January 8

Events

• Current events

• 1896 - A lover of youth and alcohol - Paul Verlaine is known to some as a French poet of the 19th century and to others as just another pedo. He is often thought of as a boylover because of his famous sexual relationship with another French poet, Arthur Rimbaud when the latter was 16. But Verlaine had previously been in love with a female cousin and married Mathilde Maute when she was only 16. Verlaine drank too much, a vice that lead to him being arrested for wounding Rimbaud with a gun. When he was examined by the court physicians they noted that and he "bears on his person the signs of active and passive pederastic habits," whatever that means. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Although he continued to drink too much after his release, Verlaine was celebrated as the leading poet of France. He died at age 52 of pulmonary congestion on this date in the home one of his favorite prostitutes. His funeral was attended by thousands in Paris.

• 1935 - Elvis LIVES!!! - On this day Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis became famous for his singing and his hip-swiveling actions during his performances. His pedo tendencies, interestingly, almost went entirely without notice. He had many relationships with girls, including his wife, Priscilla, who he started dating when she was 14 and he was 24. I guess like Michael Jackson, his former son-in-law, when you are that famous and controversial in other ways, what's a little pedophilia but a dash of color?

• 1941 - Follow me, boys! - Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the scouting movement, died on this date. He turned his military experience and his passion for children into a movement that now spans the globe. Tim Jeal wrote in a biography of Baden-Powel that at a Scouts' camping ground "he always enjoyed watching the boys swimming naked, and would sometimes chat with them after they had 'just stripped off'." Baden-Powell also apparently enjoyed KP as he wrote once in a journal, "Tod's photos of naked boys and trees etc. Excellent." His legacy is an organization that has provided bonding experiences for many men and boys. Well done, sir.

• 1969 - "Baby your love stays constantly on my mind / This is the best sex I've ever had" - On this date singer R Kelly was born. In 1994 Kelly was at the center of a controversy because he was accused of marrying singer Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, and getting an annulment shortly thereafter. An Illinois marriage license - one that placed Aaliyah's age as 18 at the time - became public, but neither Kelly nor Aaliyah ever commented on the matter. Kelly was arrested more recently for videotaping himself having sex with a different 15 year old girl. I guess Kelly is just not famous enough to, like Elvis, get away with these shenanigans.

• 2001 - Why not make it a trillion dollars, then? - Charles Jaynes and Salvatore Sicari were convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing 10 year old Jeffrey Curley. With no assets to their names and serving life sentences, the Curley's were not satisfied. They sued the two men in a civil action. On this date a Massachusetts jury ordered the two men to pay $328 million to the Curly's. They do not expect to collect any of that money. Next on their agenda: suing NAMBLA in federal court for $1 billion. The ACLU has agreed to defend NAMBLA in that case.

Births

• Edward Perry Warren - January 8, 1860