Awesome.

Father wins millions from war funeral pickets

Anti-gay church protested at memorial for Marine killed in Iraq

'BALTIMORE - A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict against a fundamentalist church that pickets military funerals out of a belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality.

Albert Snyder sued the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The federal jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

Snyder's attorney, Craig Trebilcock, had urged jurors to determine an amount "that says don't do this in Maryland again. Do not bring your circus of hate to Maryland again."

The defense said it planned to appeal, and one of the church's leaders, Shirley Phelps-Roper, said the members would continue to picket military funerals.

"Absolutely; don't you understand this was an act in futility?" Phelps-Roper said.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that soldiers are dying because America is too tolerant of homosexuality.

“God promised dire outpourings of very painful wrath, and there’s nothing more painful than killing one of your children and that’s what’s going on in Iraq,” church founder Fred Phelps told msnbc.com in a 2006 interview. “That’s what we’re preaching and the forum of choice to deliver such a message, obviously, is the funeral of the kid that’s been blown to smithereens."

Today In - 'Press Releases'

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I would actually like to try it.

S'mirnoff Source™, the new premium malt beverage offering from Diageo North America that combines pure spring water with alcohol is now on beer retailers’ shelves and high-end bars throughout the Northeast. At 3.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this new premium malt beverage, with a hint of citrus, has fewer calories and lower alcohol by volume than most popular domestic beers.

Smirnoff Source™ is the first malt beverage in the U.S. to contain pure spring water and a malt-based alcohol. The beverage is light, crisp and perfectly balanced to deliver the ultimate in refreshing taste. With a suggested retail price of almost $10 for a 4-pack, Smirnoff Source™ will provide adult consumers with a new choice – an ultra-premium alternative to domestic beer.

“This new lower-alcohol malt beverage delivers to consumers an ultra-premium product with the cache and provenance of the Smirnoff Brand,” said Mark Breene, vice president, Diageo Progressive Adult Beverages. “We are creating a new experience for adult consumers with a lower-alcohol product that fits in with today’s contemporary adult lifestyle.”

Available in a stylish, 16-ounce glass bottle and 16-ounce 4-packs, the packaging, labels and all marketing materials are clearly labeled ‘Smirnoff Source™ contains spring water + alcohol,’ as approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Tax and Trade Bureau, the federal agency that regulates the alcohol beverage industry and oversees and certifies all alcohol beverage labels in the U.S.

This new beer-based alternative is now available in 15 northeastern U.S. states including Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, DC, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Source will also begin appearing in nightclubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami.

“Smirnoff Source™ is a new way of thinking about the beer category, “ said Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Diageo.

“Smirnoff Source™ is the first lower-alcohol flavored malt beverage on the market that fits modern lifestyles and offers adult consumers sophisticated new drinking experiences,” he said.

“It responds to consumer demand and answers alcohol policy groups’ desires to bring a lower-alcohol beer product to the marketplace,” Smith said, adding that non-government organizations in the U.S. and around the world have been suggesting that this type of lower alcohol beverage should be made available to consumers of legal purchase age.

“And it’s all supported by a responsible marketing campaign that articulates precisely what Smirnoff Source™ is – and what it is not,” he added.

As with all of Diageo’s adult beverages, the marketing and promotion of Smirnoff Source™ is governed by Diageo’s marketing code, which is one of the most stringent in the industry.

The launch of Smirnoff Source will be supported by an integrated marketing plan including a new TV and digital advertising campaign in early July and new point-of-sale displays and visuals in stores this month.'

Today In - 'Press Releases'

[click inage to enlarge]

My favorite part?

'Nude hula-hooper on fire'.

Cool be a cool band name, or the title of a Morrissey song.

Kevin Larson Presents

Not sure what I think of this.

From a press release I received:

'Evoking the 51 million-year-old subtropical environment in which they flourished, authentic fossil fish, palms, stingrays and, occasionally, turtles and crocodiles are revealed in their natural limestone matrix by expert technicians in GeoDecor’s fossil laboratory.

Ranging in size from small, single specimens to expansive wall displays, the ancient treasures are framed in exotic wenge wood and fitted with a French cleat mounting system.'

Geo Decor