holguin, a veteran SAPD homicide detective and now chief investigator at the Bexar County medical examiner's office. That rationale - or even a complicated explanation of budget and manpower issues limiting the number of detectives working a case - doesn't appease a grieving family member. Maria Elena Martinez, whose daughter Magdalene Martinez Battise was found stabbed to death in a North Side industrial park last October, feels like the case is "at zero." "We don't have (reward) money to offer," Martinez said. "Maybe that's why they haven't caught the killer." The father of Kevin Delgado, the victim killed in a Northeast Side sports bar last year, will continue to attend meetings of Parents of Murdered Children, waiting for an answer. McKenzie monitors the nightly news, taking note of all the new homicides in the city, among them the torture of Corey William Baxter in March, who, like her son, was shot and then burned. The killings can seem overwhelming to families anxious about whether detectives can get to the cases of their loved one. "Every day they wait, another heinous crime comes up," said Masoud Rasti, who was engaged to Mitchell, the slain attorney. "I'm not saying Christia's file should go above them but when are they going to do something about it?" Detectives keep chipping away at their caseloads, each day hoping that time will prove an ally and not another roadblock. "I think every case is solvable," Holguin said. "It's just the detective's job to find the right way to find that end." But by Friday, the killings showed no sign of abating - 40 had been slain to date in 2007, just 3 deaths less than in the same time last year. (source : San Antonio Express-News) ***************************************** Right direction It may have been a small step, but it was in the right direction. The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee passed a measure last week that would give the governor authority to enact an emergency moratorium on capital punishment if events warranted one. Unlike most other death-penalty states, Texas lacks such a safety valve. That's a shameful deficiency for the nation's leading execution state, especially considering the recent rash of DNA exonerations. (source: Opinion, Dallas Morning News) ********************* Veteran judge to exit job; possible run for DA seen After more than 14 years on the criminal court bench, state District Judge Bob Gill announced Friday that he is stepping down at the end of the month, stirring speculation that he may one day run for Tarrant County district attorney. Gill was first elected in 1992, and his current 4-year term ends in December 2008. Eventually, Gov. Rick Perry will appoint a replacement, but a visiting judge will be appointed to the handle the court's docket in the meantime. After spending 11 years as a local prosecutor and then serving on the bench, the 51-year-old judge said, it was time to move on. "I've been in public service for 25 years, and it's time for me to have a little change of pace," Gill said. "It's time for me to not have my nose to the grindstone 24 hours a day and 7 days a week." Gill is already being mentioned as a potential replacement for Tarrant County District Attorney Tim Curry, if and when the county's top prosecutor decides to retire. There is speculation that 68-year-old Curry is serving out his last term after nearly 35 years in office. Gill would say only that he is giving up his $137,000-a-year post to work as a visiting judge and to pursue other projects. He said any talk about him running for district attorney, especially before Curry makes his plans known, is "extremely premature." But Gill did not rule out seeking the job in the future. Curry couldn't be reached for comment Friday. "I'd be a fool if I didn't keep that idea in the back of my mind and to look at my options if something comes up," Gill said. An empty bench Some attorneys and judges were surprised to hear that Gill was stepping down from the 213th District Court, and they praised his work as a jurist, calling him tough but fair, calm but at times impatient with shoddy legal work. "It's a great loss for Bob Gill to leave," said state District Judge Sharen Wilson. "He is a smart, calm, well-respected judge. He is respected not only by the attorneys who appear before him but the other judges who serve with him. I'm personally sad." Lance Evans, a criminal defense attorney, said Gill's departure is a loss for the Tarrant County criminal justice system. "I think he is a very fair judge, and I hope his replacement will follow the law like he did," Evans said. Among the names being circulated in local legal circles as possible replacements are Louis Sturns, former Texas Court of Criminal Appeals justice; Phil Sorrells, county criminal court judge; and defense attorneys Bill Ray and Santiago Salinas. State District Judge Jeff Walker, the presiding judge for the Eighth Administrative Region, said he may appoint Gill to serve in his old court until the governor makes an appointment. Tough but fair During his years on the bench, Gill presided over several high-profile cases, but none more notable than those involving the slaying of Fort Worth socialite Caren Koslow. She was killed in March 1992 by a trio of teenage attackers that included her stepdaughter, Kristi Koslow; Brian Salter, her former fiance; and Jeffrey Dillingham, a mutual friend. Dressed in black and armed with a pry bar, a knife and a gun, Dillingham and Salter entered Jack and Caren Koslows home near River Crest Country Club. Kristi Koslow had offered Dillingham and Salter $1 million to kill her father and stepmother. Jack Koslow survived the serious injuries he suffered in the attack. Gill had been on the bench about 6 months when Dillingham's trial began. Dillingham got the death penalty; Salter pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence. A jury gave Kristi Koslow life behind bars, too, but only after an emotional trial in which her father testified that his daughter deserved to be executed. While he had prosecuted death-penalty cases, it was his first as a judge. Gill moved 1 of the trials out of town because of the pre-trial publicity. He said he took it day by day. "It certainly had my attention, and I worked hard at it to make sure it got done right," Gill said. Doing the 'right thing' Mark Daniel, one of Kristi Koslow's attorneys, said Gill is what a judge ought to be. "Efficient. Knowledgeable of the law. Fair," said Daniel, who has written 2 highly regarded books with Gill, the Texas Criminal Lawyers Handbook and Texas Criminal Forms. "And he expects all parties to be prepared." His deep knowledge of the law means that he sometimes doesn't suffer fools gladly. Not a chatty man, but known for his dry wit, he has a nameplate on his desk with one of his quotes from the bench: "I don't say much and I prefer that you don't either." And despite his reputation for fairness, Gill is also known for handing out tough sentences. Taped to the same nameplate is a hand-made sign poking fun at his hang-'em-high reputation. It describes Gill as "bit of a toughy." To that, Gill simply says: "I think I do the right thing." (source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram) ********************** Evidence missing in Graves' retrial found in old jail cell----Exhibits used in '94 trial is spotted in a closed cell just before a deadline, his attorneys say Evidence missing in the capital murder retrial of former death row inmate Anthony Graves was discovered in a cell that had been welded shut in the old Burleson County Jail, defense attorneys said Friday. The evidence used in Graves' 1994 trial went missing and was found in the old jail cell just before a May 1 deadline set by Burleson County District Judge Reva Towslee-Corbett, defense attorney Jeff Blackburn said. "All that stuff was just thrown in there," said Blackburn, one of four attorneys representing Graves, 41, for free because they believe he is innocent. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty again. Phone conversation Blackburn said he learned of the discovered evidence through a phone conversation Friday with special prosecutor Patrick Batchelor. Batchelor did not respond to a request for comment, but Blackburn said the evidence in the old jail, which is now used by the Department of Public Safety, was discovered very close to the deadline. He said the evidence could be seen in the cell, but officials were unable to pry it open until Wednesday or Thursday. Blackburn said skull caps of the victims were among the evidence discovered, but he was awaiting the completion of an inventory to know exactly what had been found. "It's certainly important for us in the sense that we are eager to have it tested because I am confident it is not going to implicate Anthony and it will shed light on who was responsible for this," said Nicole Casarez, one of Graves' attorneys. 6 slain in 1992 The evidence was collected following the 1992 slaying of Bobbie Joyce Davis, 45; her 16-year-old daughter, Nicole; and 4 grandchildren between 4 and 9 years old. Evidence included clothing worn by the victims and Graves; hair, fiber and blood samples; the skull caps, and several knives used in a demonstration during the 1994 trial to show how they might have pierced the victims' skulls. The victims were stabbed, shot and bludgeoned with a hammer and the house doused with gasoline and set ablaze. The knife was never found. False testimony A federal appeals court last year ordered a new trial for Graves after he found that prosecutors withheld evidence and elicited false testimony during the trial from Texas Ranger Ray Coffman, now chief Texas Ranger. Robert Carter, executed for the slayings in 2000, recanted his testimony against Graves several times. Moments before his execution, Carter vouched for Graves' innocence. (source: Houston Chronicle) ************************** Texas Federal District Judge Royal Furgeson has overturned the death sentence of Kenneth Foster Jr. on March 3, 2007. Recently Kenneth Foster's lawyer filed a Writ of Cert and it was denied as of April 23rd, 2007. This means this inmate could get an execution date at anytime. Texas leads the nations in executions and have executed 13 inmates so far this year by lethal injection. While most people think Capital punishment is reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes, Texas thinks different. Texas has passed a bill that will allow some second time sex predators to receive the death sentence. Texas also hands down the death penalty to those who have not even touched the weapon, but were present at the scene. Under The Law of Parties, Kenneth and approximately 80-100 inmates sit on death row, waiting execution, and have not killed anyone. Has Texas taken this case too far? Are they going to go forward and give this man an execution date, and eventually execute him by lethal injection? Foster was just the get-away driver in a series of robberies. One robbery went wrong and an innocent man, Mr. LaHood was shot. The gunman, Mauriceo Brown was executed for this murder, and openly admits to acting solely alone, and admitted this shooting was not planned. After all, the previous robberies on that day resulted in non violence, so it's assumable the last one would occur the same way, in non violence. Foster was seated in his car the entire time. Taken from my interview with Kenneth Foster Jr., a comment made by D. Doyle, "There is surely something wrong with the death penalty being done unto one who did not cause death. Society must learn that it is responsible to take into account that until the trigger is pulled, or until the knife breaks skin there is time for the assailant to back out from the crime, and that since this man pulled no trigger and broke no skin it cannot "reasonably" be said that he proved beyond doubt that he would not have acted on behalf of his fellow man and victim. This inmate's crime was in something less than what he could be held accountable for in murder". Recently three death row inmates death sentences were rejected by the Supreme Court, because the courts failed to instruct the jurors to consider migrating circumstances. In Foster's trial, migrating circumstances were also not heard. This alone should qualify Foster for a retrial. The inmates involved with this issue has murdered someone. In a Nation that executions have been debatable, with eleven states halting executions to review the method of lethal injection, calling it cruel and unusual, are we going to allow this inmate to be executed? Knowing he was not the gunman, knowing he had no knowledge that a shooting was going to take place, and knowing his trial was shoddy, and he was clearly railroaded. He has been called a thug, a gangster, and an animal. But by who? Who lives? Who dies? Who decides? Please access the site Kenneth Foster Jr.'s family and friends have created for him for more information. He is a father, a son, a grandchild, a husband, a friend, but most of all, he is a human being. His life is worth saving. (source: Associated Content)


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United, Chelsea given huge boost: The Daily Star has good news for Louis van Gaal on the day he officially takes charge of Manchester United, with the paper reporting that the club's pursuit of Arturo Vidal has been given a big helping hand by last night's shock news that coach Antonio Conte has quit Juventus. The same goes for Chelsea, who hare being strongly linked with Juve star Paul Pogba, formerly of Manchester United himself. The paper writes: "Conte's resignation could pave the way for Pogba and Vidal to leave Turin this summer. Both have been linked with moves to the Premier League this summer following impressive performances at the World Cup."
Paper Round's view: This reeks of putting two and two together - but that's not to say the Star hasn't come up with four. Conte was a huge personality at Juve, recruiting both players and winning Serie A three seasons in a row, so it's likely that his exit will indeed cause unrest, and if the Premier League benefits by recruiting two such global stars, then all the better for it.
Liverpool fail with Davies bid: The Daily Telegraph says Liverpool's summer recruitment drive continues apace and following the exciting signing of Lazar Markovic, Swansea's left-back Ben Davies is on the agenda. However, Swansea are said to have rejected their opening gambit of £8m.
Paper Round's view: The author of this piece is Chris Bascombe, who used to work at the Liverpool Echo and has good contacts at Anfield, so it can be trusted. Furthermore, Brendan Rodgers obviously knows Davies well having managed Swansea before making the move to Liverpool. He is a very good prospect, but if Luke Shaw is worth £30m then Liverpool will have to offer a bit more for the Welshman.
Everton target World Cup striker: It could be a busy few days on Merseyside as the Daily Star, prolific this morning, claims Everton are after Colombia striker Carlos Bacca, who featured in the country's quarter-final defeat to Brazil. The Star writes: "Everton boss Roberto Martinez is considering turning to him if they can't re-sign Romelu Lukaku. Another loan deal would suit Everton but Liverpool want to sign him on a permanent deal."
Paper Round's view: Lukaku must be the top target for Roberto Martinez but if Everton cannot afford to pay his £20m valuation then Bacca, who scored 21 goals for Sevilla last season, is an interesting alternative.
Romelu Lukaku
Pellegrini snubs Brazil: It's a quiet day for transfer rumours in the papers but the Star carries an interesting story on its back page with the news that Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has turned down the chance to be Brazil's new manager, following the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari. Apparently, the Brazilian FA have made the Chilean their No. 1 target.
Paper Round's view: The lure of being Brazil's first ever foreign boss must be hard to ignore - what a historic appointment that would be - but Pellegrini is right to stick with City. Brazil are a team in disarray, with big concerns over the state of their future prospects. At City he presides over one of the most modern and complete football clubs in the world, where everything is set up to ensure future success.
- Soccer
- Sports & Recreation
- Manchester United
- Antonio Conte
- Premier League

subset: commoncrawl


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According to South Carolina Highway Patrol, I-385 is completely open as of 8:30 p.m.
The northbound lanes of Interstate 385 were shut down because of an overturned 18-wheeler.
At 6 p.m., one lane was open near the wreck, near Exit 31 (N.E. Main Street in Simpsonville), but traffic was moving very slowly.
Motorists were encouraged to avoid the area.
The last available exit before the congestion was Exit 29 (West Georgia Road).


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A man was shot and killed Friday night in the Milan neighborhood of New Orleans, police said.
Click here to watch the report
A man was in a parking lot at a business in the 3400 block of South Claiborne Avenue just before 10 p.m. when an acquaintance pulled up in a car, exited and brandished a shotgun, police said. The first man pulled a gun on the other man and shot him, police said.
After being shot, the second man got back into his car and drove a short distance before dying, police said.
The shooter was interviewed and released. The district attorney's office will review the case, police said.


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Born: August 4, 1909, Norwich, Connecticut
Died: April 14, 2005, San Francisco, California
Saunders Mac Lane was a University of Chicago mathematics professor known for his pioneering work in category theory and leadership in the mathematics community.
R.P. Boas wrote in Mac Lane's Gung and Hu Distinguished Service to Mathematics Award citation,
His presidency made an enduring impression on those who were active in the Association at that time. He saw the office less as an honor than as an opportunity, attacked the problems of collegiate mathematics with characteristic imagination and energy, and set the Association on the active course that it has followed ever since.
Here are some of the activities that began under Mac Lane's presidency: the first steps were taken toward forming CUPM, and in particular toward improving the training of school teachers in mathematics; the Hedrick Lectures were invented; what is now the Employment Register was begun (by the MAA alone); the MAA and AMS began to cooperate in producing a Combined Membership List.
1930 Yale University, Ph.B.
1931 University of Chicago, M.A.
1934 University of Göttingen, Ph.D., advised by Hermann Weyl
Mac Lane taught at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and the University of Chicago before returning to Harvard in 1938 as an assistant professor. He then became a professor at the University of Chicago (1947-82; chair, 1952-58). After he retired, he advised two graduate students (1995 and 1997).
The Fiftieth Anniversary Issue of the American Mathematical Monthly included Saunders' remarks on "The Future Role of the Federal Government in Mathematics."
Mac Lane was a governor of the MAA in 1943-45 and vice president in 1948-49. He was also president of the AMS in 1973-74, vice president of the National Academy of Sciences, vice president of the American Philosophical Society, and a board member of the National Science Foundation. He was honored with the MAA Chauvenet Prize (1941), an AMS Colloquium Lecture (1963), the MAA Gung and Hu Distinguished Service to Mathematics Award (1975) the AMS Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement (1986), and the National Medal of Science in 1989.
MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive Biography
AMS Presidents Timeline biography
University of Chicago obituary
Gung and Hu Distinguished Service to Mathematics Award citation by R.P. Boas
Saunders Mac Lane: A Mathematical Autobiography
"A Conversation with Saunders Mac Lane" by G.L. Alexanderson
The Saunders Mac Lane Papers at the Archives of American Mathematics
Records of editors, presidents, and secretaries from MAA headquarters, Saunders Mac Lane, 1947-1953 at the Archives of American Mathematics
Selected Papers of Saunders Mac Lane


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I'm always on the hunt for good Mexican food in DC, so I wanted to check out the Passion Food Restaurant Group's newest edition, Fuego (2800 Clarendon Boulevard, a few blocks from the Clarendon Metro), which opened on October 3.
The metro ride over was a little dicey, but only because we weren't sure how the orange line would hold up after Sandy ravaged the District. We were a little fearful we wouldn't make it through the tunnel under the Potomac. You just never know when someone's going to pull out the plug and all the water comes flooding in like a scene out of Titanic.
We made it to Virginia in one piece (although one of our other DC dwellers had never heard of Arlington before, so he got a little lost on the way.) While we waited for all five members of our party to arrive, we enjoyed a few cocktails at the bar.
La Margarita Traditional ($5 during Happy Hour) was really delicious. I'd definitely go back for another. The Mala Suerte (habanero infused tequila, triple sec, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and a sugar rim, $9, not pictured) was also quite good. It had a slight kick from the habanero, but was very smooth, and not overly sweet.
We loved the restaurant's ambience. The downstairs Tequileria had painted murals and hand picked tiles on the walls. The upstairs Cocina had an open dining area, with high ceilings and a view of the kitchen.
The restaurant was preparing for its Day of the Dead festivities, which will be kicking off this week.
Our waiter pointed out some of his favorite items on the menu, and we made a few choices on our own. We started with an order of Empanadas de Vegetales (roasted squash, corn, huitlacoche, goat cheese, epazote & avocado salsa, $8). The empanada crust was fried to perfection, golden and delicious. The mushrooms (huitlacoche) and corn were the most noticeable flavors and tasted very fresh. I would have liked a little more goat cheese to add flavor to the dish. The avocado salsa was spicy, and very good, but it was a bit overpowering of the other flavors in the empanada. All in all, though, it was an enjoyable appetizer.
We also tried the Flautas de Pato (shredded duck confit, queso oaxaca, mole negro, $9). Wow! These were the rockstar of the menu. The sweet shredded duck, wrapped in a flaky crust, and topped with mole sauce was outstanding. Even the pickled onions that garnished the dish were delicious. The mole was so good, we were dipping our chips in it after the flautas had been devoured.
Then we had two orders of soup, the Sopa Azteca (tortilla soup, shredded chicken, pasilla chile, avocado, $7) and the Pozole Verde (slow braised pork, hominy, green chile, $8). The tomato-based tortilla soup was pretty basic, but what stood out about it was that it had a kick of spiciness. The Pozole Verde, which is a dish often served in the American Southwest (thanks for that tidbit EDO), was very mild. It was good, and the pork was tender with a nice flavor, but it wasn't really a standout.
Next were the tacos (2 for $7), which is what I came here to try—I'm on an ongoing quest to find good ones in the DC area. Among the five of us, we had quite an assortment: Al Pastor (spit roasted marinated pork, pineapple serrano salsa), Pollo (chicken tinga, shredded lettuce, queso fresco), Suadero (beef brisket, red & white onion, jalapeno, not pictured), Birria (jalisco style roasted goat), Baja (crispy fried tilapia, cabbage, lime crema, not pictured), and Camarones (grilled shrimp, jicama slaw). The table was underwhelmed by some of the tacos, but liked others (all of them looked really good). I enjoyed the Pollo tacos. The meat was very juicy and the lettuce added a great crunchy texture. The roasted goat tacos had a nice gamey flavor. I'd order these two again. The pork in the tacos Al Pastor was too dry, but the flavor was good. My companions thought the Baja tacos were bland, but the Suadero ones were tasty. There were mixed feelings about the homemade corn tortillas—some were too crunchy, some too soggy, others just right. I liked the jalapeno dipping sauce.
All in all, I liked this restaurant for the ambience, the drinks and the flautas (I'm still salivating over these). The service was also good, our waiter very friendly, and the food and drinks reasonably priced. It's not the best Mexican food I've had in this city, but it did have a few items that would draw me back.


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This beautiful lapel pin helps you show your pride in Toastmasters and your educational accomplishments of becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster! Silver-plated pin with the words Distinguished Toastmaster in yellow.
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Wow, who could have seen it coming? Oh wait. We all did.
Wow, who could have seen it coming? Oh wait. We all did.
I love the fact that there are now more spammers posting (a grand total of four posts) than anyone on SES's own forums. SES really hasn't shown up on their own forums in a year, with a one day exception.
It's too bad. DG and Jutland are pretty good games for naval combat. DRM and stupid company management have doomed them.
I will be investing my time and money in NWS's new Steam and Iron game. Rudimentary graphics, but awesome game play. We finally have FOW in a WW1 naval game.


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|HylaFAX The world's most advanced open source fax server
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- On Sun, 9 Jan 2000, George Zeigler wrote: > Hello, > found the RedHat rpms for HylaFax beta 4.1 at > ftp://ftp.hylafax.org/pub/hylafax/. I've limited experience with rpms but can > figure it out. I'm just wondering if it will cause me a problem if I upgraded > my SuSE with them. From limited experience, I think I would have to use a > source rpm, not binary, and change directory path's to suite SuSE in one of > the files after exploding and before compiling. Correct? And what's the Umm. Sounds like a good idea. You should be able to alter them in the config.site or config.local files to the SuSE defaults. > difference between sparc and i386? sparc was compiled on a Sparcstation. Completely different CPU, not compatible with x86 processors. > If I ever get my SuSE working with HylaFax, I'm definitely submitting a > help page for SuSE people to the HylaFax site maintainers. Do it! Please! And feel free to create or submit a SuSE rpm file. Nico Kadel-Garcia Senior Engineer, CIRL Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary firstname.lastname@example.com -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBOHlrsz/+ItycgIJRAQGlyAP+Jfm6ubsVyCUCuquYPTye1sNU2Xjv1Ozo ERLQEHsiCGfG+wZYZ8m26aLSsljjBJ4xEFEjCzLWnLtF6CKlMfWiciQt0G4PqVPe xX2HKTIMPXTX8Fx+pyA4PO3/qpROMYBkpTF1Ul5UutmH5UB99sohTFEeB7mGOQH+ GQMIDGUD1uk= =2jyO -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----


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Honky Tonk Man by Buck Owens
When it comes to "live" TV performances, there are often a lot of shortcuts—even on a show like Hee Haw. But the cornfield comedy's shortcut is the fan's gain, as this previously unreleased collection from Buck Owens proves.
Honky Tonk Man: Buck Sings Country Classics compiles the covers that Buck performed on TV, backed by his band the Buckaroos. The secret: Buck was singing live, but the music was previously recorded in the studio, where Buck would often lay down guide vocals to help his players. Those guide vocals appear with the finished musical tracks on Honky Tonk Man.
The title track, later recorded by Dwight Yoakam, announces the Bakersfield Sound that is to follow, as songs such as Hank Williams' hallmark "Hey, Good Lookin'" and Waylon Jennings' "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" benefit from a heavy dose of twang. And Merle Haggard's "Swinging Doors" resonates with Buck's aching delivery.
However, some of the earliest selections, such as the 1928 Jimmy Rodgers lament "In the Jailhouse Now," feel a bit hollow, almost as if the Buckaroos were treading a little too gingerly with a classic.
But Buck lets loose on Johnny Russell's 1973 hit "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer," turning in a performance that would make some of today's white-trash-proud artists feel like country-clubbers.
Don't miss an issue! Subscribe to Nash Country Weekly.


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Kashmiri passengers rest on luggage as they wait for the Jammu-Srinagar bus services, temporarily suspended due to curfew in Srinagar, at a bus stand in Jammu, India, Saturday, Feb. 9,2013. A Kashmiri man Mohammed Afzal Guru, convicted in the 2001 attack on India's Parliament, has been hanged in an Indian prison, a senior Indian Home Ministry official said Saturday. On Saturday morning thousands of police and paramilitary troops had fanned out across Indian Kashmir anticipating that protests and violence might follow news of the execution. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)


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Definition of intense in English:
adjective (intenser, intensest)
1Of extreme force, degree, or strength: the job demands intense concentration the heat was intense an intense blue
More example sentences
- For weeks, the Syrians have been uprooting their troops and tanks, forced to withdraw under intense international and Lebanese pressure.
- The public service and the defence force, under intense practical and political pressure, are players in what has become a compelling political thriller.
- Under intense pressure it was forced to yield him.
1.1(Of an action) highly concentrated: a phase of intense activity
More example sentences
- Well, again, the type of very vigorous, very intense activity generally is a matter of months after surgery like this.
- Dutch researchers said recently that regular moderate exercise can burn energy and help shed those extra pounds or kilos more than short infrequent bursts of intense activity.
- The announcement, made by junior agriculture minister Baroness Hayman in the House of Lords, followed a day of intense activity after the disease was confirmed at an Essex abattoir.
2Having or showing strong feelings or opinions; extremely earnest or serious: an intense young woman, passionate about her art a burning and intense look
More example sentences
- He was a very earnest and intense young man, whose character was in keeping with his guitar playing.
- On the one hand he's very enthusiastic and intense and can be serious, but he's also such a laugh, and so expressive that he wins you over.
- No, I was not always so disciplined or serious, intense or passionate, but now I am.
Intense and intensive are clearly similar in meaning, but they differ in emphasis. Intense tends to relate to subjective responses—emotions and how we feel—while intensive tends to relate to objective descriptions. Thus, an intensive course simply describes the type of course: one that is designed to cover a lot of ground in a short time, e.g. by being full-time rather than part-time. On the other hand, in the course was intense, intense describes how someone felt about the course.
- Example sentences
- The intenseness of the kiss was increasing, dangerously.
- He had not, however, experienced the kind of emotions that were needed to properly convey the intenseness of the last of the loves.
- The intenseness of his eyes sent shivers up and down her spine.
Late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin intensus 'stretched tightly, strained', past participle of intendere (see intend).
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: in|tense
Definition of intense in:
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= trending


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like the other sh0e is about to dr0p
like this whole sh@m of a m@rket is going to hit the f@n
does the FED really care if the m@rket drops?
really do they?
it's not like they are using their own m0ney
if they were
I'd say yes
but they are not
they are playing with t@xpayer's m0ney
and they have no problem
ripping 0ff the t@xpayer
I love to feel it!
You sure that feeling isnt your lunch?
given your cost basis of $150, what do you think the Dow will have to hit for you to break even? 0, right? Why did you stop posting under the limpy alias?
I feel it looming large, thats why I went long. Havent been right in FOREVER but thats the thing you never know when its going to happen. Russian Roulette but rewarded, when you hit the bullet comes out solid gold.
Only if Uncle Ben says so. Remember, this is a manipulated market.
Sentiment: Buy
wasn't Ben minding the cookie jars when markets tanked in 2008 to 2009?
The plunge protection team was around then also
big help that was.
The FED has no p0wer to stop a ma$$ive sell-off
that's why they must control the message
and use the QE carrot to keep people in line
once they lose control
the game is over
panic selling will ensue
and stockm@rkets are shut down
just like the b@nks in Cyprus
Uncle Ben is just an illu$ion
created out of thin air
by the b@nsters
Ben in a round about way indicated that it was a false economy.If the market drops ,the Fed.wil stop the cash flow.Recall Ben said they needed to see if their return on investment is good.A market that nose dives would give the signal to pull the plug.
Sentiment: Hold


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from Science News
Long-acting birth control devices are nearly 22 times as reliable as contraceptive pills or other short-acting approaches that need close monitoring, a new study shows. Since about half of all unplanned pregnancies are traceable to failed birth control, switching to a long-term, reversible contraceptive could prevent many accidental pregnancies, researchers say.
"As a doctor, if you had a drug for cancer or hypertension that was 20-fold better than the next drug, you would never write [a prescription] for that other drug," says study coauthor Jeffrey Peipert, a physician and epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. "We hope that clinicians will re-think what is standard practice--that a young woman comes in and gets pills or condom counseling. We have methods that are much, much better."
The findings also hint that if cost were not an issue, most women given a choice of common hormone-based contraceptives would prefer the long-acting devices. About 77 percent of the women who volunteered for the new study chose an intrauterine device (IUD) or a small implant placed under the skin while only 20 percent requested shorter-acting options such as the pill, a vaginal ring or a skin patch. Fewer still opted for hormone injections called Depo-Provera. All costs were covered by the study. The findings appear in the May 24 New England Journal of Medicine.
Read more...
You can find this online at http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/long-acting-contraceptives-best-by-far
© 2016 Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society


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Here's what we have on tap for Outlaw Jam 2!
This years Outlaw Jam will be bigger and better than ever! A 2-day festival of music, entertainers and biker culture!
Outlaw Jam 2 has expanded to two days, Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31. Our feature headline artist Motley Crue will rock the house with many other top flight entertainers! Checkout the list of talent below and don't miss out on Outlaw Jam 2 this summer. Showtimes for each performer but are not available at this time, but will be announced prior to the concert.
Some Last Minute Details to Note:
- Gates open at noon both days.
- Lawn chairs and blankets are permitted and suggested for people with general admission tickets. All VIP and reserved seating tickets have chairs.
- Food, beverages and coolers are not permitted. There will be a wide variety of food and beverage options to choose from inside the venue.
- Outlaw Jam does not allow re-admittance.
The Official Band Schedule for Outlaw Jam 2!
All times are approximate
and subject to change.
Saturday, July 30th
Frederick Rock School
Black Stone Cherry
Freddie Long Band
NY Dolls
The Nighthawks
Shooter Jennings
Motley Crue
Sunday, July 31st
Frederick Rock School
No Shame
Black Stone Cherry
Edgar Winter Band
The Nighthawks
Elvin Bishop
Brian Setzer
Motley Crue
Headlining Saturday, July 30th - Iconic American rock band Motley Crue is slated to headline Outlaw Jam on Saturday, July 30th. Formed in 1981, and still comprised of all its notorious and legendary members, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars & Nikki Sixx, are sure to rock the Outlaw Jam stage with a memorable show. After thirty years, numerous brushes with the law, alcoholism, drugs and countless escapades with famous women, the Crue is still going strong.
Brian Setzer
Headlining Sunday, July 31st - Brian has been one of the most noteworthy rockabilly performers over the last three decades. He first caught the attention of large audiences with the 1982 Stray Cats album "Built for Speed" which included the top ten hits "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut". He has performed through the years as the leader of the Stray Cats, with his Brian Setzer orchestra and as an acclaimed solo artist. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see the legendary Brian Setzer as he brings his Rockabilly Riot to Outlaw Jam.
Performing Saturday, July 30th - In a time when most music is manipulated, copied, pasted and auto tuned in digital recording studios, the question that always begs to be answered now more than ever is, "But, can they play it live?" Well, Poison can and always have in their 21-plus year career. But, in the case of Poison, to just expect the music to sound good live is to short change the entire phenomenon. In addition to his gig as Poison front man, Bret Michaels had several solo albums to his credit and has starred in numerous TV shows. Bret was the winning contestant on NBC's reality show Celebrity Apprentice 3. Bret Michaels has also established a film production company with bad boy actor Charlie Sheen that has produced several movies, some of which Bret has written and starred in.
New York Dolls
Performing Saturday, July 30th - The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971.[1] In 2004 the band reformed with three of their original members, two of whom, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, continue on today and have released three records of new material. The original bassist, Arthur Kane, died shortly after their first reunion concert. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later spawned the Ramones, Blondie, Television and Talking Heads.
Shooter Jennings
Performing Saturday, July 30th - Shooter Jennings is an American singer-songwriter formerly active in the country music and Southern rock genres before switching to psychedelic rock in 2009. The son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, Shooter has developed his own sound mixing country, southern rock and psychedelic rock. Shooter has released four albums and also played his father in the Johnny Cash movie "Walk The Line".
Performing Sunday, July 31st - In the early 80's, Kix, Maryland's favorite hard rock band garnered quite a reputation for themselves as one of Maryland's most exciting live cover bands. Releasing their self-titled debut in 1981, Kix featured live favorites like "Atomic Bombs," the glorious "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," and "The Kid." In 1988 they had their biggest chart hit with "Don't Close Your Eyes". The current line-up includes Steve Whiteman (lead vocals), Ronnie "10/10" Younkins (guitars), Brian "Damage" Forsythe (guitars), Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant (drums, backing vocals), and Funny Money bassist Mark Schenker (bass).
The Edgar Winter Band
Performing Sunday, July 31st - A renowned multi-instrumentalist, sings, plays keyboards, saxophone and percussion while performing his unique fusion of rock, blues and jazz. While Edgar is most well known for his big mainstream hits like Frankenstein and Free Ride, he and his band put on a diverse and entertaining live show featuring many blues and rock classics like Tobacco Road and Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo.
Elvin Bishop
Performing Sunday, July 31st - Elvin Bishop has been travelling the Blues road longer than most, and he's got the stories to prove it – many of which are contained within the songs on this release. Stops along the way include his work as a founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early '60s, recordings with legends such as Clifton Chenier, John Lee Hooker, and The Allman Brothers, and Pop success with his own 1976 smash hit "Fooled Around and Fell In Love".
Black Stone Cherry
Performing Sat & Sun, July 30th & 31st - More than anything, the South is known for its music and its strong family ties. Both are highlighted with Black Stone Cherry, a Kentucky band that redefines southern rock for a modern audience. By any standard, BSC is unconventional: they take the larger-than-life mystique of classic rock and modernize it with a driving attack that is equal parts roots and modern hard rock.
Nighthawks with special guest Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin
Performing Sat & Sun, July 30th & 31st - The Nighthawks are a legendary blues and roots music band based in Washington DC and have been on a musical mystery tour that has spanned three decades and taken them to forty nine states and a dozen countries. They have played with nearly all the living blues legends and have released several important albums. Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin is a noted American blues guitarist born in Boston, MA, who started playing the guitar in 1964 and was a backing musician for the legendary Muddy Waters from 1973 to 1980, and is noted for his deep Chicago Blues style.
...and many more acts to be announced soon!
Sons of Anarchy Star - Charlie Hunnam (Jax)
Appearing Sunday, July 31st - Charlie Hunnam plays "Jackson 'Jax' Teller," SAMCRO's Vice-President. Jax is the son of John Teller, founder of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. This life is all he has ever known. Jax is a paradox on two wheels - intelligent, sensitive, and reflective - yet quick-tempered and dangerously reactive. With his irresistible charm and versatility, Hunnam has captured the attention of audiences and critics in both the United Kingdom and Hollywood.
Sons of Anarchy Star - Kim Coates (Tig)
Appearing Sunday, July 31st - Kim Coates plays "Alex 'Tig' Trager," SAMCRO's Sergeant at Arms. Tig is built like a refrigerator. Cold as one too. Fears nothing. Loves to hurt things. Kim Coates' film career began in 1991 with The Last Boy Scout. Two Warner Brothers' hits followed: Innocent Blood and The Client. Since that time, he has starred in over forty films, including Academy Award winners Black Hawk Down directed by Ridley Scott, and Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bay.
Sons of Anarchy Star - Theo Rossi (Juice)
Appearing Sunday, July 31st - Theo Rossi plays "Jean Carlos 'Juice' Ortiz," SAMCRO's Intelligence Officer. Juice has lightening bolts inked onto his shaved skull. Hacker, smart as hell. Enjoys chemicals of all kinds. Theo Rossi studied acting at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York. Since coming to Los Angeles, Rossi has showcased his acting versatility starring in a multitude of hit television shows such as Las Vegas, The Unit, Shark, Jericho, Bones and many more.
Sons of Anarchy Star - Tommy Flanagan (Chibs)
Appearing Sunday, July 31st - Tommy Flanagan plays "Filip 'Chibs" Telford." Chibs was born in the ghettos of Glasgow, raised on the streets of Belfast. Scrapper tough. A "chib" is Scottish street slang for a blade. Flanagan, an actual native of Glasgow, Scotland showcased his talent in the multi-Oscar winning film Braveheart with Mel Gibson. He went on to star in Gladiator with Russell Crowe and a series of other films including Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Alien vs. Predator and Sin City.
Sons of Anarchy Star - Emilio Rivera (Marcus)
Appearing Sunday, July 31st - Emilio Rivera plays "Marcus Álvarez," the President of the Mayans Motorcycle Club's Oakland, California chapter. Rivera's first feature role was in the TV series Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas. He also had a role in the feature film Con Air, co-starring Nicolas Cage. Emilio has appeared in several commercials, television programs and feature films including Traffic, The Cable Guy, NYPD Blue and many more.
Arlen Ness - Custom Bike Building Legend
Appearing Sat & Sun, July 30th & 31st - Arlen is considered the King or Godfather of custom bike building. He started building his first custom bikes in the garage of his San Leandro, California home in the 1960's. By the early 70's he had moved into a storefront operation. Ness is recognized for his unique painting style and developing a line of custom parts in addition to his renowned custom choppers. Arlen has received recognition and awards including Builder of the Year, induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, lifetime achievement awards and multiple TV appearances including the Great Bike Build Off and is a true legend in the world of custom bike building. Arlen will be leading one of the official Outlaw Jam\ rides from a participating Harley dealership to be determined on Sunday, July 31st.
Robbie Knievel - Motorcycle Daredevil
Appearing Sat & Sun, July 30th & 31st - Robbie Knievel is an American daredevil and son of the legendary daredevil Evel Knievel. Robbie began jumping his bicycle at age 4 and rode motorcycles at age 7. At age 8, he performed his first show with his father at Madison Square Garden. At age 12 he was on tour with his father where he would perform in the pre-jump shows. Robbie has completed over 250 jumps, setting 20 world records. These include the Caesars Palace Fountain jump, the building to building jump and the Grand Canyon jump.
Jeanette Lee, "The Black Widow" - Female Pool Champion
Appearing Sat & Sun, July 30th & 31st - Nicknamed the Black Widow because of how she eats people alive on the pool table, Lee started playing pool in 1989. She went on to rank as the number 1 female pool player in the world during the 1990's. She received the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) Sportsperson of the Year Award in 1998. In addition to many top finishes on the WPBA tour, she won the gold medal for the USA at the 2001 World Games and won the ladies winner take all Tournament of Champions twice. The Black Widow is generally recognized as the top female celebrity of her generation in the pool world. Jeanette will play ten lucky qualifiers both Saturday and Sunday in games of eight ball. Find out how you can qualify here.


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In article
Bryan B
>I'm a student experimenting with the FTP protocol and learning C++.
>I've been able to connect and send an initial command "USER xxxxxx \n"
>to which I receive a 331 reply asking for a password. From here I'm
>lost as I am unable to successfully send the password. I've tried
>"PASS xxxxxx \n" to which I always receive the error "500 ?".
The FTP protocol (along with SMTP) requires \r\n not just \n
RFC 959 section 5.3


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Skip to comments.Christians called to mass exodus from public schools
Posted on 01/02/2009 2:45:20 PM PST by IbJensen
Critics of America's public school system have launched a new effort highlighting the need for Christians to exit the system.
The initiative -- dubbed The Call to Dunkirk was launched by Dr. Bruce Shortt, author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools; Rev. Voddie Baucham, author of Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God; and the founder and director of the Exodus Mandate Project, retired U.S. Army Chaplain Lt. Col. E. Ray Moore.
Moore explains the proposal. "The Call to Dunkirk is a special emergency effort to try to get other ministries, churches, pastors, and the major Christian right and pro-family movement to join with us and the other K-12 home-school ministries in rescuing the children from the public schools during the year 2009," he says.
Although Christians have fought other aspects of the culture war such as homosexual "marriage," Moore contends they are losing the fight when it comes to the education of their children.
" The real target of the liberals and the left has always been the children. And we can see in California where the conservatives won Proposition 8 -- the vote [was] 52 to 48 [percent] -- but...when Proposition 22 was voted on [in March 2000], they had a 61-percent margin of victory. So the culture is turning against Christianity and against the pro-family movement primarily because we've allowed our children to be educated in their schools," he adds. "They're converting our children; we're not converting them."
The Call to Dunkirk gets its name from the historical WWII event when the Allied forces of England and France were run out of Europe, but ordinary citizens rallied to their aid and used their own boats to help more than 300,000 soldiers escape safely in order to return again on D-Day.
It's always been about the children! The DemocRATs, homosexuals and their sycophants want to get their perverted hands on our kids!
Homosexuality and liberalism go hand-in-hand and share the NAMBLA beliefs.
A good analogy ... but....
This time the parting of the Red Sea will involve sucking up money supporting teacher's unions.
We know the problem. What is the solution? Not everyone can home-school or afford private schools. Maybe Christians need to run for local school boards and state level education jobs. We just let the left take control of the schools and didn't even put up a fight. And there are still some wonderful, God-fearing, Christian teachers. They just don't have much support.
We know the problem. What is the solution? Not everyone can home-school or afford private schools. Maybe Christians need to run for local school boards and state level education jobs. We just let the left take control of the schools and didn't even put up a fight. And there are still some wonderful, God-fearing, Christian teachers. They just don't have much support.
From the Hitler Youth to the NEA it has always been about the minds of the children. After our experience with our first child in the public schools we sent our second to private school and then home schooled him from 4th grade on. The first child went to one of the best public school systems in the country, Fairfax County in Virginia. Our home schooler got a much better education.
Well, sort of....In 2000 the momentum was with the Bush voters. We had all the new voters, the great organization, etc. This time all the ballot initiatives benefited from the Obama tidal wave. Lots of lefties, homos, college kids and other weirdos who normally don't vote turned out en-mass for Obama. In some Santa Barbara precincts we had over 100% voter turn-out. Normally we are well under 50%.
Since the legislators will not move against the godless evil unions, the only thing is a national resistance....withdrawe all kids from all public schools. What we need is a leader to do this.
You can't believe what your kids are being taught.
Not to mention the ghetto cultures they're being forced to adapt to. I was at the grocery store the other night and a teenage Black girl in line was talking on the phone and said, "Girl, where you at?" I couldn't help but laugh.
What to me is so amazing is that conservatives have not awakened to this reality sooner!
The phrase "Where you at?" is a tagline for a cellphone service.
I don't know of any English teachers that teach that phrase as correct.
Almost 15 years ago I read an article by Cal Thomas that stated until conservatives exited the public school systems, en masse, the system would just continue to deteriorate.
That article made so much sense to me, we decided at that point to homeschool, and have never regretted the decision.
I think that George Bush and No Child Left Behind lulled conservatives into a false sense of security. 'Public education' has been a bastion of conservative illusion and liberal invincibility. Obama is a 'wake-up' call to 'traditional Americans'.
Withholding property taxes results in confiscation.
I didn't know that. I must say, I'm no where near the 'mainstream' of American culture. I don't even own a cell phone and have only spoken on one once, so....
(And, I'm a retired chip-maker...no, not potato, lol)
We were able to afford Christian schooling for our children. They both graduated in the top 2% of their college class.
Of course, we drove the same car year after year, didn't have x-boxes and expensive summer camps, but what we saved on beer and cigarettes, acrylic nail appointments, bass boats, brand name clothing, video games, eating out, and all those other unnecessary items paid the cost.
In my experience, people use the "can't afford it" excuse to maintain their materialistic lifestyle intact and aren't as concerned about raising their children well as they profess....basically ...selfishness.
Send your kids to public school 35 hours a week and wonder why you can't overcome the humanistic godless garbage they learn and adopt...???
Well, I think all families who can homeschool should at least give it a try.
Totally agree........if you want a "superior product".
Narses: This may interest those on the Catholic ping list.
We "homeschooled" a little diffferently than most. Because I represent so many Christian Schools we sent our two boys to public school rather than offend any of my clients. Our sacrifice was that my wife, a Special Ed. teacher, stopped teaching in the public school so that she could be at home and available to "debrief", explain and treach our boys when they came home from school.
The cookies and milk along with an interpretation of the right way went a long way in giving the boys backbone to stand up in school for the truth.
Actually, to be exact, controlling the childrens' minds is part of the standard communist playbook, also. Yup, that's just what they did in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Religion, for example. The Commies didn't force the adults and nice old grannies in black to stop believing. They just controlled the message from the pulpit and told the kiddies (conspiratorially, in a whisper, AT SCHOOL) that their parents and grandparents had lots of old-fashioned little customs and that included "worshiping God" on Sundays and singing lots of silly hymns. Even the Commies realized that they older generation had to die off.
Sound familiar? What do you think the public schools have been trying to do since the 1960s, when they took God out of schools? They've been working to the standard-issue leftist playbook. And using the American Constitution on their own behalf ("separation of church and state," which isn't even in the Constitution).
Yes! Both my wife and I are working with our son after school. Then there is the boy scouts and other activities.
We even choose video games in which he is learning history.
Push for vouchers wherever it might pass.
Home school or move your kids to a church type school. There are plenty here in Alabama.
Well, I don't want to be disagreeable here but anyone should be able to scale back their lifestyle so as to be able to live off one income and have one parent homeschool.
It is really far easier than you think. Out here in Southern California, where the schools can be really, really horrible, in addition to filled with leftist gasbags, there is a huge homeschooling community that helps even the most timid and fearful parent learn how to successfully homeschool.
One of our three has been homeschooled. My wife was terrified at first, but my son had special needs and it was essential that he be pulled out of regular school. [We are blessed financially, and my other two are at a local Christian school.] He struggled in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, and we homeschooled him from 5th through 7th. My wife did a brilliant job. Yes, it was work, but not really that hard.
So, please, don't make the rationalization you made so quickly. It CAN be done. Check it out.
That's the way we New Englanders do things! Toughen them up in the midst of the battle and bring them home to comfort food, rest, recovery, truth and send them back as light into the darkness.
This is a very deep seated problem. For example, all public schools must be accredited as are teachers. Guess who controls the accreditation committees, guess who gets the legislature to grant them a monopoly function. The public teaching establishment via their fellow travelers in the various teacher's colleges and teacher's unions. This collusion is also supported at the Federal level where funding is impossible to secure unless the right people approve, people who support the leftist status quo.
It has taken generations for the left to become to well entrenched. Meanwhile, children must be educated but protected from the propaganda. The only answer for now is to escape the system, even as people work to change it.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: If they make a mistake, I dont want them punished with a baby.
So true.
My wife ( a conservative) went to college for teaching. She took the courses, passed the test and became a teacher. She was never asked about politics...you guys see a conspiracy where none exist.
'We are blessed financially'
Most people need two incomes these days...lucky you. Also, once the use of homeschooling them and then sending them into the world...not a great world. Maybe we should try to make things better instead of running away.
I don't necessarily agree with pulling out of public schools. I am an evangelical that teaches in liberal Maryland. It is tough. I have three little children. Two of which are in elementary school. The elementary school is excellent. However, I am concerned about middle school and beyond. I have considered homeschooling during the middle school years and sending the kids back to high school. A lot of it depends upon their maturity level and how grounded they are. I don't think it is time to leave Egypt yet.
That's wonderful. Maybe more parents could do it. Maybe we need PSAs telling parents how to get more information on home schooling. I know there are many parents who are probably interested but just think it would be too hard. Churches could promote home schooling, too. But I still think we have to be willing to fight to take back some balance in the public school system. We can't abandon the students whose parents just can't home or private school their kids.
The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of operating its own school system. Some of its schools are expensive; some are more affordable. In every case they are preferable to the government schools. There is much the Evangelical Protestants can learn from this system.
This is NOT the solution!
It is **impossible** to have a culturally, religiously, and politically neutral school. With government schools the most powerful political bully group **will** control the government worldview on religion, culture, and politics. It is **NOT** a conservative ideal:<
1)to put this much power in a government institution,
2) for conservatives to be bullies.
Please remember that any government powerful enough to **FORCE** ( under police threat) conservatism on other people's children is powerful enough to force atheistic Marxism on ours.
Government schools have from the very beginning have been socialistic. Their goal has **always** been indoctrination of children to make them compliant servants of the state. They also have their roots in vicious anti-Catholicism. Government schools from the beginning were essentially **Protestant***religious schools. If you do not believe this then please check out government text books from the 19th and early 20th century.
Protestant Christian bullies thought that they would always have full control of the government schools. Silly them! Remember: Any government powerful enough to force Protestantism in the government schools is powerful enough to force Marxist atheism on conservatives.
We **must** shut down the government schools so that government NEVER AGAIN has so much power over the minds of children! ( Regardless of who is running them.)
We just let the left take control of the schools and didnt even put up a fight. And there are still some wonderful, God-fearing, Christian teachers. They just dont have much support.
The left has ALWAYS been in control of the government schools! From the very beginning government schools were a socialist ideal. Socialists conceived of the idea of government schooling. Socialists lobbied for them. Government schools attract liberal/Marxists like moths to a light. It's been like a boa constrictor. The leftist/Marxists in the government school have just gradually ratcheting down. The government school socialists preyed upon and manipulated the anti-Catholic fear of Americans to get their socialist schools started.
We know the problem. What is the solution?Not everyone can home-school or afford private schools.
No, many conservatives do NOT know the problem. They merely see the symptoms. They do NOT understand that government schools must be shut down because they are **fundamentally*** a socialist idea. The real **problem** with government schools is that they can NOT be fixed because they ARE working exactly as intended. They are socialistic.
Our Christian churches ( Catholic and Protestant) could if they wanted educate **all** the children in their congregations. They won't though. There are too many government teachers, school employees, their families, the vendors to the schools, and people who indirectly benefit ( for instance my dentist and his 5 employees depend on government dental insurance for their livelihoods.)
Few ministers will bite the government school hand that puts money in the collection plate.
Conservatives must set up conservative educational foundations. These conservative educational foundations would award grants to conservative teachers who would set up tuition-free mini-schools, one room school houses, and homeschool cooperatives. The foundations would certify the teacher, approve the curriculum, and test the students.
No, brick and mortar schools are not the answer because they are too expensive to build and run and frought with too many zoning and other regulations.
Conservatives **MUST** break the government school monopoly on non-academic activities ( team sports, jazz team dancers, cheerleading, theater, art, drill team, wrestling..etc.) Conservative educational foundations could set up private alternative programs or lobby to have the moved to the county parks and recreation departments. This is important to do because these activities generate "rah rah" support for the government schools in the voting booth and are the reason many children attend government schools.
On the college and university level we can turn these schools around if our conservative youth are prepared to defend their conservative principles and their faith. Also, there is strength in numbers. We more conservative kids in college classrooms their Marxist professors will be more likely to keep their Marxist tendencies under control.
NO conservative should ever give one dime to a Marxist college or university. And...They should join with other conservative alumni and let the boards of these colleges know exactly why no money will be coming their way.
If any money is given to a Marxist college or university it should be pooled with other conservatives. The conservative education foundation could funnel this money and make sure that GREAT BIG THICK strings are attached to that money that will force change upon these colleges and universities.
( Sorry, Not proof read.)
This is a superb chance to create a Christian educational network, an Intraweb multimedia curriculum program that has the benefits of home schooling and the best professional instruction available.
While home schooling is grand, very few parents can commit all the resources to it they would like to see. So this is an opportunity not for replacement, but augmentation, to make a good thing better.
1) To start with, literally every class of the elementary and secondary school year, as taught by the best teachers available, and with a multitude of video and still training aids included, is made available for password protected torrent download.
2) As the students see it, they interact with an underlying computer program that keeps their attention on the class, reviews and evaluates at the individual student's pace, and even permits some student digression into studying supporting resources.
3) Once a particular block of instruction is over, parents are provided with higher levels of learning problems that go beyond memorization and understanding to tie that block to related subjects, and help the student analyze and evaluate the lesson at higher levels of thought.
This type of instruction is the future for education, and those who get such a system up and working are going to face increasing demand by providing a much better education.
The Catholic schools of my youth were essentially run by volunteers (nuns, brothers, and priests) who saw their role of teacher as a **calling** ( vocation). If Catholics could staff schools with committed volunteers for more than a century, they could do this again....and,...so could other Christians. The problem is there is no one in leadership ( Catholic or Protestant) asking them to do so.
Perhaps the leadership ( Catholic and Protestant) just don't understand the problem, or, they are afraid of offending the many government employees sitting in their pews. Also....Many Protestant and Catholic congregations are thoroughly infiltrated with Gramacian Marxists.
The Kansas City Catholic schools are tuition FREE to all Catholic children in their diocese. ( Do a google on this if you doubt this.) The bishop of this diocese is a great and good man blessed with leadership.
Too many Catholic schools are thoroughly infiltrated with Liberation Theology Marxists. Be very careful about sending your child to a Catholic schools. The Gramaci Marxists have really succeeded in infiltrating the Catholic Church. Thankfully there are many wonderful, traditional, conservative Catholics who worship God instead of Marx. It will be these good Catholics who will reform their church.
By the way...DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY!!!! ( my alma mater) It is an Augustinian university that this thoroughly steeped in Marxist liberation theology. ( Yes, I am shouting.)
Please read posts #36 and #39.
My daughter will graduate from a Christian university in May. It is a conservative school but still has some liberal professors. My daughter is conservative and would argue with her professors. They didn't like it, but didn't penalize her for it.
Public schools will probably always be the primary way kids are educated so we still need to get conservatives into places of influence and power. I don't know how to get people to do that, though.
1) If "Christian" teachers even allow in their classroom any textbook or material that undermines Judeo Christian values then that person is a hypocrite to their faith and using material that the teachers KNOW is a lie. Doing this teaches the children that Christians are hypocrites and liars, and that Christians will hand out LIES to children for a paycheck.
2) Ditto for cooperating with other teachers in assemblies, theater, art, music, or other programs that the Christian teacher knows to promote atheistic Marxism and undermine and denigrate judeo Christian values. When Christian teachers cooperate on "diversity day" with the homosexual activists, they are teaching the children that Christians are hypocrites and liars, who sell their Judeo Christian principles for a paycheck. A true Christian would protect the children in his or her charge and **refuse** to allow them to participate.
3) Then there is the problem of context. ALL Christians know that their faith can NOT be scrubbed from their evaluation and analysis of the culture. So.....Any Christian who teaches anything (this includes **all** subjects) outside of the Christian context is LYING...And the children KNOW this! If they do this they are teaching the children that Christians will lie for a paycheck.
4) Christian teachers who attempt to sneak in a few Christian principles into their classes are teaching children that Christians are SNEAKY!
( Yes, I am shouting!)
If Christian teachers really want to help children they will get **out** of the government schools and pressure their ministers to open tuition-free conservative Christian schools.
Any government powerful enough to **force** our children into conservative schools ( and make citizen pay for it) is powerful enough to **force** atheistic Marxism on our children and make us pay for it.
Early 19th century SOCIALISTS preyed upon anti-Catholic fear to get their socialistic government schools implemented. Government schools have been, are now, and always will be SOCIALISTIC, and this can NOT be fixed.
"Maybe Christians need to run for local school boards and state level education jobs. We just let the left take control of the schools and didnt even put up a fight. And there are still some wonderful, God-fearing, Christian teachers. They just dont have much support."
And that my friend is exactly the case. WE are responsible for the state of the schools. WE caused this problem, WE should take the responsibility to fix it!
You don't hear that in the derogatory remarks made by Bruce Shortt and this Moore fellow, do we?
I won't read any further, it will only probably serve to raise my blood pressure.
There's a method to it. It's done on purpose.
It's essentially a case of the leftist establishment poisoning the well that sustains our culture. However, we should be teaching our children how to recognize BS even if they are in public school. Real education should occur at the breakfast and dinner table, at bedtime, on weekends and on family trips. "School" should be consigned to some technical knowledge and training, athletics and certain fine arts (i.e. drama club or learning to play the saxophone in the school band).
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