U.S. Delegates Snubbed at Caracas Airport

A senior delegation of U.S. lawmakers, led by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., the powerful chairman of the House International Relations Committee, was snubbed by Venezuelan authorities at Maiquetia International Airport in Caracas. The delegates were not allowed to disembark from their plane and eventually left.

Venezuelan officials denied reports that the incident happened, however, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Venezuelan government had in fact apologized for the incident.

It's my perception that Hugo Chavez's attitude toward international diplomacy will soon be indistinguishable from the attitude of North Korea's Kim Jong Il.

 
Both are thug communists that (and I know this is redundant) cannot be trusted.

Trespasser Sentenced in Horse Sex Case

(Seattle, Washington) Last July, it was reported that a man died after engaging in anal sex with a horse at a farm outside Ecumclaw. The farm is a known gathering spot for people seeking to have sex with livestock.

Yesterday, a 54-year-old truck driver, James Michael Tait, pleaded guilty to trespassing at the Ecumclaw farm. A King County District Court judge gave Tait a suspended sentence, $778 in fines and courts costs, and 8 hours of community service.

Tait had been videotaping the sex with a horse episode when his friend suffered fatal injuries.

Enjoy breakfast at Basil's Blog.


[Update 05/22/07]

Bestiality movie called Zoo shown at Cannes Film Festival.

Pregnant Lisa Lynnette Clark Indicted

(Gainesville, Georgia) Following up on a previous report, a Hall County grand jury indicted pregnant Lisa Lynnette Clark yesterday on charges of child molestation of her 15-year-old husband before she married him. Next will be an arraignment in Superior Court. No date has been set.

Clark's teenage husband is in juvenile detention due to a probation violation, on a burglary charge, after skipping school to get married to the 37-year-old Clark. The court has ordered that the boy and Clark are to have no contact with each other.


[Update 02/09/06]

Boy-husband runs away, gets caught.


[Update 02/25/08]

Lisa Clark released from prison.

Teacher Arrested for Boffing Student

(Garland, Texas) A 23-year-old, first-year teacher at South Garland High School, Lindsey Holt, was arrested by Garland police last Tuesday for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student.

While patrolling a park, Garland Police caught Holt and a 17-year-old student in a compromising position. Holt was apprehended and taken to the Garland Detention Center where she was charged with having an improper relationship between an educator and student, a second-degree felony. The charge carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison and a fine as much as $10,000. After paying $5,000 bond, Holt was released.

Garland School District officials put Holt on administrative leave after her arrest last Tuesday. On Monday (11/28), Holt resigned from her teaching position with the school system.

Blogger Samuel Alito

Has anyone noticed that SCOTUS nominee Judge Samuel Alito is a newbie blogger writing, oddly, under the name Samuel Alito? No pseudonym, Judge Sam is "cards-on-the-table" showing himself in The Right Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr. In his words, "The A stands for awesome."

In a candid manner, Alito takes shots at others and himself. I suspect that his blog will be a subject of much interest during the confirmation hearings in January. However, the wisdom of giving his enemies more fuel for criticism is questionable.

Kuwaiti Ambassador Blasts Israel

(Paris, France) Providing strong evidence that any perceived softening of hostilities between Arab nations and Israel is an illusion, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, strongly denounced Israel at a meeting of the Arab Ambassadors Council.

From KUNA:

"In the name of the Arab Ambassadors and in my own name, I would like to stress that the Arab world has always called for the pursuit of international action in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the territories occupied after 1967 and to free Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails," Al-Ibrahim said.

The Kuwaiti Ambassador blasted Israel's human rights record, its crimes against people and property, its targeted assassinations of Palestinian "militants" and its construction of an illegal Separation Wall. Furthermore, Al-Ibrahim continued:

"Today, the Arab world follows with concern the regression of the situation in the Palestinian territories. It condemns, anew, the arbitrary policy of Israel and affirms its solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and its permanent support for its just cause," Al-Ibrahim told KUNA that Palestinian representatives in UNESCO and participants at the Solidarity Ceremony, had expressed thanks to the Arab Ambassadors and particularly to Kuwait for its solidarity.

Strongly worded and decidedly one-sided, I'd say. In fact, Al-Ibrahim's message doesn't differ significantly from the harangues regularly spewed by Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. And, personally, I think strapping bombs to the chests of citizens to go and kill innocent civilians disqualifies the Palestinians from being completely "brotherly." He also stated that the Golan Heights should be returned to Syria, presumably so the Arabs can resume lobbing artillery at Israeli cities and settlements.

Notably, a strong anti-Israel speech from a Kuwaiti official is somewhat contrary to the general perception that Kuwait is a moderate and pro-Western influence in the Arab world. Al-Ibrahim's words bely no sense of moderation. I wonder if his sharply critical words have something to do with the fact that he's the Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, speaking in Arabic at a public gathering in Paris, with all of the French Muslims listening. In other words, I suspect his target audience was the French Muslim population and not the Arab Ambassadors Council.

To continue, everyone would agree that the French Muslims don't need to be fired up for any reason related to France. They have successfully fired up the country in a big way with the recent torch and riot episodes in hundred of cities and towns. However, it's not unreasonable to suggest that the French Muslims' ire, redirected, could potentially provide benefit to the Palestinian cause through donated funds or imported fighters. Chad Evans at ITB addressed this issue recently.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.

Peace Hostages Video

Breaking news! The Jawa Report has obtained exclusive video and images of the four 'humanitarian' hostages kidnapped two days ago in Iraq. The Christian Peacemaker Team has confirmed via email to The Jawa Report that four of its members were abducted. Some believe that the Swords of Righteousness Brigade are responsible for the kidnappings.

The kidnapped group include two Canadians, Harmeet Singh Sooden and James Loni, an American, Thomas Fox, and a Brit, Norman Kember.

The video, still images, and a transcript of statements from the video are here.

Muslims Pinched in Gay Mass Marriage

(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Authorities raided a hotel and arrested 26 men for alleged adultery and prostitution during a mass homosexual wedding. The men were UAE nationals, Arabs, and Asians. Some were dressed as women, with make-up and hairstyles, and the others were dressed in Arab attire.

A rash of Muslim Arab homosexual gatherings and group arrests has occurred recently and the country's leadership is alarmed. According to Interior Ministry spokesman Issam Azouri, the men will probably be tried under Sharia Law and they could be sentenced to receive government-ordered hormone treatments, jail and lashes. However, Islamic scholar Abdul Salam Mohammad Darwish said that a man who has intercourse with another man "should be executed" under Sharia Laws.

From LATimes.com:

Police acting on a tip raided the hotel in Ghantout, a desert region on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, and found a dozen men dressed as female brides and a dozen others in male Arab dress, apparently preparing for a ceremony that would join them as husbands and wives, Azouri said.

"It was a real party with balloons and champagne," he said.

The 26 men arrested include those from the Emirates as well as an Indian disc jockey and three men from neighboring Arab states. One of the arrested was to perform the wedding ceremony. Azouri said some of the group told police they worked as prostitutes. Others had been arrested before.

Last year, there were mass arrests at gay blowouts in Sharjah Emirate and Fujairah Emirate which only resulted in symbolic punishment, meant to humiliate, said prominent Emirati lawyer Abdul Hamid al-Kumaiti. The men were subsequently released.

"There are so many others like these guys," al-Kumaiti said. "The police and rulers need to do more than just lash them and let them go."

Based on al-Kumaiti's statements, I suspect that there is a significant homosexual influence on the Arabian Peninsula.

As would be expected, the Arab and Muslim media have been very reluctant to report on the homosexual clusterings out of fear that tribal leaders will become incensed by the appearance that homosexual behavior is tolerated. Homosexuality among Muslims in an Arab country is deemed too "delicate" a matter to be reported to the public. Consequently, if people in Muslim countries want to know what's going on in their gay communities, they won't find it in the local newspaper. They'll have to backdoor it from the Western media.

Loaded Gun Found During Airport Screening

(Denver, Colorado) It seems that at least one person has not read a newspaper nor seen a television news program nor listened to a radio news program for at least four years. The same one person apparently cannot read signs that are prominently posted in the airport. Here's that person's story.

From CBS4Denver.com:

A man accused of taking a loaded gun through security screening at Denver International Airport has been charged with carrying a firearm in a public transportation facility, Denver prosecutors said Monday.

James Mueller, 39, of Aurora, was accused of walking through the screening with a loaded 22-caliber handgun tucked under his left armpit Nov. 15. A screener found the gun.

Mueller is free on $3,000 bond and due in court on Thursday.

It's assumed that Mueller could logically have hidden his handgun in his anus rather than his armpit had he the presence of mind to first dislodge his cranium. But it makes no difference since the metal detector should alarm either way.

It's beyond me to explain what Mueller could possibly have been thinking.

Woman Gets 4 Years for Rape of Boy

(Joplin, Missouri) Last month, a jury convicted 35-year-old Marcie L. Schaeffer of second-degree statutory rape for having sexual relations with a 16-year-old boy in December 2004. Yesterday, Jasper County Circuit Court Judge William Crawford sentenced her to four years in prison and fined her $5,000. Notably, it took the jury less than an hour to convict Schaeffer and recommend the four-year sentence.

Interestingly, teacher Debra Lafave had repeated sexual relations with a 14-year-old boy who was her student and she got a sentence of no jail in the state of Florida. Apparently, sex crimes involving children in Florida are not as serious as similar crimes in Missouri.

Lingerie Store Features Live Display Models

(Augusta, Maine) A recently-opened lingerie store called Spellbound is attracting attention by "showing more skin than a bag of pork rinds." Live lingerie models smile and wave flirtatiously to passersby from its downtown storefront. Some people think the display is too edgy for their tastes, but Augusta Police Lt. Peter Couture said there is no law against wearing lingerie in public.

Visitors are directed to arrive via U.S. Route 202 from either the east or west and take Water Street at the downtown intersection. Water Street runs parallel to the Kennebec River on the east bank. Ample parking is available.

Priest Gets Eight Months for Child Porn

(Barnstable, Massachusetts) The sentenced handed down in this case cannot be fairly classified as punishment nor rehabilitation nor deterrence.

From Boston.com:

A Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to storing hundreds of images of child pornography on his computer and coercing a 16-year-old boy into filming himself performing a sex act was sentenced Monday to eight months in jail.

Prosecutors had recommended a three-year prison sentence for the Rev. Stephen A. Fernandes, 55, who was suspended as pastor of Our Lady Fatima Church in New Bedford.

Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh criticized Superior Court Judge Robert Kane for handing Fernandes a lighter sentence. He will serve the eight-month sentence at a jail on Martha's Vineyard and is eligible for parole in three months.

"The court may see this as a victimless crime, but I don't," Walsh said in a written statement. "When I look at the terrible pictures of more than 500 kids, I see 500 victims."

For pleading guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography, Fernandes gets three months on Martha's Vineyard which is probably not considered hard time. And, nobody is happy with the ruling except Fernandes and Judge Kane.

Am I the only person that believes the state of Massachusetts has an unusually high tolerance for criminal sex offenders? Just relying on my memory, it seems that sexual predators and pedophiles are consistently treated leniently by Massachusetts courts.

Freegans

As evolution theory presents it, mammalian primacy on Earth has its beginning with a prehistoric rodent that survived the events that annihilated the dinosaurs. From that beginning and after millions of years, man ultimately evolved. As such, the most distant theoretical ancestor of man, according to evolutionary scientists, is the rat.

It can now be assumed that mankind has reached the pinnacle and is beginning to devolve. Today, in 21st Century America, mankind is turning back toward becoming rats. Spearheading the effort is a segment of society that practices freeganism. Freegans believe in "ethical eating" and the name is derived from "free" and "vegan." Simply put, freegans eat garbage and are proud of it.

From TimesOnLine:

The freegan philosophy of "ethical eating" argues that capitalism and mass production exploit workers, animals and the environment.

[ed. note: This makes no sense. Picking through garbage in the U.S. means that the freegans are still eating the products of a capitalist society. If they were serious about anti-capitalist "ethical eating," freegans would move to North Korea or Cuba.]

Adam Weissman, a freegan activist and sometime security guard in New Jersey, says freeganism grew out of the radical 1960s "yippie" movement but also has affinities with the hobos of the Great Depression who travelled around the country by stealing rides on the railways.

[ ... ]

Freegans often go "dumpster diving" in packs, delving into skips at supermarkets and restaurants.

Just like rats. In fact, I'd bet that they have to scare away the resident, long-term, indigenous rats to get first dibs on the garbage. And, notice how the whole freegan philosophy is based on getting something for nothing while rationalizing their garbage picking and, in some cases, theft as a noble political statement. Several websites discuss freeganism and one, in particular, provides guidance on shoplifting, employee theft, and returning discarded items to stores for refunds.

So, after 65 million years of theoretical evolution from an ancient, rat-like mammal, a segment of society is now turning back the clock to imitate and displace modern rats. And, most astonishingly, the practitioners of freeganism herald their garbage diving and theft lifestyle as some sort of higher plane of existence. Delusional? I think so.

When I was a kid living on a farm, anything edible that was to be discarded was given to the hogs. We called it slop. If freegans had been around, we would have given them some. Have a ball, you dummies.

Hat tip: Ace, Country Store

U.S. Border Patrol Uniforms "Made in Mexico"

U.S. Border Patrol agents, charged with patrolling and assuring the security of the U.S.-Mexican border, are understandably angered by the fact that their uniforms are made in Mexico. Their pants and shirts even display labels stating "Made in Mexico." And, it's not just the irony of the situation that's troubling, the agents are concerned about the impact on border security.

From KFMB.com:

Agents and lawmakers are concerned about the consequences if the uniforms for agents charged with combating illegal immigration fall into the hands of criminals or terrorists.

"If we're manufacturing uniforms in Mexico, what's to stop someone from walking across the border in a Border Patrol uniform?" asked Rep. John Carter, a Republican from Round Rock. "How do you know who are our guys and who are their guys?"

Good question. Although impersonating a law enforcement officer is illegal in the U.S., I have no confidence that the same holds true in Mexico. In fact, for those with enough money for bribes, nothing is illegal in Mexico.

A company based in Nashville, Tennessee, called VF Solutions supplies the uniforms and subcontracts work to Mexico and other countries. VF Solutions has been providing Mexican-made uniforms to the Border Patrol for about a year with no instances of misuse reported. Customs officials assert that security measures, including on-site inspections at the Mexican production facility, are in place. Excuse me for not feeling warm and fuzzy about this. It's Mexico, dammit! You can't rely upon anything south of the border except for the paramount importance of the U.S. dollar.

Congress is expected to address enhancements to border security soon. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., and Rep. Carter plan to introduce a measure which would require that U.S. Border Patrol uniforms be made in the United States. I think it's a good idea. Criminals and terrorists don't need to be facilitated in their lawbreaking and being able to obtain Border Patrol uniforms does just that. And if they can't be made in the U.S., at least take the "Made in Mexico" label off the garments. I can easily understand why some agents might start each work shift with an attitude of anger and frustration.

"Badges? Badges? We don't need no stinking badges. We've got uniforms."

Duct-Taped Puppy Found Dead

(West Lafayette, Ohio) A wacko is on the loose.

From NBC4i.com:

A 3-month old puppy was found dead near this eastern Ohio town with its feet and head wrapped in duct tape.

The mixed breed, named Tiny Jr., had been missing for almost a week when it was found, said Jackie Adkins, whose family owned the dog. It was found by the Coshocton County Animal Shelter.

"I don't understand how anybody could do anything close to this," Adkins said Tuesday.

"Someone deliberately tortured this puppy," said Chris Sturtz, who works at the animal shelter.

Three other dogs in town are missing. The Coshocton County Sheriff is investigating.


[Update 12/03/05]

A reward of $2,500 is being offered by the Humane Society of the U.S. for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Tiny Jr.

War Games in the Arabian Sea

Last week, the Pakistani and Chinese navies held joint exercises in the Arabian Sea. Tomorrow, the Pakistani navy will commence war games with the Saudi Arabian navy, also in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Pakistan.

From WebIndia123.com:

The two navies will engage in war games and other exercises aimed at enhancing technical know-how, communications, understanding and war techniques, the Independent News Pakistan (INP) news agency reported.

The Saudi naval ships, around half a dozen in number, will be mainly missile crafts, officials told INP.

One Saudi official mentioned that the, "Saudis are mainly interested in enhancing their defensive capabilities." Against whom wasn't indicated.

Besides providing defensive capabilities, the Saudis and Pakistanis could tackle the problem of pirates in the Indian Ocean, in particular, along the coasts of the Arabian peninsula and east Africa. Will they? Who knows.

On a different note, I wonder what Iran has to say about a military alliance being created by its neighbors.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.

Teacher Charged with Corrupting Boy

(York County, Pennsylvania) A 29-year-old teacher, Erica Rutters, faces a first-degree misdemeanor charge of corrupting a minor based on evidence she allegedly had an inappropriate sexual relationship with 16-year-old student at Oxford Christian Academy.

The boy's mother, Vicki Klinedinst of Reading Township, found sexually explicit letters among her son's belongings and notified authorities. According to Eastern Adams Regional Police Officer Randy Reichert, the boy confirmed that the letters came from Rutters and that "on numerous occasions he and Rutters would leave the school and go to different locations and engage in sexual foreplay and on at least one occasion they engaged in sexual intercourse."

Rutters' husband, Bryan Rutters, said the allegations are false. However, the boy, Jason Klinedinst, confirmed that the relationship occurred. Interestingly,

The Klinedinsts adopted Jason in 2001, when he was 13. In the years before his adoption, he had been through several foster homes. During that time, he was diagnosed with several mental disorders, including reactive attachment disorder [ed. note: Reactive Attachment Disorder! He's RAD.], Klinedinst said. Children with the disorder construct emotional barriers as a means of survival, usually because of trauma they have suffered in the past.

When Jason started having problems at a public high school in Adams County, Klinedinst called Oxford to see if they had any openings.

Subsequently, Rutters became his teacher and attached herself for some disorderly reactions. In so doing, Rutters got compliments from the boy.

"All the chicks my age are either airheads or sluts," he said. "She was really smart, funny and had a personality."

Jason Klinedinst found it strange that she was attracted to him but it was a plus for him to "pull a 30-year-old." I wonder. Was Jason the puller or the pullee? Nevertheless, it's wrong either way.


[Update 03/08/06]

Erica Rutters pleads guilty to corruption of a minor and is sentenced to three years probation and fined $300.

Huge Benzene Spill in NE Chinese River

On November 13, a petrochemical plant in the northeast Chinese city of Jilin experienced a massive explosion which released a reported 100 metric tons of benzene and nitrobenzene in the Songhua River. The blast killed five people and injured 70. The spill contaminated the drinking water supply for Jilin and all downstream users in Heilongjiang province, including the city of Harbin (pop. 3.8 million) which has seen its water shut off for four days. In freezing weather, people are lining up to fill pots and buckets with water from trucks.

Harbin's water is expected to be back soon as the spill flushes downstream. Unfortunately for the Chinese, the spill has turned into an international incident since the Songhua River flows into the Amur River in Russia. Consequently, the Russians have been alerted to the fact that their pristine water supply will soon be contaminated with Chinese benzene. Notably, the city of Khabarovsk, with more than 500,000 residents, is preparing for a water outage.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li has expressed profound apologies to Moscow, explaining that the spill is "fraught with enormous damage to the natural environment both of China and Russia." Deputy general manager Zeng Yukang of the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) also expressed apologies. Expect there to be numerous additional offerings of contrition in the weeks it will take to flush the spill out to sea.

Since the accident occurred about two weeks ago, one has to wonder why it took so long for the Chinese government to acknowledge the fact that there was a problem. The blast and resultant spill happened on November 13, yet the announcement of benzene contaminating the Songhua River didn't come until three days ago. Apparently, there was no alert, no disaster notification, and no emergency declared. Two days before they finally admitted to the contamination, the water was cut off to Harbin, citing water-main maintenance.

It seems clear that the Chinese only raised the alarm when they realized that the spill was going to Russia and, therefore, any attempts to hide the disaster were futile. And, I firmly believe that they attempted to cover up or, at least, downplay the accident and the spill.

So, where's the international media on this story? How come no reporters are asking questions about a Chinese cover up of a major environmental disaster? And, while I'm at it, where are the environmental protesters? How come Greenpeace isn't marching in front of the Chinese Embassy? Where are the UN monitoring teams? And, above all, why wasn't there some attempt to isolate and clean up the spill?

If the event were to occur in the U.S., those questions would be asked by somebody other than a blogger.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Poland Releases Warsaw Pact Files

Many of the details of over seven decades of communist Soviet Union rule remain hidden. Sooner or later, they will become known and added to the murderous and oppressive legacy of socialism. Communists, 'ex-communists' and their sympathizers would prefer the information not be made available to historians. Too bad.

Yesterday (11/25), the Polish government made public a cache of secret Warsaw Pact military files containing war plans for attacking Western Europe and details of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. The "highly-sensitive" files were given to the Institute of National Remembrance in an effort by the new conservative government to deal more openly with Poland's communist past and to "confront those Poles who worked closely with the Soviet Union."

From MOSNews.com:

Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's defense minister, claimed the country had been "an unwilling ally of the Soviet Union in the cold war" and that being in the Warsaw Pact had put the country in mortal danger.

Sikorski published a map showing Soviet bloc forces planning a "counter-attack" against NATO forces, in which the Soviets would have dropped nuclear bombs along a line from the Dutch coast to Strasbourg, wiping out cities in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

But the 1979 exercise also showed that Warsaw Pact planners believed such a conflict would have seen NATO target its nuclear bombs along the line of the Vistula river in Poland, to prevent Russian reinforcements reaching the front.

As described, the scenario would have made Poland the battlefield with no regard for the fact that people live there. In the words of Sikorski, "Poland is a country which would have been bombed out of existence."

Obviously, the release of the files has painfully puckered the glutei of communist-era politicians and soldiers in both Poland and other Warsaw Pact nations. Interesting revelations are sure to surface once the documents are reviewed. My take? I pray for all communists and socialists to have painful and puckered glutei.

Debbie has more on the story at In The Bullpen.

Canadian Parliament to Hold Hearings to Prevent Intergalactic War

(Ottawa, Canada) Americans sometimes unfairly look down their noses at Canada. Sometimes, however, there's a valid reason. In my opinion, the following story is evidence that no matter how screwy the U.S. can be, the Canadians can be a bit screwier.

A former high Canadian government official has called for the Parliament to hold hearings on "ethical extraterrestrial societies" currently visiting Earth and how to avoid shooting at them. It's presumed that the "ethical extraterrestrial societies" are not in possession of any futuristic space weapons to defend themselves. Without light sabers, death rays, or photon torpedoes on their intergalactic starships, any attack from Earth would be devastating to the aliens.

From Yahoo.com:

On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."

Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."

[ ... ]

Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."

Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today."

And all along, I've been concerned about is "illegal" aliens, not unarmed intergalactic aliens. Stupid me.

There is entirely too much dope being smoked in Canada.

Championship Pud Pulling

What's your hobby? Tu Jin-Sheng pulls things with his genitals.

From InsideBayArea.com:

Grandmaster Tu Jin-Sheng, best known for his "Iron Crotch," attached himself not once but twice to a rental moving truck and pulled it several yards across a parking lot in Fremont. In lace-up leather boots and a black tank top, the 50-year-old tied a strip of blue fabric around the base of his penis and testicles and tugged to make sure it was on tight.

Now, I must interject. Having the terms "penis" and "testicles" appear in the same paragraph with the words "tied," "tugged" and "tight" is unnerving. But that's not all. After all the king's horses and all the king's men were tied, tugged and tight,

An assistant kicked him hard between the legs before he lashed himself to the vehicle.

Ouch, ouch, ouch!

 
Jin-Sheng prepares for and pulls truck with penis
(Photos - Anda Chu/Inside Bay Area)
The whole episode is apparently part of an ancient Chinese art called Qigong. Jin-Sheng is a grandmaster of Iron Crotch, a branch of Qigong also known as 99 Qigong. Tens of thousands are said to take part in the -- uh -- fun. They go around lifting heavy weights with their genitals to improve sexual performance and increase energy. Must work. I'm feeling antsy just reading about it.

The grandmaster said the most challenging object he ever has pulled was a 60-foot truck -- and that was with another man. These days, however, he is looking to up the ante. Jin-Sheng hopes to strap a dozen of his top students to a 747 for the biggest penis pull of all time. All he needs is an airplane.

Airplane or otherwise, it's not going to happen. The biggest penis pull of all time is what the mainstream media does to the public incessantly.

On a different note, it would probably be a lot more fun if Jin-Sheng forgot about the airplane and took his dozen students water skiing behind a cigarette boat. Or, maybe they could go para-sailing. Now, that would be a hoot. But remember, kids, don't try this at home.


[Update 11/26/05]

According to experts, the proficiency of the Qigong grandmasters is maintained by performance of the "Stretched Penis Restoration and Anatomical Reconstruction" procedure.

The typical Iron Crotch grandmaster recovers as illustrated by the photo at right. Notice that the process of recovery includes the use of buffalo horn, a popular element in traditional Chinese health care.

Hat tip to Jackaroo.com and a reader who ostensibly suffers from untreatable schadenfreude.

Boy-Groping Teacher Gets 15 Days

(Columbia, Missouri) Last August, a special education teacher at Rock Bridge High School was arrested for groping a 16-year-old boy. Judith F. Burke, 51, was booked on second-degree child molestation and released. She was placed on leave from her teaching position and later resigned.

On Tuesday (11/22), Burke pleaded guilty to molesting the 16-year-old student who accused her of touching him inappropriately last summer. As a result,

Judge Jodie Asel sentenced Burke to six months in the Boone County Jail but suspended the sentence. Instead, Asel ordered Burke to serve 30 days in jail ...

Not bad. She starts with a six month stretch and the judge immediately chops it down to 30 days. But wait, there's more.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Hicks said he would not be opposed to her serving 15 days in jail and being released to home detention for the rest of the sentence.

Obviously, trouser-farming in Missouri is not considered a big deal.

Not to worry, though, the judge also gave Burke two years probation and required her to register as a sex offender. Court costs will come out of Burke's pocket too, as will a sawbuck she's required to give to the Missouri crime victims' fund. Ten bucks for the victims' fund! Boy, the victims of crime in Missouri must not need much.

In conclusion, there's not much to make of this case other than it was largely pooh-poohed by the court.

Nazi Party Loses Road Sponsorship

(via RNS) This just cracks me up.

From OregonLive.com:

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The American Nazi Party has lost its litter control sponsorship of a stretch of local road after it failed to clean it up.

The white supremacist group caused widespread public concern in January after Marion County officials allowed it to "adopt" a stretch of road and post its name on road signs as part of a volunteer litter-cleanup program.

The group's name on the green-and-white sponsorship signs will be replaced by the name of Jerry Miller, a computer programmer who says he had long thought about sponsoring road cleanup.

So the master race is being replaced by a computer programmer. Not surprising.

Nonetheless, something in my gut tells me that maybe, just maybe, frequent travelers along that particular stretch of Nazi-sponsored highway made it a point to save up their soda cans, cigar butts, and food wrappers just so they could dump it for the Nazis. If the public were "giving generously" to the Nazis, it would explain why they didn't keep the highway clean.

Or, possibly Analog Kid nailed it by saying that the Nazis are just lazy bigots.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.

Jackson Chronicles

Just what is it with Michael Jackson? Somehow, he's able to wedge himself into the news with an almost predictable frequency.

This month alone, Jackson's likeness showed up on a Jesus Juice wine label in a trademark application, his financial situation was reported to be in dismal condition, and he was caught allegedly impersonating an Arab woman in a ladies' room at a mall in Dubai. Added to everything is today's news that the Anti-Defamation League demands an apology from Michael Jackson for calling Jews "leeches."

Holy moly! It seems that anything related to Michael Jackson automatically makes the headlines, boring or otherwise. As a result, I was not surprised when hearing of a Michael Jackson Blend coffee. Uh .... No, thank you.

Of course, I'm as guilty as anyone else. I write about Wacko Jacko which, along with everybody else, helps keep him in the news. Love him or hate him, Jackson is just such a curiosity.

Teri Hatcher Not That Desperate

(London) A lawsuit has been filed against The Daily Sport newspaper by Teri Hatcher who claims that the tabloid "falsely alleged that she engages in sex romps on a regular basis with a series of men in a VW van parked outside her L.A. home for this purpose."

Hatcher refutes the allegations.

Sunni Tribal Leader & Family Massacred

(Baghdad) As expected, the runup to the Iraqi parliamentary elections, a mere three weeks from now, will be painful. Earlier today, an entire Sunni Arab family was murdered as they slept in their home.

From the Guardian:

Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms burst into the home of a Sunni Arab sheik Wednesday, killing him, three of his sons and a son-in-law in what police believe may have been aimed at discouraging Sunnis from participating in next month's election.

Khadim Sarhid al-Hemaiyem, who lived on the outskirts of Baghdad, was the leader of a branch of the Dulaimi tribe, one of the biggest in Iraq. His brother is a candidate in the Dec. 15 parliamentary election, three of his sons had been policemen and another son was slain last month north of the capital, police and family members said.

Blame for the attack has become an exercise in finger-pointing. Some hard-line Sunnis are blaming the government since the murderers wore "Iraqi army uniforms." Notably, this wouldn't be the first time that murderers tried to deflect responsibility for their heinous acts by putting on a costume, which is precisely what the government contends.

Police Maj. Falah al-Mohammedawi denied that government forces were involved in the deaths of the sheik and his relatives and blamed the insurgents.

"Surely, they are outlaw insurgents. As for the military uniform, they can be bought from many shops in Baghdad," he said. "Also, we have several police and army vehicles stolen and they can be used in the raids."

According to another report, government officials stated that the 40 killers were disguised as Iraqi army soldiers in an attempt to put blame on "death squads run by Shiite militias." A Defense Ministry official stated:

"Iraqi army uniforms litter the streets and any terrorist can kill and tarnish our image, killing two birds with one stone," he said.

I tend toward trusting the government's assertions, however, I'm having a hard time imagining why 40 murderers were deemed necessary for the massacre. Obviously, this is a case of overkill which, by the way, is a signature trademark of fanaticism. Furthermore, an operation with that many people would more than likely not have been kept secret if it were a government scheme.

Blogger Hiring Unemployed Reporters

The liberal blog, TalkingPointsMemo.com, captained by Josh Marshall is hanging out the "Help Wanted" sign. This past weekend, Marshall announced:

[H]e is seeking two journalists to work for a new blog that will offer "wall-to-wall coverage of corruption, self-dealing, and betrayals of the public trust in today's Washington."

In an interview, the blogger said he does not aspire to be an Internet mogul, but simply seeks to fill a niche he sees in the journalistic marketplace.

What niche he sees is unknown. Nevertheless, since you can't swing a cat in the MSM world without smacking dozens of leftist reporters, Marshall won't have a problem finding people.

Accused Pastor Found Dead

(Porterville, California) Santos Texiera, a 56-year-old minister at the Church of the Nazarene, faced charges related to the rape of two underage girls who attended his church. His trial, scheduled for next month, has been canceled.

Sadly, and somewhat mysteriously, Texiera was found dead at the bottom of a 400-foot cliff in Sequoia National Park.

The FBI is investigating.

Debra Lafave Gets No Jail

(Tampa, Florida) Debra Lafave pleaded guilty today to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery for having sex with a schoolboy. She originally planned to plead insanity but was encouraged to accept a plea deal with the stipulation that she would not go to jail. Lafave was facing a possible 15 years in prison on each charge if she went to trial. But there will be no trial and she gets no jail.

People should reject the delusion that Lafave's sentence is having the punishment fit the crime. She regularly had sex with a student with total disregard for the law and absolute refusal to exercise her responsibilities as a teacher. Justice has not been served.

In accepting the terms of the plea agreement, Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman sent a message to all female teachers in the United States that it's okay to play with schoolboys' pee-pees because there will be no hint of harsh punishment. The prosecution folded and weakly blamed it on their desire to shield the victim's family from intense media pressure. As a result, the district attorney sent a signal to the media indicating that news-magnet attractive teachers will not be vigorously prosecuted for sex crimes.

Most troubling about the Lafave sentence is that it's only one of many. Just yesterday, Sandra "Beth" Geisel was given a hand slap and a hug from the judge for apparently trying to have sex, one by one, with the entire male student body. Last week, English teacher Elizabeth Stow got one year for having sex with three students and it appears she's going to be able to serve it under house arrest. Sadly, there are many more examples where courts consider women playing with boys no more serious than a traffic citation.

Am I being too harsh? I don't think so. Change their names from Debra, Sandra, and Elizabeth to Tom, Dick, and Harry. Have Tom, Dick, and Harry run loose through a school, engaging in sex with girls in their classes. Would Tom, Dick, and Harry get a hand slap and a hug?

And, have the guts to face the fact that female teachers in the U.S. will regard these verdicts as indicators of permission to engage in sexual freelancing among the student body. Furthermore, every teen boy with a woody will be fortified by these cases in pursuing intimate ambitions with weak-willed female teachers.

Previous Posts:

09/20/05 - Judge Blocks Lafave Photos

09/14/05 - Lawyer Wants Lafave Genitalia Photos Blocked

07/18/05 - Plea Negotiations Break Down in Debra Lafave Case

06/16/05 - Debra Lafave Offered Plea Deal

05/20/05 - Debra Lafave Pretrial Hearing

12/02/04 - Debra Lafave Was Crazy During Sex

08/04/04 - Debra Beasley Lafave Pleads Not Guilty to More Charges

06/29/04 - Teacher Arrested For Sex With Boy, 14

Also covering:
Conservative Thinking,
Diggers Realm,
The Education Wonks,
The Jawa Report,
Wizbang.


[Update 12/09/05]

Judge Hale Stancil rejected a plea agreement presented to resolve charges against Debra Lafave in Marion County. An April 10, 2006, trial date has been established. See followup post.


[Update 03/09/06]

Judge Stancil postpones Lafave's sentencing in Marion County.

INTERPOL Chief Warns of Bioterror Attack

(Capetown, South Africa) Addressing a conference in South Africa, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble warned that authorities around the globe are "woefully unprepared for bioterrorism." Noble stated that al-Qaeda's bioterrorist ambitions represent a "clear and present danger."

From the BBC:

Addressing delegates from 41 African nations, Mr Noble said al-Qaeda's track record of deadly, unexpected terror attacks put the threat into focus.

Evidence collected from sympathetic websites also pointed to an avowed intention to stage bio-terror attacks if operatives gained the capability, he added.

"Al-Qaeda has openly claimed the right to kill four million people using biological and chemical weapons," he said.

[ ... ]

Tactics could vary - as well as a traditional detonation, attackers could turn themselves into a "suicide bio-weapon", Mr Noble said, travelling around while highly infectious.

The Capetown conference discussed police and emergency personnel training to counter possible smallpox, anthrax, botulism, or Ebola-related viruses released into population centers.

I'd like to know how al-Qaeda derived the bizarre contention that they have the right to kill four million people.

Woman Arrested for Molesting 13-Year-Old Boy

(Navarre, Ohio) FBI agents arrested 38-year-old Julie Ann Welborn for engaging a 13-year-old boy in sexual relations. Welborn is a married mother of two from the state of Washington who allegedly began a relationship with the boy over the Internet and the telephone before traveling to Ohio to have sex with him. In October, Welborn flew to Ohio and is said to have had sex with the boy on two occasions over three days.

Welborn was apparently planning on moving to the Navarre area with her two children, a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. She is separated from her husband and, when arrested at the Red Roof Inn in Jackson Township, she had all her household goods with her in a large moving van. Welborn's children have been placed with Child Protective Services.

The authorities were alerted by the victim's mother who found incriminating correspondence from Welborn in the boy's belongings.

Welborn is due to appear in Massillon Municipal Court later today to face specific charges of unlawful sex with a minor, a third-degree felony, and importuning, a fifth-degree felony.


[Update 11/22/05, 1830 EST]

Welborn appeared before Judge Richard Kettler in Massillon Municipal Court and a hearing date was scheduled for Nov. 30. She remains in Stark County Jail.


[Update 11/22/05, 2050 EST]

Added pic.


[Update 02/27/06]

Welborn sentenced to four years in prison.

Upskirting and Downblousing Made Illegal

(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Include me as one of the many people who are probably unfamiliar with the practices of "upskirting" and "downblousing." Nonetheless, upskirting and downblousing are considered to be such significant public problems that some states have enacted laws to ban them. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell signed such a law last week.

From Post-Gazette.com:

The new act makes it illegal to take pictures of someone's "intimate parts" without their knowledge or approval in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. It expands the language of the law to include electronic devices like camera phones.

"I think it's a good piece of legislation," said state Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Koch, whose organization endorsed the law.

Pennsylvania joined more than a dozen other states in passing legislation to criminalize upskirting and downblousing. Both the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape supported it.

Apparently, innovations in technology have fostered a jump in the number of perverts taking surreptitious photographs of women's unmentionables. As a consequence, laws have been passed to stop the prurient pests.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Sandra "Beth" Geisel Sexually Abused by Students Says Judge

(Albany, New York) Today, Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick formalized a six-month jail sentence as punishment for Sandra "Beth" Geisel after she pleaded guilty to one count of rape. And then, astonishingly, the judge made all her excuses for her by stating:

"At the time this occurred, you were needy, drinking heavily and had a low self esteem. While you looked at this as affection, you were being used, abused and sexually abused. You became their playmate."

So, it appears that 42-year-old Geisel wasn't really responsible for her behavior. She had low self esteem and was victimized by the teen boys she met for sex. Holy-freaking-moly! The prosecution is outraged. The parents are outraged. And it's all because Judge Stephen Herrick is filled with boo-hoo logic which says stupid women can't be held responsible for their behavior.

Nevertheless, with credit for time served, Geisel skates out of jail next month with a hand slap and an apology. Poor thing.

Previous reports on Sandra "Beth" Geisel:

09/26/05 - Geisel Gets 6 Months

09/24/05 - Beth Geisel to Get "Sweet Deal"

09/10/05 - Grand Jury Indicts Sandra "Beth" Geisel

08/19/05 - Beth Geisel Gets DWI

07/31/05 - Teacher and Boys

Note to all future defendants appearing before Judge "Bleeding Heart" Herrick: Wear a dress.

Russia Promises More Workers For Iraq

In a rare glimpse of international optimism regarding Iraq's future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised to increase the number of energy industry specialists his country sends to Iraq. Currently, there are about 200 Russians working to restore and improve the energy capabilities of Iraq.

From MOSNEWS.com:

"We have good perspectives in other areas, first of all in the oil and gas, especially taking the existing contracts into consideration," Lavrov said.

The minister said Russia intended to help Iraq restore its economics. "We intend to develop our relationship, especially at this transition, taking into consideration the efforts of the Iraqi government in restoring economics and social economical sphere."

"Currently, hundreds of Iraqi students are studying in Russia, on free state scholarships in particular, and we will intensify our endowment to stabilize the situation in a friendly country," Lavrov said.

One might say that Russia is just hedging its bets. Or, one could believe that Russia foresees a prosperous economic future for Iraq and it's prudent to maintain a close working relationship with the country. Either way, I believe the Iraqis will benefit.

Maoists Want Indian Texts to Teach Communism

(Hazaribagh and Palamau Districts, India) Leave it to the evil followers of Marxism to resort to threats of violence to achieve their murderous political goals.

From HindustanTimes.com:

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has sent letters to primary school teachers in government-run rural schools in Hazaribagh and Palamau districts, instructing them to teach children about their ideology and the work they do for the welfare of the people.

The CPI-Maoist would supply the books.

The letter also threatens the teachers with dire consequences if the directive is not followed.

The commie bastards also threaten violence if each government official doesn't pony up a wad of cash for their Maoist contingency fund. They demand 5,000 rupees (approx. $110) from each official.

In eastern India, the Maoists are slowly gaining influence. They are active in more than two-thirds of the districts in the state of Jharkhand. As a result, one can easily see that the Indian government has its hands full, naggingly squeezed by both the radical Islamists and the Maoists.

2005 Deutsche Welle International Weblog Awards

The European media mainstay, Deutsche Welle, announced the winners of its second annual weblog awards competition. Winners of the 2005 Deutsche Welle International Weblog Awards were selected in 13 categories by a 12-member international jury. Notably, it seems that only one American, only one woman and no blacks are represented on the jury.

According to Guido Baumhauer, editor in chief of DW-WORLD.DE:

There were over 2,500 blogs in total entered in the competition's nine languages of Arabic, Chinese, French, English, German, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. More than 100,000 ballots were cast from around the globe in the online voting, doubling what was achieved by the 2004 awards, according to Baumhauer.

"This year the Deutsche Welle Weblog Awards have established themselves as the top-shelf international blog contest," he added.

The Best Weblog Award went to A Little Respect, I'm Your Mother, a Spanish-language novel-weblog about a 52-year-old mother's life and family.

Awards were given for journalism weblogs in nine different languages, with the award for Best Journalistic Blog in English going to Global Voices Online, described as an uber-blog with an international mission. At least 50 people contribute to GVO. I recognize a few names.

The other three awards went to the Best Multimedia Blog, the Best Podcasting Site, and the Best Reporters Without Borders Blog. You can see the runners-up by following the links.

The prize for Best Weblog is the iBook G4 from Apple while each winner in the other categories receives the iPod Shuffle from Apple. Congratulations to the winners.

Don't Abuse the Maid

A 29-year-old mother of three, Sazarina Madzin, was convicted of abusing her 22-year-old Indonesian maid, Wiwik Setyowati, on numerous occasions.

From TheStar.com:

Sazarina would hit her over the slightest mistake made -- with a tomato sauce bottle, chopping board, thermometer, anything she could get her hands on. Failing that, she would use her bare hands and feet to slap, punch, kick and pinch the maid.

[ ... ]

According to Sazarina, the maid was lazy, abusive, dressed indecently at home and did not take proper care of her three children, aged seven to 12.

Jeez! Lazy, abusive, dressed indecently, doesn't take care of the kids? I thought that was the definition of a wife.

Now, when it comes to my maid, Suzette, ooh-la-la! She comes to me in her strappy outfit and regularly requests a little discipline. How's it go? Spare the spanking, spoil the maid?

Nevertheless, Sazarina will likely receive an attention-getter jail term at the sentencing hearing next Wednesday.

Saudi Prince Predicts End of Terrorism in Two Years

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) This is interesting and I wonder if it isn't just a ploy to get the bad guys to show themselves.

From ArabNews.com:

Saudi Arabia, which has been fighting a wave of violence blamed on Al-Qaeda militants, could put an end to terrorism within two years, said Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.

"I can assure you that with the vigilance of security forces, intelligence agents and especially the Saudi people we might be able to end terrorism, God willing, within the next two years," he told the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite channel.

The crown prince however admitted that it would be difficult to get rid of terrorism completely. "No one in the world can prevent deviants," he said referring to Al-Qaeda terror network.

It's not clear just how the Crown Prince defines terrorism. Nevertheless, he's either confining his prognostication to one area or he's delusional. And, even if he's only thinking of eliminating terrorism in the Saudi Kingdom, his statement is most likely pie-in-the-sky optimistic.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.

Morocco Nabs 17 Al Qaeda Suspects

The Moroccans are continuously in a state of high security alert after suicide bombings in Casablanca killed 45 people in 2003. As a result, extremists are watched very closely.

From Ninemsn:

Morocco security forces have arrested 17 radical Islamists on suspicion of belonging to a "terrorist structure" linked to al Qaeda, state news agency MAP said, quoting a police source.

Bully!


[Update 11/20/05, 2250 EST]

(via Mac Powell) According to ABC News, two of the suspected terrorists apprehended are former prisoners from the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Brahim Benchekroun and Mohammed Mazouz were arrested in late 2001 and accused of participating in weapons training conducted by al Qaeda. They were released from Guantanamo Bay in August 2004. There's more at the links.

Al-Qaeda Bomb Experts Splode Selves

(via In The Bullpen) The sometimes spotty information source, DEBKA, reports that eight high-ranking al-Qaeda terrorists blew themselves up earlier today after a large American force laid siege to their barricaded building. Soldiers are sifting through the bodies and there's a rumor that Abu, the Baby Killer, Zarqawi may be among them. Visit the links and keep your fingers crossed.

See also OpiniPundit and The Jawa Report.

McDonald's in Russia

Certainly, many folks recall the day that McDonald's opened its inaugural franchise in Russia. The launch occurred in the heart of Moscow 15 years ago, not long after the demise of the Soviet Union. It was a major media event, with video cameras recording the line of freezing customers waiting to get into McDonald's. I had to chuckle at reports that the first visitors were dressed in their Saturday night best, more appropriate for a five-star restaurant than a fast food outlet.

Today, more than 70 McDonald's are spread throughout Moscow and the customers no longer dress up for their Big Macs and fries. And McDonald's popularity continues to grow. Why?

According to Lisa Vronskaya of MosNews.com,

Russia’s McDonald’s restaurants have proved to be better than anywhere else.

Maybe, the reason is that the local Mac restaurants get their raw ingredients from local suppliers, or maybe, it is just that today, after 15 years of operating here, McDonald’s remains virtually the only option for a quick and cheap snack.

[ ... ]

Cheap self-service restaurants are scarce, and those that are available are reminiscent of creepy Soviet-era canteens that were crawling with cockroaches -- the smells were enough to ruin your appetite for good.

McDonald's combination of reliable service and quality has proven to be a huge success in Russia even though finger-pointers complain that its food causes obesity. Also, the prices are reasonable. For the equivalent of $1.50, a Big Mac in Russia is as inexpensive or cheaper than anywhere else in the world.

At present, McDonald's is the lone success in Russia of all Western fast food companies and it continues to grow in the number of outlets. The McComplex processing and distribution center has seen a 25 percent increase in production in 2005 and over $30 million has been budgeted for McDonald's franchise expansion in 2006.

Although Starbucks has been trying to wedge itself into Russia for several years, McDonald's already enjoys the upper hand in the coffeehouse market. The McCoffee chain of 15 outlets in Russia has proven to be popular with 12 more openings planned for 2006.

One has to wonder what is keeping Burger King, KFC, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Subway, et al. from gaining a measure of the Russian market. Of course, when one considers the enduring bureaucratic mindset left over from the Soviet regime, coupled with the generally recognized influence of organized crime in Russia, it's easy to believe that many companies are flat reluctant to try.

Zarqawi Threatens Jordan

Terrorist thug Zarqawi has threatened to make Amman, Jordan, into another Baghdad unless King Abdullah bends over to his demands. Abu, the Baby Killer, wants Jordan to close the Israeli Embassy in Amman and the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad. He also wants Iraqi prisoners released from prison. This latest threat comes on the heels of a previous threat by Zarqawi to behead King Abdullah.

The details of the demands are outlined in a DEBKA report. Mac Powell provides an overview at In The Bullpen.

From my long-distance perspective, it seems that Zarqawi is pulling off some type of flea-flicker tactic to draw enhanced media attention. It doesn't seem reasonable for him to expect Jordan to roll over to his threats. If anything, his recent actions toward Jordan have had a backlash effect. According to this report, the Jordanians have become defiant.

Teacher Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Boy

(Greenwood, Arkansas) Deanna Bobo, 37, a married mother of five and special education teacher at Wells Jr. High School, has been arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year-old male student. Bobo turned herself in to the Sebastian County Detention Center late Thursday afternoon and was charged with first-degree sexual assault.

Police received a tip from the boy's mother about some explicit email communication between Bobo and the boy. Bobo initially denied having sex with the boy but, when confronted with the emails, she asked for a lawyer. According to Sgt. James Flynn of the Greenwood Police Department, detectives are now trying to determine if there are additional victims.

Bobo posted a $10,000 bond and was released. She is scheduled to appear before a circuit court judge next Wednesday.


[Update 11/21/05]

According to TheSmokingGun.com, Deanna Bobo is the 3,496th teacher to be arrested this year on charges that she had sex with an underage student. I follow this subject area fairly closely and I haven't seen near that many reported in the news. The Smoking Gun must have a special source of information.


[Update 01/12/06]

Another Boy Comes Forward

From nwanews.com:

GREENWOOD -- A local female teacher charged in November with having sex with a 14-year-old boy was charged Wednesday with two counts of violating another accuser, a former high school student who was a minor at the time.

An attorney representing Deanna Bobo, 38, of Greenwood entered an innocent plea to the charges Wednesday in Sebastian County Circuit Court.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit by Greenwood police detective James Flynn, the student told investigators that he had sexual contact with Bobo twice between Aug. 15, 2000, and May 31, 2001, while he was a sophomore in high school. The affidavit said another student witnessed the sexual contact between Bobo and the student accuser.

So, there's a witness to support the latest accusation.


[Update 08/02/06]

At pretrial hearing, judge disallows at least 11 witnesses. Deanna Bobo trial begins September 18.


[Update 09/26/06]

Bobo sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Teacher Gets Year for Rape of Student

(Sacramento, California) Former McClatchy High School intern teacher Margaret De Barraicua was sentenced yesterday to 365 days in jail after she pleaded guilty to four felony counts of statutory rape. De Barraicua, 31, was originally arrested in February after being found having sex with a 16-year-old boy in her car behind Leonardo Da Vinci Elementary School in Sacramento. Police said she had her 2-year-old son in the back seat at the time.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Talmadge R. Jones said "Her moral compass was broken," as he imposed the jail sentence and five years probation. To the dismay of the prosecution, Judge Jones declined to require her to register as a sex offender even though her felony sex acts were considered "premeditated." Nonetheless, the judge was lenient.

From SacBee.com:

Jones credited the woman for her work as a volunteer at community organizations that help the poor. It is clear De Barraicua has a "big heart," he said.

"Your big heart got you in trouble in that it didn't know limits of emotional love and sexual love," the judge said.

The judge allowed De Barraicua to remain free through the Thanksgiving holiday to spend with her family and ordered her to report to the Sacramento County jail on Dec. 2.

Sniff ... sniff ...

Lesbian Coach Pleads to Sex Charges

(Oakland, California) On Thursday (11/17), 32-year-old Tanda Rucker pleaded no contest to having sex with schoolgirls. The former Encinal High School basketball coach pleaded to 18 felony charges, including 10 counts of penetration with a foreign object and eight counts of oral copulation with minors.

Rucker was originally charged in March 2004, however, additional charges were tacked on since one girl spilled her guts to the Alameda police in a fit of lesbian jealousy.

Sentencing is scheduled for February. Rucker may receive up to a year in the county jail and probation. She will also have to register as a sex offender. Rucker is currently free on a $680,000 property bond.


[Update 02/15/06]

Rucker gets sentenced to wrist slap.

Doable Teacher Skates, Students Rejoice

(Tulare, California) Last April, first-year Tulare Western High School English teacher Elizabeth Stow, 26, was arrested for having sex with three students. She was charged with seven counts of having sex with a minor and five counts of oral copulation with a minor for incidents with three underage students between September and December of 2004.

In May, Stow appeared in court and waived her right to a speedy trial which gave her defense attorney, David Allen, additional time to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution.

Encapsulating Stow's malfeasance, she graduated from college, started teaching at Tulare High School and, before the first mid-term, began having sexual relations with three students. To compound her troubles, Stow was on probation from a drunken driving conviction when she was arrested for having sex with students. In the meantime, Stow was free on $10,000 bail.

In June, Stow pleaded no contest to 12 felony counts, including sexual intercourse with a minor and oral copulation.

Yesterday, Elizabeth Stow was sentenced in Tulare County Superior Court.

Judge Walter Gorelick gave her a suspended prison sentence of nine years and four months. Stow instead was sent to county jail for one year, followed by five years of probation with 28 special conditions such as seeking counseling and surrendering her teaching credential.

Apparently, Stow's one-year sentence, which begins in about a month, could be served under house arrest.

Understandably, the prosecution expressed concern that the lenient sentence would send a signal that sex between students and teachers is not a serious offense. Duh! Ya' think?

In my estimation, Stow's light punishment, coupled with similar sentencing of loose female teachers throughout the U.S., is breaking down a traditional barrier. No longer do students and teachers consider classroom jiggy-jiggy a taboo. It's become doable. Sure, you're not supposed to but, if you get caught, it's no big deal.

Presumably, they're high-fiving in the boys' locker room at Tulare Western High School.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 12/19/06]

Stow's sentence made more lenient.

Emu Massacre

(Phoenix, Arizona) A mountain lion, still at large, killed 20 emus at an exotic bird ranch owned by Joe Carreiro. His neighbors are concerned about their children and pets.

9th Circuit Should Relocate to Mecca

(San Francisco) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that 7th-graders training for three weeks to be Muslims is not a "religious exercise."

From the SacBee.com:

Christian students and parents cannot sue a school district where some seventh-graders pretended to be Muslims for three weeks during a course in world history, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the role-playing game was not a religious exercise that violated anybody's constitutional rights.

The decision was issued one day after the U.S. House of Representatives chastised the 9th Circuit for ruling earlier this month that parents can't sue public schools for providing information about sex. That decision "deplorably infringed on parental rights," said the House resolution.

Thursday's decision came down in an unpublished memorandum, indicating the judges considered it routine.

Students were encouraged to play at being Muslims - adopt Muslim names, recite a line from a prayer and give up candy or television to simulate fasting.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton dismissed the case two years ago, saying teaching was not indoctrinating.

The 9th Circuit upheld her decision in a five-sentence ruling, saying only that the activities weren't "overt religious exercises" that would raise concerns under the First Amendment prohibition of "establishment of religion."

Senior Circuit Judge Dorothy Nelson of Pasadena and Circuit Judges Johnnie Rawlinson of Las Vegas and Carlos Bea of San Francisco signed the decision.

The unpublished memo format indicates the appellate judges did not believe they were breaking legal ground. Unpublished decisions cannot be cited in future cases.

So, the 9th Circuit just sort of sloughed off the case as a routine matter that didn't have anything to do with the First Amendment. To be fair, it's become routine for me to feel like vomiting every time the subject of the 9th Circuit comes up.

Saudi Teacher Sentenced to Public Flogging and Prison

(Saudi Arabia) A high school chemistry teacher in Qassim Province, Muhammad al-Harbi (aka Mohammed Salamah Al Harbi), faced blasphemy charges after his students and fellow teachers filed legal complaints against him for questioning and ridiculing Islam, discussing the Bible and defending Jews.

In Bukairia, north of Riyadh, al-Harbi was convicted in court before Judge Abdullah Dakhil who sentenced him to 40 months in prison and public flogging of 750 lashes. Al-Harbi was also banned from teaching.

From ArabicNews.com:

In response to the bomb attacks on foreign and Saudi civilians in Riyadh in May 2003, al-Harbi reportedly discussed Christianity, Judaism and the dangers of terrorism with students, and posted signs against terrorism around his school. Al-Harbi also encouraged his students to engage in critical thinking to resolve apparent differences of meaning between the text of the Quran and the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (sunna).

For his classroom work, al-Harbi was labeled as an "apostate" who tried to "sow doubt in a student's creed."

From SFGate.com:

Al-Harbi was in prison Thursday, but the Saudi newspaper Al-Madinah reported him as saying he would appeal the verdict.

"There are charges that the judge read which are unknown to me, such as defending Jews and the Bible, ridiculing Islam and witchcraft. It's strange that the judge ruled so quickly and wanted to end the case so fast," al-Harbi was quoted as saying.

In summary, it appears that a reasonable teacher is being suppressed because he "encouraged his students to engage in critical thinking" about the world around them. And, as a result, he'll spend over three years in prison and be subjected to 750 lashes. This is, of course, barbaric punishment. Prison time is bad enough, but those 750 lashes will forever change al-Harbi as a thinking human being, if he lives through it.

Strangely, teachers in 21st Century American academia are also being suppressed for encouraging students to think critically. Fortunately, they aren't receiving lashes or prison time, but they are being denied tenure and fired. Therefore, as a reminder to all teachers, don't buck the system if you want to keep your jobs. In Saudi Arabia, the system is Wahabism. In the U.S., the system is the liberal academic establishment.

Just A Reminder


Islam in U.S. Schools
Available from here. In my opinion, the book's content is well depicted by the cover. Notice the stars on Old Glory.

Airplane Smoker Gets 15 Months in Prison

(Athens, Greece) An unidentified traveler said he got nervous due to a 45-minute delay in takeoff of his Olympic Airlines flight so he needed to smoke.

From SFGate.com:

A Greek court sentenced a man to 15 months in prison for smoking on a plane, and then hitting a male flight attendant who told him to put his cigarette out, court officials said Thursday.

The 50-year-old Greek resident of New York was also convicted of endangering the aircraft. He was traveling on Olympic Airlines Flight No. 412 from New York to Athens last week.

It appears that the man was belligerent and obnoxious in his interaction with the crew which probably contributed to the length of his sentence. Dummy.

Louisiana Democrat Becomes Republican

(Baton Rouge) Louisiana District 68 State Representative William B. Daniel, IV, has changed his party affiliation from the Democratic Party to Republican. Daniel becomes the 40th Republican in the 105-member Louisiana House of Representatives.

A petroleum engineer by occupation, Daniel ran for Baton Rouge Mayor-President and served as the city-parish public works director.

Teacher Jailed for Sex with Student

(Jonesboro, Georgia) A 30-year-old former math teacher at Mundy's Mill High School, Amira Sa'Di, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a student under a state law that seeks to prevent people in authority from taking advantage sexually of those in their care.

From AJC.com:

The relationship began after Sa'Di and the 17-year-old student attended a July family reunion during which he spent the night at her house. His brother is related to her by marriage. The two saw each other again and had sex once and oral sex once, a police report says.

The school discovered the relationship when the student's mother went to police in September after finding a letter from the teacher to her son.

Sa'Di said she thought the relationship was permissible because the teen was 17. State law says anyone 16 or older can consent to sex.

But Clayton County police Capt. Greg Porter said state law also bars people in a position of authority from using that authority to take advantage of others sexually. It applies even though the student was not in Sa'Di's math class, he said.

She was released after posting bond Sept. 22. She resigned from her job after the allegations surfaced, [school spokesman] White said.

Sa'Di, who is a private tutor, said she misses the teen, does not regret the affair and has not had relationships with other students.

"Basically, I feel you can't put an age on love," she said. "You fall in love with people and it happens."

Apparently, Sa'Di believes that being in love trumps state law. Nonetheless, Sa'Di also stated:

"I've had feelings for one of my students I tutored before, but I felt it was inappropriate because of the relationship," Sa'Di said. "It's all about being ethical and doing the right thing."

I'm flummoxed. Sa'Di believes love overrides the law AND she believes in being ethical and doing the right thing.

Interesting philosophy, Sa'Di. Unfortunately, there are many in society who believe that love is subservient to the law, which explains why you ended up in jail.

Italy Arrests Three Algerian Terror Suspects

(Rome) The Italian news agency ANSA reports that the carabinieri paramilitary police have arrested three suspected Muslim terrorists for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack. The three, named Yamine Bouhrama, Khaled Serai and Mohamed Larbi, are linked to the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, a militant Algerian movement that is allied with Osama bin Laden. The suspects' role in the Salafist group is described as "potentially operational."

The 30-ish three suspects were arrested last night "in the southern port city of Naples and in Brescia in the north" and are being held on international terrorism charges.

Woman Arrested for Soliciting Boy

(Burnet, Texas) A 27-year-old Burnet woman, Amanda Darylyn White, was arrested and charged with criminal solicitation of a minor, a third-degree felony. Authorities said that White posed as a teenager and sent more than 100 letters over a two- to three-month period in an attempt to coax a 16-year-old boy into having sex.

According to the report from KXAN.com, police are continuing to investigate and it's believed another arrest in the case is possible.

Frankly, this case is odd. I'd like to have a picture of White. Maybe then I could understand why the boy didn't, presumably, take her up on her offer. Holy moly! He's 16 years old! Yeah, 16 years old and she wrote him 100 letters and still no sex? The whole circumstance doesn't make much sense. I'm guessing that either Amanda looks like Jabba the Hut or the young Texan rides side-saddle.