A hypnic or hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle twitch (commonly known as a myoclonic twitch) which occurs during the transition into hypnagogia. It is often described as an electric shock or falling sensation, and can cause movement of the body in bed. Hypnic jerks are experienced by most people, especially when exhausted or sleeping uncomfortably.
Hypnic jerks are usually felt once or twice per night. More regular, and usually less intense, hypnic jerks often occur during normal sleep. In extreme cases, this may be classified as a disorder called periodic limb movement. The person with the disorder will usually sleep through the events.
Although the ultimate cause of the hypnic jerk is unknown, a common hypothesis is that the brain misinterprets relaxation as the sleeping primate falling out of a tree .
When a subject is deprived of sleep and is trying to fight sleep, hypnic jerks can occur more often. This normally happens to subjects who have deprived themselves of sleep for longer than 24 hours, or to those who have recently woken up from insufficient amounts of sleep.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
i.e Let's make it even MORE illegal to kill someone. Yeah.
Sophie's brutal murder unites Goths against 'hate crime'
The brutal murder of Sophie Lancaster led to a huge outpouring of grief and anger within the online Goth community.
Thousands of web users from around the world logged on to www.myspace.com/inmemoryofsophie to post messages of sympathy and to share their experiences of abuse suffered due to their appearance.
A memorial fund, Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere (Sophie), was also established by her family and friends to raise money to teach young people about alternative cultures and to respect everyone.
Ironically, the first seeds of the campaign were planted a week before the 20-year-old Goth was kicked to death.
Her mother, Sylvia Lancaster, told how Sophie and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby, also a Goth, were subjected to abuse in a local KFC restaurant.
"As soon as we walked in there were comments," she said.
"'Oh look dad, there's some Goths there' or 'oh look he's got make-up on'.
"If kids do that when their parents are with them what do they say when they are not there?
"You would even get people tutting and saying 'God's sake'.
"It's a steady build-up of this type of thing they have to put up with which is quite nauseating really."
That incident triggered the idea to highlight prejudice against Goths but within days her daughter was lying in a coma in hospital. She never regained consciousness and died two weeks later..
"We were with her all the time (during the coma). We weren't aware of anything going on outside.
"It was only two days before she died that I thought 'oh my God, they've killed her'.
"You hope she's going to get better. On the day she died I knew there was no chance but you still hope she's going to pull through."
Ms Lancaster said the website - which was launched while she was in hospital - has given her a lot of comfort.
"It's been wonderful. People have been really supportive.
"When people say a card gives them comfort you think that's a load of rubbish, but it does give you support because then you think you're not on your own.
"The attack on Sophie has been a catalyst. I feel angry and the website has given me a way to channel that, otherwise I don't know what I'd do."
More than 4,000 people signed an online Downing Street petition urging the Government to widen the definition of hate crime to include offences committed because of a person's appearance or subcultural interests.
Sophie's myspace website was inundated with accounts from Goths worldwide of being physically assaulted from an early age.
"Random attacks on youngsters from the age of 13 onwards appear quite common everywhere," Ms Lancaster said.
"I think it's been a hidden problem for a number of years and we want to bring it to people's attention."
When asked why these assaults take place, Ms Lancaster said: "When I was younger it was mods and rockers who fought it out between themselves.
"Now there are alternative cultures and there are so-called chavs. The Goths are seen as easy pickings as most of them are not going to fight back as they are a non-violent community.
"Making it a hate crime would change things as the attacks and abuse suffered would be taken more seriously."
*******************************************************
(eyeroll)
The brutal murder of Sophie Lancaster led to a huge outpouring of grief and anger within the online Goth community.
Thousands of web users from around the world logged on to www.myspace.com/inmemoryofsophie to post messages of sympathy and to share their experiences of abuse suffered due to their appearance.
A memorial fund, Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere (Sophie), was also established by her family and friends to raise money to teach young people about alternative cultures and to respect everyone.
Ironically, the first seeds of the campaign were planted a week before the 20-year-old Goth was kicked to death.
Her mother, Sylvia Lancaster, told how Sophie and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby, also a Goth, were subjected to abuse in a local KFC restaurant.
"As soon as we walked in there were comments," she said.
"'Oh look dad, there's some Goths there' or 'oh look he's got make-up on'.
"If kids do that when their parents are with them what do they say when they are not there?
"You would even get people tutting and saying 'God's sake'.
"It's a steady build-up of this type of thing they have to put up with which is quite nauseating really."
That incident triggered the idea to highlight prejudice against Goths but within days her daughter was lying in a coma in hospital. She never regained consciousness and died two weeks later..
"We were with her all the time (during the coma). We weren't aware of anything going on outside.
"It was only two days before she died that I thought 'oh my God, they've killed her'.
"You hope she's going to get better. On the day she died I knew there was no chance but you still hope she's going to pull through."
Ms Lancaster said the website - which was launched while she was in hospital - has given her a lot of comfort.
"It's been wonderful. People have been really supportive.
"When people say a card gives them comfort you think that's a load of rubbish, but it does give you support because then you think you're not on your own.
"The attack on Sophie has been a catalyst. I feel angry and the website has given me a way to channel that, otherwise I don't know what I'd do."
More than 4,000 people signed an online Downing Street petition urging the Government to widen the definition of hate crime to include offences committed because of a person's appearance or subcultural interests.
Sophie's myspace website was inundated with accounts from Goths worldwide of being physically assaulted from an early age.
"Random attacks on youngsters from the age of 13 onwards appear quite common everywhere," Ms Lancaster said.
"I think it's been a hidden problem for a number of years and we want to bring it to people's attention."
When asked why these assaults take place, Ms Lancaster said: "When I was younger it was mods and rockers who fought it out between themselves.
"Now there are alternative cultures and there are so-called chavs. The Goths are seen as easy pickings as most of them are not going to fight back as they are a non-violent community.
"Making it a hate crime would change things as the attacks and abuse suffered would be taken more seriously."
*******************************************************
(eyeroll)
In 2002, Murray was not allowed to continue his participation with Youth with a Mission after he played a song at the YWAM Christmas banquet from Mari
Police report reveals secret, dark life of church shooter
written by: Paula Woodward , 9Wants to Know Investigative Reporter
and: Jace Larson , Investigative Reporter
posted by: Sara Gandy , Web Producer
# YWAM Timeline
9NEWS is not responsible for content on any 3rd party website
KUSA - An Arvada Police report shows Matthew Murray's hidden life involved books on Satan, more than a half million computer images of pornography and downloads of school shootings.
The investigative report, released by Arvada Police on the murders of two people at Youth with a Mission last December, includes a timeline of killer Matthew Murray's activities between the shootings in Arvada and the shootings at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
It also includes statements from Murray's parents that he exhibited signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child. It also states that when he was a teenager and a member of Youth with a Mission, Murray claimed he was "bipolar" and openly talked about hearing "voices."
In 2002, Murray was not allowed to continue his participation with Youth with a Mission after he played a song at the YWAM Christmas banquet from Marilyn Manson. Manson is a well-known Goth singer. The staff of YWAM contacted Murray's parents and informed them of their decision.
Murray, according to the Arvada Police supplemental report, contacted another religious group, King's Kids. He also began "researching" other theologies including satanic organizations and occult groups.
His best friend was his father, according to the report, and they would often have theological discussions.
On December 7, 2007, Murray created the posting, "You Christians brought this on yourself." The posting was created on December 7, but Murray did not post it until Dec. 9 at 10:03 a.m. after he had shot and killed two people at the YWAM building in Arvada shortly after midnight on Dec. 9.
Murray was seen by his mother at their home at about 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, just hours before the killings in Arvada. According to his mother, Murray was in good spirits. He told his mother he was going out with friends and not to fix him dinner.
According to cell phone records, Murray left Denver Saturday night and drove to Arvada. He arrived at about 10:30 p.m. Around midnight on Saturday, Dec. 8, Murray knocked on the door of the dorm room of YWAM, walked in saying he was a former member and was going to stay the night.
In the next 30 minutes, Murray was confronted by two members of YWAM in what is described as a "cordial" conversation and told he could not stay for the night or for a couple of hours while waiting for friends.
Murray was escorted to the end of the hall to the door. It was then that he turned and fired 15 rounds from a 9MM handgun. The shots hit four people, killing two and injuring two. The exterior door was closed and Murray was locked out, but he continued to bang on the door to try to get back inside.
Arvada Police received the first 911 call at 12:29 a.m. on Dec. 9. The first officer arrived on the scene one minute and four seconds later.
Murray had already run from the scene. He received phone calls from his father at 12:31 a.m. and 12:51 a.m. At 1:25 a.m., Murray spoke with his father for approximately two minutes by phone. He was out of breath and anxious and told his father he had been in an altercation in a restaurant.
He then drove home and was on his computer for 15 minutes beginning at approximately 3:30 a.m. His mother last saw him at about 9 a.m. That was about nine hours after the Arvada shootings and three hours before the Colorado Springs shootings. They talked while scraping snow off the windows of their cars. Murray seemed to be in "good spirits," according to his mother. His father was out of town.
Murrary started driving to the New Life Church in Colorado Springs at 10:19, Sunday morning, Dec. 9. During his drive, he spoke with his father by phone at around noon. His father had changed his airplane flight so he could come home and be with his son because of the "alleged altercation" at the restaurant the night before. Forty minutes later, after talking with his father, Murray killed two sisters at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He then took his own life after being shot by a security guard.
Murray was armed with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition which he was either carrying or had inside his car. Murray did not leave a note as to why he killed the four people at YWAM in Arvada or New Life in Colorado Springs.
During the resulting investigation, Murray's computer revealed in excess of a half million images which consisted of adult pornography, child pornography and homosexual pornography. Murray had numerous computer downloads with information from school shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and the Platte Canyon school shooting. Police photos of his room show disarray and chaos with boxes, clothes and books stacked on top of each other. He had several books on witchcraft, Satan, Practical Homicide, and how to survive a tactical shooting. He spent more than $2,700 on ammunition and guns and charged it to his own credit card.
The report concludes Murray acted alone in both the shootings in Arvada and Colorado Springs. The report from Colorado Springs police on the shootings at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs was released on March 12.
(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
written by: Paula Woodward , 9Wants to Know Investigative Reporter
and: Jace Larson , Investigative Reporter
posted by: Sara Gandy , Web Producer
# YWAM Timeline
9NEWS is not responsible for content on any 3rd party website
KUSA - An Arvada Police report shows Matthew Murray's hidden life involved books on Satan, more than a half million computer images of pornography and downloads of school shootings.
The investigative report, released by Arvada Police on the murders of two people at Youth with a Mission last December, includes a timeline of killer Matthew Murray's activities between the shootings in Arvada and the shootings at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
It also includes statements from Murray's parents that he exhibited signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child. It also states that when he was a teenager and a member of Youth with a Mission, Murray claimed he was "bipolar" and openly talked about hearing "voices."
In 2002, Murray was not allowed to continue his participation with Youth with a Mission after he played a song at the YWAM Christmas banquet from Marilyn Manson. Manson is a well-known Goth singer. The staff of YWAM contacted Murray's parents and informed them of their decision.
Murray, according to the Arvada Police supplemental report, contacted another religious group, King's Kids. He also began "researching" other theologies including satanic organizations and occult groups.
His best friend was his father, according to the report, and they would often have theological discussions.
On December 7, 2007, Murray created the posting, "You Christians brought this on yourself." The posting was created on December 7, but Murray did not post it until Dec. 9 at 10:03 a.m. after he had shot and killed two people at the YWAM building in Arvada shortly after midnight on Dec. 9.
Murray was seen by his mother at their home at about 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, just hours before the killings in Arvada. According to his mother, Murray was in good spirits. He told his mother he was going out with friends and not to fix him dinner.
According to cell phone records, Murray left Denver Saturday night and drove to Arvada. He arrived at about 10:30 p.m. Around midnight on Saturday, Dec. 8, Murray knocked on the door of the dorm room of YWAM, walked in saying he was a former member and was going to stay the night.
In the next 30 minutes, Murray was confronted by two members of YWAM in what is described as a "cordial" conversation and told he could not stay for the night or for a couple of hours while waiting for friends.
Murray was escorted to the end of the hall to the door. It was then that he turned and fired 15 rounds from a 9MM handgun. The shots hit four people, killing two and injuring two. The exterior door was closed and Murray was locked out, but he continued to bang on the door to try to get back inside.
Arvada Police received the first 911 call at 12:29 a.m. on Dec. 9. The first officer arrived on the scene one minute and four seconds later.
Murray had already run from the scene. He received phone calls from his father at 12:31 a.m. and 12:51 a.m. At 1:25 a.m., Murray spoke with his father for approximately two minutes by phone. He was out of breath and anxious and told his father he had been in an altercation in a restaurant.
He then drove home and was on his computer for 15 minutes beginning at approximately 3:30 a.m. His mother last saw him at about 9 a.m. That was about nine hours after the Arvada shootings and three hours before the Colorado Springs shootings. They talked while scraping snow off the windows of their cars. Murray seemed to be in "good spirits," according to his mother. His father was out of town.
Murrary started driving to the New Life Church in Colorado Springs at 10:19, Sunday morning, Dec. 9. During his drive, he spoke with his father by phone at around noon. His father had changed his airplane flight so he could come home and be with his son because of the "alleged altercation" at the restaurant the night before. Forty minutes later, after talking with his father, Murray killed two sisters at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He then took his own life after being shot by a security guard.
Murray was armed with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition which he was either carrying or had inside his car. Murray did not leave a note as to why he killed the four people at YWAM in Arvada or New Life in Colorado Springs.
During the resulting investigation, Murray's computer revealed in excess of a half million images which consisted of adult pornography, child pornography and homosexual pornography. Murray had numerous computer downloads with information from school shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and the Platte Canyon school shooting. Police photos of his room show disarray and chaos with boxes, clothes and books stacked on top of each other. He had several books on witchcraft, Satan, Practical Homicide, and how to survive a tactical shooting. He spent more than $2,700 on ammunition and guns and charged it to his own credit card.
The report concludes Murray acted alone in both the shootings in Arvada and Colorado Springs. The report from Colorado Springs police on the shootings at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs was released on March 12.
(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
they saw a handful of “goth” girls, dressed in all black
Four teenage girls have been charged in a Thursday fire that damaged an East Brainerd landmark, a Chattanooga Fire Department spokesman said.
Bruce Garner, a fire department spokesman, said the North Georgia girls — two 15-year-olds, one 14 and one 13 — were charged with arson, reckless endangerment and reckless burning. They were booked into the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center on Monday. They are not identified in accordance with Chattanooga Times Free Press policy on not naming juvenile suspects.
The mother and father of two of the girls voluntarily brought them in for questioning after learning of the fire at the old Narrowbridge restaurant, Capt. James Whitmire said. The girls’ mother said she took the pair, along with two friends, to Heritage Park on Thursday night.
The mother told investigators she sat in the car reading while she thought the girls were playing, Mr. Garner said. Investigators said that’s when the four teenagers started the fire inside the abandoned structure. The building is next to Heritage Park. The other two girls were located and arrested Monday, Mr. Garner said.
Two 16-year-old friends, who also were in the park that evening, said they saw a handful of “goth” girls, dressed in all black, playing with matches inside and around the building.
“They all had matches, and they were lighting them on the side of the house,” said Brittany Carden, 16. “They’d light a fire and then stomp it out with their feet.”
Miss Carden and her friend left the building to sit by a creek behind the building, she said.
“We came back, and it was on fire,” Miss Carden said.
All that happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The fire damaged two rooms in the abandoned building at 7801 East Brainerd Road. It took firefighters about an hour and a half to beat back the flames, which had moved up walls into the attic and onto the roof, Mr. Garner said.
Eight Chattanooga fire companies responded to the incident along with police, emergency medical services and county rescue units. No one was injured, but Mr. Garner said the fire endangered many people.
“It’s not just a risk to the emergency responders, but sending our trucks down East Brainerd Road at rush hour presents hazards,” Mr. Garner said. “It endangered motorists’ lives, not to mention the firefighters.”
Ten years earlier the Narrowbridge, with a red-brick facade and white columns, was one of Chattanooga’s nicer restaurants, several former patrons said.
Late in 2007, the city entered a deal with Tim Hennon, the building’s former owner, to swap parking spaces downtown for the surrounding property and restaurant building, which will be demolished and turned into a botanical garden, said Richard Beeland, a spokesman for Mayor Ron Littlefield.
CHARGES
Four North Georgia teenage girls have been charged in connection with Thursday’s fire at the former Narrowbridge restaurant. Here are their charges:
* Arson
* Reckless endangerment
* Reckless Burning
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
GOD HATES GOTHS
'GOD HATES GOTHS . COM' IS THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE 'PARENTS AGAINST GOTH' ORGANIZATION
GOTH IS A SICK, DEPRAVED AND VIOLENT SUB-CULTURE. IT IS A SUB-CULTURE IMMERSED IN THE OCCULT, VAMPIRISM, WITCHCRAFT, DEATH, HORROR, RAPE, SUICIDE AND PERVERSITY.
WHILE ALL SUB-CULTURES ARE INHERENTLY BAD, GOTH IS THE WORST OF THESE SUB-CULTURES. BY DEFINITION THEY ARE “SUB” (ie. LOWER OR INFERIOR) TO NORMAL HARD-WORKING CULTURES. AS IN ‘SUB-STANDARD’ CULTURE. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE ANY VALUES THAT BENEFIT SOCIETY. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE ANY VALUES THAT MAKE FOR STABLE FAMILIES. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE VALUES THAT POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS FIND APPEALING. NO FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES WANTS TO EMPLOY SOME DRUGGED-UP LOSER WITH PAINTED NAILS, NOSE-PIERCINGS, TATTOED ARMS OR GREEN HAIR.
THE GOTHIC LIFESTYLE CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD - REBELLION. THE GOTHIC LIFESTYLE IS THE ULTIMATE ACT OF REBELLION. IT IS A LIFESTYLE DESIGNED TO SHOCK AND DISGUST, TO REPULSE AND HORRIFY. IT IS A REBELLION AGAINST SOCIETY, REBELLION AGAINST THE NORM, REBELLION AGAINST PARENTS. IT IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
GOTH IS A SICK, DEPRAVED AND VIOLENT SUB-CULTURE. IT IS A SUB-CULTURE IMMERSED IN THE OCCULT, VAMPIRISM, WITCHCRAFT, DEATH, HORROR, RAPE, SUICIDE AND PERVERSITY.
WHILE ALL SUB-CULTURES ARE INHERENTLY BAD, GOTH IS THE WORST OF THESE SUB-CULTURES. BY DEFINITION THEY ARE “SUB” (ie. LOWER OR INFERIOR) TO NORMAL HARD-WORKING CULTURES. AS IN ‘SUB-STANDARD’ CULTURE. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE ANY VALUES THAT BENEFIT SOCIETY. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE ANY VALUES THAT MAKE FOR STABLE FAMILIES. THEY DO NOT PROMOTE VALUES THAT POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS FIND APPEALING. NO FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES WANTS TO EMPLOY SOME DRUGGED-UP LOSER WITH PAINTED NAILS, NOSE-PIERCINGS, TATTOED ARMS OR GREEN HAIR.
THE GOTHIC LIFESTYLE CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD - REBELLION. THE GOTHIC LIFESTYLE IS THE ULTIMATE ACT OF REBELLION. IT IS A LIFESTYLE DESIGNED TO SHOCK AND DISGUST, TO REPULSE AND HORRIFY. IT IS A REBELLION AGAINST SOCIETY, REBELLION AGAINST THE NORM, REBELLION AGAINST PARENTS. IT IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
This wasn’t a Goth girl or a bad kid
Heroin Use Hits Home
Westfield grad’s death shocks school.
By Bonnie Hobbs
March 20, 2008
Until last week, the recent, heroin-related death of a 19-year-old Westfield High grad was known only to her family, friends, some students and Fairfax County police.
But news of the tragedy burst forth during a March 13, drug-and-alcohol forum at the school, when parents who’d heard the rumor asked Principal Tim Thomas, point-blank, "How bad is the heroin problem at school and what are you doing to address it?"
He answered them honestly, and then the girl’s uncle stood up, faced the 100 or so parents in attendance and said the victim was his niece. To protect her identity, Centre View is not identifying him; but he spoke from the heart and pulled no punches.
"I’m the uncle of the girl who died, and the anger I feel is intense," he said. "This wasn’t a Goth girl or a bad kid. She used to be a cheerleader at this school, and a golfer."
He said she suffered a traumatic incident at age 13, but didn’t tell her parents until she was 17. "She had traumatic-stress syndrome, and her parents got help for her," he said. "But she started ingesting heroin last August."
"Little groups [in the community] have it," said the uncle. And, he continued, "The night of Wednesday, March 5, "My niece and her boyfriend went to a dealer and purchased heroin. But he had to get home, so she came into her house with the heroin and went downstairs to her bedroom in the basement."
She and the boy phoned each other during the night and, eventually, "Something about her didn’t seem right," said her uncle. "But the boy’s mother wouldn’t let him leave the house so — instead of calling my brother and his wife — he called the dealer and asked him to go to her house and peek in her window."
"So he did and, when he saw how she was laying, he panicked and went to Safeway and called 911," said the uncle. "The police came to the house and found my niece dead."
He then pleaded with anyone who knows someone using drugs to try to stop them. "Kids have problems," he said. "And for every well-grounded one, there may be one not so well-grounded — and they need good friends to support them. Secrets have to be coughed up."
The uncle said his family is devastated and upset by the loss of a young girl with so much promise, and he warned parents that it can happen to anyone. "If you have a hunch [your children are using drugs], go with it," he said. "Talk to them. Keep the lines of communication open; this is a serious situation. Don’t let things go by you because they’ll go by you so fast that they’ll knock you down."
AS FOR THOMAS, he said the heroin problem at Westfield is "real bad for about 10 or 15 kids. The most significant impact is that it has hundreds — if not thousands — of students scared. We’ve spent the last week interviewing well over 100 students about their friends [who might use heroin or know others who do] — some voluntarily, some not."
Thomas said the 10-15 heroin users already identified "are from middle, upper-middle and upper-class families — all white students — and I’m very concerned about a small number of students. I think we’re dealing with kids with too much time and too much money."
However, Westfield’s principal said he was especially impressed by "our kids’ willingness to rat each other out. The police are also dealing with some criminal investigations." Earlier in the forum, student moderator Kent Bailey had praised the school security staff, and Thomas reiterated to parents that "our security staff, headed by Ray Clements, is great. Your kids are safe and secure."
According to Thomas, the numbers and range of students who’ve talked to school officials and other authorities after the tragedy is widespread. Said Thomas, "It ranges from those who’ve never used [drugs] before, to those who do marijuana infrequently, to those who snort coke, those who do marijuana frequently and those who use heroin."
Thomas said some of the most difficult expulsions he's had at Westfield this year have begun with him saying, "I never thought I'd be here with you." So, he told parents, "If you think your kids aren't doing anything, think again. And any high-school principal who says it's not happening [in his or her school] is a liar."
He urged parents to "check their room, look through their stuff — be nosy — and communicate. Of those students we're most concerned about, we've had conversations with them and their parents and they're in some kind of intervention."
But, warned Thomas, "Kids are snorting it — and the line of heroin they're snorting is no larger than a staple. It's mixed with other things, sometimes, and they're hooked. It's in our community, folks; if you want it, you can get it."
"IN THE LAST couple weeks, the school's been through a lot of difficult incidents," he said. "A family's house burned down, on Wednesday [March 5] a graduate passed away and, Friday night [March 7], there was heroin action in the community and a close call with a Centreville student. Former and current students were involved and paramedics were called. And this week, another student [got into trouble]."
With all that happening, said Thomas, "Our students are stressed out and extremely vulnerable — and spring break couldn't come at a worse time for them. Keep an eye on your kids, know what they're doing and know who they're hanging out with."
The Westfield grad who died was buried Saturday in Manassas, near other relatives, including her grandparents. At the time of the tragedy, she was taking classes at NOVA. Memorial donations may be sent to Menninger Clinic, 2801 Gessner Drive, Houston, Texas 77080 — where she was treated in November.
"The autopsy isn't back, yet," said her uncle. "But we feel it could have been the combination of her prescription drug for depression, plus the heroin, that killed her. We were all shocked to find out she was using heroin, but I don't want Westfield to suffer [a stigma] because of this. We're just typical of what's happening in society."
The student panelists at last week's forum also defended their school. "I went for three years not knowing people did drugs at Westfield," said Lindsay Thomas. "Now, what's happened is mind-boggling and shocking."
"But there are good kids that don't do this, and you can surround yourself with them," said Emily McClelland. "The stuff that goes on shakes you up and makes you nervous," added Lindsay Thomas. "But most of all, I'm proud to go to Westfield. There are a lot more good things going on here, than bad."
Westfield grad’s death shocks school.
By Bonnie Hobbs
March 20, 2008
Until last week, the recent, heroin-related death of a 19-year-old Westfield High grad was known only to her family, friends, some students and Fairfax County police.
But news of the tragedy burst forth during a March 13, drug-and-alcohol forum at the school, when parents who’d heard the rumor asked Principal Tim Thomas, point-blank, "How bad is the heroin problem at school and what are you doing to address it?"
He answered them honestly, and then the girl’s uncle stood up, faced the 100 or so parents in attendance and said the victim was his niece. To protect her identity, Centre View is not identifying him; but he spoke from the heart and pulled no punches.
"I’m the uncle of the girl who died, and the anger I feel is intense," he said. "This wasn’t a Goth girl or a bad kid. She used to be a cheerleader at this school, and a golfer."
He said she suffered a traumatic incident at age 13, but didn’t tell her parents until she was 17. "She had traumatic-stress syndrome, and her parents got help for her," he said. "But she started ingesting heroin last August."
"Little groups [in the community] have it," said the uncle. And, he continued, "The night of Wednesday, March 5, "My niece and her boyfriend went to a dealer and purchased heroin. But he had to get home, so she came into her house with the heroin and went downstairs to her bedroom in the basement."
She and the boy phoned each other during the night and, eventually, "Something about her didn’t seem right," said her uncle. "But the boy’s mother wouldn’t let him leave the house so — instead of calling my brother and his wife — he called the dealer and asked him to go to her house and peek in her window."
"So he did and, when he saw how she was laying, he panicked and went to Safeway and called 911," said the uncle. "The police came to the house and found my niece dead."
He then pleaded with anyone who knows someone using drugs to try to stop them. "Kids have problems," he said. "And for every well-grounded one, there may be one not so well-grounded — and they need good friends to support them. Secrets have to be coughed up."
The uncle said his family is devastated and upset by the loss of a young girl with so much promise, and he warned parents that it can happen to anyone. "If you have a hunch [your children are using drugs], go with it," he said. "Talk to them. Keep the lines of communication open; this is a serious situation. Don’t let things go by you because they’ll go by you so fast that they’ll knock you down."
AS FOR THOMAS, he said the heroin problem at Westfield is "real bad for about 10 or 15 kids. The most significant impact is that it has hundreds — if not thousands — of students scared. We’ve spent the last week interviewing well over 100 students about their friends [who might use heroin or know others who do] — some voluntarily, some not."
Thomas said the 10-15 heroin users already identified "are from middle, upper-middle and upper-class families — all white students — and I’m very concerned about a small number of students. I think we’re dealing with kids with too much time and too much money."
However, Westfield’s principal said he was especially impressed by "our kids’ willingness to rat each other out. The police are also dealing with some criminal investigations." Earlier in the forum, student moderator Kent Bailey had praised the school security staff, and Thomas reiterated to parents that "our security staff, headed by Ray Clements, is great. Your kids are safe and secure."
According to Thomas, the numbers and range of students who’ve talked to school officials and other authorities after the tragedy is widespread. Said Thomas, "It ranges from those who’ve never used [drugs] before, to those who do marijuana infrequently, to those who snort coke, those who do marijuana frequently and those who use heroin."
Thomas said some of the most difficult expulsions he's had at Westfield this year have begun with him saying, "I never thought I'd be here with you." So, he told parents, "If you think your kids aren't doing anything, think again. And any high-school principal who says it's not happening [in his or her school] is a liar."
He urged parents to "check their room, look through their stuff — be nosy — and communicate. Of those students we're most concerned about, we've had conversations with them and their parents and they're in some kind of intervention."
But, warned Thomas, "Kids are snorting it — and the line of heroin they're snorting is no larger than a staple. It's mixed with other things, sometimes, and they're hooked. It's in our community, folks; if you want it, you can get it."
"IN THE LAST couple weeks, the school's been through a lot of difficult incidents," he said. "A family's house burned down, on Wednesday [March 5] a graduate passed away and, Friday night [March 7], there was heroin action in the community and a close call with a Centreville student. Former and current students were involved and paramedics were called. And this week, another student [got into trouble]."
With all that happening, said Thomas, "Our students are stressed out and extremely vulnerable — and spring break couldn't come at a worse time for them. Keep an eye on your kids, know what they're doing and know who they're hanging out with."
The Westfield grad who died was buried Saturday in Manassas, near other relatives, including her grandparents. At the time of the tragedy, she was taking classes at NOVA. Memorial donations may be sent to Menninger Clinic, 2801 Gessner Drive, Houston, Texas 77080 — where she was treated in November.
"The autopsy isn't back, yet," said her uncle. "But we feel it could have been the combination of her prescription drug for depression, plus the heroin, that killed her. We were all shocked to find out she was using heroin, but I don't want Westfield to suffer [a stigma] because of this. We're just typical of what's happening in society."
The student panelists at last week's forum also defended their school. "I went for three years not knowing people did drugs at Westfield," said Lindsay Thomas. "Now, what's happened is mind-boggling and shocking."
"But there are good kids that don't do this, and you can surround yourself with them," said Emily McClelland. "The stuff that goes on shakes you up and makes you nervous," added Lindsay Thomas. "But most of all, I'm proud to go to Westfield. There are a lot more good things going on here, than bad."
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
List of inventors killed by their own inventions
This is a list of inventors who have been killed by inventions they designed or were involved in.
* William Bullock, born 1813, died 1867, Bullock had his foot crushed while trying to repair a rotary printing press that he had invented. The resulting infection would later prove fatal.
* Otto Lilienthal died August 10, 1896 from injuries sustained two days earlier in a crash of one of his hang gliders.
* Thomas Midgley, Jr. accidentally strangled himself with the cord of a pulley-operated mechanical bed of his own design in 1944.
* Alexander Bogdanov, a physician and scientist, conducted an experiment for a "rejuvenation" technique wherein he deliberately gave himself a transfusion of blood from a student who suffered from malaria and tuberculosis. He died of the subsequent infections.
* Franz Reichelt. "The Flying Tailor" jumped off the Eiffel Tower while trying out his combined overcoat/parachute invention. The parachute failed to open and he died from the fall.
* William Bullock, born 1813, died 1867, Bullock had his foot crushed while trying to repair a rotary printing press that he had invented. The resulting infection would later prove fatal.
* Otto Lilienthal died August 10, 1896 from injuries sustained two days earlier in a crash of one of his hang gliders.
* Thomas Midgley, Jr. accidentally strangled himself with the cord of a pulley-operated mechanical bed of his own design in 1944.
* Alexander Bogdanov, a physician and scientist, conducted an experiment for a "rejuvenation" technique wherein he deliberately gave himself a transfusion of blood from a student who suffered from malaria and tuberculosis. He died of the subsequent infections.
* Franz Reichelt. "The Flying Tailor" jumped off the Eiffel Tower while trying out his combined overcoat/parachute invention. The parachute failed to open and he died from the fall.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Frozen Dead Guy Days
Celebration on ice, with morbid twist
Joey Bunch
The Denver Post
NEDERLAND — Frozen Dead Guy Days heats up to its finale today with events including frozen beach volleyball and the awards ceremony.
The festival is a three-day celebration of "Grandpa" Bredo Morstoel, the resident who is not quite here but not quite gone. The frozen dead man stays in a crate of dry ice just outside town until science can figure out how to wake him up. Each year, more than 50,000 of the most irreverent people show up in Nederland to be cool with Grandpa.
"It's the most unique festival you'll ever go to," said Julie Ward of Orlando, Fla., the daughter of town administrator Jim Stevens. "Where else can you possibly go where they have anything like this?"
Frozen Dead Guy Days coordinator Teresa Warner said the festival appeals to the oddball in all of us — celebrating the afterlife of a guy on ice.
To get to the festival, take Colorado 119 (Canyon Boulevard in downtown Boulder) 18 miles up into the mountains. RTD is offering bus service from the Boulder Transit Center, with stops at Eldora Mountain Resort, Nederland High School, the Nederland park-n-Ride and at Magnolia Street at Colorado 119. Joey Bunch, The Denver Post
Joey Bunch
The Denver Post
NEDERLAND — Frozen Dead Guy Days heats up to its finale today with events including frozen beach volleyball and the awards ceremony.
The festival is a three-day celebration of "Grandpa" Bredo Morstoel, the resident who is not quite here but not quite gone. The frozen dead man stays in a crate of dry ice just outside town until science can figure out how to wake him up. Each year, more than 50,000 of the most irreverent people show up in Nederland to be cool with Grandpa.
"It's the most unique festival you'll ever go to," said Julie Ward of Orlando, Fla., the daughter of town administrator Jim Stevens. "Where else can you possibly go where they have anything like this?"
Frozen Dead Guy Days coordinator Teresa Warner said the festival appeals to the oddball in all of us — celebrating the afterlife of a guy on ice.
To get to the festival, take Colorado 119 (Canyon Boulevard in downtown Boulder) 18 miles up into the mountains. RTD is offering bus service from the Boulder Transit Center, with stops at Eldora Mountain Resort, Nederland High School, the Nederland park-n-Ride and at Magnolia Street at Colorado 119. Joey Bunch, The Denver Post
Screaming Maud Ghost in CT
Nooks And Crannies: Hell Hollow Road
By Kenton Robinson ,
Published on 3/15/2008
What: Hell Hollow Road, a twisty track through the darkling woods of Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown.
Why you should know it: Word has it, it's haunted. This is where, more than 300 years ago, British soldiers killed a little Pequot girl. To this day, hikers and hunters say you can hear her screams.
“Screaming Maud”: She is known by this name (or Maude), though no one can say how an Indian girl would come by such a moniker. But then, as with so many local legends, what really happened here is lost in the mists of time.
Another Maude? And, in fact, there is another story of another Maude, a witch, who was hanged and buried here.
Investigations: Several teams of ghost hunters have visited this place and what is believed to be the site of Maud's grave. Some have filed reports of their findings online. Check out the Web sites of Creepy Connecticut or PIG-NE, the Paranormal Investigations Group of New England
Being watched: Mike of Rhode Island, who prefers his last name not be printed, led a team there in the dark of night. “We didn't hear any screams,” he says, but he and a friend felt “an ominous presence” as they walked through the woods in the dark. It was, Mike says, as if someone were following and glaring at them.
Night lights: Mike's team also took a lot of pictures of strange orange lights in the branches of the pitch-black forest. He can offer no explanation for these.
The “goosebump factor”: Mike and his friends assigned the place a goosebump factor of 65, which places it somewhat above “moderate goosebumps on the arms” but slightly below “goosebumps all over the body.” A goosebump factor of 100 would be “full-blown spine-tingling dread.”
EVPs: When members of PIG-NE visited Maud's grave, they reported mysterious drops in temperature (down to minus 4 degrees) and several “EVPs” (Electronic Voice Phenomena) in which the dead whispered into their tape recorders, saying such things as “Wait a minute” and “It's OK, Mommy.” Also, several members reported feelings of ineffable sadness and shortness of breath.
Some debunking: Another visit to Maud's grave, by a group called GHOST (for Grim Hauntings Or Skeptic's Truth) determined that Maud's tombstone — a shattered thing on which the date 1647 (or 1654) is barely legible — was made of modern poured concrete. (Goosebump factor: 0.)
Other apparitions: Several visitors to this place have reported seeing specters of “a lady,” “a hooded figure” and a Civil War soldier. Also, a small yellow ball that looked like a flame. Some have said that if you stand on Maud's grave and say her name, your car will break down.
Off the record: This reporter, being a weenie, visited Hell Hollow Road in broad daylight and so can report no screams. He did leave his digital tape recorder on to capture voices from the grave, and even invited Maud to comment, but the recorder captured only the immense silence of the woods — not one bird song — and his footsteps crunching through the snow. Which raises the question: Are ghosts nocturnal? Do they sleep?
Where's Maud? Maud may haunt this place, but to find her grave, you have to follow Hell Hollow Road into Sterling and cross Route 49 onto Cedar Swamp Road. Just down on the right is a small cemetery, and just beyond that, a path into the woods. Follow this path. Shortly after you cross a stream, you will see a massive, gnarled dead tree on your right (very spooky) and, on your left, the stone foundations of a small shed. Maud's grave is at the center of this. Treat her with respect.
By Kenton Robinson ,
Published on 3/15/2008
What: Hell Hollow Road, a twisty track through the darkling woods of Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown.
Why you should know it: Word has it, it's haunted. This is where, more than 300 years ago, British soldiers killed a little Pequot girl. To this day, hikers and hunters say you can hear her screams.
“Screaming Maud”: She is known by this name (or Maude), though no one can say how an Indian girl would come by such a moniker. But then, as with so many local legends, what really happened here is lost in the mists of time.
Another Maude? And, in fact, there is another story of another Maude, a witch, who was hanged and buried here.
Investigations: Several teams of ghost hunters have visited this place and what is believed to be the site of Maud's grave. Some have filed reports of their findings online. Check out the Web sites of Creepy Connecticut or PIG-NE, the Paranormal Investigations Group of New England
Being watched: Mike of Rhode Island, who prefers his last name not be printed, led a team there in the dark of night. “We didn't hear any screams,” he says, but he and a friend felt “an ominous presence” as they walked through the woods in the dark. It was, Mike says, as if someone were following and glaring at them.
Night lights: Mike's team also took a lot of pictures of strange orange lights in the branches of the pitch-black forest. He can offer no explanation for these.
The “goosebump factor”: Mike and his friends assigned the place a goosebump factor of 65, which places it somewhat above “moderate goosebumps on the arms” but slightly below “goosebumps all over the body.” A goosebump factor of 100 would be “full-blown spine-tingling dread.”
EVPs: When members of PIG-NE visited Maud's grave, they reported mysterious drops in temperature (down to minus 4 degrees) and several “EVPs” (Electronic Voice Phenomena) in which the dead whispered into their tape recorders, saying such things as “Wait a minute” and “It's OK, Mommy.” Also, several members reported feelings of ineffable sadness and shortness of breath.
Some debunking: Another visit to Maud's grave, by a group called GHOST (for Grim Hauntings Or Skeptic's Truth) determined that Maud's tombstone — a shattered thing on which the date 1647 (or 1654) is barely legible — was made of modern poured concrete. (Goosebump factor: 0.)
Other apparitions: Several visitors to this place have reported seeing specters of “a lady,” “a hooded figure” and a Civil War soldier. Also, a small yellow ball that looked like a flame. Some have said that if you stand on Maud's grave and say her name, your car will break down.
Off the record: This reporter, being a weenie, visited Hell Hollow Road in broad daylight and so can report no screams. He did leave his digital tape recorder on to capture voices from the grave, and even invited Maud to comment, but the recorder captured only the immense silence of the woods — not one bird song — and his footsteps crunching through the snow. Which raises the question: Are ghosts nocturnal? Do they sleep?
Where's Maud? Maud may haunt this place, but to find her grave, you have to follow Hell Hollow Road into Sterling and cross Route 49 onto Cedar Swamp Road. Just down on the right is a small cemetery, and just beyond that, a path into the woods. Follow this path. Shortly after you cross a stream, you will see a massive, gnarled dead tree on your right (very spooky) and, on your left, the stone foundations of a small shed. Maud's grave is at the center of this. Treat her with respect.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
'Close To The Divine': Wiccans aren't so different from other faiths
'Close To The Divine': Wiccans aren't so different from other faiths
BY GRETCHEN MURRAY
Local columnist
TRAVERSE CITY -- While Christians prepare to celebrate the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter, a lesser known religion is preparing for a major celebration of its own.
As the Earth's axis tilts the northern hemisphere back toward the sun, followers of Wicca, a nature-based religion, will celebrate Ostara, a holy day of seasonal rebirth and renewal, during the vernal equinox on Thursday. In Traverse City, the Rev. Harry C. Dorman is eagerly awaiting the seasonal change.
Dorman is an ordained Wiccan priest and minister affiliated with Circle Sanctuary of Barneveld, Wis. His ministry encompasses spiritual and life counseling, healing work and officiating and supporting various Wiccan spiritual and life rites-of-passage. He also advocates for the freedom of all religions as guaranteed under the Constitution and the need for building tolerance and respect between faiths.
"Rebirth is a part of most religions. Regardless of the specific faith, life is cyclical, seasons are cyclical and really the entire universe and its mechanics are cyclical in some way," Dorman said. "Wicca and nature spirit religions focus on that in a more narrow context than some other religions."
Dorman said that typically, Wiccans observe Ostara with worship conducted in a circle outdoors, weather permitting, but indoors works, too. A flat surface is set within the circle. For Ostara it is placed in the east section of the circle because the spring equinox on the wheel of the year is in the same eastern direction as on the Compass Rose.
An altar is decorated with objects such as flowers, acorns, herbs, eggs and other items preparing to come forth in the spring growth cycle.
"The altar also includes a pentagram, a five-point upright star with each point representing air, fire, earth and water, parts of the divine union of what makes up creation from a Wiccan standpoint. The top point represents spirit," Dorman said. "That is the divine element. It is the same divine element that all religions touch."
He feels the pentagram requires clarification because it is often connotes devil worship or other negative images people or institutions inaccurately associate with Wicca.
"Wiccans don't have a belief in the devil or Satan or any of the anti-Christ images people associate with pagan religions. Any suggestion of that is misinformation, and unfortunately has been fanned by the media and movie makers," he said.
It's myths like this that lead Dorman to believe communication is key for developing tolerance and understanding of the Wiccan faith.
"Wiccans worship in circles because of the cyclical deity being the nature of the seasons. It has no beginning and no end, and it also represents everyone equal within the worship area. There is no elevated person who controls the worship environment," Dorman said.
In fact, Dorman feels that misconceptions about pagan religions in general need some myth busting.
Although frequently maligned, the word pagan comes from the Latin "paganus," referring to people who live in the country.
"When early organized religions began to make their presence felt, the word was used as a joke like 'country bumpkin,'" Dorman said. "As mainstream religions began to take hold, the term pagan was used to describe all religions that weren't part of the prevailing one."
He said that since many of the pagan religions were driven underground, the practices were secretly passed on, adding to the mystique. Dorman said that the myth that "witchcraft" is somehow associated with the black arts is totally wrong; in fact, he said, witchcraft is the term for the prayer side Wicca.
Paganism is a general category, just as in Christianity there are a number of traditions.
Within Paganism there is Druidism, a form of worship more focused and organized than Wicca, and within Wicca there are several traditions people follow. Dorman said the religion holds a lot in common with Native American traditions and has similarities to Celtic and Egyptian, Greek, Scandinavian and other ancient faiths dating back thousands of years.
He estimates that in northern Michigan, several hundred pagans either worship solitarily or meet regularly in groups, especially during the holidays.
"Wiccans greatly value the opportunity to develop relations with other religions. We need that in our society," Dorman said. "I would love to see Traverse City have a religious diversity day, or an interfaith respect conference, where people of all faiths could come together and say, 'These are the things I've heard about you,' and 'This is what we're all about.'"
Since Wicca is not an assertive religion, members tend to avoid making public statements about their faith. Dorman admits that sometimes, it's misunderstanding that breeds confrontations.
"There are some Wiccans who are sensitive to mainstream religion's take on our faith -- that it's not the real McCoy, not acceptable," Dorman said.
But even though they're not vocal, Wiccans tend to be sensitive to hot button social topics and welcome those struggling with issues such as race, ethnic background and sexual orientation.
Although they don't actively recruit members, people seek them out through word of mouth, curiosity or interest. Dorman, who studied three years to become a Wiccan priest, said between 10 and 20 people attend his local Wiccan circle.
And membership is growing. He's always open to constructive discussion on the topic and said the majority of people he talks to tend to be, in their heart of hearts, pretty much middle-road, fair-thinking folks.
"In the end, it's all about being close to the divine," he said.
Hundreds of Gravestones form Garden Wall
Military gravestones found in Burlington garden
Federal authorities are trying to solve an unlikely mystery:How did hundreds of gravestones that once marked the final resting places of military veterans come to form a garden wall in a 90-year-old man's Burlington Township yard?
Earlier this week, investigators went to the man's Columbus Road home, served a search warrant, removed the stones with a backhoe, and hauled them off to be crushed at a recycling plant.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, which the Department of Veterans Affairs said is handling the investigation, declined to identify the name or address of the man.
No charges have been filed.
"It's hard to characterize, but I think it's fairly uncommon," said Phil Budahn, a spokesman for the Veterans Affairs Department.
The stones, some dating to the Spanish-American War, came from the nearby Beverly National Cemetery, where 48,000 veterans are buried.
While some panicked visitors have been streaming the grounds after hearing about the garden wall made of tombstones, cemetery director Mary Hendley said all of the graves there are properly marked.
Headstones in national cemeteries are routinely replaced when they become damaged or illegible. Because most national cemeteries do double burials of a veteran and spouse, headstones are also replaced for the veteran when the spouse dies to include both names, according to Mike Nacincik, spokesman for the National Cemetery Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"The odds are that these are replacement headstones that weren't properly disposed of," Nacincik said.
The department's policy is to shatter the old headstones so they are no longer readable, he said.
Yesterday, an 88-year-old Tabernacle woman turned in a fresh lead to cemetery officials.
Doris Nixon, who identified herself as a lifelong Burlington County resident, said in an interview that her first husband was one of a legion of men who replaced cemetery headstones in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration. The Great Depression-era program offered public jobs for unemployed people.
When the men finished the work, officials gave them the option of taking the old headstones, Nixon said; her husband declined.
"I used to walk over and watch them do all this," said Nixon.
Hendley said she has asked federal officials to check historical records that would corroborate Nixon's story. The records would be held by the U.S. Army, which oversaw the national cemetery system until it was transferred to the Veterans Administration in the 1970s.
the victim had a lip ring and was “goth” in appearance.
| WOMAN FALLS FROM FIVE-STORY GARAGE | |
| WITNESSES SAY SHE WAS DAZED BUT CONSCIOUS AFTER FALLING FROM ROOF OF PARKING GARAGE IN WEST CHESTER | |
| By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer | |
| WEST CHESTER — A young woman fell five stories from the parking garage at Chestnut and Walnut streets at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, according to witnesses. After the fall, she was conscious, although “dazed,” and her legs were badly broken, according to Sherry McNeely, a borough resident who saw her fall and took care of her until ambulances and police arrived. Police are not releasing the victim’s name until her family is contacted. According to West Chester police Sgt. Marty Deigham, who investigated, the victim was on the roof with three people. Two were male and both were taken to the station for questioning. Advertisement Deigham said he does not suspect foul play, but the investigation is still open. He said that the woman, who is at least 18 years old, was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for treatment. McNeely, the witness who helped the victim, said that, upon leaving Rite Aid and walking into the parking lot that borders Prescott Alley, she saw the victim and two males behaving suspiciously on the roof of the Mosteller Parking Garage. The victim was standing on the roof ledge with her back to the Rite Aid, McNeely said, and two males were facing her. McNeely said she then called the police. A police news release states someone called them about people who were behaving suspiciously on top of the garage. Shortly after McNeely made the call, she said, the victim fell straight down and landed feet-first on the sidewalk that lines Prescott Alley. McNeely said she was not sure if the victim was pushed or if she fell. When she went over to help, the victim was conscious and complaining about the pain in her legs, McNeely said. “She’s a lucky girl,” she said. “That’s a long way to fall and still be alive.” One of the men taken from the garage was young, and another was older and heavy-set, according to Stephanie Thomas, a borough resident who was on her way to Rite Aid when she saw a crowd gathering outside the garage. Thomas said the young man was screaming, “She fell! She fell!” after the fall. The victim was young, had black hair, and was wearing a lot of makeup, Thomas said. Stephen Swift, a Bayard-Rustin High School student who was standing with his friends by the garage just after the fall, said the victim had a lip ring and was “goth” in appearance. Swift and his friends were at Fenario’s, a nearby café, when they heard about the fall, and, thinking the victim was one of their friends, went to check it out, several of Swift’s friends said. But none of them said they knew the victim, and no one at the garage said they had any idea who she was. The garage is about 60 feet high. The roof is a white lot surrounded by low, red walls. It was empty at 4:20 p.m., 35 minutes after the fall. |
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Hot Topic's Slow Burn
Hot Topic's Slow Burn
Hot Topic (Nasdaq: HOTT) hasn't actually been hot for some time. The Goth-inspired retailer reported an increase in fourth-quarter profit, but the fact that its sales are still flagging doesn't give investors much reason to celebrate.
Fourth-quarter net income increased 34% to $11.9 million, or $0.27 per share. Total sales, however, decreased by 8% to $220.7 million. Same-store sales fell 6.3%. Inventory increased 8.7%, so that wasn't really a great piece of news from the balance sheet.
Hot Topic only earned $16 million, or $0.36 per share, for the entire year, so a large chunk of the year's profit came from Q4. As far as guidance goes, in Q1, Hot Topic will be back to the losses -- it expects a net loss of $0.03 per share to $0.06 per share, with comps down in the low-single-digit range.
Long, long ago, back in 2001, it looked like Hot Topic would be the next Gap (NYSE: GPS). But now the trend is not its friend; in hindsight, kids who embrace the Goth/punk lifestyle might not have been the wisest target for a mall-based retailer.
One interesting element from Hot Topic's conference call is that its focus on emerging music instead of major releases is working with customers. Its music segment has gone from a double-digit decrease in the first half of 2007 to positive comps in the second half. Moving away from the mainstream does make more sense -- kids can get major releases anywhere these days, including online, at store such such as Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iTunes.
Happily, Hot Topic recognizes that its edgy brand demands that the company appear credible and authentic; focusing on less well-known bands is a good strategy in that regard. Hot Topic's also working on a digital strategy for music sales as well. (I thought these were important ideas last year this time.)
Of course, caution's still in order. Hot Topic may be trading at just 9.5 times this year's earnings, but you can find less niche-driven, risky retail stocks are trading at similar levels or even cheaper -- consider American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO), which has a price-to-earnings ratio of just 9. Hot Topic still has a lot of turning around to do, and it could still burn investors, even at this price.
Goth beaten up by group of men
The 16-year-old, who described himself as a Goth, claimed he was attacked by three men in Windmill Road, Whitstable.
The men came up behind him after he passed by them and assaulted him, before he managed to escape. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which was on Thursday, March 6, at about 4.30pm.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Constable John Tharp on 01227 744786.
Gang took photo of murdered goth
Gang took photo of murdered goth
By Stephen White
A gang who kicked a goth to death and left her boyfriend in a coma posed for a picture with their victims before the attack, a court heard yesterday.
A witness, who gave the pair first aid, said Sophie Lancaster, 20, and Robert Maltby, 21, posed happily with the five youths.
The boy of 16 told the jury at Preston crown court that one of the five attackers told him they were going to attack Sophie and art student Robert in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, Lancs, last August.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "A friend was taking a picture of the boy and girl and everyone was in it. The defendant was in front of the boy and after the picture I think he punched. Then they all started slapping him.
There was blood everywhere."
A boy of 15 is on trial for Sophie's murder. He and four others have admitted GBH with intent on Robert.
A 16-year-old has already admitted murdering Sophie.
The trial continues.
By Stephen White
A gang who kicked a goth to death and left her boyfriend in a coma posed for a picture with their victims before the attack, a court heard yesterday.
A witness, who gave the pair first aid, said Sophie Lancaster, 20, and Robert Maltby, 21, posed happily with the five youths.
The boy of 16 told the jury at Preston crown court that one of the five attackers told him they were going to attack Sophie and art student Robert in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, Lancs, last August.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "A friend was taking a picture of the boy and girl and everyone was in it. The defendant was in front of the boy and after the picture I think he punched. Then they all started slapping him.
There was blood everywhere."
A boy of 15 is on trial for Sophie's murder. He and four others have admitted GBH with intent on Robert.
A 16-year-old has already admitted murdering Sophie.
The trial continues.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Love Me not Necklace Set
"Ah, sweet pas du tout,
your tricks are ever painful."
Genuine black Austrian crystal flowers and matching earrings
$24.95
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Lethal injection gothic buckle jacket
The Lethal Injection Buckle Jacket
This just arrived and is already almost sold out. If you have been eyeing it, get one now because I don't think they will last the week. Only $24.95
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