Fifteen year old, British citizen, Louisa Ball has Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Kleine-Levin Syndrome, nicknamed Sleeping Beauty Sickness, is a rare illness where people will randomly sleep for days on end. It's not like narcolepsy due to the fact that it's not constant, there are time periods where the person is able to fully function, and Kleine-Levin Syndrome starts abruptly and tends to end as abruptly, approximately a decade after it starts. This illness only effects a minute fraction of the population, possibly less than a thousand, because of this and it's unpredictability scientists haven't been able to study it a whole lot. Practically nothing is known about it. There is also no known treatment.
  The girl's mother reported to NBC news that Louisa had her first bout of sleeping for days on end shortly after experiencing flu-like symptoms just over a year ago. Dr. Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Center for Narcolepsy at Stanford University, told TODAY's Matt Lauer that scientists have no idea what causes Kleine-Levin Syndrome. There is a theory that it may be due to a viral infection that flares up unpredictably off and on until the body finally becomes immune to it. Those who suffer from Kleine-Levin Syndrome can sometimes go weeks, months, or even as long as a year in between episodes.
  The longest Miss Louisa Ball has slept at this point is thirteen days at a time. Her parents have to fight to wake her up long enough to go to the bathroom and eat. They say that no amount of poking or prodding can fully awaken Louisa, she just has to wake on her own. Luckily her friends are supportive of her illness and fill her in on anything she misses during her bouts of Kleine-Levin, but school has become a struggle. With scientists stumped, it looks like this Sleeping Beauty won't have a Prince Charming anytime soon, with perhaps time as the only antidote.

Reference: MSNBC.com

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7119572/Haiti-earthquake-voodoo-high-priest-claims-aid-monopolised-by-Christians.html

According to the UK Telegraph, Max Beauvoir, a Voodoo leader in Haiti claims that the evangelical Christians in Haiti have taken over the aid effort and are excluding Voodoo peoples.


But there ARE Voudou organizations on the ground. If you want to make sure that your donation goes to the Voodoo people in Haiti, consider sending it to Voudou Aid, the charity arm of the Roots Without End Society . They are on the ground, in Haiti and dealing directly with the Haitian people and do not discriminate based on religious belief.

Get updates on how they are dealing with the Earthquake here.

  The President has declared October 7 as Leif Erikson Day. Okay, maybe I'm a little behind on finding this out, but I thought it was very fascinating and am excited about this! There really isn't a whole lot that I can say about it that isn't summed up by the WhiteHouse.gov already...

    On this day in 1825, the ship Restauration landed in New York City after sailing for 3 months from Stavanger, Norway. The 52 passengers aboard represented the first organized emigration of Norwegians to America. These brave individuals set to the seas, following in the grand footsteps of the famous Scandinavian explorer Leif Erikson. Over a millennium ago, Leif Erikson -- son of Iceland and grandson of Norway -- arrived in North America and founded the settlement Vinland, located in modern-day Canada. Today, we celebrate his historic voyage and remember those who journeyed to America from far-away lands.

    Our Nation's founding history is marked by millions of individuals who faced great hardship and difficulty as they pursued a brighter future abroad. As explorers, they did not know what they would find, but they were determined not to turn back, in order to learn what lay beyond the setting sun. This same spirit lived within Leif Erikson, and it has inspired countless others who venture from their homes in search of opportunity, uncertain of the possibilities and challenges that await them.

    Today, our Nation continues to welcome those descendents of Leif Erikson to our shores. Nordic Americans have contributed immeasurably to the success of America. Their cultural accomplishments have enriched the diversity of our country. And their pioneering spirit continues to embody our Nation's unbounded enthusiasm for discovery and learning.

    To honor Leif Erikson and celebrate our Nordic-American heritage, the Congress, by joint resolution (Public Law 88-566) approved on September 2, 1964, has authorized the President to proclaim October 9 of each year as "Leif Erikson Day."

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2009, as Leif Erikson Day, and I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to honor our country's rich Nordic-American heritage.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

    BARACK OBAMA

Official Presidential Proclamation: Leif Erikson Day

image from apologista.wordpress.com

   Pat Robertson is a whose who in the Christian world. Because of his popularity in the Christian faith his opinion is often sought after in various media avenues. He is a reportedly educated man not only in verse but graduated with a major in history from Washington and Lee University. On top of his numerous predictions that never came true, he is known as the world's first televangelist (a title Robertson personally disapproves of). He is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc., and founder and co-chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, American Center for Law and Justice, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities.[1]

  Robertson has been brought to the forefront of the media due to a recent comment that the Haitians had made a pact with the devil during French sovereign. His remark, amongst others, insinuated that the Haitian people deserved the earthquake due to their ungodliness. He has gone on to make comments about the nation's potential to restructure itself, now that the earthquake has happened, into a more righteous nation. I have not posted video of this because I could not find a clip that did not have some other person's spin on the story, but footage can be found on YouTube.com.
   As outrageous as it may sound, Mr. Robertson has every right to express his opinion, an opinion based on his religious beliefs. It is no surprise that someone of his caliber would insinuate a person's or nation's demise due to not following the same beliefs as Robertson. This has been going on forever. I am not saying that you should accept what he's saying with an idle tongue, but surprise probably shouldn't be warranted. What I do wonder, is why this Pat Robertson is allowed to be publicly addressed on television time and again, why do people actually look up to this guy, and why isn't he rotting in a cell next to George W? From my research, a very short gander at Google and Wikipedia, he seems like a less than scrupulous individual.

   During Mr. Robertson's time in in the Marine Corp, he was spared from active combat by his powerful father and was reportedly the "liquor officer" responsible for supplying the officers' clubs with alcohol. Robertson was also known to drink himself and frequented prostitutes. At one point he reportedly feared he had come down with gonorrhea.
   Robertson also started a fund to assist survivors of the genocide in Rwanda. The money from his fundraiser did not send supplies to the people but were used instead to transport diamonds. This was the same time that the African president was harboring Al Qaeda operatives who were being funded through the illegal diamond trade.
  

Controversies surrounding Robertson include his earlier work as a faith healer, his claim that some Protestant denominations harbor the spirit of the Antichrist, and his claims of having the power to deflect hurricanes through prayer; he has also denounced Hinduism as "demonic" and Islam as "Satanic." Robertson has issued multiple condemnations of feminism, homosexuality, abortion and liberal professors. Robertson also had financial ties to former presidents Charles Taylor (Liberia) and Mobutu Sese Seko (Zaire), both internationally denounced for their systemic human rights violations. Robertson was criticized worldwide for his call for Hugo Chavez’s assassination and for his remarks concerning Ariel Sharon's health as an act of God.

   These are only a few things he was caught doing. Who knows what this guy has actually gotten away with? I rarely ever take a stand against people and try to remain as respectful as possible, but the fact is that Pat Robertson is a bigot and a criminal. He has no right to preach to anyone about morality and should not be promoted to continue his blasphemous vomit he calls public speech. There are plenty of rich people that get away with as many things as this idiot, but probably not any as hypocritical. There is a time and a place for all emotions and this is a time to get mad! There may be nothing that can be done to stop Pat Robertson, but if he is excommunicated from society his words will no longer be able to influence others to commit harm. I am not just calling out to Pagans, but to all Americans and especially Christians, why would you want to be represented by this poser? Thank You.

[1] Wikipedia: Pat Robertson

A New Jersey evangelical Fed Ex driver left a Chick Tract with the wrong witch in New Jersey according to an article in the Mount Olive Chronicle. Trish Reynolds, a Pagan author (of such books as The Demons of Drey (Seeker's Quest) and A Question of Balance ) looked out her window one day to see a Fed Ex Driver do a double take at her "Goddess Bless America" and pentagram bumper sticker, return to his truck and come back to put a Chick Tract on her window. If you've ever read one of those rags you know how offensive they are. The list of ridiculous claims made by these is huge (and Wikipedia has such a huge discussion on this subject) She could have just thrown it out, but she's not that kind of witch. She complained and insisted on action. My kind of woman.
More info about Trish Reynolds and her projects can be found at her website http://www.zyalia.com/

I am a firm believer that garb has its place, and jeans have theirs. I admit it I'm a closet fashion junky (you'd never know it meeting me, I know) If you're a fan of reality TV you might be interested in checking out What Not to Wear on TLC this Friday as it features a Salem witch whose witchy wardrobe is put on "trial" (Salem witch trial style) by other members of the Pagan and psychic community, including Christian Day one of the voices of the Hex Education podcast the driving force behind Salem's annual Festival of the Dead before she is whisked off to New York for the usual makeover business. You can find all the dirt at the Glouster Times website.

According to HeraldNet, A missing woman in Washington is believed to have been murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend, who happens to be Wiccan, apparently. I don't want to comment on this much more because it is unpleasant, but I will say this- If you read the article, you will find that neighbors upon questioning admitted to hearing a "loud and violent confrontation between a man and a woman" in her apartment FOUR DAYS before she was reported missing by her employers because she show up for work!! WTF people? Why do people not call the cops when this shit goes down? WTF I say.

I often complain about the sad state our society is in that people don't know their neighbors, don't check up on their neighbors, don't show any concern for their neighbors. It's amazing to me that up north where there are acres, and sometimes miles between houses people know more about their neighbors than in places where we're practically on top of each other in apartments and McMansions and trailers. Remember this poor woman the next time you ignore the screams from the apartment upstairs.