AdamSmith

Can't take the heat. Rand Paul ends Q&A when pressed on GOP voters' views on race and policing Republican presidential candidate walks out of Guardian interview in third testy exchange with media this week as rocky start to campaign continues http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/10/rand-paul-walks-out-live-interview

From attending a number of the annual Dark Shadows Festivals over the years (first went in 1993 -- when Louis Edmonds sort of propositioned me ), I got to know Lara Parker a little bit. Enough for her to remember me by name, and what we talked about last time we met. She used to be a high school English teacher, so as fellow lit'rature aficionados we found some common interests. She is the sweetest person. Some videos from the last one I went to, in 2011...

Or if you prefer...

A Gay Sex Harassment Case Gives a Glimpse of Vatican Orgies The Daily Beast The alleged victim of a horny cleric in southern Italy takes him to court, and (once again) blows the lid off sexual corruption in the Catholic Church. If only there was an online hookup site especially for gay priests, perhaps it could save the Vatican some of the embarrassment that comes when celibacy-challenged prelates start snooping around for some action. Instead, we are reminded once again about the secret desires of the not-really-so-chaste. The latest awkward moment for the Catholic Church came this week when the archbishop of Taranto in the southern Italian province of Puglia dismissed Father Antonio Calvieri, a priest in his 50s who worked at the monastery of the local Carmelite order. Calvieri is the subject of a sexual harassment charge and lawsuit by Andrea Baldon, a 32-year-old man the priest apparently had set his sights on. According to court documents filed in Taranto, Baldon is seeking unspecified damages against Calvieri as well as the church of the Santissimo Crocefisso after apparent aggressive sexual harassment. Baldon, who met Calvieri online when he was seeking spiritual guidance, gave the court photos including screenshots of the priest, Facebook messages, and chat messages the two exchanged. There are also reportedly hard-core videos of Calvieri with other men assumed to be priests and in solo acts, according to local press reports. In one message, Calvieri allegedly asks Baldon if he knows any young 17-year-old men who are “thin and well endowed.” He also allegedly promised Baldon orgies with Swiss Guards and Roman priests, which is apparently the pinnacle when it comes to priestly peccadilloes. In his lengthy court deposition, reprinted in part by Corriere Della Sera, Baldon says that on more than one occasion, he engaged in Skype calls with Calvieri, intending to seek spiritual comfort after he lost his job as a manual laborer. Often the priest was nude and visibly excited with the camera angled in such a way that suggested he wanted Baldon to notice. A few weeks after they met, Baldon said the priest confessed that he was gay and that he had a difficult time stifling his desires. That, according to Baldon, is when he started taking screenshots and recording some of the conversations. In one video, Calvieri apparently talks about his fantasies, in which he says he would like Baldon to dress like Catholic bad boy Judas Iscariot, one of the original 12 apostles who famously betrayed Jesus. “He wanted me to do everything,” Baldon said, according to Corriere Della Sera in its excerpts of the court document. “His fantasy was that I was Judas Iscariot and, since I had betrayed Jesus, I had to pay the price by becoming his slave.” Calvieri also apparently told Baldon stories about gay orgies among priests in Rome, including many who worked in the Curia, echoing previous accusations about a gay lobby in the heart of the Holy See. Last June, Pope Francis told a group of Latin American priests that such a lobby exists and that he intended to dismantle it. “They speak of a ‘gay lobby,’ and that is true, it is there,” he told the priests, according to the Chilean website “Reflexión y Liberación” (in a post which has since been taken down). When Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation in February 2013, many Vatican insiders hinted that it was because of gay sex scandals. According to local press reports in Puglia, the case against the priest includes evidence of sex for hire with young male prostitutes, intimate photos, and what appears to be a list of priests interested in similar encounters that is passed around like a little black book for anyone who might be interested in gay sex with priests. The diocese of Taranto confirmed to The Daily Beast that a priest was let go, but would not comment on the allegations. A lawyer representing the diocese would not comment on the case. A Vatican spokesperson said the matter was being handled on a local level and not by Rome. Baldon told local reporters that he suffered psychological damage from the encounter with the priest, and is in counseling as he tries to come to terms with what he feels is a betrayal of his faith. The two met in mid-December and Baldon said he terminated the relationship with the priest on March 25, when he filed the court document. The archbiship of Taranto officially let Calvieri go on Easter Monday. Calvieri gets to keep his collar because only the Vatican can order him defrocked, and the errant priest could seek work in another diocese. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/10/a-gay-sex-harassment-case-gives-a-glimpse-of-vatican-orgies.html

Several years old obviously but still.

South Carolina officer radioed in Taser claim six seconds after firing final shot Analysis of police audio synced with video raises further questions about whether officers performed any CPR on Walter Scott after he was shot eight times The police officer who shot Walter Scott radioed in to claim that Scott had "grabbed my Taser," six seconds after firing his final shot, despite video suggesting the unarmed man was not in possession of the stun gun at any point, a Guardian analysis has shown. Syncing police scanner audio with a shocking video the eyewitness footage out of South Carolina which led to officer Michael Slager being charged with murder raises further questions about whether either of two officers on the video performed any CPR on Scott as was previously claimed by police. Analysis of the police radio shows Slager, the officer who shot at Scott eight times, making the radio call announcing the shots and alleging the Taser seizure, sounding frantic and breathless at the same time as he walks slowly towards Scott's body... http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/08/south-carolina-walter-scott-shooting-audio-video

Lawmakers warn DOJ to back off medical marijuana prosecutions By BURGESS EVERETT 4/8/15 6:24 PM EDT politico.com With Capitol Hill and the Justice Department locked in a feud over the future of medical marijuana, two leading congressional marijuana reform advocates are warning Justice that it's violating a new federal law. In a letter addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder, Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.) on Wednesday said the Justice Department's interpretation of their medical marijuana amendment in last year's spending bill is "emphatically wrong."... Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/lawmakers-warn-doj-to-back-off-medical-marijuana-prosecutions-116781.html#ixzz3WleiUono

Token resistance!

Joanie had a maid and a butler for that. (She really did.)

Sage observations from MsGuy. My bet is he gets life.

Sick, and sad. At least now after Ferguson, the news media is paying some attention. For how long, we'll see.

From a gearhead friend on Facebook...

I thought this might attract your eye. Fascinating (Captain ) to see at this very granular level exactly how crew and ground worked through this whole mission. Oh for the days of the Right Stuff again.

Looking for some foolishness to post in a nekkid thread I found NASA's Apollo 13 mission transcripts. The good (bad) stuff starts about here... 02 07 52 58 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 13, we've got one more item for you, when you get a chance. We'd like you to stir up your cryo tanks. In addition, I have shaft and trunnion 02 07 53 07 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) for looking at the Comet Bennett, if you need it. 02 07 53 12 Jack Swigert (CMP) Okay. Stand by. 02 07 55 19 Fred Haise (LMP) KEY MOMENT "Houston, we've had a problem.": Okay, Houston 02 07 55 20 Jack Swigert (CMP) I believe we've had a problem here. 02 07 55 28 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) This is Houston. Say again, please. 02 07 55 35 Jim Lovell (CDR) Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a MAIN B BUS UNDERVOLT. 02 07 55 42 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. MAIN B UNDERVOLT. 02 07 55 58 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Okay, stand by, 13. We're looking at it. 02 07 56 10 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. Right now, Houston, the voltage isis looking good. And we had a pretty large bang associated with the CAUTION AND WARNING there. And as I recall, MAIN B was the one that had had an amp spike on it once before. 02 07 56 40 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger, Fred. 02 07 56 54 Fred Haise (LMP) In the interim here, we're starting to go ahead and button up the tunnel again. 02 07 57 01 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. 02 07 57 04 Fred Haise (LMP) Yes. That jolt must have rocked the sensor onsee nowO2 QUANTITY 2. Itwas oscillating down around 20 to 60 percent. Now it's fullscale high again. 02 07 57 22 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. 02 07 57 30 Jim Lovell (CDR) And, Houston, we had a RESTART on our computer and we had a PGNCS light and the RESTART RESET. 02 07 57 37 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. RESTART and a PGNCS light. RESET on a PGNCS, RESET 02 07 57 44 Jim Lovell (CDR) Okay. And we're looking at our SSERVICE MODULE RCS HELIUM 1. We haveB is barber poled and D is barber poled, HELIUM 2, D is barber pole, and SECONDARY PROPELLANTS, I have A and C barber pole. BMAG temperatures? 02 07 58 07 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay, AC 2 is showing zip. I'm going to try to reconfigure on that, Jack. 02 07 58 13 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. 02 07 58 25 Fred Haise (LMP) Yes. We got a MAIN BUS A UNDERVOLT now, too, showing. 02 07 58 29 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) MAIN A UNDERVOLT. 02 07 58 33 Fred Haise (LMP) It's reading about 25-1/2, MAIN B is reading zip right now. 02 07 59 33 Jim Lovell (CDR) And, Houston, Odyssey. 02 07 59 38 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Stand by 1, Jim. 02 08 00 35 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 13, Houston. We'd like you to attempt to reconnect fuel cell 1 to MAIN A and fuel cell 3 to MAIN B. Verify that quad Delta is open. 02 08 00 53 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay, Houston. I'm showingI tried to reset and fuel cell 1 and 3 are both showing gray flags, but they are both showing zip on the flows. 02 08 01 08 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) We copy. 02 08 03 17 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay, Houston. Are you still reading 13? 02 08 03 20 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) That's affirmative. We're reading you. We're trying to come up with some good ideas here for you. 02 08 03 29 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. Let me give you some reading in the interim to help MAIN A voltage, Jack. I've got BUS TIE AC on. 02 08 03 37 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Say again, Fred. 02 08 03 42 Fred Haise (LMP) In the interim, to help out MAIN A voltage, I've got MAIN BUS TIE BAT AC on. Or would you rather accept the 25 volts we are seeing on MAIN A? 02 08 03 52 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Okay. BUS TIE AC on. 02 08 04 09 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 13, Houston. We need OMNI Charlie, please. 02 08 04 19 Fred Haise (LMP) You got it. 02 08 05 32 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 13, Houston. We'd like you to verify couple of readings for us. We would like the nitrogen pressure on fuel cell 1. We need the oxygen pressure on fuel cell 2. 02 08 05 46 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. Nitrogen on 1 and oxygen on 2. Is that correct? 02 08 05 50 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Negative. Oxygen on 3. 02 08 05 54 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. 02 08 06 24 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. The systems test 1-A says zip. 02 08 06 44 Fred Haise (LMP) And 2 Baker, which is 3 oxygen, says 0.6. 02 08 06 50 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 2 Baker says 0.6, and say again the other one. 02 08 06 57 Fred Haise (LMP) Fuel cell 1 nitrogen reads zero. 02 08 07 01 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. Zero. 02 08 08 47 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) 13, Houston. We'd like you to open circuit fuel cell 1; leave 2 and 3 as is. 02 08 08 55 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. I'll get to work on that. 02 08 08 57 Jim Lovell (CDR) And, Jack, our O2 quantity number 2 tank is reading zero. Did you get that? 02 08 09 04 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) O2 QUANTITY number 2 is zero. 02 08 09 07 Jim Lovell (CDR) That's AC, okay. Yes, that's good AC and it looks to me, looking out the hatch, that we are venting something. We are venting something out into theinto space. 02 08 09 22 Jack Lousma (CAPCOM) Roger. We copy your venting. 02 08 09 29 Jim Lovell (CDR) It's a gas of some sort. 02 08 09 49 Fred Haise (LMP) Okay. Fuel cell 1, you just wanted it off the line now, Jack, is that right? Cont. at: http://apollo13.spacelog.org/page/02:07:55:19/

You have to admire Flynt for keeping on aggravating the system in the name of what he thinks is right. Larry Flynt wins right to access Missouri execution records Court allows Hustler magazine publisher to examine sealed records out of his interest to know how drugs are administered upon state's death row inmates http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/07/larry-flynt-missouri-execution-records

Caution when bringing in content from an alien ecosystem... Nicaragua Canal Project Could Bring Yellow-Bellied Sea Snakes Into Caribbean By John B. Virata A canal project that connects the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea via Lake Nicaragua and was recently approved by the government of Nicaragua could provide a waterway for the yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platura) to travel into Lake Nicaragua as well as into the Caribbean Sea, where there are no sea snakes. The arrival of the sea snake and other organisms into Lake Nicaragua and into the Caribbean could have potentially detrimental effects to their respective ecosystems, according to scientists. "Like any invasive species, it is often difficult to predict the impact, John Murphy, herpetologist and research associate at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago told Discovery News. "But, the freshwater fish of the lake would be naïve to the snakes and some could be extirpated. Murphy told Discovery News that although Pelamis platura could survive in the lake, the snake has a slow reproduction rate (one to three offspring in a clutch at a time), which would limit its capability to dominate the lake. A seemingly larger concern would be a potential pathway for the snake to the Caribbean Sea, which has no native sea snakes. The canal would also bring sea water into the lake that could then change its pH and temperature, possibly disrupting the flora and fauna that reside in the lake, and the water coming out of the lake and into the Caribbean Sea could have a negative effect on Nicaragua's coastal mangroves forests, an area in which Hawksbill sea turtles live and forage. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Snakes/Wild-Snakes/Nicaragua-Canal-Project-Could-Bring-Yellow-Bellied-Sea-Snakes-Into-Caribbean/