SIDEBAR #58 - Travis Alexander forum

[Chelly]

Dear Zuri,
You are in my thoughts. The pain of losing a beloved animal can be overwhelming. Be good to yourself.
C.

 

[Caylee Advocate]

That's such a nice poem CA.

I was just thinking of Zuri and her grief tonight. :crying:

Life can seem so unfair- to have what we love taken from us, but I know this is part of living- why does it have to be so heartbreaking (I hate it sometimes :sigh: ).

I thought of this music tonight- it's so sad (just like I feel). It's from one of my favorite movies, The Red Violin.

[video=youtube;b_miS8YuWWo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_miS8YuWWo[/video]

There really is a red violin, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1720, and now owned by violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn.

Link: http://www.allthingsstrings.com/var...001/42366-1-eng-US/153-17873-img001_large.jpg

Elizabeth Pitcairn on Playing with a Legend: the Red Violin

"The Mendelssohn Strad, the fiddle that has inspired the hit Hollywood film, continues to inspire its owner..."

http://www.allthingsstrings.com/lay...cairn-on-Playing-with-a-Legend-the-Red-Violin

This is an article about the movie:

The red violin: a spooky story

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2007/10/27/the-red-violin-a-spooky-story

In the movie, violinist Joshua Bell plays the haunting soundtrack music.

Anyway- I have rambled on and I only meant to say how I'm full of sorrow tonight for our Zuri and her Knox.

That is a tear-jerker video, but lovely. I hope Zuri is as well as can be expected, she is such a caring and giving friend to all.. just lovely. Yes, grief is terrible, but it is something we all must endure I'm afraid.. I always want to take away some of their pain so it won't hurt as much. Take care of yourself YorN, and for me... ramble away!!!

 

[Zuri]

I read your posts through tears that won't stop. I am beyond devastated. I will never be the same. Thank you all so much for your kindnesses. You are all loved by me. I loved this horse with every fiber of my being. He was more than just a horse to me. Thank you for being here for me. Sobbing now. Heartbroken. Acute Despair. Loss. Pain. Unbearable.

 

[Hatfield]

I read your posts through tears that won't stop. I am beyond devastated. I will never be the same. Thank you all so much for your kindnesses. You are all loved by me. I loved this horse with every fiber of my being. He was more than just a horse to me. Thank you for being here for me. Sobbing now. Heartbroken. Acute Despair. Loss. Pain. Unbearable.

Many hugs from all of us. No words, just many many many HUGS.

((((((( Zuri )))))))

 

[Spellbound]

Many hugs from all of us. No words, just many many many HUGS.

((((((( Zuri )))))))

This says it all, Hatfield. Adding my hugs (((((((Zuri)))))))

 

[coffeejunkie]

Here are my hugs (((((((((((( Zuri)))))))))))))))))

 

[coffeejunkie]

I read your posts through tears that won't stop. I am beyond devastated. I will never be the same. Thank you all so much for your kindnesses. You are all loved by me. I loved this horse with every fiber of my being. He was more than just a horse to me. Thank you for being here for me. Sobbing now. Heartbroken. Acute Despair. Loss. Pain. Unbearable.

Sweet Zuri, yes he was more than a horse to you! He was a part of you and when you lose a part of yourself, you are broken. My heart aches for you and know you are loved by all here and we feel your pain and sorrow. Bless you. You are in my prayers during this time of grief.

 

[Dmacky]

I read your posts through tears that won't stop. I am beyond devastated. I will never be the same. Thank you all so much for your kindnesses. You are all loved by me. I loved this horse with every fiber of my being. He was more than just a horse to me. Thank you for being here for me. Sobbing now. Heartbroken. Acute Despair. Loss. Pain. Unbearable.

My sweet friend (((ZURI)))
I am devastated to hear your heartbreaking sorrow. I know how much you loved your boy Knox, and how hard it was to make such a difficult decision. It takes a heart both strong and loving to make the right decision, and I hope you can take some comfort in knowing you made the loving choice for Knox. He was a wonderful gift to have in your life and I know you have many memories of him that will remain in your heart forever. We never forget the sweet face we've loved, or their gift of making us smile. Our animals/pets teach us more than we could have expected and love us more than we could have known/hoped. He knows for certain that he was loved, and that you went above and beyond everything in your power to make sure he got the special care he needed.
There really are no words Zuri, that can help to ease the pain you feel in your broken heart right now. That heart pain that literally brings you to your knees. I have there, and there are still many days that I still cry for my sweet furbaby.
Please know that there are many others here who understand your loss and care about you more than you can know. xoxo

 

[YESorNO]

Link: http://www.animatedimages.org/data/media/1223/animated-good-afternoon-image-0028.gif
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40 degrees yesterday- 22 degrees today (with a smattering of snow) :sheesh:

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Italy fears Amanda Knox-style saga after American's slaying (with clip)

"FLORENCE, Italy - Police vowed "maximum attention" Sunday to find the killer of an American found dead in her Florence apartment as Italy's expat community expressed hope that the case won't turn into another Amanda Knox-style, drawn-out, headline-grabbing legal saga.

Police opened a murder investigation Saturday after 35-year-old Ashley Olsen (no relation to famous twin) of Summer Haven, Florida, was found dead, her neck bruised and scratched.

Authorities questioned Olsen's boyfriend, a local artist, Saturday but said they have no suspects so far..."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ashley-olsen-murder-italy-fears-amanda-knox-style-saga/

WS thread: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...y-Olsen-35-Strangled-in-Florence-January-2016
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Police: Philly gunman says he shot cop in name of Islam

"PHILADELPHIA -- A man using a gun stolen from police said he was acting in the name of Islam when he ambushed an officer sitting in his marked cruiser at an intersection, firing more than a dozen shots at point-blank range, authorities said Friday. Both the officer and suspect were wounded during the barrage of gunfire.

The suspect, 30-year-old Edward Archer, also pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria when he was questioned after his arrest in the shooting late Thursday, police said..."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/philadelphia-shooting-suspect-ambush-police-officer-islam/
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[YESorNO]

On death row in San Quentin (pics)

"A rare look at life on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California. America’s most populous state, which has not carried out an execution in a decade, begins 2016 at a pivotal juncture, as legal developments hasten the march toward resuming executions, while opponents seek to end the death penalty at the ballot box.--By Reuters..."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/big...san-quentin/a2HI5weNwjSEiBeDGEiqTI/story.html
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An eye for an eye?

"...Below is a breakdown of the 1,385 people — responsible for killing more than 2,085 — who have been put to death in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/outlook/death-penalty/
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The Opinion Pages | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
When Dying Alone in Prison Is Too Harsh a Sentence

"...In our prison system, there are various programs called “compassionate release” or sometimes “medical parole,” whereby elderly or seriously ill prisoners may be released to the community before the end of their sentence. Since 1992, 371 people have been released through the medical parole program in New York State. (For the sake of comparison, about 100 inmates die from natural causes every year in the New York prison system.) Only 30 inmates filed applications for medical release in 2014, of whom 17 were released and six died before their review. In the federal prison system, the numbers are even more dismal; 101 federal inmates were approved for compassionate release in 2014 out of a total federal prison population of 214,000 people...."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/opinion/when-dying-alone-in-prison-is-too-harsh-a-sentence.html
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The Opinion Pages | LETTERS
A Lack of Compassion for the Dying in Prison
"To the Editor:
Re “Dying Alone in Prison” (Op-Ed, Dec. 28):

Dr. Rachael Bedard’s essay about compassionate release of prisoners raises the fundamental question that the American citizenry has not answered: What is the purpose of incarceration?

It would seem from the case of her patient that it is clearly not rehabilitation or public safety, that it must be punishment. But should it be punishment above all, even if it erodes our decency, humanity and even the public good?

We should explore dramatically expanding compassionate release for all prisoners with significant medical conditions who do not pose a public safety risk, not just those at the very end of their lives.

JOSIAH D. RICH
Providence, R.I.

The writer, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Brown University, is director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at the Miriam Hospital..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/o...emc=edit_ty_20160104&nl=opinion&nlid=73927810
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Montini: Arizona unwittingly killing the death penalty

"...Arizonans have supported capital punishment since territorial days, when a woman named Dolores Moore was hanged for murdering her husband. There were lots of hangings after that, until a convicted killer named Eva Dugan was decapitated by the noose.

So we switched to the gas chamber.

And we messed that up.

So we switched to a drug cocktail.

And we have really messed that up, taking a couple of hours to kill a man named Joseph Wood, a 10-minute execution that wound up taking hours and involving 15 doses of the drug cocktail – fifteen – and also being outed by The Arizona Republic’s Michael Kiefer for the probably illegal purchase of execution drugs from overseas..."

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opin...arizona-death-penalty-ninth-circuit/78268264/
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California death row inmates focus on passing their time as executions remain on hold

"SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — With executions on hold in California and a death penalty appeals process that can take years, many inmates on the nation's largest death row say they spend little time worrying about the lethal injection that may one day kill them.

"It's almost like it's not even a real punishment for a lot of people," said Charles Crawford at San Quentin State Prison, where the vast majority of the state's nearly 750 condemned inmates are held..."

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/artic...nia-grants-rare-look-inside-largest-death-row
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[YESorNO]

Improved economy creates prison staffing crisis for Kansas

"ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Unemployment is down and wages are up in Kansas — except for corrections officers.

They are leaving state prisons in droves because of low pay, creating a public safety crisis that legislators will have to deal with on top of plugging a budget hole.

Their starting pay is about 33 percent less than the state's average hourly wage of $20.20, and overall wages are about a quarter lower than the national average. The annual turnover rate is up to nearly 30 percent. Things are so bad that the state is hiring 18-year-olds to manage hardened criminals, despite some prison leaders' misgivings..."

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/improved-economy-creates-prison-staffing-crisis-kansas
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This Boy’s Life

"At 16, Taurus Buchanan threw one deadly punch—and was sent away for life. Will the Supreme Court give him, and hundreds like him, a chance at freedom?..."

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/01/04/this-boy-s-life#.dHbHpt0m0
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Murder Isn’t Black or White

"...my 19-year-old brother, Tom Cummins, and our cousins, Julie and Robin Kerry, were brutally attacked by four strangers. Julie was 20, Robin, 19.

The strangers were young people, too. They raped my cousins and restrained my brother before forcing them off a bridge into the Mississippi River. Only my brother survived...

Reginald Clemons, in 1991, he confessed to raping (but not killing) my cousins. He was convicted of their first-degree murders in 1993. He now claims he is innocent, and in November, Missouri’s Supreme Court ruled to vacate those convictions because it determined that prosecutors might have suppressed evidence suggesting that his confession was coerced. For the purposes of clarity, let us acknowledge that “coerced” means beaten out of him.

This has been the elephant in our 25-year-old waiting room, and it feels cathartic to finally say: Yes, the police most likely did beat Reginald Clemons. In fact I’m quite sure they did, because while they briefly suspected my brother, they beat him, too..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/o...emc=edit_ty_20160104&nl=opinion&nlid=73927810
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Life in prison: A look at becoming an inmate

"JACKSON, Ga. (AP) — They arrive by the busload each Tuesday and Thursday, dozens of new inmates entering Georgia's prison system. Most stay only a week or two. But for those sentenced to die, this is their last stop.

The Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, the state's biggest, houses about 2,100 male inmates on a wooded, 900-acre campus about 50 miles south of Atlanta. A warden and three deputy wardens oversee more than 600 employees.

Most inmates stay just long enough to determine which of the state's 31 prisons is the best fit. A couple hundred are processed in or out any given Tuesday or Thursday in a hectic scene as off-white buses with red accents pack the transfer yard.

"I'm always amazed that we always seem to put the right inmate on the right bus and he ends up at the right facility," prison Warden Bruce Chatman said as he led an Associated Press reporter and photographer behind the prison walls..."

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Life-in-prison-A-look-at-becoming-an-inmate-6729461.php
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[YESorNO]

Twitter Considering 10,000-Character Limit for Tweets

"...Twitter is currently testing a version of the product in which tweets appear the same way they do now, displaying just 140 characters, with some kind of call to action that there is more content you can’t see. Clicking on the tweets would then expand them to reveal more content. The point of this is to keep the same look and feel for your timeline, although this design is not necessarily final, sources say..."

http://recode.net/2016/01/05/twitte...r-limit-for-tweets/?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003
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Heartburn pills may help grow infection-causing bacteria in gut

"Popular heartburn pills known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be making some people more prone to bacterial infections by altering the types of bugs that grow in the gut, a U.K. study of twins suggests.

These pills work by stopping cells in the stomach lining from producing too much acid, which can prevent ulcers from forming and reduce reflux symptoms such as heartburn. The trouble is the drugs are also linked to an increased risk of bacterial infections such as pneumonia, which damages the lungs, and Clostridium difficile, which causes severe diarrhea...

“By reducing the natural barrier of stomach acid, PPIs appear to let more bacteria from the skin, nose and mouth into the gut – and this can be detected in the stool samples,” senior study author Dr. Claire Steves of Kings College London said by email..

Patients who do use PPIs might also consider taking probiotics at the same time, which have the potential to counter changes in the gut triggered by the heartburn pills, Marlicz said by email."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-protonpumpinhibitors-infection-idUSKBN0UL2GO20160107
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Acid reflux medications may increase kidney disease risk

"Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, according to two studies that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3¬-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the United States..."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151027100724.htm
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Many See I.R.S. Penalties as More Affordable Than Insurance

"...Many holdouts have made their decisions after meticulously comparing the cost of insurance premiums and deductibles with paying for doctor appointments, lab tests and prescriptions themselves. For some healthy people, the combined cost of premiums and deductibles, which can exceed $10,000, makes the penalty seem a better deal.

For 2016 and beyond, the penalty will be $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of household income, up from $325 per adult or 2 percent of household income last year..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1
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[YESorNO]

'Look up here, I'm in heaven': David Bowie's 'parting gift' to his devastated fans - a haunting last video released just three days before he lost his secret 18-month battle with cancer (with video)

"...A spokesman for the singer said this morning: 'David Bowie died peacefully surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer...

'LOOK UP HERE, I'M IN HEAVEN': POIGNANT LYRICS OF BOWIE'S FINAL SONG LAZARUS

Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen
I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen
Everybody knows me now
Look up here, man, I’m in danger
I’ve got nothing left to lose
I’m so high it makes my brain whirl
Dropped my cell phone down below
Ain’t that just like me
By the time I got to New York
I was living like a king
Then I used up all my money
I was looking for your
This way or no way
You know, I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird
Now ain’t that just like me
Oh I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird
Oh I’ll be free
Ain’t that just like me..."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3393470/David-Bowie-dies-18-month-battle-cancer.html

Link: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/201...e37fd27ae553ab83e68d2199e3264359-s300-c85.jpg

[video=youtube;J7l60SLHubI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7l60SLHubI[/video]

RIP Ziggy :candle:

 

[YESorNO]

L. Kirk Nurmi ‏@_nurmilaw Jan 8
In response to? about my health - I have completed 5 treatments & I have 1 more to go! Should have more to say later this month. (1 of 2)

L. Kirk Nurmi ‏@_nurmilaw Jan 8
(2 of 2) Currently I feel fatigued but generally OK -it certainly is nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel. TY all for the support

L. Kirk Nurmi ‏@_nurmilaw Jan 8
In response to questions about Part 2 of my Arias series, I do not have a release date. My health issues have put writing on hold. (1 of 2)

L. Kirk Nurmi ‏@_nurmilaw Jan 8
(2 of 2) once I have more information about Book 2 I will share via Twitter - TY all for your support of book 1 !
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[YESorNO]

I didn't watch the Golden Globes, but I like to see what everyone wore (lots of nice dresses, but some too daring for me :scared

Golden Globes 2016 Red-Carpet Fashion

http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Gol...ses-2016-39711311?stream_view=1#opening-slide

I like these dresses:

but my favorite: (beautiful and classic- just like Ms. Mirren, IMO)

Dame Helen Mirren, 70, blows kisses to her fans as she models plunging black gown and $1million jewellery at the Golden Globe Awards

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...70-blows-kisses-fans-Golden-Globe-Awards.html

and the worse, IMO:

and what is this all about? :thinking:

Link: http://media.vanityfair.com/photos/...0,c_limit/golden-globes-2016-Jill-Soloway.jpg
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[YESorNO]

I read your posts through tears that won't stop. I am beyond devastated. I will never be the same. Thank you all so much for your kindnesses. You are all loved by me. I loved this horse with every fiber of my being. He was more than just a horse to me. Thank you for being here for me. Sobbing now. Heartbroken. Acute Despair. Loss. Pain. Unbearable.

My poor dear :therethere:

I think God made tears to wash away sorrow and sadness. If He didn't, I think we would die from the buildup of all that unbearable grief.

So cry, my lovely, all you want.

Thinking of you in your time of grief. :heartbeat:

 

[Niner]

Mornafternevening everyone! :wave:

:hug: Zuri!!

Re acid reflux and heartburn - I don't take any medicines when I have heartburn - try baking soda mixed with warm water - it works every time!!

Many See I.R.S. Penalties as More Affordable Than Insurance

"...Many holdouts have made their decisions after meticulously comparing the cost of insurance premiums and deductibles with paying for doctor appointments, lab tests and prescriptions themselves. For some healthy people, the combined cost of premiums and deductibles, which can exceed $10,000, makes the penalty seem a better deal.

For 2016 and beyond, the penalty will be $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of household income, up from $325 per adult or 2 percent of household income last year..."

Well, I finally got the Huz covered for insurance - Covered California!! It took me a couple of days to get this done... :gaah: LOL! His coverage starts February 1st. He cancelled his appointment for today (cancer doctor), as it was only to take his blood and just "see" the doctor. Next month he'll get his chemo, so that will be covered! And I found out that the shot he got in November (good for 3 months) does have chemo in it! I didn't know this; so his appointment next month will be another one of those shots. He is feeling much better lately! Thank goodness! He even made a sponge cake the other day! And doing a little more cooking than usual! :skip: YES!!

I would have thought that Nurmi already had books 2 and 3 already written...

Okay - off to do some stuff and read my other threads!

Later! :seeya:

edited to add: :snowball: at coffeejunkie and YESorNO - or anyone else with snow!! :snowball:

 

[coffeejunkie]

Niner ~we have more snow on its way for tonight :snowball::snowman:

So glad to hear DH is feeling better!!!!

 

[neesaki]

Oh no, I'm so, so sorry Zuri, :cry: How difficult and heartbreaking for you. Love and (((hugs)))

 

[Caylee Advocate]

Joey Feek who sings this song is in end stage cervical cancer. I don't know if any of you listen to she and her husband Rory's music, but they sing "To Say Goodbye" and it is so emotional. They have a little girl who is almost two that has Down's Syndrome. This all breaks my heart. They have a blog "This Life I Live" that he updates frequently. So sad!!




[video=youtube;xcpjSMmWUDw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcpjSMmWUDw[/video]