Vetting Jurors via MySpace
As personal information becomes more widely available on blogs, MySpace, Facebook and other social networking Web sites, the Internet has become an important tool for jury consultants and trial lawyers. Such sites are a treasure trove of information about potential and seated jurors that can be used in picking the right jurors, bouncing potential jurors and even influencing jurors during trial and in closing arguments. [National Law Journal, August 11, 2008 - subscription required]

Wander the Warehouse District in Toledo on Sunday, September 7
Architect Paul Sullivan’s new work/living space is one of seven sites to visit. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at South St. Clair and LaFayette the day of the event. For more information, see http://www.wanderthewarehouse.org/locations/default.asp
See locations at above link

A TANK AWAY FROM CHAMPAIGN OR CHICAGO
A faithful reader has visited Funk Farm just south of Bloomington, Illinois. The Funk name is associated with hybrid corn seed and the family was very successful in many areas. Their farm was fully wired, lit and they had their own generator operated by an engine that one son built from scratch at the turn of the century. The house was heated, had full bathrooms—again, at the turn of the century. One son got into stones and gems and gathered a large collection of them and now there is a display room showing some of his favorites. Their farming habits were highly acclaimed and apparently good enough to buy 25,000 acres of central Illinois!
http://www.funksgrove.org/

Lin Miaoke, who was seen belting out "Ode to the Motherland" as the Chinese flag entered the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics became an instant celebrity and was quickly christened a "smiling angel." The image of her in a pretty red dress appeared around the world.
But it wasn't Miaoke who was singing. Chen Qigang, the ceremony's music director, told state broadcaster Beijing Radio that the voice heard around the world belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Peiyi had the voice and was supposed to perform, but was yanked at the last minute because her looks were deemed not suitable by a senior Communist Party official, Chen said. "It was for the national interest," Chen told Beijing Radio. "The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings and expression."

Actual singer Yang Peiyi

Lin Miaoke
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-fg-lipsync13-2008aug13,0,3009926.story

Lip-syncing is not new
In the 1951 film Show Boat, Ava Gardner's singing voice was dubbed by vocalist Annette Warren. Gardner's vocals were included on the soundtrack album for the movie.

Saturation zones in Arkansas
The Helena-West Helena City Council (the two towns merged a few years ago) has voted 9-0 to allow police to expand curfews into any area of the city. “The saturation areas are ‘hot spot’ areas across the city where the criminal element is more active.” Here’s the AP story, and one from the Helena Daily-World.

Q. What is the only island state?
A. Hawaii is the only island state and the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii consists of the Hawaiian Islands and a few other geographically unrelated islets located near the center of the northern Pacific Ocean. The state is composed of eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs and shoals.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576663/Hawaii_(state).html

austral (O-struhl)
adjective: Southern From Latin auster (south). That's why Australia is so named, but that does not apply to Austria, in central Europe. Austria's name is a Latinized form of its German name Österreich (eastern empire, referring to the eastern boundary of the Frankish Empire at one time).
A.Word.A.Day

August 14 is the birthday of Danielle Steel, (books by this author) born in New York City (1947). Her books have sold more than 570 million copies and are read in 28 languages.
She spends her days writing in her bedroom on a 1948 metal-body Olympia manual typewriter, wearing her flannel nightgown . She often writes 18 hours a day. She said, "Once a book is really going, I can't get away from it. Sometimes I forget to comb my hair. And if I'm in the bathtub, I'll scrawl notes on the mirror or the wall. Writing is just an all-consuming passion." She says, "It drives everyone else crazy."
The Writer’s Almanac