Happy New Year fro the PICs

Happy New  Year  to all our  friends and  readers.

The  PICs

Witchy  sez  remember  not  to drink  and  drive  ...  be  careful  out  there ... y'all hear .

Merry Christmas from The PICs

Have a safe  & Merry  Christmas
The  PICs

Your Roving Reporter :114-year-old woman who challenged Facebook age policy dies

This Oct. 12, 2014 photo shows Anna Stoehr, center, celebrating her 114th birthday at Green Prairie Place senior apartments in Plainview, Minn. Stoehr, one of Minnesota's oldest residents, died Sunday, Dec. 20, 2014 in her sleep after several days in hospice care, according to her son, Harlan Stoehr. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Richard Tsong-Taatarii)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A 114-year-old woman who challenged Facebook after the social media site wouldn't let her list her real age has died in Minnesota.

Anna Stoehr, one of the nation's oldest residents, died Sunday in her sleep after several days in hospice care, according to her son, Harlan Stoehr.
She drew national attention this year after KARE-TV reported about her attempt to create a Facebook account. The social media site wouldn't let her enter a birth year before 1905, so she listed her age as 99 — but she wrote a letter to the company saying, "I'm still here."

In response, Facebook sent her a bouquet of 114 flowers for her most recent birthday, her son said.

Born in Iowa in 1900, Anna Stoehr's family moved to Wisconsin and South Dakota before settling in Ridgeway, Minnesota, in 1919. She lived in Minnesota the rest of her life, her son said.
 The Gerontology Research Group, which tracks many of the world's longest-living people, said Anna Stoehr was the oldest verified resident of Minnesota. She also was the seventh oldest person verified to be living in the U.S. and 12th oldest in the world, according to Robert Young, a senior database administrator for the research group.

Young said living to age "114 is extremely rare." But he said the most amazing thing about Stoehr wasn't just her age, but the fact that she was willing to try new things, including Facebook and smartphones.

Harlan Stoehr said his mother was sharp until the end. He joked that when he saw her a week ago, "it was like she was 112 again."

　


Your Roving Reporter
　

North Korea's Internet goes down in possible revenge for Sony hacking scandal

 By RYAN GORMAN
North Korea's Internet –- yes, the country does have web access –- appears to be under a major attack despite many experts doubting the regime's involvement in the Sony Pictures hacking scandal.

The hermit kingdom's usually spotty Internet access is currently experiencing more issues than usual, according to the blog North Korea Tech. This includes all websites hosted inside the country.

The communist country's connection to the outside world is failing and websites hosted within its borders keep going down, according to cyber security firm Dyn Research, which runs the blog.

"I haven't seen such a steady beat of routing instability and outages in KP before," Doug Madory, director of Internet analysis at Dyn Research, wrote in the post.

"Usually there are isolated blips, not continuous connectivity problems. I wouldn't be surprised if they are absorbing some sort of attack presently."

The cyberassault comes only days after President Barack Obama promised a "proportional response" following the FBI's report detailing the North's involvement in hack, which forced Sony to cancel the release of "The Interview."

Modory told the New York Times that the series of events is consistent with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on their routers.

"Their networks are under duress," he told the paper.

The reclusive regime's Internet presence is scarce, numbering just over 1,000 known IP addresses, according to the Times. By comparison, the U.S. has billions.

Kim Jong Un's starving, oppressed masses are unlikely to even know what the Internet is, let alone be affected by an outage.

The country's nascent web surfing is done mostly by government officials, state-run media and assumed armies of hackers.

Matthew Prince, founder of San Francisco-based web security firm CloudFlare, told the Times that North Korea's Internet is "toast," adding that it has simply "gone away."

The surprising development comes as many experts have called into question the North's involvement in the infiltration of Sony Pictures.

Marc Rodgers, also of CloudFlare, argued on his blog that he believes any North Korean involvement is highly unlikely.

Rodgers' doubt is fueled by nuances in the Korean language unique to the North Korean dialect but not found in any written communications from the hackers, the group's knowledge of Sony's internal systems and the fact that the saboteurs only latched on to "The Interview" after reports North Korea was involved.

"Blaming North Korea is the easy way out for a number of folks, including the security vendors and Sony management," wrote Rodgers. "It probably also suits a number of political agendas."

The Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged the North Korean Internet outage and would likely not admit any possible involvement in such an operation.
　

Ellen DeGeneres :Comedian

 Ellen's Biography
 
Cause of Choice: Humane Society of the United States and Oceana
Second Chance:
The first time she was scheduled to appear on Johnny Carson, she got bumped when the previous guest, Robert Goulet, kept forgetting the lyrics to the song "Memory."
Big Break: Winning "Showtime's Funniest Person in America" contest in 1982 vaulted her from local New Orleans clubs to a national tour.

Family Act:
Her brother Vance was the first sibling to achieve local celebrity as the bassist of the New Orleans band, The Cold. He now co-runs Steve Carrell's production company.

Ellen DeGeneres is a daytime TV juggernaut and entertainment pioneer. Her hit syndicated talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, is a haven for discussion, deadpan comedy, and a collector of over 30 Daytime Emmys. She’s been included in Forbes’s "100 Most Powerful" and Time’s "100 Most Influential" lists and has hosted the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Grammys to wide acclaim. She is the best-selling author of Seriously…I’m Kidding, The Funny Thing Is…, and My Point…And I Do Have One. Her many humanitarian efforts include anti-bullying campaigns and support for Hurricane Katrina victims, as well as animal rescue, global warming and breast cancer awareness organizations.

DeGeneres’s comedy career began as an emcee at a local comedy club in her hometown of New Orleans. She got her start acting on Fox’s sitcom Open House and ABC’s Laurie Hill, before being offered, what would become her trailblazing role, on These Friends of Mine, renamed Ellen after the first season. The popular sitcom made history when Ellen’s character came out of the closet in 1997, becoming the first-ever gay lead character on television. The episode garnered Ellen a coveted Peabody Award and played to a record 46 million viewers. DeGeneres went on to star in hit HBO specials, the critically acclaimed CBS sitcom The Ellen Show, and to voice the beloved Dory in Finding Nemo. She served as the fourth judge on "American Idol" in 2010 and, in May of that year, announced eleveneleven, a record label created in partnership with Telepictures to discover new acts and platform them on her talk show. She has also become a sought after spokesperson featured in highly popular campaigns including JCPenny, Covergirl and American Express.

'Your Roving Reporter' : New Trial Requested For Boy, 14 , Executed in !944

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - 

December 17 , 2014
More than 70 years after South Carolina sent a 14-year-old black boy to the electric chair in the killings of two white girls in a segregated mill town, a judge threw out the conviction, saying the state committed a great injustice.

George Stinney  was arrested, convicted of murder in a one-day trial and executed in 1944 - all in the span of about three months and without an appeal. The speed in which the state meted out justice against the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century was shocking and extremely unfair, Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen wrote in her ruling Wednesday.

"I can think of no greater injustice," Mullen wrote.
The two girls, ages 7 and 11, had been beaten badly in the head with an iron railroad spike in the town of  Alcolu  in Clarendon County, about 45 miles southeast of Columbia, authorities said. A search by dozens of people found their bodies several hours later.

Investigators arrested Stinney,  saying witnesses saw him with the girls as they picked flowers. He was kept away from his parents after his arrest, and authorities later said he confessed.
His supporters said he was a small, frail boy so scared that he said whatever he thought would make the authorities happy. They said there was no physical evidence linking him to the deaths. His executioners noted the electric chair straps didn't fit him, and an electrode was too big for his leg.

During a two-day hearing in January, Mullen heard testimony from Stinney's  surviving brother and sisters, someone involved in the search and experts who questioned the autopsy findings and Stinney's  confession. Most of the evidence from the original trial was gone and almost all the witnesses were dead.
It took Mullen nearly four times as long to issue her ruling as it took in 1944 to go from arrest to execution.

Stinney's  case has long been whispered in civil rights circles in South Carolina as an example of how a black person could be railroaded by a justice system during the Jim Crow era where the investigators, prosecutors and juries were all white.
The case received renewed attention because of a crusade by textile inspector and school board member George  Frierson. Armed with a binder full of newspaper articles and other evidence, he and a law firm believed the teen represented everything that was wrong with South Carolina during the era of segregation.

"It was obviously a long shot but one we thought was worth taking," said attorney Matt Burgess, whose firm argued that Stinney  should get a new trial.
Mullen went a step further by vacating  Stinney's  conviction. Her 29-page order included references to the 1931  Scottsboro Boys case in Alabama, where nine black teens were convicted of raping two white women. Eight of them were sentenced to death.

The convictions were eventually overturned before the teens went to the death chamber and the charges were dropped. Mullen noted  Stinney  did not even get the consideration of an appeal.

The judge was careful to say her ruling doesn't apply to other families who felt their relatives were discriminated against.
"The extraordinary circumstances discussed herein simply do not apply in most cases," Mullen wrote.

Your Roving  Reporter :

The Roving Reporter:' The PICs # 1 Celebrity Pick for 2014 : Prince George

Prince George photographs released by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Pictures taken by Prince Harry’s private secretary show toddler wearing sleeveless jumper with guardsmen pattern

Prince George sits for his official Christmas picture. Photograph: Ed Lane Fox/Getty Images
Prince George photographs released by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released three official Christmas photographs of their son Prince George in a courtyard at his home at Kensington Palace. The pictures of the third in line to the throne, who is nearly 17 months old, were taken late last month by his uncle Harry’s private secretary, Ed Lane Fox, who has previously worked as a freelance photographer.

The toddler is pictured wearing a blue sleeveless jumper decorated with marching guardsmen complete with bearskins and red tunics over a white top, dark shorts and matching socks and shoes. The last official photographs of him were published to mark his first birthday on 22 July.
George shows off his guardsman jumper. Photograph: Ed Lane Fox/Getty Images

Prince William and his wife have recently returned from a three-day trip to the United States, where they visited the 9/11 memorial, attended a charity fund-raising dinner, and met President Obama.

The duchess will not be accompanying her husband on his next official visits to Japan and China early next year as she is expecting their second child at the end of April.

Your  Roving Reporter:

'The Roving Reporter : One Of The Worst Serial Killers in History Arrested

 Killing calmed me down': Brazilian man admits murdering more than 40 people for 'fun .
By RYAN GORMAN
A Rio de Janeiro man has confessed to killing more than 40 people for fun – making him one of history's most prolific serial killers.

Sailson Jose das Gracas, 26, was arrested shortly after stabbing a woman to death on the outskirts of the sprawling city, and soon confessed to another 41 murders, police said. Thirty-eight of his victims were women, three men and one a two-year-old girl.

Das Graces boasted during a police press conference that he derived great pleasure from the exact moment his victims died and that four of the killings were contract murders for Cleoza Barbina and Jose Messia, a couple who have since also been arrested, according to a police statement.

The couple paid him to kill at least one person over a debt of only $15, according to reports.

Das Graces said the more his victims struggled, the more joy he derived from their deaths.

"I was glad when she struggled, screamed and scratched me," he told police, according to Odia, a local newspaper.

Police said das Graces also removed his victim's nails to add to their torture.

The admitted killer insisted he killed only white women and preferred blondes, according to the BBC. His preferred method was to strangle them to death, but he would also shoot or stab if necessary.

"He wanted to kill women -- white women, not black ones. He followed the victims, studying them closely before committing the crimes," police commissioner Pedro Henrique Medina, from the northern suburb of Nova Iguacu, told AFP.

"Not the black race," he told Globo G1, a Brazilian television station. "Because it is family."

Das Gracas also described how he would stalk victims before ending their lives.

"I observed them, I studied them. I waited for a month, sometimes a week, depending on the place. I tried to ascertain where they lived, what their families were like," said the admitted killer, according to Sky News.

"I kept watch on their houses and then after a while went there at dawn, waited for my chance and entered," he continued.

"I would wait for an opportunity to break into the house and kill," said das Graces, according to the BBC.

The disturbed man told gathered reporters that the murders filled a void in his life.

"When I didn't do it I would get nervous, then I would go hunting," he said, according to Sky News.

"When I wasn't killing someone I got uptight. I would pace up and down at home. Killing calmed me down," he said, according to AFP.

A police official told Odia that das Graces often masturbated over his dead victims, but the killer insists he never sexually assaulted or raped any of the women he killed.

The killing spree lasted nine years, according to das Graces.

"At 17, I killed the first woman and that gave me a buzz. I kept on doing it and I enjoyed it," he said, according to AFP.

Das Graces told reporters he regretted only one murder, the two-year-old child.

"I only regret the child," he said, according to Odia. "The child cried a lot and could have woken the neighbors."

The depraved man was arrested multiple times since 2007 on charges of theft and gun possession.

He otherwise expressed no remorse and even said nothing could stop him from killing more people.

"I don't feel remorse. If I go to jail for 10, 15, 20 years, then as soon as I get out I'll do the same thing all over again."

Das Graces is yet another in a line of serial killers apprehended this year in Brazil.

His death toll tops the 39 killed by Thiago Rocha, a 26-year-old hospital security guard. Another suspect has admitted to killing nine people in the mostly-impoverished South American country.

The maximum prison sentence for a serial killer under Brazilian law is only 30 years.

'Your  Roving  Reporter'

'Eaten Alive' Special Deemed Giant Let Down

Paul Rosolie's daredevil debut didn't go so well.

The researcher and naturalist covered himself in pig's blood and donned a special suit to get swallowed alive by an anaconda and get it all on camera.

But when Discovery aired the Eaten Alive special, viewers found the stunt...hard to swallow. After a nearly two-hour build-up, Rosolie settled on a smaller snake than planned. But we could cut him slack on that...I mean an anaconda is an anaconda. Then the 250-pound snake squeezed him, got its jaws around the top of his head before Rosolie called it quits, and his assistants rescued him.

Rosolie explained, "I started to feel the blood drain out of my hand and I felt the bone flex. And when I got to the point where I felt like it was going to snap I had to tap out," he said.

Within minutes, he was mocked all-over Twitter.

Witchy Sez :

This stunt had "stupid" written all over it.

More Municipal Bans on Fracking Pose Setback to Domestic Energy Boom

The surge in domestic-energy production that has created millions of new jobs and abundant natural gas and oil is now facing a potential setback, with cities across the country imposing bans on the widely-used deep-drilling process known as fracking.

At least three U.S. cities and two counties in the November elections voted in favor of such a ban. And courts in Pennsylvania and New York have recently ruled in favor of letting cities have some control over the drilling.

There is little surprise that Texas is at the forefront of the fight between energy companies and other fracking supporters and critics who say the drilling process is noisy, pollutes water supplies and triggers earthquakes.

Most of the attention in Texas is now on Denton, a college town near Dallas that sits on the Barnett shale formation that is full of natural gas.

The city became the first in Texas to impose the ban and has emerged as a test case for municipalities across the state trying to halt the drilling -- particularly in the face of the powerful energy industry and the Texas General Land Office, which owns 13 million acres of land across Texas and uses revenue from the mineral rights to fund public education.

Denton residents approved the ban in a Nov. 4 referendum that promptly resulted in at least two lawsuits including one by the land office and the Texas Oil & Gas Association, an industry group.

The ban on fracking went into effect Tuesday, but the situation appears headed for a lengthy legal battle.

"Whatever happens next will take place in a courtroom," Ed Ireland, executive director of the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, a group aligned with producers, told Reuters.

Property rights are a part of Texas' cultural fabric. But the desire to develop hydrocarbons such as oil and gas is equally powerful.

Another factor is that property rights are separate under state law from mineral rights, making it possible to own one but not the other.

The process of fracking involves shooting a mix of pressurized water, sand and chemicals to split rock formations and release the gas and so-called tight oil.

Fracking supporters say the industry in 2012 supported 2.1 million jobs across the country and contributed nearly $284 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, according to most recent figures.

In Ohio, which is home to the Utica shale gas field and is enjoying a manufacturing renaissance as a result of fracking, the cities of Youngstown, Gates Mills and Kent on election day rejected proposed bans. However, the city of Athens approved one. They join the Ohio cities of Broadview Heights, Mansfield, Oberlin and Yellow Springs in the banning of fracking within city limits.

California voters in San Benito and Mendocino counties passed bans, while those in Santa Barbara defeated one. Santa Cruz County had already enacted one, and Los Angeles was already in the process of imposing a temporary ban. At least on local referendum has passed in Colorado, but the courts have ruled against it.

In Texas, the fight against fracking also pits municipalities against the Texas Railroad Commission, which governs the oil and gas industry.

"Regulation doesn't work very well in the state of Texas because the Railroad Commission doesn't work on the public's behalf," said Dan Dowdey, who is asking Alpine city commissioners to ban fracking in the nearby Permian Basin and Eagle Ford shale formations, though the closest drilling is more than 100 miles away.

And residents of Reno, which had its first recorded earthquake last year and hundreds since then, took their first step this past spring toward a ban. The ban limits fracking activities to operators who can prove the injections won't cause earthquakes.

Cities might never be able to prove definitively that fracking causes earthquakes.

Texas hired its first seismologist to investigate the potential link after Reno Mayor Lyndamyrth Stokes led an effort to get the Railroad Commission to halt the drilling in her area. Stokes say the seismologist told her that making such a definitive connection would be impossible.

On Monday, potential 2016 Democratic White House Candidate Hillary Clinton, who will need a domestic-energy platform, tried walking the narrow line between fracking supporters and critics.

“It is crucial we put in place smart regulations and enforce them including deciding not to drill when the risks to local communities, landscapes and ecosystems are just too high,” she told the League of Conservation Voters in New York. But “natural gas can play an important bridge role in the transition to a cleaner, greener economy.”

Rapist' written on Bill Cosby's Walk of Fame star

Bill Cosby's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California was vandalized on Friday after someone scrawled the word 'rapist' over his plaque.

The perpetrator used a purple marker to write the word three times on the embedded contribution to Cosby, which had been awarded to him in 1997. Once discovered, a crew was called in to refinish his star.

The once-beloved actor/comedian has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual abuse including groping and drugging and rape. Cosby was recently sued by a woman who claims she was assaulted by the comedian when she was 15 years old.
While allegations against him continue to grow, Cosby has never been charged with a crime relating to sexual misconduct.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce issued a statement following the vandalism saying, "When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways then to vandalize a California state landmark."

A day before his star was tarnished, actor/director Debbie Allen told MSNBC  whether the allegations are true or not, Cosby's reputation is already damaged.


"Just imagine Mickey Mouse saying that he raped Minnie," Allen said. "Mickey Mouse is part of the fabric of America. Whether he did it or not, the question is being raised and so it'll leave a thought."

Your Roving Reporter :Cassidy defeats Landrieu in Louisiana Senate race, bolstering GOP majority in new Senate

MELINDA DESLATTE  December 6th 2014  9:44 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy has defeated Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, denying her a fourth term and extending the GOP's domination of the 2014 midterm elections that put Republicans in charge of Capitol Hill for the final two years of President Barack Obama's tenure.

With Cassidy's victory, the GOP will hold 54 seats when the Senate convenes in January, nine more than they have now. Republican victories in two Louisiana House districts Saturday - including the seat Cassidy now holds - ensure at least 246 seats, compared to 188 for Democrats, the largest GOP advantage since the Truman administration after World War II. An Arizona recount leaves one race still outstanding.

In Louisiana, early returns showed Cassidy with a wide lead.
Landrieu had narrowly led a Nov. 4 primary ballot that included eight candidates from all parties. But at 42 percent, she fell well below her marks in previous races, leaving the incumbent scrambling in a one-month runoff campaign that Republicans dominated via the air waves while national Democrats financially abandoned her effort.

Landrieu's defeat is a blow for one of Louisiana's most famous political families, leaving her brother, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, to carry the banner. The GOP sweep also denied former Gov. Edwin Edwards a political comeback; the colorful 87-year-old politician, who had served four terms as governor, sought to regain public office after serving eight years in federal prison on corruption charges.

In the South, Democrats will be left without a single governor or U.S. senator across nine states stretching from the Carolinas to Texas. And the House delegations from the same region are divided almost entirely by race, with white Republicans representing majority-white districts, while majority non-white districts are represented by black or Hispanic Democrats.

The Louisiana Senate race mirrored contests in other states Obama lost in 2012, with Landrieu, 59, joining Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan and Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor in defeat. Democrats ceded seats in Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia after incumbents opted not to run again.

Like victorious Republicans in those races, Cassidy, 57, made his bid against Landrieu as more about Obama than about his own vision for the job. An Illinois native, Cassidy made few public appearances during the runoff, seeking to avoid missteps that could change the race.

But in a state where 73 percent of white voters on Nov. 4 told pollsters they "strongly disapproved" of the president, that was enough to prevent Landrieu from finding her footing. Cassidy also enjoyed a prodigious advertising advantage in the runoff: Of every dollar spent by outside groups during the one-month runoff, 97 cents benefited the congressman.

Landrieu tried several messages over the course of her losing effort.

Most recently, she had hammered Cassidy as unfit for the job and interested more in partisanship than helping Louisiana. She directed her most pointed criticism at Cassidy's medical teaching job with the Louisiana State University hospital system. Calling Cassidy "Dr. Double Dip," Landrieu suggested the congressman collected a $20,000, taxpayer-funded salary for little or no work, describing gaps and discrepancies in Cassidy's LSU timesheets. LSU said it's looking into the timesheet questions.

She argued that the race shouldn't be about Obama, but also targeted advertising on radio stations geared to the black community, where the president remains popular.

Her anchor argument was that her seniority was a boon for Louisiana, particularly her chairmanship of the Senate's energy committee, an important panel for this oil-rich state.

Your Roving Reporter 

Discovery Channel : Eaten Alive

This Sunday at 9/8C on the Discovery Channel, naturalist Paul Rosolie will attempt to be consumed by a giant green anaconda on a two-hour television special called "Eaten Alive." 
Rosolie, 27, is an expert and advocate for the Amazonian habitat that the green anaconda and countless other tropical species call home. The Internet has been buzzing about Rosolie since the announcement of "Eaten Alive" by Discovery. e snake-proof suit Paul Rosolie  will wear while being eaten by an anaconda Rosolie and Discovery have since drawn criticism from some groups over concerns about the welfare of the giant snake as it attempts to devour Rosolie, who will be wearing a customized suit that will keep him from being crushed by the giant reptile during the encounter.

Rosolie  insists that the snake was not harmed and that he would never do anything to endanger the animal. His stated purpose for being eaten alive is to do something so big and attention grabbing that it draws public focus to the plight of the Amazon basin and the creatures that live in it.

"I think that this is something that can be used to bring attention to the jungle. I think that this is something that would be really exciting for people to see," Rosolie said.

In response to his critics, Rosolie  told the New York Post, "Anacondas are a major player in the Amazon ecosystem that provides 1/5 of our planet's oxygen and contains 1/5 of the planets fresh water. For those worried about animal cruelty, I invite you to research my work – read my book. Then ask yourself: would this person ever hurt an animal?"

In order to survive being crushed and consumed by the anaconda, Rosolie  will wear a customized suit of "armor" consisting of many layers. One layer will protect Rosolie  from the snake's powerful stomach acids, one from the intense Amazonian heat and another from its toothy bite. 

Finally, an outer layer comprised of composite materials specially formed to Rosolie's  body will protect him from the crushing forces of being constricted. Rosolie  will breathe and communicate with his team using the same kind of mask worn by firefighters. 

To make Rosolie  appetizing to the anaconda, the suit will be covered in pig blood before the encounter.

"Eaten Alive" will premiere  Sunday 12 /7 at 9/8 Central  on the Discovery Channel.
Witchy  is  wondering  will you watch  ...HeHe

Your Roving Reporter : Dez Duron

Ask Dez what he enjoys the most and without hesitation he will say, “Singing is my first love.” That has never changed for Dez Duron, despite his numerous successes in many different arenas of life. Dez has, after all, won high school state championships in three different varsity sports, two academic subjects (Economics & Sociology), and has achieved national recognition for his musical and dramatic efforts. Dez has had an athletic career that goes beyond the ordinary. He was the starting second baseman on a state championship baseball team, and won three state track medals including the indoor 800 meter championship. Dez took his place beside LA footballl royalty Peyton Manning and other luminaries where he was named 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year for Louisiana. In that same year Dez threw a state record 58 touchdowns in one season. 

After graduating at the top of his high school class, Dez received an invitation to play football at Yale University. Dez loved everything about Yale, but when his lifelong dream came calling in the form of an audition for NBC’s “The Voice,” he decided to take a break and move to Hollywood. 

Dez is still actively pursuing his career as singer, songwriter, and entertainer. He is busy writing music, performing, and recording. The recording studio is not new to Dez. He literally grew up in a recording studio as one of the “Best Buddies,” a musical group made up of his siblings that have provided Godly lessons to children around the world. When Dez was twelve, he and his sister DawnChere and brother Denny Rodney recorded and released a contemporary Christian project as the group “Duron” entitled Silver Lining. This group performed at numerous events before DawnChere and Denny Rodney moved on to other pursuits. When asked about his favorite style, Dez is quick to confirm his love for jazz and the Big Band era standards. He quickly adds that he also loves Pop and R&B. 

Dez talks easily about almost anything but himself. His endearing, honest humility is a throwback to an earlier era, but so are many of the artists. (His favorites are Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Paul McCartney just to name a few.) Dez is a devoted Christian and worshiper who feels God has called us to be His light in every venue of life. Dez was named as Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana for 2009 after leading his team to the State Championship and throwing a record 58 touchdowns.

Dez  is  kept  busy  when in town   , he's  a  hot  item  at  the Eldorado  Celebrity  Club  and  opens  up  for  many  preforming  acts around  the  city . 

Your  Roving  Reporter

Rolling Stones' sax player Bobby Keys dead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Bobby Keys, a saxophonist and life-long rock 'n roller known to millions for his blasting solo on the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar," has died at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 70 years old.

Michael Webb, who played keyboard with Keys, said Keys died on Tuesday after a lengthy illness. Keys had been out on tour with the Stones earlier this year before his health prevented him from performing.

"The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys," the band said in a statement. "Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed."

Known for his heavy jowls and forceful style, the Texas native was born on the same day as Keith Richards - Dec. 18, 1943 - and the Stones' guitarist would often cite Keys as a soul mate and favorite musician. Besides "Brown Sugar," Keys also played memorable solos on such Stones favorites as the 7-minute jam "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and the country-styled "Sweet Virginia." Other career highlights included John Lennon's chart-topping "Whatever Gets You Through the Night."

"I have lost the largest pal in the world, and I can't express the sense of sadness I feel, although Bobby would tell me to cheer up," Keith Richards wrote in a statement.

Keys' career dated back to the 1950s, when as a teenager he played with Buddy Holly and The Crickets. He joined the Stones in the late 1960s and was with them off and on over the following decades. He also played on Richards' solo album "Talk is Cheap."