Okay. It's good to know that there are many many more rats, and yet at the same time, my skin is only crawling more.

I don't think I'll be able to talk USC into getting rid of all the vegetation, unfortunately.

Also, they could get an exterminator to leave poison out. There were rats outside of this building, who were living off the garbage laft by the construction crew next door, and our exterminator put poison baits out in the lot and said that will cut down on them. Thank GOD our building is well-sealed, plus there was so much food next door that they didn't have any reason to come in.

These are California rats, so they live outside.

Now imagining rats with teeny teeny sunglasses. They spend their days surfing.

Alibelle, I think you might need to find another place to work. I would not work at a place that had a known rat problem so bad that open trash cans were not workable. Rats are not an acceptable side-effect of working in an office.

On the subject of social standing and pederasty, the crux of the Boston Diocese scandal is that so many people knew that there were bad seeds, and didn't know what to do about it, and did nothing, and thereby let the problem continue. Like, not even the hush money cases -- of which there were several -- but a bad guy moving away to California, and his supervisors sending along recommendations to the CA dioceses that there was no problem him working with children.

Alibelle, they have to keep the vegetation, I was just saying that so you would know that the rats live OUTSIDE. Like coyotes and opossums and all the other city-adapted creatures we have around here.

I hope Ali's visitor is the rare just. one. rat, for her sake.

Trudy, if you mean by "easily" "is a valid interpretation", then you're right. If by "easily" you mean "obviously", then you're wrong, as I can think of at least one other valid interpretation, namely starfucking

Exactly. Honestly, I tend to favor the starfucking interpretation. (If MJ wasn't rich and famous, but still related to children as he apparently does -- that is, viewing prepubescent boys as friendly equals -- how many parents would be comfortable leaving their children with him, even if they absolutely knew no molestation was going on?)

I think the key is just to make sure there's no food in your office. Also, probably don't go in there at night.

Trudy, if you mean by "easily" "is a valid interpretation", then you're right. If by "easily" you mean "obviously", then you're wrong, as I can think of at least one other valid interpretation, namely starfucking.

I'm pretty sure I meant the former. Completely sure, actually.

In all likelyhood there are some of each -- but my point was that if you believe in someone you tend to show your support.

This is the easiest guy in the world to try and blackmail and some people close to him (who let him hang out with their children) believe that to be the case. Most of the legions of people declaring him a baby-fucker, otoh, have never met the guy.

my point was that if you believe in someone you tend to show your support.

Yes. However, that doesn't mean that these people have any reason to believe in Jackson. Some people believe so strongly in Elvis that they think he's still alive. Some people believe in Ronald Reagan so strongly that they deny he showed early Alzheimer's symptoms in office.

some people close to him (who let him hang out with their children) believe that to be the case. Most of the people declaring him a baby-fucker have never met the guy.

The thing is, Trudy, people who would choose to be close to him are a self-selecting group. If you think the guy is a perv, or even if you think he might be one, you're not going to want to be in the same room with him, much less let your children do so. The people who are likely to hang out with him, probably already think he's been railroaded

I've read the court documents' summary on thesmokinggun.com, and I think there's a fair chance this case is a blackmail attempt. But I can't imagine being so sure about that, that I would take any chances with my children.