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Hat tip to karnythia for this good news:

Woman indicted in Missouri MySpace suicide case

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent

LOS ANGELES - A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a Missouri woman for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.

Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis allegedly helped create a false-identity MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't exist.

Read the rest of the article.

HIV-positive man sentenced 35 years for spitting at officer

MAY 15, 2008 DALLAS (AP) -- An HIV-positive man convicted of spitting into the eye and mouth of a Dallas police officer has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Because a jury found that Willie Campbell used his saliva as a deadly weapon, the 42-year-old will have to serve half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He was sentenced Wednesday. Campbell was being arrested in May 2006 for public intoxication when he began resisting and kicking inside the patrol car, Dallas police office Dan Waller testified. Campbell was convicted of harassment of a public servant.   The U.S. Government's Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention gives us the following information about the transmission of HIV: HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles and/or syringes (primarily for drug injection) with someone who is infected, or, less commonly (and now very rarely in countries where blood is screened for HIV antibodies), through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors. Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding after birth. In the health care setting, workers have been infected with HIV after being stuck with needles containing HIV-infected blood or, less frequently, after infected blood gets into a worker’s open cut or a mucous membrane (for example, the eyes or inside of the nose). There has been only one instance of patients being infected by a health care worker in the United States; this involved HIV transmission from one infected dentist to six patients. Investigations have been completed involving more than 22,000 patients of 63 HIV-infected physicians, surgeons, and dentists, and no other cases of this type of transmission have been identified in the United States. Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways; however, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found. If HIV were being transmitted through other routes (such as through air, water, or insects), the pattern of reported AIDS cases would be much different from what has been observed. For example, if mosquitoes could transmit HIV infection, many more young children and preadolescents would have been diagnosed with AIDS. All reported cases suggesting new or potentially unknown routes of transmission are thoroughly investigated by state and local health departments with the assistance, guidance, and laboratory support from CDC. No additional routes of transmission have been recorded, despite a national sentinel system designed to detect just such an occurrence.

Even when brought into contact with the eyes and mouth, saliva is not a host for transmitting the HIV virus. Due to Campbell's spit not being any deadlier than anyone else's spit, this is an unjust sentence.

Tonight was Michael's band concert at school. As a part of the percussion section, Michael plays bass drum. He owns the required snare and bells. The band played about five songs before the Recorder Ensemble played a number of songs, followed by the Chorus who sang an exhausting seven songs. Maybe I'm biased because my kid was done, but it was really too long of a concert. I enjoyed watching Michael play and he did very well.

When I picked up the children from school, a brush fire was toasting up 776 in northern Port Charlotte. It had so much smoke that visible was reduced to zero and the sheriff deputies directed traffic in a U-turn at the Sports Complex, making El Jobean and Englewood inaccessible from Port Charlotte. After Michael's concert, we took a drive by the area and it was reduced to little piles that were burning themselves out. Smoke was still drifting over 776 but it was nowhere near what it was earlier. All these incidents keep happening when I have children with me and can't take the opportunity to photograph them.

This was a very wonderful Mother's Day! I was served breakfast in bed, complete with bloody mary, and then presented with presents! My favourite perfume, a dozen roses, a camera bag (it got returned but it was still wonderful that they thought of that), plus homemade presents from Bailey and Eddie. All the children signed their own names on the card.

Bailey had the idea of baking me a cake so Tom had to purchase all the necessary items and then help her make a chocolate cake and decorate it for me. She really got into giving me a wonderful day (breakfast in bed was her idea) and I owe a lot to both Tom and Bailey.

Today was the reception for the Twenty-Fourth Anual Elementary Art Show at the Charlotte County Visual Arts Center in beautiful downtown Punta Gorda. Each year, the art teachers from the district's elementary schools and the Charlotte County Art Guild select one student's work from each grade in each elementary school. Bailey was the Kindergarten artist for Meadow Park.

The place was crowded with every relative of each student artist searching the walls for their child's art and grabbing for complimentary punch and cookies. First, we located Bailey's exhibit, which she loudly and proudly referred to as a landscape:

As you can see, it is a landscape done in acrylic. She loves butterflies and purple. After admiring her art, we grabbed our own complimentary punch and cookies. There, we met up with her art teacher, Mr. Alvarez, who had nothing but kind words to say about Bailey.

My daughter was disappointed that there wasn't a big announcement or speech given, but had her first taste of what it's like to be in the art world. And my little star is all for it!

I bought new sneakers today. My old sneakers were cheap and they hurt my feet after wearing them for an extended time. I kept them because I so seldom wore sneakers that it didn't seem to matter. I bought the new pair so I could run again, and that is what I'll do. They are very comfortable, thank goodness, and they don't make my feet look big. I wear a [US ladies size] 7-1/2 and certain shoes make my feet look like battleships, so, yeah, it's an issue for me.

I need a new pair of Timberlands. I used to have a pair of the Euro Hiker, but my daughter's father threw them away "because they were muddy". I kid you not! You can't make that shit up. $100 hiking boots isn't exactly a purchase you make on the fly so there's a reason why they haven't been replaced, yet. I have cheap stuff from Target right now but it doesn't provide the necessary support for serious hikes. It's basically just shoes to wear with jeans that look like hiking boots.

New boots are always on the shopping list. I've worn my black ones with the 4" heel completely out. I need a stylish pair of cowboy boots and another sassy high heel pair.

Notice my use of verb here: need, not want. Need. These are shoes we're talking about.

I'm still on The Quest for the Perfect Sandal. I had it once but the dog chewed them!

This textured strappy sandal from Victoria Secret is absolutely delicious, but it's not really a sandal as much as a dress shoe. The Quest for the Perfect Sandal requires a sandal that I can walk on sand with... hence the very name of the shoe... I would still love this shoe from VS, but for non-beach-related reasons.

 

FireDailyNews.com has featured an article on the Punta Gorda Live Fire Training which was submitted with original photography by me.

I had to go to Fort Myers today for a legal/mediation thing because Bailey's father is incapable of adult discussion and would rather spend thousands on an attorney than act mature and (maybe) pay off some of those mounting child support arrears with his hard-earned part-time minimum wage Office Maxx money. So we had the obvious discussions that could've happened on their own for free if his head had not been lodged up his ass, changed the Agreement a little to compensate for any future incidents of his head/ass lodging, and moved on with our lives.

Anyway, I took some time to walk around downtown amidst the continued [re]construction. It brought back some memories.

This is where I used to work. Technically, I worked on the other side of this historical building, in a building that was built attached to it for the offices of the Clerk of Courts. As a minutes secretary, I would record the minutes of all Lee County Commissioner meetings, which would take place in this historical building.

The French Connection is a little restaurant where Tom and I had our first lunch date. It was also our first date that wasn't scheduled around the convenience of our evening college classes. We'd actually made time for each other. I didn't eat much because I was nervous. He ate fine. This is a popular spot for downtown employees to get a nice, sit-down lunch in a mid-range price that can offer a bit of quiet.

I parked in the Main Street Parking Garage "borrowing" Tom's city parking card and descended down this steep stairwell every morning. This is a couple blocks from the old Courthouse, where I worked, and is almost right across the street from the big antique shop that you can get lost in for hours at a time.

Tom and I had a lot of dinner dates, and a few lunches, at Ichibans Sushi Restaurant off of Dean St. They also deliver to the downtown area. As you walk down Dean Street, you're greeted by this open furnished courtyard. There's also a a bakery here.

The statues of Ford, Edison and Firestone engaged in casual conversation are at the entrance of Centennial Park along the Caloosahatchee River. It was around these gentlemen that Tom and I had our commitment discussion. We had scheduled to meet each other here for "a very important talk" and he arrived before me. I remember pulling into a front space and seeing him seated in one of the surrounding benches looking very nervous. Fortunately, our discussion was very different than what he had feared it would be.

The shelter area of this park is where the local drum circle meets every Saturday evening.

The Harborside Event Center is where Tom went on a lunch break during a wedding expo to find a vendor for my engagement ring... and did. I don't know if I'm supposed to know that or not, but I do.

I took more images than merely those that triggered memories, and you can see them in the Fort Myers, FL flickr set.

My weekend was rather subdued. Saturday was spent with some spring cleaning and laundry. I shuffled the pictures on the wall and cleared up the long livingroom wall so we can put the projector there. We put new locks on the refridgerator and cabinets to keep Tommy out. So far it's been working.

This morning, I replaced a cache in Myakkahatchee Creek Nature Park with Gary's wife, Linda, and shot a few portraits of C Shift and the Battalion Chief at CCFEMS Station 12. The chief gave me a good tour of the Technical Rescue. Station 12 is down the road from San Antonio Catholic Church and it looks like the church is done with their new sanctuary.

Courtesy of the fridayfive livejournal community and hat tip to catdraco.

 

1. What's one of the nicest things a friend has ever done for you?

This is hard. I think the moment I'll always remember was when I was married to my ex-husband. We were living in Germany and he was off on one of his more troublesome binges and had gotten himself into MP custody. My neighbour, who wasn't a friend as much as the husband of a friend, drove me to where he had left our only car so that I could have the car to find out what was going on. When we'd gotten there, I'd thanked him again, feeling ashamed and embarassed to have to trouble people at 5am for personal problems. He said, "My father was an alcoholic so I know what it's like. Let me know if you need anything."

While the Army was blaming me for not being able to control my husband or "causing" him to drink and beat me - whatever it was that they thought was my fault about his behavior and choices - it was a wake-up to have someone say what was going on and have such empathy. Many of my friends have done stunningly wonderful things throughout the years, both before and after this moment and I can overwhelm readers with a list of just a portion of it all. Friends can be incredible individuals and their selflessness and thoughtfulness can really take my breath away. There was just something about this moment that was so necessary that I'll never forget it.

2. What's one of the nicest things a stranger has ever done for you?

"Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Blanche DuBois, Street Car Named Desire.

I don't ask anything of strangers outside of photography needs. There have been many times when strangers have stopped to help change a tire, jump a battery, push my car out of a mud puddle (or try to push it from a snowbank), give a tow, help lift something heavy into my car, point out a rainbow, or generally make my life easier and more enjoyable. Mind you, all of these instances have been men but there was no ulterior motive since no phone numbers were offered or any of that... although there has been that a time or two, but I'm not counting those times. I still remember the guy in the suit and tie who taught me how to pump gas at the Speedway when I was a sixteen year-old new driver and was fumbling through the steps. I'm not sure what it is about me that sends out the Damsel In Distress alarm or what would bring someone to think that, out of a parking lot full of people, I'd be the one to share a rainbow sighting with. But I appreciate it just the same.

3. What is a trait in another person that you instantly admire, and that draws you to them?

I love confidence, sarcasm and openness. When I meet someone in person, I will like them instantly if they're nice people. And I aim to like people so I'm looking for the nice. When I like them, I treat them the same whether I've known them five minutes or fifteen years. When someone can be open like that, or even moreso, I love that. It means we're on the same page. Sarcasm is just a humour preference. If someone is sarcastic, they will appreciate a lot of my jokes and that's important to me. I love to make people laugh and I like big smiles. And confidence speaks for itself. I'm really drawn to people who know who they are and can carry themselves well. I don't always have confidence and I admire people who do.

4. What is a trait in another person that instantly repels you, and prevents you from forming a close relationship with them?

Stand-offishness, selfishness, cruelty... the basics. I don't like mean people. Being antisocial, or stand-offish, isn't really mean but I interpret the indifference that comes with that, the ignoring that people do as a part of it, as mean and disrespectful. I don't want to be treated that way. 

5. Time to vent: tell us about something rotten someone has done to you.

I really try to forget things like that. There have been things from time to time where someone is inexcusably rude or someone just has a piss poor attitude, but even when something is acted out directly against me, I don't really consider it my problem as much as it's their problem for being such an asshole. I have the easy part, which is forgetting they exist, whereas they have to live with themselves, which is much harder. Don't get me wrong, things do hurt me (probably more than they should) but I don't see the productivity in hanging out dirty laundry.