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Flag of the City of London ( and the flag of the Red Cross? ). This emblem was depicted on the shields and tunics of the Knights Templar who also used the insignia of the Skull-and-Bones. The Knights Hospitaller, who were chartered at the same time as the Templars, used an inverse (red field, white cross) version of the same design. A truncated-cross depiction of London's flag is the Red Cross flag, identical to the inverted field of Switzerland's flag. Are the flags telling us their heritage?
The Knights Templar claimed Jerusalem as their capitol after capturing it in 1099. During the years of occupation, lasting nearly a century, Templars learned the arts of alchemy and mathematics which were highly developed in Arabia and Persia, based on thousands of years of eastern development. After expulsion from the mid-east, and subsequently France, the center of Templar practices moved to the UK c. 1300, with divisions operating in other countries as chartered brotherhoods under new names, principally as Freemasonic orders. Two versions of the Knights Hospitaller were reorganized as the Knights of Malta and the Knights of Bohemia. http://www.smom-za.org/bohemia.htm
The Hospitallers were a military organization and the largest (papally) chartered order to evolve from the Crusades. The central European chapters were mostly abandoned as the Hospitallers focused their resources in the Mediterranean, but regional groups took up their mission and created their own fraternities. This is the claim for the Knights of Bohemia, founded in Prague in 1233 by Princess Agnes. The Bohemians were also called The Dragon Knights and chose a red six-pointed star as their insignia, later placed below a Maltese Cross on their standard.
The six-pointed star (of Solomon/star of David) adorns late medieval architecture and chateaux belonging to families who were likely members of this order, practitioners of alchemy and medicine in the larger complex of Crusades-era "corporations" that swore allegiance to the preservation of Jerusalem, the Holy Land. In the 1300s, the Hospitallers were forced to move their center to Rhodes, Sicily, and Malta respectively, while the seat of the pope was in France. The Hospitallers took on the mantle of policing the Mediterranean on behalf of "Christian" trade protection, although after the plague struck in the 1340s, the ensuing disorganization and loss of European wealth caused the seagoing Hospitallers to turn to piracy, directed against their historic enemies –Islam and the Turks– and in time as they contracted out naval services as mercenaries, against whomever their benefactors saw fit.
Over the next two centuries, stabilization of trade and the navies to protect it led to the creation of merchant guilds, from where we get the Worshipful Companies and Societies. The words 'merchant', 'mercenary' and even the name "Merck" have roots in this seafaring activity. European Maritime law began its development from the time of the Crusades, distinct from its Near Eastern predecessors, based on the 'privateering' engaged in by the various Orders of Knights.
A strange and curious fact about the founding of the Knights of Bohemia is that the year of its charter, 1233, corresponds to The Last Judgement which was to take place in that same year (technically at the end of 1232)according to Hebrew reckoning (in a lunar calendar system), derived from a belief that the World was to last 4900 years from the first year of Creation; designated as a formula of 10 X 490 from a Creation point in 3668 BCE; the number 10 representing 10 "world weeks" (each lasting 490 years) with a significant religious event marking the beginning of each world week. Calendrical revisions occurred several times in Hebrew dating calculations; differences between 'solar' and 'lunar' reckoning made important distinctions in the various factions that marked internal divisions in Judaism and distinguished early Christianity as a 'solar' cult. Was the lunar reckoning adopted by the Dragon Knights an indication of who they were?
Read more of this post http://citizen2009.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/the-worshipful-society-of-apothecaries/
This brings up interesting questions about the Red Shield of the Rothschilds as apothecaries and traders in drugs and links to the Knights of Bohemia as a medical fraternity. The 'red' is perhaps from mercury ore, cinnabar, the chief material of alchemy, traded as a red powder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(element) The Rothschilds acquired the Almaden mercury mines in Spain in 1835. The Roman god Mercury ruled over commerce, trade, and profit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(mythology), and carried the caduceus (or staff of Hermes-Mercury).
The symbol for the planet Mercury (☿) has been used since ancient times to represent the element
Mercury was known to the ancient Chinese[15] and was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC.[16] In China and Tibet, mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health. One of China's emperors, Qín Shǐ Huáng Dì — allegedly buried in a tomb that contained rivers of flowing mercury on a model of the land he ruled, representative of the rivers of China — was killed by drinking a mercury and powdered jade mixture (causing liver failure, poisoning, and brain death) intended to give him eternal life.[17][18] The ancient Greeks used mercury in ointments; the ancient Egyptians and the Romans used it in cosmetics which sometimes deformed the face. By 500 BC mercury was used to make amalgams with other metals.[19] The Indian word for alchemy is Rasavātam which means "the way of mercury".[20]
Alchemists thought of mercury as the First Matter from which all metals were formed. They believed that different metals could be produced by varying the quality and quantity of sulfur contained within the mercury. The purest of these was gold, and mercury was called for in attempts at the transmutation of base (or impure) metals into gold, which was the goal of many alchemists.[21]
Hg is the modern chemical symbol for mercury. It comes from hydrargyrum, a Latinized form of the Greek word Ύδραργυρος (hydrargyros), which is a compound word meaning "water" and "silver" — since it is liquid, like water, and yet has a silvery metallic sheen. The element was named after the Roman god Mercury, known for speed and mobility. It is associated with the planet Mercury; the astrological symbol for the planet is also one of the alchemical symbols for the metal. Mercury is the only metal for which the alchemical planetary name became the common name.[21]
The mines in Almadén (Spain), Monte Amiata (Italy), and Idrija (now Slovenia) dominated the mercury production from the opening of the mine in Almadén 2500 years ago until new deposits were found at the end of the 19th century.
Is it apt to simplify the whole Satanic Agenda as "The Way of Mercury"? Religious practices from antiquity involved the ritual of drug-use which, as Terence McKenna writes, contributed to the vital chemistry of brain development. McKenna suggests that mushrooms elaborated our inherited religious cultures (and otherwise through ancient records, brought Krishna and Christ to our consiousness) and underlie the variety and relatedness we see in beliefs. It's well known that the chemistry of diet determines our racial differences, and by extension, the chemistry of our drugs determines our psychological ones. If the "Way of Mercury/Satan" was the inheritance of the Dragon cultures that took root in the East and Mid-East, then the transfer of that 'cult' into (pre) medieval Europe evoked a change on our physiology –the alchemical transmutation– and bears the importance of the preservation of Bloodlines in a state of 'becoming'; a repeat of an ancient practice meant to induce an affinity within one's culture to a particular drug (or god).
The Unicorn of the Apothecaries was said to be a Guardian of the Tree of Life –to keep you away from it!– that lived for 1000 years. Is it significant as a symbol of the Dragon Knights to signal their belief in undergoing the great millenium of 'peace' (since 1232) and that their occult mission is/was the mercenary spreading of drugs and 'peace'? The Hebrew word for 'peace', shalom, does not mean an absence of strife. It means 'restitution in order to make whole' http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/27_peace.html , therefore conducting war to produce 'peace' makes sense. And creating drugs to honor the god of chaos makes sense too (the meaning of the word 'upset' is to 'operate satan'). The famous Unicorn Tapestries are proudly held treasures of the Rockefeller family acquired by John D. "Jr", founder of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. http://www.thetapestryhouse.com/aboutproducts/unicorn-tapestries.html
Documentarian Keith Thompson, who has a YouTube posting on the Illuminati, shows an image of a book cover for "The Rise of the House of Rothschild" depicting a shield-crest flanked by a Lion and Unicorn, matching the flag of Scotland that won its independence with the help of professonal Knights Templar who clandestinely regrouped in Scotland after destruction of their Order in France, c.1307. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQMjr7-Gg20&feature=related.
The unicorn was incorporated into the Scots Coat of Arms at about the same time as the Templars took refuge there, in the first decade of 1300 and may be significant to the Apothecaries emblem, established by James, the first Scot to sit on the English throne. Unicorn lore, while mixing many symbolic lineages, was an ancient lunar symbol and, as seen with the Lion, a potent reference for alchemy, merging the lunar and solar. Its horn was believed to neutralize poison and is an occult representation of the Sword, for the Brotherhood of the Sword; the medieval Dragon Knights. The Apothecaries crest merges these symbols with the image of Artemis the Archer (or Athena); virgin goddess of the hunt and sister "moon" to Apollo "sun" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis. Artemis is also a symbol of the Bow Star, Sirius, a deeply occult image of twinning that which is hidden. What is hidden by the coat of arms are the symbols of its lineage derived from its 'twin' Order, the Hospitallers of Malta and Bohemia.
Scottish Coat of Arms http://www.historyandlegends.com/ScottishHeraldry.htm
James VI of Scotland, who chartered the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, is said to have established Freemasonry in England on the foundation begun by John Dee in the reign of Elizabeth. Dee, besides being the personal physician of the monarch, is credited as the author of Monas Hieroglyphica with developing the 'hieroglyphic monad', "which is at once a variant for the planet Mercury and also a composite sign..for all the seven planets." (The New Jerusalem, Adrian Gilbert, p134). Gilbert adds that in the Elizabethan period, when the concept of British Israel appears to flower, the date of creation was also refigured by Archbishop Ussher to 4004 B.C. [p278] Adding 4900 years to this English version sets the Last Judgement to 896 A.D., initiating a millenium of 'peace' that ends with the advent of the 20th century, or precisely 1896. It's conceivable to me that world events since this exact year are direct and secretive interventions in consolidating the esoteric traditions in a new composite (New Age).
The Mercury dime* (with a 'fasces' on the reverse), 1916-1946, replaced the "seated Liberty" dime (with 13 six-pointed stars) in 1916 coincident with Wilson's secret agreement to enter WWI and the first large US "polio" outbreak. Rockefeller's medical establishment was elevated to its highest attainment of governmental influence by both WWI and polio, becoming the primary lab of the military. The Mercury was in use when FDR created the March of Dimes. A dime, or 'one tenth' took its name from a French word meaning 'tithe' (religious duty). The next change to the dime came in 1946 with Roosevelt on its face, the man who ushered the world into the Atomic Age under the auspices of the United Nations.
*The engraver, Adolph A. Weinman who described himself as an architectural sculptor, had previously embellished the Wash.D.C. 'House of the Temple', built between 1911-1915 and used as both a library and mausoleum for the remains of Albert Pike. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Temple


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USA Cycling will reward gold medalists at the London Games with up to $100,000 in bonus money, creating the richest known Olympics financial incentive program offered by any cycling organization in the world.
The new program, called the "London 100K Challenge," will be officially announced in the coming days. It includes up to $75,000 for silver medalists and up to $50,000 for bronze through funding from the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Cycling and the USA Cycling Development Foundation.
The U.S. team has strong medal aspirations in several events in London, including men's and women's BMX, mountain biking, several track disciplines and the women's time trial, where Kristin Armstrong is the reigning Olympic gold medalist.
The bonus money provided by the USOC comes from its Olympic incentive program, which this year will award $25,000 for gold medals, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.
USA Cycling's podium programs for 2012 and 2013 will provide an additional $40,000 for gold medals, $35,000 for silver and $30,000 for bronze. The USA Cycling Development Foundation will kick in an additional $35,000 for gold medals, $25,000 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.
There are certain stipulations that accompany the bonus money.
For instance, members of the men's road and time trial teams are not eligible to earn money from the 2013 USA Cycling Podium Program due to commitments to their professional teams.
Members of the men's and women's road race team will divide evenly any bonuses for which they are eligible, and the women's team pursuit members — Dotsie Bausch, Sarah Hammer, Lauren Tamayo and Jennie Reed — will individually qualify for the 2013 USA Cycling Podium Program and divide evenly all additional bonuses earned by winning an Olympic medal.
Many national governing bodies offer some type of incentive program.
The Living the Dream Medal Fund was announced in 2009 to up the ante for U.S. wrestlers at the Olympics and world championships during the current four-year Olympic cycle. Gold medalists at the London Games will receive $250,000 in bonus money, silver receives $50,000 and bronze $25,000.
USA Swimming has a similar program, called "Operation Gold," for the London Games.
Athletes who win gold receive $75,000, silver nets $30,000 and bronze earns $15,000. Swimmers who set world records while winning gold also receive a $50,000 bonus, and members of a gold medal-winning relay that sets a world record will split the same $50,000 bonus.
The financial incentives aren't limited to American athletes, either.
Andrew Kam, who owns a gold mine along with the Kuala Lumpur Racket Club, has offered a gold bar worth more than $600,000 to any Malaysian athlete that brings home badminton gold.
The only Olympic medals won by Malaysia have come in badminton: two silver and two bronze. Lee Chong Wei won one of the silver medals at the Beijing Games.
The Five and SIx-Figure Incentives For Winning Gold at the Games
USA Cycling gold medalists will win up to $100,000 in bonus money
USA Cycling will reward gold medalists at the London Games with up to $100,000 in bonus money, creating the richest known Olympics financial incentive program offered by any cycling organization in the world.

subset: commoncrawl


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eBossWatch is delighted to welcome Linnda Durré, Ph.D. as the guest blogger of a new twice-monthly advice column to help people cope with toxic bosses.
Linnda Durré, Ph.D. is Author of Surviving the Toxic Workplace: Protect Yourself Against Co-Workers, Bosses, and Work Environments That Poison Your Day, McGraw-Hill, 02/19/10
As a business and corporate consultant, I've analyzed and worked with many difficult bosses over the years. In order to cope and deal with them, you need to know why they act the way they do and how best to deal with them, in order to earn their respect, get things accomplished, and preserve your sanity. In my twice-monthly column, I will help you cope with a different type of boss. Let's take one of the most frequently complained about types – Dick the Dictator.
THE SITUATION: Dick the Dictator is used to leading, voicing his opinion, and having his commands carried out immediately. Dick's philosophy is "My way or the highway!" and "Do as I say, NOW!" You can't breathe around him. He always has to be right and he is angry when his orders are not followed. He may also be a yeller and a screamer, demeaning and embarrassing you and your co-workers in public. He may also be a micro-manager and he treats you like you're an incompetent imbecile who has no vision, smarts, or initiative. He tells you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. He rules by intimidation and fear. People usually hate and resent him. They secretly want to see him fail and may resort to passive aggressive tactics to set him up to appear foolish or fall.
THE EXPLANATION: Dick may have a background in the military and he believes that he should run everything just like a military command with him as a four star general. His childhood may have had a very dominating parent – his mother, father or both – who served as role model. Or conversely, one or both of his parents may have been very negligent, passive, and/or weak, which made him feel insecure and scared. Someone needed to take charge, and he took over. He learned to be decisive as a child, to protect himself, feel like he was strong, secure, and in control of his life and destiny.
Beneath that exterior, Dick may be like the Wizard in "The Wizard of Oz," who inflates himself up through special effects, scaring you and pretending they are someone bigger and more powerful than they are. When Toto pulls the curtain aside to expose a skittish old man manipulating the dials, "The Great and Almighty Oz" yells, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." He does it to cover himself, pretend that it was a mistake, divert your attention, and dissuade you from thinking he's a charlatan. Be wise and don't be thrown off by someone like Dick. He is an insecure individual who needs to dominate. Don't let that happen to you!
What people may not surmise, is that Dick secretly likes others to be strong because they make him feel like he's supported by other competent people. So being strong and dependable around him, in a more quiet way, is the way to be. Stand up for yourself and let him know you're not a doormat. You will get along better when you are not intimidated by him. You'll also be a role model to the people at work when you do and they'll admire you for it. Dick will respect you when he feels you are as strong as he is because that connotes dependability and reliability to him.
THE SOLUTION: "Dick, I admire your take charge attitude, that you like to get things done and see them happen immediately. Having a mover and a shaker as a boss is motivating and I like your commitment to excellence. What doesn't work is your style – yelling, screaming, intimidating, humiliating, and demanding immediate gratification that is next to impossible to achieve. People need time to accomplish your goals and you need to have a more realistic expectation about the time involved. You are creating an office of people who resent you and who may become resistant to your demands, slowing production and being secretly and silently rebellious. You don't want that to happen. We are all competent, dependable people. You can rely on me and on all of us to get things done, and we all expect to be treated with respect, which we will reciprocate. The other people in the department, me included, would all like to get along with you, accomplish our goals, and we would like you to consider our opinions, as we will consider yours. I trust that you will heed my advice, because I'd rather not go to HR to report you for being unrealistically demanding. Thanks for listening. I hope we will accomplish our goals in our department."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Linnda Durré, Ph.D., a psychotherapist, corporate consultant, national speaker, and columnist, currently hosts and produces her third radio show, "The Linnda Durré Show" on WEUS 810AM Orlando. She has hosted and co-produced two live call-in TV shows, including "Ask the Family Therapist" on the Mayo Clinic-affiliated America's Health Network, and has been interviewed on Oprah, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The O'Reilly Factor, among others. She has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Parade, and San Francisco Chronicle, and has written for Forbes Online and Orlando Business Journal.


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2011 is almost over and it's been a good year for buying music. There have been so many new albums, so many reissues and so many discovered treasures that it's been hard to keep up! Actually, I didn't keep up…..I have literally hundreds of albums on my desk and in boxes next to it that I either bought or were sent in by bands, add in all the digital promos that were emailed in and it was another HUGE year! There is just no possible way that I can listen to every album that crosses my desk but I do make a point to give every CD I buy a listen. I've bought a lot this year but not nearly s much as I have in previous years. I still made purchases through online stores, band websites, Ebay, private sales and…..my favorite…..the record stores but the amount of digital and physical promos that have been submitted made up the difference and made my want list even longer. Even though I'm lucky to receive these promos, I still like to have the physical product, especially of the bands I love so I had a lot to add to my want list. Remember, record stores are a dying breed and more and more are closing every year, especially the mom & pop stores that care about the music and the customer…..go out and support them!
December is always my slowest month of the year because the holidays are right around the corner and the hard earned cash has to be spent on more important things…..like presents and holiday dinners and, well, more presents! This is also the time of year when not much comes out because most of the new albums have already been released and it's time for labels and stores to focus on greatest hits packages. The problem is that there are ALWAYS great sales this time of year and I was able to catch a really great one this time.
So here it is, the final update of 2011…..make sure you check out my final totals and analysis at the bottom…..
Newbury Comics
I'm a regular at Newbury Comics but I'm a rabid regular when there's a can't miss sale! The weekend of December 9 thru December 11 was a massive sale — Buy 1 Used CD, Get 1 For $1 (Limit 5). Now I'm not passing up the chance to pad my collection with a lot of catalog releases and older titles with that kind of sale so I made the trip to my two regular Newbury Comics locations (North Attleboro, MA and Warwick, RI) over the weekend to grab as many used CDs as I could. North Attleboro was first on my list for Friday because it's less than 10 minutes from my house, Warwick was a special trip 20 minutes away with the family so I could use them to help make purchases…..remember, limit 5 per customer! When a sale like this happens, the usual protocol is you get the lower priced CDs as the $1 ones, not this time! This time around the store gave you the CD closest to the price of the used CD you bought for $1 (example: $7.99 used CD & a $7.99 used CD for $1). That saves even more money! There were also a few new releases I grabbed as well but I will list those at the end, first is the used treasures…..
Bang Camaro – s/t (2007) – $6 used: The whole Bang Camaro concept fascinates me, any band with a dozen or so singers will do that! Add that Bang Camaro is a New England band (based out of Boston) and I want to add it to the collection because they're a local band. I've been watching this CD for a while, just like I did with the band's second album, because the price was way too high. A sale like this is clearance time for the record store so there were two copies in the racks but one was $1 higher than this one. Taking a look online, this debut CD usually sells for around $10 at most retail/auction sites so I saved $4.
Bon Jovi – Lost Highway (2007) – $1 used: I'm not the biggest Bon Jovi fan anymore but I was back in the day from the debut album through NEW JERSEY but I do like some of their singles. Never bothered to buy this when it came out because I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money to be ultimately disappointed (see THE CIRCLE) but I will buy it for $1! I like the title track and 'One Step Closer' but this was more of a bargain deal for the completist in me. This CD was marked as used but it's really new and sealed, the reason why it was in the used bin was because the case is broken in multiple spots and there were plenty of new copies for $15 each. The used price on this CD was $4 so I saved $3 with the sale…..ultimately saving $14 compared to the regular price.
Lou Reed & Metallica – LuLu (2011) – $10 used: I know, I know…..I should have known this album would suck but DEATH MAGNETIC gave me hope for Metallica and just how bad could the album be? I'm not going to go into a review here but I was still intrigued. Again, chalk this up to being a completist and wanting to keep the Metallica collection complete. There was no way I was going to buy this brand new especially at the $18 regular price or the $15 sale price…..$10 I can live with if I'm getting a comparably priced CD for $1. I took the chance and bought this for the $10 and saved $8 off the regular price.
Rainbow – On Stage (1977) – $1 used: Here's a great deal because the regular price for ON STAGE is $10 and the used price was $9…..paying $1 to fill a hole in the Rainbow collection works for me! This version of ON STAGE is actually the 1997 remaster and not the original pressing but that doesn't matter because it's Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio live…..on stage! Buying this paired with Loutallica makes up for the wasted money on LULU because I saved a total of $9 off the regular price and I'm a huge Dio and Rainbow fan.
The Elves – And Before Elf…..There Were Elves (2011) – $8 used: I was pretty psyched to find this in the used section because this was just released by Niji Entertainment (Wendy Dio's company) in November. I have the debut Elf record but this is Ronnie James Dio's work before that album so it's definitely an interesting release for me because I'm such a big Dio fan. I was going to buy this brand new anyway because the sale price of $10 was still in effect on the new copies that were in stock but I'll take the used bargain any day! Regular price for this CD is $15, sale price was $10, so I saved $7 buying it used.
The Doors – s/t (40th Anniversary Edition) (1967/2007) – $1 used: It's almost sacreligious to say that I never picked up The Doors' debut album. One of the reasons why I never bought it is because the majority of the album's tracks are on the box set and the greatest hits double disc I own already. The album has been on the want list but I've just never got around to it. This 40th Anniversary edition is your basic remaster with three bonus tracks: two versions of 'Moonlight Drive' (which eventually appeared on the second album STRANGE DAYS in 1967) and the original vocal recording of 'Indian Summer' (eventually released on MORRISON HOTEL in 1970). Regular price is $15, used price was $8 so I saved $7 pairing this with The Elves.
Glenn Hughes – Feel (1995) – $8 used: I love Glenn Hughes, he's one of the best singers ever (dubbed "The Voice of Rock") and his work with Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion and his solo career is excellent. I've been watching FEEL for two years at the North Attleboro location and I've always passed it up because there were always two used copies at the same price and they have never been moved or bought. There have been lots of used CD sales in that two year span but the two copies of FEEL were always filed in the Rock section under Misc. 'H'. That was until this sale! When I was trolling the used racks, I saw this CD…..it's been moved! I went to the usual 'H' section and the other used copy wan't there! That means I had to buy for fear that I'd never get another chance at it. I've never seen another copy of FEEL in any record store ever so this $8 purchase was mandatory. Turns out this copy is a Japanese import on the Zero label and the Japanese lyric sheet is included, just not the OBI strip. I checked online and the average for a Japanese import of FEEL goes for an average of $20 so I saved $8 buying it used.
System Of A Down – s/t (1998) – $1 used: I saw System Of A Down on Ozzfest 1998 on the 2nd stage and I instantly liked the band because their sound and look was so different….I went out the next day and bought this album. This was before the band broke big here in the U.S. and no one really new them. Fast forward a few years and SOAD is one of the top Metal bands (getting lumped into the Nu-Metal category) and my wife was pregnant and I was laid off for almost 4 months…..I started to sell off some CDs that I could live without to make some extra cash and I sold this CD for around $10 to a friend. I always wanted to pick this CD back up but I never got around to it because there was never a used copy available. This is the original pressing and there were a few copies for $10 each brand new but this used copy was only $6…..paired with Glenn Hughes, I saved $5.
Spinal Tap – This Is Spinal Tap soundtrack (1984) – $6 used: I love the cover of this album because it's "none more black". This is the original pressing of the soundtrack to the Spinal Tap movie, not the remaster, and the black album cover is the edited album cover for SMELL THE GLOVE, the album Spinal Tap was releasing and touring in the movie. Anyway, all the big hits are here and I always wanted to get the original pressing with the original mix. Can't beat $6 used especially when my research shows a new copy of either the original or reissue pressing goes for $10…..saved $4.
Deep Purple – The Battle Rages On… (1993) – $1 used: Chalk this purchase up to me getting a solid portion of my collection on my Collectorz.com Music Collector software and having it on my cell phone. For years I've passed up multiple used copies of the Deep Purple CD because I thought I owned it, when I was inputting the 'D' section of my collection, I thought I misplaced it! Turns out I never owned it! Saw this disc in the used bin, checked the collection on my phone, and snatched it up right away. I haven't seen a regular priced copy of THE BATTLE RAGES ON in at least 15 years so I checked online and the usual price is around $10. The used price was $6 and pairing it with Spinal Tap saved me $9 off the possible regular price.
Tattoo Rodeo – Rode Hard, Put Away Wet (1991) – $4 used: When you are a bargain hunter like myself, you pick up CDs by bands that you only know by name recognition. I remember the name Tattoo Rodeo but I've never heard the music or really followed up on what the band was about. I grabbed this album at it's cheap $4 price and was happy to have it. Upon further research after the purchase, it turns out that this is a band made up of former White Sister members playing a Southern Hard Rock style. $4 isn't a bad price to pay for a 1991 album that's more than likely an '80s Hard Rock album (let's face it, that '80s sound went as far as 1994 in some cases!). Some Ebay research shows that you can get this on average of $10 so I think I saved $6.
The Darkness – One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back (2005) – $1 used: I was a big fan of The Darkness when the debuted in 2003 with PERMISSION TO LAND but I never got around to buying this album…..until now. I've been watching this $4 used copy of ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL…AND BACK for months, maybe even years, and the excuse has always been that "it's always there". When the CD isn't there, another pops up within a couple of weeks…..maybe it's the same CD? Either way, I figured it was time to drop the money down, especially with this sale and the reuniting of The Darkness for a new album and tour. Regular price for this CD is around $10 but pairing this with Tattoo Rodeo made the price go from $4used to $1 used. Can't beat saving around $9.
Alice Cooper – The Alice Cooper Show (1977) – $5 used: There are too many holes in the Alice Cooper collection so I'm on a mission to buy all the missing albums as soon as possible. Good news on this sale, there were a couple Alice CDs in the used bins that I didn't own, this live album being one of them. Thank god for the Collectorz.com Music Collector software because I was able to check my collection on my phone and see what was in the Alice collection at home (I'm still in the middle of the 'D' section). This was an easy purchase and at $5 used t was a great bargain. There was a copy of this CD in the regular Alice Cooper section for $10 so I easily saved $5 buying used.
Lullacry – Crucify My Heart (2003) – $1 used: Here's another band that I remembered the name of but never got around to buying. Actually, the difference this time is that I've heard a few songs. I compare Lullacry's female-fronted Gothic Metal to The Gathering, Epica and After Forever so it's a style that I like so it's a good purchase rather than a risk. CRUCIFY MY HEART the third Lullacry album but the first to feature Tanja Lainio on lead vocals. This CD goes for around $10 in most place so the $4 used price was good to begin with but pairing this CD with Alice Cooper made the final price $1. I easily saved $9 on a band I've been wanting to try out for a few years and I can get an idea of what they are about before I drop a sale price on the new album that's coming in early 2012.
Giant – III (2001) – $10 used: This CD equals the Metallica – LuLu CD as the highest I paid this month for a used CD. Why so much for Giant's third studio album (fourth overall if you count the live record)? Not sure. This album is 11 years old and Giant wasn't that popular back in the day. Sure, they had a hit with the ballad 'I'll See You In My Dreams' but that was back in 1989…..there hasn't been much on the Giant front in the 20+ years since (4 studio albums & 2 live for a career) but Giant still remain a favorite in Melodic Rock circles. I've never seen III in a record store since 2001, I checked online and it still gets $15 in most places so I considered buying it. Other factors: recognized the band name, own other Giant albums, it's on Frontiers Records (one of the best labels out there!) and it was shiny and practically brand new. One note after getting this disc home, turns ou it's a promo copy that says "promotional, not for re-sale". I pulled the trigger and saved around $5 but that allowed me to pair another high priced used CD to it…..
Angel – s/t (1975) – $1 used: Treasure of the month! This is an original pressing of Angel's debut album and it is hard to find. I've only seen one other copy that was an original pressing and that was at least 15 years ago and it was a lot of money then. Angel is one of those '70s Hard Rock bands that everyone forgets (like Starz) because they shared a label and management with a bigger '70s Hard rock band…..KISS! But the Angel sound, the albums, the stage show…..it's all good stuff! There have been a couple of Japanese reissues but not any in the U.S., even those Japanese reissues and the original Japanese pressings of ALL Angel albums go for big dollars on Ebay. This was the first album I found in the used bin and it was getting bought no matter what at $9 used but pairing it with the Giant album made it a $1 used CD. I did some research online and previous data on the original pressings (both U.S. and Japanese) from the last decade show that this CD can go as high as $100+ but, with the subsequent Japanese reissues, the price drops to normal import retail of around $25 (without shipping). The problem is that there aren't that many copies out there on the market for sale. I'm going to put a $15 regular price on this and count it as a $14 savings.
Alice Cooper – Alice Cooper Goes To Hell (1976) – $4 used: This is the second Alice Cooper album I found in the used bins and the second hole filled in the Alice collection. This was slotted right with THE ALICE COOPER SHOW so when I checked my collection on my phone, I knew that I definitely didn't already own it. The only concern here is that I noticed that some Alice albums have been re-released as part of a "budget series" and they have a slightly altered front cover. I took this used CD over to the regular Alice Cooper section and compared it to the re-release, I checked the catalog # online also, and this turned out to be an original CD pressing. Original pressings of this record run about $9 online (the re-release in the store was $8) so I figure saved $5 overall and filled a much needed hole on the Alice Cooper want list.
D.A.D. – Riskin' It All (1992) – $1 used: I remember D.A.D. (Disneyland After Dark) from back in the day because of the single 'Sleeping My Day Away' from their fourth album, NO FUEL LEFT FOR PILGRIMS (1989). I don't have any other D.A.D. albums (again, checking the collection on my phone!) so it was a nice pickup to go along with Alice, especially for only $1. I would have even paid the original used price of $4. This was also a name recognition thing because I remember the big controversy when the band got some success from 'Sleeping My Day Away' and the Disney corporation came calling on the band to change their name. If you ever find a CD, cassette or vinyl copy of D.A.D.'s first four albums with the original Disneyland After Dark band name, buy it immeadiately because it's a collector's item. This CD averages $8 online so I saved $7. one last cool note about this CD purchase, there's a price tag on the actual jewel case from some mom & pop record store (can't make out the name) from February 1999 and the price was $7.95.
Bon Jovi – Have A Nice Day (2005) – $4 used: I must be getting sympathetic in my old age because I have not had the patience for any Bon Jovi album since CRUSH (2000). That album was solid and the concert was good…..until the encore of covers and I soured on Bon Jovi quick. The last Bon Jovi album I bought before the latest album, THE CIRCLE (2009), was released was 2002's BOUNCE…..I've bought nothing in between. There are some catchy tunes that I've heard on the radio, on the music that's played at work and at the concert I saw on The Circle Tour and that made me pick this up……that and the low $4 used price! I like the title track and 'Who Says You Can't Go Home' so maybe I'll give this a spin and there will be other songs I'll like. Regular price still hovers around $14 in store so I saved $10 and filled a hole in the Bon Jovi collection.
Ted Nugent – Spirit Of The Wild (1995) – $1 used: I've been a fan of Terrible Ted since I saw him open for Aerosmith on the Done With Mirrors tour in 1986 and realized the same guy singing 'Cat Scratch Fever' was the same guy from the 'Little Miss Dangerous' video and the Miami Vice episode! Something about the way Ted started his set by jumping over the drums, rolling on the floor and screaming into the mic (blowing out my eardrums!) will always be my first live concert memory and it was awesome! The weird thing is that save for a couple recent studio albums and a generic greatest hits collection, I don't own much Ted…..oops, forgot LITTLE MISS DANGEROUS (1986), I own that too. There are some massive holes that need to be filled in the Ted collection so this is the first, and not the last Nuge disc, I bought this month with this sale. SPIRIT OF THE WILD usually runs around $10 if you find it new so I saved $9 pairing it with Bon Jovi.
Queen – Hot Space (1981) – $10 used: It's about damn time! I've been searching and searching for HOT SPACE for years and I finally found a copy of the 1991 reissue series with the bonus track that completes the Quuen collection. When Queen announced they were re-releasing all the Queen albums again starting in late 2010, I knew someone somewhere would part with this CD to get the fresher version. I could have easily bought the new reissue of HOT SPACE but I decided that I wasn't going to buy the entire new set of reissues and I didn't want to "break the set". It was a matter of time, a waiting game that's lasted a while since I first posted a WANTED feature on HOT SPACE. Now the Queen studio collection is complete and I need to grab a couple live albums to make the entire Queen collection complete! The new HOT SPACE runs around $18 and there were a few copies to be had, this 1991 pressing goes for around $10 on Ebay if it becomes available. Going with the Ebay price, I broke even but I was able to get another much needed album by pairing it up…..
Motorhead – Motorizer (2008) – $1 used: Finally, another album I've been wanting to buy and fill a hole in a band's collection. Technically, I already own MOTORIZER, the record label (SPV) sent me a promo copy back in 2008 so i could review the album. I like getting promos to review and I got this album a couple months before it was released so I never picked up when it came out because I new the music already and it was uploaded to my iPod. It's always bothered me that I never had the actual release with the booklet and artwork, all I owned was a cardboard sleeve and the promo disc. This sale changed that! For $1, I was able to pick up a practically new copy for my collection at a great used price. Now that promo copy becomes a conversation piece and/or a collector's item. Regular price for this CD is $15 everywhere, used price was $10, so I saved $14 pairing it with Queen.
Ted Nugent – Free-For-All (1976) – $8 used: This is technically a used CD because it's labelled that way but it's technically a brand new CD because it was still in the original shrinkwrap, the problem was a really broken jewel case and a few copies of this album at the regular $12 price. This is the remastered version from 1999 that contains three bonus tracks. I'm not a fanatic about original pressings but I do like to acquire them and make note of them in this column, buying a remastered Ted record at a good price is fine with me, especially since the original pressing CDs are hard to come by. Another hole filled in the classic Nuge collection (and there's a couple more coming!) at a great price…..saved $4.
Motorhead – 1916 (1991) – $1 used: Another hole filled in the Motorhead collection! I haven't seen a copy of 1916 in a long time and this album didn't get the deluxe reissue treatment like the previous studio albums did. I had this on the radar not only because it was a glaring omission in the collection but because the young metalhead son of my best friend came to the house specifically to get the song 'R.A.M.O.N.E.S.' and I didn't have the studio version! I felt like an incomplete collector and bad Metal mentor! The quest was on, took a month, found it nice and used during a great sale. The regular price on this varies but it's usually $10 on Ebay, the used price was $7 but it was really $1 by pairing it with the Motor City Madman…..saved $9 off regular price.
Ted Nugent – Great Gonzos! The Best Of Ted Nugent (1981) – $6 used: This gonzo greatest hits package was orginally released in 1981 but the copy I found in the used bin was the 1999 remaster three bonus tracks, one being a brand new studio recording, 'Give Me Just A Little'. What's exciting about this studio bonus track is that it's co-written by Ted's Damn Yankees bandmates Jack Blades (Night Ranger) & Tommy Shaw (Styx) along with Neal Schon (Journey). In 1999, there was talk of a Damn Yankees reunion and album but it never got off the ground, maybe this is one of those songs? I knew that there was a new copy of GREAT GONZOS in the regular Ted Nugent section so I took this over and the same 1999 remaster at regular price was $13. Buying used saved me $7 and filled another hole in the Ted collection.
Ted Nugent – Cat Scratch Fever (1977) – $1 used: Add another CD into the Ted Nugent collection! This time it's the classic CAT SCRATCH FEVER record and it's another from the 1999 remaster series. This is the classic Nugent album, the one everyone knows because of the classic title track but I've heard the album before and it's solid all around. There are two bonus tracks on this pressing: live versions of the title track and one of my favorites, 'Wang Dang Sweet Poontang'. Again, I checked this used copy alongside it's regular priced counterpart and there was a significant savings. Regular price was $13 and the used price was $6, I'm already saving more than half buying used…..pairing this with GREAT GONZOS! made it $1 used for a $12 savings.
Ted Nugent – Weekend Warriors (1978) – $4 used: I told you I didn't have many Ted albums in my collection! WEEKEND WARRIORS is another much needed album in the Ted Nugent collection that I bought on a great sale. This time around, this is the original pressing and NOT a 1999 remaster. I'm actually kind of disappointed that it wasn't a remaster because all the other Ted CDs I bought were, I'm a sucker for bonus tracks and now I wonder if there are good ones on this album's remaster. Anyway, WEEKEND WARRIORS usually sells for around $9 on Ebay whether it's the original or reissue so buying it used saved me $5 off the regular price.
Now there really should be a $1 used CD attached to WEEKEND WARRIORS but I had a problem with three other CDs I picked up during this sale. I bought Ted Nugent – Craveman (2002), The Quireboys – This Is Rock 'n' Roll (2001) and Giant – Last Of The Runaways (1989) all for cheap dollars…..problem was that I owned them already. This is why I need to continue adding CDs to my Collectorz software, so this doesn't happen again. I returned all three to the store almost immeadiately and I received my $6 back. The Ted Nugent and Quireboys CDs were linked together and the Giant CD would have gone with WEEKEND WARRIORS.
Now on to the new CDs…..
Mass – New Birth (Anniversary Edition) (1985/2011) – $13: I've been big into Mass since they released their last album, SEA OF BLACK (2010), and since I saw them open for Mr. Big last summer. Mass is a great local band (from Massachusetts) and they've been around since the early '80s. NEW BIRTH originally came out in 1985 and it was re-released by Retrospect Records a few years ago. This time around NEW BIRTH gets the re-release treatment for it's 25th anniversary on Retroactive Records, a label specializing in Chrisitan Metal with two other Mass re-releases to their credit. I'm riding high on Mass right now and I'm looking to fill up that part of my collection so I figured I'd start with this album, especially when I saw it was listed on the Newbury Comics weekly e-newsletter. I also knew I had to get there on time the Tuesday of release because there would only be a couple of copies in stock. To my surprise there were at least 10 copies available (remember, Mass is a local act) so I was able to secure this CD at a decent regular price.
Rock Goddess – Hell Hath No Fury (1984/2008 reissue) – $6: This is a score! Back in 1984, I used to cut pctures out of Hit Parader and Circus magazines and plaster them all over my bedroom walls and I used to have this picture of Rock Goddess (along with a picture of Girlschool) hanging next to a poster of Vince Neil. I never did pickup this album back in the day but I did manage to acquire it on cassette in the late '90s when I bought a huge box of cassettes at a local mom & pop record shop for a bulk price. I've never seen a HELL HATH NO FURY CD in person but I do know there have been various reissues on Ebay, some of which I'm sure were bootlegs. I decided that $6 regular price wasn't bad for a recent reissue on a label I knew….Rennaissance Records.
Scorpions – Comeblack (2011) – $15: I've been dying to know what this album sounds like for the last couple of months. Reviews have been hit or miss and the concept also seems hit or miss: 7 re-recorded songs and 6 covers. I'm not big on cover songs but I wouldn't mind hearing what the Scorpions' interpretation of their big '80s hits would sound like in 2011. The Scorpions have been a big band in my Metal life and they are currently coming to the end of their career, at this point I'm soaking up as much Scorpions as I can! COMEBLACK (bad title!) was released everywhere except the U.S. in the Fall of 2011 so I've been debating this purchase for a while. I finally decided to snag it when I noticed one copy left out of the five that I'd seen for weeks. Of course, about a month after I buy it at $15, COMEBLACK gets a proper U.S. release and a nifty sale price of $10!
Autograph – The Anthology (2011) – $16: This was an expensive purchase for a band that never really made it back in the '80s save for a couple of songs — 'Turn Up The Radio' and 'Blondes In Black Cars'. I love Autograph though and I have all their albums and I enjoy them. When I saw the title of this CD, I figured that this was going to be a greatest hits style package from all four of the band's studio albums and I didn't need another compilation of tracks I already had! I did some research and it seems that this is a double disc release of demos, b-sides and unreleased songs…..the problem is that Autograph already had that with 1997's MISSING PIECES and 2003's MORE MISSING PIECES, which was the original MISSING PIECES with 7 more demo/unreleased tracks. I already own MISSING PIECES, and MORE MISSING PIECES is rare and hard to find, so I figured I'd pick this up if there was "missing pieces" to the Autograph catalog. My research shows that Disc 1 is the MORE MISSING PIECES release but with two different songs replacing two from the original 2003 release. The second disc is 12 tracks that were unreleased from the sessions for the band's 4th album BUZZ (2003) and beyond. THE ANTHOLOGY is a pretty good archival release so I figured that I'd snag it while I could because there was only one copy up for grabs and Deadline Music is a label that doesn't always print a bunch of copies of their releases and they go out of print quickly.
Halford – Live At Saitama Super Arena (2011) – $10: I already picked up the live DVD a few weeks prior but the actual live CD was delayed. Not sure why but it was definitely an inconvenience. Maybe it's more of a business thing to get extra money? All I know is that there have been a lot of live CD & DVD packages coming out the last few years for around $20 and it's just easier to get it all in one set rather than have to buy it separately. A small complaint I guess because this is the same setlist as the DVD just in audio form. I'm a huge Rob Halford fan whether it's with Judas Priest or solo so i was buying this anyway but I just prefer to have it as a set with both formats together. For some reason, this is bothering me way more than it should! At least I got a decent sale price and saved $4 off the $14 regular price.
Riot – Immortal Soul (2011) – $12: I've been looking forward to hearing IMMORTAL SOUL ever since Mark Reale announced that the classic THUNDERSTEEL era lineup would be touring and recording. I've been a huge Riot fan since the late '90s when i re-discovered the band through the re-releases of FIRE DOWN UNDER (1981) and RESTLESS BREED (1982) on the High Vaultage label from GERMANY. Since then I've collected all the Riot albums I can with only a couple ommission and I've blasted the music as loud as I can! The last few Riot studio albums since the late '90s have been solid Metal records so I expect nothing less from IMMORTAL SOUL. Good to see about a half dozen copies in the new release rack for sale AND good to see another metalhead buying a copy at the same time I was! Regular price is a whopping $17 but the sale price was $12 on the day of release so I saved $5.
Royal Hunt – Show Me How To Live (2011) – $13: Another band I discovered in the late '90s, Royal Hunt has become one of my favorite bands of the last 15 years. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered them in late 1997/early 1998, their singer D.C. Cooper had left the band to pursue a solo career. D.C. Cooper's vocals are awesome, he was in the running for the vacant Judas Priest gig back in the mid-'90s, and I always thought that there ws something missing from subsequent Royal Hunt albums. Don't get me wrong, John West and Mark Boals were great replacements but I just dig D.C. Cooper. Well now he's back in the band and this is the first studio album back and it has proper distribution through Frontiers Records. I still haven't picked up the band's last record, X (2010), and there are a few holes in the Royal Hunt collection so I'm hoping that SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE is really good and gets me on a serious Royal Hunt kick. Regular price is another big $17 but most Frontiers releases are that price because they are imports…..the $13 sale price helped save me $4.
White Wizzard – Flying Tigers (2011) – $10: An easy purchase here because White Wizzard have become one of my favorite new Traditional Heavy Metal bands of the last few years due to their old school, NWOBHM style. I didn't even know that White Wizzard had a new record coming out until I noticed it in the e-newsletter sale section, that just goes to show that I haven't been paying much attention to all things Metal for the last year or so! Regular price for this CD is $16, a little high for an Earache Records release because they have normal U.S. distribution, but the sale price was $10 the day of release so I ended up saving $6.
Final Stats for 2011
Total (December) = $212
Total (year) = $1145
Average Price (per item) = $8.06
Total Savings (December) = $214
Total Savings (year) = $1050
Total CDs (year) = 134
Total DVDs (year) = 7
Total Box Sets (year) = 0
Total LPs (year) = 1
Just a quick analysis…..
I bought 36 fewer items compared with 2010 (142 to 168) and I also spent a lot less compared to 2010 ($1145 to $1820). This year was the first year I decided to track an estimation of how much I saved buying used and on sale and I was able to save almost as much money as I spent with a difference between the two of $95.


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More Proof of US Crapulent Courts and Law Enforcement?
Richard Lapointe sits in the MacDougal Correctional Institution in Suffield, Conn., in this November 28, 1994, file photo. Attorneys for the brain-damaged man, convicted of raping and murdering an elderly relative in , filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court Monday, Feb. 27, 1995, claiming Manchester police framed him. (AP Photo/Manchester Journal Inquirer, File / February 27, 1995)
Richard Lapointe, Convicted In 1987 Murder In Manchester, Gets Another Day In Court
Rick Green, The Hartford Courant
April 30, 2010
Richard Lapointe gently shook my hand, asked for my press I.D. and made a joke.
"Strong like bull," he said with a wink when I asked how he's feeling. "Smell like bull, too."
This was the benign jokester his friends told me about. But I had come to the maximum-security McDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield looking for the man convicted of raping and murdering his wife's 88-year-old grandmother on a Sunday evening in 1987.
What I found was a small shuffling man with short arms, a large head and oversize glasses. He wears a hearing aid in each ear. Lapointe, 64, has an intellectual disability called Dandy-Walker syndrome, a congenital brain malformation. Lapointe is eager to please and quick with the self-deprecating humor.
We quickly got down to the crime and the infamous three signed confessions he made to police during a long night of questioning two years after the murder.
"I didn't do it," Lapointe responded. "They were asking me questions and I was answering their questions. They made a trick question. Why would I confess to something I didn't do?"
On Monday, a Superior Court judge in Rockville — in response to a ruling in Lapointe's favor from the state Appellate Court — will take yet another look at this endlessly appealed saga of what is either a wrongful conviction or a very crafty mentally disabled murderer. The latest hearing on whether Lapointe deserves a new trial represents a dramatic, perhaps final, showdown in a case that has long attracted national attention.
Lapointe's lawyers say critical exculpatory evidence, including notes from an arson investigator that suggest the crime took much longer than police said, was suppressed during Lapointe's 1992 trial.
Lapointe, with an I.Q. of about 80, was polite and talkative, without bitterness. There was only sadness and jokes when we talked.
"I was a dishwasher. I did the lowest job in the building," he explained. "I loved my job. I loved my wife. I loved my son."
The long days in prison are spent doing simple word puzzles, playing cards and watching TV, though he told me he has no particular show he likes. He doesn't have a prison job.
On March 8, 1987, Bernice Martin was stabbed once in the stomach and 10 times in the back. She was sexually assaulted, bound up and dragged about her small apartment, which was set on fire after the attack. She died of a combination of strangulation and smoke inhalation. The fire destroyed nearly all DNA material from the crime scene.
Two years later, during a nine-hour interrogation, Lapointe gave three different and conflicting confessions to police. Lapointe, who doesn't read well, signed all of them. There is no audio or video recording of the interrogation.
"I loved her like my grandmother. I used to visit her with my wife. I'd run to the store with her," Lapointe said about Martin.
His wife has long since divorced him. He has no contact with his son. The Friends of Richard Lapointe, a band of now elderly supporters, visit him weekly.
"Without them, I'd be dead," he said. "Without seeing people from the outside, I wouldn't know what's going on. They all believe and know I didn't do anything."
The Friends, who number a few dozen, have never given up because they've never understood how a man with limited mental capacity and physical ability could suddenly and violently murder an old woman, all during a break from Sunday night TV watching. They have stood by Lapointe through a series of lawyers and 18 years of mostly bad news.
But a year ago, the state Appellate Court breathed new life into Lapointe's claim that he didn't strangle, stab and sexually assault an old woman. The court ruled that evidence viewed in "the light most favorable" to Lapointe supports his alibi, "albeit tenuously."
For years, Lapointe's supporters have excoriated Manchester police and the state's attorney's office for relying on the three confessions to convict Lapointe. For example, Lapointe confessed to strangling Martin with his hands. A medical examiner testified that she was asphyxiated by pressure from a blunt object.
There are other questions. Gloves found at the crime scene didn't belong to Lapointe. Although Lapointe confessed to stabbing Martin on the couch, forensic evidence suggested that the stabbing occurred in Martin's bedroom. He said Martin was wearing a "pink house coat." No clothing similar to that was found at the scene. DNA from a pubic hair found on Martin's clothing doesn't match Lapointe's.
I asked Lapointe about the police investigators and the long night of questioning that led to the three confessions that sunk him. Lapointe defended the police.
"What's wrong with that? They were doing their job," he said. "I'm not mad at them. It's their job."
But later he told me, "They just kept talking to me. I couldn't say I want to go home. I just kept talking to them. There was nothing wrong. I don't remember saying that I did it. Why should I say that? I'm not stupid. ..."
"I miss working. I miss talking to people. I miss my wife, my ex-wife. I miss my son," he said. "I have no regrets for being here. That's not my problem. That's the state's problem. They just said I did it. I've been trying to prove I didn't do it."
My hour visit ended and I departed with more questions about how this frail, disabled man got here. Lapointe, a man who has lost everything, was serene.
"Why should I be angry?" he asked before I left. "I've never been angry in my life."
* * * *
* * * *


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A federal judge sentenced former Four Winds Logistics LLC CEO Stan Bates to 15 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $6.3 million in restitution for his role in a Ponzi scheme that involved former Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti.
Bates appeared Tuesday morning at San Antonio's federal courthouse for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra, who sentenced Bates to 15 years in federal prison and three years probation.
"Today Mr. Bates received a just punishment for the fraudulent scheme he orchestrated. Like all such schemes, the Four Winds plot, stripped to its core, was simply an effort to steal money belonging to other people," U.S. Attorney John Bash said in a statement.
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Editor's note: This blog has migrated to WordSoul.net, but I'm saving more than 300 posts here for the time being. Some are brief, while others are real stories. Thanks for reading.
CoolGlobalBiz is an independent, non-partisan blog that explores the convergence of culture, spirituality and compassionate business. Every few generations, we're rocked by economic and cultural upheaval, from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Now we're at the cusp of another major epoch, an era of quickening change and cultural diversity. For better and worse, the new world is here.
This blog was founded in 2009 by Edward Iwata, a California-based journalist, former USA Today business writer and author of the e-book novella The Billionaire's Gift: A Spiritual Business Parable and the business e-book Fusion Entrepreneurs: Cross-Cultural Execs & Companies. Thanks very much for reading, and thanks for supporting all digital and traditional authors.
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Photo credit: "Face2Face" by JR, a renowned global street artist from France. Courtesy of the artist.


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Kosovo authorities may have harvested organs from prisoners of war.
Florida school board shooting caught on tape.
YAWN! Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is Time's 2010 Person of the Year.
Is it racist to call a fatso fat?
Farmington city council approves a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana producers.
What were Richard Holbrooke's last words?
My new hero steals $1.5 million worth of gambling chips from the Bellagio.
The head of King Henri IV has been identified.
Dead man found in an RV in Deming.
George Clinton apparently no longer thinks sampling is cool.
Albuquerque teens steal car, vodka.
Dead gladiators were thrown out with the trash.
Our cubicles are getting smaller.
Titanium foam may soon help rebuild your bones.
This Korean fake girlfriend app will cheer you up, right?
The worst gifts for your foodie friends.
The 60 best new Tumblr blogs of 2010.
Yes, this is a nativity scene made from pork.
Meet Iapetus, our solar system's weirdest moon.
Top ten overused resume phrases.


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The month of April is a time to reconsider what our highest priorities are, and then determine what we need to let go of to achieve the new vision. Almost everyone will be experiencing in some part of their life, "This is just not working anymore!" Although no one likes to feel as if they are being pushed to the breaking point, it is this exact feeling which will propel us to take the action that we may not have previously considered.
In the past you may have thought that you didn't have the extra time to go back to school, or the courage to start a new business, and now you find yourself feeling emotionally driven to consider these options more closely.
The number 4 of this month represents issues of process, structure, and order. The polarity of this is how willing we are to shake things up, or break free from the mold, in order to have a more fulfilling life. This will challenge us in the area of relationships, especially in marriage or business partnership. The sentiment, "But I need you to sell your Soul to the company store, so I can have a safe, cozy existence," could be a part of the unspoken dialogue at play between two people. We will need to speak up, and not get lost in a suffocating silence that is generated from fear-based emotional patterns. This month is very revealing in it's ability to show us where these patterns originate from, thereby allowing us to break free from the seemingly endless cycle of self-entrapment. It doesn't matter what chronological age you are, nearly everyone is feeling, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"
Now let's look at solutions to this dilemma! In the world of carpentry and wood-working there are certain types of wood that are particularly difficult to bore through. The inherent density of the wood requires a sharper tool to cut through it. For April we need a "drill bit" of an especially sharp and sturdy nature to be successful. Otherwise our efforts may become messy or ineffective.
The drill bit for April is the "Tantric Har" mantra. Chanting this mantra for 11 minutes a day, with focus and concentration, will allow you to bore through any difficult situation. Be sure to pull in slightly at the navel point while chanting each "Har," as well as having the tip of the tongue strike the upper palate. Perfect practice brings perfect results!
We need to "Hup-to-it!" and get a move on with our newfound ambitions, otherwise we will be left with a sad, sinking feeling about life and our place in the world. In reality, this year is one big motivational training seminar, with God at the helm, and the Heavenly Heralds in chorus chanting, "Yes you can, get on with it!"
There is something new that you have been longing to give birth to, and April has an aspect of labor pains, while the month of May is a time of rebirth. Sneak Preview: there is an element of magic to the month of May, just think it and it can manifest. A positive affirmation to start using now is, "I am in Divine Alignment with all that is well and good for me."
The Heart number for April is an 8, and 8 is the number of power, money, and vitality. We are longing to experience more in all of these area, and more can be ours if we are able to let go of self-limiting beliefs. As a footnote to this, it is important to know that grand and sweeping change does not require us to "throw the baby out with the bath water." The changes we are seeking can be effectively initiated from within, while at the same time having a powerful external result. Sometimes we just need to gut-up for ourselves in the present environment, knowing that this will lead to positive changes down the road (and the Tantric Har will help get you there!).
Almost everyone that I have been speaking with lately has expressed the sentiment, "I really thought the Aquarian Age would be different than this (easier maybe!)." Yes dear ones, I too wish it was a bit "easier," however I am learning that the sense of ease or struggle is entirely based on my perception of things.
When I am able to suspend judgement of a person or situation, it has a liberating effect on myself and the environment. Energy is the precious prize of the moment, and we lose our energy through judgement and condemnation.
Let us at this time rally forth the Heart number of 8, which is the archetype of the Healer, and have our words and mental projections be that of a healing, nurturing nature. If you see someone struggling (even on the TV), you can send the prayer, "May the Angels of healing, light and love be present to help you and guide you." This is the gift of the Aquarian Age, the power of blessing through our spoken word.
Remember, do the work now so you may manifest the magic later. I don't want to get a ton of emails saying. "Oh, you said,…. and then nothing happened. Where's my magic?"
Create a vibrational space that will hold this new energy, and your life will change for the better.
Let us apply ourselves now in a spirit of good faith, knowing that the magic is just around the corner.
"Prayer can penetrate to the very heart of God."
Yogi Bhajan
Would you like to know more? Nam Hari can do a personal reading for you over the phone or by skype. In the numbers of your birth date are the answers to your life's purpose and destiny. Nam Hari specializes in the area of relationships, and by understanding the connective lines of energy between you and another, your chances for success are greatly enhanced. Nam Hari also offers an advanced study course in the science of Numerology.
310-202-8937 or 575-305-0017
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The Division of American Indian and Alaska Native Programs, within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver, has been awarded a 5-year Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) that focuses on Native elder health. Native elders are at greater risk for numerous acute as well as chronic illnesses. Native elders suffer more frequent comorbidity of such conditions, thereby compounding the adverse health effects. In addition, they have less access to needed services, and are slower to seek available care, which leads to more serious, complicated presentations. Despite recognizing these circumstances, relatively few inroads have been made in altering the individual-, familial-, community-, and system-related factors that contribute to them. Barriers to advancement in this area include the following:
The Native Elder Research Center (NERC) has been established to address these barriers. The NERC addresses the following goals:
The NERC is organized in terms of four core components.
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This summer I've learned you can grill pretty much anything. Grilling fruit was a first for me when I made grilled peaches topped with cinnamon and honey for a light dessert. I've read about others grilling pizza, although I have yet to try that one. Grilled corn, nothing new to most of you, is an almost weekly favorite in our house. I still want to get some fresh pineapple and throw that on the grill one of these days.
My confidence in using the grill has taken a turn for the worse, though. The other night, I decided I needed to learn how to turn the thing on (if you remember from a previous post, I have a slight fear of propane tanks). I usually leave the grilling to Jamie - he's so good at it, so why would I want to interfere? But at any rate, I asked him to show me how to get it going, just in case I needed to know in an emergency. What sort of emergency would require me to know how to use the grill, though, I have no idea, unless someone threatens me at gunpoint to make them a flame-broiled hamburger? Unlikely, since our lives don't have that much drama!
So anyway, I turned on the gas (just like he said with 4 turns!), then turned the dial for - is it a burner? - whatever the thing is that gets the flame or gas moving. I don't know. And then pressed the ignition button. And....... nothing. Over and over again. Still more nothing. Something I did apparently made the safety valve catch so that the grill wasn't allowing any gas through. I'm not sure I'm willing to take the blame for this little malfunction, because really, how can there be a wrong way to open the gas valve?
Now, if I had been doing this by myself, I would have started to feel a little panicky at this point. This is that moment where I fear that so much gas has been allowed to escape from the tank that by the time it does finally catch and light, that it's going to explode. But in the end, we just had to wait a half hour or so for it to reset itself before it would light, while our stomachs growled thinking about the chicken leg quarters waiting to be grilled to juicy perfection.
In addition to our love for grilling, we also love fish tacos! Depending on how you make them, they are a heart-healthy dinner that's also pretty inexpensive since you don't need a lot of meat. We've made them with all kinds of fish, including salmon seasoned with chili and lime and topped with avocado, which was amazing, and we almost always make some kind of slaw to top them off with.
White fish like tilapia and cod and catfish can get a little boring if you go too light on the seasoning, so season it up! On a recent fish taco night, I was staring at a couple of filets of cod, wondering what to do with them. To make it a little more interesting, I prepared the fish two ways. One filet got a generous sprinkling of Jamaican jerk seasoning from the cupboard. And the other filet got a nice crispy coating of Panko bread crumbs. Baked in the oven until cooked through and flaky, it couldn't have been easier to prepare.
While the fish was cooking, I rummaged around for something to top the fish with. We had some corn on the cob, and a lonely little quarter of a head of red cabbage leftover from something, which was begging to be used up, and a little fresh basil. I knew I wanted to grill the corn and slice it off the cob to put on the fish, so I thought, why not grill the cabbage too? I cut it into a few big chunks, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and onto the grill it went!
The result was oh-so-good! Grilling the cabbage gave it a much richer flavor and texture than eating it raw, and the corn, cabbage, tomatoes and basil in the slaw came together in such a summery, flavorful "salad" that it was perfect on our fish tacos.
Fish Tacos with Grilled Corn and Red Cabbage Slaw
for the fish:
- 2 filets of white fish, such as cod, catfish or tilapia
- 2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper
- 8 small whole-wheat tortillas
for the slaw:
- 1/4 head red cabbage, cut into 3-4 large chunks
- 2 ears corn
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
- salt and pepper
- lime juice
- cayenne pepper
- olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Season both of the fish filets with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one with the Jamaican jerk seasoning. Take the second filet and dust it with the flour. Dip it in the beaten egg, then coat in bread crumbs.
Bake the fish on the foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium high. Drizzle the cabbage with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill the cabbage and the corn (still in the husk) until nicely charred, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the corn husk and silk and slice the corn off the cob and place in a bowl. Dice the cabbage and add to the bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes and basil. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (go easy, you can add more later if you want). Add a squeeze of lime juice. Toss it all together, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Build your tacos with a little of each kind of fish and a scoop of the slaw. Makes 8 tacos.


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The latest update of Lightroom, version 4.1 includes an additional de-fringe tool and it really makes light work of green/purple lens fringe artefacts. Here is a working tutorial on using this feature, as well as some other elements to consider.
I managed to stumble on an image which demonstrates this feature perfectly, and demonstrates the amount of control that you have with the de-fringe tool.
Looking at this image from a regular viewing size doesn't show any issues
However on closer inspection around the trees in the background, there is considerable purple fringing. This is caused by the high contrast between the green of the trees and the back lit nature of this scene.
I am easily able to remove the purple fringing by selecting the de-fringe eye dropper tool, and tell Lightroom exactly what to correct by hovering over the affected areas.
Notice that the "show loupe" is turned on and the scale has been modified to give a wider view of the actual pixel view area. The eye dropper tool automatically selects the purple colour once it finds the fringing. Clicking on the affected area allows Lightroom to automatically adjust the purple fringe amount slider, along with the purple hue slider by the desired amount.
the effect can be clearly seen,
however, on closer inspection around the scene, this modification has had an impact on another element in the photograph that was the same colour purple as the fringing. There is a purple house in the lower half of the scene, which now has some of the purple tones missing.
(as compared to the previous setting before the de-fringe tool was applied)
fixing this is quite simple, the amount of de-fringe can be manually adjusted using the purple amount and purple fringe sliders (green is the same). If the purple amount is reducing from 20 to 9, the house regains it's colours, and the trees regain a tiny amount of additional purple fringe, however, if we adjust the purple hue tolerance slider from 28/56 to 39/49 and decrease the range (depending on the scene), a balance can be achieved and the house regains it's purple colour and the purple fringe around the trees has been removed.


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Concept 062
The puppet concept can be applied to many situations: controls, breaking free from controls, bringing something to life, connecting an entity to a force, etc. All of these puppet downloads have controlling hands, but you don't need to use them. The strings can just go up to an implied puppet master. The strings can be labeled, the different parts of Stanley (the puppet) can be labeled, etc. There are two versions of these illustrations:
- The EMFs are a PowerPoint download that contains the illustrations broken up into separate fields. These fields can be colored like clipart. Applying color can sync the illustration to your template (hues of your template colors, as in the example above) or you can make it look realistic (brown hair, blue eyes, etc., without regard to template color considerations).
- The PNGs is a PowerPoint download that contains the illustrations in PNG format, which cannot be broken up or edited. They are available for use as a black and white illustration, which may work just fine for you. Using the PNG format means that you don't have to deal with many fields. If you are using PowerPoint 2007, however, you can recolor the PNGs using the picture recoloring option. The lines have been added as PowerPoint lines and can, therefore, be removed or edited.
All of the Stanley downloads have been sized so that they work perfectly together. This assures that the sizing is exact and ready for your use. Remember, as with all groups of illustrations or graphics, if you need to resize, resize them all together as a group. Then ungroup and redistribute to their proper place in the presentation.
Be sure to check the tutorial for formatting techniques. The animated download is not actually animated. There is no real way to bring the puppet to life.
Please be aware that the download files are a little larger than most PowerFrameworks downloads. It may take a few seconds longer, so don't be alarmed.
Key search words: control, pulling strings, bring to life, free from control
Keywords: control, pulling strings, bring to life, free from control
Categories: Forces, Concepts, Stanley
Links to instructions for getting the framework into your presentation
- Determine the best file type for your needs
- Download the file
- Import the framework into your presentation
Frameworks available in this series
Click on a name for more information.
Click on a thumbnail to view a larger image


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These miniature playsets pack a punch with 54mm coloured infantry (foot) figures and small illustrated, slot-together forest tree models. They also include fact cards about the armies in the packs, and rules for a basic battle game or skirmish.
The packs feature a wide range of historical events as well as combinations of figures from events that might have easily taken place during a particular time in history. Figures are selected according to historic compatability, and at random, to help ensure continual availability of stock.
Use with other small toys or models such as dinosaurs or Lego bricks.
Cavalry (horse and camel) and artillery are not included in these play packs, but are available in the box sets shown on this site.
All play packs are the same dimensions: 16cm (L) x 25cm (H).