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Heart Attack Grill Gives Nurses A Coronary
A hospital-themed burger bar in Arizona didn't get in trouble for selling quadruple burgers, fries cooked in lard or cigarettes. It was the sexy nurse outfits the waitresses wore that got people angry. A hospital-themed burger bar in Arizona didn't get in trouble for selling quadruple burgers, fries cooked in lard or cigarettes. ... more
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Dog calls 911 after owner has seizure - Wonderful World- msnbc.com
"Man's best friend" doesn't go far enough for Buddy — a German shepherd who remembered his training and saved his owner's life by calling 911 when the man had a seizure. "Man's best friend" doesn't go far enough for Buddy — a German shepherd who remembered his training and saved his ... more
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The New Jim Crow: GOP Destroying the Black Vote
Lose your home, lose your vote? Black voters asked to show unusual forms of I.D.? Fake voter fraud claims to discount votes in Black districts? The GOP has employed underhanded tactics to neutralize an already hurting community of poor and minority voters. Raising the question of fairness, will the race be played out in the courts or the voting booth? Lose your home, lose your vote? Black voters asked to show unusual forms of I.D.? Fake voter fraud claims to discount votes in Black d... more
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Official Music Video for McCain Campaign - Raisin' McCain
From Meghan McCain's blog:
"Here's the new video from country music star John Rich who wrote, produced and recorded an original song called "Raisin' McCain." It's about Dad's life that will hopefully inspire listeners and excite a new audience about the campaign."
yep, and yep.... From Meghan McCain's blog: ... more -
Hundreds evacuated from Grand Canyon as dam breaks
An earthen dam weakened by heavy rains broke near the Grand Canyon early Sunday, flooding a tribal town and forcing officials to pluck hundreds of residents and campers from the gorge by helicopter. No injuries were immediately reported. An earthen dam weakened by heavy rains broke near the Grand Canyon early Sunday, flooding a tribal town and forcing officials to pluck... more
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ACLU In Court Today Challenging Conditions At Maricopa County Jail
The American Civil Liberties Union is in a federal district court beginning today seeking to rebuff an attempt by Maricopa County and its sheriff, Joe Arpaio, to terminate a federal consent decree mandating that he maintain conditions at the Maricopa County Jail that meet constitutional minimums.
The ACLU will argue in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona that deteriorating conditions within each of the jail's five facilities that house pre-trial detainees – people who have been arrested but not yet tried or convicted – necessitate federal court oversight to ensure that Arpaio and other county officials maintain safe and humane conditions and provide the thousands of pre-trial detainees held there basic levels of medical and mental health care.
"The failure of Sheriff Arpaio and other Maricopa County officials to provide adequate basic medical and mental health care exposes the men and women in their custody to needless and terrible pain, deterioration of their medical and mental health and risk of permanent injury or even death," said Margaret Winter, Associate Director of the ACLU National Prison Project. "There can be little debate that detainees are being systematically denied access to the level of care mandated by the Constitution."
Pre-trial detainees at Maricopa County Jail are regularly given moldy bread, rotten fruit and other contaminated food. Detainees with serious medical, mental health and dental needs receive inadequate care, and they are routinely denied beds or bunks at intake, forcing them to sleep on the floor. Additionally, severe overcrowding in three of the jail's facilities has created extremely dangerous environments by significantly increasing the potential for violence among inmates.
In one recent and particularly galling example, jail officials chose to punish rather than treat the bizarre behavior of a young and severely psychotic African immigrant. Jail officials put him in disciplinary segregation and chose to house him with other inmates, resulting in his being so severely beaten by his cell mates that he had to be taken to the emergency room.
In another case, a young man with cystic fibrosis was routinely denied breathing treatments and other medical treatment despite his repeated requests, resulting in his breathing capacity eroding by nearly 30 percent during the time of his detention.
Arpaio has been attempting for nearly seven years to get out from under the consent decree that governs conditions under which pre-trial detainees are housed and which resulted from nearly two decades of litigation that centered on the jail's horrific conditions. Under a provision of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the consent decree has been unenforceable since Arpaio filed a motion to have it terminated in September 2001.
Among those testifying on behalf of the ACLU is Todd R. Wilcox, who resigned last February from his job as director of Maricopa County's Correctional Health Services (CHS) for, among other reasons, what he called "the significant degradation of systems and processes within CHS" and his unwillingness to continue "to defend CHS' healthcare delivery system in its current state of disarray and with its current deficiencies in resources."
"Providing dangerous jail conditions for people who have not been convicted of any crime is unacceptable by anyone's standards," said Debra Hill, an attorney with the Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon who is serving as co-counsel in the case. "There is no justification for being fed rotten food or being denied basic medical or mental health care."
Attorneys in the case include Winter of the ACLU, Hill of the Phoenix law firm Osborn and Maledon and Daniel Pochoda of the ACLU of Arizona. The American Civil Liberties Union is in a federal district court beginning today seeking to rebuff an attempt by Maricopa County and ... more -
Lesbian-only housing development planned
Olivia, the lesbian owned women’s travel company and record label, is selling homes in a resort style housing development in Tucson, Arizona.
Even though the 334 homes can legally be purchased by anyone, Olivia is specifically targeting lesbians for purchase. Judy Dlugacz, President and founder of Olivia Companies says: “My whole vision of this has always been about creating community and creating a place where we can not only be free… but also the kind of community where you’re really connected with the people there and feel comfortable and happy in your environment.”
Many women between 20 and 80 have already signed up for a condo in the new settlement with the majority of buyers falling in the 55 to 70 year-old age group.
The property will be staffed with a full-time events coordinator who will bring in live entertainment and arrange social events as well as parties. Group excursions for the residents to nearby destinations such as Las Vegas and Mexico will also be planned.
Progressive or backwards? Ghetto or safe haven? What do you make of the concept of a lesbian-only neighbourhood? Olivia, the lesbian owned women’s travel company and record label, is selling homes in a resort style housing development in Tucson, A... more -
Sen. K. Johnson Delivers Historic Speech Before the Arizona State Senate
This week, Visibility 9-11 Welcomes Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson to the program. Long time freedom advocate, Senator Johnson recently drew fire in the media for her outspoken advocacy for the truth to come out regarding the September 11th attacks. On June 10, 2008, Senator Johnson gave an historic speech on the floor of the Arizona Senate where she honored Blair Gadsby, the 9-11 Truth Movement, and called for a new and independent investigation into the events of September 11th. Departing from the norm of providing an evidence based 9-11 informational resource, this interview focuses on a more personal side of the Senator, her background and motivations for America, media control, the hope for justice, and an end to false flag terrorism in America. This lady is the real deal and was an honor to have her as a guest on the program; don't miss this one. THANK YOU Senator Johnson! This week, Visibility 9-11 Welcomes Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson to the program. Long time freedom advocate, Senator Johnson r... more
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Arizona's largest Prostitution Bust
PHOENIX -- Fifty people have been charged in connection with a major three-state prostitution ring based in the Valley, authorities said on Tuesday.
Investigators said among those arrested was Valley physician Ross Levatter. Authorities said he was not only a customer, but he had a say in the hiring and firing of the prostitutes.
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Levatter was booked on charges of conspiracy to control an illegal enterprise, illegal control of an enterprise, first-degree money laundering and operating a house of prostitution.
Phoenix police said Tuesday night that 22 other people have been arrested so far with a total of 10 search warrants served in the Phoenix area.
Police said they seized three homes, a variety of guns and eight vehicles, including a Ferrari.
"This is by far the largest prostitution investigation in the history of the state of Arizona," said Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris.
Paul Nichta, 32, ran Night Entertainment Partners, an umbrella organization that provided prostitutes through Web sites such as Desert Divas, AZ Confidential, Hips Tours and Escorts In Action, police said.
The escorts were recruited by Nichta through ads in the New Times and Web sites promising escorts incomes of up to $30,000 a month, according to a probable cause statement.
Two former escorts told police they made about $2,000 a night, but could also earn an additional $15,000 a night in tips, the statement said.
According to investigators, the organization involved more than 100 people -- mostly prostitutes, but with many in management roles. The organization served hundreds of customers and filmed pornographic acts with the prostitutes that were available online, police said.
Clients ordered services through the various Web site, investigators said.
The operation was based in midtown Phoenix and also included a pornographic Web site which showed "Escort Reviews," the statement said. Once a week, Nichta would hold so called "meet and greets" at Valley restaurants so that prospective customers could meet the escorts in person, the statement said.
According to records obtained through a joint investigation by the Phoenix Police Department and the Maricopa County attorney's office, Nichta allegedly led a criminal enterprise that made bank deposits of $250,000 a month, the county attorney's office said in a statement.
"The money generated from these illegal ventures helps fund other criminal enterprises such as drug and smuggling operations," said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.
Phoenix police, working on a tip they said they received from Scottsdale police, started the investigation about a year ago in cooperation with the county attorney's office. The investigation included financial records, computer records and interviews with former escorts.
Police said the investigation has connections to Philadelphia and Albuquerque, N.M. Philadelphia Police Department vice detectives arrested one suspect in the case; the Albuquerque Police Department Vice Unit conducted a search on the Desert Divas New Mexico office Monday and arrested several suspects.
On Monday, Valley police and deputies served nine search warrants; arrested nine of the top members of the organization; and seized three residences, eight vehicles -- including a Ferrari 43C CP -- and one motorcycle, authorities said.
The others arrested besides Nichta and Levatter were Scott Eder, 35; Peter Shifman, 56; Billi Mayfield, 19; Adam Beech, 25; Charles Sanders, 29; Louis Sterling, 55; William Ferretti, 65; and Chloe Magouliotis, 23.
Some women have also been arrested on prostitution charges, investigators said, and they expect arrests to continue in the weeks ahead.
"This investigation successfully targeted a large scale, sophisticated organization dealing in prostitution and pornography, which are often referred to as 'victimless crimes,'" Harris said. PHOENIX -- Fifty people have been charged in connection with a major three-state prostitution ring based in the Valley, authorities sa... more -
12-year-old boy shoots his mother
Cochise County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carol Capas says deputies were called to a home Friday near Douglas on the Mexican border. They found 34-year-old Sara Madrid shot multiple times. She died at a hospital.
The boy was booked into the county juvenile detention center on a charge of first-degree murder.
Capas says the boy was at home with his mother, stepfather and a sibling when an argument broke out. The parents left, and when they returned the boy opened fire on his mom. No one else was hurt.
Capas says she does not know what the argument was about. Cochise County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carol Capas says deputies were called to a home Friday near Douglas on the Mexican border. They f... more -
Alligator Gar caught in Arizona.
Kiwanis Lake in Tempe, Arizona, is a popular fishing spot for adults and children alike. It appears that the lake is also home to at least one gar fish. Looking alarmingly like a cross between an alligator and a fish, the garfish - also known gator fish, fishgator, or alligator gar -- has a long snout and several sharp teeth that are rather visible.
Fox 11 from Arizona reports that such an alligator gar swallowed the bait of young Jose Chavez, fishing for catfish alongside his father. What makes this find newsworthy - and dangerous - is the fact that gar fish are considered a highly aggressive predatory fish species which Arizona residents are forbidden from owning, even in their home aquariums.
The fishgator caught by young Mr. Chavez was about the length of a child's arm and looked rather skinny. You may see footage of this alligator gar on the CNN website where the catch is proudly presented to onlookers.
However, to truly understand the alarm of the Arizona Fish and Wildlife Department at the sudden appearance of this garfish, take a look at the alligator gar Tom Wingstad pulled out of Texas' Trinity River in May! The Salt Lake Tribune showcases the jaw dropping gar that measures 7'4", weighed in at 200 pounds, and was thought to be about 50 years old!
The gator gar is an odd fish. Although it appears to be rather unsophisticated, it is a killer that is uniquely adapted to survival. Unlike most fish, the gator fish has lungs that can breathe normal air for up to two hours, enabling it to be dangerous even when pulled out of the water. Native to the fresh waters of southern bayous, rivers and lakes, it is reputed - by one John Clifford -- to even attack alligators and swim away victoriously.
The moral of the story is two-fold: while X-Files aficionados are watching the skies, those with their tootsies in the water will do well to keep a keen eye on that which is below. Kiwanis Lake in Tempe, Arizona, is a popular fishing spot for adults and children alike. It appears that the lake is also home to at l... more -
Emperor - Chapter 14
More than Seventy Years of Suppression & Repression
1937: Hemp banned. Only an estimated 60,000 Americans smoke “marijuana,” but thanks to Hearst and Anslinger’s disinformation campaign, virtually everyone in the country has heard of it.
1945: Newsweek reports that over 100,000 people now smoke marijuana.
1967: Millions of Americans regularly and openly smoke hemp leaves and flowers.
1977:Tens of millions smoke cannabis regularly, with many people growing their own.
2007: One in three Americans, approximately 100+ million citizens, have now tried it at least once, and some 10-20% (25 to 50 million Americans) still choose to buy and smoke cannabis regularly, despite urine tests and tougher laws.
Throughout history, Americans have held the legal tradition that one could not give up one’s constitutional rights—and if someone was stripped of these protections, then he or she was being victimized. However, by 1989, if you signed up for an extracurricular activity in school or applied for a minimum wage job, you could be asked to forego your right to privacy, protection from self-incrimination, Constitutional requirements of reasonable grounds for search and seizure, presumed innocence until found guilty by your peers, and that most fundamental right of all: personal responsibility for your own life and consciousness.
By 1995, the U. S. Supreme Court upheld that these intrusions into your individual privacy were constitutional!
In November 1996, as earlier stated, California passed a statewide people’s initiative that won by 56% of the vote and legalized medical marijuana within the state. Also in November 1996, Arizona passed a statewide initiative (by 65% of the vote) that included medical marijuana but, unlike California law, Arizona’s legislature and the governor (now impeached) can and have since rejected this people’s law. This was the first rejection by the legislature and the governor of any Arizona state initiative in 90 years! More than Seventy Years of Suppression & Repression ... more -
Piping Arizona
Greg Ayers shreds a large unidentified piece of pipe that was found out in the desert of Arizona. Up and down, back and forth. From the movie "Skateboard Madness," narrated by Phil Hartman. Greg Ayers shreds a large unidentified piece of pipe that was found out in the desert of Arizona. Up and down, back and forth. From th... more
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First Human Death From West Nile Confirmed In Arizona
Phoenix (ChattahBox) - The first death from the West Nile virus has been confirmed in the state of Arizona.
The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed that an elderly woman from Phoenix, Arizona has died from the mosquito-borne illness.
The West Nile virus killed the woman, who was said to be in her 80s.
It impacts those with a weak immune system most, such as the elderly and young children, with symptoms including fever, headaches, etc.
In 2007, the CDC reported that 124 deaths were linked to the West Nile virus. Phoenix (ChattahBox) - The first death from the West Nile virus has been confirmed in the state of Arizona. ... more -
Another School Shooting - This time in Arizona
This college is pretty close to me. So many shootings lately. I don't really get it. Also wondering how long it's going to take to tie it to violent video games. This college is pretty close to me. So many shootings lately. I don't really get it. Also wondering how long it's going t... more
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Tribe says border fence restricts sacred rites
Calling it an affront to religious freedom, representatives of an Arizona Indian tribe have asked the federal government to halt construction of a border fence across the tribe's Arizona reservation.
Leaders of the Tohono O'odham nation say the fence, currently being built along the U.S.-Mexican border by the Department of Homeland Security, will prevent members of their nation from crossing into Mexico for traditional religious ceremonies.
"This wall and the construction of this wall has destroyed our communities, our burial sites and ancient Tohono O'odham routes throughout our lands," said Ofelia Rivas, according to the Washington Times.
Rivas argued that the fence will violate the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act, which guarantees free exercise of traditional religious practices for Native Americans. She said that the fence would disrupt such practices by limiting travel to and from O'odham land in Mexico.
The Tohono O'odham reservation straddles the Mexican border for 75 miles in Arizona, and extends south into Mexico. According to the 2000 census, 18,000 people live on the reservation, which spans an area roughly the size of Connecticut.
Rivas' statement is the latest salvo from the Tohono O'odham nation protesting the fence. The community has been at odds with the federal government in recent years over how best to deal with undocumented immigrants and smugglers who cross through tribal lands.
Testifying in front of a House subcommittee last April, the nation's chairman, Ned Norris Jr., called the Department of Homeland Security "inflexible" and "unreasonable," and framed the fence as part of a larger problem facing the nation.
"Our land is now cut in half, with O'odham communities, sacred sites, salt pilgrimage routes, and families divided," Norris said. "We did not cross the 75 miles of border within our reservation lands. The border crossed us." Calling it an affront to religious freedom, representatives of an Arizona Indian tribe have asked the federal government to halt const... more -
The Most Magnificent Wonders of the Natural World
Mother Nature's creations inspire awe and humility in all who witness her greatest wonders.
Mother Nature is a powerful and awesome force. Here are some examples of her most spectacular creations. Mother Nature's creations inspire awe and humility in all who witness her greatest wonders. ... more -
Shaq booted from sheriff's 'posse' for Kobe rap
Shaquille O'Neal will lose his special deputy's badge in Phoenix Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center's use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.
"I want his two badges back," Arpaio said. "Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they're fired. I don't condone this type of racial conduct."
haq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that "Kobe couldn't do without me." O'Neal skewers the Lakers' star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.
"I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever," O'Neal told ESPN.com Monday. A call to the Suns on Tuesday seeking comment from O'Neal was referred to his public relations firm, which didn't immediately respond.
Arpaio, who describes himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff" and is best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn't expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.
"Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn't there," Arpaio said. Shaquille O'Neal will lose his special deputy's badge in Phoenix Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video ... more -
Ralph Nader gets Arizona Ballot Access
"On June 4, Ralph Nader will be turning in approximately 50,000 signatures to be an independent presidential candidate in Arizona. The requirement is 21,759 signatures. Assuming Nader has enough valid signatures, he will be the first independent presidential candidate to qualify in Arizona in the history of the existing law, which was passed in 1993."
-Ballot Access News "On June 4, Ralph Nader will be turning in approximately 50,000 signatures to be an independent presidential candidate in Arizona... more -
In The Ghetto
At the center of my town is a smaller, older part of town originally known as Fry Town. This is located just down the road from my nice neighboorhood, and this place is an entity all it's own. This is where the druggies live and frequent. They have trashed the area and police/the community has not yet done anything to clean up the mess they have made. Dozens of discarded old couches lay in piles along with other big and small debris. Dilapidated and condemned trailers have been torn apart and strewn about, other trailers have been burned down, and never cleaned up afterwards.
I mean jesus! It's so sad. It has become a ghost town almost now, but a few people are still living within the trailers and houses that haven't been borded up by the cops and marked with a red "PRIVATE PROPERTY" sign.
It just doesnt look right for a town in America. It's been like this for a long, long time. I wonder what any of us can do. At the center of my town is a smaller, older part of town originally known as Fry Town. This is located just down the road from my nic... more
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