Our best wishes go out to Ozzy Osbourne who was seriously injured in an ATV accident today:

Ozzy Osbourne suffered serious injuries in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Monday (12/8), and was undergoing emergency surgery at an undisclosed hospital in England, according to a statement issued by his publicist.

Osbourne is said to have broken his collarbone, six ribs and a vertebra in his neck. Doctors were working to lift his collarbone, which was thought to be impacting a major artery and limiting the flow of blood to his arm. Surgeons were also trying to stop some "bleeding into his lungs," according to the statement. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, his publicist added.

Osbourne was riding the ATV on his property in Buckinghamshire, England, when the accident occurred. He had been in the U.K. to promote the British release of "Changes," a duet with his daughter Kelly. No further information was immediately available.

Prisoner of Her Past is an absolutely fascinatng portrait of a holocaust survivor who developed late-onset PTSD, written by her son, a Chicago Tribune reporter:

Sixty years ago, Sonia Reich was hunted by the Nazis in Poland. Today, she is living those horrible times all over again. Her son, Tribune reporter Howard Reich, sought to find out why, and his search into her past is chronicled in this special report.

We read the whole thing in one sitting. It's long but so rich that it goes by almost too quickly.

This is our feel-good story of the day: Volunteers in Oxford, England trained the homeless to perform an opera :

The charity behind the project, Streetwise Opera, helped train volunteers to sing, perform and develop theatre skills. Professional opera singers joined them for last night's production at New College, which was sold out. The show's director, Matthew Peacock, said he hoped the music boosted the confidence of the homeless people involved and would help them in life.

This is the third such performance. Provided funding continues, more are planned:

The Oxford show involved at least 25 local organisations in addition to the New College choir. It followed past successes including two performances of Benjamin Britten's Canticles at Westminster Abbey in 2002. Mr Peacock hopes many others will follow, as long as funding continues. He hopes to stage at least one big show a year and to continue the 250 workshops a year currently conducted in homeless hostels in London.

[link via We are Not Sheep]

Say hello and welcome to Joshua Matthew Sherman, son of Mark and Rachel, and grandson of another good pal of our's, lawyer and tv legal eagle Mickey Sherman. This is Josh at less than an hour old:

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sundown today.

It is a time for repentance and forgiveness, a day to wipe clean the moral slate for a new year....It is regarded as the holiest day in the Jewish year, and is the day that Jews repent for offenses against God and neighbor.

Observant Jews will fast from food, drink and pleasures for the 24 hours of Yom Kippur. No work is permitted.

We'll be back Monday night .

Update 10/7: The Toledo police department is investigating the use of NORML's logo on its internet site.

Check out the "wallpaper" on this page from the Toledo Police Department's Vice and Narcotics Unit manual. Think they are paying licensing rights? [received from NORML]

Update: link really fixed now. If you were looking for the jury nullification article, it's here.

A county treasurer is handing out booklets to potential jurors saying they are answerable "only to God almighty" and not to the law when it comes to deliberations. Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Paschall, a former state lawmaker known for his anti-abortion and pro-gun views, said the booklets are "my personal gift to the people."

The 61-page booklets promote "jury nullification," a concept promoted by conservative groups that say juries have the right to not only decide guilt or innocence, but also whether laws are just and adhere to God's law. "You are above the law!" the booklet says. "As a juror in a trial setting, when it comes to your individual vote of innocent or guilty, you truly are answerable only to God almighty."

Ugh, it's politicians like Paschall that give jury nullification a bad name.

While the conservative concept is relatively new, juries have always in effect practiced nullification from time to time. Juries refused to convict people who harbored runaway slaves before the Civil War, sold alcohol during Prohibition or resisted the draft during the Vietnam War.

Update: Walter in Denver has more on the jury nullification issue.

Yes, this is very off-topic, but the news has been depressing today and we need some diversion. People Magazine reports that four days after calling off their wedding due to media mania, Ben and J.Lo have split, Ben initiated it and J.Lo is "devastated." She flew to Miami where she was spotted jogging and swimming with friends on a public beach.

Fame. Be careful what you wish for.

As we wrote last year on this day,

What a day to have a birthday. Not fun, we bet. Both Daily Kos and Mad Kane begin another year of life today, we hope you'll go over and extend good wishes.

R.I.P. Warren Zevon.

This ought to make admissions applications soar next year:

The University of Colorado topped the list of party schools in the nation...according to the latest Princeton Review's survey. The "Best 351 Colleges" survey is based on responses from more than 100,000 students at U.S. campuses.

....Despite a six-year effort to curb binge drinking at the University of Colorado, the school ranked third in widespread use of marijuana, fourth in the prevalence of hard liquor consumption and 11th in the prevalence of beer usage, Princeton Review reported in its 2004 findings. CU also ranked first among schools where students study the least.

Are you or a relative or friend looking for an interesting job in D.C. with a group committed to progressive changes in the criminal justice system? Head over to the Justice Policy Institute --they are seeking a Campaign Director.

Justice Policy Institute is a non-profit research and public policy organization dedicated to ending society’s reliance on incarceration and promoting effective and just solutions to social problems. JPI is located in Washington, DC and works with advocacy organizations, citizens and policymakers across the country to promote progressive criminal and juvenile justice reforms.

The JPI Campaign Coordinator is responsible for building and sustaining working relationships with individuals and organizations that influence and lead those responsible for determining what happens in this nation’s juvenile and criminal justice systems. The Campaign Coordinator will work closely with and under the supervision of the JPI Campaign Director and as a member of JPI campaign/project teams to develop and implement multi-faceted strategies designed to change practices and policies and create a more favorable environment for juvenile and criminal justice reforms.

Five years "relevant" experience needed --

Applicants must have a strong commitment to social justice issues and interest in criminal justice reform. Must be willing to travel.

Sounds like a dream job to us. Details here.

A little off-topic perhaps, but very interesting. From the LA Times, which requires free registration: Rorschach Tested

....a chorus of critics has emerged in recent years, saying that much of the test is mumbo jumbo, better relegated to a medical museum along with radioactive tonics and bloodletting fleams. They say that the test has potential to do harm by misdirecting therapy or by influencing decisions in high-stakes situations such as custody disputes.

"If psychologists used tea leaves instead of the Rorschach, we'd probably be better off, because then, at least, no one else would take the results seriously," says James Wood, associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso.

....Rorschach defenders are fighting back fiercely. They counter that critics are unfairly scapegoating the test with a tenacity that borders on the fanatical. They say the test, which homes in on people's differing reactions to ambiguous images, is far more solid than detractors claim, and that time after time, Wood, Garb and Lilienfeld have failed to acknowledge the evidence in support of it.

We've always wanted to know how the test is scored, and here it is: