All Hallows Eve

Tonight, a night of candy and costumes for some, will be a night of closed doors for others. Some Utah sex offenders have been told not to answer their door to trick-or-treaters tonight.
Offenders on probation should be at home, at work, or at their halfway house so that parole officers will be able to check in on them. "We have adult probation and parole agents out doing home visits every night of the week; Halloween is certainly no exception," Department of Corrections spokeswoman Angie Welling said.
Welling said parents should be cautious that night anyway.
"Parents know their neighborhoods, and they know who their neighbors are. We would recommend, just like any other law enforcement agency, that they stay close to their kids or at least know what homes they are going to on Halloween night," she said.
Welling said the department has never had an incident in the past involving trick-or-treaters and sex offenders, but it still wants to be safe.
Other states are more strict, with rules that sex offenders must avoid all Halloween decorations on their house and put out a sign saying "No candy." (Taken from "Sex offenders face rules for Halloween" By Mary Richards @ KSL)

For more information on who might be living in your neighborhood visit: http://www.familywatchdog.us/

African Unity

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=10/2/2008

The United States of America has been around since 1776. The European Union was established formally in 1993. What about a United Africa? This year, this decade, or even this century? If it ever happens, should it? In other words, what might such an alliance mean both for Africans themselves and on the world stage generally? We're talking with one of the world's premiere scholars in the area of African studies about the prospect of a United Africa.

• What are some of your thoughts on today turmoil across the globe?
• What do you think we can do in our own lives to increase unity?

Matters of the Mind and Mental Health

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=10/24/2008

Two formerly separate worlds have converged in a new book titled Matters of the Mind: Latter-day Saint Helps for Mental Health. The book comprises chapters on mental disorders and we're discussing its rationale with two of the editors, both LDS clinical psychologists.

• What mental illnesses have you come up against in your life? How have you coped?
  
• Mental illnesses aren’t different for those who believe in the LDS religion versus those who do not; so do you think there should be books like this specifically for the LDS community?
  
• How do you view the utilization of professional treatment for mental health problems?

Poet Idris Anderson

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=10/27/2008 Idris Anderson is the 2008 recipient of the May Swenson Poetry Award, a significant national award for poetry in the English language. Her publisher describes her poetic voice as having little interest in ideology, but great concern for lived experience in all its richness. Eminent literary critic Harold Bloom says Anderson's "grave, measured poetic voice" won him over instantly. Anderson visited BYU last week and stopped by to talk to us on Thinking Aloud.