TOPIC: Christian Video Games?
Check out this News.Yahoo.com article on the new video game spawned from the popular "Left Behind" book and movie series:

God's army will begin battling the Antichrist and his minions in a video game version of post-apocalyptic New York City to be released on Friday. A beta version of Christian-based computer strategy game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" will be released aiming at the kind of mass-market success garnered by films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Passion of The Christ." The game is based on the 15 "Left Behind" books by evangelical Christian authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which have logged sales in the tens of millions.
"Eternal Forces" is set at the Biblical end of time known as the Rapture, according to Dereck Wong of Left Behind Games in California. It pits "good" Tribulation Forces against "evil" Global Community Peacekeepers led by the anti-Christ. The key to the game is recruiting and sustaining people and winning inevitable, albeit bloodless, battles, between good and evil, according to Wong. The characters and storyline are from the first four "Left Behind" books.
"Rumors can be set to rest regarding the content," said Left Behind Games chief executive Troy Lyndon. "'Eternal Forces' has no blood, no gore, no call to jihad and no gratuitous sex or violence of any kind." For the Tribulation Force, prayer is a key strategy to build points. Another way is finding hidden scrolls bearing scripture verses left behind by loved ones already whisked into the afterlife. In contrast, the Antichrist forces get strength by swearing and wicked deeds, according to the game makers.
Players conduct "physical and spiritual warfare" and can trigger "spectacular angelic or demonic activity" with their choices. "We really are the alternative to a 'Grand Theft Auto'," Wong said, referring to the hit video game in which points are scored by carjacking, killings, and other malevolence. "What we are finding is violence doesn't make it a better game. Gamers are interested in the storyline and the challenge."
Winning play gets rewarded with "Christian theme songs" or tips about what will happen to a person during the Rapture, which evangelical Christians believe is the time that Jesus ushers all believers to heaven. But non-believers can skip the rewards and play the game too, Wong said. "We wanted it to be a great game first ... We are not here to preach to you. It is not a game to be Bible-thumping." Even so, players will be encouraged to seek out up to seven other friends to play together on line, according to Wong.
It remains to be seen whether a Christian-themed game can take off. "It is untested waters, but clearly there is potential," said analyst David Cole of DFC Intelligence, which tracks the computer game industry. "Look at the number of Christians out there." "If you asked people several years ago whether they would ever do a major movie with a Christian theme, you'd get a lot of skeptics. Then Mel Gibson came along and did a movie that was quite successful," he said, referring to the 2004 hit film "The Passion of the Christ". "Gamers have this stereotype of being real violent, but that hasn't been the truth historically," Cole said. Cole referred to the blockbuster successes of Pokeman, Mario Brothers, Tetris, and "cutesy fantasy land games." Studies indicate the average age for gamers is about 32, and that they spend more time playing strategy games than gory games.
Demo versions of "Eternal Forces" were tested on people attending Christian rock music concerts and got enthusiastic reviews, Wong said. Megachurches, those with memberships topping 3,000 parishioners, have reportedly committed to distribute the beta version of the game, which will also be available at the Left Behind Games website. Mainstream retailers were interested in the game and a European distributor was in place, according to the company.
The final version of Eternal Forces is slated for distribution in time for the Christmas shopping season, and will include a copy of the first Left Behind book, at a planned price of $49.95. "It's exciting," Wong said. "We are competing with the Electronic Arts and the Activisions of the world."

I'm heading over to LBG to download the demo tomorrow morning...

TOPIC: For the Good of Others
Woodrow Kroll and Tony Beckett's devotions are a part of my daily routine. Even though some of the devotions were originally written decades ago, they are pertinent to my life - TODAY. "For the Good of Others" is just such a devotion. It reminds me that I need to make decisions with OTHERS in mind. How will my decisions and actions affect others? In a world of "it's all about ME" attitudes, we all need reminders of the reality of God's will. Here is the devotion, for your consumption and consideration:

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:24
Sometimes we get so focused on what we want that we lose sight of what God wants. He not only wants us to consider whether or not something is beneficial for us but also whether it is good for others. The emphasis on self can distort our view of others. When self occupies our vision it becomes difficult to set aside what we want, or what we think is acceptable. Yet Paul repeatedly reminds us that we do not live for ourselves only. We are part of the community of believers and must consider how our actions affect others. “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (v. 24). Paul is not talking about good things we can do for others but how we must consider the effect our actions will have on others. It is not just a matter of saying, “This is right for me.” It is even more than deciding something is edifying. This verse commands an added dimension to our decision making—how will what I do affect others, and will it be for their good?

Keep this important consideration in mind as you go through each day -- making decisions large and small. When we remove the emphasis from ourselves and place it on others, we will find how blessed we are and how small some of our self-centered, pity-party problems are. THINK IT OVER!

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TOPIC: Barbie "Buys" Booze and Butts
I heard about this story yesterday on the radio talk show, PrimeTime America. After pulling my mouth closed from astonishment, I went home and talked with my kids about their TV and music habits. THANKFULLY, we do not have a problem with these things -- and no one in our home drinks or smokes. The larger issue ISN'T the use of alcohol or tobacco. The larger issue is that kids will do what their parents and peers do. What goes in, will come out -- one way or another. Here's the article from Dartmouth Medicine:

"Where's the beer, beer, beer?" That's no fraternity chant. It's what a young child wanted to know while "shopping" for an evening with friends as part of a DMS study. The results, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, suggest that preschoolers have already formed attitudes about smoking and drinking.
The study involved a role-playing scenario in which 120 children, aged two to six years, used Barbie and Ken dolls to purchase items from a toy grocery store in preparation for an evening with friends. The store was stocked with 70 different miniature products, including vegetables, meat, fruit, candy, milk, desserts, medicine, cereal, cigarettes, beer, and wine.
About 62% of the children bought beer or wine, and 28% bought cigarettes. "I didn't expect such a high percentage of children to buy alcohol or cigarettes," says study leader Madeline Dalton, Ph.D., a research associate professor of pediatrics at DMS and director of the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth. "Overall, I think it shows that very young children perceive alcohol and tobacco as appropriate and normal in social situations."
Children were more likely to buy cigarettes if their parents smoked and more likely to buy alcohol if their parents drank more than once a month. Most studies that examine early attitudes toward smoking and drinking are focused on older children. But this one, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, suggests that attitudes may form at a much younger age than previously thought. "It's difficult to have an impact on middle school-age children with prevention programs if you are getting to them 10 years after they've already formed their attitudes," Dalton points out.
The study certainly suggests that alcohol and tobacco prevention efforts may need to be targeted toward younger children and their parents. But the results need to be confirmed by larger studies. "I was surprised it received as much media coverage as it did," observes Dalton, "because it was a pilot study" with a relatively small number of research subjects. "But," she adds, "I think it opens a lot of doors for future research."

ABCNews added in its coverage of the study:

Children who watched adult-content movies were five times more likely to buy alcohol, but the researchers did not find a statistically significant link between movie-watching and choosing cigarettes. The study suggests that parents should be careful about the movies their children watch, said Craig Anderson, who studies media violence at Iowa State University. "Kids are basically little learning machines. Whatever the content is in front of them, they're going to pick it up," Anderson said.
The children in the study were mostly white and their parents were mostly college educated. Smoking rates were lower among the parents than in the general population, but alcohol use was fairly high, Dalton said. A random sample would have made the findings more relevant to the general population, she said.

TOPIC: John Mark Karr will NOT be formally charged with JonBenet Ramsey's Murder
Boulder, Colorado district Attorney Mary Lacy says she will NOT charge John Mark Karr with the murder of JonBenet Patricia Ramsey. There is NO DNA match between Karr and the DNA/blood found in Ramsey's underwear. Everyone has likely read the story by now, so I won't repeat it.
The Sope-Bocks came out early with a call -- saying John Karr was not guilty of JonBenet's murder, but is guilty of other child sexual abuse related crimes.
Hopefully, two good things will come from the short-lived John Mark Karr case. First, John Mark Karr should go to jail for a long time — keeping him from sexually abusing any more children. While he has not specifically been accused of sexual abuse, I would bet my left arm (the one I type and eat with) that’s he is GUILTY of sexual abuse, MULTIPLE times. Second, hopefully the police and federal authorities will get in gear and solve the murder of JonBenet Ramsey (and other cases of the same type). The renewed interest could cause someone to come forward -- someone credible, that is. It might even shake John Ramsey into confessing his part in the death of his daughter -- which I still firmly believe is true. [I hope I am wrong, though.]

TOPIC: Representative Harris Says Not Electing Christians Leads To Legislating 'Sin'
From the KaiserNetwork.org:

Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), who is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race in Florida, last week in an interview for the Florida Baptist Witness, said, "If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," such as abortion rights, the Orlando Sentinel reports (Stratton, Washington Post, 8/26). She added that when Christians elect non-Christian leaders, and they "say abortion is permissible ... then average citizens who are not Christians, because they don't know better," are "le[d] astray, and it's wrong." Harris in the interview also talked about limiting abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger; supporting abstinence-only education; and opposing human embryonic stem cell research (Florida Baptist Witness, 8/24). Harris Campaign spokesperson Jennifer Marks has released a statement that says that Harris "continues to be an unwavering advocate of religious rights and freedoms" (Orlando Sentinel, 8/26).

THANK GOD for someone who is willing to stand up to the liberal media and liberalism in general. Liberals are killing the morality of America. It's time people stood up for true morals, that preserves life. I hope Katherine Harris wins!

TOPIC: Positive Religious Beliefs May Lessen Psychological Distress After Heart Surgery

By Miranda Hitti / WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD / Thursday, August 10, 2006

When people go through a stressful medical event, their religious beliefs may help or hinder them psychologically, a new study shows. The study shows less distress after heart surgery in people who lean on faith for comfort and support than those who feel spiritually angry or doubtful. The researchers included Amy Ai, PhD. She's an associate professor at the University of Washington's School of Social Work.
Ai's team studied 309 people due for major heart surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center between 1999 and 2002. The study was presented today in New Orleans at the American Psychological Association's 2006 convention. The patients were 33-89 years old (average age: 62).
Their faiths:

• Christian: 83%
• Jewish: 3%
• Muslim: less than 1%
• Other: 3%
• No preference: 10%

The patients were interviewed twice -- once in person and once by phone -- before surgery. They also took a survey about 36 days after surgery. The presurgery interviews gauged the patient's religious coping style as being positive or negative. Here are examples of those religious coping styles:

• Positive: Finding forgiveness, spiritual support, and love in their religious beliefs.
• Negative: Feeling spiritually discontent, angry at God, or questioning God's love.

Other factors -- which aren't necessarily religious -- were also measured, including the patients' sense of hope and social support before surgery. People with positive religious coping styles reported less psychological distress in the postsurgery survey than those with negative religious coping styles. Social support and hope tended to go with positive religious coping styles, the study also shows. Patients' faith may deserve more attention from health care workers, Ai and colleagues note.

SOURCES: American Psychological Association Convention 2006, New Orleans
Aug. 10-13, 2006. News release, American Psychological Association.

TOPIC: More Sexual Predators Nabbed...
WANE in Indiana reports:

An undercover federal investigation targeting child sex predators over the Internet has resulted in 24 arrests, including those of at least 13 men from across Indiana, including Allen and Adams Counties. Fourteen of the men who were arrested appeared in U.S. District Court in Hammond yesterday on charges of attempting to induce, entice and coerce for sex undercover federal agents who were posing as 13-year-old girls.
Federal prosecutors are expected to reveal details of the case later today at the Porter County Sheriff's Department in Valparaiso. The 14 men, who claimed to range in age from 22 to 47, are expected to have detention hearings this week to determine whether they should remain in custody pending the outcomes of their cases.
Those appearing in court yesterday were Thomas L. Wallace of Anderson; Mark Ciesolka of Columbus; David C. Rouhselang of Crown Point; Justin Reichart of Fort Wayne; David Lohman of Indianapolis; Jeffrey P. Taylor of Logansport; Stephen W. Schaffer of Martinsville; Clayton McNeely of Monticello; Donald L. Cochran of Rushville; Rahul Mannara of South Bend; James Daniel and Matthew Hensley, both of Valparaiso; Jimmie Collins of Whiteland; and Charles Dean Fuller, whose address was not immediately available. NewsChannel 15 has also learned James McManus of Spencerville was also arrested in the sting along with 21-year old Travis Springer of Decatur.

It's good to know that twenty-four more perverts have been removed from the streets. It's time we start handing out life sentences for sexual predators. Pedophilia should NEVER make it to mainstream American culture -- even though groups like NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are working in that vain. Pedophilia is a sickness of mind and a sexual deviation that cannot be tolerated by ANY culture. The cost on the lives of our children will be too high.

TOPIC: Forty-three Years... And Counting
Well, today is my 43rd birthday. I don't feel old and my body constantly reminds me that I'm not young any longer. I truly understand the term "middle age" now. Not yet elderly, but not a young whipper-snapper either. Aside from the effects of fibromyalgia (and the laundry list of other back and muscle ailments I've collected over the past few years), I feel fine. I can still outrun my 13 year old daughter (who is pretty fast). I can still play volleyball at a very competitive level (good enough to win indoor tournaments). Those are all good things.
Today I thank God for forty-three years... and counting. I thank him for a wonderful wife, three awesome children, a loving extended family, excellent in-laws, a good job, a roof over my head and a few dollars spending money in my pocket. I'd like better health, BUT you can't have everything in life. So, all in all, I'm VERY thankful for these forty- three years. I pray that YOUR DAY is a good one -- and that your birthday (whenever it comes) will be a blessing. Happy Birthday!

TOPIC: No More Allergies?!?
My life has never been without the effects of allergies. I am literally allergic to grass, animal dander, mold, mildew, dust and a large variety of other things. As a child, allergies kept me from playing some sports as I also suffered from allergy-induced asthma. This morning, I ran across an article that may help me, and thousands of others like me, as we approach the Fall allergy season. Here is the text of the article, culled from Ivanhoe Broadcast News:

Fall is coming, and so is ragweed season. It runs from mid-August through November, and this fall millions of people will be feeling its effects -- from red, watery eyes to excessive sneezing. Ragweed produces 100 million tons of pollen every year in the United States, but don't worry -- help is on the way. A new treatment could soon leave you allergy-free.

Oncology nurse Kim Brandt, RN, is one of 36-million Americans allergic to the wild plant. "I would be sneezing, running, watery eyes, itchy nose and nasal congestion," she says. Sick of the symptoms, Brandt joined a study on a new way to give "rush immunotherapy."

"Rush immunotherapy is a way of administering immunotherapy that condenses a large series of shots in a short period of time," Mark Moss, M.D., an allergist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells Ivanhoe. Immunotherapy builds resistance to allergens. With standard therapy, patients need weekly shots for up to six months. With rush immunotherapy, it's done much faster. Dr. Moss says, "Theoretically, [this] could be done in about two to three weeks."

But it's risky. Patients have severe allergic reactions one-third of the time. In this new study, patients were pre-medicated with the anti-allergy drug omalizumab before starting the immunotherapy. "They had a five-times lower chance of having a reaction compared to the group that received the rush immunotherapy alone," Dr. Moss says. That pre-treatment also led to better symptom relief.

Rush immunotherapy is already an available treatment, but the pre-treatment with omalizumab has not yet been FDA-approved, so the risk of reactions is still high. Ongoing studies are also looking at the effect of omalizumab on other allergies as it could be effective in treating dust mite, pet, tree and grass allergies as well. Brandt got the treatment three years ago. "I have had three consecutive years of no symptoms," she says. "So if you ask me what it has done for me, it has improved my quality of life 100 percent."

Call your doctor and ask for a referral to an allergist. That's what I plan to do. Maybe we can receive rush immunotherapy -- and be relieved of the horrible allergy season this coming Fall.

TOPIC: Anything Goes... But Should It?
Here is another one of those great devotions from Faith Walk, the book by Woodrow Kroll and Tony Beckett. The key verse is: 1 Corinthians 6:12.

We live in an “anything goes” world, and sometimes it seems as if everything has gone! Occasionally we need the Bible to jerk us back to reality, biblical reality. It is the same for the child of God as it was for you as a child of your parents.
Remember how sometimes they told you no? Anything didn’t go, and it still doesn’t. If God says clearly that something is wrong, then it is wrong. There’s no use asking because the answer is no.
Then there are all the other things, the ones the Bible neither says are wrong nor right. We usually call these “gray areas.” Paul gives us two important things to remember. First, even if something may be allowed, ask yourself if it is beneficial for you. Some things can be like the weights mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, the things that hinder us in the Christian life. They are not wrong, but they don’t help.
Second, don’t let anything control you. Paul teaches us that we are to be controlled by the Spirit—nothing else. We can be controlled not only by addictive substances but by addictive activities. Habits, compulsions, foods and so much more can control a person.
Paul says to us by his example and teaching that we must “not be mastered by anything” (v. 12). This verse gives us two tests to use in deciding what we will do or not do. In any area that Scripture does not clearly address, ask yourself these questions: Is it beneficial? Will it control me?

In a world of anything goes, remember that some things are not good for you -- especially if it will control you or there is no benefit to the greater good.

TOPIC: John Karr - The Weird Keep Getting Weirder...
This was too good to edit, excerpt or cull...
Straight from FoxNews website: John Mark Karr's relatives offered the movie and book rights to the family's story Wednesday in hopes of hiring a high-level attorney to defend the schoolteacher against charges he killed 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. Karr's father and brother hired actor, author and producer Larry Garrison to represent them in any media deals and to help them find a top attorney to represent Karr, who is in a Los Angeles jail awaiting transfer to Colorado to face allegations he killed the girl in 1996.
Garrison told AP that while the family's film and book rights are secured, no money has changed hands yet. He said he promised the Karrs a portion of any money made by the effort. "They're not looking for money for themselves," Garrison said. "They're looking to support John's boys' college education and to make sure all legal fees are covered." Karr's brother, Nate Karr, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that Garrison now represents the Karr family.
Garrison has written and produced several news films and had minor acting roles. He said that the family will be looking for a well-known attorney to represent Karr. "Right now he's got a public defender to represent him," Garrison said. "It's their desire to get someone high-level." Garrison declined to say if the family has been in touch with Karr in jail. Karr told reporters in Thailand on Sunday that he was present when JonBenet died and that her death was an accident. He did not specifically say he killed her. Boulder prosecutors have not disclosed their evidence against Karr.
His family has insisted he was in Georgia at the time of the slaying. Georgia attorney Gary Harris, who had represented Wexford and Nate Karr in recent days, had said that the family found a photo from Christmas, 1996 that indicates Karr was in Atlanta, not Colorado at the time of Ramsey's death. Harris no longer represents the Karr family, Garrison said, but a family photo has been turned over to Boulder authorities. He could not say what the photo shows. "I can tell you they proclaim his innocence," Garrison said. "They feel he was not there at the time, that some of the statements made by the press are absurd." He said the family is not looking to get rich off the story. "These people are spiritually coming from the right place," Garrison said. "They're really good people. They're family oriented. They're not greedy. They're looking for the spin to stop."
Karr agreed Tuesday to go to Colorado without a fight about extradition. In a two-minute court appearance he was impassive and his expression changed only once when he slowly closed his eyes as the judge recited the count of first-degree murder that Boulder prosecutors included in an arrest warrant. Karr "has been portrayed by the media as of late as being mentally unstable, attention-seeking, unwell, mentally unwell. And he is none of those things," said attorney Jamie Harmon, who attended Tuesday's hearing and whose partner, Patience Van Zandt, represented Karr when he was charged in 2001 with possessing child pornography in Northern California. Karr "is anxious to have an opportunity to address the allegations against him, to be portrayed in a more accurate and complete way," Harmon said. The attorney, who said she and Van Zandt, would be advising Karr in some capacity, said Karr was "not subject to ready categorization or easy answers." She described him as intelligent and unusual. "He is a different sort of person than most of us walking around on the face of the planet, and that differentness has been construed in the media as wrong or somehow unbalanced," she said. "And I don't find that to be true at all."
With the order from Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin, Karr was available to be picked up by Boulder authorities at any time. Karr, who had been photographed in Thailand and on his trip to the United States wearing civilian clothes, appeared in court wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, his hands cuffed to a chain around his waist. His attorney for the hearing, Deputy Public Defender Haydeh Takasugi, said Karr was concerned about appearing in jail attire rather than civilian clothes. "It's going to taint any potential jury pool out there," Takasugi said. "He was upset at that."
On Wednesday, Quientana Ray, who married Karr when she was 13, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in a pre-recorded interview that Karr was controlling and used to tell her about fantasies he had about little girls. "I was drugged and things were done to me without me having any idea," said Ray, who is now married with a 4-month old child. Her parents, Melissa and Larry Shotts of Hamilton, Alabama, said they also discovered letters Karr wrote to their daughter that were signed "S.B.T.C." — the same initials found on a ransom note left in the Ramseys' home. They did not show the letters during the interview and it wasn't clear if they still had them. In addition to first-degree murder, the counts against Karr in a sealed probable-cause arrest warrant include felony murder, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping and sexual assault on a child.

I should note that I am making NO judgements about what Wexford and Nate Karr are doing. I'd like to take their statements at face value. Maybe Garrison or someone else talked them into doing this deal. Who knows? Let's not judge their motives... just yet.

TOPIC: Computer History - August, 1965
Digital Equipment Corporation unveils the PDP-8 computer in 1965. The first commercially successful minicomputer is small enough to sit on a desktop and sells for $18,000. The combination of speed, size, and cost puts the PDP-8 in thousands of manufacturing plants, offices, and scientific laboratories. By late 1973, the PDP-8 family is the best selling computer in the world.

TOPIC: Is there ANY way John Mark Karr Could Be Guilty?
Family friend Jonathan McCrary told FOXNews that John Mark Karr's mother, Patricia Elaine Adcock, tried to burn Karr alive when he was a baby. McCrary, described as a long-time friend of Karr's father, Wexford Karr, said Karr's mother thought her infant son was possessed by demons. He said she built a pyre of kindling around the infant and attempted to set it on fire. She was stopped, and later was committed to a mental hospital in Milledgeville, Ga.
McCrary also dismissed Karr's claim to have murdered the beauty pageant princess. McCrary said Karr visited Boulder after the killing to research a book about pedophiles he was planning to write. Karr entered the Ramsey house through the broken basement window that JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, said he never fixed, McCrary said. Isn't it spooky to know that pervert was in the house -- even if the Ramsey's were not at home?!?
McCrary also called Karr a "genius," and said Karr's "confession" was merely a ploy to avoid jail in Thailand and return to the states, where he knew his legal troubles would be cleared up quickly. Remember, Karr was reportedly under investigation or at least in the eye of Thai authorities as a suspect in child sex trafficking in Bangkok. Maybe he is a genius -- genius enough to get himself in the newspapers and on TV -- and out of Thailand before spending years in a Thai jail for pedophilia. No one knows at this point. McCrary insisted Karr had nothing to do with JonBenet Ramsey's death. "He's a pedophile, not a murderer," McCrary said.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for Karr's relatives says a photo has been located showing Karr's three sons at a 1996 Christmas dinner gathering in Atlanta. John Karr is not in the photo. Lawyer Gary Harris said Karr's father, Wexford Karr, found the photo, and relatives are certain that if the sons were there, John Karr would have been, too. He told The Washington Post and The Denver Post that the photo is from 1996 because an infant pictured in it was born in December of that year. "If he had flown to Colorado or somewhere at that time, they would have remembered it," Harris told The Washington Post. So, is there ANY way John Mark Karr could be guilty? I still say "NO, not for JonBenet's murder, but YES for being a pedophile (among possibly other things)" -- and I didn't need the handwriting experts .02 worth of opinions, either.

TOPIC: Karr Will NOT Fight Extradition
John Mark Karr has just heard the charges that face him in Colorado. A public defender said that Mr. Karr has signed a waiver of extradition -- and will not fight being taken to Colorado to face those charges. I watched the hearing on TV just now. Curiously, Patience Van Zandt, nor Jamie Harmon, represented Karr. He was represented by Haydah Takasugi, a deputy public defender. One or the other of the Harmon Legal team may have been in the courtroom, but neither was "at the table" for Karr. John Mark Karr, who answered softly as the judge asked him about the charges and extradition waiver, seemed calm, yet aware of what was going on around him.
As for Van Zandt and/or Harmon, maybe they are off suing companies over mesothelioma, trying auto accident cases or wrongful death suits. Where does one find a lawyer like Van Zandt? Just look in the Yellow Pages -- or maybe she'll come running to you *if* you're part of the mass media mayhem. Let the trial circus begin!

TOPIC: Karr's Probable Defense Attorney Already On The Offense
This morning, it seemed pretty clear that Patience Van Zandt, the attorney who represented John Mark Karr in 2001, will be his attorney in the JonBenet Ramsey murder trial -- *if* there is a trial. She may be flanked by partner Jamie Harmon, but that is not very clear at this point. They advertise...

"With the representation of Harmon & Associates sexual assault lawyer, you will feel secure, knowing that you are in good hands. Our sexual assault defense attorneys have successfully defended many clients and have been able to reduce, dismiss, and alter the charges against them. We handle sex crime and other criminal defense cases throughout the Northern California."

Isn't that sweet? NEVER MIND WHETHER YOU'RE GUILTY OR NOT! One short bio of Van Zandt says, "She is a mother, and understands the difficulties faced by kids today, and the need to vigorously represent and protect them!" I wonder how other victims like JonBenet can be protected when Van Zandt heads down the following slippery slope of justice...
Ms. Harmon and Ms. Van Zandt were interviewed on the Today Show this morning -- and Van Zandt is already trying to worm out of the confession Karr made in front of television cameras. While her tactic is offensive to me, I understand that she is trying to "defend" her client. But, saying that he never made a confession?!? ARGH!
Asked about comments Karr earlier made to reporters about the murder, Van Zandt told NBC's "Today" show: "I don't believe he's made confessions. I think that he's made statements," she said. "Although I can't, unfortunately, flesh out thoughts behind them at this point, I am absolutely confident that what Mr. Karr meant will become clear." What a lowlife bottom-feeding scumbag of the law profession!
When someone says "I was with [personX] when they died... It was an accident... I was trying to kidnap [personX], but ended up strangling [personX]," they*ARE* confessing to a crime, PERIOD. In this case, John Karr was asked if he was innocent of the crime. Karr replied: “No.” These statements are on video and audio tape! How can Van Zandt say Karr didn't confess?!?
Ms. Van Zandt's obligation (or that of whomever defends him) is NOT to get John Mark Karr out of a conviction, but to make sure he gets a FAIR TRIAL. Nothing more and nothing less. *IF* he is guilt of killing JonBenet Ramsey -- and HE says he is -- then his attorney's job is NOT to get him acquitted, but to make sure he fairly represented and offered fair treatment under the law. In NO WAY is the mandate to work towards acquittal of a confessed murderer!
Let's see where this case goes.
"There always will be lawyers willing to set aside their other work and personal time to represent a high-profile defendant with publicity as their only compensation", said Larry Pozner, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
BTW, if you're one to call these low-life individuals and let them know how you feel -- it's time to contact Patience Van Zandt NOW = (408) 597-6985 or (408) 286-5000 = before she starts getting paid tax payer dollars.

TOPIC: The Manhunt is Over - William Morva In Custody!
The shooting suspect, William Charles Morva, who authorities believe killed two people in the past 24 hours is now in custody, Blacksburg police report. Zannah, a LiveJournal blogger put it more succinctly, "They caught the bastard! Got him in the rugby field right next to the elementary school... And they took him alive." That's GOOD NEWS! Now, everyone around Virginia Tech can exhale.

TOPIC: Another Psycho On The Loose - William Charles Morva
It seems that John Mark Karr is not the only pyscho in the news today. A 24 year old native of Chesterfield County, Virginia -- currently living in the Blacksburg, VA area -- has apparently murdered two people in the last 24 hours. William Charles Morva and Jeffrey Scott Roberts had been in jail pending arraignment on charges of "armed robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony" since August 16th. Morva and his accomplise tried to rob the Deli Mart, but found it was closed. The clerk saw them and called the police. Morva and Roberts were arrested a short time later.
While awaiting his day in court, William Morva said he injured his wrist and leg. He was taken to the hospital last night. While in the ER, he overpowered a jail guard, grabbed his gun and shot an unarmed hospital security guard, who later died. This morning, Morva was allegedly shot and killed a police officer near Viriginia Tech. There is a huge manhunt -- and Virginia Polytechnical Institute is locked down. VTNews is posting notices for students on their website.
I wonder if this is the same William Morva mentioned on roanoke.com and Slice of Sci-Fi as being an actor in a 2005 "old-style sci-fi mystery" entitled "River of Dread". The movie was filmed by former VA Tech alumnus Seneca Hayes' -- who owns Fried Squid Productions. [More on FSP at Hayes' MySpace profile]. "River of Dread" was filmed entirely in digital media, screened around Richmond, VA -- and was then reported to go straight to DVD. For some sickos, it could become a "cult" classic *if* this is the same guy.
NOTE: William Morva is a white man, 5-foot-10-inches tall and 160 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He had shed his orange jumpsuit and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts. He may be wearing jail-issued flip flops. You can see pictures of William Charles Morva here. Note his protruding chin -- a dead giveaway. He will likely change his hair color or cut if given enough time to rest and feel secure.

Mugshot courtesy of WDBJ7.com

TOPIC: If Not John Mark Karr, Then What Next?
Not harping singularly on FoxNews, but they are the first news site I've read this morning. Here are excerpts from an article on the DNA evidence and what happens to build or destroy the case against John Mark Karr:

The most important evidence amounts to this: DNA taken from two blood stains, hair and fibers taken from the body, half a footprint and two partial palm prints. What it boils down to is this: It is infinitely easier to prove itinerant teacher John Mark Karr did not kill JonBenet Ramsey 10 years ago, than it is to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he garroted and beat the 6-year-old child he claims to have loved. Because of the nature of DNA testing, it is simpler to prove a negative. "DNA is the sure way to eliminate him," said Scott Robinson, a Denver defense attorney who has closely followed the case. "If it's negative, you ride that horse all the way to the stable."
The stable, in this case, being the exoneration of John Mark Karr arrested in Bangkok last week and paraded before journalists to whom he professed his love for the little beauty pageant contestant and then claimed he was present when she died. He called her death "an accident." Since then, his fantastic professions have been met with increasing suspicion and distrust. So if genetic testing rules him out, as some legal experts predict, what happens next?
"If it's not this man's DNA, then there has to be some very strong and compelling evidence that places him at the crime scene," said Lin Wood, the Ramsey family's longtime attorney. "Unless you have some positive evidence of DNA, it would be an extremely difficult case." Difficult, agreed Robinson, but not impossible. "There are other things," he said, including questions that Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy should be asking: "Can we place him in Boulder at the time of the murder? Can we place him in some relationship with the Ramseys?" Whether the prosecutor has the answers to those queries is anyone's guess at this point.
Since announcing Karr's arrest, she has refused to comment on nearly all aspects of the investigation. There is no publicly known evidence putting Karr in Boulder or any other town in Colorado. JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, has said he has no recollection of the man meeting anyone in his family. Prosecutors would also have to corroborate Karr's statements to Thai police, including claims he sexually assaulted the girl, said Bob Grant, a former Adams County DA who helped investigate JonBenet's death. An autopsy found no semen in or on the child's body, but noted vaginal abrasions and tearing of the hymen. There was not enough evidence to determine what caused those injuries.
The theory that an intruder killed JonBenet is supported by unexplained evidence: a mysterious boot print found outside the house after her body was found Dec. 26, 1996; marks on her body some say could have been made by a stun gun; and signs that someone may have entered the house through a basement window. Then there is the DNA of an unknown male found in blood in JonBenet's underpants. Tests in 1997 and 1999 indicated it was from a male who was not a member of the Ramsey family.
There were also DNA traces found under the child's fingernails, but they were degraded and tests were inconclusive, Grant said. Prosecutors need to find out if Karr truly knows anything about the case that isn't public knowledge, he said. In this sensationalized investigation, he does not think that is possible. "The whole world knows everything about this case," Grant said. "I'd be surprised if everything I knew (as an investigator) wasn't out in the public domain."

I definitely agree. It would be a grave mistake for prosecutors to build their case primarily on anything John Mark Karr says about the case. He has been infactuated with every aspect of JonBenet's murder since it happened in 1996. In fact, this morbid fascination lead to his meeting Michael Sandrock in Paris (2002). "I said I worked for the Daily Camera in Boulder and John Karr got real interested. ... I didn't think it was real strange at that time because so many people ask about the Ramsey case," Sandrock said Saturday. Karr reportedly talked several times with Sandrock about the case -- including lurid details that made Sandrock quite uncomfortable. "I just started getting a real uncomfortable feeling, because it was just too much," he said. At one point, Sandrock referred Karr to his friend, Univeristy of Colorado professor, Michael Tracey. That referral lead to a four-year correspondence relationship between Tracey and John Mark Karr. The correspondence culminated in Tracey turning over a suspicious passage to prosecutors in May, 2006 and ultimately Karr's arrest in Thailand this week.

[Source: FoxNews website]

TOPIC: Was John Mark Karr Seeking A Sex Change ~or~ A Disguise?
This morning, FoxNews is reporting,

Hours before Karr's departure, a doctor at a Bangkok clinic specializing in sex-change surgery said Karr had come in for treatment. "He was one of my patients," Dr. Thep Vechavisit of the Pratunam Polyclinic said. He refused to provide further details. Bangkok, where Karr lived on and off for two years, is regarded as a center for sex change operations. The Pratunam clinic advertises sex-change surgery for US$1,625 — a bargain compared to U.S. prices, where male-to-female reassignment surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars ... Another employee at the clinic, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Karr had talked with the doctor about a sex-change operation. This could not be confirmed by other sources ...
Thep has received considerable publicity for his male-to-female operations and the clinic is one of the sponsors of an annual beauty pageant for transsexuals in the seaside resort of Pattaya ...
Karr, once detained on charges of possessing child pornography, in recent years apparently traveled to Europe, Central America and Asia to search for teaching jobs. He taught in at least two Thai schools.

Did John Karr really want a sex change OR was he looking to plastic surgery as a means for disguising himself? Another question comes to mind -- Was he seeking a partial sex change in order to continue his pedophilic actions with children? At this point, we don't know the answer to those questions.
We do know that he was very upset with the fact that Michael Tracey, the professor with whom he corresponded about JonBenet Ramsey, had seen a photo of him. He commented on the matter in a way that sounds as though he was troubled and his tactics of communication might change due to the disclosure.

On a completely different note...
"Reporters" on NBC's Today show (and other media outlets) are making a huge deal of the fact that John Mark Karr was given first-class treatment on his flight from Thailand to the US. Simply put that line of thinking is short-sighted. Getting the guy to relax and enjoy himself may lead to his opening up and talking. Denver attorney Larry Pozner, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said the royal treatment during Sunday's journey — king prawns, champagne, French wine — was "a brilliant move."
"What the cops want most is this guy to talk. They say he is not under arrest. Then they do not put him in handcuffs on the plane. And they say he is over the age of 21, free to drink," Pozner said. "He is therefore free to talk." If Karr says something incriminating that is challenged in court, Pozner said, the investigator who was sitting next to him simply says he was never in my custody. "There is always a reason when the unusual happens," Pozner said. "He is in nobody's custody. He is free to leave if he can find a way at 38,000 feet." A spokeswoman for Boulder prosecutors, Carolyn French, said Karr was being escorted by immigration and customs officials but wasn't in federal or Boulder County custody on the flight. Hopefully, we'll hear some of what was said on the flight in the days to come.
Last night, Karr didn't sleep in first-class accomodations. Instead, he was booked into the high-security Twin Towers jail in Los Angeles, where he will await an extradition hearing on a request to move him to Boulder, Colorado.
We need to be continually reminded that there is little public evidence linking John Mark Karr to the crime -- prompting some amateur sleuths and several experts to speculate that he is either lying or delusional.
"Many high-publicity crimes have these people coming out of the woodwork," said Elizabeth Loftus, director of the Center for Psychology and Law at the University of California-Irvine. More than 200 people confessed to the 1932 kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's infant son. The 1947 "Black Dahlia" murder — the slaying of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, who was found sliced in half in a vacant Los Angeles lot — also attracted numerous spurious confessions.
Lawyers for the Ramsey family said Friday that a number of people have already confessed to the killing of JonBenet, none of them with enough credibility to attract the attention of law enforcement. Personally, I think John Mark Karr is another freak -- playing the media and the professor, the Boulder DA and everyone else.

TOPIC: Sexual Purity
I have been blessed so many times by the devotion on the Back To The Bible website -- those offered by Woodrow Kroll & Tony Beckett through the Faith Walk book. Today's devotion is no different. It is very poignant -- especially at this time in my life -- the father of a beautiful thirteen year old girl, a gorgeous nine year old girl and a dashingly handsome six year old boy. The topic is sexual purity -- something that has become an object of discussion in our home for the past two years.
Primarily, my wife and I talk with our 13 year old daughter. Thankfully, she has chosen her friends well. Therefore, she has not been under peer pressure to become sexually active. Her "boyfriend" is a good Christian kid who knows his Dad and me would ring his neck if he made untoward advances to my daughter. :-) In all seriousness, if you're struggling with sexual purity, then read & re-read the following devotion. It is important to remain pure -- until marriage and into your marriage. This is NOT a gray area of morality... The verses from Paul's writings are: 1 Corinthians 7:2-3.

In a world of extremes, Paul brings balance. He addresses in this chapter one of the significant subjects of life- SEX. In a few verses, he details for us what God intends in regard to this topic.
Abstinence is God's will for the unmarried. Paul, who was himself single, did not view singleness negatively, but he did view sexual immorality that way.
Believers should not be in a hurry to marry according to verse 1. In the marital relationship each partner is to meet the needs of the other. It is not a one-sided arrangement. The only limitation is this: sex is reserved for the married. God puts no limitations on a husband and wife. The only exception is when a couple mutually agrees to a limited time of celibacy for the purpose of devoting themselves to a concentrated time of prayer.
We need to realize that singleness is not wrong, nor is the single person "second class" in any respect. In regard to sex, however, the single person must live according to God's standard of abstinence. That is contrary to the ways of our society but it conforms to the will of God. For the married, God has given clear instruction. Sex within marriage is good. Keep it there. That is His will.
The Word of God is clear regarding sexual purity. We need to be just as clear in our commitment to it. If you are single, ask God to help you maintain a life of abstinence. If you are married, ask God to make your relationship with your spouse one of fulfillment and blessing.

If you're a 'tween or teen reading The Sope-Bocks, remember something VERY important = Everyone is NOT doing it. Statistics show that only 52% of teens are sexually active. While that is 52% too many, it goes to show YOU that HALF of teens in this country are NOT sexually active. I dare say that many who are considering becoming active would not IF they knew that more of their friends were abstaining from sex until marriage.
One more thing -- oral sex IS sex. There is NO in between. If you're engaging in oral sex, you ARE sexually active. Abstinence is NOT engaging in a sexual act or becoming physically intimate in ANY way.
BE A LEADER! Virginity is not only cool, but it is God's will for YOU right now. Wait until marriage -- Statistics also show that people who wait have more fulfilling sex lives; and stay married at a higher rate than those who are sexually active prior to marriage. THINK it over -- and talk to your parents or pastor or youth leader. Heck, send me a comment and I'll gladly talk it over with you. Just don't fall to peer pressure! You will regret it... and the cost could be your life.

TOPIC: S.B.T.C. = Shall Be The Conquerer?
The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that a link may have been found between John Mark Karr and the ransom note left by JonBenet Ramsey's murderer:

Boulder District attorney's officials are in contact with a former classmate of John Mark Karr because she has a yearbook signed by him more than 20 years ago that may reveal the answer to one of the great mysteries of the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note - what does "S.B.T.C" stand for?
In the yearbook, Karr signed the classmate’s page and ended his missive with the line, "Though, deep in the future, maybe I shall be the conqueror and live in multiple peace." The words "shall be the conqueror" do not appear anywhere as an acronym, but they are written in upper case characters.
The two and a half-page ransom note was left with the Ramseys the day JonBenet was killed. The note ended, "Victory! S.B.T.C." Through an email and phone conversations, Boulder investigators have been in touch with the classmate for the past couple of days on the matter.

This is a MAJOR stretch to link John Mark Karr to the Ramsey killing! It's obvious, from reading the ransom note (Page2), that the person who wrote it had a huge ego. John Karr's emails show a more demure personality, when it comes to JonBenet. If SBTC meant Shall Be The Conquerer, then Karr would likely have signed the ransom note (Page3) "ISBTC" or "I S.B.T.C.". He would have personalized it -- not just an acronym of a phrase. "I" is important to the ego of the ransom writer. He was trying to put John Ramsey down -- to knock him down a notch. Here's a quote:

"Don't try to grow a brain John. You are not the only fat cat around so don't think that killing will be difficult. Don't underestimate us John. Use that good southern common sense of yours."

The ransom note writer wouldn't leave out the fact the HE would be the conquerer -- especially when SIGNING the note. Nope, this is a stretch -- and a poor one at that.

TOPIC: Codename "D"...
Professor and documentarian, Michael Tracey, may have his own reasons for not giving out information about his four year correspondence with John Mark Karr -- money. Thinking, inquisitive people, are starting to question Tracey's facts and his motives for not being more forthcoming with what he knows. Is he holding back important information in order to capitalize on book (or other media) sales? Or, is he really trying to remain neutral in the case that could be brought against Karr? Either way, it all sounds rather cloak and dagger -- including the way Karr would contact Tracey.
John Mark Karr used codename "D" to correspond with Tracey via email and written letters since 2002. The creepiest note made public was one in which Karr asked Tracey to go to the Ramsey's former Colorado home -- and read to JonBenet. It said,

"JonBenet, my love, my life, I love you and shall forever love you," the message said. "I pray that you can hear my voice calling out to you from my darkness -- this darkness that now separates us."

As I wrote earlier, I don't think Karr killed JonBenet Ramsey. Mark Klaas, the father of Polly Klaas may have summed it up best. In an interview Friday, Klaas said of John Karr, "This guy seems to be a little-dead-girl pedophile groupie."
I am convinvced John Mark Karr IS a pedophile -- guilty of multiple crimes (none of which include the kidnapping of JonBenet Ramsey). Fellow Blooms (the Bangkok hotel where Karr lived) resident Bijan Fadjad had this to say about John Mark Karr, "You could tell he was a creep just by looking at him," said the 27-year-old American. "He never looked anyone in the eye and was always sneaking about on his own. It gave me the chills." Fadjad has spent the past three months in a room three doors down from Karr with the same sparse, bleak fittings. "People stay here because it is cheap - and you are left alone," he said. "For a guy like this one, it makes sense why he would be here."
Yet, there are FAR too many inconsistencies in his story for him to even have been arrested for the murder of JonBenet. First, he could not have picked JBR up from school. She was at home on Christmas break. Second, autopsy results show NO drugs in JonBenet's system. Third, there were vaginal injuries, but no real mention of rape. Lastly, Lara Knutson, Karr's ex-wife, says he was with her in Alabama the entire Christmas season of 1996.
Michael L. Rains, an attorney for Lara Knutson, who was married to Karr for a dozen years until late 2001, said yesterday that she is looking for tangible evidence to reinforce -- or perhaps refute -- her memory that her then-husband spent that day after Christmas with her and their three sons in Alabama, where they lived at the time. In an affidavit filed as part of the divorce proceeding, Knutson said her husband was very controlling of her and that he insisted she cut off ties with her family and friends. The two were married when Lara Karr was just 16-years-old.
Rains said that Knutson "really absolutely detests" Karr and added: "Believe me, her better instincts would be to find some way to bury him for the rest of his life." But he said that Knutson, who lives in Petaluma, Calif., is preparing to meet with Boulder County investigators, probably next week, and wants to give an accurate account.

ADDENDUM: Canada.com is reporting that John Mark Karr expected to be deported to the United States on Sunday, a Thai policeman said. Karr, 41, was due to be put on a direct flight to Los Angeles, said the official, who asked not to be identified. He was then expected to be flown to Boulder, Colorado for questioning.

[Some info quoted from NY Daily News, Canada.com & The Washington Post]

TOPIC: Primary Evidence From "The Nutty Professor"?
A great article on Tabloid Baby says, Legendary Florida investigative reporter Bob Norman had the link on his essential Daily Pulp site yesterday. We’ve sat back to see who else ran with the lead, and as far as we know, no one has, so head to the article:

“This isn't the first time Colorado University Professor Michael Tracey has caused a stir by fingering a “prime suspect” in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case — only to be proved wrong.
In 2004, Tracey, a British expatriate journalism professor and documentarian, produced a film about the Ramsey murder that aired on British television but not in the United States. By then, however, Tracey was already considered a notorious developer of false leads by a large group of Internet sleuths who congregated at Forums for Justice, a website started by a radio disc jockey named Tricia Griffith.
"If you know the case and you watch Tracey's documentaries, they're filled with blatant lies. It's so easily proven," Griffith says.

The Rocky Mountain News has a fantastic article on the relationship between Michael Tracey and John Mark Karr -- including several excerpts from their letters/email to each other.

On another note: Several blogs have now picked up on my initial postings regarding the PowerWurks links to *a* John Karr -- and UseNet postings that may link them to *the* John Mark Karr. Not that I care about notoriety, but it would have been nice of those folks to mention they got their info from The Sope-Bocks blog. :-)

TOPIC: PowerWurks, UseNet and Other Possible Connections to John M. Karr...
Yesterday, the Sope-Bocks the first to report on the "test " posts from an organization called PowerWurks on UseNet newsgroups, back in the Spring and Summer of 1996. Sope-Bocks readers followed on the names and found the Chiko Patel and someone named Suresh both live in Hamilton, Alabama. The readers speculated, from MySpace profiles, that both people lived in Hamilton, AL the same time as John Mark Karr.
Was he a private tutor or where they pupils at the school where Karr was a student-teacher? If so, the PowerWurks to John Mark Karr link could become quite clear. The Sope-Bocks will be updated as I research the matter in-depth...