Katharine McPhee - It's Not Christmas Without You + Interview

Doing some much needed promotion for her Christmas album, Katharine McPhee hit the FOX Red Eye Show in New York to perform It's Not Christmas Without You, her co-penned original Christmas song on the Christmas album Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You. She performed the song effortlessly and it was yet another fantastic vocal from the gorgeous brunette. Of course, McPhee also did an interview with them and it's the most comfortable I've seen her since her interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2008. And in 2007 on the same show.

Biscuit Brothers and Big Boi B This Weekend!

It's really goin' down this Saturday night in the ATX! The Holiday Season hath begun and I can't wait to really kick it off at the Biscuit Brothers Holiday Hoedown. Seriously, we are hitting this up.



It's the 2010 HOMESTYLE HOLIDAY HOEDOWN with the BISCUIT BROTHERS! (aka HO, HO, HO! Or even HO3.) A Handcrafted Holiday Event and Fund-raiser for the Biscuit Brothers Children's Television Project.

Saturday, December 4, 2010 from 6pm-8pm
at Pioneer Farms in North Austin (where they shoot their TV show!)

More info can be found here.

And then of course the one we've all been waiting for, BIG BOI! Live at the East Side Drive Inn.


And of course the after party.


The whole holiday season is poppin' like crazy in AustinSurrealVille...

Egyptianas! Tribal riddims and isolations from the Port Belly Project at 7 pm, Dec 4, Taylortown Store, Bossier City

Egyptianas! Dec 4, Taylortown
Originally uploaded by trudeau

"The Winter Hafla is this Saturday, December 4th, at the old Taylortown general store," says Susan Fontaine about the dance party being produced by the sinuous members of the beladi troupe from Lotus Studio. The Port Belly Project will give you a preview of the show you will see if you attend Christmas in the Sky.

8568 Barksdale Blvd. Bossier City, LA 71112
Doors at 6:30, show at 7.
Tickets $10, raffle $5. Door prizes (for the audience) and a raffle (for the dancers) with lots of fun things!

"It's BYOB; we'll have tasty food stuffs after the show," adds Fontaine.

Nicole Scherzinger - Poison live @ This Morning + Daybreak

Desperate for a hit, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls hit British breakfast talk show This Morning for a performance of Poison and an interview following a performance on The X Factor. At least you can't fault the girl when it comes to working hard. Vocally, it was a little better than her X Factor performance, probably due to less nerves perhaps. And a smaller stage. Check out the performance above and the interview here.

Besides a performance and interview on This Morning, she also took to the stage of Daybreak for another similar performance of Poison. She's genuinely a sweet girl. Let's hope Nicole gets a hit this time. Check out the interview here.

SRAC's biennial blow-out, Christmas in the Sky, takes place Sat, Dec 11, La Downs, supports arts programs and artists in region

Christmas in the Sky: Sat, Dec 11, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Some 2,000 guests will motor to Harrah's La Downs on Sat, Dec 11, to see one of the most spectacular parties in the region: the biennial Christmas in the Sky.

Harrah's Louisiana Downs will be transformed, says Julia Foley. Beatlemania will envelope the guests from parking lot through 2 floors of super-colorful rooms. Beatlemania will rock the clock from 7 pm to 3 am.

To benefit regional arts activities and artists, Shreveport Regional Arts Council and a large team of volunteers create 16 auction areas, 10 entertainment stages, 12 themed bars, and 11 themed hot and cold buffets.

The 2008 event generated a half million dollars to support SRAC programs throughout Northwest Louisiana, says Foley.

If you love the arts and an evening of well-dressed sensory overload, call SRAC or get tickets online. They're $250 each. Not to worry: remarks overheard after recent editions of this over-the-top event indicate that the party is worth every dollar to the patron class.

(318) 673-6500

Best Quote of the Week

Note left for me by a defense attorney:

"I ain't ready to go to trial tomorrow unless you aren't ready to go to trial."

Lost Ring Returned to Northlander 51 Thanksgivings Later

In 1958, Northlander John Osborn was a proud graduate of North Kansas City High School, and he wore his class ring with pride. Not long after graduation, he was serving his country in the U.S. Navy and stationed at a base along the Gulf Coast of Texas. He was involved with pilot training, and it was a 24/7 operation. So when the base shut down for Thanksgiving, he was more than ready.

John and his buddies loaded up a car and headed to the beach. It was his first time to experience the gulf waters. It was cold in late November, so they didn’t really, swim, but they ran through the water’s edge and played football in the sand.

Sometime that day he noticed his treasured class ring was gone. His ring finger was empty and he couldn’t recall when it had disappeared. Perhaps while he tossed the football or when he and his pals were rough-housing in the sand. It really didn’t matter how. It simply was gone, seemingly forever.

Fast forward 51 years later.

A couple from Idaho recently was visiting a beach outside of Brownsville, Texas. As they strolled the beach, they noticed something dull yet golden nestled in the sand. It was an old-fashioned, distinctive looking class ring that appeared to be from the North Kansas City High School class of 1958.

Block Schedule Remains in Place While Committee Studies More Options

After seven months of preliminary study, a committee comprised of teachers, administrators, parents and students asked the Board of Education for more time to study and recommend an alternative to the block high school schedule.
>>Read more about the high school schedule options under study

Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th

8414605SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414438SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414439SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414440SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California
8414441SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414443SD Eva LaRue, purse Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414446SD Eva LaRue, shoes Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8414606SD Eva LaRue Photo by Scott Downie The 6th Annual Pink Party 6th (The Pink Party was founded by Elyse Walker) to celebrate both women and fashion to raise money for gynecologic and breast cancers at Drai's Hollywood at the W Hotel Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California
8415276GF Eva LaRue Photo by Gilbert Flores 6th Annual Pink Party at the Drai's Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8415277GF Eva LaRue Photo by Gilbert Flores 6th Annual Pink Party at the Drai's Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8415278GF Eva LaRue Photo by Gilbert Flores 6th Annual Pink Party at the Drai's Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California	8415279GF Eva LaRue Photo by Gilbert Flores 6th Annual Pink Party at the Drai's Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California
8415280GF Eva LaRue Photo by Gilbert Flores 6th Annual Pink Party at the Drai's Hollywood September 25, 2010 - Hollywood, California http://evadelarue.blogspot.com/

U2 - Viva Italia Stadio Olimpico Roma [BOOTELG] [2CD] [2010]

CD 01

1. Intro: Space Oddity
2. Return Of The Stingray Guitar
3. Beautiful Day
4. I Will Follow
5. Get On Your Boots
6. Magnificent
7. Mysterious Ways
8. Elevation
9. Until The End Of The World / Anthem
10. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
11. Bad / All I Want Is You
12. Mercy
13. In A Little While
14. Miss Sarajevo
15. City Of Blinding Lights
16. Vertigo / Teenage Kicks
    

CD 02

1. Relax / Crazy Tonight / Two Tribes
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up
3. MLK
4. Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone
5. Desmond Tutu Speech
6. One / Senza Una Donna
7. Amazing Grace / Where The Streets Have No Name
8. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
9. With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars
10. Happy Birthday
11. Moment of Surrender
12. Mothers Of The Disappeared (Istanbul 2010-09-06)
13. Yigidim Aslanim Burda Yatiyor (with Omer 3:42 Zulfu Livaneli) (Istanbul 2010-09-06)

MEGAUPLOAD

2SHARED

BADONGO

HOTFILE

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach [2010]

1. Orchestral Intro
2. Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach
3. White Flag
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo
6. Superfast Jellyfish
7. Empire Ants
8. Glitter Freeze
9. Some Kind Of Nature
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes
13. Plastic Beach
14. To BingeCloud Of Unknowing
15. Pirate Jet

MEGAUPLOAD

2SHARED

BADONGO

HOTFILE

Eh, Eh Theres Nothing Else I Can Say / Ragtime / Poker Face Live on Taratata French TV 720p HD

Download

Call me an Islamophobe, please. Seriously.

Oregon: Just another bomb-plotting jihadist yelling “Allahu akbar!”

by Michelle Malkin

Arkansas 'Man' Arrested for Possession of Explosives

The ABC News report only says that an Arkansas "man" was arrested, and charged with multiples counts of manufacturing and possessing explosive devices after a traffic stop in Smyth County. After all, wouldn't want to say anything that even remotely connects Islam with its most frequent activity (violence and the threat thereof), would we?

The perp's name is Emad Hatem Abdullah. If he were a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, or "other" ... my guess is that we'd have been told about it - especially if he Is a Christian. But being that Islam is "special" in the minds of the socialist left and their like-minded friends in the media, all we're given is a nondescript "man" (only important because the omission is meant to cause the public to be less 'aware' of Islam's proclivity towards violence) ... our first clue that the perp is one of Islam's "misunderstanders" that haven't got the word that Islam is a religion of peace.

Brainscan:

Brainscan Issue One out now. Available from the elemenopee shop or contact: joe_col@hotmail.co.uk / Alex: tapewormzine@hotmail.co.uk

FVCHS - Auf einsamen Pfaden wandelt...

Band: FVCHS
Album: Auf einsamen Pfaden wandelt...
Year: 2010
Type: Demo
Label: Self-released
Genre(s): Dark Ambient, Experimental, Industrial
Country: Germany
Quality: MP3
Size: 25,6 MB
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Auf einsamen Pfaden wandelt... - 27:58
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Megaupload - Download

Legalized Drugs?

One of the arguments constantly put forth for the legalization of drugs is that once they are legalized the government will be able to regulate them and, much like cigarettes, drive use to a low level. Once, that argument carried a significant weight with me. Then I moved to the mountains where the primary drugs of abuse weren't cocaine or heroin. No, the drugs used here are mostly pills; the most abused is probably hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), but there are plenty of people abusing Xanax, OxyContin, Suboxone, etc.

When I left Richmond to come out to the mountains, I was amazed at the number of defendants that seemed to be dropping dead from overdoses before they could make it to trial. It seemed incredibly out of proportion to anything I'd seen before, but I didn't have any evidence to back up my observations.

Recently, while researching a paper I came across statistics showing the per capita deaths from drugs from the Virginia Medical Examiner and the results are fairly determinative.

Year	Worst	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth
2003	Craig	Home City	Russell-1	Lee-1	Home County
2004	Lee-1	Bland-3	Russell-1	Dickenson-1	Tazewell-2
2005	Pulaski-4	Buchanan-2	Russell-1	Dickenson-1	Lee-1
2006	Home County	Dickenson-1	Tazewell-2	Russell-1	Highland
2007	Dickenson-1	Home County	Pulaski-4	Emporia	Russell-1
2008	Dickenson-1	Home City	King & Queen	Buchanan-2	Highland

Home County & City are the two jurisdictions I work in (Home County surrounds Home City). The red counties are those in Far South West Virginia (you know, the 4 hours of Virginia west of Roanoke) and the number next to the red counties is how far they are from Home County & City. Blue counties are east of West Virginia, but are mountain counties on the West Virginian border.

Now, if a mountain county appears once or twice it is probably a statistical anomaly. After all, the populations of these counties are much smaller than a NoVa county like Fairfax. What is disturbing about the chart is that the counties are consistently in the top 5 per capita. Two Far Southwestern counties are in 5 of the 6 years. Two others are on the chart for 3 of the 6 years. Furthermore, 25 of 30 are clustered in Far Southwestern Virginia counties. At this point it starts to look like we aren't looking at a statistical anomaly at all. Instead, we are looking at the level of fatalities when the primary abused drugs are "legal" pills.

Terrible Eva Larue bride in Halloween

The Saturdays - Ego + Interview live @ BRMB

The Saturdays were on BRMB recently to give Birmingham a string of performances which include Just Can't Get Enough, Missing You, Ego and Higher. The girls did a solid job as usual and you can check out Ego above with an interview backstage.

Justin Bieber - Somebody To Love/Baby on The X Factor

Tween pop megastar Justin Bieber was on The X Factor to perform a medley of his biggest recent hits Baby and Somebody To Love. The teen lipsynched his way to a performance we've seen a gazillion times before and flirted with Cheryl Cole after his performance. Eeyuck. Fame has gotten to his head. Cheryl Cole's way out of his league, just that The X Factor judge is too nice to say so. Someone needs a rude awakening.. Am I being overly negative? Perhaps. But the boy needs to deflate his ego before it becomes like Kanye's.

The Wanted - Lose My Mind live on The X Factor

To plug their latest single, hit boyband The Wanted (aka the boyband Simon wants One Direction to be) took to the X Factor to perform Lose My Mind. Recreating the bumper cars of the music video, the boys did a solid job as usual. But I'm still not sure they can properly work a big stage. Still, it's another hit for sure, I don't think they're sorry.

Nicole Scherzinger - Poison live on The X Factor

Because Europe seems to be the only place in the world that gives Nicole Scherzinger a slot, the Pussycat Doll singer took to The X Factor (UK) to deliver her first ever performance of Poison. Vocally it was alright, nothing special, but unlike Cheryl Cole, she performed it live and did some solid choreography as well. Just which she put on the white outfit in the Poison, not the black one which includes the.. Cat hair. Ooh, Lewis Hamilton's in the audience as well.

The Wanted - Lose My Mind [Music Video Premiere]

British boyband The Wanted is no stranger to success. After the while #1 debut single All Time Low, they followed it up with #2 single Heart Vacancy. Now they've a new single in the pipeline Lose My Mind. The woah-oh-woah-oh chants at the beginning are a bit intoxicating, and it's yet another earworm/hit for the boys. It's not as good as the bloody brilliant All Time Low or as strangely good as Heart Vacancy, but fans are sure to eat this one up for sure.

Georg Lankester writes about Jazz and Entertainment in Paris during the 1930s up to the 1950s

De successen van Django Reinhardt-Stéphane Grappelli en Jean Sablon: Georg Lankester ( Nederlands) - Georg Lankester writes about Jazz and Entertainment in Paris during the 1930s up to 1950s. (English)

A triptych in Dutch about Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and Jean Sablon.
GEORG LANKESTER writes about JAZZ and ENTERTAINMENT in PARIS during the 1930s up to the 1950s
Hans Koert

You can't have missed it - In 2010 jazz fans from all over the world loved to commemorate the fact that Django Reinhardt was born 100 years ago in a caravan in a shantytown in Liberchies, near Charleroi in Belgium, January 1910. Special meetings were organized, new records were made, like the Django! - A Tribute - 100 Years Django Reinhardt by Koen De Cauter, Fapy Lafertin & Group and old ones reissued ( Django with his American Friends), concerts scheduled ( like the 100 jaar Django Reinhardt - Een hommage concert at Dongen (The Netherlands) and even this Keep Swinging blog dedicated some blogs to the musical heritage of Django: Django Reinhardt 100: The prewar period, Django Reinhardt 100: The post-war years (English) and Louis Vola and the birth of a Quintet. Isn't it remarkable that just this Belgian gypsy is still remembered after so many years? Why didn't we celebrate the 100th birthday of men like bass player Milt Hinton; or trumpet player Cootie Williams; or composer and arranger and bandleader Raymond Scott? Or what about Annette Hanshaw, the Madonna-of-the-1920s. She was born 100 years ago last month. Well, I guess - I have to dedicate a blog about her later to commemorate this fact. As far as I know Artie Shaw, who should have been 100 years old at the 23rd of May, 2010 ( he passed away just 6 years ago) was the only one who was remembered by his fans.

Django Reinhardt
The Dutch Django-fan Georg Lankester, one of the founders of the Stichting Hot Club De France and chairman from 1983 up to 2005, guitarist of the Quatre Tickets de Swing and author of Musette & 'Swing Musette" ( 2008) has published a new book in Dutch entitled De Successen van gitarist Django Reinhardt, violist Stéphane Grappeli & zanger Jean Sablon - subtitled: Jazz & Entertainment in het Parijs van de jaren '30, '40 en '50. The booklet has 44 pages and is in Dutch, but there are plans to translate it in Danish too.

The book contains three seperate chapters. The first one is entitled Django Reinhardt (1910 - 1953) - Legendarische gitarist en componist - Een weergaloze carriere. In 20 pages Georg discusses the life of Django from the very beginnings up to his death in 1953. Georg lists a lot of information, but also stories and anecdotes. The second part is dedicated to Stéphane Grappelli, the famous violin player who played with Django in his Quintette du Hot Club recordings since its very start in 1934. It is entitled as Stéphane Grappelli ( 1908 - 1997) meester-jazzviolist - Een rijk muzikaal leven. ( 13 p.). Both Stéphane Grappelli as Django Reinhardt became fascinated early 1930s by the records that came from the States, recorded by artists like Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti. Django and Stéphane met in the Parish jazz scene, a small world, before they actually founded the Quintette with the support of Charles Delaunay. Isn't it rather weird to learn that this gentleman, mr. Grappelli, became part of this successful gypsy band.
Love to share with you one of the best known music clips avant la letter, in which you can hear Django and Stéphane at their best: J'attendrai Swing

During the war the Quintette broke up, as Stéphane stayed in England and Django returned to France when the war started. They were united after the war, but the public loved to hear other styles of music and the music of the Quintette wasn't popular anymore. When Django passed away in 1953 Stéphane was still active in music and became a sought after soloist at festivals and clubs. Georg remembers him from a concert in Amsterdam, February 1984, where he met him and could speak with him. Stéphane passed away 13 years ago, almost 90 years old.
Rendez-vous sous la pluie - Jean Sablon with Django and Stéphane ( December 1935), a 75 year old relic, that proves their cooperation.

The last part is dedicated to Jean Sablon (1906 - 1994) - De Franse "Bing Crosby" - Successen tot ver over de Franse grenzen. ( 4 p). This French crooner is rather unknown in Holland and at first sight you might wonder what Jean Sablon had to do with Django and Grappelli. Well, the common element are some great recordings from the early 1930s when the three men joined in the record studios to make some great Gramophone and Columbia recordings. Jean Sablon

Enjoy one of the 1934 Columbia recordings with Jean Sablon, Le jour ou je te vis, accompanied by Andre Ekyan et son Orchestre which featured both Stéphane Grappelli as Django Reinhardt.

Django and Stéphane (1930s).

Georg ends with a supplement entitled Django's banjo-jaren (= Django's Banjo-years) with a list of some banjoists, like the legendary Gusti, the father of the Gypsy-waltz, and Poulete Castro, the man who taught him how to play that typically gypsy rhythm - La Pompe, that fascinated Django. I wonder why Georg has put this great article somewhere at the end of the book as an addition. I think it deserves a place somewhere in the book as a fourth chapter.

Georg did a good job to share the stories of these three French musicians with the people who speak the Dutch language, but I think a lot of non-speaking Dutch Django-fans will be interested to know about this booklet. A lot of books and articles about the 1930s French jazz and entertainment scene have been published in French, but in Dutch but few articles have been published.

The book can be ordered directly from the author.

Hans Koert

Twitter

keepswinging@live.nl

The Dutch Django Reinhardt fan and an authority on the history of the French Jazz and amusement scene of the 1930s up to 1950s, Georg Lankester, has published a small booklet in Dutch with portraits about three representatives: Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and Jean Sablon. But few information has been published in Dutch about this subject, except some interesting articles in magazines like Quintette or the Doctor Jazz Magazine. This triptych is especially interesting for Dutch-speaking visitors of this blog, but also non-Dutch Django Reinhardt fans will like to know more about this publication. Keep Swinging reviewed it for you. If you don't want to miss any contribution follow the blog at Twitter or ask for its free newsletter.


Retrospect
Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Central Fire Station renovation will affect a 9-block district; chat with designer Gregory Free about Texas Ave on Th, Dec 2, 6 to 8 pm, at Holy Cross Episcopal

Central Fire Station renovation; designer Gregory Free
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Share your vision for Texas Ave - a 9-block area around the Central Fire Station - with Gregory Free and SRAC, says April Dahm.

A Listening and Visioning session with Gregory Free will be hosted by the Texas Avenue Community Association on Thu, December 2, 6pm 8pm, at 875 Cotton Street, Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal.

aprildahm@gmail.com

Deftones - Diamond Eyes [2010]

1. Diamond Eyes
2. Royal
3. CMNDCTRL
4. You’ve Seen The Butcher
5. Beauty School
6. Prince
7. Rocket Skates
8. Sextape
9. Risk
10. 976-EVIL
11. This Place Is Death
12. Rocket Skates (M83 Remix)

Megaupload

The Ugly Side of Jury Nullification: Emmett Till

There are a lot of people out there who think that jury nullification is a panacea. The problem is that jury nullification is an application of the jurors' prejudices. No one thinks about how nullification can allow the dark sides of people to come to the fore and allow evil to triumph. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Emmett Till trial.

In 1955, Emmett Till was a 14 year old Black kid who was visiting relatives in Jackson, Mississippi. He was rude to a married White woman. That night at least two White men broke in while Till was asleep and dragged him off. J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant took the youth off and beat him at gunpoint. Then, incensed that Till would not admit they were better than him or recant his statement that he had slept with white women, they shot him dead. They tied a fan to the neck of the body using barbed wire and threw it into a river.

When Milam and Bryant were tried their attorneys trotted out the defense that there was no proof that Emmett Till was dead. Till's mother identified his body and a unique ring which had belonged to Till's father was found on the body. The defense attorneys argued that it was all a plot to help destroy the way of life of Southern white people. The jury took an hour to find the defendants not guilty.

The prejudices involved in the case are pretty clear, but in case none of you are up on your civil rights history here's a letter written to LIFE about the murder and trial:

Maybe the Emmett Till case will convince "smart alecky" Negroes to stay in the North where such things as the attempted assault of Mrs. Bryant are condoned. We do not want them in the South and will not have them even if it means drastic measures.

Mrs. Sarah White, Memphis, Tennessee

And, lest any of you might think there's a chance the defendants didn't do it - they confessed to a reporter after they were found not guilty.

Plans for the Week

I spent the last three days prepping up two separate jury trials which I have scheduled for this week. Wanna bet whether they'll actually take place?

One of the most frustrating things about being a prosecutor is the number of times you set up for trial and it doesn't happen. Quite often, there isn't any real question as to whether the defendant is guilty. The defendant is just hoping that a witness won't show or that I'll be too inconvenienced by the threat of trial and drop the charge.  Whatever the cause, most of the time I've prepped for a jury trial the defendant, informed by his attorney that "yes, he really is going to try you", the defendant folds his tent the day before or the day of the trial.

BTW, defense attorneys, when the defendant does this to us (you had to prep too), I know you have to ask, but the answer is "No, the offer of two weeks in jail is not still on the table now that there's a jury and witnesses here." Sorry. The reason the deal was offered was because I didn't want to spend my Thanksgiving break prepping a jury trial and to force witnesses and jurors to miss work. That's all water under the bridge now. Catch me the day before so I can call off the witnesses and jurors. Then I'll probably be in a slightly less steadfast mood.

New Lady GaGa Polaroid Photo Shoot Pictures! HQ

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