Man Looks To Ban Divorce In Califonia

John Marcotte, a Sacramento, CA web designer, is attempting to put a measure on the ballot next year that would ban divorce in California. You read that correctl, although the effort is meant to be satirical. The married, heterosexual father of two said:

"Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more."

The measure is meant as a sort of protest against Proposition 8, which in 2008 banned same-sex marriage in the state of California by amending the state constitution. Since the provision was intended, it was said, to protect traditional marriage, Marcotte sees no reason why his measure would not pass. Divorce rates nationwide hover around 50 percent.

Marcotte needs to collect 694,354 signatures by March 22nd if it measure is to reach the ballot. The initiative's Facebook fan list has reached more than 1,100 in number.

The California Family Council, which led a coalition of religious and conservative groups to qualify Proposition 8, showed it had no sense of humor. Ron Prentice, their executive director said that while everyone would like to see fewer divorces (except, perhaps for lawyers), making it illegal would be "impractical." No, really?

Romanian President Shown Slapping 10-year-old Boy In Video

A video has emerged showing Traian Basescu, the center-right president of Romania, hitting a 10-year-old boy in the face during a campaign rally in 2004. He was confronted by footage of the incident during an interview on Thursday night. Initially, he didn't deny that the incident happened, instead asserting there must have been a "good reason" for the act.

"I can assure you that I will look at it and give you an explanation. But does the child say anything in the film? Did he say something nasty? ... Perhaps he swore at me."

Since then, however, Basescu has recanted that statement, saying the video had been manipulated. Notably, the boy in question, Bogdan Istrotaiu, now 15, initially agreed that Basescu had indeed hit him in 2004, when he was mayor of Bucharest and running for the presidency for the first time. A day later Istrotaiu retracted the claim, saying he didn't want to be part of the growing controversy.

The run-off election, scheduled for Dec. 6th, is hotly contested. Something like this could swing the election. However, if you watch the video carefully, after the boy is hit, he seems to be smiling. Could it have been a "playful" swat for some reason? Readers, what do you think?

Rachel Uchitel Pictures Continue To Be Hot, As Woods Skips Interview Again

Facebook Photo

Admittedly, Rachel Uchitel is one hot woman, but if it weren't for the fact that she has been labeled the alleged Tiger Woods mistress, you probably wouldn't even know who she was. Searchers continue to look for Rachel Uchitel pictures, however, despite the fact that many have already been posted, in hopes of seeing, quite probably, more flesh than has previously been "exposed."

At any rate, the Florida Highway Patrol still awaits a conversation with Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren. They were scheduled to meet with them today, but once again the couple canceled their meeting. This is the third straight day that authorities have been denied access to the couple.

Uchitel continues to deny the affair, though that hasn't stopped searches for Rachel Uchitel pictures. She told the New York Post the New York Post that the rumors are "completely untrue."

Additionally, Rachel Uchitel denied the National Enquirer story that started everything as well. If fact, she stated to the New York Post in a Facebook message that she didn't even know Ashley Sampson (though she spelled it Simpson), the person who reported "outed" her relationship to the Enquirer.

However, the Enquirer says they have evidence that refutes her claims. One thing in particular is that the Enquirer reportedly has Ashley Sampson and Rachel Uchitel pictures (together). Oops.

It's hard to imagine this story going away anytime soon. It's also hard to imagine the "lust" for Rachel Uchitel pictures lessening soon either. See below for more Rachel Uchitel pictures, via a slideshow.



Also, listen below to the Tiger Woods 911 call, which was released by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) earlier.

Dog Shelter Named For Gingrich Opens, Via Strip Club's Donation

In early October, The Lodge, a Dallas strip club, was reported to have received an Entrepreneur award from Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF) group, only to have it taken away. When one wins such an award, a $5,000 donation is necessary, and that was refunded, and the cash was redirected to a different cause: an animal shelter.

Dawn Rizos, owner of The Lodge, redirected the money to Animal Guardians of America's sanctuary for rescued dogs in Celina, about 35 miles north of Dallas. The new shelter, called “Newt’s Nook: A Home For Pit Bulls” is now open. For some reason, Gingrich didn't attend the opening of the shelter.

It's another example of poor vetting by Gingrich's organization. You'll recall that earlier ASWF informed Allison Vivas of Pink Visual that she had been chosen for a 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year award by his Business Defense and Advisory Council. Unfortunately, Pink Visual is an adult DVD superstore.

Bryan Thomas 585 LB Tire Flip

Here is an example of the type of training I have been doing. Basically just trying to keep things "interesting" by mixing things up and challenging myself. This particular exercise works EVERY muscle fiber in the body, including your lungs!

Congrats to the Webster Groves Statesmen!

Congratulations to Webster Groves High School, who won the MSHAA State Class 5 Football Championship today at the Edward Jones Dome versus Fort Osage High School.

Webster Groves is a clinical site for our program, where Head Athletic Trainer Sean Wright serves as an approved clinical instructor.  Students Heather King and Ann Schmerbauch had a thrilling fall working with the Statesmen.

Read about the game here.

Who's Rachel Uchitel (Pics); What Is Her Role In The Tiger Woods Car Accident?

Facebook Photo

It seems as though celebrities, whether they are in sports, entertainment, or even politicians, are unable to keep from straying from their spouses, as groupies as well as travel give them the opportunity. Whether or not that's a key in this incident or not is still up in the air, but meanwhile, who is this woman and why is everyone searching for Rachel Uchitel pics?

Rachel Uchitel, 34, is a NYC events planner, and in the past has been linked to affairs with other celebrities. Earlier she was linked to an affair with David Boreanaz, former "Angel" and current "Bones" actors. She's obviously a beautiful woman, as demonstrated by some of the Rachel Uchitel pics above and below.

BlackBook.com had an article on the "prime mover," written in 2008. Rachel Uchitel was described as a 'Hamptons diva' who is the Director of VIP Services at Pink Elephant in Southampton, NY.

Whether or not you feel that the Rachel Uchitel pics give Elin Nordegren a reason to chase down Woods, as new reports indicate she was doing when he left their house early Friday morning, police are interested, though not in the alleged dalliance. They are scheduled to speak to Tiger Woods about his car accident today. The FHP has previously said "charges may be filed," but did not specify against whom.

Check out some of the Rachel Uchitel pics circulating around the Web, below:

"Indecent" Skirt Earns Sudanese Girl 50 Lashes

A 16-year-old Sudanese girl was subjected to 50 lashes after a judge ruled her skirt was indecent. This is the latest case to highlight the strictness of Sudan's Islamic law.

The 16-year-old, Silva Kashif, was arrested by a plain-clothed policeman in a Khartoum market last week. The skirt was slightly below the knee. She was convicted of offending public morality and received 50 lashes in the courtroom, allowing no time for an appeal

In a telephone interview with AP, Kashif said "I was treated like a criminal. I am confused what to wear. The trousers were an issue. My skirt was beneath the knee. What more can I do? I am Christian. My tribe and my customs permit me to dress like this."

The northern areas of Sudan have a strict Islamic code. This follows closely the case of Lubna Hussein, a woman journalist who was sentenced to 40 lashes for wearing "indecent" trousers. Hussein's sentence was frotunately reduced to a fine, but she is now campaigning for reformation.

Human rights lawyer Azhari al-Haj said a legal team plans to sue authorities. They will cite the fact that authorities gave Kashif the maximum sentence, ignoring the fact that she was bitg a minor and a Christian.

"The whole thing from her arrest to her flogging didn't take one hour and half. This is unprecedented. We want to question the police officers and the judge, to exonerate Silva and to campaign against these laws."

Palin Punk'd By Canadian Comedian Again

Sarah Palin has been tricked by a second Canadian comedian. Last year, she was "punk'd," made to think she was talking to French president Nicolas Sarkozy when in reality it was The Masked Avengers, a Quebec comedy duo. At a recent stop on her "Going Rogue" book tour, Sarah Palin told Canadian comedian Mary Walsh that Canada should get rid of its public health care system (which will go over poorly with Canadians; more on that later).

Walsh is the co-creator and star of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, similar to both The Daily Show and The Colber Report. She arrived in character, as the faux conservative Marg Delahunty, at the Columbus, OH Borders book store where Palin was signing books.

Delahunty said, although Palin was not allowed to answer:

"I just wanted to ask you if you have any words of encouragement for Canadian conservatives who have worked so hard to try to diminish the kind of socialized medicine we have up there."

However, later in the parking lot, Palin answered Delahunty by saying that she should "keep the faith because common sense conservatism can be plugged in there in Canada too. In fact, Canada needs to reform its health care system and let the private sector take over some of what the government has absorbed."

This would be a tough sell in Canada. A recent study (.PDF) found that 90 percent of Canadians support universal, single-payer health care. At the same time, a poll taken last summer shows 82 percent of Canadians believe their health care system to be better than the U.S. system. It's also true that Canada has a longer lifespan than the U.S., and lower infant mortality.

Watch the video:

Flatulent Pig Ignites Gas Scare

A flatulent pig ignited a gas scare in Australia, as a farmer thought the odor he smelled was really a gas pipe leak. It sparked an emergency call, and yes, firefighters responded.

Fifteen firefighters and two fire trucks were called responded to a call at a property at Axedale in central Victoria state. The reports were that there was a gas leak. However, when they got there, the crews discovered something smelled, all right.

Fire captain Peter Harkins aaid:

"When we got there, as we drove up the driveway, there was this huge sow, about a 120-odd kilo (265-pound) sow, and it was very obvious where the gas was coming from. We could not only smell it, but we heard it and it was quite funny."

It's strange that a farmer would not have had experience with such an event previously, and the sound alone should have alerted him.

Still, it gave the firefighters a bit of a laugh, and fortunately, the call did not result in them missing a different emergency call, which would have been tragic.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The faculty and staff of the SLU Athletic Training Education Program would like to express how genuinely thankful we are for all of the gifts that have been bestowed upon us...we are truly blessed!

To be helping students prepare for a lifetime of service...in a community such as Saint Louis University, we are truly fortunate!  In addition to that, we are amongst family and good friends!

Safe travels to all over the break!

Thank you to the blog "Rome of the West" for the beautiful photos on this post!

There are many more beautiful photos on the site, to see them go to: http://www.romeofthewest.com/

Dana Perino Forgets 9/11 Occurred Under Bush

As you may recall, former White House press secretary Dana Perino has a poor memory when it comes to history. For example, she had no knowledge of what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. She also apparently forgot about 9/11, perhaps conveniently.

Discussing the Fort Hood massacre during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Tuesday night, the onetime Bush press secretary attacked the Obama administration for not labeling the recent killings at Fort Hood a terrorist attack. She also added,

"We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during president Bush's term. I hope they're not looking at this politically. I do think that we owe it to the American people to call it what it is."

There's those devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that Perino is conveniently forgetting. It's hard to imagine such a faux pas madee accidentally.

Additionally, a July 4th, 2002 attack on an Israeli airline ticket counter was labeled as fitting "the definition of terrorism" by the FBI.

Katie Couric Dancing: Four Martini Minimum

These pictures, first discovered by Gawker, are from the after-party celebrating Katie Couric's debut as anchor of the "CBS Evening News." They were reportedly found in a Facebook album titled "Four Martini Minimum."

Those were the days, before CBS knew how bad Couric's reviews and ratings would be.

The montage of photos has been turned into a video on YouTube. It shows Couric in a way most of us don't know (and probably don't want to). Check it out.

Sully A Hero In The Bedroom, Too: Wife

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who saved the passengers of Flight 1549, a US Airways plane, by safely landing the craft in the Hudson River did more than just that. He also gave his sex life a boost.

The statement came from his wife, Laurie Sullenberger, who told NBC's Matt Lauer, who was interviewing them for a Thanksgiving Day special, how the extra "celebrity" affected their relationship.

She said: "He doesn't know I'm gonna say this, but I had joked the other day that ... the hero sex really helps a 20-year-old marriage."

Meanwhile, Sully chimed in, calling it "Rock star sex." Certainly, this is probably "too much information" for most, but it's probably worth more to Sully than the easy access to reservations for dinner he can probably expect just about anywhere in the country.

BART Cop Caught on Tape Slamming Suspect Through Window

In what is bound to start debate about the BART Police and its role in policing the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, a new video has arisen showing yet another incident between BART police and a suspect, this one non-fatal, fortunately.

On New Year's Day, Johannes Meserle was caught on video shooting a suspect, Oscar Grant, in the back with his service weapon. He has said the incident was a mistake and that he was trying to use his Taser. The trial has been granted a change of venue to Los Angeles and is expected to take place late next year.

In this incident, both Michael Joseph Gibson and the officer involved were injured. Gibson has been charged with felony battery of a police officer, obstructing and resisting an officer, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. However, the officer, whose name has not been released, has been suspended pending an investigation.

The video, taken Saturday night shows Gibson standing in the aisle of a BART train, gesturing wildly at other passengers. He is then pulled out of the car by an unidentified officer and, as the other passengers applaud, the BART officer then can be seen pushing Gibson toward a wall at the West Oakland BART station.

The two both slam into the glass, which shatters and rains down on both of them. The BART officer suffered a concussion, and both he and Gibson were treated at Oakland hospitals for cuts and were later released.

Although BART made it clear it would investigate the case, BART police officers' union President Jesse Sekhon told the San Francisco Chronicle: "You saw the reaction from the patrons. They applauded the officer for doing his job."

Watch the video:

Man Discovers Charles Manson His Biological Father

How would you like to discover that one of the most infamous murderers and cult leaders of all time is your father? Just ask Matthew Roberts, a 41-year-old Los Angelese DJ.

Roberts grew up in Rockford, Illinois, but only discovered he was adopted when his sister told him at age 10. His adoptive father tole him "nothing good" would come of discovering who his real parents were, but Roberts pursued the issue, and used a social services agency to locate his mother, Terry.

At first, she refused to tell him the name of his father, although she told him his birth name was Lawrence Alexander. Eventually, she gave in and revealed his father was Charles Manson, who she claimed raped her in 1967 after she had become "trapped" in his cult. Worse, his mother told Roberts that "You look just like him."

While hearing that is bad enough, Roberts is afraid he may have inherited some of the characteristics of his father. Still, he says he is a gentle person, who would not even kill an insect. He has not spoken to his father, although he has corresponded with him and has a number for him at San Quentin prison.

"If I did talk to Charlie on the phone, I would say, 'I truly understand what it's like to be you, more than anyone could ever imagine on so many levels.' He's my biological father; I can't help but have some kind of emotional connection. That's the hardest thing of all, feeling love for a monster who raped my mother. I don't want to love him, but I don't want to hate him either."

French Hotel Lets Guests Live Like Hamsters

Hamster hotels, you might think, are hotels for real hamsters. In this case, however, they are hotels for people, but designed as though a hamster might live in it.

For 99 euros ($147) a night, visitors to the hotel in Nantes, France can eat hamster chow, run in a giant wheel and sleep in hay. They even dress up like hamsters. It's known as the "Hamster Villa".

Why would anyone want to live like a hamster, particularly at this price? Owner Yann Falquerho told Reuters, "The Hamster in the world of children is that little cuddly animal. Often, the adults who come here have wanted or did have hamsters when they were small."

Despite this, however, apparently the spartan hamster life is getting an upgrade. A the same time, the price will rise as they will be adding wi-fi and a giant TV screen.

Burglars Steal Baby’s Ashes

A family in Arizona was burglarized, but are willing to give the burglars everything if they can just get an old music box back. The reason: the box contains the ashes of their dead child.

The family returned to their Peoria, AZ home yesterday afternoon to find the garage door open and the house torn apart. The burglars stole electronics and a wooden music box. Inside the box, however, were the ashes of 5-month-old Tyler.

According to his mother, Lindsay Grannis, he died in 1996. She reportedly laid him down for a nap with his twin brother and "he just never woke up." While that sounds a lot like SIDS, in those days, people were not so aware of SIDS.

The family says the box has no monetary value and that they're willing to cut a deal with the burglars. The family said that if the ashes are returned to any Peoria or Phoenix fire station, the burglars can keep the rest of the stolen items, no questions asked.

It is believed that the burglars got opened the garage door using a universal garage door remote. Hopefully, they will read this, and have a heart.

Oprah To End Show in 2011

Oprah Winfrey will end her talk show when he contract expires in 2011. Tim Bennett, the president of her production company Harpo, said the following in a message to affiliates:

"Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history. The sun will set on the Oprah show as its 25th season draws to a close on Sept. 9, 2011."

Why would Oprah quit? Poor ratings are not the reason. While her daily ratings are not as big as they used to be, with all the distractions of the Internet and hundreds of cable channels, it's unlikely that any new daytime talk show will be able to repeat the success of "Oprah" anytime soon.

No, it's because Oprah Winfrey wants to concentrate on her coming cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN will premiere in January 2011, according to an anonymous source speaking with tne New York Times. OWN is a joint venture between her production company and the Discovery Networks.

The timing of the launch and the end of her contract is a positive for OWN. Though not said, Oprah Winfrey will obviously be able to promote OWN for the time before her contract ends.

Winfrey, 55, informed her talk show staff of her decision on Thursday afternoon. She had previously stated she would make a decision about whether she would extend her contract or sign a new one by the end of this year.

Fox News Uses Archival Footage, Makes Palin Book Tour Crowd Look Larger

Fox News, which was recently caught by Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" for using footage of a Sept. 12 Tea Party rally in Washington evidently to make a Nov. 5 anti-health reform rally look bigger, has been caught again. This time, they used archival footage of a 2008 Palin campaign stop, making the crowed at a book tour event.

In the first case, Sean Hannity admitted that "The Daily Show" was correct. Fox News had used footage of a Sept. 12 Tea Party rally, already contentious because a Fox New producer coached the protesters and stage-managed them, evidently to make a Nov. 5 anti-health reform rally look bigger.

The latest Faux News gambit was to use archival footage of a Sarah Palin campaign rally from last year to purport a huge crowd at a book event. Media Matters confirmed this; the footage was shown on Fox's "Happening Now" on Wednesday. Obviously, it wasn't "Happening Then," but rather November 1, 2008.

The McCain - Palin shirts (see image above) should have been a clue.

Fox News tried to palm off the footage as an honest mistake, but was it? We'll never really know. Senior vice-president Michael Clemente told the Chicago Tribune's Swamp Politics blog that "This was a production error in which the copy editor changed a script and didn't alert the control room to update the video. There will be an on-air explanation during 'Happening Now' on Thursday."

SLU Students Participate in Hall of Fame Showcase

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Education Program served as host athletic trainers for the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase Men's Basketball Event on November 17, 2009 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.  This year's event featured the University of Louisville vs.the University of Arkansas and the #1 ranked University of Kansas  vs. the University of  Memphis.  It provided a great opportunity for our students to coordinate a large off-site event and they also had the opportunity to network with the athletic trainers and other staff for these schools.

Jake Blasingame and Kellie Black served as hosts for the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Geanie Butts and Mollie Cole served as hosts for the Louisville Cardinals and the Memphis Tigers.

Ten-Year-Old Tasered in Arkansas

Tasers are supposed to be used in place of lethal force when a criminal is uncooperative or combative. In this case, however, a ten-year-old was tasered when she was combative as an officer tried to get the girl into a patrol car to be taken to a youth shelter.

Ah, but it's all OK, right? According to authorities, the Tasering was "very, very short."

The incident occurred in Ozark, Arkansas. According to reports, officer Dustin Bradshaw went to the girl's home after her mother called police. According to a report filed by Bradshaw on Thursday, the officer found the girl on the floor of the house screaming and crying.

More fun facts: at this point, as the girl refused to follow her mother's instructions, the mother told Bradshaw to use his Taser. He didn't, but when trying to take her out of the house, the girl began kicking, and struck Bradshaw in the groin.

Bradshaw's report said he administered a "very, very brief" stun with his Taser. He then put the girl in handcuffs and carried her to his patrol car. She was taken to the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter in Cecil.

Poll: Two-Thirds Do Not Want Palin In 2012

A new CBS News poll (.PDF) shows Americans, by a 2/3 majority, do not want Sarah Palin to run for president in 2010. In fact, 38 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Sarah Palin, while only 23 percent of those surveyed think highly of the former VP candidate.

At the same time, 37 percent say they do not know enough to form an opinion. That's hard to believe, if you know that Palin was ignorant enough to believe Africa was a country and not a continent. It's also hard to believe, since there's been much publicity around Sarah Palin of late, with her new memoir, "Going Rogue," releasing today.

Among the GOP, only 52 percent give her high approval. That's somewhat surprising, but the number among Democrats is not: only four percent of Dems give her high marks.

Overall, two out of three people surveyed said they do not want her to run for the presidency during the 2012 election. In fact, a majority of the GOP, by a 48 - 44 percent majority, do not want a Palin candidacy in 2012.

Unsurprisingly, the survey revealed that Palin's greatest support appears to come from white evangelical Christians. Those would support a Palin 2012 presidential bid, but only by a slim majority, 48 - 42 percent.

Ten-year-old Won't Recite Pledge Until Gays Can Marry

Here's an act of defiance on the part of a ten-year-old that deserves some applause, rather than a sit-down in a corner. It all began when Will Phillips refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance in a West Fork, Arkansas elementary school.

Why did he do so? Not because it has the phrase "Under God" in it, which some have protested against. No, he did so because of the phrase "Liberty and Jutice for All" in it.

Speaking to CNN's John Roberts on CNN's American Morning on Monday, Will said he remained seated four straight days while his classmates repeated the words, "with liberty and justice for all."

Will, who wants to be a lawyer, said he was analyzing the meanings of the Pledge of Allegiance, the weekend before his protest. When asked what he found in the Pledge that caused him refusal, Will said:

"Well, I looked at the end and it said 'with liberty and justice for all.' And there isn't really liberty and justice for all. There's ... Gays and lesbians can't marry. There's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world. Um, yeah."

Roberts: "So you think then that the country isn't living up to the ideals of the Pledge, and you took it upon yourself to sit down, not recite the Pledge Allegiance until the country comes in line to embody the ideals that are embodied in the Pledge.

Will: "Yes."

When asked what he told his substitute teacher when he was given grief over the issue, Will said:

"I eventually, very solemnly -- with a little bit of malice in my voice -- said, 'Mam, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge.'"

While his father initially reacted as most parents might, which is with anger, once he spoke to Will and realized the reason for his stance, his tune changed, and he became supportive. Once again, when asked why he took the position he did, Will said:

"Because I have many -- I've grown up with a lot of people and good friends with a lot of people that are gay and I really -- I think they should have the rights all people should. And I'm not going to swear that they do."

This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Nov. 16, 2009, via Raw Replay.