Remember the Salem Witch Trials?

I've been writing occasionally since February, of a worldwide fraud mess that surrounds a friend of the family. She is deeply ensnared in this mess.

This young woman was arrested because she had the extreme bad fortune of working for some crafty smoke and mirrors con men. It seems this young woman was set up to take the fall for these con men who were college roommates turned business partners.

The men were the creators and owners of this fraud mess.

The young woman has taken the hit for these guys. One of the con men (also once a friend of the family) says he's "coming clean" now.

It seems he is intent on taking down young woman with him - to save what little there is to save of himself. Seems that was his intent all along.. He set it up that way.

Will he truly come clean? Will he?

Seems like his plea bargain agreement might hinge on taking her down.

She wants a jury to hear her - she's not going down without a fight. She wants her day in court. If I were her, I'd want the very same thing.

The Bear Necessities

Now it's like this little britches ... look for the bear necessities ...

A few days ago, a treed bear was shot in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.

Wildlife officials say the crowd ignored orders to disperse and the bear grew more agitated. When it looked like it was going to leave the tree, officers had to open fire because the animal threatened public safety.

Apparently, the wildlife officials are taking some hits (from the crowd who agitated the bear) for killing the bear.

Of course, if the bear had harmed the crowd (the crowd who agitated the bear), the same officials would be taking hits (bigger ones) for not killing the bear.

Now, I'm not at all for the random killing of bears - but when it comes to the safety of actual human beings - homo sapiens - the upright - the ones with brains that reason - the ones that have the unique ability to create, to dream, to feel, to go to the moon and back again ... I'm for the people.

Bears v People? I'm for the People most every single time.

By the way, this bear reportedly weighed upwards of three hundred pounds. They can be -and usually are - even bigger than that.

This is the season for male bear roamings, according to this article by Dale Bowman, staff reporter for the Chicago Sun Times. The male bears are looking for love, and they'll roam for miles to find it. So, more sightings are highly likely in possibly unlikely places.

To Illinois?

''This is their breeding time,'' he said. ''You can expect big boars to be in areas where they normally aren't looking for receptive sows. It would not surprise me at all for one to drop into Illinois for a short period of time. After breeding time, after these urges, they will go back to what they call home.''

- - -

Meanwhile, over in Rozet, Wyoming, a bear was captured there this past week, after having climbed up an electric pole. It was tranquilized and is to be released back into the wild.

For some reason, this quote made me giggle:

After the bear was tranquilized, it shimmied down the 25-foot power pole.

If I'm tranquilized, I'd probably shimmy down too.

Our Destiny Is To Explore

You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. The one following is my latest...

This article is from the Mansfield News Journal dot com, from up in Ohio. Eugene Cernan is the last man who has walked on the moon (so far). He wants somebody else to be the next one.

After spending three days on the moon during the final Apollo lunar-landing mission, Cernan was poised to step off the surface and into the lunar module for the last time. It would make him the last person to walk on the moon for the foreseeable future — which has so far stretched nearly 37 years.

“I tried to stop the clock,” Cernan recalled Friday in a telephone interview from Houston. “I tried to push the freeze button because I wanted to stand there awhile and think about what the last three days of my life had meant to me and maybe had meant to civilization.”...

The moon landings came to an end with Apollo 17, when Cernan and Harrison Schmitt blasted off toward Earth on Dec. 14, 1972...

“Our destiny is to explore,” he said.

Today, Cernan spends much of his time on his ranch near San Antonio, raising horses and longhorn cattle.He said he has never had a dream about walking on the moon and seldom talks to his family about the experience because he doesn’t like to live in the past.

But he seems as awe-struck today about his moon roving as he was at the time.

“It was overwhelming,” he said. “I had an opportunity to sit on God’s front porch, looking back home.”

I have not walked where he has walked, but I understand a little bit of what he is trying to convey.

I do.

Thinkin' About the Things We Used To Do

Snap your fingers and get your groove on..

Fourth of the 2009th Variety

What I did this summer .. on the Fourth of July. Watched Daddy build a pier off his lake island.. watched him row the canoe back to shore.




Dangled my feet alongside my daughter's feet off the newly built pier off the lake island.




Watched hubby grill hamburgers and beef doggies.

Got smoke in my eyes.

A good time was had by all.

Happy Independence Day!

Here's to freedom.. may you have many fond memories to come! And, here's a little something to read. It's by Sheila Stroup, Columnist at The Times-Picayune.

"While other kids were playing baseball in dusty lots or lying around reading Nancy Drew mysteries, I was ringing up charcoal, pickles and potato chips in the big square building that was Dad's world."

Now I'm off to heat up the charcoal...

Report Says Law School Dean in Prostitution Ring

According to Philly.com news staff writer, Kathleen Brady Shea - Villanova Law School just lost their dean, thanks to his involvement in a recently discovered prostitution ring.

Police purportedly reported he was in fact a paying customer.

Police investigating a prostitution ring in Chester County relied on two customers, including the dean of Villanova Law School, to provide information that culminated last week in a no-contest plea by the man promoting the business, documents show.

Mark A. Sargent, who was appointed dean in 1987, resigned suddenly Monday, citing personal and medical reasons. According to a report by the Pennsylvania State Police, Sargent was a customer at a Kennett Township house suspected as a site for prostitution when police raided it Nov. 25.

He was not charged.

Things that make you go hmm.

The Call of The Loon - A Treasure

This sound is a true treasure. I can hear it in my sleep - and I rest, perfectly.

Picture a cabin by the lake, night .. breeze .. troubles far away .. soothing sounds of nature.

Thanks to Leslie Martin and Minnesota Public Radio for this story.

Cold Cocked by a Bear

I've taken up a slight interest in bears recently - black bears to be precise. Seems they are out 'n about more than usual. There seem to be more and more stories of "attacks" and "sightings" - and then there's the "in-betweens" (is it an attack or not - you decide I guess).

In this story (according to the man involved in the duo between man and bear), the bear flat out cold cocked him and took his sandwich.

Take a look. If this is what you look like after a "sighting", I hate to see what an actual "attack" looks like.

The New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife says it was not an attack - no evidence.

Says the man's injuries were when he fell on the driveway.

Guess they didn't see his black eye, all the cuts, all the bruises - and of course, the sad sad remnants of the sandwich left behind.

Measuring the Passing of Summer

I want this book. It's called Billy Ray's Farm, by Larry Brown.

I heard about it this morning over at nmisscommentor's place. Seems the book is not a novel, but rather, a collection of essays about - well, here's an excerpt:

"A long time ago when I was a boy, there was one slab of concrete that stretched from Oxford to Toccopola, a distance of about sixteen miles, and that was the road everybody used to get to town.

It was kind of like half of a road, with one side concrete, the other side dirt and gravel. If you were heading to town, you could stay on the concrete all the way and never have to get off on the gravel side.

And if you were coming from town, you could get on the concrete part and drive on the wrong side of the road until you met somebody, and then you had to jump back onto the gravel.

That road has been gone for a long time, but I still remember the swaying of the car as my father went from one side of the road to the other. Everybody did it and nobody ever thought anything about it."

I didn't grow up in Oxford, Mississippi - but I did grow up near there.. and I remember a road like that.. and I remember the scene.

I can close my eyes and see it, feel it, hear the buzz of the locusts, smell the honeysuckle.. the memory is right there in front of me like the mist.. it envelopes me .. but where is it really.. am I in it.. or is it a dream.. it's the past.. it's with me but it's not. These are beautiful treasures that my mind paints for me.

TC wrote this morning too of some summer memories - hers in Wisconsin. Memories tho, and favorite things, in Oxford, my home or far away Wisconsin - they are somewhat universal.. the memories are joyous, simple, remarkable, ordinary and extraordinary. They are gifts - to us from us.

"Washing my car with my own two hands. Measuring the passing of summer by the height of the corn crop. The sound of bat connecting with ball and the resounding cheer that follows. Roasting marshmallows over a fire for s'mores.

Chasing fireflies as day gives way to night.For three short months, Wisconsin is home to so many of my favorite things. These are but just a few."

- - -
You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. The above is the most recent.

Jenny Sanford - A Role Model

Yes, Jenny - you are right. You are not the one to be humiliated - your husband is.

Yes, Jenny - you are not to teach your sons to behave like your husband . . . you are to show them what a respecting wife and mother does - exactly what you are doing.

Yes, Jenny - limits are good. Marriage takes two - and currently you're only one. If he wants a marriage, he needs to tow the line.

Yes, Jenny - your sons now have a chance because they have you.

If you haven't read this, you have missed out.

No Damn Cat

But there are books - starting at fifty cents. Can't beat that.

Check it out, it's the Paradox Book Store in Wheeling, West Virginia.

"Oh, and there's also "no phone, no fax, no e-mail, irregular hours, indifferent service, murky lighting and breathtaking selection," among other things."

My kinda place. And the owner of the book store bought it for $300 in 1974. That's a 3 and two zeros. Three oh oh.

Seriously.

- - -

I pulled the above from an article by Steve Stephens in the Columbia Dispatch.

You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. The above is the most recent.

I went out walking (but not after midnight)

Hubby and I went for a walk in the heat (every day - but this day was a new path).




Saw some welcoming signs.




And some cheerful waving little guys.




Our shoes made all the difference. My new tennies are so comfortable. I get a new pair about every 5 years-- my hubby gets a new pair about every 6 months. This is due largely in part because I buy sandals and dress shoes for me .. often.

Corrupt Law School Admissions? Shhhh.

Have to say .. this is no real shocker to me. Nor this.

According to Tara Malone, Sara Olkon and Jodi S. Cohen, writers at The Chicago Tribune, there's an admissions scandal looming - involving the University of Illinois Law School.

Apparently, the law school was (is) under pressure to admit "clouted" students .. students that have lobbyists and government officials working on their behalf.

(There's an idea - hire myself a damn lobbyist).

And, of course, the former governor "G" supposedly put "pressure" on the dean and other people in admissions to scoot in whoever he wanted in.

Emails are surfacing ... secret admission policies... testimony will be taken ... interviews galore happening.

Where is the ABA?

Silent as far as I can tell. Shhh... this story will go away.. it usually does.

- - -

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.. students who dream of the law still knocking on the door of justice can't get in the door because of the crowd of politicians' kids, lobbyists efforts, the handful of geniuses who really deserve to be in... mainstream "less than desireable" mid 40 moms with no political connections and no trust fund money backing them? -- not really big chances of making it against the odds of corruption.

Now that would be a story.

Bitter? Little bit.

Everything But A Child of God

One can only assume Mississippi doesn't have a corner on the market for injustice . . . there's always hope (and, of course Illinois politics.. and then there's South Carolina governors and Nevada Senators, but I digress).

Say it ain't so.

Well, this morning, while poking around my usual suspect list for interesting tidbits and to generally keep myself informed of the ongoings of my surroundings, I found something.

As is my usual, I scrolled down the right portion of my blog to read the "usual reads." These are snippets of blogs of my prior choosing (would that be chosings? plural) with their most recent blog postings titles/first few lines.

One my usual reads is a blog authored by a Mississippi lawyer in Oxford - nmisscommentor.com. Sometimes this blog has law/politics "stuff" that peaks/picques (pick one) my interest - and today was one of those days. The snippet that caught my eye read as follows:

NMissCommentor - Calling a Mississippi Supreme Court opinion everything but a Child of God - I want to start by noting that the opinions expressed in pleadings
quoted in this post do not represent the opinions of the author of this post or
the owne...

I read Supreme Court opinions like most tired moms read trashy novels. I'm just wired that way. So, I hopped over to read what the fuss was about in this "opinion".

Turns out, all but one Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court voted to strike some language from a recent Court filing ( a recent motion filed by a Jackson attorney who has been practicing 45 years - not exactly a young knucklehead smart ass just out of the gate law school grad set on making some sort of name for himself).

Why did the Mississippi Supreme Court want to strike language from a motion filed before it? Well, because they didn't like the language. Why didn't they like the language? Well, because it makes them look bad. Why does it make them look bad? Well, because it is bad. Why is it bad?

Well, it's bad because they reversed a jury verdict -- a few years ago -- in a case where the Plaintiffs won (some kids of a man who died after just having purchased a life insurance policy from Prudential). The man had purchased the policy, paid for the policy, policy had been issued, then the man stroked and died shortly thereafter. You can guess where this is going . . . Prudential, of course, didn't want to come clean with the million dollar policy since the man up and died just after buying the policy.

That's why the kids sued Prudential. Case went to trial, lasted a while, lots of witnesses, lots of documents, lots of back and forth . . . 12 jurors unanimously decided that Prudential should pay up as promised.

Prudential appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Mississippi Supreme Court rules for Prudential. Case closed. Kids don't win after all.

Turns out .. now Prudential, who has now miraculously gotten the State Supreme Court on their side, wants the kids to pay a cost bill of half a million dollars!

Ok, let me get this straight. Man buys insurance policy. Pays money for it. Contract is signed. Policy is issued. Man strokes next day. Man dies weeks later. Prudential says 'doh!' - uh we're not paying for that. Kids say osur (southern for oh yes you are). Prudential says so sue us. Kids say we will. They did. Prudential didn't. Kids win - jury says so. Prudential cries, Supreme Court of Miss give them a hankie, and says ok, you don't have to do it.

Years pass, a couple things happen in lower court involving rules of civil procedure and a couple things happen involving appellate rules of procedure ...

Travel to the future - Bam - Prudential says - 'ok kids' now that we don't have to pay you after all, we're gonna make you pay us - and that'll be $500,000 dollars please. Hand is out, waiting for cash to be placed in it.

Kids say - you gotta be jokin'. Kids' attorney (practicing a scant 45 years now) says - you gotta be jokin'.

Kids' attorney writes a motion. Kids' attorney writes a blistering motion. Kids' attorney writes a motion and calls names (names that are a bunch of things, but none of which are a child of God).

Kids' attorney is flat out pissed. Any normal human being would be so justly pissed.

This is what the kids' attorney wrote.

Now, the Supreme Court of Mississippi is pissed. They don't like what the kids' attorney wrote. Makes 'em look bad. It officially became a pissing match. The Mississippi Supreme Court voted to "strike the language" of kids' attorney's language in his motion (all but one Justice did that):

In Re: The Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Patty M. Mace Stewart, Sally Stewart Hester, Giles Stewart and Larry
Stewart; Hinds Circuit Court 1st District; LC Case #: 251-02-1269-CIV; Ruling Judge: Bobby DeLaughter; Disposition: Third motion for rehearing on the merits
filed by counsel for appellees is dismissed as not properly before this Court. Rule 40(a) of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure clearly states that “[a]fter a motion for rehearing has been denied, no further motion for rehearing shall be filed by any party.” This Court finds that appellees’ third motion for rehearing is prohibited by the rules and is frivolous.

The Court further finds that this motion for rehearing filed by counsel for the appellees contains language showing disrespect for this Court. Pursuant to Rule 40(c) of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Court finds that this motion for rehearing should be stricken.

The motion for rehearing filed by counsel for appellees is hereby stricken.

Graves, P.J., does not join the order because he is of the opinion that the motion for rehearing should not be stricken.

Kitchens and Pierce, JJ., not participating. Order entered.

Emphasis with italics was added.

- - -

More thoughts.

I had known nothing about this case until this morning. I had known nothing about kids' attorney. I know not a lot (but slightly more) about Mississippi Supreme Court Justices.

I know much about anger though - and I understand why this attorney wrote what he did. And I'm glad he did it.

There is a place for anger. Temperance yes, and I'd say most of the time it needs to be shown. There is a place though to say what you need to say.

Say what you need to say.

- - -

A regular commentor over at nmisscommentor.com is named "A Friend of the Law". I do not know who that person is - although I've suspected for a while he/she is a judge somewhere, maybe not .. but I usually (probably more toward the always) appreciate his/her comments.

This was A Friend of the Law's comment on this story at the other blog. And I thought it was appropriate. I just have a slightly stronger twist of opinion, although not really alot different.

" . . . I have read the Response and believe that it is way over the top.

While I admire Alston’s passion, and agree with his negative opinion re the Court’s previous decision (written by Easley, someone who I personally know from previous dealings to be an idiot and less than honorable), I don’t think he did his clients or the Bar/state he serves any favors with this type of verbal assault upon the MS Supreme Court in a filed court document.

It is one thing to express one’s opinion on a blog, in public discourse, etc., but yet another to interject the same into a filing with the highest state Court (or any MS Court, for that matter). I am certain that if it were not for the Supreme Court’s respect for Alston’s years of experience and honorable service, he would have been sanctioned by the MS Supreme Court.

Most any other lawyer in MS who did the same thing would have been sanctioned. He should feel fortunate that he wasn’t and that the offending portions of the pleading were stricken from the record. Aside from the inappropriateness of the manner of delivery, I find little to disagree with in Alston’s assessment of the situation.

Had he said this on this blog, I would have provided a big harummpff in agreement.

Like I said above, I truly admire his passion. At a time when government and court actions are eroding our traditional constitutional rights at an alarming pace, many of us are going to have to be more outspoken and passionate in our objections to such actions.

Apathy leads to tyranny.

Personally, I don’t intend to be a silent victim.

Me neether.

Me neether.

Here's to Alex J. Alston, Jr. And here's to A Friend of the Law. May you always say what you need to say, and may you always remain faithful to the rule of law.

Here here.

What One Family Is Doing This Summer

Check it out here. They're driving down the Mississippi River day by day on only $150 (each day).. 2 adults and 2 little kids..

and they're having fun.

Something that should be read

Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe - a new book review.

Gestapo Behavior

Look folks, this is getting downright ridiculous, and scary.

The SEC is flat out trying to take personal inherited property of young woman - and she hasn't even been tried yet in a court of law. And - they're being sneaky about it. At the least, unethical - at the most, downright corrupt.

In the SEC appointed receiver's motion where it is set out to seize assets of the corporate defendants - her house is not listed. In the appendix to the motion though, her house and other personal inherited property is listed.

Her lawyer - (real lawyer this time who has been acting like her real lawyer) says a judge will rule on this (probably in a month).

Her trial is in July. Assuming she's innocent, which is what we do - right?! She'll come out from the trial and have nothing left - because the government decided before hand that they wanted it all - to give to somebody else (themselves).

This whole thing stinks of corruption. A scapegoat is needed, and she is absolutely being fed to the wolves every single day - by her ex-bosses, ex-lawyers who never really were her lawyers, government officials, and the media - you name it.

Salem Witch Trials - Revisited

Seems young woman's lawyer who was never her lawyer [the one that set her up] got himself named in an indictment late this week - along with the leader of the gang.

'bout damn time.

Young woman's direct boss, though (number 2 guy) somehow remains un-arrested.

From the Amlaw daily rag: The indictment does not name [lawyer who was never her lawyer], but it mentions only one attorney for the bank, "a lawyer for [the company]."

Sources involved in the case have confirmed the lawyer is [young woman's lawyer who was never her lawyer], and the description of the lawyer's activities matches descriptions of [him] that are already in the public record of litigation related to the [messy] case.

Keep in mind, she's not an owner of the bank. The 2 owners had complete control over this bank - She was arrested months ago (after having been fed to the wolves by the 2 owners and the lawyer who was never her lawyer).

We'll see what happens. Stay tuned - and pray for true justice. Be wary of the media in this case.

Look at the facts.

What do the facts say. What do they not say? Read between the lines. Think like a big powerful white man who is used to getting his way ... what do you think really might've happened? Use a little intuition here.

Frog Shaped Ice-lolly

You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. Here's the most recent:

Thanks to TC who recommended this one. She truly has the soul of a writer.

- - -

Jenny Adamtwaite lives in East London and writes of home and her dad who often bought her a frog shaped ice-lolly.

Please go over and read all her post, but here's a wee portion . . .

I passed the shop where my Dad and I would go to buy me a frog shaped ice-lolly (his was a Strawberry Split) and the bench where we would sit to eat it. I passed the houses of hundreds of people I knew at school, the church where I went to Brownies and finally, the street where I grew up, the street where I once knew the name of someone from every house.