AT&T Display Phones Used To Donate To Haiti

It is very easy to donate your own funds to Haiti. One example is to text HAITI to 90999. Of course, what if you're not using your own phone?

In this case, as heard on NPR, a resourceful individual texted from AT&T retail store display phones. In fact, according to NPR, he posted on Facebook (which doesn't really make sense) that he wondered if AT&T was going to get ticked at him for continuing to use their display phones.

It doesn't make sense since NPR indicated that the employee posted anonymously on his Facebook page, which sort of removes the anonymity, doesn't it. Still ...

It's unconfirmed if AT&T will come through with the funds, but NPR noted that after spending two hours on the phone with its own customer support, AT&T gave up and decided to pay up.

In 37 Minutes, Scott Roeder Found Guilty Of Abortion Doctor Murder

Scott Roeder, who had freely admitted killing prominent Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller has been found guilty, after only 37 minutes of jury deliberation. He said he killed Tiller to protect unborn children.

The jury found Scott Roeder, 51, guilty of premeditated, first-degree murder. He now faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Roeder testified during the trial that he shot Dr. George Tiller in the head on May 31, 2009 because he believed Tiller posed an "immediate danger" to unborn children. The shooting took place at Tiller's Wichita, KS church.

Earlier, Scott Roeder's attorneys had tried to get him a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. However, the judge ruled that the jury could not consider such a verdict.

In her closing arguments, prosecutor Ann Swengel said, "His testimony was delivered very matter-of-factly, but its contents were chillingly horrific. He carried out a planned assassination, and there can be no other verdict in this case, other than guilty."

Major Garrett Tweets Ad For Escort Site

Fox News reporter Major Garrett made a major mistake last night when, while Tweeting away during the State of the Union address, he tweeted this:

"To overcome the numbing weight of our politics" and other Obama SOTU excerpts http://bit.ly/d6W

The only problem with that is the URL-shortened link above takes you to a site advertising Las Vegas escorts. See below:

Later, he posted:

I apologize. Bit.ly turned my original link to SOTU excerpts to a soft-porn link. NOT my intention. http://bit.ly/d6WZBu

Right, bit.ly did it. Sorry, that's not true, and you know it, Major. What happened was that you had an escort site open in another tab and you accidentally copied it to bit.ly to shorten it. Now let's see, when's the next time you're visiting Vegas?

Haggard Now Free Of "Gay Compulsions" - Wife

Ted Haggard, out of the news for three years since he left his megachurch in disgrace, is back in the news. He had originally been caught up in a scandal involving drug use and a male prostitute. His wife appeared on "The Today Show" on Wednesday, and said he no longer has "gay compulsions."

Gayle Haggard was appearing on "Today" to promote her new book, “Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour," about her experiences in the matter. She told Meredith Vieira,
“Our relationship is better than it’s ever been. Going over this mountain together has given me the marriage that I’ve always longed for."

Gayle Haggard added that Ted has told her, early in their marriage, of one gay experience he had.

“At that point, I was ignorant of the gravity. I felt as though we all struggle in different areas of our life, and certainly in our sexuality, so I was willing to forgive him. That was painful at that time. He had gone to a counselor ... I felt as though the problem was pretty much solved. [...]

“Through the years, what I’ve discovered is that it would reemerge in Ted’s life from time to time, but he didn’t tell me about it. When I would ask him, he would say it was no longer a problem, since it was something he was ashamed of and trying to hide.”

Finally, she stated that therapy has help him overcome his "compulsions." As she said, "he no longer has those compulsions. "

Watch the video:

SC Lt. Gov.: "Don't Feed The Poor, They'll Breed"

South Carolina Lt.-Gov. Andre Bauer, a candidate for governor, made a comment which basically compared the poor to stray animals during a town hall meeting on Friday. During a discussion of subsidized school lunches, Bauer said the following:

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

What Bauer was trying to do, he said on CNN while trying to backpedal on the statement, was the following:

"There's no way that I was trying to tie animals to people. What I was trying to talk about is the dependency culture, and just like when you feed an animal, you create a dependency."

Back to comparing the poor with animals, eh? Here's an interesting open letter to Bauer in the Spartanburg Spark, in which Christopher George makes some excellent points:

Your knowledge on issues of poverty is about as thorough as my knowledge of quantum physics, and while that might be fine for Andre Bauer, private citizen, it most certainly is not fine for Andre Bauer, gubernatorial candidate. I know that in conservative circles ideas like yours—though normally more carefully articulated—are pretty common, even celebrated. The idea that government assistance creates poverty is a pretty old one, and it’d be wrong to imply that you were expressing something that your fellow conservatives don’t agree with. Most of them agree with it just fine. Whether they’d have your courage in saying so openly is another matter.

Whether they’d come forward with your degree of honesty or not though, the fact remains that they’re plainly wrong about poverty issues in pretty much every respect. Chew on this one for a moment: If it really is true that government assistance causes poverty, then why is it that the countries with the largest, most expansive social safety nets also have the lowest poverty rates? If food stamps, unemployment insurance, and free school lunches increased poverty, as you and your conservative friends claim, then how do you explain the fact that countries like Germany, France, Canada and The Netherlands—all of which have welfare systems far more advanced than ours—have lower poverty rates? [...]

I know from how forceful you were in your defense of the “I Believe” license plate that you are a Christian. That’s important because you see, there are those of us out here who believe that when it came to issues involving the poor, Jesus was a pretty radical guy. I myself have several favorite verses where he seems to come down pretty hard on the whole “laissez-faire” thing.

I especially like this passage from the book of Matthew: “For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

If that one doesn’t do it for you, how about this one from the book of Luke: “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in the flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”

Very good points. And for those against universal health care, who are on the right, how do you reconcile these points from the New Testament with your views?

Have Beer Your Way, At Burger King

Want a Whopper, but want a brewski, too? Burger King is starting to allow that.

Burger King is opening a restaurant in Miami Beach, FL that will serve beer along with burgers and fries. This will be the fast-food chain's first U.S. location serving alcohol.

At first, at least, the BK restaurant will offer only domestic beers. A BK beer will sell for $4.25, with a Whopper combo with a beer $7.99. That price is about $2 more than the same meal with a soda.

The restaurant will offer outdoor dining, a walk-up window and delivery service. It's scheduled to open in mid-February. They are planning to call it a Whopper Bar.

Nadya Suleman Back In Bikini Shape, Without Surgery?

Nadya Suleman, also known as "Octomom" as the result of having octuplets after in vitro fertilization, is, according to Star magazine, back in bikini shape. And, according to the magazine, there was no surgery or air brushing of the photo.

That would be extremely had to believe, given the past pictures of Nadya Suleman during her pregnancy. Additionally, any who watched some of the specials about the Gosselins and witnessed images Kate Gosselin's stomach after her birth of sextuplets, would probably be convinced that Suleman would have had to have surgery, as Gosselin did.

At any rate, the article (available in full on newsstands) says that Suleman had no surgery, and did it all with diet and exercise.

Besides the octuplets she had, Suleman had six children previously, which raised the hackles of many once it was discovered that she had eight further embryos implanted.

Readers, what do you think? Air brush, surgery, or both?

Airline Bomb Scare Caused By Jewish Teenager's Prayers

A Jewish prayer object known as tefillin (above) caused a plane to divert from its destination of Kentucky to Philadelphia, when the object was mistaken for an explosive device. A 17-year-old boy on US Airways Express Flight 3079 traveling from New York to Louisville was attempting to use the object during the flight.

FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said, "It's something that the average person is not going to see very often, if ever."

According to Wikipedia, "the hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead, with the strap going around the head and over the shoulders."

Although the teenager explained the device to crew members when questioned, the captain of the flight decided to divert to Philadelphia anyway. Flight 3079 left LaGuardia Airport in New York around 7:30 AM, and landed in Philadelphia about 90 minutes later. There, it was met by police and officials from the FBI and Transportation Security Administration.

The White Plains, NY teen, who was traveling with his 16-year-old sister, was very cooperative, and neither were booked into custody. Both were allowed to continue on their way, and passengers on the flight were re-booked on other flights.

Angry Reactions Result From News of "Jesus Scopes"

Muslim groups reacted angrily to the news that so-called "Jesus scopes" were being used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The story, first reported by ABC News, noted that Michigan-based contractor Trijicon had sold up to 800,000 of the sights, which have coded Bibilical references, to the U.S. military.

A Trijicon spokesman said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, who was a devout Christian from South Africa. He was killed in a 2003 plane crash, ironically between Gunsight Mountain and Sheep Mountain in Alaska.

Upon hearing the news, Michael Weinstein, Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said: "It's wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws. It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they're being shot by Jesus rifles." The MRFF is an advocacy group that seeks to ensure the separation of church and state in the military.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) called for U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to immediately withdraw from combat any equipment found to have inscriptions of Biblical references. MPAC Director Haris Tarin said in a statement, "Having Biblical references on military equipment violates the basic ideals and values our country was founded upon. Worse still, it provides propaganda ammo to extremists who claim there is a 'Crusader war against Islam' by the United States."

At least two other countries that buy scopes from Trijicon are reconsidering those purchases. First, in the U.K., a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told the BBC that the ministry was contacting Trijicon, had been unaware of the markings at time of purchase, and realized that the markings might be considered offensive. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Defence Force told the New Zealand newspaper The Press that the Biblical quotes were "inappropriate" and would be removed. New Zealand will also ask Trijicon to remove the code from future shipments.

It is also true that the U.S. military has in place a non-proselytizing rule, to prevent providing the Taliban, al Qaeda and others such fuel for their insurgency. It is, howver, ironic, that scopes of this nature could provide ammo for our enemies.

Watch a video report:

Big Fail As Man Blows Two Different Armed Robberies

A man needs some lessons in armed robbery, as he blew two consecutive armed robbery attempts space only 30 minutes apart. Of course, he did manage to succeed in one thing: he got away from both.

The still unidentified robber first tried to rob the Subway Restaurant at 1021 High St. in Hamilton, OH, just before 7:30 PM. The robber said, "This is a robbery; give me the money." He then on the counter and tried to steal the cash register, but the clerk pushed him off of the counter and the man fled on foot.

Thirty minutes later, he attempted a robbery at the Family Dollar Store at 2526 Dixie Highway. This time, he displayed the outline of a gun to the clerk. He then tried to open the register but was unsuccessful, and then fled the scene.

Someone needs some lessons, as obviously he needed to force the cashier to open the cash register, but oh, well. Police are still investigating, and anyone with information concerning the robberies is asked to contact Detective David Collins at (513) 868-5811, extension 1214.

Doisy College Faculty Member Reaches Out to Haiti

Kudos to Dr. Tim Randolph, faculty member in the Doisy College of Health Sciences Department of Clinical Lab Science, and Students Who are Helping Rebuild Medical Clinics in Haiti

By: Sara Savat (Taken from SLU Newslink, January 15, 2010, LINK)

A lot can change over the course of a few days.

On Saturday, Tim Randolph, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University, returned home from his semi-annual trip to Haiti. For a decade Randolph's non-profit organization, Randolph World Ministries Inc. has partnered with medical clinics in Haiti to improve health care for the poorest of the poor.

Tim Randolph, Ph.D., works with health care providers at a Haiti clinic

During his three-week stay, Randolph and a team of volunteers, including SLU students, worked with established clinics and pursued plans to partner with an eighth clinic outside the country's capital in Port-au-Prince.

Tuesday, just two days after he returned home, disaster struck. A 7.0 earthquake jolted the country, killing thousands and devastating buildings in the area.

Garrett Ungerer, a first year student in the physician assistants program at SLU, joined Randolph on the most recent trip to Haiti. In the wake of the earthquake, he said he was feeling "heartbroken and devastated."

"We were just there. Obviously I feel guilty, and wish I were still there to help. I've asked all my friends and family to keep Haiti and all the people there in their prayers," Ungerer said.

While plans to build an additional clinic have been put on the backburner, Randolph has been working around-the-clock to get muchneeded supplies to his clinics in Haiti. Wednesday was consumed with phone calls and emails to his networks of supporters, including vendors, financial donors, past team members, medical supply donors and prayer groups. By the end of the week, Randolph hopes to reach Haiti with the first of many shipments of medical kits, surgical supplies, wound care materials and other clinic necessities. He suspects the urgent need will last for months, if not longer.

Randolph says he needs medical supplies, toiletries and monetary donations to cover the cost of shipping supplies.

"Our turnaround is very fast because we're a small organization and made up entirely of volunteers," Randolph said. "Approximately 99 cents out of every dollar donated goes directly to our clinics in Haiti."

Past student volunteers also have expressed interest in helping, including sophomore Tim Toby who joined Randolph on a trip to Haiti last summer.

"I loved my experience in Haiti - the people are amazing. When I heard about the earthquake I was devastated because I have all these connections to the country, yet there is little I can do right now to help. I'm eager to help Dr. Randolph is any way possible, and definitely hope to go back on future trips to help in the relief efforts," said Toby, who is majoring in investigative and medical sciences.

About Randolph World Ministries Inc.
Randolph established Randolph World Ministries Inc. in 2000. Through the non-profit organization, Randolph provides lab services, training, medical supplies and consultations to physicians and technicians who are fighting HIV, malaria, sickle cell disease, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Each year, Randolph and teams of volunteers travel to Haiti in June and December to service the 23 existing clinics. Randolph says his primary job is to assess the resources a clinic has in place and the patient population it serves, which helps him determine how they can best improve and provide medical services.

"A functioning laboratory plays a critical role in clinics. Laboratory data provides precision to diagnoses and takes out the guess work. While we started out focused on providing laboratory supplies and service, our work has evolved as our team of volunteers has grown to include doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals," Randolph said.

According to Randolph, everything his ministry does is in the spirit of the Gospels.

"We're there because God called us to be there. And by healing the body, we open up lines of communication for sharing the Christian Gospels," Randolph said.

Currently, donations can be mailed to Randolph World Ministries, Inc., 318 Vandalia St., Collinsville, Ill 62234. In the near future, Randolph plans to set up a PayPal account to collect donations on his Web site:http://www.randolphworldministries.org

Bag of Cocaine Found In Space Shuttle Hangar

In 2007, reports surfaced that some NASA astronauts had flown while intoxicated. Finding a bag of cocaine inside a NASA shuttle hanger doesn't mean it belonged to NASA astronaut, but it's still made NASA initiate an investigation.

Lsst week, a shuttle worker employed by United Space Alliance found a plastic bag with a white powder residue on the floor outside two bathrooms and a janitor's closet, in Orbital Processing Facility 3. The powder was later confirmed to be cocaine.

As a result of the incident, NASA brought in drug-sniffing dogs, but found nothing. Also, about 200 workers who had access to the area were given drug tests.

The shuttle Discovery is being prepared at the facility for a March launch to the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, NASA engineers are double-checking the work on the shuttle.

The amount of cocaine in the bag was small, and was said to be residue. NASA said that if the drug can be tied to anyone, the employee will be handed over to federal prosecutors. Additionally, they will trace the employee's work to be sure no mistakes were made.

Tiger Woods Reported Holed Up In Sex Addiction Clinic

Where's Tiger been hiding all this time? It's unclear where he's been hiding all this time, but right now, he's apparently holed up in a sex addiction rehab clinic.

It all started on Black Friday, and most likely you already know the sordid details. He crashed his SUV that day, in the early morning hours; it appears Elin Nordegren Woods was chasing him that day, after an argument over numerous affairs, and since them so many mistresses have come out of the woodwork that it's hard to keep track of them.

In addition, Tiger's lost some big sponsors, such as Accenture and AT&T. Others, such as Gillette, have simply put him on the back burner, most likely hoping his advertising "glamour" will come back.

Sources say that Tiger Woods is now at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, a clinic in Mississippi. According to the facility's web site, their sex addiction program is known as the "Gentle Path."

It's described as follows:

The Gentle Path Program offers gender specific treatment to aid men and women in regaining their freedom from the disease of sexual addiction. Most patients are simultaneously treated for mood disturbance, anxiety or other addictions, such as chemical dependency. The Gentle Path Program has a special focus on working through past trauma and family problems. The program is designed to help men and women regain freedom from compulsive behaviors and develop a sense of healthy sexuality. [...]

To get the results our patients need for long term recovery, Gentle Path provides comprehensive treatment services based on a 12-Step Program. Our interdisciplinary staff of physicians, nurses, counselors, clinical assistants, social workers and a certified addictionologists, provide patients with a full continuum of care. The Day Treatment Program includes:

• Group therapy
  
• Weekly psychiatric consultation
  
• Cognitive Behavioral therapy
  
• Experiential trauma work
  
• Big Book/Step study
  
• Relapse prevention counseling
  
• ROPES Course (a Ropes course is an outdoor personal development and team building activity)
  
• Consultation with Dr. Patrick Carnes
  
• Family Care program
  
• Exercise and fitness program (Tiger should do well at this!)
  
• Eye movement desensitization
  
• Reprocessing
  
• Shame reduction work
  
• Spirituality group
  
• Grief Group
  
• Yoga
  

While Tiger will busy for about six weeks with this therapy, Elin Woods was seen around town again, today.  Once again, no wedding ring.

Eight-Year-Old Winds Up On Terror Watch List

The TSA, in a section they call "Myth Busters," says that "No 8-year-old is on a TSA watch list." Oops. It looks like the Myth Buster is busted, because that's not the case. There is an eight-year-old on the watch list.

Michael Hicks is on a watch list, under suspicion by the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, there happens to be a boy named Mikey Hicks, 8. According to his mother, he's been having to suffer through extra security for 7 1/2 years.

It's interesting, because the TSA site says:

Airlines can and should automatically de-select any 8-year-olds out there that appear to be on a watch.

Apparently, not, based on his mother's statements. He was first patted down when he was two.

On their latest trip, he was frisked "aggressively," his mother said. Of course, there should be some degree of allowance made: it came after the Christmas Day near-bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight.

“Up your arms, down your arms, up your crotch — someone is patting your 8-year-old down like he’s a criminal. A terrorist can blow his underwear up and they don’t catch him. But my 8-year-old can’t walk through security without being frisked.”

Still more interesting: his mother, Najlah Feanny Hicks, is a photojournalist who once got Secret Service clearance to travel aboard Air Force II with then-Vice President Al Gore. You'd think his age might get Mikey off the hook, but apparently no. And really, as he gets older, things will just get worse.

Watch a report from CBS' "The Early Show."

Good Medicine

Photo Credit: Impact Photography

Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's Earthquake On Its Victims

On Wednesday, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson of the "700 Club," while stating his Christian Broadcasting Network will be there “to help the people," blamed the disaster on the victims. He said that the earthquake was a result of a "pact with the devil" that the Haitians made long ago.

Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the prince.” True story. And so the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.

But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle, on the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.

They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.

It's interesting that they need to turn to God, since 80 percent of them are professed to be Roman Catholic. Of course, Robertson is the same person who has linked terrorism and Hurricane Katrina to legalized abortion.

Watch the broadcast:

Scotland Yard Captures The "Facebook Fugitive"

It couldn't last forever, could it? The "Facebook Fugitive," or Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, who has been taunting police via Facebook since his escape from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England a few months ago, has been captured.

It was reported by Scotland Yard that they arrested Lynch in southern England on Tuesday night. They only confirmed that he had been arrested and gave few details.

Lynch had drawn a huge audience to his Facebook page, with tens of thousands of fans. However, his first page was shut down, and it appears a second one has been shut down as well. Some were actually cheering him on, but others were hoping for a capture.

In reality, it's amazing it took so long. Authorities should have been able to close in on him based on his IP address.

Lynch's new charge is apparently escaping from custody. He is due to appear in court later Wednesday.

Balloon Boy's Dad Now Behind Bars

Richard Heene, father of six-year-old Falcon Heene, AKA "Balloon Boy," is now behind bars. He reported to jail Monday to begin a 90-day jail sentence.

The Oct. 15, 2009 "Balloon Boy" incident was derided as a hoax after investigators determined that the Heene family, specifically Richard and mother Mayumi Heene, had intended to use the incident to springboard themselves into reality TV. The family had said that Falcon was in the "cabin" of a homemade UFO-shaped balloon, and rescuers and pursuers spend much time and effort trying to "save" him.

Things began to unravel for the Heenes when they appeared on CNN and Falcon said, when asked why he hid in the garage when people called out to him, "You had said that we did this for the show."

However, despite pleading guilty for a relatively light charge of attempting to influence a public servant, Richard Heene remains adamant that there was no hoax. He said he truly believed his son was inside the balloon when it floated away in October, and that he pleaded guilty only to save his wife from being deported to Japan.

Mayumi Heene, a citizen of Japan, faces 20 days in jail, but she can take it in staggered spurts and starts. In addition to their jail time, the Heenes must also pay restitution for the rescue effort, which included the Colorado National Guard launching two helicopters to track the balloon and possibly rescue the boy. Prosecutors estimate the Heenes owe $48,000, though Richard Heene's attorney could provide a different estimate by a Jan. 25 deadline.

Watch an interview between Richard Heene and Matt Lauer of the Today Show, aired January 8th, in which Heene alleges Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden is a "liar."

KFC Commercial Pulled After Complaints Of Racism

KFC has been making positive moves with its KGC brand, or its grilled chicken. However, in terms of KFC commercial advertising and political correctness, it appears they have a way to go. In reality, though, it's because of a stereotype that doesn't exist in Australia.

This Australian KFC commercial (below) features a white man surrounded by a group of black revelers. To calm the situation, he hands them a bucket of chicken. The KFC commercial, however, is titled "Cricket Survival Guide," and the Colonel's response is that the KFC commercial was meant to celebrate West Indian Cricket team.

In the KFC commercial, the white man asks if "you need a tip when you're stuck in an awkward situation?" as he's surrounded by the revelers. There's no violence involved, just a bunch of people enjoying themselves.

Still, in America, the image of blacks and fried chicken is known as a racial stereotype. "It is a light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team ... The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC's permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism." The reference to a "culturally-based stereotype" seems to point to the fact that in Australia such a stereotype does not exist, and thus the company would not have caught how un-PC the KFC commercial might appear, to some.

Of course, that doesn't mean racism does not exist in Australia. It does mean that this stereotype does not resonate there, so to that country, the KFC commercial does not appear to exhibit racism.

At any rate, while the KFC commercial has been pulled, it still lives on (until they remove it for copyright reasons) via YouTube. Watch the KFC commercial and decide for yourself.

Athletic Trainer Rick Larsen Featured in Article about "Comeback Athlete" Sean Wallis in Training and Conditioning Magazine

Sean Wallis, a men's basketball player at Washington University, was named as the "Comeback Athlete" in the December 2009 issue of Training and Conditioning Magazine.  Wash U Head Athletic Trainer Rick Larsen was also featured in the article as he managed the Wallis' knee injury acutely and supervised the rehabilitation and return to play.

Rick Larsen and his staff serves as Approved Clinical Instructors in the SLU Athletic Training Education program where Washington University is a clinical site.

Click here to read the article.

Washington University Athletic Training Staff

Anna Braun, Rick Larsen, Kelly Mitchell & Mike Berry

Starbucks Embroiled In Aztec Image Use Issue With Mexico

Starbucks has pulled a mug from its retail stores after a claim by Mexico that the coffee company has violated its intellectual property rights. The claim is for a line of coffee mugs showing pre-Hispanic images.

The mugs contained images of the Aztec calendar and a pyramid from pre-Aztec ruins near Mexico City. They have since been removed from shop shelves.

Meanwhile, Starbucks says it is working with Mexico to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The government archaeological agency said Wednesday it will decide by next week whether Starbucks will be required to pay any fees.

Starbucks itself said it feels the supplier of the mugs did due diligence in this matter. The company reported tried to get necessary permits, but never received a response.

Boy's Play-Doh Confiscated By TSA Agent

Better to be safe than sorry, they always say. Thus, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent confiscated a young boy's Play-Doh on a post-Christmas flight out of New Orleans last week.

It should be noted that the words "Post-Christmas" probably also means "enhanced security" in the wake of the Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to bomb Northwest Airlines flight 253. Still, it appears that Play-Doh is not specifically on the TSA's prohibited item list, as Josh Pitney's mother, Christy Pitney found out.

However, because plastic explosives can be camouflaged to look like Play-Doh, a TSA spokeswoman said screeners are told to use their own discretion. Coming when it did, it was obvious that discretion would mean "play it safe."

Playing Chicken, Teenager Runs Over Brother

A 16-year-old teenage girl, playing a variety of chicken with her 17-year-old brother, accidentally ran over and killed him in an Arizona shopping mall parking lot, police said.

According to Mesa, AZ Police spokesman Ed Wessing, Nicole Brock had dropped off her brother, Dwight Brock, Jr., at Superstition Springs Mall Saturday evening. Later, they started playing, with Dwight jumping in front of the car and the Nicole slamming on the brakes.

Sadly, the last time Dwight Brock tried to do that, Nicole was unable to stop in time and ran over him. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.

Identical Twins Born In Different Decades

In what's probably happened before, but never in the age of the Internet and rapid media reporting, identical twin boys in Florida were born not just in different years, but in different decades.

Margarita Velasco delivered the twins, Marcello, and Stephano, by C-section at Tampa General Hospital. Marcello was delivered just before midnight, at 11:59:37 PM. His younger twin, Stephano, was delivered just as the New Year began, at 12:00:02 AM.  Marcello is left, above.

Unsurprisingly, Marcello was the last baby born at TGH in 2009. However, Stephano was not the first baby born at TGH in 2010. That honor went to Kaylan Ann McDaniel, who was delivered one second after midnight.

Juan Velasco, their father, says it's great that they have different birthdays, because each boy will get to have his own birthday party. However, they are still in intensive care because they were born about 10 weeks early. Doctors say they'll get to go home in about eight weeks.

Those who are sticklers for accuracy will note that in reality, the decade does not end until the end of 2010. Obviously, since a decade covers 10 years, the first decade would have be 1-10, which would then be extrapolated to mean the 2001 - 2010 is this decade.

Also, as is always the case for babies born this close to Christmas, they will be somewhat ripped off in terms of combination birthday / Christmas presents.

Program Director Interviewed on KMOX AM-1120

On Saturday, January 2, 2010, the SLU ATEP Program Director was interviewed on KMOX's Total Information AM Weekend by Maria Keena and Tom Calhoun.

The interview topic was:

1/2/10 Getting in Shape This Year With the new year here, getting in shape is at the top of many resolution lists. Tom and Maria talk about what you can do with Tony Breitbach, director of athletic training education at Saint Louis University. Click here to listen to the interview

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish everyone a great new year!

Is a special year for our program...

May it be a special year for you!

Chicago Cop Tasered Diabetic Undergoing Seizures Eleven Times

A suburban Chicago police officer tasered a man 11 times while he was having a diabetic seizure, says a lawsuit (.PDF) filed in a federal court in Chicago. The policeman tasered the victim because accidentally lashed out and hit the officer during his seizure.

Prospero Lassi, 30, and an employee of Southwest Airlines, filed the lawsuit following an April 9, 2009, incident. Lassi was taken to hospital following a violent diabetic seizure, and being tasered 11 times while unconscious.

According to reports, Lassi's roommate found him on the floor of his apartment experiencing the diabetic seizures. The roommate called 911 for help, and police officers from the Brookfield and LaGrange Park police departments arrived to deal with the situation.

However, a paramedics attempted to move Lassi to an ambulance, the man, still in the throes of his seizures, and described as "unresponsive," involuntarily hit one of the officers with his arm. The complaint goes on:

"Reacting to Mr. Lassi’s involuntary movement, one or more of the [officers] pushed Mr. Lassi to the ground, forcibly restraining him there. [LaGrange Park Officer Darren] Pedota then withdrew his Taser, an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt a person’s control over his muscles, and electrocuted Mr. Lassi eleven times.

"Mr. Lassi remained immobile on the floor and was unable to defend himself during this attack. None of the other LaGrange and Brookfield Defendants attempted to interrupt Defendant Pedota's repeated use of the Taser."

The lawsuit goes on to state Lassi spent five days in hospital, and "as a result of this incident, Mr. Lassi has permanent scars on his skin, including a scar on his face. Mr. Lassi has also suffered, and continues to suffer, neurological and musculoskeletal injuries, among other injuries." Lassi is seeking punitive damages for battery, excessive force, and failure to intervene.

Northwest Airlines Flight Diverted Because of Christmas Ornament

Northwest Airlines must feel snakebit. Not only was it the airline involved in the Christmas Day incident involving Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, a Nigerian national, that almost resulted in Flight 253 being taken down over Detroit, it was also the "victim" of a false alarm a few days later over intestinal distress. On New Year's day, there was yet another NWA false alarm.

Delta Air Lines (Delta owns Northwest) spokesman Carlos Santos said the flight was diverted "out of an abundance of caution." He wasn't aware who found the package on the flight from Detroit to Orlando, FL, or why they thought it was suspicious.

Diverted to Nashville, the 75 passengers and five crew members on Northwest flight 2364 were taken off the plane around 8 AM Friday while bomb-sniffing dogs examined it. Two hours later, they were allowed to reboard.