9/30/2008

Judge Says Stone Wanted to Botox Her Kid


Sharon Stone is an alarmist parent who has gone off the deep end over and over, according to the judge who rejected her request to move her son down to L.A.

The court has released what it calls the "Tentative Statement of Decision." It is a highly sensitive document, which outlines a bitter, ongoing battle between Stone and ex-husband, Phil Bronstein.

Among many things, the judge says, "Mother appears to overreact to many medical issues involving Roan." In one case, the judge describes Stone believing Roan had a spinal condition, but "there was no evidence to support this allegation."

And then the court says, "Another example of an overreaction is that Mother suggested that Roan should have Botox injections in his feet to resolve a problem he had with foot odor. As Father appropriately noted, the simple and common sense approach of making sure Roan wore socks with his shoes and used foot deodorant corrected the odor problem without the need for any invasive procedure on this young child."

The judge differentiated very distinctly the difference between Bronstein and Stone, saying, "Father has championed for Roan's well-being out of, what appears to this Court, nothing less than the unconditional love for his son. Unfortunately, and for unexplained reasons, it appears that Mother did not involve herself to the extent she could or should have in this process ... Mother has attempted to put up roadblocks to Roan's getting help, or has decided against participating in his care."

The judge goes on: "Unfortunately, the problem caused by Mother's overreactions is painfully real for this child."

There are many other specifics that we won't publish.

The judge says at one point, responding to Stone's argument that she put her career on hold for Roan, "If Mother has, in fact, limited her career to make herself available for Roan, she has done little to make this evident to Roan, his school or this Court."

A call to Stone's rep was not immediately returned.

Another Label Rejects MySpace Music

Koch Records This Time


Koch Records has joined Merlin and A2IM in rejecting the deal offered independent labels by MySpace Music.

"KOCH Records, as the #1 Independent label in the U.S. for the last 7 years, was disappointed to see MySpace's 'smoke and mirrors' announcement regarding its new music service. Essentially it has announced a deal with the majors and has in effect become MajorSpace."

"It is unconscionable that it would give equity positions to the majors and treat the independent community as...

second class citizens after having built its service on our backs, as its CEO has acknowledged. It makes no sense at all the that the Majors will benefit from the utilization of our content without our participation as well. To be clear, our issue is not with the Majors having equity but with MySpace believing that we would accept this without similar terms. MySpace continually states that it is embracing the independents. It's a pretty listless and cold embrace."

Listening to Your Inner Voice

Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to listen to your inner voice. You know that voice, the one that tells you if something is a good idea or not. Unfortunately, sometimes our heads or our egos get in the way of the listening to that little voice...

How many times have you thought - if I had just listened to that little voice instead of thinking too much or just pushing through? Like taking "one last run" on a ski day only to get hurt? Or just having a bad feeling about something, but doing it anyway only leading to mishaps?

Several years ago I came face to face with the consequence of not listening to that little voice. I was on vacation with a couple of girlfriends in Maui and two of us decided to wake up early the first morning go swimming with wild dolphins.

We were excited when we got to the local beach early and spotted several dolphins out past the waves. What we also noticed was the size of the waves - they were huge. At the waters edge, I said I was not going in and my friend kind of looked at me shocked. I had heard that little voice telling me to stay on the beach, but then I did a funny thing - I went in anyway.

Not ten feet out, I knew I was in trouble. I was being sucked down by the undertow. I couldn't stay up, one wave after another pushed me down and all I could think was, "Kelly, this is so stupid. You knew not to go into the water and your Irish got you into this. You have two beautiful children at home and this is your choice?" Needless to say I was pissed at myself, swearing at my stupidity and then the survivor stepped in.

I saw a large rock over to my left and I knew if I got there I could at least catch my breath and decide how to get back to shore. Somehow I got to the rock and clung. Over and over I keep thinking about God and the hymnal words, "clinging to the rock." I smiled and knew it was going to be alright - I was clinging to my rock, my God. I caught my breath and managed somehow to dash myself against the rocks at the water's edge. Thus I made it to shore, be it battered, bleeding and shaken.

When I finally made it out of the water, a healer I did not know happened to be on shore waiting for me and my oh my, the scolding I received! I didn't even say a word and in she started, "Kelly, what are you doing? You have work to do here - people need you. You heard the voice, now you have to listen better. What are you thinking? You know you have important work to do..." On and on she lectured until she knew I was properly chastised. Then she had me smelling flowers and walking barefoot to try to get back into my body. It worked and I never saw her again after that day.

I was shaken that morning on the beach, and honestly I think still am, but in a good way. I listen better. I heard that voice years ago on the beach but I ignored it. I made a choice - yes, free will. We always, always have choices that can either lift ourselves up or push ourselves down. We decide over and over every day.

Interestingly, I think I made the right decision to go into the water that day. The lessons I learned from that experience were profound and have always stayed with me - for the better. It was terrifying and life-affirming in the ocean. I learned to trust my inner voice. It had been there all along, guiding me, but I chose not to listen. Now, I choose to listen.

Kelly Ballard is a workshop leader, Intuitive Guide and Healer. Through workshops, private sessions and guided meditations Kelly specializes in helping others discover positive solutions for immediate change/growth in their lives thus drawing their most abundant life into reality. Find out more information about her services and meditation CDs at http://www.kellyballard.com - Contact her directly at 720-984-4232 or email kelly@kellyballard.com - She lives in Boulder, CO.

Motorhome Insurance Top Tips

One of the most common mistakes people make when taking out insurance for their motorhome is insuring the motorhome under a standard car insurance policy. It may seem that the policy is very similar, but it could leave you without the correct cover.

For example - a specialist motorhome insurance policy will cover your camping equipment as well as your vehicle. Options such as new for old cover are often limited under a car policy.

Another consideration when comparing insurance policies for your motorhome is whether breakdown cover is included. As with any breakdown service, the one provided with your motorhome insurance policy could prove invaluable should your motorhome breakdown whilst on holiday. Good questions to ask your breakdown provider is whether there are length or weight restrictions for the service they provide and whether they have coverage in Europe. You may think you have been sold specialist motorhome breakdown cover, only to find that your vehicle is too long or too heavy to be recovered, leaving you stranded.

If you secure your motorhome with an alarm or tracking device, look for insurance companies that will recognise this and reward you with insurance discounts. You should also be able to earn a no claims discount on your policy and even get a discount for being a member of a motorhome club or online forum, so check what discounts you are entitled to.

Extra cover benefits such as European cover and European breakdown may be available at extra cost, therefore, if you don't plan to travel outside the UK, you could ask for these benefits to be removed, saving you money on your premium. Another way to reduce your premium is to limit the mileage in your motorhome each year or increase your voluntary excess if this is possible.

When ringing around for insurance quotes, remember to ask the right questions and only pay for the cover you need.

Heather Robinson of Caravan Guard Limited. Caravan Guard Limited specialise in motorhome insurance.