If you have any ideas about the cryptic meaning of this headstone inscription, send them to cemeterylegends@yahoo.com. Be sure to tell them the Urban Docent sent you.
A special word of thanks for joining us in this year's All-Night Horror Movie Marathon.
This was, without a doubt, our best outing yet. Thank you for helping make this evening a fantastic marathon session of gore, goo, wet dead, hoodoo, sweater vests and everything in between.
The 2006 All-Star Horror Selections
The Simpsons (Season 7, 1989) -- Treehouse of Horror VI The Changeling (1980) -- George C. Scott at his sweater-vested worst
NOTICE: You are advised that the proposed constitutional amendment may change, repeal, or modify by implication or may be construed by some persons to change, repeal or modify by implication, the following provisions of the Constitution of Missouri – Sections 2, 10, 14, and 32 of Article I; Section 1 of Article II; Sections 1, 21, 22, 23, 28, 36, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of Article III; Sections 1, 14, 36(a), 37, 37(a), 39, and 52 of Article IV; Sections 5, 14, 17, 18, and 23, and subsection 17 of Section 27 of Article V; Sections 18(b), 18(c), 18(d), 18(k), 18(m), 19(a), 20, 31, 32(a), and 32(b) of Article VI; Section 9(a) of Article IX; Sections 1, 6, 11(a), 11(d), and 11(f) of Article X; and Section 3 or Article XI.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:
One new section is adopted by adding one new section to be known as section 38(d) of Article III to read as follows:
Section 38(d). 1. This section shall be known as the “ Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.”
2. To ensure that Missouri patients have access to stem cell therapies and cures, that Missouri researchers can conduct stem cell research in the state, and that all such research is conducted safely and ethically, any stem cell research permitted under federal law may be conducted in Missouri, and any stem cell therapies and cures permitted under federal law may be provided to patients in Missouri, subject to the requirements of federal law and only the following additional limitations and requirements:
(1) No person may clone or attempt to clone a human being.
(2) No human blastocyst may be produced by fertilization solely for the purpose of stem cell research.
(3) No stem cells may be taken from a human blastocyst more than fourteen days after cell division begins; provided, however, that time during which a blastocyst is frozen does not count against the fourteen-day limit.
(4) No person may, for valuable consideration, purchase or sell human blastocysts or eggs for stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures.
(5) Human blastocysts and eggs obtained for stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures must have been donated with voluntary and informed consent, documented in writing.
(6) Human embryonic stem cell research may be conducted only by persons that, within 180 days of the effective date of this section or otherwise prior to commencement of such research, whichever is later, have
(a) provided oversight responsibility and approval authority for such research to an embryonic stem cell research oversight committee whose membership includes representatives of the public and medical and scientific experts;
(b) adopted ethical standards for such research that comply with the requirements of this section; and
(c) obtained a determination from an Institutional Review Board that the research complies with all applicable federal statutes and regulations that the Institutional Review Board is responsible for administering.
(7) All stem cell research and all stem cell therapies and cures must be conducted and provided in accordance with state and local laws of general applicability, including but not limited to laws concerning scientific and medical practices and patient safety and privacy, to the extent that any such laws do not (i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by the provisions of this section other than this subdivision (7) to be conducted or provided, or (ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies and cures.
3. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates in this state subdivision (1) of subsection 2 of this section commits a crime and shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of up to fifteen years or by the imposition of a fine of up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or by both. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates in this state subdivisions (2) or (3) of subsection 2 of this section commits a crime and shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of up to ten years or by the imposition of a fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars, or by both. A civil action may be brought against any person who knowingly and willfully violates in this state any of subdivisions (1) through (6) of subsection 2 of this section, and the state in such action shall be entitled to a judgment recovering a civil penalty of up to fifty thousand dollars per violation, requiring disgorgement of any financial profit derived from such violation, and/or enjoining any further such violation. The attorney general shall have the exclusive right to bring a civil action for such violation. Venue for such action shall be the county in which the alleged violation occurred.
4. Each institution, hospital, other entity, or other person conducting human embryonic stem cell research in the state shall (i) prepare an annual report stating the nature of the human embryonic stem cells used in, and the purpose of, the research conducted during the prior calendar year, and certifying compliance with subdivision (6) of subsection 2 of this section; and (ii) no later than June 30 of the subsequent year, make such report available to the public and inform the Secretary of State how the public may obtain copies of or otherwise gain access to the report. The report shall not contain private or confidential medical, scientific, or other information. Individuals conducting research at an institution, hospital, or other entity that prepares and makes available a report pursuant to this subsection 4 concerning such research are not required to prepare and make available a separate report concerning that same research. A civil action may be brought against any institution, hospital, other entity, or other person that fails to prepare or make available the report or inform the Secretary of State how the public may obtain copies of or otherwise gain access to the report, and the state in such action shall be entitled as its sole remedy to an affirmative injunction requiring such institution, hospital, other entity, or other person to prepare and make available the report or inform the Secretary of State how the public may obtain or otherwise gain access to the report. The attorney general shall have the exclusive right to bring a civil action for such violation.
5. To ensure that no governmental body or official arbitrarily restricts funds designated for purposes other than stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures as a means of inhibiting lawful stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures, no state or local governmental body or official shall eliminate, reduce, deny, or withhold any public funds provided or eligible to be provided to a person that (i) lawfully conducts stem cell research or provides stem cell therapies and cures, allows for such research or therapies and cures to be conducted or provided on its premises, or is otherwise associated with such research or therapies and cures, but (ii) receives or is eligible to receive such public funds for purposes other than such stem cell-related activities, on account of, or otherwise for the purpose of creating disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with, or preventing, restricting, obstructing, or discouraging, such stem cell-related activities.
6. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Blastocyst” means a small mass of cells that results from cell division, caused either by fertilization or somatic cell nuclear transfer, that has not been implanted in a uterus.
(2) “Clone or attempt to clone a human being” means to implant in a uterus or attempt to implant in a uterus anything other than the product of fertilization of an egg of a human female by a sperm of a human male for the purpose of initiating a pregnancy that could result in the creation of a human fetus, or the birth of a human being.
(3) “Donated” means donated for use in connection either with scientific or medical research or with medical treatment.
(4) “Fertilization” means the process whereby an egg of a human female and the sperm of a human male form a zygote (i.e., fertilized egg).
(5) “Human embryonic stem cell research,” also referred to as “early stem cell research,” means any scientific or medical research involving human stem cells derived from in vitro fertilization blastocysts or from somatic cell nuclear transfer. For purposes of this section, human embryonic stem cell research does not include stem cell clinical trials.
(6) “In vitro fertilization” means fertilization of an egg with a sperm outside the body.
(7) “Institutional Review Board” means a specially constituted review board established and operating in accordance with federal law as set forth in 42 U.S.C. 289, 45 C.F.R. Part 46, and any other applicable federal statutes and regulations, as amended from time to time.
(8) “Permitted under federal law” means, as it relates to stem cell research and stem cell therapies and cures, any such research, therapies, and cures that are not prohibited under federal law from being conducted or provided, regardless of whether federal funds are made available for such activities.
(9) “Person” means any natural person, corporation, association, partnership, public or private institution, or other legal entity.
(10) “Private or confidential medical, scientific, or other information” means any private or confidential patient, medical, or personnel records or matters, intellectual property or work product, whether patentable or not and including but not limited to any scientific or technological innovations in which an entity or person involved in the research has a proprietary interest, prepublication scientific working papers, research, or data, and any other matter excepted from disclosure under Chapter 610, RSMo, as amended from time to time.
(11) “Solely for the purpose of stem cell research” means producing human blastocysts using in vitro fertilization exclusively for stem cell research, but does not include producing any number of human blastocysts for the purpose of treating human infertility.
>(12) “Sperm” means mature spermatozoa or precursor cells such as spermatids and spermatocytes.
(13) “Stem cell” means a cell that can divide multiple times and give rise to specialized cells in the body, and includes but is not limited to the stem cells generally referred to as (i) adult stem cells that are found in some body tissues (including but not limited to adult stem cells derived from adult body tissues and from discarded umbilical cords and placentas), and (ii) embryonic stem cells (including but not limited to stem cells derived from in vitro fertilization blastocysts and from cell reprogramming techniques such as somatic cell nuclear transfer).
(14) “Stem cell clinical trials” means federally regulated clinical trials involving stem cells and human subjects designed to develop, or assess or test the efficacy or safety of, medical treatments.
(15) “Stem cell research” means any scientific or medical research involving stem cells. For purposes of this section, stem cell research does not include stem cell clinical trials.
(16) “Stem cell therapies and cures” means any medical treatment that involves or otherwise derives from the use of stem cells, and that is used to treat or cure any disease or injury. For purposes of this section, stem cell therapies and cures does include stem cell clinical trials.
(17) “Valuable consideration” means financial gain or advantage, but does not include reimbursement for reasonable costs incurred in connection with the removal, processing, disposal, preservation, quality control, storage, transfer, or donation of human eggs, sperm, or blastocysts, including lost wages of the donor. Valuable consideration also does not include the consideration paid to a donor of human eggs or sperm by a fertilization clinic or sperm bank, as well as any other consideration expressly allowed by federal law.
7. The provisions of this section and of all state and local laws, regulations, rules, charters, ordinances, and other governmental actions shall be construed in favor of the conduct of stem cell research and the provision of stem cell therapies and cures. No state or local law, regulation, rule, charter, ordinance, or other governmental action shall (i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by this section to be conducted or provided, or (ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies and cures.
8. The provisions of this section are self-executing. All of the provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or unconstitutionally enacted, the remaining provisions of this section shall be and remain valid.
I've had the good fortune to have recently polished off three distinctively different and very entertaining books.
I originally passed up Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" as another drop in the "chick lit" bucket. But what I found was a fantastic novel with a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning from one memorable scene to another.
This is a well-written story about a family's recovery following a daughter's murder. It is crafted with the kind of literary style that is missing from much of today's best-selling fiction.
Do yourself the favor of reading this one before Peter Jackson brings it to the big screen next year.
F. Paul Wilson returns to bring us the next installment of his sci-fi/horror series, Repairman Jack. "Harbingers" is one of the best addition to the line up of the highly entertaining fiction titles.
This time out, Jack finally learns the true meaning of that fateful phrase: "A spear has no branches." He also gets a first-hand lesson in what The Ally is willing to do -- or not do -- to overcome The Adversary.
This is Wilson at his best. If you're looking to join in the fun, "The Tomb" -- the first title in the series -- has been re-released and is on sale for less than $5.
"A Scanner Darkly" is the kind of strange and entertaining journey that could have only come from Philip K. Dick. There is a major motion picture out based on the novel, and now I'm ready to see it after reading the book.
The plot is a futuristic look at how a sort of sci-fi friendly drug culture deals with issues like addiction, paranoia and the nagging sense that things are just not right. As the author put it: "This has been a novel about people who were punished entirely too much for what they did."
A great story with just a hint of going off the reservation. I think this title will prompt me to seek out more Philip K. soon.
Oct. 17, 1989 -- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area just before the third game of the World Series was to commence at Commercial-stick Park.
The tremor collapsed a section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Damage was estimated at almost $3 billion in San Francisco -- approximately one-half of the total damage figure for the entire earthquake zone.
Where were you and what were you doing when the big one hit?
As I recall, I was an obnoxious 14-year-old who spent more time playing video games about sports than watching actual sporting event.But that evening, I just happened to flip on the small color TV in my bedroom to see what was going on with the game.
I was watching that broadcast when the camera work became unsteady and the game stopped. When the cameras came back up, players were just standing in place looking at each other like, "What the heck just happened?"
I recall broadcaster Al Michaels heading to the field and trying to do some spot-news coverage of what was destined to be the biggest story for many days to come. Exciting times. So, where were you?
(NOTE: When I heard that one of the recent school/gun incidents occurred in Joplin, Mo., I contacted someone I know there to produce a blog update about the event)
Before Monday, I never imagined a school shooting would have happened in the small town of Joplin.
Here most of the local new has to do with high school football or our current lack of rain, but as a coworker pointed out, "If it can happen in a one room Amish school house, it can happen here." It did happen, and thankfully all we can report is a scare because this young man's replica AK47 jammed on his first shot.
Local news reported on the investigation of the child's home life while showing numerous weapons being removed from the house by officials. I know some people will point out a child brought up around weapons is more prone to use those weapons, but I feel they would be missing a key variable in that equation: the parents.
Parents' influence on their children can have a drastic impact on a child's future, and in this case I feel the parents should be held legally responsible. It was the parents that left the key to the gun safe in the young mans reach, it was the parents that failed to notice their child leaving for school with a large firearm and -- fortunately in this case -- it was the parents who did not teach their child how to remove a jammed round.
I proudly support our right to bear arms and feel any individual responsible for the safety of others should have a way to defend in dire circumstances; however, it is also the responsibility of that individual to create a safe environment by ensuring those arms are totally beyond the reach of minors.
My Internet connection went down and has yet to return. Also, no phone service. Charter says they have a weak signal feeding the house and they don't as of yet know why.
Welcome to another good idea ruined; welcome to "The Lake House."
Here you'll find a squishy love story plot that is not executed well. And this time, I believe you can lay the blame on the main actors -- Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.
In summary, Reeves and Bullock become involved in a relationship carried on by exchanging letters through a magical mailbox at a lake house they occupy at different times in history.
Bullock and Reeves are (for lack of better phrases) wooden, forced, stiff and boring. I mean, they would have to go down as some of the flattest performances of 2006. You would expect as much from Reeves, but Bullock has none of her nearly charming sarcasm she oozes on screen in almost every other role.
This one was a rental, but it was kind of a waste. I would advise avoiding it unless you can see it at your local discount theater or you borrow it from some unassuming fellow renter.
The Indians sure seem to have a great sense of humor. I mean, many of their finest staff our nation's call centers, and they produce music videos like this one.
I say Indians should be in charge of international humor efforts of all kinds -- music, stand-up, video games, posters, books. This is just great.
I don't purport to be an expert in the management history of the Yankees' George Steinbrenner, but I do approve of his overall inability to handle losing.
I think his reputation as a total hard case comes in large part from his overwhelming desire to win -- win every $*&# World Series without exception. Therefore, those proven to stand in the way of his drive are not long for the pinstripes.
Love the Yankees (like I don't) or hate the Yankees (like I do), you still have to admire their commitment to winning. If more teams took success on the field as seriously as the Yankees apparently do -- for the most part, at least -- then we would have more to cheer about when it comes to our own lovable losers of a hometown team.
So it really comes as no surprise that within hours of the Yanks being dropped in the first round of the playoffs that the "Joe-Torre-is-history" talk started. Steinbrenner does not suffer fools well . . . even if they have multiple World Series rings to show for their efforts.
There are many head coaches across ever major and minor league sport that deserve to be shown the door, even if they had some level of prior success. I say, "Talk's cheap; takes us to the top, or get out."
Sports is just entertainment, and everyone comes to a game to have a good time and forget about their problems for a while. But fans shouldn't be expected to sit through losing season after losing season. It is unreasonable to think anyone is going to keep coming back for the same failures over and over again.
After all -- winning isn't everything; it's the only thing. You're only as good as your last post season appearance . . .
I've noticed a steady decline in the overall quantity of updates from some of my favorite reading spots (see list to the right and go from there).
Thus, I'm encouraging everyone of you dedicated readers and fellow bloggers to take it up a notch beginning Monday.
I'm asking my favorite blog writers to join me in posting at least one time per day, every day, for the rest of month of October starting Monday, Oct. 9. Again, quality is great; but how about we at least get back to some quantity to get us rolling?
I hope I can deliver on what appears to be an easily obtainable writing goal. Will you join me? We can exchange comments to keep us all honest . . .
George Lucas, the indisputable saint of geeked-out basement dwellers everywhere, is quoted in this Variety article as stating the obvious:
"As far as Lucasfilm is concerned, we've moved away from the feature film thing because it's too expensive and it's too risky."
Lucas indicated there will be a new focus on producing small-budget films, TV, animated movies and other entertainment offerings in addition to the special effects and gaming stuff. There are efforts in the works as well to figure out the money-making dynamics of online distribution of Lucasfilm materials, but the big-budget stuff is over as far as he's concerned.
Yes, the bubble has officially burst if even Lucas has decided to jump ship.
Years ago when the Star Wars universe first started expanding with Episodes I, II and III, Lucas indicated to interviewers that he was ready to put his trademark franchise behind him -- to some degree -- in favor of making smaller more indie-like films. Now he's apparently ready to follow through.
The article is well worth a read because Lucas points out what was become all too clear with the arrival of so many online, satellite and cable options. Film entertainment is going to become even more personalized and splintered with folks paying to see versions of things they want to watch in settings more accommodating than a traditional theater.
So in the not-too-distance future, it could be that people will all be watching different takes on the same material. Movie title "XYZ" will have versions A, A-1, B-1 and the super-premium, all-inclusive C and C-1 through C-4.
This is all really great to some extent: you can see what you want when you're good and ready. But it also carries some bad: to see it all and get the full experience, you'll have to pay extra and sit through much repetition to take it all in.
I'll admit that it's refreshing to see DVD editions released with extras, bonus material and never-before-released restored stuff. But I hate seeing three or four packagings of what is essentially the same film with just slight variations from one incarnation to the next; this is just money grubbing of the worst kind to exploit "true fans."
In the end, it's all just entertainment and stuff that shouldn't preoccupy way too much of your life. But it can still be a tad annoying to have way too many variations constantly pestering you for your "fun money."
Got you one of those fancy digital deals to handle all of your photography needs? Think all those mega pixels make you more nimble on the shutter?
Well some optical science folks are doing their part to make sure that pricey camera of yours is nothing more than last generation's overpowered, under performing chunk of electronic waste.
According to this story, researchers are hard at work perfecting a singe-pixel digital camera that gathers images in infrared, ultraviolet and visible color schemes. Basically, you'll end up with an image obtained much more quickly with less power and less memory requirements for storage. (this photos is not the actual camera)
The same news source included information about another neat photo-related project underway. Apparently a couple of guys have invented a way to disable digital camera equipment.
The device uses sensors, lighting equipment, a projector and a computer to scan for, find and neutralize digital cameras. It looks for the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in digital cameras. Future versions might operate in the invisible infrared range so the neutralizing technology would work unnoticed.
So in the future, we'll have smarter and faster digital cameras being thwarted by even smarter anti-digital equipment. I applaud the ingenuity of both efforts.
But I was a little troubled to see that all is not well on the photo front. Consider this item:
Major League Baseball has a funny way of cheesing off your fellow baseball buddies.
You can go onto the MLB site and select a team-specific e-mail card to send to your friends. Tommy Lasorda will ask your loser friends to watch the post season even though their team of preference is out of the running.
I'm calling this guy out for not doing jack doody with his supposed blog for too many days in a row.
Wanna learn more? Go here.
A special word of thanks for joining us in this year's All-Night Horror Movie Marathon.
The Skeleton Key (2005) -- It was alright
I originally passed up Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" as another drop in the "chick lit" bucket. But what I found was a fantastic novel with a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning from one memorable scene to another.
F. Paul Wilson returns to bring us the next installment of his sci-fi/horror series, Repairman Jack. "Harbingers" is one of the best addition to the line up of the highly entertaining fiction titles.
"A Scanner Darkly" is the kind of strange and entertaining journey that could have only come from Philip K. Dick. There is a major motion picture out based on the novel, and now I'm ready to see it after reading the book.
The Original Bill Ding Stacking Clowns ~ A Classic Since 1931
Oct. 17, 1989 -- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area just before the third game of the World Series was to commence at Commercial-stick Park.
Welcome to another good idea ruined; welcome to "The Lake House."
"Quintessential '80s band Wham! will reunite for a Christmas concert at London's Wembley Arena, 20 years after their split."
There have been some additions and deletions of blog entries in recent days, but the Urban Docent has officially surpassed the 100-entries mark.
I don't purport to be an expert in the management history of the Yankees' George Steinbrenner, but I do approve of his overall inability to handle losing.
Hey, you guys! What's going on?
Office picks by participant (click on image to see larger)
George Lucas, the indisputable saint of geeked-out basement dwellers everywhere, is quoted in this Variety article as stating the obvious:
Got you one of those fancy digital deals to handle all of your photography needs? Think all those mega pixels make you more nimble on the shutter?
Major League Baseball has a funny way of cheesing off your fellow baseball buddies.
