Following Entry Posted 11/30/2005 05:31:00 PM

U.S. Delegates Snubbed at Caracas Airport

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/30/2005 03:25:00 PM

Trespasser Sentenced in Horse Sex Case

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

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

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

Enjoy breakfast at Basil's Blog.


[Update 05/22/07]

Bestiality movie called Zoo shown at Cannes Film Festival.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/30/2005 08:29:00 AM

Pregnant Lisa Lynnette Clark Indicted

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

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


[Update 02/09/06]

Boy-husband runs away, gets caught.


[Update 02/25/08]

Lisa Clark released from prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/30/2005 02:15:00 AM

Teacher Arrested for Boffing Student

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 10:08:00 PM

Blogger Samuel Alito

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 06:02:00 PM

Kuwaiti Ambassador Blasts Israel

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

From KUNA:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 04:39:00 PM

Peace Hostages Video

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 09:50:00 AM

Muslims Pinched in Gay Mass Marriage

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

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

From LATimes.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 07:20:00 AM

Loaded Gun Found During Airport Screening

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

From CBS4Denver.com:

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 06:21:00 AM

Woman Gets 4 Years for Rape of Boy

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/29/2005 05:43:00 AM

Lingerie Store Features Live Display Models

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/28/2005 11:56:00 PM

Priest Gets Eight Months for Child Porn

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

From Boston.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/28/2005 03:44:00 AM

Freegans

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

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

From TimesOnLine:

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

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

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

[ ... ]

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

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

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

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

Hat tip: Ace, Country Store
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/28/2005 01:41:00 AM

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

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

From KFMB.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/27/2005 07:59:00 PM

Duct-Taped Puppy Found Dead

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

From NBC4i.com:

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

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

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

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

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


[Update 12/03/05]

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/27/2005 05:24:00 PM

War Games in the Arabian Sea

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

From WebIndia123.com:

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

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

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

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

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

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/27/2005 11:36:00 AM

Teacher Charged with Corrupting Boy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


[Update 03/08/06]

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/26/2005 06:44:00 PM

Huge Benzene Spill in NE Chinese River

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Companion post at Diggers Realm.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/26/2005 04:00:00 PM

Poland Releases Warsaw Pact Files

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

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

From MOSNews.com:

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

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

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

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

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

Debbie has more on the story at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/25/2005 07:33:00 PM

Canadian Parliament to Hold Hearings to Prevent Intergalactic War

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

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

From Yahoo.com:

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

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

[ ... ]

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

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

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

There is entirely too much dope being smoked in Canada.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/25/2005 05:34:00 PM

Championship Pud Pulling

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

From InsideBayArea.com:

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

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

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

Ouch, ouch, ouch!

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

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

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

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


[Update 11/26/05]

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/24/2005 07:32:00 PM

Boy-Groping Teacher Gets 15 Days

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/24/2005 01:32:00 AM

Nazi Party Loses Road Sponsorship

(via RNS) This just cracks me up.

From OregonLive.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/23/2005 11:49:00 PM

Jackson Chronicles

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/23/2005 09:28:00 PM

Teri Hatcher Not That Desperate

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

Hatcher refutes the allegations.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/23/2005 03:37:00 PM

Sunni Tribal Leader & Family Massacred

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

From the Guardian:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/23/2005 04:52:00 AM

Blogger Hiring Unemployed Reporters

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/23/2005 02:44:00 AM

Accused Pastor Found Dead

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

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

The FBI is investigating.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/22/2005 02:08:00 PM

Debra Lafave Gets No Jail

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previous Posts:

09/20/05 - Judge Blocks Lafave Photos

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

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

06/16/05 - Debra Lafave Offered Plea Deal

05/20/05 - Debra Lafave Pretrial Hearing

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

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

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

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


[Update 12/09/05]

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


[Update 03/09/06]

Judge Stancil postpones Lafave's sentencing in Marion County.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/22/2005 06:49:00 AM

INTERPOL Chief Warns of Bioterror Attack

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

From the BBC:

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

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

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

[ ... ]

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/22/2005 02:47:00 AM

Woman Arrested for Molesting 13-Year-Old Boy

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

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

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

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


[Update 11/22/05, 1830 EST]

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


[Update 11/22/05, 2050 EST]

Added pic.


[Update 02/27/06]

Welborn sentenced to four years in prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/22/2005 12:57:00 AM

Upskirting and Downblousing Made Illegal

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

From Post-Gazette.com:

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

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

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

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

Companion post at Diggers Realm.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/21/2005 07:39:00 PM

Sandra "Beth" Geisel Sexually Abused by Students Says Judge

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

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

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

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

Previous reports on Sandra "Beth" Geisel:

09/26/05 - Geisel Gets 6 Months

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

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

08/19/05 - Beth Geisel Gets DWI

07/31/05 - Teacher and Boys

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/21/2005 09:28:00 AM

Russia Promises More Workers For Iraq

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

From MOSNEWS.com:

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/21/2005 08:04:00 AM

Maoists Want Indian Texts to Teach Communism

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

From HindustanTimes.com:

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

The CPI-Maoist would supply the books.

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/21/2005 06:57:00 AM

2005 Deutsche Welle International Weblog Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 09:17:00 PM

Don't Abuse the Maid

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

From TheStar.com:

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

[ ... ]

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 08:51:00 PM

Saudi Prince Predicts End of Terrorism in Two Years

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

From ArabNews.com:

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

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

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

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

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 03:03:00 PM

Morocco Nabs 17 Al Qaeda Suspects

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

From Ninemsn:

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

Bully!


[Update 11/20/05, 2250 EST]

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 02:41:00 PM

Al-Qaeda Bomb Experts Splode Selves

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

See also OpiniPundit and The Jawa Report.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 06:49:00 AM

McDonald's in Russia

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

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

According to Lisa Vronskaya of MosNews.com,

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

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

[ ... ]

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/20/2005 04:20:00 AM

Zarqawi Threatens Jordan

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/19/2005 08:01:00 PM

Teacher Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Boy

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

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

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


[Update 11/21/05]

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


[Update 01/12/06]

Another Boy Comes Forward

From nwanews.com:

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

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

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

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


[Update 08/02/06]

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


[Update 09/26/06]

Bobo sentenced to 12 years in prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/19/2005 04:08:00 PM

Teacher Gets Year for Rape of Student

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

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

From SacBee.com:

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

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

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

Sniff ... sniff ...
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/19/2005 02:37:00 PM

Lesbian Coach Pleads to Sex Charges

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

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

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


[Update 02/15/06]

Rucker gets sentenced to wrist slap.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/19/2005 11:17:00 AM

Doable Teacher Skates, Students Rejoice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 12/19/06]

Stow's sentence made more lenient.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 10:31:00 PM

Emu Massacre

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 11:02:00 AM

9th Circuit Should Relocate to Mecca

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

From the SacBee.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 07:06:00 AM

Saudi Teacher Sentenced to Public Flogging and Prison

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

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

From ArabicNews.com:

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

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

From SFGate.com:

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 05:00:00 AM

Just A Reminder


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

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 03:41:00 AM

Airplane Smoker Gets 15 Months in Prison

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

From SFGate.com:

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/18/2005 01:34:00 AM

Louisiana Democrat Becomes Republican

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/17/2005 04:59:00 PM

Teacher Jailed for Sex with Student

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

From AJC.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/17/2005 04:16:00 AM

Italy Arrests Three Algerian Terror Suspects

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/17/2005 12:55:00 AM

Woman Arrested for Soliciting Boy

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

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

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

       Following Entry Posted 11/16/2005 11:20:00 PM

Teacher's Aide Arrested for Sex Assault of Boy

(Racine, Wisconsin) A 33-year-old special education teacher's aide, Lisa Myhre (aka Lisa Street), was arrested Monday and charged for alleged sexual assault of a boy over a two-year period.

From the JournalTimes.com:

The sexual contact began when the student was just 14-years-old and in the eighth grade at McKinley Middle School. The relationship ended on or just before January 2005, according to the complaint.

Myhre allegedly performed oral sex on the boy, touched him sexually, and kissed him throughout the course of the relationship.

The victim, now 17, told his mother on Oct. 24 who then informed police on Oct. 25.

Myhre works at Knapp Elementary School as a special education assistant working with special education students, said Linda Flashinski, director of communications for Unified [Racine Unified School District].

The boy's mother is distraught.

"We were like sisters. She figured out how to manipulate me. I still can't believe she did it."

Myhre was booked into the Racine County Jail with bond set at $10,000.


[Update 09/17/06]

Myhre sentenced to seven years.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/16/2005 06:11:00 PM

Women Arrested in Suspected Hijack Plot

(Damascas, Syria) Reporting on this story is choppy. It seems no two sources agree.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Four Australian women have been detained while trying to board a plane in Syria, reportedly after gun parts were found inside a child's toy.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said two women from Victoria and two from NSW were with two Iraqi women when they were detained at Damascus airport on Tuesday.

All six were of Iraqi origin, the department said.

A DFAT spokesman would not confirm media reports that the group was detained after a disassembled gun was found inside a toy being carried by a child with the women.

Syrian authorities are investigating whether the women might have been involved in a plot to hijack the plane between Damascus and Bahrain, where the plane was due to stop over, or between Bahrain and the final destination in Australia.

From ADKNI.com:

Seven Iraqi women have been arrested in Syria after trying to board a plane with a gun, a Bahraini diplomatic source has told the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA. The Gulf Air plane to the Bahraini capital, Manama, eventually took off late from Damascus International Airport. The gun was hidden inside a toy in the bag of one of the women.

Initial investigations indicate that a man had been expected to accompany them but did not show up for the flight. All seven women and the man had Australian passports. Earlier on Tuesday there were reports that a man had tried to board a plane with a concealed gun.

For some reason, Syrian officials have not revealed much which would explain the apparent conflict in reporting.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/16/2005 05:33:00 PM

U.S. Retains Control of Internet Traffic

(Tunis, Tunisia) Some members of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society wanted to transfer control of Internet traffic from the United States to the United Nations. They failed.

From Reuters:

The United States will keep control of the domain-name system that guides online traffic under an agreement on Wednesday seen as a setback to efforts to internationalise one of the pillars of the Internet.

Negotiators at the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society said they had agreed to set up a forum to discuss "spam" e-mail and other Internet issues and explore ways to narrow the technology gap between rich and poor countries.

But oversight of the domain-name system will remain with the United States, a setback for the European Union and other countries that had pushed for international control of one of the most important technical aspects of the Internet.

The European Union said in a statement that the agreement would lead to "further internationalisation of Internet governance, and enhanced intergovernmental cooperation to this end."

This is good news. I'm at a loss to even imagine what would happen if the UN or the EU were put in charge.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/16/2005 01:16:00 PM

Open Source Media

From Rusty Shackleford:

OSMTM (Open Source Media), a new online venture designed to bring together top online writers, journalists and commentators under a single umbrella, officially debuts today at a New York City launch event that features a discussion on the future of blogging and journalism, details on the company's content and the official launch of the new portal to the best of the blogosphere.

The Jawa Report is one of 70 top blogs now a part of Open Source Media.

Today's launch event will include comments by Instapundit blogger Glenn Reynolds and Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author Judith Miller, who will discuss the "Shield Law" bill currently before Congress and broader issues facing bloggers and journalists alike.

There's more at the link.

Just guessing, but I suspect the launching of Open Source Media will ultimately be viewed as a landmark occurrence in the burying of the mainstream media into dark insignificance.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/16/2005 12:29:00 PM

Here's Some Crack, Now Pick Up Some Garbage

(Kelowna, British Columbia) Here's a politician, Andrew Uitvlugt, running for the mayor's office who has proposed a very creative solution to the problem of litter.

From EdmontonSun.com:

Andrew Uitvlugt says crack cocaine could be used as a reward for drug-addicted homeless people to pick up garbage.

"So what I propose to do is to possibly motivate people with drugs to do constructive work, like get them out there picking up garbage, and then we'll give them some crack," he says on the website www.okbc.tv in a wacky video campaign pitch.

"Now what'll happen here is, after they're done picking up their garbage, they're going to feel somewhat good, they're going to think to themselves, 'You know, I did a good job today.' And they're going to maybe need less crack."

You can see Uitvlugt's campaign video here.

Besides not having a clue on how to pronounce his name, I strongly suspect that Uitvlugt hasn't considered that his proposal would likely result in an increase in garbage along with an increase in people desiring to pick up garbage.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 11:11:00 PM

Man Cuts His Testicles Off

(Wales, UK) A 31-year-old Welsh rugby fan, Geoffrey Huish, is finally speaking of the bizarre incident where he cut off his testicles with a pair of blunt wire cutters. It took an agonizing ten minutes.

From Ananova.com:

Then he put his severed parts in a blue plastic bag and staggered to a social club to tell fellow Wales fans what he'd done.

Jobless Geoffrey finally collapsed with blood pouring from his groin as horrified drinkers put his testicles in a pint glass of ice.

They were handed to paramedics who rushed him to hospital - but surgeons could not sew them back.

Geoffrey, of Senghenydd, spent several months in a psychiatric unit as experts tried to fathom his actions.

He said: "I'd told my pal Gethin Probert before the game that Wales didn't stand a chance. It wasn't a bet, but I said I'd cut my balls off if we won...

"So I started hacking away at my tackle. It took about ten minutes and there was quite a lot of pain -- but I just kept going.

"The cutters were blunt so I had to keep snipping. I cut my penis as well. There was a lot of blood but not as much as you would expect."

I've heard that a man is only as good as his word. Geoffrey Huish is a man who kept his word and, as a result, came out less of a man. Pretty screwy logic, I'd say.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 10:27:00 PM

Navy Searching for Brig Escapee

(Bangor, Washington) Be on the lookout for escapee James Tait Praefke, a 37-year-old U.S. Navy Aviation Electrician's Mate who was court-martialed, convicted, and sentenced for possessing stolen ammunition and attempting to smuggle explosives. Praefke was helping a guard provide lunches to other inmates when he disappeared.


James Tait Praefke
At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Praefke is trouble. He has used the aliases James Walter Praefke and James Tait Krueger and has a history of weapons use, domestic violence and drunken driving; espouses pro-militia, anti-government views, and is experienced in making bombs. Praefke's wife Keran stated that he's a terrorist and she's afraid of him.

Praefke is unpredictable, on the lam, and likes to play with explosives. He needs to be caught. Anyone with information should call the Naval Criminal Investigative Service or the FBI.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 09:12:00 PM

Michelle Malkin Profiled

For those that enjoy Michelle Malkin's writing and thinking, today's New York Sun has an up-close-and-personal profile piece on her by Meghan Clyne. Take a look.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 04:02:00 PM

Chirac Orders End Of Malaise

(Paris) Two weeks of rioting in France has prompted President Jacques Chirac to take action to reach out to angry youths. Chirac believes that the rioting is caused by a "profound malaise" brought on by the "poison" of discrimination in French society. Consequently, he ordered the creation of a corps of volunteers to train 50,000 young persons by 2007.

The report of Chirac's speech was naturally translated from French so I might be misinterpreting the meaning, but it sure sounds like he's saying "Don't worry, be happy."

Frankly, Chirac is not exhibiting the strongest of leadership skills. Right now, he's got a law enforcement problem and he needs to clamp down on the rioters first. Then, and only then, should he focus on the touchy-feely "malaise" thing.

As an aside, I recall that President Carter gave a "crisis of confidence" speech to America in 1979 to explain double-digit inflation and double-digit interest rates. It has been described as his "malaise" speech. The "malaise" angle didn't work for Carter but maybe it'll work for Chirac.

Yeah, and maybe I'll win the lottery.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 12:42:00 PM

The 2005 Weblog Awards - Nominations

The 2005 Weblog Awards competition comprises 37 categories and nominations are now open. Nominations will close on November 26 and voting begins on December 1. The nominations link is here.

Go now and nominate your favorite blog(s).
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/15/2005 07:02:00 AM

Sex Trafficking Ring Busted

(Houston) Eight suspects of El Salvadoran origin have been charged for allegedly conspiring to smuggle Central and South American girls and women into the United States for prostitution. According to federal authorities, a sweep also resulted in approximately 100 Central and South American women and girls being taken into custody in connection with various immigration issues.

From HoustonChronicle.com:

The defendants allegedly enticed the victims from their homes in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and smuggled them into the country through the Mexican border, then forced them to work at the suspects' businesses to pay off their smuggling fees. Authorities said the victims were coerced into sitting and dancing with customers, as well as submitting to their sexual demands.

Arrested Sunday were Maximino Mondragon, 57; Victor Omar Lopez, 38; Oscar Mondragon, 47; Walter Alexander Corea, 39; Kerin Josue Silva, 19; Olga Mondragon, 45; Maria Fuentes, 35; and Lorenza Reynosa.

All eight are charged with conspiring to recruit and transport young Central and South American women and girls for purposes of prostitution. If convicted of conspiracy, each faces a possible five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Interestingly, the federal bust of the El Salvadoran sex trafficking operation was reported at the same time it was announced that illegal aliens from El Salvador have become the largest other than Mexican (OTM) group in the U.S. This is particularly troublesome since convicted violent criminals, including notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members, are in the mix of those being smuggled into the country. To illustrate, an October 31 deportation load was comprised of 13 Mara Salvatrucha gangsters and 57 other convicted criminals, all from El Salvador.

Since illegally sauntering across the border is a crime without punishment, I imagine every one of the convicted and all of the MS-13 gang members will be back in the U.S. soon. And, adding to everyone's frustration, they'll probably bring along their buddies. After all, crossing the U.S.-Mexican border is like having an all-day pass at Disney World. There's no charge to take the ride over and over and over.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/14/2005 08:09:00 PM

Cool Mom Johnson Sentenced to 30 Years

(Denver, Colorado) Last July, 'Cool Mom' Sylvia Johnson pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor sex-assault counts and nine felony counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Today, Cool Mom Johnson was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

For the full story of Cool Mom Johnson, see the following:

09/05 - "Cool Mom" in Serious Car Crash with Four Youths

07/05 - 'Cool Mom' Pleads Guilty

01/05 - 'Cool Mom' Has Sex-Drug Parties for Teen Boys

Thirty years in the cooler will give Sylvia Johnson a lot of time to think about the value of being cool.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/14/2005 04:36:00 PM

Moronic and Bloodthirsty

Howie poses questions at The Jawa Report (via Dennis Prager) to the presumed rational Muslim majority seeking to know why they tolerate terrorist evil being perpetrated in the name of Islam. Folding nicely into the post by Howie is the substance of the following piece by a Muslim writer who addresses the same subject. The writer, Hassan Al-Haifi, contends that terrorists, which he calls 'hypocrites,' are an insidious Fifth Column and enemies of Islam.

From the Yemen Times:

One will also find that the leaders of these modern day Moslem hypocrites never themselves partake in "suicide missions" or direct confrontation, but rather send misguided converts to their corrupt renditions of Islam to do the dirty work for them, while claiming credit on internet web-sites that are mysteriously availed to them with ease.

And, then there's this:

In fact these moronic bloodthirsty hypocrites have killed more Moslems than any enemies of Islam and thus will be relegated to the bottom levels of Hell, just as the Qur'an tells us and deservedly so, because of all the animosity they have raised against Moslems everywhere.

Hassan Al-Haifi calls on all decent Muslims to curse the "outrageous deviation from the true teachings of Islam" and admonish the terrorists and, in particular, those that support them financially.

I think that Al-Haifi is boldly courageous. For an unarmed Arab journalist to criticize radical Islamists in an Arab newspaper on the Arabian peninsula takes the testicles of a thousand camels. More followers of Islam need to express their outrage at the terrorists.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/14/2005 10:22:00 AM

Al Qaeda Targeted Intel Meeting in Amman Blast

DEBKAfile reports that the al Qaeda bombing at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Amman last Wednesday specifically targeted a secret intelligence meeting. The attack wiped out the entire group of senior Palestinian, Jordanian and Saudi intelligence officers. With the arrest of the unsuccessful fourth bomber, Sajid Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, Jordanian investigators have a possible lead to identifying who leaked the time and place of the secret meeting.

Agreed, DEBKAfile sometimes comes across as a little loosey-goosey in its assertions. In my opinion, that doesn't seem to be the case with the latest report.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/13/2005 02:15:00 PM

Muslim Women Wearing Makeup

An article in the Arab News discusses the permissibility of Muslim women wearing makeup and it appears that scholars' opinions are divided between 'none' and 'essentially none.' Both groups of scholars derived their opinions from the same verse in the Qu'ran. To wit:

"Tell believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms except what may ordinarily appear thereof.

Let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms and not display their charms to any but their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or those whom they rightfully possess, or such male attendants as are free of physical desire, or children that are as yet unaware of women's nakedness.

Let them not swing their legs in walking so as to draw attention to their hidden charms."

Man! That's a set of restrictions. I wonder how a young Muslim man would select a woman for courtship without being given a hint of her 'hidden charms.' He wouldn't be allowed to see much of her except for the clothes which, of course, have limitations.

Although some societies impose certain colors on women's clothes, such as black, dark blue or gray, the fact is that Islam does not require such restrictions. All decent colors are permissible.

What we mean by decent is that which is considered to be decent in one's community. A woman’s clothes must be such as not to be eye-catching or inviting criticism or a hard gaze. Otherwise, there is no particular restriction on color.

Taken together, the restrictions on women's appearance seem to prevent females from expressing any individuality or being noticed as feminine in any manner. As a result, the catalog of Muslim mail-order brides couldn't be more than a brochure with one picture in it.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/13/2005 10:53:00 AM

A Frenchman Explains the Riots

A Frenchman named Simon sent an email to Digger at Diggers Realm in an effort to clear up what he sees as misunderstanding on the part of Americans regarding the rioting in France. Any prudent student of politics needs to read the email, posted at Diggers Realm, in its entirety. In total, it describes how France got itself into the current situation, going back to decisions made after World War One. Here's an excerpt, slightly groomed while retaining Simon's original, albeit somewhat choppy, English.

Most of the rioters were known by the police for many acts of serious delinquency. Some spent few years in jails others were probably relaxed by a Justice poisoned by Marxists ( Syndicat de la Magistrature - union of leftist lawers ). In my opinion, those gangsters were monitored by the Mollas who pushed them to provoke the authorities, expecting any flaws that could be used to upsurge the whole Muslim Mass.

Those Muslim bastards never come and put the mess in French countryside villages where most of people are deer-hunters and have hunting guns. Should they do it, be sure that they will be welcome by the same kind of "welcoming committee" that in any USA village. They know it.

Unfortunately, these riots didn't spread in well-standard living areas where the so-called "bobo" live. Should it happen, that it would wake them up from their mental anesthesia.

The 'bobo' is comparable to the liberal elite in the U.S. The bobo have acquired wealth and status and believe that the world should be led to utopia through socialism.

Another excerpt:

My father ancestors were Austrian and migrate in 1715 while my mother's parents were Italians and migrate in 1919. I was at school with the French native sons of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish Hungarian immigrants. Their parents came in France with a snotty nose and nothing even a bundle. They work hard: to build a House, and to give a welI education to their children.

I grew up with their children. Never saw them rioting, selling drugs, burning cars. THEY worked hard at school, they wanted to learn and get a job. Bloody hell! There was a kind of gentle competition between us to be the best at School!

The "Bobo" and Politicians, who both never grew up with European immigrants, are so blinded by their shit "Republican Values and Laicity" [Ed. note: Laicity = secularism] that they ignore what made the fusion possible: CHRISTIAN VALUES and GRECO-ROMAN VALUES. Believers or not believers, most of European immigrants were educated at home through a remaining of CHRISTIAN VALUES.

I am not a believer, my Mum is a strong one. Even ignorant about religion, I was educated with mother's Christian values and I can tell you that I know all the benefit of them! Like it or not: These values are the Key success in both USA and Europe.

Go read the rest at Diggers Realm. And then, pass it on. People need to know Simon's first-hand, nuts-and-bolts assessment of what occurs when a country is infested with socialists.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/13/2005 09:00:00 AM

Amman Suicide Bomber's Wife Arrested

(Amman, Jordan) Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Marwan al-Muasher announced that a woman, Sajida Mubarak al-Rishai, who failed to blow herself up during last Wednesday's hotel bombings in Amman, has been arrested.

From Albawaba.com:

"I just heard from our intelligence services that there is a fourth bomber, a woman, who failed to blow herself up and she's in custody," he [al-Muasher] told a group of media representatives in the Jordanian capital.

Al-Muasher added the woman would appear tonight on Jordanian television to explain details of the operation. He also showed pictures of the explosives belt worn by her. It should be noted that the woman's husband blew himself up in Amman's Radisson SAS hotel.

Sajida Mubarak al-Rishai, 35, is said to be the sister of Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, a Zarqawi lieutenant who was killed by US forces in Falluja.

In a related report from Aljazeera.com, the four Amman hotel attackers were identified.

An armed group in Iraq posted a statement on a notorious website naming the four people who carried out the bombings, including a husband and wife.

The names of the four, according to the statement, were Abu Khabib, Abu Muaz, Abu Omaira and Om Omaira.

The validity of the Aljazeera information appears to be in conflict with this BBC report:

The three Iraqi bombers, who died in the attacks, were identified as Ali Hussein Ali al-Shamari, from Anbar province, Rawad Jassem Mohammed Abed, 23, and Safaa Mohammed Ali, 23.

The 'notorious website' statement also conflicts with this Reuters report:

All four bombers were from Iraq's western desert province of Anbar, bordering Jordan, he said adding they had avoided contact with Jordanians apparently in an effort to avoid Jordanian security forces which have foiled previous attacks.

Muasher named the three dead men as 23-year-olds Safar Mohammed Ali and Rawad Jasim Mohammed Abid and Ali Hussein al-Shimeri, who was born in 1970 and so probably aged 25.

Shimeri's wife is the same age, he said, naming her as Sajida al-Rishawi, the sister of Samir Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi. Rishawi, he said, was one of Zarqawi's lieutenants and was killed at Falluja, in western Iraq.

Evidently, the 'notorious website' statement is either erroneous or aliases are used.

In summary, four Iraqis went to Amman on suicide missions and one survived, a woman. She was arrested and will appear on television tonight to explain the operation. In a way, I can understand why she would be forthcoming. Her husband and her brother are dead and, at best, she's going to prison. What does she have left to lose?

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/13/2005 07:57:00 AM

Jacko Caught Impersonating Arab Woman

(Dubai) This report is just too odd not to pass along.

From KhaleejTimes.com:

When she went to the ladies washroom in the Egyptian Court of Ibn Battuta Mall at 9.30 last night, 37-year old Latifa M. never imagined that she would come face to face with pop icon Michael Jackson, who walked in dressed in a T-shirt and trousers, with his head covered with the Emirati women's traditional head scarf Sheila.

The Tunisian, who is a teacher in a private school in Dubai, screamed in shock and ran out of the ladies room when she realised that the woman-like person was a man. She went back in to photograph the pop singer with her mobile phone, while he was busy fixing his make up.

This time it was the turn of Michael Jackson who ran after the Ajman-based teacher, to retrieve the pictures. The scene attracted the security of the mall, who tried to take the phone from Latifa, but she refused and asked for compensation, while the two women accompanying Jackson tried to convince her to sit in private and settle the issue.

Latifa wanted to be paid for the pictures but Jackson refused. Police got involved and informed her that UAE laws do not entitle her to any financial gain from the situation. Consequently, she gave up her mobile phone but only after erasing the pictures out of fear that she might be penalized.

Without a leash, Jackson is liable to do anything. Why he would dress up as an Arab woman is beyond me.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/12/2005 11:56:00 PM

Jordan's King Abdullah Vows to Get Zarqawi

(Amman, Jordan) Here's some strong language from an Arab leader.

From ABC News Online:

Jordan's King Abdullah has vowed to track down the militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, after officials announced they hold Zarqawi's group "Al Qaeda in Iraq" responsible for the blasts in Amman that killed 57 people.

In addition to Jordan, it would be nice to see some other mid-eastern countries aggressively pursuing Zarqawi.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/12/2005 08:04:00 PM

Woman Arrested for Child Molestation

(Gainesville, Georgia) Hall County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 37-year-old Lisa Lynnette Clark on allegations that she had sex with a 15-year-old boy. Clark has been charged with child molestation and is being held without bond at the Hall County Detention Center.


[Update 11/14/05, 1400 EST]

Whoa! The plot thickens. It's now alleged that Lisa Clark not only had sex with the 15-year-old, she also got pregnant and married him.

From AccessNorthGA.com:

Dawson County probate officials confirm the Tuesday marriage of a 37 year old Gainesville woman and the 15 year old neighbor she's accused of molesting.

Members of the boy's family said over the weekend 37-year-old Lynnette Clark is pregnant with the boy's child and that they were married last week in Dawson County.

Dawson County probate officials have confirmed that the marriage took place last Tuesday, but declined to provide additional comments, saying Judge Jennifer Burt who did not marry the couple would release a statement on the marriage Monday afternoon.

Judy Hayles, the boy's grandmother, said she received a notice of the marriage from Dawson County because she is the boy's guardian.

Also according to Hayles, the relationship between Clark and the boy has been going on for two years.

"A piece of garbage, pure garbage," Hayles said about Clark. "She is a pedophile, plain and simple. That's exactly what she is, scum of the earth."

Hayles said she found love letters from the woman to the teen and when she confronted the boy, he confirmed that they were having an affair, according to the report.

Hayles is working to end the marriage.


[Update 11/16]

Changed state to Georgia from Florida. Thanks to a commenter for noticing the error. I apologize.


[Update 11/30]

On 11/29, Lisa Lynnette Clark was indicted by a Hall County grand jury on child molestation charges. See follow up report.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 02/09/06]

Boy-husband runs away, gets caught.


[Update 02/24/06]

Lisa Clark rejects deal offered by prosecution and pleads not guilty to all charges.


[Update 02/25/08]

Lisa Clark released from prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/12/2005 02:02:00 PM

Mom Arrested for Pimping 4-Year-Old Daughter

(Martinez, California) A 22-year-old woman, Shannon Nicole Woods, was arrested Tuesday on allegations that she attempted to sell her 4-year-old daughter for sex over the Internet. She has been charged with offering a minor under 16 for lewd and lascivious acts.

From MercuryNews.com:

The National Center for Exploited and Missing Children contacted Martinez Police after receiving a tip two weeks ago that Shannon Nicole Woods was soliciting her child, Sgt. Gary Peterson said Friday.

"She denies that she offered up the child," he said. "But we have records of online activity that shows she did."

Woods solicited men for prostitution through a posting on Craigslist, Peterson said.

Woods is in jail at the Contra Costa County Main Detention Facility with bail set at $50,000.

Since it was through the CyberTip line of the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children and not Craigslist that authorities were notified, one has to assume that Craigslist postings are not monitored effectively to preclude it from being used as a vehicle for commission of crimes. Some people may regard the apparent lack of oversight as negligent.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/12/2005 09:28:00 AM

Jacko Is Tapped Out

According to this report, Michael Jackson is having significant financial problems. He shut down his web site and fired two close confidantes. His insurance premiums are going unpaid and he is believed to be in default on $270 million worth of loans. Meanwhile, Jacko lives off the Prince of Bahrain.

Jackson has been out of the headlines lately and it's fine with me. However, I do anticipate that he'll be back at some time, once again reminding everybody of the problem of pedophilia. Despite the fact that he was acquitted of child molestation, I think there's little doubt of Jacko's proclivities.

On a different note, with Jackson currently languishing close to the heart of Islam and given that he's a man of questionable fiber, would it be unreasonable to foresee him re-emerge as newsworthy, if and when it occurs, with an announcement that he has adopted Islam?
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/11/2005 04:38:00 PM

Gina Purvis Strikes Back

(Peoria, Illinois) To refresh readers' memories, Gina Purvis is the former high school biology teacher who was tried and acquitted of criminal sexual assault. She had been accused of mixing it up with a 15-year-old student.


Gina M. Purvis
(Photo - Gonzo)
Apparently, the ordeal of the investigation and trial has soured Gina Purvis to the extent that she has now filed suit in U.S. District Court, alleging that her civil rights were violated. The lawsuit claims that the school board, former superintendent Daniel Oest, principal Patricia Lunn, and dean of students Gary Vicini did not follow procedures in her case. The city of Spring Valley and police chief Douglas Bernabei are also named in the lawsuit which seeks $40 million in damages.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/11/2005 03:38:00 PM

Motel Owners Charged with Harboring Illegals

(Phoenix, Arizona) The sheer number of illegal aliens entering the United States yearly indicates there must be many people helping them. This story suggests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is actually going after people who aid and abet smuggling.

From AZCentral.com:

Thirteen owners of six Mesa motels are accused of harboring undocumented immigrants after a nine-month undercover operation, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday in Phoenix.

Authorities also are seeking forfeiture of five of the six motels, all on Main Street and valued at several million dollars. The sixth motel was sold and the new owners were not involved, officials said.

Take their property. That will do it. Few people are dumb enough to risk most of their wealth for the sake of illegals. But wait, maybe they weren't really helping the border jumpers all that much.

Federal agents raided the Mesa motels Tuesday and discovered 23 undocumented immigrants at the Majestic Guest Inn, according to records.

Owners of the Kiva Lodge, HiWay Host, Majestic Guest Inn, Westernaire, Centebar Suites and Apartments and the Roadrunner rented rooms, often at higher rates than regular customers, to undercover agents posing as human smugglers, according to the indictments. One owner offered to "take out all of the White people" if the undercover agent needed more room, records show, and another offered to sell soda to immigrants for $5 per can. Some owners allowed 10 people per room and one agent was charged $170 even though he only needed the room for a few hours.

So, apparently the motel owners were not acting out of altruism. Instead, they were screwing the illegals out of what little money they had.

Furthermore, of the 13 motel owners indicted, eight are named Patel and five are named Bhatka which I believe are Indian names. Consequently, Indian-Americans have been scalping illegal aliens smuggled from Mexico. Nonetheless, what they were doing is illegal and now they're shut down.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/11/2005 08:07:00 AM

Websites Leak Black Friday Bargains

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the year's busiest shopping day and retailers go to great lengths to offer attractive bargains to lure holiday crowds to their stores. Typically, discounted sale items are kept secret until Thanksgiving Day, however, websites have emerged which are publishing Black Friday sales information beforehand. Consequently, prudent shoppers can now peruse the Internet, days or weeks before Black Friday, and learn about which stores will be selling which items at deep discounts.

Certainly, the websites that specialize in disseminating sales information obtain the data from many sources. For example, GottaDeal.com encourages readers to submit breaking news on sales and, also, hosts a reader message board where visitors can jot down the latest hot shopping tips. Black Friday 2005 also publishes reader submitted information.

Another source of information is advance Black Friday ad copy, presumably obtained surreptitiously by people involved with printing or distribution and published significantly before the flood of holiday newspaper and television advertising. Legal questions have been raised about the practice of leaking Black Friday ad copy without permission since it's customarily copyrighted material. Nevertheless, leaks are apparently happening regularly.

My take is that it's ludicrous to think that anyone would ever be prosecuted under copyright law for leaking Black Friday sales information. Maybe, just maybe, if a particularly grievous offender is identified, an individual could be fired, but nobody is going to end up in court for leaking doorbuster bargain ads.

So, in a nutshell, those folks that don't mind elbowing their way through churning throngs of myopic shoppers on Black Friday (and, you know who you are), check out the best bargains listed on leaker websites before the alarm goes off at 4AM on November 25. Then put on comfortable shoes and race to get that 42-inch plasma television for less than $1,000, knowing full well that it will be a 'sold out' item before the day is over.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 11:44:00 PM

The New Red Crystal

Next month, representatives from 192 signatories to the Geneva Conventions are scheduled to meet to discuss adding a new emblem to represent the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations. The new emblem is called the "Red Crystal."


Red Cross - Red Crescent - Red Crystal
The Swiss government is attempting to introduce the new emblem for use by national groups that reject the current Red Cross or Red Crescent. The Red Crystal would have no national, religious, or cultural connotations.

If adopted, it's believed the new emblem would also clear the way for Israel's membership. However, despite the good intentions of the Swiss, I'm convinced that Israel's membership won't occur easily and without controversy.

All that said, my thinking is that the new emblem looks more like a red square or a red diamond, not a red crystal.


[Update 11/11/05]

It's worth noting that the 'Red Crystal' is already being used in a completely contrary application.


Firing Range Target
(Photo - GunsmokeEnterprises.net)
One has to wonder whether the geniuses in Geneva considered the fact that the 'Red Crystal' is used for firearms training. As such, displaying a 'Red Crystal' may not be the wisest choice since it could be troublesome in the din of battle.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 10:51:00 PM

Russia Offers Football Fans to Quell French Riots

The Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, sent a telegram to France with an offer to provide football fans to quell the ongoing riots throughout the country. Zhirinovsky indicated that hundreds of volunteers are ready.

"We are ready with volunteer units of football fans and activists who have served in military combat hot spots.

"I am convinced that our initiative would restore total order and calm the rioting within 48 hours."

Obviously, Zhirinovsky is having some fun by implying that Russian football fans are more capable than the French police. Or, maybe not.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 10:34:00 PM

Boobs Catch Fire

(Augsburg, Germany) In Augsburg County Court, 22-year-old flame blower Marc Miszler was given a 10-month suspended jail sentence for setting a woman's breasts on fire.

From Ananova.com:

Dancer Maria Leeb, 27, was tied to a pole wearing just her g-string while her fire-eating partner blew flames at her.

But the hot new act in a lap-dancing club in Augsburg, Germany, came to a painful end when her naked breasts went up in flames.

I can't even imagine what they were trying to do.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 02:02:00 PM

21st Century Bastilles


Liberte, Equalite et Fraternite
Via Speed Of Thought...
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 10:31:00 AM

Woman Plots to Meet Boy for Sex

(South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania) A 31-year-old mother of two, Melissa Arnold, has been charged with one count of unlawful contact with a minor for allegedly plotting to lure a 13-year-old Australian boy, via the Internet and by telephone, for sex. State police said that Arnold had offered to arrange for the boy to travel from Australia to Pennsylvania so the two could have sex.

Authorities were alerted to the scheme when the boy's father contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through the Internet. Arnold's computer was subsequently seized by detectives who found implicating evidence in numerous emails to the boy's email account.

From CBS 3:

"Communications were sexual in nature, instant messages, email and telephone communications,” said Trooper Paul Iannace of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Arnold posted $50,000 and was released from custody. If convicted, she faces a possible seven years in prison.

In an interesting side development, Arnold's husband, John, pulled a gun on the media crew when they went to interview Melissa.

When CBS 3 was leaving, Melissa's husband John Arnold came out of the house and followed us to our truck. He was repeatedly asking us what we were doing there and we told him we were leaving.

As he was walked away, he pulled a 45-millimeter handgun out of his pocket clearly showing us he had a gun. We called police and Arnold was seen showing them his gun permit.

WOW!  That is one monster pistol!


[Update 01/13/07]

Arnold sentenced.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/10/2005 06:53:00 AM

Al Qaeda Claims Amman Blasts

According to a an unverified statement on an Islamist website, Al Qaeda in Iraq takes responsibility for the triple bomb attacks on Amman hotels.

From ABC News Online:

"A group of our best lions launched a new attack on some dens," the statement said.

"After casing the targets, some hotels were chosen which the Jordanian despot turned into a backyard for the enemies of the faith, the Jews and crusaders."

The statement was signed by a spokesman for Al Qaeda in Iraq.

The admission comes as no surprise since al Qaeda was suspected from the very beginning. That said, it is odd that many hours transpired before they claimed responsibility.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 10:59:00 PM

Female Teacher Arrested for Sex with Boy

(Centerville, Maryland) A 32-year-old English teacher at Kent County High School, Kimberly Cordrey-McKinney, was arrested today by Maryland State Police and charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old male student. Cordrey-McKinney faces two counts each of sexual abuse of a minor, child abuse from a custodian, unnatural/perverted sexual practice and second degree assault.

Cordrey-McKinney remains in custody until a bond hearing is held in District Court.


[Update 11/14/05, 1500 EST]

According to this report, Cordrey-McKinney is married to a Queen Anne's County sheriff's deputy. I bet he's embarrassed and humiliated. Also, added photo.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 09:35:00 PM

Two Men Indicted for Missile Smuggling Conspiracy

(Los Angeles) A federal grand jury indicted two men today for conspiring to smuggle shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles into the United States.

From Reuters.com:

Chao Tung Wu and Yi Qing Chen became the first defendants indicted under a federal smuggling law enacted last December, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

They were charged with conspiring with unnamed foreign nationals to smuggle into the United States missile systems designed to destroy aircraft, charges that carry maximum penalties of 25 years in prison.

Wu and Chen were already being held without bail on charges related to a conspiracy to smuggle counterfeit money, cigarettes and drugs into the United States and distribute methamphetamine and ecstasy.

The two will be arraigned next week.

Wu and Chen were initially arrested, along with 85 others, during a federal undercover investigation called Operation Smoking Dragon. In my opinion, this case illustrates the value and need for undercover anti-terrorism operations.

Companion at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 03:29:00 PM

Explosions in Jordan

(Amman, Jordan) Eighteen people are reported dead from explosions at three major Amman hotels about two hours ago. Suicide bombers are suspected. More than 120 are reported injured.

From the JPost:

"The attacks carry the trademark of al-Qaida," one police official said on condition of anonymity in line with police regulations. "However it is not certain. We are investigating."

The explosions struck the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels. A police officer at the Radisson site said it was caused "apparently by a bomb."

The hotels, in the commercial Jebel Amman district, are frequented by American and European businessmen and diplomats. The Radisson, in particular, is popular with Israeli tourists, and was a target of several foiled al-Qaida plots in the past.

Developing ...


[Update 1625 EST]

From Reuters, at least 23 people are now reported dead from three suspected suicide bombers in the three hotels.

The explosion at the Radisson Hotel occurred in a banquet room where 300 people were attending a wedding reception. The room was adjacent to a bar which security sources believe was the intended target.

The stone entrance to the Grand Hyatt was completely shattered. Hyatt General Manager Otto Steenbeek stated the explosion was in the bar area and caused many casualties.

The blasts came without warning or any hint from intelligence. Thus far, no claims of responsibility have been received.

Television news reports that suicide bombers are believed to have walked into the hotels. Videotape surveillance footage should be available. Similarities are being drawn to last month's bombings in Bali where suicide bombers walked into restaurants.


[Update 1640 EST]

Fox News reports that a Jordanian security force spokesman has confirmed that there are 53 dead. The explosions are believed to be the first organized simultaneous terrorist attacks in Jordan.


[Update 1700 EST]

From Lawhawk, it seems there may have been some warning that Jordan was a target for an imminent attack. Check out Hammorabi who posts an alert that Zarqawi has been planning an attack in Jordan. The source of the information is not clear.


[Update 1745 EST]

(via television newscasts) The Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher said there were two suicide bombers and a car bomb. The Hyatt and Radisson were attacked by suicide walk-ins, the Days Inn was attacked with a car bomb. The death toll has increased to 57.

The AP reports approximately 300 wounded. The borders of Jordan have been sealed and a search is underway for collaborators.

Jordan's King Abdullah blamed a "deviant and misled group" for the attacks. The Jordanian cabinet is in an emergency session.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 12:55:00 PM

2005 Durex Global Sex Survey

Recently released, the results of the 2005 Durex Global Sex Survey indicate that people worldwide have sex an average of 103 times per year. The survey of 41 countries by condom-maker Durex contains many interesting nuggets for conversation. Here's a few.

- Greeks have sex 138 times per year and led the world.

- France led in 2004 at 137 times per year but fell this year to 120. Sacre bleu!

- Americans have sex 113 times per year, up two from 2004.

- Australians and Canadians have sex 108 times per year.

- Asians, in general, are the least active sexually, taking nine of the bottom ten slots in the ranking of countries.

Least Active

China - 96
Sweden - 92
Taiwan - 88
Vietnam - 87
Malaysia - 83
Hong Kong - 78
Indonesia - 77
India - 75
Singapore - 73

And the most frustrated country for the second straight year, getting less than half the average action, is:

Japan - 45

It's a little perplexing that the Asians are ranked so low ... uh ... there being so many of them.

Arguably, there's more frivolity than substance in the survey, yet it provides some important demographic statistics regarding safe sex practices and promiscuity. It doesn't explain, however, why the Swedish bikini babes get less action than hot Canadian women.

Trackback to Samantha Burns.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 10:42:00 AM

Complaint About Big Breasts, Small Butts

(via John Ray and the Sunday Mail) Check out a recent feminist complaint from Australia.

A beer advertisement championing females with large breasts and a small behind has been slammed as portraying Australians as "a bunch of crude, sexist yobbos." The Foster's beer ad has been seen extensively throughout the Russian Federation. It depicts a bikini with a small top and a large bottom above the caption "the law of life." Below that is a bikini with a large top and a small bottom captioned "the law of Foster's."

The ad has prompted an angry response from Australian women. Women's Electoral Lobby Australia chairwoman Eva Cox said: "It is bloody stupid. "Why would they bother antagonising a whole pile of women who could drink Foster's? "Companies have got to get a bit smarter about this sort of stuff." (more)

Now, excuse me for being dense about this, but why would women be antagonized for being physically attractive? One could easily believe that Eva Cox wants women, in general, and any reference to female physical attributes, in particular, to be excluded from all advertising. Why? I don't know, but I'd suggest that this woman named Eva Cox would benefit from a day of stiff homonyms. She needs to lighten up.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 09:53:00 AM

Blogging Made Easy

Occasionally, a blogger will complain about the difficulty in putting together one of the multitude of carnivals in the blogosphere. From now on, I won't listen. Not when John Bambenek, the Part-Time Pundit, can put together two carnivals in a week. In fact, he's hosted two carnivals in three days, The Carnival of the Capitalists and, the granddaddy of carnivals, The Carnival of the Vanities.

John, you da' man!
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/09/2005 07:49:00 AM

Telling The Truth To Bobby Mugabe

(Mutare, Zimbabwe) United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher Dell, told a gathering of academics and students at Africa University that Zimbabwe's disastrous economic decline was caused by gross mismanagement and corruption by the government of Robert Mugabe. Dell said that neither drought nor western sanctions caused the country's problems. Truer words have never been spoken.

Mugabe was not amused and, via state radio, he said, "Mr. Dell, go to hell."

Meanwhile, over 150 people were arrested throughout Zimbabwe by riot police for trying to demonstrate against the worsening economic crisis. The entire leadership of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) was detained for calling on its membership to march without getting permission, contrary to strict security laws. The union leaders said they just wanted to remind the government that they were "hungry, angry and tired."

I believe Mugabe already knows quite well that his citizenry is hungry, angry and tired and it's a condition he wants to continue.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/08/2005 09:44:00 PM

Same-Sex Marriage Outlawed in Texas

(Austin) With over 472 thousand votes counted, Texas voters have overwhelmingly passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Called Proposition 2, voters came out in favor by a 3 to 1 margin.

Although same-sex marriage is already prohibited by state law, supporters of Proposition 2 believed constitutional guidance was necessary to prevent political subdivisions from creating or recognizing any legal status identical to or similar to marriage, including such legal status relationships created outside of Texas.

I think 'created outside of Texas' means Massachusetts right now.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/08/2005 05:26:00 PM

Therapist Accused of Sex with 15-Year-Old Boy

(Waukegan, Illinois) A juvenile counselor and therapist, 26-year-old Tiffany Daddino of Chicago, has been charged with criminal sexual assault for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy in a residential treatment center. Daddino is being held in the Lake County Jail on $500,000 bail.

When authorities started investigating Daddino in October, she was suspended from her position. Later, she resigned. It appears that Daddino was wrongly assigned to give therapy when, in reality, she should have been receiving therapy. As a care-giver, Daddino should have known better.


[Update 11/09/05, 0900 EST]

(Lake County, Illinois) Daddino went before a judge who refused to lower her bail.

From SunTimes.com:

Lake County prosecutors opposed lowering Daddino's bail, saying they are concerned she might try to flee to escape prosecution on the felony charges, which carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

"She's a flight risk,'' said Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Fix, adding that when Daddino was arrested Friday at her Chicago apartment, she already had packed up many of her possessions.

Daddino also allegedly scrubbed and cleaned her apartment, bedding and car in a possible attempt to destroy evidence, Fix said.

Whoa! So, by all indications, Daddino was planning to run. Also, Daddino is being investigated to determine if she might have helped the teen escape from the residential treatment center in August. There may be more charges filed against her.



[Update 10/05/06]

Daddino sentenced to four years in prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/08/2005 04:49:00 PM

Woman Accused of Sexually Abusing Little Boys

(Flagler County, Florida) This report is unnerving. If the alleged charges against Sandie Yentis are true, the woman is despicable.

From News4Jax.com:

A Palm Coast woman was arrested late Monday, accused of forcing a 10-year-old boy to perform oral sex on her while she was engaged with phone sex with her boyfriend in prison.

A Flagler County Sheriff's Office detective said Sandie Alyse Yentis, 31, masturbated in front of another 7-year-old boy while she was on the phone with her boyfriend.

Yentis told investigators her boyfriend got on the phone with one of the boys and made arrangements to perform oral sex on Yentis.

Yentis was is charged with 15 counts of capital sexual battery on a minor and 10 counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition on a minor.

The incidents allegedly occurred this past summer and authorities were tipped by Florida Department of Corrections officers who had intercepted a call between Yentis and her boyfriend, Mario Ferryman, 44. Ferryman is doing a 30-year stretch for burglary and grand theft. The relationship of the boys with Yentis and Ferryman is unknown at present.

Thirty years sounds about right for Yentis if she's convicted of the charges against her. Yentis is being held without bond until she appears before a judge.

Companion Post at Conservative Thinking.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/08/2005 09:55:00 AM

Another Saddam Trial Lawyer Killed

(Baghdad) Last month, a defense lawyer in Saddam Hussein's trial, Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, was abducted and later found dead. Janabi was one of 13 defense lawyers in the opening session of court, representing one of Saddam's seven co-defendants. His death is being investigated.

Today, gunmen opened fire on a car carrying two other defense lawyers, also representatives of Saddam's co-defendants, killing one and injuring the other. The attack occurred in western Baghdad and resulted in the death of Adil al-Zubeidi. Attorney Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie was wounded.

The entire defense team is understandably edgy and has called for a change of venue to somewhere outside of Iraq. The defense stated that they refuse to cooperate with the court until their members' safety can be assured.

Al Jazeera television attaches blame for the deaths to "an armed group using government vehicles." There have also been accusations by Sunni Arabs that "ministry forces or Shiite militias" are responsible for the murders. I'd say it's currently unknown who committed the killings.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/08/2005 07:59:00 AM

Ohio Voter Guide

Today is Election Day and Ohio citizens will be asked to decide on five controversial statewide issues. Having reviewed each of the five issues, Interested-Participant recommends the following:

ISSUE 1 - Vote NO

- Issue 1 would allow the bureaucrats and politicians to spend $2 billion from a bond issue on roads, bridges, and R & D. I see it as another spending scam, costing the taxpayer at least $2 billion. Before voting, think about just how much more of your money you want the state to piss away.

ISSUE 2 - Vote NO

- Issue 2 is nothing more than a scheme to allow for new and innovative ways to queer the voting system. Presumably, it lets voters mail in absentee ballots for any reason up to 35 days before an election. This is ludicrous. Election Day is the day people should cast votes unless there's a good reason for having to vote absentee.

ISSUE 3 - Vote NO

- Issue 3 would amend the state constitution to delineate the dollar amounts allowed to be contributed to political candidates. Tellingly, Issue 3 contains more words than the Declaration of Independence and would be more suitable as a state law or regulation than a constitutional amendment.

That said, it's bad either way. Unions could take members' dues and give to political campaigns without consent of the member. It places restrictions on advertising, who can contribute, and when contributions are allowed. In its entirety, Issue 3 is a solid promise that near every politician and contributor will end up in noncompliance and, possibly, in court. The measure is a nightmare and it doesn't belong in the constitution.

ISSUE 4 - Vote NO

- Issue 4 would amend the Ohio Constitution to create a redistricting commission to determine legislative districts. This commission would be unelected and stuffed with political appointees. Voters would have no recourse if the commission acted inappropriately or unfairly. Essentially, redistricting would be in the hands of bureaucrats. Do we need more bureaucrats in Ohio? Bureaucrats that spend and spend and are unaccountable to the voters? I think not.

ISSUE 5 - Vote NO

- Issue 5 would change the constitution to eliminate a significant part of the Ohio Secretary of State's job. Issue 5 would create a commission of political appointees to oversee elections. Consequently, if the measure is passed, no longer will a person (Secretary of State) be responsible for the integrity of the election process. Responsibility will be with a bunch of people pointing fingers at other people. Therefore, nobody will be accountable for election problems.

Listen, when the founders of the constitution assigned responsibility, they knew what they were doing and, so far, their decisions have worked well for over a century. There's no overriding reason to restructure the constitutionally mandated government. What's next? Do we replace the governor with a commission?

Any prudent observer of politics knows that Issues 2 through 5 are attempts by Democrats to influence the outcome of elections without getting additional people to vote for them. That's the problem these four (Issues 2 through 5) measures are addressing. Being unable to win elections in the old fashioned way has proven to be too big a hurdle, so the Democrats are trying to change the system in their favor.

Issue 1, on the other hand, is simply a tax and spend implement. No rational thinking voter would believe that the government needs more money nor more leeway on how they spend it. Anyone voting for Issue 1 should accompany his/her ballot with a power of attorney document to allow the state to confiscate all assets. Issue 1 is advertised as a "jobs" measure. Don't believe it. Issue 1 is a "spending" measure.

In conclusion, despite the fact that all of these five statewide issues are bad law, they don't belong in the Ohio Constitution. The Ohio Constitution is the upper-tier, controlling document for governing the state of Ohio. It should not be the document to dictate day-to-day operations of state agencies which is what Issues 1 through 5 do. Everyday operations of the state should be mandated in rules, laws, and regulations passed by the legislature. A state worker shouldn't have to consult the Ohio Constitution on a daily basis to do his/her job.

Remember, vote NO on State Issues 1 through 5.

Post neighborly disseminated to:
Conservative Thinking,
Diggers Realm,
In The Bullpen, and
The Jawa Report.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 09:41:00 PM

Taser Cam

Taser International Inc. has developed a Taser Cam to provide evidence of Taser usage and hopefully deter irresponsible use by officers.

From KansasCity.com:

The Taser Cam is an audio and video recorder that attaches to the butt of the gun and starts taping when the weapon is turned on. It continues recording until the weapon is turned off. The Taser doesn't have to be fired to use the camera.

[ ... ]

Unlike dashboard-mounted cameras in patrol cars, which capture the action only if it transpires where the lens happens to have been directed, the Taser cameras always face where the gun is pointed, to capture what is said and done in the moments leading up to a suspect being jolted by the device's 50,000 volts.

[ ... ]

The Taser Cam records in black and white but is equipped with infrared technology to record images in very low light. The camera will have at least one hour of recording time, the company said, and the video can be downloaded to a computer over a USB cable.

The Taser Cams are expected to be on the market by March. The camera attachment will add about $400 to the typical $800 to $1,000 Taser.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 08:57:00 PM

Terrorist Attack Thwarted in Australia

Breaking news! Overnight police raids in New South Wales and Victoria have foiled a terrorist plot and new anti-terrorism legislation has been credited as making the raids possible.

From ABCNews Online:

Sixteen people have been arrested in raids conducted by more than 400 police on a number of suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney says a terrorist attack has been foiled.

"I am satisfied that we have disrupted what I would regard as the final stages of a terrorist attack or the launch of a terrorist attack in Australia," he said.

"We will continue our investigations both at a Commonwealth and state level to identify those that may be related to those persons now under investigation."

Victoria's Police Commissioner, Christine Nixon, agrees that police have prevented a major terrorist attack from occurring.

In Melbourne, an Algerian-born Muslim Imam Abdul Nacer Benbrika, also known as Abu Bakr, was among those arrested. Abu Bakr is the spiritual leader of some of the terrorist suspects. Nevertheless, members of the Australian Muslim community expressed surprise at the raids.

In my opinion, the passing of tough, albeit controversial, anti-terrorism laws has to be recognized as the key element which allowed the thwarting of the suspected plot.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 06:49:00 PM

Google Page Rank

Check out Nicholas Roussos for more on this Google page rank retrieval tool.

Future PageRank Tool © SEO Chat™

Valid URL

Try it yourself. Just put in a URL and find out how high in the hierarchy a particular web page ranks in Google search results. The higher the number, the closer to number 1 a page appears in a given search. I'm sure other factors are considered since many web sites are ranked the same.

Naturally, I checked my own and others. Google.com is at Rank 10, Yahoo! and AOL get a Rank 9, and Instapundit came in at Rank 7. Interested-Participant is a Rank 6.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 04:48:00 PM

Jesus Juice

(Los Angeles) Being grossly irreverent towards Christianity apparently comes easily to Dawn Westlake and Bruce Rheins, who are attempting to market a wine called "Jesus Juice" that bears a label showing a Michael Jackson-like figure appearing to be crucified.

Westlake, an actress, and Rheins, a CBS news producer, created the logo featuring a barely clad man with a sequined glove, shiny loafers, stringy hair, and a black fedora that hides his face. An application to trademark Jesus Juice was filed in January 2004, concurrent with Michael Jackson's arrest for alleged molestation and supplying minors with alcoholic drinks he called "Jesus Juice."

This is another example of Christianity being attacked in America and I doubt if anyone would be stupid enough to do something similar in the name of Allah. If I were in the trademark office, I'd find a reason for rejection of the trademark application. Comparing Jesus Christ to Michael Jackson in any manner is not only sacrilegious, it's obscene, offensive, and the epitome of bad taste.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 09:37:00 AM

Two Bloggers Receive Investigative Journalism Award

(via Right Truth) Those familiar with the intricacies of Rathergate know that Buckhead saw the original 60 Minutes II episode and raised a flag on FreeRepublic.com about the authenticity of Dan Rather's evidence. TankerKC followed with a web posting that prompted additional scrutiny. Ultimately, Dan Rather resigned and Rathergate will forever live in the annals of journalism.

Recognizing Buckhead and TankerKC (Harry MacDougald and Paul Boley, respectively) for their efforts, Accuracy in Media (AIM) has honored them with the first annual Reed Irvine Investigative Journalism Award.

Congratulations! I raise my coffee cup in tribute to Harry MacDougald and Paul Boley.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/07/2005 08:14:00 AM

Union Issues Fatwa to Quell Rioting

That's right. The rioting in France has prompted a declaration from above. Mac Powell has the details at In The Bullpen. Evidently, the unions are so powerful in socialist France that they have the authority to issue religious edicts. What's next? Maybe we'll see labor relations disputes adjudicated before an ayatollah instead of a judge.

I suppose it's unreasonable to imagine that an ayatollah would impose a death sentence in a labor relations case. Or, maybe not.

Nevertheless, according to the Telegraph, the fatwa was issued because of "official suggestions that Islamist militants might be organising some of the protests." As far as "official suggestions" go, this one appears to be one of the better ones to come out of France in a while.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/06/2005 04:04:00 PM

My Congressman Voted Against Online Free Speech

Thanks to The Unrepentant Individual, I discovered that my Republican Congressman from Ohio, Steve LaTourette, voted with the Democrats to defeat H.R. 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act. As I understand it, the Act would give "online communications," such as blogs and websites, the same protections regarding political speech as is given to other "communications" defined by the Federal Election Commission (i.e. newspapers, television).

Sometime this week, LaTourette's office can expect a call. Why in the world would any Republican side with the Democrats against free speech? I believe an explanation is warranted.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/06/2005 01:13:00 PM

Tornado Death Toll At Least 18

(Evansville, Indiana) Updating a previous post, Reuters reports 18 people have died and more than 100 were injured in last night's tornado.

From IndyStar.com:

- The tornado developed in a line of thunderstorms that rolled rapidly eastward across the Ohio Valley during the morning.

- The National Weather Service posted severe thunderstorm warnings for sections of northern Ohio.

- The damage path through Newburgh, eight miles east of Evansville, was about three-quarters of a mile wide, and extended for roughly 20 miles, Assistant Fire Chief Chad Bennett told CNN.

- He said emergency sirens sounded, but most people didn't hear them because it happened in the middle of the night.

- No deaths were reported in Kentucky, said Michelle King, a dispatcher with the Henderson County sheriff's office.

- At the Ellis Park racetrack, between Evansville and Henderson, Ky., the Henderson County Sheriff's department said about half of the track's grandstands had been destroyed, along with horse barns and housing units.

- There were conflicting reports of injuries at the track. Paul Kuerzi, the track's vice president and general manager, said several people were injured, but Larry Koerber of the Henderson County emergency management office told MSNBC there was one minor injury.

- Koerber said four or five horses were dead.

- Mike Roeder, a spokesman for utility company Vectren, said 25,000 homes were without power, mostly in Warrick County.

- There also were reports of natural gas leaks.

Rescue workers continue to sort through the debris. Both FEMA and the National Guard have been activated and Gov. Mitch Daniels is on his way to Evansville. Indiana state officials are gathering at the scene.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/06/2005 11:48:00 AM

Deck O' Bloggers 2005

I got a tip from A Person in Florida that Aaron's:cc is putting together a "Blogopoly-style playing card in a commemorative end-of-year blogger alter-ego meme." Make sense? I'll let Aaron explain:

I'm taking nominations via trackbacks to this post. I'll be seeding the nominations with some of the obvious candidates.

Yes, you can self-nominate via a single trackback, but give a good (based on merit or humor is best) reason why you should be in the running. "My blog [your blog name here] should be eligible in the [suit name] suit poll because [reason here]." Something that may give me a visual idea to riff on is best.

If you can get a Higher Being, Mortal Human or Playful Primate to nominate you, 10 votes will be added to your vote total.

Link-whoring? Yeah, a bit. But how much are a piece of custom photoshopping unique to your blog, a good laugh and bragging rights worth?

The sample Queen of Hearts and King of Diamonds are NOT the final drafts. Final photoshops will be a complete unique card.

Nominations end at 9pm PDT the night before each poll.

More details on the process are here.

I'd like to see Interested-Participant get a card but I think I'm drawing to an inside straight. There are many people holding better hands. However, there's hope. I recall a Jamaican bobsled team and an Olympic ski jumper from England and, of course, there's that little ole' ant who thought he'd move that rubber tree plant...
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/06/2005 09:13:00 AM

Overnight Tornado in Indiana

(Evansville, Indiana) Although media reports are understandably sketchy, it's known that a killer tornado slashed through portions of Henderson County, Kentucky, and Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties, Indiana. Loss of life is at 11 people, unconfirmed. Heaviest hit areas include Boonville, Ind., where a modular home community was devastated.


Tornado IND/KY 11/06/05
(Map - CNN)
From WTHR.com:

Police report severe damage at Ellis Park race track in Henderson County, Kentucky, at the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park near Evansville's southeast side, and in the Warrick County town of Newburgh.

Authorities said about 80 people had been taken from the ruins of the mobile home park to hospitals.

It's estimated that 25,000 homes are without electricity, mostly in Warrick County. The tornado is believed to have been about 3/4 of a mile wide.

From CNN.com:

An overnight tornado killed at least 11 people and injured 160 others in southwestern Indiana, officials said Sunday.

A dispatcher for the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office confirmed seven fatalities at a mobile home park and said officials were planning to activate the National Guard to assist with the disaster.

Chad Bennett, an assistant fire chief in Newburgh in neighboring Warrick County, said authorities reported four deaths there.

[ ... ]

"Extensive damage" was reported at the Ellis Park horse track, a dispatcher with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department said.

With daylight, video images are being released and commentators generally are in agreement that the area "looks like a war zone."
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/06/2005 08:32:00 AM

JDL Activist Killed in Prison

(Phoenix, Arizona) A former dental assistant and West Coast coordinator for the Jewish Defense League was killed in prison when attacked from behind with a cement block.

From azcentral.com:

A Jewish Defense League activist, convicted in California plots to bomb a mosque and a congressman's office, has been killed at a prison in north Phoenix, authorities said Saturday.

Earl Leslie Krugel, 63, was fatally assaulted about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Federal Correctional Institute, near Interstate 17 and Pioneer Road, said Richard Murray, an FBI special agent in Phoenix.

Murray declined to disclose assault details, but said a joint investigation has been launched by the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Krugel pleaded guilty in the plots to bomb the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City and a San Diego-area office of Rep. Darrell Issa, a Lebanese-American, and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/05/2005 07:25:00 PM

NY Post Reported to be Mobbed Up

According to a recently-filed court document, the Bonanno crime family has allegedly put a mobster into the New York Post newspaper organization. The information came from a conversation secretly taped by a mob associate wearing a wire.

From NYDailyNews.com:

In a January jailhouse conversation, former Bonanno acting boss Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano boasts, "The Post we still have 'cause Vinny Bionics (is) there."

Sources said "Vinny Bionics" is a Bonanno soldier still employed at the newspaper.

Basciano - unaware that then-Bonanno boss Joseph Massino was wearing a hidden wire - blabbed: "(Vinny Bionics) said the Westside was trying to move into The Post. I said, 'Junior, we can't give up the Post.'"

"The Westside" is a reference to the Genovese crime family.

In preparation for Basciano's upcoming racketeering trial, federal prosecutors filed papers containing a portion of the taped conversation. The Post hasn't commented yet.

If this allegation is true, it should surprise no one. I'm definitely not surprised. The mob has, at one time or another, tainted every business operation in the Tri-State area. Mob involvement in the newspaper business is even mentioned in the Godfather. Consequently, the only reason mob involvement with a newspaper is news is that it's become part of a court proceeding.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/05/2005 02:04:00 PM

Rapist Gets Probation

(Auburn, New York) Teenager Christopher Phelps was sentenced by Cayuga County Judge Peter Corning to 10 years probation for the rape of a 15-year-old girl. Defense attorney Emil Rossi stated that Phelps, 16, has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and it was a factor in the sexual assault. On the other hand, Assistant District Attorney Jon Budelmann said that Phelps has "impulsivity issues" and there's no guarantee that he won't commit another sex crime.

If ever there were a sure bet, I'd say it's that Phelps will commit another sex crime.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/05/2005 01:00:00 PM

Recalled Consumer Products

Without any fanfare, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced a record number of product recalls for the fiscal year 2005. In protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from consumer products that cost the nation more than $700 billion annually, the CPSC recalled 397 products in 2005.

Okay, readers, name one. Extra credit for anyone who can name ten dangerous products recalled.

To be fair, most Americans could likely name one or two or maybe even a handful, but I'm certain that there's not one consumer who could name all 397 products deemed to present unreasonable risks of serious injury or death. Now, agreed, not every product represents a risk to every individual, but it would seem appropriate for the average consumer to be familiar with the list of 397. After all, each is a risk of injury or death.

Of course, the information is available, but you'll have to search for it. Presumably, Recalls.gov is a comprehensive source, but I seriously doubt whether most people would consult the list prior to buying, selling, giving away or using a product. I don't know what people consult if they don't use the Internet.

More disturbing, though, is the fact that I thought all along that I was a knowledgeable consumer when, in reality, I'm totally unaware of 396 dangerous products recalled by the government last year. The other one, a child's car seat, I remember being reported on television, but not the problem that makes it dangerous nor the manufacturer.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/04/2005 06:46:00 PM

Maupins Release Statement

As reported previously, soldiers of the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division have been searching an area west of Baghdad for indications of Sgt. Matt Maupin, listed as captured. Items found during the searches were analyzed and determined not to belong to Maupin.

Sgt. Maupin's parents, Keith and Carolyn Maupin, traveled to Washington to meet with Pentagon officials today. After the meeting, they released the following statement.

Today we met with Lt. Gen. James L. Campbell, the Director of the Army Staff, who provided us with a progress report on the search for our son, Sgt. Matt Maupin.

The information we received was helpful and it showed the Army is actively following up leads concerning his whereabouts.

We will not discuss the specifics of the update because it is an ongoing operation and saying anything could be detrimental to Matt's safe return and the safety of those involved in the search.

It has been more than 18 months since he was captured and we pray every day for him and the soldiers who continue to search for him.

We ask the American people to do the same.

Amen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/04/2005 04:23:00 PM

Tammy Imre Gets Six Years for Sex with 8-Year-Old

(Bridgeport, Connecticut) In September, 30-year-old Tammy Imre pleaded guilty to a charge of risk of injury to a minor in accordance with an agreement which eliminated the need for the 8-year-old victim to have to testify in court.

Today, Imre was sentenced to six years in prison and ten years probation along with being required to register as a sex offender.

From NewsDay.com:

Imre admitted engaging in sexual acts with the boy but said it stopped short of sexual intercourse.

"When this was first in the paper, it was almost a joke, because of the role reversal," prosecutor Cornelius Kelly said. "It conjures up thoughts of, 'Oh, that's a young man's dream.' But as we stand here today, we still don't know what damage this will have on the young boy's self-esteem, his interpersonal relationships. We don't know what damage the young girl suffered."

Imre's daughter, who witnessed some of the acts, is now in foster care, authorities said.

"She has hurt a lot of innocent people, including her own daughter, who not only lost her mother, but her best friend, who was my son," the boy's mother told the judge.

Imre said she was truly sorry.

Is six years enough? Turn it around to be a 30-year-old man mixing it up with an 8-year-old girl. Now, ask if six years is enough. In my opinion, six years is not even close to being enough. Frankly, though, given the customary leniency that courts show toward female pedophiles, I'm surprised she got that much.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/04/2005 03:31:00 PM

'Breasts Not Bombs' Group Seeks Protection

(Sacramento, California) In an effort to translate ogling into support for a political cause, an anti-war group is seeking court protection.

From the SacBee.com:

Mendocino County women who have been baring their breasts at various venues to protest the war in Iraq are in Sacramento federal court seeking an order prohibiting the California Highway Patrol from arresting them during a planned noon demonstration Monday at the Capitol.

The women's group, Breasts Not Bombs, is suing CHP Commissioner Mike Brown and two of his officers over a warning that if the women demonstrate while topless, they will be arrested and charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

The group claims it also was warned by the CHP that if its members are convicted of indecent exposure they may have to register as sex offenders.

In its motion before the court, the group's San Francisco attorney, Matthew Kumin, stated that, in essence, if they can't take their shirts off, nobody shows up and listens to the women. U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. will rule on a temporary restraining order preventing the arrest of Breasts Not Bombs members.


[Update 11/05/05]

U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ruled that there is "no First Amendment right to bare breasts on the grounds of the state Capitol" and refused to restrain California Highway Patrol officers from arresting the 'Breasts Not Bombs' babes if they take their shirts off. Sherry Glaser, a member of BNB and its spokeswoman, said the group would have to discuss what they'll do now that their arrests are possible.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/03/2005 10:16:00 PM

Lesbian Teacher and 15-Year-Old Student

(Lecanto, Florida) A 36-year-old business education teacher at Lecanto High School, Amy Gail Lilley, was arrested Tuesday at school and charged with one count of lewd or lascivious battery for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student. Lilley is a divorced mother of two.

During an interview with investigators, Lilley acknowledged the relationship with the girl. After posting $5,000 bail on Wednesday, she was released from jail. If convicted of lewd or lascivious battery, Lilley faces a possible 15 years in prison.

Note: Lilley is the second lesbian teacher-student sex case reported from central Florida in the past week. The first was Jaymee Wallace.


[Update 11/10/05]

At a School Board meeting on Tuesday (11/08), it was announced that Lilley submitted her resignation from her teaching position at Lecanto High School.

Lilley's next court appearance is scheduled for November 21.


[Update 01/20/06]

Lilley sentenced.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/03/2005 09:01:00 PM

Teacher Gets 20 Years for Sex with Student

(Ridgeland, Mississippi) Former English teacher at Ridgeland High School, Nancy Heindl Lewis, 47, was sentenced by Madison County Circuit Judge William E. Chapman III to 20 years in prison for improper sexual activity with a 16-year-old male student. Ten years of the sentence were suspended. She also received five years probation.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/03/2005 05:09:00 PM

Suspected Human Trafficker Freed

(Bangor, Maine) From a previous report, 39-year-old Canadian mother of three, Savita Singh-Murray, pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to smuggle three South American illegal aliens into the United States. On Monday (10/31), she was freed.

From the BangorNews.com:

Only because the government couldn't prove that a Canadian woman was involved in human trafficking when she brought a man and two teenage females into the country illegally was she free to return to her husband and children, a federal judge said Monday.

Savita Singh-Murray, 39, of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, wept as U.S. District Judge John Woodcock sentenced her to time served, or 132 days in jail.

[ ... ]

He sternly admonished Singh-Murray for her involvement with what prosecutors suspect was a plot to bring young women into the country to be forced to work as prostitutes.

Woodcock said that Guyana is on an international human trafficking watch list.

Singh-Murray initially told officials that she was the aunt of Awad Hansraj, 21, Lalita Depaul, 18, and a 16-year-old girl, and that she intended to take them to the Calais McDonald's restaurant, according to court documents.

Later, she admitted that she was not their aunt and was forced by a former boyfriend in Toronto to smuggle the three into the U.S. and drop them off at the Calais Motor Inn.

Consequently, although it is strongly suspected that Singh-Murray was involved with human trafficking, there was no proof. I don't understand how this could be since she confessed and she was caught at the border. Nonetheless, the judge lets her go with the stipulation that she be barred from entering the U.S.

Awad Hansraj and Lalita Depaul each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to enter the U.S. by making false statements to border agents and got to spend four days in jail before deportation. Immigration authorities took custody of the 16-year-old girl, identified as Sheliza A. in court documents.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/03/2005 09:18:00 AM

U.S. Senator Cindy Sheehan?

Witness the Left cannibalize each other. The buzz is Cindy versus Hillary for U.S. Senator in 2006.

You watch. The Clintonistas will likely have Sheehan squashed like a bug long before there is a real chance of a contest.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/03/2005 08:07:00 AM

New Tax Proposed by Democrat

(Jefferson City, Missouri) Missouri State Representative Jeff Roorda was so humiliated by the St. Louis Cardinals' defeat in the Major League Baseball Playoffs that he has decided to take action. Blaming the Cardinals' losses on the umpires, Roorda wants to punish them where it hurts, in their wallets.

"I think if they're not going to pay attention, they ought to at least pay taxes," Roorda said Wednesday."

As a result, Roorda promised to introduce legislation in December to tax umpires and referees.

So, fans shouting the rhetorical 'Kill the ump!' will be replaced with the real-life 'Tax the ump!' And, I'm sure the politicians won't allow deductions for favorable calls.

Or, will they?
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/02/2005 03:56:00 PM

Soldiers Search for Sgt. Matt Maupin

There is a new development regarding missing U.S. Army Reservist, Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin of Batavia, Ohio. The 20-year-old remains the only American soldier listed as captured in Iraq.

Enemy forces attacked Maupin's convoy west of Baghdad in April 2004 and took him hostage. Maupin may have been killed on a stretch of land between two highways in the Abu Ghraib area and, based on a recent tip, a search for his body has been launched.

From The Post-Standard:

To the soldiers of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, who have studied his picture and read his story, finding Matt Maupin has become a quest that transcends war and peace; it is a mission that defines their values as soldiers.

[ ... ]

Thirty-two soldiers went out Saturday, 30 the day before, and 28 on the day before that. The soldiers formed a line and inched forward, scouring the ground for clumps of hair or bones or subtle mounds that might suggest movement of dirt 18 months earlier.

"The physical search is the key," Sanford said. "It's all hands-on. It's picking up every rock, it's looking under every bush, it's turning over every piece of clothing or trash that we find out there. And we've found many indicators."

They had dug 45 holes and bagged and tagged 10 items that could hold the answers to Maupin's fate a scrap of military clothing, a clump of hair and several pieces of bones. Each will be shipped to a lab for analysis.

No one is giving up until Matt Maupin is found.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/02/2005 08:52:00 AM

Escapees At Large in South Carolina

(Columbia, South Carolina) Be on the look out for these two men. They escaped from the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia.


Johnny Brewer & Jimmy Causey
From WISTV.com:

Authorities say 39-year-old Johnny Brewer was serving time for murder and 35-year-old Jimmy Causey was serving time for a home invasion involving prominent Columbia attorney Jack Swerling. The two escaped Tuesday morning.

Both men were serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. Authorities believe they escaped in a garbage truck which left the facility at 0600 EST Tuesday.

Causey is white, six feet, two inches tall and weighs 179 pounds. He has blue eyes and brown hair and has a scar on the left side of his chin. Causey was last seen in a white shirt with blue lettering spelling "Abercrombie & Fitch," blue jeans, and black boots issued by the Corrections Department.

Brewer is white, five feet, eight inches tall and weighs 136 pounds. He has hazel eyes and brown hair. Brewer was wearing a dark blue pullover, blue jeans and the same kind of Corrections Department boots.

Both are considered extremely dangerous. They have nothing to lose. Anyone with information, call 911, the Richland County Sheriff's Department at 803-576-3000 or the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at 737-9000.

Companion post at Backcountry Conservative.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/01/2005 11:13:00 PM

Bin Laden Lieutenant Escaped U.S. Custody

(Fort Bliss, Texas) This report is disturbing. It's tough enough to have to fight and capture the enemy once. Having to do it over is exasperating.

From the Star-Telegram:

A man believed to be the top al-Qaida operative escaped from a U.S.-run detention facility in Afghanistan and cannot testify against the soldier who allegedly mistreated him, a defense lawyer said Tuesday.

Omar al-Farouq, considered Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant in Southeast Asia, escaped from a U.S. detention facility in Bagram, Afghanistan, on July 10, a Pentagon official confirmed Tuesday evening. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

An Army lawyer for Sgt. Alan J. Driver, a reservist accused of abusing Bagram detainees, asked Tuesday where al-Farouq was and what the Army had done to find him in time for Driver's pretrial hearing.

Capt. John B. Parker, a prosecutor, said al-Farouq and three others escaped from the Bagram detention center and have not been found.

In a nutshell, Farouq escapes in July and we find out about it today because the prosecutor wanted him to testify in the trial of an American serviceman. Uh ... what's wrong with this picture?

First of all, the idea of having a senior al-Qaeda terrorist offer testimony under oath is ludicrous. The murdering scum terrorists are coached in prevarication so there should be no basis to believe a damn thing that comes out of their mouths. And, secondly, as I recall, the escape of a number of detainees from the Bagram facility was reported back in July but they weren't named. What happens next? It's a mystery.

Companion at In The Bullpen.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/01/2005 09:40:00 PM

Teacher Pleads Not Guilty to Rape of Boy

(Westford, Massachusetts) Following up on a previous report, former Blanchard Middle School teacher Susan Clickner, 47, was arraigned today on one charge of rape of a child. The rape allegedly involved a 14-year-old boy and occurred last April. She pleaded not guilty and remains free on $5,000 cash bail. Clickner returns to court on Nov.30.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/01/2005 07:54:00 PM

Teacher/Coach Accused of Affair with Girl Student

(Tampa, Florida) A 28-year-old math teacher at Wharton High School, Jaymee Wallace, turned herself in to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for booking on one felony count of lewd and lascivious battery. Wallace, who is also the girls' basketball coach, is accused of having a two-year sexual relationship with a female student, now 17. After posting $7,500 bond, Wallace was released.


Jaymee Wallace
According to Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Laura McElroy, investigators have notes indicating that Wallace and the student started the relationship when the girl was 14. Police investigators became involved in June after being alerted by a relative of the student.


[Update 11/02/05, 0745 EST]

From a different report, we see a different picture and, frankly, it's hard to tell that both images are the same person.

It's also reported that the alleged affair started in December 2002 and ended in 2004 when Wallace broke off the relationship to get married to a fellow Wharton High School teacher.


[Update 12/06/07]

Wallace sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty and putting herself at mercy of the court.

Note: Second picture above removed by substitution of image host.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/01/2005 02:30:00 PM

Russian Prez Putin Won't Run for Third Term

(Moscow) I guess it's time to try and figure out which ex-communist will be allowed to take President Putin's place.

From The Moscow Times:

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he would not seek a third term in 2008, but vowed not to allow "destabilization" in Russia following the vote, leaving the door open for drastic action in the event of a crisis.

In an interview with Dutch media on the eve of a visit to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Putin reiterated that he opposed changing the Constitution to prolong his time in power -- a possibility that has been widely discussed because of his popularity and control of the parliament.

But Putin said that the 2008 presidential election would be a "serious, difficult test for Russia" and stressed that full power and responsibility for the fate of the country would remain in his hands until the new president has been sworn in.

It seems to me that he is keeping a trump card. If Putin doesn't like the way Russia is being run, he takes "drastic action" to straighten things out. This is probably because of the fact that Russia has little experience with the peaceful transfer of power. Historically, someone customarily had to die or have been murdered.
|

       Following Entry Posted 11/01/2005 04:33:00 AM

U.S. Military Bases in Romania

(Bucharest, Romania) From the standpoint of geopolitical strategy, this is an important reshuffling of players in the region.

From Xinhua:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit Romania by the end of the year to sign an agreement setting up US military bases in Romania, Romanian Foreign Minister Razvan Ungureanu said on Monday.

The military deals are close to be completed, Romania's Mediafax quoted Ungureanu as saying.

The foreign minister made the remarks after meeting with his US counterpart Rice in New York.

Romanian President Traian Basescu told visiting US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley on Oct. 23 that possible locations for the bases might be Babadag, close to the Danube delta, Constanta, on the Black sea, and Fetesti, 200 km east of Bucharest.

If a Black Sea naval base is included, which seems to be the case, the U.S. will be capable of easily projecting regional influence. Any prudent student of international affairs would deem the expansion of U.S. influence in eastern Europe and western Asia a major development.
|