Rumsfeld Petition

Dear Friends,

We must stop rewarding incompetence, start demanding accountability,
and for the sake of the troops in Iraq, we must replace Donald
Rumsfeld. Please join me in signing the following letter to President
Bush on johnkerry.com.

http://www.johnkerry.com/replacerumsfeld

Mr. President,

I was surprised and disappointed that you told the Washington Post last week
that no Bush administration official should be held accountable for our failures
in Iraq. As the situation worsens and more American lives are lost and troops
deployed to the region, it's time to stop rewarding incompetence and to start
demanding accountability. For the sake of our men and women in uniform and their
families here at home, I urge you to start by replacing Donald Rumsfeld. His
record of failure and his inability to play it straight with the American people
and our troops overseas make him unfit to serve as Secretary of Defense for one
more day, never mind four more years.

If you care about restoring our credibility around the world and our credibility
with our troops on the ground in Iraq, you've got to start by removing Donald
Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. That's why I am joining Senator John Kerry
and hundreds of thousands of Americans in adding my name to the johnkerry.com
petition calling for Rumsfeld's immediate removal from office.

I urge you to act without delay. We can't afford any more auto-penned letters
of condolences and shifting stories about what kind of armor we have to protect
our troops.

American soliders and their families are counting on you as Commander in Chief
to hold those in charge of the war in Iraq to the highest standards.

http://www.johnkerry.com/replacerumsfeld

Thank you.

Interesting Lawsuits

Apartment Managers, CA

A group of 57 apartment managers and owners throughout California have
agreed to pay $500,000 to settle litigation over alleged toxic
substance violations. The plaintiffs alleged the apartment owners and
managers failed to warn tenants of hazardous second hand smoke,
fireplace smoke and auto exhaust that could be potentially harmful.
(Oct-30-04)
[SACRAMENTO BEE]

Crompton Corp.

A $97 million settlement is expected in three class action lawsuits
filed on behalf of purchasers of the company’s rubber products.
(Jan-13-05) [Republican-American]

Blue Cross & Blue Shield

A $17.5 million settlement has been reached in the class action
lawsuits filed on behalf of 115,000 customers. The suits alleged that
the company failed to pass along discounts negotiated for prescription
drugs and health services. (Jan-13-04)
[WPRI 12 NEWS]

A New Use for WD-40

Eeeeeeeewwwwwwww!

LONDON (Reuters) - The makers of the handy spray lubricant WD-40 proudly list 2,000 uses for their product, from unsticking rusty screws or squeaky bicycle chains to polishing frying pans.

But British police have found another -- keeping the public from snorting cocaine off toilet lids in bars.

Police in the English city of Bristol said Tuesday they have been advising pub and nightclub owners to spray thecolorless lubricant on toilet seats and other flat surfaces inthe lavatory that customers often use to snort drugs.

Apparently, cocaine and spray lube don't mix.

"A chemical reaction takes place with the cocaine that causes it to congeal and become a mess so it's unusable," a police spokesman said. "It's one very small, very cheap way in which you can very seriously restrict the amount of drug use in your premises."

Constable Graham Pease, a liquor licensing officer, said he discovered the trick a few years ago while discussing with pub owners how to reduce drug use on their premises.

"We were discussing with licensees how we could keep cocaine from being snorted from surfaces," he told Reuters. "It came about that we wanted to spray something on surfaces that cocaine would stick to. And somebody mentioned WD-40."

The new use seems to have taken its makers by surprise.

"Its not meant to be ingested. It says so clearly on the can so we wouldn't advocate it for that purpose. But people will use it how they will," said a British spokeswoman for the San Diego, Calif-based WD-40 Co.

At Bar Excellence in Bristol, deputy manager Julian Barraud said it was part of the drug fighting arsenal.

"It does work. It's one of the tricks that we've got to try and tackle the problem," he said.

Jury Duty

D.A. Confronts 'Jury Pool From Hell'

MEMPHIS,
Tenn. (AP) - Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called it the "jury pool
from hell." The group of prospective jurors was summoned to listen to a
case of Tennessee trailer park violence. Right after jury selection
began last week, one man got up and left, announcing, "I'm on morphine
and I'm higher than a kite."

When
the prosecutor asked if anyone had been convicted of a crime, a
prospective juror said that he had been arrested and taken to a mental
hospital after he almost shot his nephew. He said he was provoked
because his nephew just would not come out from under the bed.

Another
would-be juror said he had had alcohol problems and was arrested for
soliciting sex from an undercover officer. "I should have known
something was up," he said. "She had all her teeth."

Another
prospect volunteered he probably should not be on the jury: "In my
neighborhood, everyone knows that if you get Mr. Ballin (as your
lawyer), you're probably guilty." He was not chosen.

The
case involved a woman accused of hitting her brother's girlfriend in
the face with a brick. Ballin's client was found not guilty.