TEACHER ARRESTED – A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

“Al-gebra is a problem for us,” the Attorney General said. “They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like ‘x’ and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns,’ but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. A s the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, ‘There are 3 sides to every triangle.’ When asked to comment on the arrest, Senator Ted Kennedy said, “If God had wanted us to have better Weapons of Math Instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes.”

White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the Senator.

As you may know one of the horses run in the Kentucky Derby broke down immediately following the race and had to be euthanized because of a catastrophic injury. Essentially, she fractured both of her front ankles. In horses this type of injury is rarely treatable in one leg, let alone two.

PETA is calling for the jockey to be suspended from the sport of horse racing. Hello? Officials have called it a clean race in which there was minimal bumping. The owner, the trainer and track officials have not made any accusations that the jockey did anything that would have led to this horse breaking down.

I am not a huge fan of horse racing. I happen to like horses very much, in fact much of my school time was spent drawing and daydreaming horses.

I think a bigger problem is handicapping. What is up with that? Why on God’s earth would you penalize an animal that has proven statistics on winning? Because a close race is more exciting? Bullshit. I want to see the animal that is the fastest and the best based on purely what the horse and the jockey can do. I don’t want a “”fair”" race. I want an actually fair race. So what if one horse is substantially faster than the rest? I want to see that champion! As adding weight increases the amount of stress on the leg bones (duh!), I believe that this contributes to more horses breaking down on the track.

I am sure that there are other innumerable factors to horses breaking down in races. But blaming the jockey seems ridiculous. Maybe if he had run his horse into the fence or into another horse intentionally, but why on earth would he risk his own neck?

I think we need to start a new group called People for the Ethical Treatment of Jockeys. Seriously. These guys practically starve themselves to keep the weight off so that they can maneuver a 1200 pound beast down a track for under two minutes. Is that not cruel and unusual?

I still hate PETA.

Sarcasm: Good or Evil? (Or is it just so much damn fun being evil that it doesn’t matter?)

I recently received an e-mail “ad” for a new (fake) drug that alleviates sarcasm. While I must admit that it was amusing, I found myself thinking what my life would be without sarcasm. Not pretty.

Firstly, I am sarcastic. A lot. (No really, I wasn’t being sarcastic there!) I love nothing more than hanging out with my friends and getting a good volley going between us. Part of that involves a good bit of this brand of humor. I can take it and I can dish it out. In fact, sarcasm directed at those that don’t get it is completely wasted. I would much prefer to play with a worthy opponent.

Sarcasm is humor. It is funny. Sarcasm is a rejection of a “reality” that is ludicrous. Ludicrous is defined as “Utterly ridiculous because of being absurd, incongruous, impractical or unsuitable”. (Encarta) Does this not call for a bit of justifiable sarcasm?

I must admit that mostly the things that my friends and I knock back and forth are not serious (or real situations) to begin with and therefore the sarcasm is not directed at anyone personally or with much basis in actuality.

Can sarcasm be used for evil? Sure. (But I have NEVER done that! Okay, that was pretty blatant sarcasm.) The really awful thing is that it is STILL kind of funny. However, the effect that it can create is pretty unfunny. I don’t relish creating bad effects in others. (Except that one guy. See, there I go again!)

Here’s an analogy. Both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader had light sabers, right? One used his for good, and one used his for evil. Sarcasm is a bit like that, don’t ya think? I want to use sarcasm for good, specifically to have a good time with my friends. Sure, there are other things we could do, certainly more constructive things we could do. But I work hard and I willingly and happily donate my time and energy to benefit others on a very regular basis. I earn my loafing time. So sue me if I choose to spend it with my other like-minded friends in pursuit of a good laugh at the expense of the ludicrous, and occasionally that one guy.

This site contains a complete introduction to Scientology in video form. This site contains information on what Scientology is doing to improve education, assist in diaster relief, improve communities, fight drug addiction and forward the cause of human rights.

Best,
Jen Nickerson

http://www.scientology.org/index.html

This morning on myspace, I watched a video in which predictions from Nostradamus are linked to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. This post is not to dispute whether or not Nostradamus was right or wrong in his predictions. The point of this post is a message to be careful about what you are posting on the internet.

Personally, when I looked at the video mentioned above from an objective viewpoint, I would be inclined to believe that Scientologists are at best, a bit nutty. It would be easy for any non-Scientologist to look at this video and believe that our core beliefs are based on space travel without the use of our bodies. This is completely out of context in our religion. As Scientologists, we understand the inference, but someone looking from the outside will not.

I am sure that Scientology has helped each and every one of you in numerous and meaningful ways. I urge you to be vigilant about the material, written or otherwise that is posted on the internet. Please do share your successful application of Scientology to yourself and others, please do include links to actual Scientology sites so that others may get the data for themselves.

Because of recent expansion in Scientology, we as a group are more open to attack by those few that oppose improving conditions. You can do something about it. Go on course, get the data for yourself and improve your personal ability to help yourself and others. Get your personal ethics in. Do not be tolerant of low morals and ethics in others. Help get others on study.

Find out what you can do to support pro-survival activities in your area, including the social betterment groups. I understand that each individual cannot possibly support each and every group through donations of time and effort. I recommend that you align yourself with a group that you are passionate about that can utilize your talents and abilities.

Set a good example as a Scientologist in your neighborhood and community. The public does watch us, perhaps more critically than the average person. We might not be quite real to them and they have been carefully fed by the media to believe that we are strange, alien and foreign. Demonstrate to every person that you meet that Scientologists are honest, ethical and compassionate.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly we all need to ensure that we are keeping Scientology working. This includes respecting the service marks, trademarks and copyrights. I know that the intention to help our groups is very high, please take a moment to ensure that what is being posted is truly representative of us as a group.

ML,
Jen Nickerson

Natural News
Illinois Shooter was Treated with Psych Meds Prior to Shooting Rampage
February 17, 2008
by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) It comes as no surprise to anyone who’s been following school shootings all the way back to the Colombine High massacre in Colorado: Every young, male shooter that has gone on a killing spree in the United States also has a history of treatment with psychotropic drugs — typically SSRI antidepressants. These shootings have three things in common: 1) The shooters are young males. 2) The shooters exhibit a mind-numbed disconnect with reality. 3) The shooters have a history of taking psychiatric medications.

This latest shooting by 27-year-old Stephen Kazmierczak shares the same three factors. Stephen was considered a “normal, undistressed person,” according to press reports. He was considered “an outstanding student” and even received a Dean’s Award for outstanding work in sociology. So what happened to Stephen’s brain that caused him to snap and open fire on students in a college classroom?

Psych meds make good people do bad things

Psychiatric medications, of course, are well known to cause extremely violent thoughts and behavior in young males. This is actually acknowledged by the FDA and is found in the black-box warnings printed on the packaging for such drugs. In Europe, the prescribing of many such drugs to children and teens is actually illegal. But in the United States, where psychiatric medications have become the “new medicine” for American youth, nobody seems to pay attention to the simple fact that every school shooting we’ve seen in the last decade has been committed by a young male with a history of treatment with psychiatric medications.

The mainstream media, of course, is trying to spin the story by claiming Stephen snapped because he stopped taking his medications. MSM headlines proclaim, “Illinois Shooter Stopped Taking His Medications.” What these headlines fail to communicate is the fact that psychiatric drugs cause long-term disruptions in the brain which lead to a strong dissociation with reality. These young, male shooters hardly even know they’re in the real world anymore. They no longer see their fellow classmates as human beings, but rather as lifeless objects to be used for target practice. For those people taking psychiatric medications, there’s even a strong dissociation with one’s own life, as evidenced by the repeated willingness of these shooters to ultimately turn their guns on themselves.

More here: http://www.naturalnews.com/022656.html

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is advising hikers, hunters, fishers, and golfers to take extra precautions and keep alert for alligators while in Osceola, Polk, Brevard, and Orange Counties.

They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert, but not startle, the alligators.

They also advise the carrying of pepper spray in case of an encounter with an alligator.

It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of alligator activity. People should recognize the difference between small young alligator and large adult alligator droppings. Young alligator droppings are smaller and contain fish bones and possibly bird feathers. Adult alligators droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper spray.

“Quezon City (14 February) — Known for the drug rehabilitation and education techniques that he developed, L. Ron Hubbard earned a plaque of recognition from the Dangerous Drugs Board Tuesday, with world famous singer and Scientology advocate David Pomeranz receiving the posthumous award on his behalf.

Secretary Anselmo S. Avenido Jr., DDB Chairman, recognized Hubbard for his humanitarian commitment and as the “source of information and wellspring of inspiration”. He further stressed that the DDB is sincerely grateful for his contributions in the fields of drug education and rehabilitation, and for being someone who did not stop at being mere anti-drug advocate but instead came up with a concrete technology to counter the ill effects of drugs.

Born in Nebraska in 1911, Hubbard spent years of research on human mind and existence which led him to the founding of Scientology, a religious philosophy that offers practical tools on how to improve ways of living. The DDB adopted in a three-day seminar beginning October 3, 2007 the series of Training Routines that he developed to improve the communication skills of anti-drug educators. Foreign organizations applying Hubbard’s ideas, Foundation for Drug-Free Philippines and Narconon International, helped organize the event at the DDB Conference Room.

“Owing to his compassion for humanity and dedication to ensuring all peoples’ welfare,” Pomeranz said in reply that Hubbard “made sure that help was effective and available to everyone.” The musician who is visiting the country for a string of concerts has been involved in the DDB’s anti-drug initiatives. He graced July last year the opening of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers’ Program held at the UP Theater, Quezon City. A seminar on “Communication: A Tool on Drug Demand Reduction” followed the ceremonies.

A secret memo detailing private negotiations with the government lands in a Times reporter’s in-box. Oops!

In a statement to the Times Lilly’s had “no intention of sharing those discussions [with the government] with the news media

When the New York Times broke the story last week that Eli Lilly & Co. was in confidential settlement talks with the government, angry calls flew behind the scenes as the drug giant’s executives accused federal officials of leaking the information.

As the company’s lawyers began turning over rocks closer to home, however, they discovered what could be called A Nightmare on Email Street, a pharmaceutical consultant told Portfolio.com. One of its outside lawyers at Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton had mistakenly emailed confidential information on the talks to Times reporter Alex Berenson instead of Bradford Berenson, her co-counsel at Sidley Austin.

With the negotiations over alleged marketing improprieties reaching a mind-boggling sum of $1 billion, Eli Lilly had every reason to want to keep the talks under wraps. It was paying the two fancy law firms a small fortune to negotiate deftly and quietly.

If and when it did settle the allegations that it had improperly marketed its most profitable drug, Zyprexa, for schizophrenia, it would certainly want to announce the news on terms carefully negotiated with the government.

“We usually try to brace for that [kind of] story,” a Lilly staffer said.

So when the Times’ Berenson began calling around for comment, and seemed to possess remarkably detailed inside information about the negotiations, Lilly executives were certain the source of the leak was the government.

As it turned out, one of Eli Lilly’s lawyers at Pepper Hamilton in Philadelphia wanted to email Sidley Austin’s Berenson, about the negotiations. But apparently, the name that popped up from her email correspondents was the wrong Berenson.

Alex Berenson logged on to find an internal “very comprehensive document” about the negotiations, the consultant said, and on January 30, Berenson’s article, “Lilly in Settlement Talks With U.S.” appeared on the Times’ website. A similar article followed the next day on the front page of the New York Times.

Those who knew the real story must have had a chuckle—or shed some tears—over Lilly’s statement to the Times that it had “no intention of sharing those discussions [with the government] with the news media.”

Orlando FL — Feb 15, 2008—On Sunday Feb 17, 2008 Angela Madeson is being welcomed home to Orlando by her family and friends.

Angela had always been a sports enthusiast. She could have been considered a tragic figure after loosing her legs in an injury sustained while she was in the Marines, but Angela had better ideas of what to do with her life. She decided she could do all the things she enjoyed while at the same time helping others. As a sportsman, she has been seen playing basketball, surfing, bicycling, kayaking, and most recently rowing across the Atlantic Ocean with amputee partner Frank Festor. You can see their journey on Row of Life.

Seeing that she can set an example for others, she has also become a tireless activist for human rights, working to make the world a better place for all people through a partnership with Youth for Human Rights.