Against Obama, even a jailbird gets some votes

By LAWRENCE MESSINA

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Just how unpopular is President Barack Obama in some parts of the country? Enough that a man in prison in Texas is getting 4 out of 10 votes in West Virginia's Democratic presidential primary.

The inmate, Keith Judd, is serving time at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999.

Voters in other states showed their displeasure with Obama in Democratic primaries last March.
In Oklahoma, anti-abortion protestor Randall Terry got 18 percent of the primary vote. A lawyer from Tennessee, John Wolfe, pulled nearly 18,000 votes in the Louisiana primary.

In Alabama, 18 percent of Democratic voters chose "uncommitted" in the primary rather than vote for Obama.

A practical suggestion ............... for the Elderly

Place the elderly in prisons.

They will get a shower a day, video surveillance in case of problems, three meals a day, access to a library, computer, TV, and a gym.

Put criminals in nursing homes.

They have cold meals lights off at 10, one bath a week, live in a smaller room and pay $ 5,000 a month !!!!!

I was in a nursing home for a week or so after my open heart surgery. I walked out on Christmas Eve. I found out that their Christmas dinner was going to be hot dogs. so, such a shame that there is some truth to this.

The Tomato Garden

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.
Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. The next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
Vinnie

Sirhan Sirhan denied parole in 1968 RFK killing

Parole officials have refused to give Sirhan Sirhan a date with freedom, saying he hasn't shown sufficient remorse for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's death and doesn't understand the enormity of the assassination that changed U.S. history more than 40 years ago.

During four intense hours Wednesday in a prison's small hearing room, Sirhan told board officials of his regret but also said he could not remember the events of June 5, 1968.

"I don't remember pulling a gun from my body. I don't remember aiming it at any human being. Everything was always hazy in my head," Sirhan said. "I don't remember anything very clearly....I'm not trying to evade anything."

Sirhan said he underwent hypnosis at his lawyer's behest but still did not remember shooting Kennedy or five other victims in the crowded kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles where Kennedy stood moments after claiming victory in the California presidential primary.

"Every day of my life, I have great remorse and deep regret," he told the panel at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga. He said a psychologist told him years ago to stop dwelling on it or he would never heal.

The two-member panel of the California parole board determined that Kennedy's convicted assassin hadn't shown enough remorse and didn't understand the severity of a crime that was mourned by a nation four decades ago.

One Case Down, Guantanamo Still Far From Closing

by Dina Temple-Raston

Guantanamo is not a good news story for the president. One of the first things he did when he came into office was sign an executive order that promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year. And as the Obama administration starts its third year, administration officials say they think it is unlikely they will be able to shutter the facility before his term ends.

"Closing Guantanamo has turned out to be much more complicated than the administration thought it would be," said Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia University who advised the Bush administration on Guantanamo. "It was easier to campaign on. And now they realize there are some really bad individuals down there that no one knows how to deal with."

The New Masthead

I think it needs a bit more explaining.

Joe Conforte, Nevada brothel owner, who I dealt craps to on numerous occasions in Reno, is in this photograph seen shooting craps in prison in Carson City, Nevada. Gambling, of course, is legal in Nevada, so they had a casino in the state prison. It was reportedly the most honest game in the state. You didn't want to get thrown out of there, there was no place else to go. Joe is not living in Brazil.

I remember Joe pulling up in front of the Primmadonna in a cordovan colored Lincoln Continental convertible, camel top coat, nice fedora, big cigar, walking in to the club with a few of his girls, all nicely dressed, in town for some entertainment, generally on a Thursday night.

Ernie Primm had a special bottle of something, just for Joe, and a box of cigars for him also. Joe spread his money around pretty good, so everyone took good care of him. I had a few occasions to not only deal to him, but also to chat. I always liked him.

The Chris Craft on the pond. Well, I always loved boats, in those days they were all wooden. I had driven a Chris Craft on one occasion, in Michigan, on Burt Lake, that was owned by Hoppie, I think his name was John Hopkins. He was a dashing figure of a man, vacationed at the lake, made a lot of money during the war and moved up to the lake. He bought John Greenmans's store and tavern, turned it into a full time tavern, and it still is there today, changed quite a bit, but still Hoppies.

We had the pond, I saw a Chris Craft for sale, and the practical person I was, bought it, put it on the pond, got it running and had a ball with it. Don't ask what happened to it. I decided to refinish it, ADD kicked in, end of story.

Don't bring up the subject if you talk with my wife, please.

Leroy is still going strong .......

I was channel hopping, and came upon a show and there was Leroy Jenkins preaching to the crowd. I thought he was still in jail.

I remember Leroy from back in the 60's and his church grounds up in Delaware, Ohio, "The Church of What's Happening Now," at his Healing Waters Cathedral. He had a show on every Sunday. I was always enthralled by his program.

I knew some railroaders who used to go out drinking with him every Friday night in Delaware. The railroaders would get their pay on Friday and head out, and often, there would be Leroy drinking and raising a fuss with the boys.

I remember one Sunday morning show of his, 1977, a tent revival of his, he told his followers, and the TV audience that God had told him to dig a well on one particular spot, 100 feet deep and water would pour forth. Not sure where the water came from, but gallon jugs of his water were suddenly available. Some say he used to load a pick up truck and go around town selling the water.

At that time also, he was selling some health pills for a variety of uses, and he emphasised that his pills worked better if taken with his new water. I will never forget, heard it as plain as anything, he said, "God told him to sell it in gallon jugs, 4 gallons to a case, and NO broken cartons."

Leroy had a vast array of followers, and at one time did all of the talk shows. I am not sure, I think it was the Dinah Shore show, he was on with Dale Evans and Roy Rogers. They were all talking, and something was said or came up, and Leroy went out and sat in the audience, he wanted to be with "his kind of people."

The last I remember hearing of him he was convicted on two counts of arson in 1979. Paroled, 1985. As I recall he put out a "plea" to his congregation that he needed $300,000 dollars. Then he bought a $200,000 home, and somehow it caught on fire, and there was also something about getting even with a State Trooper about something.

I see he is still selling water, by the gallon, 1 case sells for $100.00, $25 a gallon, not bad, and I don't think you buy the water, you donate $100, even better. I think Ohio still bans the sale of th water .... "it may make you sick." He is still selling it by the gallon, as he was told....................

The Tomato Garden

The Tomato Garden

An old Italian man lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison.

The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here, my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop, Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son..

Dear Pop, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, Vinnie