Sajani Shakya: Former Child Goddess
Mood:  irritated
Topic: NewsBites

Sajani Shakya is a very special little girl from Nepal.  She was, until recently, considered a living embodiment of the great Hindu goddess Kali, and worshipped as such.  She was one of only twelve Buddhist girls selected for the honor of being one of Kali's avatars (the privilege of which is removed after the girls' first menstruation, when they are no longer posessing the virginal purity required), also known as "kumaris".  Because the kumaris are selected from Buddhist castes to be the embodiment of a Hindu goddess, they reflect extreme religious tolerance and the harmony Buddhism and Hinduism share in Nepal.  Of all the kumaris, Sajani Shakya was what people would consider the most normal.  She went to school, played with classmates, and lived with her family.  She has aspirations of being a teacher.

However, her life changed with the filming of a British documentary entitled Living Goddesses.  She came to the United States to promote the documentary, and was stripped of her title.  Nepalese elders say that this is because 1) as one of the kumaris, she is not allowed to leave the country, and 2) the trip into the United States tainted her purity.  In a society where you are only a goddess until your first menstrual cycle makes you unclean, purity is everything.

I can understand where they are coming from.  The United States is not exactly the most religious place on the planet- most everything here is secular.  School, work, daily activities, food: most of these things in America tend to revolve around secular interests.  However, just because a girl (albeit a divine one) leaves a country to visit another and promote a documentary about her native country's traditions, does that mean she is automatically impure?  What about spreading awareness of the tradition where it might find new strength?  What about preserving the cultural heritage?  I wonder if the Nepalese elders sincerely thought about all the aspects of this trip, or if they simply decided out-of-hand that the girl was no longer worthy.

Besides, as mere mortals, who's to say they can take away what a god or goddess has given someone?  If Kali has been incarnated in this girl, I'd say it's Kali's decision whether the girl has been sullied, not a mortal's, no matter how sage and wise said mortal may be.

To learn more, check out the following links:
Nepalese 'Living Goddess' Loses Status
Tim Worstall: Sajani Shakya
NPR: Child Goddess Fired After U.S. Visit Taints Purity
Sajani Shakya- Child Goddess Touring in U.S.A.
Sajani Shakya- Child Goddess- Fired!
Being a Living Goddess Has Its Advantages for a 10-Year-Old Girl

Mary Martin Setup Used for Illegal Sexual Activities and Abuse
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: "Dwarf Star", from "How We Quit the Forest" by Rasputina
Topic: Human Rights
For those of you who didn't grow up the way I did, until Walt Disney's version, Peter Pan was always played by a small-boned woman with short hair (or at least a short wig). One of the last women, and perhaps the most famous, was Mary Martin- a fabulous actress. If you ever get the chance to see the version of the Peter Pan play with her in it, JUMP ON IT.

What does this have to do with the news? Well, apparently, a 30-year-old woman named Lorelei Josephine Corpuz did the exact same thing, but instead of entertaining children, she physically and sexually abused them. Posing as a 17-year-old orphan named "Mark", she moved in with a 14-year-old girlfriend and her family in Everett, Washington. She allegedly carried on a sexual affair with the girl, and also hit her weekly. Ms. Corpuz apparently lived with the family for over a year, using the name of her brother- which she had also used as an alias in a robbery previously. She also has a criminal history reaching back to 2001.

She was arrested originally on a traffic warrant for driving without a license, proving that it isn't the big crimes but the stupid little crap that usually gets people caught... Like Al "Scarface" Capone being brought down on tax evasion instead of all the atrocities he committed as a mob boss. By Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007, she was being held at the Snohomish County Jail on $150,000 bail for investigation of third-degree child rape. Since then, she has been charged and another case from 2004 has surfaced involving a then-16-year-old girl (no charges have been filed on that case, as police haven't had a chance to interview the family, who have moved since).

In all honesty, female-to-female sexual abuse involving a child is rare enough... But with the alleged offender posing as a male almost half her real age, this particular case is just freakishly outstanding! (And not in a good way.) Even though Ms. Corpuz allegedy had intercourse with the girl for about a year, and even lived with the girl and her family, the victim says she never saw Ms. Corpuz's genitalia and had no idea that her boyfriend "Mark" was really a woman. In the case involving the 16-year-old three years ago, the situation was similar.

I have a little difficulty accepting that in a whole year, you live with someone, and you never walk in on them in the bathroom or changing in their room accidentally... I've lived with my guy about three months now, and I've stumbled into the bathroom first thing in the morning and accidentally caught him taking a whiz about once every couple weeks. Not to mention it isn't just the victims of these assaults that lived with this woman, it was their families too! *And no one noticed.* Uh-huh. I find the situation a little hard to believe, although I'll be the first to admit that stranger things have happened.

Not to down the victim or her family by all this, I'm just having issues coming to terms with the fact that this chick is just *that good* of an actress. She'd certainly have to put on one heck of a show, and be exceedingly careful, just to pull it off. Much easier to go to your local lezzie bar and score a hot babe who's legal that you don't have to see again after the next day, in my opinion...

Maybe part of the thrill is the lying and the challenge the situation presented... Who knows! Anyway, if they find enough evidence to prove her truly guilty- and with her history of being anything but a quiet, law-abiding citizen, plus another case that could potentially be tied to her, they probably won't have much trouble with that- I hope she goes in for the full time. Anyone who'd screw up a kid like that (no pun intended) totally deserves everything they get.

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Want more info? Check these links!
Yahoo! Search: Lorelei Josephine Corpuz
"Everett Woman Investigated in Second Sex Case" (Heraldnet.com)
Woman, 30, Posed as Teenage Boy in Sex Case (Heraldnet.com)
Woman Posing as Boy Accused of Rape (NBC5, Dallas-Ft. Worth)

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What to do in case you are a victim of child molestation or rape:
CONTACT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES- IMMEDIATELY!
There are several agencies that can help you- Child Protection Services, your local law enforcement, battered women's shelters if it's a husband or close family member... Teachers and school counselors everywhere in the U.S.A. are pretty much required by law to tell local law enforcement about what's going on if they are told about or even if they suspect child abuse... talk to your teacher if you're afraid you can't call the police yourself because it will just be making things worse. There are even several churches and community organizations that have outreach programs to help you through your difficult times by providing free counseling and trauma therapy. You do NOT have to put up with a situation that isn't healthy for you- you can get out and start a new life without the abuser! Seek help as soon as possible and get out of a bad place before it gets worse!

For those of you who hate America...
Mood:  down
Now Playing: Evanescensce- Tourniquet - Album "Fallen"
Topic: Human Rights
...the USA could be worse. We could have the same policy on human rights that India does. Heterosexual displays of affection in public are dangerous. Homosexuality in that country is strictly banned and is punishable by up to ten years in prison. If you come out of the closet, you will be socially shunned.
Such is the situation of Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, who was disowned by his family after announcing his homosexuality publicly. Would it break your heart if your mother cast you away and refused to continue acknowledging you as her child, just because you were different? Well, that's what Gohil is going through- even his own mother has said that anyone using her name in association with him as her son could face a lawsuit.
Gohil doesn't care about his inheritance, though, he cares about his new family- the gay community of Gujarat. He stated that he had to come out of the closet because if he hadn't, and he started being an activist for gay rights, it would be like living a lie. The gay communities in India are on the right track, too. They want homosexuals to feel safe about coming out. The hope is that homosexuals in India can start being forthcoming if they have a positive HIV/AIDS status, and get the medical help they desperately need without the fear of being jailed.

---

Read the original at:
Royal family disowns gay scion

Want to speak out for gay rights in India? Send letters to:

Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi
OR
Chief Minister Narendra Modi
c/o Chief Minister's Office
Block No 1, 5th Floor, New Sachivalaya,
Gandhinagar 382 010,
Gujarat, INDIA
On the homepage of the Gurjarat website, Official Portal of Gujarat Government they say, "Ever since its inception, Gujarat has been showing a new direction to the nation during the last 43 years." Let's give them their own words back, and make sure they show a new direction in compassion for homosexuals. The fear homosexuals have of public punishment is one of the major factors in the spread of the AIDS epidemic throughout India, and the time has come for everyone everywhere to do their part to stop this disease!

Posted by Melvin Bunny at 1:01 AM PDT
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A Golden Dragon is worth more than money
Mood:  mischievious
Now Playing: Lacuna Coil- Fragile - Karmacode (2006)
Topic: Off the Wall
We can all agree that celebrities name their kids some pretty weird crap... Take Zowie Bowie, David Bowie's son, for instance! But those poor rich kids ain't got jack on this 19-year-old from Vietnam, whose father named the boy after the amount of the fine he had to pay for ignoring Vietnam's two-children-per-family law (Fine-Boy was Daddy's big number 5 child). Fortunately, after suffering almost two decades of torture and ridicule at the hands of his classmates, the boy has been safely renamed Hoang Long- "Golden Dragon".

To read the original, go here:
Teen's Name Changed After Years of Mockery

Poison Ivy Issues (Like anything that says
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Goldfrapp- Strict Machine; White Zombie- More Human Than Human; Rihanna- SOS (Rescue Me); Alice Cooper- School's Out
Topic: NewsBites
You guys wanna know something that sucks? Global warming's cause, increased carbon dioxide, helps plants gow. Why could this possibly suck? Because it particularly pumps up our arch-nemesis poison ivy. While Uma Thurman must be thrilled, I'm fairly certain I enjoy my backyard poison ivy-free... In fact, it helps ALL the little "poison" plants. Like poison oak and poison sumac as well. According to the Duke and Harvard study, warmer weather helps these plants grow up to three times larger and produce a more toxic urushiol. For those of you who don't know, that means that a simple brush with one of these babies could cause a ton of damage. It just kinda proves that we need to take care of Mother Earth before she "takes care" of us- mob style!

---

For more on this story, check the following links:

1. Global Warming Expected to Raise the Severity of Poison Ivy; More (and Itchier) Seasons Predicted in Coming Years
2. Warming Could Make Poison Ivy Denser, Itchier
3. Poison Ivy Getting Meaner
4. Study: global warming boosts poison ivy
5. Biomass and toxicity responses of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) to elevated atmospheric CO2 [Official Study Abstract!]

People on Jeopardy! worry me
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Off the Wall
I'm worried.... This guy on Jeopardy! just answered a question about felines (also known as CATS) with the answer "What is a rat?" It was not a question about what cats hunt. I wonder if he wonders why he got the answer wrong.... Good god, I know a 5-year-old who'd be screaming that the guy's an idiot if she was watching this. If a 5-year-old knows a feline is a cat, how come a full-grown adult (and a full-grown adult on a trivia show no less) doesn't have a clue? I'm frightened...

Don't believe me? Try to find today's episode online and watch it...

Social Services can't help with this lady... Maybe a rest home is in order?
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: Shakira ft. Wyclef - Hips Dont Lie
Topic: Off the Wall
This is a fabulous argument to support rest homes as an option for the elderly in their twilight years....

A 92-year-old lady in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany, called what is essentially child services to come deal with her 68-year-old daughter's promiscuity. (Just to let you know, Mom was upset because her daughter had *gasp* a boyfriend! God forbid a lady over 60 have a decent romantic life...) When the officials came to the scene and discovered that the "child" in question was 68, they told dear old mom that they couldn't do anything, as her daughter was 50 (yeah, 50) years over their legal interference limit. Nice try, Granny, but I think your kid's gonna keep dating for a while yet! Maybe the mom should try seeing someone too- like a nice psychotherapist!

Read more at:
Mum worried about love life of daughter, 68

People do the funniest things...
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Live365.com- RED BLOOD Gothic Radio: Communion by Aesma Daeva
Topic: Off the Wall
Okay... People do do the funniest things! Last night at Ralph's Grocery Store, I saw a guy walk in wearing a Stater Bros. Grocery Store uniform... How screwed is that? He won't even shop at his own store- and they have great bargains, too! It might have been because it was late- I got out of there around 10:30pm and Stater's closes at 9pm, but still... Company loyalty would be a plus, they are paying the man's wages, after all!
In other news... The Brits are pretty funny to me today. They fired a tea lady, then hired 200-pound-per day consultants to tell their staff how to make/carry tea. For us Americans that 200 pounds equals $337.43, a.k.a. more than your humble webbe-mistress makes in a week... Can I be consulted on how to make and carry tea? I'm rather good at it!

For more on this story, you can read the original here:
The Sun Online - News: Brew couldn't make it up
Or you can read the condensed here:
Consultants tell staff how to make tea

A stop-gap measure for anthrax-related terrorism?
Mood:  hug me
Now Playing: "Songs of Sanctuary" by Adiemus
Topic: NewsBites
Okay, get this... A 17-year-old has done something that millions in government spending couldn't: figure out a way to kill anthrax in the mail for private citizens. Marc Roberge, a high-school student, performed an award-winning experiment on an anthrax-similar (non-lethal) substitute called bacillus subtilis. The similarities between the two allowed him to perform the experiment with confidence in the results. Using a regular iron, set on high heat without steam, you can iron your mail as a stop-gap to kill the anthrax spores. Just apply a little pressure, go back and forth over the suspicious letter for a few moments, and bam! you're anthrax-free. Young Mr. Roberge does insist that his measure is simply for extreme cases where the proper authorities can't be contacted and reminds people to *ALWAYS* notify said proper authorities as the first measure of defense.

Read the articles at:
Anthrax remedy: clothes iron?. (2006). ABC News (from Associated Press). Retrieved Feb 24, 2006, from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1643020&page=1

Seventeen-year-old devises anthrax deactivator. (2006). MSNBC. Retrieved Feb 24, 2006, from http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11522143/

Student to publish anthrax science project. (2006). MSNBC (from Associated Press). Retrieved Feb 24, 2006, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11473217/from/RSS/

Listen to the NPR Interview:
Roberge, M. (2006, Feb 23). Teen develops defense against anthrax. Day to Day, Retrieved Feb 24, 2006, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5230109&ft=1&f=17

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