9-9-2009!!!!!
Everyone from brides and grooms to movie studio execs
are celebrating
the upcoming calendrical anomaly
in their own way.
In Florida,
In Florida,
at least one county clerk's office is offering a one-day wedding special for $99.99.
The rarity of this Sept. 9 hasn't been lost on the creators of the iPod, who have moved their traditional Tuesday release day to Wednesday to take advantage of the special date.
Focus Features
an animated tale about
on the 9th.
Not only does the date look good
Not only does the date look good
in marketing promotions,
but it also represents the last set of repeating,
single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century
(until January 1, 2101),
or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001),
depending on how you want to count it.
Though technically
Though technically
there's nothing special
about the symmetrical date,
some concerned with the
ascribe powerful significance to
09/09/09.
For cultures
in which the number nine is lucky,
Sept. 9 is anticipated -
while others might see the date as an ominous warning.
Math magic
Modern numerologists -
Modern numerologists -
who operate outside
the realm of real science -
believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned
to each numeral one through nine,
and different combinations of the digits produce tangible
results in life
depending on their application.
As the final numeral,
As the final numeral,
the number nine holds special rank.
It is associated with forgiveness,
compassion and success
on the positive side
as well as
arrogance and self-righteousness
on the negative
, according to numerologists.
Though usually
Though usually
numerologists
do have a famous predecessor to look to. Pythagoras,
the Greek mathematician and father of the famous theorem,
is also credited with popularizing numerology in ancient times.
"Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers," wrote Aristoxenus, an ancient Greek historian, in the 4th century B.C.As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties. Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.
Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...Loving 9
Both China and Japan have strong feelings about the number nine. Those feelings just happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Chinese pulled out all the stops to celebrate their lucky number eight during last year's Summer Olympics, ringing the games in at 8 p.m. on 08/08/08. What many might not realize is that nine comes in second on their list of auspicious digits and is associated with long life, due to how similar its pronunciation is to the local word for long-lasting (eight sounds like wealth).
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese,
"Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers," wrote Aristoxenus, an ancient Greek historian, in the 4th century B.C.As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties. Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.
Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...Loving 9
Both China and Japan have strong feelings about the number nine. Those feelings just happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Chinese pulled out all the stops to celebrate their lucky number eight during last year's Summer Olympics, ringing the games in at 8 p.m. on 08/08/08. What many might not realize is that nine comes in second on their list of auspicious digits and is associated with long life, due to how similar its pronunciation is to the local word for long-lasting (eight sounds like wealth).
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese,
the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.
The Most Popular Myths In Science
Review: Animated "9" Destined to Be Next Great Cult Film
World to End in 2012: A Hoax Gone Too Far?
Original Story: Why 09/09/09 Is So SpecialLiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.
The Most Popular Myths In Science
Review: Animated "9" Destined to Be Next Great Cult Film
World to End in 2012: A Hoax Gone Too Far?
Original Story: Why 09/09/09 Is So SpecialLiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.
ماذا بقى من رمضان؟
هوامش حرة
ماذا بقي من رمضان ؟
يكتبها: فاروق جـــويـدة
بقيت أيام ويرحل الشهر الكريم.. وأغرب ما في شهر رمضان أننا ننتظره عاما كاملا ليجيء في صمت ويرحل في سكون.. وربما لا تذكر الأجيال الجديدة شهر رمضان الذي عشناه وعرفناه وأحببناه.. عندما كانت الأسرة تلتف حول موائد الإفطار بلا بذخ أو سفه أو ادعاء.. وعندما كانت البيوت تمد ذراعيها تصافح بعضها فالطعام للجميع وليست هناك حدود تفصل بين من لديه شيء ومن ليس عنده أي شيء..
كان رمضان صلاة الفجر والتراويح والموشحات والأدعية وحلقات الذكر والصوفية وكان الاخوة المسيحيون يشاركوننا كعك العيد بل انهم كانوا يصنعون الكعك في أعيادنا ونصنع الكعك في أعيادهم, وكان رمضان شهر كل المصريين ولم تتجاوز حدود التسلية في الشهر الكريم إلا ألف ليلة وليلة ومسلسل إذاعي واحد كانت تلتف حوله مصر كلها..
كان الغني جوادا وكان الفقير قانعا وكانت كسرة الخبز تكفي البيت كله.. لأن رمضان لم يكن شهر بطون وطعام وولائم بل كان شهر عبادة وتواصل ومحبة..
وفي الأيام الأخيرة كنت أتساءل مع نفسي لماذا تغيرت الأحوال ليس في مصر فقط ولكن لماذا تغيرت أحوال المسلمين كل المسلمين ما أكثر الحديث عن الإسلام وما أقل الأفعال التي دعا لها الإسلام..
ما أكثر مشايخنا وما أسوأ سلوكياتنا ما أكثر أحاديثنا عن التقوي وما أبعدنا عن الأخلاق.. ما أطول اللحي علي الوجوه وما أقل اليقين.. ان جوهر الإسلام في السلوك قبل الشعائر وفي الحياة قبل عذاب القبر وفي السماحة وليس في الشطط.. والإسلام نموذج رفيع في العمل والإنتاج والإبداع والسلوك..
فلماذا تحول في زماننا إلي صخب وضجيج وشعارات رنانة وصراخ عقيم.. لو أننا نظرنا إلي رمضان هذا العام كنموذج يحكم ويفسر أحوال المسلمين لاتضحت أمامنا صورة غريبة.. أن رمضان العبادة والصلاة والزكاة والتراحم والتواصل بين الناس تحول إلي مجموعة من الصور المشوهة:
* علي شاشات التليفزيون64 مسلسلا بلغت تكاليفها أكثر من600 مليون جنيه وإذا حاولت أن تبحث عن شيء أضافته هذه المسلسلات إلي عقول الناس فلن تجد غير الفراغ.. الا قلة قليلة من الاعمال الجادة.
* في العالم العربي الآن400 قناة فضائية يقولون انها تتكلف6 مليارات دولار سنويا ماذا قدمت للعقل والوجدان العربي.. مئات الدعاة الذين انتشروا يتحدثون في شئون الدين ويخطئون في تلاوة القرآن وقواعد اللغة العربية ولا يظهر علي الكثيرين منهم وقار الدين وسماحته..
انهم جميعا يتحدثون عن نار جهنم وليس بينهم من يبشر برحمة الله.. وجميعهم يعيشون عصورا لا مكان لها وينسون أن الإسلام دين تطور وحضارة وبناء ويدعون الناس إلي كراهية كل شيء رغم أن الإسلام دعوة صفاء ونقاء ومحبة.. لقد تحولت الفضائيات العربية إلي سوق رائجه لكل من أراد أن يكون داعيا أو واعظـا سواء كان ذلك بعلم أو بدون علم..
ووسط هذا الصخب أصبح من الصعب أن يجد الداعية الحقيقي مكانـا بل ان علماءنا الأجلاء ينأون بأنفسهم من الاقتراب من هذا الضجيج الصاخب وهذه التجارة الرخيصة باسم الدين..
* أليس غريبا أن يتحول شهر العبادة إلي خيمات للغناء والرقص والابتزال والترخص في كل أشكاله.. والأسوأ من الغناء تلك العادات الغريبة التي اخترقت حياتنا تهدد أجيالنا الشابة وهي مجالس' الشيشة' كنت أتمني لو أن السادة المحافظين وضعوا من الضوابط ما يمنع انتشار هذه العادة السيئة ولكن خيمات رمضان كانت أرضا خصبة للغناء الهابط والعادات السيئة وفي مقدمتها' الشيشة' هذا الشبح المخيف الذي انتشر في مصر بصورة رهيبة في السنوات الأخيرة بين الفتيات والشباب ويمثل تهديدا في الصحة والأخلاق والسلوك..
* في الوقت الذي يعاني فيه المجتمع المصري ظروفـا صعبة في ارتفاع الأسعار ومعاناة الطبقات الفقيرة تنطلق مواكب العمرة وقد تحولت في السنوات الأخيرة إلي مظهر من مظاهر البذخ بين الأغنياء والفقراء في وقت واحد وتسمع من يتفاخر بأنه يؤدي العمرة للمرة العشرين.. وظهرت في مصر طبقة جديدة جعلت من أداء العمرة مظهرا من مظاهر الإيمان رغم التناقض الشديد بين الشكل والمضمون.. أنني لا ألوم شخصا قادرا يؤدي العمرة مرة أو مرتين في حياته أما أن تذهب الأسرة كلها كل عام لأداء العمرة سنوات وسنوات فهناك مجالات للخير أحق بأن تتجه إليها أموال الأغنياء القادرين..
ان سكان الدويقة وأسطبل عنتر وفقراء مدينة السلام والعشوائيات أحق بهذه النفقات التي يدفعها القادرون.. ان نفقات الحج والعمرة التي يدفعها المصريون سنويا تتجاوز أربعة مليارات دولار في بعض التقديرات وهذا الرقم يبني مئات المدارس ويقيم عشرات العمارات ويحمي مئات الألاف من المواطنين من الموت تحت أنقاض العشوائيات.. ان مواكب رجال الأعمال والأثرياء وأصحاب الطائرات الذين يسافرون للعمرة أكثر من مرة علي مدار السنة يمكن أن تكون أموالهم عونـا لألاف المرضي في المستشفيات الذين لا يجدون ما ينقذ حياتهم..
بقيت أيام ونودع الشهر الكريم وأنا من جيل مازال يعيش عبق وحلاوة وصفاء رمضان القديم.. مازال في اذني صوت الشيخ محمد رفعت والشيخ النقشبندي والحصري وعبد الباسط عبد الصمد وألف ليلة وليلة ومازال عبق الأسرة المصرية التي كانت تلتف حول موائد الطعام وكان كل شيء يحمل روح الشهر الكريم حيث القناعة والرضا وسخاء الغني وترفع الفقير.. وكانت مصر تكفينا جميعا بخيرها ولم نكن نعرف شكل هذه الجرائم الكريهة التي تسربت إلي حياتنا وسلوكياتنا.. حتي في رمضان..
والآن يجمع الشهر الكريم أيامه ويرحل وهو يتساءل.. هل كل ما بقي مني بعض المسلسلات وخيمات التسالي وشيوخ الفضائيات وسحابات الشيشة السوداء.. وليتنا ندرك ما قاله الإمام محمد عبده منذ سنوات أني أري أمامي ملايين المسلمين ولكنني لا أري الإسلام
ماذا بقي من رمضان ؟
يكتبها: فاروق جـــويـدة
بقيت أيام ويرحل الشهر الكريم.. وأغرب ما في شهر رمضان أننا ننتظره عاما كاملا ليجيء في صمت ويرحل في سكون.. وربما لا تذكر الأجيال الجديدة شهر رمضان الذي عشناه وعرفناه وأحببناه.. عندما كانت الأسرة تلتف حول موائد الإفطار بلا بذخ أو سفه أو ادعاء.. وعندما كانت البيوت تمد ذراعيها تصافح بعضها فالطعام للجميع وليست هناك حدود تفصل بين من لديه شيء ومن ليس عنده أي شيء..
كان رمضان صلاة الفجر والتراويح والموشحات والأدعية وحلقات الذكر والصوفية وكان الاخوة المسيحيون يشاركوننا كعك العيد بل انهم كانوا يصنعون الكعك في أعيادنا ونصنع الكعك في أعيادهم, وكان رمضان شهر كل المصريين ولم تتجاوز حدود التسلية في الشهر الكريم إلا ألف ليلة وليلة ومسلسل إذاعي واحد كانت تلتف حوله مصر كلها..
كان الغني جوادا وكان الفقير قانعا وكانت كسرة الخبز تكفي البيت كله.. لأن رمضان لم يكن شهر بطون وطعام وولائم بل كان شهر عبادة وتواصل ومحبة..
وفي الأيام الأخيرة كنت أتساءل مع نفسي لماذا تغيرت الأحوال ليس في مصر فقط ولكن لماذا تغيرت أحوال المسلمين كل المسلمين ما أكثر الحديث عن الإسلام وما أقل الأفعال التي دعا لها الإسلام..
ما أكثر مشايخنا وما أسوأ سلوكياتنا ما أكثر أحاديثنا عن التقوي وما أبعدنا عن الأخلاق.. ما أطول اللحي علي الوجوه وما أقل اليقين.. ان جوهر الإسلام في السلوك قبل الشعائر وفي الحياة قبل عذاب القبر وفي السماحة وليس في الشطط.. والإسلام نموذج رفيع في العمل والإنتاج والإبداع والسلوك..
فلماذا تحول في زماننا إلي صخب وضجيج وشعارات رنانة وصراخ عقيم.. لو أننا نظرنا إلي رمضان هذا العام كنموذج يحكم ويفسر أحوال المسلمين لاتضحت أمامنا صورة غريبة.. أن رمضان العبادة والصلاة والزكاة والتراحم والتواصل بين الناس تحول إلي مجموعة من الصور المشوهة:
* علي شاشات التليفزيون64 مسلسلا بلغت تكاليفها أكثر من600 مليون جنيه وإذا حاولت أن تبحث عن شيء أضافته هذه المسلسلات إلي عقول الناس فلن تجد غير الفراغ.. الا قلة قليلة من الاعمال الجادة.
* في العالم العربي الآن400 قناة فضائية يقولون انها تتكلف6 مليارات دولار سنويا ماذا قدمت للعقل والوجدان العربي.. مئات الدعاة الذين انتشروا يتحدثون في شئون الدين ويخطئون في تلاوة القرآن وقواعد اللغة العربية ولا يظهر علي الكثيرين منهم وقار الدين وسماحته..
انهم جميعا يتحدثون عن نار جهنم وليس بينهم من يبشر برحمة الله.. وجميعهم يعيشون عصورا لا مكان لها وينسون أن الإسلام دين تطور وحضارة وبناء ويدعون الناس إلي كراهية كل شيء رغم أن الإسلام دعوة صفاء ونقاء ومحبة.. لقد تحولت الفضائيات العربية إلي سوق رائجه لكل من أراد أن يكون داعيا أو واعظـا سواء كان ذلك بعلم أو بدون علم..
ووسط هذا الصخب أصبح من الصعب أن يجد الداعية الحقيقي مكانـا بل ان علماءنا الأجلاء ينأون بأنفسهم من الاقتراب من هذا الضجيج الصاخب وهذه التجارة الرخيصة باسم الدين..
* أليس غريبا أن يتحول شهر العبادة إلي خيمات للغناء والرقص والابتزال والترخص في كل أشكاله.. والأسوأ من الغناء تلك العادات الغريبة التي اخترقت حياتنا تهدد أجيالنا الشابة وهي مجالس' الشيشة' كنت أتمني لو أن السادة المحافظين وضعوا من الضوابط ما يمنع انتشار هذه العادة السيئة ولكن خيمات رمضان كانت أرضا خصبة للغناء الهابط والعادات السيئة وفي مقدمتها' الشيشة' هذا الشبح المخيف الذي انتشر في مصر بصورة رهيبة في السنوات الأخيرة بين الفتيات والشباب ويمثل تهديدا في الصحة والأخلاق والسلوك..
* في الوقت الذي يعاني فيه المجتمع المصري ظروفـا صعبة في ارتفاع الأسعار ومعاناة الطبقات الفقيرة تنطلق مواكب العمرة وقد تحولت في السنوات الأخيرة إلي مظهر من مظاهر البذخ بين الأغنياء والفقراء في وقت واحد وتسمع من يتفاخر بأنه يؤدي العمرة للمرة العشرين.. وظهرت في مصر طبقة جديدة جعلت من أداء العمرة مظهرا من مظاهر الإيمان رغم التناقض الشديد بين الشكل والمضمون.. أنني لا ألوم شخصا قادرا يؤدي العمرة مرة أو مرتين في حياته أما أن تذهب الأسرة كلها كل عام لأداء العمرة سنوات وسنوات فهناك مجالات للخير أحق بأن تتجه إليها أموال الأغنياء القادرين..
ان سكان الدويقة وأسطبل عنتر وفقراء مدينة السلام والعشوائيات أحق بهذه النفقات التي يدفعها القادرون.. ان نفقات الحج والعمرة التي يدفعها المصريون سنويا تتجاوز أربعة مليارات دولار في بعض التقديرات وهذا الرقم يبني مئات المدارس ويقيم عشرات العمارات ويحمي مئات الألاف من المواطنين من الموت تحت أنقاض العشوائيات.. ان مواكب رجال الأعمال والأثرياء وأصحاب الطائرات الذين يسافرون للعمرة أكثر من مرة علي مدار السنة يمكن أن تكون أموالهم عونـا لألاف المرضي في المستشفيات الذين لا يجدون ما ينقذ حياتهم..
بقيت أيام ونودع الشهر الكريم وأنا من جيل مازال يعيش عبق وحلاوة وصفاء رمضان القديم.. مازال في اذني صوت الشيخ محمد رفعت والشيخ النقشبندي والحصري وعبد الباسط عبد الصمد وألف ليلة وليلة ومازال عبق الأسرة المصرية التي كانت تلتف حول موائد الطعام وكان كل شيء يحمل روح الشهر الكريم حيث القناعة والرضا وسخاء الغني وترفع الفقير.. وكانت مصر تكفينا جميعا بخيرها ولم نكن نعرف شكل هذه الجرائم الكريهة التي تسربت إلي حياتنا وسلوكياتنا.. حتي في رمضان..
والآن يجمع الشهر الكريم أيامه ويرحل وهو يتساءل.. هل كل ما بقي مني بعض المسلسلات وخيمات التسالي وشيوخ الفضائيات وسحابات الشيشة السوداء.. وليتنا ندرك ما قاله الإمام محمد عبده منذ سنوات أني أري أمامي ملايين المسلمين ولكنني لا أري الإسلام
2.3مليار دولار غرامة لشركة فايزر في أكبر قضية غش
الصفحة الأولى
44832
السنة 133-العدد
2009
سبتمبر
4
14 من رمضان 1430 هـ
الجمعة
2,3 مليار دولار غرامة لشركة فايزر في أكبر قضية غش
واشنطن ـ رويترز:
في أكبر تسوية لقضية غش وفساد في قطاع الرعاية الصحية في الولايات المتحدة; وافقت شركة الأدوية الأمريكية العملاقة فايزر علي دفع2.3 مليار دولار, بعد أن أقرت بالذنب في اتهامها بانتهاك قانون الأدوية والأغذية, وإطلاق صفات غير حقيقية علي أدوية لها.وكانت الشركة قد روجت بشكل غير قانوني لـ13 نوعا من الأدوية, مما أدي إلي تقديم طلبيات دفع مزورة لبرنامج الرعاية الصحية الحكومية لعلاجات غير مقبولة طبيا. وتعد قضية الغش لشركة فايزر حلقة في سلسلة طويلة من جرائم الغش التي تقوم بها شركات الأدوية, حيث وصل إجمالي حصيلة الحكومة الفيدرالية من التسويات لقضايا شركات الأدوية, بعد تسوية شركة فايزر الأخيرة, إلي11.7 مليار دولار, منها2.98 مليار دولار غرامات.
Teen who cries blood gets help from experts
CNN) -- Calvino Inman had just stepped out of the shower one evening in May when a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror caused him to panic. "I looked up and saw myself, and I thought I was going to die," says the 15-year-old from Rockwood, Tennessee. His eyes were streaming tears of blood.
Inman's mother, Tammy Mynatt, says she immediately rushed him to the emergency room, but by the time they arrived, the bleeding had stopped. Doctors couldn't see what the family was trying to explain. They returned home completely perplexed. When the bloody tears returned a few days later while Inman was on a camping trip, he was rushed back to the hospital.
Mynatt hoped that once doctors finally witnessed the phenomenon, there would be answers. But that wasn't the case. "The people at the hospital said they had never seen anything like it," Mynatt recalls. She says her son underwent an MRI, a CT scan and an ultrasound, but none of the tests had abnormal results. "'We don't know how to stop it,'" Mynatt remembers being told by doctors. "It just has to run its course."
Dr. Barrett G. Haik, director of the University of Tennessee's Hamilton Eye Institute, says there is an answer, sort of. He says "crying blood," a condition called haemolacria, is common in people who have experienced extreme trauma or who have recently had a serious head injury. But a case such as Inman's is still a medical mystery. "What's really rare is to have a child like this," Haik says. "Only once every several years do you see someone with no obvious cause." see full schedule » Share this on: Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg del.icio.us reddit MySpace StumbleUpon Mixx it Share
All About Eyesight and Eye Health
Inman's mother, Tammy Mynatt, says she immediately rushed him to the emergency room, but by the time they arrived, the bleeding had stopped. Doctors couldn't see what the family was trying to explain. They returned home completely perplexed. When the bloody tears returned a few days later while Inman was on a camping trip, he was rushed back to the hospital.
Mynatt hoped that once doctors finally witnessed the phenomenon, there would be answers. But that wasn't the case. "The people at the hospital said they had never seen anything like it," Mynatt recalls. She says her son underwent an MRI, a CT scan and an ultrasound, but none of the tests had abnormal results. "'We don't know how to stop it,'" Mynatt remembers being told by doctors. "It just has to run its course."
Dr. Barrett G. Haik, director of the University of Tennessee's Hamilton Eye Institute, says there is an answer, sort of. He says "crying blood," a condition called haemolacria, is common in people who have experienced extreme trauma or who have recently had a serious head injury. But a case such as Inman's is still a medical mystery. "What's really rare is to have a child like this," Haik says. "Only once every several years do you see someone with no obvious cause." see full schedule » Share this on: Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg del.icio.us reddit MySpace StumbleUpon Mixx it Share
All About Eyesight and Eye Health
LA fashion designer gets 59 years to life sentence
LOS ANGELES – Fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced Monday to 59 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting aspiring models he lured to Los Angeles.
Alexander, 35, showed no reaction as Superior Court Judge David Wesley said Alexander should be incarcerated as long as possible for preying upon young girls and women. Alexander was convicted in November of 14 counts including forcible rape. He was found not guilty of four felonies, and jurors could not reach a verdict on three counts.
"Mr. Alexander has showed no remorse for his actions," the judge said.
The sentencing capped a tumultuous, exhausting post-verdict saga that included allegations of juror tampering by his sister, Sanjana, juror misconduct and Alexander's decision to represent himself. Alexander also lost a bid for a new trial earlier Monday, claiming there was a conspiracy among law enforcement to convict him.
The most striking image came as a bevy of beautiful women who said Alexander sexually assaulted them filled a jury box. The 13 women cried as Wesley recounted some of the crimes and they held hands as the sentence was read. One had mascara running down her face; another shook her head in disgust at Alexander.
Three of the women spoke, each telling a packed courtroom how Alexander had robbed them of their innocence and their formative years.
"I was 14. You took my adolescence, my trust, my dream and completely manipulated them for your sexual desires," said one of the women. The Associated Press, as a matter of policy, does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse.
"It sickens me that a grown man can do such a thing to a girl," the now 17-year-old girl said. "A girl who was naive and had the belief that all people were good. And you took that to your advantage."
Prosecutors said Alexander often found women online, baited them with promises of glamorous photo shoots and other modeling work, only to fondle or rape them at his Beverly Hills apartment.
"I have a constant reminder of the day that I, the biggest daddy's girl in the world, had to tell my dad that I had been raped by this person," said another woman, now 21. Alexander was convicted of raping her in March 2007.
"Now every day I have to cope with my family having to relive all of this and it absolutely kills me," she said.
Alexander, wearing a dark suit with his long black hair tied in a ponytail, put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses but otherwise showed no emotion. It was a stark contrast to earlier in the day when he argued a motion for a new trial, even breaking down into tears at one point.
"If you are going to put me away, do it for the right reasons," Alexander implored the judge. "Judge, this is my life here."
Wesley has already turned down a previous motion for a new trial after it was discovered that juror Alvin Dymally had contacted Alexander's sister Sanjana. Wesley found both in contempt of court after determining Dymally appeared to want a romantic relationship with her when he spoke to her by phone twice during the trial and offered his help.
Dymally also gave her a note in a courthouse cafeteria, asking her to call him. She did but refused to meet with him alone.
The judge held her in contempt for contacting the juror and failing to report the misconduct. A hearing will be held in September.
In denying the first motion for a new trial, Wesley said there wasn't any proof the phone conversations swayed the verdict.
Alexander on Monday called Dymally a "poisoned apple" and a "renegade, runaway juror" who possibly wrecked his chances for freedom. He also criticized investigators, saying they had done a poor job and hadn't turned over all the evidence over to him.
Wesley disagreed, saying Alexander had failed to convince him there was new evidence to help his cause.
In a moment only befitting for this case, Alexander called his mother to the stand. Shashi Abraham testified Dymally approached her outside the courtroom during trial and assured her that Alexander would be set free.
"He said, 'You don't have to worry. We know your son is innocent. He will be with you very soon,'" Abraham said.
Prosecutors admitted there will likely be a number of issues raised on appeal. They added Alexander's case is an example of what can happen when young women look for opportunity on the Internet.
"The lesson is that often young women or young girls may have dreams they hope to follow," said Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain. "But I think the Internet is one of those horrible places now where they come across people they don't know or understand."
The designer has been featured on the television show "America's Next Top Model" and worked with such celebrities as Paris Hilton and Mary J. Blige. His Web site lists dozens of celebrity A-listers as clients, including Hilton, who is described as a fan of Alexander's hand-printed jeans, which sold for more than $700.
Beverly Hills police began investigating Alexander in March 2007 when a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted in his apartment.
During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony from women who made the accusations against Alexander. Defense attorneys argued many of women were lying about what happened to them and sought revenge against Alexander when they didn't get modeling jobs. Alexander has maintained his innocence.
Alexander also faces similar charges in New York and Texas, prosecutors said.
Born in India, Alexander graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York and launched a fashion line in 1999.
Alexander, 35, showed no reaction as Superior Court Judge David Wesley said Alexander should be incarcerated as long as possible for preying upon young girls and women. Alexander was convicted in November of 14 counts including forcible rape. He was found not guilty of four felonies, and jurors could not reach a verdict on three counts.
"Mr. Alexander has showed no remorse for his actions," the judge said.
The sentencing capped a tumultuous, exhausting post-verdict saga that included allegations of juror tampering by his sister, Sanjana, juror misconduct and Alexander's decision to represent himself. Alexander also lost a bid for a new trial earlier Monday, claiming there was a conspiracy among law enforcement to convict him.
The most striking image came as a bevy of beautiful women who said Alexander sexually assaulted them filled a jury box. The 13 women cried as Wesley recounted some of the crimes and they held hands as the sentence was read. One had mascara running down her face; another shook her head in disgust at Alexander.
Three of the women spoke, each telling a packed courtroom how Alexander had robbed them of their innocence and their formative years.
"I was 14. You took my adolescence, my trust, my dream and completely manipulated them for your sexual desires," said one of the women. The Associated Press, as a matter of policy, does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse.
"It sickens me that a grown man can do such a thing to a girl," the now 17-year-old girl said. "A girl who was naive and had the belief that all people were good. And you took that to your advantage."
Prosecutors said Alexander often found women online, baited them with promises of glamorous photo shoots and other modeling work, only to fondle or rape them at his Beverly Hills apartment.
"I have a constant reminder of the day that I, the biggest daddy's girl in the world, had to tell my dad that I had been raped by this person," said another woman, now 21. Alexander was convicted of raping her in March 2007.
"Now every day I have to cope with my family having to relive all of this and it absolutely kills me," she said.
Alexander, wearing a dark suit with his long black hair tied in a ponytail, put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses but otherwise showed no emotion. It was a stark contrast to earlier in the day when he argued a motion for a new trial, even breaking down into tears at one point.
"If you are going to put me away, do it for the right reasons," Alexander implored the judge. "Judge, this is my life here."
Wesley has already turned down a previous motion for a new trial after it was discovered that juror Alvin Dymally had contacted Alexander's sister Sanjana. Wesley found both in contempt of court after determining Dymally appeared to want a romantic relationship with her when he spoke to her by phone twice during the trial and offered his help.
Dymally also gave her a note in a courthouse cafeteria, asking her to call him. She did but refused to meet with him alone.
The judge held her in contempt for contacting the juror and failing to report the misconduct. A hearing will be held in September.
In denying the first motion for a new trial, Wesley said there wasn't any proof the phone conversations swayed the verdict.
Alexander on Monday called Dymally a "poisoned apple" and a "renegade, runaway juror" who possibly wrecked his chances for freedom. He also criticized investigators, saying they had done a poor job and hadn't turned over all the evidence over to him.
Wesley disagreed, saying Alexander had failed to convince him there was new evidence to help his cause.
In a moment only befitting for this case, Alexander called his mother to the stand. Shashi Abraham testified Dymally approached her outside the courtroom during trial and assured her that Alexander would be set free.
"He said, 'You don't have to worry. We know your son is innocent. He will be with you very soon,'" Abraham said.
Prosecutors admitted there will likely be a number of issues raised on appeal. They added Alexander's case is an example of what can happen when young women look for opportunity on the Internet.
"The lesson is that often young women or young girls may have dreams they hope to follow," said Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain. "But I think the Internet is one of those horrible places now where they come across people they don't know or understand."
The designer has been featured on the television show "America's Next Top Model" and worked with such celebrities as Paris Hilton and Mary J. Blige. His Web site lists dozens of celebrity A-listers as clients, including Hilton, who is described as a fan of Alexander's hand-printed jeans, which sold for more than $700.
Beverly Hills police began investigating Alexander in March 2007 when a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted in his apartment.
During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony from women who made the accusations against Alexander. Defense attorneys argued many of women were lying about what happened to them and sought revenge against Alexander when they didn't get modeling jobs. Alexander has maintained his innocence.
Alexander also faces similar charges in New York and Texas, prosecutors said.
Born in India, Alexander graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York and launched a fashion line in 1999.
Kidnapped woman hidden in CA backyard for 18 years
PLACERVILLE, Calif. – A little girl snatched on her way to school was kept hidden from the world behind a series of fences, sheds and tents for nearly two decades, even giving birth to her suspected abductor's children in the suburban backyard compound less than 200 miles from the home where she was taken.
Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was 11 when she was abducted from a South Lake Tahoe street in 1991, was taken directly to the house and sheltered from the world in a secret, leafy backyard, investigators said Thursday.
Her abductor, investigators said, raped her and fathered two children with her, the first when Jaycee was about 14. Those children, both girls now 11 and 15, also were kept hidden away in the backyard compound behind the Antioch home.
"None of the children have ever been to school, they've never been to a doctor," El Dorado County Undersheriff Fred Kollar said. "They were kept in complete isolation in this compound."
Even a parole agent who visited 58-year-old Phillip Garrido's home didn't have an inkling about the hidden compound, Kollar said. Garrido is a registered sex offender on federal parole for rape and kidnapping convictions.
"The way the house is set up, the way the backyard is set up, you could walk through the backyard, walk through the house, and never know," Kollar said.
But neighbors said there were clues even before a parole agent on Wednesday noticed Dugard, now 29, who accompanied Garrido, his wife and the children to a parole office.
Neighbor Diane Doty said she could see the tents and often heard children playing in the backyard, the corner of which abuts her own backyard. She said she even suspected the children lived in the tents, but her husband said she should leave the family alone.
"I asked my husband, 'Why is he living in tents?'" she said. "And he said, 'Maybe that is how they like to live.'"
Garrido, 58, is being held for investigation of various kidnapping and sex charges. Authorities said his 54-year-old wife, Nancy Garrido, was with him during the kidnapping in South Lake Tahoe and she also has been arrested.
The case broke after Garrido was spotted Tuesday with two children as he tried to enter the University of California, Berkeley, campus to hand out religious literature. Officers said he was acting suspiciously toward the children. They questioned him and did a background check, determined that he was a parolee and informed his parole officer.
Garrido was ordered to appear for a parole meeting and arrived Wednesday with Dugard, who identified herself as "Allissa," his wife, and two children. During questioning, corrections officials said he admitted to kidnapping Dugard.
Investigators said he did not yet have an attorney.
Dugard was reunited Thursday with her mother as her family learned that their blue-eyed, blonde ponytailed little girl had spent most of her life in captivity. Police said they had no evidence that she had ever reached out to anyone beyond the compound walls.
"She was in good health, but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll," Kollar said.
The backyard compound had electricity from extension cords and a rudimentary outhouse and shower, "as if you were camping," Kollar said.
Authorities said they do not know if Garrido also abused his daughters, but they are investigating.
Dugard's stepfather, who witnessed her abduction and was a longtime suspect in the case, said he was overwhelmed by the news after doing everything he could to help find her.
"It broke my marriage up. I've gone through hell, I mean I'm a suspect up until yesterday," a tearful Carl Probyn, 60, told The Associated Press at his home in Orange, Calif.
Garrido's compound was located in Antioch, a city of 100,000 about 170 miles from the Dugard family home in South Lake Tahoe.
People who knew Garrido said he became increasingly fanatic about his religious beliefs in recent years, sometimes breaking out into song and claiming that God spoke to him through a box. "In the last couple years he started getting into this strange religious stuff. We kind of felt sorry for him," said Tim Allen, president of East County Glass and Window Inc. in Pittsburg, Calif., who bought business cards and letterhead from Garrido's printing business for the last decade.
Three times in recent years, Garrido arrived at Allen's showroom with two "cute little blond girls" in tow, he said.
In April 2008, Garrido registered a corporation called Gods Desire at his home address, according to the California Secretary of State. During recent visits to the showroom, Garrido would talk about quitting the printing business to preach full time and gave the impression he was setting up a church, Allen said.
"He rambled. It made no sense," he said.
In a blog that appears to have been maintained by Garrido, he wrote that he had hired a private investigator to verify his ability to speak to people using only his mind. In an "affadavit" posted there, he said he had the ability to "control sound with my mind and have developed a device for others to witness this phenomena."
Garrido gave a rambling, sometimes incoherent phone interview to KCRA-TV from the El Dorado County jail Thursday in which he said he had not admitted to a kidnapping and that he had turned his life around since the birth of his first daughter 15 years ago.
"I tell you here's the story of what took place at this house, and you're going to be absolutely impressed. It's a disgusting thing that took place from the end to the beginning. But I turned my life completely around," he said.
In addition to kidnapping allegations, court records showed both Garridos were being held for investigation of rape by force, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and kidnapping someone under 14 with intent to rape. Phillip Garrido also faces allegations of sexual penetration.
The AP, as a matter of policy, avoids identifying victims of alleged sexual abuse by name in its news reports. However, Dugard's disappearance had been known and reported for nearly two decades, making impossible any effort to shield her identity now.
Garrido has a long rap sheet dating back to the 1970s.
He was convicted of kidnapping a 25-year-old woman whom he snatched from a South Lake Tahoe parking lot, handcuffed, tied down and held in a mini-warehouse in Reno, according to a November 1976 story in the Reno Gazette-Journal.
He also has a conviction for rape by force or fear stemming from the same incident, and was paroled from a Nevada state prison in 1988, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
In 1991, police believe he was trolling for victims in South Lake Tahoe in a Ford Granada when he snatched Dugard from a bus stop outside her home. The case attracted national attention and was featured on TV's "America's Most Wanted," which broadcast a composite drawing of a suspect seen in the car.
Her stepfather said he saw someone reach out and grab her before the car sped away.
"As soon as I saw the door fly open, the driver's door, I jumped on my mountain bike and I tried to get to the top of the hill but I had no energy," Probyn recalled. "I rode back down and yelled at my neighbor, 911!"
Probyn said his wife, from whom he is separated, was devastated by the kidnapping. He said for 10 years after the crime, she would take a week off work at Christmas and on the anniversary of the abduction and spend the time crying at home.
Jaycee Lee Dugard has retained custody of her children and was staying at a Bay area motel, authorities said.
___
Associated Press Writers Paul Elias and Terry Collins in San Francisco; Gillian Flaccus in Orange, Calif.; Brooke Donald in Antioch, Calif.; Don Thompson in Sacramento and Sandi Chereb in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., contributed to this report.
مواضيع ذات صلة
Cases of kidnapped children who were later found
