silencing in the american courtroom. it appears that the duke prosecutor has helped raped women and men across the country find justice in light of attack. what's next? can't say murder in a murder case? or is rape the only legal prefix that's always already in doubt?

you're raped. you go through the humiliating sexual assault kit, as you lie on the table, spread-eagled, staring at the lights. every other episode of svu, right?

and a judge rules that you can't say "sexual assault kit." after ruling that you can't use the term "rape."

elaine scarry writes in The Body in Pain that another's pain is always in doubt. perhaps this is the prime example. moratoriums. moratoriums. there are no moratoriums on bank robberies. on deadbeat dads. a man overpowers you, penetrates you, you find him seven, eight years later (because most precincts have you back-shelved, that is if your file hasn't been canned altogther), he's free. he survived the length of the law (about one-tenth of his life).

perhaps we'll go the way of italy. was tory bowen wearing jeans? if so, in bushian style, we can chuck this whole thing altogether.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/06/17/news/local/doc46745fdc16768519275420.txt

Clarence Mabin - Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star

Tory Bowen says she knows what happened to her on the morning of Oct. 31, 2004.

But she won’t be able tell her story to jurors — at least not in a way that’s truthful to her, she says — because a judge’s order bars witnesses from using words like “rape” and “sexual assault” in the trial of Pamir Safi, who is accused of sexually assaulting Bowen.

“In my mind, what happened to me was rape,” said Bowen, 24. “I want the freedom to be able to point (to Safi) in court and say, ‘That man raped me.’”

Last month, Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront denied a motion by prosecutors that would have prohibited Safi’s attorneys from using words like “sex” and “intercourse” when describing the encounter between Safi and Bowen....

Cheuvront also has sustained an earlier motion by defense attorneys barring the words “rape” and “sexual assault kit.”...

maybe george'll pardon him.

BARNSTABLE, Massachusetts (AP) -- A Cape Cod man who claimed he was homophobic, racist and a habitual liar to avoid jury duty earned an angry rebuke from a judge on Monday, who referred the case to prosecutors for possible charges.

"In 32 years of service in courtrooms, as a prosecutor, as a defense attorney and now as a judge, I have quite frankly never confronted such a brazen situation of an individual attempting to avoid juror service," Barnstable Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson told Daniel Ellis, according to a preliminary court transcript of the exchange.

Ellis, of Falmouth, had been called to court with about 60 other potential jurors for possible service on a 23-member grand jury.

On a questionnaire that all potential jurors fill out, Ellis wrote that he didn't like homosexuals and blacks. He then echoed those sentiments in an interview with Nickerson.

"You say on your form that you're not a fan of homosexuals," Nickerson said.

"That I'm a racist," Ellis interrupted.

"I'm frequently found to be a liar, too. I can't really help it," Ellis added.

"I'm sorry?" Nickerson said.

"I said I'm frequently found to be a liar," Ellis replied.

"So, are you lying to me now?" Nickerson asked.

"Well, I don't know. I might be," was the response.

Ellis then admitted he really didn't want to serve on a jury.

"I have the distinct impression that you're intentionally trying to avoid jury service," Nickerson said.

"That's true," Ellis answered.

Nickerson ordered Ellis taken into custody. He was released later Monday morning.

Ellis could face perjury and other charges.

via cnn.com

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- "Bubba" Ludwig can't walk, talk or open the refrigerator door -- but he does have his very own Illinois gun permit.

The 10-month-old, whose given name is Howard David Ludwig, was issued a firearm owner's identification card after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the $5 fee and filled out the application, not expecting to actually get one.

The card lists the baby's height (2 feet, 3 inches), weight (20 pounds) and has a scribble where the signature should be.

With some exceptions, the cards are required of any Illinois residents purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition within the state. There are no age restrictions on the cards, an official said.

Illinois State Police oversee the application process. Their purpose, said Lt. Scott Compton, is to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, those under an order of protection and those convicted of domestic violence.

"Does a 10-month-old need a FOID card? No, but there are no restrictions under the act regarding age of applicants," he said.

Ludwig, 30, of Chicago, applied for the card after his own father bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift. The weapon will probably be kept at Ludwig's father's house until the boy is at least 14.

Jerry Falwell 1933-2007

sunday's journal and courier introduced purdue's new president by tossing together a bunch of mottled opinions, several over-the-top sexist and racist (to sleeping/dysfunctional/idiot editors: why not just say asians hate blacks?). two of the fifteen or so quotes were taken from females. as you can see, none of them are shown below. here's a smattering of good ole boy midwest mentality:

Fred Philips, Lafayette: Thinking of the "lead Boilermaker" in skirts -- I will struggle with that image. I hope the selection is based on capability and not political correctness. Purdue should help the state of Indiana stop the brain drain. Keeping one's children and grandchildren in good jobs close to home sounds like the best of goals to me.

-----

Bob Shropshire, Lafayette: I think Purdue was trying to be politically correct, by hiring a Latina president.

-----

Bill Peters, West Lafayette: I really am not very familiar with the new president, but coming from California makes me suspicious. People from the left coast tend to be more liberal than a lot of us here in the Midwest. I wish her nothing but the best. (mindless of the fact that ca has a republican governor in power)

-----

Jack Lahrman, Sheffield Township: She is by far the cutest president Purdue has had yet. If she is intelligent with that, how can we lose?

-----

and the kicker:

David L. Fry, Lafayette: I wished the board had picked someone who's name didn't require me to use special characters when I write it.

don't believe me? check it out: http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/OPINION/705130321/-1/ARCHIVE

post-9/11, on the 700 club:

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen" (according to wikipedia, pat robertson concurred)

i watched a 2000 documentary on hbo the other night, about what 'gays' and 'lesbians' endured during hitler's mass slaughter. eighty-year-old men wept, in german and in french. one man screamed that his rectum still bled from the twenty-five centimeter stick of wood with which he was repeatedly raped. sixty years later.

whether or not homophobia/pro-apartheid stances were platforms for this man or whether he was truly evil, who can say. now he's dust.

looks like the nra wants bush to overlook some things on his wah on terrah. what will he do? (in between vetoing punishment for hate crimes, war cessation, and now abortion rights):

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms.

Backed by the Justice Department, the measure would give the attorney general the discretion to block gun sales, licenses or permits to terror suspects.

In a letter this week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, NRA executive director Chris Cox said the bill, offered last week by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, "would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat."

if it's 'okay' to wiretap suspected suspects, then it's gotta be okay to sell 'em guns, right? (someone shift heston's head up and down for verification).

and maintaining global poverty through sweat shops. of course, that deserves recognition.

Jischke to receive International Citizen of the Year Award

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -

Martin C. Jischke
Download photo

Purdue University President Martin C. Jischke will receive the International Citizen of the Year Award on May 8 during a ceremony in Indianapolis.

The executive committee of the International Center of Indianapolis nominated Jischke for the award based on his "tremendous leadership in making global connections for Indiana," said Joerg Schreiber, chairman of the center's board of directors.

our great dictator is now threatening to wield his great veto pen in yet another refusal to save human lives:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/03/hate.crimes.bill/index.html

but wait, gays/transgenders/queers/intergenders aren't exactly human, no? the pulpiters are screaming, "freedom of speech!" which is evidently more important than the beating of a heart (funny, the republican anti-abortionists cry for it--the continued beating--wait until they get a genetic predictor for homosexuality...). an advocate of war, of hate crimes...those of us who survive will be left to pay double-rate student loan bills.

my question is this: who DOES benefit from this adiminstration? the mad televangelists? the four-dollar/gallon-regular oil companies? elves? but it's not elves exactly...

today, npr reported that of the four-thousand mute swans existing in the wild of maryland now number fifteen-hundred. the state has condoned the shooting of the birds, introduced from europe, because of claims that the bird is aggressively dominating territory of native birds (the excuse for the nation-wide mass poisoning of geese in public parks was based on 'sanitaton'). wildlife biologists are spraying the eggs with wesson to suffocate the growing birds (they have chosen not to break the eggs--the birds would simply lay more. while the eggs remain intact--though defunct--the birds will spend months incubating, regardless, awaiting their offspring).

the biologists are accusing animal rights activists of using their 'hearts' over their 'minds,' accusing them of fixating on the bird's beauty. which, of course, fails to condone the inhumanity of the state's actions.

first minute-and-a-half, brilliant.

next one-hundred-and-twenty-six-and-a-half minutes, god-awful P.O.S. worse than the family guy movie, if that's possible. worse than idiocracy. and that's impossible.

but i've paid $13.50 for the same before.

and worst of all, new dads are morons:

today, the indiana house approved a smoking ban, statewide. only public, though. simultaneously, indiana is the fifth worst polluter in the damned country (the buckeyes beat us out, once again).

blair feels "deep sorrow and regret," but with that frumpy baby-posh dumbass grin on his face. it's like listening to bush talk about, well, whatever he's potty-trained to talk about.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=46589&src=032607_0755_ARTICLE_PROMO_also_on_reuters

on a happier note, cindy sheehan is visiting purdue (to counter that nice ann coulter incident of last year, where she somehow refrained from causing an potential presidential candidates 'faggots'). evidently, coulter charges fees upwards of 18k. i was told sheehan was paid $300.00:

http://www.purdue.edu/convos/sheehan.htm

CINDY SHEEHAN
"Speaking Peace to Power"Presented by
Committee on Peace Studies
Flora F. Roberts Bequest

With support from

Department of Political Science
American Studies Program
Women's Studies Program
Lafayette Area Peace Coalition
Pax Christi
Indiana Peace and Justice Network

Thursday
April 12, 2007
8:00 pm
Fowler Hall
Free and open to the public

Cindy Sheehan captured the nation's attention in the summer of 2005 with her vigil against the Iraq war outside President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch. A resident of Vacaville, Calif., she is the mother of Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, a war casualty who was killed outside of Baghdad on April 4, 2004.

In August 2005 Sheehan announced that she would camp near Bush's ranch until he agreed to speak with her about removing U.S. troops from Iraq and holding politicians responsible for the decisions that led to the war. Her vigil drew both protestors and counter- protestors, as well as national media coverage.

Since 2005 Sheehan, who has come to be called "Peace Mom," has been leading anti-war protests around the country and internationally, and she was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct on Jan. 31, 2006, for displaying an anti-war slogan at President Bush's State of the Union address. Those charges were dropped the next day.

Sheehan is one of the nine founding members of Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization created in January 2005 that seeks to end the occupation of Iraq and provide support for families of fallen soldiers.

apparently, keith richards admitted to snorting his dad along with an eight-ball. nothing like having your dad's ashes traversing your mucous membranes:

"The strangest thing I've tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father," Richards was quoted as saying by British music magazine NME.

"He was cremated, and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared," he said. "... It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive."

Richards' father, Bert, died in 2002, at 84.

other snorting ventures:

snorting adderall and ritalin

snorting noodles

snorting nanospheres