Thursdays *&$@#n Column

You know that word?

Sometimes it's a noun. Other times, it's an adjective. It's also definitely a verb.

Don't use it in South Pasadena this week.

Or any word remotely close. That's because the city has declared it's "Cuss Free Week."

The idea comes from 14-year-old McKay Hatch, who started a No Cussing Club at South Pasadena Middle School this past June, according to his father, Brent.

South Pas isn't the only place adopting McKay's program. He has a Web site, nocussing.com and branches of the club in all 50 states.

McKay's Web site explains the origins of his club.

"A lot of kids at my school, and some of my friends, would cuss and use dirty language all the time. They did it so much, they didn't even realize they were doing it. It bothered me so much that one day I challenged them to stop," Hatch wrote. "But some of the kids said they didn't know how to stop. That's when I started the No Cussing Club."

It wasn't easy at first. Kids at the middle school would say some pretty foul things to McKay, his dad recalled.

And, as for starting the club, Brent was sort of against it at first.

"When McKay came to us and said he wanted to this, I didn't want to do it all," Brent said.

That's probably because Brent, like most of the rest of us, doesn't scream a hearty Homer Simpson "d'oh" when he stubs his toe.

If he's like me, the language is likely more purple than the bruised toe. I slip up in the newsroom, too, so needless to say I really had to watch it Wednesday when a group of Cub Scouts from Foothill Christian School toured the plant at deadline.
A very dangerous time.

"I slip up every once in a while," Brent admitted. "I'm not perfect. I've always had a real bad habit, but I'm trying to curb it 100 percent."

Of course Brent's not alone in South Pasadena. Over at Ben's Barbershop, a blue word can be heard now and then.

Same thing at Carmine's on Fair Oaks.

"Most people here say what they are going to say," said a woman at the Italian restaurant who identified herself as Amy. "That's a high school thing. We're a business for adults - 21 and over."

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A preliminary hearing for Man-Ling Williams has been postponed - again.

Williams, 27, is accused of suffocating her two young sons and stabbing her husband to death at the couple's Rowland Heights home in August.

Killed were Neal Williams, 27, and sons Ian, 3, and Devon, 7.

The case is moving pretty slowly through the system and it appears as if the District Attorney's Office is allowing the defense to drag their feet.

Appearing before a judge this week, the defense presented a sealed argument asking for another delay. And, it was granted. Because the argument was heard in chambers, we don't know how the prosecution responded.

Likely the argument contained evidence that the defense didn't want made public. What's interesting is that the DA's office has said nothing about the case since bringing the prosecution in August.

Back in January, Jan Williams, Neal's mother noted the defense delays were maddening to the family.

In an email she wrote, "I thought the judge was getting impatient with the delays, If only we could move ahead on one of these fronts, I think we would feel better.