Web Ads Said to Promote Illegal Activities.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has called on backpage.com to close the adult services section of its classified advertising website. The letter to backpage, signed by 21 attorneys general, follows the successful effort to force craigslist to close down its adult services section.

"While this office remains a defender of free speech, organizations like craigslist and backpage have crossed the line in allowing advertisements that promote illegal activity, specifically prostitution," Koster said. "We cannot allow such websites to be portals for prostitution in our communities."

Koster noted that backpage has been cooperating with the attorneys general, but yesterday morning called on the company to permanently remove its adult services section. Koster is also requesting better policing of the entire personal services section of backpage’s website.

In the letter to backpage, Koster said, "Because backpage cannot, or will not, adequately screen these ads, it should stop accepting them altogether."

Used ta have a dog that would start shakin’ all over and hide behind the couch whenever it started to thunder. No talkin’ to that dog. Just wouldn’t listen.

No matter how calm we spoke, or how much we petted that dog, it wouldn’t move from it’s security furniture.

I don’t suppose it really hurt anything that the dog was so fearful of a rumble or two. There was somethin’ that made us kids want to get the dog to face the thunder.

‘Course we were prob’ly lucky not to be struck down by lightnin’ durin’ some of our adventures durin’ rain storms.

I suppose now there would be some dog shrink tellin’ us that we could somehow work the animal through its fears and make it a more functional pet. The dog lived a normal and healthy life. Sometimes you just have to let shakin’ dogs lay.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’

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Weekly Columns

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• When raking leaves, use this handy-dandy hint: Rake your leaves directly onto a sheet you’ve spread on the ground. Gather up the corners and drag to your compost area. Or bag most of it, then shake the excess into a bag using the same gathering motion.

• In a pinch, you can use an old shoulder pad as a "peepee teepee" when changing a baby boy.

• "Protect candleholders from wax drippings by coating the inside of the holder with a little petroleum jelly. But don’t do this for tapered candles, as it could cause the candle to slip over while lit; use for the bottoms of votives and such." -- D.R. in Canada

• Shower curtains can be hung inside a regular curtain to insulate a room from window drafts.

• Unwrapped bars of soap can be used in closets or dresser drawers as nice-smelling sachets until you’re ready to use them.

• "My children love to help me measure out ingredients when baking cookies, but they aren’t all that precise about getting items in measuring cups. In short, there’s a real mess afterward. I now have them measure dry goods over a piece of newspaper and wet goods over the sink. The kitchen is much cleaner now." -- F.H. in Virginia