Saturday, May 10, 2008

More Religious Stupidity with Corpses

Two children and their mother are said to have lived for about two months with the decaying body of a 90-year-old woman on the toilet of their home's only bathroom.

Wisconsin authorities say a religious "superior" had claimed the corpse would come back to life.
The children, ages 15 and 12, cried hysterically Wednesday after a deputy who came to the Necedah, Wis., home looking for the woman, Magdeline Alvina Middlesworth, ordered them out because of the stench from the body.


According to the criminal complaint, Middlesworth's sister called sheriff's officials Wednesday and asked them to go to the home about 80 miles north of Madison to check on the woman, who had not been heard from for some time.

The children are in foster care. Their mother, Tammy Lewis, and self-described "bishop" Alan Bushey remain in custody on felony counts of being a party to causing mental harm to a child.
Lewis told a deputy that Middlesworth, who one of the children referred to as "grandmother" in the criminal complaint, had appeared to pass out as Lewis helped her into her underwear.
She said she propped Middlesworth on the toilet and left the room to call Bushey, who told her to leave the woman alone and pray for her, the complaint said. He said he had received signs that God would raise her from the dead with a miracle.


Lewis went on to say she thought Middlesworth was still breathing when she put her on the toilet and called Bushey, instead of an ambulance. She later told a detective she put the woman on the toilet on March 4.

An autopsy has been performed, but results won't be available for some time, Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson said.

To me, the most amazing part of this story is that the house had only one bathroom. Where do you suppose these idiots defecated since March 4th?

Friday, May 9, 2008

Err... Ahhh... Hmmm...


This has got to be my most favoritest light switch ever!


Sunday, May 4, 2008

Armageddon in Retrospect


Like an unexpected visit from a lifelong friend you thought you'd lost forever, Kurt Vonnegut's *NEW* book, Armageddon in Retrospect, popped up on a shelf in a book store in the Dallas airport -- and I snagged it up immediately. I was not aware that Vonnegut had any unpublished work remaining that would be published posthumously. But here, in all its glory, is a collection of short stories all focused on war.



I've been a lifelong fan of Vonnegut's and I'm cherishing this book slowly - a story or two a day. If you've enjoyed Vonnegut in the past, you'll thoroughly enjoy this new book. Armageddon in Retrospect contains twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace. The stories range from from a nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II to a very funny story about three privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war...

And sprinkled throughout the book are examples of Vonnegut's drawing and art, like this one:


If you've ever enjoyed Vonnegut's work, do yourself a favor and find a copy of this book. His take on war... and peace... is "on the mark" even as he "speaks" to us from beyond the grave.