Update for exemptions (4/12/20)

Rowley reaffirms that the closing of the border is an integral part of TT's covid response strategy. Current measurements (exemption ruling) will stay in effect for the time being.

source

Number of Exemption Applications (*4/12/20)

• 15'500 applications made to enter
  
• 8'500 of which granted as of *
  
• 18'500 applications made to leave
  
• 10'800 of which granted as of *
  

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Updates for exemptions regarding the crossing of borders

• The exemption ruling from June remains in place but adapted. Still, only citizens and permanent residents of Trinidad and Tobago may apply for crossing the border in either direction. Information on how to apply for an exemption, visit the Website of the Ministry of National Security here.
  
• What remains in place as was: (1) exemption application still required (see link above). (2) Non-nationals and non-permanent residents are still not eligible unless there are exceptional reasons (which are not further defined).
  
• exemptions are made on a first come first serve basis. Since June, over 13'000 have applied, roughly 7000 have been processed already and about 5'000 are still awaiting a verdict. People who wish to come home for Christmas are strongly advised to calculate their trip well and especially ahead of time.
  
• starting 15th Nov, those who successfully applied and received permission to enter must provide a negative PCR test result which is no older than 72hrs before arrival into this country.
  
• after the arrival, those entering have to go into state quarantine or state supervised quarantine for seven days. On the sixth day, they will be tested and may only leave if the test returns negative. Again, applicants for being exempted are strongly advised to plan the Diwali and Christmas trips well. You will not be allowed to leave quarantine before the negative test result.
  
• When applying, applicants must state whether they want to pay for state supervised quarantine. Applicants should provide all info for all family members who will enter state supervised quarantine too.
  

(source:MNS Twitter)

Beaches and Religious Houses to Reopen

• All churches will be open for services no more than an hour at 50 per cent capacity. Members will have to also observe social distancing protocols.
  
• The public service will be out in full capacity. Permanent Secretaries, managers and supervisors will have to ensure that “workplace distancing” is observed in addition to proper sanitisation and no congregating in groups.
  
• Gyms can resume operations, however, at 50 per cent capacity from 6 am-10 pm daily.
  
• Casinos, cinemas, theatres and Members Clubs can resume operations at 50 per cent capacity no food and drinks allowed from 8 am to 10 pm.
  
• Beaches along the country’s coastlines are now open but this does not include rivers or ponds. (max 10 person still in effect)
  
• Hotels and guesthouses can also now open pools to their guests.
  
• Daycares and schools remain closed for the time. Tertiary and training institutes that provide training for practical programmes, such as labs and flight training schools that cannot be done online, can also resume once an exemption is granted by the Ministry of Health to do so.
  

source

Borders may open soon

Rowley:

‘I am satisfied that this committee can report within a week and that the tagging system could be available and it will allow us to maximise home quarantine and that will allow us to maximise the inflow of persons who are outside, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, who are outside to come home and that will then result in an elimination of this exemption system,” Rowley told reporters.
“I see this as a cautious reopening of our border. We are in deep discussions with some of our CARICOM (Caribbean Community) colleagues. I spoke with the President of Guyana (Dr. Irfaan Ali) a few days ago at length and we believe that we could begin to have more movement between our citizens and the Guyanese population, the Grenada population, the Barbados population because the level at which they are at is either lower than or equal to us and we can begin sometime not in the too distant future to make more tentative steps with respect to the border opening.”

source
*Stats and Figures by GIRI Group
you'll find sources for mental support, financial Support, rental assistance, social support and other help, in the old thread here

TLDR: We're the family behind Cure Cocktail who made the news delivering cocktails. We recently had our immediate family laid off from their casino jobs in Las Vegas. So today we are launching - Hawaiian and Filipino BBQ to go on Uber Eats with Remedium Island Grill. If you are able to support us and enjoy BBQ, Burgers and more, we hope you enjoy our expansion of our family's food offerings.
UPDATE and why we're founding Remedium Island Grill our sister restaurant. Since March 15th and Inslee's bar closure mandate - to the scattered phases, tear gas at Cal Anderson, the creation of CHOP and more, we've been pulling through as a family and small business as best we can. We still host virtual zoom happy hours and bartending classes, and deliver charcuterie, cocktails and wine to the safety of your home!
In Las Vegas, where we were originally from, casinos were also shutdown due to the virus. Boyd Gaming and the Station Casinos immediately laid off staff, and also used the opportunity to replace all senior staff for those with lower wages. ie - our parents.
Two big factors - Our parents are only a few years away from retirement and Medicare, AND our lease at Cure Cocktail ends soon, and we always wanted a spot with a full service kitchen. For those who've been to our small bar - we've never had a full kitchen with stove and hood.
Remedium is an expansion of Cure - we thank you all for voting our bartender Joe as Seattle's favorite bartender - and now with mom and dad here we hope to serve you at the dinner table as well.
Remedium is about heritage. Authentic cuisines that we grew up with. Mom was born in Guam, raised in the Philippines, moved to Hawaii as dad was stationed there with the Navy. The Pacific Islands and it's BBQ flavors - comfort foods, unapologetic mixes with other cuisines - American (Hawaiian Burger), Japanese (Saimen/Ramen Noodles and Masubi), Chinese with Shanghai Lumpia, we know will be a great complement to the diverse tastes here in the PNW.
In the coming weeks we will slowly open with socially distanced in-dining on 15th and Pine. We'll start first with Uber Eats and food(charcuterie and now BBQ!) deliveries with our Cure Cocktail. Then we'll open our walk-in takeout window for you to experience our Steak, Chicken and shrimp kebabs. Hell we'll give you a literal pineapple with your meal!
We hope to serve you at our new bar, and serve you some great food. Then we can talk and reminisce about how much a roller coaster ride these months have been.
For now, join us on our Hawaiian Roller Coaster ride <3
Much love all! The Team at Cure and Remedium.

Combined ~$85k gross. Lots of changes since my last diary! I'm still long winded!
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: $2,178.34 - 6.5%. Employer will put in 7.5%, vested at 5 years. B and I work at the same place, I'm guessing his balance is around $30k as he's vested.
Equity: I live with my fiance B. His 2 bed/1 bath house was paid off before we started dating. I'd say about $25k equity. VLCOL area.
Savings account balance: $517 in a HYSA.
Z's expense account: $245. I randomly put chunks of my child support in here to pay for school lunch and pictures, extracurriculars, co-pays, etc.
Wedding fund: $0, I just paid the deposit for our photographer ($400) and bought save the dates ($133).
Checking account balance: $1,831.04
Credit card debt: $4,055.62. Down $700 from my last diary when I was too scared to add the numbers up. I will hopefully be able to pay most of this off with my tax return.
Student loan debt: $30,287.51 for my LPN program and ADN, still in my grace period from my attempt at my BSN last fall. I should be paying my interest but alas, I'm not.
Clinic bill: $990.89. Somehow they got my old insurance company to cover my CT, so this is the remaining balance.
Section Two: Income
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $2300 for me. Just got a raise to $28.11 base and the shift differential was increased a bit. B brings home ~$1500 depending on how his on-call weeks fall. We are both hourly and get that sweet, sweet extra check 2x/year (looking at you January). We have separate accounts.
Side gig: B is a volunteer firefighter and gets paid once a year in November. The amount depends on the number of calls he responds to. Last year it was about $1250 and he used it for Christmas spending. I pick up some OT here and there.
Any Other Monthly Income: $531 child support
Section Three: Expenses
Pre-Tax Deductions
Health insurance: $514/month for Z and myself (plus $1200/year deductible).
Vision and dental: $81.54/month for Z and myself.
FSA: $140/month. I'm able to flex daycare as well as health care costs. Will be adjusted in January to about $250/month and I'm going to cry when I see my paychecks.
Monthly Expenses
Rent/mortgage: B's house is paid off. My daughter Z lives with us the majority of the time, and B's stepson E is here every other weekend.
Home insurance: $127, B pays. It's combined with his car insurance.
Savings contribution: I aim for $200 into the wedding fund, $150 into the emergency fund. I haven't put anything in since September since I'm paying to get out of my old house (ending contracts, dumpster fees, final bill payments).
Debt payments: credit cards - $170, clinic bill - $100. B throws money towards a snowblower he bought last month on a 0% interest promo, his only debt right now. Amount owed is $1600 - it's a pretty sweet machine.
Donations: ad hoc throughout the year, most ends up going to the kids' schools.
Electric: Between $60-160 depending on the season, B pays. I will cover more day to day expenses in the summer to make up for it.
Natural gas: $56, B pays.
Watesewegarbage: ~$60, B pays.
School lunch: $46. I pay.
Daycare: $29/week school year rate. I reimburse myself from my FSA.
Groceries: Around $400 for all of us. B and I trade off.
Wifi: $75, B pays.
Bed payment: $140/month, 4 months left. I paid half up front and financed the rest. I pay.
Car payment: $405.27 for my car. B's car and truck are paid off.
Cellphone: $275. 4 unlimited lines, 3 phone payments (ouch we're dumb), and $8/month for Z's new tablet. I went through our bill line by line and was shocked at how much I was paying for stuff we didn't need, like visual voicemail and high tier insurance, so I cut it way back. I pay.
Subscriptions: $84 for Netflix, Hulu Live, Apple storage for Z, Pandora Premium (couldn't give up my playlists) and Dollar Shave Club. I pay and share.
Prescriptions: $14 out of my FSA.
Eyelash extensions: $120
Amazon subscribe and save: It varies, but ~$40 for energy drinks and OTC meds every month. Other stuff like paper products, furnace filters and litter genie refills as needed. I pay.
Other Expenses
Property Taxes: $507/year. B pays.
Amazon Prime: $59/year, still on my student email. I pay and share with B.
Pet expenses: 3 dogs and 1 cat combined! $33.49/month dog food. $28.60/every 3 months cat food & litter (all through Chewy). $240/year for doggie haircuts. I pay for all this, plus my animals' shots as needed. B pays for his dog's shots and treats/toys. We keep going back and forth on pet insurance, although I know we should just get it.
Car insurance: $258.50 every Feb/August for my car.
Car registration: $293/year, also due in Feb.
Z's extracurriculars (dance and taekwondo): ~$600/year, depending on costume/shoe costs. I pay.
Day 1: Saturday 10/26
12 AM: I still don't sleep at night, even on my days (nights?) off. I spend time online designing our wedding and reception invitations, updating our wedding website and searching for a bakery. I'm quite pleased with my progress. We have a reception venue, DJ, photographer, officiant and are doing our own food. Just need desserts and a ceremony space.
3 AM: Titanic is on! I've seen it approximately 187 times and still cry every time Rose lets Jack go. I put on some nail polish strips (yes they are Color Street, please don't kill me) and make a bag of popcorn. Kick myself for the popcorn because I'm supposed to be IF.
6:30 AM: Head downstairs to sleep. Spoiler alert: I don't. B wakes up at 7:30, gets a few minutes of cuddles and goes upstairs. Dink around on social media for a while and drink almost my entire 40 oz water bottle. Why am I always so thirsty when I go to bed? Make a mental note to track my water intake.
10:05 AM: The dogs are barking frantically at the air. B lets them out to play in the yard for a while. Bed payment comes out of my account. I eventually fall asleep.
3:15 PM: B comes down to wake me up. We are going to see one of my favorite local bands at the casino and staying overnight. It's a Halloween party and I can't wait to see the crazy costumes. We had a garage sale last month and hoarded some of that money for this weekend. I pack a few things in the overnight bag and trudge upstairs for a body shower. I clean my eyelashes with special foam soap and wash my face with Cerave Hydrating face wash in the shower. Get out to brush and seal my eyelashes, put some hydrocortisone on my eyelids to fend off my eczema, and apply COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid to the rest of my face. Still don't wear makeup. Brush my teeth and spritz on Poison Girl by Dior perfume. Look at me with the grown up products! I refresh my waves with a DIY spray bottle of LA Looks Gel and water and I'm ready to go. Somehow, B is not despite being up since 7:30. 🙄
4:30 PM: We put the dogs in the garage and head to my old house to put my couch and recliner on the curb since it's a surprisingly nice day, 62°. Fingers crossed someone picks them up. We stop for beer (B pays $29.15) and fill up my car with gas ($28, I pay). I send an e-gift card ($40) to a coworker for her baby shower gift and drink a Monster Zero Ultra during the ride.
5:45 PM: Check into the hotel. I pre-paid in July so no charge today. Break my fast with a Redd's - I fully intend to overindulge tonight.
6:45 PM: Head down to the casino restaurant for supper. I get breaded shrimp, B orders boneless wings. We both drink water to prep for the long night. $30 with tip, B pays since I got the hotel. One of my CNAs messages me about getting their asses chewed in report. Sigh.
8:00 PM: Slot machine time!! I lose $40, go figure. We meet up with a bunch of friends from work and get ready for the show.
10:30 PM: I am front row center with the band. I love these guys! They play covers but dang, they are talented. I scream my head off, take tons of Snapchats, dance with my friends and drink too many beers. Best costume: Big Bird, who sheds yellow feathers all over the dance floor.
Daily total: $108
Day 2: Sunday 10/29
1:00 AM: Show is over and I am officially tipsy. B manages to get me up to our room after I win back $20 on the slots. Our best man randomly stops up for a beer. I have the good sense to rinse off the sweat and apply a vitamin C cream to my face. Adult time ensues, and we pass out around 3:30.
8:18 AM: I'm up! We spent $60 on beers and tips last night. My throat is killing me from all the yelling. We cuddle for a while and talk about how much I needed a night out. I've been stressed lately between fighting with my mom about wedding planning, finances and feeling a lack of respect at my job. B assures me for the 15th time that he's fine with our money set up, and I finally break down and text my boss. I brush my teeth and we check out of the hotel.
9:45 AM: I feel like garbage so obviously I need McDonald's breakfast. ($6.19) Stop to make sure my tires are aired up properly and finish the journey home. PSA: temp changes dramatically affect your tire pressure. Take care of your tires.
10:20 AM: The dogs are very happy to see us. Our incredibly nice neighbor lets them out when we are gone. We play in the yard for a while, then I unpack our bag and start some laundry. B makes a pizza for himself.
12:30 PM: My eyelids are twitching which means my body is tired. Bring my youngest dog to bed and have a very nice nap after catching up on some Money Diaries and chugging more water.
4:45 PM: The dogs are once again barking frantically and the next thing I know, Z is in my bed! Her grandma brought her home, what a gem. It was Z's cousin T's birthday today, so Z got up at 5:30 to make and serve T breakfast in bed with grandma's help. Z is such a sweet kid. She tells me she wants purple eyeliner for Halloween; she's going as Elsa. I need to replace mine anyways so I find a set with 3 colors on Amazon and pull the trigger on a purple sweater that's been in my cart since August. ($50.58) She watches YouTube videos on her iPad while I scroll the interwebs.
5:30 PM: B makes supper. He fries some burgers and makes French fries in the air fryer. After we eat, we settle into the living room and watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Sundays are family movie night in our house, but we're all too tired to start anything else. Z is out by 8 which is early even for her 6 year old standards. B turns on the World Series and I fall asleep immediately.
10:15 PM: The dogs want to go out, so I oblige. Throw the ball for our lab a few times, but it's 34° so the little dogs don't last long. B wakes up from his recliner nap and goes down to bed. I turn on HGTV for beach night. I'm so jealous of all these people living on the ocean. My fav CNA texts me about her night at work. I'm immediately frustrated at the way she's being treated but I try to calm her down. She contemplates requesting a meeting with the boss, and I encourage her to do so.
Daily total: $116.77
Day 3: Monday 10/28
12:30 AM: My schedule changed last month to every Tu-W-Th, but this week I work M-Tu-W so I can take Z trick or treating. So I stay up watching HGTV and texting with the girls at work.
2:36 AM: I don't hear B come upstairs and I scream when he says "boo!" He drinks a glass of milk and goes back down to bed. I make popcorn and start reading a random YA book that was free on my Kindle app. I can't really do anything around the house when I stay up because Z's bedroom is right off the living room, and our bedroom is in the basement along with the washer and dryer. The floors are creaky in too many spots and B is a light sleeper. I mostly cuddle with the dogs.
4:00 AM: Decide to lay in bed and keep reading. I have to kick the cat out of my spot and she's meowing in protest. B's alarm goes off at 4:45 and I fall asleep shortly after he goes to work.
7:20 AM: Now it's my alarm going off. Z is already awake so I ask her to get ready for school. She argues with me every morning because "school is boring mom!!" Only 7 months left until summer break... I stop at the old house to turn on the heat so the pipes don't burst, and drop Z off at school. Nobody picked up the couch, dang it.
8:15 AM: The cell phone and Hulu withdrawals hit my account, and I spend a few minutes categorizing transactions in my bank app. Pick up around the house a bit and Swiffer up dog hair. It's amazing how much our lab sheds.
11:00 AM: I'm back in bed with my Kindle book. Eventually fall asleep.
5:15 PM: My alarm goes off. I send a message to Z and make sure she's home (she is). We got her set up with Messenger for Kids a few weeks ago and she's obsessed. I get dressed for work, brush my teeth, put some dry shampoo on my roots and some BHA on my face. Grab last night's leftovers and out the door I go. My CNAs are so happy to see me. Drink my Monster during report per usual.
9:45 PM: 6-10 is always the busiest part of our shift, but tonight goes smoothly knock wood. I even remembered to get my votes in on DWTS. Wtf is Spicer still doing there?! I heat up my two burger patties with cheese (no bun), grab a yogurt and some carrots for dinner. I do OMAD on work days. I've lost 18 pounds so far!
Daily total: $0
Day 4: Tuesday 10/29
1:30 AM: THE COMPUTERS ARE BEING SO SLOW AND I WANT TO DIE.
2:01 AM: The entire system is down now. FML.
2:56 AM: We talk about a tattoo my coworker wants to get on her ass. Apparently a local tattoo shop is running a Halloween special this weekend. She's 20 and it shows, but I love her to pieces. She recently went through a health scare with a tumor in her humerus, but it's thankfully benign and I'm glad to have her back at work.
4:10 AM: The computer system is finally back up so I finish my charting. Check out the web for stamps for wedding stuff. I find a deal on eBay and order 400. ($163.96) The first part of my child support is deposited so I move some money into Z's account and round up my savings to $600.
5:30 AM: We still have the same morning routine: B brings Z to work with him, and I drop her off at daycare when I get done with work. It was a great shift tonight!
6:30 AM: Z has a complete breakdown at daycare when I drop her off, which is very unlike her. I think she's used to spending Monday evenings with me and is thrown off this week. She's always a little attached when she comes back from her dad's. I get home to shower and wash my hair, which is my least favorite chore. I wash with Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus shampoo, condition with Suave Essentials Coconut conditioner and brush it with the conditioner in. Put in some smoothing cream, gel and toss it in a tee shirt. My hair is to the middle of my back, so this is a freaking workout. Use the Vit C cream on my face again. Let the dogs out and put them away in the garage before I go downstairs to read and fall asleep around 11. B comes home on his lunch break every day and lets the pups out.
5:00 PM: I'm up. Normal pre-work drill. B says that one of the girls from work wants the couch, so we go to load it up and it's already gone!! Thank goodness. I drop Z off at taekwondo and head to work.
6:30 PM: Boss is still here so we have a good chat which results in me crying in his office. Embarrassing… Drink my Monster and get working.
10:17 PM: Another decent evening. I didn't bring any leftovers so I raid the kitchen and make myself a taco salad with lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, cheese, ground beef and sour cream. Yum.
Daily total: $163.96
Day 5: Wednesday 10/30
2:21 AM: Is there something in the water this week? Busier than last night, but still have plenty of downtime. I decide to stay on Reddit so I'm not tempted to shop for more wedding stuff.
3:29 AM: I hit up Amazon for some dry mouth lozenges for one of my residents. I generally do not make special purchases like this. ($6.78) My coworker mentions she needs a new TV and she's in luck, because B and I have too many now that we live together.
6:30 AM: I drop Z off at daycare without any issues and meet my coworker at my old house. She picks a 43 inch smart TV and I make $125! Head home for my abbreviated morning (night?!) routine: rinse face, vit C cream, brush teeth. My oldest dog is acting crazy so I give her some extra attention. Head to my eyelash appointment at 7:30 ($25 + $5 tip, budgeted above).
8:11 AM: I'm in bed with the cat. No place I'd rather be, it's 21° this morning. Browse Reddit for a while, then read until I fall asleep around 10.
4:00 PM: Same shit, different day. I'm up a little earlier because Z has started going to her dad's on Wednesdays. I work and B has dart league every week. Our save the dates were delivered and I'm so happy with them! I pick Z up at 4:30, hand my monthly check over to daycare and then drive Z to her dad's. Trip takes about 45 minutes total. Today was Z's last day of school for the week, so her stepmom will bring her home sometime in the morning.
5:44 PM: The Humane Society where I adopted my cat is asking for donations of Snuggle Safe heat pads. I order one on Amazon and have it shipped straight to them. ($32.34) I try to send items to them 3-4 times a year. Kiss B goodbye as we both head out the door.
11:00 PM: Holy crap it's been busy. Finally get to sit down and attempt to catch up on my charting, which takes about 30 minutes longer than normal tonight.
Daily total: $39.12
Day 6: Thursday 10/31
12:30 AM: B is done with darts and brings me THE BEST steak cubes at work. I'm starving and still pretty busy so I wolf them down along with as much water as my stomach can hold.
2:39 AM: Finally a breather. I address save the dates and have a major hand cramp when I'm done. I gotta figure out a way to print these for our invitations.
4:03 AM: My FSA reimbursement comes through. I leave it in my checking to cover the daycare payment I just dropped off.
6:30 AM: I'm free!! Best part of my job is the 3 day work weeks. Go home, body shower, brush my teeth and let the dogs out. It's 16° this morning so none of them want to play. Ha. I am also exhausted from not getting my 8 hours of sleep all week, but it's been so hard to wind down after work lately. I cuddle with the dogs for a while and go down to bed to read. B took the day off, and having him in bed with me during the week is strange. I finally fall asleep around 11:30.
4:03 PM: Z comes down in her Elsa costume and demands that I do her eyeliner. She's pumped for trick or treating. I brush my teeth and throw on jeans and a tee shirt.
4:45 PM: Time to head out. We hit a couple businesses and go up to our work where they serve free supper every Halloween. We get hot dogs, chips and a cookie each. Then we walk the neighborhood around my dad's place. We stop at a family friend's house, and she comments on my weight loss. Score! The scale is hard for me to believe since my clothes still fit the same. I sneak a couple swigs of Fireball while we walk because it's 37° and I'm cold. Z ends up with 2 full buckets of candy.
7:00 PM: We're home just in time for Grey's Anatomy! I'm really not enjoying this season but after 14 years of watching this show, it's hard to stop.
8:05 PM: Z gets herself ready for bed and I tuck her in. She's beat. I watch a couple episodes of The Simpsons' Treehouse of Terror marathon.
Daily total: $0
Day 7: Friday 11/1
1:24 AM: Next thing I know, the dogs are barking to go outside. B and I both fell asleep in the living room. I take care of the dogs and make some popcorn before stealing some Kit Kats out of Z's Halloween haul.
3:00 AM: I go downstairs to read as usual, but I'm out by 3:30.
11:36 AM: Y'all, I was tired. 12 total hours of sleep later and I'm feeling much better. The stamps arrived so I finish our save the dates. B goes to get groceries and pick up E, since he has an early out from school today. Z is still laying in bed 🤣
1:30 PM: Z's dance teachers send out emails regarding costume prices. Our total will be $164 this year, and I have plenty in Z's expense account to cover it. They'll charge my card later this month. I spend some time in my bank app categorizing transactions and moving money around. My account rounds up all my transactions to the next dollar and puts that money into my savings account, and $12.14 was moved this week. I sign up for Disney Plus and update my subscriptions expense to $92. Text with my bestie about wedding planning and my work wife about random stuff.
2:10 PM: E is home! B bought about $200 worth of groceries and random house stuff: fancy frozen pizzas, popcorn, cheese, chicken patties, bread, sandwich meat, milk, cereal, tortillas, black olives, onion rings, tater tots, freezer bags, paper plates, Little Debbie snacks, cold medicine for E, deodorant, body wash, a carbon monoxide detector, dog treats, and I don't even know what else. I'll get the next big haul. He also bought razors and tells me the handle on his DSC one broke, so I go online and order a couple replacements since our next box doesn't come for 6 weeks. ($18.49) My no-spend day is shot, so I order vape juice since it's on sale. ($47.57) I'm 4 months cigarette free and didn't include that little detail in my last diary.
2:46 PM: B gets a fire page. It's a possible gas leak so it should be a quick one. They usually just sit around until the gas company shows up. I hang out with the kids and E catches me up on his week.
4:00 PM: B is home. No gas leak, just overly concerned neighbors. E turns on season 2 of Stranger Things and we make the frozen pizzas for supper.
7:00 PM: E requests to play board games. My allergies are acting up so I don't join. I feel guilty but my headache praises me. We tend to get rowdy on game night. It's also a hair wash night but I can't be bothered.
9:35 PM: Tuck Z into bed and she's asleep almost immediately. The rest of us aren't too far behind her. E lets the dogs out and I fill up my water bottle. I'm in bed reading at 10.
Daily total: $66.06
Weekly Total: $493.91 I AM SHOOK
Ending checking account balance: $1421.96
Food + Drink: $6.19
Fun + Entertainment: $100
Home + Health: $18.49
Clothes + Beauty: $50.58
Transport: $28
Gifts + Donations: $79.12
Other (vaping and stamps): $211.53
Lastly, reflect on your diary!
I purposely chose this week because I knew it would be busy. Going to the casino and staying overnight was a rare treat, although that little trip was kinda 'free' since we used the garage sale money. I also don't buy $165 worth of stamps every week. shrug
I opened a Simple account in August and it has changed my life. It automatically creates envelopes for my money so I'm never concerned about paying my monthly/recurring expenses. All these sinking funds and savings goals are new to me and I'm so proud of myself for setting even this small amount aside. I have never earned interest on my money before.
November will be the last month I pay for my old house. I didn't include the expenses because they are already set aside. Breaking the contract for deed was awkward but necessary. I broke down over the summer when I was getting $200 electric bills and it was still 76° in my house, along with my contract holder seemingly stalking me. I'll be moving any extra money first to my CCs then student loans. If I don't muck up, I can be debt free in about 3-4 years. Thankfully, B is totally on board with this. We are also cash-flowing our wedding, aiming for a $5k budget. B covers most of the bills and I pay for most wedding stuff, and it works for us.

Algerida 2035: National Renewal Megaproject

President Sa'adi has announced a new megaproject to couple with the national housing overhaul that will change Algiers forever. President Sa'adi has proposed the creation of a megalopolis to expand from Algiers, Oran, and Tiaret. The new megalopolis, slated to be called Algerida, is the proposed capital of the Islamic Republic of Al-Maghreb, and to be the most modern city in the Middle East when completed. The project will be massive and cost around $100 Bn, to be built in 10 years. However, for Algeria's future, there is no cost to great to launch us into the next era. President Sa'adi envisions a city with world-class universities, casinos, a vibrant trade port, a booming financial center, high-class tourists, and factories outside of the city limits-churning Algeria forward. Without a doubt, in recent years, Algeria has made leaps and bounds towards a brighter future, but this will be the crowning achievement for all of Algeria's time. It is one thing to claim to be the utopia for Muslims, it is another to actually give it to them.

Algerida's Residential Development

Already announced but under a different name, Algerida's massive apartment residential complex developments are already underway. This urban renewal process will begin replacing the old with the new to completely change the Algerian lifestyle. With the street side stores that are built into the residential blocks, while also featuring underground parking garages, downtown life will be more vibrant than ever before. Citizens will now be able to purchase services, food, and small items through small privately owned businesses within the first two floors of the residential developments on the street side. The previously mentioned underground parking will clean the Algerian streets of vehicle, trash and pollution clutter. With the Algerian National Police strictly enforcing the urban ban on roadside parking, it should fix the problem for good, and trafficking will be smoother sailing rolling forward. These new residential developments will have access to natural gas, 5G services from nearby towers, 10 gigabyte internet speeds, running water, and air-conditioning as a utility. For many Algerians, this is luxury they have never had before. Each apartment building we be on average 25 stories tall and be built in districts of like models, all will feature both stairs and at least two elevators. The roof tops of the apartment building developments will be fashioned with solar panels and connecting to the Algerida grid through transformers to store and use the energy gradually through the day time, and open up the reserves at night time- living in the desert does have its perks. Additionally, power from the tiered-hydro dams as part of the desalination river project will be the primary contributor to the new grid. To combat pollution and dust, Algeria will be working with contractors from China to build air purifier towers in the center of each apartment residential district to clean the air out for the local residents. Needless to say, each residential district will have its own Elementary School, Middle School, and High-School all within close proximity to the air purifier towers within the residential district. Algerian National Police will have at least two precincts to each residential district to ensure proper community policing and compliance with traffic laws. The local roads will also have to be upgraded to connect the proposed regions of Algerida together. Most main roads in the residential districts will be 8 lanes wide featuring signs in both Arabic and French. The main roads will have traffic lights, but at the midpoint between each traffic light on major roadways, sky walkways will be built over the road for pedestrians to traverse peacefully across the roads. The sky walkways will use ramps on the side with small stairs in the middle to cater to disabled citizens. In addition to the traffic lights, a small shaded concrete pedestal will be erected for Algerian National Police Traffic Enforcement Officers who will guide traffic on a permanent basis with their arms and whistle. Additional officers will be necessary to assist in school-crossings Monday through Saturday. The walled communities will have a security checkpoint at both ends to be accessed both by on foot and by vehicle, where in between all the apartments in the district is a small communal park. The security checkpoint will be required to log in visitors and have the resident who invited them come down to escort them to the residence. Only keys and parking passes will be given to residents, however visitor vehicles that are not electric scooters or bicycles/skateboards can purchase a $20 parking ticket to allow them to use the underground parking garages. The security checkpoints will be managed by the Ministry of Public Safety. Vehicle license plates and pictures of the driver will be taken when vehicles come and go that are not resident vehicles, otherwise, resident vehicles will already have their vehicle logged in with the public security officers at the residential check point. There is no specific metal detector or shake-down security at the entrances, just scanning the gate access with a residential card, the card will show the Ministry of Public Safety officers a picture on their screen that they will visually match with the face. The card will open the gate regardless. Public Safety officers will patrol the apartment district both during the night and day time to assist residents and ensure the area is secure. All mail will be delivered to an apartment district mail sorting house that all the residents can visit to collect their mail, near the entrances to the districts. The mail boxes are free of charge, and come with living in the districts. International shipping will cost, domestic shipping is paid for. Each residential district will have one major hospital, while each apartment block will have a small clinic with maybe one doctor and five nurses on staff for a range of services. All dentistry, and specialized services are done at the hospital. Private businesses can rent out the rooms on the first floor to open up street side businesses, making small thrive-able communities within the city. CCTV cameras will be placed around the inside of the Apartment block and serve as a way to assist the Public Safety officers in their patrols.

Algerida's Air Markets

Air Markets at one point in time was a crucial part of Algerian culture, and that has not passed away with history for many. President Sa'adi sees no reason why the new megalopolis cannot have these air markets, however he acknowledges they are usually quite dirty, and give a bad image on a clean and prosperous city. Nonetheless, there is a happy medium that can be met in order to keep the city efficient, and the streets clean. Algerida will allocate large plots of land on roadsides where the open air markets can be organized so they are not directly on the street side. The stall owners can apply for a permit at no charge to set up their stall and request at which air market they wish to operate, and they will be given a set space to keep their stall and set up permanently. This way, Algerians and tourists alike can visit these open air markets and enjoy them as a crucial piece of Algerian history, while not detracting from the efficiency of the city. The air markets are largely unregulated, and mostly un-policed, with the exception of annual food inspections, and the occasional narcotics sweeps. Officers will still be accessed to make the occasional patrol through the market and break up fights and ensure there is no gang-affiliated operations, but will not interfere with the private business functions or their products.

Algiers Financial District as part of Algerida

Recently, the Algerian State Construction Engineering Corporation has begun constructing their new headquarters, called ASCEC Tower just south of Rue Tripoli in Algiers- in the new Algiers Financial District. Rue Tripoli in Algiers as part of Algerida will become the new financial district. Large state-owned companies like Air Maghreb, NaseebChat, and many other electronic and corporate manufacturing giants have begun setting up their own headquarters on Rue Tripoli, overlooking the Mediterranean. When it is complete, Rue Tripoli Street will become the postcard image of the new Algeria. A bright night sky filled with colors of bright LED lights. Soon Air Maghreb Tower, Algeria State Broadcasting Tower, and NaseebChat Corporation Headquarters will tower above Algerida and show of the many homegrown successes of Algeria's own corporations. By day they will flex power, money, innovation, and creativity, and by night- they will light up the sky. Other companies such as AliTel, Halim Group, Kazim Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, and many others will also be setting up their own headquarters on Rue Tripoli.

The Mighty Universities of Algerida

Now holding some of the most influential universities in Algeria such as: University of Algiers, and Oran University, Algerida will hold a lot of sway over the dreams of Algerian students. However, if Algerida really wants to compete on the world-stage, it will have to attract talent from all over the world, and build new universities with new programs to stimulate the minds. It would also mean, Algeria would need to create some new universities to be apart of "Allah League," a play on Ivy League to describe prestigious American universities. The "Allah League" in Algeria will consist of the new constructed schools:

• Sa'adi Military University
  
• National Algerida University
  
• Zekkal University of Science and Technology
  
• Fergani University
  
• The Hamina University of Business
  

Other universities from around the world are being encouraged to apply to build an extended university campus in Algerida before there is no longer any space. To jump start these “Allah’s League” universities, it will take a considerable amount of money because the school must be built, faculty must be hired, contracts need to be signed. However, for our young people, there is no expense too many. Algerians should have some of the best faculty and researchers from around the globe, and there is no place better to look than the rapidly developing China. China is cranking out teachers and professors faster than it knows what to do with them- and Algeria says- we will help you if you help us. The Algerian Ministry of Education has reached out to the Chinese Ministry of Education and delivered them a stack of contracts for temporary senior faculty positions to build an Ivy League from the ground up. Of course, these contracts will last while students learn and become professionals until they can eventually become professors themselves and truly embody a homegrown Ivy League, for the academic elite- but until then, we will learn from our best friend. The Sa’adi Military University will specialize in creating 2nd Lt. officers out of high-school for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, to become the best of the best for the Algerian Armed Forces, to comprise of PLA visiting leadership. The National Algerida University will be the all purpose university with a focus on international relations, political science, humanities, foreign languages, education, fine arts and music, Sunni theology, urban planning, things of that nature. The National Algerida University will have a mix of both local and Chinese professors. The Zekkal University of Science and Technology will be the STEM school, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, software development, electronics manufacturing development, maritime and nautical engineering studies, aviation sciences, cyber security, biology, chemistry, environmental policy, environmental engineering, sustainability studies. The Fergani University is the Algerian Law School, and school for law enforcement. Zekkal University will likely need a large amount of foreign faculty to begin. Police, prospective attorneys, intelligence services, prospective students in international laws would all seek out Fergani University. Fergani University can be comprised of domestic educators. The Hamina University of Business will be the official business school of Algeria teaching things like finance, accounting, human resources, business administration, industrial management, industrial programming, business law, petroleum business, aviation business, electronics and synthetic manufacturing. The Hamina University of Business will seek field experts from all over the world.

Algerida Industrial Sector

Algerida’s industrial sector will be built south of Chlef to Tiaret. Current manufacturing giants in Algeria will be expanding their operations exponentially in the area to create thousands of job opportunities moving into the future. Additionally, Algeria is going to push the manufacturing of simple goods to couple the growing field of complex manufacturing. The sectors Algeria will push during the creation of the massive Algerida Industrial sector will be textiles, furniture, foodstuffs, building materials, semiconductors, and desalination equipment. Algeria is currently undergoing a massive economic transition as it aims to push all petroleum exports well below 50% by 2030 in an effort to diversify the economy, and the Algerida Industrial Sector will be one of the major draws for Algerians and other arabs to Algerida to work, as it will be the largest collection of factories and manufacturing facilities in Northern Africa- a key branching point to nations in the EU and Asia. The Algerida Industrial Sector will have very low business tax, with wide 8 lane roads to allow for ease of logistical transportation.

Port of Oran Upgrades

Mers El Kebir Heavy Industries Co, Ltd, the major shipbuilder and subworks that was built at Port Oran have been the latest addition to the port authority, however Port Oran needs to be significantly expanded to be able to service high-capacity exporting. The goal for the Port of Oran is to handle 30.05 million TEUs annually, setting Port Oran below Shanghai and Singapore’s capacity, but just ahead of Shenzhen. The port will need to expand exponentially to support the following: 50 berths for vessels with 10,000 tonnes deadweight and above, 23 non production berths, 18 passenger ferry berths, 9 consignee berths, and 20 container berths. Additionally, Quay Crane length will have to be 15,500 meters. It will consist of 727 hectares in area, and 180,000 square meters of warehouse facilities. The port upgrades itself, will cost $7 Bn out of the total $100 Bn to be spent on the project.

The Golden Desert Casino and Entertainment District

The Golden Desert Casino and Entertainment District is the proposed tourist hotspot to be right near the beach at Zeralda. Several high-class resorts, casinos, nightclubs and restaurants will be constructed near the prime beachfront property to make Algerida a tourist destination for summer and spring breaking Europeans, and “big spenders.” The following casino resorts will be constructed:

• The Sands Algeria
• Arabian Nights
• Sultan of Spades
• Gran Algiers

The casinos will be run and managed by the Algerian Ministry of Tourism, the Golden Desert Casino and Entertainment District is the only place in Algeria where consumption of alcohol and prostitution is completely legal. The Ministry of Finance plans on making the Golden Desert Casino and Entertainment District the official “cash cow of Algeria” as the Las Vegas of the Muslim World. Arabs have money, why not gamble it?

Algerida Transportation

Algerida will need an extensively developed transportation system to service the new capital area. Algerida plans to implement a metro system to include subway and buses. Additionally, Algerida will be implementing high speed rail and cargo rails for end-to-end city travel. The Algerida metro will at the beginning primarily service Oran, Tiaret, and Algiers respectively and be built closer and closer to linking each other together in Chlef as the need for new residential developments expands into the area. Metro trains will be purchased from China, the latest model of trains being used on the Beijing Metro. The entire metro service (bus and subways) will use the “Sa’adi Card,” an all access card. The card can be loaded up at subway stations and will be swiped when getting on the subway through turnstiles and at the bus door, and swiped when getting off or exiting turnstiles. The Algerida Highspeed Rail will be utilized through purchased Chinese CRH2 trains that run at 380 km/hr. Several stations for high speed rail and cargo trains will be constructed at large population centers along the lines. It will take approximately an hour to travel from Oran to Algiers. The trains will stop for 5 minutes at stops between the line start and line end. Subway trains will arrive every 5 minutes. There will be a simple metal detector and bag scan at both the high speed rail stations and metro stations manned by Public Safety officers.

Nadir Sa’adi International Airport (IATA Code: NSA)

One of the most important additions to the city will be the Nadir Sa’adi International Airport, that will serve as the larger of two airports for this major city. The Nadir Sa’adi International Airport will house four terminals and two runways of 12,802 ft of grooved asphalt. The entrance to the airport will be at the center between four extending arms of departure gates, the cars will pass under a tunnel which the planes will cross above to transition around the airport and the cars will move in a circular fashion by moving counter-clockwise before exiting the opposite side. Nadir Sa’adi Intl. Airport will primarily serve as an international transition hub between the Americas and Africa, the Americas and Asia, Europe and Africa, and any branching point from Asia or Africa. When completed, the airport will be utilized by over 80 airlines, 185+ destinations, and over 84 countries. The airport will serve as the primary hub and base for Air Maghreb.

Presidential Palace and Fanfare

The Sa’adi Presidential Palace will be constructed in Tenes, pretty much directly between Algiers and Oran. It will be constructed to be one of the finest recreations of old Sultan-era architecture, and will cost $490 Mn to built. The grounds will feature the largest mosque in Algeria for the Algerian Government, a military barracks, firing range, a large outdoor infinity pool, a presidential gardens, a 85 meter tall statue of President Nadir Sa’adi, a 300 car garage, horse stables, Presidential House, Guest House, Presidential Bunker, a helicopter pad, private airfield, and much more. The property itself, considered one of the most choice places in Algeria to build property, has a view overlooking the Mediterannean. On Rue Tripoli Street, the Algerian Congress building will be constructed with the largest flagpole in the country just on the opposite side of the road, overlooking the Mediterannean. Behind the flag, a 85 meter tall statue in bronze of President Nadir Sa’adi will be erected. The road will be 12 lanes in total after expansion, and continue uninterrupted for a mile before a 400 meter obelisk called the “Monument to the Maghrabians” splits Rue Tripoli as a roundabout, connecting in many different directions to be the most signature route in the whole city. Where the Algerian Congress sits is called “Al Merkets Square” where the nation will hold its military parades, when complete. The Algerian Congress building will have a viewing platform where citizens can look out at the city when there is not a military parade, but will be a viewing platform for the Algerian government when completed. The Algerian Congress will be on the south side of the Rue Tripoli, with the National Flagpole just north on the opposite side of Rue Tripoli, further north behind the flag will be the bronze statue of President Nadir Sa’adi and one mile down Rue Tripoli to the west, the “Monument to the Maghrabians” could be seen splitting the road. On the edge of the financial district, the buildings would likely be covered in flags in banner form in the event of a military parade.

Here are the requested courtblogs from WFRV as requested by the one whose username starts with 4 letters and ends with 2 numbers. Reddit character limit forces me to split the blogs in two posts. This is only a partial archive, going back in time 11 years does have it's limitations :). Enjoy.  
Will Steven Avery testify?   That’s a question many people are wondering as the defense continues its case. So far we’ve heard from a bus driver who saw a woman taking photos near the Avery property, but can’t say with any certainty when. Next a propane delivery driver who was on Avery road on Halloween of 2005, who claims to have seen a green SUV driving away from the Avery Salvage yard between 3:30 and 4pm, an hour after the prosecution says Teresa Halbach was murdered. But again, he can’t say if the driver was a man or woman. Plus a man who owns the trailer where Avery lived and the .22 caliber rifle inside the home, thought to be the murder weapon. He says he fired over 3,000 shots over the years on the property, and the defense wants the jury to believe he‘s the possible source of 11 shell casings recovered by investigators.
We would expect to hear from a forensic expert to contradict the bone fragments in the burn pit or the DNA on the bullet pulled from the garage. You would hope for direct evidence of two vengeful law enforcement officers out to get Avery, for the shame they felt about prolonging his time in prison for a wrongful rape conviction. But where’s that one piece of evidence that shows the prosecution has got it all wrong straight from the mouth of the accused? Where’s Steven Avery?
If Avery took the witness stand, he could tell all what happened on Halloween of 2005. He’s really the only one who knows.
If you were facing life behind bars, wouldn’t you want to speak on your own behalf? If I were on the jury, I would want to hear what he has to say. But it obviously would be a huge gamble, and it’s still unclear if the defense is ready to take that chance. Posted by Kris Schuller at Mar 9, 2007 11:09 am     False Imprisonment Charge Thrown Out   The false imprisonment charge Steve Avery faced has been thrown out.
The decision came Monday morning as Judge Patrick Willis ruled on three motions filed by the defense last Friday. The judge ruled there simply wasn’t enough evidence presented during the trial to support the charge. The prosecution had argued that Teresa Halbach had to have been held against her will and forced into the garage, where they say she was murdered by at least two shots to the head from a .22 caliber rifle by Avery. The defense had argued that charge was only added after the other suspect charged in Halbachs murder, but facing a separate trial, Brendan Dassey, confessed back in March of last year of being involved in the murder. He later recanted his confession and faces trial in April.
But the court ruled against dismissing all of the charges as requested by the defense. The court also ruled the DNA evidence found on the bullet inside Avery’s garage would not be suppressed and that the police did nothing wrong during their week long search of the Avery property. So motions to suppress evidence collected from the burn pit and other areas of the Avery Salvage yard can still be considered by the jury.
The judge is now individually talking to jurors to make sure they have been following his order not to watch, read, of listen to media coverage of this case.
This case is quickly winding down. Expect it to go to the jury within the next few days. Posted by Kris Schuller at Mar 12, 2007 9:12 am     Motions To Supress 'Magic Bullet' Denied   False Imprisonment Charge Dropped, Motions to Supress Evidence, “Magic” Bullet: Denied   Steven Avery’s attorneys won one battle today. Judge Willis agreed that the State did not present enough evidence to prove the charge.
Dean Strang and Jerry Buting lost the motions asking to suppress the bullet with Teresa Halbach’s DNA on it, and the motion asking to throw out the evidence in the burn barrel and burn pit, since authorities did not obtain a new search warrant when they searched those areas. Judge Willis said the cops had five days to execute that warrant. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 12, 2007 1:19 pm     What About Teresa Halbach?   Everyday, I drive to the Calumet County Courthouse by myself. It’s a nice, pretty drive, and it gives me some “alone” time before and after work. And many times, I drive through Teresa Halbach’s neighborhood to get there.
Calumet County is Halbach Country. This is where the Halbach family lives, and you can feel the pain that still lingers here from her Teresa’s death.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve heard a lot of testimony about Teresa’s bones, her DNA, her Daisy Fuentes jeans and even her teeth. Sprinkled in between all of that was testimony from her mom (which broke my heart), her younger sister Katie, and her brother Mike. They bring you the human face to the person some of us never knew. But other than that, at times it seems Teresa Halbach gets lost among the science lessons about chemicals and vials of blood and the difference between tires with steel belts and those without.
I was sitting upstairs yesterday, while Judge Willis conducted individual voir dire of the jurors. I parked myself outside of Judge Willis’s chambers and talked with Mike Halbach for a few minutes. He’s a real sweetie and he’s getting married this summer, without his sister to stand by him. It really got me thinking. I don’t know how this family does it. They sit through these long days in court, and their lives will never be the same. We could all learn something from the Halbachs... and from Teresa.
There’s a photo of Teresa that I first saw the day Ken Kratz announced that Steven Avery would be charged with her murder. My colleague, Olga Halaburda, attended the news conference, and I went to a prayer service at St. John Sacred Hearth Church in Sherwood. I remember sitting in the church as the Halbachs filed in, sitting in the first pew. Mike wasn’t there, but all of the other siblings were in attendance. The hymn “On Eagle’s Wings” played as the service ended. That song will always remind me of Teresa Halbach.
That day, I was live at 5 and 6 outside of the church, near a candle that had been lit several days before as the community prayed for Teresa’s safe return. Next to the candle sat the cutest photo of a little girl that I think I’ve ever seen. It was Teresa Halbach, clad in a blue dress, sitting inside of a tractor tire. Next to it, sat a Reader’s Digest with The Beatles on the cover (that was Teresa’s favorite band). The magazine was sealed in a Ziploc bag with a post it stating, “May angels be with you on your journey.” Every time that I see that photo, it reminds me why we are here. Not that I’ve ever forgotten, but in between the talk of burn barrels and finger prints and DNA, sometimes you have to put her out of your mind, or at least tuck her in the back. Sometimes, you just have to do that to get through the day, so you can do your job and meet your deadline. But we must remember one thing: If the Halbachs can sit through court and listen to this, then we can, too. We must.
I snapped a picture of this photo using my digital camera at Seven Angels Restaurant here in Chilton. The Halbachs are regular customers there, and the Sabani family owns it. They’re some of the nicest people that I’ve ever met. They make me feel at home every time I go there, and it’s nice to sit there and get a feel for what the community is thinking and feeling. People are very interested in the outcome of this trial, and they love the Halbach family and Teresa. This photo is hanging in the front entrance of the restaurant. You can’t miss it; it’s right above the gum ball machine as you walk in.
But, maybe the next time we hear expert testimony about teeth, and bone fragments and “magic bullets”, this picture will come into our minds. Teresa Halbach is a little girl who grew up to be a photographer, but never lived to comb grey hair. In a way, she’s everyone’s little sister, daughter, niece, granddaughter and friend. Her’s was a life taken too soon, and for what?
I don’t think we’ll ever really know. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 13, 2007 10:20 am     The Chilton Hilton   That’s what some of us reporters have affectionately dubbed our media room down here. It’s a big conference room in the basement of the Calumet County Courthouse. The officials here, led by Sheriff Jerry Pagel and County Administrator Bill Craig (if I’m leaving anyone out, I apologize) allowed us to transform it into a newsroom. They’ve been so nice to let us do that, because let me tell you, it beats sitting out in the truck in the middle of winter!
The time has just flown by down here. Sometimes, it seems like hours fly by like minutes. I liken this room to a casino in Las Vegas. There aren’t any windows, no clocks on the walls. You sit all day long and listen to testimony and crank out stories and before you know it, you’re sitting in front of a camera, doing live shots for the 5, and going to a news conference and slamming it together for a 6 o’clock live shot. It’s almost like they keep us fueled by pumping this place full of oxygen and feeding us a constant stream of coffee. It’s like in Vegas when the cocktail servers keep the drinks coming, free of charge, just so you’ll keep gambling!
The other day, I wrote out a check and I asked the cashier for the date, and she said, “it’s March 10.” I nearly fell over. I couldn’t believe it was March. And, there have been more than a few days when I got home around 8:30 p.m. or later, and I couldn’t remember what day it was.
We have a lot of really nice people down here in the Chilton Hilton, and we all get along. It’s a shame that we’re always so busy, and that we don’t get to talk more. We have fun when we get to chat. Mick from TMJ4 sits in front of Kris and I. Peter from FOX 6 in Milwaukee sits behind me; very nice guys. Dan from TMJ radio sits across the way with Tom from The Journal Sentinel. We go out to lunch sometimes and we’ve gone out after work a couple of times. Carrie from the AP sits at the end of my table, but she was gone for a while, which was a bummer. Colleen Henry from WISN sits across the room, and I wish that she was closer to us. She’s really interesting and I’d like to talk to her more.
Then, there are my print pals, like John Lee from the Post-Crescent! He’s my bud! I do a lot of my live shots over at the Gannett table, otherwise known as Andy Nelesen’s “front porch.” I usually leave stuff on his desk, my glasses and make up, and he always returns them. He doesn’t like it when I leave my stuff at his “house” but he puts up with me.
All of the Green Bay TV stations have people here, too. A few of us have been on this case since day one, and it’s like we’re all in it together. We’ve spent a lot of time together, whether it’s in the courtroom, or at news conferences, or in the parking lot at the Manitowoc County Courthouse, which seemed like the entire summer. We have to see it through to the end.
Everyday after court, we flock to the podium together and for the news conferences, which can be a lot of fun! The attorneys and Mike Halbach are always nice to us, and they all have good senses of humor.
I’ll get some pics of our digs posted. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 16, 2007 8:33 pm     Jury Is Done For The Night   6:28 p.m. – The jury ordered cold cuts for dinner, and then called it quits for the night.
They’ll start back up again at 8:30 a.m. and we’ll be here! Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 16, 2007 8:34 pm     Juror Question #2   We learned that the jurors had a question. We're in hurry up in wait mode. So, we all arose from whatever we were doing and got into position. I wouldn’t call it organized chaos, more like just getting ready (this is what we do, so it’s pretty routine). Judge Willis was in chambers with the attorneys for a while, and then around 3:15 p.m., Judge Willis read the question.
The jurors wanted a portion of Sherry Culhane’s testimony read back to them. Culhane is the DNA analyst with the State Crime lab. She worked on Avery’s wrongful conviction case in 1985. She testified at that time that the hairs found on the victim in that case, were Steven Avery’s. DNA testing in 2003 (again conducted by Culhane) on those hairs showed they actually belonged to Gregory Allen. Culhane conducted all of the testing in this case.
The jurors wanted the testimony from Jerry Buting’s cross examination of Culhane read back to them, when she answered questions regarding the DNA testing of the .22 caliber rifle found hanging above Steven’s bed. Prosecutors say Avery used that rifle to murder Teresa Halbach. Roland Johnson, who actually owns the trailer where Avery lived, testified that gun actually belonged to him. Johnson said that he must have fired that gun 3,000 times. He liked to shoot gophers at his “weekend getaway” adjacent to the Salvage Yard.
Ok, so in the testimony, Culhane said that she swabbed several parts of the gun, including the barrel and the trigger. Culhane testified that she found neither Teresa Halbach’s nor Steven Avery’s DNA on the rifle, including the trigger guard.
The jurors returned to their deliberations.
From our count down here, Sherry Culhane was the 33rd prosecution witness to testify. If the jurors are taking this chronologically, then that means they’re just over half way through.
What do you think the question means, if anything? What do you think any of this means, if anything?
Email me and I will post your entries.
Angenette Levy: [email protected] Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 17, 2007 5:22 pm     Sunday Morning at the Courthouse, Deliberations Resume   Good Sunday Morning everyone! The jury arrived at 11 a.m. and resumed deliberations. They stopped at 5 p.m. last night. I heard that Sheriff Pagel offered to order some hot meals for them, and they declined. They ate the leftover cold cuts from Friday for lunch yesterday.
Some people are speculating that we’ll have a verdict by 1:00 because the Badgers game starts shortly after that. I don’t see that happening.
Anyway, Everyone is here and accounted for. Colleen Henry from WISN brought donuts for everyone. We’ve all brought food in at one point or another, and it’s always something tasty like donuts or cupcakes or something like that! Many of us are listening to music this morning as we work. It’s nice to listen to some music for the first time in a long time!
I was driving here this morning on my usual route and the Lionel Richie song, “Easy Like Sunday Morning” started playing in my head. It stopped when I drove past Sacred Heart Church in Sherwood. Cars were pulling in for church. It was sad to see all of the blue ribbons by the church, even though I’ve seen them many times before.
I want to thank everyone who has emailed me. I really enjoy reading your emails, and as I’ve said before, keep ‘em comin’.
Here are some of you responses regarding Juror Question #2 and other items dealing with the trial.
More later, I promise. Sounds like to me a mistrial or years and years of appeals is in the offing. I would very much like to see what odds Vegas would put on this trial if they even knew about it.
Tim
It scares me. I think they DO find serious doubt in the truth of Sherry Culhane's testimony. I know if I were on the jury, I would doubt her, no questions asked! She ONLY deviated on THIS case in how many years? I find HIGH doubt in that. Like the 'evidence' shows, the cops left her a message stating they wanted her to place Teresa in his house. But, as for other evidence, it just seems fishy. No, I don't actually think the police planted evidence, but I also am not 100% convinced Steven Avery did it! I have watched about 99% of the trial on the live stream. What an exhausting case. I do enjoy reading your journal and wanted to tell you so! Glad you got a cushion for at least some comfort. Hope this trial is over soon, for the sake of the Halbach's and all involved. As I said, I am on the fence and either way the jury decides, I can see how they would be unsure and glad I'm not one of them!!! I DO think he could have done it and may get away with it because 18 years in prison-he wasn't just sitting there...it probably warped him (more) and possibly gave him ways to get away with it! I also can't wait for his nephew, Brendan's, trial to get under way. I wonder how long that will take. In my opinion, I don't care how mentally unfit, nobody (hardly anyone) says they did that sort of thing if they didn't. That also is why I think more than not the Steven did do it.
OH-I also think Judge Willis is AWESOME! He's SO fair, I was surprised by that, to see such a fair judge-yeah, rare, isn't it. No Judge Ito here! (Thank God)
Mary Howard’s Grove, WI
I think the question is favorable to Steven Avery. They are piecing together the obvious things. If he raped her and did whatever in his trailer, there would have to be DNA of her in there somewhere (be it a single hair on the bed or in the carpet). If he shot her in the head from close range, the would be splatter in the barrel, which there wasn't.
I think based on the fact the jury is out this long and that type of question was asked, there are more people in the jury room trying to sway a not guilty verdict then the other way around.
Mark in Charlotte, NC
Quite a defense Avery put up--huh? Let me see, a gopher shooting, absentee dementiated landlord, some wicken lab auditor who could not definiately contradict the lab analysis but was probably paid very well just to put up some smoke, and some other bozos that could NOT factually impeach any of the prosecutions evidence or exhibits. Now, if you were Avery and truely innocent--would you not want to take the stand and try to convince the jurors? I would demand it. So would any innocent person. But he did not want the opportunity.
I thought both sides did a good job in their closing. The defense had little to work with, but created as much smoke as they could. Contrary to what you think, I want the defense to do a good job, in that way there is little chance of winning a new trial on appeal. Ken did a good job also, considering the magnitutude of all the evidence. I just wish he had a lower and stronger voice--sorta sounds like a cross between a whiney Wayne Newton and Michael Jackson at times. Some well placed theatrics should also have been used. Ken is pretty square.
I heard that if Avery gets off, that he is moving in to an apartment with Robert Blake and OJ Simpson, so they can pool their resources searching for the "real killers". I am moving to Canada where they have Smith and Wesson justice. Just kidding.
The Hallbach family is one class act. Sometimes in the heat of the battle, we lose sight of their grief. I tell this to everyone: if that had been my daughter, there would not be an Avery trial, and I would be behind bars charged and awaiting sentencing--because I would admit to everything. Eye for an eye...well, it even goes beyond that.
Mark from the Valley
I also get chuckles out of Mr. Buting. I have said to more than one person,"If I ever get in trouble I want those two guys defending me". Now, I do not ever anticipate that, but I think the defense has done a superb job of making the reasonable doubt a real possibility with the jurors. It has been fascinating for me to listen to both sides while at work through your network, and I am so glad I am not on that jury. I have my beliefs both ways of Mr. Avery but I will keep my thoughts to myself and see what the jury does.
T
Like him? About as much as a 10 foot cobra! The man is condescending, vastly rude and can take any fact and twist it to his version of the truth.
Why is everyone else stupid except him?
Both Mr. Buting and Mr. Strang have played on the sympathy of "poor" Mr. Avery, sent to prison for all those years for something he didn't do. That has no relevance to what was done to Ms. Halbach and to this crime. Does the fact of being sent to prison unjustly exonerate one from brutally murdering an innocent person? And if you have intelligently followed this trial, you will know that Mr. Avery did, without a doubt, commit this crime.
Both Mr. Buting and Mr. Strang just leave a very sour taste in one's mouth. Their smug superiority is very irritating and I feel detracts from their message.
I think if I were a juror, Mr. Kratz's famous powerpoint presentation would be helpful. Verbal and visual reminder of what was presented. I liked his style, he was easier to listen to than the defense. Although at times, I felt maybe a bit too ingratiating. But overall, I think he did an exemplary job of laying out the facts.
Barb S. Green Bay Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 19, 2007 4:38 pm     When The Verdict Came In   Around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, everyone down in the Calumet Casino (a.k.a. The Chilton Hilton) started to wonder, “what in the world are we going to do for a story today?” None of us anticipated a verdict, and we were all brainstorming. We thought, “well, maybe they’ll (the jurors) come up with a question.” I wanted to do a story with all of the attorneys, asking them what was the longest they’d ever waited for a verdict. None of them seemed interested, then I approached Sheriff Pagel and he didn’t think he would be allowed to comment due to the gag order.
So, I started to walk upstairs around my best estimate of 4:44 p.m. to fish around for another story. I was on the phone with my producer Michael as I approached the stairwell leading to the lobby and was met by Sheriff Pagel, a line of reporters trailing after him. Colleen was directly behind him and I can’t remember who else was there, but I joined the line of reporters and followed them inside, and told Michael that I would call him back.
I expected Sheriff Pagel to say, “the jury’s done for the day.” Instead, he said, “ok, we have a verdict.” I flipped open my cell phone, got the phone tree going and started to get ready. Everyone dropped what he or she was doing, and picked up phones. Remember, this is what we do. It’s our “hurry up and wait” mode, and when the waiting’s over, we spring into action. It’s an autopilot type thing, and it’s hard to describe, but your heart kind of pounds and you get this tunnel vision, and forget about everything else. You have one focus, and that’s get the story right, and get it on the air as soon as possible. For example, I had been suffering from shooting pain in my back and legs for two days prior to this, and the second Sheriff Pagel made the announcement, all of the pain disappeared.
I was to be stationed outside but I had time to watch the verdict from the media room off of the courtroom. I’ve been on this case since the beginning, so I had to see it up close. There wasn’t room in the courtroom for me, but the media room was just fine with me. John and Dewey from the Post-Crescent were in there, along with Morry from the AP (nice guy, great still photographer) and so was Fred Berry from WOMT.
We’d been waiting for this for nearly 18 months. It was judgement day. The courtroom was packed with Halbach family members. Steven Avery’s mom Dolores arrived, but her husband, Allan, was not present. Dolores’s brother was there, along with Steve’s aunt Ivonne. They’ve been in this spot with Steve before and the last time he went to prison for 18 years.
I was looking around and the attorneys appeared calm, yet tense. Some Calumet cops kept peeking into the media room, I think they were just making sure everything was okay. Then, I saw a couple of faces that I hadn’t seen in weeks, but they were two faces I’d seen many times before: Manitowoc County Sheriff Rob Hermann and Inspector Gregg Schetter, the Manty County Cops. I greeted Sheriff Hermann, who I’d met at a news conference nearly a year and a half ago. He’s a nice guy and I’ve seen him a lot over the last several months. Rob was standing next to me, it was pretty much standing room only in our media room. Morry climbed up on a chair to get a picture or 10 of Steve as they brought him in.
To quote Simon and Garfunkel, the only thing that you could hear was the “sound of silence” and camera clicking.
Everyone in the courtroom sat down, the jury was brought in. I watched as they walked in because I wanted to see whether they would look at Steve. I’ve often heard that jurors delivering a not guilty verdict will look at the defendant. These jurors did not appear to look at Steve as they walked in, but we had no idea of what the verdict would be.
The papers were handed to Judge Willis and he started to read, “We the jury find the defendant Steven A. Avery guilty of first degree intentional homicide.” I stood there frozen, and I didn’t even hear the second count being read, when Judge Willis said the jurors reached a not guilty verdict on the mutilation of a corpse charge. By all appearances, the courtroom was silent.
Judge Willis thanked the jurors for their service. That was my cue to get outside. I marched down the hallway with another reporter, and we walked outside, and got into position in front of our cameras. Chelly Boutott was there and she was trying to get interviews with people leaving the courthouse.
We then went down to the media room and Mike Halbach was speaking. It was very touching. He said that his family would be keeping the Averys in their prayers, since they too have suffered a great loss. What a class act, with all they’ve been through.
Then Dean Strang and Jerome Buting spoke. They were disappointed. They believe in Steven. I’ve never seen two attorneys advocate so strongly for a client. They worked very hard for Steven Avery.They are to be commended. They’re very nice guys.
Then Special Prosecutor Ken Kratz and the Calumet and Manitowoc County cops came down. It’s been a long road for them, and they’ve worked hard to see that justice would be served for Teresa Halbach and her family. They all look tired. It was weird sitting there , watching this Wall O’ Law Enforcement. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time with these guys over the last 18 months whether it was at court or at news conferences. Cops sometimes get a bad wrap, but I can tell you, these cops the Manitowoc and Calumet guys were thinking of one thing throughout this case, and that was: Teresa Halbach.
What did you think of the verdict? Did you watch? We may post your response.
Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 20, 2007 8:47 pm     Cross Examination of Dr. Gordon   Ken Kratz accused Dr. Gordon of “cherry picking” by choosing to put things in his report that would favor Brendan Dassey’s assertion that his confession was false, and the result of suggestion by investigators.
Ken Kratz cited a question Dassey was asked. Dassey said that he believed it was true that anyone would lie to keep out of trouble. Gordon said that the testing he used was not suitable to determine whether Dassey could be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder, or anti-social tendencies. Anti-social personality disorder is defined as:
“A psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR recognizable by the disordered individual's disregard for social rules and norms, impulsive behavior, and indifference to the rights and feelings of others.”
Kratz also cited the difference between suggestibility and a truly false confession. He pointed out studies about false confessions.
There are three types of confessions:
1) Voluntary 2) Coerced, compliant – the subject perceives a gain 3) Coerced, internalized – the subject convinces herself or himself that they committed the crime
Kratz: Their studies indicate that most false confessions are the result of very long interrogations, sometimes that last into the days, rather than just an hour.
Gordon: True.
Kratz said Dassey started to make admissions about 60 minutes into his 3 to 4 hour interrogation.
Gordon conceded that Dassey’s low IQ which has been estimated between 73 and 81, his shyness and other personality traits, could make him susceptible to giving a true or false confession.
Gordon reiterated that his testing was designed to show how suggestible Dassey might be, not the truthfulness of his statement. Apr 24, 2007 9:38 pm     The Dane County 15   Let me tell you, Brendan Dassey couldn’t ask for a better jury, in my opinion. These people are a smart, smart bunch. They seem attentive and considerate and open-minded.
11 women and four men sit on the jury. A woman was dismissed last Friday due to illness. I have watched them when I’ve been in the courtroom. A few look a little tired, but otherwise they seem to be holding up well. They listened carefully as Brendan Dassey testified yesterday. They also watched the confession; some took notes while I was in the courtroom. The day after the confession played, it seemed many of them couldn’t even look at Brendan, though. Some of the women just stared at him, skeptically. Some of the men did not look at him.
The jury is staying at a local hotel in Manitowoc. I’ve stopped by the bar there after work a couple of times to meet reporters who are also staying there . The jury always has a great spread set out for them. Last night, I walked by and there was some awesome Strawberry Shortcake on the dessert tray.
They arrive every morning looking fairly chipper. Tomorrow, they should have the case by late afternoon or early evening.
Does anyone want to guess how long they’ll deliberate? Apr 25, 2007 10:30 am     Sexual Assault Charge: Amended   This morning, Special Prosecutor Ken Kratz asked the court to amend the criminal complaint and change the first degree sexual assault charge as a party to a crime to second degree sexual assault as a party to a crime.
Judge Fox granted the motion. Then, Mark Fremgen asked to have that charge dismissed, citing a lack of physical evidence. Fremgen said there is no physical evidence to support the charge. In fact, he said the only evidence to support it is the confession, and according to the law, some evidence must be offered aside from the confession.
Special Prosecutor Norm Gahn said there isn’t a lot of physical evidence because Steven and Brendan burned Teresa’s body. However, he said the discovery of handcuffs and leg irons in Steve’s bedroom, along with Teresa’s DNA on the bullet found in Steve’s garage is sufficient evidence to corroborate the confession. Gahn also noted how the furniture in Avery’s bedroom had been rearranged, which Brendan said in his confession, and Jodi Stachowski, Avery’s girlfriend testified too, which supports the claim that the bedroom was cleaned thoroughly to destroy evidence.
Judge Fox said there’s enough evidence to have the jury consider the charge. Motion to dismiss, denied. Apr 25, 2007 5:10 pm     More of Your Emails Thanks for writing in again, everyone! And, as I’ve said, keep ‘em comin’! I want to know what you’re thinking.
Brendan’s Testimony
Dug that hole a mile deep. That's why I find it quite interesting why a defense attorney would let his client go up on the stand, put a noose around his neck and hang himself. My past experiences were a defendant NEVER makes a good witness. The phone call to his mother seems to me to be the deal sealer.
Tim, De Pere
I think every word he confessed to is true. Steven Avery is the one that should pay dearly for this kid, I think he made a wrong choice but Steven is the real problem. Too bad Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty.
Marie
How long do you think the jury will deliberate?
I say once the jury gets the instructions, they will be out no more than 4 hours before they return their verdict. I can't help but feel that when Brendan took the stand Monday that he lost all possible hope for any "sympathy" from the jury to possibly convict on a lesser charge.
Tammi, Green Bay
1 hour
Dan
I think the jury will be out about 10 minutes...
Mark
I think the Jury will deliberate and reach a verdict in less than 2 hours. The evidence is clear. The decision should be easy.
MN DePere, WI
Tom Fallon’s Closing Argument
I caught most of it....compelling to say the least ? Is it just me or has Brendan "perked" up a little bit since his testimony Monday ? I sure hope this kid doesn't think that he is going home after all this....breaks my heart for both families.
Tammi
Angenette, Apr 25, 2007 7:28 pm     We’re on Verdict Watch   I’ve received some emails asking about what’s going on out here in Manitowoc County.
We’re all sitting in the parking lot of the courthouse or hanging out in the parking lot. It’s really, really cold out here!
The jury got the case around 4:30 p.m. after some pretty impressive closing arguments from the State and the defense.
The Dane County jury now consists of 13 people – 12 jurors and 1 alternate composed of four men and two women. Two women were relieved of their duties today.
They just got dinner. It’s Italian consisting of pizza and other stuff. It smelled delicious!
It could be a long night, or a short one. We’re in hurry up and wait mode. When we were in Madison for jury selection, the deputies at the Dane County Courthouse said that a jury their deliberated until 6:00 a.m. several weeks ago, and returned a verdict then.
We could be in a for a short wait, or a long night.
I’ll do my best to keep you updated. Apr 25, 2007 7:35 pm     Two Mothers – Polar Opposites   Karen Halbach -- Teresa’s Mom
Everyday for the last 18 months or so, I can imagine that Karen Halbach has awakened to milk her cows and see her two teenage daughters off to school. As she walks toward her barn, does she look across that farm field and see the home that used to be occupied by Teresa? I wonder what it must be like for her, to open her eyes every morning. Is Teresa the first thing that comes to mind? Is she the last thing she thinks about before going to sleep?
I know that my mom always says there’s probably nothing worse that a parent can go through, than to lose his or her child. Losing a child is a totally unnatural experience. Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children; they’re supposed to watch them grow up, have their own children -- or not -- and grow to middle age, and in some instances, old age. But, Karen Halbach was robbed of that by Steven Avery -- and now, Brendan Dassey.
I’ve heard over and over again that the Halbachs have a deep faith that has guided them through the last 18 months. Mike Halbach has often said that he gets his strength from his mother. I don’t know whether it’s faith or life experience or a combination of both, but I know that I don’t understand how this family has kept it together.
Imagine for months, turning on the news and listening to the man you believe to be the murderer of your daughter, granting interviews and suggesting that your daughter might still be alive. Imagine Karen Halbach, listening to Steven Avery talk about how cops might have planted his blood to frame them for her daughter’s murder. To listen to him say, “she was here for 5 minutes, and left” even after his nephew gives a three-hour recorded confession.
I feel for Karen Halbach and the rest of the Halbach family. My younger sister is Teresa’s age, and let me tell you, if that had been my sister, I would have lost it a long time ago. The first time Steven Avery walked into the courtroom smirking my way, I might have lost it. But then in a way he wins. I might be in a straight jacket by now, if something like that happened to my sister. But, then again, you never know how you’ll handle a situation, until you’re in it.
I don’t know whether the phrase “grace under pressure” adequately describes Karen Halbach -- it seems like it’s not good enough. We could all learn a thing or two from Karen Halbach and her family. They’ve got more class in their little finger than some people could ever hope to have.
Barbara Tadych
I met Barb Tadych on the evening of March 1, 2006. It was the night that her son, Brendan Dassey, confessed to helping rape and murder Teresa Halbach and then burn her body.
I stumbled upon Barb and she agreed to talk with me. Standing outside, she looked absolutely stunned. She told me about her baby, Brendan and how her brother threatened him to go through with it. I stood outside in the cold, it was misting a bit, and listened to her as she poured out her heart to me. She told me about how badly she felt for the Halbach family. She didn’t understand how someone could “take an innocent life.”
Barb told me that Brendan had a learning disability and that “he does as he’s told.” I had no idea at this point that Brendan had confessed to the things he did -- I thought that he had confessed to helping burn Teresa’s body, nothing more.
I’ll never forget what it was like to look into her eyes as she realized what her brother had dragged her son into that Halloween day. She said that she was “numb.” She looked into the camera and spoke to her brother and said, “Steven, I know you’re going to be watching this and I hate you for what you did to my son, so you can rot in hell, alright. And I’m gonna get you for it.”
That night, I would learn that Brendan Dassey had confessed to murder and implicated Steven Avery in the crime. I was stunned. I remember thinking, “a 16-year-old kid did this?” Of course it’s possible, but how could a kid do this?
As I’ve said before, only Brendan Dassey can answer the “why” question. And, if he did do it, and if it was simply because he “wanted to see what if felt like”as far as sex goes, then why did Steven Avery bring his young, impressionable nephew into this?
How could he do this not only to Teresa Halbach, but to his sister and his nephew? Only Avery can answer that question and right now he’s saying that he didn’t do it.
I’ve watched Barb over the last 13 months. This has worn on her terribly. She wants her son to come home and the truth of the matter is, he may never see the light of day again once that jury returns with a verdict.
It’s very, very sad. If Brendan Dassey did this then he must be punished, he must be held accountable. But, Barb didn’t do anything and it’s hard to watch a mother who may lose her child -- albeit in a much different way than the Halbachs.
In talking to Barb I can tell that she’s tried to be a good mother and that she loves her children. We all have to play with the hand we’re dealt, and sometimes it just seems like Barb got a really bad hand.
It’s also terribly sad that most of the time Barb comes to court by herself. Brendan’s dad Peter has been here in the mornings, but he has to work in the afternoon. When Steve was on trial, many of the Avery family members showed up for court everyday. It’s sad to see that Brendan’s grandparents, Dolores and Allan, and his uncles choose to stay home for his court appearances. Why all the support for Steve and none for Brendan?
It must be awful to feel like no one’s behind you, or your son. She also trusted her brother with her son, and now look what’s happened, if what Brendan said is true.
P.S. -- Karen Halbach and Barb Tadych share the same birthday.
Angenette Apr 30, 2007 3:34 pm

• Trudi Daniels (@TrudiDan) & Marc Fellhauer (@MarcFell) are here today!
• RIP Margot. Her final interview with us was picked up by TMZ. The Matt Patricia story isn’t going away. We want legal sports gambling in Michigan now! Trans Waxing in Canada. Ludicrous twitter polls &we’re all going to have to work until we are 70.
• Was there a quicker phone to casket than Margot Kidder? SIST: who was the last to say “bye” to Margot?
• Mike Clark is counting steps now… should he get a FitBit?
• A bit of self-gratuity as we made TMZ live &need to watch ourselves on TV…OOOooooo!!!! Marc creeps on Charlie via email.
• We’re giving Vincent James of _Forever Love_fame a call to see if he still answers his phone saying ‘Music’.
• Matt Patricia is straining to do some explaining as it is becoming increasingly clear that something happened 22 years ago &it doesn’t sound great.
• This is the episode of SISTs as we spend a bit too long trying to figure out if it was the man or woman on the street (see below) that was warning us about ‘geo thermal blowout toxins’ on GMA.
• Listeners flooded the TMZ comments to sprinkle some drops in amongst the sea of racist/sexist comments.
• Lil Tay Update: The Momager of Lil Tay lost her listings &her job after a client recognized their house being used for an Instagram video. She also put a dent in a Rolls Royce, did a sweet collab with Logan Paul &cried about her haters doing all that hating.
• Sports betting has been given the green light by the SCOTUS &a lot of people are ready to head to the casinos to double their paychecks.
• Meghan Markle’s half-sister faked paparazzi photos of her dad &her dad responded by having a similarly FAKE heart attack.
• A transgender woman was denied service at a waxing spa in Windsor &is seeking $50K to repair her damaged dignity.
• Steve McQueen nailed Ali MacGraw &dudes… allegedly.
• Ramadan scams are all the rage these days. Any Ramadan donations to the podcast are welcome.
• Drew Dreamweavering Time: 60 Minutes had a story on a giraffe that was shot for ‘population control’ &then a public autopsy was performed before feeding the body to a lion. The Pope is shaking stuff up by being receptive to science &telling everybody that there is ‘no Hell’.
• A 20-year-old Royal Oak man was shot by police after stabbing his parents &rushing the officer.
• A gas station clerk stepped out from behind bulletproof glass to shoot a customer in the back following a quick argument.
• Millennial’s are saving their money &saving the economy. Some parents are even paying their BRATS down payments on new homes to get them out of the basement.
• Today in rock to include: 57′ Elvis rushed to the hospital after inhaling a tooth, 68′ John Lennon &Paul McCartney gave the worst interview ever, 76′ Keith Relf of The Yardbirds died while tuning an ungrounded guitar, 77′ Brian Eno attended a Talking Heads concert &later went on to produce them, 83′ Spandau Ballet #1 with True, 98′ Frank Sinatra died at 82, 03′ Britney Spears settled a legal tiff with Sketchers, 04′ Phil Spector arrested after fighting his chauffeur, 05′ 50 Cent sentenced to anger management &drug testing after assaulting 3 women at a concert, 13′ KISS announced their aspirations to open 100+ restaurants
• Drew will be on The Nine on Fox 2 tomorrow at 9:02am.