I was born in Rockford, Illinois, but please, don’t hold that against me. The truth of the matter is, I was born, I have lived, and I am currently in the dash on my tombstone. I live for the creepy crawly moments in my dreams that wake me in a rush to write, to exhale the literary breath into my characters, and know that somewhere out there someone will read them and weep at the audacity of my creation. But to hell with them. I live to write, I breathe to read, I crave the subtle nuance of words. They thrill me, they teach me, they humble me, and in return I make love to them. What better way to take the world by storm then by being the storm? I could cease to exist but as long as the words I left behind mourn me I am still alive.

Current Mood: contemplative

Old Absolutely Doesn’t Mean Right
Unknown


I don’t care how old your tradition is,
Or how old your belief is,
Or how socially accepted it is.

Old absolutely doesn’t mean right.
It’s not cool to eat tiger.
It’s not brave to hunt whales.
It’s not spiritual to drink bear gall bladder.
It’s not clever to hang a deer head on your wall.

It’s not a public service to kill sharks.
It’s not patriotic to club seals.
No matter how sanctioned or revered it is.
It’s violent and it’s ugly and it’s soulless.
Just like slavery,
And child labor,
And police brutality,
And genital mutilation,
And ethnic cleansing,
And lynching,
And torture,
And rape,
And military dictatorships,
And Holy Wars,
They’re old, too.
Old absolutely doesn’t mean right.

Current Mood: discontent

If you could travel back in time to spend a day with someone, who would it be and why?

Ruby, because I would try very hard to deter her from becoming my friend so that I would not eventual hurt her.

Tags: time travel day, writer's block

SECOND STATUS REPORT RE: DNA TESTING


THIS IS A CAPITAL CASE
IN THE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT
DAMIEN WAYNE ECHOLS Defendant,
STATE OF ARKANSAS, Plaintiff.


In response to this Court’s letter of June 27, 2007, counsel for Petitioner/Defendant Damien Echols provides the following report on the status of DNA testing being conducted in support of his motion for relief under 16-112-201, which motion is now pending in the Craighead County Circuit Court.

(1) The extensive DNA testing which was the subject of an initial agreement by the parties and which was embodied in the Circuit Court’s First Amended DNA Order for DNA Testing filed on February 23, 2005 has essentially been completed. Such testing has been conducted at Bode Laboratories in Virginia.

(2) The DNA testing results returned to date disclose that none of the genetic material recovered at the scene of the crimes was attributable to Mr. Echols, Echols co-defendant, Jason Baldwin, or defendant Jessie Misskelley (Arkansas v. Misskelley [CR 94-848]).

(3) Although most of the genetic material recovered from the scene was attributable to the victims of the offenses, some of it cannot be attributed to either the victims or the defendants. Counsel for Petitioners/Defendants Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley, and Craighead County Prosecuting Attorney Brent Davis have entered into discussions concerning how best to determine the evidentiary significance of the laboratory’s results returned in the initial round of testing. These discussions have resulted in a recent agreement to subject certain critical evidentiary items to more extensive testing in light of their potential significance to establishing the identity of the perpetrator(s) of the offenses. In addition, the parties are presently discussing whether, in light of the current test results, a limited number of other items impounded during the investigation should be subjected to testing by Bode. We will inform the Court within sixty days of the outcome of those discussions.

Counsel for Echols is, of course, prepared to provide the Court with any further information it should request concerning this matter.


I have been following this case for five years now ever since I read it on crimelibrary.com and always knew these three guys were inncoent. Despite what anyone may say to this post, it will not change my view these three men are innocent and the DNA evidence proves that. Also, recently they found a hair in the shoestring of one of the boys and it belonged to a man named Terry. I hope when they get out, they sue West Memphis for every last nickel they have, which is not a lot I know.

FREE THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE!!!

Current Mood: cheerful

What is one of the nicest things you've ever done for another person?

My wife and I stopped to help a blind old man who was lost find his way back home. He had forgotten where he lived and had wondered from his home. We didn't know until about thirty minutes into talking with him that he was blind. We called an ambulance because he had a cut on his knee, he had fallen down. We looked in his wallet to see if we could find his address. We were able to locate his apartment and then were able to find his daughters number. She came as soon as she could and they took him to the hospital.

He died two weeks later because of pneumonia but he always asked about us. Not the EMT's or the police but us. From that night he remembered us, even if he could not remember where he lived. I suppose it was because we spent the most time talking with him trying to figure out where he needed to be.

He was a very nice guy. His name was Joe.

Tags: writer's block
Current Mood: nostalgic

I am curious as to why I feel a need to collect gay friends. I am, for the most part, happy with my straight friends. But something deep down inside of me is craving, intensely, for the companionship of other gays. I do not have that many gay or bisexual friends in my life. I have two women, whom I have known for twenty years, who are gay and have been through everything with me. They understand my reactions and understand why I feel the way I do. The question remains, is this connection because we are gay or because despite our sexual orientation we would have been friends anyway?

Before I met Melissa, all of my friends were gay, each and every one of them. I didn't feel an outcast or as if I needed to prove I was normal in any way. For them, I was who I was. I never ran into a guy friend who was threatened by me or rather who was threatened by my orientation. They were just there and we had fun, always. But now, I do not have any gay male friends. I have very few lesbian friends. And I miss that sort of connection with another person.

I suppose I need to start making lesbian friends outside of life with Melissa because she is content with the way things are. I, on the other hand, come from a very different generation when similarity felt good. I suppose we shall see.

Tags: gay
Current Mood: curious

The moment I saw you
the moment I knew you
From the minute I could hear you
It was the sweet noise of want
It was the carressing of knowing
One could be near you
In an attempt to sense you
In every way
To feel the most part of you
To taste what you were
The idea of you
The sheer sight of you makes me weak
I am yours, as I have been since the day we met
I am yours for everything we want together
I am yours for everything you wanted me to be
And everything I have yet to become
My love, my Angel, my match
I love you!!!

Tags: melissa
Current Mood: loved

I talked to her, she listened. She listened to every word. She understood how I was feeling and she told me everything would be ok. I believe her. She explained herself on why we cant leave yet. I understood.

It was the way she looked at me when she spoke. It was the look of someone who did not want to lose me. Never have I had someone look at me like that. Those blue eyes permeating every pore of me, letting me truly everything would be ok. Together we will finish what we need to here and then we leave, together. Of everything, I need to learn patience. Wow, easier said than done. Patience has never been my strong suit. Though I really do try.

My point... I love her and will do everything I can work things out, even if I hate where I live. She is my match, my true match in every way and nothing can break that bond, not even Memphis.

Tags: love
Current Mood: relieved

Thank you for your wondeful e-mail.

I didnt know that the fact that you got a new job was on the down low. I didn mention it to Shawna I also said that I hope she enjoys her new job and it is a good move as you would be off your feet and gettinf morew money etc a fact I am sure she neglicated to mention. The reason I was concerned with your lack of two weeks was not about st jude but more with you in the fact that you dont have a brilliant track record when it comes to employment and I would have for you to be without a job because of that one little problem

If you have a problem with me talk to me dont cop out and write a e-mail I dont care if you dont like the phone use it or you know where i live and where i work.

I never mentioned you baby unless it was already common knowledge and I have never mentioned who was the donar of the sperm to anyone.

I have thought of you as a good fried but if you dont want us to continue of friendship that is fine. Just let me know I have a wedding coming up and i would like to set tables and I need to know if you will be there.

I would just like to finish by saying when we were at Jasmine that night when i asked about the job and you said dont mention the 2 weeks all i said was congratulation. If you are feeling the need to take that out on someone next time do it to someone else.

I have enough going on in my life to deal with a horrible e-mail which made me very upset and still is

You do what you need to do in life and I will do what i need to and I hope you have a wonderful and long life.


(This was her idea of an apology. It was funny how she needed to turn this around on me. I loved her, I really did. She will never admit she was wrong. And she does this to everyone. She talks smack about everyone behind their back. Each person she calls friend she has said something bad about because she feels she is better than everyone else. So, now I have to let her go. I have to turn my back on who I thought she was because she will always look down on me as if her pedalstool reigns high over everyone else. I was very close to reconcilliation, I was very close to just talking to her. Then I re-read this e-mail and I realized she was judging me for decisions I have made that had nothing to do with her. She has talked bad about everyone I care about. So, should I tell them what she has said? SHould I just leave it alone? I know she has talked smack about Melissa and me because by not she would be going against what she does. Maybe I should just walk away from everyone. Leave those I called friend behind and seek others. But then I fear running into tthe same problem I have now, people letting me down. I am sick of trusting people. Trust them and then they stab you in the back. I should just... give them all up.)

Current Mood: sad

I have a favorite niece. In my eyes, the world was created to welcome her smile, the sun and the moon only orbit this planet because she is here, my heart is filled with every happy moment she and I have shared, simply put, I love her.

But I just found out she is in pain. The man with whom she lives with and is planning to marry has been mentioning to girls he meets that he does not want to be with her anymore, nor does he plan to marry her. He claims he has not cheated but how would she know for sure? She works two jobs while he is not working and is apparently not looking for work.

A month and a half ago she and I had a heated discussion about him. I told her I didn't trust him and did not want to meet him. This hurt her, I understand why. She and I have always been very close and to have me say I didn't want to meet the man she planned to marry, that would hurt anyone. I never begrudged her for being angry with me and I told her such. But on the same token, I wasn't going to place myself in a situation where I would be uncomfortable. We have since worked that out.


But now, I want to talk to her about what she is going through. I want to ask her how she is getting along. I want to tell her she to needs to leave him. I want to say he is not trustworthy. I want to say I told you so... and that is why I haven't said anything at all. And that is so hard. She means the absolute world to me. If she killed someone I would find a reason why it was their fault. How do I let her know I am here for her without sounding as if I am gloating? How do I make it better? How do I take her pain away and shield her so she never hurts again? How do I let go of her and let her be the woman she has become? How do I see her as a woman and not the four year old little girl smiling up at me with awe and wonder? *sigh* She is my angel...

Current Mood: frustrated