What's got you mad these days?

[darklinensuit]

I'm posting two articles from the news.
Feel free to add your own.

[darklinensuit]

Judge Makes Public Apology For Insulting Rape Victim

POSTED: 6:58 AM EST January 29, 2004
UPDATED: 4:21 PM EST January 29, 2004

SANFORD, Fla. -- A Seminole County judge apologized Thursday for insulting a rape victim in court. During a hearing, Judge Gene Stephenson (photo below left) said, "Why would he [the suspect] want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach."

Of course, the remark sparked outrage.

The victim's advocate who's working with the woman says she's obviously upset by the comments and she does plan to file a complaint with the Judicial Qualifications Committee.

Judge Stephenson says all he can do is apologize. "I want to tell her how sorry I am."

After nearly 20 years on the bench, Judge Stephenson calls this the worst day he's had. "It's inexcusable. It's not judge like. It's not anything I've ever done before," he says.

Stephenson is known for being a straight shooter and speaking his mind. The controversy started Monday during a sentencing conference for Brian Huffman. The judge looked at a picture of the rape victim and said, "Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach."

Huffman, of Winter Park, is charged with raping, beating, kidnapping and robbing the 57-year-old woman on New Year's Eve 2002 or the next morning.

"This is an atrocious comment and certainly inappropriate," says state attorney Norm Wolfinger.

Wolfinger and the victim now plan to file complaints with Florida's Judicial Qualifications Commission. "Sometimes, judges forget these are acts of violence, not sexual acts. And sometimes judges are people, they mess up."

Judge Stephenson already removed himself from the rest of the case and apologized in open court. But he knows there could be consequences.

"Yes, I worry about something like that. I need my job. I like my job," Stephenson says.

He says he won't make excuses, but he was taking painkillers following dental work. "Whether or not those things interfered with my judgment or thinking, it must have done something, because looking back on Monday, it was not a good day."

The prosecutor won't let the victim back in Stephenson's court. But the judge does want her to hear Stephenson's apology: "I'm real sorry and I hope she can accept my apology."

[darklinensuit]

I'm all for providing emergency medical care - that's just humane - but I don't like this idea.
Maybe you California Ledgies can convince me?
Not to mention Ahnuld insisted on repealing the older law.
Ah, the politics of it all.

- Jake


Story:
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he was "absolutely positive we'll come up with a great bill" to replace a law granting driver licenses to undocumented immigrants that was repealed days after he took office. It was a strong sign he supports giving driver licenses to California residents in the state illegally. Schwarzenegger said his office has been working closely with state Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, to craft a successor to SB 60. The law became a lighting rod for criticism during last summer's recall campaign and was repealed at Schwarzenegger's insistence.


Many Republicans remain opposed to the idea. And polls conducted last year showed a majority of Californians against giving driver licenses to undocumented immigrants. But Schwarzenegger said he is confident of the outcome.

Gov. Schwarzenegger at the Sacramento Press Club: "This is the way we move forward." "It's one of those things that we'll all have to get together and see that this is a good idea and this is the way we move forward," Schwarzenegger said at a Sacramento Press Club lunch. "I'm talking with my Republican friends all the time about it and also with my Democratic friends. We will do it."


Tentative agreement has been reached to grantdriver licenses to all undocumented immigrants, with the licenses looking identical to those of other residents, said Dan Savage, Cedillo's chief of staff. Talks continue on insurance requirements and verifying applicants' identities; those issues were sticking points for Schwarzenegger in the earlier bill. Subjecting applicants to background checks - a demand by some GOP legislators - has not been a main topic during the negotiations, Savage said. Assemblyman John J. Benoit, R-Palm Desert, co-author of legislation repealing SB 60, said he and other Republican colleagues still oppose the idea.

"To actually give a legal document to an illegal immigrant, I'm not there," Benoit said. Backers welcomed Schwarzenegger's apparent support. "There's definitely a need for it," said Jesse Diaz, 39, a graduate student at UC Riverside and a member of the Mexican-American Political Foundation. "They're going to drive regardless. It's just now the rules will be safer. They're going to have insurance. There will be driver's training. It will be great."


Undocumented immigrants were eligible for driver licenses until a decade ago, when the Legislature changed the law. An estimated 2 million people of driving age are in California illegally.
After blocking a similar bill in 2002, former Gov. Gray Davis signed SB 60 in September. Critics charged that he was pandering to Latinos before the recall. Schwarzenegger denounced the law during his recall campaign. Meanwhile, conservative groups collected signatures to qualify a referendum for the March ballot. The Legislature's majority Democrats begrudgingly voted to repeal the law in late November.


Since then, however, the circumstances of the driver-license debate have changed. Earlier this month, President Bush proposed giving undocumented workers temporary legal status under a plan that would match workers with U.S. employers. The proposal must still be approved by Congress.
"If there is a likelihood of a legal worker program, then we ought to wait and see what that is," Benoit said. Republicans might be more receptive to giving driver licenses to people with temporary work permits, he added. The proposed legislation to replace SB 60, tentatively numbered SB 1160, initially will contain only placeholder language as Cedillo and Schwarzenegger try to hammer out a deal.


"At this point we're very confident," Savage said. "They're very engaged, and they're starting to focus on this as an important piece of legislation."

[littlelies7]

I don't have articles, but I'll list what's making me mad.

Reality shows
Celebrity court cases
VH1's crappy TV lineup

That's all.

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by littlelies7
I don't have articles, but I'll list what's making me mad.

Reality shows
Celebrity court cases
VH1's crappy TV lineup

That's all.

Then I guess you won't be watching All-Star Survivor?
I can't say I have any desire myself. I'll watch when they get Stevie on. (I think Old Blackdress and a tambourine would be her luxury items, and I would hope the others in her tribe would burn her dress to build a fire.)

- Jake

[Siri Ruane]

The "in" clothing...
I went to the mall to get A PAIR OF JEANS yesterday before the Super Bowl, and I ended up going to over 5 places! These things literally look like they've been pooped on! What the heck does a person have to do to get just a plain pair of denim jeans? They're selling jeans that are already faded and with holes!!!!
But I have not shopped in the girls/womens department in forever so I guess that there's nothing wrong with those, huh? My mom's got this fantasy that she can drive the tomboy out of me.

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by Siri Ruane
The "in" clothing...
I went to the mall to get A PAIR OF JEANS yesterday before the Super Bowl, and I ended up going to over 5 places! These things literally look like they've been pooped on! What the heck does a person have to do to get just a plain pair of denim jeans? They're selling jeans that are already faded and with holes!!!!
But I have not shopped in the girls/womens department in forever so I guess that there's nothing wrong with those, huh? My mom's got this fantasy that she can drive the tomboy out of me.

Life continues to grant me new reasons to hate shopping.

- Jake

[hayley]

Off CNN.com-

DENTON, Texas (AP) -- About 40 people gathered outside an Eckerd pharmacy Monday, protesting what they said was a decision to deny a rape victim a prescription for the morning-after pill.

A spokesman for the Florida-based company confirmed that Eckerd has taken disciplinary action in response to an incident at the store.

"Apparently there was a request for a prescription to be filled and the prescription was denied based on a moral or ethical decision made by the pharmacist, and that's not in accordance with our corporate policy," said Joan Gallagher, vice president of communications for Largo, Florida-based Eckerd Corp.

Gallagher told the Denton Record-Chronicle that she could provide no other details.

The protesters carried signs. Some stood silently and others chanted slogans.

Morning-after pills have been sold under the brand names Plan B and Preven since 1998. Taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, the hormone pills are at least 75 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.

An unidentified friend of the woman seeking the prescription told the newspaper she got the drug from a neighboring pharmacy.

Gay Dodson, executive director of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, said state law allows pharmacists to decline filling prescriptions if the medication could harm the patient.

"The law does not say that the pharmacy can decline because of moral ground," she said.

[estranged4life]

Hospitals,
Doctors,
Medical Bills
& Health Insurance

'Nuff said,

Brian j.

[GardenStateGirlie]

The fact that I just purchased a DVD I hadn't been able to find. Well, come to find out, it's a REGION 0 DVD. DVD players in North America only play Region 1 DVD's and DVD's labeled ALL. What is THAT all about? So let's say hypothetically, If I move to Australia and want to watch or rent a DVD, I can forget about it and i'll need to buy a new DVD player. Stupid.

[gypsysara]

My husband.... or whatever he thinks he is to me these days...

Yeah, he's STILL gone, yet wears his ring and wont divorce me... so GO FIGURE.

Other things:

The lame *ss pharmisist who didnt grant the rape victim her pill

Dubuya - cant stand his LIES and his self-appointed WMD panel, only to release results AFTER the 04 election in order not to "politisize" it. WHATEVER.

My damn van. 1K in repairs... grrrrr.... and like I have the money for that?

And Im still mad FM wont play at my house! LOL!

[GypsySorcerer]

Too much talk about Janet's t*t.

[Merf]

The fact that ESPN2 just cut away from the DUKE/UNC CHAPEL HILL BASKETBALL GAME-- THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN OVERTIME....

to show Pepperdine/Gonzaga.

WTF??!#?!@?!@?!@!*@(!(@(*!@&(*!&@(*!&(*@!*(@!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I am a UNC alumni. We take these things extremely seriously.

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally posted by Merf
The fact that ESPN2 just cut away from the DUKE/UNC CHAPEL HILL BASKETBALL GAME-- THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN OVERTIME....

to show Pepperdine/Gonzaga.

WTF??!#?!@?!@?!@!*@(!(@(*!@&(*!&@(*!&(*@!*(@!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I am a UNC alumni. We take these things extremely seriously.

SIMMAH. DUN. NAH!

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by GypsySorcerer
Too much talk about Janet's t*t.

Janet Reno has a tot? I never even knew she was pregnant!

- Jake