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Laura Day Celebration 2016 -- June 24-26, 2016! Check Out This Year's Schedule!

June 7, 2016, 8:29 pm
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There are some really great things that happen here in Iowa during the summertime. One of those great events is the Laura Day Celebration in Burr Oak, IA.

The Laura Day Celebration is an annual community event that remembers Laura Ingalls Wilder. She and her family spent time living and working in Burr Oak. And if you ever pass through northeast Iowa, you owe it to yourself to check out the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum. It's open all summer and it's a wonderful piece of history.

But the weekend of June 24-26, 2016 (AKA Laura Day Celebration) is a special community event that combines the Burr Oak of yesterday with the Burr Oak of today with a whole bunch of fun!

Check out this year's schedule:

Friday, June 24, 2016
6:30 PM -- Wilder 5K Run

8:00 PM - 12:00 AM -- Entertainment by DJ Front Line

Saturday, June 25, 2016
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM -- Tours of the Masters Hotel every half hour

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Children's Pioneer Games, Craft Demonstrations, Activities
                  (Tug of War; Sack Races; Corn Cob Dolls; Three-Legged Races; Stilts; Etc...)

11:15 AM -- Story Time Under the Trees

11:30 AM -- Checkers Tournament

12:00 PM -- Parade

12:30 PM -- Horse Rides

1:00 PM -- Story Time Under the Trees

1:15 PM -- Announcements & Recognitions:
                  2016 Little Miss Laura and Young Almanzo
                  Volunteer of the Year; Coloring Contest Winner

1:30 PM -- Pie Auction

1:45 PM -- Stage Show -- "A Portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by Jessica Michna

2:45 PM -- Raffle Drawing

2:45 PM -- Greased Pig Contest

3:00 PM -- Bean Bag Tournament

8:00 PM - 12:00 AM -- Entertainment by Country Cousins

Sunday, June 26, 2016
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Ecumenical Pioneer Worship

11:00 AM -- Settler's Picnic

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Museum Tours and Gift Shop

Personally, the 1:45 PM stage show featuring Jessica Michna in her portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder sounds really interesting to me. But the other activities sound fun too!

Check out the Facebook page for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum for more information about the Laura Day Celebration and the museum.
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O Face Co-Owner Matthew Overmyer (Featured on "Bar Rescue") Arrested & Charged with Sexual Assault // UPDATED Below

June 8, 2016, 9:57 am
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(Originally written on 02/09/16): Remember the one time when Spike TV's "Bar Rescue" visited Iowa? Jon Taffer and his group went to the O Face Bar in Council Bluffs, IA, and -- for the first time in "Bar Rescue" history -- left the bar without rescuing it! (See here, here, here, here, and here for more info and related fallout). Two years later, O Face's owner is back in the news for something really, really bad!

Matthew Overmyer (age 35), owner of O Face Bar, was arrested late last week and charged with 2nd degree sexual abuse and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse:
The alleged abuse took place at a home in the 2300 block of Old Lincoln Highway in Crescent. Overmyer allegedly attacked an adult woman, who works at O Face Bar, at midnight Tuesday. According to the arrest affidavit, Overmyer reportedly used physical force, including choking, to have sex with the victim twice. The victim called several people after the alleged attack, and one source reportedly told Pottawattamie County criminal investigators that Overmyer tried to re-enter the room after the victim locked him out. The assault allegedly took place while Overmyer’s wife was out of town.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Overmyer plans to plead not guilty to these charges and his attorney expects that the charges will eventually be dismissed.

If convicted, Overmyer faces up to 25 years in prison.

Updated on 06/08/16: It's June 2016 while I'm writing this update. Someone in the comments section asked for an update. I dig some digging and this is what I found.

Back in late March, the Omaha World-Herald New Service reported that his attorney filed court documents on 03/18/16 saying that Overmyer planned to rely on a "defense of intoxication." It was also reported that his trial date had been scheduled for May 10th.

I then checked Iowa Courts Online and that May trial date has ultimately been pushed back to the morning of July 26, 2016. It also looks like this will be a jury trial.

Beyond that, not much more has been reported. I will do my best to keep updated with this case.
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National Enquirer: Richard Simmons is now a Woman // Simmons' Publicist: "That's Crap!"

June 8, 2016, 10:19 am
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The tabloids -- most notably the National Enquirer -- are reporting that Richard Simmons has gone through a sex change surgery and is now going by the name Fiona:
After nearly 1,000 days in hiding and a sudden hospitalization, The National ENQUIRER can now reveal the bombshell reason why Richard Simmons is no longer the man his fans used to know: He’s changed into a woman! 

In an explosive world exclusive, The ENQUIRER can now reveal jaw-dropping never-before-seen photos of Simmons draped in furs and lingerie, living as a woman behind the walls of his Hollywood Hills mansion! 

Insisted a friend, “[This is] not just Richard Simmons in drag. This is Richard dressed as a softly spoken woman named Fiona!” 

Two years of secret surgeries have brought him to this point, said the source. From breast implants to hormones and more, he’s sparing no expense to make the transformation complete!
Simmons' publicist is flat-out denying these reports: "This is crap, but thanks!"

According to reports, the 67-year-old fitness guru was hospitalized last week to be treated for severe dehydration. There are pictures at the linked report of Simmons with a beard.
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New JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS Comic Book Series Coming Out in September 2016!!

June 8, 2016, 10:32 am
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OMG! Archie Comics announced today that they are launching a new JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS comic book series!! It's scheduled to be published on 09/28/16:
The new series will feature Josie uniting the band to take their big shot at musical stardom, only to contend with the machinations of Alexandra Cabot, the ever-Machiavellian daughter of the Pussycats’ manager. 
The series will be written by Marguerite Bennett and Cameron DeOrdio and will feature art by Audrey Mok. Of course, there will be several variant covers -- including this great one by Francesco Francavilla.

I don't usually get into variant covers, but I really want that cover!!
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Women's Restroom in Evanston, IL, Bombed // Suspect Identified & Taken into Custody

June 10, 2016, 5:48 am
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The culture warriors have been protesting Target stores for weeks because of the company's trans-inclusive bathroom policies. Mostly, this has been limited to protesters screaming in the stores and insulting employees and customers. It's now escalated to a bombing situation in one of their women's restrooms.

A small bomb exploded in the women's restroom at a Target in Evanston, IL:
Commander Joe Dugan says no one was inside the bathroom when the small explosion happened a little after 4 o'clock. It caused minor damage and no one was injured. Early indications are that a plastic bottle was used but no projectiles like nails or tacks were inside it. Investigators are gathering evidence including examining store security camera video.
A 44-year-old woman was subsequently identified as a "person of interest" and taken into custody. Police are still gathering information and no charges have yet been filed.

Evanston Police have pretty much dismissed the idea that this bombing is connected to Target's trans-inclusive bathroom policies or the subsequent protests: "there is no indication that the incident is related to any policies that the Target store has in place."
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Hundreds of Witches Collectively Cast Hex on Stanford Rapist

June 10, 2016, 6:26 pm
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I'm sure that you've heard the case of convicted rapist Brock Turner. He was an athlete at Stanford University who was discovered raping an unconscious woman. He was sentenced to six months in jail after his conviction, despite the recommendation for much stiffer sentencing by the prosecution and the victim, and could potentially be out of jail within three months.
The public, for the most part, was understandably upset with the weak sentence.

Lots of people complained. One group of witches decided to do something about it. Led by Melanie Hexen of Wilton, IA, hundreds of witches gathered online Tuesday evening to cast a mass hex on the Stanford rapist:
Led by Meanie Elizabeth Hexen, from Iowa, the witches performed their hexing ceremony... asking for Turner to be made impotent and suffer continuous pain. Dozen of the group even posted pictures of the pagan shrines used in their rituals online, including ceremonial daggers, statuettes and even a candle 'dipped in menstrual blood.'
This originally started out as a ritual for Hexen and her twelve coven sisters, but interest gradually spread to hundreds of other witches worldwide.

An event page was created by Hexen on Facebook, which included instructions on how to perform the hexing ceremony:
Followers were told to get a black candle, piece of string, and a representation of Brock Turner, nothing that the candle could be anointed with 'urine, menstrual blood or hexing oil.' Next, the hexers were told to draw a circle of power around themselves for protection -- with salt being recommended as a good material -- before marking 13 crosses on the candle and lighting it. After raising power by 'running, screaming, clapping or meditating,' the witches were told to wrap the icon of Brock with the string and say: 

'In the most holy name of Hecate, the Goddess of Life and Death, She who holds the key to the underworld, let this rapist meet justice. Let him be destroyed. Brock Allen Turner we hex you. You will be impotent. You will know constant pain of pine needles in your guts. Food will bring you no sustenance. In water, your lungs will fail you. Sleep with only bring nightmares. Shame will be your mantle. You will meet justice. My witchcraft is strong. Our witchcraft is powerful. The spell will work. So Mote it be.'
The witches also targeted Turner's father (for publicly speaking out against Brock's conviction and sentence) and Turner's judge (who sentenced him to six months in jail and minimized his crime).
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Come to the LGBTQ Prom & Health Fair at 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 16, 2016, at the Center in Iowa City!

June 10, 2016, 7:12 pm
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It's Pride Month! Iowa City has so many fun events happening this month, but the one that I'm going to is the LGBTQ Prom & Health Fair! It's scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM on Thursday, June 16, 2016. It will happen at The Center (28 S. Linn Street) in Iowa City. And it's FREE!!!


The LGBTQ Prom & Health Fair is especially aimed at those who are over the age of 50, but truly this dance is open to all!
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Actress Lea Thompson to appear in HOWARD THE DUCK #9!

June 11, 2016, 5:19 pm
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Did you ever watch the "Howard the Duck" movie back in the 80s? I did and I loved it. Seriously. I'm one of those people. I even got my older boy hooked on it for a while.

So I was excited to hear that Howard the Duck is teaming up with actress Lea Thompson (AKA Beverly Switzler in the movie) in his comic book. She showed up in the final page of HOWARD THE DUCK #8, but will be appearing throughout Issue #9.

The reason? Lea Thompson's hired Howard to help her find... herself!

Writer Chip Zdarsky had to get permission to get Thompson involved with the book (much like Dan Parent had to get everything approved with George Takei a few years back in KEVIN KELLER).

Here is some of what Zdarsky had to say about this upcoming issue:
What's the story that brings these two characters together all about? The fact that she's hiring him for a missing persons case suggests a possible meta aspect. 

Oh, it definitely gets meta, but in a way that works within the Marvel Universe and its continuity. Her appearance is actually so integral to the overall storyline of the past couple of years that I'm not sure what I would have done if she said, "No!" 

I don't want to give away too much, but Howard has had a rough go of it during our run and Ms. Thompson is the key that unlocks the reasons behind his streak of bad luck. She also gets to beat up some aliens.
You can read the entire interview here.
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Checking Out MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #7

June 12, 2016, 8:15 pm
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I have been interested in one of Marvel Comics' newest comic books, MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR, for a while. I've resisted the urge to pick it up because I buy a lot of other comic books. But I've begun pruning my pull-list recently. So I decided to check out the latest issue, MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #7, this weekend while at my local comic book shop.

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR involves an extremely smart girl named Lunella Lafayette who figured out that she carries a dormant Inhuman gene. Terrified about the uncertainty of terrigenesis, she grabbed a piece of Kree technology called the Omni-Wave Projector and planned to use it to keep her protected from the Terrigen Mists.

Unfortunately, the Omni-Wave Projector accidentally opened a time-portal that brought several prehistoric Killer Folk to the present -- along with our old friend Devil Dinosaur! Lunella (AKA Moon Girl, because her mind is always in the clouds) and Devil Dinosaur team up to defeat the Killer Folk and end up developing a bond with each other.

Which proves helpful for Lunella when she finds herself surrounded by a cloud of Terrigen Mists and ends up alone and vulnerable inside an Inhuman cocoon!

Which brings us to MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #7! This issue begins two days later when Lunella's cocoon cracks open and our young hero emerges -- only to find that she's the same as before! No mutations. No powers. No nothing! Except for a pair of angry parents who have no clue where their daughter has been hiding for the past 48 hours!

(Of course, you would think that at least one of her parents is a potential Inhuman since her condition is an inherited condition...)

But life goes on. Lunella resumes her home routines. She gets back into school. And she begins fighting crime with her new dinosaur buddy and her various gadgets!

But everything comes to a head when she is confronted by a new Kree hero, Captain Kree, in his civilian identity! Captain Kree is a young Kree kid named Mel-Varr who has decided to prove some point by capturing an Inhuman. But since he's a kid, he's decided to focus on an easy target -- namely a newbie Inhuman named Lunella LaFayette who apparently has no actual powers!

Captain Kree infiltrates Lunella's classroom and manages to infuriate our young hero. Which results in the first manifestation of Moon Girl's powers! It seems that she can mentally switch places with Devil Dinosaur! Which seems cool, except that angry dinosaurs don't exhibit appropriate body basics in classrooms!


Meanwhile, Lunella finds herself trapped in Devil's body way down in their secret HQ!


How will she get things back to normal? Can she only do this with Devil Dinosaur or can Moon Girl switch bodies with anyone? And is this mind-switch only triggered by emotional surges or will she eventually gain the ability to swap bodies whenever she wants?

I don't know, but I'm really looking forward to picking up Issue #8 to get some of these questions answered!

"Cosmic Cuties: Growing Up Is Hard" is written by Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder, with art by Marco Failla, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by VC's Travis Lanham.
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Two Arrested After Numerous Pipe Bombs Were Found at Boone County Home

June 13, 2016, 6:16 pm
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Authorities found explosives on a property outside Madrid, IA, earlier today.

It all started with a traffic stop in Boone County. The driver, Leanna Haidsiak, consented to a search of her vehicle and the sheriff deputy found 3 or 4 potential explosives. Deputies obtained a warred for Haidsiak's home and ended up finding several pipe bombs at her home, as well as materials needed to produce more pipe bombs.

Haidsiak was arrested, along with Tjaden Mallory -- who also lives in another building on this property. Charges are pending while the Boone County Sheriff Department investigate this case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. Meanwhile, officials with the State Fire Marshall's Office are detonating each of the pipe bombs.
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Pat Robertson: Liberals Can't Decide Whether to Embrace Gays or Muslims!

June 14, 2016, 10:52 am
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Right Wing Watch captured this rant by Pat Robertson in response to the mass shooting at an Orlando, FL, gay club over the past weekend. As usual, Robertson's compassion towards the victims of this shooting (by and large, LGBT men and women) falls flat:
The Back story that I think you need to focus on today ladies and gentlemen is the dilemma of the liberals -- the so-called progressives -- because they have two favored groups. One, Muslims. Number two, the homosexuals. And suddenly they are finding that the Muslims in ten Muslim nations, there is a death penalty for practicing homosexuality. And as I believe reading the column by Hirsi Ali, there are about 40 pro-Muslim countries where homosexuality is somehow against the law. 

So we're looking at a favored group by the left, the homosexuals, and that in Islam is punishable by death or imprisonment or some sanction, so what are the left going to do? How are they going to describe it? And they don’t know quite what to do now. The fact that this Islamic gentleman opens fire in a gay nightclub and kills almost 50 homosexuals, that says something and it tells the fact that Islam is against homosexuality, so the liberals are going to be scrambling to find some rationale. I think they’re going to have a hard time doing it. 

In the meantime, Donald Trump is riding high because he said we should screen these people and he’s absolutely right. We should screen them. So the left is saying, ‘Oh you’re anti-Muslim, you’re racist’ and all this. Suddenly, that part of the narrative doesn’t play too well and they’re stuck as to what to do. But Trump is enjoying a victory.
Robertson then goes off on an attack on President Obama and then highlights that the Koran calls for death against gay people.

Of course, Pat Robertson fails to mention that he has repeatedly and recently called for the criminalization of homosexuality. He points out that the Koran calls for death to gays, but we are repeatedly reminded that a literal translation of the Bible also calls for death to gay people.

Robertson also fails to note that Donald Trump's plan to "screen these people" (i.e., Muslims) would not have kept this guy out of the United States because he was a natural born American citizen. And -- though it doesn't surprise me -- Robertson's ongoing concerns about religious liberties apparently only stretch from his own church's altar to their front door.

You can listen to the whole rant here.
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Iowa City's LGBT Gathers for All Ages LGBTQ Prom & Health Care!

June 17, 2016, 5:40 am
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Speaking of prom, Husband Mark and I attended last night's LGBTQ Prom & Health Fair -- though I didn't dance and I had to leave in the middle of things to do some work-related tasks!

This was an all ages prom -- with special invitation to those aged 50 and older! One of my online friends asked if it was truly "all ages." I told her that not all ages were represented, but that I saw people in their teens and twenties all the way up into their sixties and even one in his seventies and one in her nineties!

A reporter from KCRG was present and they managed to get an article posted by 10:00 PM last night. They focused a lot on the mass shooting in Orlando on the newscast, but I didn't hear anyone discuss Orlando during my time at the dance.

Here is what the LGBTQ Prom was really about:
The Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center, University of Iowa School of Social Work, Aging Studies Program and Just Living: A Social Justice Theme Semester hosted an LGBTQ Senior Prom on Thursday night. It was an event filled with dancing, lights, and music. 

The dance served as... a chance for older members of the LGBTQ community to experience something they may have missed when they were younger, according to organizer Jefri Palermo. 

"At least when I was coming up, if you were gay, you were closeted or you didn't go to prom," Palermo told us. "You weren't allowed to unless you were closeted or went with a straight person."
Husband Mark estimated that about 70 ended up attending the event.
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"Wicked" Movie Coming in 2019!!

June 17, 2016, 8:43 am
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I'm a huge fan of Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and associated spin-offs and I really enjoy listening to the soundtrack to the Broadway musical, "Wicked," that was inspired by this novel. Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of watching the program. Now I'll get my chance!

Universal has announced plans for a "Wicked" movie adaptation!!

Unfortunately, we'll need to wait until late 2019 to see the movie.
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Iowa City: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Passes Unanimous Resolution of Sympathy to the Victims of the Orlando Mass Shooting

June 18, 2016, 7:24 pm
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It's Pride Day here in Iowa City!

In response to last weekend's mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors issued a resolution of sympathy for the victims of shooting this past Thursday, June 16, 2016:
Resolution Expressing Sympathy to All Victims of the Orlando Shooting and Solidarity with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning Individuals and the Communities that Support Them

Whereas, in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 12th, a gunman took the lives of 49 patrons and injured dozens more at Pulse, an Orlando nightclub that was known as a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning individuals as well as a community hub for HIV prevention, breast-cancer awareness and immigrant rights, among other causes; and

Whereas, the lives lost were innocent individuals whose futures were cut short and who leave loved ones to mourn; and

Whereas, we are shocked, saddened and angered by this senseless attack on individuals who are already too often the targets of hate, intolerance and bullying; and

Whereas, we stand with our Muslim neighbors and allies in denouncing these senseless acts of violence and oppose any efforts to attach blame to a particular faith or people.

Now, Therefore, be it resolved that we, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, convey our deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of the deceased and injured, that we further stand in solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning community in the aftermath of this tragedy, and we urge all people to reject violence, hatred and discrimination toward anyone on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.
The resolution was unanimously signed on 06/16/16 by each of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors: Rod Sullivan, Chairperson; Janelle Rettig, Mike Carberry, Lisa Green-Douglas, and Pat Harney.

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Iowa City: Faith UCC at Iowa City Pride

June 19, 2016, 5:26 pm
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Against my better judgement, I found myself organizing a booth at the Iowa City Pride Festival for my church, Faith United Church of Christ, yesterday. Church members prepared snacks and volunteered time at our booth. I was in charge of coordinating the volunteers, setting up the table, and bringing the water.

Of course, I didn't realize until yesterday morning that the church's banner was tucked away in some secret pocket. But Sherry (next to me in this pic) and I improvised and a makeshift church banner was drafted for our table!

With the exception of an hour and a half break in the middle of the afternoon, I sat at the booth with various members of our church (not to mention Husband Mark and little Chevy). Normally we just assure people that the food and water are both free and that we're not fishing for donations. We still got some of that.

But we fielded a lot of questions this year from people who were curious about our church. What do we believe? How would we describe our church? Is it trans-friendly? Is the membership mostly along the LGBT continuum? How do we respond to people traumatized by other church communities?

We gave out a lot of brochures and related materials. Hopefully some of these folks will check us out soon. Or they will find another church that meets their spiritual needs.

All in all, it was a great day and the time went quickly. Plus, we had plenty of shade for most of the afternoon. Bonus!!
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"Star Trek" Actor Anton Yelchin Killed in Accidental Car Collision at Age 27

June 19, 2016, 7:58 pm
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Sad news tonight for fans of the rebooted "Star Trek" movie series. 27-year-old actor Anton Yelchin, known for his role as Chekov, was killed in a car accident earlier today:
His publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed the news in a statement: "Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time."

Yelchin was pinned by his own car as he left his home in Studio City for a rehearsal, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Jenny Houser.

"A fatal traffic collision occurred," Houser said. "It was the result of the victim's own car rolling backward down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence.
Paramount Pictures issued a statement regarding Yelchin's death:
All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.
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Muscatine, IA: Sheriff's Office Report Mysterious "Men in Black" Along County Highways

June 21, 2016, 10:40 am
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The Muscatine County Sheriff's Office reported that they have received numerous reports of mysterious "Men in Black" near Muscatine, IA, in the recent past:
We have had several reports of "men dressed in black" entering the roadway in rural Muscatine County. We don't have any new information about these people, but we have also seen several posts on Facebook about the same type of activity. It would be extremely helpful to the Sheriff's Office, if you witness this type of activity, that you call 911 immediately. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Weeding through Facebook comments, this appears to be about people "wearing black with hoodies and jumping out of the ditches" on Highway 22. Other reports say "They are on foot jumping out of ditches as you are driving past them and then they have more people up the road waiting and they'll jump out as you drive by and watch you." Other people report that these men in black have appeared in people's yards and driveways.
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Check Out Kevin Keller's Latest Misadventures in LIFE WITH KEVIN #1!

June 22, 2016, 10:52 am
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The day has come. LIFE WITH KEVIN #1 -- featuring the adventures of twentysomething Kevin Keller -- has finally made its debut. LIFE WITH KEVIN isn't your typical comic book. You cannot find it at your local comic book store. You cannot find it at the book store. You can only purchase this title digitally.

I have my own problems with digital-only comic books. I don't mind digitally produced comic books. I just believe that they take away some of the spontaneity of getting a new comic book. It assumes that you like and enjoy Kevin Keller. There is little opportunity for me to discover this character as a new fan.

But I guess that this story will eventually be compiled in a print trade paperback. So that should allow for more tradition comic book readers.

LIFE WITH KEVIN features Kevin Keller on the evening before his first job. He's done with high school and he's graduated from college. He has his own vermin-infested apartment in New York City. And he's about to start his new production assistant/copy editor job at NYC-TV! Basically, he's a glorified gofer!


His first day goes about as well as you can expect for an Archie comic book! Kevin oversleeps. He gets doused with water. He rips his clothing while biking to work. He finds himself running the errands that nobody else wants to do. And he ends up making a fool of himself on national TV!

Meanwhile, we meet his new neighbor Chris -- a handsome young man who may or may not be interested in Kevin. He learn about an ex-boyfriend named Michael who will surely create drama for our star. And Kevin finds himself with a new roommate -- a newly poor Veronica Lodge, whose daddy cut her off financially. And why wouldn't you move to New York City when you have zero pennies to your name?

LIFE WITH KEVIN is "classic Archie." Artistically, it's clear that this is a continuation of Archie Comics' old line of comics. So this is a great opportunity for those who prefer to the "classic Archie" style to show the publisher that there is still an interest in their non-relaunch titles.

Also, this is the first of four issues. This is not an ongoing title. But it's a fun mini-series with promise for more adult adventures featuring Kevin Keller. Don't get me wrong. This isn't "Looking" or "Queer As Folk." But it's easier for Archie Comics to get behind romantic misadventures of their most famous gay character now that he's in his 20s than when he was in his teens!

"You're Gonna Make It After All! (Maybe)" features script, pencils, and colors by Dan Parent plus inks by J. Bone and letters by Jack Morelli.
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Gay Marriage in the USA -- 06/22/16

June 22, 2016, 10:59 am
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Marriage equality went national last summer. Not surprisingly, we've now seen a 33% increase in same-sex marriages since June 2015:
The latest estimates from Gallup released Wednesday show there are about 981,000 adults who are in gay or lesbian marriages, up from 734,000 a year ago. That translates into nearly a half million such marriages — an increase of 123,000 since June 2015.

Nearly one in 10 LGBT adults are married to a member of the same sex, up from 8% last year. That includes 10.5% of gay men and 8.8% of lesbians.

And nearly half of all LGBT couples who live together are married today, up from 38% a year ago. The increase has been slightly greater in states that did not have same-sex marriage until the Supreme Court ruled.
It seems that most of those thirty-three percenters got married within months of the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision.
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Mount Union, IA: City Government Votes to Disincorporate

June 23, 2016, 11:14 am
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I read a new story about the community of Mount Union, IA, that voted this past Tuesday evening to disincorporate. This is a community of 107 people.

News reports indicate that this decision follows "failed lawsuits filed by the city against an organization that built and operates the city's sewer system." I found a clearer explanation on Facebook about how we got to this point:
It wasn't just sewers. DNR says residents must bring old septic tanks up to date or else face thousands of $ in fines. To the rescue comes RUSS,rural utilities,sewer system or some big name. Put in new sewers, replace house lines,low hook up fees,,,but now monthly payment averaging $100 month or so. Residents are mostly elderly with limited income.before long city is in default for not collecting fees...RUSS sues ,city is broke, can't fix roads,mow ditches,remove snow, pay its own bills. Has no choice but to dissolve. Sadly after liquidation of a dump truck,tractor,city building,,,the sewer bill will still have to be paid.
This decision can be reversed if enough residents sign a petition requesting a special election. Otherwise, state officials will need to work with the government of Henry County to resolve Mount Union's debts and sell of the city's assets.
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