Interested-Participant

Following Entry Posted 2/29/2008 11:59:00 PM

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.

Labels: Women With Troubles

Following Entry Posted 2/29/2008 04:47:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/29/2008 11:20:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/29/2008 07:53:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 09:57:00 PM

Pennsylvania Teacher Abbiejane Swogger in Trouble

Update here.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 09:33:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 07:54:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 11:44:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 09:45:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 08:40:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 08:04:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/28/2008 07:46:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 07:29:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 05:46:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 03:22:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 01:33:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 07:47:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/27/2008 05:32:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 11:41:00 PM

"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.

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 08:23:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 02:42:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 01:20:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 10:15:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 07:53:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/26/2008 07:50:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 11:55:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 11:53:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 04:18:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 03:27:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 11:33:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/25/2008 07:54:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/24/2008 10:43:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/24/2008 08:06:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/24/2008 07:49:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 03:45:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 01:16:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 09:51:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 09:10:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 08:48:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/23/2008 07:52:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 03:55:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 01:49:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 11:09:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 08:52:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 07:44:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/22/2008 12:21:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 11:34:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 10:10:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 04:51:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 02:15:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 11:57:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/21/2008 07:41:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 08:34:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 06:31:00 PM

Gorgeous Pamela Rogers Seeks Parole

(Nashville, Tennessee) The saga of gorgeous Pamela Rogers continues.

Convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting a 13-year-old boy, Rogers has some cell time behind her and now she wants out after completing less than one-fourth of her term.

Apparently, prison doesn't agree with gorgeous Pamela Rogers.

As a reminder:

- In August 2005, 28-year-old Pamela Rogers was sentenced to a lenient nine months in jail for engaging in sex with a 13-year-old student.

- In February 2006, Rogers was released on probation after six months in jail.

- In April 2006, Rogers was arrested for violating her probation by contacting her victim. She was released on bail.

- Later in April 2006, Rogers was arrested again for violating her probation by sending sexually explicit videos to her victim by cameraphone. Bail was denied.

- In July 2006, Rogers was sent to prison to serve a term of seven years.

Jump forward in time to the present. Rogers, now 30, made a formal parole request today in a hearing at the Nashville Women's Prison. A simple calculation indicates that Rogers has about five and one-half years remaining on her sentence. No justification was disclosed to support an early release.

A final decision by the parole board is expected in the "coming weeks."

Much more w/images here.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 02:11:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 09:36:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 07:56:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/20/2008 07:33:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 2/19/2008 02:33:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 2/19/2008 02:01:00 PM

Teacher Guilty of Nasty with 5 Boys - Updated

Scroll down for update

(Clinton, South Carolina) In March 2007, a 23-year-old married English teacher at Bell Middle School, Allenna Williams Ward, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with five African-American schoolboys, aged 14 and 15.

The sexual episodes allegedly occurred in the school, at a motel, in a park and behind a restaurant between December 2006 and February 2007. Ward was charged with five counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and six counts of lewd acts on a minor.

Earlier today (09/06/07), Ward pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and three lewd acts on a minor.

Family members and her attorneys accompanied her as she made an emotional statement to the court.

She said, "Today, I publicly admit my guilt and would like to apologize. I sincerely apologize for the effects of my actions."

Ward will face sentencing at a later unspecified date. Reportedly, she could get 105 years in prison.

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. If she is treated similarly to most female teacher sex offenders, it's likely that she won't get more than 18 months in the slammer. That's my guess.

[Update 02/19/08]

Allenna Ward Gets Six Years Prison

Today, 24-year-old Allenna Williams Ward (aka Allena) was sentenced to "15 years in prison for each lewd act count, but the punishments were suspended to six years. She also was sentenced to six years on each second-degree criminal sexual conduct count. The sentences are to run concurrently."

Ward was fired from her teaching position last year but no information has been provided as to whether she will retain her teaching license. It's also not known if Ward will be required to register as a sex offender.

It is known, however, that the mainstream media has completely ignored the fact that an adult white person was convicted of molesting black children. The MSM apparently has some sort of secret algorithm which defines when to report the race of people in the news. I suspect that race would be reported if the teacher was a white male molesting black girls.

Following Entry Posted 2/19/2008 10:07:00 AM

Illegal Deported 14 Times, Caught Again

(Eagle County, Colorado) A 22-year-old illegal alien was arrested yesterday and charged with human smuggling after being stopped on I-70 driving a van carrying 13 other illegal aliens.

Omar Alaverez-Mecedo, age 22, was arrested and charged with Human Smuggling, a class three felony, and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license, a class two misdemeanor.

In the course of the investigation it was discovered that "Omar Alaverez-Mecedo's" real name is Israel Robles-Gaytan.

According to ICE, Robles-Gaytan had already been caught and deported fourteen times; he gave law enforcement officials a different name each time.

Robles-Gaytan will be charged with Criminal Impersonation and 2nd degree Forgery in addition to the charges of Human Smuggling and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license.

Robles-Gaytan was booked into custody at the Eagle County Detention Facility with immigration holds.

Presumably, Robles-Gaytan will be deported again and that would make 15 total deportations, placing him in the bonus round. It's probably covered in a confidential Homeland Security memo, but I'd guess that he is now eligible for cash awards for each additional deportation.

Kidding aside, it's difficult to understand how border patrol and immigration agents maintain any enthusiasm for their jobs. Everything they do seems to be automatically undone.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/19/2008 09:18:00 AM

Colorado Love Triangle Murder Trial

(Fort Collins, Colorado) A 36-year-old Greeley woman, Shawna Nelson, has been accused of the murder Heather Garraus, who was gunned down in a parking lot in January 2007.

Heather Garraus was married to Greeley Police Officer Ignacio Garraus who admitted to having a two-year affair with Nelson, resulting in a baby boy.

After Ignacio ended the affair, he and Nelson had a disagreement about custody of the child. Nelson then started stalking and threatening Ignacio. Ultimately, Heather Garraus was fatally shot.

According to two witnesses of the shooting, a woman wearing a black hood and a mask walked up to Heather Garraus, pointed a gun at her and told her to get on her knees.

"You ruined my life. Get on the ground," the woman told Garraus.

Garraus replied "OK, OK," before getting down on her knees, witnesses said.

The woman then lifted her right arm and fired two shots from a black handgun, according to the affidavit.

Nelson has been charged with first-degree murder and her trial starts today with jury selection after a venue change to Fort Collins. Reportedly, 300 witnesses are scheduled to testify.

Nelson reportedly denies responsibility for the shooting.

[Update 03/03/08]

Shawna Nelson convicted of first-degree murder by a jury after five hours of deliberation. Judge Roger Klein then sentenced her to life in prison without parole.

Following Entry Posted 2/19/2008 07:54:00 AM

Kosovo

I applaud Kosovan independence too. I don't see why people should have to cohabit with other people whom they loathe

US and Britain join rush to recognise Kosovo: "Leading Western powers gave their formal blessing to the independence of Kosovo yesterday, as angry Serbs took to the streets across the Balkans to vent their fury over the loss of their historical heartland. Europe had hoped to speak with one voice on Kosovo but a failure to reach agreement left each country to issue its declarations separately. The first, from Spain, brought disappointment when it announced that it would not recognise a secession that it viewed as a breach of international law. But there was jubilation and relief when France affirmed its support, followed moments later by Britain, Germany and then Italy."

Why Russia sides with Serbia: "President Tadic told the UN Security Council there were "dozens of various Kosovos in the world and all of them lie in wait for Kosovo's act of secession to... be established as an acceptable norm". "If you cast a blind eye to this illegal act, who guarantees to you that parts of your countries will not declare independence in the same illegal way?" he asked. It is easy to understand why Russia would be concerned that states like Chechnya might declare independence and leave."

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 2/18/2008 10:38:00 AM

Ohio EPA Pollution Data Questioned

(Dayton, Ohio) The Miami Conservancy District is disputing the estimates provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency regarding pollution in the Great Miami River watershed.

The Conservancy, whose program covers Ohio's portion of the Great Miami River watershed, estimated 167,753 kilograms of phosphorus was discharged between April 2005 and April 2006 in the portion of the watershed drained by the Stillwater River. Comparable amounts of phosphorus were discharged the next year, [Conservancy program manager] Hall said.

That's far lower than the Ohio EPA's recent baseline estimate of 669,579 kilograms and the EPA's goal of 225,693 kilograms.

And the disparity is not insignificant. The Ohio EPA estimated four times the amount of pollution that the Miami Conservancy estimated. Either one or both groups are way off.

One must wonder if there are other examples where the estimates provided by the Ohio EPA are questionable. I'd speculate that there are because it seems that virtually all of the people baptized to save the planet are prone to grossly exaggerate.

Following Entry Posted 2/18/2008 09:19:00 AM

Getting Nailed Strangely

Don't you just hate when things like this happen?

From Gulf Daily News:

DOCTORS successfully removed a two-inch nail from a man's genitals yesterday. The 37-year-old Indian underwent a non-surgical procedure known as a cystoscopy at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).

Doctors pulled the nail out of his urethra on their first attempt and later said the man could have died if the object had not been spotted on X-ray.

The GDN reported yesterday that he admitted himself to SMC on Sunday night with extreme abdominal pain and was unable to speak.

An X-ray clearly showed the outline of the nail inside his penis, which he claimed was inserted there without his knowledge by a gang of Bahrainis who attacked and robbed him.

He said he had been walking around with the nail inside his genitals for three days before going to hospital.

Just guessing but I imagine one day would be enough for me. Nonetheless, there is skepticism regarding the existence of a gang that inserts nails into penises. It's believed the man made up the story because he is an illegal immigrant subject to deportation.

More at Wicked Thoughts.

Following Entry Posted 2/18/2008 08:55:00 AM

Sex Scheme Nets Prison Sentences

(Nassau County, New York) A 35-year-old woman, Shawn Payne, has been sentenced to two to six years in prison for grand larceny related to a sex extortion scheme.

Payne and conspirator Michael Largue, 46, both pleaded guilty to secretly taping sex trysts with partners found on the Internet and then blackmailing them by threatening to make the images public if not paid.

"Granted these things I did were terrible, but life throws cruel, chaotic curveballs, causing even the most stable, intelligent and well-meaning person to lose sight of the right path," Payne read from a prepared statement to Nassau Judge George Peck before he sentenced her in a nearly empty Mineola courtroom to 2 to 6 years in prison.

Payne's co-conspirator and former lover, Largue, was sentenced last November to four to eight years in prison.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 2/18/2008 07:48:00 AM

A pain in Spain

The two photos above of a famous statue in Spain differ significantly. The statue is in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela and is of one of the liberators of Spain from Muslim occupation. The statue originally showed the triumphant Spaniard on a horse rearing over the heads of defeated Muslims. But that has recently become "incorrect". The defeated Muslims are now covered by a bank of flowers.

Conservative Brazilian blogger Luis Afonso has the details.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 2/17/2008 10:35:00 PM

Muslim Cleric Loses Security Clearance

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) A 57-year-old Muslim cleric who is a founder of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, a Pennsylvania state prison imam and a nuclear physicist doing classified work for the government, Dr. Moniem El-Ganayni, lost his security clearance in a dispute with the FBI and the Department of Energy.

El-Ganayni has vowed to fight for its reinstatement.

It all began with a book, "The Miracle in the Ant," one of numerous volumes published by Harun Yahya, an Islamic creationist from Turkey. The book details ant anatomy and behavior, and argues that these characteristics disprove the theory of evolution.

Dr. El-Ganayni had ordered the book for the Forest prison library and was passing out photocopied chapters for the Muslim inmates housed in segregation to read in their cells. Eventually, he came to the chapter called "Defence and War Tactics," about ants that produce acid, use camouflage or enslave other ants.

Then there's this passage, under the heading "Walking Bombs":

"The ultimate in public service is to destroy enemies by committing suicide in defense of the colony. Many kinds of ants are prepared to assume this kamikaze role in one way or another, but none more dramatically than a species of Camponotus of the saundersi group living in the rain forests of Malaysia."

Additionally, El-Ganayni put himself in the sights of the FBI by allegedly speaking in opposition to the agency's recruitment at mosques. To further complicate the situation, El-Ganayni was fired from his position with the prison because of disputes regarding Ramadan and visitation policies.

Ultimately, the DOE began investigating and El-Ganayni's security clearance was pulled. He had worked at the Bettis Laboratory, an advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology lab in West Mifflin operated by Bechtel Bettis Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy for 18 years. Now the job and all accrued benefits are in jeopardy with the loss of the security clearance.

The DOE isn't commenting on the case, however, El-Ganayni has a hearing promised for some future date. He'll present his case and fight the government in court, if necessary.

To conclude, the Post-Gazette weighs in on the case with:

There is much the public doesn't know about the DOE's case against Dr. El-Ganayni, but one hopes he's not about to lose his livelihood over baseless or exaggerated fears. The scientist is probably just another misunderstood person who has run afoul of paranoid bureaucracies in post-9/11 America.

El-Ganayni is just "another misunderstood person," eh?

Tip: JTowers

Following Entry Posted 2/17/2008 08:08:00 AM

Nessie Dead From Global Warming

Yes, according to an expert, the Loch Ness Monster is believed to have died from global warming. Legendary Nessie hunter Robert Rines has given up. (video)

For the sake of full disclosure, I could not care less. My radar has always imaged Nessie as a hoax.

Following Entry Posted 2/17/2008 07:51:00 AM

Rich/poor gap smaller than it appears

"The top fifth of American households earned an average of $149,963 a year in 2006. As shown in the first accompanying chart, they spent $69,863 on food, clothing, shelter, utilities, transportation, health care and other categories of consumption. The rest of their income went largely to taxes and savings. The bottom fifth earned just $9,974, but spent nearly twice that - an average of $18,153 a year.

How is that possible? A look at the far right-hand column of the consumption chart, labeled "financial flows," shows why: those lower-income families have access to various sources of spending money that doesn't fall under taxable income. So, bearing this in mind, if we compare the incomes of the top and bottom fifths, we see a ratio of 15 to 1. If we turn to consumption, the gap declines to around 4 to 1...

Let's take the adjustments one step further. Richer households are larger - an average of 3.1 people in the top fifth, compared with 2.5 people in the middle fifth and 1.7 in the bottom fifth. If we look at consumption per person, the difference between the richest and poorest households falls to just 2.1 to 1. The average person in the middle fifth consumes just 29 percent more than someone living in a bottom-fifth household."

More here

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 08:13:00 PM

Drag Race Mishap Kills 7

(Accokeek, Maryland) This is sad.

A car plowed into a crowd that had gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road early Saturday, killing seven people and injuring at least four, police said.

Witnesses said they had just watched two cars in the illegal street race speed past when a car without any lights on came up behind them and veered into a crowd of about 50. [ ... ]

A white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland said, but it wasn't clear whether that was one of the cars involved in the race. A tractor-trailer that came by shortly afterward may also have struck someone on the road as it tried to avoid the crash, he said.

"It's probably one of the worst scenes I've seen," Copeland said. "This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it's a very tragic situation."

Police are in the process of identifying the victims and making notification.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 06:13:00 PM

Illinois Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Joliet, Illinois) A 23-year-old donut shop worker, Mydee F. Cadiente, was arrested last week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy. Police were alerted to the alleged offense by the boy's parents.

Cadiente allegedly worked with the teenager at a Shorewood coffee shop, police said.

"This is not the usual case," said Shorewood Police Chief Robert Puleo. "With criminal sexual abuse, the usual case is the male is the older party. This time, with this alleged crime, the female is the older party. We've got to make sure there's no double standard here."

Cadiente and the boy were allegedly seeing each other for several months, Puleo said.

Cadiente was booked into custody at the Will County Jail with bail set at $25,000. If convicted, Cadiente faces a term of three to seven years in prison.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 08:36:00 AM

Homeless Update - An Expert's Guidance

(Edmonton, Canada) An expert from New York, Sam Tsemberis, told a local Edmonton crowd that the first step in ending homelessness is to solve the homeless problem.

Time for a collective, international "Well -- Duh!"

The method to solve the homeless problem, says Tsemberis, is to give the homeless ~~free~~ subsidized housing. (Oops! Typo.)

As a result, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel has confidently made plans to eliminate homelessness in the city within 10 years.

We'll check back to see how things are going. Frankly, though, once word gets out that the city is providing ~~free~~ subsidized housing, homeless people in other locations will be magnetically drawn to Edmonton.

Logically, given that vagrants are quite mobile, the most reasonable method of trying to eliminate homelessness in a city is to offer significantly fewer benefits to homeless people than other cities. Think about it. If City A prohibits panhandling in business districts while City B has no restrictions on panhandling, homeless people will migrate to City B. Net result, City A has fewer homeless.

Just because people are homeless doesn't mean they're stupid.

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 07:41:00 AM

White BBC Staffer Hits Back at Racism Accusation

A rather amazing show of spirit!

"An award-winning BBC reporter has accused Lenny Henry of insulting her white colleagues by calling for affirmative action employment polices at the corporation. The comedian claimed that racism was still rife within broadcasting and asked why ethnic minorities were often found only in menial roles.

But he was criticised by Olenka Frenkiel, a leading investigative reporter who has produced acclaimed reports for Newsnight, Correspondent and the Today programme. Ms Frenkiel concluded: "For goodness sake, campaign for a person to be Director General - not for a colour. I am still offended by Greg Dyke's lamenting of the BBC as `hideously white'. Why is it okay to vilify white people for their colour not black ones? It's insulting."

Source

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 07:29:00 AM

New Hampshire Rape Case

(Nashua, New Hampshire) The rape trial of a 37-year-old local mom, Robin Mowery, has been postponed in a case that began in the summer of 2006.

Mowery is accused of felonious sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in April and May 2006.

A judge ruled last month that Mowery's statements to police could be used as evidence against her, but he has yet to decide whether to allow her to appeal his ruling before trial. Her trial has been rescheduled for June 2.

Last week, a judge granted a request by Mowery's lawyer, Adam Cook, to have the state's forensic psychology evaluate Mowery to determine whether she is mentally competent to stand trial. A hearing on that issue has been scheduled for April 21.

Cook wrote that Mowery disputes the charges, maintaining that the boy raped her, but has been unable to meaningfully help him prepare for trial because she becomes overwrought "to a point of incoherence" every time they talk about the case.

Mowery remains free on bail.

[Update 5/22/08]

Mowery ruled fit to stand trial.

[Update 12/8/08]

Mowery sentenced per judge's double-standard interpretation.

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 07:01:00 AM

Naughty Woman Hosts 14-Year-Old Boys

(Sheboygan, Wisconsin) A 27-year-old local woman, Kelly D. Oiler, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in July 2007. Oiler faces sexual assault charges.

The sexual encounter occurred sometime in July, though it was not brought to the attention of Sheboygan police until this week.

The 14-year-old, a North High School student, told police he was at Oiler's apartment with another 14-year-old boy when the incident occurred. They had come to hang out and watch a movie.

Oiler followed the victim when he into the bathroom to look for his cell phone. He said it was his idea to have sex, and they did so while his friend was in the living room.

Okay, what's wrong with this picture? A hang-out place for 14-year-old boys is the apartment of a 27-year-old woman. Huh?

Nevertheless, Oiler reportedly admitted to the alleged offenses. She was booked and released on $10,000 bond.

[Update 03/31/08]

Oiler sentenced to jail.

Following Entry Posted 2/16/2008 06:11:00 AM

"Youths" Riot in Copenhagen

Mysterious bored youths are once again violently rioting in Europe.

From AFP:

Six youths were arrested in Copenhagen for setting cars and dumpsters ablaze and throwing stones at police in a fifth night of riots in a predominantly immigrant area of the Danish capital, police said Friday.

"We've had six arrests so far. They've been charged with throwing stones at police and setting fires to cars and waste containers," Chief Inspector Henrik Olesen of the Copenhagen police told AFP.

At least 11 cars were torched in various neighbourhoods of Copenhagen, and 10 others in the nearby town of Kokkedal.

On Thursday, 17 youths were arrested for rioting the previous night.

"We don't know why they're rioting. I think it's because they're bored. Some people say it's because of the cartoons but that's not my opinion," Olesen said.

Maybe once the mainstream media figures out who the bored "youths of Europe" are, the general public will be informed. Or, maybe not.

Personally, I'd like to see a WWF challenge match between the bored European youths and the drunken soccer hooligans. The edge would have to go to the hooligans. Of course, a real ratings giant would be a battle royale in a parking lot pitting the bored youths, the drunken hooligans and the Code Pinkers against each other.

Following Entry Posted 2/15/2008 05:37:00 PM

Religion Trumps Helmet Law

(Brampton, Ontario) A 39-year-old devout Sikh and businessman, Baljinder Badesha, was issued a traffic ticket for not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle.

Badesha fought the ticket claiming that wearing a helmet instead of a turban was contrary to his religion.

"I know it is for safety, but people die in car accidents all the time," the 39-year-old owner of a used car dealership said yesterday outside a Brampton court. He is fighting a $110 ticket he received for wearing his turban instead of a helmet while riding his motorcycle on Queen St. in Brampton near Hwy. 410.

Now the Ontario Human Rights Commission is siding with him, insisting Badesha is being discriminated against.

"Telling Mr. Badesha to choose between his religion or participating in the normal life of Ontario is discrimination," Scott Hutchison, an attorney for the human rights commission, told a Brampton court yesterday.

As a result, the motorcycle helmet law in Ontario does not apply equally to all citizens. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, some citizens are exempt depending on their religion.

Of course, the opposite is true also. People who do not follow the right religion must comply. Ironically, that sounds like more discrimination.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/15/2008 04:29:00 PM

Passed Out in Driver's Seat

(Lee County, Florida) A 19-year-old Estero woman, Keala Marie Kao, was found passed out in the driver's seat of her idling vehicle early Thursday morning by Lee County Sheriff's deputies.

From Naples News:

Reports show responding deputies tried to rouse her by knocking on the window, but to no avail. Since all the car doors were locked, a deputy fearing Kao needed medical attention smashed out the rear driver’s-side window, reached in to unlock the front door and shut off the engine.

Able to rouse her at that point, the deputy allegedly observed a white powdery substance consistent with cocaine on the back of her neck and on a rolled-up $5 bill on her seat.

A further search of her vehicle turned up an ID not belonging to Kao, according to the report. When confronted with the fake ID, Kao allegedly became upset and said, "Just charge me and take me to jail."

The deputies obliged. Kao faces charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a fake ID.

Kao was booked into custody at the Lee County Jail. Left unexplained is how cocaine comes to rest on the back of someone's neck.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/15/2008 08:35:00 AM

Suicide Bomber DVD for Children

Here is a troubling report from West Yorkshire, England.

In December 2007, an Egyptian-made, English-subtitled suicide bomber music video for children was found to be on sale in West Yorkshire. Police were notified and an investigation was launched.

Earlier this month, MP Philip Davies accused the Home Office of not taking the threat seriously and failing to recognize the level of public concern regarding the distribution of the DVD. The Home Office responded by stating that details of special investigations will not be released. Days later, police confirmed that two "properties" were raided and items were seized for examination.

Yesterday, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Counter Terrorism Unit officers for allegedly distributing the suicide bomber DVD for children.

The disc shows a dramatisation of a girl vowing to follow in the steps of her suicide-bomber mother, set to music featuring children singing in Arabic.

All three of the DVD's tracks are sung by children in Arabic with English subtitles.

The first video shows an Arab woman playing with her two children before leaving her home with dynamite tucked into her dress.

She is approached by uniformed soldiers and the camera pauses on her thoughtful expression before a large explosion blazes across the screen.

After finding out about the suicide on television, her small daughter finds a stick of dynamite in her mother's wardrobe and turns to the camera with the subtitles: "My love will not be by words. I will follow my mother's steps."

The West Yorkshire man accused of distributing the DVD was questioned and released on bail.

Of note is that three of the suicide bombers responsible for the July 7 London bombings, Mohammed Siddique Khan, Hasib Mir Hussain and Shehzad Tanweer, also came from West Yorkshire.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/15/2008 08:11:00 AM

Sanity creeping back in Canada?

We read:

"The issue is hate speech. Ezra Levant, Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine have all been brought before human rights commissions for publishing offensive words and images. In response, Liberal MP Keith Martin has introduced a private member's bill that would strip matters of expression from the purview of the federal human rights commission.

Meanwhile, prosecutors announced they would try David Ahenakew, the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, a second time for comments he made about Jews and the Holocaust.

Source

I don't think ANY political commentary should be suppressed but it really is absurd to let an antisemitic ignoramus like Ahenakew off the hook while attacking truthful accounts of Islam.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/15/2008 07:08:00 AM

Woman Caught with Boy Again

(Leeds, England) On January 22, a 27-year-old mother of four, Sarah Webster, was convicted in Leeds Crown Court of sexual activity with a 13-year-old boy. Webster has children aged two, three, four and six.

Webster was released on bail to live in her mother's one-bedroom apartment until sentencing on February 14. Judge Peter Collier ordered Webster to register as a sex offender and to not have any contact with the boy.

In the meantime, however, Webster violated her bail conditions when police burst into her house and found that she was in bed with the boy one night in the first week of February. Webster was arrested.

Patrick Gallagher, for Webster, said the youngster had turned up at the house earlier in the evening and the pair had not met since she was arrested for the original offence.

He added: "She foolishly allowed him to come into her home.

"Her ex-boyfriend then turned up and she was frightened to let him out."

The barrister said the pair went upstairs and fell asleep in the bedroom and were awoken by police who had been called to the premises.

On February 5th, Webster's attorney asked the court to once again release her on bail. Judge Peter Hunt denied the request.

As yet, the details of Webster's sentencing, scheduled for yesterday, have not been reported. It's expected that she will get jail time.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

[Update 04/29/08]

Webster sentenced.

She was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. She was given a two-year supervision order with a condition that she lived at a probation-approved address for 12 months.

Webster was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans her from contacting the victim or from inviting male children under the age of 16 to her house.

She was also made to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

The court was told Webster, a mother-of-four, suffered at the hands of a violent partner who on one occasion had used a sledgehammer to smash his way through a wall.

The court was probably sympathetic because of the sledgehammer incident.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 07:51:00 PM

Al Qaeda Burns Hostages Alive

There's no way to take the horror out of this video. It shows the hostages being doused with a flammable liquid prior to being thrown into a burning pit.

Caution: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC

Meanwhile, some very deserving terrorists haven't been thrown into a burning pit at Gitmo.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 06:47:00 PM

Teacher Gets No Jail for Sex Crime

(La Mesa, California) In October 2007, a 22-year-old music teacher and band director at Helix High School, Jessica Ashley Kahal, was arrested for having sex with a 17-year-old male student.

The alleged victim, a senior at the school, said that he had consensual sex with Kahal about five times in various areas of the county since August 2007.

In December 2007, Kahal pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor at least three years younger. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Patricia K. Cookson scheduled sentencing for February 13th. Since Kahal has no prior criminal record, the judge said she wouldn't do jail time.

Yesterday, Judge Cookson sentenced Kahal to three years' probation and 400 hours community service.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Palermo had argued for 120 days jail time since Kahal failed to take responsibility for her actions and blamed the boy for initiating sexual contact. Judge Cookson wasn't listening.

Nothing more to see here, move along.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 01:20:00 PM

Berkeley - Home to Intolerance

I agree but they are not my words. They come from the editor of The Berkeley Voice, Craig Lazzeretti.

So what conclusion can we come to regarding the events of the past two weeks? That the Berkeley City Council is home to the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons of the left? It's unfortunate but true.

These council members may be able to look in the mirror today and tell themselves that they did the right thing, that they made an important statement about this war and took action to bring it to an end. They will say they followed their conscience.

And that will all be true. Along with the fact that, in their own way, they have become the same agents of intolerance that they deplore on the right.

Indeed.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 12:08:00 PM

UN Scolds Saudis on Women's Rights

(Geneva, Switzerland) In a statement, the United Nations told Saudi Arabia that it must create laws to protect women from violence and also expand their rights in society.

"The lack of written laws governing private life constitutes a major obstacle to women's access to justice," said Yakin Erturk, the U.N.'s human rights expert on violence against women.

In a statement she called on Saudi Arabia to create a legal framework based on international human rights standards, including a law criminalizing violence against women.

That would also include a family law on marriage, divorce and minimum age for marriage, said the Turkish sociology professor at the end of a 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally and the world's top oil exporter.

"The need to address women's rights will grow increasingly urgent as the voices of women in Saudi society are heard," she said.

Sounds good but it remains to be seen whether the Saudis will be receptive. My guess? Probably not. Of course, if international pressure continues to be directed at the issue, over the long run, there's hope.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 10:31:00 AM

ACLU, Travel Guru Team on Marijuana

The American Civil Liberties Union and travel writer Rick Steves, an admitted dope-smoker, have joined together in a public information campaign to make existing marijuana laws equivalent to the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s.

As a tactic they intend to make it a racial issue, asserting that blacks, proportionally, are cited more often for possession than whites.

The ACLU's claim regarding race has been called "statistically insignificant" because conclusions are drawn from a small sample. Also,

Throughout most of the country, the popularity of decriminalizing marijuana use has waned, said Tom Riley, spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The potency of the drug has tripled in the last 10 years and its use is not "a harmless pastime," he said, "but a much bigger part of substance abuse and a much bigger part of mental-health issues."

Personally, I think marijuana can't be considered harmless since it's a gateway drug to more dangerous substances like tobacco. Hey, it's logical. First a joint, then a cigarette. If we want to protect our kids from tobacco, we have to keep them away from marijuana.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 08:30:00 AM

Lost in the Mail

Hooray! A postcard sent in 1929 has been delivered.

The message on the postcard to a "Miss Margaret McDonald" was short. Its path to the intended address was much longer.

Nearly 79 years after it was sent, a postcard of Yellowstone National Park's Tower Falls arrived in a Boston mailbox recently with the one-word message, "Greetings."

Its intended recipient had long since left the Victorian on Sparhawk Street, and the sender was not identified by name.

Just like government-run health care, you will get served if you wait long enough. Of course, there is the daunting challenge of living long enough to hear your number called.

Following Entry Posted 2/14/2008 07:54:00 AM

Some Hate Speech is OK at the University of California

Muslims trump Jews, apparently:

"The UCI Muslim Student Union endorses hate speech against Jews, and UCI administrators and local Jewish groups need to do a better job condemning it, according to a report released Tuesday by an independent community task force that investigated anti-Semitism at UCI.

"The acts of anti-Semitism are real and well-documented," according to the group's report. "Jewish students have been harassed. Hate speech has been unrelenting. There is no indication that the university is at all concerned about the disconnect between campus values and the values of the greater society."

Among the criticisms the group volleys at the university is that the faculty is afflicted with a "politically correct" orthodoxy that prevents it from condemning provocative speeches and actions at Muslim Student Union-sponsored events out of fear for appearing biased.

Source

It must be all those Jewish suicide bombers who are the problem.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/13/2008 04:03:00 PM

Nurse Gets Prison for Sex with Disabled Boy

(East Greenbush, New York) In March 2006, a 47-year-old home-care registered nurse, Susan McDade, was arrested for sexually abusing a developmentally-disabled 17-year-old boy in her care.

The boy possessed the developmental skills of a 5-year-old and was incapable of giving consent. The charges resulted after a family member caught McDade and the boy in bed naked together.

In April 2006, Nurse McDade was indicted on charges of rape, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. She pleaded not guilty.

After a two-week trial in December 2007, McDade was found guilty by a Rensselaer County Court jury of second degree rape, sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. The jury deliberated for a mere five hours.

Last week, Susan A. McDade, now 49, was sentenced by Judge Robert Jacon to one to three years in prison. Interestingly, McDade had earlier rejected a plea deal of six months in the county jail offered by the prosecutor.

Nevertheless, Assistant District Attorney Christina Book had called for the maximum of 2 1/3 to 7 years behind bars because McDade denies culpability.

"Ms. McDade still stands here today denying her actions," said Book. "Ms. McDade was in a position of trust for this family."

McDade's attorney, Andrew Safranko, said he intends to file a notice of appeal.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/13/2008 08:11:00 AM

Foster Mom Accused of Sex with Foster Son

(Iredell County, North Carolina) A 25-year-old pregnant foster mother, Wendy Mathena, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in a year-long sexual relationship with her 15-year-old foster son. Investigators believe Mathena is carrying the boy's child.

Mathena has been charged with multiple offenses including statutory rape, taking indecent liberties with a minor, sexual activity by a substitute parent and one count of statutory sex offense.

According to police, Mathena was a licensed therapeutic foster care provider. This means, she was qualified to care for children with higher needs, mostly kids who are victims of extreme mental, physical and sexual abuse.

She was caring for two other male foster children at the time of her arrest. Investigators are now trying to figure out if she sexually abused either one of them.

According to Iredell County Sheriff's Sgt. Bill Hamby, "She cried some and told me she knew it was wrong what they were doing."

Mathena may also be charged in Catawba County since the boy alleges they had sex while visiting his biological mother.

Mathena was booked into custody at the Iredell County Jail with bond set at $105,000.

Following Entry Posted 2/13/2008 06:41:00 AM

"We're All Gonna Die" From Noise

From a European study:

Researchers monitored 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near Heathrow and three other big European airports.

Volunteers' blood pressure increased after exposure to a noise louder than 35 decibels - whether it came from overhead aircraft, or snoring.

Previous studies have found that noise affects learning capabilities and harms children's health. Obviously, a healthy existence can only be achieved by living in a cave.

Following Entry Posted 2/13/2008 06:05:00 AM

More on the Fascist element in Obama's appeal

"Alles muss anders sein" (Everything must be different) -- Hitler's briefest summary of his policies

History never repeats itself but sometimes it comes close. Obama is NOT a Fascist insofar as the Fascists were patriotic and Obama is the sort of America-hater that is now typical of the Left. Right up to JFK, the American Left was patriotic. It no longer is. And sometimes Obama doesn't even bother to pretend -- as we see below:

But in matters other than patriotism -- the appeal for unity, the preaching of "change", the vague but inspiring rhetoric and the automatic turning to government as the solution to every problem -- Obama is quite Fascist.

That does not mean that he would turn America into a Fascist nation if he became President. Because he doesn't seem to have thought things through, I think he would make a very ineffectual President, in fact. But the main reason why America will remain the Great Republic is that its political institutions, traditions and customs are very strong. F.D. Roosevelt was a strong and determined leader with a legendary base of support throughout the country who openly admired Mussolini and who did his best to put the Federal government in charge of just about everything in America -- but he failed. America is not easily changed by one man. Because Americans think that it is inconceivable for America to be anything but a democracy, it is highly likely that America will always remain a democracy. As judge Learned Hand notably said: "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it."

And Obama is no FDR. But identifying where Obama stands in history might just do a little to prepare people for the adventurism and reductions in individual liberties that he is likely to move towards if he gains office. The amazing revelations of what Obama is like without a teleprompter reveal him as having all the anger and hate of the Fascists too.

I mentioned vague but inspiring rhetoric. Here is the shouted climax of one of Hitler's impassioned speeches at the 1934 Nuremberg Parteitag (party rally), speaking particularly to the Hitler Youth:

"Vor uns liegt Deutschland, in uns marschiert Deutschland. und hinter uns kommt Deutschland" ("Before us lies Germany, in us Germany marches and behind us comes Germany").

The translation erases the cadences of the original German so why it got thunderous applause and inspired many may not be immediately obvious. Hitler is notoriously impossible to translate fully so you need to understand German and see a film of the original speech to really "get" it. But what exactly did it mean? It is rather absurd considered logically but as an emotional declaration of unity it was very powerful. I doubt that Obama will ever convey that message as powerfully -- but it is a very similar message to his.

And note another famous appeal for unity, unity in the State: "Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato" (Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State) -- the words of Benito Mussolini.

Or how about G.W.F. Hegel, the German philosopher who started it all? (Translation only)

The state, which is that form of reality in which the individual has and enjoys his freedom; but on the condition of his recognizing, believing in and willing that which is common to the whole

And as far as Obama's "change" religion is concerned, see the quote at the head of this post and also note the following policy description:

A declaration of war against the order of things which exist, against the state of things which exist, in a word, against the structure of the world which presently exists" -- again the words of Adolf Hitler, from the "Philosophy and Organization" chapter of Mein Kampf

And Hitler also described his movement as having a 'revolutionary creative will' which had 'no fixed aim, no permanency, only eternal change'

It's amusing how Leftists love to see imaginary similarities between GWB and Hitler but will never in a million years see the real similarities between Obama and the Fascists that I have set out in detail. "Bush=Hitler" gives them a feeling of righteousness. "Obama=Hitler" gives me a feeling of sadness. That Fascism has huge and enduring appeal is a very hard thing for a libertarian to swallow. And as for personal popularity, let the picture below speak for itself:

My previous comments on the similarities between Obama and the prewar Fascists are here and here and here

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/13/2008 05:57:00 AM

Saudis Ban Symbols of Love

(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) Valentine's Day is sinful, according to the Saudi government. As a result, red items that are symbols of love must be removed from store shelves this week. Apparently, symbols of love are simply not compatible with the religion of peace.

From Saudi Gazette:

Agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice visited flower and gift shops in the capital Saturday night to instruct them to remove all red items - from red roses and wrapping paper to boxes and teddy bears - from their shelves, shop workers said. [ ... ]

Islamic scholars around the Kingdom such as Sheikh Khaled Al-Dossari preach that celebrating Valentine's Day and other non-Islamic celebrations is a sin. "As Muslims we shouldn't celebrate a non-Muslim celebration especially this one that encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women," Dossari, a scholar in Islamic Studies and the Shariah, said.

The penalty for violating the ban isn't indicated in the article but let's hope the Saudis don't cut anything off.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 05:23:00 PM

Woman Prostituted Girl to Pay Rent

(Binghamton, New York) A 46-year-old upstate woman, Linda O'Connor, was arrested Sunday by the FBI for allegedly selling the sexual services of a young girl to her landlord to cover overdue rent.

The landlord, 49-year-old Dean Sacco, was also arrested and reportedly had several episodes of sex with the girl who was 12 and 13 at the time.

As a minimum, O'Connor and Sacco face prosecution on a variety of felony sex crimes, including rape, selling a child, child pornography and crossing state lines to have sex with a child. Presently, it appears the two will be prosecuted in both state and federal courts.

The girl told authorities that O'Connor and Sacco photographed the assaults. Now 14 and in foster care, she told police she faced homelessness and that Sacco threatened to kill her if she did not comply.

The girl told investigators Sacco had sex with her at least five times and that O'Connor took her to a hotel in December 2006 to have sex with a 40-year-old man for $150 while O'Connor watched.

O'Connor later took her back to the hotel again to have sex with a second man, the girl said. After the second encounter, O'Connor took the girl Christmas shopping.

Both O'Connor and Sacco are in custody without bail.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 03:45:00 PM

Muslims Arrested in Plot to Murder Danish Cartoonist

(Copenhagen, Denmark) It sickens me that someone must live in constant fear simply because of a cartoon.

From Jyllands-Posten:

Early Tuesday morning, Danish police arrested several people with a Muslim background suspected of conspiring to kill Kurt Westergaard, a Danish cartoonist with Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten.

Two of those arrested are Tunisian citizens, one a Danish citizen, according to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, which has followed the group for months.

The 40-year old Danish citizen is of Moroccan origin. He has been charged with attempted violation of section 114 of the Danish anti-terrorism act. After being interrogated, he will probably be discharged, according to the security and intelligence service.

Pursuant to the regulations of the Danish aliens' act, the two Moroccan citizens are held in custody in preparation for expulsion from Denmark.

Kurt Westergaard is one of the 12 cartoonists who on 30 September 2005 published cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed.

So, the authorities are going to question one guy and let him go. Meanwhile, the two Moroccans will just be expelled from Denmark. What's up with that? You'd think that plotting a murder would be worth at least 15 years in the slammer.

Tip: Barry

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 02:27:00 PM

Female Rapist Gets Prison for Probation Violation

(Warrensburg, New York) In October 2006, Kimberly A. Baker was charged with rape after she went to County Court seeking child support from a boy who was 13 when he impregnated her.

Subsequently, another boy came forward and reported that he had sex with Baker when he was 13 years old.

In March 2007, Baker, 23, was arraigned before Warren County Judge John Hall and pleaded not guilty to eight counts of rape and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

In August 2007, Baker pleaded guilty to second-degree rape for engaging in sex with one of the boys and was sentenced to 10 years probation. She was ordered to stay away from alcohol.

But during her first 6 months on probation, Baker was charged with driving while intoxicated and found to have alcohol in her home, officials said. That led to a probation violation charge against her, to which she pleaded guilty.

As a result, Judge Hall sentenced 24-year-old Kimberly A. Baker to a prison term of two to six years.

Excuse me and with all due respect, Kimberly Baker is an idiot.

She has sex with a 13-year-old boy, gets pregnant and, after giving birth, asks the court to grant her child support from the boy. Consequently, she's arrested for rape, convicted of rape and then skates at sentencing with mere probation. Afterward, she goes home, cracks open a bottle and completely ignores the life-altering perturbations she has experienced.

If that's not idiocy, I don't know what is.

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 10:29:00 AM

Russians Close European University in St. Pete

(St. Petersburg, Russia) The government has closed one of the St. Petersburg's leading independent universities for "fire-safety violations." Heh, just writing that sentence makes me chortle.

The European University at St. Petersburg, a private institution founded in 1994 that receives funding from Western foundations, received a court order to close last Thursday after fire-safety inspectors uncovered violations in January.

"Classes have completely stopped," university president Nikolai Vakhtin said by telephone Monday.

Vakhtin said he had no reason to believe that the shutdown had political motives, but opposition activists call it payback for the university's research into Russian politics.

"This is a political decision," said Maxim Reznik, head of the St. Petersburg branch of the liberal Yabloko party. "That is perfectly obvious. The fire-safety violations are just an excuse."

Despite the stated reason, the school has been worrisome to political functionaries for some time. Last year, it was accused of violating its charter by participating in overt political activities. And then the university raised concerns within the Kremlin after receiving a European Union grant to conduct training for election observers.

Fire-safety violations or political snuffing, readers can make the call.

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 07:49:00 AM

Must not Criticize Muslims in Australia, either

We read:

"Controversial radio talkback host Alan Jones has been ordered back to court over another attack on the Muslim community. A year after Jones was found guilty of breaching the industry's code of practice, Jones and his employer, leading Sydney radio station 2GB, have been accused of racial vilification and inciting violence against Muslims.

In evidence which will be heard, Mr Ekermawi claims that on July 21, 22 and 25, Jones used offensive comments, which incited hatred against Muslims. He said Jones stated on his program: "There is a fight between Muslims and Christians and Muslims are unable to live within Australian communities."

The "very poisonous propaganda" was followed by a song played on the radio called "My Australia".

Source

The song "My Australia" is actually about the Australian landscape. See here. Pretty offensive!

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 07:25:00 AM

U.S. Navy Fires on Somali Pirates

(Horn of Africa) Last week, Somali pirates claiming to be eco-warriors hijacked a Danish boat, the 115-foot Svitzer Korsakov, manned by a British captain, and Irish engineer and four Russian crew members. The pirates demanded a ransom.

Yesterday,

U.S. warships fired on Somali pirates trying to resupply colleagues who hijacked a Danish-owned tug boat, a district commissioner said Monday.

"Some of the artillery shells hit around the coastline but no human casualties were reported. Unfortunately the gangs escaped," Abdullahi Said, the district commissioner for Eyl, told the AP by phone.

The U.S. Navy denies knowledge of the incident.

Eco-warriors, eh? Of course, this would seem to indicate that the resumes of thug pirates and eco-warriors read pretty much the same.

Following Entry Posted 2/12/2008 07:02:00 AM

Dolly Parton's Puppies Postpone Promotion

Dolly Parton will postpone her U.S. tour for 6 to 8 weeks because of back problems created by her gargantuan breasts. Said Parton,

"But hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems."

The tour was scheduled to begin on February 28 to promote a new collection of music, "Backwoods Barbie." Parton said she will be good as new in a few weeks.

Arf! Arf!

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 05:42:00 PM

Six Islamic Bombers Arrested for Mumbai Plot

(Uttar Pradesh, India) Six Islamic terrorists, on their way to Mumbai to carry out suicide attacks, were arrested by Indian police this past weekend.

The putative virgin-seekers, armed with weapons and grenades, were traveling in two groups, destined to blow up the Mumbai Stock Exchange.

"They had multiple targets," said Amitabh Yash, senior superintendent of police in the state of Uttar Pradesh. "If they failed in their first target (the stock exchange), then they were going to move to their second one: the Churchgate railway station."

The stock exchange in Mumbai is the oldest in Asia and one of the largest in the world -- and a symbol of the country's rapidly growing economy.

The train station that the militants allegedly targeted is used daily by thousands of commuters in the metropolis of more than 11 million people. [ ... ]

"This is very significant," Yash said of the arrests. "Generally, we catch two or three of them, the rest manage to escape."

"But then, this is also a warning because that tells us how extensive the network is," he added. "And you can be sure there will be other(s)."

The Islamic terrorists were identified as members of Lashkar e-Tayyiba, a designated terrorist group which is fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 04:59:00 PM

College Boots Slackers From Dorm

(Long Island, New York) Scores of students have been booted from campus dorms at SUNY Old Westbury because they failed to maintain a "C" average (2.0 grade point average). Needless to say, the 87 residential students are puckered.

The policy has been blasted by faculty and students, but an administrator said Friday that the rule -- which he described as an effort to raise academic standards -- would continue.

"Our goal is to have students with us who are serious about their studies," said Michael Kinane, assistant to the president.

Naturally, there's griping but college students can find reasons to gripe when things are generally wonderful. Personally, I think the policy is justified. Anything that will encourage students to hit the books is good.

Tip: Joanne Jacobs

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 03:42:00 PM

Boeing Engineer Accused of Spying for China

The Department of Justice has arrested a former Boeing engineer for spying on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China. The spying allegedly went on for years.

The department said the arrest of 72-year-old Dongfan "Greg" Chung, of Orange, Calif. follows his indictment on eight counts of economic espionage and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.

Chung is alleged to have taken and concealed Boeing trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft and the Delta IV rocket.

A native of China, Chung is a naturalized U.S. citizen who held a "Secret" clearance.

The government said the investigation into Chung is related to an earlier investigation of Chi Mak and several of his family members, who were convicted last year of providing defense articles to China.

Each charge of economic espionage carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government and obstruction of justice each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine.

Chung's arrest was part of a broader Justice Department move against alleged spies for China.

The Chinese sent letters to Chung requesting specific technological information. In one case, Chung responded by stating "a desire to contribute to the motherland."

Just freakin' great! It's as if we don't have enough to worry about with the scum terrorists.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 02:34:00 PM

SC Teacher Pinched for Pot

(Greenville, South Carolina) A 23-year-old honors English teacher at Southside High School, Tyesha Nicole Barber, was arrested by Greenville County Sheriff's deputies for allegedly growing marijuana in her home.

Deputies were dispatched to the Barber home in response to a domestic violence call.

She met deputies outside the apartment and told them her husband was still inside.

Deputies noticed "a strong smell of marijuana" and found 13 marijuana plants worth about $19,500 growing in a bedroom closet, according to a sheriff's report. Deputies seized the plants but did not find Barber's husband, sheriff's Master Deputy Michael Hildebrand said.

Deputies also found drug manufacturing equipment. Notably, the Sheriff's incident report identifies Barber's arrest as "possibly gang related."

Barber was booked into custody at the Greenville County Jail on a charge of manufacturing marijuana. Bail was set at $15,000. She has been placed on leave by the school system.

Now, readers, let there be a lesson here. If you have an illegal drug manufacturing operation in your home, don't call the cops.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 01:12:00 PM

Wyoming Teacher Collared for Cocaine

(Cheyenne, Wyoming) A 41-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Bain Elementary School, Irena F. Mondello, was arrested last week for alleged criminal offenses involving a cocaine ring.

Mondello has been charged with two counts each of lying to federal investigators and attempting to possess cocaine. By the looks of things, the government seems to have a strong case against her.

More troubling is that Mondello was involved with the anti-drug DARE program at school.

David Janes, the DARE officer for the Cheyenne Police Department, immediately recognized Mondello as a Bain teacher when contacted Thursday.

He said he spent one hour per week for 14 straight weeks in her class talking to her students about the dangers of using drugs.

Janes repeated his disappointment in Mondello's arrest multiple times, saying her alleged actions undermine the program.

"It's absolutely disappointing because DARE is all about helping the kids make healthy choices," he said.

It's going to be tough explaining to the kids even though the school immediately notified the kids' parents by letter and placed Mondello on suspension.

Mondello was booked into federal custody and released on Friday on $10,000 bail. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Beaman ordered Mondello to undergo substance abuse evaluation.

Regarding the drug ring, 13 people have been arrested thus far and more are possible.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 10:58:00 AM

US-Canada Border Is A Nightmare

(Ottawa, Canada) Just try to get a warm feeling about this report. Frankly, my confidence, or what there was of it, is shot.

A tangle of conflicting laws on both sides of the border is tying the hands of joint Canada-U.S. border squads, undermining efforts to nab international criminals, says a newly released report.

Team members can't radio one another. They have to surrender their sidearms when crossing into the other country. And they're forbidden from crossing the Canada-U.S. border except at official stations, even though criminals prefer the isolated points in between.

So, the criminals run across the border and the authorities can't even chase them. And, they can't radio to the other side. Just great.

The evaluation, completed in late 2006, found a raft of problems, including incompatible radios that won't communicate with equipment from the other side of the border. The radio problem is partly legal: a cat's cradle of federal, state and provincial laws require special licensing to use designated frequencies on each side of the border.

Gun laws in each country also effectively prevent officers from routinely carrying their duty sidearms and similar weapons into the other country. Canadian laws are so strict an RCMP officer who is given dispensation to carry a sidearm into the United States must forfeit the weapon on re-entering Canada.

It's nuts, I tell you, just plain nuts.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 09:43:00 AM

Taliban Recruiting Brits

Any prudent observer would have noticed how the British are bending over backwards for the Muslims, therefore, this report is hardly surprising.

The Taliban are thought to be recruiting an increasing number of fighters from Britain after RAF experts overheard secret transmissions from the Afghan frontline spoken in broad Midlands and Yorkshire accents.

Specialists in top secret surveillance planes listened in on radio traffic broadcast by the Taliban in Helmand province and heard fighters talking in thick regional accents.

The discovery indicates that a growing number of British-born Muslim are turning their backs on the West and moving to Afghanistan to be trained as fighters.

It has been reported that RAF radio operators were able to hear the young fighters speaking in clear Bradford and West Bromwich accents.

The linguistics experts were listening to the conversations from specially adapted Nimrod planes flying above the province.

The Taliban reportedly spoke mainly in Afghan Persian or Pashto - but when they were stuck for words, they would slip back into their native language.

Their native language, of course, is English.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 08:53:00 AM

"Fox News Watch" Boots Burns, Gabler

Word is out that Fox News Channel has jettisoned moderator Eric Burns and contributor Neal Gabler from Fox News Watch.

Official reasoning is unclear but there's mention of beefing up the 25 to 54 demographic by covering Internet content. Maybe they are looking for a younger, tech-savvy type to fill the moderator chair.

Regarding Gabler, they're not saying why he was let go. Having watched the program, my guess would be that he spewed annoying wheelbarrows of far-left flop. Insightful? Rarely.

Another contributor, Jim Pinkerton, is also gone, having joined the Huckabee campaign.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 07:32:00 AM

A GREEN/LEFT FOOT-SHOT

Australia recently had one of its recurrent doughts, though it was only really bad for about a year. The Australian public were told at the time by all sorts of wise-sounding people that it was all because of global warming -- quite ignoring the fact that Australia's worst recorded drought was around 1901, long before most of the industrial activities that Greenies identify as "causing" global warming.

For about a year now, however, Australia has been affected by more and more flooding. Dam levels have approximately doubled in many places. It rains just about every day where I am. I was moved to write this by one of our many sudden downpours, in fact. The rain has finally been enough to stop the talk of drought (which went on for some time after the floods began) but there has not been a PEEP of a suggestion in the media to say that the floods might indicate global cooling -- DESPITE the fact that the world HAS cooled recently and despite the fact that the cooling has coincided with a period of reduced activity on the sun, which could explain the cooling. So we have a new form of "logic": Drought is caused by warming but floods are not caused by cooling.

Background: I have noted on GREENIE WATCH some of the many stories about disastrously cold Northern Hemisphere winters that have been appearing recently and they are very regularly noted on Astute Bloggers. One episode that I have not seen mentioned came to me in an email recently. A reader told me that earlier this month Baku (Azerbaijan) had it's coldest night for 75 years (-8.6C). There is also a report just in from China saying that China has had one-tenth of its forest resources wrecked by snow damage. And last Southern Hemisphere winter was exceptionally cold too -- particularly in Argentina.

The supposed connection between warming and drought always was a huge stretch. Warming should cause the seas to evaporate more and thus cause more rain to fall. So in a way the Greenies should be rejoicing at the current flooding. The flooding really COULD be a sign of warming. But it seems that even the Greenies are too embarrassed to turn around and march in the opposite direction straight away. No doubt they fear the ridicule that would attract. It's rather a delightful form of justice, actually. It shows how their own dishonesty ultimately defeats them

In truth, of course, Australia's cycles of drought and flood will go on as they always have. As one of Australia's best-loved poems (first published in 1908) reads:

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 07:30:00 AM

Single Mom Serviced 960 Customers

(Seoul, Korea) A 40-something single mother was arrested for prostitution after police found her cell phone contained 960 phone numbers of men she met through "adult telephone rooms."

Police arrested the mother on charges of violating prostitution laws and summoned 290 men whose phone numbers were stored in her mobile phone. The remaining 670 males will be summoned and punished if specific evidence that they paid for sex with her is found.

The 960 customers were serviced over the past year. Disregarding expected repeat customers, assuming she provided a quality product, the math works out to be 80 different men a month or about 20 a week. Still figuring, that's four guys a day on every working day of the year or about three guys a day if she worked Saturday and Sunday.

And all 960 men will be prosecuted.

Tip: Robert Koehler

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 07:25:00 AM

Algae Biofuel

(Groningen, Netherlands) Here's an idea that appears to make a lot more sense than using corn for fuel. According to Biology Professor Hein de Baar of the University of Groningen, algae produce ten times the volume of fuel that corn does and it can be carbon neutral.

"Algae need CO2 to grow, you could call it 'algae food'. So an intensive algae nursery would require large quantities of CO2. So you need to keep adding CO2, which would be no problem at all if you were to hook up your nursery to a power plant.

Just imagine, the plant's smoke stack emits CO2, which is captured and injected into large containers with algae situated next to the plant. The algae, which will start to grow very fast, can then serve as fuel for the power plant, thus creating a closed circle without any emission of CO2."

Boy, it sure sounds like a common sense approach. Nevertheless, I expect the Greenies will reject it because it doesn't follow their political playbook.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 06:45:00 AM

Korea's National Treasure #1

(Seoul, Korea) Yesterday, Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) gate, Korea's National Treasure #1, caught fire and was largely destroyed.

It was originally constructed in 1396 and somehow survived through many centuries and many wars -- until now.

Some suspect arson.

Robert Koehler of The Marmot's Hole is in Seoul and on the story.

Great photos (before and after the fire) of the gate, a Korean national icon.

[Update 02/15/08]

Arson confirmed. A 70-year-old man named Chae admitted to burning down the gate because of a property dispute. Interestingly, Chae also admitted to contemplating a terrorist attack on public transportation for the same reason.

Well, now the gate is destroyed, still the property is disputed and Chae is in jail. Boy! He showed them.

More.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 06:12:00 AM

SoCal Intruder Fatally Shot

(Long Beach, California) A 21-year-old man, Ariel Perez, was shot dead Friday afternoon when he climbed through the condominium window of an armed resident. The 26-year-old resident apparently fired once.

Police were dispatched and Perez was declared dead at the scene.

Obviously, the shooting death of an intruder is not a major news item because it happens regularly. What is newsworthy, however, is that intruders are shot regularly (see GunWatch) and that point should be emphasized. Day in and day out, homeowners, residents and business-owners defend themselves with guns and intruders bite the dust.

Thank you, Second Amendment.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 05:34:00 AM

Muslim First-Cousin Marriages

A British government minister, Phil Woolas, is under fire for quoting statistics indicating that the Muslim practice of arranging first-cousin marriages is resulting in a surge of birth defects.

Bluto explains.

Following Entry Posted 2/11/2008 05:12:00 AM

War Against Scientology

I have been following the war against Scientology from a distance primarily because I don't want a swarm of lawyers to come down on me for expressing an opinion. Scientology has a reputation of being less than open to criticism.

Nonetheless, a group of tech-savvy individuals, going by the name "Anonymous," is on a campaign to expose the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.

And, Anonymous appears to be making progress.

By the way, I'm not unfamiliar with L. Ron Hubbard's teachings and my nutshell assessment is that Scientology consists of four primary elements.

1) Everyone is a piece of feces,
2) Scientology will teach you how not to be a piece of feces,
3) Give the Church of Scientology all your property,
4) Await further instructions.

Of course, I'll allow that I might have misread Hubbard's message.

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 03:57:00 PM

Women Murdered with Impunity in Basra

(Basra, Iraq) From a CNN report:

"Fear, fear is always there," says 30-year-old Safana, an artist and university professor. "We don't know who to be afraid of. Maybe it's a friend or a student you teach. There is no break, no security. I don't know who to be afraid of."

Her fear is justified. Iraq's second-largest city, Basra, is a stronghold of conservative Shia groups. As many as 133 women were killed in Basra last year -- 79 for violation of "Islamic teachings" and 47 for so-called honor killings, according to IRIN, the news branch of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

One glance through the police file is enough to understand the consequences. Basra's police chief, Gen. Abdul Jalil Khalaf, flips through the file, pointing to one unsolved case after another.

"I think so far, we have been unable to tackle this problem properly," he says. "There are many motives for these crimes and parties involved in killing women, by strangling, beheading, chopping off their hands, legs, heads."

"When I came to Basra a year ago," he says, "two women were killed in front of their kids. Their blood was flowing in front of their kids, they were crying. Another woman was killed in front of her 6-year-old son, another in front of her 11-year-old child, and yet another who was pregnant."

The killers enforcing their own version of Islamic justice are rarely caught, while women live in fear.

So, where is the international outrage? Where is the condemnation? Muslim women are in a struggle to simply be treated as human beings and they have no allies.

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 10:00:00 AM

Five Times the Legal Limit

(Sarpy County, Nebraska) A 25-year-old Elkhorn woman, Denise Thomson, was arrested for allegedly driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.415 while transporting a child.

Thomson has been charged with suspicion of DUI, negligent child abuse, driving left of center and driving on the shoulder of the road.

Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis said 0.415 is the highest blood-alcohol reading he has seen in his career. Experts say that a level that high typically means a person is in a coma.

An 8-year-old child in the vehicle was determined to be a ward of the Department of Health and Human Services, the news release said. The child wasn't harmed and was later turned over to her foster parents.

"Nothing wrong with the child. The child was in the back seat seatbelted in, and fortunately, nothing bad really happened," said Capt. Dan Williamson.

Thomson works for Beneficial Behavior Health in Omaha provides transporation to DHHS, the release said. Beneficial said Thomson has been suspended, and it is cooperating with DHHS.

So, Thomson provides transportation services for children who are wards of the state. It's probably not a good job for a record-holding libationist.

Thomson was booked into custody at the Sarpy County Jail and later released on bond.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 09:08:00 AM

Visit Toledo - Think Mogadishu

There has been a lot of discussion regarding Mayor Finkbeiner kicking the U.S. Marines out of Toledo, but no one so far has remarked on the demeaning slap to the city's image. And it's not because the Marines were told to leave, it's because the Marines picked the city for training in the first place.

Specifically, for several years now, the U.S. military has considered Toledo to be a reasonable substitute for a terrorist-infested, third-world, war zone city.

Put that on a postcard.

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 08:19:00 AM

Mom Arrested for Giving Booze, Dope to Girl, 11

(Anderson, Indiana) A 26-year-old local mom, Davita N. Fuller, was arrested this week for allegedly letting her 11-year-old daughter drink alcohol and smoke marijuana.

Fuller faces a felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The girl alleged that Fuller gave her alcohol and marijuana and offered it to three of her 11-year-old friends during the child's birthday party at Fuller's home Feb. 1, police said.

The girl claimed she took one drink of alcohol and puffed on the marijuana once, and that her friends declined her mother's offer, police said.

The three friends corroborated the girl's story, Anderson police Detective Joel Sandefur said Thursday.

Fuller told investigators that she was smoking marijuana and drinking beer with her adult friends at the child's party, but she denied giving any to her daughter, police said.

Sure, it's a child's birthday party but that doesn't mean some adults can't gather for booze and dope. Right, Mom?

Sheesh!

Fuller was booked into custody then released on bond.

One other thing. Although I would never defend a parent violating a child's innocence, I'm left uncomfortable when the authorities use children to spy on parents. It reminds me too much of Hitler's Germany.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 07:47:00 AM

CA college dean: Flier racist and sexist

Even white clothes are dangerous apparently:

"Fliers distributed last week for a party at Claremont McKenna College were denounced as "racist and sexist" by Scripps College Dean of Students Debra Wood in an e-mail sent to Scripps students.

The fliers advertised a "white party" - organizers said it referred to suggested party attire - and pictured a white man wearing a white-colored disco-era suit and two black women wearing tight-fitting shorts and bikini tops.

In her e-mail, Wood said the fliers promoted a "racist party theme." She urged Scripps students to boycott the party and write letters of protest to student leaders and campus newspapers...

The disc jockey who performed at the event and contributed the images on the flier said he was "kind of astounded" when he learned of Wood's objections. Tim Scarne, who performs as DJ Timbo, said the "white party" theme "meant you were supposed to wear all white because there were supposed to be black lights."

Source

You can see the poster here

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 07:21:00 AM

Danger at Hotel Bars

Travelers, businessmen, listen up!

(Dallas, Texas) Aggressive women at hotel bars may be part of a widespread criminal enterprise.

Police say they believe at least eight cases of men robbed, and in some case beaten and possibly drugged, may all be connected to women targeting men at ritzy hotel bars.

Dallas police said the women have chosen the Ghostbar at the W Hotel to target at least three males.

"They are more or less forcing themselves on the men, and they get real aggressive with the men," said Detective Mark Jenkins.

Therefore, all you tired, normally unremarkable guys who find hot babes in the hotel bar suddenly and inexplicably taking interest, proceed with extreme caution. On the other hand, this is hardly news to most guys. Except for those real losers in society and guys too hammered to think, men can usually figure out when a woman is a grifter.

Tip: SE

Following Entry Posted 2/10/2008 05:42:00 AM

Attempted Cover-Up of Illegal Worker in Parliament

(London) A 31-year-old Brazilian national, Elaine Chaves Aparecida, was arrested on January 31 after attempting to gain access to the Houses of Parliament using another person's security badge.

Subsequently, it was learned that Aparecida arrived at Heathrow Airport in 2004, fled from immigration authorities and disappeared into the accommodating abyss of British society.

Meanwhile, during an apparent pause in rational thinking, the British Home Office tried to hide the scandalous incident.

The latest security blunder to hit the Government was only revealed when an insider leaked the contents of a confidential memo to Home Office minister Liam Byrne.

The memo admitted Ms Aparecida worked at the Houses of Parliament from December 3 as an employee of cleaning contractor Emprise Services.

The document also advised ministers to keep quiet about the incident unless asked by the media "given recent coverage of security guards employed illegally at Government offices."

As a cleaner, Aparecida had widespread access to many areas of Parliament including the offices of MPs and peers.

Outrage at the security breach was immediate. Conservatives called it "terrifying" and suggested that illegal workers may be employed at other jobs in Parliament.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 02:15:00 PM

Marines Told to Leave Toledo

(Toledo, Ohio) It seems that everyone in Toledo was expecting the U.S. Marines to arrive yesterday for three days of training. Everyone that is, except the Democrat mayor.

A company of Marine Corps Reservists received a cold send-off from downtown Toledo yesterday by order of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.

The 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., planned to spend their weekend engaged in urban patrol exercises on the streets of downtown as well as inside the mostly vacant Madison Building, 607 Madison Ave.

Toledo police knew days in advance about their plans for a three-day exercise. Yet somehow the memo never made it to Mayor Finkbeiner, who ordered the Marines out yesterday afternoon just minutes before their buses were to arrive.

"The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people," said Brian Schwartz, the mayor's spokesman.

Reportedly, the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines regularly visits Toledo for training and, according to Company Commander Major Jeffrey O'Neill, the city has always been a gracious host. Nevertheless, Mayor Finkbeiner ordered the Marines to leave Toledo by 6PM.

Tip: Patrick Poole

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 07:47:00 AM

Coulter No Fan of McCain

From a speech yesterday:

Coulter compared a potential alliance between disillusioned conservative Republicans and Sen. Hillary Clinton to the alliance between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin during World War II, which was formed to defeat Hitler.

"I'm not comparing McCain to Hitler," she added. "Hitler had a coherent tax policy."

Ann Coulter has been unrelenting in her criticism of McCain.

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 07:34:00 AM

What is an "intellectual"?

Further to my post yesterday:

In his usual memorable way, the delightful Dr. Spooner once said: "I have in my breast a half-warmed fish". I suspect that the definition I am about to offer is little better than a half-warmed fish but here goes: I think an intellectual is someone who defends popular ideas in a particularly persuasive way -- which is why the label is usually attached only to people who are much in the public eye. There are many scholars and scientists labouring away at making a contribution to knowledge and understanding but it is only when they get into the public eye that they become "intellectuals". And if the ideas they espouse are complex or difficult to follow they will simply not get into the public eye. The ideas concerned have to be readily comprehended by the intelligent layman.

And one reason why most intellectuals seem to be Left-leaning is that Leftist ideas are the ones most in need of defending. Some Leftist ideas -- such as the belief that you can provide more and better accomodation for the poor by instituting government rent-control -- are so obviously mad that not even an intellectual could defend them (except in NYC of course). But other ideas -- such as the desirability of universal government healthcare -- are attractive enough to warrant defending. And if you have been to a government hospital lately, you will very likely feel that only an intellectual could defend that idea. I am sure that Hillary Clinton goes to private hospitals.

So I think I can safely say that I am not an intellectual. I get no mainstream media exposure at all. Since I would much prefer to be regarded as a scientist or a scholar, however, I feel rather pleased about that. Most "intellectuals" seem to me to be very poor scientists and scholars -- Noam Chomsky, for instance.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 07:25:00 AM

Assault Weapons Penalties Proposed

Boosting penalties probably won't make a difference to the criminals but, apparently, some people think so.

Hoping to reverse an "alarming trend," two Florida state lawmakers, both Democrats, have introduced a bill that would require stiffer mandatory sentences for criminals who use semiautomatic or automatic weapons.

The legislation also targets criminals who fraudulently acquire assault weapons and sellers who "know or should have known the buyer was using false identification."

In a Feb. 6 news release announcing the bill, State Senator Gwen Margolis and Representative Evan Jenne mentioned a case in September, where a 25-year-old fugitive shot and killed a Miami-Dade police officer with a semi-automatic rifle. [ ... ]

The lawmakers said they hope to "break the supply chain and reduce the number of illegally obtained guns in our communities."

Although on the edges, it's undoubtedly a gun control measure and is expected to be rejected by 2nd Amendment groups.

Companion post at GunWatch.

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 05:34:00 AM

Pink-Packed Pacific Party Plane

If your travel plans are not finalized, there's always Air New Zealand's Pink Flight. Scheduled to jump off from San Francisco on February 26, it promises to provide a plane-load of gaiety for the progressive tourist.

Kathy Griffin will unleash her D-List diva for one of the gay community's most celebratory A-List events. Air New Zealand announces that Emmy-award winner Kathy Griffin will be the official "Hostess" for the airline's first North American "Pink Flight," which is flying in celebration to the 2008 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

"The passengers can expect a bawdy performance from me," said Kathy Griffin.

In addition to Kathy's performance, the Pink Flight will boast a full program of entertainment - such as live performances from drag queens, on-board music, contests and screenings of classic gay-themed films on Air New Zealand's digital in-flight entertainment system (IFE).

Pink Flight flyers will be treated to Kathy's stand-up comedy in the air, as well as more informal interactions between Kathy and the infamous drag queens from down under lead by Buckwheat, who will also be performing on the flight.

And, of course, Buckwheat has a special message for the travelers.

My team includes Miss Ribena, Miss Tess Tickle, and Miss Venus Mantrapp. It's not too long before we get to meet you in person ... so take care til we meet.

We shall put a smile on your face that will be long lasting ... pack your cabin full of fun and camera's for photo's (sic) because this inaugral (sic) flight of fabulosity has your name stamped on it in every way, shape and form!! Air kisses and hugs ... Buckwheat xxx

Booking information is at the link.

Following Entry Posted 2/09/2008 04:46:00 AM

British Sharia Courts (Updated and Bumped)

Apparently, Sharia Law courts have been quietly operating in Britain for some time and it's unwelcome news to some people. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, revealed their existence in a speech today.

An Islamic Council in Leyton also revealed that it had dealt with more than 7,000 divorces while Sharia courts in the capital have settled hundreds of financial disputes.

Today's revelations came as controversy raged over Dr Williams's call for parts of Sharia law to be adopted in Britain.

His comments were condemned by Downing Street, the Tories and the chairman of the Government's Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

They were described as a "recipe for chaos" by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham.

Along with the Islamic Council in Leyton, there are reports of at least two other Sharia courts sitting in London.

There are also courts in a number of other areas of the country with high Muslim populations, including Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, Birmingham and Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

So, how does the Islamic Kingdom of Britain sound? The nation seems to be trending that way.

[Update 02/09/08]

In response to Dr. Rowan Williams statements, the Australian government has unequivocally ruled out the introduction of Islamic courts in Australia. A similar proposal had previously been dismissed by the Howard government in April 2005.

Yesterday the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, also ruled out introducing Islamic law, or sharia. "The Rudd Government is not considering and will not consider the introduction of any part of sharia law into the Australian legal system," he said.

The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, said everyone who came to Australia should accept the existing laws.

"Now this is a ham sandwich to a crocodile," he said. "The idea that in some way you would change your basic values, culture and law to accommodate some people who feel that they don't want to see themselves as Australians first, above all else - under no circumstances would I support that."

Kudos to the Aussies.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/08/2008 04:22:00 PM

DNA Collected at Traffic Stops in Search for Serial Killer

(Daytona Beach, Florida) Local police are swabbing the mouths of persons of interest during traffic stops for DNA analysis in the hunt for a serial killer. Four women have been killed execution-style.

Daytona Beach police Chief, Mike Chitwood, said detectives have the killer's DNA.

"Genetically, we know who he is," Chitwood said. "We have DNA evidence from the murder scenes -- so, we got that. That is never going to go away. And, sooner or later, we will match the DNA to the physical person and bring closure to everything that is going on."

Agents are using the DNA kits to collect as much DNA as possible during traffic stops and special operations in hopes on making a match.

I'm wondering why the ACLU hasn't jumped on this program as an invasion of privacy. Not complaining, I'm just wondering.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/08/2008 11:44:00 AM

Texas Teacher and Male Student

(Friendswood, Texas) A 26-year-old teacher at Living Stones Christian School, Jill Lewis, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student, 17.

Friendswood Police Chief Bob Wieners said the school is aware of the charges.

An anonymous tipster called CrimeStoppers and told about Lewis and the student, Wieners said.

Police allege during the second week of December, Lewis and one of her male students met in Friendswood and had sex off a dead-end road, Wieners said. That's the only occurrence police know of, he said.

Police secured a warrant for Lewis' arrest Thursday and charged her with having an improper relationship between an educator and a student, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Lewis was booked into custody at the Galveston County Jail with bond set at $30,000.

Following Entry Posted 2/08/2008 07:46:00 AM

More Muslim death threats

Woman Artist gets Death Threats over Homosexuals in Mohammed Masks

This is from a month ago but I have just found a pic of the wicked artwork:

"The Dutch were debating the limits of freedom of expression last week after an artist who photographed gay men wearing masks of the prophet Muhammad was forced into hiding and her work removed from a museum exhibit.

Speaking on the telephone from an unspecified location in the Netherlands last week, the artist, an Iranian exile who goes by the pseudonym of Sooreh Hera, said she had been threatened with "execution". She accused the director of the municipal museum in The Hague of cowardice for caving in to Muslim extremists.

Source

Homosexual Jesus no good to Muslims either

We read:

"The Dutch were debating the limits of freedom of expression last week after an artist who photographed gay men wearing masks of the prophet Muhammad was forced into hiding and her work removed from a museum exhibit.

Speaking on the telephone from an unspecified location in the Netherlands last week, the artist, an Iranian exile who goes by the pseudonym of Sooreh Hera, said she had been threatened with "execution". She accused the director of the municipal museum in The Hague of cowardice for caving in to Muslim extremists.

Source

I wonder when the Archbishop of Canterbury will be issuing HIS fatwa?

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/08/2008 07:12:00 AM

Viagra for Fighter Pilots

Subsequent to a study conducted by Israeli doctors on mountain climbers taking the anti-impotence drug tadalafil, military officials decided to test Viagra-like drugs on fighter pilots to help ward off dizziness and fatigue while flying at high altitudes.

It's believed the fighters will achieve enhanced performance longer and higher.

According to one military medical officer,

"The Viagra family of drugs is considered effective in these conditions because when there is a long shortage in oxygen it leads to high blood pressure in the lungs, and the drugs help fight that."

Therefore, when you hear talk of the Blue Angels, you might want to ask "which blue angels?" because surely the blue tablets of Viagra in the cockpit will be given a nickname.

Naturally, readers are at liberty to make their own jokes.

Following Entry Posted 2/08/2008 05:59:00 AM

Ohio Woman Accused of Giving STD to Boy, 13

(Middletown, Ohio) A 20-year-old local woman, Tabitha Hollandsworth, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy and infecting him with chlamydia.

Hollandsworth faces a charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor along with unrelated drug offenses.

The boy's grandparents alerted police last September after learning of the infection.

The boy told police he and a 15-year-old boy had sex Sept. 20 with a woman he thought was named Tabitha Willingsworth while at a party at an apartment, according to reports. The 15-year-old boy used a condom, the 13-year-old told police.

Middletown police Detective Fred Shuemake said an investigation led to a Sept. 26 police report listing Hollandsworth's name. He showed the boy pictures of Hollandsworth and five similar looking women.

"He identified her as the one immediately," Shuemake said. "There was no hesitation at all. He picked her."

But before Shuemake could sign an arrest warrant, Hollandsworth was picked up Nov. 21 for allegedly abusing crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hollandsworth was released with a court appearance scheduled for November 30. She failed to appear. This week, however, she was picked up in Cincinnati on drug charges. Hollandsworth was booked into the Middletown City Jail on $15,000 bond.

Interestingly, Detective Shuemake's familiarity with Hollandsworth goes back to a January 2004 case involving a serious fireworks mishap.

Municipal Judge Mark W. Wall found sufficient evidence to advance the case against Nathanal Harden, 18, who has been in the city jail since Dec. 27 on charges of aggravated arson and felonious assault.

Middletown police Juvenile Detective Fred Shuemake testified that Harden willingly came to the police station to talk with him a few hours after the Dec. 27 incident. Harden said he was in the back seat of a car with Tabitha Hollandsworth, 16, who was holding her son, 21-month-old Shawn Hollandsworth, when Harden lit a firework he intended to throw from the car window, Shuemake said.

The firework came back into the car, and Harden held it as it shot flames that left the toddler with second-degree burns and facial scarring, blistering and scabbing, Shuemake said.

All in all, trouble is no stranger to Tabitha Hollandsworth.

Following Entry Posted 2/07/2008 07:04:00 PM

Appeals to authority

It is the nature of intellectuals to think that they know better than anyone else. So they rarely defend the status quo. They mostly want to change it in some way that would suit themselves -- mostly to get the money away from those dumb capitalists and channel it in a direction that will be better for intellectuals. In short, intellectuals usually lean Left to at least some degree. Conservatives can take the status quo or leave it, depending on what the particular status quo happens to be. But a loathing of the status quo is intrinsic to Leftism -- so much so that they may often oppose a status quo that they themselves have been instrumental in creating -- with the now-common Green/Left opposition to windfarms (a shout-out to Ted Kennedy here) being one rather amusing example.

One outcome of all that it that Leftists generally find much comfort in the outpourings of intellectuals -- with G.W.F. Hegel and Karl Marx being early players in that field. So an appeal to authority often suits Leftists. They say, in effect: "All these wise men say we need to change the way we do things so that must be right." The most notable tendency of that today is of course the constant Greenie claim that there is a "consensus" among scientists about the human origin of the slight degree of global warming observed in the late 20th century (but which has been conspicuously absent since 1998). The Greenies luxuriate in having so many authorities on their side and they do their best to discredit the many experts who reject the Warmist view.

Sadly, of course, authorities can often be wrong. Even the smartest of intellectuals can make big mistakes when speaking outside their own field of expertise. Albert Einsten had clearly Marxist views on the economy, for instance. You can read his now mostly archaic thoughts on the matter in the old Marxist publication Monthly Review. And the greatest philosopher of the 20th century, Ludwig Wittgenstein, admired Communism so much that he actually emigrated to Russia. He lasted three weeks there and came back with distinctly modified views. Albert at least was wise enough not to put his money where his mouth was.

And experts can even go wrong when speaking WITHIN their field of expertise. Almost all of my academic career was devoted to exposing the flaws in the Leftist theories conventional among political psychologists. I was repeatedly able to show that the reigning consensus was contradicted by the facts. I don't believe I changed anybody's views, however. Ideology is not easily knocked off its perch by mere facts. But for anybody willing to look, I think I was able to show very clearly that the consensus within my own field of expertise was just plain wrong. You can see therefore why I regard ALL appeals to authority as very third-rate thinking -- as a rather pathetic substitute for looking at the actual evidence.

Given that the Green/Left have so conspicuously hitched their wagon to appeals to authority, however, it does on occasion become necessary to reply in kind. If a Leftist says: "All the experts say... " one needs to reply: "But THESE experts deny ..." if one is to have any hope of making a persuasive case. In other words, although appeals to authortity have little objective merit, they do have considerable persuasive power for many people and one has to recognize that and fight back by questioning the authority concerned -- and an easy way to do that is to quote OTHER authorities with different opinions. And I do that often on my Greenie Watch blog.

It is is also because of the Leftist authority-orentation (an orientation which makes it all the more amusing that Leftist psychologists constantly brand conservatives as "authoritarian") that I occasionally make mention of my academic background and the fields wherein I can speak with some authority. I would much rather discuss ANY issue on the basis of the facts but if a Leftist insists on personalized arguments in a field where I happen to be an authority, then I feel that I might as well take the easy way out and squash the Leftist using his own hammer. It might just conceivably teach him something about the inherent inconclusiveness of relying on arguments about persons rather than on arguments about the facts. I do however draw the line at claiming any GENERAL authority. Leftist academics very often do implicitly claim that. They get credit for pronouncements made outside their own field of expertise. A linguist like Chomsky, for instance speaks on all sorts of topics outside of his field and Leftists seem to get great comfort from his "authoritative" misrepresentations. They are fools do do so. Arguing from an irrelevant authority is in fact what logicians refer to as one of the informal fallacies.

I was rather amused recently, however, when a very skeptical reader asked for my list of academic publications. He evidently thought that I must be the sort of fraud one so often finds on the Left. When he was referred to a full list of the relevant citations, he lost that battle but as a comeback complained that many of my publications were quite short. He seemed to think that you could judge the worth of a research article by its length! I am sure that a lot of acadenics wish that were true. Writing reams of waffle seems to come very easily to many of them. If there is any criteriality in the length of a research article, I would tend to think that merit is more likely to lie with short articles. If you know what you are talking about and your results are clear, you don't need to ramble on.

I certainly do strive for succinctness in all that I write. People are more likely to read and understand what one has to say that way. But there are of course some topics that NEED to be discussed at great length -- histories and literature reviews, for instance -- and for my sins I do sometimes write at length in those areas. Most notably so here and here and here.

With my academic background I suppose I could be said to be an intellectual but I sedulously avoid that label. Intellectuals generally seem to me to be a rather miserable bunch who are puffed up with oversimplified theories and who are prone to parasitizing others. By contrast I have always been happy with my lot in life. I have the gift of contentment and "just the facts" will do me fine. And when I do splash out big with money (usually by giving it away. My own needs have always been small), I do it with money honestly earned in business -- not with money ripped off the taxpayer under some pretext. But being someone who has been successful in business as well as in academe does make me an odd bod, I guess.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/07/2008 02:56:00 PM

Wal-Mart Clinics

AP report:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open its first in-store medical clinics under its own brand name after leasing space in dozens of stores to outside companies that operate the quick-service health stops.

The world's largest retailer said Thursday it will open "The Clinic at Wal-Mart" as a joint venture with local hospital systems in Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock, Ark., starting in April.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart is among several U.S. supermarket and drug store chains that in the past couple of years have begun opening store-based health clinics, which are staffed mostly by nurse practitioners or physician assistants and offer quick service for routine conditions from colds and bladder infections to sunburn.

About 7 percent of Americans have tried a clinic at least once, according to an estimate by the Convenient Care Association, an industry trade group formed in 2006.

And there will be competitors, a much preferable approach to health care than socialized medicine, I believe.

Following Entry Posted 2/07/2008 12:58:00 PM

Texas Mom Gets 28 Years Prison in Death of Infant

(Cleburne, Texas) In April 2007, Aimee Andrea Fisher-Riza was arrested after leading police on a 40-minute, high-speed chase which culminated in a crash and the death of her unrestrained 9-month-old daughter. Alexxus Riza, riding in the front seat, was ejected and died. At the time, officers did not know that an infant was in the vehicle.

Fisher-Riza was wanted for allegedly stealing between $28,000 and $40,000 from her employer, Goody's Department Store. Deputies found two money-filled deposit bags in her car after the crash.

This week, 37-year-old Fisher-Riza was sentenced to 28 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of murder and serious bodily injury to a child.

Jurors deliberated about three hours before deciding on 28 years for the murder charge and 20 years on the injury charge, both sentences to be served concurrently. Because the jury found that a deadly weapon was involved, she must serve half of her sentence before being eligible for parole.

Prosecutor Dale Hanna said that the punishment sent a powerful message to people who run from the police.

Following Entry Posted 2/07/2008 07:44:00 AM

'Don't mention Islamic extremists': British government phrasebook tries to avoid upsetting Muslims

We read:

"The Government has drawn up a controversial phrasebook on the language of terrorism and is insisting civil servants no longer blame fanatical extremism on Islam, for fear of upsetting the Muslim community.

The new counter-terrorism guidelines suggest that phrases such as "Islamic terrorist" and "jihadi fundamentalism" are too inflammatory and imply that all Muslims explicitly are responsible for extremism. Instead the leaked Home Office document advises Whitehall bosses that they refer to violent extremism and criminal murderers or thugs to avoid any link between Islam and terrorism.

However, the war on terror handbook has provoked an unfavourable response from people claiming the Government are bowing under the pressure of political correctness.

Source

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/07/2008 06:13:00 AM

North Korea "Welcomes" Visitors

From a report by Andrei Lankov published in the Asia Times regarding South Koreans being allowed for the last two months to visit the historic North Korean city of Kaesong, mere miles north from Seoul:

The day-trip program is a small but, arguably, significant breach in Kim Jong-il's walled communist "paradise."

Of course, North Korean authorities went to extraordinary lengths to prevent any interaction between locals and visitors. The list of prohibited items is quite impressive. Tourists cannot take any kind of printed material, computers and computer equipment, mobile phones, radios and video cameras, universal serial bus and other memory devices. The old film cameras are banned as well. Only digital cameras are allowed into the North, since at the border check point North Korean police officials check every single picture taken by every single tourist.

The rules for taking pictures are simple: everything which is not explicitly allowed is forbidden. Tourists can take pictures only at designated stops, and only historical monuments can be depicted. No pictures of the city streets and local people are allowed (obviously because the North Korean leaders know how unflattering those images if seen by South Koreans).

The only exception is made for the statues and portraits of Great Leader Kim Il-sung as well as portraits of Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. However, those pictures should be taken with very special care: the images of the great men should be seen in full, and be placed in strictly vertical position.

The 10 South Korean buses, accompanied by a few South Korean jeeps as well as North Korean police vehicles, move in a column. Every bus has two North Korean "guides". These are men in their late 20s and 30s, remarkably fit and equipped with walkie-talkies. One "guide" stands in front of the bus, while another takes a seat at the back. On stops, they make sure that none of the tourists venture more than a couple of meters from the designated path.

Uniformed and armed policemen are placed at regular intervals along the entire route. When buses stop at a designated spot, the police cordon does not allow locals to approach closer than 100 meters (well, not quite: in some cases locals are allowed to use another side of a broad street).

The one-day bus trip is pricey at $190 and, even though it's in by 10 AM and out by 5 PM, it offers South Koreans the opportunity to notice the absence of cars, the low-quality housing with some windows covered with vinyl instead of glass, and the overall shoddiness and poverty of North Korean life. Also glaringly obvious is the difference in height between the North and South Koreans, a direct result of southerners growing up with protein-rich diets while the northerners only survived with chronic food shortages.

And just as, or even more, important is that the North Koreans are given a glimpse of the relative affluence of the average South Korean which contradicts the incessant propaganda of the Kim Jong-il regime. Agreed, the trips are tightly controlled but the North Koreans are not blind and they do talk to each other. The long-term effect of the day-trips will enlighten more and more North Koreans to the brutality of their communist regime.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 11:32:00 PM

Dead Son Found Under Passed-Out Mom

(Indianapolis, Indiana) A 24-year-old local mother, Latasha McMorris, was arrested yesterday for allegedly causing the death of her two-year-old son, Sheldon Bartley Jr.

McMorris has been charged with felony child neglect.

Latasha McMorris' boyfriend found the two on the floor of an EconoLodge motel room on North Shadeland Avenue and, noticing that the boy wasn't breathing, called 911 at about 12:30 a.m., police said.

The boy, Sheldon Bartley Jr., was taken to Community East Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m., police said.

McMorris reportedly admitted that she had been drinking and bottles of gin and vodka were found in the motel room. The case is being treated as a homicide.

Last year, McMorris was convicted of child neglect in another case after Bartley, then a 20-month-old, and his 6-year-old sister were found playing in the street.

McMorris received a suspended one-year prison sentence. Afterward, she was accused of violating terms of her probation by failing to provide urine samples, testing positive for alcohol, failing to maintain a job, failing to perform community service and being arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Other convictions include criminal trespass and failure to stop for an accident.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 02:23:00 PM

Swedish Healthcare "Not Working"

Empirically, wait times for treatment seem to be an unsolvable tag-along to national health care systems. Sweden's experience is just another example.

From The Local:

Health Minister Goran Hagglund has criticized the lack of progress made toward shortening wait times in Sweden's health system.

He made the comments in an opinion article published in Dagens Nyheter in which he stated that the 250 million kronor spent by the government on lowering wait times has apparently had a little effect.

The criticism comes in response to a report by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) showing that nearly 45 percent of patients have longer wait times than are supposedly guaranteed by the healthcare system.

"These figures are not satisfactory. They show that we haven't approached the problem of availability with the level of force needed," said Hagglund to news agency TT.

Since 2005, Sweden's health system has been governed by a "healthcare guarantee" (Vardgarantin) between the national and regional governments. The guarantee states that county councils, which have primary responsibility for healthcare administration, promise to treat patients within 90 days.

If treatment cannot be administered by the patient's primary hospital within 90 days, the county is to then help the patient find an alternative location within the county or even recommend the patient to a hospital in another county.

Notably, Sweden can't solve the problem of excessively long wait times with a population of only nine million people. Imagine the problems with wait times when the proposed National Hillary Care is thrust upon the U.S. with 300,000,000 people.

Companion post at SocGlory.

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 08:40:00 AM

Russia Suspicious of Iran's Intentions

(Moscow, Russia) What a shock! The Russians, having just fell off the turnip truck, are suspicious of Iran's intentions after a suborbital rocket, called the Kavoshgar I, was successfully launched from the Islamic Republic's first space base.

Russia said on Wednesday that Iran's test launch of a rocket raised "suspicion" about the real nature of Teheran's nuclear programme, Interfax news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry official as saying.

Iran launched a rocket on Monday designed to carry its first locally-made research satellite next year, showing the country’s advances in ballistics at a time when Western powers are already jittery about its nuclear plans.

"Any movement in terms of creating such a potential weapon naturally worries us and others. All the more so since it creates suspicion towards Iran about its possible desire to create a nuclear weapon," Interfax quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov as saying.

"Rockets of such range are one of the components of such a weapons system. Of course this raises concern," he said.

One of these days, it's going to dawn on the Russians that they are infidels too.

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 07:35:00 AM

Comeback for Major Coughlin

"Rep. Myrick confirms that Major Coughlin will now be retained by the DOD, and [be] "associated with another office program within the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he will continue to spread his message." The Congresswoman, one of the handful of stalwart individuals on jihadism in either the House or Senate, also highlights in her statement, the seriousness of what she terms, ".the nature of the radical Islamist enemy that we face today and how they are seeking to infiltrate all elements of our society." Rep. Myrick further lavishes deserving praise upon Major Coughlin's thesis, "Major Coughlin's thesis must be read by everyone responsible for ensuring the safety of America," for which we now learn he has been retained, and arguably even promoted, within the DOD."

More here

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 07:32:00 AM

Russian Political Activist Locked in Mental Hospital

(Moscow, Russia) Someone please tell me how this action differs from the political tactics of Josef Stalin.

Moscow Times:

An opposition activist has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital in the Tver region, two colleagues and a hospital official said Monday.

Roman Nikolaichik, 27, a lawyer and member of Garry Kasparov's Other Russia coalition, was detained in Tver on Friday, questioned about his political activities and subsequently taken to a psychiatric hospital, where he remained Monday, said Maxim Novikov, head of the coalition's branch in Tver.

The account was confirmed by Yevgeny Svetovidov, a spokesman for a monarchist movement, ARES, of which Nikolaichik is a member.

A woman who answered the telephone at Litvinov Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 in the Tver region town of Busharevo said Nikolaichik was being held in an isolation ward.

Presumably, after a few months of psychiatric treatment in a Russian mental hospital, Mr. Nikolaichik will be cured of all unhealthy political ideas.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 05:42:00 AM

Texas Wife Accused of Sex with Boy

(Galveston, Texas) A 29-year-old Galveston City Hall worker and officer of the parent-teacher organization, Sabrina Marie Simpson (aka Sabrina Marie Murphy), has been accused of sexual assault of 13-year-old boy.

Simpson has been charged with sexual assault of a child and may face an additional charge of online solicitation of a child.

The boy was in class last week at Central Middle School, 3014 Sealy Ave., when a teacher caught him sending text messages on his cell phone, police said.

School officials noticed a sexually explicit message on the phone's display screen and contacted police after finding a series of such messages from an outside number, police said. The boy's messages in response reportedly were brief and were not explicit, police said.

The court ordered a call for her cell phone records.

The boy later told investigators about four sexual encounters he had with a woman with whom he had been staying, police said. Police said the text messages on the boy's phone had traced back to a phone listed as belonging to the same woman.

The boy had what police described as "some juvenile issues" and was released from of a boot-camp program late last year. Upon his release, the woman and her husband had taken in the child, a longtime friend of her stepson, police said.

Simpson (aka Murphy) was booked into custody at the Galveston County Jail and released on $40,000 bond. The boy has been removed from the Simpson home and placed with a relative.

[Update 04/13/08]

Sabrina Marie Simpson has been arrested again for allegedly sexually assaulting a different boy, 14, while she was released on bail from the charges filed in February.

The new charge stems from claims by an island boy, 14, that Murphy drove him to East Beach and performed at least two sex acts with him, according to the affidavit used to obtain an arrest warrant.

The boy’s cell phone contained sexually explicit images of a woman police said was Simpson. They came from an e-mail address investigators said belonged to Simpson.

The boy said the encounter occurred “at the beginning of spring break 2008.” At the time, Simpson was out on $40,000 bond after having been jailed on the original charge in the case involving the 13-year-old boy.

That case started when a teacher caught the boy, a Central Middle School student, sending text messages on his cell phone during class, police said.

School officials noticed a sexually explicit message on the phone’s display screen and contacted police after finding a series of messages from an outside number, police said. The boy’s messages in response reportedly were brief and were not explicit, police said.

The boy later told investigators about four sexual encounters he had with a woman with whom he had been staying, police said.

Simpson, an PTA office holder, was fired from her city job on Friday. She is currently in jail with bond set at $500,000.

Following Entry Posted 2/06/2008 05:29:00 AM

Nigerian Woman Accused of Genital Theft

(Abuja, Nigeria) This report defies simple categorization.

In a dramatic twist of sex scandal, a middle aged man who accused his sex partner of stealing his genital has now turned into an accused after the accused lady was forced by the police, on recommendation of a herbalist into another intercourse, in a bid to restore his manhood in Bassan Jiwa, Airport Village, Abuja.

An Abuja-based beer palour owner called Grace Igbian has been accused by her lover Kingsley Ulame of 'stealing' his sexual organ. They had been dating for an exteded period of time and they last stayed and slept together for 29 days before he travelled home to see his family in Benin, Edo State.

But instead of enjoying his stay with his family, Ulame said he started having problems with his organ. He noticed that he could not have an erection. According to him, his organ stopped functioning and he was frightened that it may result to impotence. (sic all)

Subsequently, Ulame went to Igbian and beat her. Igbian reported the beating to the police.

According to her, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Airport Division, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Peter Thazilza invited a herbalist called Haifa, a Fulani woman who thereafter claimed that Igbian had indeed stolen Ulame's organ.

Subsequently, Igbian said she was forced to have sex with Ulame by the DPO in his office, because they wanted the man to 'regain his manhood'. In an effort to realise whether she was the person who stole the man's organ, she said the DPO promised to bring another woman to his office so that Ulame will 'test' his organ.

ASP Thazilza confirmed to Weekly Trust that the sex scandal happened in Bassan Jiwa, recently. According to him, one day, he heard a crowd of people shouting and fighting and I found out that some young men were beating Igbian, alleging that she has stolen her boyfriend's organ. So I decided to intervene," he said. (sic all)

In summary, a man suffered from erectile disfunction and was able to successfully convince a number of people that a woman stole his manhood and, thereby, justify beating her. Authorities then investigated by having the man engage in sex with two women at the police station to confirm that Igbian had, in fact, been the woman who took his genital. Ultimately, Igbian's reputation was ruined.

Case solved, I guess.

Following Entry Posted 2/05/2008 02:37:00 PM

Florida Mom and Boy, 15

(Sanford, Florida) A 46-year-old woman, Kathleen Louise Schulte, was arrested last night by Altamonte Springs Police for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Schulte has been charged with sexual assault of a minor.

Department spokesman Officer Tim Hyer said she and the 15-year-old boy, a friend of her son, said they were in love.

Hyer said he was not sure how long the two had been sexually involved but that a law enforcement investigation began in November.

Schulte was booked into custody without bail.

[Update 10/4/08]

Schulte is out of jail and reportedly still mixing it up with the boy, according to the boy's father. A hearing is scheduled for next month to discuss the new allegations. It doesn't seem like law enforcers are paying much attention to this case.

Following Entry Posted 2/05/2008 10:27:00 AM

Last Iwo Jima Flag-Raiser Dies

On February 23, 1945, the American flag was raised on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi by a group of U.S. Marines. The last living member of that group of Marines, Raymond Jacobs, died on January 29.

Raymond Jacobs, believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines photographed during the original U.S. flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II, has died at age 82.

Rest in peace.

Following Entry Posted 2/05/2008 08:48:00 AM

Healthy Cost More to Treat Than Smokers and the Obese

A study by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and Environment has found that healthy people are more of a financial burden in medical costs than smokers and the obese. Holy moly!

The reason is that the healthy tend to live longer and so, while they might not have to battle lung cancer, heart disease or diabetes in their fifties, they may need long-term care for illnesses of old age such as Alzheimer's.

As a result, any "savings" made by them being healthy when young are more than offset by their being ill in old age.

Based on healthcare costs in Holland, where the study was conducted, a person of normal weight can expect their medical bills from the age of 20 to total £210,000 over the course of their lifetime, while an obese person's costs will be £187,000. Smokers, whose life expectancy is the shortest of the three, cost the least, at £165,000, the researchers from the National Institute for Public Health and Environment calculated.

Writing in the journal PLoS Medicine, the researchers said: "Obesity increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, increasing healthcare utilisation but decreasing life expectancy.

"Unfortunately, these life-years gained are not lived in full health and come at a price: people suffer from other diseases which increases healthcare costs. The underlying mechanism is that there is a substitution of inexpensive, lethal diseases towards less lethal, and therefore more costly diseases."

Without health costs as a valid argument for outlawing smoking and obesity, one must wonder what the anti-smoking and food-police crowds will resort to as justification for taking away individual rights. Of course, the study most likely will be challenged by utopians.

Companion post at SocGlory.

Following Entry Posted 2/05/2008 07:47:00 AM

Dispute about McCain in Vietnam

There is a fairly convincing refutation here of Jack Wheeler's allegations about McCain in Vietnam. I said when I noted Wheeler's story that it could be old Soviet disinformation and that now seems the most probable origin of the story.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/05/2008 07:36:00 AM

Probation Agent Mars Her Credentials

(Charleston, South Carolina) A 30-year-old agent for the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, Kerrie M. Sprecht, was arrested for drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury.

According to SC Highway Patrol Cpl. Paul Brouthers, the personal injury was minor.

Brouthers said Specht was off duty and driving her own vehicle when she struck the back of another vehicle on I-26 at about 1:05 a.m. She left the scene and was stopped by North Charleston police minutes later on Rivers Avenue, authorities said.

Specht was released Sunday afternoon from the Charleston County Detention Center after posting a $992 bond on the DUI charge. She also received a $5,000 personal recognizance bond on the second charge of leaving the scene.

Being drunk at 1 AM and causing and leaving an accident will not likely be a resume enhancement for Sprecht. Given that she works in law enforcement, one would think that she would know better.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/04/2008 04:18:00 PM

Texas Woman Gets Prison in DUI Death

(San Antonio, Texas) A 23-year-old mother, Kimberly Owen, was sentenced to eight years in prison last Friday after pleading guilty to the drunk driving death of 21-year-old Tarah Irlbeck.

Owen was driving drunk four years ago, resulting in an accident that killed front seat passenger Irlbeck.

Accident investigators said Owen had a blood alcohol level two times over the legal limit and lost control of her vehicle.

"I do think about it everyday," Owen said. "There’s not a day that goes by, and now that I have a daughter, I could never deal with losing my daughter."

In four years since the collision, Owen has given birth to her first child and is pregnant with her second.

Owen said she knew her words couldn't bring Irlbeck back, but continued to ask for probation.

Well, she didn't get it. Since Owen is pregnant, she will be released from prison to deliver but then immediately have to return to complete her eight years.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/04/2008 02:33:00 PM

Jihadis Recruiting Muslim Youth in Norway

(Oslo, Norway) Without going into detail, the chief of the Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste PST), Jorn Holme, said the young, Norwegian Muslims are being recruited to carry out terror attacks overseas.

"We've had reports about older, manipulative Islamic extremists here in the country, who have tried to motivate youth to take part in jihad (holy war) attacks abroad," he told Aftenposten. He said PST is taking the reports seriously.

Holme confirmed that active recruiting is occurring but stressed that the terror links found related to activity outside Norway.

Of course, this means that all Muslim youth traveling with Norwegian passports should be looked at very closely.

Following Entry Posted 2/04/2008 12:03:00 PM

Muslim Wife Accused in Bigamist Husband's Death

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) In August 2007, a 47-year-old Muslim woman, Myra Morton, reported to police that an intruder broke into her home and shot her husband of 27 years.

Jereleigh Morton, 47, died immediately.

Investigators, however, could find no evidence to support the break-in story. Furthermore, Jereleigh Morton was shot twice in the head with his own weapon which was not easily accessible, authorities said. Suspicions arose.

"Myra Morton's description of events is thoroughly inconsistent with the physical evidence found at the scene," authorities wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

As a consequence, Myra Morton was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and related counts.

The motive for the killing is unclear, however, it's noteworthy that Jereleigh "Sadik" Morton died only hours before he was planning to travel to Morocco to impregnate a woman, Zahra Toural, 35, he met on the Internet and married in March 2007.

Prosecutors did say that Myra Morton was distressed at the thought of sharing the family's wealth with another woman. Millions were collected by the Mortons in 2001 in a medical malpractice settlement.

Notably, both Mortons are originally from Philadelphia and converted to Islam about 20 years ago.

At a pretrial conference last Friday, Myra Morton's attorneys expressed interest in resolving the case without a trial. Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Steven Latzer indicated that his office would be receptive to a plea agreement, provided Morton pleads guilty.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/04/2008 07:31:00 AM

More Things that you are not Allowed to Say

We read:

"The jousting continued Friday when a top military advisor to Clinton's rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, ridiculed Clinton's implication that she would offer voters the better credentials.

The advisor, retired Gen. Merrill A. "Tony" McPeak, said in a telephone interview that Obama has "real gravitas, not artificially created, focus-grouped, poll-directed, rehearsed gravitas."

He also said Obama "doesn't go on television and have crying fits; he isn't discovering his voice at the age of 60" -- references to Clinton's much-publicized show of emotion during the New Hampshire primary campaign and her speech after winning the contest in which she declared that she had "found my voice."

McPeak later retracted his remarks, and the Obama camp disassociated itself from them.

Source

How sad. Someone in a political campaign spoke the truth for once and got rapped for it. No surprise that it took a military man to call it like it is, though.

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/04/2008 05:49:00 AM

Illegals Rushing to Texas

Indications are that illegal aliens are leaving states where immigration laws are now enforced and Texas is a favored destination. Imagine that.

[A] new rush of illegal immigrants are driving down Interstate 35 from Oklahoma or heading east to Texas from Arizona to flee tough new anti-illegal immigrant laws in those and other states.

Though few numbers are available because illegal residents are difficult to track, community activists say immigrants have arrived in Houston and Dallas in recent months, and they expect hundreds more families to relocate to the Bayou City soon.

"They're really tightening the screws," said Mario Ortiz, an undocumented Mexican worker who came to Houston after leaving Phoenix last year. "There have been a lot coming -- it could be 100 a day."

All the information, so far, regarding this trend is anecdotal and, frankly, I don't think it's very meaningful. All it means is that the illegal population is mobile within the U.S. and they will move to more accommodating areas. Nevertheless, it does appear to prove that enforcing the laws has a positive effect.

Even so, a more preferable trend would be for the illegals to consider their home nations to be more accommodating and return. Then they could get in line to immigrate legally like thousands of others do. They would also pass the word that the U.S. is no longer easy pickings for border jumpers and deter others from taking the risk.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 03:20:00 PM

Super Bowl XLII

In about three hours, the New England Patriots will try to complete a season undefeated. The current line has the Giants as a 14-point underdog. I'm picking the NY Giants with the points.

And, I'm ready with beverages, dogs, snacks and even this novelty.

To me, it's mystery-flavored, however, in Japanese, I'm told, the label actually reads "Electric Massage Restoration Doritos." How that relates to the picture, I haven't a clue.

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 03:19:00 PM

Inflatable Doll Won't Moan

(Brasov, Transylvania) A 40-something man complained to the Consumer Protection Office that he had purchased a defective inflatable doll from a local sex shop. The doll deflated too quickly and had lost its moan.

According to Iulian Mara of Consumer Protection,

"No matter how strange it sounded to us, we went to the sex-shop from where the man bought the object of complaint and found out he was justified.

"The doll was losing air very quickly and due to a faulty electrical circuit it didn't make the expected specific sounds."

As a result, the sex shop was fined $1,200 and ordered to provide a new doll.

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 01:24:00 PM

Gaza Faces Feces

On the beautiful Mediterranean coast, the Gaza Strip has problems with its waste treatment pumps since the Israelis have ceased supplying fuel in retaliation of the incessant rocket attacks from Hamas. Daily life has been affected.

A stream of dark and putrid sludge snakes through Gaza's streets. It is a noxious mix of human and animal waste. The stench is overwhelming. The occasional passer-by vomits.

You might want to revise your Middle East travel plans accordingly.

My recommendation would be for the Palestinians to stop lobbing rockets into Israel.

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 12:18:00 PM

Animal Lovers Blue Plate Special

For humans, an adventure in the wilderness is merely another day at home for wild animals. Check out two reports Phil at RNS found. Fantastic photography!

You'll enjoy the splendor of a grizzly bear being released from captivity and great white sharks socializing with seals.

Note that it's demonstrated that gun control should always mean "aim properly."

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 11:34:00 AM

Woman Indicted for Assault on Officer

(Athens, Georgia) A 22-year-old woman, Shekeena Rena Davis, has been indicted by a Clarke County grand jury on charges resulting from assaulting a police officer.

Davis, a wanted felon with a busy history of arrests, was approached by Officer Charlie Snyder in a grocery store.

The initial police report stated that Shekeena Rena Davis took the firearm from the officer's holster during the struggle in the Alps Road Kroger grocery store, but further investigation determined the gun came loose as the officer fought the woman, according to police.

"The gun was not actually taken from him," Athens Assistant Police Chief Alan Brown said Wednesday.

After Davis grabbed the gun from the floor, she tried pointing it at Senior Police Officer Charlie Snyder - who was in uniform but working an off-duty security job at Kroger - but the officer was able to disable the weapon by pushing a release mechanism that made the ammunition magazine fall out.

A bullet had been chambered in the officer's gun, but the weapon was an older model with a safety feature that will not allow it to be fired when the magazine is not in, police said

Snyder's intimate knowledge of his weapon likely saved his life.

When Davis saw the officer's gun had fallen to the floor, she reached for it and put her finger on the trigger, but Snyder pushed the magazine release as she tried to turn the gun on him, police said.

With pepper spray and the aid of another officer, Snyder subdued Davis.

Davis faces charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, felony obstruction and removing a firearm from a police officer.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 08:57:00 AM

Britain Legalizes Bigamy

(London) If this report doesn't make you think you've just stepped into a pile of dog leavings, probably nothing will.

Disregarding the fact that bigamy is punishable by seven years in prison, the British Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has ruled that multiple wives will be rewarded with extra benefits.

Although bigamy is a crime in the UK, if polygamous marriages -- usually by Muslims -- take place in countries where such arrangements are legal, they are allowed here.

And now men in such relationships can claim an extra £33.65 in income support for each additional wife -- on top of the weekly £92.80 payment made to traditional couples.

There is also the reward of being eligible for additional housing benefit and council tax benefit to reflect the larger property needed for his family.

Although nobody knows how many polygamous marriages exist in Britain, somebody guessed there may be as many as a thousand. Uh -- guess again, Karnak. I'd wager that the DWP just opened Pandora's Box.

And, while a married man cannot obtain a spouse visa to bring a second wife into Britain, some multiple partners may be able to enter the country via other legal routes such as tourist visas, student visas or work permits.

Opponents of the ruling claim the benefits system is now unacceptably treating people in different ways. It's also believed that the decision will put additional pressure on British lawmakers to bend over for every cultural norm that rides immigrants to the country.

I think it's de facto legalization of bigamous marriages and I wonder if the British brain trusts thought about the fact that some cultures allow hundreds or more wives per husband, not just four as is with the Muslims.

By the way, polygamy reward program comes on the heels of the scandalous report that two-thirds of all Brits getting disability benefits are scamming the system. Just ducky.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 07:34:00 AM

Some notes about Karl Marx

I have just put up a new post on my Marx blog, which points out what a comprehensive hater Karl was.

Another little-known point about Marx: Das Kapital is one of the most influential books ever written but Marx himself lost faith in what he was saying there. He wrote only the first part of it himself (Vol. 1). He made notes towards the second and third volume but when he saw that history was not going in the direction he predicted, he ceased efforts to complete those volumes. Volumes 2 and 3 were actually written by Friedrich Engels with the assistance of Marx's notes and did not appear until after Marx's death!

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/03/2008 07:09:00 AM

Nebraska Woman Gets Prison for Vehicular Homicide

(Papillion, Nebraska) In May 2007, a 27-year-old pre-med student at Creighton University, Heather Henning, was accused of drunkenly driving across the center line and hitting a motorcycle carrying off duty police officer Shad Nicks, 36. Officer Nicks, a married father of three, was killed.

Investigators said Henning's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit when the incident occurred. She was booked into custody at the Sarpy County Jail on charges of felony motor vehicle homicide and driving while intoxicated. Notably, Henning's prior record is marred with numerous violations including eight speeding tickets.

Last month, Heather Henning pleaded no contest to felony motor vehicle homicide and misdemeanor reckless driving. As a result, Sarpy County District Judge Max Kelch sentenced her to three and one-half to five years in prison for the homicide and a concurrent 90 days in prison for the reckless driving.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov originally charged Henning with motor vehicle homicide while driving drunk, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and revocation of her driver's license for up to 15 years. But the State Patrol failed to label samples of her blood, rendering them unusable in court to show impairment.

In court, Henning made a statement to the Nicks family.

"I'm fully aware that no matter what I do for the rest of my life, I cannot take away the pain away you will feel forever. . . . The only thing I can do is accept responsibility for my actions. I'm sorry for all your losses."

Henning must serve 21 months before she is eligible for parole.

On Friday of this week, Greg Pivovar, Henning's attorney, filed a motion to allow her to remain out on bond while her case is on appeal. Judge Kelch will rule next week.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 06:55:00 PM

No Food for Fat People Law

Mississippi lawmakers are considering a law to prohibit restaurants from serving obese customers. Unbelievable! It's House Bill 282. Check it out. [Caution: NSFW]

Food nazis at work to take away freedoms.

Tip: Howie

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 04:18:00 PM

Intruder Shoots Family Dogs

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) Yesterday morning, two family dogs defending their owners were fatally blasted by a scum-of-the-Earth home intruder.

Inside the house at the time of the invasion were brothers Steven and Mark Duran, who were sleeping when the intruders entered. They were awoken by loud noises.

"Some punk a** kid broke our door down, kicking it down and started firing gunshots that killed two of our dogs," Mark Duran said. "They sacrificed their lives for ours."

One of the dogs died on the living room floor. The other made it to the front yard before collapsing and dying as well.

Police are investigating.

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 02:05:00 PM

NC Woman Skates on Sex Crimes

(Lillington, North Carolina) In June 2007, a mother-of-two, Crystal Rodriguez, was indicted for allegedly liquoring up and committing sex crimes against two boys, ages 13 and 14, between June and October 2006.

Rodriguez was charged with three felony counts of statutory rape, four felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

This week, 26-year-old Rodriguez pleaded guilty to reduced charges in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

Superior Court Judge Frank Lanier said he accepted the deal based on the recommendations of the Harnett County District Attorney's office. Prosecutors were acting at the request of the victims and their family, who wanted Rodriguez to get mental health treatment and not jail time.

"The reason this plea was given was because the victims did not want Mrs. Rodriguez to go to jail. The victims were adamant that leniency be shown to Mrs. Rodriguez," defense attorney Jason Wunsch said.

Therefore, one must assume that the opinions of two boys and their families were the determining factors in the adjudication of Rodriguez's case.

As a result, Judge Lanier sentenced Rodriguez to two years of probation, 48 hours of community service and a psychiatric evaluation. She must also register as a sex offender.

Defense attorney Jason Wunsch said that gender didn't play a role but I'm less than convinced. Imagine a 26-year-old man liquoring up two girls, 13 and 14, and then committing sex crimes. The thought of probation would be out of the question.

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 12:03:00 PM

California Blonde Accused of Nasty with Boy

(Torrance, California) A 38-year-old local woman, Brenda Ann Mitchell, was arrested by Torrance Police officers for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Described as a petite, blue-eyed blonde, Mitchell has been charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger than herself and oral copulation with a person under the age of 18.

According to Torrance Police spokesman Dave Crespin:

"During the first week of December we received an anonymous call regarding an adult having sex with a minor," he said. "After gathering some information, detectives contacted the possible victim, who was a male juvenile. Through our investigation we determined a crime did occur."

Prosecutors allege Mitchell initially had intercourse Sept. 21 with the unidentified Torrance teenager and then engaged in oral sex with the boy later that month, in October, again in November and finally during the first 12 days of December.

"At this point in the investigation we strongly feel this is the only victim," Crespin said.

Mitchell was booked into the county jail with bail set at $200,000. She has a court appearance scheduled for February 8th.

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 09:38:00 AM

Geraldo Backs Immigrants from Spain?

Over the years, Geraldo Rivera has achieved tremendous success through ambition and ego. However, when the subject is journalistic substance, Geraldo has largely positioned himself somewhere between a house of cards and a roll of the dice. You just don't know what is going to come out of his mouth.

Here's a nugget from yesterday which Geraldo called his litmus test on voting.

"Any Spanish person who votes for an anti-immigration extremist is an Uncle Tom."

The anti-immigration extremists Geraldo defined as Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, talk radio, and so on.

Now some might say, "Hey, Mike, you know what he means." But that's not true. I can only go by what he says. If I were to interpret Geraldo's thinking, I'd say he wants the rule of law to be completely ignored and the United States to have no borders. Geraldo might disagree with my interpretation of his words.

Overwhelmingly, Spanish people live in Spain and, interestingly, Spain has significant difficulties keeping North African illegals from barreling onto the Iberian Peninsula. Spain's national security concerns (remember the Madrid bombings?) demand vigilance in keeping North Africans from entering the country willy-nilly. The Spanish electorate supports the policy so, according to Geraldo, the Spanish voters are Uncle Toms.

Once again, some will tell me that's not what Geraldo meant. Fine and maybe so, but that's what he said and it's just another example of a guy whose mouth is so overworked by his ubiquitous presence in the media that there is scant time to engage his brain.

Another thing, right after Geraldo named talk radio a bunch of anti-immigration extremists, he said he doesn't believe in name-calling. Now that's just dumb. People who oppose Geraldo's views on open borders are not against immigration, they are against foreign nationals entering the country without permission. That's not extreme, that is the law. Whether Mexicans, Lithuanians, Iranians, Mongolians or Spanish people, illegal foreign nationals shouldn't be in the country. Furthermore, and contrary to Geraldo's words, most Americans support that position.

Lastly, despite Geraldo's sanctimoniously saying he doesn't believe in name-calling (immediately after calling people names), I believe a well-crafted zinger is more than appropriate on occasion. The one I've selected for Geraldo is "Here's Waldo!"

Tip: Digger

Following Entry Posted 2/02/2008 07:52:00 AM

Hate Speech Claim in Immigration Debate

Being critical of illegal immigration is "hate speech" apparently. At that rate, we seem very close to being unable to criticize anybody for anything without being accused of "hate" -- though criticizing Christians, conservatives, and whites is always OK of course. Many American universities these days have programs of "white studies" - which consist of one long tirade of real hate towards whites

"A national Latino group said Thursday it is fighting back against what it considers to be "hate speech" that has emerged from the debate over immigration. National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia announced plans to pressure television network executives and candidates seeking their parties' presidential nominations to clamp down on such remarks.

The group launched a Web site to counter the speech, http://www.wecanstopthehate.org, with clips of what it considers offensive comments on television as well as a tracking of hate crimes.

"Hate groups and extremists have taken over the immigration debate in an unprecedented wave of hate," Murguia said. Although some comments could be considered free speech, "there is a line that sometimes can be crossed when it comes to free speech," she said.

Some of the remarks the Hispanic group identified included referring to immigrants as an "army of invaders" or an "invading force," associating immigrants with animals, accusing immigrants of bringing crime and diseases like leprosy to the U.S., and purveying a conspiracy theory that Latinos are trying to take back parts of the United States once ruled by Mexico....

Murguia accused the television networks of cloaking members of hate groups as anti-immigrant experts on their programs. Among those she singled out was Jim Gilchrist, a co-founder of the Minuteman Project.

In response, Gilchrist called the National Council of La Raza a racial supremacy group that "dwarfs the combination of Black Panthers, KKK, American Indian Movement and Asian gangs." "I'm exercising free speech and I'm giving my opinion," Gilchrist said. "My son-in-law is Mexican and two of my three grandchildren are half Mexican. The Minuteman Project is comprised of every race color and creed. ... She has a right to her opinion, but she's wrong."

Source

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 08:44:00 PM

Virginia Woman Caught with Boy

(Woodstock, Virginia) A 26-year-old married woman, Melissa Mae Nicholson, was indicted by a grand jury this week as a result of her husband, Shane, catching her at their residence having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

For two alleged sexual episodes, Melissa Mae faces two counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor.

An interview with the victim revealed that Nicholson had sex with him at least two times, court records state, with the other offense occurring at Little Wolf Hole along Stony Creek, off Liberty Furnace Road in Edinburg.

Melissa Mae has an appearance scheduled for February 27 in Shenandoah County Circuit Court.

Tip: Anonymous

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 05:41:00 PM

Petition for Afghan Journalist Perwiz Kambakhsh

I apologize for not jumping on this story immediately. It has been pulled verbatim from an entry by Howie at The Jawa Report.

Come on now. Only 154 sigs and we're the only blog running this? A man's life hangs in the balance.

So sign the petition, call your public officials. Write about it

Thanks to all those who have already signed or ran the petition. To the rest of you, Get with it people!

Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh has been sentenced to death by the moderate regime in Afghanistan for blasphemy.

The Afghan Senate has just endorsed his death sentence.
Via AFP: KABUL (AFP) — Afghanistan's senate has endorsed a death sentence handed down by a court to a reporter and journalism student accused of blasphemy, the parliament media office said.

The senate, called the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders), issued a statement Tuesday backing last week's decision by the Balkh province primary court and criticising international pressure over the case, an official told AFP.

The court sentenced Perwiz Kambakhsh, 23, to death for distributing articles downloaded from the Internet that were said to question the Koran and the role of women in Islam.

"The Meshrano Jirga endorses the Balkh primary court's verdict on sentencing to death Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh who has been sentenced over insulting Islam and misinterpretation of Koran verses," said the statement read to AFP.

The house also "strongly criticises those domestic and international organisations which are pressurising Afghanistan's government and legal authorities when pursuing such people," it said.
Remember, death sentences are often carried out very quickly in these countries. So time is very short and its critical that we act as quickly as possible. There are only a few legal steps left before he is executed
The death sentence must pass through various higher courts and be approved by Karzai, who has been called on by international and Afghan media rights organisations to intervene in the case.

The extremist Taliban movement that is waging an insurgency against Karzai's administration has also called for "severe punishment" for Kambakhsh, whom they called the "new Salman Rushdie"....

A petition to try and help Mr. Kambakhsh has been started here. Please sign it and spread it as far as you can. Hopefully we can help get Mr. Kambakhsh a pardon or a reduced sentence.

Never mind the absolute idiocy of allowing Afghanistan to enact a constitution based on Sharia law. If our soldiers fought and died to liberate Afghanistan we should have required they enact a better constitution like we did with Japan. I've been very disappointed with the new constitutions for both Iraq and Afghanistan.

More on that here.

Previous:
Good News: Journalist Could Get Death Penalty for Blasphemy in "Liberated" Afghanistan

Good News: "Moderate" Regime in Afghanistan Sentences Student to Death for Blasphemy

HELP is needed! Sign the petition.

[Update 02/02/08]

The Wall Street Journal has joined the cause. Here's an excerpt.

The real questions that must be asked are: Is post-Taliban Afghanistan a country that executes citizens for peacefully questioning some aspect of Islam? What about all the rhetoric of Afghan freedom and democracy? Wouldn't executing Mr. Kaambakhsh render it embarrassingly hollow? For how can Afghanistan claim that it is on the path to being a free, democratic state, and then put to death one of its own citizens for reasons that evoke, rather chillingly, the darkest days of the Taliban?

President Karzai has the final say.

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 05:08:00 PM

Babysitter Accused in Death of Baby

(Arapahoe County, Colorado) A 27-year-old babysitter, Yvette Nicole Craddock, was arrested this week for allegedly causing the death of an 8-month-old boy by abuse.

According to Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson, a deputy responded to a call in December and found the boy, Rashad Maxey, unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse.

The deputy began CPR until the Cunningham Fire Department arrived. The infant was transported by helicopter to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day, Robinson said.

The Sheriff's Office has been investigating the death ever since, he said.

The Colorado Department of Human Services also is investigating the circumstances of Rashad's death because his home had been visited by social workers before his death.

Craddock was booked into custody at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility with bond set at $150,000.

This case may represent the first exposure of a much larger problem. Exactly what is unknown but it's more than curious that, according to the Denver Post, 12 other children have died after visits by Colorado Department of Human Services social workers.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 07:51:00 AM

Homosexuality Trumps Confidentiality

There is an appalling case at the University of Georgia (also excerpted on today's "Education Watch") where a student was punished for something he wrote on a supposedly "confidential" survey. The university's guarantee of confidentiality to him was rendered a fraud.

How come? Because he wrote a scathing evaluation of a professor who himself admitted that he was "difficult". You still don't get it? The professor was a homosexual. Protecting homosexuals from criticism trumped all the integrity of the university's promises, apparently.

I was appalled enough about it to write as follows to University President Adams:

"Dear Prof Adams

As a survey researcher with over 200 papers in the academic journals, I was shocked and appalled to hear that your administration has failed to protect a guarantee of anonymity that you have given.

I find it hard to believe that you have allowed an emotional homosexual to undermine your integrity in the matter. I refer of course to the affair of Assoc. Prof Joseph Disponzio and student Beck.

You should have refused all co-operation with anything arising from a breach of the guarantee you have given.

You have completely undermined all such guarantees given not only by you but by all of us survey researchers -- guarantees that are essential to social research.

Please backpedal immediately and completely. You are an irresponsible and shortsighted fool if you do not.

I intend to post this letter on the net in order to discourage you from ignoring it. Your actions in the matter so far do not inspire much confidence in you

Yours faithfully

(Dr) John Ray

I was probably not as nicey-nicey as I should have been so I encourage others to add their voices to mine. The email address for Adams is: presuga@uga.edu

Posted by John Ray

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 07:50:00 AM

Louisiana Teacher and Male Student

(Prairieville, Louisiana) A 41-year-old teacher previously at Dutchtown High School, Sharon Suzonne Oleson, has been arrested for engaging in misdemeanor sexual conduct with one of her students, an 18-year-old male.

According to Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Tony Bacala, Oleson was charged with criminal sexual conduct between an educator and a student.

Oleson was charged with violating a recently enacted law that went into effect last August, the same month Oleson was hired at the school.

The statute makes certain sexual acts criminal, including inappropriate touching when done by an educator with a student who is 17 or 18 years old, Bacala said in a release.

Detectives speaking to the student during the course of the department investigation were told by the student that he and the teacher were involved romantically and had a physical relationship that involved kissing and fondling, according to Bacala.

Oleson was booked into custody at the Ascension Parish Jail and released on $10,000 bond.

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 07:49:00 AM

One Millionth Mile on 1991 Chevrolet

(Medford, Wisconsin) Congrats to Frank Oresnik! He owns a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado which is a mere 1,200 miles away from having the odometer hit one million.

Oresnik delivered seafood with the truck and put about 85,000 miles on it each year.

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 07:47:00 AM

Georgia Teacher Busted for Drugs

(Albany, Georgia) A 23-year-old math teacher at Dougherty High School, Shakitha Hadley, was arrested after Albany Dougherty Drug Unit agents found drugs in her car.

Hadley was charged with possession of cocaine and ecstasy with intent to distribute and possession of drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.

She was booked into custody at the Dougherty County Jail.

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 07:09:00 AM

Hundreds Sick in Japan from Chinese Dumplings

(Japan) So far, 368 people in 30 Japanese prefectures have become ill from eating frozen gyoza dumplings (potstickers) made in China.

It was revealed Wednesday that 10 people in three families in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures showed symptoms of food poisoning between Dec. 28 and Jan. 22 after eating frozen gyoza dumplings imported by JT Foods Co., an affiliate of Japan Tobacco Inc., and nine were hospitalized.

The two prefectural police forces found methamidophos, an organic phosphorus agricultural chemical, in the dumplings and in their packaging.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on Thursday urged companies across the nation to stop selling and importing products from the Chinese company that exported the contaminated dumplings.

The products came from a factory of Hebei Foodstuffs Import and Export Group Tianyang Food Processing in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China

Methamidophos is an organophosphorus pesticide which is toxic to humans. When ingested, it produces cramps, convulsions, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. Seek medical attention immediately.

Authorities continue to investigate.

Following Entry Posted 2/01/2008 05:43:00 AM

Marines Unwelcome in Berkeley

(Berkeley, California) With well-chosen, salty commentary, Digger expresses sentiments paralleling mine regarding two Berkeley City Council resolutions intended to frustrate and threaten the U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office.

Here's a nugget.

The city manager was directed to send a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps saying they are "uninvited and unwelcome intruders" in the city.

In addition, the city attorney has been directed to investigate whether the city's anti-discrimination laws can be enforced at the center, based on the military's consideration of sexual orientation in hiring.

Furthermore, the radical Code Pink group has been granted long-term parking privileges directly in front of the recruiting office so they can protest continuously.

Logically, though, the actions of the Berkeley City Council are to be expected since wild-eyed Marxists gravitate to the locale. And, since this is America, there's nothing to prevent them from assembling and democratically determining their own laws.

Even so, the Berkeley attitude of harassment towards the U.S. military should not prevail without consequences. My recommendation is to deny, cold turkey, all federal funding to the city of Berkeley, including the university. I'd check to see if San Francisco wants some of that action also.

It probably won't happen. But if it did, just once, I contend that the extreme leftist rhetoric and the harassment would become moderated. If Berkeley's decision-makers have to choose between receiving federal funds or continuing leftist belligerence, I believe they'll take the funds.

More.

[Update] Michelle Malkin has the scoop on the Berkeley backlash. A message from Senator Jim DeMint.

DeMint to Berkeley: Support Our Marines or Lose Federal Funds

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) released the following statement in response to the decision by the City Council of Berkeley, California to evict the U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Station from the city.

"This is a slap in the face to all brave service men and women and their families. The First Amendment gives the City of Berkeley the right to be idiotic, but from now on they should do it with their own money. If the city can't show respect for the Marines that have fought, bled and died for their freedom, Berkeley should not be receiving special taxpayer funded handouts. I am currently drafting legislation to ensure that American taxpayers aren't forced to pay for this insult by rescinding all of the earmarks for Berkeley in the Omnibus Appropriations bill, and to transfer the funds to the Marine Corps."

Terrific! Personally, I'd chop Berkeley out of any federal funds, not just earmarks. But DeMint is on the right track.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

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