Interested-Participant

Man Commits Unintended Homicides During Suicide

(Manfield, Ohio) It appears that 69-year-old Edwin Arnold only intended to kill himself when he started his pickup truck in the garage and let it run with the door shut. Tragically, the carbon monoxide fumes migrated to the rest of the house and 49-year-old Timothy Arnold and three-year-old Callie Arnold also died. They were Edwin's son and granddaughter. Another son and Callie's father, Thomas Arnold, was treated and released from the hospital.

Sad story.

Following Entry Posted 5/31/2005 02:20:00 PM

Ohio Farmhouse Shootings

(Bellefontaine, Ohio) Last Sunday's shootings at two Logan County farmhouses resulted in the deaths of Paige Harshbarger - age 14, Sheri Shafer - age 37, Megan Karus - age 19, Scott R. Moody - age 18, Sharyl Shafer - age 66, and Gary Shafer - age 67. It is now believed that Scott R. Moody committed five murders with a .22-caliber Marlin rifle before taking his own life. Wounded with a rifle bullet in the neck was Scott Moody's sister, Stacy - age 15, who was taken to Ohio State University Medical Center for treatment where her condition is described as critical.

From the Dayton Daily News:

The shooting followed a small graduation party Saturday evening for Scott Moody and fellow Riverside graduating senior Megan Karus, 19, who also died from the shootings.

Logan County Sheriff Michael Henry believes Scott Moody was the shooter in each case, based on the evidence at the scene. He said the murder weapon was a .22-caliber Marlin rifle, which is undergoing ballistics tests with the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office, where the bodies were taken Sunday, also is assisting in the investigation.

Henry said deputies had responded to the property on nuisance calls, such as loud music, on several occasions in the past but not for any serious incidents.

The four victims in the farmhouse appeared to have been shot in their sleep, Henry said.

In a nutshell, Scott Moody killed his mother, Sheri Shafer; killed his grandmother, Sharyl Shafer; killed his grandfather, Gary Shafer; killed his high school classmate, Megan Karus; killed his girlfriend, Paige Harshbarger; killed himself; and critically wounded his sister, Stacy.

Sadly, news of the deadly shootings reached the students and faculty of Riverside High School during the latter part of the graduation ceremony Sunday afternoon in which Scott Moody and Megan Karus were to receive diplomas.

Notably, no drugs were found at the scenes of the crimes. Although no motive has yet been determined, it appears that Scott Moody's impetus may be linked to years of personal turmoil starting with his parents divorce a decade ago. He was overwhelmed with the responsibility of running a farm while still a schoolboy. Seemingly insurmountable and enduring problems burdened Moody. The investigation continues.

My take is that something specific and definable happened on Saturday or Sunday which caused Scott Moody to snap. The mental anguish notion is valid but I don't see it as the triggering event for the murder- suicide.

Following Entry Posted 5/31/2005 02:49:00 AM

Breeding Harmony

(Stockport, England) From the Stockport Express:

STOCKPORT schoolchildren will be the first in the country to take part in a project to breed multi-racial harmony.

Council education bosses have teamed up with the Muslim Council of Britain to use new resource packs supporting the teaching of Islam in primary schools.

[ ... ]

Councillor John Pantall, executive member for diversity strategy, said: "If we can get to pupils at an early age we hope they can grow up understanding other cultures and religions and without prejudice."

"There is a great deal of ignorance about major faiths, resulting in dangerous and destructive myths. The use of the new materials will help develop understanding and encourage community cohesion throughout Stockport."

Well, isn't this nice? The education system thinks that its job is to breed harmony. I predict that the efforts to breed harmony will fail.

And, of course, to be consistent with the leftist view on how to solve all problems and create harmony, the program for teaching Islam will have to include a campfire with all the kids circled around singing Kumbaya.

Following Entry Posted 5/31/2005 02:21:00 AM

U.S. Marines to Invade Scotland

(Glasgow, Scotland) According to this report, 2,000 heavily-armed United States Marines will deploy "to occupy high ground and farmland in a massive area" around Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The Marines will provide protection for President Bush when he flies into and out of the airport for the G8 Conference in July.

Following Entry Posted 5/31/2005 01:38:00 AM

Rumblings of Major Chaos in Venezuela

(Caracas, Venezuela) What's with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez? From Babalu Blog, we learn about a buzz of speculation created by mixed rumors of a possible military coup, an assassination attempt, a heart attack, or maybe a dramatic staged set of circumstances to expose political enemies. In any event, Chavez has canceled public appearances and it's reported that people have gathered in the streets, but no military has been called in.

Reports (here, here, and here) from Communist Cuba are downplaying the rumors, saying Chavez's health is fine and everything is normal. Venezuelan government officials have stated that security measures have been taken to prevent any assassination attempt. Of course, from Fidel Castro's press, it's to be expected that all news would be supportive of a stable situation in Caracas. The Venezuelan press is stifled and no bloggers have posted on the situation yet.

If something major has happened or is happening, it won't remain hidden for very long. I expect some type of independent confirmation soon. Hopefully, the confirmation won't involve International Election Certifier, Jimmy Carter.

Hat tip: Dr. Sanity

Monday, May 30, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 11:59:00 PM

Drug Lords Bribe U.S. Border Patrol

(McAllen, Texas) It shouldn't be surprising that drug traffickers try to bribe law enforcement officials, including U.S. Border Patrol agents. Bribery is a common business practice.

From HoustonChronicle.com:

The Border Patrol checkpoint on a remote stretch of South Texas ranchland was the ideal route for a drug trafficking ring to move tons of marijuana.

To make sure their product got through, traffickers paid $1.5 million to U.S. Border Patrol agent Juan Alfredo Alvarez, 35, to wave trucks loaded with a ton or more of marijuana through checkpoints outside Hebbronville, according to a plea bargain Alvarez agreed to earlier this month.

As Mexican drug cartels have transformed the Texas-Mexico border into one of the major transport corridors for marijuana, cocaine and heroin, traffickers have stepped up their efforts to bribe agents.

While attention has been focused on the wide-scale corruption of Mexican law enforcement officials by powerful drug organizations, recent investigations along the border have revealed corruption of several U.S. agents at key international crossings.

Alvarez awaits sentencing for a conviction for bribery. The U.S. Justice Department has made arrests in a number of other cases where U.S. law enforcement personnel have been corrupted by drug money.

Interestingly, in some cases the drug smugglers and law officers grew up together and went to the same schools in close-knit towns along the border. So, even though they are on opposite sides of the law, they know each other quite well. More.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 11:35:00 PM

Brits Told to Wear Underwear

The British Ministry of Defense has ordered military personnel to remember to put on underwear beneath their uniforms. Apparently, service members without underwear are showing up to be fitted for uniforms and embarrassing the tailors.

I would have imagined that going "commando" was more of a French tradition.

On the lunch menu at Basil's Blog.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 11:03:00 PM

World's First Internet TV Channel

The actual launch of the world's first Internet television channel, Glasgow.tv, occurred late last week. You'll need a Windows Media Player.

From Scotsman.com:

GLASGOW will today launch the world's first city internet television channel to a potential global audience of one billion people in 817 million homes.

Using the latest broadband technology developed in the United States, the city believes it is "a year ahead of the game" compared to any other big city, some of which are still only at the talking stage.

A soft launch of Glasgow.tv, broadcasting cultural and sporting events, has attracted hits from more than 50 countries around the world.

It's likely that Internet television will be more than a simple nuisance to cable and broadcast television. More likely, it will ultimately become a major competitor.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 05:02:00 PM

Woman Pleads Guilty to Child-Sex Charges

(Altoona, Pennsylvania) A 21-year-old woman, Amber Holland, gave birth to a child that was fathered by a 14-year-old boy who she had been having relations with since he was 12-years-old. Subsequently, she was arrested and charged with statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor for sex, and corruption of a minor. Last month, Holland pleaded guilty to the charges and, according to Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield, she will be evaluated to determine whether she should be considered a violent sexual predator pursuant to Megan's Law.

The boy's mother, Tammy Price, was charged with reckless endangerment for knowing about the sexual relationship and not acting to prevent or stop it.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 04:44:00 PM

American Indicted in Romanian Kidnapping Plot

Last March, it was reported that three Romanian journalists, Prima TV reporter Marie Jeanne Ion, cameraman Sorin Miscoci, and reporter Ovidiu Ohanesian were taken hostage along with their translator, Mohamad Munaf. There were many unanswered questions about why they were taken and who took them. About a week ago, they were released without much detail provided explaining the why and the who. It's all been a big mystery.

Until now, that is, because it appears the whole kidnapping plot was a scheme created by Omar Hayssam, described as a wealthy Arab immigrant to Romania. And, apparently the American translator, Mohamad Munaf, conspired in the plot with Hayssam.

Rusty has the scoop at The Jawa Report. Go visit or you can wait for the MSM to get the story.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 04:16:00 PM

Teacher Indicted for Affair with 13-Year-Old Boy

(Tuscaloosa, Alabama) A preacher's daughter and former teacher, Harriet Laquette Gordon, 30, was indicted last February on a rape charge for engaging in a sexual relationship with a boy she met when she was a special education teacher at Myrtlewood Elementary School in 2003.

Harriet Laquette Gordon
After booking in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, she was released on $10,000 bail. Her case seems to have died in the halls of justice since her indictment. At some point, there should be reports of a plea agreement or trial.

Following Entry Posted 5/30/2005 01:08:00 PM

Fidelity Written into Mortgage Contract

A Japanese couple were concerned that their faithfulness in marriage would be challenged by the corroding temptations of the flesh so they decided to put a fidelity provision in their mortgage contract.

From the Mainichi Daily News:

When they took out a housing loan they composed a written agreement to the effect that if either of them is caught in an adulterous relationship, the guilty party not only forfeits the right to live in the new condominium but also agrees to pay off the entire loan singlehandedly.

It's not clear as to whether the contract would be legally binding since it hasn't been challenged in court, however, the couple believes it to be a form of insurance.

It's also been suggested that marriage contracts be written to include requirements on frequency of sexual relations and prohibitions on bad-mouthing the in-laws.

Um -- that last one might be a deal killer.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/29/2005 11:57:00 PM

Big Brother in the Cafeteria

(Marietta, Georgia) When I read the following story, I couldn't help but give a hat tip to the memory of George Orwell.

As Garin Hughes picks through his school-lunch burrito and unidentifiable apple-pear dessert, he has a secret. Hidden underneath the eighth-grader's right leg is a chocolate cookie in shrink-wrapped plastic. That's for dessert. In the past, his parents had no clue when he bought a treat at school. Now, thanks to a new school-lunch monitoring system, they can check over the Internet and learn about that secret cookie.

The monitoring system is called Mealpay and it's developed by Horizon Software International of Loganville, Ga. The probable next step in big brother intrusiveness has to be individual RFID chips in the food.

Personally, this type of surveillance makes me nervous.

Following Entry Posted 5/29/2005 06:58:00 PM

Woman Accused of Manslaughter of Child and Sexual Assault of Boy

(Johnstown, Pennsylvania) Amy Livingston, 27, the mother of four who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the diaper-rash death of a son, has been charged with statutory sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy. In addition to statutory sexual assault, Livingston faces five counts each of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors.

Amy Livingston
Since Livingston is charged with two major, yet unrelated, crimes with behind-the scenes legal maneuverings ongoing, the current status of each case is murky. The diaper-rash death has triggered an internal review of the Children and Youth Services Department to determine the adequacy of oversight. It's unclear at present when Livingston will go to trial.

[Update 6/29/05] According to this report, Amy Livingston pleaded guilty in Cambria County Court to manslaughter for the death of her 15-month-old son. She also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30.

Following Entry Posted 5/29/2005 06:50:00 PM

'Stays In Vegas' Ad Campaign Prompts Investigations

(Las Vegas, Nevada) According to this report, a national advertising campaign that states "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" has created a blitz of business for private investigators. Nervous spouses and significant others have retained the private eyes to keep an eye on the activities of their loved ones.

Ed Norton, with Norton Consulting and Investigations says he's been getting more and more calls every week asking the same question. "My husband's coming into town. Would you follow them and see what they're doing?"

Norton believes it stems directly from the city's ad campaign promoting Las Vegas as an adult playground. "You know the advertisement we have here, 'What happens here, stays here.' Maybe people outside Las Vegas go 'hmm, my wife's going to Vegas or my husband/boyfriend.'"

Jason Porter, also with Norton Consulting and Investigations, stated that they followed the activities of a 60-year-old married man.

Porter explains, "We were contracted by this gentleman's wife ... sitting at a bar with a younger woman for three hours. They kiss as she says goodbye. The next day, this tape is mailed to his wife making sure what happens in Vegas doesn't stay here."

Although it's not cheap to hire an investigator, they do produce results. It's estimated that targeted individuals are found to do something suspicious about 80 percent of the time.

This is probably bummer news for some people.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/29/2005 06:16:00 PM

Teacher's Aide Accused of Sex with Special Ed Students

(South Bend, Indiana) A former aide at Greene Intermediate Center, Schmeca White, 27, was arrested on nine felony charges of inappropriate sexual activities with special education students between the ages of 11 and 15. The specific charges include two counts each of child molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor, along with sexual battery, criminal deviate conduct, and battery. Bond was set at $10,000.

Schmeca White
According to Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ken Cotter, White controlled the students using threats of harm while she stripped naked and performed various sex acts and forced the students to perform sex acts in the classroom during lunch period. On one occasion, White allegedly choked a 13-year-old girl to the point where an ambulance had to be called.

Schmeca White's trial has been scheduled to begin on August 22.

[Update 10/03/06]

White convicted.

[Update 10/26/06]

White sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 5/29/2005 06:14:00 PM

Shootings Kill Six in Ohio Farmhouses

(Bellefontaine, Ohio) Outside Bellefontaine, four adults and two teens were found shot to death in two adjacent farmhouses this morning. The farmhouses, separated by less than a mile, had four and two victims, repectively, and are owned by the same family. Officials found multiple weapons at the scene and suspect that the gunman may be one of the dead.

No motive is presently known for the killings that probably occurred between 6am and 10am. A seventh victim, a female teen shot in the neck, survived and was flown by Careflight to Miami Valley Hospital. The Logan County Sheriff's Office is investigating the developing story.

[Update 1930 EDT] According to a FOXNEWS broadcast of a police press conference, the deceased victims have been identified as:

Paige Harshbarger - age 14
Sheri Shafer - age 37
Megan Karus - age 19
Scott R. Moody - age 18
Sharyl Shafer - age 66
Gary Shafer - age 67

The surviving victim was identified as Stacy Moody, 15, who has undergone surgery for the gunshot wound to her neck. Officials state that a rifle was used.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 10:10:00 PM

Michelle Sikes Sentenced

(Clinton, Arkansas) Updating a previous report, former Clinton Junior High School interpreter, 34-year-old Michelle Sikes, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of first-degree sexual assault in Van Buren County Circuit Court. The charges result from a sexual relationship Sikes had with a 15-year-old male student. At the time of the relationship with the boy, she was married with two children.

Michelle Sikes
Predictably, Sikes is no longer married and her ex-husband has custody of the two children. Meanwhile, Circuit Judge David Reynolds sentenced Sikes to 10 years of probation, a $5,000 fine, court-ordered counseling, and she must register as a sex offender. She has also been barred from teaching again.

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 07:10:00 PM

Kelly Lynn Dalecki Sentenced

(St. Augustine, Florida) Last March, former Hartley Elementary School teacher Kelly Lynn Dalecki, 28, pleaded no contest to lewd and lascivious acts on a minor and distributing harmful material to a minor in incidents involving a 13-year-old boy. In the plea agreement, the prosecution wanted Dalecki sentenced to six months in jail.

Kelly Lynn Dalecki
Interestingly, although the prosecution and defense agreed on sentencing, Judge J.Michael Traynor felt differently and Friday he sentenced Dalecki to 364 days in jail, effectively doubling the time specified by the plea.

From News4Jax.com:

In addition to the jail time, Kelly Dalecki, 28, was sentenced to seven years of sexual offender probation. Judge J.Michael Traynor also ordered Daleki to give up her teaching certificate and pay $30,000 in restitution to pay for a camp the boy is attending.

Frankly, I'm glad the judge upped the sentence, but I think that if she were a he, the punishment would be much harsher.

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 05:07:00 PM

Parents Make Porn with Own Kids

(Durban, South Africa) A Russian couple has been convicted of producing child pornography on videotape and photographs with their own children, ages 9, 4, and 2. Their case is going through the penalty phase.

This is a most bizarre, sick, and depressing story and it reflects a level of depravity seldom encountered. Yet oddly, a psychologist, Dr. Louise Olivier, for the defense has testified that the couple (whose names are being withheld for some reason) is just a little quirky. Quirky? Not on your life, Doctor! These people are completely crazy and dangerous! Seriously, the professionalism of the psychologist needs to be questioned. She's trying to portray monsters as everyday folk.

I'd excerpt some of the lurid and sick details from the story, but I'm concerned that some of my readers would find them offensive. Hell! I find them offensive. Those interested can follow the link.

Visit the Carnival of the Trackbacks.

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 03:18:00 PM

Zarqawi Reported Dead

From The Jawa Report, via LGF, via Hammorabi, it's reported (unconfirmed) that Zarqawi suffered massive infection after taking a bullet or schrapnel in the lung and died. The MSM hasn't mentioned anything yet.

Gateway Pundit reports that Zarqawi's Jordanian relatives are preparing for a funeral in Zarqa, Jordan. Vodkapundit says the USAF rumor mill supports the story of Zarqawi's death from its sources.

Assuming Zarqawi's essence is with the virgins, some other people have been left with his putrefying carcass. And, whoever is the keeper of the carcass is going to want to move it a few hundred miles to Jordan, presuming that there will be a funeral. I wonder, just from a logistical standpoint, how the body would be secretly moved. Also, given the customary state of medical facilities in war zones, especially war zones in hot, stinking deserts, it's not clear that his body has been properly refrigerated and embalmed. Surely, the location lends itself to rapid decomposition which means his remains are raising a stench that even Michael Jackson's modified nose could detect.

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 01:55:00 AM

Rebecca Ann Boicelli Pleads No Contest

(Redwood City, California) Well, in the ongoing case (here w/photo) of Rebecca Ann Boicelli, 33, it appears that she has finally realized that she doesn't have any way out. With DNA evidence proving that a 16-year-old former student fathered her child, it's ridiculous to claim they didn't have sex. Yesterday, she pleaded no contest to one count of committing a lewd act upon a child at least 10 years younger than herself.

Boicelli remains in custody with bail set at $500,000. Sentencing is scheduled for August 19. According to the plea agreement, she faces a possible 3 years in prison and four years probation.

Following Entry Posted 5/28/2005 01:19:00 AM

Teacher Charged with Sex Assault on Boy

(Spring Valley, Illinois) Hall High School biology teacher Gina Purvis, 29, faces aggravated sexual assault charges for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old male student. Purvis was indicted last December and since then her case has taken more twists and turns than a Cedar Point roller coaster. First, the judge was replaced, followed by new charges being filed. There have been allegations of withholding evidence, claims that the alleged victim was lying, accusations that another teacher is involved, and suggestions that the whole case is the result of revenge for something. The case has been somewhat of a test of stamina for the prosecution, the defense, and the court.

Frankly, I've become frustrated trying to figure out what the exact status is. The only thing I'm relatively sure of is that the court is as confused as I am. Purvis has pleaded innocent to the felony sex charges against her which, by the way, carry potential penalties of dozens of years in prison. All the legalities are supposed to be sorted out by the defense before June 16 with a trial date set for June 27.

In a nutshell, it appears that the allegations against Purvis may have been part of a gossip-prone, close-knit, small-town pissing-contest which started with something relatively minor and has grown to be a major court battle.

Friday, May 27, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 08:54:00 PM

Man Gets Life for DWI

(Georgetown, Texas) Country singer Gary Gibbs, 49, was sentenced to life in prison after conviction for his eighth DWI since 1986. He will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 04:57:00 PM

"Keep It Up and You'll Go Blind"

Many mothers have told their young sons that too much action for Mr. Happy would make them go blind. While most people scoff at the myth, there is now empirical data which suggests that impotence medicine, Mr. Happy's drug of choice, is linked to blindness.

From the Associated Press:

Federal health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drugs Viagra and Cialis, a disclosure that comes at a time when the drug industry can ill afford negative publicity about another class of blockbuster medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration still is investigating, but has no evidence yet that the drug is to blame, said spokeswoman Susan Cruzan.

This type of blindness is called NAION, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. It can occur in men who are diabetic or have heart disease, the same conditions that can cause impotence and thus lead to Viagra use.

The FDA has 42 reports of the blindness, 38 among users of Viagra and four among users of Cialis. There were no cases reported among users of Levitra, the third impotence drug.

I imagine the late-night television joke writers are working overtime on this theme.

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 04:15:00 PM

Smuggling Cash into Mexico

(Laredo, Texas) Last Monday, Severiano Perez Molina was found guilty by a federal jury of trying to smuggle contraband out of the United States. After a routine traffic stop, a police dog alerted on Perez Molina's vehicle and a search found 50 bundles of cash worth $909,830 inside a modified gas tank.

From TEAM4NEWS.com:

Perez Molina denied having knowledge of the cash but said that he was being paid $1,000 to drive the vehicle from Monterrey, Mexico, to Dallas, where "something" would be put in the car.

He had no knowledge, my muscled caboose! My guess is he's probably made the trip dozens of times. After all, the drug traffickers can't use wire transfers, so their proceeds have to be smuggled out of the U.S.

Given that most resources are directed to stopping smuggling of people and contraband coming into the U.S., I get the odd feeling that people and contraband going out of the U.S. are subjected to considerably less scrutiny. And, since the U.S. is doing such a urine-poor job on the goesinta, I have to imagine that the goesouta is probably worse. In any event, people hauling million-dollar bundles of cash into Mexico are definitely in the drug trade. Migrant workers are not sending that kind of money back to their families inside modified gas tanks.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 12:32:00 PM

Terror Threat Causes Cancellation of USO Trip

(Naples, Italy) Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo warned Americans "to avoid crowded tourist areas in Cairo until the current threat environment diminishes." As a result, a planned trip by U.S. citizens has been scratched with cancellation charges assessed.

From the Stars and Stripes:

Scores of Naples residents are out nearly $250 after the Navy canceled two United Service Organizations trips to Egypt over the Memorial Day weekend because of security concerns.

"The bottom line was the safety of personnel and families," said Capt. Stephen Hoefel, Navy Region Europe's public safety director.

The cancellation ended up costing the 92 prospective travelers 192 euros each in last-minute cancellation fees imposed by Egypt Air and travel agencies.

Each person had paid at least 849 euros for the trip.

"We gave back [to the participants] everything we got back from the agencies," said Naples USO director Simona Keeler. She said she understands people's frustration over the cancellation and monetary loss.

Historically, Egypt has been dicey with regard to security and recent attacks in Cairo and in the Sinai has raised the level of concern. It's reasonable to be extremely cautious.

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 08:19:00 AM

Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex with Boys

(Fairborn, Ohio) Yesterday, a 33-year-old woman, Kelly L. Smith, pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor for performing sex acts on three boys, two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old, over a four-month period from September 2004 to January 2005. Smith apparently gave the boys rum, vodka, and the prescription drug Klonopin, an anti-seizure medication, when they visited her home. During the sessions, she performed the sex acts. Since she pleaded guilty, the boys won't have to testify.

According to Suzanne M. Schmidt, Greene County First Assistant Prosecutor, several charges were dropped in exchange for Smith's plea. However, she still faces a possible 25 years in prison for the crimes she pleaded to committing. Notably, her plea contained no agreement regarding sentencing.

A sentencing date of July 14 has been established by Greene County Common Pleas Court Judge Stephen A. Wolaver.

Following Entry Posted 5/27/2005 06:38:00 AM

Heidi Fleiss - Looking for Brothel License

(Las Vegas, Nevada) The infamous Hollywood Madam, Heidi Fleiss, who was put out of business and prosecuted in California, now has plans of opening a brothel in Nevada where prostitution is legal.

From KLAS-TV.com:

She has a long way to go before her brothel becomes a reality. Fleiss has spent months looking at other bordellos and properties in Nevada, from Reno to Pahrump and in between. Because of her criminal record, she will need to latch on with an existing licensee for a period. She's talked to several but hasn't reached a deal.

[ ... ]

In order to stand out from other brothels, and from the all-but-legal hooker rackets in Las Vegas, Fleiss has a grand design in mind -- a replica of the White House. She'll even call it the White House, but isn't trying to make a political statement, just a marketing one.

"It will work. They have the Eiffel Tower there, the Pyramids. So it's time for the White House. You build the White House and it will work. You want something the way it should be. Natural, beautiful, and that's what it is. It's just sex."

Apparently, Fleiss is planning on giving whole new meanings to the terms Oval Office and West Wing. She says she'll go on a worldwide recruiting tour, looking for fresh faces who are willing to be prostitutes. Her target market will be elite customers willing to pony up a $5,000 entry fee.

Five grand for a fresh face! I'm going to guess that customers will be wanting more than a face for that amount. Nonetheless, she claims to have backers prepared to invest millions in her White House.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 11:52:00 PM

Teacher's Aide Arraigned for Child Endangerment

(Hudson Falls, New York) A 31-year-old teacher's aide at Hudson Falls High School, Karlie Hall, surrendered to police today and was arraigned this afternoon in Hudson Falls Court. Hall was charged with child endangerment and public lewdness for allegedly exchanging sexually explicit emails with a 14-year-old student. The emails were so graphic that the news reporter refrained from even paraphrasing them.

Karlie Hall resigned her position with Hudson Falls School District and is currently in the Washington County Jail.

[Update 5/27/05] According to this report, Karlie Hall not only exchanged filthy emails, she also exposed herself to the 14-year-old and purchased cigarettes for him and his friend. Hall has been released on $2,000 bail and is scheduled to appear back in court on June 7.

[Update 05/30/06]

Karlie Hall sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 11:34:00 PM

Ninth DWI Arrest

WKYC.com:

CLEVELAND -- A west-side Cleveland man is arrested a ninth time for driving under the influence of alcohol.

David Gundel, 44, has mug shot after mug shot in the county records department. It's more like yearbook photos for him.

Now, Gundel is facing a possible felony charge punishable by prison time if he's convicted. Police records indicate he has eight DUI convictions in 19 years.

So, readers, what in the world does the justice system do with a guy like Gundel? He's a time bomb. And, whatever his punishment was the previous eight times obviously didn't work.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 10:41:00 PM

Japanese Train Disaster Blamed on Punctuality

(Amagasaki, Japan) Last month's train wreck in Amagasaki killed 107 people, including the driver, and injured more than 540. The chief cause of the accident has been determined to be that the driver, 23-year-old Ryujiro Takami, was speeding to make up approximately 90 seconds of time he lost by overshooting platforms on previous stops. However, the Japanese trait of relentlessly pursuing punctuality, to the second, is being mentioned as a factor that can produce dangerous circumstances. Obsession with punctuality is being called the fatal flaw.

Maybe it's me, but I get the impression that the analysts are trying to blame the schedule for the wreck.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 06:46:00 PM

Statesman From Ohio

Sen. George Voinovich
I watched Voinovich's whimpering speech on the U.S. Senate floor yesterday and was painfully, viscerally disgusted. He was talking about his intense dislike for President Bush's nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton. His voice cracked, his chin quivered, and he pleaded like an infant. I felt so low. I voted for this prissy marshmallow.

That mistake will not be repeated.

And, frankly, although he was blubbering about Bolton, it made no difference what the subject of his pleading was. It was the way he talked, the way he looked, that was upsetting. Voinovich's actions were unprofessional, lacked propriety, and completely inappropriate for the putative statesman-like air of the United States Senate. I'm embarrassed that Sen. George Voinovich is from my state.

Don't for a second think that I'm not reminded of my embarrassment. I've already received a few calls from folks around the country asking if there is a shortage of real men in Ohio. And, thank you very much, when they weren't busting my chops about Georgy Girl, shots were thrown about Mike Dewine who decided to become the 'seven' in the Nitwit Seven.

What's most difficult to accept is the betrayal. I was deceived into thinking each possessed measurable testosterone. Adding to my dismay is the realization that these guys are not too bright. The people that elected them into office did so because of one thing -- they're Republicans. It wasn't because of their beauty or their charisma nor was it because they were war heroes or astronauts. No, it's because they were members of the Republican Party. So, what did these guys do when called to service? They decided to become free agents.

I'll follow their lead. When I see their names on a ballot, I'll be a free agent. In the meantime, I'd suggest that the esteemed U.S. Senators from Ohio look for opportunities to perform some extraordinarily heroic life-saving feat involving puppies and babies, make sure it's caught on camera, and use their contacts in the media to make sure I see the videotape over and over and over. Even so, there still isn't a snowball's chance in hell I'll ever vote for either again.

Pic purloined from The Country Store.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 04:15:00 PM

Sex Predators Have to Relocate

(Cincinnati, Ohio) A recent change in Ohio law specifies where sexual predators may reside with regard to schools and, as a result, some predators have to move. There will likely be some complaints lodged by advocacy groups. This news is estimated to affect 350 to 400 registered sexual predators in the Cincinnati area.

From The Cincinnati Post:

The city's attorneys will mail letters during the next week, notifying the violators that they have 30 days to move. If they fail to do so, officials will file for an injunction in court to force their removal, said Charlie Rubenstein, a city prosecutor.

Rapid enforcement of that edict is needed to enhance the safety of children, said City Council Member David Pepper.

"Our school zones are sacred ground," said Pepper, who heads the group's law committee.

The committee reviewed a map Tuesday of where sexual predators are living in the city and their proximity to schools.

"There are way, way too many dots on that map," said Council Member John Cranley.

Living within the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area, it's estimated that there are 1,500 registered sexual predators. Remember, these are predators, not offenders. With that large a number in one city, it seems that enforcement of the Ohio law regarding where they can live is daunting. Enforcement is also compounded by the fact that sexual predators, by nature, are sneaky and opportunistic criminals.

Of note is that the law does require that officials try to keep accurate tabs on the predators and, apparently, Ohio has somewhat of a handle on the problem. What's disturbing, however, is that 1,500 of these perverts are in one location in Ohio. Multiply that number by the number of cities in the state or the nation and one realizes that there is ample reason to be constantly on guard. They're everywhere.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 11:59:00 AM

Dr. Moonda Murder Case - UPDATE

(Entry brought forward) The plot thickens in the Dr. Moonda murder mystery. It seems that Donna Moonda was having an affair with a man she met at a drug rehab center. The man, Damian Bradford, 23, has been arrested for unrelated drug charges, but he is considered a person of interest in the Moonda murder.

Moonda & Bradford
Bradford is in the Beaver County jail on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia and violating probation from a sentence for receiving stolen property. Bond has been set at $50,000.

Notably, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that a confidential informant told police that "Donna Moonda and a man named Damian were in drug rehabilitation together and that she is paying for his apartment."

[Update 5/26/05]
Whoa! It looks like Donna Moonda, aka Donna J. Smouse, likes to cozy up with convicted felons. Investigators have determined that, in addition Bradford, Mrs. Moonda had a close relationship with convicted burglar Thomas Kase Jr.

In a Pennsylvania State Police search of Kase's vehicles (2) and Bradford's apartment, a bank payment book was found indicating a vehicle loan was granted in the names of both Kase and Donna Moonda. The vehicle is a black 1995 Land Rover, which is generally comparable to the "van" reportedly driven by the killer of Dr. Moonda. Other items confiscated from Bradford's apartment included three pink bath towels with suspected biological stains, 19 $50 bills, clothing, four 200-milligram vials of the steroid depo-testosterone, five hypodermic needles, several cell phones, a pager, and a handwritten steroid price list.

The probable cause for the search of the vehicles and apartment was to find evidence of a financial or romantic relationship between Bradford and Donna Moonda. Obviously, the police are looking for additional evidence of the relationship so reliance on witness testimony won't be necessary. Unidentified informants have stated that Donna Moonda and Bradford were lovers and she planned to divorce Dr. Moonda and collect millions in a settlement. At this point, it's not clear the police found what they were looking for. What was found, however, makes Dr. Moonda's murder a much juicier mystery. Think about it. You have a murder of a prominent physician, a drug-addicted unfaithful wife, two ex-cons, a daylight robbery-murder on the turnpike that appears scripted, and two eyewitnesses that saw essentially nothing.

Donna Moonda has hired Cleveland attorney Niki Schwartz to represent her. Bradford remains in the Beaver County Jail on drug charges and is represented by Pittsburgh lawyer James Ecker. Notably, a friend of Bradford has stepped forward and provided him with an alibi for the time of the murder. There's no information on the status of Thomas Kase.

Trackback to Festival of the Fatwas.

[Update 07/06/07]

Donna Moonda found guilty of murder.

[Update 09/21/07]

Moonda gets life in prison.

Following Entry Posted 5/26/2005 08:24:00 AM

Senate Opens Door for Reparations to American Indians

(Washington, D.C.) Sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, legislation to apologize to American Indians has been warmly received by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The proposed legislation would "acknowledge our past failures, express sincere regrets and work toward establishing a brighter future for all Americans." Sen. John McCain said he would help in getting the resolution to a vote.

The President of the National Congress of American Indians, Tex Hall, said that the legislation "will be meaningless if it is not accompanied by actions that begin to correct the wrongs of the past and the present."

"Accompanied by actions that begin to correct the wrongs" sounds like reparations to me. And of course, this greases the skids for a pantload of other groups wanting to be paid for "past failures."

I don't know what Brownback is thinking, but I really don't want my tax dollars to be applied to pay for failures that occurred before any of my ancestors even stepped foot on the North American continent.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 11:47:00 PM

Cat Eats Bird, Man Kills Cat, Police Arrest Man

(Elyria, Ohio) Here's a story of a guy who got so angry, he snapped. From The Chronicle-Telegram:

A 26-year-old man beat his own pregnant cat to death Tuesday afternoon and then cut the kittens out of the dead animal's womb, Elyria Police Lt. Andy Eichenlaub said.

Neil Lanning, of Penrose Court at South Park Apartments, who has been charged with animal cruelty, told police he attacked the cat after it ate his pet bird.

"If it happens, you have an animal that is unwanted, there are other avenues that should be taken," Eichenlaub said.

A maintenance worker for the apartments said Lanning was skinning the cat behind the building when officers arrived at 1:41 p.m. Officers observed Lanning sitting next to the bloody cat, with a knife in his hand.

Lanning told officers he killed the cat because he was mad after it killed his bird, which cost a lot of money. The cat cost nothing, he told police.

Mr. Lanning sounds like somebody who possibly has a low tolerance for personal setbacks. Hopefully, this is an isolated occurrence.

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 07:28:00 PM

HS Girls 'Huffing' During Class

From the Dayton Daily News:

School officials will recommend expulsion for two Xenia High School freshmen accused of "huffing" a household cleaner during an outdoor physical education class May 18, school assistant principal Karol Warden said Tuesday.

"We just don't put up with that at school," she said.

The girls have been suspended, Warden said. It was not immediately clear if they will face criminal charges.

I'd suggest that suspending the girls is less important than finding out how they came to be introduced to using inhalants in the first place. A close look at their friends, their classmates, and their neighborhood is more than warranted. Also, these kids may have learned to huff while in middle school.

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 05:46:00 PM

Ken Jennings Show

Comedy Central announced that Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will be the central figure in a new game show.

Isn't it nice to see somebody with smarts attain celebrity status?

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 03:09:00 PM

Girl, 13, Raped in Classroom

(Dayton, Ohio) A 14-year-old boy is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl when she was left alone in a Dayton Academy classroom. The boy is in juvenile detention with a court date scheduled for next week.

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 01:37:00 PM

Woman Charged for Sex with Boy

(Swansea, South Carolina) A Lexington School District bus driver, Crystal Fischer, 26, was booked Monday in the Lexington County Jail on two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Crystal Fischer
According to Lexington County Sheriff's spokesman John Allard, Fischer is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old Sandhills Middle School student in the back seat of her car. The sex was not linked to her job as a bus driver. Bond was set at $30,000 and, thus far, Fischer's husband has not commented.

One question, shouldn't a student have advanced beyond middle school by the age of 15?

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 03:26:00 AM

Three Mexican Top Cops Assassinated

Last Saturday, Carlos Bowser Miret, the Director of Public Safety for the resort city of Rosarito, Baja California, was assassinated near his home a few blocks from police headquarters. Miret was only six months into his job as the city's head of law enforcement and had vowed to eliminate drug houses and restructure the police department. A vehicle and spent cartridges were found at the murder scene. The unknown killers are at large.

Xinhua reports on another Baja California killing:

Unknown perpetrators Tuesday shot dead the director of a state jail in Mexico, prosecutors said.

Eduardo Villalobos, head of the jail of the northwestern Baja California state, was shot when heading for his office in an official vehicle, prosecutors said.

Villalobos was also Baja California's attorney general and director of the Special Anti-Organized Crime Unit of the state.

Nine-millimeter bullet shells which could have been used by a Uzi sub-machine gun were found at the spot of the murder, prosecutors said.

Witnesses counted four gunmen.

And last week in the eastern part of Mexico on the Rio Grande border, Nuevo Laredo Police Captain Juan Sergio Montes was killed by gunmen believed to be linked to drug traffickers. Montes was on routine patrol with a partner, Elvira Perez Corona, when his vehicle was ambushed and sprayed with automatic weapons. Corona was wounded and remains hospitalized with a bullet in the back.

To summarize, in less than a week, three high-level Mexican law enforcement officials have been murdered with strong indications that all were committed by organized drug traffickers. Thus far, no killers have been identified, much less apprehended. The criminals are killing cops with impunity. It's one helluva lousy trend.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.

Following Entry Posted 5/25/2005 12:59:00 AM

Another Church Sex Cult Arrest

(Hammond, Louisiana) A ninth person has been arrested in the Hosanna Church sex cult case. Patricia "Trish" Pierson, 54, was taken into custody as a fugitive by FBI agents and Baton Rouge police when she arrived at Baton Rouge Airport. She was transferred to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff and booked on a charge of sexual battery. Trish Pierson is the wife of Allen Pierson who was previously arrested.

Of the others arrested, only Lois Ann Mowbray has bonded out of jail. The other people are being held without bond since they are charged with capital crimes. In Louisiana, rape of a child can result in the death sentence. Police are continuing the investigation and there may be more arrests.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/24/2005 05:47:00 PM

Shooting Swans Authorized

(Indianapolis, Indiana) Property owners can now obtain a free permit to shoot gentle and graceful mute swans out of the air. Apply for the permit at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. There is apparently no actual hunting season nor bag limit. It just has to be determined that the swans are a health or safety concern or that they cause or they threaten to cause damage to property. Seems to me that every single mute swan in the state of Indiana meets that criteria. So, get a permit and load up. You can expect the carcasses to weigh in around six to eight pounds -- fine for Sunday dinner. And, they go so well with an orange-mint sauce.

Following Entry Posted 5/24/2005 03:16:00 PM

The Filibuster Deal

If I thought it would help, I'd call the FBI and ask for a criminal investigation. Somewhere along the travel-path from Ohio to Washington, D.C., there is an outlaw medical practice that is performing surgery on Republicans. They all arrive with backbones removed and honorary memberships in the Democratic Party.

I'm angry and I feel personally betrayed by the Ohio Republican Senators. Before Mike DeWine and George Voinovich were exposed to be closet Democrats, they had my vote.

Never again.

Mike DeWine for this filibuster fiasco, (By the way, did you see him acting like an idol-worshipping groupie when McCain spoke at last night's press conference?) and George Voinovich for his Testosterone Monologue trashing John Bolton. Who are these people? The people I voted for were advertised as conservative, as loyal Republicans, but when it came time to show their conservatism, it wasn't there. Sure, I'm part blame because I voted for them. That was then.

Never again.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/23/2005 11:09:00 PM

Dr. Moonda Murder Case

The plot thickens in the Dr. Moonda murder mystery. It seems that Donna Moonda was having an affair with a man she met at a drug rehab center. The man, Damian Bradford, 23, has been arrested for unrelated drug charges, but he is considered a person of interest in the Moonda murder.

Following Entry Posted 5/23/2005 04:53:00 PM

Drug Dogs Taught to Detect Talcum

(Canberra, Australia) Someone had switched the test package of cocaine with talcum powder at the beginning of the three month drug dog training program and nobody noticed. Consequently, seven police drug-sniffing dogs became proficient at finding talcum powder. According to Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Evans, they will have to be retrained even though they have "very soft, nice smelling noses at the moment."

My thoughts are that the dogs could have produced some very embarrassing moments if deployed screening passengers at the airport. Just think of the places people normally have talcum powder on their bodies. [Uh ... Ma'am ... We have to ask you to remove your underwear. Fido picked up on something.]

Following Entry Posted 5/23/2005 04:37:00 PM

NY Republican Announces Candidacy

7Online.com:

(White Plains-WABC, May 23, 2005) -- Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Monday that she will not run for re-election this year. Instead, she's going bigger, and will run for statewide office in 2006.

Pirro told The Associated Press that she has not decided which office to seek. But she mentioned three possibilities: state attorney general, the office being vacated by Democrat Eliot Spitzer; the Senate; and governor, if Republican George Pataki decides against another term.

Asked if she thought she could beat Clinton, Pirro refused to answer directly but said, "I have never been afraid of challenges, no matter how daunting. I have really been a person who actually seeks out challenges. The more you say I can't do something, the more I want to do it. ... Whatever office I run for, I will run to win and for no other reason."

You just have to admire her confidence. It doesn't hurt that she's also a favorite of the White House political wizards.

She mentioned that she wasn't seeking re-election because she didn't want to deceive her supporters into voting for her, only to do an about-face a week later and run for another office. Someone needs to remind Pirro that honesty in New York politics is usually a losing combination. But, then again, there's always the remote possibility that it will work.

Following Entry Posted 5/23/2005 09:05:00 AM

Endangered Koala Sterilization Program

From ABC News Online:

The South Australian Government has allocated an extra $4 million in Thursday's Budget to control koala numbers on Kangaroo Island.

The money will be used to step up the sterilisation program and to transport the animals to several spots in the state's south-east.

Premier Mike Rann says the campaign will avert an environmental disaster, but he has ruled out the possibility of a cull.

Being too cute to actually kill, the koalas will undergo a $160 operation to sterilize them. Notably, the koala sterilization program has been ongoing since 1996, so the practice is not new. However, with the new funds allocated, the story gets rerun on the front page.

The koalas being targeted live on predator-free Kangaroo Island, about 30 miles off the coast of South Australia, and there are too many for the environment to sustain. On the mainland, koalas have natural predators and human pressures to control the population. They also suffer from widespread infectious chlamydia which causes infertility in females.

Oddly, attempts to limit the population of koalas would be illegal in the U.S. since they are listed as an endangered species. This is despite the fact that the Australian government "sees no scientific evidence that it [the koala] is likely to become endangered anytime soon." Here's today's pop quiz. Since there are no indigenous koalas running wild in the U.S. and since, in Australia where they do run wild, the government sees no reason to believe that they will become endangered in the foreseeable future, then why would the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service place them on the Endangered Species List?

Interestingly, in a closely related story the House Resources Committee recently announced the results of a review of the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act. According to Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo,

"The ESA has not achieved its original intent of recovering species," the California Republican said. "In fact, there is little evidence of progress in the law's 30-year history."

The ESA was also faulted for containing a "wealth of erroneous data" on some species that has led to millions and millions of public and private dollars being wasted. One glaring example is the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse. Disregarding the fact that the vermin was obviously named by an Earth-Is-My-Mother biologist, the Preble's mouse was listed as "threatened" and millions of dollars were spent on stalled and canceled projects and creation of a protected habitat. After a second look it was discovered that the Preble's mouse was no different than any other grub-eating, burrowing, and hanta virus carrying field mouse. OOPS!

In summary, the Australian Tree-Killing Koala population is being reduced while the, rarer-than-Sasquatch, American Cuddly Soft Koala population is protected just in case they sprout wings and fly to the United States.

Following Entry Posted 5/23/2005 03:10:00 AM

Sex Offenders Get Viagra Paid by Medicaid

(Albany, New York) According to Alan Hevesi, the New York State Comptroller, during an audit, the names on the state's sex offender registry were compared to the names listed as receiving Medicaid-paid Viagra. Results of the review indicate that almost 200 sex offenders, including child rapists, had received taxpayer-funded Viagra between 2000 and 2005.

Well, it didn't take long for the politicians to make a statement. Senator Hillary Clinton said that the news was "deeply disturbing" and that she would explore possible legislative action. Senator Chuck Shumer said he didn't think that giving sex offenders Viagra was done intentionally and, if necessary, he's prepared to introduce legislation to correct the situation.

It's certain that this story will get a lot of coverage and it should. The last thing society needs is to be the free-of-charge enabler for sex offenders to easily grow and sustain an erection. It's like putting gasoline on a fire.

In closing, it's noteworthy that this episode has demonstrated at least one unforeseen benefit of maintaining a sex offender registry.

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/22/2005 11:35:00 PM

Romanian Hostages Freed

(Baghdad, Iraq) Kidnapped in March, Prima TV reporter Marie Jeanne Ion, cameraman Sorin Miscoci, reporter Ovidiu Ohanesian, and translator Mohamad Munaf have been released by their captors. It still not clear who the hostage-takers were but, apparently, Romanian officials have been in contact with them for several weeks. Negotiations with the Romanian government, along with appeals from Romanian and Iraqi Islamic groups, are believed to have prompted the release of the journalists.

It's being reported that the Romanian government adamantly refused to negotiate foreign policy with the kidnappers nor would they pay a ransom. Bravo! However, I'm still a bit skeptical about whether we are getting the whole story on the kidnapping and release. Maybe it's because kidnappers are frequently proud of their hostage-taking and take credit. In this case, the kidnappers haven't been identified at all.

(via In The Bullpen)

Following Entry Posted 5/22/2005 08:25:00 PM

Scholars Demand Islamic Trial for Koran Abusers

Gulf Times:

RIYADH: Eighteen Saudi Muslim scholars and thinkers demanded yesterday that those involved in the alleged desecration of the Holy Qur'an at the US detention facility of Guantanamo Bay be tried by an Islamic court.

"It won't do any good if the State Department (eventually) apologises or if it rejects this act, or if its authors are tried," they said in a statement.

"That would amount to throwing dust in the eyes as was the case in the trials of those who committed the crimes (of abusing prisoners at Iraq's) Abu Ghraib jail ... The Islamic nation will not settle for less than the trial (of the Guantanamo culprits) by an Islamic court," said the signatories.

So, it really doesn't matter at all if the allegations were true or not. The eighteen "Muslim scholars and thinkers" want heads to roll. Apparently, they won't be satisfied until the actual people responsible for what didn't occur are punished.

In all honestly, when the Muslim "scholars and thinkers" want to prosecute an offense that didn't happen, it becomes a little easier to understand why the everyday lay followers of Islam are exceedingly intolerant towards differing viewpoints. They are going to believe and will believe what they desire to believe. The truth and facts merely set the stage for their manufactured vision of reality.

Following Entry Posted 5/22/2005 05:58:00 PM

Navajos to Regulate Power Plants

(Farmington, New Mexico) According to this report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is transferring regulatory authority governing emissions from a coal-fired generating facility, the Four Corners Power Plant, to the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA). A signed agreement specifies that the Navajo Nation will monitor air-quality emissions only and the U.S. government will retain other regulatory authority.

Situated on the Navajo Reservation, the Four Corners Power Plant continuously generates over 2,000 megawatts of electricity by burning 28,000 tons of coal daily. Burning that amount of coal obviously creates a huge amount of effluent smoke and gases which are released to the atmosphere through the smokestacks. According to the agreement with the U.S. EPA, the Navajo Nation will be responsible for monitoring emissions from the facility to assure compliance with federal standards until the Navajo environmental agency establishes its own standards. At that time, the Navajo Nation will be the permit issuing agency for the power plants.

At first glance, this change seems fine except that it places a Native American tribe in an odd political position between the environmental extremists and the large corporations. Typically, Native Americans line up with the environmentalists so it will be a challenge for them to be in the middle. Of course, although it's not often mentioned, Native Americans have historically, traditionally, even spiritually, been pro-smoke. Think about it. The peace pipes, smoke signals, and tribal dances around a smoky bonfire provide a basis that suggests it's a good fit for the Navajo to be in charge of the smoke emissions from the power plants. However, their historical affinity toward smoke may portend less restrictive emissions requirements in the future.

Joking aside, the actual agreement signed by the Navajo leaders specifies that they will administer and enforce applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act and Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Also, the NNEPA operates on grant funds from the federal government so it will function more as a subcontractor than an independent body. All in all, it appears that the whole scheme just removes a chunk of work from the purview of Washington and sends it to a local group, the Navajo Nation.

Following Entry Posted 5/22/2005 12:41:00 PM

Blogger on Flight Diverted Due to Terrorist Threat

I apologize for being late in relaying this story but, late or not, it's an interesting read. Nick Genes of Blogborygmi was aboard the trans-Atlantic flight last week that was diverted from its intended destination of Boston to Bangor, Maine, because one passenger had been identified as a possible terrorist threat. A man was escorted off the plane at Bangor and Alitalia Flight 618 continued on to Boston. The FBI said later that the man was not a suspected terrorist. [ed. note: He was for a while.]

Nick's post relays the sense of apprehension he and others experienced during the entire episode and cites some valid concerns about the way the situation was handled. As I mentioned, it's a worthwhile read. Be sure to visit.

Following Entry Posted 5/22/2005 10:47:00 AM

Fred Flintstone's Voice

(Los Angeles, California) Veteran character actor and voice-over artist Henry Corden has died at the age of 85 from complications of emphysema. Corden was known for providing the voice of Fred Flintstone.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 11:11:00 PM

Teacher Has Sex With Mentally Disabled Student

(Logan County, Colorado) Donna Sue Lopus, 39, was working at a video store because she was fired from her teaching job at Merino Elementary School. School officials suspected that something inappropriate was occurring, but they couldn't prove it. Fortunately, the prosecutor thinks he can. Specifically, the prosecutor aims to prove that Lopus was sexually assaulting a mentally disabled student throughout 2004.

Donna Sue Lopus
Lopus is charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. The alleged assault began in her classroom, behind a bookshelf, with groping and kissing when the 16-year-old came to her for homework help. It became more serious and advanced to late-night rides in her car, sex in the back seat, and sleeping together.

Interestingly, Lopus blames the boy for "coming onto her." Presumably, she found the magnetic charms of a 16-year-old mentally disabled boy (in elementary school, no less) to be irresistible. She also blames the boy for lying to her about his age. The boy, however, indicated that Lopus was the aggressor in the relationship. He told investigators that Lopus arrived in class once without underwear and placed his hands under her dress. Holy-moly! Not only are normal everyday kids at the mercy of sexual offenders and predators, but, with special education teachers like Lopus (assuming she's convicted), the mentally disabled are also at risk.

Lopus is being held without bond, probably to keep her from doing something even more stupid than she already has. Her husband hasn't weighed in on the situation thus far.

[Update 07/05/06]

Lopus sentenced to two years in jail.

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 09:07:00 PM

Terrorist Dies in Custody From Self-Inflicted Wounds

ABC Online:

The suspected leader of a cell that attacked tourists in Egypt last month has died after sustaining self-inflicted injuries while in police custody, the prosecutor general's office said on Saturday.

The Interior Ministry had identified Ashraf Said Youssef as the man who recruited a suicide bomber who killed two French people and an American man in a Cairo bazaar blast on April 7.

"On the evening of May 19, the prosecutor was informed by a police report of the death of the accused Ashraf Said Youssef," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

A security source said Youssef died on Thursday, May 19.

"The prosecutor general's office was informed by a police report that the accused Ashraf Said Youssef was afflicted, while in the room he was detained in, by a state of agitation, during which he purposefully hit his head on the wall of the room," the statement said.

It's generally known that torture is used in Egyptian prisons. However, this story won't get much coverage because the U.S. wasn't to blame. I should be careful with my assertions, though, because the MSM may be able to figure a way to point a finger at President Bush. Nevertheless, the fact that the world has one less terrorist because he banged his head against the wall (or someone banged it for him) is good news.

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 05:11:00 PM

Louisiana Church Sex Cult Arrests

(Ponchatoula, Louisiana) The FBI, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Ponchatoula Police Department are investigating allegations of cult-like deviant practices, including sex with children and animals, by members of the Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula. Thus far, the following eight people have been arrested and charged.

Austin Bernard III, 36, was charged with allegedly forcing a girl under the age of 13 to perform a sex act and admitted to knowing about alleged sexual acts involving children, dogs and cats that occurred at Hosanna Church.

Nicole Bernard, 36, was charged with aggravated rape of a juvenile under the age of 13

Paul Fontenot, 21, was charged with aggravated rape of a juvenile under the age of 13.

Deputy Christopher Labat, 24, was charged on one count of aggravated rape, one count of crime against nature, and one count of malfeasance in office. Being a law officer, Labat was not put with the general prisoner population. He is, however, on suicide watch.

Louis Lamonica, 45, was charged with two counts of aggravated rape and one count of crime against nature after he confessed that he had sex with children and animals. The entire sex cult case broke wide open when Lamonica walked into the Sheriff's office and confessed. He is the former pastor of the Hosanna Church.

Robbin D. Lamonica, 45, was charged with one count of aggravated rape after a male victim told deputies that he had been having sex with Robbin Lamonica from the time he was 4 years of age until he was 13.

Lois Ann Mowbray, 54, was charged with obstruction of justice, failure to report a felony, and accessory after the fact to aggravated rape.

Allen R. Pierson, 46, was charged with one count of aggravated rape for allegedly engaging in sexual intercourse with a girl who was 9 or 10-years-old at the time. The victim is now 13.

The investigation continues and authorities believe there may be dozens of victims ranging in age from infancy to adolescence. Computers were seized and the crime lab expects to find pictures of sex acts involving children and animals.

Notably, the laws of Louisiana consider sex with young children a capital crime punishable by death. If the evidence is sufficient, Scott Perrilloux, the 21st Judicial District Attorney, may seek the death penalty. Execution shouldn't be inconceivable. The enormity of the alleged crimes is bewildering.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 03:42:00 PM

Nicole Pomerleau Sentenced for Indecency with Boy

(Charlotte, North Carolina) Last February, it was reported that former Olympic High School English teacher Nicole Pomerleau, 31, pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a 16-year-old student. She walked away with essentially a hand slap, some finger pointing, and a few tsk-tsks.

Nicole Pomerleau
Anyway, that's old news. However, I think something else must have happened and, for the life of me, I haven't been able to find out what. I base my assumption on the fact that I've received a rash of search engine hits in the last two days for Nicole Pomerleau. If anyone knows something fresh about her, please leave a comment.

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 02:08:00 PM

Nine Die in Cleveland Fire

(Cleveland, Ohio) Nine people, including seven children, died in an early morning fire on Cleveland's east side. Eleven people were in the East 87th Street house at 3am when the fire started. Many of the children were there on a sleepover. One survivor is in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Following Entry Posted 5/21/2005 08:31:00 AM

Sexual Seduction Case

(Wrentham, Massachusetts) About a week ago, FBI agents and local police arrested Jennifer L. Marshall, 34, for allegedly performing oral sex on a 15-year-old boy in Nevada. Las Vegas Metro Police plan to charge Marshall with statutory sexual seduction. In an updated report, Marshall pleaded innocent to a fugitive from justice charge and was released on $500 bail. Another court appearance is scheduled for June 8.

Interestingly, it's been disclosed that Marshall at one time accused former New England Patriot football player Ben Coates of assaulting her in a domestic dispute. The alleged assault case obviously isn't related to Marshall's current legal problems, but it's worth noting.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 11:06:00 PM

Student Newspaper Shut Down

(Marietta, Georgia) Principal Randolph Bynum of Pebblebrook High School in Cobb County has eliminated the school's journalism class and the student newspaper citing a "teacher shortage and the need to keep more popular courses like cosmetology." Bynum also admits to criticizing the paper for content that's unfavorable to the school.

Newspaper staffers believe that the shutdown decision was made to censor student opinion. As such, they approached the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va., with their complaint. Mark Goodman, the executive director, said they would be happy to pursue the case.

Developing ....

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 05:55:00 PM

EU Officials Expelled From Cuba

(Havana, Cuba) According to this report, two European Union politicians visited Havana to speak at a pro-democracy conference but, instead, they were seized Thursday by police, driven to the airport, and expelled from the country. Czech Senator Karl Schwarzenberg and German MP Arnold Vaatz had arrived to address dissidents opposed to the Communist rule of Cuban President Fidel Castro. Two former Spanish senators and a legislator were also expelled on Thursday and two Polish members of the European Parliament, Boguslav Sonik and Jacek Protasiewicz, were denied entry. Four journalists were taken into custody, three from Poland and one from Italy.

Notably, the Spanish Socialist government encouraged the European Union to upgrade its relations with Cuba and it did so in January. Consequently, Europeans show up in Cuba to develop and foster a closer relationship with the government and people of Cuba. Unfortunately, it seems nobody cleared the upgraded relationship with Castro and he's not having anything to do with it.

There's currently a flurry of jabbering in European diplomatic circles with lots of complaints and official protests, but you know that nothing will happen unless Castro says it will or dies. The intentions and initiatives of the European Union are meaningless as long as Cuba is under the murderous iron fist of communism.

The dissident rally was held as planned with a reported 200 people attending. Organizers believe a number of people stayed away for fear of being arrested. Interested-Participant applauds those bold and brave souls who attended with three words of caution -- watch your back.

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 04:59:00 PM

Female Afghan 'Veejay' Murdered

(Kabul, Afghanistan) After the fall of the Taliban, Shaima Rezayee, 24, immediately discarded her burkha and became a 'veejay' (video journalist) for Kabul's answer to MTV. In this capacity, she hosted an hour-long music and chat show airing videos of Western singers which outraged conservative Muslims. Two months ago, Rezayee was fired due to pressure from Islamic mullahs. This week, she was murdered in her home by an unknown assailant. The killing is believed to be linked to her time as a veejay.

Obviously, living in a democracy doesn't automatically guarantee freedom of expression.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

[Update] The Gateway Pundit has a photo of Rezayee. Also, there's reason to believe that her family was instrumental in her death.

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 03:23:00 PM

MS-13 Gang Member Arrested in Columbus

(Columbus, Ohio) Today, it's expected that a member of the dangerous El Salvadoran MS-13 gang will appear in federal court. David Henriques was apprehended in April after a chase during which he ditched a 9 mm AB-10, known as a "gang-banger" gun.

David Henriques
It's believed that Henriques will face multiple charges tied to murder, drugs, and possible terrorism. Notably, Henriques is the second MS-13 member arrested in Columbus this year. In January, it was reported that El Salvadoran Nelson Flores, 34, was arrested after a minor traffic accident. Flores is a violent, previously deported felon MS-13 gang leader who had been convicted of participating in a drive-by shooting in Nevada. Ominously, police said that there are upwards of a dozen other MS-13 gang members in the Columbus area.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 11:29:00 AM

Teaching Too Much Blamed for Dropout Rate

(Toronto, Canada) When students don't learn enough to pass required tests, what can educators do? Well, they can follow the example of the Arizona School System and arbitrarily lower the minimum grade required to pass. Alternatively, they can dramatically decrease the amount of subject material the student is required to learn which is the option that Canada has decided to pursue.

Toronto Star (Reg. req'd):

Ontario has unveiled a kinder, gentler math curriculum it hopes will stem the rising tide of high school dropouts.

The government has made sweeping changes to Grade 9 math, in the more hands-on applied stream where staggering failure rates have been linked to a growing number of dropouts since the tough new four-year high school program began in 1999.

Starting this fall, Grade 9 students in applied math will be expected to master nearly one-third less material while getting more practical lessons. As well, teachers will get more tips on how to make math relevant to teens.

Gone are subjects teachers deemed too abstract for many Grade 9 applied students, such as analytical geometry, the study of the steepness of "slopes" and lessons on the algebra needed to plot a parabolic curve.

When marking, teachers will be encouraged to give more weight to a student's overall comprehension of math concepts, rather than simply follow a lengthy checklist of individual skills.

According to Stewart Craven, Toronto District School Board math expert, the reduction in content is "a phenomenal improvement." Students' learning will be enriched because the "clutter of abstract concepts" is removed and, instead, new Grade 9 students will learn about how math applies to cellphone bills and video rental charges. And, even though course content has been reduced by one-third, it hasn't been "dumbed down." Rather, the changes have removed the "biggest roadblock to graduation for Ontario teens."

One could say that Ontario is spearheading toward education by osmosis. All that's necessary is to reduce course content to a low-enough level whereby a half-asleep student can still absorb enough knowledge to pass the final exam. Interestingly, in addition to removing course content, the teachers are given guidance to forget about giving marks based on a student's skills and pay attention to math concepts. But wait, didn't math expert Stewart Craven state that the clutter of concepts was removed? I'm confused.

With respect to whether the system is "dumbing down," you make the call. Eh?

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 08:49:00 AM

Debra Lafave Pretrial Hearing

(Tampa, Florida) According to this report, the state's psychologist has determined that Debra Lafave was legally sane when she allegedly adjusted the horns of a 14-year-old student on several occasions in her home, in the classroom, and in her private vehicle. This finding is contrary to the defense's assertion last December when it was claimed that Debra was crazy during sex.

Nonetheless, Lafave's attorney John Fitzgibbons plans to continue pursuing the insanity defense against the charges of lewd and lascivious battery. Fitzgibbons is apparently relying upon an evaluation conducted by his own psychologist who determined that Lafave has "issues."

She obviously does, but that doesn't mean she's crazy. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman has scheduled another pretrial hearing for June 16. I fully expect that the defense will offer to plea either before or at that time. Nobody really wants Lafave to be tried before a jury and Prosecutor Mike Sinacore has indicated a willingness to find a "resolution" in the case. However, if no plea agreement is reached, a tentative trial date has been scheduled for July 18.

[Update 11/22/05]

Debra Lafave pleads guilty and gets no jail.

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 07:50:00 AM

Dr. Moonda Murder

An update has been posted.

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 06:45:00 AM

No Coke! Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi!

(Gainesville, Florida) The University of Florida has signed an exclusive deal with Pepsi to have its products in campus drink machines for the next ten years. Coca-Cola products will disappear from dormitory cafeterias, university hospitals, sporting events, and vending machines.

So, where are the obesity and food police? How come they haven't weighed in?

Following Entry Posted 5/20/2005 06:18:00 AM

Boy Dies in Tank of Hog Manure

(New Madison, Ohio) According to the Dayton Daily News, four-year-old Chase Neanen slipped into a 10-foot-deep hog manure tank on Wednesday night and drowned. After a few minutes, his family noticed he was missing and started a search. A new Madison firefighter found the boy while stirring the manure tank. He was taken by helicopter to Children's Medical Center and pronounced dead about an hour later.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/19/2005 09:54:00 PM

Man Throws Kittens From Car

(Lorain, Ohio) While driving around the countryside, part-time police officer Derrick Wilhelm, 26, decided to throw kittens out the window of his moving vehicle. Somebody saw him. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. I wonder if he would have been arrested if he had thrown cockroaches or mice or geckos out of his car.

Following Entry Posted 5/19/2005 05:36:00 PM

Media Union Prez Says U.S. Killing Journalists

Following in the soiled footprints of Eason Jordan who, without any evidence, accused U.S. Forces of intentionally targeting and killing journalists, the President of Communications Workers of America, Linda Foley, said the following:

"Journalists, by the way, are not just being targeted verbally or …ah, or… ah, politically. They are also being targeted for real, um…in places like Iraq. What outrages me as a representative of journalists is that there's not more outrage about the number, and the brutality, and the cavalier nature of the U.S. military toward the killing of journalists in Iraq."

"They target and kill journalists…uh, from other countries, particularly Arab countries like Al -, like Arab news services like Al-Jazeera, for example. They actually target them and blow up their studios with impunity…"

Obviously, Foley is just irresponsibly shooting her mouth off without adequate basis. And she has no evidence because it's not happening.

The JunkYardBlog has the whole story. Go visit.

Other coverage:

In The Bullpen
The Blue State Conservatives
RightPundit
Say Anything
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
OpinionBug
The Dread Pundit Bluto
This Isn't Writing, It's Typing.
La Shawn Barber's Corner
Wizbang

In a way, the mainstream media reminds me of the unpopular kids I remember from elementary school. They constantly made up outrageous stories to get the other kids to like them. When that didn't work, they tripped the fire alarm. I think the MSM are stuck in a do-loop between the outrageous story and the fire alarm, apparently having abandoned any intentions of objectively reporting the news.

(Hat tip: The Jawa Report)

Following Entry Posted 5/19/2005 10:37:00 AM

Husband Makes Wife Have Sex With Boy

(Norristown, Pennsylvania) This is an odd story. A man, David S. Knoble, 37, conspires with his wife, Tina Knoble, 35, for her to have 'involuntary deviate' sex with a 14-year-old boy. They both blame alcohol addiction. So, is everybody clear on this? I'm not. It all seems somewhat contradictory to me, but that's what is being reported.

Tina Knoble was sentenced last Friday to five to 15 years in state prison after being convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and corruption of a minor.

For pleading guilty to conspiring to commit statutory sexual assault, corruption of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a child, David Knoble was sentenced yesterday to one to two years in prison, four years probation, $2,000 in fines and court costs, and 200 hours of community service.

Encapsulated, it appears that David and Tina tied one on and then he told her to molest the boy which she did. Based upon the list of crimes, Tina molested the boy in a big way and, as a result, the 14-year-old became traumatized. It's assumed that David just watched while the molestation occurred.

And, there's more. It seems that David Knoble is also awaiting trial in a separate case involving the rape of an 11-year-old girl. He is charged with two counts each of rape of a child, statutory rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault. You know, it seems that some people just beg to have the book thrown at them.

In closing, I have to admit that the concept of "involuntary sexual assault" has my head spinning. Is there also a crime of "involuntary bank robbery?" I don't think so.

And, a final thought, isn't it interesting that the Knobles blamed their troubles on alcohol? We're seeing one of the few instances in the recent past that a crime wasn't blamed on President Bush.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.

Following Entry Posted 5/19/2005 07:44:00 AM

Wal-Mart Opens Supercenter in Amish Country

(Middlefield, Ohio) Yesterday was opening day and upwards of 5,000 people visited Geauga County's first Wal-Mart Supercenter, right in the center of a rural Amish region. Notably, the Middlefield store provides special parking for Amish buggies. Employing 350 people, the store is one of 25 new Wal-Marts inaugurated Wednesday, said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien. Other new Supercenters include ones in Kenton, west of Mansfield, and Oxford, southwest of Dayton.

Additionally, according to Lyndhurst developer Mitchell Schneider, the planned Wal-Mart Supercenter for the $90 million Steelyard Commons Shopping Center southwest of downtown Cleveland has been given the go ahead. When opened, it will be Cleveland's first Wal-Mart. Inexplicably, the unions haven't weighed in yet. It's certain that they will have some comments about non-union Wal-Mart entering an area largely populated by union supporters. I expect some protest.

Following Entry Posted 5/19/2005 06:15:00 AM

Teacher Charged in Student Sex Case

(Hanford, California) Arrested last month, former teacher Elisa Kawasaki has been charged with having sex with a 16-year-old student.

Elisa Kawasaki
Kawasaki faces counts of unlawful sex with a minor and child molestation. She remains free on bail.

[Update 5/25/05] This past week, prosecutors in Kings County filed statutory rape charges against 25-year-old Kawasaki. Specifically, she faces one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and one count of annoying or molesting a child younger than 18. Under consideration is the possibility that charges will also be filed in Madera County since it's where most of the sexual encounters between Kawasaki and the boy occurred.

An odd aspect of this case is that Kawasaki started as a first-year teacher only last January and by April she had acquired an arrest record for molestation of a student. During her short tenure, she and the student scratched each other's itches on 15 to 20 different occasions. Consequently, it doesn't appear that her relationship with the boy matured slowly to intimacy over time. Kawasaki probably cut her colt from the herd and had him mounted within the first couple of weeks of class.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 09:54:00 PM

Blogwarming

Conservative Thinking has been launched. Readers are encouraged to stop by and kick the tires.

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 03:10:00 PM

Deserter Pablo Paredes Sentenced

(San Diego, California) Pablo Paredes, who refused to deploy on the USS Bonhomme Richard on December 6, 2004, was convicted and sentenced this past week. According to this report:

A Navy judge in San Diego, California on Thursday sentenced Pablo Paredes, a 23-year-old US Navy sailor, to three months of hard labor for refusing to board a military ship headed to Iraq last December. The judge also demoted Paredes, who was convicted Wednesday of "missing movement" with his unit, from petty officer third class to seaman recruit, the lowest rank in the Navy, which reduces his pay.

The sentence handed down by Navy Lieutenant Commander Robert Klant was not as harsh as the maximum penalty Paredes could have received: one year in prison, a bad conduct discharge and the loss of two-thirds of his pay. Paredes' attorney, Jeremy Warren, said he was pleased with the lesser sentence.

So, he gets demoted from E-4 to E-1, gets sent to the brig for three months of hard labor, and, apparently, continues on as a sailor until his obligation is satisfied. The sentence handed down seems to be giving Paredes the chance to redeem himself by completing all his obligations and getting an Honorable Discharge. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Paredes deserted, wants out of the military, and even joined up and protested with anti-military elements in society. Why keep him in?

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 02:10:00 PM

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

(Frederick, Maryland) Two Gov. Thomas Johnson High School girls were quoted in the local newspaper, The Frederick News-Post, as saying they were going drinking after this year's prom. Their principal saw the article and barred them from attending the prom. The girls say the newspaper misquoted them, but the newspaper stands by its story.

Consequently, Shawnda Lawson and Nicole Taylor, both 18, will be able to get an earlier start on tossing down the prom night liquor than originally anticipated. Interestingly, according to another report, Shawnda doesn't believe that she did anything inappropriate and that she's just being treated unfairly.

The saddest part of this story is the simple realization that Shawnda is old enough to vote.

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 10:37:00 AM

Marketing the 'Runaway Bride'

Unlike the real-life Jennifer, who would leave you standing at the altar, moaning "Oh, Jennifer!" this stuff:

Jennifer's High Tailin' Hot Sauce
Will likely have you sitting on the throne, screaming "Oh, Jiminy!" On the back of the bottle is a warning which states, "This sauce may cause you to seek intense professional help ... voluntarily" -- an obvious dig at Jennifer Wilbanks' decision to seek therapy. Available from PappysPeppers.com.

There is also a RUNAWAY BRIDE 12" Action Figure with towel and CROP TOP VEGAS BABY Jogging T-Shirt for only $24.95 available at Herobuilders.com.

Don't you just love capitalism?

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 09:11:00 AM

Teacher's Aide Suzanne Eble Sentenced

(Canton Township, Michigan) Updating a previous report, 35-year-old teacher's aide Suzanne (Susanne) Eble pleaded no contest in Wayne County Circuit Court to three counts of third-degree and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for having sexual relations with a 14-year-old boy. Eble was sentenced Monday to not less than 15 months and not more than 15 years in prison.

My prediction is that she won't even spend six months in jail, if that. Now, if a 35-year-old man were looking at the punishment for felony criminal sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl, the scenario would likely have a completely different outcome.

Personally, I don't think Eble's motivation for having sex with a boy was adequately explored in the investigation. I mean, is she a pedophile? Or, was she distraught or drugged and the temptation of forbidden sex was too alluring to resist? Did her dog die? Is she stupid? Hell! We just don't know, do we? And she's going to lead the rest of her life, raising her two children, being around her two children's friends, and nobody knows exactly what kind of threat she'll be.

Obviously, I believe that, across the board, sexual offenders are treated with dangerous lenience, male and female both. In the case of Eble, she was a teacher's aide when the sex occurred but, and the court made special note of this fact, she didn't meet the boy at school. Somehow, this mitigates the severity of her crime in the court's eyes which, apparently, justifies her light sentence. I don't see it that way. If she didn't meet the kid in school, so what? Obviously then, she must have met him while cruising the neighborhood or by luring him into her gingerbread house. What difference does it make? Seems the same to me.

In any event, there's no mention of registration as a sex offender nor is it known whether she'll continue to be allowed to teach. As for corrective action to preclude future criminal behavior? I guess society will just have to hope that her husband keeps an eye on her.

Following Entry Posted 5/18/2005 06:57:00 AM

Bottle Bomb Explodes at Cleveland High School

(Cleveland, Ohio) Yesterday at Collinwood High School a homemade bottle bomb comprised of cleaning solution and aluminum exploded. The school was evacuated and one student was briefly hospitalized. Two students, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, were arrested and charged with aggravated arson, arson, possession of a dangerous ordnance in school safety zone, and unlawful possession of deadly ordnance.

The bombing appears to be nothing more than a prank, however, Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek took the opportunity to sharply criticize school CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett for not rushing to the scene and for not establishing a zero tolerance policy regarding violence.

My take is that, if you take away the media exposure and the political opportunism, the bottle bomb event was an isolated incident and fairly minor in significance. It's been reported that the student who went to the hospital had a minor hearing problem due to the loud noise.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 11:58:00 PM

French Court Jails Terrorists

CNN.com is reporting that a French court has sentenced five Islamic 'militants' to prison terms ranging from two to seven years. They were convicted of "providing logistic support to the killers of Afghan anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Massood or for recruiting young Muslims to Afghan training camps."

The names of the convicts are Abderrahmane Ameuroud, Merhez Azouz, Khellaf Hama, Adel Tebourski, and Youcef el-Aouni. All are terrorists that have been involved in deadly conspiracies and all were let off with very light sentences. After they serve their two years or five years or whatever, they'll be back plotting to kill.

It's hard to understand why these guys weren't treated more harshly by the judicial system.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 09:25:00 PM

Reconstituted Iraqi Army Opens Headquarters

(Baghdad, Iraq) The Iraqi Ground Forces Headquarters was inaugurated yesterday in a ceremony attended by "a small group" of Iraqi and Coalition dignitaries. The location has not been revealed, obviously for security reasons. According to a statement from Iraqi Ground Forces commander Gen. Abdul Qadir Jassim,

"We are celebrating today a historical event and the rebuilding of the Iraqi army. Having the headquarters of our ground forces here is an indication of the Iraqi army controlling its own destiny."

"Our streets have been covered in blood, and we want to clean this place with the help of our friends the Americans."

In response, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, stated,

"As soon as you feel you are ready, we will hand over operations. And the coalition will return to their own countries."

This is the first somewhat formal declaration of an exit point -- when the Iraqi commander believes his army can do the job -- for the Coalition Forces go home.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 06:45:00 PM

Chief Wahoo Protesters Snubbed by SCOTUS

(Cleveland, Ohio) Every year, it seems the same handful or so of Native American protesters stand outside of Jacobs Field on Opening Day with placards saying that the symbol of the Cleveland Indians, Chief Wahoo, is racist. Typically, they are ignored by all except the media. It can be comical. For instance, I remember one year seeing eight or nine television and newspaper people surrounding no more than six protesters. And, of course, it was played up on the 6pm and 11pm news as a major story.

Anyway, in 1998 the protesters decided to set fire to a three-foot effigy to get attention. In the interest of public safety, the police arrested five protesters (probably all that were there). The case was appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis that the protesters were denied their freedom of expression.

Without comment, SCOTUS declined to review the case.

Good.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 11:16:00 AM

Outsourcing News Production

Newsday.com:

Union employees at Reuters are stepping up their campaign against the wire service's outsourcing of U.S. jobs, most recently transferring the editing and caption writing of photos to its Singapore office and some Internet work to Toronto.

Members of the Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America have distributed leaflets outside Reuters' office in Times Square. Critical ads also have been placed in Investor's Business Daily and the Columbia Journalism Review, and more are planned for the Web.

The union complains that the quality and accuracy of the news suffers. Reuters says there is no unacceptable departure from company standards and it's cheaper to outsource certain functions. In any event, there's nothing to prevent the company from sending work to outsiders and it's a prudent business move. Reuters is believed to be the first in the media world to outsource news production and it's suspected that others will soon follow.

[Update] A reader has mentioned that the actual quality of the news produced may suffer due to language differences between the U.S. and Asian countries. Notably, the outsourced production work is performed by people who have only second-language knowledge of English and, therefore, may not comprehend all its subtleties. As a result, final news reports may be nuanced unintentionally or miss a desired slant.

We know that criticism is occasionally and deservedly leveled at Asian call centers because of language differences, but the criticism concerns voice communication. With respect to outsourcing news production, it's print communication which, to my knowledge, has not been a source of concern. Since the Reuters outsourcing plan is the first to be tried for the print media, we'll just have to wait and see if something is lost in translation. My guess would be that the scheme will work fine for Reuters, although its employees may experience some stress.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 09:33:00 AM

The 'Russ' Tradition and Teen Stripping

The russ tradition is at least fifty years old and has provided students with a period for letting off steam before final exams. It started simply enough. All that was needed was a Coca-Cola and a car.

Old 'Russ' Tradition - circa 1960
But times change. Aftenposten:

Antics by Norway's 'russ', reveling high-school students who celebrate impending final exams with often unbridled debauchery, have caused a new controversy after a stripping stunt was filmed and publicized via the Internet.

A 19-year-old girl promoted her campaign to be the local russ president by stripping naked at a student assembly at Atlanten High School in Kristiansund two weeks ago.

This received a new wave of publicity when someone posted a video of the performance online and Norwegian news site TV 2 Nettavisen made the controversial decision to provide a link to the video on their site.

Forget the cola and forget the car. Now, it's a bus and beer.

New 'Russ' Tradition
Obviously, it's not news that young people like to party and do so quite often, but it's certainly not the best way to prepare for final exams. Although I personally would have preferred to party, there is no way I could have afforded to neglect the books prior to finals. With regard to the 19-year-old Norwegian girl stripping, it's disgusting. Here's a link for the video. Also, a steamy hot video capture is here. (Warning: NSFW)

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 08:03:00 AM

Sex Merit Badge

The Swedish-Norwegian sex education group RFSU offers students the opportunity to earn a sex merit badge this summer. The sex badge is modeled after a recognized swimming merit badge and is awarded for answering 10 of 13 questions about sex. RFSU (Swedish Association for Sexuality Education) specializes in campaigns promoting safe sex and, coincidentally, is also the main producer and importer of condoms.

Imagine that.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 07:31:00 AM

Toyota Prius Has Stalling Problem

ABC7news.com:

Toyota is blaming a software glitch for a potentially dangerous problem with its popular Prius.

There are at least 13 reports of the hybrid car suddenly stalling at freeway speeds.

That's interesting. I thought "stall" was one of its gears.

Following Entry Posted 5/17/2005 07:02:00 AM

Kylie Minogue Has Breast Cancer

The Australian:

KYLIE Minogue had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had cancelled her Australian tour, the Frontier Touring company said today.

Her management said that while at home in Melbourne with her family this week befor her Australian Showgirl Tour, Minogue was diagnosed with early breast cancer.

She would undergo immediate treatment and consequently her Australian tour would not be able to proceed as planned.

Kylie Minogue
Ironically, Minogue has been active in breast cancer awareness campaigns. She once donated an article of her own underwear for an auction to raise money for breast cancer awareness. It was a skimpy black mesh bra with pink straps which sold for $6,880.

Kylie Minogue, 36, is arguably the most popular female singer in both Europe and Australia while also being a lingerie designer, actress, and businesswoman.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 06:41:00 PM

Woman and Young Boys

(Brewton, Alabama) The town is abuzz from what happened at a Field Day event on April 29 for the students of W.S. Neal Middle School. Sarah Louise Nelson, 41, allegedly approached several young boys and made sexually explicit remarks to them and tried to get one of the young boys to go into the bathroom with her. She was arrested and charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse and with enticing a child to enter a building for immoral purposes, a felony. She has denied the accusations, calling them "just kids' stories."

Nelson remains free on $50,000 bond. No date has been set for court.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 05:57:00 PM

Rebecca Ann Boicelli Update

(Redwood City, California) Updating a previous post, former teacher Rebecca Ann Boicelli, 33, pleaded not guilty to charges of lewd acts upon a child and unlawful intercourse with a minor. She is scheduled to be tried before a jury on June 27.

Rebecca Ann Boicelli
To refresh the memory, Boicelli was investigated for a long period of time due to suspicions by fellow teachers and students. She was arrested only after it was confirmed through paternity testing that the child she bore was fathered by a 16-year-old boy, a former student. According to this report, she faces a possible six years in prison if convicted.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 12:11:00 PM

Women's Rights Proposed in Kuwait

(Kuwait City, Kuwait) Woo-hoo! It may almost be time for the Arab equivalent of opening a bottle of champagne. From the Khaleej Times:

In a surprise move, Kuwait's Cabinet asked parliament on Monday to debate and vote on a bill giving women full political rights. The all-male house approved the request despite opposition from fundamentalist lawmakers and was expected to vote on the bill later Monday.

Women activists have for years been pushing for their right to vote and run for parliament. A draft bill giving women their full political rights was defeated in the house last year and women activists this month made it clear that they were fed up with a drawn out debate on a bill widely viewed as a compromise that would allow women only the right to run and vote in municipal elections.

[ ... ]

Although Kuwaiti women have reached high positions in oil, education and the diplomatic corps, the country's 1962 election law limits political rights to men. With only men over 21 who are not members of the police or the military allowed to vote, just over 139,000 are registered to cast ballots out 960,000 Kuwaitis. If the door for women is opened, the figure could reach 339,000.

In those Middle Eastern nations that hold elections, women can vote in all except Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Obviously, passage of the Kuwaiti measure would put pressure on Saudi Arabia.

[Update] By a vote of 35 for, 23 against, and one abstention, the Kuwait Parliament voted to give women the right to vote. Women will also be allowed to run for municipal office and parliament. (via In The Bullpen)

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 10:52:00 AM

Black Panther Party Reunion

(Seattle, Washington) About 400 people attended a reunion of Black Panther Party members this past weekend at Seattle Central Community College, Seattle University, and Garfield Community Center. They came to participate in teach-ins, hear speeches, watch films, and listen to music. Members and former members came to trade war stories, to proudly glorify their violent history, and to keep the 'movement' alive. Shamseddin Williams, the son of a Seattle party member, and Sylva Jones, a legal-aid worker, organized the event with thinly-veiled intentions of recruiting impressionable youngsters.

Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Panthers, was there and called the Seattle chapter of the party "probably the most dynamic and most profound" because of its humanitarian work. He cited examples including: founding a food and clothing bank; giving free rides for inmate visitation; providing summer schools for revolutionary thought and black struggles; and training themselves to use pesticides to kill roaches. Seale also praised the 1999 riots in Seattle against the World Trade Organization, stating:

"I was hoping this new movement would start. That's what we need. We need another high-profile, progressive movement."

Unfortunately, Seale didn't compare notes with former Panther party captain Aaron Dixon, who stated,

"We are not here to reorganize the Black Panthers, let's be clear about this -- we're too old and don't have the energy," said Dixon, 56, a father of four girls. "We're here to share our knowledge and our methodology and with your exuberance, we can then look forward."

Nonetheless, they are hoping that young people get mentored and tutored in anti-colonialism, the Civil War, and slave revolts.

With respect to the violent past of the Black Panthers, former captain Dixon stated that the reason the Panthers shot up police/fire stations and committed arson was to prevent race riots. By "ambushing" the police and fire departments, individual white people were not attacked so a race riot was prevented. Apparently, there are those that believe, through this odd rationalization, that the Black Panthers were doing a public service.

My take is that the Black Panthers are in an alternate universe. Teaching the young about slave revolts while justifying attacks on police and fire stations as a public service will probably not benefit society.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 08:18:00 AM

Arrest Made in Medical Records Theft

(San Jose, California) Last month, it was reported that a burglary of two computers from the San Jose Medical Group resulted in the loss of the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and billing codes for as many as 185,000 patients. Besides the obvious crime of burglary, I commented that the perpetrators could be liable for penalties under the provisions of the federal Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Well, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, HIPAA penalties are probably the least of the concerns for the burglar.

A former branch manager at a San Jose medical group has been charged with stealing the confidential records of nearly 185,000 patients -- mostly South Bay residents, authorities reported.

The San Jose incident is one of the nation's largest cases of personal data theft, even bigger than the highly publicized case of ChoicePoint, in which the personal information of 145,000 people was sold to an identity theft ring posing as a legitimate business in September 2004.

The U.S. attorney's office charged Joseph Nathaniel Harris on Friday with stealing two computers and a compact disc that contained patient records from the San Jose Medical Group on March 28, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose.

It seems that Harris has a history of being a thief who likes to steal computers. He is suspected of offering the stolen computers for sale on Craigslist. The San Jose Medical Group case broke after Harris was arrested in Campbell, California, on April 15 for auto theft and decided to barter his way to freedom by offering to tell the police about the missing medical data.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 07:33:00 AM

Woman Feeds Raw Meat to Baby

(Brownsville, Texas) Nineteen-year-old Veronica Martinez pleaded guilty in Cameron County Court to charges of injury to a child and attempted injury to a child. Martinez and her boyfriend, Brian Martin, 20, fed raw meat to their six-month-old baby in an attempt to cause a fatal E. coli infection. According to court records, Martinez wanted the baby dead because the child "ruined her life."

This is an outrage. Martinez and her boyfriend should be charged with attempted murder, not attempted injury. You watch, they'll probably get sentenced to hand slaps and no lessons will be learned. The baby is currently in the custody of Child Protective Services, although, it wouldn't surprise me if they gave the baby back to Martinez. If so, she would have another chance to kill the child.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 06:57:00 AM

LeBron James Shoes

(Shaker Heights, Ohio) People flocked from around the country to Shaker Heights to buy custom, limited-edition Lebron James Chamber of Fear shoes. The shoes are a combination of black patent, white and green leathers and they can only be found at "Next Urban Apparel" in Shaker Square. Only 300 pairs will be sold for an anticipated $400 each. Speculators expect to sell them on eBay for thousands.

Following Entry Posted 5/16/2005 06:23:00 AM

Bank Robber Leaves Name and Address

(Columbus, Ohio) Investigators of a National City Bank robbery last Tuesday found that the perpetrator left behind his name, address, and Social Security number by virtue of dropping his checkbook while fleeing. The FBI identified Stephen Ray Brumfield as the robber after witnesses confirmed that his picture matches a bank surveillance photo. Brumfield is at large and believed to be in the Columbus area. Information on his whereabouts should be relayed to the Columbus police at (614) 645-4665.

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/15/2005 07:42:00 AM

Disaster Aid Mismanagement and Fraud

Nearly five months after the devastating Christmas tsunami in Indonesia, survivors in South Asia are still suffering. They are being denied the benefits of millions and million of donated dollars through widespread fraud, theft, and waste. Graham Johnson reports on conditions in Sri Lanka for the Sunday Mirror:

An estimated 50 per cent of food and health aid donated to the worst affected areas in Sri Lanka is ending up on the black market.

Not one of the million refugees left homeless has been rehoused.

Warehouses are full of clothes, food and medical supplies - which the Sri Lankan government has decided NOT to give its people. It believes giving these to survivors would affect local businesses and hinder the country's rebuilding efforts.

Victims are still living in tents in rat-infested camps where illness is rife and food deliveries patchy - while relief workers lounge in luxury air-conditioned villas and eat at fine restaurants.

Tsunami victim and former UN aid worker Kamal Ratha Malli said: "We know that the British people have been very generous - even David Beckham helped us - but where is the money?"

A major complaint is that some aid workers arrived to help, but they do little. Aid money sits in the bank likely to be drained away to the black market or to be given to unscrupulous agencies which then quit helping and move away to fancy offices. According to Preshan Dissanayake, chairman of an aid group in Sri Lanka,

"A lot of the aid workers are here to party and have a good time, to save money from their high wages and go home."

[ ... ]

"I know of medical agencies that spent millions of pounds on drugs that we can get for five per cent of the cost. It's a rip-off."

Of course, lured by mountains of donated cash, the world's most adept opportunists, speculators, thieves, and price gougers abound. Examples are: local charities producing phony receipts to scam thousands from disaster relief; landowners doubling rent fees; local officials and aid bosses simply stealing disaster funds; and, sadly, undertakers quadrupling the price of aid-funded burials. All in all, the refugees are left with rotting food, no housing, and little hope. As a result, everything they do receive goes to numbing the pain, spent on whisky, cannabis, and heroin.

Graham Johnson's report deals with conditions in Sri Lanka, but it's not a stretch to imagine that similar incompetence and criminality exists in the other nations affected by the tsunami. Historically, the only certainty to giving relief aid to impoverished regions prone to corruption is that the aid accounts will likely be bled dry by thieves and incompetence, long before any baby gets one drop of milk. It happened in Somalia in the 1990s when the U.S. military was sent in to keep the aid from being stolen by warlords. The thieving frenzy is predictable and exactly as Graham Johnson observed in Sri Lanka.

My guess would be that only a very small percentage of donated aid funds is actually allocated to the intended purpose. The balance, along with the good intentions of many donors, is stolen or wasted.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 11:29:00 PM

Global Warming Alarmism

(Knoydart, Scotland) At a conference of renewable energy advocates, Dr. Jim Hunter, former chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a sustainable environment advocacy, discussed the need for wind farms and said that global warming is a greater threat to Scotland than Hitler in the 1940s. He said:

"Global warming is a more insidious and longer-term danger than Hitlerism, but it’s one that could be far more deadly. Ultimately, it might extinguish humanity itself."

Scottish communities will be obliterated in two generations from climate change, according to Dr. Hunter who is a well-known historian, freelance author, and broadcaster with a particular focus on social change.

Dr. Hunter's assertions mirror those of Sir David King, the government’s chief environmental zealot, who believes that climate change is a greater problem than the threat of terrorism.

It's just more end-of-the-world alarmism from the environmental wackos.

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 08:52:00 PM

Deadly Shooting on Ohio Turnpike (UPDATED)

(North Royalton, Ohio) According to police, Dr. Gulam Moonda, his wife and mother-in-law were traveling on the Ohio Turnpike toward Toledo when they pulled over in the emergency parking area in North Royalton to switch drivers. That’s when a man in a black mini van pulled in behind them, got out with a gun, and shot Doctor Moonda after taking his wallet. The gunman is described as a black male, about 5' 6" tall, driving a black mini van.

Although there was a theft, there's no explanation for why there was a killing. It seems like a random, faceless and totally unnecessary murder.

Scary.

[Update 5/20/05] There is new information in the case of Dr. Moonda's death. His wife, Donna Moonda, has been found to have a criminal record.

Donna Moonda
According to this report, court documents indicate that Donna Moonda pleaded no contest to a charge of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud. Apparently, on two occasions within the past three years, she has been fired from jobs (at Sharon Medical Center and at Greenville Hospital) as a nurse anesthetist for stealing Fentanyl. Fentanyl produces the same biological effects as heroin, except it's much stronger. Donna Moonda told investigators that she has a problem.

Undoubtedly, and I cannot help but wonder if her drug addiction ties in with her husband's murder. Stranger things have happened.

Oddly, the news of her drug involvement comes right on the heels of her appearance on local television to plead for help in finding her husband's murderer. It's been mentioned that she seemed somewhat disingenuous on camera. All in all, Donna Moonda is gathering a cloud of suspicion around her.

[Update 07/26/06]

Case solved.

[Update 07/06/07]

Donna Moonda convicted of murder.

[Update 09/21/07]

Moonda gets life in prison.

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 01:36:00 PM

Man Brutally Beats Eight-Year-Old

(Sheffield Lake, Ohio) A 36-year-old man brutally beat an eight-year-old boy while on a drunken rampage. Apparently the outburst was triggered because the boy neglected to put his bicycle away. Police arrested James Sadler and charged him with domestic violence and child endangerment. Since Sadler has no history of committing serious crimes, police believe he'll be released on probation.

Let the time bomb tick.

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 01:20:00 PM

Topless Sunbathing

(Topsail Beach, North Carolina) According to this report, women are legally sunbathing topless in Topsail Beach. Coming from the south, you'll want to take I-95 to Exit 20 and go east on State Route 211 to U.S. Route 74/76 and then go east to Wilmington. From Wilmington, you'll take U.S. Route 17 north to Holly Ridge, then right on State Route 50 which takes right into Topsail Beach.

Coming from the north, take I-95 south to I-40 and go east to Wilmington, then follow instructions outlined above.

Trackback to COTT XI.

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 08:38:00 AM

Uzbek Violence

(Andijan, Uzbekistan) Yesterday, Muslim demonstrators calling for "economic freedom" seized the Andijan's administration building and stormed the jail to free 23 men accused of Islamic extremism. About 2,000 inmates escaped along with the 23 defendants. One of the defendants, Abduvosid Egomov, proclaimed:

"We are not going to overthrow the government. We demand economic freedom," a pale and thin Egomov said.

"If the army is going to storm, if they're going to shoot, we are ready to die instead of living as we are living now. The Uzbek people have been reduced to living like dirt," he said.

Protest leader Kabuljon Parpiyev talked to Interior Minister Zakir Almatov by telephone who rejected the demonstrators' demands.

"He said, 'We don't care if 200, 300 or 400 people die. We have force and we will chuck you out of there anyway,'" Parpiyev quoted the interior minister as saying.

Soldiers were mobilized and surrounded about 4,000 demonstrators in the streets and opened fire with automatic weapons. According to Parpiyev, as many as fifty people were killed. At this point, it's not clear that the government has control of the city. Reporting is sketchy. President Islam Karimov has blocked foreign news reporting.

Uzbekistan is a key US ally in the war on terrorism, providing an air base to support military operations in neighboring Afghanistan. But ties with Washington have drawn international attention to human rights abuses, the Uzbek government is one of the most repressive in the region. Andijan, Uzbekistan's fourth-largest city with 350,000 residents, is in the impoverished Fergana Valley with many Muslims provoking tensions with the secular government.

Linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan fought for establishment of an Islamic state in the Fergana Valley in the late 1990s. Concerns are high that Fergana could be a flashpoint for destabilizing much of ex-Soviet Central Asia. (Source: The Frontier Post)

More coverage is at The Argus by Nathan Hamm. He's getting information from throughout Central Asia, including detailed reports from people on the scene. Some of Nathan's material needs to be translated from Russian, Uzbek, etc. so it necessarily trickles in, but I believe it to be quite accurate.

[Update 0945EDT]

Other coverage from Lyndon at Scraps of Moscow includes a link to a the above screen shot from Russian television. He also has the translated statement of the "Islomii Zhikhod" organization which appears to have declared war on the Karimov government. It's signed by Amir of the "Islamic Jihad" organization, Mukhammad Fotekh Bukhorii. Lyndon notes with suspicion that this message plays into Karimov's hand by indicating the Islamists want to take over the government. It would understandably force international support for his authoritarian government.

Go to Gateway Pundit for a video of the uprising.

Following Entry Posted 5/14/2005 06:33:00 AM

Al Qaeda Bomb Expert Taken Out

(via The Jawa Report) Intelligence gathered recently from the capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi, purportedly al-Qaeda's No.3 man, has led to the demise of a senior terrorist operative. Haitham al-Yemeni, a known expert bomb maker, is with the virgins thanks to a missile fired from a CIA Predator aircraft.

Woo-hoo!

This is at least the third time that a senior enemy operative has been eliminated by a Predator-fired missile. Ali Qaed Sinan al-Harthi, linked to the USS Cole bombing, was killed along with five associates by a Predator missile in November 2002. In June 2004, Nek Muhammad, 27, a prominent tribal leader of South Waziristan who liked to give satellite telephone interviews to the BBC, was killed with five others by a missile concurrent with his last media gig.

More coverage:

Ramblings' Journal (w/ nice pic of Predator)
Vince Aut Morire (while coining "Anonyblogger")
Media Lies

It seems the investment in unmanned aircraft technology is paying tangible and valuable dividends.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/13/2005 09:47:00 PM

Germans Drinking Less Beer

Who could have predicted that German breweries would ever be worried about losing customers. Not me. When you think of beer, arguably German is the best for variety and flavor. Nonetheless, according to a survey by auditing firm KPMG, virtually all German breweries are expecting declining or stagnating beer sales in the near future. This follows the trend of the past decade where consumption of beer by Germans has decreased by 11 percent. Strangely, the consumption of wine during the same period has increased by 17 percent. Therefore, it appears that Germans are not drinking less alcohol in total. In fact, given the increase in wine consumption, they may be drinking more.

Two reasons are cited to explain the decrease in beer consumption. One is that the number of young people as a percentage of the population has declined and the other is a change in drink preferences. Instead of just beer, people are ordering mixed drinks such as beer with lemonade and beer with cola.

Beer with lemonade????? Um ... no thanks.

Following Entry Posted 5/13/2005 06:15:00 PM

Proposed Base Closings

The official BRAC list has been released and Jeff Quinton is transcribing it from .pdf format. Below, I've transcribed the list for Ohio, divided into three groups.

TO CLOSE

Army National Guard Reserve Center - Mansfield

Army National Guard Reserve Center - Westerfield

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - Dayton

Mansfield Lahm Municipal Airport - Air Guard Station

Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center - Akron

Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center - Cleveland

Parrot U.S. Army Reserve Center - Kenton

U.S. Army Reserve Center - Whitehall

Leased Space - OH

TO GAIN

Armed Forces Reserve Center - Akron

Defense Supply Center - Columbus

Rickenbacker International Airport - Air Guard Center

Toledo Express Airport - Air Guard Center

Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport

TO REALIGN

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - Cleveland

Glenn Research Center

Rickenbacker Army National Guard Bldg 943 - Columbus

Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport - Air Guard Station

After reviewing the entire list, it's notable that the Pentagon is closing finance and accounting facilities throughout the nation in an obvious consolidation effort. It also appears that an across-the-board reduction in satellite reserve centers, affecting almost every state, is planned. As an example, six of nine closures announced for Ohio are reserve centers.

One proposed closure I thought was quite interesting was the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut. Personally, I was taken aback, thinking the place had more value.

For the entire list in .pdf, go here. In HTML, it's at the Backcountry Conservative.

Following Entry Posted 5/13/2005 08:24:00 AM

Arizona Education System is Completely Broken

Citizens in the state of Arizona should be going ballistic. I certainly would be. The overseers and administrators of the public school system have to be criminally incompetent. While spending millions of taxpayer dollars and promising to increase standards, the incompetents are lowering the minimum requirements for a passing test grade to the point where there is an offhand chance that a student flipping a coin would answer enough questions to pass. From The Arizona Republic:

This year's junior class is the first that must pass the reading, writing and math high school AIMS test to get a diploma. They got a considerable break Thursday after state officials reviewed their spring test results and then officially lowered the score needed to pass the exit exam, whose full name is Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards.

With the help of the new, lowered passing scores, and after taking a third crack at the high school AIMS test, an estimated 61 percent of the Class of 2006 passed. That's up from the 43 percent passing rate for the fall 2004 tests.

On Thursday, after two days of deliberations and on the advice of a teacher committee and testing experts, the Arizona State Board of Education reduced the passing score for math to 60 percent correct from 71 percent. It also reduced the passing score for reading to 59 percent correct from 72 percent.

So, they dropped the requirements from about 70% to 60% or less and they still can't get but a lousy 61% to pass.

Most Arizona State Board of Education members said lowering the scores would look as if they were lowering the bar and backing off high standards for high school graduates, but still they voted 9-1 to do it.

It would look like they're lowering the bar and backing off high standards! They are! There's no look like here. And not only that, but the students are taking the test three times to achieve the reduced minimum test scores. This whole situation is absolutely sickening.

Two words. Private School.

Following Entry Posted 5/13/2005 07:09:00 AM

Unconfirmed Base Closing List Leaked

It looks like Ohio and neighboring states will realize minimal impact from the base closings. I counted less than a half dozen possibilities. No so with some other states. Tipped by Jeff Quinton who has the list and links.

One command listed is the Naval Support Unit in Saratoga Springs, New York. Oddly, I used to live in Saratoga when I was in the USN and I don't remember a support unit. It must have been real low profile.

Obviously, nothing will be formalized for a while and there'll be some passionate politics before anything happens.

Following Entry Posted 5/13/2005 05:37:00 AM

Woman Charged with Statutory Sexual Seduction

(Franklin, Massachusetts) Two FBI agents and Franklin Police Detective Kevin Connolly arrested Jennifer L. Marshall, 34, for allegedly performing oral sex on a 15-year-old boy in Nevada. Marshall is being charged by Las Vegas Metro Police with statutory sexual seduction.

Now, I must digress here. When I first skimmed through this story, I thought, 'My God! How long is this kid's schlong!?' The kid's in Nevada and she's in Massachusetts doing a Lewinsky. I've heard of super-endowed guys but, Holy moly, I've never heard of one that crossed state lines. It sounds like material for a sci-fi porn movie.

Getting back, it's apparent that at some point in time, Marshall was in Nevada and that's when the alleged crime occurred and it also explains why the FBI is involved. It probably has something to do with flight to avoid prosecution, which is a federal crime. I'm guessing here. The initial reporting is understandably sketchy.

Marshall is scheduled to appear in Wrentham District Court later today.

A final thought. I'm intrigued by the idea that a singular activity could, under certain circumstances, occur in two different jurisdictions. Besides the ridiculous thought of a guy being serviced in one jurisdiction by a person in a different jurisdiction, what about the situation where an activity is conducted at the state line? Bear with me a moment. Take the theoretical situation where a pregnant Mexican woman, ready to give birth, is at the U.S.-Mexico border and her entire body is in Mexico. She is scrunched up to the international boundary in such a manner that, when she gives birth, the baby crosses the border into the U.S. The umbilical cord could be knotted and severed at the international boundary. Then the baby would be a U.S. citizen without the mother ever entering the U.S.

This post is brought to you courtesy of a few cups of strong coffee.

[Update 12/5/08]

According to a message left in comments, Jennifer Marshall was cleared of all charges.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/12/2005 03:17:00 PM

Smokers to Pay Higher Insurance

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Teachers and other state employees who smoke will have to pay $40 a month more for health insurance starting July 1.

Employees are fuming over the surcharge, which hits state workers, public school teachers and their families who admit to smoking or using tobacco in the past 12 months.

[ ... ]

In Georgia, state employees are expected to abide by the honor system when they sign up for insurance coverage and are asked whether they use tobacco, said Tim Burgess, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health. Those caught lying will lose their insurance for a year, he said.

It is not known how this provision is going to be enforced. There are no strong measures to prevent people from signing off that they never smoke while continuing to enjoy their nightly after-dinner cigars in the privacy of their homes. Losing insurance for a year for lying probably won't be a strong deterrent to those who crave nicotine. They'll just practice their habit in secrecy. And, I'm really unclear as to how they can impose a smoking prohibition on the family of a worker.

Curiously, the smoking of marijuana appears to be acceptable since the rule specifically targets tobacco. As an aside, a man used to be able to stop at his local bar and have beer and a smoke while the marijuana users had to hide when they smoked. Nowadays, tobacco is banned in bars while marijuana clubs are opening regularly for dope smokers. So, if you're going to smoke in public, it better be dope.

One last thought. If the tobacco surcharge is warranted because smokers increase the cost of health care, why couldn't the same argument be used to justify a beer surcharge or a weight surcharge?

Following Entry Posted 5/12/2005 11:40:00 AM

'Meth for Sex' Story Called Premature

(Salem, Oregon) On Tuesday, it was reported that a dozen girls at Waldo Middle School - some as young as 12 - were involved with trading sex for methamphetamine. Apparently, that story was an overreaction.

It is now being reported that only four girls allegedly were involved and there has been no clear evidence of sexual intercourse. However, touching and petting activities with men during the weekend and evenings are suspected and being investigated.

Earlier reports by Portland television stations were based on sketchy information provided by the statements of one girl. According to Salem-Keizer School District spokeswoman Mary Paulson, school administrators have not received any complaints nor information concerning students using drugs or trading sex for drugs.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/12/2005 10:11:00 AM

'Dog Rescues Baby' Story Called Fishy

(Nairobi, Kenya) The story has been reported globally. A foraging dog found an eight-pound baby girl wrapped in a dirty black cloth, carried her across a busy road through a barbed-wire fence, and placed the infant with her own litter of puppies. Well, all may not be as it seems. From NEWS24.com:

As offers to adopt an abandoned Kenyan infant reportedly rescued by a foraging dog continued to pour into Nairobi on Wednesday, officials expressed mounting scepticism at the heart-warming tale.

[ ... ]

While not prepared to dismiss the internationally publicised story as an outright hoax, doctors and employees at Kenyatta National Hospital, where the two-week-old infant girl, named "Angel" is recovering, said it may well be too good to be true.

[ ... ]

The claims sparked heated debate among doctors when the baby was brought to Kenyatta hospital for care, with one group of physicians dismissing the story and another accepting that a female dog nursing puppies could have been driven by maternal instinct to save the child.

Hospital spokesman Simon Githae declined to comment on the dispute but said the child did not bear a single scratch despite having been reportedly dragged through barbed wire by the dog.

Javan Agesa Madome, an animal behaviour expert at the Kenya Society for Protection and Care of Animals, said he believed the story but admitted to being unsure how an untrained street canine could have managed the feat.

Evidently, the dog and baby story may be a bunch of cock and bull. Either way, it's still fishy.

Companion post at Backcountry Conservative.

Following Entry Posted 5/12/2005 07:49:00 AM

Tortoise on the Lam

(Marin County, California) A meter reader left the backyard gate open at Pat Martin's house and her pet 50-year-old California desert tortoise escaped. Missing pet signs have been posted on poles in the neighborhood. The public is asked to be on the lookout for the 12-pounder, which responds to Heathcliffe.

Following Entry Posted 5/12/2005 07:15:00 AM

Dozens Pricked in Middle School

(Harlingen, Texas) According to this report, two 12-year-old students at Memorial Middle School were turned over to police for pricking 15 classmates with Lancet needles, customarily used for testing by diabetics. Yesterday, another report states that four more students were arrested in the pricking prank and the total number of victims now numbers 30. The prickees have been tested for HIV and hepatitis and results are expected by the end of this week. The prickers were sent to the juvenile detention center in San Benito.

Anybody else wonder how this prank was able to grow to involve dozens of sixth-grade students without any teacher, administrator, or parent knowing about it?

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 09:16:00 PM

San Antonio Saints?

According to this report, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson wants to move his team to San Antonio. I don't think he's serious, at least not right now. My guess is he's gesturing to force the state of Louisiana to offer him a better deal to stay in New Orleans.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 07:37:00 PM

Flagrant Barney Frank

The openly homosexual congressman from Massachusetts, Barney Frank, was photographed grabbing the tush of his gay escort at a recent event in Philadelphia. Nobody complained. I agree with others, homosexuals seem to be indulged by the media to a greater degree than heterosexuals. And, if they are Democrats, they can get away with just about anything. Had Frank grabbed the bottom of a woman, there might be some outrage but it would quickly fade. Some people are just allowed more latitude.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 03:27:00 PM

Dutch Emigrating in Droves

It's not just the tourist agencies that talk up how nice The Netherlands are, many people do. For decades, I've heard of the serene European setting, the quaint canals, the tulips and wooden shoes, and, above all, the liberal friendliness of Amsterdam. Well, check out what Expatica says:

AMSTERDAM - About 20,000 Dutch people have serious plans to emigrate permanently, demographic research institute NIDI said on Wednesday.

In general, those with serious plans to emigrate have at least a diploma from upper secondary vocational education (MBO) and are aged between 35 and 44. They often earn a good income.

"Just" 2 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 or older is thinking of emigrating in the future, while about one in 10 of this group has serious plans.

This means, from an adult population of 13.2 million, some 250,000 are thinking of emigrating and about 20,000 have serious plans to leave.

So, if it's such a wonderful place, why are so many people (smart educated people, mind you) anxious to leave? Reasons cited are crowding, crime, noise, and the Dutch mentality, whatever that is. The preferred destinations are Canada, Australia, and France.

Nonetheless, the fact that educated people are leaving does not bode well for the country in the long run. A trend of that nature has the potential of negatively affecting the economy.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 12:32:00 PM

White House & Capitol Evacuated - Liveblogging

From TV and radio coverage, it's being reported that a small aircraft violated restricted airspace over Washington. As a result, the White House, its grounds, and the Capitol were ordered evacuated. Fighter jets were scrambled. The President was not in the White House at the time.

12:18pm - All clear

CNN reports that about 15 minutes transpired between first alert and all clear.

FAA reports that the violator was a small Cessna aircraft which is being escorted to a landing site.

[Update @ 12:58pm] - Cessna diverted to Frederick, MD, and the pilot is in custody of Maryland State Police and federal agents. The Supreme Court and the Treasury were also evacuated when the alert was initiated. The aircraft came from Lancaster, PA.

The fighter jets scrambled were F-16s along with a Blackhawk helicopter. Operation designated as Operation Noble Eagle. When in the air, the fighters fired two flares to catch the attention of the Cessna pilot.

MSNBC has an aerial shot of the Cessna on the runway with at least six vehicles around it. Blackhawk menacingly a few yard distant on the grass. They report that the plane was about two minutes away from Capitol when diverted. I count about fifteen people in the area around the plane.

[Update @ 1:15] White House Briefing - Scott McClellan

11:59 - Threat level raised to yellow ...
12:00 - Fighter jets scrambled ...
12:01 - Threat level to orange ...
12:03 - Threat level to red ...
12:11 - Threat level back to yellow ...
12:14 - All Clear.

Reported that the plane was three miles away when diverted. Reported that President Bush's motorcade is heading back to White House from his bike ride.

For some reason, efforts to communicate with the pilot resulted in no response. Blackhawk helicopter is believed to be assigned to Customs Enforcement.

[Update @ 1:24] - Live aerial shot shows Cessna being towed down the runway followed by a caravan of sedans.

1:31 - Plane has been parked. I have the feeling that the pilot may have to wait a while to get it back.

1:40 - Shows over.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 12:01:00 PM

Chinese Drug Rehab

The Chinese surely are inscrutable. They have developed a special medical practice to curb drug addiction - brain surgery. From Xinhua:

Qi Guoming, chief of the Science and Education Department under the Health Ministry, said the surgery is still under clinical studies but not for clinical use.

"It is irresponsible and immoral to conduct the operation before an experimental conclusion is reached. Therefore, we are not resuming it," he said.

Brain surgery for curing drug addicts is a key research field and the ministry is thinking about applying for national fund for scientific studies given by the Ministry of Science and Technology, said Qi.

Health Ministry's spokesman Mao Qun said last month that brain surgery to curb drug cravings is a special medical practice. Those hospitals and doctors who perform the operation, as well as the equipment, environment and post-surgery observation, must be qualified and standardized.

Qi also stressed at the same day that before the ministry carries out a scheme and regulation for the clinical studies of brain surgery, any medical unit cannot perform the surgery in the name of clinical study or service.

Brain surgery was suspended on Nov. 2 last year by the ministry because of disputes over its unidentified side effects among medical experts. Evaluation and argument of the operation have been lasting ever since. [Emphasis mine - ed.]

[ ... ]

By Nov. 2 when the operation was suspended, about 500 patients had received the surgery throughout China. Most of them reported positive results, but some of them appeared abnormal symptoms, like the loss of sex drive.

Okay, you're addicted so they operate on your brain and you end up with no libido. Notably, the Russians used to do the same procedure for addiction but they stopped in 2002 because people complained of headaches. Boy, that's a shock. The Russians also found that it didn't cure addiction. Ah, but the inscrutable Chinese persevere.

And you've got to love their reasoning for suspending the practice in Nov. "Disputes over its unidentified side effects among medical experts" has to mean that they were arguing about what they didn't know. Now, that's the cutting edge of science.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 11:37:00 AM

AOL Offering Free Email

Effective today, AOL is offering free email to users of its AIM instant messaging service. The company hopes to ultimately profit by selling more advertising. Good Luck.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 08:34:00 AM

Lobster Pain

Do lobsters feel pain when plunged into boiling water? I don't know. And frankly, I don't care, but Tony Yaksh does. He's doing research at the University of California at San Diego to answer that exact question.

I suspect that the lobster dies so fast that it doesn't have a chance for any significant nerve response, unlike the trout you pull out of the water and immediately slit from its anus to its head. Even as you scrape the guts out with your Buck knife, that trout opens and closes his mouth in some sort of curdling silent fish scream. You know he's in pain.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 07:05:00 AM

Utah Webhost Services Jihadists

It's named United Online Web Services, Inc. with headquarters in Orem, Utah. The service needs to be shut down because it's helping the terrorists to train and to kill American soldiers. Rusty Shackleford has the story.

One question I have is why aren't there provisions in the Patriot Act to go after American businesses that provide support to the enemy? Hell, during WWII, we regularly bombed German and Japanese radio transmission facilities to keep them from broadcasting. Yet, somehow the jihad crowd is able to use U.S.-based Internet resources with impunity. It doesn't make any sense.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 06:33:00 AM

'The Gates' in Central Park

(NYC) Remember those orange drapes scattered around Central Park last February? It's estimated they resulted in a $254 million windfall for the city of New York. The figure comes from initial data of economic activity at hotels, restaurants, and cultural institutions near Central Park and across the city.

Since the organizers sank only $21 million into the project, it has to be considered an overwhelming success.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 04:50:00 AM

Unlawful Sex with Students

(Oakland, California) Former physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Encinal High School, Tanda Rucker, 31, pleaded not guilty last Thursday to 26 felony counts of unlawful sex with teenage girls.

Tanda Rucker
Explaining the 26 total felony charges, it's alleged that Rucker has had illegal sex with several young girls over the past decade, including a tryst with a 15-year-old girl in the summer of 1995. She was originally charged in March 2004, however, additional charges have been tacked on since one girl spilled her guts to Alameda police in a fit of lesbian jealousy.

Interestingly, Rucker was a standout basketball player at Berkeley High School, winning the state championship in 1991, and Stanford University, National Champions in 1992. She was known for her layups and high scoring.

Rucker is free on $680,000 bond and returns to court on June 8 for assignment of a trial date.

[Update 11/19/05]

Tanda Rucker pleads no contest to sex with schoolgirls. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2006.

[Update 02/15/06]

Rucker sentenced to wrist slap.

Following Entry Posted 5/11/2005 03:33:00 AM

FedEx Makes Bombing Run

(Danville, California) No one was injured, but many people called police to complain when airplane parts fell from the sky in several residential neighborhoods. From the ContraCostaTimes:

Airplane pieces fell from the sky over Danville Monday night, surprising residents and FedEx and causing damages to at least one house, but injuring no one.

FedEx spokeswoman Sally Davenport said this morning the flight from Oakland landed safely as scheduled in Dallas-Fort Worth with two pilots and an assortment of packages aboard.

Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said three pieces came off the MD11 jet.

A FedEx spokesman called the incident highly unusual and plans to be in contact with homeowners in the area about the debris.

So, despite missing some parts, including one that was about 10 feet long, the plane flew all the way to Dallas and landed safely. And, inexplicably, the pilots didn't know that their plane was falling apart. According to FAA spokesman Donn Walker, the parts came from an engine thrust reverser.

Maybe I'm being overly critical, but the fact that the pilots didn't know they had a problem is somewhat troubling. It begs the question of just how much of the plane has to become dismantled in flight to achieve the threshold for pilot awareness. Is it okay for five percent of the plane to fall from the sky without pilot knowledge? Ten percent? Twenty?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/10/2005 11:02:00 AM

Feds to Fund Illegal Alien Medical Costs

Arizona Republic:

WASHINGTON - Starting today, hospitals and doctors in Arizona and other states can charge the federal government for the costs of providing emergency care to undocumented immigrants.

Arizona hospitals could receive up to $45 million a year for the next four years, according to guidelines released Monday by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

So, in a nutshell, the costs of treating citizens of foreign countries will be distributed to the taxpayers of all 50 states. All an illegal has to do is cross the border to get medical care and it's paid for by picking the pockets of every American taxpayer.

Simply put, I think this move will be a disaster. First, forget about any estimates cited in various reports and get ready for a massive increase in costs. History has proven as much. Once the government starts funding something, it grows exponentially and never goes away.

Secondly, the United States government rarely (almost never) gives money without strings attached. Consequently, any emergency room that takes one dollar of U.S. taxpayer funds is looking at a long term relationship with the regulatory whims and caprice of the federal government.

Thirdly, a precedent has been established for the federal government to wedge its nose into the operations of any medical facility that provides emergency services.

Fourthly, if the federal government pays for the medical care, is it not, in a sense, the de facto medical insurance agency of the illegal alien? As an insurer for patient medical care, is this not the stated goal of Hillary Clinton's socialized medical scheme?

In summary, having the feds pay for illegals is bad cheese.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/10/2005 08:56:00 AM

Loyal Employee Reward Policy

(Kokomo, Indiana) Last February, we heard the news that an employee of Miller Brewing was fired for drinking a beer made by Anheuser-Busch. Apparently, drinking a competitor's beer was an intolerable level of disloyalty. Along the same lines, we now have DaimlerChrysler doing something quite similar. From the Kokomo Tribune:

Drive Ford or General Motors vehicles and walk farther.

That's the message of a new parking policy that takes effect Monday for DaimlerChrysler workers at Kokomo's Indiana Transmission Plant I and Indiana Transmission Plant II.

Blue lines now separate areas signed as "Competitor Vehicle Parking" and "DaimlerChrysler Vehicle Parking" in ITP 1's lots. A "DaimlerChrysler Parking Only" sign marks the dividing line at the ITP 2 lot.

About 80 percent of the parking spaces are designated for Chrysler vehicles only.

Parking Restricted at DaimlerChrysler
(Photo - E. Markov, Kokomo Tribune)
For those that violate the policy and park non-Chrysler vehicles in spots reserved for Chrysler vehicles, their cars will be towed at a cost of $200. Reaction to the parking policy is mixed, but it shouldn't be surprising. Companies frequently demand a sense of loyalty from their employees. And, sometimes they penalize those that don't display that loyalty and reward those that do. On a side note, I wonder if the unions will weigh in on the policy.

Monday, May 09, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/09/2005 04:19:00 PM

Teacher's Rape Trial to Proceed

(Sevierville, Tennessee) Former biology teacher at Seymour High School, Kristi Dance Oakes, 32, charged with statutory rape of a 16-year-old boy, appeared in court today to hear the ruling on her request for judicial diversion. Circuit Court Judge Richard Vance turned down the request. The judicial diversion would have allowed the charges to be dropped provided Oakes complied with court orders for a specific period of time.

Kristi Dance Oakes
In addition to the rape charge, Oakes faces prosecution for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, the rape charge carries a maximum of two years in prison. The maximum sentence for the contributing to the delinquency charge is no more than one year. Oakes is currently out on bail. Her trial has been scheduled for July 27.

[Update 06/19/06]

Oakes pleads guilty.

Following Entry Posted 5/09/2005 12:11:00 PM

Dirty Bomb Rockets For Sale

Via The Jawa Report comes this story from The Sunday Times:

THREE radioactive rockets capable of contaminating a city centre were offered for sale last week to a Sunday Times reporter posing as a middleman for Islamic terrorists.

Of note is that the rockets are apparently in the possession of arms dealers in Moldova's breakaway region known as Transdniester. It seems that the government is conspiring with arms dealers to sell the rockets leftover from the Cold War era.

Notably, from a source citing a Washington Post report from December 2003:

In the ethnic conflicts that surrounded the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three-foot-long Alazan rocket, originally designed for weather experiments, was transformed into a terror weapon, packed with explosives, and lobbed into cities. Military records show that at least thirty-eight Alazan warheads were modified to carry radioactive material, effectively creating the world's first surface-to-surface dirty bomb. The warheads are not known to have been used. But now, according to experts and officials, they have disappeared.

Well, it looks like some of the have reappeared, thanks to a Sunday Times reporter.

Also, according to the CIA World Factbook, the region is one of the world's poorest with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. It is also a transshipment point for illegal drugs from SW Asia through Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe and possibly the U.S. With widespread crime and a vigorous underground economy, the best characterization would be to say the region is essentially lawless. Consequently, it quite understandable that the area would be a base of operations for renegade arms merchants.

Maybe I'm looking at this wrong but, if there are 38 rockets and we have an idea where they are, why doesn't someone in the administration arrange for their purchase? At $200,000 each, the total bill for all the rockets would be less than $8 million. That's probably not too much to pay for at least a billion dollars in peace of mind. Otherwise, we'll continue to worry about who has 38 highly-portable dirty bombs and wonder what they plan to do with them.

Additional coverage: Dean's World, The Moderate Voice

Following Entry Posted 5/09/2005 08:31:00 AM

Aussies Invent 'Turbo Booster' for Heart

(Auckland, New Zealand) A 56-year-old man suffering from a weak heart is recovering in Auckland City Hospital after an operation to install a first-of-its-kind device which helps the heart pump blood. According to Dr. William Peters who designed the device with Dr. Paget Milsom,

[T]he key component of the device, developed by Australian company Sunshine Heart Incorporated, was a balloon cuff, similar to a blood pressure cuff, which was wrapped around the patient's aorta.

A sensing wire picks up the heart's electrical signals, allowing the device to time the inflation and deflation of the balloon to the heart beat.

Sunshine Heart - Internal
Driving the device are battery-powered wearable units and plug-in home units which can be turned off occasionally without affecting the patient.

"While we want it to run most of the time to unload the heart, it's safe and expected to be able to turn the device off and disconnect it if you want to have a shower, for example," he said.

"If it fails, the balloon will just collapse and deflate. The heart and the blood vessels are all in their natural state and just carry on as they would."

Dr Peters said unlike other heart pumps, the C-pulse avoided blood contact, reducing the risk of blood clots.

Since the balloon cuff is wrapped around the aorta, it doesn't come into contact with the heart directly, making implantation easier and safer. The overall result is that coronary blood flow nearly doubles with the device. Says Dr. Peters, "It's like a little turbo booster on top of the heart."

In all honesty, the news of this device somehow seems like deja vu. As I recall from my reading, a quite similar technology was pioneered and implemented decades ago in an apparatus used to counter male impotence and loss of libido. Of course, I could be mistaken.

Following Entry Posted 5/09/2005 07:38:00 AM

Flight Attendants Claim Age Discrimination

The story from Australia is that Virgin Blue Air Lines, owned by the ostentatious mogul Richard Branson, is guilty of age discrimination for not hiring seasoned flight attendants who had lost their jobs when the regional carrier Ansett Airlines collapsed. One worker, Theresa Stewart, 52, told the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in Brisbane that she wasn't even asked about her 27 years of experience when Virgin refused to hire her.

Ms Stewart said she went to a Virgin Blue "assessment centre" as part of her job application and was not asked about her experience but rather made to perform role plays and make up a "ditty" with other group members.

She was unequivocal that it was young, attractive staff they were after.

"It was a cattle yard; a one-hour holding area," Ms Stewart told the tribunal.

[ ... ]

"If you had two beautiful blonde girls, 25 and gorgeous, then they went to them like homing pigeons."

Homing isn't exactly the word I would use. However, Stewart and seven other former Ansett workers are convinced that they weren't hired because they look like old withered hosebags and that's against the law. Thus far, it hasn't been suggested that the collapse of Ansett may have resulted from the fact that its employees were a group of whiny old hens that drove business away. Nevertheless, the hearing before the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal continues.

Personally, I can see both sides of the issue. Virgin is looking to staff its workforce with vibrant, young women who'll appeal to the lucrative businessmen trade. Ms. Stewart and the fossils of the air crowd likely have a valid complaint if the laws prevent age discrimination. It's up to the tribunal to determine if Virgin will be allowed to hire people they want or if cranky old grandmothers go to the head of the line.

Following Entry Posted 5/09/2005 01:51:00 AM

Woman Charged with Molesting Boy

(Bainbridge Island, Washington) Lucrecia Martinez-Rowe, 38, pleaded not guilty last month to charges she had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old neighborhood boy. She had been charged with third degree child rape, which carries a possible five-year prison sentence upon conviction. From the Kitsap Sun:

According to a Bainbridge Island police report, Martinez-Rowe supplied a 14-year-old boy with alcohol and had sex with him. She also admitted to supplying alcohol and having sex on more than two occasions with another 14-year-old boy during the same time frame. Martinez-Rowe voluntarily provided a taped statement admitting to the sex and alcohol violations.

According to a relative of the victim, Martinez-Rowe lived across the street from one of the 14-year-old boys. He performed odd jobs around the house for her. The 14-year-old boy and a friend of his would visit Martinez-Rowe. And the relationship of the three grew from there.

Besides the apparent tag-team aspect, just doing the math gives an indication of the seriousness of her alleged crime. Martinez-Rowe, at 38, has ten years on the two boys even after adding their ages together. Throw in the booze and the fact that the crime was repeated and you have yourself a child molester. Of course, she's innocent until proven guilty.

Accompanied by attorney Jeanette Dalton, Martinez-Rowe appeared before Judge Ted Spearman this week and was awarded a continuance to allow for the completion of a sex offender sentencing alternative. The case continues with a scheduled hearing on June 15 and a trial on July 27.

As an afterthought, what do you think a 38-year-old man would be looking at if he were caught liquoring up 14-year-old neighborhood girls for some sexual threebies? As reported, Martinez-Rowe is looking at five years and maybe a fine. She'll probably get less after a "sentencing alternative" is decided. I wonder if a 38-year-old man would get the same treatment?

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/08/2005 11:57:00 PM

Guard Gator

(Cleveland, Ohio) If you're protecting your drug operation, forget about using a yapping dog and get yourself a guard alligator. Unfortunately, a guard gator won't assure complete protection since deputies were still able to shut down the drug house.

Following Entry Posted 5/08/2005 11:33:00 PM

Melissa Michelle Deel Sentenced for Sex with Boy

(Abingdon, Virginia) In March, Melissa Michelle Deel, 32, pleaded guilty in federal court to crossing the state line to have oral sex with a student, a 13-year-old boy. This week, the eighth-grade history teacher at Virginia Middle School was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Jones to a year and two months in federal prison for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. She was also sentenced to probation for five years and she must register as a sex offender.

Melissa Michelle Deel
In her plea agreement, Deel vowed to never profit from her crime and to not communicate with the victim or his family without the court's permission. About 10 family members and friends, including her husband, were in court to show support for the teary-eyed Deel. Her husband, James, indicated that Deel is "sorry for what's happened."

Following Entry Posted 5/08/2005 04:22:00 PM

Chicken Ticketed for Crossing Road

(Ridgecrest, California) On March 26, Kern County Sheriff's Deputy J. Nicholson issued a ticket to Linc and Helena Moore because their chicken impeded traffic while crossing the road. According to the Sacramento Bee:

The Moores arrived in Superior Court on Friday to plead not guilty to their chicken's alleged transgression. A trial was scheduled for May 16.

Nicholson has declined to discuss the matter, but sheriff's Sgt. Francis Moore said chickens on the roadway have been a problem in the community of 50 residents. Officials didn't believe it could be resolved by simply issuing the couple a warning.

"Sometimes you have to let people talk to the judge," Moore said.

By pleading not guilty, the Moores obviously think there's a basis to squawk. Personally, I'd like to see a copy of the actual ticket.

Following Entry Posted 5/08/2005 02:57:00 PM

Illegal Aliens Gather and Protest

(Rockville, Maryland) It appears that the Rockville cops are not only sanctioning the breaking of the law, they are also providing protection for the lawbreakers. In the parlance of law enforcement, they've been "turned." So, forget about relying on the police to protect you when someone breaks into your house. They will be busy helping the lawbreakers.

That's what happened yesterday at an illegal alien protest rally at a high school in Rockville. With the cops functioning as taxpayer-funded thugs for criminals, one would imagine that someone should be culpable for aiding and abetting.

Michael Graham of WMAL Radio and Michelle Malkin were in attendance to provide sane coverage of the insanity.

Other outrage: Diggers Realm, Hyscience

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/07/2005 10:41:00 PM

Army Deserter Denied Flight by Delta

(West Palm Beach, Florida) Sgt. Karim Iraq deserted the U.S. Army because he was disillusioned with war and wasn't accepted by his fellow soldiers. On the lam, he was arrested on Tuesday when deputies found his stolen backpack containing information leading to his whereabouts. Not surprisingly, the backpack also contained a notebook with anti-American slogans. Subsequently, according to the Palm Beach Post:

U.S. Army Sgt. Karim Iraq attempted Friday to return to the Georgia military base he left six months ago, but Delta Air Lines officials turned him away because they considered him a security risk, his father said.

Iraq, 25, of Wellington was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for deserting the military. He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail two days later with orders to board Delta Flight 729 at 12:50 p.m. Friday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.

He showed up at Palm Beach International Airport with his father, Zayed Iraq, but airline representatives said he could not board the plane.

"The airline said they had understood someone was going to escort him, that he's not going to be all alone," Zayed Iraq said. "Some kind of security issues."

Holy moly! Until his case is adjudicated, Karim Iraq shouldn't be allowed to be anywhere near an airplane unless he's handcuffed, shackled, and escorted. A deserter with anti-American writings in his possession has to be considered a security risk. In my estimation, Delta Air Lines acted appropriately.

Interestingly, as of yesterday afternoon, Sgt. Iraq had not shown up at Ft. Stewart as ordered.

Companion post at Our Life.

Following Entry Posted 5/07/2005 02:37:00 PM

Over 200 Licensed Brothels in Toronto

According to the Toronto Star:

Minutes after she arrived for a job interview at a holistic health centre last fall, Michelle found herself naked from the waist up, giving a customer a full body massage in a back storage room filled with mops, dirty laundry and cigarette butts.

"I had no idea what it was going to be like," the petite 22-year-old recalls. "I kind of had to learn on the job."

Michelle learned quickly. By the end of the day, she had earned $300 providing services routinely offered in most of Toronto's city-licensed holistic centres - "nude reverses," "body slides" and "hand releases."

Currently, over 2,600 people work in the 200+ holistic centers and, according to facilities inspector James Slocum, up to 75% are sex dens. Complaints from the public are continuously investigated and prosecuted, costing taxpayers $2.5 million yearly, even while the city issues new licenses. So far, politicians haven't done anything to close down the operations. This is possibly because being paid for sex in Toronto is legal but running a business that offers sex for money is illegal. Evidently there's much confusion about how to handle the issue.

However, one probably needs to consider that maybe the city of Toronto just wants to develop a new image. If so, a few hundred whorehouses will likely do it.

By the way, to allay any mistaken impressions, it's beyond me as to what is involved in the holistic center routine services. I've heard of a "naked bootleg" in football, but "nude reverses" has me stymied. I guess I haven't been around the block enough times.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 5/07/2005 10:01:00 AM

Outsourcing Tech Business to India - via Canada

(Toronto) It does sound politically more proper to say that "We send some business to Toronto" than to say "We outsource to India." But that's only one of the benefits to be derived by having Indian companies set up operations in Canada. From the Toronto Star (reg. req'd):

For Polaris, a software company headquartered in Chennai, India, setting up shop in Toronto made good business sense.

Having an office in the Exchange Tower at York and King Sts. gave the publicly listed company - with annual revenues of $180 million (U.S.) and 6,000 employees around the world - easy access to the all-important American market without the hassles of visa restrictions and the higher costs associated with basing itself there.

"We were looking for a near-shore centre that would let us access the Canadian financial market as well as help us support the U.S. as a marketplace in North America," said Rahul Petkar, who established the Toronto office last fall with a dozen employees.

Polaris derives more than 40% of its revenue from the U.S. by providing technology services for banks and insurance companies. By operating out of Canada, the company can do business about 30% cheaper than in the U.S.

All this appears to indicate that a company could very well be outsourcing to India (or anywhere) just by going across the border into Ontario. I will agree that this is not a new phenomenon, just a recent example.

Following Entry Posted 5/07/2005 09:31:00 AM

German Unemployment Called Health Threat

According to a conference of German physicians, the dismal and persistent double-digit unemployment rate in Germany is a health threat. The doctors contend that "unemployment really makes people sick, and results in additional costs for health insurance." A study by the Robert Koch Institute concluded that people without jobs, particularly the long-term unemployed, are at twice the risk of getting seriously ill than people that are employed. The deprivation, instability, and unhealthy lifestyles of the unemployed tend to lead to mental disorders, addictions, heart attacks, accidents, and cancer.

Interestingly, emphasis on the unemployment - ill health relationship comes on the heels of implementation of a government labor market reform called Hartz IV which reduces jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. Hartz IV is expected to dramatically worsen the situation by giving even less benefits to those that are already suffering deprivation.

To help the situation, the doctors recommended that the socially deprived in society be exempted from having to pay fees for doctors' visits which, by the way, were only recently imposed to encourage cost-consciousness on the part of patients.

In summary, doctors are emphasizing that the high rate of persistent joblessness in Germany is leading to increased health problems and costs. The doctors, however, offer no solutions for the high unemployment problem.

Friday, May 06, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 01:03:00 PM

Notch One for The Jawa Report

I suspect it may have occurred but, to my direct knowledge, no terrorist has ever been arrested due to a blog, that is, with the exception of The Jawa Report. Dr. Rusty Shackleford gets credit for helping lead the FBI to apprehending a terrorist who made the mistake of commenting on a post in The Jawa Report. Also, based on recent history, the MSM hasn't pointed the FBI to a terrorist, not once, so Rusty has set a precedent.

Rusty sketches some details of the situation in a post and promises to explain the whole story once authorization is given to do so. In any event, applause and congratulations are due to Rusty and all others involved.

Of course, we are all aware that information leading to the capture and prosecution of a terrorist is customarily rewarded by payment of outrageous sums of money by the U.S. government. In the case of bin Laden and Zarqawi, I believe the sum is $25 million each.

Now, I don't know where this character caught by Rusty sits on the reward scale but, for the sake of argument, let's say he's worth $1,000,000. The way I figure it, after Glenn Reynolds skims his Godfather cut (he automatically gets the most of everything in the blogosphere), Rusty will probably be left with about $200,000 for himself and distribution to collaborators and linkers. Assuming that he decides to recognize 100 collaborators and linkers and gives each $1,000, Rusty would be left with the handsome reward of $100,000 for himself and his family. And, he deserves it.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 12:04:00 PM

Teacher-Student Sex Results in Jail Time

(Victoria, Australia) From the Herald Sun comes the report of a 37-year-old female physical education teacher, Karen Louise Ellis, convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Karen Louise Ellis
Ellis pleaded guilty to six charges of unlawful sex with the student. Interestingly, she was originally sentenced to probation for the crimes, but the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed on the basis that the sentence wasn't harsh enough. Subsequently, the appeals court gave her six months in the slammer. It seems that a disagreement on the sentencing by a court can be the basis for appeal in Australia. I've never heard of the same thing happening in the U.S.

If a sentence is in accordance with the law in the U.S., i.e. not cruel or unusual nor contrary to sentencing guidelines, then I understand there's no basis for appeal with regard to the sentence. In Australia, it seems the adequacy of a sentence is determined by a person outside the confines of the court who can appeal when he feels the sentence was not adequate.

If my understanding is correct, this represents a significant difference between the judicial systems in the U.S. and Australia.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 11:21:00 AM

Suspicious Package Closes Manhattan Bridge

The authorities are being extremely cautious after yesterday's grenade explosions outside the British Consulate. The suspicious package was removed and the bridge was reopened to traffic. No other details at this time.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 10:34:00 AM

Kerry Campaigns in Louisiana

(Baton Rouge, Louisiana) Yesterday, Senator John Kerry met with elementary school students to ostensibly talk about political history at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. However, political history was pushed aside for town-hall style campaign rhetoric pushing his Kids First bill to provide health care to 11 million uninsured American children.

According to this report, Kerry, only months removed from his November election loss, is "campaigning again."

David Vitter, Louisiana's Republican senator, after hearing about Kerry's meeting, predicted in a telephone interview that the Massachusetts senator will not succeed with this venture, either.

"I think it's pretty clear that Sen. Kerry hasn't learned much since he lost Louisiana in the presidential race by a very wide margin," Vitter said. "He's still pushing the same liberalism based on huge tax increases and huge government-centered programs."

In Louisiana, Kerry lost to Bush by a margin of 57 percent to 42 percent, but said he was encouraged because he got 30,000 more votes here than Democratic nominee Al Gore claimed in 2000.

Evidently, Kerry is doing the exact same thing he did before in anticipation of different results. It momentarily escapes me, but there's a word for that.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 08:35:00 AM

Little Girl "Precious Doe" Identified

(Kansas City, Missouri) Four years ago, the headless body of a little girl was found along side a road and nobody came forward and identified her. She became known as "Precious Doe" and the public held candlelight vigils, distributed fliers with an artist's rendition of her likeness, and volunteered to man call-in lines. The FBI and the television show America's Most Wanted became involved, but with no success in finding out who she was. However, after a local community activist, Alonzo Washington, placed a newspaper advertisement seeking leads, a tip broke the case wide open.

From KCTV - Kansas City:

On Thursday, police identified the girl, arrested her mother and stepfather on murder charges, and pronounced the sad mystery solved.

The girl with big brown eyes and neat cornrows in her hair was identified as Erica Michelle Marie Green, just shy of 4 when she was found.

Erica Michelle Marie Green
"Precious Doe"
Her mother, Michelle M. Johnson, 30, and stepfather Harrell Johnson, 25, were charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a child. Police said the mother told them Harrell Johnson killed the girl with a kick to the head and used hedge clippers to sever her head.

Both suspects were being held in Oklahoma, where they live.

"We have closure," Police Chief James Corwin said. "The little girl that we've known for four years as Precious Doe has a name."

No motive has been identified for her murder which authorities said occurred in Kansas City. Since Missouri has the death penalty, I think it should be seriously considered as punishment for the scum that killed Erica Green. Details of Erica's death are at the link.

Trackback to Wizbang Carnival of the Trackbacks.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 07:28:00 AM

53,000 High School Diplomas Recalled

(Baton Rouge, Louisiana) When Louisiana Education Superintendent Cecil Picard discovered that a change had been made to the official high school diploma without his authorization, he ordered them to be recalled and destroyed. About 53,000 diplomas need to be replaced because a lower level committee decided to change the date format from A.D. - "the year of our Lord" - to C.E. - the notation for "common era," without Cecil Picard's approval.

The department committee apparently believed that eliminating a reference to God was merely an administrative change and it didn't require authorization. The committee erred.

Following Entry Posted 5/06/2005 01:09:00 AM

Al Gore to Get Lifetime Award for Internet

For some not-widely-known reason, there are people who imagine that Al Gore is still strong in the Democratic Party. Therefore, the country is periodically subjected to efforts to keep Gore's political torch brightly lit. The latest effort is spearheaded by Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards, who plans on giving Al Gore "lifetime" recognition for three decades of "amazing work" contributing to the Internet.

Call me flummoxed on two counts. First, as a political player, Al Gore can't be looking at anything more than the occasional pinch hitting slot. There's no indication that he'll ever again be in a national leadership position. And, secondly, if Al Gore really wants a legacy tied to the Internet, he should get the appropriate information out to the public. It's my guess that the overwhelming majority of Internet users have no idea that Al Gore has ever looked at a keyboard. I'm one of them.

In my opinion, if Gore wants to rehabilitate his image, it would be best to avoid mentioning the Internet. People have been conditioned for a joke when they see the words "Gore" and "Internet" in the same sentence. It's similar to "Quayle" and "potato" or "Clinton" and "cigar." Quite chuckle-worthy.

Kevin at Wizbang has the whole story. Go visit. It's a hoot.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 11:42:00 PM

20 Illegals Crammed in Motel Room

Houston Chronicle:

Immigration authorities are investigating whether 20 people found in a southwest Houston motel room today were being held against their will by smugglers demanding money.

The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement took 22 people into custody at the Post Oak Inn in the 14700 block of Post Oak. Two of those arrested are suspected smugglers, and the other 20 are illegal immigrants from Central America, ICE spokeswoman Luisa Deason said.

The immigrants were found just before 11 a.m. when one of the room's occupants escaped and told a nearby businessman to call police.

Houston Police responded and found 20 illegal aliens and two suspected smugglers, known as coyotes. The illegals said they came from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico and that they had checked into the motel on Tuesday. Immigration officials took custody of the illegals and, according to Deason, plan to treat the incident as a smuggling case.

Interestingly, none of the illegals crammed into the motel room were bound nor did any claim to be hostages. According to HPD Sgt. David Hallene, not counting the coyotes and the guy who originally escaped from the motel, the illegals comprised 16 men, one woman, and three teens. It's not known what will happen to them, but I suspect they'll probably soon be on the streets of Houston. And, frankly, it's understandable. There just are not enough officers, facilities, money, and other resources necessary to handle the absolute avalanche of people crossing the border.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 11:04:00 PM

Two Attorneys Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide

(Houston, Texas) Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready believes the two dead attorneys found in an enclosed offices of Cooper Cameron, an oil industry supplier, were the result of a murder-suicide. Both died of gunshot wounds to the head. Names are being withheld pending notification of kin. The lawyers were in their 50s or 60s and no motive is currently known.

At first glance, this incident has mystery painted all over it.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 10:44:00 PM

Polite Sisters Plead Guilty to Robbery Spree

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Due to being courteous while committing robberies, Carrie Ann Huchel, 33, and Heather Huchel, 31, are called the "polite bandits." Nonetheless, they were apprehended and charged with a string of holdups at service stations and convenience stores from March 31 to April 9, 2004. They have pleaded guilty to the charges and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 3. The sisters testified that they committed the robberies to support their drug habits.

The Huchels were regionally known as "polite bandits" because they said "please" and "thank you" while brandishing a firearm during the robberies. It's nice to see a sense of decorum and common decency displayed in society. Too bad it came from a couple of crooks.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 10:39:00 AM

Foster Kids Used to Test AIDS Drugs

Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - To gain access to hundreds of HIV-infected foster children, federally funded researchers promised in writing to provide an independent advocate to safeguard the kids' well-being as they tested potent AIDS drugs. But most of the time, that special protection never materialized, an Associated Press review has found.

The research funded by the National Institutes of Health spanned the country. It was most widespread in the 1990s as foster care agencies sought treatments for their HIV-infected children that weren't yet available in the marketplace.

The practice ensured that foster children - mostly poor or minority - received care from world-class researchers at government expense, slowing their rate of death and extending their lives. But it also exposed a vulnerable population to the risks of medical research and drugs that were known to have serious side effects in adults and for which the safety for children was unknown.

The research was conducted in at least seven states - Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Colorado and Texas - and involved more than four dozen different studies. The foster children ranged from infants to late teens, according to interviews and government records.

The report additionally describes the program as providing generally inadequate protection for the children with at least one study finding a "disturbing" high death rate among children in the test. An investigation on the use of foster kids as AIDS guinea pigs is being conducted by the U.S. Office for Human Research Protections which has refused to comment on the case. Unbelievably, the foster kids were used in some of the riskiest drug tests - those which determine side effects and safe dosages - without having been provided with an independent advocate to monitor their health and well-being.

This situation has "major scandal" written all over it and it sure seems that every group involved may be culpable. I don't see much difference between this event and the notorious Tuskegee syphilis studies on black men in the 1930s.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 07:16:00 AM

Proposed Beer Tax Protested

(Columbus, Ohio) Well, the pick-pocketeers in Columbus have mined the tobacco smokers to the endangered level and now they're going after the beer drinkers. Hold on to your wallet. From nbc4i.com:

One of the state's loudest protests occurred at the Statehouse Wednesday. A line of beer trucks dropped off petitions with thousands of signatures in hope of convincing lawmakers not to double the current beer tax.

"We're the fourth-largest beer-producing state in the country," said Kevin Lee of Anheuser-Busch. "We have about 35,000 beer-dependent jobs in Ohio. We project 1,500 of those jobs will be lost."

If passed, Ohio's beer tax would go from 18 cents to 36 cents, making the cost of beer significantly higher than in neighboring states, Ivanic reported. The cost of a case of beer would go up by about $1.

Local distributors and dealers say the higher cost will be passed directly to consumers.

Opponents are upset that beer is targeted and the public won't get a chance to vote on the proposal.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 06:26:00 AM

Explosion Outside British Consulate in NYC

At the same time Britons were voting in a national election, a small explosive device detonated outside the East Side building housing the British Consulate on Third Avenue. Streets have been closed while authorities investigate. The device went off about 3:45am and blew out the front window of the building.

[Update 1030am EDT] Another report states that two relatively unsophisticated explosive devices were placed in a cement planter outside the building. The explosions caused no injuries. Investigators pieced together schrapnel to determine that the devices were toy grenades filled with gunpowder and without timing devices. The motive and the perpetrator remain unknown.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 05:01:00 AM

Terrorist Letter Intercepted, Translated

A letter to Abu Musab Zarqawi from an Al Qaeda subordinate, Abu Asim al-Qusaymi al-Yemeni, was intercepted and translated by U.S.-led forces. The document contained complaints of low morale, weak and incompetent leadership in the ranks, and dwindling support for jihad. Authorities believe the letter indicates a weakening in Zarqawi's influence and effectiveness.

Chad Evans at In The Bullpen and Rusty Shackleford at The Jawa Report have the whole story covered. My only comment would be with regard to the signature displayed on the letter. It's signed:

Abu 'Asim al-Yamani, al Qusaymi
Al-Qaida Organization, Iraq Division

I might be reading too much into it, but it seems to be a formal (regulation?) military transmittal inferring that the terrorists are organized in more than one division. Also, the author identifies himself as a member of al-Qaida. Something is fishy.

First, this suggests that the terrorists have instituted bureaucratic administrative requirements for their written communications. Call me skeptical. For an organization with the sole function of killing people while smothered in secrecy to have a style guide for letters is hard to believe. Secondly, for the author to identify himself as a member of al-Qaida makes no sense. Who else would send Zarqawi such a letter? Also, the letter starts by addressing Zarqawi as "The Sheik" which indicates some familiarity. However, it ends in a formal businesslike manner. I would have expected something friendlier or maybe "God is Great" in Arabic. It surprises me that it ends in a manner similar to what my insurance agent sends me. The incongruity makes me suspicious.

Like I said, the ending of the letter seems fishy.

Following Entry Posted 5/05/2005 02:16:00 AM

Illinois Woman Broadcasts Child Porn via Webcam

Pantagraph.com:

PEORIA - A 21-year-old Woodford County woman is in federal custody on charges she fondled an infant in a broadcast to an Internet chat room.

Taylor A. March of Minonk was arrested Monday and is accused of fondling a boy younger than 24 months she was baby-sitting at her home and showing the act to members of a chat room. One of the people logged on to the Yahoo Messenger Service chat room, Preeteen [sic] Sex on Camera, was an FBI agent in the Central Illinois Cybercrime Unit, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.

The woman faces federal charges because prosecutors say the images were broadcast over the Internet, and it is a federal crime to produce a depiction of sexual conduct involving minors while knowing the depiction likely will be distributed in interstate commerce.

March talked with members of the chat room about having sex with and committing sex acts with children, court documents say.

Apparently an FBI agent was able to capture a copy of the video where March actually manipulated the boy's genitals with one hand while adjusting the camera with her other hand. Since March cared for several children, authorities are investigating the possibility of other victims

March is charged in federal court with one count of production of child pornography and, if convicted, faces a possible 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She remains in custody pending a hearing later this week.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/04/2005 09:49:00 AM

Elizabeth Stow Goes To Court

(Tulare, California) Last month, 26-year-old English teacher, Elizabeth Stow, was arrested and 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. Yesterday, Stow appeared in Tulare County Superior Court before Judge Walter Gorelick and waived her right to a speedy preliminary hearing. Oddly, when Stow arrived in court, her mother held up a Bible to shield the former teacher. From what is not known.

Elizabeth Stow in Court
It seems that Stow's attorney, David Allen, is maneuvering for more time to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution. As more information about Elizabeth Stow filters out, it would seem prudent to do whatever is necessary to avoid a jury trial.

First of all, Stow was on probation for a drunk driving conviction when she was arrested and charged with the sex offenses. Secondly, immediately after graduating from college, Stow was hired to teach at Tulare High School, starting last September. Thirdly, the alleged sexual encounters with three students started at the same time she started teaching and lasted through October. So, it appears that Stow carried her college-student, party-hardy, irresponsible demeanor into the classroom and she cut some ponies from the herd and had them mounted before the first mid-term.

Obviously, having teaching credentials provides no assurance that a person is mature and responsible with an awareness of the law.

Stow goes back to court on June 3. In the meantime, she's free on $10,000 bail.

[Update 11/19/05]

Elizabeth Stow was sentenced to one year. Full report at link.

Following Entry Posted 5/04/2005 08:12:00 AM

One-Dollar Counterfeit Ring

(Porterville, California) One-dollar counterfeit bills with identical serial numbers have been found circulating in Porterville and the police department is investigating. It's suspected that the counterfeit ring is comprised of underachievers.

Trackback to Wizbang's 10 Spot.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/03/2005 11:56:00 AM

Pablo Paredes - The Deserter

A deserved and smart salute goes to Citizen Smash, The Indepundit, who was able to collar Pablo Paredes for a few minutes during an Earth Day event in San Diego. We get a glimpse of the thinking that motivates disloyalty - abject selfishness and ignorance.

Interestingly, had Paredes sailed with the USS Bonhomme Richard as opposed to deserting, he would have been part of one of the largest rescue and relief efforts in history - Operation Unified Assistance. The USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) was called to aid the people of Sri Lanka who were devastated by the Southeast Asian tsunami on December 26, 2004. Paredes would have been able to proudly relate his honorable experience to his grandchildren. But, he wasn't there. He deserted the United States Navy in a time of war and in a time of humanitarian need.

Pablo Paredes' court martial commences on May 11. As an amicus blog comment, I recommend that the court impose a meaningful and unforgettable penalty.

Also blogging: Our Life

Following Entry Posted 5/03/2005 08:40:00 AM

Who Are The Terrorists?

For those who believe that the terrorists are surely the enemy but, otherwise, they're just poverty stricken, uneducated, and misled people from other countries, think again.

Realize first that the terrorists are overwhelmingly attacking their neighbors, their friends, and their relatives. The Arabs and Muslims are being killed in large numbers. The Coalition Forces suffer losses which pale in comparison. Terrorists kill their own people and they do it in the most insidious, barbaric, and evil manner. Based upon an interview, Chad Evans describes the circumstance where the terrorists kill an Iraqi and then pack his body with explosives. When the family of the slain man retrieves the body, the terrorists detonate the explosives, obliterating the whole family.

In another story, Rusty Shackleford details how the terrorists are kidnapping women and children to force the husbands and fathers to become suicide bombers. Since Zarqawi isn't getting enough volunteers, he's resorting to extortion. Bastard!

Read both stories and you'll know who the terrorists are - the personification of all that is evil. The thought of treating these animals humanely just sickens me.

Following Entry Posted 5/03/2005 07:21:00 AM

Canada Wooing Mexicans

(Mexico City, Mexico) The United States has been portrayed as a big meanie by even mentioning there is a border between the U.S. and Mexico and now Canada is using the image in a recruiting effort. From The Arizona Republic:

The Canadian government has been relaxing its immigration rules in an effort to attract students and skilled workers from all over the world. That, and the push by companies promising jobs and visas, is attracting Mexican professionals turned off by the Minuteman Project, new border walls, tougher U.S. entry requirements and laws like Proposition 200 in Arizona.

"Live in Canada!" says a Mexico City newspaper ad placed by a Canadian labor recruiter, as a photo of the Toronto skyline beckons. "Voted the No. 1 country in the world for living four years in a row," an immigration counseling company boasts on its Web site.

"Canada has its arms open to immigrants, and the United States has its arms closed. It's as simple as that," accountant Marcos Ramirez Posadas said as he stood in line with other visa applicants outside the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City.

What a cheap shot! Notice that they're looking for students and skilled workers, not millions of manual laborers that don't even speak English. They should just try tacking on 11 million illegals to their over-stretched welfare, education, and health care systems.

And, I don't know who voted Canada the No.1 country for living but, if it's so great, why do the illegals stay in the U.S.? It seems they should all be heading for the U.S. - Canadian border. They aren't doing that though. Are they? Eh?

Following Entry Posted 5/03/2005 06:48:00 AM

Officer Charged, Gave Beer & Porn to Teens

(Westerville, Ohio) According to reporter Karin Hirschey, eight-year veteran Westerville Police Officer Brian Bouk pleaded not guilty to 27 misdemeanor charges resulting from allegations he supplied alcohol and pornography to teenagers. Bouk has been assigned as the police resource officer at Walnut Springs Middle School for the past three years.

According to the criminal complaint, on two separate occasions in February Bouk invited seven kids between the ages of 15 and 16 to his house in Canal Winchester. He allegedly provided beer and vodka and allowed the kids to watch X-rated videotapes, Hirschey reported.

"The officer was placed on administrative leave immediately," Westerville City Schools spokesman Mark Hershiser said. "He has not been in the building since we were made aware of it."

I think this is more than an isolated case of lapse in judgment. Consequently, if convicted, Bouk should be meaningfully punished - no simple hand slap. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 1.

Following Entry Posted 5/03/2005 06:22:00 AM

Suspected Bomb Causes School Lockdown

(Clovis, New Mexico) Marshall Junior High School was locked down after a kid was seen carrying a suspected bomb.

Police put armed officers on rooftops and closed nearby streets. But the security alert was lifted a couple of hours later after officers identified the suspicious object as a 30-inch burrito, stuffed with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapenos. It was wrapped in foil and a white T-shirt.

Principal Diana Russell said that eighth-grader Michael Morrissey created the giant burrito as an extra-credit marketing assignment.

Salsa, jalapenos! I do believe that ultimately there will be some type of explosion. (Hat tip: Expat Rob)

Monday, May 02, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/02/2005 11:41:00 PM

More Equal Animals

FOXNews.com:

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Calif. - Norm Macdonald rises each morning with the sun, grabs his .223-caliber rifle and slips into the passenger seat of a tiny, doorless helicopter for another day of shooting pigs.

As the chopper skims over rugged terrain, Macdonald scans dozens of simple fence traps he's set up for the thousands of wild swine that have overrun this Southern California island.

When there are pigs in the traps - and there always are - Macdonald leans out and pumps two bullets into each animal: One for the heart and one for the head.

Each pig's death brings conservationists one step closer to their goal of saving the tiny Santa Cruz fox, an endangered species found only on this 96-square-mile island off Santa Barbara. Experts believe it's the best way to mend the island's delicate ecological web, which was torn when domesticated pigs escaped from now-abandoned ranches as early as the 1850s.

The National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy are paying $5 million to pump lead into the pigs. They plan to take more than two years to kill the estimated 3,000 pigs while using trained dogs, infrared sensing devices, and radio trackers.

Naturally, animal rights advocates are outraged and have asked for an explanation. In response, Lotus Vermeer, the pig-killing project director, stated, "It's not just about killing pigs, it's about saving a native species. What we're choosing to do here is save biodiversity."

So, there you have it. Darwinism is trumped by diversity. The minority rules and political correctness dictates policy in the natural world. Curiously, diversity has become justification for eliminating opposing viewpoints.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/02/2005 11:19:00 AM

Margaret Hassan's Murderers Arrested

Last November, I was deeply saddened by the news of Margaret Hassan's cold-blooded execution by terrorists. She was a charitable woman who worked for CARE International and a threat to no one. Nonetheless, she was ruthlessly murdered.

Yesterday, according to this report, five people that were detained during raids by U.S. Forces have admitted complicity in Hassan's murder. Authorities say that clothing and documents belonging to Margaret Hassan were found.

This breakthrough in the investigation of Hassan's death is welcome news. Hopefully, those responsible will be tried, convicted, and sentenced to the ultimate punishment. In my opinion, it's impossible to punish the killers of Margaret Hassan in a cruel or unusual way.

More at In The Bullpen.

Following Entry Posted 5/02/2005 08:49:00 AM

First Lady Goes Wild

(Nairobi, Kenya) The wife of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, First Lady Lucy Kibaki, has been at the center of a political firestorm in Kenya and she caused it.

First Lady Lucy Kibaki
From The Standard:

First Lady Lucy Kibaki was yesterday the target of national anger following reports she caused a scene at a private farewell party for outgoing World Bank Country Director Makhtar Diop.

Reaction was hostile to her three-time nocturnal invasion of Diop's house on Saturday and the attempt to unplug the electrical system at the party graced by the top cream of the diplomatic, donor and private sector circuit.

The First Lady's actions drew a chorus of condemnation, with many questioning her role as a family role model.

Leaders said The First Lady's behaviour did not befit the stature of her office. Some chose not to comment, arguing that her actions were so outrageous they should be left out of the orbit of public debate.

It would seem that prancing in pajamas to protest a princely party would be enough scandal for First Lady Lucy, but there's more. On several occasions, the First Lady has inserted herself in the workings of the government to the extent that "a cross-section of Kenyans and leaders asked the government to assign a special role for her to avert conflicts with government officers." In other words, they want her position and authority as First Lady to be defined. Her disruptive actions are a national embarrassment. Parliament member William Ruto stated:

"We cannot be subjected to persistent wrangles within the ruling National Rainbow Coalition and then see a First Lady walking in pyjamas at night to stop a party. This is ridiculous."

No doubt about it, First Lady Lucy puts the 'party' into party politics.

Following Entry Posted 5/02/2005 03:35:00 AM

NZ Tells Former Iraqi Diplomat to Leave ASAP

From a Xinhua report, Immigration Minister Paul Swain told a former diplomat for Saddam Hussein to get the hell out of New Zealand. The diplomat wasn't named and the only reason given was that it was "unsuitable" for the man and his wife to stay.

I'm curious. Do we have a situation where a bunch of Saddam Hussein's henchmen are meandering around the globe looking for countries to call home? If so, I bet there's a few in South America. As exemplified by the Nazis, murdering bastards are magnetically drawn there.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 5/02/2005 02:53:00 AM

Aussie Taken Hostage in Iraq

With no specific details on how it came about, an Austrailian man who lives in California has been kidnapped. After viewing a video ostensibly posted by the Shura Council of the Mujahedden of Iraq, the wife of 63-year-old civilian contract engineer Douglas Wood confirmed his identity as the hostage.

Mr. Wood is heard on the tape to say,

"President Bush, Prime Minister Howard, Governor Schwarzenegger ... take the troops out of here and let Iraq look after itself."

The little-known Shura Council of the Mujaheddan released a statement indicating that the abduction was timed to coincide with Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill's visit to Iraq.

Oddly, the kidnappers think Gov. Schwarzenegger is at least partially responsible for American troops being in Iraq, which makes no sense. However, without being specific, Prime Minister Howard stated that the government will do everything possible to secure the release of Mr. Wood. He did reiterate the Australian position of not giving in to hostage takers.

The abductors are described on the tape by Wood as "patriotic" which would tend to indicate a home-grown group as opposed to Al Qaeda, which is manned primarily by foreigners. Another report says that the Shura Council of the Mujaheddan has "previously claimed responsibility for attacks on US soldiers and Iraqi forces and another kidnapping." I don't recall hearing of the group before. The Jawa Report has a video link.

More coverage: In The Bullpen

[Update] Added video link.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Following Entry Posted 5/01/2005 10:03:00 AM

Woman Guilty of Boy's Rape

(Bowling Green, Ohio) A 35-year-old Toledo woman, Leslie Thrasher, pleaded guilty this week in Wood County Common Pleas Court to two charges of rape of a 12-year-old boy. The plea agreement eliminates the necessity for the young victim to testify.

Leslie Thrasher
(Photo - Toledo Blade)
As part of her plea agreement, three counts of rape will be dismissed at sentencing which is scheduled for June 20. Thrasher faces a possible 20 years in prison. Judge Reeve Kelsey presided.

Following Entry Posted 5/01/2005 05:58:00 AM

Sgt. Hassan Akbar Gets Death Sentence

For the early morning grenade attack on fellow members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division at a camp in Kuwait, Sgt. Hassan Akbar was sentenced to death by a military court. The grenade killed Major Gregory Stone and Captain Christopher Seifert and wounded 14 other soldiers. Any other ruling would have been an injustice.

Interestingly, a review of various Arab websites resulted in finding only one mention of the trial of Sgt. Akbar, that being in the Arab News. Other media sources have completely ignored the fate of Sgt. Akbar. Those reviewed were Aljazeera.com, Aljazeera.net, the Turkish Press, the Gulf Daily News, the Turkish Daily News, the Gulf Times, and the Bahrain Tribune. Obviously, the group of Arab news sources is not all-encompassing, but it sure is noticeable that only one of the eight even mentioned Sgt. Akbar. It seems to indicate that the commission of heinous violent crimes for the glory of Allah doesn't get the perpetrator much notoriety.

All in all, despite the hyperbole and frenzy espoused by Islamic terrorists, there seems to be scant enduring acclaim in performing the job of a sneaky, murdering bastard. All the better reason to hang on to the hope of 72 virgins because you sure can't count on 72 newspaper articles.

Other coverage:

Diggers Realm
The Jawa Report
Michelle Malkin
Ramblings' Journal

As a final thought, I expect the ACLU to protest the verdict, probably on the basis of religious discrimination against Akbar or that the court was unconstitutional.

Following Entry Posted 5/01/2005 03:19:00 AM

Giving Hubby Money

(Asir Province, Saudi Arabia) A female Saudi teacher bribed her husband 100,000 Saudi riyals (approximately US$33,000) to not take another wife.

The wife tried to convince her husband not to marry again but when she saw that he was insisting, she took the desperate measure of resorting to paying him not to. The husband signed an agreement with his current wife promising that he would never marry another one as long as he is paid.

So, can we now agree that a precedent has been set for husbands to say, "Yes, I love you, baby. Now, give me some money."

Following Entry Posted 5/01/2005 02:34:00 AM

Syrian President Bashar May Fall

According to a report in Aljazeera.com, the head of Israeli Military Intelligence, Aharon Zeevi, believes that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could easily be booted from power because of immense political pressure.

"His regime's stability is in great danger today, more than in the past. The economic problems will get worse."

[ ... ]

"People are already saying that perhaps Bashar is not supplying the goods, that perhaps he should be replaced," Zeevi said.

Names in the hopper for possible succession include General Asaf Shaukat, head of intelligence and Assad's brother-in-law, and the president's brother, Maher Assad.

Since Syria has been a despotic state with the al-Assads dictating actions for so long, it's difficult to imagine the workings of internal political discontent. However, it's probably safe to say that Hezbollah and the Baathist Party are upset with the direction that Syria has been taken by Bashar.

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