After Lochi died, the dog "joined mourners at her funeral service" according to locals and "followed after Maria's coffin" as it was carried into the church.
Tommy, a stray who was adopted by Lochi, has been showing up "when the bell rings out to mark the beginning of services" ever since.
"He's there every time I celebrate mass and is very well behaved," Father Donato Panna told the paper. "He doesn't make a sound."
None of the other parishioners has complained, Panna said, and villagers give the dog food and water and allow him to sleep nearby.
"I've not heard one bark from him in all the time he has been coming in," Panna added. "He waits patiently by the side of the altar and just sits there quietly. I didn't have the heart to throw him out—I've just recently lost my own dog, so I leave him there until Mass finishes and then I let him out."
A loyal dog whose owner died late last year has apparently been showing up for Mass every day for the last two months at the church where the funeral was held.
Tommy, a 7-year-old German shepherd, used to accompany his owner, Maria Margherita Lochi, to services at Santa Maria Assunta church in San Donaci, Italy, according to the Daily Mail, and was allowed to sit at her feet.
Via: Yahoo News
Tommy at Santa Maria Assunta church (Nikonarte Fotografia/Daily Mail)
Thomas P. Lowe, 58, won't have a chance for reinstatement for at least a year and three months after the decision, filed Thursday, Jan. 10, by the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Lowe, an attorney since 1985, had known the client for many years. Both are from Valley City, N.D. The woman met with Lowe in August 2011 to discuss pursuing a divorce from her husband.
He agreed to represent her. During a phone call days later, Lowe asked about her sexual relationship with her husband, commented on her appearance and asked if she was interested in sex with him.
The following month, they began an affair that lasted until March. At various points, Lowe billed the woman for legal services on the dates of their sexual encounters, coding the time as meetings or drafting memos.
In March, after several arguments with the woman about the affair and his own marriage, Lowe said he was breaking things off. Two days later, he said he was withdrawing as her attorney.
That day, the woman, who was considered vulnerable because of past abuse and mental health treatment, tried to kill herself. While hospitalized, she disclosed the affair.
The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility brought the petition against Lowe in July. He initially denied much of it, but now "unconditionally admits the allegations," according
to court filings. A man who answered the phone at Lowe's office Monday said Lowe was unavailable.
An Eagan lawyer is suspended indefinitely after having an affair with a client whom he represented in a divorce, then billing her for time they spent having sex.
Via: Twin Cities
the wicked
DAMAGE
Estimates of the economic losses caused by Hurricane Sandy earlier this week reached $50 billion as experts assessed the costs of severe property damage, shut-down subways and power outages.
On Thursday, Eqecat Inc. said it expects storm-related losses to fall between $30 billion and $50 billion. Of that, $10 billion to $20 billion will be insured, according to the firm, which calculates estimates for insurers.
Earlier this week, Eqecat had said that damages could reach $20 billion, with up to $10 billion in insured losses.
Several governors of affected states have declared this week that homeowners will not have to pay hurricane deductibles on insurance claims, reasoning that Sandy was not a hurricane when it made land.
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement that such deductibles typically range from 1% to 5% of a home’s insured value -- up to $15,000 for a house insured for $300,000.
Separately, analysts predict some $500 million in lost advertising revenue due to the storm, according to media research company Pivotal Research Group. That's about 1% of the quarter's revenue for the industry.
Via: LA Times
Tricked or Cheated?
Gov. Chris Christie has signed an executive order postponing Halloween celebrations in New Jersey because of "unsafe conditions" resulting from megastorm Sandy.
"I've taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy," Christie said Wednesday. "In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work. As governor, it is my responsibility to use all available resources of the state government to protect against the emergency created by Hurricane Sandy -- postponing Halloween celebrations by five days is a commonsense and necessary step to accomplish that."
Sandy has also caused the cancellation of New York's Greenwich Village Halloween parade, officials said. For the first time in 39 years, a parade that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and about $90 million in visitor dollars won't take place, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Halloween cancled? Postponed? What gives? Thanks to Sandy aka Frankenstorm, Halloween sucked this year, in more ways then one.
Via: UPI
According to a press release given to Street Insider, Disney is already planning Star Wars Episode VII for release in 2015! And on a conference call with reporters, Disney execs said they aim to put out a new live-action Star Wars film every two to three years.
Here’s the official quote from Lucas:
For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed thatStar Warscould live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization,Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.
Disney has purchased LucasFilm for a whopping $4.05 billion. And the Mouse House already has big, big plans for George Lucas’ world.
DISNEY BUYS
LUCASFILM FOR 4.05 BILLION.
According to a press release given to Street Insider, Disney is already planning Star Wars Episode VII for release in 2015! And on a conference call with reporters, Disney execs said they aim to put out a new live-action Star Wars film every two to three years.
Here’s the official quote from Lucas:
For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed thatStar Warscould live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.
Source: io9
Deep Red (1975) – A psychic is murdered. It's up to the musician that witnessed her murder and a tenacious reporter to find her killer.
Black Christmas (1974) – This film is considered to be the very first “Slasher” movie. A lewd phone call is the catalyst to a string of murders.
Behind the Mask: The rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) – In this sometimes hilarious, sometimes thrilling movie, a documentary film crew follows around a man who is taking all the steps necessary to become the next psycho killer legend.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (1988) – Michael Meyers awakens after ten years to hunt for his seven-year-old niece, and kill anyone who gets in the way.
Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Cabin in the Woods is a twist on the genre that will leave true fans awed by how the film deals with common horror archetypes.
Demons (1985) – Talk about claustrophobic. A group of people are trapped inside a theater as demons — who try to kill and posses their victims — continue to amass in numbers.
Return of the Living Dead (1985) – This is horror-comedy at its finest. Watch as a group of teens and medical supply employees try to fight off a horde of the undead. BRAAAAIIIIINNNNSSSS!!!
Sleepaway Camp (1983) – A shy, quiet girl is sent off to summer camp with her cousin in this Friday the 13th clone with a truly shocking surprise ending.
They Live (1988) – A pair of mysterious sunglasses allows a unemployed construction worker the ability to see the propaganda that is being fed to the people, as well as the creatures behind it.
Dead Alive (1992) – Directed by Peter Jackson, of Lord of The Rings fame, this film centers around the un-deadly effects of the Sumatran rat-monkey’s bite.
10 Movies To See This
HALLOWEEN
In the spirit of Halloween, a local aspiring horror-movie writer shares his picks for the most terrifying, thrilling, funny — and less obvious — fright films. You won't find The Exorcist here.
via: Concord Patch
"A girl's legs are her best friends...but even best friends must part."
- Red Foxx
Thomas describes his ministry as one of healing. “I don’t do exorcisms on demand,” he said. “It’s dangerous, and it’s not always what people need.
“I have to get to the root cause of what they’re suffering from — it is preternatural or psychological,” he said.
“In every instance I am called into, there is deep suffering,” Thomas said. “In most instances, it is not demonic, it’s a mental health issue. But either way, our church has a responsibility to help these people.”
In the seven years he’s been an exorcist, Thomas has worked with a dozen cases of possession among about 125 inquiries.
He counts three of the individuals as “delivered.” He is still working with another three. The others started the process but did not finish.
“My message to people is that Satan is real, demonic possession is real -- it’s not superstition, not myth, not medieval,” he said. “But the church has remedies.”
Thomas had been a priest for 22 years when his bishop of the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., asked if he would learn about exorcism. Not every diocese is required to have a priest trained in exorcism.
Thomas went to Rome on a sabbatical to study spirituality and took a class on the topic. He went deeper, studying with an Italian exorcist. A classmate from his class asked if he would be willing to share his experiences for a book.
The story of his internship inspired the book “The Rite” (2009), which was made into a movie released in 2011 starring Anthony Hopkins, who played the veteran priest. One marked difference in the film is that Thomas’ character is shown as a seminarian rather than an established priest.
“I couldn’t have told you seven years ago that I was called to do this,” Thomas said. “But I do believe in the personification of evil. I’m not afraid, and I believe that is a grace.
“I don’t find the work appealing, but in the same breath, I find it meaningful.”
Thomas used the $25,000 consulting fee from the film to start a fund to help those he sees when they need a referral for mental health or medical services and don’t have insurance.
Being an Exorcist is
REAL BUSINESS
Exorcism is the stuff of movies, but for the Rev. Gary Thomas, it is a Catholic rite. He is an exorcist, trained in the Vatican and Rome, and his story inspired a book and a 2011 film.
Thomas describes his ministry as one of healing. “I don’t do exorcisms on demand,” he said. “It’s dangerous, and it’s not always what people need.
“I have to get to the root cause of what they’re suffering from — it is preternatural or psychological,” he said.
“In every instance I am called into, there is deep suffering,” Thomas said. “In most instances, it is not demonic, it’s a mental health issue. But either way, our church has a responsibility to help these people.”
In the seven years he’s been an exorcist, Thomas has worked with a dozen cases of possession among about 125 inquiries.
He counts three of the individuals as “delivered.” He is still working with another three. The others started the process but did not finish.
Thomas had been a priest for 22 years when his bishop of the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., asked if he would learn about exorcism. Not every diocese is required to have a priest trained in exorcism.
Thomas went to Rome on a sabbatical to study spirituality and took a class on the topic. He went deeper, studying with an Italian exorcist. A classmate from his class asked if he would be willing to share his experiences for a book.
“My message to people is that Satan is real, demonic possession is real -- it’s not superstition, not myth, not medieval,” he said. “But the church has remedies.”
The story of his internship inspired the book “The Rite” (2009), which was made into a movie released in 2011 starring Anthony Hopkins, who played the veteran priest. One marked difference in the film is that Thomas’ character is shown as a seminarian rather than an established priest.
“I couldn’t have told you seven years ago that I was called to do this,” Thomas said. “But I do believe in the personification of evil. I’m not afraid, and I believe that is a grace. - Keep reading this story
Via: Greenville Online
How Dare They!
Wendy's Changes Logo and Branding.
Wendy’s, which has reported same-store sales increases for the past five quarters, is on the up-and-up, he said, but there’s always room for improvement. New Wendy’s locations won’t just have a new logo — they’ll also feature Wi-Fi access, fireplaces and digital menu boards.
The brand is also introducing a Mobile Nutrition smartphone app that is designed to allow consumers to customize meals and more easily calculate their calorie intake.
Wendy’s is in the process of changing a whole lot about the company — from introducing new menu items to remodeling stores and crafting an updated logo for the brand.
The changes are all part of a process to help the quick-service restaurant chain “leap frog” over its competition, said Craig S. Bahner, chief marketing officer at Wendy’s Restaurant Group.
“Consumers have raised the bar, and we have to meet that bar,” he said. “[The restaurant remodel] is part of a broader campaign that includes the new uniforms and the logo we announced today. It has the advertising component and also marketing, including our digital program and menu innovations.”
Via: NRN
Canadian researchers have come up with an unconventional technique for investigating the unconscious using a Ouija board—a wooden board marked with the words “yes” and “no.”
The University of British Columbia (UBC) team hopes to apply what they learn to make things like planes, cars, and objects in the home more intuitive and safer to use.
“Most people think they have complete control of their minds, but they are wrong,” said study co-author Ron Rensink in a press release. “The truth is, we perform thousands of unconscious mental and physical tasks every day.”
Rensink gives driving as the perfect example: “In many cases, we are navigating through dangerous situations, thinking only about what we want for dinner,” he explained. “We get home and often remember very little about the trip.”
The researchers found that people gave more accurate responses when guessing the answers to questions with a Ouija board (65 percent) versus answering verbally (50 percent). In contrast, when participants thought they knew the answer, both response types had almost equal accuracy.
“These surprising findings suggest we have a powerful ‘second intelligence’ resting beyond our conscious minds that can be accessed under the right conditions,” said study co-author Hélène Gauchou in the release.
Investigation: Unconscious Mind
using the Ouija Board
Source: the epoch times