Interested-Participant

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 11:59:00 PM

Women With Troubles - July 2008

Reported in the news during July 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.

(AL) Jessica Heather Defoor, 34,
teacher - Arrested for inappropriate contact with female student,

(AZ) Heather Marie Bruner, 36,
neighbor - Arrested for beating up 69-year-old woman,

(CA) Melody Ybona Gawliu, 24,
teacher - Pleaded no contest to oral copulation of female student, 16. Sentencing TBD,

(CA) Kimberly Hald, 34,
juvie guard - Arrested for rape and kidnapping of juvenile male inmates,

(CA) Roselyn Hubbell, 33,
school counselor - Arrested for inappropriate relationship with teen boy,

(CA) Anne Ichord, 34,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for sex with student, 17,

(CO) Irene Marie Gomez, 38,
neighbor - Gets probation for long-term sex with boy, producing two children,

(CO) Heather Trujillo, 16,
babysitter - Gets no jail for death of sister, 7,

(DE) Rebecca A. Harris, 35,
neighbor - Arrested for sex assault of two boys, ages 9 and 7, over two-year period,

(FL) Jill Goldsmith, 31,
neighbor - Charges reduced from sex crime to simple battery. As a result, Goldsmith gets pretrial intervention instead of punishment,

(FL) Denise Harvey (aka Denise Brooks), 40,
neighbor - Convicted of sex with boy, 16. Sentencing in August,

(FL) Kristie Mathis, 35,
neighbor - Arrested for unlawful sex with "certain minors,"

(FL) Jennifer Russell, 43,
neighbor - Arrested for providing alcohol to minors and prancing nude in public,

(FL) Aida Schomburg, 45,
teacher- Arrested for allegedly molesting girl, 4,

(ID) Janice Earline Gates, 20,
neighbor - Charged with lewd conduct with boy under 16,

(ID) Dawn Seekamp, 37,
daycare operator - Arrested for allegedly breaking infant's bones,

(IL) Yolanda Dipert, 46,
neighbor - Sentenced to life in prison for multiple child sex crimes,

(IL) Sara F. Thompson, 27,
health counselor - Gets probation for sex with female patient,

(KS) Katherine J. Harder, 31,
teacher - Guilty of aggravated endangering of a child. Sentenced to 12 months "immediate probation,"

(KS) Ashley N. Thompson, 23,
neighbor - Guilty of attempted indecent liberties with boy, 14. Sentencing in August. Also faces rape charges in Missouri involving same boy,

(LA) Jennifer Davis,
teacher - Arrested for alleged cyberstalking of boy, 14,

(MI) Janelle Batkins, 42,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with student,

(MI) Stephanie Ann Stein, 31
teacher - Sentenced to 3 to 15 years in prison for sex with student,

(MO) Cathy Heminghaus, 46,
teacher - Guilty of having sex with students. Sentencing in August,

(MO) Angela Hurt, 33,
church youth leader - Gets probation for rape and sodomy of boy, 15,

(MO) Laura D. Kirkland, 25,
teacher/babysitter - Accused of raping boy, 11,

(MO) Angela M. Trouten, 31,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(NC) Jeannie Michelle Hodges, 39,
teacher - Charged with rape of male student, 15,

(NC) Leanne Elizabeth Macklin, 26,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with male student, 17,

(NE) Stephanie Draper, 35,
teacher - Faces charges of sex assault of boy, 14,

(NE) Lis Glenn, 24,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 13,

(NE) Kelsey Peterson, 26,
teacher - Pleads guilty to crossing state lines to engage in sex with boy, 13. Sentencing in Sept.,

(NH) Francine Barron, 34,
neighbor - Accused of raping boy, 12,

(NH) Ashley K. Dwyer, 19,
neighbor - Gets no jail for sex assault of boy, 15,

(NJ) Victoria Blevins, 23,
teacher - Gets probation for mixing it up with female student,

(NJ) Michelle Morano, 34,
teacher - Sentenced to nothing for conviction of sex assault of special education student, 17,

(NM) Annette Martinez, 25,
babysitter - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(NY) Cara Dickey, 30,
teacher - Charged with unlawful imprisonment and promoting suicide involving male student, 14,

(NY) Heather Kennedy, 25,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to having sex with boy, 16, and then was arrested again while waiting to be sentenced. Kennedy now faces new counts of rape and other sex crimes,

(NY) Kadessha Mulgrav, 34,
jail guard - Under investigation for intimacy with alleged cop killer,

(NY) Cora G. Putney, 19,
neighbor - Gets 60 days jail for sex with three boys, ages 11, 13 and 15,

(NY) Mandi Weeks, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sex assault of disabled male student, 15,

(OH) Stephanie Stolz, 49,
neighbor - Arrested for arranging contract murder of husband,

(OH) Carolynn Hatcher, 25,
group home housemother - Charged with felony sex involving boy, 16, with whom she became pregnant,

(OR) Sarah Jayne Bridges, 24,
teacher - Gets 60 days for rape of boy, 14. Likely to serve no time due to jail overcrowding,

(PA) Keri Ann Brekne, 28,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault of girl, 14. Sentencing in October,

(PA) Amber Brewington, 21,
neighbor - Accused of attempting to murder her 4-month-old son by poisoning,

(PA) Carrie L. Dana, 28,
neighbor - Convicted of repeated rape of boy, 11. Sentencing in August,

(PA) Mary Steck, 51,
teacher - Gets probation for heroin possession,

(PA) Brittany N. Steward, 19,
babysitter - Sentenced to 11 and one-half to 23 months prison for negligent deaths of two toddlers,

(SC) Shannon Fowler, 37,
teacher - Arrested for inappropriate relationship with female student, 14,

(SC) Kimberly Wooten, 43,
neighbor - Gets 15 years prison for arson,

(SD) Marchelle Dawan West-Boston, 28,
neighbor - Pleaded guilty to rape of boy. Sentencing in August,

(TX) Virginia Isabel Cammack, 35,
teacher - Arrested for improper relationship with student, 17,

(TX) Melvina Strickland-Terry, 35,
teacher - Indicted for alleged sex with two male students, both under 17,

(WA) Jennifer Kolar, 34,
environmental extremist - Gets five years in prison for arson,

(WA) Ryann C. Springer, 25,
teacher - Gets four months jail for sexual misconduct with female student,

(WI) Brenda Baillargeon, 40,
neighbor - Gets one year in jail for sex with male student, 16,

(WI) Anne Knopf, 39,
teacher - Gets 9 months jail for sex assault of boy, 13,

(WI) Ashley R. Miller, 18,
neighbor - Charged with sex assault of boy, 12,

(WV) Vickie Nestor, 58,
neighbor - Arrested for sex abuse of young boy.

Thanks, as always, to the tipsters and commenters.

Labels: Women With Troubles

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 04:38:00 PM

Health Care in Cuba - Dr. Hilda Molina Report

A scathing report on the health care system in Cuba was smuggled out of the country and published on the Norwegian website, Civita. The report was written by distinguished Dr. Hilda Molina, formerly of the Cuban National Assembly, and it describes a system of apartheid where foreign medical tourists receive quality care that is denied to Cubans.

Beginning in 1989, the entire Cuban health care system was directed to established mechanisms to turn the medical system into a profit-making enterprise for the government. Cuban government representatives traveled worldwide marketing "health tourism" to attract foreign currency. For motivation, a kickback system of payments was developed for foreign associates, recruited to steer patients to Cuba. Hospitals were urged to accept foreign patients with payments going to the government.

From Civita:

There are several significant flaws in this new Cuban medical system. Foreign patients are routinely inadequately or falsely informed about their medical conditions to increase their medical bills or to hide the fact that Cuba often advertises medical services it is unable to provide. Patients are often forced to pay intermediaries fees in excess of the 10 to 20 percent benchmark established by the Cuban government. There is also a deficiency of medical attention for both foreign patients and Cubans.

The lack of adequate professional qualifications, the absence of medical ethics, and the drive toward financial enrichment also characterize Cuba's medical system and often yield unfortunate results.

At present, all the medical institutions that government leaders believe are minimally equipped to treat foreign patients have been informed that the government will no longer provide financial support. Instead, they are expected to support themselves by selling their services.

A priority system was established to define who gets treated and how. The highest priority rests with foreigners, followed by government officials/military, athletes with good performance records, dancers, and lastly, ordinary Cuban citizens.

Even with high priority, though, foreigners may actually have their health jeopardized by the system. They are frequently pressured to have unnecessary treatments or operations, often by doctors without prerequisite qualifications. Foreign patients are also forced into paying for overpriced and frequently unnecessary Cuban-made pharmaceuticals, many of indeterminate, sometimes even hazardous, value.

Dr. Molina's moderately-long report is not marred by hysteria or revenge. Therefore, I believe the report is an honest assessment which belies intimate knowledge of Cuba, communism, and how the health care system has been turned into a fraudulent, albeit appealing, postcard designed specifically to attract foreigners and their currency.

NOTE: This post is an updated republication of a June 2006 entry. The subject matter is considered important enough to warrant additional exposure.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 09:06:00 AM

Why Obama waffles so much

A small but pointed excerpt from "One Cosmos":

The other day, I heard a brilliant analysis of Obama by Rush Limbaugh. He was pointing out that the reason he is reduced to such a stuttering prick (to quote Tommy DeVito) when off the teleprompter, is that he is a deeply divided person, either consciously or unconsciously (and undoubtedly both, in my opinion). He is the polar opposite of, say, Ronald Reagan, who always knew what he thought and could answer any question, for it was simply a matter of returning to first principles and applying them to the problem. Very scientific, if you will.

But one of the intrinsic problems in being a liberal is that you can never reveal your first principles, because if you explicitly articulate them, people will be repelled at what a contemptuous and supercilious asshat you are. Therefore, you must always couch them in terms of "compassion," or "helping the little guy," or "healing the planet," or "unity," or some other such blather. So in that regard, Obama is dealing with a more general problem that is intrinsic to liberalism, which is How to Fool the Idiots. One must be very cautious, because even the idiots are only so stupid. Thus Obama's constant verbal ticks: "uh, uh, uh, let me, uh, say this, uh, uh, I've been completely, uh, consistent about this, blah blah blah."

Being that liberalism is the political embodiment of multiplicity (or of an oppressive "bad unity" to try to heal it), it should not be surprising that its adherents are so intrinsically inconsistent. It's not so much that they are dishonest, but that the whole ideology is dishonest -- it is a lie from the ground up. Which is also why, the worse your character (or the less your intelligence), the better you will fare as a liberal politician, because you will be able to lie with great ease and even fool yourself.

Anyway, in Rush's analysis, he was pointing out that Obama is running several campaigns simultaneously, and that it is obviously a struggle for him to keep them all straight in his head, thus the great difficulty in being consistent and giving straight answers. Because of this, he is always one gaffe away from a major meltdown. For example, he's running one campaign for blacks, but an entirely different one for whites. (I won't even review the whole list, because it would take too much time, and I've already made my point; here is a list of the various irreconcilable positions which Obama must hopelessly try keep straight in his mind.)

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 01:05:00 AM

Zimbabwe Cutting 10 Zeroes from Currency

(Harare, Zimbabwe) According to an announcement by the central bank yesterday, Zimbabwe will slash 10 zeroes off the national currency as of Friday.

The Zimbabwe Reserve Bank's announcement comes just one month after the country introduced a 100 billion dollar note that is now not even enough for a loaf of bread.

"We are removing 10 zeros. Ten billion dollars today will as from August 1 be revalued to one zimdollar," Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono told a meeting attended by President Robert Mugabe.

"Appropriate measures are being put in place to address the current setbacks being faced on the currency front, as well as on financial and accounting systems," he said.

The Reserve Bank will be issuing a new 500 zimdollar bill, equivalent to 5 trillion zimdollars under the current system.

With the world's highest inflation, at 2.2 million percent, the revaluation is likely to prove only a temporary fix for the national currency problem. The U.S. dollar officially trades for around 45 billion zimdollars, but the black market rate is reportedly far higher.

Apparently, changing the numbers on worthless paper will adequately address setbacks in financial and accounting systems. The currency is still worthless but there are now no setbacks. So, be happy.

By the way, in 1983 the Zimbabwean dollar was 1=1 with the U.S. dollar.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 12:51:00 AM

Animal Activists Threaten Researchers

(Salinas, California) This is blatant intimidation.

Santa Cruz police said threatening animal rights pamphlets that were left at a local coffee shop Tuesday contained the names, home addresses and phone numbers of people thought to be involved in animal testing, including University of California Santa Cruz researchers.

The back cover of the pamphlet threatened animal abusers saying they know where they live, work and that activists will not back down until the abuse stops.

The FBI was notified. The authors of the threats are presently unknown.

[Update 8/4/08]

Animal rights extremists firebomb the home of UC-Santa Cruz researcher David Feldheim.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2008 12:07:00 AM

Female Teacher, 37, Female Student, 14

(Aiken, South Carolina) A 37-year-old eighth-grade math teacher at Paul Knox Middle School, Shannon Fowler, has been arrested for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old female student.

Fowler faces charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, of enticing an enrolled child from attendance in school, and of violating mandated state test security regulations and procedures.

In one of the warrants against her, it states Fowler would contact the student at all hours of the day, engaging in conversations that were, according to agents, adult-themed.

Another warrant says the teacher would take the student off-campus without the permission of the girl's family. Agents say Fowler encouraged the girl to make up an imaginary student to hide the relationship from her family.

In another violation, the warrant states that Fowler discussed questions contained within a state standardized test. They also say she talked about other students and school personnel matters.

Fowler was booked into custody and later bonded out.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 02:44:00 PM

950 Lashes for Phone Sex

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) I'm not exactly sure what the criminal offense is but the punishment is harsh.

A Saudi man is facing 600 lashes and his 'lover' 350 after a phone-sex affair that led to the woman's divorce.

Today a Saudi appeals court upheld a jail and flogging verdict against the biochemist and his female student whose research contact was ruled to be a front for the affair.

The biochemist, Khalid Zahrani, said today that he found out this week from the court offices that three judges had approved the verdict.

He was sentenced last year to eight months in prison and 600 lashes and his student to four months in prison and 350 lashes for establishing a telephone relationship that the court said led her to divorce her husband.

The woman's husband filed a complaint saying that Zahrani sweet-talked the wife into divorcing him.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 01:32:00 PM

Woman Arrested for Unlawful Sex with Boy

(Seminole County, Florida) A 35-year-old local woman, Kristie Mathis, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in unlawful sexual activity with "certain minors."

The parents of a 17-year-old boy alerted authorities that their son was possibly having sexual relations with Mathis.

The teen admitted to investigators that he had sex with Mathis at least 12 times over the past three months, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. He also admitted to drinking alcohol with her on several occasions, and she bought alcohol for him in some instances, deputies said. [...]

During an interview with investigators, Mathis said that she was a youth counselor for nine years and was only friends with the teen.

She invoked her right to have an attorney present during the interview, so she was not questioned about the sex acts, deputies said.

Mathis was booked into custody at the Seminole County Jail with bond set at $22,000.

Tip: slwlion

[Update 8/2/08]

(Lake Mary, Florida) Kristie Mathis was charged yesterday with an additional count of lewd and lascivious molestation in connection with allegations she inappropriately touched a 14-year-old boy last March.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 12:00:00 PM

Aide to Sen. Jim Webb Found Dead

Very strange.

Authorities in Botetourt County this morning discovered the body of a well-known Democratic operative and U.S. Senate aide along U.S. 220, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

The body of Frederick W. Hutchins Jr., 26, of Roanoke was found shortly after 7 a.m. along southbound U.S. 220 by a Botetourt County deputy who had stopped to check on a vehicle parked on the highway's shoulder, according to the sheriff's office.

Hutchins was an aide to U.S. Senator Jim Webb, D-Va.

Hutchins had been shot in the head, and a gun was found beneath his body, Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle said. The sheriff added that the official cause of death would be determined by the state medical examiner.

Hutchins' body was outside the car, which was north of Fincastle, on a small embankment beside the road. Sprinkle said the death occurred between 4:30 a.m., when an officer passed the scene and no vehicle was present, and 7:08 a.m., when another officer stopped to check on the parked vehicle.

Homicide or suicide?

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 09:53:00 AM

Town Government Shuts Down, Few Notice

(Portage, Ohio) Mayor Richard Gill of the small community of Portage (pop. 426) was notified last Friday of a problem with the town's insurance coverage so he suspended all village operations. The local government effectively ceased to exist with no police patrols nor other town services. Crime scene tape sealed off the local public park.

The insurance problem was ultimately resolved and the government began functioning again yesterday.

Interestingly, it's reported that few people noticed the lack of government.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 08:56:00 AM

McDonald's is digging in its heels in support of homosexuality

As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago, McDonalds has this year gone political. They have been leaning over backwards to support the homosexual agenda -- homosexual marriage etc. Christian groups have objected to that and called for a boycott of McDonald's -- but McDonald's is unmoved:

"McDonald's, however, has been unapologetic about its pro-gay stance, asserting that organizers of the boycott are motivated by a hateful agenda against homosexuals. "Hatred has no place in our culture," McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman told The Washington Post.

Source

McDonald's can of course argue in favor of whatever they like but Christian groups can also then argue against McDonald's and ask Christian people to boycott them. Burger King must be rubbing their hands with glee.

But claiming that objections to homosexuality are "hate" rather than loyalty to Bible teachings is really going out on a limb. As a conservative commentator says:

"However, when McDonald's steps up to the mic to address the media, a veritable rainbow of true colors is revealed. While referring to customers with traditional family values, spokesman Bill Whitman regurgitated this little McNugget to the Washington Post: "Hatred has no place in our culture."

Nice job, Bill. I'm sure the hundreds of millions of customers you've just smacked down with this little insult are itchin' for a Happy Meal now.

Get it? If you happen to support the historical definition of marriage - which is, and has always been male-female - then you're a drooling, inbred hatemonger.

Source

You would think McDonald's to be in too much trouble from the food freaks and obesity warriors to insult the majority of Middle America as well.

I rather hope that enough people feel insulted for it to show up in McDonald's bottom line. The executives responsible for this nonsense might then be fired.

The latest reports however are that McDonald's are not budging -- and neither are the Christian groups. As well as asking for a boycott, some groups are now picketing McDonald's branches.

I have always defended McDonald's from the food freaks who claim that McDonald's food is "unhealthy" but I think in future I will leave McDonald's to fight their own battles.

Predictably, the media are ignoring the Christian campaign. Claims that McDonald's food is unhealthy always get plenty of coverage, however.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 08:53:00 AM

Burger - $4.99, w/fees - $84.99

(Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) Local owner of Akron's Country Diner, Ed Davidian, was so outraged at having been assessed $80 in court costs when paying a $10 parking ticket that he retaliated.

Davidian added a new food item to his Country Diner menu -- The Hoover Courthouse Burger. The namesake is Judge Kim Hoover.

It is described as a one-third pound Angus burger with fries and coleslaw. The price is only $4.99. But then he adds ''cook fees'' of $54, a ''computer fee'' of $6 and ''project fees'' of $20, bringing the total to $84.99.

Davidian is urging the public to protest outrageous unregulated fees assessed by Ohio's courts.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 07:12:00 AM

NH Woman Gets No Jail for Sex with Boy, 15

(Dover, New Hampshire) In Stafford County Superior Court yesterday, 19-year-old Ashley K. Dwyer pleaded guilty.

Ashley K. Dwyer, of 989 Suncook Valley Road, Alton entered pleas of guilty to two Class A misdemeanors of sexual assault, and as part of her plea the state nol prossed the three Class B felonies of felonious sexual assault for which she was indicted in March, alleging she engaged in sexual conduct with the same boy.

According to court documents, Dwyer pleaded guilty to having sex with the boy in August and November of 2007. The acts occurred in New Durham in August and Durham in November.

Judge Steven M. Houran sentenced Dwyer to 12 months in the House of Corrections for each offense, but if imposed to run concurrent. The entire sentence is suspended pending two years of good behavior.

Dwyer was also ordered to tour the county jail and undergo a sex offender program evaluation. She was also prohibited from having contact with young boys under 16.

* * * * *
NH Woman, 19, Accused of Sex with Boy, 15
[Previous 3/29/08 post bumped]
(Dover, New Hampshire) A 19-year-old Alton woman, Ashley K. Dwyer, was indicted by a Strafford County grand jury for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy on three occasions last year.

Dwyer faces three counts of felonious sexual assault, each punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

In most places, as I recall, a 19-year-old mixing it up with a 15-year-old is not criminal.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2008 12:04:00 AM

Teacher Anne Ichord Gets No Jail for Sex with Student - Updated

(Yolo County, California) Last Thursday, 34-year-old teacher Anne Ichord pleaded no contest to felony and misdemeanor unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and was sentenced to three years of probation.

The prosecution's case, undisputed by Ichord, rested on the following assertions:

The first encounter with the student occurred one evening in August 2005 when Ichord invited him to her home, according to police.

From there, prosecutors said there were at least four other sexual encounters between the two in her classroom.

Prosecutors said the student admitted to the affair after being questioned by police.

Ichord was also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

Inexplicably, according to Deputy District Attorney Steve Mount, once Ichord completes her probation, her felony conviction will be wiped from her record. Consequently, she could be eligible to teach again.

In summary, Ichord is caught and convicted for engaging in sex with a student, in the classroom even, and the justice system imposes a hand-slap while telling her she has a chance to get back in the classroom.

Wow! It seems that Yolo County is a most-accommodating location for female teachers who commit sex crimes. Call your travel agent.

* * * * *
History Teacher Accused of Sex Crimes
[Previous 6/5/06 post bumped]
(Woodland, California) A 32-year-old history teacher at Pioneer High School, Anne Ichord, was arrested Friday by Woodland Police for allegedly having unlawful sex with a 17-year-old student. Police were alerted by a tip from district school officials.

Ichord was booked on four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, two counts of oral copulation, and one count of sexual penetration which allegedly occurred during five incidents, four on school grounds. Ichord allegedly engaged in the sex with the boy during the 2005-2006 school year.

She has been released on bail.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 10/24/07]

Ichord trial date set for March 2008.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 10:33:00 PM

Drowning Will Stop Baby From Crying

(South Australia) People who have children must learn to expect crying. It's not unusual.

A MOTHER put her nine-month-old daughter into an aquarium filled with water after failing to settle the baby's crying, a South Australian court heard yesterday.

The 22-year-old, who cannot be identified, has pleaded not guilty in the District Court to endangering the life of the baby at her Blakeview home in May, 2007.

The father, who also cannot be named, told the court he and his then-partner had been arguing on the night the baby was allegedly put into the aquarium.

He said the child had been crying and his partner was not able to make her stop. He saw his partner walk past their bedroom and then saw her walk back without the child.

"Five to 10 seconds later I heard coughing, spluttering, splashing and screaming," he said. "I saw (the baby) face up on her back in the tank splashing, screaming, panicking."

He said he picked the child up out of the freezing water, which was about 30cm deep.

He called police.

I don't understand why the parents cannot be identified. Maybe Australia has a parents' privacy law. In any event, drowning is not an acceptable response for a crying baby.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 11:24:00 AM

British High Court Allows Sikh Jewelry in Schools

(London, England) The British High Court ruled today that a 14-year-old Sikh girl, Sarika Watkins-Singh, is excluded from the "no jewelry" rule at Aberdare Girl's School in South Wales.

Watkins-Singh will be allowed to show her devotion to the Sikh faith at school by wearing the kara, a slim steel bracelet.

The decision regarding Watkins-Singh contends that the school had breached her religious and racial rights and unfairly burdened the teenager's freedom of religious expression.

Interestingly, the latest ruling is one of several inconsistent positions taken by British courts regarding religious expression in schools.

Whereas Sikh schoolgirl Watkins-Singh can wear her religious bracelet, Christian schoolgirl Lydia Playfoot was prohibited by the British High Court from wearing a "purity ring" and teacher Aishah Azmi was dismissed for refusing to remove her veil in the classroom. And, teen student Shabina Begum was banned from wearing full Islamic dress at Denbigh High School but only after the House of Lords overturned an earlier court ruling.

Based upon the obvious inconsistency in rulings from the British judiciary, it's hard to dispute the contention that taking a case to a Brit court is like opening a box of chocolates. You don't know what you're going to get.

Companion post at EdWatch.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 09:16:00 AM

Brits Lose 3,000 Blank Passports

(Manchester, England) Carrying a price of about $3,500 on the black market, a total of 3,000 blank British passports and visas were stolen from a delivery van.

THE FOREIGN Office have admitted a 'serious breach of security' after thousands of blank passports and visas were stolen from an unlocked white van in Greater Manchester when the driver nipped into a shop to buy a chocolate bar.

An urgent investigation was underway today into how the documents were plundered as they were being transported to an RAF base near London.

Authorities said the delivery vehicle had no special protective features and it was less than a mile from the production factory when hijacked.

The Manchester Evening News can reveal that the driver nipped into Yogi's News, on Long Lane at 6.40am on Monday.

He was buying a newspaper and chocolate bar when the raider jumped into the driver's seat and forced the head of the passenger against the dashboard.

The van was driven off with the delivery man on board before being abandoned nearby.

The British Home Office usually handles passports and their transport is via armored vehicle. However, the stolen items were under the purview of the Foreign Office since the passports were destined for overseas embassies. The Foreign Office doesn't provide the same level of security as the Home Office does.

Nevertheless, a Foreign Office spokesperson said the passports contain computer chips which would render them useless on the black market.

I'd suggest that the blank passports have some value or they wouldn't have been the apparent focus of a targeted hijack operation.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 09:07:00 AM

Obama wants more Haitians in America

Voodoo immigration?

Last year, when Sen. Barack Obama was making the circuit of conventions for journalists of color, the question was whether the prospective candidate was black enough. This year, when he appeared before the UNITY: Journalists of Color convention in Chicago, the presumptive Democratic nominee joked, "I'm too black."

Obama appeared Sunday at the close of the convention in a session aired live on CNN to talk about his observations from his trip to the Middle East and Europe, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. economy and questions from the journalists about faith, affirmative action, immigration and apologies for slavery and to Native Americans.

Asked whether he thought too many immigrants had been allowed into the U.S. and "who should be allowed" into the country, Obama said the issue wasn't whether to let immigrants in but to develop an official policy that makes it easier to become legal and discourages illegal immigration and penalizes employers who use illegal immigrants to avoid paying fair wages. He also said there should be greater equity across the board for immigrants as well, pointing out that "it's much harder for Haitians to immigrate, despite similar circumstances in need" as other groups that have been admitted legally.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 08:20:00 AM

Los Angeles Doctor Arrested for Sex Crimes

(Los Angeles, California) A 37-year-old prominent local doctor, Dr. Kevin Antario Brown, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly molesting eight patients, including a 15-year-old.

Dr. Brown, a U.S. citizen, is the son of Bermudan Premier Ewart Brown.

Brown was arrested July 8 at his home a few miles west of downtown Los Angeles. He initially was charged with sexual battery and exploiting his position as a doctor in incidents involving a female patient and a female undercover police officer posing as a patient.

Brown quickly posted $50,000 bail, but investigators were just getting started. The Los Angeles Police Department appealed for other potential victims to come forward.

Six more accusers did, and Brown was arrested again Monday. He was charged with 19 felony counts, including a lewd act on a 15-year-old child, rape, sexual battery by fraud and sexual exploitation.

Bail was set at $4 million after prosecutors argued Brown was a flight risk to Bermuda, in the Atlantic, or perhaps an island in the Caribbean.

The charges against Brown go back to 2006 but investigators are researching allegations going back 10 years to Brown's residency at Martin Luther King Jr. Drew Medical Center.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 07:45:00 AM

Teacher's Aide Guilty of Sex with Girl, 16

(Daly City, California) A 24-year-old teacher's aide at El Camino High School, Melody Ybona Gawliu, has pleaded no contest to one count of oral copulation with a 16-year-old female student she met at summer camp.

Naked photos of the girl were found on Gawliu's cell phone.

Gawliu worked as a teacher’s aide at El Camino High School in South San Francisco when, between Sept. 1, 2007 and Jan. 25, she engaged in a romantic relationship with a teen student she met that summer while serving as a counselor, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Teachers reported the situation to Child Protective Services after becoming suspicious of Gawliu after she brought balloons to school for the girl’s 17th birthday and Daly City police reported finding nude photos of the girl on Gawliu’s phone as well as a text message telling the girl to say to authorities nothing happened between them.

According to the plea agreement, Gawliu will receive no more than a year in jail and she will not have to register as a sex offender.

I predict she gets probation when sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2008 07:01:00 AM

Ouch! Great Balls Afire!

(San Luis Obispo, California) Earlier this month, two men were sentenced to time behind bars after admitting that they set fire to a friend's crotch after a night of drinking. The incident happened in January and resulted in Elliot Tuleja's testicles receiving second-degree burns.

Matthew Craig Pillers, a 22-year-old parolee, and Jack Brent Nicholas Keiffer, 19, pleaded no contest to a felony great bodily injury charge. Pillers got two years in prison and Keiffer got 45 days in San Luis Obispo County Jail.

Drunk, Pillers and Keiffer poured an alcohol-based cologne on a passed-out Tuleja's crotch and set his jewels aflame. It was a practical joke. Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 10:20:00 PM

200 Federal Agents Raid Cuyahoga County Offices

(Cleveland, Ohio) Local officials are being investigated by the FBI and IRS. Reportedly, 200 federal agents executed search warrants.

The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service this morning executed search warrants at the Cuyahoga County administration building, the office of the county engineer, the county data center and the homes of several county officials, the outgrowth of a long-term public corruption investigation.

Phil Okonek, a special agent with the IRS, said warrants were executed to search offices on the third and fourth floors of the administration building at Ontario Street and Lakeside Avenue in downtown Cleveland. He said search warrants were executed at other offices and homes around the county, but he would not be specific.

Several sources, including commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, said the offices of county commissioner Jimmy Dimora and county auditor Frank Russo were among those searched.

News reports said warrants also were executed at the county engineer’s office on the Superior Viaduct and at the county information services center on Euclid Avenue at Playhouse Square. The reports also said the homes of Messrs. Dimora and Russo were searched.

The office and home of J. Kevin Kelly, director of the county’s geographical information system, also were believed to have been searched.

You know it's going to be a bad week when, literally, scores of federal agents show up at reception areas first thing on a Monday morning. It's also noteworthy that reporting of the federal raid fails to indicate that the Cuyahoga County government is populated with Democrats.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 11:45:00 AM

Muslim C & W Singer

Kareem Salama would seem to be a most-unlikely personality. He a Muslim of Egyptian immigrant parents, born and schooled in the U.S., who sings country and western songs in Arabic.

In his songs, he draws on elements of Rock, Pop, Country and Folk music, as well as Islamic themes, Sufism, poetry and issues ranging from chivalry and nobility to war. [...]

He draws a parallel between old Arabic music and country music. "Both talk about virtues. A lot of storytelling. Storytelling is a huge thing in country music. They are very similar," he said.

However, he is quick to point out that in his opinion, modern Arabic music does not have much in common with country music.

At least tune-wise, there's no comparison between the two. Arabic music I've heard had no boots and sawdust character about it at all. I also suspect it would be an insult to Islam for a Muslim to sing a country song about cowgirls, pickup trucks, beer-drinking and hunting dogs.

Nevertheless, I wish Kareem good fortune and, given the opportunity, I'll lend an ear.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 09:57:00 AM

17 Dead in Istanbul Bombings

(Istanbul, Turkey) Two consecutive explosions in a busy shopping district have killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 150. Fifteen people are hospitalized in critical condition.

A newspaper reported on its web site that three teens, aged 16 and 17, were found late on Sunday in the basement of an apartment close to the explosions following a tip from residents.

The paper reported the three claimed they hid in the basement because they were frightened from the explosions. It did not cite sources but Turkish police often leak information to newspapers. Authorities on Monday raised the death toll from the explosions to 17.

The city's governor called it a "terror attack" but officials did not blame any specific group and no one immediately claimed responsibility. A television channel, citing security sources, said police suspect Kurdish rebels may be behind it because intelligence reports had suggested the rebels were planning a bombing campaign in Turkish cities.

"There is no doubt that this is a terror attack," Governor Muammer Guler told reporters.

The first bomb went off in the residential neighbourhood of Gungoren in a busy square closed to traffic where people congregate at night, witnesses said. A number of people rushed over to help the victims when a second, more powerful blast hit close by about 10 minutes after the first.

Many of the casualties were from the second explosion, witnesses said. "The fact that there was a crowd in the area has increased the number of casualties," the governor said.

According to Governor Guler, the bombings were not suicide operations, rather explosives were placed in rubbish bins and detonated sequentially. "Damage on the sidewalks and dustbins suggest us that it was a fragment bomb, and we think it was not a plastic explosive,” said Guler.

The bombings, just before 10 PM local time, came on the eve of court proceedings to determine whether to ban the Islamic-oriented ruling party for attempting to undermine secularism.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 09:11:00 AM

Muslim Cross-Dressers Jailed

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Apparently, being a transvestite is frowned on by Sharia courts in Malaysia.

AN official says an Islamic court in northern Malaysia has jailed four Muslim men for taking part in a transvestite beauty pageant.

Mr Mohamad Abdul Aziz Mohamad Noor, a senior official in the Islamic department in Kelantan state, says the men were sentenced to seven days in jail and given a 1,000 ringgit (S$423) fine on Sunday after they pleaded guilty to cross-dressing.

He says the men were arrested together with 11 others on Friday for participating in the beauty pageant at a resort.

Other cross-dressers are expected to be charged next month.

Offhand, I'd guess that being veiled up in a burqa doesn't count.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 08:48:00 AM

McCain is a man of good character but no brains

"I believe there needs to be a thorough and complete investigation of speculators to find out whether speculation has been going on and, if so, how much it has affected the price of a barrel of oil. There's a lot of things out there that need a lot more transparency and, consequently, oversight." Those are the words of presidential candidate John McCain. This man is the Republican?

There's more: "I am very angry, frankly, at the oil companies not only because of the obscene profits they've made but at their failure to invest in alternate energy to help us eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. They're making huge profits and that happens, but not to say, 'We're in this so we can over time eliminate America's dependence on foreign oil,' I think is an abrogation of their responsibilities as citizens."

Let me get this straight. A potential president of a putatively free country scolds companies for "obscene profits," failure to invest in competing products, and therefore irresponsible citizenship. Why? Is McCain running for national economic commissar?

This is not the first time McCain has displayed what I would call an anti-capitalist mentality. In an early presidential debate he countered former businessman Mitt Romney's claim to superior executive experience by saying, "I led the largest squadron in the U.S. Navy, not for profit but for patriotism". Why the put down of profit? It's clear McCain does not understand how markets work or why they are good. He certainly doesn't understand the role of speculators and other middlemen. He's not alone. Speculators are among the most reviled people in history. When they were members of ethnic minorities, they have been easy targets for economically illiterate people who were jealous of their success.

McCain wonders "whether speculation has been going on." He needn't wonder. Speculation always goes on. Speculation means to take a risk on what the future holds in hopes of making a profit. The world's stock and commodities markets are based on this principle. Sen. McCain must have meant it when he said, "I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues".

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2008 08:24:00 AM

Killing for Islam

(United Kingdom) Check out what happens when the religion of peace and tolerance is coddled by bend-over British political correctness.

Nearly one third of Muslim students believe it can be acceptable to kill in the name of religion, according to a survey published yesterday.

It also found that 40 per cent want to see the introduction of Islamic sharia law in Britain, 40 per cent think it wrong for Muslim men and women to mix freely together, and 33 per cent want to see a worldwide Islamic government based on sharia law.

The findings were described by researchers at the Centre for Social Cohesion think tank, which commissioned the poll, as 'deeply alarming'.

More at the link.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2008 11:14:00 PM

Transgender Locker Room Dilemma

(Cleveland, Ohio) A 53-year-old transgender, Karen Deamons, presents as a female but still has male equipment. As a consequence, Deamons has created a controversy among the membership at a local swimming pool.

If Deamons uses the men's locker room to change clothes, youngsters ask their parents uncomfortable questions. If Deamons uses the women's locker room, complaints are lodged by women because of the presence of male genitalia.

A frustrated Deamons has now filed a formal complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, claiming discrimination at the city-run Cudell Recreation Center. Furthermore, Deamons is pursuing legislation to prohibit cities from discriminating because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Frankly, this is all very confusing to me. Apparently biological gender determination can now be trumped by feelings of being trapped in the body of the opposite sex and it appears that a person can claim transgender status without ever changing his or her biological makeup. Confusion and apprehension on the part of the public are understandable.

[Update 7/29/08]

From another source:

Originally Deamons changed in the private toilet stalls of the women's locker room for about five months without conflict. At some point, a few women complained to Cudell Recreation Center administrators that Deamons made them uncomfortable. [...]

After the complaints, Deamons met with city officials. When asked if she had undergone sex reassignment surgery, she answered truthfully. Even then, she tried to work with the city.

As she was still pre-op, she agreed to use the men's locker room, which, according to the city, recreation center workers were supposed to empty for her use when she needed to change her clothes. The rec workers seldom emptied the locker room.

For over a year, Deamons kept her side of the agreement. She used the uncleared, male-filled men’s locker room the best she could -- even though, unlike the women’s locker room, the bathroom stalls in the men’s locker room have no doors.

Then, last month as she was dressing, a little boy asked why there was a woman in the men's room. Rather than be publicly embarrassed, Deamons attempted to change in an enclosed area in a separate women’s restroom. Pool workers promptly banned her from the pool for a week.

When she returned, rec employees insisted she sign into the pool on the men's registration sheet.

Deamons said she fears gangs will beat her up after seeing her emerging from the men's room or signing the men's registration sheet.
I'm opening myself to get beat up,
Refusing to sign the men's sheet, she is not allowed to swim.
I can't do it anymore. Every time I go through there, it's tearing my insides out.
As the mandate applies to all city pools, there is no public pool available for her to use. On her limited income, she cannot afford the pools at private clubs.

Cleveland Law Director Robert Triozzi said
We are being as accommodating as we possibly can, given the request that's being made, given her own personal situation, given where she's at in life. We're trying to be sensitive.
When other women interviewed recently at Cudell said they understand the dilemma but they would be uncomfortable with a transsexual woman openly changing in the women's locker room.

Since the government is now involved, it's sure that the taxpayers will take a hit. There will be a damages award or new legislation or a mandate for a third category of locker rooms for public swimming pools or maybe something else. In the long run, it might be cheaper to buy Deamons a personal swimming pool to resolve the problem.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2008 06:15:00 PM

Teacher Ryann Springer Sentenced - Updated

(Kitsap County, Washington) After pleading guilty to a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor, Ryann Springer was sentenced this week to six months in jail.

Judge Anna M. Laurie deducted more than sixty days for time served since her May arrest, meaning Springer has just under four months remaining on her sentence. Laurie also said that Springer could serve her sentence outside of jail in work release or home monitoring.

After apologizing directly to her victim for her “bad judgment,” a former South Kitsap High School teacher was sentenced in Kitsap County Superior Court Tuesday to six months in jail for sexual misconduct with one of her students.

“I should have been the adult,” said Ryann C. Springer to the 17-year-old, who was joined by dozens more students, colleagues and family members of the 25-year-old defendant in the packed courtroom. “This was a very selfish decision I made, and I want you to know that nothing was your fault -- it was all my fault.”

Judge Laurie also issued an order of protection for Springer's victim for three years from the date of sentencing. Even though the female victim soon turns 18, Springer is to have no contact with her.

* * * * *
Female Teacher and Female Student
[Previous 5/23/08 entry bumped]
(Kitsap County, Washington) A 25-year-old teacher at South Kitsap High School, Ryann C. Springer, was arrested this week by the Port Orchard Police Department for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old female student.

According to the certificate of probable cause filed by the POPD, School Resource Officer Bob MacFann received a complaint regarding suspicious activity between Springer and the student. The activity was alleged to be sexual in nature and included inappropriate text messaging, touching and other behaviors.

When the alleged victim was later interviewed by MacFann and a member of the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Assault Unit, the student admitted to having sexual contact with Springer on “multiple occasions and in multiple locations,” which included the high school and Springer’s home in Gig Harbor.

The teen described the contact as inappropriate touching that had occurred at the high school, and sexual activity that occurred at the Springer’s home.

Springer was booked into custody at the Kitsap County Jail with bail set at $250,000.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2008 08:54:00 AM

Supremes disallow 'hate crime' law

'Preaching about sin of sodomy should not be made illegal'

"The Supreme Court in Pennsylvania has declared the "hate crimes" laws used to jail the Philadelphia 11 in 2004 violated the state constitution. In a four-line statement this week, the court said the ruling from the lower Commonwealth Court "is affirmed for the reasons ably set forth in the opinion of the Honorable James Gardner Collins, which opinion is adopted as that of the Supreme Court."

"We are very happy that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled in our favor to stop the governor and a group of corrupt politicians from sneaking a 'hate crimes' bill through the Pennsylvania legislature," said Judge Roy Moore, of the Foundation for Moral Law. "Preaching to homosexuals about the sin of sodomy should not be made a 'thought crime' in Pennsylvania or any other state," he said.

Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America and a petitioner in the case, said, "Having been arrested, jailed and charged with a 'hate crime' for preaching the Gospel, I am elated that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling in striking down Pennsylvania's expanded 'hate crimes' law." ...

The group of Christians, who were given the title Philadelphia 11, had been giving their testimony on public property at the city's tax-funded celebration of homosexuality in the city's downtown in 2004. But based on a 2002 "hate crimes" plan then in force in the state, they were arrested, jailed and threatened with up to five decades in jail.

The criminal charges later were dismissed and the group members then challenged the law itself, suing over its adoption. The Supreme Court's ruling affirms the 4-1 decision in the Commonwealth Court that the amendments were unconstitutional.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2008 06:40:00 AM

Mexicans Arrested for Assaulting Officer

(Tombstone, Arizona) Two illegal aliens from Mexico, Eliaquim Lopez, 21, and Jesus Tapia, no age reported, were arrested after a traffic stop led to an assault on an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer.

The vehicle, which had been pulled over for unsafe lane use, stopped and then sped away as the officer approached the vehicle, stopping in a dirt pullout, according to the DPS.

The driver, also an illegal immigrant, tried to run, then the officer tried to restrain him, at which time the officer was attacked by a passenger who attempted to choke him. After the officer broke free, the men fled.

Six other illegal immigrants were in the vehicle and held at gunpoint by the officer until help arrived. The two men who fled were arrested by Border Patrol agents at about 11:20 p.m. Thursday.

Lopez and Tapia were booked into custody at the Cochise County Jail.

Since the reaction to a traffic stop is met with violence against the police, one might suggest that the run-of-the-mill illegal has no fear nor respect for law enforcement officers.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2008 11:10:00 AM

Obama's Organizers Kumbaya for Voters

(St. Louis, Missouri) According to a report in the WaPo, voter registration volunteers for Barack Obama were told during St. Louis training sessions to canvas the public with a line of personal, heart-plucking stories about why Obama should be viewed as a prophecy fulfilled.

During training, the volunteers are "encouraged to perfect their stories, a short narrative suitable for doorsteps and living rooms about where they came from and why they care about Obama."

There have been 23 formal training sessions in 17 states, producing more than 3,000 Obama volunteers agreeing to work at least six 30-hour weeks bolstering the grass-roots effort.

More than 10,000 people applied for slots as "Obama Organizing Fellows" and about 5,500 were interviewed by telephone, answering such questions as "Why Barack?"

Obama state director Buffy Wicks and field director Peachy Myers run the recruiting effort out of St. Louis, screening and training the mostly 20-something volunteers. Neither Buffy nor Peachy disputed the contention that the Obama campaign is largely Kumbaya-themed. Buffy said, "for us it's about winning."

Also: The Jawa Report

Tip: C & S comment thread

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2008 09:35:00 AM

Fined for Smoking in Private Vehicle

(Llanafan, Wales) The Brits are going too far with anti-smoking law enforcement.

FUMING Gordon Williams lit up a fag at the wheel of his van -- and was fined for breaking anti-smoking laws.

The self-employed painter and decorator was told by council officials he had broken the law by smoking in his work vehicle.

Dumbfounded Gordon, 58, who had finished work for the day and was popping to the shops for teabags, was fined £30.

He said he was pulled over by officials making random checks.

He said: "I was told that because my van is my place of work I had broken the smoking laws.

The van is only insured for private use and to get me to and from work. It’s not my place of work -- I decorate houses not vans."

I'm guessing that Mr. Williams would not have been cited if he had said he was smoking medical marijuana.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2008 09:02:00 AM

Mick Jagger Now 65

Today is Mick Jagger's birthday so wish him the best. This means that he qualifies for free bus travel throughout England and a pension of about £91 a week ($180). Plus:

He can now look forward to free prescriptions -- helpful for a man who might have to call on Viagra with a girlfriend two decades his junior.

He will receive help with home insulation through his gas and electricity provider -- for those ageing joints.

Free dental treatment will now be available to keep his famous pout in order.

Free sight tests and vouchers towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses will be on offer too.

He is also entitled to council tax benefits, which should come in handy with his sprawling portfolio of British properties.

Plus he can claim social fund payments to help him with small one-off expenses such as buying a cooker or bedding, or funeral costs -- or perhaps a bunch of grapes for Ronnie [Wood] in rehab. He will receive winter fuel payments and child tax credit -- handy with his seven kids.

Happy birthday, Mick, you old fart.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2008 08:55:00 AM

Wikipedia versus "Knol"

I recently put up on Paralipomena an article about "Knol" -- the new Google alternative to Wikipedia. I imagine that most readers here are well aware that Wikipedia is totally unreliable on politically contentious matters. Anything opposed to Green/Left beliefs gets wiped rapidly -- sometimes within minutes. Try to find on Wikipedia anything much that argues against global warming if you don't believe me. Leftists have been devotees of political censorship ever since Napoleon. They just cannot afford to have people hear the whole story about their nonsense. And Wikpedia turns them loose.

One has to laugh at Wikipedia protestations of "neutrality". The bias is so bad that some people are predicting the demise of Wikipedia.

So an alternative that allows only the original author to delete stuff was badly needed. And Knol seems to meet that need. I thought therefore that I might help to get the ball rolling by putting up a few articles. The first one I put up is here.

I soon began to see the virtue of the Google approach. I have already received several steamed-up and ill-informed emails from a guy named Cyrus Robinson (cyrus.robinson@gimail.af.mil) who objects to what I have written. Clearly, if I had put the same stuff up on Wikipedia, he would have deleted it immediately. But on Knol he cannot.

It's ironical that the Leftists at Google are doing something that may help conservatives so I wonder how long that can last. Will Google start finding pretexts to delete conservative comments? Time will tell.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2008 08:42:00 AM

Wheelchair Driver Pulled Over on Autobahn

(Berlin, Germany) A 96-year-old pensioner, Ludwig M., was pulled over by police yesterday afternoon for driving his wheelchair on the autobahn. He left his retirement home to get some flowers.

The pensioner Ludwig M. went rolling down the Berlin highway in his "Nevada"-model electric wheelchair, which travels at a top-speed of 15 kilometres per hour, the paper [tabloid daily B.Z.] reported. He travelled more than 4 kilometres over cobblestones and asphalt in heavy traffic to reach the flower shop on Tuesday, but ended up on the autobahn when he made a wrong turn on his way home.

"I just wanted to get some flowers for my apartment," he told B.Z. "But I didn't want to take the Autobahn."

Police stopped Ludwig M. around 2 pm as he made his way back home with flowers after he realized he'd taken a wrong turn and tried to negotiate his wheelchair between cars stuck in thick traffic before ending up on a highway to Königs Wusterhausen in the neighbouring German state of Brandenburg.

Police took Ludwig home without writing a ticket.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 11:07:00 PM

NJ Teacher Gets No Jail for Sex with Student - Updated

Teacher Michelle Morano, 34, was able to walk out of court today as Judge Donald J. Volkert Jr. sentenced her to no jail for a conviction of sex assault of a special education student. Despite a call by the prosecution to have Morano spend a year in jail, Judge Volkert gave her three years of probation.

The married, mother-of-two was stripped of her teaching credentials in New Jersey, however, so far there is no indication that she is required to register as a sex offender. It's quite a lenient resolution to the case, I believe.

* * * * *
New Jersey Teacher Accused of Sexual Assault
[Previous 3/24/07 post bumped]
(North Caldwell, New Jersey) A 33-year-old English teacher at West Essex Regional High School, Michelle Morano, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student from late 2006 until January. Morano is charged with sexual assault.

Authorities were tipped to the relationship during the performance of an unrelated insurance fraud investigation. No elaboration was provided.

Morano was booked into the Essex County Jail with bond set at $200,000. A court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 08:03:00 PM

Woman Accused of Prancing Naked with Teens

(Edgewater, Florida) A 43-year-old woman from New Smyrna Beach, Jennifer Russell, was arrested for providing alcohol to teens and allegedly running around a public park naked during a game of "truth or dare."

Russell was spotted running near a park bathroom carrying a shirt while wearing only a bra, according to Edgewater police investigators.

The teens who were with Russell said she provided alcohol and was going to expose her breasts to them, according to police.

Russell faces charges of lewd and lascivious behavior. She was booked and released on bail.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 02:46:00 PM

Russian Skinheads on Trial

(Moscow, Russia) Two 17-year-old skinhead gang leaders, Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, are to be tried behind closed doors for murdering 20 migrants from Central Asia and the Caucuses.

The two on trial led a gang of seven others between the ages of 17 and 22. They videotaped the attacks and posted them on the internet, Russia's Vesti-24 channel reported.

"The criminal skinhead group is charged with 20 premeditated murders, 12 attempted murders and fomenting racial hatred," Moscow City Court spokeswoman Anna Usachyova said, according to Reuters.

There has been a jump this year in the number of racially motivated attacks and murders. In the first three months of 2008, more than 50 people were stabbed in Moscow alone.

These guys, if convicted, should be forever removed from society.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 12:06:00 PM

Judge Orders Name Change

(Wellington, New Zealand) A judge has ordered that a nine-year-old girl named 'Talua Does the Hula from Hawaii' be given a new name.

"It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap," Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt said, ruling that the nine-year-old be made a guardian of the court until she gets a new name.

The girl, subject of a custody battle between her separated parents, told the judge she was so embarrassed she had not revealed her given name, which was not officially registered, to her friends for fear of being mocked and teased, the Taranaki Daily News reported.

The judge told the paper that Family Court judges were "dismayed by the eccentricity of names" that parents were giving their children, citing twins named Fish and Chips and Benson and Hedges (a brand of cigarettes).

Other names included Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay, Fat Boy, Cinderella Beauty Blossom, Got Lucky and Sex Fruit, he said.

Heh.

Tip: Brian Kissack

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 11:29:00 AM

Old Women Sentenced for Murders

(Los Angeles, California) Last week, Superior Court Judge David Wesley sentenced Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, to life in prison without possibility of parole for murdering two indigent men to collect on their life insurance policies.

They were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder for the deaths of Paul Vados, 73, and Kenneth McDavid, 50.

The women were convicted of a scheme in which they befriended homeless men, took out policies, and then killed them in murders staged to look like hit-and-run auto accidents.

Prosecutors say the women collected $2.8 million before the scheme was uncovered.

The judge said the two men they killed needed only food, water and shelter.

''They needed a helping hand. They thought they were getting this from you,'' Wesley said. ''Instead these unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altar of greed.''

Gloria Allred, a lawyer for the victims' families, said, "This is tantamount to the death penalty. They will die in prison. I think that's a just sentence.''

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 10:44:00 AM

Delaware Women Accused of Child Rapes

(Dover, Delaware) A 35-year-old local woman, Rebecca A. Harris, was arrested this week for the alleged continuous sexual assault of two boys, ages 9 and 7, for a period of two years.

Harris faces 30 counts of rape, 10 counts of unlawful sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child, and other charges. Police started investigating the alleged abuse after the boys provided information to the Division of Family Services.

Harris was booked into custody at the Baylor Women's Correctional Institution with bond set at $323,000.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 08:47:00 AM

Racist to diss Obama -- says hip-hop artist "Nas" and 620,000 others

I guess Nas didn't really mean his song "Hate Me Now":

"At 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nas is joining the Web sites ColorOfChange.org and MoveOn.org to deliver a petition with more than 620,000 signatures demanding that the network end what the organizations call a "pattern of racist attacks against black Americans including presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle." "Fox poisons the country with racist propaganda and tries to call it news," Nas said in a statement. A spokesperson for Fox News could not be reached for comment at press time.

A press release announcing the event accuses the network of an alleged pattern of incidents, which "many believe are a veiled attempt to prey on racism and intolerance and cast the Obamas as `outsiders,' " citing as evidence an onscreen graphic that referred to the candidate's wife as "Obama's baby mama," a pundit who "confused" Obama with terrorist al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and then joked that both should be "assassinated," and the now-infamous comment by a Fox anchor who described the Obamas' fist bump as a "terrorist fist jab." It also cites an incident in February, when Nas nemesis Bill O'Reilly talked about calling a "lynching party" to deal with Michelle Obama.

Source

I think the 620,000 would have a lot more reason to criticize Fox if Fox used the sort of language that Nas uses in songs such as "Shoot 'Em Up", "Got Urself A Gun" etc.

See here for the Fox response to the petition.

Posted by John Ray. THREE toons on OBAMA WATCH today.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 07:34:00 AM

Serial Bombings in Bangalore

(Bangalore, India) Earlier today, seven bombs exploded across Bangalore, home to most of India's information technology and outsourcing businesses. At least two people were killed and up to 20 are reported to be wounded.

The blasts occurred over the span of an hour, starting about 1:20 PM local time. Schools, theaters and shopping malls were closed.

"In all these cases they have created the blast using timer devices," Bangalore Commissioner of Police Shankar Bidri told reporters at the site of one of the blasts. "Explosives have also been used, in quantity equal to one or two grenades."

The devices were described as "crude" and bearing the hallmarks of the Bangladeshi terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami.

Islamist militant groups in Pakistan and Bangladesh intent on fanning hatred between Muslims and Hindus in India, and damaging a fragile peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad, are often blamed for bomb attacks in India.

In May eight bombs, many strapped to bicycles, ripped through a crowded shopping area in the western city of Jaipur, killing 61 people and injuring hundreds more.

According to the Indian Intelligence Bureau, the SIMI (Student's Islamic Movement) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (Islamic Army of the Pure) may be responsible for the blasts. The usual suspects have been rounded up and are being questioned.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 06:50:00 AM

Mosque Collapse Kills 8 in China

(Qinghai Province, China) A mosque being built in northwest China and nearing completion collapsed yesterday, killing at least eight people.

Authorities have ruled out earthquake damage and are investigating a possible support beam failure.

Meanwhile, police have detained a building contractor in connection with the accident, in which a child was among the dead.

"The child was an 8-year-old village boy who was playing around the construction site, when the mosque suddenly collapsed," said Han Lutai, the imam of Xiajiuzhuang Village in Qinghai Province, who raised the fund for the mosque building.

Both Han and the rescuers have confirmed 31 people, all villagers of Hui ethnic group, were at the construction site, when the accident occurred at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday in Taer Town of Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County.

Seven died at the scene, and one of the four severely injured people taken to hospital died after failing to respond to treatment, said an official with the Qinghai provincial emergency rescue and fire brigade.

Taer town is home to more than 15,000 Muslim ethnic Hui people.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2008 12:07:00 AM

Mom Accused of Poisoning Infant Son

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) A 21-year-old local woman, Amber Brewington, was arrested last week for attempting to kill her four-month-old son, Noah King.

Brewington is accused of injecting saltwater into the infant's feeding tube. She has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

A judge ordered a psych evaluation at the Allegheny County Jail. Brewington's two other children are with a relative in Tennessee. The infant is in critical condition at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

On Wednesday, Brewington appeared in court for a preliminary hearing. Her lawyer said her psych evaluation was inconclusive, therefore, another will be performed. The preliminary hearing was rescheduled for August.

With respect to motive, there have been discussions regarding Brewington's relationship with her baby's father, Terry King, 39. It's been claimed that Brewington was brutally battered by King and she also suffered from post-partum depression. Additionally, the thought of Munchausen syndrome by proxy has been floated.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2008 11:51:00 AM

Babysitter Charged with Rape of Boy, 11

(Springfield, Missouri) A 25-year-old local babysitter, Laura D. Kirkland, has been accused of raping and sodomizing a child.

According to a probable cause statement, an 11-year-old boy said this week in an interview with Child Advocacy investigators that his ex-baby sitter Laura D. Kirkland made him touch her.

The child also said his baby sitter performed oral sex on him and described having intercourse with her. He said the incidents happened at her house from the time was 8 (sic) until he was 10 years old, and that he was scared when she did these things.

The probable cause statement said Kirkland, 25, admitted to sexual contact, including performing oral sex on the child and having sexual intercourse with the child.

Kirkland was booked into custody at the Greene County Jail with bond set at $75,000 (another source reports bond set at $50,000).

[Update 7/25/08]

According to this report, Kirkland was not only a babysitter but also a fifth-grade teacher at Christian Schools of Springfield, operated by the Baptist Temple Church. The senior pastor at Baptist Temple, Mark Rounsaville, said Kirkland wouldn't be returning this fall.

Kirkland has a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 26.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2008 10:46:00 AM

Denver's Super-Secret Convention Security Plan

(Denver, Colorado) Crowd control at the Democrat National Convention?

"No problem," says the Denver City Council, apparently. "We can do it with our hands tied behind our backs while bending over for the ACLU," members say or so it would seem.

Denver officials expect to spend more than $18 million on police equipment for the Democratic National Convention -- but the purchases apparently won't include high-tech weapons that use sonic waves to incapacitate protesters or goo guns to immobilize them.

That information, provided by the city to the American Civil Liberties Union as part of an agreement to delay a public records lawsuit, marks one of the most detailed looks yet at the super-secret efforts to provide security for the convention, scheduled Aug. 25 to 28.

So, since the details of the super-secret security plan are being published a month before the convention, protest groups now know that they don't have to buy earplugs and anti-goo shields.

By the way, goo guns shoot out a substance that looks (link is video) like snot and the idea of seeing television images of snot-covered protesters would arguably be quite entertaining. Sadly, though, it's not to be. The City Council has put the kibosh on the goo gun.

Also: The Jawa Report

Tip: Charley Nestor

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2008 08:44:00 AM

Why is the right happier than the left?

Summary and comments by Andrew Norton below followed by a few comments from me -- JR

So far as I am aware, every survey that asks about political orientation and happiness finds that right-wingers are happier than left-wingers. In the 2007 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes, Liberal identifiers were a massive 13% ahead of Labor identifiers as describing themselves as `very happy', 40%/27%. At his blog, Winton Bates summarises a new article on this subject, by Jaime Napier and John Jost in the June issue of Psychological Science, this way:

The study suggests that some of the association between political orientation and subjective well-being is accounted for by beliefs about inequality. The authors examined the effect of introducing ideological variables - relating to beliefs about inequality and meritocracy- in regression analyses explaining life satisfaction in the U.S. and nine other countries. They found that when the ideological variable was introduced into the analysis it took some of the explanatory power away from the political variable. .

The authors conclude that "inequality takes a greater psychological toll on liberals than on conservatives, apparently because liberals lack ideological rationalizations that would help them frame inequality in a positive (or at least neutral) light"

I don't doubt that there is a statistical relationship between beliefs about inequality, meritocracy, and getting ahead that helps explain why leftists are not as happy as conservatives and others on the right. Even the new president of the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur Brooks, makes this point in his book Gross National Happiness.

But how likely is that when people are asked how happy they feel, their mind turns to ideological rationalisations of inequality? Why would some local income inequality disturb some respondents so much, and not all the people who are sick in hospital, or dissatisfied with their personal relationships, or any of the other things known to have big negative effects on personal well-being?

I think there is a better theory, one that is more consistent with the subjective well-being literature, which explains this result: that both lower average happiness and leftism have a common link to a weaker sense of personal control and optimism. Both these attributes are strongly correlated with happiness; and one of the tasks of the `positive psychology' movement (the clinical side of subjective well-being research) is to try to enhance these senses.

For example, in the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes 2005 those who agreed or strongly agreed that they had a good chance of improving their standard of living were more than twice as likely as those who disagreed or strongly disagreed to rate themselves at 9 or 10 on a 0 to 10 happiness scale. By lesser margins, those who thought that they could get a new job at least as good as their current one, and those who enjoyed having a lot of choices, were significantly happier than those who thought it would be difficult to get a new job or did not enjoy having choices.

When we tabulate these against party ID, Liberal supporters are 10 to 23 percentage points more likely to give answers suggesting that the respondents feel in control and optimistic about the future.

People who don't feel like they are fully in control of their lives or optimistic about their own prospects are more likely to support left-wing parties, which promise to look after them. But optimistic and in-control people are more likely to want the government to let them get on with their lives without interference, and support right-of-centre parties.

Societal inequalities may play a role in why people feel the way they do, but I would hypothesise that it has more to do with the how the respondent feels that it affects him/her personally than with inequality in general. Americans, for example, tend to be much more optimistic about their prospects than Europeans, even though actual social mobility is similar in both places.

But neither liberals nor conservatives (in the American senses of those words) are likely to directly consider inequality when asked about their personal happiness. Conservatives won't rationalise it because they won't think about it; and unless they are highly ideological (such as being a university academic) `liberals' won't think about it either. But their lack of control and optimism will affect their answer.

Source

I am always surprised that the Left/Right happiness gap is not greater. Pervasive dissatisfaction with the world about one is the defining characteristic of Leftism. It is what Leftism is. That the gap is not greater probably shows that most people are not very political.

The academic explanation given above by Jost & Co. is absurd. They show that by removing ideology from the equation, the gap is less. So if you take most of the Leftishness out of Leftism, the gap is less. Big deal! True-by-definition or artifactual findings are of course exceptionally uninteresting but parading such findings as empirical fact is an old dodge of the intellectually second-rate. It's not the first example of extraordinarily poor scholarship from John Jost, of course. The relevant journal abstract is presented below: -- JR

Why Are Conservatives Happier Than Liberals?

By Jaime L. Napier and John T. Jost

In this research, we drew on system-justification theory and the notion that conservative ideology serves a palliative function to explain why conservatives are happier than liberals. Specifically, in three studies using nationally representative data from the United States and nine additional countries, we found that right-wing (vs. left-wing) orientation is indeed associated with greater subjective well-being and that the relation between political orientation and subjective well-being is mediated by the rationalization of inequality. In our third study, we found that increasing economic inequality (as measured by the Gini index) from 1974 to 2004 has exacerbated the happiness gap between liberals and conservatives, apparently because conservatives (more than liberals) possess an ideological buffer against the negative hedonic effects of economic inequality.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2008 05:59:00 AM

43 Mexican Illegals Busted in Hawaii

(Honolulu) I would wager a paycheck that they didn't swim 2,500 miles to sneak into Hawaii.

Federal officials said they netted 43 illegal aliens in an immigration raid on O'ahu.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Officers executed search warrants over the weekend at the Oasis Apartments complex in Waipahu.

Agents said the aliens were employed by a company called The Farms which does agricultural work. The 43 men were all citizens of Mexico.

Immigration officials are investigating whether the Mexicans used fraudulent identification. I'd suggest they look at boats in Honolulu harbor that arrived from Mexico -- uh -- or San Francisco.

Also: Diggers Realm

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 09:46:00 PM

NC Teacher Arrested for Sex with Male Student

(Greensboro, North Carolina) A 26-year-old drama teacher at Weaver Academy, Leanne Elizabeth Macklin, surrendered to authorities earlier today and was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student.

Macklin is accused of having oral sex with the student several times at her apartment. She has been charged with five counts of performing sexual activity by a school official.

The police investigation began on July 1 when parents of the student told investigators they believed their son was having an inappropriate relationship with a teacher, according court documents.

The student’s parents also had letters from Macklin to their son containing statements such as "You made me feel needed and trusted and loved," according to a search warrant application returned July 11.

Macklin also allegedly told the student she wrote about him in her journal, the application states.

Police Lt. Brian James said the first alleged incident between the Macklin and the student occurred in December 2006, but could not immediately say how long the relationship is believed to have lasted.

Macklin was booked into custody at the Guilford County Jail and later released on $25,000 bond.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 06:26:00 PM

Home Invader Shot and Killed

(Marion County, Florida) A 19-year-old home invader, Jonathan Gaal, was shot and killed early this morning after he and an accomplice entered a residence occupied by an armed homeowner. Gaal was also armed.

The incident occurred about 2:30 AM.

According to Marion County Sheriff's deputies, the homeowner heard Gaal and his partner enter the house and he immediately he grabbed his weapon and fired. Gaal was hit while the second invader fled.

Also: GunWatch

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 12:43:00 PM

Pickled in Providence

(Providence, Rhode Island) A 34-year-old local man, Stanley Kobierowski, might qualify as a medical miracle. After crashing his car, Kobierowski gave state troopers a jaw-dropping moment.

He tested at the scene with a blood-alcohol level of .489 and then .491. Kobierowski was released on personal recognizance after a bail hearing and will face another hearing Friday on charges of drunken driving and resisting arrest. [...]

Kobierowski spent most of yesterday at Rhode Island Hospital’s detoxification unit. The police said they had to delay his arraignment until late in the afternoon largely because the hospital would not allow him out of its care until his blood alcohol had dropped below the legal limit of .08.

When he arrived at the hearing at the state police barracks in Lincoln at about 4:45 p.m., he was wearing khaki shorts, a sweatshirt and a bandage on his chin. He was trembling slightly.

Two experts on detoxification and alcohol detection said later that in many ways, Kobierowski is lucky to be alive.

Furthermore, if he keeps processing enormous amounts of alcohol, he's going to blow out his liver. Someone should have taken this guy's keys.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 12:20:00 PM

Iran Expels British Journalist

(Tehran, Iran) Without explanation, Iranian authorities told a British journalist working for Agence France-Presse (AFP) to leave the country.

Stuart Williams, AFP's deputy bureau chief in Tehran, had worked in the country for two years and held a renewable resident's permit which was valid until Aug. 28, AFP reported. AFP said he was told on Monday that he must leave within days.

In Tehran, an Iranian official confirmed Williams had been asked to leave but did not give further details.

"This is clearly an unjustified expulsion, which we deeply regret," AFP director of information Denis Hiault said, adding that the agency wanted to "continue covering Iranian news with the same objectivity".

I'm guessing Westerners will see more inhospitable treatment from the Iranian government.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 11:54:00 AM

Woman Gets 15 Years in Prison for Arson

(Columbia, South Carolina) A 43-year-old local mother-of-two, Kimberly Wooten, pleaded guilty last month to burning down four homes in her neighborhood and damaging several others.

Wooten, likely wearing a wig, drove around her neighborhood, setting small fires in pine straw, grass or other vegetation, usually late in the morning or afternoon, prosecutor Robert Elam said. The last was set as she walked her dog.

All but one were put out quickly, causing minimal damage. But on March 22, 2006, Wooten set a fire that quickly spread, burning down four houses. No one was injured.

As a result of her guilty plea, Wooten was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week. With credit for time served, she will only have to serve 13 years. She will be eligible for parole after serving 11.

Wooten apologized in a prepared statement read by her lawyer but failed to explain why she set the fires. According to psychiatrist Dr. Donna Schwartz-Watts, she has mental issues. Notably, Wooten was accused of setting a series of fires in a different jurisdiction more than a decade ago but her record was cleansed after she completed a diversion program.

Apparently, whenever Wooten gets stressed out, she becomes a firebug.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 09:13:00 AM

Kossacks suppress mockery of themselves

Similar mockery aimed at conservatives is routine, of course:

"Just as I finish a piece laughing at DailyKos for claiming that it is conservatives that feel they have to "create their own alternate reality" because of their "rigid ideology," I find a story out of The Austin American-Statesman where the DailyKos forced that paper to pull a story that had a mildly satirical take on last weekend's Netroots Nation conference in Texas. Apparently, the DailyKos folks didn't like The Austin American-Statesman's "reality" so the Kossacks flooded the paper with their insistence on creating a new one.

The original article by the Statesman's Patrick Beach knocked the nutrooters for the so-called "surprise" Gore visit, said it turned into a "faint-in," and that their general feeling was "terribly self-confirming," among other snippy comments... fun, but snippy. The general tone of the piece was that of amusement at how seriously the nutrooters took themselves. And, even more galling to said nutrooters, this story was the front page editorial of Sunday's edition.

This did not sit well with the nutrooters in question. So, in the true spirit of "tolerance," respect for "freedom of speech," and an interest in a "free press," the denizens of the DailyKos whipped themselves up into a frenzy of complaints. The din was so loud that the compliant folks at the Austin American-Statesman acquiesced to the demands for retribution. The Statesman pulled the piece from their website and made abject, groveling apologies to the folks at the DailyKos.

Source

I have put the original article up here in case it becomes inaccessible elsewhere.

Conservatives can take it. Leftists can't. Why? I think Milan Kundera was on to something when he said “No great movement designed to change the world can bear to be laughed at or belittled. Mockery is a rust that corrodes all it touches.”. Yaacov Ben Moshe has more on that.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 07:55:00 AM

Survey: Fewer Bird Droppings Land on Green Cars

Yes, I find it surprising. It implies that birds are selectively targeting cars for their intimate gifts.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 07:40:00 AM

Balls Made in China

Actually, the balls seem to be fine. It's just the label that needs fixing. Sorta something you'd expect to see on the Leno show.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 07:20:00 AM

Illegals Return After Caning

(Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia) Holy moly! Even after suffering through the pain of caning followed by deportation, illegals return.

Caning has failed to deter 4,326 illegal immigrants from returning to the state to seek employment.

Sabah Immigration Department director Datuk Baharon Talib said that the illegal immigrants were found working illegally in the state after they caned and jailed before being deported back to their home country.

Interestingly, only the men are caned. Women and children are given a pass. If women can't be caned, where's the gender equality?

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Many illegals are believed to arrive from the Philippines in an attempt to escape the domestic political strife in the southern islands.

Also: Diggers Realm

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 07:04:00 AM

California to be Removed from Maps

(Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) Could this be the start of a trend?

A deserted village named California in a Russian Volga province is likely to be removed from maps, following a decision by a committee of local lawmakers, a legislature spokesman said.

The decision to end the existence of the village in the Nizhny Novgorod Region was taken "because there is now not a single person living in the village," the spokesman said, adding that the regional legislature will reach a final decision on the issue on July 31.

Make your own joke.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2008 06:33:00 AM

Texas Teacher Indicted for Sex with Male Students

(Brazoria County, Texas) A 35-year-old teacher formerly at Willowridge High School, Melvina Strickland-Terry, has been indicted on sex charges. She allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with two male Willowridge students under 17.

Strickland-Terry faces charges of indecency with a child, sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between an educator and student.

The investigation started March 28 when police from the Fort Bend Independent School District contacted Brazoria County Sheriff's Office about the allegations.

Sheriff's detectives said the incidents happened at the teacher's apartment.

Strickland-Terry resigned from the school district shortly after the allegations surfaced, said Fort Bend ISD spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson.

Strickland-Terry surrendered to police yesterday. Bail is set at $75,000.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 10:36:00 PM

Law Revokes Teacher Certs for Sex Crimes

(Albany, New York) New York Gov. David Paterson signed into law measures which automatically revoke the certification of a teacher or other school employee who is convicted of a sex crime involving a student.

Previously, school systems were saddled with a long process costing as much as $150,000 to revoke the credentials of convicted teachers. Some proceedings even had to be held inside prisons.

Thus far, the teachers' unions haven't weighed in.

Also: EdWatch

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 02:58:00 PM

Subway Loving

(Shanghai, China) A controversy has surfaced in the Far East regarding the acceptability of intimate behavior on the subway. Two sexual episodes, one in Korea and the other in China, were recently recorded on video and uploaded to the Internet.

The Korean subway footage shows two guys giving oral sex to each other. The Chinese subway encounter consists of two lesbians in a touchy-feely, kissing session.

Reactions to the videos have been polar opposites, outrage or approval, while the legality of the intimate behavior is being debated. The popularity of the videos is likely influencing others to stage their own intimate subway encounters. I'd expect more of it.

Story and links to videos here.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 02:24:00 PM

Rathergate - The Movie?

Yes, word has it that a group of Hollywood insiders are preparing a screen adaptation of Mary Mapes' 2005 book defending Dan Rather and CBS News for their forgery-based 60 Minutes II program attacking President Bush's military service.

So far, there have been no hints regarding who will be cast.

Tip: DPU

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 10:57:00 AM

WV Woman Accused of Molesting Boy

(Fairmont, West Virginia) A 58-year-old Farmington woman, Vickie Nestor, has been arrested for allegedly exposing herself and molesting a young boy on multiple occasions.

Nestor faces two counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian and two counts of using obscene material to seduce a minor.

She was booked and released on her own recognizance.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 10:10:00 AM

Yolanda Dipert Gets Life in Prison - Updated

[Scroll down for previous reports]

(Lake County, Illinois) Last week, Circuit Court Judge Fred Foreman sentenced 46-year-old Yolanda Dipert to mandatory life in prison. Nevertheless, Dipert asked for leniency from the court, stating she was forced into sexually assaulting the children by her ex-brother-in-law.

"It's astounding to me that she still refuses to take responsibility for her own actions," said Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata. "She is not the victim here, she is the offender. She is a sexual predator."

Foreman agreed with Kalata, saying, "You were a willing and active participant in this... and now, you are going to be given considerable time to re-examine what your role was in this offense."

Judge Foreman also gave Dipert 10 years in prison for child pornography which would seem to apply only if she is reincarnated or the molestation verdict is overturned on appeal.

* * * * *
Illinois Child Molestation Case - Yolanda Dipert
[Previous 4/10/08 entry bumped]
(Lake County, Illinois) Last year in a directly-related prosecution, 52-year-old Lee E. Dipert pleaded guilty to two counts of predatory sexual assault and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

This week, 46-year-old Yolanda Dipert is on trial for multiple counts of predatory sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault and child pornography.

Yesterday, Yolanda Dipert testified in her own defense and said that her ex-brother-in-law, Lee Dipert, threatened her if she did not participate in the sex acts with the 13-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy.

She said the romantic relationship with her ex-brother-in-law, Lee Dipert, turned sick when Lee Dipert demanded she have sex with the children and said he would kill her if she refused. [ ... ]

She so feared the man that she continued to molest the children even after Lee Dipert moved to Valparaiso, Ind. She e-mailed him photographic evidence the acts were still going on.

Under cross-examination, Yolanda indicated that she never mentioned any threats during investigation of the case nor in a written statement she provided to the detectives.

And, although she left the house everyday when Lee Dipert lived there between 2002 and 2005 to go to work, Yolanda Dipert said she never contacted police.

"I did not know how to call the police," she said. "I was afraid that if I went to the police, me and the children would wind up statistics."

The trial continues today. If Circuit Judge Fred Forman finds Yolanda guilty, she'll face a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

[Update 04/12/08]

For hundreds of acts of molestation over a four-year period, Yolanda Dipert was found guilty by Circuit Judge Fred Foreman (Forman?).

"I do not find her testimony to be credible, I believe it was incredible," Foreman said in finding Dipert guilty. "I find she was a willing and active participant."

Having been found guilty of multiple counts of predatory sexual assault of a child, Dipert, 46, will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison when she returns to court May 12.

Heh.

* * * * *
[09/04/06 entry]

(Lake County, Illinois) A woman and her former brother-in-law have been accused of sexually assaulting children on multiple occasions. According to Lake County Circuit Court Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak, each faces a possible life term in prison.

From SuburbanChicagonews.com:

Yolanda Dipert, 45, and Lee E. Dipert, 50, of Valparaiso, Ind., both entered not-guilty pleas when arraigned on the charges. He is facing 34 counts, she 22 counts.

Because there are so many alleged incidents extending over a four-year period, the sentences, upon conviction, could be consecutive, Potkonjak said.

Many of the counts are Class X offenses, which each carry, upon conviction, a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, with probation not an option.

Both allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the children and photographed each other while doing so, according to the Grand Jury indictments. Charges include possession of child pornography.

Defense attorney Peter Boyles said his client, Lee Dipert, may also "be charged in another jurisdiction." Some of the alleged evidence was found by Valparaiso police in a search of his computer in his home there. Yolanda Dipert is being represented by Assistant Public Defender Jennifer Snyder.

The victims of the alleged assaults are a boy, now 15, and a girl, now 12. The assaults allegedly occurred from the summer of 2002 until this summer. The children are family members.

Frankly, in my opinion this case could not be more disgusting. They allegedly photographed each other having sex with children in the family (relationship unknown) for four years! Absolutely sick!

Both Diperts are in the Lake County Jail with bond set at $1 million each. Judge Potkonjak scheduled a December trial date for both. As an aside, does anybody else think that Judge Potkonjak shouldn't be speaking so freely about a case he's presumably going to adjudicate?

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 08:53:00 AM

Why is only one of these cartoons tasteless and offensive?

Regular readers of Tongue Tied will know why from long experience. It is an examnple of the golden rule of hate speech: Only conservatives can utter hate speech (or hate cartoons) while anything that Leftists say is "free speech", no matter how offensive it is.

The first cartoon did in fact come from a Leftist source -- which is why it was simply dubbed offensive rather than hate speech -- but it mocks a Leftist so that must be condemned. But a cartoon that ridicules a conservative? No problem!

The media were filled with condemnations of the Obama cartoon. Even McCain and various GOP figures condemned it. But the second cartoon (which also appeared in a well-known source) has aroused not a murmur in the media in the 4 weeks since it first appeared.

And note that the second cartoon depicts torturers as Asians (albeit Asians who look rather like Obama, Hillary and GWB). From anybody else that would be "racist".

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 08:00:00 AM

Website of Meth Homes Proposed

(Akron, Ohio) Methamphetamine production has become so widespread that there is a concern that properties involved will not be adequately tracked.

Records of houses and apartments contaminated by previous tenants who cooked methamphetamines should be accessible to potential home buyers and residents through a local government Web site, a county task force said.

No Ohio law regulates the cleanup or requires the disclosure of homes and apartments that have been used as meth labs, which leaves unwitting future tenants at risk from the drug's poisonous fumes and residue.

The intent is to ensure the safety of future buyers which is fine except I'm not sure it's something the government should do. The idea could easily progress to the point where every piece of real property had a rap sheet delineating all criminal activity occurring at the location.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2008 07:45:00 AM

Nebraska Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Omaha, Nebraska) A 24-year-old local woman, Lis Glenn, was arrested last Friday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Glenn faces one count of first-degree sexual assault.

According to the police, the boy was a family friend of Glenn's. No other details have been reported.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 11:19:00 PM

Cocaine Submarine Seized

(Mexico City) Last Wednesday, a 30-foot-long green submarine, packed with almost six tons of cocaine, was seized by the Mexican Navy in Pacific waters off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Mexican navy Vice Adm. Jose Maria Ortegon said the 30-foot (10-meter) green submarine was equipped with GPS and a compass, and its crew had planned to drop off its shipment on Mexican shores. The navy has since stepped up patrols in the area.

Authorities arrested four Colombian crew members who claim to be fishermen forced by drug cartels to move the cargo. They say they left the Colombian port of Buenaventura about a week ago.

Similar makeshift submarines carrying drugs have been discovered off Colombia and Central America, but the navy says the seizure is a first for Mexico.

U.S. intelligence information is said to have helped the Mexicans find the submarine.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 09:04:00 PM

New Airport in Iraq

(Najaf, Iraq) In a report from the Saudi Gazette:

Iraq opened a new airport in the southern city of Najaf on Sunday in what the prime minister said was a key step in the reconstruction of a country devastated by war.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, mostly Iranians, travel to Iraq every year. The new airport is expected to boost the numbers of pious tourists.

At a ceremony, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki described the US$250 million airport as a vital element in Iraq’s economic development.

The construction company and financial arrangements for the new airport were not reported. I can only guess.

Too bad Mr. Maliki didn't mention the new airport when he was interviewed by Der Spiegel this week instead of voicing confusing pronouncements about troop withdrawal.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 05:31:00 PM

Pennsylvania Woman Guilty of Raping Boy, 11

(Erie, Pennsylvania) In October 2007, a 28-year-old local woman, Carrie L. Dana, was arrested and charged for the alleged repeated rapes of an 11-year-old boy. Dana faced multiple counts of child sex crimes.

Earlier today, an Erie County jury convicted Dana of felony counts of rape, indecent assault of a child younger than age 13, and a misdemeanor count of corruption of minors. The jury had deliberated for approximately five hours before returning a verdict.

Sentencing has been scheduled for August 20th.

[Update 10/31/08]

Carrie Dana sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 04:33:00 PM

Gay Honor Killing

(Istanbul, Turkey) A 26-year-old, gay physics student, Ahmet Yildiz, died this week after being shot as he was leaving a cafe near the Bosphorus Strait. Yildiz, although fatally wounded, had tried to escape in his car but was chased by his attackers and ultimately crashed on the side of the road.

Many believe that the death of Yildiz is Turkey's first gay honor killing. Outspoken and visible, Mr. Yildiz was Turkey's representative at an international gay festival in San Francisco last year. His family rejected his claims of homosexuality and prodded him to see a doctor to be cured.

"He fell victim to a war between old mentalities and growing civil liberties," says Sedef Cakmak, a friend and a member of the gay rights lobby group Lambda.

"I feel helpless: we are trying to raise awareness of gay rights in this country, but the more visible we become, the more we open ourselves up to this sort of attack."

Before his death, Mr. Yildiz received death threats and reported them to the police. He was provided no protection and his complaints were not pursued. Instead, the police are now investigating his murder.

For gay rights groups, the student's inability to get protection was a typical by-product of the indifference, if not hostility, with which a broad swathe of Turkish society views homosexuality. The military, for example, sees it as an "illness". Men applying for an exemption to obligatory military service on grounds of homosexuality must provide proof - either in the form of an anal examination, or photographs.

"The media ignores or laughs off violence against gays," says Buse Kilickaya, a member of the gay lobbying group Pink Life, adding that Ahmet Yildiz's death "risks being swept under the carpet and forgotten like other cases in the past". [...]

"We've been trying to contact Ahmet's family since Wednesday, to get them to take responsibility for the funeral," one of the victim's friends said yesterday, standing outside the morgue where his body has been for three days. "There's no answer, and I don't think they are going to come." The refusal of families to bury their relatives is common after honour-related murders.

When the death threats began, Mr. Yildiz was cautioned to leave the country but he stayed ... and died.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 09:42:00 AM

Political asylum from persecution in Britain?

On April 18, 2006, I wrote the following:

"I regard antisemitism as totally misguided but believe that persecuting believers in it only gives it credibility to those who are persecuted. Last Wednesday, two people, Luke O'Farrell and Simon Sheppard, who publish a British antisemitic website, were arrested by Humberside police in Britain because of what they had written. Details here and here. And what was the reaction from the guys who were arrested? It was:

"To attempt to silence a man is to pay him homage, for it is an acknowledgement that his arguments are both impossible to answer and impossible to ignore"

So a fat lot of good arresting them did. It just reinforced their views and gave those views more credibility to others.

The matter has now gone to trial and the two Brits werre convicted of hate speech. While out on bail, they took a direct flight to Los Angeles and have now claimed political asylum in the USA. Some details here

The prospect of their getting any sort of sympathetic hearing in California seems slight to me. I guess they flew there because it was the only alternative they knew to what they would call "Jew York". I think it is true, however, that what they said would not be a crime in America.

There is no doubt that the two men are stock-standard antisemites with stock-standard theories about Jewish conspiracies. When what is happening in the world seems inexplicably wrong, people have blamed that wrongness on the Jews ever since the Pharaohs.

What rather appals me about the present case is that two "little people" are being assailed for it when the major source of such hatred in Britain undoubtedly comes from Muslims and the Left -- and that is virtually ignored. Once again it seems that it is only white conservatives of Christian background who can utter "hate speech".

In Britain recently, a TV channel did a program which showed local Muslims uttering very definite hate speech. So what did the British police do? Did they prosecute the Muslims concerned? No. They prosecuted the TV channel! Details here. The Muslims concerned have not been touched to this day as far as I can ascertain.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 08:33:00 AM

Filipino Male "Bride" Humiliated

(Cebu City, Philippines) A male Filipino who expresses himself as a female, Lou Vincent Suarez, met a 50-year-old American man over the Internet and a relationship developed resulting in marriage. Judge Rosabella Tormis of the Municipal Trial Courts in Cities performed the ceremony based on a birth certificate Suarez submitted which said he was "female."

The American man, upon discovering that Suarez was not a female, filed for an annulment of the marriage. Suarez decided to fight the case. However,

Supreme Court Administrator Justice Jose Perez said Suarez’s marriage to the American was void because the law does not allow union between two people of the same gender.

Under the Family Code, no marriage shall be valid unless the contracting parties are a male and a female. The absence of this requirement makes the marriage invalid from the beginning.

Suarez’ American partner returned to the United States shortly after their wedding on June 27, 2006. The American, through his lawyer in the Philippines, filed for annulment last June 6, saying he did not know that Suarez was a man until their wedding night.

Suarez feels cheated and doesn't know where to turn for help. He claims the American knew he was a man all along. Regarding his birth certificate indicating that he was female, Suarez says it was a typo.

Now, the only method he has to get information on his dilemma is by Googling his name.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2008 08:11:00 AM

B-52 Crashes Off Guam

(Guam) About 12 hours ago (10:30 AM local time), a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed into the sea approximately 25 miles northwest of Apra harbor. The plane was deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

Reportedly, the plane crashed shortly after takeoff. A flotilla of rescue craft has been dispatched, according to Coast Guard spokeswoman Lt. Elizabeth Buendia.

"We are having an aggressive emergency response effort right now with not only coast guard boats but also Guam fire department search and rescue vessels, navy helicopters and Guam police department vessels," she said.

"And there has been a debris field found right now with boxes and they are searching in that area currently."

Six crew members were on board the B-52.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2008 07:27:00 PM

Olympics Prep: Blacks Banned in Beijing Bars

(Beijing, China) According to a 7/18 report in the South China Morning Post (sub. req'd), Beijing bars have been instructed by the government not to serve black people.

Beijing authorities are secretly planning to ban black people and others it considers social undesirables from entering the city's bars during the Olympic Games, a move that would contradict the official slogan, "One World, One Dream".

Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises. "Uniformed Public Security Bureau officers came into the bar recently and told me not to serve black people or Mongolians," said the co-owner of a western-style bar, who asked not to be named. [...]

Security officials are targeting Sanlitun, which Olympic organisers expect to be a key destination for foreign tourists looking for a party during the Games. The pledges that Sanlitun bar owners had been instructed to sign agreed to stop a variety of activities in their establishments, including dancing and serving customers with black skin, they said.

They have been allowed to keep copies of all the pledges except those relating to blacks, implying that the authorities are wary of charges of racism. "I am appalled," said a black British national who works in Beijing. "I understand that the government is trying to stop certain illegal activities, but I don't think blanket discrimination is going about it the right way.

But the story doesn't end there. Yesterday, interviews with bar owners indicate that the ban targets blacks and Mongolians but only at certain nightspots.

Police in Beijing's popular Sanlitun bar district deny they are conducting a racist campaign ahead of the Olympics, as another bar owner revealed he had been ordered not to let in blacks.

"They made us sign and chop a document saying we would not allow black people in [during the Olympics]," the owner said. "But no one is willing to say so because we'll all get deported ... and have our business shut."

Asked yesterday whether they had told landlords not to let blacks in bars, an officer at the Sanlitun police station had a one-word answer: "No."

The bar owner said police had given landlords a list of dos and don'ts during the Olympics. "We simply can't let them in [during the Olympics], it's what I was told," he said. "It's [the restrictions on blacks] definitely happening. It will all happen in 24 hours."

His revelation comes after the Post reported yesterday how another bar owner had been verbally warned by Public Security Bureau officers not to serve customers of Mongolian and African descent, while other bars had been ordered to sign chopped pledges to keep to curfews, not allow the illegal sale of drugs, and refuse certain customers.

"They [local police] call meetings, and everyone has to go, or else ... If you don't go, they'll come back and shut you down," he said. Further investigation found that not all bars in the newly revamped area known for its nightlife had been ordered to refuse black customers, suggesting police are targeting specific bars.

"Black guys can come in and drink as long as they have valid visas," another bar manager in Sanlitun said. "But we have been told to watch out for black guys acting suspiciously, such as constantly talking on their mobile phones. The aim is to crack down on drug dealing."

From another source who actually talked to a number of bar owners, it appears that the police met with bar owners and asked them to monitor black patrons for possible drug activity but no blanket order was issued not to serve blacks.

Furthermore, there is some confusion regarding the Chinese translation of "black." In the mix of Chinese dialects, "black" often refers to criminal elements as opposed to skin color. Therefore, if police asked business owners to look out for people involved in drugs, prostitution, extortion, etc., the guidance could easily be interpreted as "black people."

In summary, Chinese authorities purport to be proactive in criminal profiling, however, available evidence seems to indicate that blacks are being racially profiled for discrimination. Either way, though, it doesn't explain a blanket discrimination against Mongolians. In any event, I suspect the ChiComs will try to put a lid on this story.

[Update 7/22/08]

According to the Shanghaiist, the South China Morning Post is being strongly questioned regarding the story. All reporting by the SCMP is based on anonymous sources which cannot be verified. Consequently, commentary has largely concentrated on SCMP's journalism style rather than the likelihood of Africans and Mongolians being banned from bars.

Looking at the circumstances from 12 times zones away, I frankly think a bar ban targeting black and Mongolians would be exceedingly stupid and illogical if the Chinese want to put on a good face to the rest of the world. It seems highly unlikely that a rational person in a position of authority would order the ban.

So, one must wonder whether the reporting in the SCMP was fiction or whether there is some substance. I lean toward there being something to the allegations for one reason. It wasn't simply a ban on blacks but also Mongolians.

Mistranslation might explain confusion regarding the term "black" but not so for "Mongolian." And, I suspect that the government has the ability to go to extraordinary lengths to protect its public image in a potentially incendiary episode such as the alleged bar ban.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2008 08:54:00 AM

No separation of Mosque and state?

We read:

"I bring you today’s version of “ACLU Hypocrisy in Action.” It seems the State Department is selling calenders that feature “the mosques of America.” If the State Department sold a calender of the “Churches of America” how fast do you think the ACLU would be up in their grill about the mythical separation clause? Faster than the French surrendering is my guess.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2008 11:28:00 PM

Woman Gets 60 Days for Sex with Boys

(Canton, New York) A 19-year-old Hammond, NY, woman, Cora G. Putney, was sentenced this week for engaging in sexual activity with three boys, ages 11, under-13 and 15.

Putney gets 60 days in the St. Lawrence County Jail plus registration as a sex offender. She also must serve 10 years of probation.

Putney had pleaded guilty in May to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual act and one count of sexual misconduct.

Putney was accused of having oral sex with an 11-year-old boy last June, along with having oral sex with a boy under age 13 and a 15-year-old boy last July.

Putney apologized during her sentencing.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2008 08:45:00 PM

Brits in Greek Sex Competition

(Zakynthos Island, Greece) For participating in an oral sex competition which was videotaped and posted on the Internet, nine British women face prostitution charges.

Six British and six Greek men, including two bar owners, were also charged in the incident, which took place at Laganas beach in the south of the Ionian island, which lies off the west coast of mainland Greece, police said.

The women, who came to the popular resort on holiday, had been paid to take part in the competition, which was video recorded and was to be posted on the Internet, police said.

The men were charged with encouraging obscene behaviour.

In recent years, Laganas has established itself as one of Greece's most popular destinations for twenty-something holidaymakers and is known for its wild party scene.

Unfortunately, no names were disclosed. Regarding popularity, the Greek competition likely doesn't hold a candle to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Championship -- ur, except for the video, that is. And, no, I don't have a link but I bet it's popular.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2008 08:50:00 AM

Equal Time = Liberal Time

Post below recycled from Weekly Standard. See the original for links

Democrats like Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kerry are eager to resurrect the so-called Fairness Doctrine, whereby radio stations will be required to give equal time to liberal talking heads. They know this would kill talk-radio, a traditionally conservative medium, which would instantly become unprofitable if stations were forced to give liberal hosts equal time despite the fact no one would listen to them. I'm sure Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kerry are tickled pink, however, that they get to talk about free speech and compelling government interests even as they gag their political enemies.

If the Fairness Doctrine is justified with the airwaves, why not with newsprint as well? Today Howard Kurtz reports, "With this week's Newsweek cover story on Obama's religious beliefs, he has been featured on Time and Newsweek covers 12 times in the past three years, compared with five for McCain." If Sen. Durbin and Kerry are so preoccupied by the absence of fairness and diversity on radio stations, surely they would agree the same compelling interests apply to print media. No, actually, they wouldn't, because fair speech is liberal speech in their minds.

Of course, the Fairness Doctrine is a relic of a time when there were so few channels existed that government did have some compelling interest in ensuring all sides were equally represented. No such interest exists today. That goes for radio stations just as much as magazine covers.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2008 07:31:00 AM

Eco-Arsonist Gets Prison

(Seattle, Washington) Eco-arsonist Jennifer Kolar, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit arson, two counts of arson, one count of attempted arson and using a destructive device during a crime of violence.

The charges stem from Kolar's involvement in the fire set at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture in 2001.

As a result, Kolar was sentenced to five years in prison, five years of supervised probation and ordered to pay $7.1 million in restitution.

Kolar was a member of a group known as "The Family" who committed domestic terrorism on behalf of the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front. Reportedly, Kolar became radicalized when she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder. She was involved with the Colorado Public Interest Research Group and the did volunteer work for an animal defense organization.

Others convicted in the arson conspiracy include Briana Waters, 32, who was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $6 million in restitution, and Lacey Phillabaum, 33, who pleaded guilty and faces three to five years in prison when sentenced on August 19.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2008 06:00:00 AM

Black and White Twins

(Lichtenberg, Germany) Twin boys with different-colored skin were born this week to Florence Addo-Gerth and Stephan Gerth.

Mom is originally from Ghana while father Stephan is German by birth.

Everybody is surprised at the combination. Experts say the chance of giving birth to twins with different skin colors is one in a million. Nonetheless, the parents are more thrilled that the boys, light-skinned Ryan and dark-skinned Leo, are healthy.

Looking forward, I suspect that the genetic anomaly may cause some confusion with government demographers.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 09:22:00 PM

Teacher Victoria Blevins Gets Probation - Updated

(New Brunswick, New Jersey) Victoria Blevins appeared before Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa today and was sentenced to three years of probation.

* * * * *
Teacher Victoria Blevins Pleads Guilty
[Previous 4/19/08 post bumped]

(Middlesex County, New Jersey) On Thursday in New Brunswick Superior Court, Victoria Blevins pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of harassment by offensive touching. Apparently, the charge of sexual assault couldn't hold up after the victim recanted her version of events.

In exchange for her plea in Superior Court, New Brunswick to harassment by offensive touching, Blevins will avoid jail time under the agreement. She also agreed to give up her teaching certificate.

The court cannot order a permanent revocation and she can eventually reapply for it thought the state.

Her attorney, G. Robert Wills of Princeton, a network attorney for the state teacher's union, said Blevins intends to join the military.

Christie Bevacqua, assistant Middlesex County prosecutor, told Judge Frederick DeVesa that the victim's changed account led to the downgraded charge.

"The victim in the case has recanted and continues to contact Ms. Blevins," Bevacqua told DeVesa, adding that the victim is now an adult.

Blevins remains free on bail while awaiting sentencing in July.

[02/08/08]

After being indicted on one count of official misconduct and one count of sexual assault of a female student, Blevins pleaded not guilty.

She remains free on $100,000 bail. (H/T SuidaeEmpathy)

[10/13/07 entry]

(Monroe, New Jersey) A 23-year-old physical education teacher and girl's coach, Victoria Blevins, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a female student.

According to authorities, the victim's mother found evidence on a computer that indicated her daughter and Blevins were involved in an "inappropriate sexual relationship."

A subsequent investigation turned up evidence of numerous phone calls at all hours of the day and night between the two, the Prosecutor's Office said.

The student told investigators a sexual relationship with Blevins lasted from April through June. The student, who was not taught by Blevins, was under 18 at the time.

"Sexual acts between the two reportedly occurred at various locations but never on school grounds," according to the release.

Blevins was booked into custody at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick. Bail was set at $100,000.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 05:54:00 PM

China's First Sexual Harassment Case

(Beijing, China) It's nice to see Chinese women starting to get some protection in this area.

A Chinese man has been given five months in detention for kissing a female colleague against her will, a local newspaper said on Wednesday, the first time punishment has been meted out under a new sexual harassment law.

The man, a manager surnamed Liu, invited one of his new female staff into his office in southwestern China's Sichuan province to ‘discuss work matters’, but then told her he wanted to be her boyfriend, the Beijing News said, citing a local newspaper.

When the women turned Liu down, he turned off the lights, held her by the neck and kissed her, the report said.

‘Miss Chen screamed out and fought back. Colleagues next door heard her and dialed (the police),’ the newspaper said.

Liu was found guilty of ‘using force to act indecently towards a woman’, it added.

By using force, it appears that this is a case of sexual assault, not just harassment.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 08:53:00 AM

Study finds genetic link to violence, delinquency

The conclusions of the report below have much precedent but are of course unpopular. For some reason that escapes me, the idea of genetic influences on behaviour seems to threaten lots of people, despite the vast evidence for it. Leftists certainly seem to need to believe that only social influences can affect behaviour.

Somewhat to my surprise on the present occasion I note that a libertarian writer seems very hostile to the study too. But libertarians often do seem to have little role for genetics in their thinking. The main hole in this libertarian writer's thinking is that he seems unable to accept that genes and environment usually have to interact to produce a given result. That he has difficulty with what is a universally accepted idea among geneticists just suggests to my mind that his hostility has overcome his reason.

Nonetheless there are real criticisms that could be made of the study. Looking at Table 2 in the original research report, it would appear that there were only 11 boys in the MAOA2R group and it was only that group which had strikingly high rates of delinquency. That is a pretty slender sample size upon which to base any generalizations. Taken in conjunction with previous research (which the authors cite) the conclusions of the study are, however, reasonable. It is rare for a single study to be decisive by itself

Three genes may play a strong role in determining why some young men raised in rough neighborhoods or deprived families become violent criminals, while others do not, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. One gene called MAOA that played an especially strong role has been shown in other studies to affect antisocial behavior -- and it was disturbingly common, the team at the University of North Carolina reported.

People with a particular variation of the MAOA gene called 2R were very prone to criminal and delinquent behavior, said sociology professor Guang Guo, who led the study. "I don't want to say it is a crime gene, but 1 percent of people have it and scored very high in violence and delinquency," Guo said in a telephone interview.

His team, which studied only boys, used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a U.S. nationally representative sample of about 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 to 12. The young men in the study are interviewed in person regularly, and some give blood samples.

Guo's team constructed a "serious delinquency scale" based on some of the questions the youngsters answered. "Nonviolent delinquency includes stealing amounts larger or smaller than $50, breaking and entering, and selling drugs," they wrote in the August issue of the American Sociological Review. "Violent delinquency includes serious physical fighting that resulted in injuries needing medical treatment, use of weapons to get something from someone, involvement in physical fighting between groups, shooting or stabbing someone, deliberately damaging property, and pulling a knife or gun on someone."

GENES PLUS ENVIRONMENT

They found specific variations in three genes -- the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, the dopamine transporter 1 (DAT1) gene and the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene -- were associated with bad behavior, but only when the boys suffered some other stress, such as family issues, low popularity and failing school.

MAOA regulates several message-carrying chemicals called neurotransmitters that are important in aggression, emotion and cognition such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

The links were very specific. The effect of repeating a grade depended on whether a boy had a certain mutation in MAOA called a 2 repeat, they found. And a certain mutation in DRD2 seemed to set off a young man if he did not have regular meals with his family. "But if people with the same gene have a parent who has regular meals with them, then the risk is gone," Guo said. "Having a family meal is probably a proxy for parental involvement," he added. "It suggests that parenting is very important." He said vulnerable children might benefit from having surrogates of some sort if their parents are unavailable.

"These results, which are among the first that link molecular genetic variants to delinquency, significantly expand our understanding of delinquent and violent behavior, and they highlight the need to simultaneously consider their social and genetic origins," the researchers said.

Guo said it was far too early to explore whether drugs might be developed to protect a young man. He also was unsure if criminals might use a "genetic defense" in court. "In some courts (the judge might) think they maybe will commit the same crime again and again, and this would make the court less willing to let them out," he said.

Source. Another account of the study here

Reference: Guo, G.; Roettger, M.E.; & Cai, T. (2008) "The Integration of Genetic Propensities into Social-Control Models of Delinquency and Violence among Male Youths" American Sociological Review, Vol. 73, No. 4. (August), pp. 543-568.

My conclusion? Among whites, the percentage of people who are criminal enough to go to prison is quite small. Figures between 2% and 5% are usually quoted. So a genetic feature which predisposes to criminality might also be expected to be relatively rare -- as the MAOA2R combination is. Nobody is however saying that criminality is all due to one gene or set of genes or due to one cause or set of causes. Low average IQ is another striking feature of criminals and that alone is known to be polygenetic in origin.

Posted by John Ray.

New blog: AUSTRALIAN CARTOONS by "Zeg".

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 08:09:00 AM

Madrid Bombing Suspects Set Free

(Madrid, Spain) The Spanish Supreme Court overturned the convictions of three men in the Madrid Train Bombing case and affirmed the acquittal of a fourth.

Abdelilah El Fadual El Akil, Basel Ghalyoun and Mohamed Almallah Dabas had been convicted and sentenced to nine to 12 years in prison for collaborating with terrorists and belonging to a terrorist organization.

The appeals of the verdicts were successful, presumably because the Supreme Court believed evidence didn't support their convictions. They were released from prison yesterday afternoon.

Abdelilah El Fadual El Akil, Basel Ghalyoun and Mohamed Almallah Dabas
The Supreme Court affirmed the acquittal of the fourth man, Rabei Osman El Sayed, known as "The Egyptian." He is suspected of being an architect of the bombings.

Rabei Osman El Sayed
The court contended that the prosecution had not proven its case against Rabei Osman El Sayed, who is currently serving a sentence in Italy after a 2006 conviction on terrorism charges.

The end result of the Madrid Train Bombing trials is 18 convictions, down from a previous 21. The Supreme Court was also able to dismiss suspicions that the ETA separatist group was involved in the Madrid terror bombings. Barring the filing of new charges or appeals, the prosecution of the bombers is reportedly complete.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 06:02:00 AM

Bigger Bras Pricier

Paraphrased from CGH:

British retailer Marks & Spencer has put a surcharge on larger bras, size DD-G, because their construction ostensibly makes them more expensive to produce.

Consequently, a new group called Busts 4 Justice has been formed to protest the higher priced bras.

According to Busts 4 Justice founder, Beckie Williams, "It is like having a tax on bigger breasts."

Maybe the surcharge idea came from someone who was racked with envy.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 05:43:00 AM

Prison for Selling Fake Viagra

(Baltimore, Maryland) In August 2007, a 27-year-old Jordanian national, Iyad Dogmosh, pleaded guilty to trafficking in fake Viagra tablets imported from Egypt.

As part of his plea agreement, Dogmosh admitted that he kept a suitcase containing more than 36,000 fake Viagra tablets at a storage facility in Glen Burnie. Investigators seized the case during a search last year. He also admitted selling 2,000 pills in 2006.

Prosecutors said the federal Food and Drug Administration tested the pills and found that while they were the same size, shape and color as real Viagra, they lacked a key ingredient, sildenafil citrate. They did, however, contain metronidazole, an antibiotic that when combined with alcohol can cause abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and headaches.

Yesterday, Dogmosh was sentenced to four years in federal prison. Upon release, it's expected that he will be deported.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 12:21:00 AM

Teens Taser, Rape Woman

(Miami, Florida) Two young teen boys, 13 and 15, broke into a woman's home, zapped her with a taser and then raped her.

Miami police said the teens confessed and were charged with armed sexual battery, armed burglary, kidnapping, and armed robbery.

Police said the 21-year-old woman heard a knock on her front door on May 23, but ignored it. She later noticed the door was ajar and when she turned, she was hit in the back with a Taser gun, police said.

The teens took her into one of the bedrooms, covered her face with a shirt, and raped her, police said.

The victim begged for her life and the life of her child who was in a nearby bedroom, police said. The infant was not harmed.

No names have been disclosed and, oddly, nobody seems to be curious about where young teen boys are able to acquire a taser. One would imagine that some measures are in place to keep tasers out of the hands of children.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2008 12:04:00 AM

Gore's Lemmings

I got a kick out of this.

More here.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 10:40:00 PM

Kansas Teacher Guilty in Student Sex Case - Updated

(Manhattan, Kansas) Earlier today, 31-year-old Katherine J. Harder pleaded no contest in Pottawatomie County District Court to felony aggravated endangering of a child.

She was sentenced to six months in prison and granted immediate probation for 12 months, according to a statement from Pottawatomie County Attorney Sherri Schuck.

Harder won’t have to register as a sex offender.

Based upon the report, it's unclear whether Harder will or will not actually go to prison. It appears that the "immediate probation" trumps the prison sentence. Right now, it's anybody's guess.

However, Harder was fired from her teaching position but it's unknown whether she will lose her teaching license.

* * * * *
Kansas Teacher Caught with Student
[Previous 3/27/08 post bumped]
(Manhattan, Kansas) A 31-year-old language arts teacher at Manhattan High School, Katherine J. Harder, was arrested for alleged unlawful sexual relations after she was caught parking with a 17-year-old male student.

According to Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat:

[T]he two were discovered at about 10 p.m. Wednesday by a Pottawatomie County deputy sheriff investigating a vehicle parked in the Spillway Marina Park area of Tuttle Creek Dam.

Hardin reportedly resigned her teaching position this morning.

[Update 04/02/08]

It's reported that Harder has rescinded her resignation. Instead, she has been placed on paid suspension.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 03:21:00 PM

English for Truckers

Current federal transportation law requires that licensed commercial truckers speak English well enough to communicate with the police. Nevertheless, over 25,000 tickets were issued last year to poor English-speaking truckers for violations of the law.

Now the federal government is trying to tighten the English requirement, saying the change is needed for safety reasons.

Most states let truckers and bus drivers take at least part of their license tests in languages other than English. But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed rules requiring anyone applying for a commercial drivers license to speak English during their road test and vehicle inspection. The agency wants to change its rules to eliminate the use of interpreters, and congressional approval isn't required.

Drivers could still take written tests in other languages in states where that is allowed, and they wouldn't have to be completely fluent during the road test, said Bill Quade, an associate administrator with the agency.

"Our requirement is that drivers understand English well enough to respond to a roadside officer and to be able to converse," said Quade, who heads enforcement. Drivers need to be able to communicate with authorities about their loads and their vehicles, he said.

A handful of states and organizations are supporting the change, and no one opposed the new rule in comments submitted to the agency.

The rule change is expected to take effect next year.

So, my question? Where are the complaints and the protesters? Where are the calls of racism? It's quite unusual for proposals regarding the English language to go unchallenged by the various open-borders groups.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 01:45:00 PM

When Social Security Isn't Enough

(Lexington, Kentucky) A 72-year-old woman, Mary Elizabeth Clay, was arrested late Tuesday for allegedly promoting prostitution and for undisclosed drug charges. Nearby, five other people were also arrested.

Clay was arraigned Wednesday morning.

Police say Clay allowed "special room" to be used for sex, then prostitutes paid her half of their $20 fee. Neighbors say there is no way Clay knew what was happening in that room.

"Miss Mary's the sweetest woman you ever want to know," said neighbor Tyrya Shepherd. "She helps everybody and the charges they got on her are wrong. She needs to come home. She's sick, but she's a loving woman."

Clay has a court date scheduled for next week.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 09:58:00 AM

Seattle Scrapping Toilets for Homeless - Update II

From today's NYT:

Seattle officials say the project here failed because the toilets, which are to close on Aug. 1, were placed in neighborhoods that already had many drug users and transients.

Then there was the matter of cost: $1 million apiece over five years, which because of a local ordinance had to be borne entirely by taxpayers instead of advertisers.

Although automatic toilets have worked in other cities, they are not feasible for Seattle. [From Watchman: Toilets for sale on eBay.]

[Update 7/27/08]

The eBay auction of the Seattle toilets closed yesterday afternoon. Nobody bothered to submit a bid.

[Update 8/16/08]

Seattle's toilets finally sold for a total of about $10,000. Hey, $6.6 million to $10K -- helluva return on investment.

* * * * *
[Previous 05/08 post bumped]
(Seattle, WA) Since they have become hideouts for druggies and hookers, the Seattle City Council has decided to remove all five high-tech toilets.

Opponents in 2001 said people would use the toilet stalls to conceal illicit behavior, a prediction that came true. The toilets' tech wizardry failed as well. Trash clogged the self-cleaning mechanism, so workers had to clean the stalls.

The Downtown Seattle Association observed more, rather than less, human waste on the streets after the restrooms opened.

It is troubling that the combined brain trusts in the City Council could not see that the idea was crappy at the outset. Seattle taxpayers would have saved millions of dollars.

* * * * *
Seattle Provides High-Tech Toilets for Homeless
[Previous 09/04/07 post]
(Seattle, Washington) In 2004, the city fathers of Seattle signed a $6.6 million contract for five high-tech toilet systems for the homeless in city parks. The deal was for 10 years with the city paying $360 per day per toilet for upkeep by the maintenance company, Northwest Cascade.

After three years, however, some Seattle officials are having second thoughts about the toilets. Breakdowns occur frequently and the toilets have become havens for crime with over 3,000 incidents reported within the last year encompassing everything from narcotics to prostitution to weapons.

Next spring, the city council will revisit the issue and decide whether to continue the contract. Nixing the deal would cost the city $570,170 to buy out of the contract and $250,000 to remove the five facilities.

Opposing the idea of removing the toilets are the homeless advocates. In fact, more help for the homeless is sought. According to Alison Eisinger, executive director of the Seattle/King County Coalition for the Homeless:

"We need resources like hygiene centers ... basic resources for sanitation and dignity," she said. "I would say the homeless need more than just a safe, clean place to pee."

On the other hand, homeless Luigi Gephart calls the toilet a "revolving crack house" and Dafe Chen of the New Century Tea Gallery says he "frequently sees human waste on the park benches -- despite the public toilet just yards away." Anita Woo of the Downtown Seattle Association remarked that reports of human loaves in the streets and alleys have increased since the toilets were installed.

Since Seattle is populated with a very liberal electorate, I anticipate that the toilets will remain after the city council meets. Note that Seattle has been ranked as one of the ten best cities in which to be homeless and, despite the latest difficulties, it will continue to be a popular destination for vagrants.

Also: The Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 08:55:00 AM

No nonsense about Muslim taxicab drivers in the Australian State of Queensland

Company fires them if they object to dogs -- unlike the constipated proceedings in the USA

Some Muslim taxi drivers are refusing to carry blind and disabled passengers with guide dogs - because their religion tells them the animals are "unclean". Brisbane's Yellow Cab Company has been forced to sack drivers over their conduct towards passengers with assistance dogs. Bill Parker, general manager of the firm, said the behaviour would not be tolerated and penalties will be imposed if drivers disobeyed. The company has produced a booklet informing drivers of their duty towards blind and disabled customers with dogs.

Islamic Council of Queensland president Suliman Sabdia said dogs were considered a health risk for Muslims but "to use religion as a reason to refuse blind and disabled passengers is unjustified".

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 08:41:00 AM

Babysitter Sentenced for Deaths of 2 Toddlers

(Erie, Pennsylvania) In May 2007, a 19-year-old babysitter, Brittany N. Steward, fell asleep while watching two toddlers who consequently died.

Steward's half-sister, 20-month-old Jenna Walker, and her friend, two-year-old Maggie Kovski, had wandered off while Steward slept and they drowned in a neighborhood fishing pond.

Apparently, Steward attended a late-night party before her babysitting assignment and just could not stay awake after drinking and partying into the early morning hours. She was arrested on two counts each of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person.

This week, Brittany Steward was sentenced after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child in accordance with a plea agreement.

Erie County Judge John Garhart followed a recommendation by prosecutors Tuesday and sentenced Steward to 11½ to 23 months in Erie County Prison on two counts of endangering the welfare of children, stemming from the toddlers' deaths.

"If I were to hold you fully accountable for the harm you have done, then you would never be free," he said.

"My job is to sentence you for recklessness."

After she completes her jail sentence, Steward is required to serve 44 months on probation, a number derived by adding the ages of the two dead toddlers.

Steward apologized for her actions during the court proceeding.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 05:31:00 AM

Britain's Knife Problems

The Daily Mail is reporting some disturbing data regarding the number and extent of knife crimes in Britain. Statistics indicate that 22,151 knife and sharp instrument crimes were committed during the accounting year ending March 2008 -- not including fatal stabbings which are counted separately by the Home Office.

According to the President of the Police Superintendents' Association, Ian Johnston,

'The public needs to understand this is not just a London or inner-city problem. It is a serious problem all over the country. [...]

'There is now a need for radical, short-term solutions. Serious consideration should be given to the idea of introducing a minimum prison sentence for carrying a knife. I believe this would have a dramatic impact.'

Lock up knife-wielding criminals! That's a smashing idea. Unfortunately, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith thinks the idea is too simple a solution. Smith is against putting knife criminals in jail.

Meanwhile and complicating law enforcement's problems, a deadly exploding-tip knife has been invented and police fear it will soon show up in Britain.

Senior police officers have been warned to look out for a new knife which can inject a ball of compressed gas into its victim that instantly freezes internal organs.

The 'wasp knife', which can deliver a ball of compressed gas capable of killing its victim at the press of a button, may be heading for Britain, the Metropolitan Police fear.

A needle in the tip of the blade shoots out the frozen ball of gas which instantly balloons to the size of a basketball, freezing organs.

The WASP knife is designed as a defensive weapon for use on sharks and bears but it can kill just about anything. It produces a large volume of gas which balloons outward from the injection site and freezes all adjacent tissues and organs. Lovely.

[Update]

From the New York Times, we get this promise from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The prime minister also said the government would intervene directly with as many as 20,000 families whose children were considered at risk of turning to violence because “the mother or father have lost control of their children and their whole life is actually in difficulty.”

Parents who refused to accept the government intervention, he said, would be threatened with eviction from their homes.

So, it appears that as many as 20,000 families will be taken over by the government.

Tip: slwlion

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2008 12:25:00 AM

Show Me Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Boone County, Missouri) A 31-year-old local woman, Angela M. Trouten, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy on multiple occasions.

According to Boone County Sheriff's Detective Tom O'Sullivan, an investigation commenced after authorities received information regarding an alleged sexual relationship.

Trouten told deputies she had sex with the boy, who is a friend of Trouten’s children, four or five times, O’Sullivan said.

"It appears that these incidents occurred sometime earlier this month between, the best we could figure, the second of July and 14th of July," O’Sullivan said.

The alleged incidents occurred at the suspect’s home, O’Sullivan said. She told investigators she was self-employed.

Trouten was booked into custody at the Boone County Jail and later released on $4,500 bond.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 08:42:00 PM

Teacher Gets 9 Months for Sex with Boy, 13

(Ellsworth, Wisconsin) Earlier today, 39-year-old substitute teacher Anne Knopf was convicted of felony sexual assault of a child stemming from engaging in sex with a 13-year-old male student.

Anne Knopf was told today to stay away from the 13-year-old victim or other boys under the age of 18 for five years. She was also sentenced to nine months jail and told to register as a sexual offender.

She had sex with a seventh grade boy several times over a four-month span in 2007, according to court records. The two would exchange emails or instant messages arranging their meetings.

It's still unknown how a 39-year-old woman could be attracted to a 13-year-old boy. And I'm convinced that a 39-year-old man would have received more than 9 months in jail if he were found having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

* * * * *
Wisconsin Teacher, 39, Boy, 13
[Previous 11/06/07 post bumped]
(Ellsworth, Wisconsin) Last month, a 39-year-old substitute teacher at Prescott Middle School, Anne Knopf, was charged with second-degree sexual assault for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old male student.

The student's father alleged he found the two together at a late-night rendezvous after the boy stole his mother's car.

The father filed a restraining order which claims the two had sexual intercourse. He said he has copies of e-mails between the two.

At a court appearance yesterday, a judge ordered Knopf to stand trial.

The criminal complaint states the boy drove his mother's vehicle to Knopf's rural Ellsworth home, once a week, for about four or five weeks.

Court records show this happened between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., when the two would kiss and have sex.

The complaint also states the two would e-mail and instant message each other.

For the past two years, Knopf worked as a substitute teacher in the Prescott School District, including at the middle school, where the boy is a student.

"Nothing indicates anything happened at school but having found out the allegations, we take them very seriously," said Prescott School District Superintendent Roger Hulne. "She's a substitute teacher and we suspended her immediately from the school district."

Hulne says that suspension later turned into a termination: he says Knopf no longer works for the district.

Knopf is free on bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20th when Knopf will plead not guilty, according to her lawyer.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 06:41:00 PM

Illinois Police Trading Shotguns for Assault Rifles

(Schaumburg, Illinois) Local police officers will replace their 12-gauge pump-action shotguns with .223-caliber AR-15 assault rifles.

"This provides our officers with increased firearm power," said Sgt. John Nebl, a police spokesman. "[Rifles] are easily accurate for at least up to 100 yards."

Nebl said the shotguns hold four rounds and are accurate to about 50 yards.

The rifles, which hold 30 rounds, will be issued to officers in late summer or early fall, he said.

This makes sense to me. The rifles are easier to handle and able to match the firepower available to 21st Century criminals and terrorists. To be effective, police should never be outgunned by rapists, murderers, terrorists and thieves.

Companion post at GunWatch.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 05:49:00 PM

Teacher Sentenced for Sex with Boy

(Eugene, Oregon) Sarah Jayne Bridges, 24, pleaded guilty to felony rape and sodomy stemming from engaging in sex on at least two occasions with a middle school boy who now is 15 years old.

As a result, the judge sentenced Bridges to five years' probation and $1,000 in assessments. Additionally,

The judge ordered Bridges to undergo sex-offender treatment and refrain from having any contact with minors without the permission of her probation officer.

She is also required to provide a DNA sample, register as a sex-offender and submit to polygraph examination upon the request of her probation officer.

She was ordered to serve a total of 60 days in jail, a sentence likely to be reduced to fewer than ten days because of jail overcrowding, according to the district attorney's office.

Bridges was reported to be remorseful at sentencing, apologizing for violating her victim's parents' trust.

I'd guess that Bridges' teaching career is over at the ripe age of 24.

* * * * *
Oregon Teacher and Middle School Boy
[Previous 6/7/08 post bumped]
(Eugene, Oregon) A 24-year-old substitute teacher for the Eugene School District, Sarah Jayne Bridges, was arrested last evening for allegedly sexually abusing a middle school boy. A complaint to the school district indicated that the offenses occurred in March.

Bridges was booked into custody at the Lane County Jail on charges of alleged rape, sodomy and sexual abuse.

[Update 6/8/08]

According to a school district press release:

A complaint was made by Eugene School District 4J to the Eugene Police Department on Friday morning alleging Bridges, 24, had sexual activity with a male student. The complaint alleged Bridges had the encounter in March of 2008, with her former student, who is currently in middle school. The alleged activity occurred off campus.

Bridges has been a substitute teacher in the Eugene School District since September 2006. She may have substituted in other districts as well. She taught 66 days in 4J schools in 2006-07, and has taught a total of 85.5 days in 4J this school year.

Bridges teaching privileges have been suspended.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 05:35:00 PM

Texas Teacher and Student, 17

(Katy, Texas) A 35-year-old geometry teacher at Morton Ranch High School, Virginia Isabel Cammack, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old student. The alleged sex reportedly occurred in February.

Cammack faces a charge of improper relationship with a student, a second-degree felony.

The investigation revealed the student, whose name has not been released, went to Cammack’s residence to download music from a computer. During the visit, the two had sex.

An anonymous tip to the school district led to the investigation. The student has reportedly admitted to having sex with Cammack.

Cammack resigned her teaching position. She was booked into custody and released on $20,000 bond.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 04:58:00 PM

NC Teacher and Male Student, 15

(Clinton, North Carolina) A 39-year-old language arts teacher formerly at Hobbton Middle School, Jeannie Michelle Hodges, has been arrested and charged for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student.

Hodges faces charges of statutory rape, sex offense with a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to a release from the Sampson County Sheriff's Office, the relationship transpired during the 2007-08 school year.

Investigators, tipped off by a concerned resident in June, learned that the 15-year-old had stayed overnight with Hodges on several occasions, the release said.

“Ms. Hodges was very open about her relationship with the 15-year-old, which led to the concerned citizen notifying the Sheriff’s Office of the activity,” the release said.

Hodges was booked into custody at the Sampson County Detention Center with bond set at $50,000.

[Update 9/04/08]

Hodges was arrested again last weekend, midnight Friday, at a drivers license checkpoint when a 15-year-old Hispanic male was found driving her car -- the same boy she is accused of molesting.

Following the stop, Hodges, 40, was charged with allowing an unlicensed minor to drive and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, the same charge she received along with two other felony offenses in connection with a separate investigation earlier this summer involving the same teenager.

Hodges, a former teacher with Hobbton Middle School, was arrested in July on charges of statutory rape, sexual offense with a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor following a weeks-long investigation by the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office.

She later posted $50,000 bond and was awaiting trial on the sex charges at the time of Saturday morning’s traffic stop.

When the Ford Explorer approached the checkpoint, police officers stopped it and asked the teenage driver for his driver’s license. He replied that he did not have one. Officers then asked the boy’s age, to which he answered 15, before asking if passenger Hodges had her license. Hodges told officers that she had a license, but not with her, reports state.

Both were asked to exit the Explorer and officers received consent to search it. A search was conducted of both the vehicle and Hodges’ purse. Inside the purse, officers found Hodges’ driver’s license as well as a business card for a local bail bonding service, according to reports.

When officers questioned Hodges about the card, she stated that she recently bonded out of jail on charges of statutory rape. Officers asked if it was the 15-year-old driver, to which she replied yes, authorities said.

The 15-year-old was placed in the custody of his sister. Hodges was booked with bond set at $2,000.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 09:00:00 AM

Would global warming make us dumber?

There is an article here that shows strong ecological correlations between measures of IQ and the mean temperatures of American States.

(Note: "Ecological correlation" is a technical term in statistics that has nothing to do with environmentalism. It refers to correlations between grouped data -- and such correlations must not be confused with correlations among individuals. Ecological correlations are characteristically much higher than individual correlations.)

What the data purport to show is, broadly, that the inhabitants of warm Southern States are dumber than the inhabitants of cool Northern States. There have been previous politically motivated "studies" that purported to show that but they have been shown to be fraudulent or very poorly founded. This study, however, is a scholarly one which uses a reasonable (though still inferential) measure of IQ.

There are however reasons why I believe that the conclusions of the study cannot be accepted. The simplest and strongest objection is the old adage that correlation is not causation. It might not be the warmth in Southern States that causes the lower IQs but some other characteristic of those States. He is very diplomatic about criticizing a co-blogger but Razib points out cultural differences that could be involved, for instance. Different parts of the USA tended to be settled from different areas of the British Isles and cultural differences can be surprisingly persistent over time. And a culture that is highly reverent of education (for instance) might tend to attract high IQ people and repel low IQ people. So New England with its disproportionate number of America's elite universities would draw unto itself the high IQ people from all over and thus raise average IQs there.

I myself once did a lot of research on another aspect of warmer climate: The effect on ideology. My home State of Queensland (in Australia) at one time had a reputation as being particularly conservative so I did survey research to test that. Initially, I found the hypothesis confirmed. Surveys carried out while Queensland was ruled by the very conservative Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen confirmed that Queenslanders were more conservative in general social attitudes than were inhabitants of the more Southerly (and hence cooler) State of New South Wales. I have however never been one to found conclusions on a single piece of research so I kept doing more surveys on the question. And I eventually found that the differences had run their course and were no longer to be found. See here.

So a difference that appeared to be characteristic turned out to be temporary. That could be equally true of the American IQ results reported above. Both conservatism and IQ are highly hereditary so there is no reason to differentiate the two variables for that reason. Heredity may be the dominant influence in both cases but environment does still play a part, a part quite sufficient to explain small geographical differences.

And I want to suggest what one of those environmental differences could be: Dumbed-down education. And a major reason for educational dumbing down is to cover up the extraordinarily poor performance of blacks at educational tasks. So where there are more blacks there will be more pressure to dumb education down. And where are there more blacks? The difference is certainly much less that it was but it is still the Southern States where blacks are proportionately more present. So it is in the South that one is most likely to find down dumbed down education.

And education DOES have a small effect on IQ scores. A widely accepted explanation for the Flynn effect (rising IQ scores over time), for instance, is the increasing test-sophistication that accompanied the rise in average years of education in the second half of the 20th century. So I suspect that the North/South differences that we are looking at above are an effect of poorer education in the South rather than an effect of lower IQs in the South. And it should be noted that the IQ scores used in the research above were in fact inferred from educational attainment.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 06:57:00 AM

Ohio Nurse Sues Perez Hilton

(Cleveland, Ohio) A nurse at a senior living center, Diane Wargo, has filed a lawsuit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court against celebrity blogger Perez Hilton (real name Mario Lavandeira) for publishing an email she sent to him, including her full name and email address. The email reportedly contained gay slurs.

As a result of the posting of the email, Wargo received threats and was fired from her job.

Damages sought haven't been reported, however, Lavandeira's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the lawsuit has no merit since there is no expectation of privacy when an email is transmitted to perezhilton.com.

Personally, without encryption I think it's naive to think that anything on the Internet is private, much less something sent to a gossipmonger.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 05:52:00 AM

Terrorists Imprisoned in Germany

(Stuttgart, Germany) A two-year-trial of three Iraqis has concluded with each being sent to prison for attempting to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in 2004.

High Court Presiding Judge Christine Rebsam-Bender sentenced Ata Abdoulaziz Rashid, the 34-year-old ringleader, to 10 years in prison. Mazen Ali Hussein, 27, received seven and one-half years and 33-year-old Rafik Mohamad Yousef got eight years.

Rashid, who was arrested in Stuttgart, is believed to have been the ringleader and to have been informed of other attacks planned by Ansar al-Islam.

The court found that he collected funds and recruited potential suicide bombers for the group, which has claimed responsibility for a series of bloody attacks on US troops and aid workers.

Authorities found that Hussein, 27, was a close accomplice of Rashid's who also drummed up funding for Ansar al-Islam in Germany.

The court estimated Rashid had raised about €45,000, some €20,000 of which was funnelled to Ansar al-Islam in Iraq to fund attacks and pay stipends to families of suicide bombers.

Hussein told the court in September 2006 that the intention was not to kill the Iraqi leader but to "teach him a lesson". He conceded having made telephone calls which contained coded messages about the plot.

Yousef is believed to have approached Hussein just five days before Allawi's arrival in Germany seeking support for his idea to kill the prime minister.

The assassination plotters were prosecuted under a new law allowing Germany to jail members of foreign terror organizations. Defense attorneys vowed to appeal the verdicts.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2008 05:21:00 AM

Praise the Lord and Pass the Matches

(The Netherlands) On July 1st, smoking was banned in Dutch bars and cafes. On or about that date, the heavens apparently parted and a message from a higher being directed Michiel Eijsbouts to found a church devoted to the trinity of smoke, fire and ash to honor god.

The One and Universal Smokers Church of God was established.

Several dozen bars have joined the movement which claims the Dutch constitution and European rules give it legitimacy under the right to freedom of religion, the paper says.

People who join the church get a membership card entitling them to smoke inside the building.

According to Eijsbouts, the church takes smoking very seriously and members follow the faith very strictly.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 11:25:00 PM

Man Throws Son Off Bridge

(Baltimore, Maryland) A 37-year-old father, Stephen Nelson, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder for tossing his three-year-old son off of a bridge into Baltimore Harbor. A fisherman discovered the body on Saturday.

Nelson confessed to tossing the boy because he was separating from the child's mother, Natasha Johnson, and he couldn't stand having the boy raised by her.

Nelson has a court appearance scheduled for July 29.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 10:11:00 PM

Accused Navy Deserter Arrested at Border

(Buffalo, New York) Last Saturday, a 24-year-old man, Jeffrey Mitchell, attempted to enter New York at the Peace Bridge crossing in Buffalo and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) on a federal warrant out of California.

Additional record checks performed by CBP officers during a secondary inspection revealed that Mitchell was the subject of a nation-wide felony warrant issued on May 2, 2007 by the U.S. Navy Absentee Collection and Information Center. The warrant charges Mitchell with military desertion.

CBP officers verified the validity of the warrant and confirmed extradition. Mitchell was then arrested and turned over to the custody of the Buffalo Police Department pending extradition to California.

Mitchell told officers that he was returning from a two-day vacation in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 08:58:00 PM

Police Search for Woman on Parole

(Portland, Oregon) Police are searching for a convicted sex offender, Annette Haugen, for failing to check in with her parole officer.

Haugen was convicted of sex abuse charges in 2005 when she was sexually aggressive toward a teenage boy, police said.

She also served two years for a burglary in 2005.

Haugen's last known whereabouts was northeast Portland. Anyone with information is directed to call 911.

911? That's odd.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 11:40:00 AM

Canada Orders Deportation of U.S. Army Deserter

(Vancouver, British Columbia) Yesterday, Canadian Federal Court Justice Anne Mactavish ordered 25-year-old U.S. Army deserter Robin Long to be deported back to the United States.

Monday's hearing in Vancouver was his last opportunity to argue that he should be allowed to remain in Canada. He did not appear in court. His lawyer, Shepherd Moss, told Justice Mactavish that his perspective of the war in Iraq had changed soon after he had completed training at Fort Knox. He became aware of alleged abuses and war crimes being committed by the U. S. Army.

Mr. Long, his lawyer said, "surmised that these crimes were systemic and were condoned by the Bush administration...He didn't want to go to Iraq and participate in these crimes."

He did not attempt to seek conscientious objector status with the military. Instead, Mr. Long deserted and entered Canada.

Mr. Moss argued Monday that errors were made in previous immigration decisions against his client. Evidence of alleged human rights abuses by U.S. soldiers in Iraq was "not considered," he claimed.

"New evidence has come to light that war crimes and crimes against humanity are systemic" in Iraq, said Mr. Moss. He pointed to a written submission he had delivered to the court. "There wasn't very much in there that relates to the war in Iraq," countered Justice Mactavish. "What do you say about that?"

Mr. Moss replied by discussing a conflict in Peru.

What a minute! What kind of lawyer is Mr. Moss? The judge says tell me about Iraq and he replies with a discussion about Peru! Huh?

Again, the judge pressed him for "new evidence" pertaining to the war in Iraq. Mr. Moss offered that a United Nations committee had found that detainees in Iraq "are tortured."

It might come out "later" that more war crimes are being committed by the U.S., he added. "The rest of the world didn't know about the Holocaust until the end of World War Two," Mr. Moss told the court. "Mr. Long's submissions are not far-fetched."

Apparently, Mr. Moss' legal argument is based predicted evidence. Based upon what he predicts will happen, Robin Long deserves refugee status. Sheesh!

Long stated that he originally deserted because of systemic abuses and war crimes committed by the U.S. Army and condoned by the Bush administration. Joining a "bunch of hippies," he crossed the border into Canada, ultimately going to the small B.C. community of Nelson, a sanctuary for deserters. Since that time, Long has hurt himself by being arrested as an illegal alien in Canada and for working without authoritization.

Meanwhile, activists are gathering at noon today at the Peace Arch on the U.S.-Canada border and in Toronto to protest Long's deportation.

The War Resisters Support Campaign is demanding to know why the federal government is pursuing the punishment and deportation of courageous Iraq War conscientious objectors seeking refuge in Canada for refusing to participate in the illegal and immoral Iraq war.

Should Long be deported, he will be the first deserter returned to the U.S. since the Iraq War began.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 09:59:00 AM

Probation for Killing Baby and Child Sex Crime

(Leeds, England) Yesterday, a 26-year-old local woman, Martina McHattie, received a six-month suspended sentence for engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy.

After sentencing was imposed for the child sex crime, the court was allowed to release details of McHattie's manslaughter trial which concluded in May.

McHattie pleaded guilty to manslaughter for causing the death of her six-month old son in October 2004.

Leeds Crown Court heard she shook him and threw him against a hard object, fracturing his skull.

Reece died four days after the assault in October, 2004, after doctors said further treatment would be futile.

Police investigated after doctors suspected the tot was not the victim of an accidental fall as his mum had said, but there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

The incident at McHattie's home in Wakefield, only came to light two years later when she admitted she had caused Reece's death because she was unable to cope.

As a result of the conviction for manslaughter, Judge Peter Collier imposed a 12-month suspended sentence. Prior to sentencing, the judge heard that McHattie had attempted suicide and concluded that her feelings of guilt would be satisfactory punishment.

In summary, after convictions for a child sex crime and a homicide, Martina McHattie was allowed to walk out of court as a free woman, presumably with feelings of guilt.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2008 09:24:00 AM

Australian government minister 'free to call Scientologists bastards'

Hurrah for my native land!

"The South Australian Government was at odds with the Church of Scientology last night after backing the right of a senior state minister to brand its members "bastards".

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith has also questioned the organisation's tax-free status in comments to an anti-Scientology group called Anonymous, which it posted on popular internet site YouTube.

While declaring Dr Lomax-Smith was entitled to her opinion, a spokeswoman for Premier Mike Rann distanced the Government from the remarks, saying they represented a private view, The Australian reports.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 11:59:00 PM

Pregnant Group Home Housemother Accused of Sex with Boy

(Warren County, Ohio) A 25-year-old married teacher and group home housemother, Carolynn Hatcher, has been charged with multiple counts of felony sexual battery for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy with whom she became pregnant.

As a result, Hatcher is now in the middle of divorce proceedings while the 16-year-old foster child has run away, disappeared onto the streets. Attempts to find him are hindered by the fact that he's a victim of sexual abuse and his identity must be kept confidential.

Butler County Children Services, who has legal custody of the boy, has hired a private investigator to find him.

Hatcher was booked into custody at the Warren County Jail and released on $30,000 bond.

[Update 07/16/08]

According to the Dayton Daily News, the boy was found safe at his grandparents' home in Middletown on Tuesday. Also, Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel remarked that Hatcher believed she was in love with the boy.

[Update 9/17/08]

Carolynn Hatcher pleaded guilty today to three counts of sexual battery in Warren County Common Pleas Court. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 5th.

[Update 11/5/08]

Hatcher sentenced to prison.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 04:37:00 PM

Fat Nurse Program

(United Kingdom) At a cost of £250,000 ($500,000), British taxpayers will foot the bill for the National Health Service (NHS) fat nurse program.

Overweight nurses are to get personal trainers and high street vouchers to encourage them to lose weight.

More than 200 NHS staff are being equipped with pedometers and offered motivational fitness coaches to help them slim down.

They have been promised £20 of high street store vouchers if they manage to keep the weight off during the year-long pilot.

The scheme, as it is called, encompasses "motivational talks from health coaches and participants can upload data from their pedometers onto a computer to chart their progress." Also, rewards and vouchers will be given for those completing health assessment forms and participating in events.

In all candor, the program, as described, doesn't seem to be anything worth getting jazzed about. A year of following a mandated regimen for a lousy £20 ($40) payout is hardly a windfall and I can't imagine any nurse wanting to fill out more forms or spend more time uploading data to a computer.

Critics believe the money would be better spent on treating patients.

Companion post at SocGlory.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 02:48:00 PM

Children's Sack Races Too Risky

(County Durham, England) Some true utopians in Britain have concluded that schoolchildren participating in sack races and three-legged races are at risk of falling over. As a result, there will be no races.

Hundreds of children were due to compete in the events at an Edwardian-themed sports day on Monday but the races were dropped amid fears a child would fall over and be hurt.

The decision has been criticised as "completely over the top".

Teachers at John F Kennedy Primary in Washington, Tyne and Wear, dropped the traditional races after discussions with staff from Beamish Open Air Museum, where the sports day will be staged.

Children taking part are to dress in period costume and play old-fashioned games as part of the school's centenary celebrations.

According to educator Simon Woolley, the children will be hopping and running instead of three-legged and sack racing because there is less a chance of falling over.

I'm not surprised by the ban. Previously, we've had reports of schools banning dodgeball and playing tag in the schoolyard. All the while, the same utopians try to figure out why kids are putting on weight. Instead of encouraging more activity, though, the utopian solution is to force-feed unappetizing "healthy food" to children for lunches and snacks.

Tip: Eric M.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 09:02:00 AM

The birth certificate puzzle gets more interesting still

Was Barack born a bastard? If his father was already married -- which he was -- a marriage in Hawaii between Obama senior and Obama's mother could not legally have taken place.

Michelle Obama had a round table discussion, according to Huffington Post and made a little Freudian slip "His own mother, she said at the beginning of her remarks, was "very young and very single when she had him."

This is, of course, a departure from the official biography wherein Barry says his parents married when she was 3 months pregnant. Of course, how could a clerk in the Hawaiian clerk's office issue a marriage license for them, when Barack Sr. was already married in Kenya?

In this day and age, however, that in itself is still not enough cause for him to refuse to present a valid birth certificate, other than the obviously photo-shopped, GIIMP fraud posed on his official website.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 07:05:00 AM

Anti-Asian Bias Alleged at Princeton

A young Asian immigrant, Jian Li, has claimed that he was rejected by Princeton University because of an anti-Asian bias on the part of admissions decision-makers.

Consequently, the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights is reviewing Princeton's admissions process, looking for evidence of discrimination.

Critics say admission quotas remain a dirty little secret in academia.

"There is almost no other area that colleges consistently lie about," said Russell Nieli, a professor in Princeton's department of politics, who recently published an essay titled "Is there an Asian Ceiling?"

Princeton, for its part, denies using quotas. The university declined, however, to release admissions data broken down by race and test scores, spokeswoman Cass Cliatt said, "because we don't want anyone to make the mistake that we make admissions decisions by category."

The federal review at Princeton -- which adamantly denies it discriminates against Asians -- was sparked by a complaint filed in 2006 by Livingston High School graduate and Asian immigrant Jian Li. He claims he was rejected by Princeton and other elite universities despite graduating in the top 1 percent of his high school class, earning various honors outside the classroom and nailing perfect SAT scores.

Nieli said Li's complaint, because it was made by an Asian-American, may carry more weight with proponents of racial preferences.

"The people making these decisions are post-'60s guilty white limousine liberals," Nieli said. "They don't take a protest by a white person as seriously as one by a Chinese or Japanese or Korean student."

I guess it's a foregone conclusion that an anti-white bias exists but it's not considered to be discrimination. After all, we must remember that:

A commitment to "acting affirmatively to ensure diversity," Cliatt said, is not the same as discriminating.

I hope everyone else is clear on that because it sounds like double-talk to me.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 06:22:00 AM

Concert Spectators Blinded by Lasers

(Vladimir, Russia) More than 30 people at a music festival on July 5th were blinded by lasers.

"Usually, laser beams at such concerts are directed into the air. But it was raining heavily and the organizers had to stretch a canopy over the dance floor, and the [laser] beam at times fell below the canopy," one of the victims was quoted by Kommersant as saying.

A doctor told Kommersant that many of the victims, aged between 16 and 30, who sought medical treatment were suffering from burnt retinas.

Doctors say the "loss of eyesight is up to 80% in some cases" and for some of the victims "it will not be possible" to restore their eyesight.

The director of the laser show, Valentin Vasilyev, said that the laser would instantaneously burn the retina. He blamed poorly trained personnel and badly maintained equipment.

Since Valentin was in charge, I'd blame him.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 05:45:00 AM

Rikers Guard Investigated for Tryst with Accused Cop Killer

(Rikers Island, New York) A 34-year-old Rikers Island corrections officer, Kadessha Mulgrav, is under investigation for an alleged relationship with accused cop killer Lee Woods, 29.

The investigation began after Mulgrav was caught by surveillance camera taking Woods into the showers after hours. With no cameras in the shower area, it's only suspected that they engaged in intimacy.

Other guards have also been implicated for giving Woods preferential treatment. Officials are investigating how Woods was able to obtain marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol and an illegal SIM card for a cell phone. Additionally, someone (Mulgrav is suspected) gave Woods a handcuff key which was spotted in his digestive system by a metal detector prior to a court appearance.

Woods is accused of the July 9, 2007, shooting and killing of Brooklyn Police Officer Russell Timoshenko, 23, during a traffic stop. Timoshenko and partner Herman Yan pulled over a stolen $50,000 BMW carrying Woods and two accomplices. Yan recovered from his wounds, Timoshenko did not.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 05:37:00 AM

Iraq Signs Oil Deal with Turkey

(Ankara, Turkey) The deal appears to be a monumental step forward for both Iraq and Turkey. Turkey gets access to the world's second-largest known oil reserves and Iraq gets to send its product to market via a viable route that bypasses the Persian Gulf.

From Turkish Daily News:

A visit by the prime minister to Iraq last week paved the ground for a new era between Ankara and Baghdad, setting the ground for immense energy cooperation between the two countries as various agreements were reached.

A landmark consensus to secure Turkey's rights to Iraqi oil, which grants authorization to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, or TPAO, for oil exploration, drilling and marketing, was reached in a written document signed by the Iraqi oil minister at the last minute.

Details still need to be worked out.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2008 05:36:00 AM

Gay Redefined?

(Seoul, South Korea) According to the South Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, the online sex trade is flourishing in South Korea and male same-sex encounters are a large portion of the cases.

The information prompted a director at the Central Inspection Bureau, Park Eun-jung, to remark that male same-sex occurrences "do not necessarily mean that the persons involved were homosexual."

Okay. I give up. What does it mean?

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 11:21:00 PM

Abortion in Britain

(London, England) As members of the British Parliament are considering proposals to liberalize abortion laws, making it more available, data from the Department of Health Statistics have been released indicating that abortions are already quite easy to obtain.

Record numbers of women are having two or more abortions, fuelling fears that they are increasingly seen as an alternative to contraception.

One third of terminations are carried out on women who have had at least one before - and some have had eight or more.

Some girls are on their fourth abortion before they reach 18, figures from the Department of Health show.

One might suggest that a lesson would be learned when women, particularly the very young, have repeat abortions. Logically, when behavior produces repeated bad results, resources are allocated to change behavior. Statistics indicate that harmful behavior is not only continuing but increasing. Year to year, the number of women having abortions and having repeat abortions is increasing.

I haven't researched the statistics for abortions in the U.S. but I would suggest that they are substantively similar to those in Britain.

Some contend that abortion has simply become the last ditch stab at birth control. That is my conclusion.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 04:33:00 PM

Bridge Stressing Wayward Dolphins?

(Sea Bright, New Jersey) The state of New Jersey is building a new bridge across the Shrewsbury River and the Department of Transportation has expressed concern for a pod of "wayward" dolphins.

As a result, a dolphin "spotter" has been hired to determine if the dolphins are stressed. Two-thousand taxpayer dollars will be disbursed for one day's looking. Helluva job.

Interestingly, this story is big news in the local area where there seems to reside a large number of people well-versed in dolphin waywardness. My perspective is that the dolphins, in water and roaming freely, are behaving normally. Now, if the dolphins were found to be maneuvering down the sidewalk in the business district, I'd say they were wayward.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 09:01:00 AM

It wasn't the Bernie Mac Obama thought he knew

I guess lots of readers have heard of the "sexist" joke made by raunchy comedian Bernie Mac at an Obama fundraiser. Some details here. Anything that speaks ill of women is sexist, of course. But you can mock men all you like.

I have not so far seen anyone put up a full version of the joke as told at the Obama function but it is a very old and well-known joke anyhow. Below is the last version of it that I heard. You will see that it actually speaks ill of men too. Or does it? Is it bad to accuse a man of homosexuality? We keep being told that it not:

"A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between potentially and realistically?" The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your brother if he'd sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy asked his mother and she replied, "Of course I would! I wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that." The boy then asked his sister and she replied, "Oh my God! I would just love to do that! I would be nuts to pass up that opportunity!" The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million could buy?"

The boy pondered that, then went back to his dad. His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between potentially and realistically?" The boy replied, "Yes,dad. Potentially, we're sitting on three million dollars. But realistically, we're living with two sluts and a queer.

Bernie Mac is well-known for profane language so Obama should have known what he was getting when he approved the hiring of the man. But Obama often seems to find out with surprise that people he knew were not what he thought they were.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 06:07:00 AM

Sunday Health Reminder

Brad and Angelina, congratulations and take note.

It's also recommended that the baby not be choked while nursing.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 06:00:00 AM

New Knife Rules Include Customer Screening

(London, England) Expected today, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will announce new knife control rules in an attempt to reduce the crisis in knife crime throughout the United Kingdom.

Ms Smith has written to police chief constables to highlight their powers under the Violent Crime Reduction Act to crack down on licensed premises that could be at the centre of unruly and criminal behaviour.

The police are to force pubs and clubs associated with knives or guns to search people on entry, under threat of losing their licences.

So, before a person can enjoy a pint and a game of darts, he/she will have to be searched. Business-owners are being forced to frisk their customers for fear of losing their licenses to operate.

Home Secretary Smith expressed shock at the tragedy of knife crime and has vowed to "increase the visibility of sentencing" for knife crimes. However, she rejects the idea of sending knife criminals to jail, saying it's too simple a solution.

I'm perplexed. No, better yet, WTF! It sounds like Jacqui Smith wants to make it more well-known that knife criminals don't go to jail. Does that make a lick of sense to anybody?

Frankly, I believe there are people in Britain who would like to outlaw knives completely, as was done with guns. Unfortunately, there is one seemingly insurmountable hurdle to the banishment of all knives. It's called "the kitchen."

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2008 12:09:00 AM

Former Diplomat Gets Prison for Hate Crime

(Washington, D.C.) A 50-year-old career foreign service officer retired from the U.S. State Department, W. Patrick Syring, pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of Arabs and was sentenced to one year in prison.

Syring admittedly made racist threats against employees of the Arab American Institute including President James Zogby.

The charges stem from messages he left at AAI in the midst of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"The only good Arab is a dead Arab," Syring said in a profanity-laden July 2006 voice-mail message delivered to AAI, which promotes Arab American participation in elections and policy issues.

After federal prosecutors in the District accused him of intimidating the workers based on their national origin, Syring sent an incendiary message to a television station where Zogby had been interviewed. In the March 2008 e-mail, Syring repeated some of the language from his phone call and accused Zogby of "promoting the interest of Hezbollah, Hamas and Arab terror."

Syring was also ordered to complete 100 hours community service and was fined $10,000.

According to U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor, "There is no room in our society for the intolerance of other races or national origins, particularly by those who hold positions in the government." That's interesting since Syring's words don't seem to be substantively different from Islamists who regularly call for the deaths of Jews, Christians and other infidels in public pronouncements.

Funny, but I don't recall the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division prosecuting the Islamists for intolerance of other races or national origins. Agreed, they don't hold positions in the government but a hate crime is a hate crime. Right?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Syring. My complaint is against hate crime prosecutions which regularly appear to be more political than criminal in nature.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2008 07:10:00 PM

Saudi Woman Arrested for Driving

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) A 23-year-old woman was arrested this week for driving a car, a violation of Saudi law.

According to Al-Hayat and Al-Watan reports the woman was arrested and taken to the Al-Shimaliyah Police Station where her guardian was summoned for her release.

Jeddah Police Spokesman Col. Misfir Al-Je’aid told Al-Madina, that the girl was spotted by police driving in the Al-Azizia district where she was stopped and taken into custody.

It's unknown what punishment the woman will receive. It's also unknown why a 23-year-old adult woman would have a guardian, however, another source says that the woman was released after her parents paid bail.

In any event, the question of whether adult women have or don't have official guardians remains unanswered.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2008 04:06:00 PM

Woman Avoids Trial in Child Sex Case - Updated

(West Palm Beach, Florida) The charges against Jill Goldsmith were amended from felony lewd and lascivious acts to a reduced count of battery on a child. As a result, Goldsmith qualified for pretrial intervention.

A Wellington woman charged with harboring runaway boys and having sex with at least one of them agreed to a one-year pretrial intervention program Monday, and a felony charge will be dropped if she completes its simple provisions, authorities said.

Jill Goldsmith, 31, must undergo counseling with a psychiatrist or psychologist for a year, and she must attend Palm Beach Community College or Keiser College. If she does, the state will drop a charge of battery on a child.

According to defense attorney Jim Eisenberg, although she's 31 years old, Goldsmith has the maturity and mental state of a teenager. Consequently, even though she had sex with the boy "too many times to count," Goldsmith walks away without jail.

It's probably been used before but it's the first time I've heard of the "immaturity defense" deflecting culpability in child sex crimes. I'm guessing it won't work when a 31-year-old man gets jiggy with a 15-year-old girl and murmurs, "Goo-goo, please be my mommy."

* * * * *
Florida Woman Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 3/21/08 post bumped]
(Palm Beach, Florida) A 31-year-old local woman, Jill Goldsmith, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Goldsmith has been charged with lewd and lascivious battery, child abuse and making false statements regarding the relationship with the boy. Police suspect there are two more victims.

Goldsmith's relationship with teenagers first drew investigators' attention in May, when two teens under criminal investigation told detectives that they had sexual relations with Goldsmith, according to a detective's report.

They said Goldsmith would buy them clothing in exchange for sex and would provide them with alcohol, marijuana, Ecstasy and cigarettes, the report said. Goldsmith denied the allegations.

The two also said Goldsmith was having sex with a third teenager, which Goldsmith acknowledged. She told investigators that she found out later that he wasn't 18 yet. [ ... ]

[D]etectives went to the teen's house. They told his mother he was having sex with a woman twice his age, the report said.

The teenager told detectives that Goldsmith gave him money, alcohol and cigarettes and smoked marijuana with him. He said he lied "because he thought it was wrong and did not want to get Jill into trouble," the report said.

Goldsmith was booked into custody and released on $8,000 bond.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2008 08:41:00 AM

Birth certificate petition shut down by threat from Obama supporter

Post below recycled from Red Ink . See the original for links

By now, even the people living under rocks have heard about Obama's forged birth certificate. This is worrisome for a number of reasons. First off, that he and/or his campaign staff thought the general public was that stupid/gullible (well, on second thought, he DOES have a lot of supporters, maybe a lot of them ARE that stupid.), and secondly why on earth would they feel that they needed to submit a forgery? Is he a native US citizen or not? Or is this about his name? or his parent's religion? Either way, it is a reasonable thing to look at since after all, there is that little legal requirement that he be a native US citizen, and not just a naturalized one. One person put up a website for an online petition calling for the REAL birth certificate to be released, but within hours of it going up, someone, using the site operator's home address, left a veiled threat against the site operator and his family.

""Petition Closed

A veiled threat was made against myself and my family which included our home address, so I have decided to close the petition for good. It is truly sad that political discourse in our country has come to this. "

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2008 07:31:00 AM

Tony Snow Dies

Breaking news!

Former White House spokesman, talk-show host and commentator Tony Snow, died of colon cancer early this morning. He was 53.

Snow is survived by his wife , a son and two daughters. Condolences to the family.

Rest in peace, Tony. You will be missed.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2008 12:06:00 AM

Confession in Canadian Model's Slaying - Updated

(Shanghai, China) After an intense manhunt by area law enforcement agencies led by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, 18-year-old Chen Jun of Anhui Province was arrested for killing Canadian model Diana Gabrielle O'Brien.

After questioning, Chen reportedly confessed to the murder.

Chen said he followed the model to her apartment, broke in to steal her belongings and -- when she resisted -- killed her in a bloody struggle.

When arrested, Chen had O'Brien's laptop and money in his possession.

With the Olympics due to begin soon, Chinese authorities are very sensitive to public criticism so they spared no resources in searching for the killer of O'Brien. They were quite timely in getting a confession also.

* * * * *
Canadian Model Found Dead in China
[Previous 7/08/08 post]

(Shanghai, China) The body of a young Canadian model, Diana Gabrielle O'Brien, was found Sunday and Chinese authorities are treating it as a homicide.

O'Brien's body was found Sunday in Shanghai by her roommate, another B.C. model, on the steps outside the apartment building where they lived, according to friends.

O'Brien had been supposed to go to Kunming, Yunnan, a city near the Chinese border with Vietnam, on assignment over the weekend. She left her apartment Saturday, but obviously did not leave Shanghai.

Last month, she left her home on B.C.'s Saltspring Island for a three-month modelling contract in Shanghai with Jh Model Agency, but had recently told friends she wanted to cut things short and return home in two weeks. O'Brien said she was not happy with the type of assignments she was given.

The modelling scene in Shanghai is hot and busy but there seems to be little likelihood that O'Brien could have become deeply immersed in it in the short time she was in the city.

Unlike many countries, it is not all photo-shoot jobs in China. A lot of models are hired for club and restaurant openings or product launches, where they are hired to "decorate" the scene. It is not unusual for them to be sent to "dancing" jobs.

It appears that 22-year-old O'Brien was doing the dancing jobs for Jh Model Agency, a top modeling firm in China. According to Steve Chao of CTV, "She was forced to dance in bars and promote things like whiskey." As of today, Jh Model Agency's website has been shut down.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police informed friends and family of O'Brien's death. Little information has been forthcoming since the notification which is frustrating everyone.

According to this source, there have been no reports of O'Brien's death in Chinese media.

Also: Jawa Report

[Update 3:50 PM]

New information has surfaced.

A 22-year-old B.C. model who was found dead in China earlier this week may have been the victim of a botched break-and-enter, her boyfriend said Tuesday.

"Everything had been stolen from the apartment - all their cameras and laptops," said Joel Berry from the Saltspring Island, B.C., home the two share.

His girlfriend of five years, Diana Gabrielle O'Brien, was found dead in a stairwell of her Shanghai apartment Sunday by her roommate, another B.C. model.

Tip: Rahntwo

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2008 06:32:00 PM

Taliban Leaders Arrested in Pakistan

(Islamabad, Pakistan) According to Pakistani government official Rehman Malik, the Frontier Constabulary has arrested Taliban leader Amjad and four associates. Also a tipster led law enforcers to arrest Rafiuddin, the Taliban commander believed responsible for the siege of the police station in Hangu, southwest of Peshawar.

Interestingly, during the arrest of Rafiuddin, hand grenades and "poisonous injections" were found and seized. Malik said it was the first time that evidence has been found that the Taliban is armed with injectable poisons.

The recent government operation in the tribal areas of the Northwest Frontier Province was prompted by terrorist blasts in Islamabad and Karachi. No arrests have been made regarding the terrorist blasts but the operation has resulted in the arrest of 32 Taliban commanders and the destruction of 12 hideouts. Troops are now being pulled. Tribal leaders have promised to help maintain law and order.

Based on the reporting, it appears that the Pakistani government is being proactive with regard to the Taliban and achieving results. Frankly, though, I'm unconvinced that the government is doing anything more than a token effort.

The armed bad guys who are arrested typically don't serve harsh sentences since the court system is in chaos. High-profile bad guys are regularly set free in hostage-prisoner exchanges. And, frequently, prisoners are successful at escaping. Therefore, I'd suggest that the Pakistani government is merely nipping at the margins of the overall problem.

[Update]

From a later report:

PESHAWAR/HANGU: Amid a strict curfew clamped on Thursday, the security forces on Friday continued the search operation against the Taliban in Doaba region of the troubled Hangu district and rounded 19 suspected militants from various parts of the town.

On the other hand, militants led by Baitullah Mehsud claimed to have captured 29 security personnel from Hangu and threatened to start killing them one by one from today (Saturday) afternoon if the military operation was not stopped and the militants released.

"We will be left with no option but to start killing the captive soldiers if our people were not released by 2 pm Saturday," threatened Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Omar called The News from an undisclosed location and claimed they had captured 29 security personnel including, 12 Pakistan Army soldiers, eight paramilitary FC personnel and seven policemen, from Doaba and Thall areas after the local police arrested their peaceful Taliban colleagues from Doaba Bazaar.

Residents of Hangu are leaving their homes for safer places due to an understandable fear of bloodshed. The Taliban militants are currently in a standoff with Pakistani soldiers. Tribal officials are demanding a meeting tomorrow in Peshawar to find a peaceful solution.

In summary, the government better start removing its forces or the Taliban will start murdering hostages. Meanwhile, spokesman Maulvi Omar demanded restoration of communications in the area or cell phone towers would be toppled.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2008 08:59:00 AM

Which is it? Global warming caused by more smog or by less smog?

Don't laugh. It's easy: To a Greenie, EVERYTHING is bad and causes global warming

1) Study links global warming to more smog

Excerpt: U.S. environmental regulators quietly published a draft study on Thursday that linked global warming to higher levels of smog that could harm human health, a report green groups said stood in contrast to the Bush Administration's slow movement on climate change.

Source

2) Study links global warming to less smog

Excerpt: Goodbye air pollution and smoky chimneys, hello brighter days. That's been the trend in Europe for the past three decades - but unfortunately cleaning up the skies has allowed more of the sun's rays to pierce the atmosphere, contributing to at least half the warming that has occurred.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2008 12:13:00 AM

Enlargement Priestess Mak Erot Has Died

(Java, Indonesia) Popular, craggy-faced Mak Erot became famous for her purported penis-lengthening prowess. She now is reported to have died. Mak Erot's age was somewhere between 101 and 130.

Clients from throughout Indonesia and Asia sought her treatments and, now, those of Mak Erot's grandson, Haji Baban, who inherited the business.

Mak Erot passed on her "science" to her five children and sixteen grandchildren who account for her 21 true heirs, a select order of masters of male enhancement.

A consultation with Haji Baban is an encounter with the arcane. Sitting cross-legged in semi-darkness, the patient is asked to detail his wishes with the visual aid of a selection of carved wooden phalluses.

Then comes the diagnosis, delivered after a contemplative silence.

Solemnly, Haji Baban intones that the client's appendage is "fairly average," and offers to conjour up a six-centimetre (2.3-inch) extension.

The prescription for such whopping growth is a 10-day course of eating and drinking mystery concoctions and secret potions, with the first dose of bitter berries to be taken immediately, washed down with dark brown liquid.

An assistant then brings a phallus-shaped bamboo tube containing a roll of sticky coconut rice that has to be swallowed whole to avoid what Haji Baban describes ominously as "terrible genital consequences".

Haji Baban ends the consultation with a vegetable oil that the client must promise to apply daily with a specific hand action from base to tip. And no eating green bananas or citronella, he orders.

So, the spirit of Mak Erot lives on in the tradition of magical, sexual healing, continued by her heirs.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 11:59:00 PM

NYTimes Stock at 10-Year Low

According to Lehman Brothers analyst Craig Huber,

"We think the shares have significant further downside risk over the next year as the stock is the most expensive in the [newspaper] group, plus Street estimates remain way too high in our opinion."

He urges the company, which is run by CEO Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr., to cut its dividend, claiming it should utilize the money to pare down the company's $1.05 billion debt.

"The prudent thing to do would be to pay down debt and continue to evaluate the landscape for Internet acquisitions," said Huber in a memo to customers.

It looks like the Times has to start doing things dramatically different.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 10:49:00 PM

Wisconsin Teacher Sentenced for Sex with Boy

(Polk County, Wisconsin) Brenda Baillargeon, 40, was sentenced this morning to one year in the county jail and 15 years probation for engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student.

She was scheduled to begin her county jail sentence, a condition of probation, the same day as sentencing, July 15, at 5 p.m. She must serve 365 days, with no credit for any previous time in jail, the judge noted. If she violates probation during the next 15 years, she will be sentenced to serve five years in prison.

Baillargeon must also register as a sex offender and complete sex offender treatment.

According to court records, the 16-year-old was Baillargeon's first love and she planned on marrying him after she got a divorce. Naturally, her plans have now changed.

[Update 7/11/08]

Another source provides more details about married, mother-of-four Brenda Baillargeon.

The boy's family, according to the court's victim advocate, said they were satisfied with the outcome.

The teenager's mother became suspicious about the relationship last fall -- a relationship Baillargeon and the boy first denied to investigators. The mother obtained a restraining order, which Baillargeon repeatedly ignored.

She had sex with him at his home, at his grandfather's cabin, on a bench at a nearby park and at her cabin near Amery over the course of seven months, Steffen said.

Baillargeon also took him on trips and sneaked into his home in the early morning hours for sex, the court records said. He saved his summer earnings for an engagement ring, and after she got a divorce, they planned to marry and move to North Carolina, where he wanted to become a NASCAR mechanic.

Additionally, Baillargeon was banished from her hometown of Avery for 15 years. If she violates the banishment or any other terms of her probation, Baillargeon will go to prison for five years.

* * * * *
Wisconsin Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 11/15/07 post]
(Polk County, Wisconsin) A 39-year-old teacher's aide at Amery High School, Brenda Baillargeon, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Court documents show she and the 16 year-old boy had sex ten times and were engaged to be married. Court records show the teen's mother got a restraining order against Baillargeon, but the relationship continued.

The Amery School Administrator tells us she resigned September 27th and hasn't been back to school since.

Baillargeon faces charges of sexual assault of a student by school staff and child enticement with sexual contact. She also faces charges of knowingly violating a restraining order.

Baillargeon was booked into custody with bail set at $10,000. A court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow.

[Update 03/29/08]

From WEAU.com:

On Friday morning, Baillargeon entered no contest pleas for one count of sex assault of a student by school staff and one count of child enticement with sexual contact.

The judge dismissed three other felony charges.

No information was provided on sentencing.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 08:39:00 PM

Chrysler Building Sold

New owner is the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 09:03:00 AM

"Not evil, just wrong": A movie that the Greenies will not want people to see

A movie that looks at how sanctimony and misunderstanding drove environmentalists to stop Africans from using DDT to help save children's lives and how the model is repeating itself in the Global Warming debate with even greater tragic consequences. View Trailer

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 08:26:00 AM

Teacher Caught with Heroin Gets Probation

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Yesterday, Mary Steck was sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski to six months probation, without a verdict.

If Steck stays clean, the charges against her may be dropped.

"I thank the cops for helping me get my life back," the North Side woman said yesterday as she waited for a hearing to begin in City Court. "I have a disease."

After five years of using drugs, Ms. Steck, 51, said she is now clean. She finished a rehab program and plans to continue attending counseling sessions.

Nevertheless, Steck is expected to lose her job with Pittsburgh Public Schools along with her teaching license.

* * * * *
Teacher Caught with Heroin
[Previous 5/30/08 post]
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) A 51-year-old physics teacher at Perry Traditional Academy, Mary C. Steck, was arrested this week after being caught in a police drug sting.

Steck has been charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the police reports, city detectives were conducting an investigation along Atwood Street on the North Side watching for drug sales in response to complaints from neighbors.

Police say they identified a black Honda CRV, which was parked in Steck's driveway as a vehicle that pulled onto the street on Wednesday.

Investigators report that Steck was driving and a male passenger got out, handed money to another man, who then gave him several small white packets.

Detectives say they later stopped the vehicle on Marshall Avenue and found the bags of suspected heroin and a syringe in Steck's purse. She later admitted she was a teacher at Perry High School, police say.

Steck was arraigned yesterday morning and released on bond. She has been suspended from her $72,000 per year teaching position pending completion of an investigation.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 07:32:00 AM

No Jail for Church Leader in Boy Sex Case

(Springfield, Missouri) In May 2008, former church youth leader Angela Hurt, 33, pleaded guilty to statutory rape and statutory sodomy stemming from having a long-term sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy.

In compliance with the plea agreement, Hurt was sentenced this month to five years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

The victim's mother was clearly disappointed that Hurt received no jail.

The mother told the judge that, before the crime took place, her son was involved in football, and played guitar in the church youth group. She says, after it happened, the teen stopped being involved altogether.

Hurt was ordered to stay away from the boy as part of her probation.

Regarding the $10 million civil suit, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement and the lawsuit was dismissed. All signed a confidentiality agreement so details of the settlement are secret.

* * * * *
Church Youth Leader and Boy, 15
[Previous 5/30/07 entry]
(Springfield, Missouri) A 32-year-old church youth leader, Angela Hurt, faces charges of rape and sodomy for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

According to court documents, the boy said that he and Hurt engaged in sexual intercourse about 20 times from January to March 2005, mostly at her Springfield home. Also, the boy's mother stated that she had found Angela Hurt hiding outside her son's bedroom window on occasion in the past. The boy admitted that he would sneak out the window at night to meet Hurt.

Angela Hurt is scheduled for trial in July.

Meanwhile, the boy's family has filed suit against Angela Hurt, the Cornerstone Church, Pastor Jess Gibson, church staff members and Hurt's husband, Robert Hurt. The suit claims that all the parties were aware of the illicit child sex and failed to notify authorities and didn't act to stop it.

Interestingly, not only did responsible parties apparently not act, the police only learned of the relationship after finding Hurt and the boy huffing and puffing in flagrante delicto at a local cemetery.

The boy and his family seek $10 million for suffering "permanent emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering, as a result of Hurt's actions and the negligence of pastors and employees who failed to stop the sexual contact."

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 05:59:00 AM

Swedish Surveillance Law Targets Russia

(Stockholm, Sweden) A new surveillance law will allow the Swedes to keep track of what the Russians are doing. Reportedly, that's the intent. Trust but verify.

Sweden's new surveillance law will enable the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) to scan massive quantities of Russian computer and telecom data, Svenska Dagbladet reports.

Information gleaned by the signal intelligence agency can then be used as currency when trading data with other western countries.

Despite the headaches the bill has caused since entering parliament in 2007, the government has never revealed the true purpose of the law, SvD writes.

Several sources close to the Swedish intelligence community told the newspaper that the controversial new eavesdropping law was primarily intended to keep track of Russian communications.

"Our geographical position means that 80 percent of Russia's contacts with large parts of the world travel through cables in Sweden. That is the core of the issue," said one source.

"The most important reason for the law is that the government, the Armed Forces and other agencies need intelligence about Russia."

The Swedish-Finnish telecom giant TeliaSonera is pondering ways to bypass Sweden. Unfortunately, other nations, including Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, have similar surveillance laws.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 05:46:00 AM

Pakistani Women Vow "Babies for Jihad"

(Islamabad, Pakistan) Yesterday, women of the religion of peace gathered for a jihad pep rally.

About 2,000 Islamist women gathered at the radical Red Mosque in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday and vowed to raise their children for holy war, days after a suicide bomber killed 18 people after a similar rally.

Chanting slogans of "jihad is our way", burqa-clad women, some with babies, listened to fiery speeches from the daughter of the mosque's jailed cleric on the eve of the anniversary of a commando raid on the complex in which more than 100 people died.

"Our mujahideen (fighters) laid down their lives for the enforcement of the Islamic system in Pakistan. We are left behind to carry forward their mission," the daughter of cleric Abdul Aziz told the tightly guarded rally in the mosque compound.

Last Sunday, a similar jihad pep rally for men was followed by a suicide bombing which killed 15 police officers.

With their children pre-programmed to become suicide bombers and targets of violence, one has to wonder whether the fundamental followers of the religion of peace ever hug their kids.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2008 12:30:00 AM

Iran Bans Celebrities in Advertising Promotions

(Tehran, Iran) The religion of peace apparently frowns on people benefitting from their popularity.

Iran has banned sports and movie stars from appearing in commercial advertisements on the grounds that celebrities should not promote consumerism, the government daily Iran reported Tuesday.

"The use of any images of cultural, athletic and national figures is banned in commercial advertisements," said Ali Reza Karimi, the head of the information office in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

"Cultural and athletic role models ... should be promoting chivalry rather than consumerism," he said, adding that the ban also applied to Persian-language satellite channels.

Iranian male movie and sports stars have been appearing on billboards and endorsing products for several years. A notable target of the ban appears to be the "Iranian Hercules," the heavyweight world weightlifting champion and double Olympic gold medallist Hossein Rezazadeh.

It's unknown what punishment awaits those celebrities who violate the ban.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 05:25:00 PM

Shooting Mice with a .44 Magnum

(Potter Valley, California) A 43-year-old local woman, arguably a true idiot, saw mice scurrying around her trailer so she grabbed her .44 Magnum revolver to shoot them.

Unfortunately, she clumsily dropped the pistol and it discharged when it landed on the floor.

The bullet went through the woman's kneecap, bounced off the keys sitting on the belt loop of a 42-year-old man in the trailer and grazed the man's groin before ending up in his coin pocket.

Authorities did not release the shooting victims' names.

The mice escaped.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 04:31:00 PM

MSM Outsourcing to India

(New Delhi, India) Companies in India have contracted with mainstream media firms to perform copy editing, page layout and design, and even reporting. Examples include the Miami Herald and the Orange County Register.

It's claimed that outsourcing journalistic functions can cut publication costs by 35 to 40 percent.

Remember this the next time you hear an elite media opinion-maker complain about American companies sending work overseas.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 09:10:00 AM

Bible publisher faces $60M federal lawsuit over homosexuality

In the article indented below, we read that a homosexual is upset that some Bibles translate the Greek word "arsenokoites" in 1 Corinthians 6:9 as "homosexual" instead of "sodomite". Politeness gets you nowhere, it seems. My Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon just gives "sodomite" as the meaning of the word. The word that Americans spell as "ass" (NOT meaning a donkey) is spelt and pronounced in the British Commonwealth as "arse". It is tempting to see a convergence with the Greek there!

I note that the highly-regarded New English Bible published by the Oxford University Press renders the passage as "homosexual perversion". Wow! Are they in big trouble! Actually, nobody is in big trouble. The lawsuit is so thin that it is obviously just "go-away" money that the guy and his lawyer want. I hope Zondervan resists.

Some more points: The historic Geneva Bible translates the word as "buggerers" so that is pretty frank too. And note that in the original Greek, St Paul groups together for condemnation both sodomites and effeminates ("malakoi oute arsenokoitai") so it is perfectly clear that he is condemning homosexuality generally -- JR

Christian publisher Zondervan is facing a $60 million federal lawsuit filed by a man who claims he and other homosexuals have suffered based on what the suit claims is a misinterpretation of the Bible. But a company spokeswoman says Zondervan doesn't translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations. Instead, she said in a statement, the company relies on the "scholarly judgment of credible translation committees." That is to say, setting aside whether the federal civil rights lawsuit is credible, the company says Bradley Fowler sued the wrong group.

His suit centers on one passage in scripture -- 1 Corinthians 6:9 -- and how it reads in Bibles published by Zondervan. Fowler says Zondervan Bibles published in 1982 and 1987 use the word homosexuals among a list of those who are "wicked" or "unrighteous" and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. Fowler says his family's pastor used that Zondervan Bible, and because of it his family considered him a sinner and he suffered.

Now he is asking for an apology and $60 million. "To compensate for the past 20 years of emotional duress and mental instability," [I can believe the mental instability] Fowler told 24 Hour News 8 in a phone interview. He claims the company is misinterpreting the Bible by specifically using the word homosexuals. Fowler admits that every Bible printed is a translation, interpreted in some way, but he says specifically using that word is not a translation but a change. "These are opinions based on the publishers," he said. "And they are being embedded in the religious structure as a way of life."

More here

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 06:19:00 AM

Gunfight Outside U.S. Consulate in Istanbul

(Istanbul, Turkey) Six dead resulted, however, no Americans, in what appears to have been a rather purposeless attack.

Three police officers and three unidentified gunmen were killed in a firefight Wednesday morning outside the main gate of the US Consulate in Istanbul, the private NTV television station reported.

Witnesses told NTV that a white car slowed down and stopped outside the main gate of the consulate in the suburb of Istinye. Three of the passengers got out of the car and fired at police, starting a firefight that lasted between seven and eight minutes.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler told reporters at the scene that three attackers and one police officer were declared dead and that two police officers were later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The driver of the white car sped off. Authorities are investigating. Thus far, no group is claiming responsibility.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 06:01:00 AM

Dead Mice Used to Scam Car Owners

(Redwood City, California) The married owners of the Group Specialist auto repair business, Mehran Baranriz, 45, and Bita Imani, 35, have been charged with multiple felony counts of fraud and grand theft for allegedly stuffing dead mice in engine components to fake damage and assess unnecessary repair costs.

Using the rodent scheme and other fraudulent techniques, the couple allegedly filed $1.2 million worth of false insurance claims between January 2003 and March 2007, prosecutors said. The victims of the alleged scams were 25 insurance companies and 128 customers, prosecutors said. [...]

They each face 56 felony counts of filing false insurance claims and five felony counts of grand theft. Imani, who is also facing four counts of tax fraud, and Baranriz, who is charged with two counts of perjury, face up to 60 years in jail.

The criminal investigation of their auto repair shop grew out of a complaint filed by State Farm Insurance's audit department, which revealed that Group Specialists average rodent damage claims were five times higher than the state average.

Baranriz and Imani have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Baranriz remains in custody with bail set at $1.25 million. Imani was released on $750,000 bail. Baranriz has a court appearance scheduled for July 16. Imani is scheduled for court on July 11.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 01:31:00 AM

27 Years To A Driver's License

(Norfolk, England) A 62-year-old local woman, Teresa Clarke, has finally passed her driver's test and received a license. It has taken her 27 years.

The extraordinary odyssey has seen the determined 62-year-old through:
450 hours of tuition

50 mock tests

35 cancelled tests

12 failed tests

20 driving instructors

£15,000 in fees.
Lesser people would have given up years ago - or used the thousands of pounds to hire a chauffeur.

Congratulations, Mrs. Clarke.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 12:40:00 AM

Iran Tests Missiles

Earlier today, Iran made news with more high-profile, saber-rattling.

From the BBC:

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have successfully test-fired a Shahab-3 missile, whose range puts it within reach of Israel, state media have said.

The missile, said to have a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles), was one of nine fired from an undisclosed desert site.

Two other types of missile with shorter ranges were also fired as part of the Great Prophet III war games.

The head of the Iranian Air Force, Hossein Salami, said, "We are ready to defend the integrity of the Iranian nation." Iran has already promised to take out Tel Aviv if attacked.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2008 12:15:00 AM

European Anti-Missile Shield

(Prague, Czech Republic) The Czech government will allow missile-defense radar installations to be located in the Czech Republic.

The deal was announced by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice after meeting with her Czech counterpart, Karel Schwarzenburg.

"We face with the Iranians, and so do our allies and friends, a growing missile threat that is getting ever longer and ever deeper, and where the Iranian appetite for nuclear technology ... is still unchecked," Rice told reporters in Czech capital.

The radar system is part of a defensive shield intended to protect Europe against missile attacks by so-called "rouge states" like Iran. Washington hopes that the entire shield will be functional some time between 2011 and 2013. [ ... ]

In the proposed system, radar stations in the Czech Republic would be responsible for locating enemy missiles detected by US satellites.

That data would then be relayed to interceptor missiles or "kill vehicles" stations in neighboring Poland.

The inceptors would then be sent speeding off to collide with and destroy the hostile missiles.

Agreement with Poland to host the interceptor missile installations is yet to be achieved. Apparently, the Poles want a large infusion of U.S. dollars.

The Russians have been quite vocal in their opposition to the defense shield even though Washington has repeatedly assured them that the shield is not directed at Russia.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 08:07:00 PM

Juvie Custodian Arrested for Rape of Juveniles

(Los Angeles, California) In June 2007, a 34-year-old Central Juvenile Hall custodian, Kimberly Hald, was arrested for sexually abusing a 17-year-old male inmate. Hald was suspended from her position without pay and released after posting bond. The case continued to be investigated.

Today, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives reported an update in the case.

The Robbery-Homicide Division’s (RHD) Detectives assigned to the Cold Case Special Section closed an investigation when Kimberly Hald was arrested and booked on charges for rape and kidnapping. Hald was booked at LAPD’s 77th Jail Section with bail set at $495,000.

Last year, LAPD detectives began an investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships between Hald, a female Los Angeles County Probation Department employee, and juvenile males being detained at Eastlake Juvenile Detention Facility.

The LAPD detectives arrested 35-year-old Hald at her residence in San Pedro.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 06:31:00 PM

Bathroom Humor Goes Mainstream -- Sorta

(Edinburgh, Scotland) Reportedly, the world's only full-time performing flatulist, Paul Oldfield, is entertaining audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The former train driver calls his show An Evening With Mr. Methane.

In it, he tells broadcaster Martin Kelner how his 'talent' came to light when he accompanied his sister in yoga practice.

He discovered - to his surprise and delight - that he was able to take in air through the rear, retain it, and then expel it as and when he chose.

At first, it was nothing more than a party trick to entertain fellow railwaymen, but eventually Mr Methane found that by careful control, he could pick out a simple tune.

He gradually expanded his repertoire, which now ranges from Strauss's Blue Danube waltz through to Kylie Minogue's I Should Be So Lucky.

Using audio visual aids, Kelner will tell the Methane story, and may join him on a moving rendition of Da Doo Ron Ron, "performed fore and aft".

You really have to applaud the guy. He figured out a way to get paid for farting.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 06:12:00 PM

Teacher Accused of Sex with Disabled Boy

(Queens, New York) A 27-year-old special education teacher at the Devereux Foundation NY Center, Mandi Weeks, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old disabled student.

Weeks faces charges of rape with a child under the age of 21 and acting in a manner to injure a child under the age of 17.

The alleged sexual assault was discovered Monday when the student went missing and returned home on his own. His mother called John O’Keefe, Executive Director of the Devereux Foundation NY Center, and he directed her to call police.

The alleged relationship between the student and teacher came to light during the investigation.

According to police, Weeks admitted to engaging in sex with the boy.

[Update 10/22/08]

Mandi Weeks pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree rape. She faces six months in jail and 10 years of probation when sentenced on January 12.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 11:14:00 AM

Ahmadinejad Rattles His Saber

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Today at the D8 Summit for Developing Nations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that an attack by the United States on Iran would be "political suicide" for President Bush.

Ahmadinejad said the US was no longer in a position to make an assault on Iran.

"In the US, his wise scholars will not allow Mr. Bush to commit political suicide and of course the economic, political and military situation will not allow Mr. Bush to do that," he said.

"(Bush) is not in a situation to change circumstances in his favour."

The geopolitical nuances escape me. And, since President Bush isn't running for anything right now, I also don't get the "political suicide" crack.

However, the overall tone of Ahmadinejad's remarks seems to be a simple dare and not substantively different from Saddam Hussein's blathering before Desert Storm. It would be suicide to engage Iraq's elite Republican Guard in the "Mother of All Battles," Saddam asserted. But, after only four days of the mother battle, those same elite soldiers were eager to surrender to pilotless reconnaissance drones.

To conclude, it seems that Ahmadinejad is following the same playbook Saddam used. He just expects a different outcome.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 09:06:00 AM

Ex-hostage Betancourt: Tone down 'hate' speech

Some people never learn:

"Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt urged Colombia's president and others in the South American nation Monday to tone down their "radical, extremist language of hate" toward the leftist rebels who held her captive for six years. Betancourt, a politician with dual French-Colombian citizenship who was released last week in a Colombian military operation, skirted questions about her own political future in the interview with French radio. She was campaigning for Colombia's presidency when she was captured in 2002.

Noting the possibility that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe could seek a third presidential term, Betancourt said, "Why not?" She praised his efforts toward her release, but also sent him a warning. "Uribe, and not only Uribe but all of Colombia, should also correct some things," she said. "We have reached the point where we must change the radical, extremist vocabulary of hate, of very strong words that intimately wound the human being."

Source

She is a Greenie and Greenies are usually extremely impractical so I guess this is not entirely a surprise. But I wonder exactly what she does want us to call kidnappers and murderers?

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 08:11:00 AM

Is Obama's Birth Certificate A Fake?

I don't know but some people are checking into it.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 07:39:00 AM

Man Jailed in Pufferfish Toxin Case

(Rockford, Illinois) A 35-year-old suburban Chicago man, Edward Bachner, is in federal custody without bond awaiting trial on charges of illegally possessing a deadly nerve agent in his home.

Authorities found 25 vials of the deadly nerve agent tetrodotoxin (TTX) and 20 vials with TTX residue inside Bachner's home.

Tetrodotoxin is found in pufferfish and is deadly in 50 to 60 percent of cases. There is no known antidote.

Federal authorities suspect that Bachner was planning on killing his wife. He denies the accusation and he wasn't charged. Defense attorney James Marcus stated that Bachner's wife is standing by him.

But prosecutors argued today that bail should be denied for Bachner because releasing him would pose a threat to the community. They say their investigation and subsequent searches of Bachner's home have revealed that 19 vials of tetrodotoxin are missing. The toxin is more than a thousand times more deadly than cyanide and is capable of producing rapid and violent death.

They also say Bachner possessed books on how to poison human beings complete with dosage amounts, had fake CIA credentials, had taken out a $5 million life insurance policy on his wife, had a Glock 9mm handgun his wife didn't know about, and had castor beans which are a precursor to the toxin ricin.

A criminal complaint from the FBI alleged that Bachner masqueraded as a doctor named "Edmund Backer" at the fictitious "EB Strategic Research," for which he used an address in Algonquin. That address was actually a box at a UPS store.

He attempted to purchase 98 milligrams of TTX from the chemical company Ascent Scientific, alarming an employee who said orders of more than 2 milligrams are rare, the affidavit said. The Ascent employee contacted the FBI on June 17, the affidavit said.

If convicted of unlawfully possessing tetrodotoxin, Bachner could be sentenced to 10 years in prison. A follow-up court appearance is scheduled for July 29.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 07:04:00 AM

Cat Fight in Grocery Store

(Lincoln, Nebraska) Two women got into a cat fight last Friday in a local grocery store. It's believed they knew each other beforehand.

Police said when the fight began escalating, the women started biting each other.

According to police, Nyakouth Beal, 36, of Lincoln bit Mary Chuol, 29, of Lincoln on the ear. Police said Chuol then bit Beal back, this time on the lip, causing part of Beal's lip to come off.

Both face charges of assault. Choul was arrested.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2008 06:34:00 AM

Senior Pummeled in Rent Dispute

(Prescott, Arizona) A 36-year-old woman, Heather Marie Bruner, was arrested this past weekend for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend's 69-year-old mother. Bruner faces charges of disorderly conduct and intentional injury to another.

According to Yavapai County Sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn, the alleged assault occurred Saturday.

Deputies determined that Bruner, who admitted to alcohol consumption during the day, punched the woman once in the head, leaving visible bruise and knuckle marks, he said.

Bruner had claimed that she was punched and pushed by the woman during a dispute over rent money that the boyfriend owed for their Peoria home, D'Evelyn said.

Bruner was booked into custody at the Yavapai County Jail.

Interestingly, some jurisdictions tack on additional charges when a senior citizen is attacked. Apparently, Arizona isn't one of them.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 06:34:00 PM

Abuse of Afghan Boys

In a world where political correctness dictates cultural equivalency, it's impossible for me to understand how the PC crowd can ignore reports like this one.

Afghanistan must do more to end an age-old practice of young boys being kept as sex slaves by wealthy and powerful patrons, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict said on Monday.

Radhika Coomaraswamy said the practice, called "bacha bazi" -- literally "boy play" -- was a taboo subject, but she had heard reports of warlords and military commanders keeping young boys and "exploiting them in terrible ways."

"What I found was nobody talks about it; everyone says 'Well, you know, it's been there for 1,000 years so why do we want to raise this now?'" she told a news conference at U.N. headquarters, reporting on a visit to Afghanistan last week.

"That seems to be the general attitude among everyone, but somebody has to raise it and it has to be dealt with."

Known as "bacha bereesh," boys without beards, the victims of such abuse are teenage boys who dress up as girls and dance for male patrons at parties in northern Afghanistan.

Cultural equivalency? I don't think so. Even the UN is against it.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 05:06:00 PM

Chinese Magic Chicken

I've been informed that this is a photographic recipe (in reverse) for Chinese Magic Chicken.

Chinese Magic Chicken

Frying

Seasoning

Preparing

Raw product

No link available since I received this in an email.

Tip: CharleyFishHeadsandRice.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 03:26:00 PM

Shots Fired on Northeastern Border

(Derby Line, Vermont) In this community that straddles the U.S.-Canadian border, a Border Patrol agent on routine patrol was assaulted by three people, two males and a female. Fearing for his life, the agent drew his weapon and fired two shots.

According to Border Patrol spokesman, Mark Henry,

"They knocked him down, there was a struggle," Henry said. "One subject started punching and hitting him; at that point he became concerned for his life."

The agent fired two shots. A male and female suspect were taken into custody. The third person fled into Canada.

Neither person in custody was wounded. Agents don't know about the other suspect.

Henry said he couldn't release the names of those in custody and he didn't know their nationalities.

Shots fired on the northeastern border is a rare occurrence. Reportedly, only once before has it happened. In August 2007, an agent fired his weapon at a vehicle that illegally entered the U.S. and was trying to run him over. No suspect was arrested in the case.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 01:16:00 PM

Racism by British Toddlers

The Brits are extending political correctness initiatives down to preschoolers.

Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency.

The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.

This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.

It is ludicrous to expect children to grow up without preferences but the PC police probably know that. Their goal seems to be to have all children afraid to express their preferences or be punished and documented as racists by school administrators,

Oddly, a child saying "yuk" to British food is excluded from being called a racist.

Tip: Moonbattery

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 09:16:00 AM

Judge orders Minutemen road sign to be reposted

We read:

"A federal judge has ordered Caltrans to repost the San Diego Minutemen road sign on a two-mile stretch of Interstate 5, a victory for the anti-illegal immigration group.

The Minutemen were granted a northbound stretch of the highway near the Border Patrol's checkpoint south of San Clemente in November as part of the Adopt-a-Highway litter cleanup program. They were reassigned to state Route 52 near Santee in January after complaints to the agency about the group's controversial nature and the location near the checkpoint.

The group, alleging free-speech discrimination, sued Caltrans in February and in May requested a preliminary injunction to restore the sign while lawsuit was pending. District Judge William Q. Hayes on Friday granted the preliminary injunction, saying there was not enough evidence to support the safety risk...."

Source

It's a pretty innocuous sign but apparently it was still "offensive" to the easily offended.

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 12:59:00 AM

Study: Tofu Harms Memory

A study of 719 people between age 52 and 98 conducted by a team of researchers at Loughborough University found that those eating tofu more than once a day had a 20 percent lower level of memory function than those eating much lesser amounts.

Eating high levels of some soy products, including tofu and other so-called 'superfoods,' may increase memory loss, scientists say.

Experts funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust found a 20 per cent lower level of brain functioning compared with those eating very little of the product.

They are warning older people, particularly women and vegetarians, of the possible risks of consuming tofu and similar foods too frequently.

The researchers' findings will be published in this month's journal Dementias And Geriatric Cognitive Disorders.

Interestingly, I've read that marijuana users also suffer from poor memory functioning so it might be worthwhile to conduct a study of dope-smoking tofu-eaters to see if soy/marijuana-derived dumbness is achievable. My guess is that it is.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2008 12:03:00 AM

Zimbabwe in Cash Crunch

(Harare, Zimbabwe) With inflation running wild, the value of a Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) has deteriorated to the point where US$1.00 is worth Z$35 billion. The actual rate of inflation is currently estimated by independent economists at somewhere between one million and 10 million percent.

As a result, the amount of paper money in circulation is insufficient to conduct all the normal transactions in Zimbabwean society. And, there's more bad news.

The cash crunch, which makes long queues outside every bank a feature of the city, is expected to worsen substantially since the German company that used to supply the paper for Zimbabwe's banknotes, Giesecke and Devrient, decided to cancel its contract with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), citing a "deteriorating" political situation in the country.

"Our decision is a reaction to the political tension in Zimbabwe, which is mounting significantly rather than easing as expected, and takes account of the critical evaluation by the international community, German government and the general public," the company's chief executive, Karsten Ottenberg, said in a statement.

So, not only is there too little actual currency available but the company that makes the paper for the currency has canceled its contract with the nation of Zimbabwe. Therefore, Zimbabwe needs to find a new source of paper for its money.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2008 06:24:00 PM

Puppy Stolen by Pothead

(Wheaton, Illinois) A 19-year-old former pet store worker, Emanuel Lopez, was sentenced 60 days in jail for stealing a Pomeranian puppy and driving around town blowing marijuana smoke into its face until the dog passed out. It was the third theft conviction for Lopez in the past year.

After dashing out of the Petland store March 21 with a 2-pound purebred Pomeranian puppy worth $1,500, Emanual Lopez and his friends drove around "blowing the smoke of cannabis into the face of the dog until it passed out," Detective Richard Arsenault said in court Wednesday.

The sable-colored pup was returned to the store three days later, in good health, and has since been adopted by a Naperville family.

In May, Lopez, 19, of Plainfield, pleaded guilty to felony retail theft for his role in the puppy-napping.

Lopez and friends are former employees of the Petland store so there was little doubt about the identities of the thieves.

And just think. Once marijuana is legalized throughout the nation, we can expect more stupid criminal behavior.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2008 08:40:00 AM

DANGEROUS FAD! Water and workouts to become compulsory for some Australian toddlers

What a picnic for lawyers the first time a toddler gets seriously hurt as a result of this nonsense! It looks like the kids are to be given lots of water one way or another but THAT IS DANGEROUS EVEN IN ADULTS -- to the point of death. And quite small amounts of water given to children can lead to water intoxication, resulting in brain damage. See also here, where it speaks of an "epidemic" of water intoxication among U.S. children. Blasted know-nothing faddists!

Children as young as three will undergo compulsory exercise regimes of up to two hours every day in preschools. The New South Wales Government's anti-obesity program also phases out junkfood with kids now drinking watered down juices and low-fat milk and parents receiving a list of recommended foods for their children's lunchboxes. Star jumps, action-singing songs as well as catching, jumping and running are just some of the exercises included in the roll call of daily activities.

The Munch 'n' Move blueprint aims to bring down the rocketing rates of childhood obesity [Utter rubbish! Obesity peaked in the late 1990s] in NSW with one in five preschoolers now either overweight or obese.

Nearly 1000 preschools will implement the new healthy lifestyles policy within the next 18 months, with childhood teachers in 14 centres receiving their initial training this week. "We do music and movement every day but this program also encourages us to do more structured exercise outside where we are teaching children the finer points in jumping, running, hopping, galloping and fundamental movement skills," said educator Vicky Smith from Five Dock preschool, which is implementing the program.

NSW Health's Centre for Health Advancement director Liz Develin said once the preschools were completed the program would be rolled out in long-day care centres. She said that while some parents might question the need to force active three-year-olds into exercise, Ms Develin said recent research showed 89 per cent of children aged four to five spend more than two hours watching a screen every day. "A lot of three to five-year-olds have started these bad habits early," Ms Develin said. [PROVE that it's a bad habit!] "If children are well equipped in fundamental movement skills they are more likely to participate in physical activity and sport later - they'll have the basic skills of how to run, throw and jump rather than just running around erratically."

Early childhood teachers will receive a 188-page manual outlining the details of the new exercise and food program, which includes giving children water rather than fruit poppers and cordials so that kids don't develop a sweet tooth. It also recommends limiting giving juice to once a day and to the 100 per cent variety, which is then diluted by water by at least half, and suggests reduced-fat milk for children over two.

NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher said the program was devised to combat the growing number of overweight preschoolers as well as educate parents. "There is clear evidence that the number of people who are overweight or obese is increasing," she said. "By the time NSW children reach kindergarten nearly 18 per cent of them are either overweight or obese."

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2008 08:38:00 AM

British sniffer dogs to wear `Muslim' bootees

Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence. Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.

Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. "We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people's homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it," Acpo said.

Problems faced by the use of sniffer dogs were highlighted last week when Tayside police were forced to apologise for a crime prevention poster featuring a german shepherd puppy, in response to a complaint by a Muslim councillor. Islamic injunctions warn Muslims against contact with dogs, which are regarded as "unclean".

Police dogs at present are issued with footwear only at scenes of explosions to prevent them injuring their paws on broken glass.

Ibrahim Mogra, one of Britain's leading imams, said the measures were unnecessary: "In Islamic law the dog is not regarded as impure, only its saliva is. Most Islamic schools of law agree on that. If security measures require to send a dog into a house, then it has to be done. I think Acpo needs to consult better and more widely. "I know in the Muslim community there is a hang-up against dogs, but this is cultural. Also, we know the British like dogs; we Muslims should do our bit to change our attitudes."

John Midgley, co-founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: "The police are in effect being overly sensitive to potential criminals and not being sensitive enough to the public at large who need to be protected. These sort of things have a counter-productive effect because they cause huge friction between different communities." Caroline Kisko, of the Kennel Club, said: "We would not condone any attempt to make search dogs wear special clothing, which could cause them distress."

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 11:39:00 PM

Counselor Accused of Inappropriate Relationship with Boy

(Los Angeles County, California) A 33-year-old guidance counselor at Golden Valley High School, Roselyn Hubbell, has been arrested for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a teenage boy.

Hubbell was arrested June 10 on felony charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child endangerment.

She was attempting to check into a San Fernando Valley hotel with a minor at the time of her arrest. The boy was also arrested for cocaine possession.

She is still being investigated for an alleged inappropriate relationship with another boy.

This week, charges against Hubbell were reduced to misdemeanor annoying or molesting of a child under the age of 18.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 28.

[Update 9/3/08]

(Santa Clarita, California) The family of a different victim, 14 years old, has filed a claim against the William S. Hart Union High School District accusing Hubbell of sexual abuse.

"It certainly is a tragedy any time a child is sexually abused, but I think the greater tragedy would result if this counselor were exempted from being required to answer in the criminal courts for these crimes she committed," said Vince Finaldi, the attorney for the family who filed the claim.

The Hart district rejected the family's claim, he said, adding that he now plans to file a lawsuit.

A district spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter because it is pending litigation.

The boy, who was 14 at the time, was assigned to Hubbell, and she became friends with him and his mother, according to the claim. Hubbell drove the boy home from school each day.

The alleged incidents took place between January and September 2007 at the high school, in Hubbell's car and at the boy's home, according to the claim.

In addition to various sexual acts, Hubbell allegedly required the boy to smoke marijuana.

The boy's mother found a note under his bed from Hubbell, Finaldi said.

The LA County Sheriff's Department is investigating the new allegations.

[Update 10/31/08]

Hubbell may avoid felony charges due to lack of evidence. One of the boys refuses to testify against her. A hearing on misdemeanor charges is scheduled for November 19.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 11:06:00 PM

Day Carer Arrested for Child Injuries

(Boise, Idaho) A 37-year-old day care operator, Dawn Seekamp, was arrested this week for allegedly slamming a one-year-old infant into a high chair, causing multiple fractures to the child's femur.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on Monday when she allegedly slammed the infant into a high chair, which caused multiple fractures to the infant's right femur.

Officials say Seekamp runs a state-licensed daycare facility out of her home on Bently Drive in Boise. She is currently being held on a $1 million bond.

Authorities with Ada County said on Wednesday that conditions inside the daycare were extremely filthy and that feces was seen throughout the home on the walls.

State health and welfare authorities revoked Seekamp's day care license in 2006.

Be careful who you place your child with.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 12:46:00 PM

Students Punished for Not Praying to Allah

(Stoke-on-Kent, England) Two boys were disciplined for not kneeling in prayer to Allah during religious diversity education.

Two schoolboys were given detention after refusing to kneel down and 'pray to Allah' during a religious education lesson.

Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped.

They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager High School, near Stoke-on-Trent - which included wearing Muslim headgear - was a breach of their human rights.

In a statement, the Cheshire County Council said, "Educating children in the beliefs of different faith is part of the diversity curriculum on the basis that knowledge is essential to understanding."

It appears that religious diversity education in Britain concentrates exclusively on having infidels learning to pray to Allah. There are no reports of Muslims being required to take Holy Communion.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 12:10:00 PM

Emergency Call to Police

(Wales, UK) Here's a transcript of a call from a confused neighborhood watcher.

Control: "South Wales Police, what's your emergency?"

Caller: "It's not really. I just need to inform you that across the mountain there's a bright stationary object."

Control: "Right."

Caller: "If you've got a couple of minutes perhaps you could find out what it is? It's been there at least half an hour and it's still there."

Control: "It's been there for half an hour. Right. Is it actually on the mountain or in the sky?"

Caller: "It's in the air."

Control: "I will send someone up there now to check it out."

Caller: "OK."

After the police patrol car arrives, the script reveals the exchange between the control room and the police officer sent to the scene.

Control: "Alpha Zulu 20, this object in the sky, did anyone have a look at it?"

Officer: "Yes, it's the moon. Over."

Thanks to Charley Nestor.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 08:53:00 AM

Is Obama not a U.S. citizen anyway?

Barack Obama is not a legal U.S. natural-born citizen according to the law on the books at the time of his birth, which falls between December 24, 1952, to November 13, 1986. Federal Law requires that the office of President requires a natural-born citizen if the child was not born to two U.S. Citizen parents. This is what exempts John McCain, though he was born in the US Panama Canal Zone.

US Law very clearly states: '. . . If only one parent is a U.S. Citizen at the time of one's birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for minimum ten years, five of which must be after the age of 16.' Barack Obama's father was not a U.S. Citizen is a fact.

Obama's mother was only 18 when Obama was born. This means even though she had been a U.S. Citizen for 10 years, (or citizen of Hawaii being a territory), his mother fails the test for at-least-5-years- prior-to Barack Obama's birth, but-after-age-16.

In essence, Mother alone is not old enough to qualify her son for automatic U.S. Citizenship. At most, 2 years elapsed from his mother turning 16 to the time of Barack Obama's birth when she was 18. His mother would have needed to have been 16 + 5 = 21 years old at the time of Barack Obama's birth for him to be a natural-born citizen. Barack Obama was already 3 years old at the time his mother would have needed to be to allow him natural citizenship from his only U.S. Citizen parent. Obama should have been naturalized as a citizen . . but that would disqualify him from holding the office.

The Constitution clearly declares: Naturalized citizens are ineligible to hold the office of President. Though Barack Obama was sent back to Hawaii at age 10, any other information does not matter because his mother is the one who must fulfill the requirement to be a U.S. Citzen for 10 years prior to his birth on August 4, 1961, with 5 of those years being after age 16.

Further, Obama may have had to have remained in the USA for some time frame to protect any citizenship he might have had, rather than living in Indonesia. This is very clear cut and a glaring violation of U.S. Election law. I think the Governor Schwarzenegger of California should be very interested in discovering if Obama is allowed to be elected President without being a natural-born U.S. Citizen, since this would set a precedent. Stay tuned to your TV sets because I suspect some of this information will be leaking through over the next several days.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2008 12:33:00 AM

Mexican Soldiers Enter Arizona for Assassination

Unbelievable! Mexican soldiers were hired by drug traffickers to conduct the operation. Digger has the whole disgusting story. Check it out and realize that we will likely see more of the same.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities report that seven decapitated bodies were found this week in the continuing violence between drug cartels and law enforcers. More than 4,000 drug-related murders have occurred since 2005.

Additionally, an estimated 450 police officials have been killed in Mexico since December 2006. Eleven police officers have been murdered this week alone.

I think it's head-in-the-sand naive to believe that the violence in Mexico won't spill over into the U.S. Unfortunately, it's happening and the mainstream media is avoiding the subject.

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2008 06:15:00 PM

YouTube Ordered to Violate User Privacy

(New York) In a ruling from a copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by Viacom Inc., U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton has ordered YouTube to reveal details associated with users.

Data is to include "how often users watch videos, how much time they spend doing it, their username and their Internet Protocol addresses, the unique identification assigned to individual computers and devices." Viacom promised to handle all personal identifiable information in a confidential manner.

Viacom wanted to have Google, owner of YouTube, disclose its search engine source code, but the judge rejected the request.

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2008 05:14:00 PM

Lord Chief Justice Wants Sharia in Britain

Something is seriously wrong in the United Kingdom and the people in positions of authority don't seem to have a clue.

Muslims in Britain should be able to live according to Sharia, the country's most senior judge has said.

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the Lord Chief Justice, strongly backed Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, over his suggestion earlier this year that aspects of Sharia law should be adopted in Britain.

The archbishop's remarks sparked a national debate and led to calls for his resignation.

Risking inflaming that controversy again, Lord Phillips has said that Muslims in Britain should be able to use Sharia to decide financial and marital disputes.

Women, in particular, should be outraged at the suggestion since, under Sharia, they are assigned less value as human beings as men. As a result, any financial or marital dispute resolved in a Sharia proceeding would likely be unreasonable for the female litigant.

Even a Muslim member of Parliament, Khalid Mahmood, weighed in against the idea.

He said: "This would create a two-tier society. It is highly retrograde. It will segregate and alienate the Muslim community from the rest of British society.

"The majority of British Muslims want to live only under British law and they would reject anything that means they are treated differently.

"What Lord Phillips and the archbishop are discussing is something that is completely outside their area of understanding."

I think Mahmood nailed it.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2008 09:20:00 AM

New Study Finds Greenland Ice Melt 'not changing' and may be dropping

This peer reviewed new study in the journal Science puts yet another fork into the man-made global warming fear machine. See also July 2007 U.S. Senate Report: Latest Scientific Studies Refute Fears of Greenland Melt

I have a story coming tonight in print on a new paper tracking the impact over time of those iconic drainpipes for meltwater forming each summer on the warming flanks of the vast Greenland ice sheet. Here's the nub, with varied reactions coming from glaciologists later:

One of the most vivid symbols of global warming used by scientists and campaigners to spur society to curb climate-warming emissions is photography of gushing rivers of meltwater plunging from the surface of Greenland's ice sheet into the depths.

Recent studies have shown these natural drainpipes, called moulins, can speed up the slow seaward march of the grinding ice by lubricating the interface with bedrock below. The faster that ice flows, the faster seas rise. Now, though, a new Dutch study of 17 years of satellite measurements of ice movement in western Greenland concludes that the speedup of the ice is a transient summertime phenomenon, with the overall yearly movement of the grinding glaciers not changing, and actually dropping slightly in some places, when measured over longer time spans.

The work, the authors and other experts caution, does not mean that more widespread surface melting could not eventually destabilize vast areas of the world's second-largest ice storehouse. But for the moment, the study, which is being published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, throws into question the notion that abrupt ice losses in Greenland are nigh. "The positive-feedback mechanism between melt rate and ice velocity appears to be a seasonal process that may have only a limited effect on the response of the ice sheet to climate warming over the next decades," said the paper.

The study was led by Roderik S.W. van de Wal of the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research of the University of Utrecht.

Source

Journal abstract follows:

Large and Rapid Melt-Induced Velocity Changes in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet

By R. S. W. van de Wal et al.

Continuous Global Positioning System observations reveal rapid and large ice velocity fluctuations in the western ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Within days, ice velocity reacts to increased meltwater production and increases by a factor of 4. Such a response is much stronger and much faster than previously reported. Over a longer period of 17 years, annual ice velocities have decreased slightly, which suggests that the englacial hydraulic system adjusts constantly to the variable meltwater input, which results in a more or less constant ice flux over the years. The positive-feedback mechanism between melt rate and ice velocity appears to be a seasonal process that may have only a limited effect on the response of the ice sheet to climate warming over the next decades.

Science 4 July 2008: Vol. 321. no. 5885, pp. 111 - 113

Posted by John Ray.

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2008 07:29:00 AM

Drug Bust Linked to Taliban Trafficking Ring

(Seoul, South Korea) A raid on a drug-trafficking ring earlier today by South Korean police resulted in the arrest of Afghan and Pakistani traffickers believed to be linked to the Taliban.

Police said two Afghans, three Pakistanis and four Koreans tried to use South Korea as a shipping point for several tons of acetic anhydride destined for southern Afghanistan.

The chemical is heated with morphine, extracted from opium, to produce heroin.

‘The key Afghan suspect admitted he did it at the instigation of the Taleban,’ Oh Ki-Duk, an investigator, told AFP. ‘But he claimed he is not a member of the Taleban.’

Police confiscated 12 tons of acetic anhydride in a chemical engineering factory in the Seoul suburb of Ansan and arrested the two Afghans. The chemical was disguised as motor oil.

In a separate operation by the three Pakistanis -- who were also arrested in a Seoul suburb -- police said about 50 tons of the chemical had already been shipped, labelled as disinfectant.

It was sent between April 2007 and March this year.

Since the chemical is needed for heroin production, one must wonder why it took so long to identify where it was coming from. Apparently, it's supplied by Japanese producers through South Korea to Afghanistan.

Also: Jawa Report

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2008 08:22:00 PM

Teacher Stephanie Ann Stein Gets Prison - Updated, Bumped

* * * Scroll for updates * * *
Michigan Teacher and Boy, 15
[Previous 9/17/08 post]

(Canton Township, Michigan) A 31-year-old former teacher at Plymouth Christian Academy, Stephanie Ann Stein, was arrested today for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student.

The alleged abuse is believed to have occurred over the summer, and came to light after the boy's mother returned home on several occasions to discover the teacher at her house, according to Canton Township Police Det. Sgt. Rick Pomorski.

"Mom had come home sometimes unannounced, and seen her leaving the house," Pomorski said, adding that Stein was arrested this morning when she arrived at the Canton Township Police Station to be interviewed about the allegations.

Stein faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct, one count of using the Internet to communicate with a minor to commit a crime, and one count of distributing obscene material of a sexual nature to a minor.

Judge Michael Gerou set bond at $50,000. Stein has a court date scheduled for September 28th.

[Update 6/18/08]

Yesterday, Stephanie Ann Stein, now 32, was convicted by a jury on two counts of third-degree sexual assault, one count of using the Internet to communicate with a minor to commit a crime, and one count of distributing obscene material of a sexual nature to a minor.

Stein is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2.

[Update 7/3/08]

Former Plymouth Christian Academy teacher and mother of two Stephanie Ann Stein, 32, was sentenced yesterday to three to 15 years in state prison for engaging in sex with a student.

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