Halloween 2008

A Temple in Roma!!

With tears in my eyes I tried to comprehend that there will be a temple in Rome. Finally! I am so happy for my brothers and sisters in Italy who have had to drive all the way to Switzerland to attend the temple.

O.J. Simpson Found Guilty EXACTLY 13 Years After His Famous Acquittal

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Many, including myself, rejoice to see this man finally gets his after all of these years. I can still remember watching that white Bronco slowly driving down the freeway while hanging out at my buddy Gary's house down in Canyon Lake in the 90s. Rejoice justice! Rejoice those who despise people who hide behind lawyers and falsely use the ugly reality of racism to cover their sins!

LAS VEGAS — Thirteen years to the day after he was acquitted of murder in a celebrated trial, former football and movie star O.J. Simpson was led away in handcuffs after a jury found him guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint.

Simpson, 61, stood, sighed and shook his head softly with dismay as an all-white jury of nine women and three men returned guilty verdicts [why do they have to point out they're all white...does it really matter? OK, they should have tossed in one person of color just to silence the conspiracy freaks] Friday night on all charges stemming from a confrontation in a Las Vegas hotel room in September 2007.

He was convicted of 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. He could face up to life in prison, and Judge Jackie Glass set a Dec. 5 sentencing date.

"I dare say it's probably going to be on the high end," defense attorney Yale Galanter said of the likely prison term after the verdict was announced.

Co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, was also convicted of the same charges and was also taken into custody.

Uniformed Clark County marshals and Las Vegas police lined the courtroom and stood behind Simpson as the verdict was read. Glass denied Galanter's motion to allow Simpson to remain free on $250,000 bond while awaiting sentencing, and officers handcuffed Simpson, his arms behind his back, and led him out of the courtroom.

Durio, the sister, collapsed on the courtroom floor after her brother left the courtroom. Paramedics were called to assist her. Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said she appeared to have fainted.

The verdict came exactly 13 years after Simpson was cleared of murdering his former wife and a friend, Ron Goldman, in Los Angeles in a widely watched and sensational trial. Simpson had been an idolized football star, winning the Heisman Trophy as a running back at Southern California and later parlaying a successful pro career into a new life as star of movies and TV commercials.

Outside the courtroom, Galanter said he was not surprised at the conviction following the three week trial. He said he would appeal the verdict on a variety of grounds including the way the all-white jury was selected, saying it was a "fairness issue."

He said he believed jurors were never able to set aside feelings about Simpson stemming from the 1995 murder trial.

"Everybody already had a fixed opinion about him, and it's troubling," Galanter said.

"We knew this (case) was very difficult. We knew the jury was going to be very difficult. We knew the jurisdiction was very difficult," he said.

He said answers to questionnaires filled out by the intial pool of 500 potential jurrors produced "horrifying" answers. Those answers have not been made public. At least half that pool was dismissed after those questionnaires were filled out.
The rest of the article is HERE.
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WELL DUH! Check out this list of facts from the original murder case (how can people not be biased against the guy? And even if they aren't, he is clearly guilty for this most recent crime...the guy's a criminal and it was high time it went down):

• DNA showed that blood found at the scene of Brown's murder was likely O.J. Simpson's. The odds it could have come from anyone but Simpson were about one in 170 million.
• DNA analysis of blood found on one of Simpson's socks identified it as Nicole Brown's. The blood had DNA characteristics matched by approximately only one in 9.7 billion.
• DNA analysis of the blood found in, on, and near Simpson's Bronco revealed traces of Simpson's, Brown's, and Goldman's blood.
• DNA testing of the blood under Brown's fingernails showed it was from an unidentified person, who was never found.
  
• DNA analysis of bloody socks found in Simpson's bedroom proved this was Brown's blood. The blood made a similar pattern on both sides of the socks. Defense medical expert Dr. Henry Lee of the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory testified that the only way such a pattern could appear was if Simpson had a "hole" in his ankle. Lee testified the collection procedure of the socks could have caused contamination.
• Simpson's hair was found on Goldman's shirt.
• Several coins were found along with fresh blood drops behind Nicole's condo, in the area where the cars were parked.
• DNA analysis of blood on the left-hand glove, found outside Brown's home, was proven to be a mixture of Simpson's, Brown's, and Goldman's. Although the glove was soaked in blood, there were no blood drops leading up to, or away from the glove. No other blood was found in the area of the glove except on the glove.
• The gloves contained particles of Goldman's hair and carpet fibers from Simpson's Bronco.
• The left-hand glove found at Nicole Brown's home and the right-hand glove found at Simpson's home proved to be a match.
• The gloves were proven to be Simpson's size. Although Simpson testified under oath that he did not own a pair of Aris Isotoner gloves, several media pictures emerged showing Simpson wearing the exact gloves.
• LA Police Detective Phillip Vanatter could not explain why he kept the 8 cc's taken as a sample of O.J. Simpson's blood for hours before recording it as evidence, and why he had it at Simpson's house when evidence was being collected, as corroborated by TV news footage.
• The LA County District Attorney's Office and the Medical Examiner's Office could not explain why 1.5 cc's of blood were missing from the original 8 cc's taken from Simpson and placed into evidence.
• Officers found arrest records indicating that Simpson was charged with the beating of his wife Nicole Brown. Photos of Brown's bruised and battered face from that attack were shown. Simpson was sentenced with 3 years' community service for the crime.
  
• Police discovered the dome light in the Bronco had been removed. A search of the vehicle revealed the light was carefully placed under the passenger seat and was in good working condition.
  
• Nicole Brown had told family and friends that one set of keys to her home was missing. She had indicated to several family members and friends that she feared Simpson had stolen them to gain entry. The keys were later found in Simpson's home.
  
• Paula Barbieri indicated that she had broken up with Simpson the day of the murders. She said he seemed very disturbed at the news. Phone records demonstrated that Simpson attempted to contact her shortly before the murders from his Bronco's cellular phone.
  
• Much of the incriminating evidence: bloody glove, bloody socks, blood in and on the Bronco, was discovered by Los Angeles Police Detective Mark Fuhrman. He was later charged with perjury for falsely claiming during the trial that he had not used the word "nigger" within ten years of the trial. During the trial he pleaded the 5th Amendment against self incrimination to avoid further questioning after his integrity was challenged on this point.
• The bloody footprints were identified as made from a pair of Bruno Magli shoes. These shoes were quite expensive and relatively rare. The large size 12 prints matched Simpson's shoe size. Simpson swore under oath that "I never would have owned those ugly-ass shoes!" However, three weeks later, a reporter came forward with multiple exposures of Simpson wearing the shoes at Arrowhead Stadium a few years earlier.
  
• Evidence collected by LAPD criminologist Dennis Fung came under criticism. He admitted to "having missed a few drops of blood on a fence near the bodies," but on the stand he said that he "returned several weeks afterwards to collect them."
• Fung admitted that he had not used rubber gloves when collecting some of the evidence.
• Friends and family indicated that Nicole Brown had consistently said that Simpson had been stalking her. She claimed that everywhere she went, she noticed Simpson would be there, watching her. She said she was afraid because Simpson had told her he would kill her if he ever found her with another man.
  
• Ross Cutlery provided store receipts indicating that Simpson had purchased a 12-inch stiletto knife six weeks before the murders. A replica of the knife purchased by the police exactly matched the wounds on Brown and Goldman.
  
• LA Police Detective Phillip Vanatter testified that he saw photographs of press personnel leaning on Simpson's Bronco before evidence was collected.

Read more HERE.

Look out McGriddle... It's the Doughnut-Ham Hamburger [PIC]

I think with this post I will have officially established the fact that I have a sort of fetish with showing off unbelievably unhealthy foods. Here's the latest: the Doughnut-Ham Hamburger. I don't know where this comes from nor do I think it's ever going to make it to a major fast food chain, but just look at this abomination! This is definitely a reflection of our devolved food culture here in the US.

Credit markets to Washington: Bailout isn't enough

Uh-oh, they already want more!:


Friday October 3, 6:24 pm ET
By Madlen Read, AP Business Writer

After House OKs bailout, credit markets tighten on fears the plan isn't enough to help economy

NEW YORK (AP) -- The credit markets finally got a bailout bill, but the stranglehold hasn't let up -- a troubling sign that lenders and investors believe the package will only be a baby step in the long road to economic recovery.

The credit markets, where companies go to get cash loans, have seized up since the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and in anticipation of the $700 billion plan initially voted down by the House. The House passed a revised version of it Friday following the Senate's approval earlier this week, but anxiety about its effectiveness kept demand for Treasury bills high and nearly nonexistent for other types of debt.

Overall, market participants have begun regarding the rescue plan as a medicine for what's ailing the financial system, but not a cure-all.

"At best, we can hope that it stems some of the more intense risk from the credit crisis. It prevents things from spiraling out of hand here," said JPMorgan Chase economist Michael Feroli.

Some are worried, though, that the plan will not work at all.

Rest of the article HERE.

Opposition to Prop 8 is "Hijacking" Civil Rights

If you choose to watch this, make sure you stick around to see the last gentleman, he makes some EXCELLENT posts. For example, he's not just against homosexual sin, he's against ALL sin and the heterosexual who uses his or her sexuality in ways contrary to the dictates of God will face judgment just as the homosexual will.

Florida Man Punches Shark To Save His Terrier

I went online the other day in class to explain what's going with our economy, or at least to try, when I stumbled upon this CNN video:

Nanna and Boppy's New Home

Fact: My mom's nickname for the grandchildren is "Nanna."
Fact: My dad's nickname is "Boppy" (I am not sure why).
Fact: Nanna and Boppy are moving from Chino Hills to Riverside.
Fact: The house they're looking to buy is beautiful, has a HUGE lot and, despite the crazy housing market, are going to make a nice bundle of money on the deal since their current home's value is still quite high (it's in a great location, has a pool, etc.)

FACT: Their current residence in Chino Hills is exactly 32.5 mi from our home (Baby Blaine) – that's about 42 mins one way.
FACT: That's a 64 mile round trip that requires nearly 1.5 hours in the car and $12 in gasoline.
FACT: If mom and dad move into the gargantuan "Water Tower Home," they will be 9.0 miles from Baby Blaine, a trip that will require approx. 12-15 mins. in vehicle and .5 gallons, or $2.50 in gas.
FACT: That house is surrounded by mountain biking trails (woo-hoo!)
FACT: That house has a HUGE lot with endless possibilities (I think money's required to add things like a pool and landscaping thought)
FACT: Carter called, and occasionally still calls, a home a "hoeen."

FACT: It will be VERY nice to have my folks closer to us (Sarah's parents live about 15 mins away too). Close...but not TOO close. (;

*Disclaimer: no deal is finalized regarding the new house but the deal on their current house is and, therefore, Nanny and Boppy could be homeless in a matter of weeks. They could stay with us, but what have they ever done for me?