A groovy place in cyberspace run by author Lolita Files. Come on in. Bring some Pepsi.
Lo Fun Fact #1
"Lolita Files" is my real name. It is not a pen name, as incredible as that may seem. There are plenty of Files family members and people who have known me for years capable of validating this. As for the "Lolita" part, my mother named me after the movie based on Nabokov's book, although she saw or read neither. To this day, she has no idea what a "Lolita" is.
Lo Fun Fact #2
I love fried chicken and fabulous shoes. If you ever want to get on my good side, send Popeye's or Mr. Chicken (my favorite spot in Cleveland) and a pair of
Christian Louboutins.
Lo Fun Fact #3
Never show up unannounced or without a Pepsi (preferably Pepsi Jazz Caramel Cream). Better yet, how about not show up at all?
Lo Fun Fact #4
I hate the telephone. Don't get mad if I don't call you. I don't call anyone. Don't call me asking why I don't call. Just don't call, okay?
Lo Fun Fact #5
I love the internet!!! I love communicating through the internet!!! You can e-mail me and odds are I'll e-mail you right back (if I'm not in the middle of a major project). Makes up for my hangup about the phone, doesn't it? See, I'm not so bad after all!!!
Lo Fun Fact #6
I can't stand IMing. Please don't IM me. You will get the cold shoulder. I don't like giving people the cold shoulder, so please don't put me in that position.
Lo Fun Fact #7
I have four five wonderful, slap-happy dogs and a bird (some kind of dove/pigeon mix), all of whom I love to pieces. If you meet me and ask me about my dogs and bird, we'll be instant friends. If you meet me and ask me why the f*ck I have four five dogs and a bird, see the above fun fact for how I will respond.
Bonnie and Clyde
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Statistics have shown that one of the common themes for marriage not working is money. Usually that is due to a lack of money.
Well, one couple decided to insulate themselves from that by robbing a bank a few weeks after they got hitched.
Two newlyweds were arrested and accused of robbing a Utah County bank, just weeks after getting married. Kylee and Joshua Rich of Lehi are due in federal court Wednesday to hear the charges. Kylee Rich, 20, was arrested Saturday, shortly after swapping cars with her husband, who is accused of robbing $3,100 from a Wells Fargo branch in Lindon that day, the FBI said. Police caught him Sunday in Pleasant Grove.
Besides that heist, Joshua Rich, 25, was charged with robbing the same bank on Nov. 10 and Nov. 27.
"The wife was supposedly involved in only the third one," FBI agent Scott Wall said.
The Riches were married in November, shortly after the first robbery, Pleasant Grove police Capt. Cody Cullimore said.
The money was spent on the wedding and trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, Calif., he said.
It looks like they went to Vegas and Palm Springs to double up that money, looks like they will be doing double the time.
Yesterday I posted regarding Brandy's trials surrounding a recent accident. It appears they were setting her up to take her loot after all.
The parents of a woman killed in a freeway crash involving Brandy sued the actress-singer for $50 million Tuesday.The wrongful-death suit claims Brandy was driving recklessly when her Land Rover struck the back of a Honda driven by Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, "The Insider" first reported.
Was it really ever about the loss of life or are they just seizing the moment? Had this accident been an average civilian what would have been there options.
Every week I look for little glimpses of Lo and Company (this kinda reminds me of Where's Waldo). Well, this week I found a 33 second clip of the production Love In The Nick of Tyme. The music sounds really nice.
As for those of you in New Jersey (Feb. 1st - 4th) and Detroit (Feb 6th - 11th) get ready, because they are headed your way!!
I have a friend, let’s call her Marie, who is a mother of two (ages 2 and 2 months). The father of her kids, we’ll call him Curtis, is a kid himself (early 20’s) and just not up to the challenge of manhood and fatherhood. She’s in her early twenties also, but was basically the more responsible of the two. They had been married just over two years when he decided he couldn’t handle it and so he left for another woman, whom he’s not happy with either. Go figure.
For her part, Marie did verbally emasculate Curtis at times, because she didn’t agree with his leadership style. A lot of times she would end up having to do the things she asked him to do like cut the grass or fix something herself. He also made bad decisions when it came to money, because he wanted that “balla” lifestyle without putting in the work. Needless to say, they are going through a divorce.
Marie is very attractive and has a great head on her shoulders, but she wants to be married again. I’ve encouraged her that she won’t be on the market long, but of course there are no guarantees. So here’s the question I have. Hopefully I can get some of the guys to come out of the woodworks and respond to this or some sisters who have experienced something similar. The question is what are the chances of a sister finding another mate who has two young children? Does having the kids throw her out of contention even if she has everything else on the ball?
What are your thoughts, what are your experiences?
Sometimes what turns out to be an unfortunate accident ends up getting turned into a career event for those in law enforcement.
The California Highway Patrol recommended Monday that actress-singer Brandy be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in a freeway crash that killed a woman motorist last month, a city attorney's spokesman told The Associated Press.
The CHP referred the matter to the city attorney's office for review, said spokesman Nick Velasquez.
"The office is currently reviewing the case and determining whether the evidence warrants the filing of a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter," Velasquez said.
A message seeking comment from Brandy's publicist, Courtney Barnes, was not immediately returned. Earlier this month, Barnes issued a statement saying Brandy "wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased."
Barnes also has said Brandy wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, Velasquez said.
Hopefully they want try and make a case of this. It seems that it was clearly an accident and that no foul play was at hand.
Have you ever seen a time when someone young won the lottery?
It seems all the old heads always win. What's up with that?
A World War II veteran and his family stepped forward Monday to claim a Powerball jackpot worth more than a quarter-billion dollars, one of the largest single-ticket lottery prizes in U.S. history.
Jim Wilson II, 84, and his wife, Shirley, 79, claimed the winning prize from last Wednesday's drawing, along with their three sons.
"I was absolutely astonished," said Jim Wilson, a retired electrician who served in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Africa and Europe, at an afternoon news conference. "I couldn't believe it, and still don't."
He bought the winning ticket — with the numbers 9-19-29-42-53 and a Powerball number of 17 — at a grocery store in St. Louis County. The store will get $50,000.
When the Wilsons learned they had won, they got professional financial advice before claiming the prize.
Jim Wilson II has the option of receiving $254 million in 30 payments over 29 years, or accepting a lump-sum payment worth $120 million before taxes.
The couple said they will share the money with their sons. The St. Louis family has been buying family Powerball tickets for years with the understanding that they'd share any winnings, the Missouri Lottery said.
Two sons — Bill, 54, and Jim III, 59 — lost their jobs in the past year, though Bill Wilson has found a new one. Another son, Terry, 53, said he hasn't had a vacation in 30 years and will probably go to Australia.
The couple also said they will set aside money for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
You know all that sounds good, but can a brother under 40 win the jackpot?
Preferably that brother will be me. Sorry Lance. But hey I will share when I win. Party on South Beach!
It looks like Hillary is making her intentions known right out the gate.
"This was his decision to go to war with an ill-conceived plan and an incompetently executed strategy,"
She further stated:
"I am going to level with you, the president has said this is going to be left to his successor," Clinton said. "I think it is the height of irresponsibility and I really resent it."
Not only does she do a good job of distancing herself from Bush but she also made it clear that she's in it to win it by opening herself up to foreign policy issues early on. Some are concerned that she wouldn't be able to stand up to the challenge of dealing with evil men as it relates to foreign affairs, but I think she's pretty tough.
I guess I have to keep my options open and watch this race pretty closely.
The comeback of the year happened on Saturday. Ohhh, you didn't hear about it either. It seems that's the way it is when you are the NTLTH (you'll figure it out).
I guess it's like Jay-Z says "You paper chasing and they paper hating".
Serena Williams knows about that all to well. Her win Saturday over Maria Sharapova catapulted her from being ranked number 81 to number 14 in the women's tennis rankings.
Her win is also the result of overcoming personal tragedy (death of a sister and a lawsuit involving her sister, Venus, and father, Richard) and injuries sustained from previous tournament play. However, instead of cheers and support for her comeback, she was met with criticism and limited fanfare from the press. Prior to the Australian Open, critics said she was too fat to play in the event. They must have meant the street version; PHAT - Plenty Hips...you know the rest.
Serena of coursed silenced her critics and to boot boasted of her 28 inch waist and other two assets. Enough said!
As much as I like watching movies, I don't get the opportunity to go to the theater as much as I like so I do a lot of video rentals. Therefore it takes me a minute to see some of the highly publicized movies. Sometimes that's a good thing. Case in point, Snakes On A Plane. The movie was totally overhyped and not that good, sorry Samuel L. The only surprise that I received was that my kids weren't scared of watching the snakes. However, I've never been fond of those creatures, to this day.
There was a scene in the movie where a "thick" caucasian lady had a snake sliding up under her dress. She was a bit intoxicated, but seemed to be loving the contact that the snake was making, at least she gave that impression from her vocal emissions.
Seemingly she isn't the only one to thinks snakes on the body feels good.
An Israeli health and beauty spa has introduced a new treatment to its menu -- snake massage.
For 300 shekels ($70), clients at Ada Barak's spa in northern Israel can add a wild twist to their treatment by having six non-venomous but very lively serpents slither and hiss a path across their aching muscles and stiff joints.
"I'm actually afraid of snakes, but the therapeutic effects are really good," customer Liz Cohen told Reuters Television as Barak let the snakes loose on her body.
Barak uses California and Florida king snakes, corn snakes and milk snakes in her treatments, which she said were inspired by her belief that once people get over any initial misgivings, they find physical contact with the creatures to be soothing.
As far as massage goes, I think I'd prefer a sexy lady with a happy ending to slithering serpents. Not that I know anything about either, but I'm just saying.
For today's flashback I had to go to school for a minute, because for more than thirty years I have held on to misinformation. No one placed it there, I just assumed something that wasn't the truth. I arrived at my conclusion because of inferences that I made from a simple observance.
While watching an episode of Soul Train at the age of seven, I had the experience of witnessing a performance by Rufus and Chaka Khan. The year was 1974 and they were performing Tell Me Something Good. As a young kid I was strictly into R&B, so the sound was hot to me as well as the rest of the R&B community. However, what I didn't know until, well, today was that Rufus was not one of the guys in the group but the name of the band. I suppose it was a simple mistake, considering you had artists like Ike and Tina Turner performing in those days. So I just assumed it was a similar naming convention. It never occurred to me that Rufus wasn't a guy, but a group of guys. So now that we have that cleared up, Chaka Khan is the artist for today's Friday Flashback.
Chaka's career spans five decades, because she started her first group at the age of eleven. She began touring while still in high school with a group known as the Afro-Arts Theater. As part of that group she got the opportunity to travel with Motown great Mary Wells. A few years following this she stopped using her given name, Yvette Marie Stevens, and began using the African name Chaka Khan. This was undoubtedly due to her ties with The Black Panthers; she worked as a volunteer for the Black Panthers Free Breakfast for Children Program.
During her career she has earned eight Grammy's as well as numerous other accolades. She is most known for her R&B influences, but has explored Pop, Disco, Funk, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Adult Contemporary, and Ballads. For today's musical selection we will pull out two of the releases that catapulted her career back into the public eye in the 80's. She released a solo effort, the platinum selling album I Feel For You, which is one of today's featured songs. That album also has the single Through the Fire, a ballad for the ages. The second song that you will get to listen to will be the tune Aint Nobody, which she performed with the GROUP Rufus, on their final album, Stompin' at the Savoy (Live). This is a two record albulm (now available on disc) that features many of their hit songs from back in the day. I'm sure you all will enjoy all three (we might as well hear Through the Fire while we are at it).
Through the Fire
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
Ain't Nobody
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
I Feel For You (Check out Turbo and Ozone from the movie Breakin')
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
One more for all you Superwomen out there
I'm Every Woman
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
Enjoy the music! This is your main man, Rich in the STL, standing in for the talented and lovely Ms. Lolita Files. Peace, love and enjoy your weekend. I'm out!
I've been meaning to do a post for Lo Zone regular Matt ever since I started posting. Although, his humor can be totally off the wall at times, I think he is crazy funny.
I heard about this story a little while ago, but kept forgetting to post it. However, there is no better time like the present.
Aside from Addis Ababa, Darfur and other African Provinces. Matt is totally in love with Tia and Tamara Mowry. Unfortunately for Matt, one of them is about to come off the market.
Tia's boyfriend of six years, actor Corey Hardrict, proposed to her in front of her entire family on Christmas day. The actress was both surprised and overjoyed by the proposal. As for Corey, he must really be in love, because he was in tears during the proposal, which of course made her follow suit. Isn't love a beautiful thing!
Matt, at least there is another one out there for you, and she looks just as hot! So you better get to work before she's gone too.
I have a general question for the masses, just something I've thought about before. If you fall for a guy or girl who has an identical twin, does that mean you are attracted to their twin. How does that work? Anyone have a twin experience they'd like to share?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may not think Dreamgirls deserves an Oscar for Best Picture, although it did receive eight other nominations, but I sure do. I simply loved the movie, and that's saying a lot for someone who isn't a fan of musicals. In fact, I usually prefer to roll right on by the music and opt for the dramitazation, but that was definitely not the case with Dreamgirls. The all-star cast, the love, the emotion, and the music made for such a great cinematic experience.
It's a movie I would whole-heartedly recommend. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and catch it before it leaves theaters.
Sex offenders are stooping to an all time low. A 29yr old "youthful" looking sex offender, Neil Havens Rodreick II, enrolled into the 7th grade and tried to pass himself off as a 12 yr old.
He didn't get caught until his 61 year old sex offender "buddy", Lonnie Stiffler, came to the school posing as his Grandfather and submitted paperwork that looked suspicious. School officials thought Rodrieck looked at most 15, but thought he was a victim of abduction and alerted authorities. While this was going on, the 29yr old was being tested for class placement.
Later in the day, police figured out what was going on and Rodreick was arrested. Stiffler was apprehended later while hanging out with two other sex offenders, Brian J. Nellis (34) and Robert James Snow (43). Police took them all into custody.
So, is there some sex-offender network that the public needs to know about because according to the laws that are on the books we are supposed to know where these people are in our communities. It looks like they are the ones in the know and not us.
Ladies can appreciate a man who knows how to dress. In fact, some men have found that their haute couture has allowed them to be noticed by women who ordinarily would not have given them a second look.
The idea is to present yourself in the “fly-est” of fashions and then confidently approach your awaiting admirer, strike up a conversation and then attempt to win her over with your charm, intelligence and wit.
Sounds easy enough. That is, unless you walk up in a pair of these.
According to a fashion house out of Milan, leggings are the latest must have in men’s fashion.
I’on know about all of that! I can’t see too many guys strolling confidently around in a pair of these, even if they are in touch with their feminine side.
What do you think ladies? Hot or not? Ultimately, men are just trying to impress you anyway. The only upside I see is that you get to show what you are working with a little better.
Anyone with canines knows that on occasion their pet will jump at the opportunity to eat the food in their plate. Dogs love the taste and it beats the regular dog food diet any day. To compensate for the routine meal, dog food companies are known for creating recipes that mirror human dishes, ala turkey and rice, beef and cheese, etc. Apparently, that’s not enough. It seems like someone figured their four-legged friends needed to add another dimension to their menus: beer. That’s right, you can now purchase a “forty” for man’s best friend.
After a long day hunting, there's nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold bottle of beer. So Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt.
"Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," she said.
Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the nonalcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised it as "a beer for your best friend."
"Kwispel" is the Dutch word for wagging a tail.
The beer is fit for human consumption, Berenden said. But at euro1.65 ($2.14) a bottle, it's about four times more expensive than a Heineken.
The more I live, the more I see the need for creating my own wealth. It’s great to have a job. Heck, I have one now, but companies (not all of them) have shown over and over again that they care about the bottom line and not the people who work for them. Here are the statistics on the latest casualties from the Corporate World.
Drug firm Pfizer cuts 10,000 jobs
The shake-up comes as the world's biggest drugs firm faces rising competition from generic drugmakers. Pfizer said it planned to close three research sites and two factories in the US, as well as a factory in Germany and research sites in Japan and France. The company earlier reported a sharp rise in full-year profits to $19.34bn, from $8.9bn in 2005.
I’ve had the experience of enduring a layoff and it’s no fun not knowing how you are going to take care of your family. It was out of that experience that I decided that never again will I rely solely on someone else’s vision to provide for me. It’s important to have as many streams of income as possible. I currently have two, but I’m working on two more. If you only have one, it’s high time you gave some thought to your own back up plan.
For those of you who didn't know, Lo is touring with David E. Talbert and Co. with the play
Love in the Nick of Tyme.
The show just left New York and now the show is headed for Florida (Orlando Jan. 23rd and 24th, Miami Jan. 25th and 28th)
See what viewers are saying:
I attended the opening in Houston, Texas and I thought it was wonderful. My niece Christi Dickerson is in the play but trust me there is no bias here, the entire cast was fantastic and I truly enjoyed the show. I also enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with the cast, they are all so humble and sweet, and the fact that they take the time to meet and greet their fans after working so hard was awesome. I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to David for giving my niece and others this great opportunity to show their talent. I would also like to put in a plea to please bring the show to Omaha, you won't be disappointed at the support that you will receive.Be Blessed, L. Weaver
This was the first play from you that I've seen and I enjoyed it a lot. My girlfriend and I had front row seats and couldn't have been more pleased. I will definitely go and see another David E Talbert play and look forward to buying the other plays you have on sale.Stay Blessed, Tammy (Houston, TX)
If I remember correctly, LoZone regular, Lance (yeah man, I jacked you for your picture on myspace), was going to attend a show while they were in New York. So Lance, tell us what your experience was like.
For those of you in Florida, go check out the show and take along a friend.
Whatever the outcome of the Democratic Primary turns out to be, it will be nothing short of momentous.
With a field that's as diverse as this country has ever seen, Democrats will get the opportunity to choose between....
A Female
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks with Bobby Harden and his daughter Olivia at an event promoting health insurance for all children the day after she announced her candidacy for President of the United Sates, in New York, January 21, 2007.
Hillary will be the ninth woman to pursue their Oval Office aspirations. Two African American women preceed her and seven Caucasion women, dating back to 1872. To see the full listing, click Presidential Candidates Women
An African American
As they say in the NFL, He - could - go - all - the - way! If Obama wins, he'll bring new meaning to the term "Take It To The House".
Interesting sidenote: There have been five previous U.S. Presidents who have been said to be of African Descent (they have "black" blood in their ancestry). No, Bill Clinton is not one of them. They are: 1) Thomas Jefferson 2) Andrew Jackson 3) Abraham Lincoln 4) Warren G. Hardingand the 5th who was not as conclusive is Dwight D. Eisenhower
And A Hispanic Candidate
Bill Richardson greets children living in Darfur's As Salaam camp in Sudan in this Jan. 9, 2007 file photo. [Matt, this may be your guy!!]
Bill Richardson made the decision on Sunday to enter the already packed Democratic race. Although he's not as high profile as the other two featured candidates, he's worth taking a look at. Here's what he had to say about his candidacy.
"As an underdog and governor of a small, Western state, I will not have the money that other candidates will have. However, I believe these serious times demand serious people, who have real-world experience in solving the challenges we face. I humbly believe I'm the best-equipped candidate to meet these challenges."
But like I said earlier, either way it goes, it definitely won't be boring! I wonder if the GOP can make their series of candidates as interesting. You can bet they are thinking about it.
This story, although tragic, reminds me of a joke the late comedian Robin Harris did years ago. He asked the question, what happens if you are on a plane when it's the pilot's time to go? I guess the answer is that you pray for a good co-pilot.
Passengers aboard Contintental Airlines flight found themselves in that exact predicament on Saturday. Soon after the plane left the runway the pilot became ill and was later pronounced dead after the co-pilot made an emergency landing.
The 210 passengers on Saturday's flight, which departed from Houston, were never in danger and the co-pilot landed the plane safely, Continental spokeswoman Macky Osorio said.
The airline said only that the pilot suffered a "serious medical problem." Continental believes the pilot died of natural causes, Osorio said. The pilot's name was not released.
If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "An Inconvenient Truth" (available for rental). You might even find that you like Al Gore a little after this. Whether you like him or not, his film is very timely and it will help you get a better understanding of Global Warming and the effects of it.
I got this in an email and had to share it. It came from the Oregon News-Review.
Here's what it says:
I have a question, not only for Douglas County, but for the entire state of Oregon. Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me, I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as they see fit. In order for me to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, which I have no problem with.
What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check, because I have to pass one to go earn it for them?
Please understand, I have nothing against helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sit on their butt. Could you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
Man jumps on stranger while oncoming subway train approaches. Train comes to a screeching halt, rolling over the two men but not harming them. Man ends up saving strangers life.
Two pedestrians see a toddler hanging from a fire escape. They run across the street and arrive just in time to catch the falling toddler.
Boy goes missing for four days. On a whim, police see a truck that meets the description of boys alleged abductor and investigates. Turns out the truck indeed belongs to boys abductor. Missing 11yr old is saved along with another boy who had been missing for four and a half years.
This last story is what played out last week in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Not a day has gone by that it hasn't been in the news. The story will also be featured today on the Oprah Winfrey show.
Since this is a pretty amzing story I added it here in it's entirety :
In Mo., Shawn comes home a different boy
By SHARON COHEN, AP National Writer
More than four years ago when Shawn Hornbeck was snatched near his home, he was known as a spunky little boy who liked to ride his bike, play basketball, draw cartoons and spend time with his stepfather.
Last week when he surfaced in a stunning conclusion to a kidnapping case, Shawn was a 15-year-old who had grown more than a foot, had a pierced lip and shy smile. But the change went beyond his appearance.
As details trickled out, it appeared Shawn had settled into a domestic life with Michael Devlin, the man who allegedly abducted him and then on Jan. 8, snatched a 13-year-old boy and brought him to his suburban St. Louis apartment. Both boys were rescued last week by police after acting on a tip.
The early picture that emerged of Shawn's life in suburban Kirkwood was a teenager enjoying regular activities: skateboarding and bike riding with a friend. A neighbor saw Devlin teaching him to drive his pickup. Others in town assumed they were father and son. The boy also told police that Devlin was his last name.
What happened during this 51 months when he apparently lived with Devlin remains a mystery.
And while some may wonder why Shawn didn't escape over the years, experts say no one should rush to judgment about a boy stolen from his loved ones at age 11.
"Most 11-year-olds taken from their support systems are in a state of shock," said Dr. Sharon Cooper, a pediatrician on the faculty of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "Their worry is who is going to provide their basic needs."
Shawn, she said, was "was totally displaced from his family and home. This offender had established a new life for that child and he accommodated that." The boy, she added, grew to accept Kirkwood as "his community."
Cooper, a consultant for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, also said it's much easier to dupe a younger kid than a teen.
"When you take a pretty young child away from the city they live in, after a while the child becomes compliant and complacent in the environment they're in," she said.
At a news conference Wednesday, authorities charged Devlin with Shawn's kidnapping and said the 41-year-old pizza parlor worker had used a gun to threaten the boy when he was abducted in 2002.
John Rupp, prosecutor in Washington County, dismissed any suggestion that Shawn had run away. "Shawn was abducted against his will," he said. "Period. End of story."
Washington County Sheriff William Schroeder also said it's hard for anyone to fathom Shawn's ordeal. "This is something so bizarre that the normal individual cannot grasp what this then-11-year-old boy went through."
Shawn accompanied his parents to Chicago for the Wednesday taping of an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show. He sat in the front row, gripping his sisters' hands, but he didn't answer questions.
In an interview recorded earlier, Shawn said he was frightened during those four years and prayed his family would find him.
Shawn made his first public appearance last Saturday at a news conference in his hometown of Richwoods, a rural community about 60 miles from St. Louis. Teachers, friends and well-wishers crowded into his old school — a sign outside read: "Thank God! Welcome Home Shawn" — and applauded him as he entered the gymnasium.
Shawn flashed a shy smile, whispered in his mother's ear, laughed softly and clutched her hand under the table. When his tearful stepfather, Craig Akers, reported that Shawn and one of his sisters had spent much time the previous night reminiscing about their childhood, Shawn confided to his mother: "We remember everything."
Some at the school remember Shawn, as well.
His fifth grade teacher, Donna Miley, recalls Shawn as being spunky. "Shawn always stood up for himself," she said. "I don't know how else to explain it. He wasn't meek."
She said Shawn was a typical kid who got in trouble occasionally — nothing serious — such as walking on top of the library tables. "They were little stinkers," she says. "Just good kids."
Miley said Shawn played basketball, drew cartoons, favoring pictures of cars and bikes, and "liked anything with wheels." He was riding his 21-inch lime green mountain bike a half-mile from home when he was abducted.
Kim Evans, a family friend who helped run a foundation formed to search for Shawn, recalls Shawn as a boy who liked to do whatever his stepfather did — whether it was drinking diet soda or fixing dirt bikes.
In the days since Devlin was arrested, some have been baffled because Shawn seemed to move about freely in Kirkwood. He apparently had use of a cell phone and the Internet. A series of Web postings under the name Shawn Devlin have appeared with photos and personal details.
But Cooper said it would be wrong to think Shawn had complete control over his life.
"The issue of freedom is a relative one," she said. "He had a bicycle. How far was he going to go?"
___
Associated Press writers Chris Leonard in St. Louis and Betsy Taylor in Richwoods contributed to this report.
It's just exploratory for now, which means, "Will white folks really back me or am I getting off on my own hype?"
Sen. Barack Obama launched a presidential campaign Tuesday that would make him the first black to occupy the White House, and immediately tried to turn his political inexperience into an asset with voters seeking change.
The freshman Illinois senator — and top contender for the Democratic nomination — said the past six years have left the country in a precarious place and he promoted himself as the standard-bearer for a new kind of politics.
"Our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way," Obama said in a video posted on his Web site. "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first."
Obama filed paperwork forming a presidential exploratory committee that allows him to raise money and put together a campaign structure. He is expected to announce a full-fledged candidacy on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill., where he can tout his experience in the state legislature and tap into the legacy of hometown hero Abraham Lincoln.
In a brief interview on Capitol Hill, Obama said the reaction has been positive and added, "we wouldn't have gone forward this far if it hadn't been this positive."
Obama's soft-spoken appeal on the stump, his unique background, his opposition to the Iraq war and his fresh face set him apart in a competitive race that also is expected to include front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
Obama has uncommon political talents, drawing adoring crowds even among the studious voters in New Hampshire during a much-hyped visit there last month. His star has risen on the force of his personality and message of hope — helped along by celebrity endorsements from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, billionaire investor Warren Buffett and actors Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
"I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago," said Obama, who added that as he talked to Americans about a possible presidential campaign, "I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics."
The question still remains: Is American hungry enough to let go hundreds of years of racist thinking and back a candidate who could be very good for this country? No matter what you think about him, he's got to be a total 180 degrees from the guy standing in the Oval office now. I'm all for giving him a shot, and not because he's black. Well, at least it sounds good. He gets my vote just off GP alone.
Funny title, but this is a very serious subject. I personally know a couple who have been trying to get pregnant for years and with no luck. They have looked at a lot of possibilities. Here is another promising alternative that may/may not help them, but I'm sure it will help many couples if they are able to pull this off.
A New York hospital is taking steps to offer the nation's first uterus transplant, a radical experiment that might allow women whose wombs were removed or are defective to bear children.The wombs would come from dead donors, just as most other organs do, and would be removed after the recipient gives birth so she would not need anti-rejection drugs her whole life.The hospital's ethics board has conditionally approved the plans, although the hospital's president warned women not to get false hopes because a transplant is not expected "any time in the near future.
"Several experts cautioned that much more research must be done, and one declared this bold concept "not really ready for prime time."The New York doctors just did a six-month trial run, showing that wombs could be obtained from organ donors, and now are screening potential recipients.
"I believe it's technically possible to do," said lead physician Dr. Giuseppe Del Priore.
However, even some scientists involved think they should produce more healthy offspring in animals before trying women.
Others note that about a thousand women already have become pregnant after kidney, heart and other transplants, with generally good results. They view uterus transplants as a way to help women whose only option now for a biological child is through a surrogate mom.
So you think winning the lotto will solve all your problems. Well, think again! As fate would have it, this guy won $315 million on Christmas 2002, but now he has more problems than he cares to.
A man beset by problems since winning a record lottery jackpot says he can't pay a settlement to a casino worker because thieves cleaned out his bank accounts.
Powerball winner Jack Whittaker gave that explanation in a note last fall to a lawyer for Kitti French, who accused him of assaulting her at the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center, a slots-only casino near Charleston, according to a motion French's lawyer filed this week demanding payment of the confidential settlement.
Whittaker won a nearly $315 million on Christmas 2002, then the largest undivided lottery prize in U.S. history. He took his winnings in a lump sum of $113 million after taxes.
Since then, he has faced his granddaughter's death by drug overdose; he has been sued for bouncing checks at Atlantic City, N.J., casinos; he has been ordered to undergo rehab after being arrested on drunken driving charges; his vehicles and business have been burglarized; and he has been sued by the father of an 18-year-old boy, a friend of his granddaughter's, who was found dead in Whittaker's house.
In the latest lawsuit, Whittaker told French's lawyer, John Barrett, that "a team of crooks" cashed checks in September at 12 City National Bank branches and "got all my money," according to the motion Barrett filed Wednesday in state court.
"I intend to pay but can't without any money," Whittaker wrote, according to the motion.
An official with City National Bank said Friday the bank is investigating "small discrepancies" in Whittaker's accounts.
Calls to Whittaker and his lawyers Friday were not immediately returned.
Well, if he's telling the truth, at least he has that $100,000 coming from FDIC, but it sounds like he's lying to me.
