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05/11/2008 MANCHESTER - News that a convicted child killer has moved into the city prompted the mayor to create a committee to study tightening restrictions on where sex offenders can live.
Douglas Simmons lived briefly in Derry in January, but moved back to Connecticut after the community rallied against him. Last week, he moved to Manchester and registered as a child offender.
Mayor Frank Guinta (Contact) says he thinks the city should take another look at preventing sex offenders from living near schools, libraries, parks or other places where children gather.
Simmons served 22 years in prison for killing a 6-year-old girl in Norwich, Conn. Authorities said he also admitted molesting the girl, but was not charged with that crime.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
NH - Mayor creates committee on sex offender restrictions
Labels: CrimeVigilante , Harassment , NewHampshire
TN - Students suspended after Rape Dance Investigation
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A video posted on YouTube.com is causing a lot of concern among Memphis City School parents.
Now were trying to find solutions.
The clip labeled, "Mitchell High School Memphis ... Rape Dat Ho," was posted last month. It was flagged as offensive then taken down, but not before News Channel 3 recorded the clip on tape.
The images are disturbing. They are graphic and hard to watch. It shows young men and women engaging in what one parent described as "sex with clothes on."
We knew the video would get a strong reaction. We aired the video Monday to expose the problem in order to stir constructive conversation, then offer solutions.
We sat down with four women from Girls Inc. in Uptown Memphis. The group's mission is to inspire young girls to be "strong, smart and bold."
"Where are the chaperones? Whose really watching? They feel so free to do this," Girls Inc. Outreach Coordinator Monique Clayton said after viewing the tape. She works with young women inside Memphis City Schools.
She says solving this problem starts with honesty. "Are you willing to accept and admit there may be a problem in your school? School systems may not be willing to accept that," she says.
"There needs to be a discussion had," said Netisha Burnett who also viewed the tape. "Maybe she doesn't know that it's not OK. Some of our youth don't know certain things are just not OK," she says referring to one of the girls in the tape who is seen participating in a dance simulating sex.
"It seems like girls would have more dignity than to do something like that," said 13-year-old Autum Taylor. She's been going to Girls Inc. for years. She says they've instilled a strong message. "The message to me is to respect your body."
Girls Inc. offers every school in the district a comprehensive course to empower young women at the beginning of the school year. Not all of the schools accept their invitation.
The women we talked with during the round-table discussion said they'd be willing to chaperone dances in the future to prevent what we saw on YouTube from happening again.
MCS Administration's Response:
We showed the YouTube video to a group of five administrators last week. They offered a response after viewing the tape.
"We've had an opportunity to look at the video and just want to make it very clear that behavior that we saw on the tape is very disturbing," said MCS spokesperson Staci Franklin. "However, in just what we've seen today we cannot clearly identify that those are our students and that it is one of our schools."
News Channel 3 received a written request for a copy of the tape, and we provided that copy to the administration Tuesday.
"With further investigation, if we are able to identify any student that participated in this, it totally violates our student code of conduct and they will be disciplined accordingly," said Franklin.
The Superintendent has now responded:
"To say that we are troubled by the video that aired on one of the local television stations last night would be an understatement. We are shocked and disappointed by the behavior of students shown in the video clip. These images demonstrate a serious issue that educators, parents and community stakeholders alike must focus on -- the need for a more productive partnership between schools and homes to ensure children understand how to act as responsible, mature young adults with a sense of self respect," wrote Superintendent Dan Ward in a statement sent to News Channel 3.
School Board Members Watch the Tape:
The point of showing the graphic video during our newscast was to stir conversation. We believe as many school board commissioners as possible should be involved in that discussion.
We brought the video to the school board meeting Monday. We wanted our elected officials to respond to the video after the meeting, but the administration's public relations department interfered.
A spokesperson told us it was an inappropriate time and place to show the video. What would be an appropriate place? A public relations representative contacted News Channel 3 Tuesday, telling us the board commissioners would be available at Memphis City Hall. Those commissioners were at city hall to listen to Mayor Willie Herenton's speech on the state of the schools.
We showed the tape to Commissioner Patrice Robinson in the city council chambers. "As a board, what we can do is say what goes on at these parties, there has to be some order. Maybe that's what we need to do is talk about that as a policy," she said.
That's the type of progress and discussion school parents tell us they're looking for. Board members and parents are asking the same questions we have; Where were the chaperones? Why was there a break-down in supervision?
We wanted to talk to parents to get their reaction to the tape after it aired Monday night. We ran into another hurdle when we approached them outside Mitchell High School Tuesday afternoon. An administrator with the school tried to silence the parents. "We're trying not to do any interviews with this right here," he told one mother who was about to talk with us about the video.
"I would like for you to please leave," he told our camera crew.
We didn't leave.
Parents wanted to give us their opinions on the dirty dancing, so we stuck around to listen.
"I hope they have supervision in there and that doesn't happen again," said one parent. "It was disgusting. It was disgraceful. Where are our young people headed? They're here to get an education not to be sexually explicit."
On Your Side Investigation Uncovers New Tape:
During our investigation into the first tape, we found another clip on YouTube called "Mitchell High Talent Show."
It starts off with a performance, but by the end several students are simulating sex on the same gym floor as the first tape.
There's a big difference on the second clip. You can see several administrators walking past the camera. Eventually students start pouring onto the gym floor in excitement over what they are seeing. At the end of the clip an adult ushers the crowd back to the bleachers.
MCS sent us the following statement after we sent a clip of the second video:
"Pop-culture, the Internet and mainstream media greatly influence the activity and behavior of today's youth. We trust that our partners in education -- parents, guardians and school families will continue to reinforce to children the appropriate way to conduct themselves before, during and after school hours." - Memphis City Schools
The statement did not answer any questions about how high school administrators responded to the behavior. We sent the following questions back to MCS:
- Why did it take so long for an administrator to address what was happening on the gym floor?
- Were the students reprimanded for the behavior they displayed at the end of the talent show?
- Does this demonstrate a pattern of tolerance toward this type of behavior?
An MCS spokesperson told us the people who could best answer those questions were already gone for the day by the time the administration received the clip. We're told those questions will now be forwarded to the appropriate people.
Local Pastor Calls for Action:
We aired the YouTube video in order to stir conversation that would hopefully result in concrete solutions. We've received plenty of responses. One of them came from Rev. Eric Pearman. He's the pastor at Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church on Millbranch. He also has a Ph.D. in African American Studies.
Pearman wants to put together a series of community meetings to address the issue. "To have these kids talk out to us, let us listen to them. Why are you doing this? What are you seeking?", he says.
Pearman reacted to the report we aired Tuesday night that showed an administrator at Mitchell High School trying to silence parents as we went to talk to them about the tape.
"Not only was I deeply disturbed by the content of the video, but the disposition, action, and reaction of certain personnel within the Memphis Public School system," he says.
"It goes on all over the country, don't get me wrong, but it seems as if there's this tolerance or acceptance of this kind of negative behavior. We bury our heads in the sand. We don't want to address this issue head on. We have to address those issues head on."
Updated 5/08/2007 Mitchell High Principal Responds:
May 8, 2008
"I would first like to apologize to the Memphis community and to the Memphis City Schools family for the embarrassment these videos have caused. I take full responsibility for the inappropriate content in one of the acts in a talent show, and understand we should have taken immediate action and ended that performance.
While the matter of another video shown on a local station remains an open investigation, I want to make it clear that we take this incident very seriously. We are working with Memphis City Schools Security to determine if that footage was also taped at Mitchell High and whether students from our school were involved.
Today, I conveyed to our entire student body the message that every student and staff member should conduct themselves in an appropriate and responsible manner. We hold high expectations of our students at Mitchell
High and expect each member of our school family to be respectful of others and, most importantly, of themselves. I would like to assure the community that this sort of behavior is not a reflection of the majority of our students who follow the Student Code of Conduct and who come to school to learn. Our goal is to continue to provide the best possible learning environment and to develop all aspects of our students' lives."
John Ware
Mitchell High School
Updated 5/09/2008 -- Memphis City Schools officials confirm several students have been arrested as a result of an internal investigation conducted after News Channel 3 uncovered two disturbing tapes on YouTube.com.
MCS now acknowledges what we've been telling you for days, that both tapes were taken inside Mitchell High School's gym.
An MCS spokesperson says students have been disciplined according to the code of conduct, but the public relations department didn't know how many students.
They also couldn't tell us whether administrators have been held accountable. In the first tape there is not an administrator in sight while at least seven students simulate sex acts on the gym floor. During the second tape, taken during a talent show, adults walk by while one of the acts turns inappropriate.
We're told Principal John Ware apologized to Mitchell's parents through the school system's parent-link phone system.
We're told by MCS that the investigation is over, and the case is closed. School Board Commissioner Kenneth Whalum, Jr. says the administration should provide more information to the public before they close the books on this case.
Stay with News Channel 3 as we continue to seek answers to the questions parents and community members are asking.
CA - Man fatally stabbed in Bell Gardens after fight involving teen girl
Labels: California , CrimeVigilante , Death , OffenderMale , Stabbed
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No arrests have been made. What about the father and brother of the girl who killed this man? You can figure out who stabbed who later. Taking the law into your own hands is wrong, illegal and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Officials say the man was stabbed during a confrontation with the father and brother of the girl, 15, who said he had made sexual advances toward her.
A man was fatally stabbed Friday afternoon after he was confronted by the father and brother of a teenage girl who told them he had made sexual advances as she walked on a busy Bell Gardens street, authorities said today.
The stabbing took place about 3:43 p.m. in the 7700 block of Eastern Avenue near Clara Street shortly after the 15-year-old girl ran home and told her family she had just been accosted, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
Shortly after, they said, the girl's father and brother went out in search of the man. They apparently located him quickly and a fight broke out. During the fight the man was stabbed, authorities said.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- And they took the law into their own hands and murdered a man, now they need to be in prison until they die.
Sheriff's Deputy Rick Castro said no arrests had been made. Investigators have not determined who stabbed the man, he said. Bell Gardens police officers initially responded to the scene, Castro said.
- This is just insane... If this was a man stabbing another man and it wasn't sexual in nature, they'd be in jail right now, waiting bond or a court date. Now we have possibly two killers roaming the streets.
The name of the man was not released pending notification of next of kin, county coroner's investigator Betsy Magdaleno said today.
It was unknown how the father and brother had identified the man as the one who allegedly accosted the teenager. Bell Gardens police declined to answer questions about the incident. A sheriff's deputy in the department's media relations office said she did not have more details to release.
NC - City may limit sex offenders
Labels: NorthCarolina
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So why is a district attorney deciding on laws to be created? He is a lawyer, not a politician... Sounds like he needs to change professions to me.
Hickory considers ban to include public parks, rec centers
Hickory could become the second city in the four-county area to ban registered sex offenders from public parks and recreation centers.
The proposal, intended to discourage sex offenders from visiting public playgrounds and gyms, is a response to District Attorney Jay Gaither's call for such bans in the 25th Judicial District.
In January, Morganton became the first city in the district to adopt such a ban. Gaither sent a letter to local governments last November, encouraging them to ban sex offenders from public parks and recreation centers.
Hickory recreation officials recently discussed the concept with members of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, who endorsed the proposal. At the commission's meeting Tuesday, it will consider a draft ordinance to recommend to Hickory City Council for final approval.
If adopted, the ban would apply to nonviolent offenders, as well as violent offenders.
- In other words, it affects all sex offenders..
Civil liberties advocates have opposed such measures in other areas, saying they violate offenders' rights. The American Civil Liberties Union contested a similar law last year in Woodfin, calling it too broad, but the N.C. Court of Appeals upheld a local court decision that the ban didn't violate offenders' fundamental rights. The ACLU has appealed the decision to the N.C. Supreme Court.
- We always hear the courts say the laws are constitutional, but on what grounds? Sounds like we have a bunch of people in this country that do not give a rats a$$ about someones rights anymore. They all also took an oath to uphold the Constitution, which they apparently lied about, so they should be fired for FRAUD!
Among the ideas local officials are discussing to enforce the Hickory proposal are the placement of signs outside parks and recreation centers informing sex offenders that they can't enter and letters sent about the ban to offenders who live in the Hickory region.
Mack McLeod, the city's parks and recreation director, said the ban would make public recreation facilities safer. He pointed out that the city started requiring criminal background checks on volunteer coaches several years ago and that the sex offender ban would add further protection.
- Yeah, parks would be 100% safe if nobody went to them as well. This is nothing but a placebo!
The city has 23 parks, six recreation centers and two senior citizen centers, all of which would fall under the ban.
Police Chief Tom Adkins said his department would rely on the public to notify it of any offenders seen in recreation areas. He said his department hasn't dealt with sexual predatory incidents in such facilities, but that a couple of years ago some adults were solicited for sex in city parks.
- It's because the "stranger danger" concept is a myth... 90% or more of all sexual crimes occur in the victims own home or close family. We hasn't went to parks for sex? Remember the old drive in days?
There are 190 people listed on the state's sex offender registry in Catawba County, 92 of those with Hickory addresses. There are 57 listed in Alexander County, 99 in Burke County and 124 in Caldwell County. The public can search the registry to check if any offenders live nearby.
Convicted sex offenders must register with the Sheriff's Office in their county of residence within 10 days of getting out of prison or immediately after conviction if not required to serve time for their crime.
MT - Sex offenders find themselves in Catch-22 if they deny guilt
Labels: IndecentExposure , Montana
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Again, guilty and must prove you are innocent, it's a catch-22 situation.
HELENA - For convicted sex offenders who deny they did anything wrong, completing the full treatment program at Montana State Prison is impossible - and, therefore, parole is out of the question.
That's because most sex offenders are required to complete the treatment before they can be considered for parole. And if you deny your crime, you can't complete the treatment.
"Those guys kind of get stuck," says Blair Hopkins, clinical services administrator at the State Prison in Deer Lodge. "They need to be able to admit to some type of sexual inappropriate behavior. For someone who just flat-out denies everything, they really can't complete (the second phase)."
Hopkins and other counselors estimate that 15 percent to 25 percent of those convicted of sex offenses are "deniers," who say they didn't commit the crime.
A small fraction of those might actually be innocent, counselors say.
But that makes no difference in how they're treated under the treatment program or parole rules, Hopkins says: "We have to assume that if they've been convicted of the offense, they've done it. If I said, 'I believe you,' then I'll have 300 guys at my door saying that."
Montana's prison system has a relatively high amount of sex offenders, which includes people convicted of rape, sexual assault, incest, prostitution, child molestation or indecent exposure.
Hopkins looked at 20 states in late 2006, and found that for most, 12 percent to 16 percent of their inmates are sex offenders.
In Montana, it's 25 percent, and one-third of the men incarcerated at the State Prison - 500 people - are sex offenders.
That means long waiting lists for treatment programs. About 250 sex offenders in prison are on the lists now, and the wait for Phase II treatment can be up to two years.
Each year, about 65 sex offenders leave prison without treatment, because they either refused it or their sentence expired before they could complete it.
Most sex-offender therapists in Montana say it makes more sense, and would be no less safe for the public, to send fewer sex offenders to prison and more directly to treatment outside the prison, while on probation.
"I thought it was too lenient when I started (28 years ago)," says veteran psychologist Michael Scolatti of Missoula, who has treated hundreds of sex offenders. "Now, we're enacting laws that don't allow us to show some discretion."
Roger Dowty, another Missoula sex-offender therapist, says he also tries to find ways to treat even those who deny their crimes.
Recent studies have shown that "deniers" are no greater risk to re-offend than those who admit to their crimes, counselors say.
Statistics from the state Corrections Department show that those who don't get any treatment are a greater risk. A 2007 report by the state said only 2 percent of sex offenders who complete treatment return to prison for a new sex crime, while among those who don't complete treatment, the rate is 25 percent.
MT - Questions raised over rape conviction
Labels: CrimeGovernment , Montana , OffenderMale
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It's all about the he said, she said BS!
Cody Marble appeared in Missoula County District Court last month on a parole violation.
Convicted of a jailhouse rape six years ago, Cody Marble has had to attend sex-offender counseling - but one of his counselors believes Marble may be innocent.
Another sex-offender therapist and psychologist who examined Marble after his 2002 conviction for raping a 13-year-old boy at the Missoula County Juvenile Detention Center says the same, and has made a sworn statement saying he thinks the crime never occurred.
A Detention Center officer who was in the cell area moments after the rape allegedly occurred says she, too, thinks it didn't happen - but was never asked that question at Marble's jury trial.
Marble himself insists on his innocence. But the 23-year-old Missoula man has failed at every attempt to overturn his conviction, and now faces a possible return to Montana State Prison for up to 15 years, for violating terms of his probation.
Is Marble's case that of an innocent man convicted on questionable evidence, in a system and society where accused sex offenders are seen as guilty until proven innocent?
The prosecutor for the case and an assistant attorney general who reviewed it say no, and that Marble's claims of a frame-up and ineffective defense counsel don't wash.
"I'm confident the jury made the right decision," says Dorothy Brownlow, chief deputy attorney for Missoula County.
Brownlow says attorneys from both sides examined the case thoroughly, and that it's hard to see how a 13-year-old victim and four other juveniles who testified about the crime would have all told a similar lie.
Indeed, Marble is hardly a sympathetic figure, having been in and out of jails, juvenile programs and prison since age 14, repeatedly violating probation or parole rules by using marijuana and methamphetamine.
He also ignored defense counsel's advice to accept a deal on the rape charge, to plead guilty in exchange for a three-year deferred sentence, avoiding prison. Instead, he insisted on a trial, was convicted and received a 20-year sentence.
There's also no black-and-white evidence, such as DNA, that could exonerate him. In fact, there was no physical evidence at all of the rape.
A Missoula District Court jury convicted Marble in November 2002, mostly on the testimony of the alleged victim and other juvenile jail inmates. Marble says the other boys made up the crime to get back at him for perceived slights, or to attempt to get more favorable treatment in their own criminal cases.
"There's no one thing that I can say that will make you say, 'I believe you,' " Marble said in a recent interview from the Missoula County Detention Center. "You have to listen to the (counselors) who evaluated me. Look at my criminal past. Come talk to me, look at me."
Several people who've examined Marble or with knowledge of the case say the crime doesn't add up. Their comments either couldn't be or weren't heard by the jury, and District Judge Douglas Harkin has ruled that the sworn statement filed last year by Missoula psychologist Michael Scolatti wouldn't have been allowed as evidence at trial.
The case began six years ago, a few days after Marble, then 17, was released from the Missoula County Juvenile Detention Center. He'd been in the center nearly five months, in a cell pod with seven other boys, waiting to see what penalty he would face for walking away in 2001 from a youth treatment program in Marion.
His father bailed him out of the center on March 12, 2002. Four days later, sheriff's deputies came to the Marbles' home and arrested Cody, saying boys from the cell pod had accused him of raping a 13-year-old inmate in the cell-pod shower area on March 10.
Marble turned down the plea bargain just before the scheduled trial in November. The jury convicted him after a three-day trial. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 15 of those years suspended.
Scolatti, who's been examining and counseling sex offenders for nearly 28 years, evaluated Marble before he was sentenced.
As part of Marble's 2007 petition seeking to overturn his conviction, Scolatti provided a sworn statement saying he doubted anyone would commit such a crime in an open shower area, visible to everyone else in the cell pod and possibly in sight of guards.
"Such exposure would most commonly serve as a strong deterrent from the type of conduct for which (Marble) was convicted," he wrote.
In a recent interview, Scolatti said he also watched a jail videotape of the cells when the crime allegedly occurred. The tape, which did not show the shower area, showed all eights juvenile inmates moving in and out of their cells, including Marble and his alleged victim.
"There wasn't any sort of anxiety or hyperactivity," he said of Marble's demeanor. "It was so nonchalant. You'd have to be the biggest psychopath in the world to act like that or, you didn't do it."
Scolatti said the Marble case is the only time in his 28-year career that he's submitted a sworn statement about someone's likely innocence in a sex-offender case.
Susan Latimer, a detention officer on duty that night and who did a "cell check" shortly after the rape allegedly occurred, also says she thinks the rape never occurred.
"If a sexual assault would have happened, there are cues you pick up on," says Latimer, who previously worked with sexually abused children at a mental health center in Great Falls. "There was nothing. I never picked up anything sexual."
In a recent interview, Latimer, who lives now in Darby, also told the Lee Newspapers State Bureau she was prepared to express those thoughts on the witness stand - but that nobody asked her.
Latimer was called as a prosecution witness, and testified that she felt "a little tension" in the cell block when she made her check, seeing Marble arguing with a fellow inmate.
Defense lawyer Kathleen Foley cross-examined Latimer for a few minutes, asked almost nothing about the cell check and didn't ask Latimer about her thoughts on the likelihood of the crime or Cody's character.
"Kathleen Foley had a great opportunity, and she releases me (as a witness), and I'm thinking, 'My God, this kid is sunk,' " Latimer said. "She didn't ask me much of anything that I can remember that would have supported Cody."
Latimer said she would have testified that Marble was a respectful kid who was not aggressive and who didn't pick on other kids in the cell pod.
Foley declined to talk to the Lee Newspapers State Bureau about the case. Her law partner, veteran defense lawyer William Boggs of Missoula, says when Foley deposed Latimer three weeks before the trial, Latimer gave no indication she would be a friendly witness.
Latimer said several times during the deposition that she didn't know whether Marble was guilty or innocent and that she didn't have an opinion, Boggs pointed out.
"She was evasive and slippery and uncooperative during the entire deposition," Boggs said. "As a defense lawyer, you see a witness like that, and you keep your distance like you would from a coiled snake."
Latimer says now she felt the defense treated her like the enemy, when in fact she was trying to be objective about the case. During the deposition, she also said she hoped that Marble was innocent, but couldn't be sure what had happened that night at the jail.
Boggs said Foley worked hard on the case and that Marble ignored their advice to take the plea agreement rather than risk a trial where five people, including the alleged 13-year-old victim, were prepared to testify that Marble raped the boy.
The deal offered Marble a three-year deferred sentence, avoiding prison, if he pleaded guilty to rape. He also would have had to register as a sex offender and undergo sex-offender treatment.
Marble and Foley also dispute the circumstances of the plea-agreement rejection.
Foley said in court documents that Marble at first wanted to consider the plea deal, but that his father, Jerry Marble, nixed the idea, saying that "no son of his was going to plead to a faggot offense." Jerry Marble says he recalls telling his son he shouldn't plead guilty if he was innocent.
Cody Marble says he never even considered the deal, and "literally flicked it back across the table at (Foley)."
"I did not commit a crime; I did not intend to plead guilty," he said.
Marble also did not testify in his own defense at the trial. He says now he believes he should have, and that Foley advised him against it.
In her response to Marble's petition claiming ineffective counsel, Foley said she was concerned Marble would testify that neither he nor the alleged victim were even in the shower area, and that she "felt that would be wholly incredible to the jury."
- What??? Sounds like another Mike NiFong to me.
Marble says he knew firsthand of previous attempts by juvenile inmates to make false accusations against inmates they didn't like, as a form of retribution, and believes he was set up by the other inmates.
Keith Williamson, a supervising officer at the Juvenile Detention Center, told other guards he had heard of and suspected a plot by inmates to falsely accuse Marble.
Under questioning by Foley at the trial, Latimer briefly mentioned Williamson's suspicions. But Williamson couldn't testify himself: He died of a heart attack in June 2002, months before the trial.
Foley attempted to ask Latimer more about Williamson's suspicions, but Judge Harkin ruled it was hearsay evidence and stopped the questioning.
- Well so is the he said, she said stuff, that is hearsay as well!!!!!
The five inmates who testified against Marble, including the 13-year-old boy who said he was raped, denied any conspiracy.
The alleged victim, now 19, is serving a 10-year prison term at Montana State Prison for rape. He pleaded guilty to having sex with an underage girl in 2005.
He did not respond to a written request from the Lee Newspapers State Bureau for an interview.
The juvenile inmate who initially reported the rape to authorities on March 16, six days after it allegedly happened, did not testify at the trial. He was released from jail in the summer of 2002 and disappeared.
The teenager initially told investigators he saw Marble raping the alleged victim in the shower area. But a videotape of the cells showed the accuser had been locked down in his cell during the entire time of the alleged rape, away from the area where the assault was said to occur. He later changed his story to say he'd heard about the rape, rather than saw it.
During the trial, Judge Harkin allowed Foley to put Brownlow, the prosecutor, on the witness stand and question her about how the teenager had initially lied.
Prosecutors also had no physical evidence that a rape occurred. A doctor who examined the 13-year-old accuser six days after the alleged rape found no scars or any signs of physical trauma in or around the boy's anus. He testified at trial that any damage could have healed by that time.
- After 6 days??? Why not immediately??? Boy they screwed this whole case up big time, IMO!
Brownlow says it's not unusual for a rape to be reported days after it happened or to be reported by someone other than the victim.
"I think the way it was reported adds to its credibility," she said in a recent interview. "The victim was in jail together (with his assailant), so he felt that the repercussions for reporting it could have been really significant."
- So why were they not separated like any other offender and victim?
The 13-year-old boy was released from jail the same day as Marble, on March 12. He said nothing about the rape until authorities interviewed him March 16, at a Missoula home for troubled children.
Marble began serving his prison sentence in 2003 and was released in June 2007, having served the five unsuspended years of his 20-year sentence. As a condition of release during his suspended sentence, Marble arranged for sex-offender treatment sessions with Missoula counselor Roger Dowty.
Dowty, who has the largest sex-offender treatment practice in western Montana, says 10 percent to 15 percent of sexual offenders deny their crime, and that he's treated many of them.
But with Marble, the denial strikes Dowty as genuine.
"If I were to place a bet, my bet would be that he's not guilty," Dowty says. "I would place a large amount of money on that."
Dowty says Marble could be a casualty of what Dowty calls "representative vigilante-ism," his term for Montana's harsh public attitude toward sex offenders.
That attitude is reflected by a criminal-justice system that aggressively prosecutes accused sex offenders, sometimes regardless of whether the case is strong, and punishes them severely if they choose to go to trial and lose, he says.
"There's nothing worse than being labeled as a sex offender in America," Dowty says. "The whole concept of being innocent until proven guilty is gone. Where you have something like that going on, where you cannot exercise the right to be innocent without just a huge penalty, that's a sign of a big problem."
Marble worked as a maintenance man for a property management firm until October 2007, when he tested positive for methamphetamine use and was briefly detained. He was arrested again a few days later, when police entered a Missoula hotel room where they said they found Marble, another man, some methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Marble is awaiting sentencing for violating his probation for drug use, but is fighting the drug-possession charge.
As Marble sat in the Missoula County jail this winter and spring, waiting to appear in court on the probation violations, Judge Harkin twice ruled against the man's petition seeking to overturn his conviction. The petition accused Foley of "ineffective counsel" and prosecutors of various misconduct, but Harkin rejected Marble's arguments.
Marble has asked Harkin to reconsider the latest ruling.
While Marble was dissatisfied with his defense lawyers, he has much harsher words for prosecutors and law enforcement officers, whom he says made little attempt to scrutinize his accusers or find the truth of the case.
"They want a conviction whether you're guilty or not," he says. "They will lie, cheat and steal to do it. I would have read through the (initial police) reports and, if they looked as absurd as they do, I wouldn't have filed charges."
Brownlow obviously doesn't agree, saying the evidence against Marble was strong.
"I feel very strongly that (we) were careful to make sure we had as much information as we could, and that we had a good, solid case," she said.
- Like what? Sounds to me like no evidence was present at all. These are just people who are afraid to step off their HIGH HORSE to admit they screwed up, that is what I think!
Marble and his father, Jerry, say they intend to keep fighting the case, although their legal options are narrow and they don't have an attorney. Cody Marble says he has some hope he can prevail, but isn't optimistic.
- Sounds like he needs to contact the Innocence Project to me.
"I trusted the system and was pretty naive," Marble says. "I had no reason to think that the system would fail me."
- And I'm sure a ton of people would say the same thing. I feel for this man!!!
NH - Zoning out sex offenders
Labels: NewHampshire
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Court case calls Dover ordinance into question
The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union recently dropped a civil suit alleging that the city of Dover had violated the rights of Richard Jennings, a convicted sex offender. Instead, an NHCLU lawyer will defend Jennings against charges alleging he violated a city ordinance that prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school or daycare facility. The NHCLU disputes the constitutionality of the ordinance.
"It violates Mr. Jennings' constitutional rights," said Barbara Keshen, who will defend Jennings in Strafford County Superior Court. "The town exceeded its authority in enacting this ordinance."
Proponents of the ordinance maintain that it's a necessary measure to protect the city's children.
Former City Councilor Matt Mayberry proposed the ordinance, which passed in 2005. "He had asked the chief of police at the time about ordinances like this to provide another tool to make the community safer," said Dover Police Lt. David Terlemezian.
The ordinance unanimously passed the Council. "I wasn't part of the original drafting, but my understanding is that a good amount of research went into it and the city is confident it's legal and sound and will survive the challenge," Terlemezian said.
The NHCLU disagrees. Keshen declined to elaborate on the points she will argue in court but will file a motion this week with more details.
Jennings, 41, is accused of violating the ordinance in November 2007 after he was charged with two felonies for failing to notify police that he had moved from Portsmouth to Dover. The ordinance violation was tacked on after police discovered that Jennings had relocated within 2,500 feet of the My School Kindergarten at 118 Locust St.
Jennings' was originally convicted of felonious sexual assault on a minor in May 2000. Although Terlemezian did not have details of that case, he said, "it involved a teenage girl that was known to him." Since the victim was a minor, Jennings is required to register as a sex offender for life.
The NHCLU decided to drop its civil suit after lawyers from the organization concluded that they would be able to get their case heard sooner if they switched to a defense strategy. "If Mr. Jennings wins, then the city will appeal. If the city wins, we will appeal. We thought that we could get it in front of the Supreme Court faster, rather than wait for civil court," Keshen said.
Defending the rights of a convicted sex offender is a tough sell, but the NHCLU believes the ordinance is unconstitutional because it essentially bans Jennings from living in Dover. The restrictions imposed by the ordinance encompass virtually the entire downtown area, where most affordable housing is located.
"There is no question that the ordinance was put in place by people that believe that these kinds of residential zoning ordinances would protect their children," Keshen said. "But there is no empirical data to support that. People have a mistaken belief that these ordinances do anything to protect children."
Keshen said a number of organizations that deal with domestic and sexual abuse have found that restrictive zoning is ineffective. "The reality is that these ordinances don't do a wit to protect children," she said.
Keshen offered a number of more effective ways to protect children from convicted sex criminals. Strict supervision of offenders is one way to cut down on second offenses, she said. Some states have instituted systems that use GPS devices to track sex offenders. Quality treatment that is readily available to convicts is another way to combat repeat offenses. "As most professionals that work in this area will tell you, sex offenders are particularly amenable to treatment," Keshen said.
The idea that convicted sex criminals still can't be trusted around children even after serving their time and being released from prison could reflect poorly on the state's correctional system. Although he doesn't work in corrections, Terlemezian doesn't believe the state system is at fault. "My speculation is that it's rooted more in the human psyche," he said, referring to the reasons people commit sexual offenses.
According to Terlemezian, this is not the first time the ordinance has been violated. Typically, if the police become aware of a sex criminal living within 2,500 feet of a school or daycare center, they give that person 30 days to relocate. If the offenders move, the summons never gets filed and they don't get charged. But Jennings has refused to move. "He's chosen not to plead guilty," Terlemezian said.
If found guilty of the violation, Jennings would face a $500 fine. But, if he is not found guilty, the ordinance could ultimately be overturned.
"I don't think it's likely," Terlemezian said.
WI - State gets step ahead on GPS tracking
Labels: AmberAlert , DeathPenalty , GPS , Wisconsin
View the article here
This still isn't going to deter someone who is intent on committing another crime. If they are dangerous enough to be on GPS, why are they out of prison? This is just prison outside of prison. Watch, I am willing to bet that even if this is passed, others will still cut it off. These are the idiots who are making life hell for all the other ex-offenders who are trying to get on with their lives.
It's now a felony for sex offenders to interfere with tracker signals
Madison - A new state law expands the definition of what it means for a sex offender to interfere with required tracking equipment, making it a felony to block or disrupt the signal from a global positioning system.
- So what happens when a building, mountain or tall tree blocks the signal? Are they going to be arrested for that?
But Roy D. Jackson did it the old-fashioned way.
Jackson cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet on March 6 and hasn't been apprehended, officials said. He had been convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child.
"That would be very clearly a tamper," said Melissa Roberts, director of sex offender programs for the state Department of Corrections. She said Jackson was at his Milwaukee home when the bracelet was removed, which triggered an immediate notification of law enforcement.
Rep. Tony Staskunas (Email) (D-West Allis), who co-authored the new law with Sen. Jeff Plale (Email) (D-South Milwaukee), said that while the more traditional method of tampering had been used in the Jackson case, it was important for Wisconsin to stay a step ahead of technology. Devices exist to jam signals from GPS devices, and the law was intended to close that loophole, Staskunas said.
"There are people out there who are very adept at electronics . . . so rather than have a problem happen and react to it, we've been a little proactive on this one," Plale said.
Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko said in a statement that once he is caught, Jackson will be prosecuted for tampering.
"Tampering with the device is a serious offense that carries serious consequences," Dipko said. "He not only violated his rules of supervision, but he committed another crime."
Certain sex offenders are subject to lifetime monitoring and equipped with a GPS device. The GPS tracking program started on Jan. 1, and 90 sex offenders are being tracked, according to the Corrections Department. State officials are on pace to meet projections of 99 on GPS tracking by the end of June, and expect 300 will be tracked by July 1, 2009, Roberts said.
- If they are this dangerous that they need GPS, then they should still be in prison and stop wasting tons on money on something that is not going to work for dangerous people who are not willing to obey the laws anyway.
Tampering with a GPS device itself, like Jackson is accused of, was already a felony. The new law, which took effect April 10, also prohibits blocking, diffusing or preventing the transmission of a signal from a GPS device.
Sandy Maher-Johnson, president of Citizens for a Safe Wisconsin, said she hopes the Jackson incident won't become a trend. She said the potential for someone to remove or interfere with GPS tracking devices is always a risk, but the benefits of constant monitoring outweigh that threat.
- So how did monitoring this person help? Where is he now? You see, it did nothing.
"These are the individuals who truly have earned the right to be back out in the community, and you're hoping that this is going to be another behavior-modification tool that helps them integrate back into society," she said.
- Who are you kidding? Does the death penalty deter murderers from murdering?
Favorable reviews
State lawmakers and observers said they're satisfied with the progress of the GPS tracking program.
- Why? Do they have stock in the GPS market? I bet many do... Quick easy way to get rich by exploiting sex offenders. I'd like to get a report of what GPS system they use, and then get a list of that companies stock report.
"We'll continue to monitor it, but we're just pleased that Corrections is moving along and appears to be moving along smoothly," said Rep. Scott Suder (Email) (R-Abbotsford), who helped create the program.
Rep. Mark Pocan (Email) (D-Madison), who worked with Suder to secure funding for the program during the budget process, said the state's priority should be to get people who need constant monitoring under surveillance.
- My question is, why do they need constant monitoring? If they are that dangerous, why are they out of prison? You really expect a criminal to obey this law? Many ex-offenders who are not a threat will, but someone who is dangerous is not. That is common sense, which we seem to have very little of these days.
"I don't care how many people they have, but do they have the right people under that supervision?" he said.
Maher-Johnson said the department is rolling out the program in an appropriate and logical way.
"The more people they get on, the better," she said. "This is such a complex issue and you have to do it in phases."
- Yeah, because you people get richer.
In Jackson's case, Suder said, there would be stiff penalties for cutting off the bracelet.
"We certainly can't prevent those attempts, but that person will be back in prison once they do find him," Suder said. Tampering with a device is a felony punishable by up to 3 1/2 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both, although the penalties increase by up to six additional years for repeat offenders.
- When they find them! But what will they do before you catch them? Who knows. I hope and pray nothing, but??? How do you expect someone who is broke to pay you $10,000?
Pocan said he didn't see that the potential to tamper with GPS devices created a unique problem.
- Because like usual, they do not plan ahead.
"The moment it happens, you have a little better idea of when they took off," he said.
- Ok, so how long before someone notices? Is someone sitting there 24/7 monitoring these people? Even if they were, they could be long gone before you find them, and who knows what might happen. So it's a waste of money, IMO.
Maher-Johnson said the state should consider creating an Amber Alert-style system if another sex offender were to tamper with a GPS device and not be apprehended. During an Amber Alert, information about abducted children is sent out to the public through highway message boards and broadcast alerts.
- Now this is a good idea.
Roberts said once law enforcement is notified, the matter becomes part of a criminal investigation and the release of that information is up to law enforcement officials.
CO - Parachute man wants new law on child molesters
Labels: Colorado , CrimeVigilante , Harassment
View the article here | Related Article
It's still harassment, IMO. See the other article above. Someone I know is working on a "Anti-Vigilante" bill to put before congress as well.
A 34-year-old Garfield County father of three, who was cited for disturbing the peace by the Garfield County Sheriff's Department after confronting a convicted sex offender lurking outside the Battlement Mesa Activity Center, says he will now confront state lawmakers.
"It is every parent's right to walk up to someone you feel is going to harm your child, and that is your right as a parent," said Travis Metcalf. "I didn't threaten him. All I said is, 'I know who you are, and I know what you have done, and I am not going to let it happen.' "
After Metcalf's story appeared last week in The Daily Sentinel and online at GJSentinel.com, it received numerous comments. Metcalf said he was struck by the community's willingness to get involved and has called a pair of community meetings in a posting on GJSentinel.com.
"I want to get enough buzz out of this so I can take this in front of a state representative and change some laws," he said. "I am going to try and get a petition together."
In the online posting, he slated his meetings for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Parachute Parks Recreation office, 101 S. Frontage Road, and at 9 a.m. May 29 at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center, 398 Arroyo Drive.
"If you had aggravated sexual assault charges on a child, there has got to be a mandatory stipulated distance when you go to the parks, schools or anything," he said. "They can't go to anywhere children frequent."
He said he wants parents interested in changing state law to attend.
"I am just one person," he said. "I need parents that can help me from all sides, because the system we have now is not working."
A majority of the comments posted online at GJSentinel.com applauded Metcalf for his actions, but some criticized him for taking the law into his own hands. Metcalf said doing nothing is not an option, especially now.
"My wife spotted him driving right directly in front of my house (Friday)," he said. "She was pulling out of the driveway, and he drove right on down the county road, so now he knows where I live, but I'm not worried about it."
Metcalf and a handful of his supporters spent part of Friday posting pictures of the sex offender he is alleged to have harassed, Timothy Alan Larsen, 62, of Battlement Mesa. He said no local business has stopped him from posting a flier.
"I'm trying to rally these parents," he said.
E-mail Le Roy Standish at email@example.com.


text:
Signals for $35.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Contents |
The Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver, British Columbia began services in 1965 and occupied its first building in that same year. Erwin Cornelsen is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through church planting by Vancouver First United Mennonite. In the early years the congregation was made up of many emigrants from the Soviet Union, Germany, and South America. Emigration, primarily from South America, continued through the 1970s and contributed to the congregation's growth. In 1971 the congregation's pastor, Erwin Cornelsen, was ordained as an elder.
Sherbrooke organized itself as an independent congregation on 1 January 1968 with 174 members. Over a period of 10 years (1968-1978) the membership more than doubled, necessitating already in 1973 the building of an annex. The services in Sherbrooke were initially all in the German language. In 1973 separate German and English language services were introduced. Bilingual services helped for a while, but in 1974, separate services in English and German came into effect. This arrangement lasted until early 2010, when keeping a German service was no longer feasible.
Cornelia Lehn reported in 1990: "The people who made up the congregation came from many different places in the world: 39 percent were born in Russia, 23 percent in Paraguay, 18 percent in Canada, 11 percent in Germany, 4 percent in Brazil, and 5 percent in other countries."
Sherbrooke is the parent church to Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, which formally organized in 1980. Ministries to various ethnic groups resulted in the birth of the Vancouver Vietnamese Mennonite Church in 2001, followed by the Sherbrooke Korean Mennonite Fellowship in 2004, with both congregations meeting in the facilities of the parent church.
By the 1990s the congregation experienced a decline due to the movement of retired members to cities like Abbotsford and the movement of younger families to the Fraser Valley in search of more affordable housing.
Many of Sherbrooke's remaining members have moved further away, thereby making the church more a drive-in church than a community church. Still, the sense of serving the community remains strong. Together with other churches Sherbrooke tries to help people to recover from substance abuse (Place of Refuge) and to help people with physical needs (Food Bank). Sherbrooke reaches out to children in the neighborhood with a Summer Ministries Program. Members of Sherbrooke are actively involved in the Fraser Street Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Store.
The present pastor is James Wittenberg.
[edit] Bibliography
Churches in Profile. Clearbrook, BC: Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1978: 94-98.
Mennonite Church British Columbia. New 'n Notes (Jan/Feb/Mar 2009).
Mennonite Reporter (17 April 1978): 18.
"Sherbrooke Mennonite Church 1968-1978," 6 pp. Mennonite Historical Society of Canada coll., Mennonite Archives of Ontario
Unpublished congregational history, 1980, 29 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Archival Records
Church records at Mennonite Heritage Centre.
[edit] Additional Information
Address: 7155 Sherbrooke St., Vancouver, BC, V5X 4E3. The church is located on 55th Ave. between Fraser St. and Knight St.
Phone: 604-327-3913
Website: Sherbrooke Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliation
Mennonite Church British Columbia (1968-present)
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1968-present)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1971-1999)
[edit] Sherbrooke Mennonite Church Leading Ministers
Minister | Years |
Erwin Cornelsen | 1968-1996 |
Jurgen Schonwetter | 1978-1980 |
Henry Kliewer | 1981-1992 |
Wally Nickel | 1993 |
Rudy Froese | 1994-1998 |
Garry Janzen | 1998-2007 |
James Wittenberg | 2009-present |
[edit] Sherbrooke Mennonite Church Membership
Year | Members |
1968 | 175 |
1974 | 305 |
1979 | 374 |
1985 | 274 |
1990 | 292 |
1995 | 282 |
2000 | 245 |
2005 | 220 |
2010 | 212 |
2015 | 183 |
[edit] Maps
Map:Sherbrooke Mennonite Church (Vancouver, BC)
Author(s) | Alfred Hildebrand |
Date Published | February 2016 |
[edit] Cite This Article
MLA style
Hildebrand, Alfred. "Sherbrooke Mennonite Church (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2016. Web. 29 Mar 2017. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sherbrooke_Mennonite_Church_(Vancouver,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=142416.
APA style
Hildebrand, Alfred. (February 2016). Sherbrooke Mennonite Church (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 29 March 2017, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sherbrooke_Mennonite_Church_(Vancouver,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=142416.
©1996-2017 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


text:
by Holden Wilson
Old notes hummed out the amplifier. Good notes. Comforting notes. Each song the band played took them back to the good old days.
The light in Town Hall Pub was sparse. That which was produced by the overhead bulbs was almost nonexistent. Their glow barely reached the floor, drowned by the wash of red and green neon beer signs behind the bar. Other than that, it was just the two blue spots on the stage, lighting up the band for the whole dive to see.
The spots gave form to cigarette smoke, which permeated the air. It was still technically illegal to smoke inside a bar, but nobody who cared ever came within fifty feet of the ancient Town Hall Pub, still barely going after seventy four years, since 1969. The place hit its zenith near after the turn of the millenium, but was long since abandoned by all but a few loyal regulars, relics of the neighborhood from a different era. Tonight there were only two, besides Matt the bartender, polishing mugs behind the counter to keep himself busy.
None of them paid much attention to the band, cramped on their little stage, which was really more of a step, but they played their hearts out all the same. They grew up on these songs, and knew them better than their own spouses. There was Michelle, her long gray ponytail swaying as she rocked the drum-set, and fat Kevin on guitar and vocals, an old man doing his best Isaac Brock impression.
No one played with more soul, however, than Nelson Rivera. He was heavily balding, fat in his gut but lanky everywhere else, and rocked a pair of aviators. Nelson thrummed the underline of "MIssed the Boat" on his bass guitar, nodding his head and pounding the stage with his heel, all the while never letting go of the eucalyptus flavored toothpick lodged between his teeth. The skin beneath his his eyes sagged with his posture, and at the age of fifty-six, Nelson didn't look like much of a rock star, but he knew how to move like one. Nelson shut his eyes and swayed with the beat, letting the band's sound wash over him while he plucked the intricate notes.
The front door opened, caught by a cold wind that blew down the foyer and all the way to the stage. Nelson shivered, trying to spot the new audience member. The glow from the streetlamp outside silhouetted a figure so tall he had to duck beneath the doorframe, but too skinny to fill much of the space on either side. The shadow moved slow, tentative, unsure of itself. It took a few nervous steps down the little hall, and emerged into the dim light of the barroom.
Nelson got a good look at him when he sat at a table ten feet from the stage. He was just a kid, no older than mid-twenties. His hair was red and neatly parted, his face round with baby fat. Whatever he looked like, someone his age certainly didn't belong in this bar.
The boy listened to them play for a solid minute, tapping his hand on the table arhythmically, unable to find the beat. Nelson nodded to himself, another confirmation that young people just didn't understand good music.
But he was grateful for an audience all the same. Nelson gave up his dreams of being a rock star many years ago. Young families and aspiring musicians don't mix well together. Still, he would always play for fun, even if he couldn't make a living at it. Nelson was never happier than when he got to perform with his band for people who would listen.
A bright green flash took Nelson out of the moment. He squinted and saw the screen, projecting through the air out of the kid's eyes. He was beaming at the bar, trying to scan the tap for information. "Good luck," Nelson muttered to himself. Most establishment's this pup frequented were likely set up for augmented projection, but not the Town Hall Pub.
The light was annoying. Nelson ground his teeth and shook his head. He glared at the rude little shit, but the kid was utterly lost in his projections. Was this kid bored or something? Nelson cursed, unslung his bass, right in the middle of the song, and walked over the sound board. He lifted the shades off his face, revealing a pair of glassy, sunken green eyes, and swiped the touchscreen of the main breaker.
The music cut out to nothing, and Michelle's drumming followed a moment after. The room became heavy with silence. Cutting off a classic like "Missed the Boat" was worse than interrupting sex, but Nelson had to show the punk what was what.
"Turn that shit off," said Nelson, slow and deliberate so the dumb kid would understand. Nelson was a lifelong mumbler, and no stranger to repeating himself.
The kid's eyes flicked upward, his projection vanishing in an instant. When he realized Nelson was calling him out, his face went petrified. "Me?"
"What the hell is wrong with you, playing with your little toy in the middle of our set?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"
"Yeah, kids your age never do. Let me enlighten you. We don't allow that augmentation shit in here, alright? Next time you interrupt me, I'm throwing you out myself."
Matt put his hands on the bar, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Just play the songs Nelson. You're supposed to be bringing customers in, not scare them away." Matt turned in the kid's direction next. "You gonna buy something?"
"Beer is fine. . ."
"What's your name, son?" Nelson asked from the stage.
"Kyle. Kyle Ingram.
"Ok, Kyle. Do you mind if we finish the song?"
Kyle slouched in his chair, meekly shaking his head. Nelson gave his smuggest grin, turned the wireless back on, and finished the song.
When the set was over, Nelson slung up his bass and walked over to the bar. Matt already had a foamy mug of PBR ready for him. Nelson took a deep gulp, and noticed that Kyle was pacing near the foyer, shooting glances toward Nelson like he was psyching himself up for something.
"Looks like you have a fan," Nelson heard Kevin's voice from behind him.
"That or he wants to kill him now" said Matt, laughing with Kevin.
"Hey," Nelson called over to the kid.
Kyle Ingram jerked his head up like a nervous deer, then fled out the door.
"Jesus, Nelson," said Matt, "I oughta throw you out there."
Maybe Nelson had been a little hard on the poor kid. It wasn't his fault after all. The whole generation was defective. In truth, Kyle reminded Nelson a little of his own boys, now about the same age and just as clueless.
"Lemme go talk to him." Nelson emptied his mug, and walked out into the cold.
The night was bitter and dark, street lamps making orange halos in the winter fog.
Kyle was about ten feet down the block with his back to Nelson. He was paused, holding his hands at arms length shaping his fingers into a picture frame, pointed south at the skyline. A low beep emitted from the kid's head, and a well composed photo of Halsted street, Chicago's landmark buildings behind it, appeared midair in front of Kyle's face. The kid waved his hand in front of it, and the picture vanished, presumably downloaded into his brain drive or whatever the hell it was called.
"Nice shot," said Nelson, and Kyle jumped a foot into the air, whirling around with tense posture.
"Am I that scary?" No response but an intent stare. Nelson studied the pinpricks of digital green light behind Kyle's pupils, and that creepy look he'd grown all too accustomed to from the young. "I know you're reading me, kid. What's it say?"
Kyle's dark brown eyes widened, and he backed away. "Nothing. You need an implant for me to read."
Nelson advanced after him, "You know, that light your project is distracting."
"I said I was sorry."
"What are you doing in an old dive like this, anyway?"
"Came for the music."
"I'm an art history major over at the college. I'm researching early millenium music."
Nelson stopped. "Is that what they're calling it now?"
"I need to interview someone who still listens to it. My dad said this bar would be the place."
"Still listens to it. . ." Nelson couldn't believe this fucking kid. "That was Modest Mouse. You might have heard of them? Music when I was your age was real."
Now Kyle stopped, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward to stand taller. "You mean like auto-tune?"
"Don't insult me. That shit was for little kids. The music I listened to was dope."
"Seriously, 'dope'? What year is it?"
"Bah," said Nelson, waving his hand in a way that instantly reminded him of his own grandpa.
"Will you sit down with me? Just for five minutes and a couple questions."
Nelson mumbled some words he didn't even completely understand himself, crossing his arms.
Kyle extended a hand. "I'll buy you a beer. Utility, friend. Help the Universe."
"Great," thought Nelson, "A religious nut." It was funny; when Nelson was growing up, people thought religion was on the way out, but the need for Church must be hardwired into peoples' DNA, because young people had simply replaced the old faiths with something weirder. They worshipped galaxies and stars and shit. Nelson was never a religious person to begin with, but this new Cosmosism was utterly foreign to him.
But Kyle seemed like a nice kid. Nelson shook his hand, and followed him back inside.
Kyle chose the table, sitting with his back straight in optimal projection position. Nelson sat across the table, askew in the backwards chair and leaning forward.
"You guys sounded good," said Kyle.
"Didn't seem to hold your interest for very long."
Kyle sighed, and his face turned slightly red. "A really emotional pulse went out over the WEB. I couldn't ignore it."
"You see, that's the problem. You're so jacked into those augs that you don't know how to live in the moment."
"I'm connected to every moment on the planet If you were the same as me, I could literally pick up your energy on my systems, read what you're feeling."
"It's creepy."
"It's empowering! And helps people get along better."
"Well. . . can't you at least do it with a keyboard and mouse? A touch screen?. . . You could hold it in your hand! Do you know when I was a kid, nobody even had cell phones. We got one that plugged into the cigarette lighter of our car when I was four. Called it a car phone. Car phone, can you believe that?"
Kyle was vacant, lost somewhere in Nelson's inane mumbling. Nelson chuckled to himself. He should have known better. The concept of using a device that was separate from the body had been abandoned for almost twenty years now. A phone was as irrelevant to this kid as a fax machine had been to Nelson.
Nelson could tell Kyle was straining just to understand the old man's mumbly speech. He tried to enunciate more.
"Just don't get it, I guess. Kids plugged in all the time, everybody reading your mind."
"It doesn't work like that."
"Aren't you worried it'll turn you into. . . you know, a machine?"
Kyle rolled his eyes. "At least find something original to pick at. You sound like every other old fart on the news. 'An augmented teen went killer robot on his mom and dad, or shot up his school!' What is the world coming to!" Kyle wiggled mocking spooky fingers in Nelson's face.
The old fart pushed them away. "You're not worried about it. . . Not even a little?"
"The world has always been a shitty place. What's augmentation got to do with it? Plus, your generation totally started all this. You were born in what, 1980 or something?"
"Ha!" said Nelson, "How old do you think I am?"
"Whatever, you're the same age as my dad, so I know the web got big when you were a kid, and I also know your parents spewed the same bullshit about you. Digital generation: lazy, self-absorbed, assholes. Well, it turned out to be true, didn't it?
Nelson humphed and crossed his arms. Kyle went on, "The millennials were the last people to live egocentric fantasy lives in their own head. Their children are smarter, more pious, and more enlightened than the parents could ever hope to be themselves."
"We said the same thing when we were your age. You'll grow up someday, too."
"Except with the Cosmosism and the WEB, things are different. It's real this time."
Nelson shook his head. "The technology you all are addicted to may have it's benefits, I'll give you that, but it's a slippery slope I'm telling you. . .You're gonna lose yourself in that shit. If you spend your whole life living through other peoples' experiences and emotions, you'll never be an individual."
Kyle's voice trembled with reverence. "Individuals die. By connecting ourselves, we're plugging into the Universe, giving ourselves to its great consciousness. And then we live forever."
All Nelson could still think was 'creepy'. This kid was delusional, but the worst part is that they all bought into it, even Nelson's own two boys. What the fuck was the world coming to?
Nelson said, "You all aren't gonna be human anymore."
"Oh, come on!"
The kid's sudden anger was surprising. Nelson said, "Maybe we should get back to the music. . ."
"Fine by me," muttered the clearly offended Kyle.
Nelson tapped his fingers on the table, wondering how to clear the awkward air. "What do you like to listen to?"
"Don't just listen. I play."
"Oh, a musician, I didn't realize. Sorry, I don't hear much music from people your age. What do you 'play' then?"
"I like Cerebral."
"Ok, stop right there. I should have known."
"What?" shrugged Kyle.
"That projected crap?"
"What's wrong with digital music?"
"Do not insult the term. Electronic is dope, but those fake sounds you kids all call music is nothing but cheating."
"Cheating!" Kyle looked like he was ready to storm out.
"There's no instruments. Not even a computer. You just think about a melody and like magic it appears. How is that not cheating?"
"Not my fault technology makes things easier. It's not the tool, grampa. It's how you use it."
"By which you mean puke out garbage and slap a song-title on it."
"I don't have to take this shit."
The whole bar echoed with the sound of Kyle's chair scraping against the floor, as the kid shoved it backwards and vaulted to his feet. He marched toward the door.
Nelson huffed and said, "Figures. That's what young people do now. You walk away from problems instead of facing them. You retreat into your little web and hide like a pussy."
Kyle didn't flinch. He kept making for the exit.
Nelson said, "If you think your mind music can stand up to the classics, why don't you prove it."
Kyle froze in the doorway. the same black silhouette as when he entered. His shoulders were tense as could be. "I could play the pants off you old man," he said, without turning around.
Nelson got out of his chair, groaning from the sharp pain that shot through his knees. He took his time walking to the stage, back up towards his beloved bass. "Why don't you bring your set-up tomorrow.
"I have finals tomorrow. "
"Sunday then."
Kyle turned his head, and Nelson caught a glimpse of his eyes. Even across the entire bar, that little green dot behind the pupil was still visible. The kid said, "Just make sure you bring your doctor. In case you break your hip trying to keep up."
The door swung shut, and Kyle was gone before Nelson had a chance to retort.
Clark Street and Foster was a goldmine of illegally parked cars. The intersection had been a commercial hub even since Nelson was a kid. People darted into stores, hoping to get away with a few unpaid minutes in the metered zone, but Nelson was there waiting, like a cat in the shadows.
He didn't relish ruining peoples' day, citing them ninety dollars for a harmless offense, but he did it anyway, every day for twenty-two years. Without those tickets, he wouldn't make quota. Without quota, he would lose his job, and without the job his family had nothing. Since the Early Millenium Crash of Nelson's youth, the work situation for most of the first world had never recovered. Employers learned to do more with less, and never looked back. It had got so bad that governments had to step in, and force businesses to give jobs back to a certain percentage of people, even though they could automate those duties for a fraction of the price. Charity Jobs, they'd come to be called. Whatever the term, Nelson was grateful to have one, even a job as shittily soul crushing as parking ticketer.
At least it was easy. The city was so overcrowded these days. Chicago was packed when Nelson was young, too, but those days seemed full of empty space compared to the present. The increased frequency of mega-storms on the coasts had caused a mass migration inland, stuffing the heartland cities far beyond capacity. Traffic gridlock was endless, and so was prey for the urban hunter, slinking around the corner in his yellow vest and waiting to pounce. It was so quick and easy now, compared to printing hard copies when Nelson started. His multi-tool was programmed to project, like an external version of augmentation. Writing a ticket was as easy as pointing the thing, which printed a digital violation right on the windshield. In and out, with no confrontation.
Originally, the job was supposed to be temporary, just something to pay the bills until Nelson's music career picked up. But that path had never materialized, and as age set in, bills piled up, and current music tastes slipped away from him, the day job had become his actual job.
But not his whole life. He still had his nights at the Town Hall Pub.
Nelson scanned the street, and saw no unpaid cars. One would turn up sooner or later. While he waited, Nelson looked through a chainlink fence across the street. A schoolyard was behind it, where little kids in uniform played kickball in gym class, except it wasn't any version of the game that Nelson recognized. Their ball was made of light, but danced across the grass or into the hands of a child like a real object, an entirely digital game played by fools in the real world. Nelson lamented that they'd probably never hold a real ball in their hands, or learn the lesson of a missed catch by cruel sting.
People were leaving the physical world behind, giving themselves more and more over to the digital.
"Old people said the same thing about me," Nelson remembered. He recalled his parents' complete bamboozlement at even the simplest task on a good old desktop computer. They looked at the mouse like some artifact discovered in a crashed UFO. After much begging, Nelson had convinced them to let him get his first cell phone as a sophomore in high school and admittedly got quite addicted to it. He could talk to his friends at any time and did, spawning his greatest bouts of teenage rage when Mom and Dad took it away as punishment.
"Maybe they had the right idea after all," thought Nelson. Cell phones led to smart phones, led to tablets, led to bodygear, and now to surgical implants, full connection to the machine.
An ambulance blazing by interrupted his train of thought, sirens wailing right past him. Nelson watched as every car in the traffic jam on Clark pulled aside to make room for it. None of them hesitated. Letting the injured through was second nature. You'd want people to do the same for you.
A purple porsche pulled into the corner of Nelson's eye. Its occupant was slender, with cropped red hair and freckles, and couldn't have been older than twenty. The moment she got out of the car, there was projecting out her damn eyes. The girl was lost in her own world while she sauntered into a liquor store, not giving the meter a second thought.
"Now you're just asking for it," said Nelson. He drew his projector from its holster, clunky compared to the augmented version his younger co-workers used, but it did the job. For Nelson, no amount of tech advantage could replace grasping a real device in your hand. He pointed it at the girl's windshield, but before he could pull the trigger, he was interrupted by a sudden pounding on the window behind him. The girl had spotted him, and was shaking her head while mouthing the word "no" over and over. Nelson shrugged. The job was the job. He re-aimed his projector.
When he pulled the trigger, his projector buzzed. An error message: "This vehicle had four minutes of paid time remaining."
"-the fuck?"
He looked back into the store. The woman was projecting onto her arm, furiously dialing digits made of light. She'd beat him to the punch, paying the meter via projection before Nelson could print the ticket, even though he'd had all the advantage of surprise. When did he get so slow on the draw? "It's the damn technology," he decided. He was still quick as ever.
But doubt began to gnaw at him then, about his face off with Kyle Ingram on Sunday. What good was being quick if some computer could project just as well as he could play, without the lifetime of practice to get there. . . When Nelson was Kyle's age, he'd have beat the kid with his eye's closed, but now he wasn't so sure. Nelson may despise Cerebral and the brain projection that went along with it, but it was the most popular music on the planet. The viewing public would have no mercy, regardless of how he lost. Nelson was all alone.
"Spare a few for the bus?" A haggard man had his hand stretched out, breathing boozy breath into Nelson's face.
Nelson rolled his eyes, "If you're gonna bullshit for money, maybe moving away from the liquor store would help." The bum recoiled and widened his eyes, then hung his head.
A nasally voice said, "Here you go."A young man with a neatly trimmed beard gave the bum a five dollar bill.
Nelson couldn't help himself. "You know he's gonna blow that on booze, right?"
"Whatever helps," was all the man said.
"What do you mean?"
"He lost his wife and both his kids in a car wreck, three years ago. He can't find a job."
"You know him?"
"You don't?"
Nelson didn't know what to say. The young man wrinkled his nose and scratched his head. After an awkward silence, he walked away, scoffing just loud enough for Nelson to hear.
Nelson just stared at the beggar. Sure enough, there were the telltale green pinpricks behind his eyes. This starved man who couldn't even afford to buy beer still had a projection implant, broadcasting his history and emotions to the whole world. Was Nelson the only one left without? What a strange and unfamiliar place that world had become. Nelson looked the beggar in the eye, trying to take in every scar and wrinkle, wondering what it would be like to tap into this man's soul via technology.
Through the whole course of human history, despite all the advances, the cities, the science, the society. . . People had never quite learned to get along with strangers. The unknown was a potential enemy. Safer to stay selfish. But, if strangers were done away with. . . If every person you look at could be known in an instant, then every person you look at becomes important. Had this stunted generation really cracked the empathy barrier? Kyle Ingram seemed to think so, and the connection between the beggar and his young benefactor was hard to argue with.
For a moment, Nelson considered submission to it all, going down to the Aug Store and installing a projector in himself. But even now, the thought sent chills through his body. He just wasn't ready, and realized he never would be. He felt the resistance down in his bones. It was a part of him. If the young could change the world, they would with or without Nelson's help. He'd be content to just stand aside and watch.
Besides, he could still join them in his own way. The old fashioned way.
"What's your name?" he asked the beggar.
There was a long pause, and then a tentative, "James. . ."
"Here James." It was a fifty dollar bill.
"Okay, kid," mumbled Nelson into the mic, "What are you gonna play for us?"
'Us' was really just Matt behind the bar, Kyle Ingram in the closest seat to the stage, and four locals who'd responded to Nelson's texts. An audience of four was still an audience.
Above them all, on their little platform, stood Nelson himself, with his bandmates Michelle and Kevin.
Kyle shifted in his seat, looking a little nervous. He didn't answer.
"We're waiting, Mr. Kyle." Nelson flashed a wicked smile.
"I'll play what you play," he said at last.
Nelson chuckled. "This'll be good. Ok. . . Do you know 'Dance Yrself Clean' by LCD Soundsystem?"
Kyle's eyes rolled into the back of his head for a moment, then came back down to reality. "Got it," he said.
"You've heard it?"
"Just now, yeah."
"Wh-. . . The song is like ten minutes long. You couldn't have listened to it."
"Absorbed the whole thing. See?" Kyle extended both arms taut, sticking out the index finger on his left hand, and his thumb, middle, and pinky fingers on the right. He used them to air-drum a few clean but drab measures of the tune, drums, bass synth, and all. It was identical to the recording Nelson remembered from when he was a teenager, in all but soul.
Nelson halted Kyle with a raise of his hand. "Why don't you let us play it for real first?"
Michelle kicked it off, with the laid back opening drum riff, ever so lightly on her snare, accented by Kevin's cowbell on the offbeats. A few measure in and Nelson joined her, plucking the two note bass line, and the song's beginning fell into a groove. It was one of the band's favorites, one of those tunes that transcended time, and could make anyone dance, no matter the age.
But it took a while to get going. The song was content to just chill for the first couple minutes before the good part kicked in. Nelson could hit his notes with minimal attention, and found himself constantly shooting glances over at Kyle, trying to gauge the kid's interest level. He was nodding his head along with the band, but otherwise seemed kind of bored. For some reason, the thought of Kyle not liking the song was unbearable.
Nelson had to laugh at himself. Here he was desperate for the approval of some kid. The world really was upside down.
Being aware of it didn't help. As the song dragged on, Kyle kept rubbing his eyes, clearly bored and eager to project someplace else. Nelson kept subconsciously rushing the tempo. He only realized what he was doing when Kevin dialed him back with his low key vocals and exasperated glares.
Three minutes later, the song kicked into gear. Nelson kicked the switch on his pedals, transforming his notes into deep and synthesized punctuation, cranking up the volume along with Michelle. Now Kevin was screaming, and Michelle was pounding '2' and '4' on the bass drum as loud as thunder. In the span of a second, the song was new, throwing out the chill to pulse with energy instead. It was like magic every time.
Every body in the room started to move. Best of all, Kyle's head jerked upwards as the song grabbed him. Nelson envied him, hearing 'Dance Yrself Clean' for the very first time. The way the song suddenly flipped was like a triple shot of espresso. Kyles head nodding became heel tapping, which turned into stomping his entire foot on every beat. Soon, Kyle was on his feet dancing outright.
Nelson couldn't hide the smug grin which etched onto his face. No contest. If Kyle still thought his Cerebral nonsense measured up to this, he was hopelessly delusional.
Nelson thought he had the face-off locked up, but the kid had other ideas. Kyle hopped onto the stage, waltzing into the middle of the band without shame. He extended his arms like before, and played right along with them.
He happened to start right at the bridge, a complicated bass solo made of syncopated scales and arpeggios, the hardest part for Nelson to play. The old man's first instinct was territorial. No way was this squirt going to steal the show from him. Nelson wrinkled his nose and prepared to gnash his teeth, like a dog guarding a steak.
Until he heard what Kyle was playing. He wasn't upstaging Nelson's solo, but augmenting it, adding a sound to each note that gave Nelson's bass a quality that was exact to the original recording, which Nelson had never quite been able to replicate. It sounded so good, that for the moment, Nelson thought like he was in LCD Soundsystem himself, the rockstar of his dreams, and his smile reached higher than it had in years.
Kyle smiled back at him, and the two nodded their heads in sync.


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Looking for more information about Benjamin F Sixberry? Search through millions of records to find out more. Find more records
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All this time, Slippy's been hampered by the dnp's and horrid binary lines of his supporting cast. Finally, the gloves come off (if only for a little while) and this team actually contributes top to bottom. The result? Near league leading Pts. Reb. and Ast. Too bad it was against 16's league leading pts and rebound monster. Still Slippy sneaks by with .001 ft%. woot! Tater tied the top team in the int'l man of mystery's revenge matchup. Still sour from that upset loss 20 years ago, Webz vows to travel back in time to get his mojo in just in time to hop on the good foot and do the bad thing. Fortunately both perennial losers in the TO cat cancelled their achilles heels out. The minute Sideshow bob inked a offer sheet, Mr. T went howling mad Murdock and snagged the Mopped Flopper. However, he has yet to see the floor. With Duncan sandbgging for the playoffs, Low went hurting in his main category. Loandshark,meanwhile held serve en route to a 6-3 win.
Motown loses to the Arenas-less Pants. The story is VC. Half man, half amazing and almost half your points. Ok...that was a stretch. Still, bullet magnet Tinsley did little to make up for his lack of discretion. Winless wanted to find out if his team was a contendah or a pretendah. The jury is still out cuz Wart lost some key guys. If winless keeps beating hurt franchises, he'll fake his way all the way to the championship game. Against me. I'm starting my comeback!
hey dude, i got over that long ago. that was novice days man! you're thinking of warthog, who holds the current title of 'the bitter one'.
I might need to shake things up a bit. Not really impressed with my team. Losing to a team missing its top draft pick is unacceptable. Time to get medieval on you cats!


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Strictly Ballroom
Very important Peter Crouch dance celebration news
Look, he's got a new one!
Clearly tired of body-poppin', Crouchie whipped out some ballroom dance moves after helping Portsmouth end their UEFA Cup campaign with their only win. We'll get some video footage of this historic event up as soon as we can find it.


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I want a big butt. I just dont understand why they can give me a really big butt if i have enough fat. My Dr. Told me that he just put 600cc to everybody.. But told me that i can show him a wish pic the day of the sx,..... Can somebody explain me please. Thanks
Can I Achieve a Dramatic Projection with 600cc?? (photo)
Doctor Answers 2
The amount of fat that can be transferred to the buttock depends on the amount of fat that can be liposuctioned from other parts of the body, cleaned, purified and then transferred. It also depends on the surface area of the buttocks, and put enough fat in different layers so that this fat is in small amounts and is in contact with the tissue of your butt to stay alive.
I typically liposuction 5 liters and transfer 1200 cc to 1500 cc per buttock and could likely get that result for you. The BBL is highly surgeon dependent and believe me that you do not want to have to go through it twice. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of Brazilian buttlifts each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA
Web reference: http://www.hughesplasticsurgery.com/brazilian-buttlift-photo-galleries.php
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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Who else wants to know the secret to Excel Formulas?
Invest in yourself in 2015 and reduce your frustration with formulas in Excel for just $19.95 - Click here to enroll todaySignatures mean different things to different people, depending on where you work, and what job you are in. Some companies have very strict guidelines on what you can and can not include in your signature, even telling you exactly what font and font size you have to use! And then there are other organisations that don't care, so you can add your personal touch.
Whatever your situation, chances are you need to know how to add a signature to your outgoing email in Outlook 2007. It is easier than you think!
To create your signature in Outlook 2007
- Click "Tools", then "Options". This will open the "Options" dialog box (shown here). Click on the "Mail Format" tab, then click on the "Signature" button, about 3/4 of the way down the dialog box. This will open the "Signatures and Stationery" dialog box.
- Click "New", then give your signature a name.
- In the text area, type your signature. To change fonts or font sizes, add bold or italics etc, simply use the buttons and drop down boxes above the text area.
- Click "Save" when you are finished.
- [OPTIONAL] You can set up more than one signature if you like. Simply click "New", name your new signature, and type your new signature.
To make your signature automatically appear when you type a new email, or reply to an email in Outlook 2007
- Again, in the "Signatures and Stationery" dialog box, you can select your favourite signature for new messages, or replies and forwards. Simply use the two drop down boxes in the top right hand corner of the "Signatures and Stationery" dialog box.
One last tip for anyone creating their own signature. No signature looks good if you use LIME GREEN as a font colour – let this be your last warning!
'till next time
[tags]Outlook 2007, Signature, Tutorial[/tags]


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First, GC will remove some defense stats, dodge, parry, block, etc.
Next, I speculate he will merge hit and expertise.
Who knows what's after that?
---------- Post added 2013-02-17 at 03:29 AM ----------
Very nice, but that would be a lot of work. It doesn't fit with the Activision's new WoW philosophy of "minimum content, maximum profit".
They think their dev time is best put to use to generate mount/pet store sales.
---------- Post added 2013-02-17 at 03:32 AM ----------
I agree. Blizz already said they will make content as long as there is a subscriber base.


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The Canadiens will be adding some size to their lineup when they face the Flyers Thursday night in Philadelphia (7 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
George Parros and Douglas Murray will be dressed for the game. Coach Michel Therrien didn't say after Thursday's morning skate which forward would sit to make room for Parros, while Murray will take Francis Bouillon's place on the blue line.
Carey Price will start in goal.
Therrien will also reunite the kid line with Brendan Gallagher, Lars Eller and Alex Galechenyuk back together, while Daniel Briere will be on a line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty.
(Photo by John Mahoney/The Gazette)
Canadiens vs. Flyers preview, NHL.com
Game Day Report, Canadiens.com
Five Things: Flyers vs. Habs, philadelphiaflyers.com
Game notes, philadelphiaflyers.com
Briere returns to Philadelphia, NHL.com
Morning-skate Briere interview (video), Canadiens.com
Habs look ahead after loss to Kings, by Brenda Branswell


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Other useful information for determining ring size:
Please note that the ring size kit will be sent via First Class Mail at our expense, to US addresses only, and that our $40.00 minimum order requirement does not apply to this item.
View Examples of Ring Widths
Select the width to see it on the model's hand. (Shown in alternating white and yellow gold using size 8 rings.)
Copyright 2008 Viridian Gold
Authored by: William C. (Bill) Long


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Prius Concept Bike Lets You Change Gears Through Mind-Control
The neuro helmet allows the rider to shift up or down a gear just by thinking about it.
The Toyota Prius Project Concept Bike was the result of a collaboration between Toyota, Parlee Cycles, Deeplocal and Saatchi & Saatchi LA. The aerodynamic, hyperefficient, innovative design was accomplished with readily-available components. The bike helmet is EEG-powered and after training the system to distinguish between the cyclist's thoughts of "shift up" and "shift down", the helmet can send the correct signal to the bicycle's electric derailleur, thus changing gear with only the power of the mind.
PSFK 2017 Conference: Announcing Our Initial Speaker Lineup
PSFK 2017 Conference: Announcing Our Initial Speaker Lineup
July 20, 2011


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When it comes to regifting, there isn't much I don't know. I'll prove it!
We want to hear from you! Take a second to sign in so you can enjoy all of the cool features of the site. (Did you see the new eCards?!)
We'll only contact you if we need to talk with you about your submission. For example, if you happen to win the story contest, congratulating you by email seems more practical than running down the street yelling your name. We will not share or sell your personal information.
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Hello head-fi,
I received my miracles a few weeks ago and noticed that they sound nothing like what reviews of the miracles spoke of. Most notably, the mids are very over emphasized quite fatiguing and I'm having a hard time finding a good eq setting to combat this. I read in a different thread that output impedance on my J3 might be the problem so I'm looking for information on:
1. What the output impedance of the J3 is
2. What dap has lower output impedance than the J3
and possibly, how can I go about measuring output impedance?
or, if you could point me to sources explaining how headphone amps could help that'd be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Edited by Eudoxa - 7/14/12 at 2:25am


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Born: July 25, 1992 Bani, DR Height: 5-11 Weight: 185 Bats: Right Throws: Right Drafted: Not drafted How Acquired: International free agent (April 2010) Photo © Dave Letizi
Released (May 2013)Scouting Report: In 2010, Del Rosario led the newly formed Dominican Prospect League in average, stolen bases, and runs. Top-notch speed. Above-average defense and speed. Gap power. Plays all outfield positions. Missed the entire 2010 season with a hamate bone injury.
SoxProspects.com is in no way affiliated with the Boston Red Sox, Pawtucket Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, Salem Red Sox, Greenville Drive, Lowell Spinners, Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Major League Baseball, the International League, Eastern League, Carolina League, South Atlantic League, New York-Penn League, Gulf Coast League, or Minor League Baseball.


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Jaime King Pre-Oscars Party Interview 2013 (Video)
Jaime King Shares Her Pick For the Best Oscars Dress of All Time
Jaime King and Rembrandt hosted a pre-Oscars bash at Blo Blow Dry Bar in the W Hollywood this week, and we stopped by the soiree to talk red-carpet trends and tips with the actress and former model. The Hart of Dixie star shared her top tip for taking a great photo on the red carpet and predicted which trends will pop up at Sunday's big show. She also shared her pick for the best Oscars dress of all time. Check out our chat, and tune in to POPSUGAR's live coverage of the Oscars this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. PST. On Lindsay: Robert Rodriguez dress.