Women With Troubles - February 2008

Reported in the news during February 2008, here is the compilation of women with troubles. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

For a more comprehensive listing, check the Women With Troubles category link.

(AR) Melissa G. Monroe, 32,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student,

(AZ) Susan Jayne Anderson, 28,
school coach - Arrested for sex with female player, 15,

(AZ) Angela Csader, 25,
teacher - Arrested for sex and having child with boy, 16,

(AZ) Tawni Wimberley, 29,
teacher - Accused of sex with students,

(CA) Jessica Ashley Kahal, 22,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with student, 17,

(CA) Brenda Ann Mitchell, 38,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 16,

(CO) Yvette Nicole Craddock, 27,
babysitter - Arrested for death of 8-month-old baby,

(CO) Meredith Hollen, 40,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for sex with student,

(CO) Shawna Nelson, 36,
neighbor - Charged with murdering lover's wife,

(FL) Margot Cioffi (aka Peggy), 59,
rehab program director - Arrested for drunk driving, leaving scene of accident, resisting arrest,

(FL) Diana O'Neill, 45,
teacher - Accused of abusing handicapped students,

(FL) Kathleen Louise Schulte, 46,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(GA) Shekeena Rena Davis, 22,
neighbor - Indicted for assaulting a police officer,

(GA) Shakitha Hadley, 23,
teacher - Arrested for drugs within 1,000 feet of school,

(IA) Colleen Katharine Solberg, 38,
teacher's aide - Arrested for sex with male student,

(IL) Mydee F. Cadiente, 23,
donut shop worker - Arrested for sex with boy, 16,

(IL) Jodi Church, 26,
teacher - Sentenced to seven years federal prison for sex crimes,

(IL) Loren Leoni, 24,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 15,

(IN) Dixie Leann Corbin, 21,
neighbor - Arrested for molesting boy, 13,

(IN) Davita N. Fuller, 26,
neighbor - Arrested for giving booze, dope to daughter, 11,

(IN) Latasha McMorris, 24,
neighbor - Charged with felony child neglect in death of son,

(IN) Margaret A. Wiley, 28,
neighbor - Gets two months additional probation for child sex crimes probation violation,

(KY) Jeni Lee Dinkel, 51,
neighbor - Arrested for violating probation by not completing sex offender treatment,

(LA) Christie Lynn Hemler, 36,
neighbor - Accused of letting kids drink, have sex,

(LA) Marla K. Meek,
teacher - Sentenced to one year prison for sex with male student, 15,

(LA) Sharon Suzonne Oleson, 41,
teacher - Arrested for criminal sexual conduct with male student,

(MO) Melissa R. Moss, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sending topless pics to student, 15,

(NC) Wendy Mathena, 25,
foster mother - Arrested for sex with foster son, 15. Believed to be pregnant by boy,

(NC) Crystal Rodriguez, 26,
neighbor - Gets probation for sex crimes against two boys, 13 and 14,

(NE) Heather Henning, 27,
neighbor - Gets 3.5 years prison for drunk driving death of cop,

(NE) Lisa Schuchard, 25,
neighbor - Arrested for felony child abuse,

(NE) Denise Thomson, 25,
state-contracted driver - Arrested for blood-alcohol of 0.415 while transporting child for state,

(NJ) Donna Goebel, 43,
teacher - Arrested for sex assault of student,

(NY) Kimberly A. Baker, 24,
neighbor - Gets 2 to 6 years prison for probation violation,

(NY) Susan McDade, 47,
nurse - Gets one to three years prison for sex with disabled teen,

(NY) Linda O'Connor, 46,
neighbor - Arrested for prostituting young girl for rent,

(NY) Shawn Payne, 35,
neighbor - Sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison for sex extortion scheme,

(OH) Amy Farrell, 40,
neighbor legal guardian - Arrested for sex with foster son,

(OH) Tabitha Hollandsworth, 20,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 13,

(OK) Gwendolyn Sue Forbes, 37,
neighbor - Arrested for alleged sex with boy, 14,

(PA) Myra Morton, 47,
neighbor - Arrested for murder of husband,

(PA) Abbiejane Swogger, 34,
teacher's aide - Arrested for booze, drug party with teen students,

(SC) Tyesha Nicole Barber, 23,
teacher - Arrested for growing dope at home,

(SC) Kerrie M. Sprecht, 30,
parole officer - Arrested for drunk driving, leaving scene of accident with injury,

(SC) Allenna Williams Ward (aka Allena), 24,
teacher - Gets six years prison for sex with 5 students, ages 14 and 15,

(TN) Pamela Rogers, 30,
former teacher - Asks for early release from prison,

(TX) Aimee Andrea Fisher-Riza, 37,
neighbor - Gets 28 years prison for death of her unrestrained child in auto accident,

(TX) Emily Kate Janes, 23,
teacher - Arrested for sex with student, 18,

(TX) Jill Lewis, 26,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 17,

(TX) Kylie Neighbors, 24,
teacher - Guilty of improper relationship with male student,

(TX) Kimberly Owen, 23,
neighbor - Gets eight years prison in drunk driving death,

(TX) Sabrina Marie Simpson (aka Sabrina Marie Murphy), 29,
PTO officer - Charged with sex assault of boy, 13,

(VA) Melissa Mae Nicholson, 26,
neighbor - Charged with taking indecent liberties with boy, 15,

(VA) Natasha L. Sizow, 24,
teacher - Arrested for sending naked photos to students,

(WI) Sister Norma Giannini, 79,
nun - Sentenced to year in jail for sex with boys,

(WI) Kelly D. Oiler, 27,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(WI) Michelle E. Shufelt, 25,
educator - Accused of sex with student,

(WY) Irena F. Mondello, 41,
teacher - Charged with lying to feds and attempting to buy cocaine.

Thanks to all the tipsters.

Baby Falls Through Toilet of Moving Train

Holy moly! This story is hard to believe. Although it's common to hear about someone being born on the wrong side of the tracks, I've never heard of anyone being born inside the tracks.

AHMADABAD, India -- A newborn baby girl who fell through a toilet in a moving train and onto the tracks, after her mother prematurely gave birth, survived nearly two hours before being found, relatives said yesterday.

The child's mother, who uses the single name Bhuri, was travelling with relatives on an overnight train when she went to the bathroom shortly before midnight Tuesday and unexpectedly gave birth, said Arjun Kumar, her brother-in-law.

"Later, she fell unconscious and the baby fell through the toilet," he continued. "Two stations later, we knocked at the door."

Bhuri opened the door, soaked in blood.

"When we asked her about what happened, she said the baby had fallen through onto the tracks," Kumar said.

The infant was on the tracks for possibly two hours before being found by guards at one of the stations the train had passed. An estimated nine weeks premature, the baby girl weighed just 3.2 pounds. Her prognosis is dicey. One doctor, Gautam Jain, doesn't think she will survive.

Curiously, although India has a high rate of infanticide regarding female offspring, authorities do not doubt the description of the incident and don't plan to investigate.

Arizona Teacher-Student Sex Investigation

(Flagstaff, Arizona) A 29-year-old former teacher at Flagstaff High School, Tawni Wimberley, has been accused of engaging in sex with several teens including a 17-year-old. Police began an investigation when rumors surfaced in September 2007 of teacher-student sex.

Officers say multiple former students admitted to having sex with their former teacher. Two students were 18 but police say one male student was underage.

Wimberley taught at Flagstaff High School for five years. She has not taught this school year. Wimberley has not been arrested or charged but police have sent a report to the Coconino County Attorney recommending one felony charge.

Wimberley reportedly admitted to sexual contact with the 17-year-old male and also admitted that she knew he was underage. The investigation continues.

The Flagstaff Police have issued a press release.


[Update 10/1/08]

(Flagstaff, Arizona) Yesterday, 30-year-old Tawni Wimberley pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual conduct with a minor in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

The 30-year-old computer and technology teacher was on a leave of absence when she had improper relationships with 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys in 2007.

Police alleged that Wimberley had consensual sexual relationships with "several" male students, most of them legal adults.

Wimberley faces a possible 18 months in prison on each count when she is sentenced on October 30th.


[Update 10/31/08]

Wimberley sentenced to no jail.

Germany: Exhibit closed after threats over Mecca photo




We read:

"An exhibition by Danish artists in Berlin has been closed due to threats received over a photo deemed to be offensive to Muslims, organisers said.

The exhibition, which opened in central Berlin on February 22, has been closed to ensure the safety of staff and visitors, Ralf Hartmann from the artists' collective Kunstverein Tiergarten said today.

The show by Danish collective Surrend is aimed at depicting what they say is the absurdity of extremism in all religions. One of the 21 photos is of the Kaaba - the cube-shaped building inside the Grande Mosque in Mecca - with the inscription describing the stone as "stupid".

Source

The Kaaba is a cube-shaped building (hence our word "cube"), not a stone -- but the inscription on the artwork is "Dummer Stein", which means "stupid stone". The Kaaba is the holiest part of Mecca, although it was originally a pagan (pre-Islamic) building. It originally housed a collection of idols.

Note that the antisemitic picture -- implying that America is controlled by Jews -- seems to have got a pass.

I am slightly amused that a German site called Freunde der offnen Gesellschaft ("Friends of the open society") that discusses this issue manages to do so without reproducing the picture concerned. They just have a stick-man drawing instead. It seems that they are not TOO friendly to the open society. "Open society" is a George Soros catchword, of course. It would be nice if he believed in it.

(Yes. I know Soros borrowed the term off Karl Popper)


Posted by John Ray.

Pennsylvania Teacher Abbiejane Swogger in Trouble

Update here.

American Traitor Reported Dead

There is no official confirmation yet, but sources are indicating that American al-Qaeda member and indicted traitor, Adam Gadahn, was killed during a U.S. Predator drone attack last month. More here.

As always, I'm leery of reporting the demise of enemy operatives because so often the information is ultimately proven wrong. In the case of Gadahn, however, I can't help myself. Happy fingers are magnetically drawn to the keyboard.

Topless Missouri Teacher, Pics, Student

(St. Charles County, Missouri) A married, 27-year-old former English teacher at Barat Academy, Melissa R. Moss, has been accused of sending topless pictures of herself to a 15-year-old student via email last November.

Moss has been charged with furnishing pornographic material to a minor.

Debby Watson, president of the independent Catholic high school, could not be reached for comment Wednesday night, though another school administrator said Moss has not worked at the school for months.

A Facebook.com profile called "School Isn't the Same Without Melissa Moss" features comments from some of Moss' supporters protesting the teacher's departure from the school.

"We want her back at Barat Academy," the profile says. "Nothing's the same without her. … Our administration turned into meanies."

Heh.

Tip: Miles Wilson

San Francisco's New College Loses Accreditation

(San Francisco, California) New College, a liberal honeypot of higher education in the nation's most liberal city, has lost its accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

The association said accreditation would be terminated in 30 days because of problems that included financial questions; irregularities in admissions, enrollment and awarding of credit and grades; and poor documentation of student records and financial aid.

"New College's failure to meet so many basic tenets of accreditation requires that accreditation be terminated," Ralph Wolff, a top association executive, wrote Tuesday in notifying the school.

"WASC can no longer validate to the public and the community of higher education that New College is a financially sustainable institution and has a basic infrastructure of academic, operational, financial and governance systems, structures and policies."

Such a revocation is rare, but with the issues of integrity involved, the association believed it had to act, Wolff said Wednesday.

New College's 400 students are angry and confused, not knowing whether the school will be reinstated or closed. Also, the value of students' education acquired thus far is questionable.

Frankly, I'm not surprised. Some while ago, New College was in the news regarding a degree program in "activism" taught by an "ecofeminist witch" and a "tree-sitting environmentalist." I immediately questioned the school's merit as an institution of higher education. Distilled, activism is simply making noise, putting flies in ointments and opening cans of worms. Sure, some people want to do it but I honestly don't think it takes four years of college to learn.

Companion post at EdWatch.

Blade Endorses Obama

Although the newspaper reportedly seldom endorses candidates in primary elections, the Toledo Blade today endorsed Barack Obama.

The editors believe Obama offers "a breath of fresh air and new hope at a depressing time" and "America is badly in need of something new."

In my opinion, the endorsement insinuates several attributes to the Blade editorial staff. First of all, it indicates the newspaper's strong leftist bias. Secondly, it indicates that the editors have scant familiarity with the long-term results of socialist policies such as those advocated by Obama. And, lastly, the editors of the Blade wouldn't be able to identify a socialist if Karl Marx himself were resurrected, entered the newspaper's offices, and set all the wastebaskets on fire.

Kids Voting?

(Norway) To "stimulate community interest and involvement," three locales in Norway have submitted applications to allow adolescent 16-year-olds to vote.

Hey, if you're going to do something stupid, why not do something really stupid? Lower the voting age to 8 and welcome the pre-pubescent as voters. Eight-year-olds should be able to read the ballot. Hell, Norway, while you're at it, teach the pets to point and allow pet voting too.

Just think, maybe someday in the future, every species with a nervous system could be included on the roster of registered voters. Now, that would be a true one-animal-one-vote democracy.

Hezbollah Mouthpiece Given British Visa

This is crazy! The former editor of Al-Manar television, Ibrahim Moussawi, has been granted a visa to tour the United Kingdom where he is likely to "foment extremism or promote violence."

Al-Manar is the Iranian-backed station based in Beirut that broadcasts anti-semitic programming throughout the Middle East. Moussawi is also the chief editor of Al-Intiqad in Lebanon, linked to Hezbollah.

Shadow Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones attacked the Government's record of allowing radical extremists into the UK, after ministers previously ignored calls to deny Mr Moussawi entry to the UK.

She said: "The Government has the power to deny entry to people whose presence is not conducive to the public good.

"Yet in the past they have let in extremists to preach hate."

Moussawi plans to speak at a number of events in the coming week.

Fidelistas forever



"Pity the poor Cubans, who as of Tuesday have found themselves deprived of the benevolent care of their glorious leader Fidel Castro. So say today's Commie tools, anyway. Reading the photosphere's reaction to Castro's retirement provides a gentle reminder that too many academics and other propagandists for socialist totalitarianism just don't care how many skulls must be cracked if the blood fertilizes their utopian fantasies."

More here

Posted by John Ray.

African Lesbian Conference

(Maputo, Mozambique) Apparently, lesbians feel unwanted on the continent of Africa.

Lesbians from several African countries have gathered for a conference in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

About 75 participants are attending the meeting which will aim to find ways to counter sexual discrimination.

Conference spokeswoman Fikile Vilakazi from the Coalition of African Lesbians says that action is needed to respond to homophobia which she says is rife in Africa.

Presumably, there are more than 75 total African lesbians.

Nebraska Mom Accused of Child Abuse, Loses Custody of Kids

(Omaha, Nebraska) A 25-year-old local woman, Lisa Schuchard, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly abusing her two children, ages 2 and 4, by allowing them to have access to marijuana, a shotgun and drug paraphernalia.

Schuchard has been charged with felony child abuse.

Someone called Child Protective Services to complain that Schuchard's 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy were filthy dirty and that drug paraphernalia was strewn about Schuchard's home near 34th and Hamilton Streets.

The caller also complained that the kids were forced to sleep a lot -- and that Schuchard and her live-in boyfriend, Christopher Gladden, were "always sleeping."

Omaha Police responded to the complaint and found evidence of drug paraphernalia within reach of the children and suspicious bruising on the legs, buttocks and cheek of the 4-year-old girl.

The 4-year-old then gave this account of the marijuana use to detectives, according to police and court reports:

She described Schuchard and Gladden, 23, smoking "joints."

The 4-year-old said joints are brown and have green "weed" inside. She said weed also can be smoked from a bong and a pipe.

The 4-year-old then "demonstrated (very well) how she smokes from a 'joint,' 'bong' and 'pipe' during the interview," an Omaha police detective wrote. "She said that her mother and Chris give both her and her brother the weed to smoke.

"(She) said that she smokes in front of her mom and Chris' friends and that they laugh when she smokes."

Before the children's marijuana use was known, Gladden pleaded guilty to initial charges of misdemeanor child abuse and was sentenced to six months in jail. Schuchard wasn't as lucky. She was charged with a felony.

Earlier today, Schuchard was arraigned on felony child abuse charges. She also attended a custody hearing.

Juvenile Court Judge Chris Kelly this morning decided to place the girl and her 2-year-old brother with their biological father. The judge told Schuchard she'll only be able to have supervised phone conversations with her kids.

Judge Kelly also said Schuchard will only be allowed supervised visits with her children when she is released from jail.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Terrorist Solidarity Ribbons

To be a properly-dressed, elite Hollywood leftist, one must display the orange ribbon to indicate solidarity with terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Check out the prominence of the ribbons at last Sunday's Academy Awards.

Jeez, all of the cool people had them.

Tip from Sandcrawler.

Hubba-Hubba Disrupts Flight?

(Tampa, Florida) Two 18-year-old tenderonies, Nisreen Swedberg and Sarah Williams, were booted from a Southwest Airlines flight by uniformed police officers for allegedly causing disruption by being too good-looking.

"I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us," she [Williams] said.

"[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger."

Wow! They're also stupid. Quite fortuitous for any compassionate soul who helped them through the traumatic incident, I suspect. Nah, forget that. They're probably too stupid to be insulted.

Nonetheless, after leaving the plane, they were questioned by the FBI. Probably, something like, "And where do you live and when are you available at that address?"

Regarding the girls being too pretty, it's hard to tell. Reporting on the incident has been accompanied by a picture which only shows their faces. What's with that? To be too pretty means they must also possess premium pretty attributes. Even so, lacking transportation shouldn't be a problem. There are likely many guys who would be happy to give them a ride.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Today's Obamology

I would like to think something good about Obama -- seeing he could well be next POTUS -- so here is one excerpt that seems to have a point: "The best evidence of Obama's readiness to lead the nation is th e ability with which he has run for president. After all, what is more difficult, complicated, or challenging than getting elected president? What other life experience better illustrates one's qualification to hold the office than a manifest skill in seeking it. For anyone who has ever been elected president, the race that sent them to the White House was the single most important event in their lives and dwarfs any other experience they might have had before running. As we have watched Obama surmount the hurdles that lay in his path, we cannot help but be impressed with his judgment. .... Will he be a good president? If he is half as skillful in serving as he has been in running, he can't miss."


Obama terrorist connection: "The board of a nonprofit organization on which Sen. Barack Obama served as a paid director alongside a confessed domestic terrorist granted funding to a controversial Arab group that mourns the establishment of Israel as a "catastrophe" and supports intense immigration reform, including providing drivers licenses and education to illegal aliens. The co-founder of the Arab group in question, Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi, also has held a fundraiser for Obama. Khalidi is a harsh critic of Israel, has made statements supportive of Palestinian terror and reportedly has worked on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization while it was involved in anti-Western terrorism and was labeled by the State Department as a terror group."


A comment on Obama's latest example of economic ignorance here

Posted by John Ray.

Dutch Biological, Chemical Warfare Programs

(The Netherlands) Frankly, the thought of "open-air poison gas tests" makes me a NIMBY.

From Radio Netherlands:

Government-funded Dutch research organisation TNO is not just conducting scientific research into chemical warfare agents, but is also looking into the dangers of biological warfare compounds. TNO stipulates that the use of biological weapons by terrorists is conceivable.

Dutch weekly HP/DeTijd last week described open-air poison gas tests, carried out by TNO on two military training areas in thinly-populated parts of the country. There were also joint tests with the French in Algeria. [ ... ]

TNO's research into chemical warfare compounds continues until today. Answers are sought to questions such as "Which substances might be used by opponents against the Dutch military or population, and which protection can be given against those?"

TNO itself is also producing chemical warfare compounds, like nerve gases, although that involves very small quantities (a few millilitres per experiment - that's about a teaspoonful) and it's done in high-security labs.

To keep abreast of the real terrorist threat of using biological and chemical weapons, someone must do testing and research. TNO operates one of nineteen research labs authorized by the UN to produce chemical warfare compounds.

On the other hand, there is a ban on producing and possessing biological weapons but no one is verifying compliance. Ominously, al-Qaeda has stated it would not refrain from using biological agents.

"Green" Hydrogen Buses - A Dicey Bet

(San Jose, California) The (Silicon) Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) conducted a pilot program to test the feasibility of using zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell buses in its system. The effort was mandated by the state.

The results indicate that zero-emissions buses (ZEBs) cost $51.66 per mile to operate. Since it only costs $1.61 per mile to operate a diesel-powered bus, VTA officials are questioning whether ZEBs are prudent. Not only that, but the ZEBs break down more often and replacement parts are extremely difficult to obtain.

Although the cost of a new hydrogen-fuel-cell bus has fallen from about $3.5 million to $2.5 million, a diesel coach costs about $400,000. And ZEBs have on average traveled 1,100 miles before needing repairs in the VTA trial, while a typical diesel bus covers about 6,000 miles.

But the dismal dollar figures are not deterring the dedicated environmentalists at the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Analifa Bevan with CARB said her agency "is not considering any changes," pointing out that the VTA experiment involves early prototypes and that the next generation of buses will be more reliable and "cheaper to operate than diesel."

Okay. However, a thoughtful observer might say that the CARB is being overly optimistic. Taking the cost from more than $50 per mile to less than $2 per mile in one generation of vehicles would be miraculous.

In any event, California citizens should prepare for their wallets to be pilfered. The state has mandated that all transportation agencies with 200 or more buses must have 15 percent of them as ZEBs within the next four years.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

OK Woman Allegedly Not OK with Boy

(Pryor, Oklahoma) A 37-year-old woman, Gwendolyn Sue Forbes, was arrested last week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Forbes has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape.

Forbes admitted in a video taped confession to having sex with the boy no less than eight times in 2007. All but one incident occurred at Forbes' residence outside of Locust Grove.

The Mayes County Sheriff's office was told of the allegations by the boy's mother.

Forbes was booked into custody at the Mayes County Jail with bond set at $50,000. A court appearance is scheduled for March 19.

Terror-Linked Drug Trafficker Nabbed at Miami Airport

Not only that but the man, a Lebanese national named Faid Beydoun (aka Miguel Garcia plus other aliases), tried to pass himself off as a Latino. Beydoun is a Shi'ite Muslim with strong family links to Hezbollah. He was chased by TSA screeners, caught and found to carry cocaine and many different passports, including U.S.

So here we have a terrorism-linked operative, trafficking drugs, while posing as a Latino at the same time that we have three presumptive candidates for the U.S. Presidency all favoring amnesty for illegal alien Latinos.

What's wrong with this picture? Frankly, among many things, I'm quite troubled by the ease with which Arab Muslims can replicate the appearance and behavior of Latinos.

More here.

Reader Help Needed

Dear Readers,

Do any of you have familiarity with the pictured device? It was photographed by Megan Wallent in a hotel bathroom in France and a number of people are flummoxed regarding its purpose.


It is bolted to the floor and apparently has no moving parts as it sits next to the toilet.

If someone has a clue, please leave a comment.

Sincerely,
Interested-Participant

Tip: Charles Hill

Shark-Dive Death

(Miami, Florida) A 49-year-old Austrian lawyer, Markus Groh, died this past weekend after going on a shark-diving adventure in the open waters off the Bahamas. The sea had been chummed and Groh went down without a protective cage in search of hammerheads and tiger sharks. He was bitten on the leg and apparently died from loss of blood.

The vacation excursion was operated by Abernethy's Scuba Adventures.

Chummed, open-water shark dives had been banned in Florida waters by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission because of the danger. As a result, operators take adventurers to Bahamian waters.

George Burgess, Director of the International Shark File at the U. of Florida, said the attack on Groh was the first shark-bite death of the year. And since the waters were chummed with bloody fish guts, the attack was provoked. The sharks cannot be blamed.

Obamology

I have become an Obamablogger. And not only on this blog. There are now lots of blogs devoted to dissecting the words and deeds of the vacuous one but I now have a new blog which is simply a gathering-together of what I have posted about him here and elsewhere. I intend it more as a handy archive than anything else. See Obamology.

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

Leftists just don't get it


Susan Estrich is a fairly moderate Leftist. She is even defending John McCain and criticizing the NYT in the excerpt below! But she still thinks that free speech should be used "responsibly" -- i.e. that it should not really be free. Muslims say the same thing.

That what seems "responsible" to me may seem "hate speech" to others is just not addressed. If we avoided saying things that others might not regard as "responsible", we would soon be struck dumb.

"Maybe there should be an asterisk in the First Amendment's protection of the freedom of the press making the point that most of us who are parents of teenagers do on a regular basis: that freedom is not simply a privilege but also a responsibility, that just because you have it doesn't mean you need to push its limits, much less abuse it.

I'm certainly not a McCain partisan. And I don't think I've ever met his old friend, the lobbyist Vicki Iseman, as she is described beneath her smiling picture in Thursday's New York Times. I do know that the definition of all the news that's fit to print has changed if it includes a collage of anonymous anecdotes proving nothing more than that some of the senator's aides might have been troubled by the appearance that he was too close to a woman lobbyist at a time when he was running against the influence of big money in politics."

Source

Posted by John Ray

Obama the Misleader

Obama's campaign in Ohio has included television spots where he proclaims, "Some CEOs make more in 10 minutes than some American workers make in a year."

Well, Tom Blumer at BizzyBlog did the math and found that the statement is quite misleading. Less than a handful of CEOs meet the requirement. Check it out.

Global Warming Hiccup

Some scientists believe that the sun has entered a phase of reduced activity similar to that which existed during the Little Ice Age. Empirical evidence suggests that a long period of severely cold weather will occur if sunspot activity doesn't pick up soon. I don't expect the mainstream media to headline this story.

From the National Post:

Snow cover over North America and much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966.

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January "was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average."

China is surviving its most brutal winter in a century. Temperatures in the normally balmy south were so low for so long that some middle-sized cities went days and even weeks without electricity because once power lines had toppled it was too cold or too icy to repair them. [ ... ]

In just the first two weeks of February, Toronto received 70 cm of snow, smashing the record of 66.6 cm for the entire month set back in the pre-SUV, pre-Kyoto, pre-carbon footprint days of 1950.

And remember the Arctic Sea ice? The ice we were told so hysterically last fall had melted to its "lowest levels on record? Never mind that those records only date back as far as 1972 and that there is anthropological and geological evidence of much greater melts in the past.

The ice is back.

Gilles Langis, a senior forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa, says the Arctic winter has been so severe the ice has not only recovered, it is actually 10 to 20 cm thicker in many places than at this time last year.

Agreed, the data represent only a snapshot in time and it would be imprudent to raise alarms about an impending ice age because of one or a few severe winters. However, one would vault way beyond imprudent to ludicrous if climate forecasts for 100 years from today were based on the same data. Unfortunately, the global warming cultists view things differently.

Tip: slwlion

Woman Confesses to Bedding 1,000 Men

And, she's not a hooker, she's a real estate agent. It's reported that "Amy" has an addiction.

I'll say.

Of course, someone might just be blowing smoke.

Convicted Rapist Lisa Clark Released from Prison

(Atlanta, Georgia) Convicted rapist Lisa Lynette Clark (aka Lisa Lynnette Clark), 40, was released from Metro State Prison last Friday after serving time for statutory rape and hindering apprehension of a child.

As a reminder, Clark was arrested in November 2005 for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy. Clark became pregnant by the sexual relationship and married the boy. The same month, Clark was indicted by Hall County grand jury on child molestation charges.

In February 2006, aided by Clark, the 15-year-old boy ran away from the group home he was assigned to as part of his probation on a burglary charge. The boy was ultimately apprehended in Ohio. For her involvement, Clark was charged with hindering apprehension of the boy.

On February 11, 2006, Clark gave birth to a son, Skye Cobain Gonzales.

In March 2006, Lisa Clark pleaded guilty to statutory rape and was sentenced to nine months in jail. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

In the meantime, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law a bill which prohibits marriage of anyone under the age of 18 unless the approval of a parent is given.

In June 2006, Lisa Clark pleaded guilty to two counts of hindering the apprehension of a child and sentenced to two years in prison.

On February 22, 2008, Clark leaves prison. Interestingly, a tell-all book, Betrayed: The True Story of Lisa Lynette Clark, was released concurrently with her release from prison. Sales are reportedly brisk.

Speculation is that Clark and her now 17-year-old boy-husband will be getting back together. She's 40, he's 17, a combination that spells trouble, in my opinion. We'll see. Presumably, custody of now 2-year-old Skye Cobain Gonzales, who has been in foster care, will be returned to Clark.

Obesity More Dangerous Than Terrorism

(Sydney, Australia) Hey, readers, good news! Terrorism is not that big a deal. From the Fifth Annual Conference of the Oxford Health Alliance:

Overcoming deadly factors such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise should take top priority in the fight against a growing epidemic of chronic disease, legal and health experts said.

Global terrorism was a real threat but posed far less risk than obesity, type two diabetes and smoking-related illnesses, US law professor Lawrence Gostin said at the Oxford Health Alliance Summit here.

"Ever since September 11 we’ve been lurching from one crisis to the next which has really frightened the public," Gostin told AFP later.

"While we've been focussing so much attention on that we've had this silent epidemic of obesity that's killing millions of people around the world and we’re devoting very little attention to it and a negligible amount of money."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the United Nations World Food Program today indicated that "... rising food prices are causing people in more countries to go hungry."

How nice? We have competing crises.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

OBAMA NEWS



"I have the hat, I still have the hat". So does Obama. And it is a Muslim hat, as you can see above. Details about the Obama hat here.

Obama can do no wrong. Things that the Left once condemned are now OK if Obama says so. See here

Ralph Nader says Obama censors his real political views: "Nader credited Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who leads the Democratic nomination race, with being "the first liberal evangelist in a long time." But Nader said Obama's "better instincts and knowledge have been censored" by the demands of the campaign. "He's leaned, if anything, toward the pro-corporate side of policy-making," Nader said. The question is, he added, "Do you have the fortitude to stand up against the corporate powers ... and get things done for the American people?" Obama, he said, has also erred on foreign policy. "He was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois," Nader said. "Now he's supporting" the Israeli government's policies, he added."

An Obama baracklash: "In recent days, sites have popped up indicating that the ongoing online Obamamania has hit a wall. What kind of wall? A snarky, ironic, this-Obama-thing-has-gotten-over-the-top wall. Obama's smiling mug is mashed up on countless faces on SenatorObamas.com. He's Sumobama. He's Pharaohbama. He's Navajobama, complete with a blue-and-white feathered headdress. The blog Is Barack Obama the Messiah? features a photo of the Illinois senator standing on a flight of stairs, Christlike, above an adoring crowd while a ray of light beams from above."

Posted by John Ray.

Hallelujah! The Whales Are Saved!

(Honolulu, Hawaii) The annual Pacific Whale Foundation Great Whale Count was completed yesterday and a total of 1,726 whales were sighted in a three-hour period. The whale sightings were conducted by researchers and educators at observation points along Maui's southern and western shores.

Last year's number was 1,265 whale sightings. Doing the math, the 2008 count represents a 36 percent increase in the number of whales.

It seems the whales have been saved.

Islamic Leader: Free Speech OK If Respectful and Responsible

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) In an Arab Times report, the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, weighed in on the "insulting caricatures of prophet Muhammad" printed recently in Danish newspapers.

He said it was unacceptable that Islam and Muslims were represented as enemies of free speech.

Ihsanoglu reiterated that Muslims have no problem with the freedom of speech as a fundamental human right but expect a minimal level of respect and responsibility in the exercise of this right.

Therefore, as long as you watch what you say, Muslims don't have any problem with you speaking freely.

Presumably, this means that it's totally unacceptable to state that terrorists are largely fundamental followers of Islam. That would be disrespectful and irresponsible.

However, it would be perfectly acceptable to freely state that Jews are the spawn of pigs and dogs and they drink the blood of dead Palestinian babies.

Hopefully, this clarification will dispel any confusion regarding freedom of speech.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

A PROPHETIC POEM


One does occasionally hear the term "The white man's burden" as a mocking reference to the claim that the British and other empires were good for the native peoples whom they dominated. I wonder how many people are aware that the term was originally the name of a poem and that the poet was Indian-born British poet Rudyard Kipling? Some, no doubt. But I would not at all be surprised to hear that NOBODY reading this was aware that the poem concerned was inspired by the deeds of a famous American "Progressive". Let me explain:

Right into the 1960's, the American Left (e.g. JFK) was patriotic and nationalistic. Nowadays they mostly make only a shallow pretense of patriotism. Getting the votes of minorities is their desperate aim these days and glorifying America does not serve that aim very well. And with Obama, even the pretense seems to be fading.

And the most nationalistic icon of the American Left in history was undoubtedly TR (Theodore Roosevelt), founder of the "Progressive" party. TR was the first Fascist leader of the 20th century -- where Fascism is conceived of as Leftism plus nationalism. He glorified war as a purifying force for the nation, built lots of battleships and invaded and took over three countries. And on the home front he attacked big business. Fascist enough? His conquests were in fact in the last few years of the 19th century but his Presidency of the USA continued into the early 20th century.

The British empire had however never been Fascist. It was run by conservatives most of the time and when the Left came to power they were much more inclined to wind it down than expand it. And, as the saying goes, the empire was mostly acquired "in a fit of absence of mind". It was not acquired as the result of any deliberate expansionist policy but rather as the byproduct of pursuing other objectives -- such as containment of the French. And if anyone doubts the humane impulse that formed British policy of the time, just reflect that it was in 1807 that Britain became the first major country to abolish slavery.

And India is an excellent example of the non-imperialistic origin of the British empire. The British first came to India as the representatives of a private company, the British East India company, and the aim was trade, not conquest. The company encountered various attacks on its operations, however, so gradually built up a private army to defend itself (perhaps a bit like the security guards employed by Halliburton in Iraq today). And when Indian princelings took on the company in battle, the company tended to win -- meaning that it eventually had large parts of India under its private control. At that stage, the British government got a bit concerned that the company was not treating the natives well and took over the company's military and rulership operations. So the British government in a sense "inherited" India rather than invading and conquering it. The history I have just given does of course simplify much for the sake of brevity but that is the essence of it.

And the humane thinking (mostly of Christian origin) behind British policy is spelled out in Kipling's poem. Kipling saw the British as having a civilizing mission and saw that mission as one of replacing savage values with humane and Christian ones. And he persuaded himself that TR had such values too. He wrote his poem as a commentary on the American takeover of the Philippines. He saw America as joining Britain in the mission of civilizing savages.

And what he wrote was very prophetic. And it was good prophecy because it was based on experience -- British imperial experience. He prophesied that the gift of liberty and humaneness that America would give to other nations would not be appreciated and would instead lead to resentment of America. And that was long before the liberation of France from the Nazis and the liberation of Iraq from Saddam! Here are some excerpts from a wonderful and idealistic poem that is now almost always misrepresented:

Take up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;

By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;

And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hopes to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--

That's amazingly good prophecy by my lights. Very wicked of him to mention skin color judged by today's hysterical political standards but Britain and America WERE largely white countries at the time, and still are.

If anybody is wondering why I have suddenly started to blog about poetry, the story is here (or here).

Posted by John Ray.

Colorado Teacher Accused of Sex Assault of Student - Updated

Scroll down for update.

[11/13/07 post bumped]
(Denver, Colorado) A 40-year-old former teacher at Graland Country Day School, Meredith Hollen, was arrested last week for the alleged sexual assault of a student.

Hollen has been charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child and another count of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.

"We are in the midst of investigating a former teacher at Graland Country Day for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. She is currently being investigated for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust," said Sonny Jackson, spokesperson for the Denver Police Department.

"I believe the school has notified parents in the area so we've taken appropriate measures. At this point in time, we're in the middle of our investigation."

The grade level and age of the student were not disclosed. Graland is a private preparatory K-9 school of about 600 students.

Hollen was booked into custody at the Denver County Jail and later released on $50,000 bond. She has a court appearance scheduled for Friday.

Thanks to Barry for the pic.


[Update 02/23/08]

No jail for Hollen.

From Rocky Mountain News:

A former teacher at Graland Country Day School was sentenced Thursday to probation for 10 years to life and ordered to register as a sex offender for sexually assaulting a former student.

Meredith Hollen, 40, pleaded guilty to a single charge of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. Eleven other charges were dismissed as part of a plea bargain.

The victim and his family were not present at Thursday's hearing but support the resolution of the case, said prosecutor Verna Carpenter.

The victim's family wanted everything to remain anonymous.

Man's Best Friend?

(Wichita, Kansas) A 20-year-old man, Joshua Coman, was arrested this week for breaking into a residence and engaging in sex with a 4-year-old female rottweiler [name withheld].

Coman was initially held on suspicion of criminal sodomy and aggravated burglary and booked into custody at the Sedgwick County Jail.

Notably, Coman has a prior conviction from last September for the same crime in Reno County. He pleaded no contest and was fined $353.

The rottweiler was not injured, however, the Kansas Humane Society director of communications, Jennifer Campbell, stated, "That is committing a violent act toward that animal."

On Thursday, Coman was formally charged with misdemeanor criminal sodomy. District Judge Eric Yost entered a not guilty plea on Coman's behalf and set bond at $10,000.

Tip: slwlion

Female Child Molester Molests Again

(Muncie, Indiana) A 21-year-old convicted child molester, Dixie Leann Corbin, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Corbin faces two counts of felony sexual misconduct with a minor.

Corbin had previously been convicted of molesting a 13-year-old boy and was sentenced to two years in prison in June 2006. She was released in January 2007 after serving less than half of her sentence. Corbin was on probation when she allegedly committed the latest offenses.

Corbin is currently in custody without bail. Her arraignment on the latest charges is scheduled for Monday (2/25).

Based upon available information, it appears that Dixie Corbin should be classified as a sexual predator.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Nader to Announce

To say Ralph Nader and the Green Party are back would be wrong since they have never left. They are just difficult to notice because their anti-capitalist message doesn't garner much more than a minority blip on the public's radar.

Nevertheless, it's reported that Ralph and the Greenies will be announcing tomorrow on Meet the Press. Obviously, there's never a nadir for Nader in his campaign to beat down American corporations.

School Bus Fatal Crash Caused by Illegal Alien

(Minneota, Minnesota) A 23-year-old local woman, Alianiss Nunez Morales, has been charged with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide for last Tuesday's crash into a school bus that resulted in the deaths of four children.

Morales was also charged with a stop sign violation and driving without a valid license.

In a new twist, sources now are saying that Morales is an illegal alien using an alias.

[I]n court, the Lyon County attorney said federal immigration agents have determined that the real Alianiss Morales is from Puerto Rico where agents questioned her grandparents. They told them the woman arrested for causing the Cottonwood bus crash is not their granddaughter.

The suspect sat quietly in court on a wheelchair and told the judge, through an interpreter, that her real name was Alianiss Nunez Morales. A claim that federal immigration agents dispute.

Claude Arnold of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement said, "Yesterday, our agents developed probable cause that Ms. Nunez-Morales is in the country illegally and that that is not her true identity."

According to the county attorney, Morales has "sketchy" ties to the community and has resided in Minnesota for no more than a month, therefore, she is considered an "extreme flight risk." She has a court appearance scheduled for April.


[Update 10/11/08]

Olga Franco (aka Alianiss Morales) was sentenced to 12 and one-half years in prison after being convicted by a jury.

THE RISKINESS OF JOKES


Don't Joke in Britain

We read:

"When it comes to making your co-workers laugh, tread carefully. Sometimes even a great joke can lead to the punch line "you're fired." The daily grind has always been fertile ground for practical jokes, witty one-liners, rude gags and general clowning around. But it is becoming harder to avoid crossing the line into offensive territory, due in part to the ease of electronic communication and the workplace's growing attunement to cultural diversity and worker sensitivity.

Take the PR Newswire employee fired last month for using the term "loony-bin-rally" to slug a press release about a march for mental illness. The company published an apology saying it deeply regretted the "error" and understood how "such terminology feeds the prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illnesses."

Then there was the European head of Barclaycard--the credit card arm of Barclays (nyse: BCS - news - people )--who lost his job last month, allegedly because of a gag that offended fellow employees. According to The Daily Telegraph, Marc Howells was discussing quarterly results with his staff when he told the following joke: "The results were like Muslims--some were good, some were Shi'ite."

It may be difficult to determine when the punishment fits the crime, but there is no doubt jokes are dangerous creatures in an office environment. Careless e-mails build up a trail of evidence that can look 10 times worse when closely analyzed and wrenched out of context. An offhand riposte about a co-worker can worm its way through the office, resulting in an official complaint or even disciplinary action if there is the suspicion of discrimination.

Which begs the question: Is it even worth making a joke at work anymore? Not according to British writer Toby Young, whose 2003 book How to Lose Friends and Alienate People chronicled his many failed attempts to charm co-workers at Vanity Fair through humor. "It is a risk that simply isn't worth taking," said Young

Source

Jokes Risky in Australia too

In Australia and in Britain, the mayor of a major city is referred to as a "Lord" mayor. The city concerned below is Brisbane, Australia (capital of the State of Queensland). A municipal election takes place there shortly:

"A Lord mayoral aspirant is facing calls for her withdrawal from next month's elections after circulating an email that talks about being gang raped by her Labor opponent. Louise Day - who fronts a rock band under her stage name Punxie - was last night refusing to pull out of the race, saying the email was meant in jest.

Ms Day, a former speech writer for Education Queensland, says she does not feel comfortable referring to Labor's lord mayoral candidate Greg Rowell by his first name "in case he takes it as a come-on and invites his cricket team to gang rape me. "But Rowell just sounds like something I barfed. I think I am just going to call him, 'jug head' because, you know, of his ears," she wrote.

Source

Robust political abuse was once normal throughout the English-speaking world but an artifical politeness seems to be descending. I think the new way is more likely to lead to things being covered up.

Posted by John Ray.

Virginia Teacher Undressed in Photos to Students

(Norfolk, Virginia) A 24-year-old social studies teacher at Granby High School, Natasha L. Sizow, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly sending improper photos of herself to students, both male and female, via cell phone.

Sizow has been charged with two counts each of indecent liberties and use of a communications device to facilitate crimes against children.

Schools spokesman Vincent Rhodes said Sizow was a first-year social studies teacher and the girls' swimming coach at Granby.

She was accused of sending photos of herself "in various stages of undress," said Sgt. Jim Robertson, police spokesman. The students involved were a male and a female, both age 17, according to Amanda Howie of the commonwealth's attorney's office.

The case came to light two weeks ago, when police sought a warrant to search Sizow's cell phone for electronic data. A detective's affidavit said a school resource officer learned about the allegations and reported them.

Sizow was booked and released on $5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 2.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy


[Update 04/05/08]

Sizow Won't Be Prosecuted

Charges against Sizow have been tabled. According to the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office:

"The bottom line, there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case and that's why we nolle-prossed the case. That's the bottom line," says Amanda Howie spokesperson for the office.

The prosecutor reserves the option to re-file charges at a later date.

In the meantime, the Norfolk School Board has reinstated Sizow to full employment and decided to pay her for the 42 days she was suspended without pay.

Smart People Leaving Britain

(London, England) According to a study by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), smart people are leaving Britain. It's being called the largest exodus in 50 years.

As an analogy, I'd call it a correction, in Wall Street terminology, where people are investors and Britain is a stock. People (investors) are moving away from the stock (Britain) because they see more returns in other stocks (nations). Britain needs to improve its prospectus.

In any event, the rate of departures is alarming. One highly-skilled university graduate left Britain for good every three minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout 2006. Of all the nations in the study, only Mexico had more people emigrate.

The most popular destinations are English-speaking countries such as Australia, America, Canada and New Zealand and holiday areas including France and Spain.

Almost 60 per cent of those leaving take jobs, although hundreds of thousands of retired people live abroad.

The report is a statistical analysis which does not study the motivation for leaving Britain. However, high house prices and taxes and poor climate are frequently cited.

The shadow Immigration Minister said people are leaving due to high taxes and government regulation imposed by a decade of Labor Party rule.

Even so, isn't it odd that so many people want to leave a nanny state and give up all the cradle-to-grave goodies?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

McCain and DeWine, Like Peas and Carrots

Is it only my nightmare that former Sen. Mike DeWine appears to be the separated-at-birth-but-joined-in-loyal-union slow twin of John McCain? All too often I see DeWine tagging along on McCain's coattails as if mimicking the cartoon where a bouncy little dog yelps, "You gonna beat 'em up, Spike? Are ya', Spike? Are ya'? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Just freakin' great! I believe DeWine got booted from office largely because he was a McCain sycophant. I'll never be able to erase the unpleasant image of DeWine standing like the school nerd at "Spike" McCain's elbow during press announcements for the Gang of 14. Ohio's Republicans displayed their disapproval at the ballot box by not showing up. As a result, Ohioans got the leftist piece of work, Democrat Sherrod Brown.

And now, to avoid having a Democrat (I'd argue a Socialist) in the White House, conservatives are forced to support McCain. Given that DeWine and McCain are often seen together, obviously conjoined in spirit if not the flesh, support for McCain translates into a perverse, back-door, approval-by-association for DeWine.

More troubling, however, is the very real possibility that a McCain administration will include DeWine -- somewhere. Maybe a cabinet member? Not a pleasant thought. Although DeWine is swimmingly loyal to John McCain, he treats conservatism as a mostly-forgotten cousin.

Frankly, I didn't need more reasons to view McCain as unacceptable. My chalkboard is already full. But I must admit that the DeWine element is particularly grating since I don't think he should be in any leadership position in government - at least not as a Republican.

In my gut, I sense that DeWine became a Republican by chance more than by conviction. Sure, it's speculation, but based on his performance as a lawmaker and political leader, DeWine could have just as easily fit in as a Democrat. I'll go a step further and fantasize that a young Mike DeWine, while pondering his career opportunities, took a coin out of his pocket, flipped it into the air and called out, "Heads, Republican. Tails, Democrat."

Damn coin.

Nevertheless, McCain's high unacceptability rating of one full chalkboard pales in comparison to any Democrat's unacceptability rating of two full chalkboards. Therefore, a prudent voter will find the least unacceptable to be the most chad-worthy. A bumper sticker is needed -- Be Prudent, Vote Least Unacceptable.

Right now, the future is anyone's guess but when it's all over and there's a new resident in the White House, it will be hard to dispute the contention that the 2008 Presidential Election was the real-life equivalent of the South Park television episode of an election between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

Louisiana Teacher Gets Prison in Student Sex Case

(Deridder, Louisiana) In October 2006, a teacher at South Beauregard Junior High, Marla K. Meek, was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. Meek turned herself in to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's office. Reportedly, Meek was friends with the boy's parents.

Meek was booked on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation for sexual purposes. She was released on $35,000 bond.

Yesterday, Meek pleaded guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile. As a result, Meek was sentenced by Judge Herman Stewart to five years in prison with four years suspended. Meek will serve one year with the Louisiana Department of Corrections and four years probation.

Meek must also register as a sex offender and she is prohibited from making contact with her victim or any member of his family. She was also ordered to seek therapy and pay fines and restitution. Lastly, Meek is not allowed to be around male juveniles other than her own children.

Finnish Fascists censor anti-censorship site

Saying it is "child porn"!

"Finnish police are blocking more than 1,000 legal websites, including one belonging to a well-known internet activist, under a secretive system designed to prevent access to foreign sites that contain child pornography, according to a group that advocates for individual rights online.

Among the estimated 1,700 destinations on the secret block list is lapsiporno.info, which has vocally criticized the Finnish censorship program, according to Matti Nikki, the site's creator and a long-time activist.

Of the 700 or sites that have been tested, only two are known to contain inappropriate images of children, said Tapani Tarvainen chairman of the Electronic Frontier Finland (EFFI). The remainder tend to be sites with adult-oriented themes, such as those offering legal porn, and forums for gay sex. In some cases, the sites - which include an online doll store, a Thai Windows advice forum and a computer repair service - have no visible link to porn or sex at all.

The program has its roots in a law passed in late 2006 that was narrowly drafted to filter only foreign websites that contained child porn. To critics, the inclusion of sites like Nikki's, which is located in Finland and contains no pornographic images of any kind, demonstrates the slippery slope that gets started once censorship is allowed.

What's more, the censorship system threatens sites that offer all kinds of content, including political forums blogs and message boards. That's because it requires Finnish internet service providers (ISPs) to block entire web servers, so a single user posting a single inappropriate link has the ability to get an entire service shut out. As a result, plenty of legitimate sites based in the US, Europe and elsewhere, are blocked solely because they share space with a bad actor.

Source

The Finns DID fight alongside the Wehrmacht in WWII. It sounds like the influence is still strong.

Posted by John Ray.

Teacher Jodi Church Gets Federal Prison for Soliciting Boy

(Peoria, Illinois) In March 2007, a 26-year-old teacher at Manual High School, Jodi Church, was charged under state law with felony sexual assault for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student.

Also in March, Church was charged in federal court with using the Internet (MySpace) to lure a different 16-year-old male student into having sex.

In August 2007, 27-year-old Jodi Church pleaded guilty to a federal charge of enticement of a minor for sexual activity using MySpace.com.

Yesterday, Jodi Church was sentenced to seven years in a federal prison. Upon her release, Church will be subjected to court supervision for life.

Additionally, Church faces a county court appearance next week regarding sex crimes allegedly committed against a different 16-year-old male student.


[Update 02/25/08]

Jodi Church pleaded guilty today to state charges resulting from engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy. She was sentenced to four and one-half years in prison, to be served concurrently with her federal seven-year sentence.

Church will serve her sentences in a Texas federal prison.

Louisiana Woman Accused of Letting Kids Drink, Have Sex

(Bossier City, Louisiana) A 36-year-old local woman, Christie Lynn Hemler, was arrested recently for allegedly providing alcohol to 9-, 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls and allowing them to engage in sexual activity.

A parent of a 12-year-old, one of the juveniles involved, alerted the Bossier City Police.

The 12-year-old female was subsequently interviewed at the "Gingerbread House" and told a trained forensic interviewer that Hemler allowed 9-, 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls to spend the night and sleep in the same room at Hemler's house in June of 2007.

According to the 12-year-old female, sexual activity occurred between some of the 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls. In addition, she said Hemler purchased alcohol and allowed its consumption by the juveniles at her residence.

According to Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen, Hemler has been charged with six counts of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. She was booked into custody at the Bossier Maximum Security Facility with bond set at $10,000.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Man Faces Murder Charge for Self Defense During Robbery

(Lancashire, England) A 34-year-old shopkeeper, Tony Singh, faces charges in the death of a fugitive career criminal who attempted to rob him.

Tony Singh fought back when Liam Kilroe, a career criminal, ambushed him in his car after closing time.

Kilroe, who was trying to steal Mr Singh's takings, staggered away with a stab wound from his own knife and died in a pool of blood.

The 25-year-old was on the run after being charged with two robberies.

Police called to the scene found Mr Singh in a state of shock, still sitting in his car and nursing serious knife wounds to his back, face and neck.

However, the officers arrested the 34-year-old and are preparing to send a file to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A murder charge would carry a life sentence on conviction.

Lancashire Police have processed the papers for Mr. Singh to be charged with murder, manslaughter or assault. Crown Prosecution lawyers will now decide. Hopefully, they'll use some common sense.

Tip: slwlion

Organic Juice Causes Coma

(Toronto, Canada) Andy Valy and Susanna Chen drank organic carrot juice and suffered paralysis and coma from botulism. They soldier on, quite unwell, and now they're suing the company that manufactured the drink.

They drank organic juice because it is reported to be healthier.

Berkeley Tree Sitters Lose Their Stuff

(Berkeley, California) About 6 AM Tuesday morning, UC Berkeley sent a guy to clean, for sanitation and safety purposes, the city's infamous treetop village of eco-protesters. As he removed materials and equipment, including food and clothing, a moment of meaning occurred.

[A] rope holding a bucket used for human waste was cut, sending the bucket and its contents to the ground at least 40 feet below.

It's arguable but I believe that a bucket of human waste crashing on the ground symbolizes the entire tree-sitting movement. They should put it on a bumper sticker.

Some might say that I have no respect for the environment and that I hate the Earth. That would be wrong. Furthermore, I don't normally listen to people who sh*t sit in trees for an occupation or, for that matter, a hobby.

More with pic.

Muslim Students Stressed by Gender Mingling

According to a report in the New York Times, it appears that a definable battleground in the conflict between feminism and Islam is emerging on American college campuses. Specifically, Muslim Student Associations are being internally stressed because there are just too many women coming in contact with men.

Arguments within Muslim groups are frequent. As an example, the Muslim student group at University of California, Davis, organized a coed barbecue last year and the chapter president had to answer complaints about unmarried men and women physically bumping into each other. Another example:

Fatima Hassan, 22, a senior at the Davis campus, organized a coed road trip to Reno, Nev., two hours away, to play the slot machines last Halloween. In Islam, Ms. Hassan concedes, gambling is "really bad," but it was men and women sharing the same car that shocked some fellow association members.

Okay, the fact that strict followers of Islam have problems with women is old news. However, the fact that it has become a localized conflict on college campuses throughout the U.S. is somewhat fresh. And, although it's only anecdotally covered by the Times, the gender disagreements within Muslim student groups will likely become more contentious over time even as the leadership, reportedly, is "gradually relaxing a bit" on strict interpretations of Islam.

Speculatively, for any conflict on American college campuses between smart women and strict followers of Islam, barring any legal mandates and fear tactics, my wager is on the women. First of all, women outnumber men on campuses and 99 percent won't cover up or shut up when ordered by a man. Secondly, even the smartest of men can be sculpted like warm putty in the perfumed and lotioned hands of a smart woman.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Blogosphere Takes out an Official Canadian Goon


Ezra Levant, the Canadian publisher who was dragged before a Canadian kangaroo court for publishing the Mohammed cartoons, has had a win. The video of his appearance in the court went viral and the court apparatchik concerned has had HER little feelings hurt:

"I mentioned that Shirlene McGovern, the "human rights officer" who interrogated me, has resigned from my case. The human rights commission advised my lawyer that McGovern quit because of the public backlash against the commission -- and against her in particular. In other words, she didn't like being called a censor in the blogosphere.

I'm not sympathetic. I believe that any government bureaucrat who makes a living interrogating citizens about their political beliefs ought to be held in public contempt. McGovern truly doesn't get it -- she thinks what she does for a living is perfectly bland, just like her.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Zimbabwe Inflation at 100,000 Percent

(Harare, Zimbabwe) Undeterred by the Central Statistical Office report, President Robert Mugabe is likely proud of his socialist country.

Unfortunately, the government-controlled economic system must need more time to get healthy.

Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate has soared to more than 100,000 per cent, according to official figures. [ ... ]

The southern African country's economy has been in a tailspin for the past seven years, characterised by shortages of basic commodities such as sugar, cooking oil and petrol.

While the products are readily available on a burgeoning black market, many Zimbabweans have resorted to buying their essentials from neighbouring countries such as Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.

At least 80 per cent of the population are living below the poverty line, often skipping meals to stretch their income, which frequently fails to cover basic needs.

To curb the inflation, both price controls and knocking zeroes off the country's currency have been tried without success. Well, duh! Price controls never work. They create shortages. Knocking zeroes off the currency doesn't do much more than create a math problem.

Interestingly, from a nuts and bolts perspective, the problems in Zimbabwe are rooted in the same socialist wealth-distribution policies that are being advocated by the Democrat candidates for President of the United States. Just lovely.

Illegal Alien Sex Offenders Arrested

(Richmond, Virginia) Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell announced today that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the Virginia State Police are rounding up illegals convicted of sex crimes.

State and federal agents have arrested 36 convicted sex offenders in Virginia accused of immigration violations as part of a new effort called "Operation Cold Play."

The convicted sex offenders had apparently served their sentences and were released to continue their lives as illegal aliens in the U.S.

Now, they will be deported which means employers can expect them to be gone from their jobs for a few weeks -- or maybe less, depending on the return route chosen to jump the border.

Clinton Ugly vs. Obama the Swoonmaker

With Obama chalking up Wisconsin and Hawaii in the win column, bringing to ten the number of successive victories, Hillary Clinton is on the ropes. Surfing through the punditsphere this morning, I found common agreement that Clinton's campaign now relies upon shrinking hope fortified by her most reliable followers, white women over 60. Arguably, white women over 60 have never sealed a national election.

Nevertheless, pundits are cautious and haven't scratched Hillary Clinton yet. They know something. It's as if Hillary put the "she" in shenanigan and something will be made to happen to impede the Obama train of swoons. Even liberal Maureen Dowd acknowledges that the Clintons don't fight fair. And, as we all know, political derailments are not uncommon.

A frequent prediction is that Hillary will get ugly and let loose the hounds before the March 4th Texas and Ohio primaries. So, the final round match-up is Clinton Ugly vs. Obama the Swoonmaker. Put on your seat belts, travelers, turbulence is predicted.

Texas Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sex with Student

(Austin, Texas) A 24-year-old former teacher at Blanco High School, Kylie Neighbors, was arrested in December for engaging in sex with a male student on Halloween 2007. Neighbors was placed on administrative leave from her teaching position in November and she resigned on December 13.

This month, Neighbors pleaded guilty to an improper relationship between an educator and a student in accordance with the terms of a plea agreement.

Hays County prosecutors and police in San Marcos, where Neighbors lives, handled the case.

Under the terms of her plea bargain, Neighbors will be on probation for 10 years, pay a $1,500 fine, perform 250 hours of community service and surrender her teaching certificate.

Neighbors is set to be sentenced and have her plea bargain finalized in state District Court in Hays County on March 17. At that time, a judge could also sentence her to up to 30 days in jail as a condition of probation.

Without the plea deal, Neighbors faced a possible two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. With the deal, Neighbors might get 30 days in jail.

Mrs McCain has ALWAYS been proud of her country

SHE'S no whining Leftist



Michelle Obama. Millionaire. Harvard Law grad. Wife of a senator. A person who has been afforded the best of opportunities in that land of opportunity that we call the United States, told a crowd in Milwaukee this: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change."

Cindy McCain. Also a millionaire. USC educated. Wife of a senator. A person who has been afforded the best of opportunities in that land of opportunity that we call the United States, told a crowd in Brookfield, Wisc.: "I am proud of my country. I don't know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country."

Reporters asked her if she was responding to Mrs. Obama's statement. Mrs. McCain replied: "I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country."

More here

There has been a LOT of adverse commentary about Mrs Obama's deeply ungrateful dislike of America. See for example here and here and here

Posted by John Ray

Dressed Like Mary, Judge Bob Arrested

(Boston, Massachusetts) Maybe it's just me, but it sure seems that the practical wisdom of a judge should be questioned after he is arrested for drunken driving upon leaving a gay bar wearing a cocktail dress and high heels.

Judge Robert Somma (pic) works bankruptcy cases and, hopefully, he is less confused in his rulings.