Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 11:59:00 PM

Women With Troubles - September 2008

Reported in the news during September 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.

(AZ) Gay Lyn Turley, 33,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with female student,

(CA) Wendie Estrada Fernandez, 45,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 17,

(CA) Roselyn Hubbell, 33,
counselor - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(CA) Yazmin Reyes Ruiz, 33,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 13,

(CO) Stephanie Kay Bellino, 39,
school worker - Arrested for sex with boy, 13,

(CO) Christina Elizabeth Szele, 35,
neighbor - Accused of federal charges for interfering with flight crew and assault,

(CT) Julie Denno, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sex assault of boy under 16,

(FL) Marbelis Margarita Dorado, 24,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(FL) Holly Louise Gee, 33,
neighbor - Gets two years in prison for sex with boy, 16,

(FL) Wildalynn Harris, 23,
teacher - Arrested for drug possession,

(FL) Kelly Lumadue, 33,
neighbor - Gets life without parole for sexual battery of boy, 5,

(FL) Alyson Perry-Jarvis, 36,
teacher - Arrested for sex with neighborhood youth, 16,

(FL) Stacey Sheldon, 31,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 16, caught on video,

(FL) Lynne Wilson, 41,
teacher - Arrested for theft and drug possession,

(GA) Amanda Johnson,
neighbor - Arrested for attempted sale of seven-month-old baby for drugs,

(IA) Shannon Michelle Rew, 37,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(ID) Meagan Belnap, 20,
school aide - Indicted for sex abuse of children under 16,

(IL) Laura Obzera, 49,
school nurse - Arrested for sex abuse of three boys ages 13 to 17,

(IL) Valencia Sephus, 30,
neighbor - Arrested for sex abuse of friend's daughter, 15,

(LA) Christie Hemler Semeraro, 37,
neighbor - Faces trial for contributing to the delinquency of 12 and 13-year-olds,

(LA) Ariel Smith, 19,
babysitter - Arrested for allegedly putting five-month-old baby in clothes dryer and turning it on,

(MD) Renee Bowman, 43,
neighbor - Arrested for child abuse after two dead daughters found frozen,

(MI) Carrie Alice Denbow, 32,
school counselor - Charged with criminal sexual conduct with 15-year-old student,

(MI) Anna Marie Glass, 29,
neighbor - Sentenced to one year in jail for sex with boy, 15,

(MI) Ranee Sue Proper, 41,
teacher - Arrested for sex with two students,

(MO) Cathy Heminghaus, 48,
teacher - Gets six years in prison for sex with student,

(MS) Rebecca Bogard, 27,
teacher - Indicted for sex with male student, 15,

(MS) Sheral Lee Smith, 37,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 14,

(MT) Summer Many White Horses, 31,
neighbor - Arrested for allegedly killing two-year-old son,

(NC) Julie Miller Culbertson, 39,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for sex with female student,

(NC) Jacqueline Gray, 32,
neighbor - Gets four years in prison for sex with boy, 11,

(NC) Jeannie Michelle Hodges, 40,
teacher - Arrested for contributing to delinquency of a minor while out on bail for sex charges involving 15-year-old student,

(NE) Kelsey Peterson, 26,
teacher - Gets six years in prison for crossing state lines to have sex with boy, 13,

(NJ) Pamela Torres, 35,
neighbor - Gets six years in prison for sex with boy, 13,

(NY) Tania Head, aka Alicia Esteve Head,
neighbor - Accused of scamming the public with a heroic story of her involvement in 9/11,

(OH) China Arnold, 28,
neighbor - Gets life without parole in baby microwave death,

(OH) Renee L. Frye, 28,
neighbor - Gets probation for three-month sex with boy, 14,

(OH) Carolynn Hatcher, 26,
group home housemother - Guilty of sex with boy. Sentencing in November,

(OH) Sarah M. Rice, 24,
neighbor - Gets three years in prison for sex with boy, 13,

(OH) Becky Jo Tatum, 42,
neighbor - Gets five years in prison for sex, drugs and weapons crimes,

(OK) Lori June Canady, 35,
teacher's aide - Gets probation for sex with male student, 15,

(OK) Stephanie Harris, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sex with student, 13,

(OR) Morgan Alicia Jodeen Larson, 18,
neighbor - Arrested for sex abuse of boy, 8, and girl, 11,

(PA) Elizabeth Hemming, 32, and Susan Churilla, 42,
neighbors - Accused of hosting child sex party,

(PA) Lynne Long, 45,
neighbor - Guilty of endangering and corruption of children. Sentencing TBD,

(SD) Marchelle West (aka Marchelle West-Boston), 28,
neighbor - Gets probation for rape of boy, 14,

(TN) Sandra Binkley, 35,
teacher - Arrested for sex at school with male student, 17,

(TX) Sandra Borrego, 42,
teacher - October trial scheduled for sex with boy, 13,

(TX) Stephanie Hays, 33,
neighbor - Arrested for offering kids for sex,

(VA) Ashley Esposito, 24,
student teacher - Gets four months jail for contributing to the delinquency of minors. Still faces felony sex charges involving former student,

(VA) Larae Denise Osborne-Hilton, 40,
neighbor - Gets two and one-half years prison for sex with three boys,

(VT) Ann Lavery, 54,
teacher - Accused of assaulting student,

(WI) Wendy Brown, 33,
neighbor - Accused of stealing daughter's identity to enter high school and become cheerleader,

(WI) Teresa Cantrall, 42,
neighbor - Pleads no contest to sex assault of child. Sentencing in October,

(WI) Jaime M. Foss, 32,
neighbor - Guilty of sex with child under 16. Sentencing in December,

(WI) Katie Luessenhop, 26,
teacher - Arrested for drug possession,

(WI) Tracy Taylor, 44,
neighbor - Gets seven months jail for attempted sex assault of child under 16.

Thanks, as always, to the tipsters.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 07:09:00 PM

Sex with Evil Spirits Leads to Assault

(Hamilton, Ohio) A 57-year-old Ghanian caregiver in West Chester Township, Abena Afrakomah, has been accused of hitting and pinching a 74-year-old woman she provided care for.

Reportedly, Afrakomah had to punish the old woman for having sex with evil spirits.

The victim, Josephine Crawford, is unable to speak due to illness, but testified with help of a dry-erase board a during a May preliminary hearing in Middletown Municipal Court.

"She said the evil spirits were using me," Crawford wrote about Afrakomah.

Middleown police say the caretaker twisted Crawford's arm and pinched her on the cheeks and in the groin area.

Afrakomah faces trial on one count of fourth-degree felony assault on December 8th before Judge Keith Spaeth. She is currently free on bond.

Putting my multicultural hat on, shouldn't Afrakomah's case be an opportunity for Ohioans to show tolerance? It is probably quite appropriate to punish women in Ghana for having sex with evil spirits. Why don't we do the same here?

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy
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       Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 04:29:00 PM

More Nanny-State from Schwarzenegger

(Sacramento, California) Gov. Schwarzenegger signed legislation (SB1420) into law today to require chain restaurants to post calorie, fat, carbohydrate and sodium content on their menus. Diners must also be reminded of recommended daily limits. The number of languages in which the information must appear is unknown.

Ostensibly, the posting of nutritional information will allow people to make better dining choices and help stop the alleged obesity crisis. However, according to President Jot Condie of the California Restaurant Association, nobody knows whether the menu labeling requirement will have any effect on eating habits.

Great! Regulations are imposed forcing businesses to spend money to comply and it's all based on a guess. Of course, now that it's on the books, the reasoning behind the law is moot.

Restaurants need to be prepared, though, because when the Restaurant Menu Police visits, fines of $500 for each violation may be imposed.

One must wonder what's next? Limits on calories per sandwich? Rationing of high-calorie food? The U.S. is already drowning in costly regulation and it won't stop until the last breath of individual liberty disappears and everything is rationed.

But it's possible that I'm being too critical. Maybe it is written in the Constitution that the government is responsible for the content of restaurant menus.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 11:51:00 AM

Human Breast Milk Ice Cream


The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have asked Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield to replace cow's milk in their Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream with harvested human breast milk.

Realistically, the idea of using human breast milk in a commercial dairy (?) product is likely unworkable. To begin, there's a legal hurdle since current food and drug laws don't address the commercial production and sale of human products for consumption. Laws need to be created or existing laws need to be amended.

There also would be a problem obtaining sufficient quantities of human breast milk to justify the construction and operation of a human breast milk ice cream production facility. Literally, thousands of post-partum women would have to interrupt their routines to express milk several times daily to keep any plant operating. Of course, then there's the problem of gathering the human breast milk from a multitude of locations and transporting it to the production facility.

All the while, some assurance would also need to be provided, through sampling and testing, that women were not negligently or intentionally contaminating the milk by ingesting harmful substances.

Most important, however, it's believed that the cost of surmounting all the impediments to placing human breast milk ice cream on store shelves will be outrageously expensive. As a consequence, to make the idea a viable business venture would dictate that the product be priced somewhere above the stratosphere. Even if people could get past the ick-and-eww-factor, they probably could never afford to buy it.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 09:32:00 AM

Must not speak the truth about the Left-created culture of dependancy

What you can say seems to get more limited by the day:

"The spokeswoman for the Republican Party in Nevada's most populous county was removed from her post Saturday, after she said the Democratic Party made black people "dependent on the government."

"We don't want (Hispanics) to become the new African-American community," Lima told The Associated Press. "And that's what the Democratic Party is going to do to them, create more programs and give them handouts, food stamps and checks for this and checks for that. We don't want that."

"I'm very much afraid that the Democratic Party is going to do the same thing that they did with the African-American culture and make them all dependent on the government and we don't want that," she said.

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/30/2008 05:22:00 AM

California Journalism Advisor Shield Law Signed

(Sacramento, California) Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 1370 which protects high school and college teachers and other employees from retaliation by administrators as a result of student speech.

Authored by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), the legislation is considered necessary since school administrators customarily retaliate against journalism advisors when controversial content is published in student newspapers.

“Since administrators are unable by law to exercise prior restraint with regard to a student publication, they lean on advisers to do what they legally cannot,” said Jim Ewert, Legal Counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA).

“When advisers refuse, they are punished because administrators know they will face no legal consequences. SB 1370 was necessary to close this gaping loophole in the law.”

The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2009.

It's interesting that school administrators can easily obstruct or harm a teacher's career when there is a difference of opinion while the same administrators claim they are powerless to take action when parents seek dismissal of an incompetent teacher.

Companion post at EdWatch.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 06:38:00 PM

Mom Arrested After Frozen Bodies Found

(Lusby, Maryland) A 43-year-old local woman, Renee Bowman, has been arrested by Calvert County Sheriff's deputies for the alleged extreme abuse of her three adopted daughters, two of which were found dead in a basement freezer.

Police were investigating an abuse complaint Saturday when they discovered the remains encased in ice.

The mother told investigators that they had been in her southern Maryland home for at least seven months, and police said they are considering the case a homicide.

"We have reason to believe that's the two children in the freezer," Lt. Bobby Jones of Calvert County Sheriff's Office said Monday. "We believe that the mother, who adopted the two children, is responsible for it."

Autopsies would need to be completed before they know for sure the remains are of the girls, who would be ages 9 and 11.

Deputies made the gruesome discovery in the home in Lusby, about 50 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. They were there with a search warrant to investigate the treatment of a girl who had run away and "showed signs of extreme abuse and neglect," the sheriff's department said.

A 7-year-old daughter was found wandering through the neighborhood after escaping out a second-story window. She had sores, lesions and bruising indicating seemingly relentless beatings.

Bowman was booked into custody without bond.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 03:49:00 PM

Teacher Kelsey Peterson Gets Prison (UPDATED & BUMPED)

(Omaha, Nebraska) After pleading guilty to federal charges of crossing state lines to engage in sex with a person under 18, Kelsey Peterson, 26, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Twelve when the sexual relationship with Peterson began, the boy, Fernando Rodriguez, was thrust into the national spotlight after school officials in Lexington, Neb., exposed the inappropriate relationship between the teacher and student.

Peterson hastily packed her 2006 Pontiac, withdrew $2,500 cash from her accounts and headed south with Fernando.

A week later, on Nov. 2, Peterson was pinpointed by a fugitive-chasing police officer using a GPS tracker.

Upon release, Peterson will serve five years supervised probation.


* * * * *
Teacher Kelsey Peterson Pleads Guilty
[Previous 7/2/08 post]
(Omaha, Nebraska) Teacher Kelsey Peterson, 26, pleaded guilty earlier today to a federal charge of taking a minor across state lines for sex.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI issued a press release. Here is an excerpt.

On July 2, 2008, Kelsey Peterson, age 26 of Lexington, Nebraska, appeared before the Honorable F.A. Gossett, III, United States Magistrate Judge, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an information charging her with Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Person Under 18 years of Age. The guilty plea arose from Ms. Peterson's relationship with a student at the middle school where she taught.

The plea agreement entered into between the United States and Kelsey Peterson calls for the imposition of a sentence of at least 70 months but not more than 87 months. That is the sentencing range recommended by the United States Sentencing Guidelines for her conduct.

Ms. Peterson agreed, as part of the plea agreement, to sentencing enhancements arising from the fact that: (a) the victim was under her custody, care or supervisory control; (b) she unduly influenced the victim to engage in prohibited sexual conduct since she was more than ten years older than the victim; and (c) the offense involved the actual commission of a sex act.

As part of the plea agreement Kelsey Peterson agreed with the United States that certain facts would be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in the event her case proceeded to trial.

Kelsey Peterson will be sentenced on September 29, 2008. She remains in custody.


* * * * * *
Nebraska Teach Accused of Kidnapping Student
[Previous 11/03/07 entry]
(Lexington, Nebraska) A 25-year-old teacher, Kelsey Peterson, has been accused of kidnapping and engaging in "some sort" of relationship with a 13-year-old male student.

According to the Lexington Police Department, they were contact on Thursday, October 27th, by school authorities.

The school had reason to believe that 25-year-old Kelsey Peterson was having some sort of relationship with 13-year-old Fernando Rodriguez. Peterson was placed on administrative leave on Thursday.

After investigating, authorities were issued a warrant Monday, October 29th, for Peterson's arrest, but could not find her.

Lexington Police said that the boy's family reported him missing on Saturday and that they believe he was with the teacher.

A warrant has been issued for Peterson on charges of kidnapping, child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.


[Update 11/02/07]

From ABCNews:

A female teacher and a 13-year-old boy believed to be on the run may have crossed the California border into Mexico, a police investigator said Friday.

Paul Schwarz of the Lexington Police Department in Nebraska said the white Pontiac owned by 25-year-old Kelsey Peterson crossed into Mexico around 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

Peterson, a sixth-grade math teacher and basketball coach at Lexington Middle School, fled with the boy after police began investigating whether the pair had an intimate relationship, authorities said.

Authorities believed the two were traveling in Peterson's car, and police nationwide and the FBI were notified about them. Court documents said the boy was last seen Oct. 26.

Maybe Dog, the bounty hunter, should be sent to Mexico to get her. Or maybe not, the last time he was in Mexico the Federales wanted to put him in prison.

Nevertheless, a woman traveling with a boy in Mexico will undoubtedly run out of money sooner or later. Then, she'll give up.

Tip: RG


[Update 11/03/07]

Kelsey Peterson and the boy were apprehended without incident Friday night by Mexican authorities in Mexicali, a border city. The FBI took custody of Peterson and transported her back to the U.S. earlier this morning. The boy was released to relatives in Mexico.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 02:49:00 PM

Man Sues Over Penis Amputation

(Shelby County, Kentucky) Dr. John M. Patterson of Frankfort is being sued in Shelby County Circuit Court for amputating a man's penis without consent. Dr. Oliver James of Shelbyville is also being sued for administering the anesthetic during the surgery.

Phillip and Deborah Seaton of Waddy, say Phillip went to Patterson last October for a circumcision, which resulted in the doctor removing Phillip's penis, according to the newspaper.

The lawsuit states that, "Despite having no consent to remove his penis and despite being advised by Phillip that he did not want him to remove any part of his penis other than the foreskin, Dr. Patterson removed the penis," the newspaper reported.

James is included in the suit because he gave Seaton a general anesthetic after assuring the patient he wouldn't, according to the [Shelbyville] Sentinel.

The lawsuit claims the amputation was intentional.

Obviously, unauthorized removal of the penis is more than a simple Oops!
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 01:43:00 PM

Egyptian Journalist Gets Jail

(Cairo, Egypt) An Egyptian appeals court sentenced a journalist to two months in prison for writing stories which questioned President Mubarak's health.

Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the independent daily al-Dustor, was originally convicted in March and sentenced to six months on charges of reporting and publishing false information that questioned the health of 80-year-old President Hosni Mubarak.

The judges at the time ruled that a series of articles he published threatened national stability and caused foreign investors to pull their money out of the country.

Mubarak has been in office for more than a quarter of a century and has no obvious successor, making any speculation about his health a very sensitive topic.

So much for free speech in Egypt, eh?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 10:07:00 AM

Vermont Teacher Accused of Assaulting Student

(Richford, Vermont) A 54-year-old teacher at Richford Elementary School, Ann Lavery, has been accused of physically assaulting a 10-year-old fifth-grade student.

Lavery, a 32-year teaching veteran, faces two counts of simple assault.

Police said the parent of a fifth grade student alleges her daughter's neck was grabbed by Lavery on Sept. 11 because the student did not have permission to be in an area of the school where other students were. The parent provided a photograph of the student's alleged neck injury, police said.

A second complaint by the same parent alleges that Lavery, who was teaching a math class, emptied a small plastic bucket of learning aides, then placed the bucket on the 10-year-old's head and struck the bucket, injuring the student and damaging her glasses.

Lavery is scheduled for a court appearance in Vermont District Court on October 6th.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 09:32:00 AM

Obama Wants NRA Ads Banned




We read:

"The Obama camp has been threatening television and radio stations to keep them from airing anti-Obama ads. The latest target is the NRA and stations in Pennsylvania.

Earlier this week, the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund released a series of radio and television spots to educate gun owners and sportsmen about Barack Obama's longstanding anti-gun record. In response to the NRA-PVF ads, a clearly panicked Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) are doing everything they can to hide Obama's real record by mounting a coordinated assault on the First Amendment.

They have gone to desperate and outrageous lengths to try to silence your NRA by bullying media outlets with threats of lawsuits if they run NRA-PVF's ads. The Obama camp is particularly angry with an NRA ad entitled "Hunter" which lays out Obama's record on gun control.

The NRA charged that "Obama and the DNC have been using strong-arm tactics reminiscent of Chicago machine politics to try and cover up the truth and silence NRA by forcing the stations to assist them in hiding Obama's radical anti-gun record." ... The NRA has set up a web site detailing its position on Obama at www.gunbanobama.com.

Source

Political censorship is stock in trade for Leftists and their media allies. They can't afford for people to know the full facts about them and their policies. See below what Obama does not want you to see:






Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 09:17:00 AM

Suicide Terrorists Arrested on KLM Flight

(The Hague, Netherlands) Fortunately, the authorities were able to capture these terrorists before harm was done.

Two Somali terrorist suspects were arrested Friday on board a KLM aircraft underway to the Netherlands. German police found a farewell letter in the home of the suspects indicating they had a suicide bombing in mind.

The two were arrested at around 7.00 a.m. at the Cologne-Bonn airport in Germany. They were already on board a flight to Amsterdam. The two were booked on a transfer flight to Entebbe in Uganda.

The suspects wanted to commit attacks, said German authorities, but they did not want to say how and where. They did say they had no suspicions that the 23 year old Somali and 24 year old German born in Somalia wanted to hijack the plane.

Flight number KL1804 was preparing to take off from Cologne-Bonn Airport with 48 passengers onboard when the two were arrested.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 08:43:00 AM

Hugo Chavez Ready for Nukes

(Caracas, Venezuela) Yesterday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Russia has offered to assist in nuclear plant development in his nation and he's ready to accept.

"We certainly are interested in developing nuclear energy, for peaceful ends of course -- for medical purposes and to generate electricity," he said.

"Brazil has various nuclear reactors, as does Argentina," he added. "We will have ours as well," he said upon his return from a tour in China and Russia.

It's a thrill a minute with "peaceful ends" Hugo.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 07:50:00 AM

Publisher's Home Firebombed by Islamists

In August 2008, Random House announced it would not publish The Jewel of Medina by American author Sherry Jones (pic) due to expected repercussions from Islamists.

In mid-September, Gibson Square, a British publishing house headed by Martin Rynja, announced that it would release The Jewel of Medina.

Over this past weekend, Marin Rynja's home was firebombed.

Yesterday the right-hand man of preacher of hate Omar Bakri said the fire-bombing was the 'thin end of the wedge'.

Anjem Choudary, a former member of radical Islamist group al-Mujaharoun, said: 'This book is an attack on the honour of Mohammed. It is clearly stipulated in Muslim law that any kind of attack on his honour carries the death penalty.

'People should be aware of the consequences they might face when producing material like this. They should know the depth of feeling it might provoke.

'If the publication goes ahead then I think, inevitably, there will be more attacks like this. The repercussions will be very severe for everyone associated with it. It is not me that is doing petrol bombing, but I understand their feelings.'

In accordance with the terrorism act, Scotland Yard arrested three men aged 22, 30 and 40 for the firebombing. Martin Rynja is under guard at a secret location.

The Jewel of Medina tells the story of nine-year-old Aisha, Mohammad's favorite wife, and how she asserts herself through life among 12 other wives plus concubines.

Also: Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/29/2008 12:22:00 AM

Sleepless in Mexico

What's it say about the effectiveness of law enforcement when the head of the state police needs to reside in a safe house in a foreign country? I would suggest it means that law enforcement is merely a mirage in his own jurisdiction?

Saul Hernandez, director of the [Mexican] Chihuahua state police, now resides in El Paso, Texas, since the last several weeks and crosses the border on a daily basis to carry out his duties. All this for “reasons of security.”

Across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Ciudad Juarez last week recorded its 1,000th homicide for 2008.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/28/2008 12:25:00 PM

Toronto Integrity Commissioner

(Toronto, Ontario) The city of Toronto is experiencing difficulty hiring a politically-savvy individual to fill the position of Integrity Commissioner responsible for verifying the integrity of the City Council members.

Strange. One might be led to believe that there is a scarcity of integrity in Toronto.

Imagine that.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/28/2008 10:04:00 AM

Politically Correct Toilets

(Manchester, England) Due to complaints by transgender students, signs on toilets in the students' union of Manchester University have been changed. According to a students' union official, Jennie Killip, the new signs will make the transgender students feel more comfortable.

The traditional sign on the door of the Gents has been temporarily replaced with one that says 'toilets with urinals'.

And the sign on the Ladies now simply says 'toilets' in a move to make the lavatories more inclusive for trans-gender students.

Apparently, when a user now goes to the bathroom, there are no rules. All toilets are gender-neutral. They are simply identified as to which have urinals and which don't. Reportedly, the current temporary signs will be replaced with permanent placards soon.

Companion post at EdWatch.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/28/2008 09:04:00 AM

THREE POST ON THE BAILOUT

Newt gets it: Let the financiers sort themselves out

Republican Newt Gingrich: "You have an administration which, in my judgment, has lost its mind." And I agree wholeheartedly.

President Bush is so worried about his legacy - he is so afraid of being looked at as Herbert Hoover - that he is doing the very things that Hoover did: Intervene, intervene, intervene. He should do what Ronald Reagan did in 1981 and 1982 and 1987: Let the market play it out.

From the Atlantic Journal-Constitution, Gingrich wants Hank Paulson canned and Gingrich said, "They may have to, in the end, tolerate some of this. Because in the end, you have the Democrats desperate for socialism now. You have an administration which, in my judgment, has lost its mind. That gives you two big elements. And you have Senate Republicans desperate to go along. I'm just being truly candid. Because I think the country ought to know what the pressures really are like.

"And you've got the House Republicans and John McCain prepared to stand on as much principle [as possible] - but in the end, I don't think they're going to be prepared to do nothing. Because they understand that next week, as long as the current situation. stays the way it is, you're going to have a genuine credit crisis."

Either Republicans start behaving like conservatives or they can kiss it all off. Look for the return oif the '70s and it ain't very pretty.

Source

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Replenishing ACORN's Account: Keeping the Housing Mess Going

Like me the WSJ thinks it's outrageous that the Democrats are trying to find money in the bailout to keep their friends in ACORN well nourished:

Acorn has promoted laws like the Community Reinvestment Act, which laid the foundation for the house of cards built out of subprime loans. Thus, we'd be funneling more cash to the groups that helped create the lending mess in the first place.

This isn't the first time this year that Democrats have tried to route money for fixing the housing crisis into the bank accounts of these community activist groups. The housing bill passed by Congress in July also included a tax on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to raise an estimated $600 million annually in grants for these lobbying groups. When Fannie and Freddie went under, the Democrats had to find a new way to fill the pipeline flowing tax dollars into the groups' coffers.

This is a crude power grab in a time of economic crisis. Congress should insist that every penny recaptured from the sale of distressed assets be dedicated to retiring the hundreds of billions of dollars in public debt that will be incurred, or passed back to taxpayers who will ultimately underwrite the cost of the bailout.

Update from Clarice Feldman: Tom Maguire catches how outrageous the Dodd payoff plan to ACORN is:

Jim Lindgren points out multiple problems with Chris Dodd's original draft. My only reassurance - the current plan has moved beyond that. I had derided the Dodd approach to equity stakes last week but Lindgren has more trashing from a different direction.

And his insight on the housing slush fund is an eye-opener -- the original Dodd language called for 20% of the profit on each sale to be diverted to the Dem slush fund; this is far different from 20% of *net* profits. In a net profit scenario, losses on some sales would offset gains on others. Under Dodd, any profit is immediately subject to diversion, regardless of whether there are other, greater losses. That is not taxpayer protection. What it is is absurd

Source. More on ACORN here

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They've Reached a Deal on Bailout

House and Senate negotiators have reached tentative agreement on a financial rescue plan after a marathon Capitol negotiating session that started Saturday afternoon and stretched into early Sunday morning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said their "breakthrough" still had to be "committed to paper," a process that was expected to continue through the night. "We have something verbal," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.).

Republican Whip Roy Blunt, the chief negotiator for House Republicans, said he was "looking forward to what we're going to see on paper" and was optimistic that it would be something House Republicans could support.

Said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson: "We've been working very hard on this and we've made great progress toward a deal which will work and will be effective in the marketplace and effective for all Americans . . . .We've still got a lot to do to finalize it, but I think we're there." The plan would likely give Paulson a relatively free hand accessing the first $350 billion of the $700 billion he sought. It was not clear when the remaining $350 billion would become available, but Treasury apparently agreed that a future Congress could block its release though a joint resolution signed by the president.

The agreement would also include much greater oversight than the Bush administration had initially proposed; an opportunity for the government to take an equity share in the companies it helps, either through warrants or options to buy stock; and a provision limiting the compensation paid to executives of those companies.

To help win the support of House Republicans, the agreement also would likely include an option under which Paulson and future Treasury secretaries could choose to sell companies government-backed insurance to cover securities - thereby improving their value - rather than buy the assets as initially proposed.

A vote in the House could come as early as Monday seemed, Emanuel said.

Source. Much more here. It is rumored that ACORN misses out!



Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/27/2008 11:56:00 PM

MSNBC Poll: Obama Wins Debate

Arguably, the last honest bone has been removed from MSNBC and ignominiously buried. The cable channel's bias is so blatant and exclusive that a reasonable person could contend, through a strict reading of election laws, that MSNBC is failing to end each programming day with an announcement from Obama saying he approves these messages.

That assertion is based on my own amateur observations, however, it's anecdotally supported by a report from Deaf Republicans regarding viewers' opinions of last night's McCain-Obama debate.

MSNBC reported a win by Obama 52% to 34% over McCain. What wasn't reported was that approximately 80% of the voters were foreigners.

In comparison, an online poll by the Drudge Report, where 94% of the voters were from the U.S., reported a McCain win 68% to 30% over Obama.

I think the MSNBC poll tells more about MSNBC than the purported subject matter. Readers can decide for themselves on the validity of my amateur observations regarding MSNBC.

Tip: Stable Hand
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       Following Entry Posted 9/27/2008 09:19:00 AM

Palin and wolf hunting

A wildlife group's ad attacks Palin for supporting the shooting of wolves from airplanes. She does, but there's more to it than that. Killing a few wolves stops lots a caribou calves from being killed. What have the animal lovers got against caribou calves? No mercy for calves? Are some animals more equal than others? Maybe the animal lovers concerned think caribou are a type of vegetable. They seem dumb enough. Real animal lovers would SUPPORT Palin



A new ad from Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund shows the pursuit and shooting of a wolf from a small plane and tells viewers that Sarah Palin "actively promotes" such killings. It's true that she does, and in 2007 she offered $150 payments for anyone who brought the left forepaw of a wolf to state officials. The ad calls the practice "brutal and unethical" but doesn't tell the whole story.

* Alaskan officials call it "predator control," not aerial hunting, and use it to keep the populations of moose and caribou high for subsistence hunters.

* The program is limited to just 9 percent of the state's land mass, or five of 26 Department of Fish and Game districts.

* Far from being endangered, as they are in the Lower 48 states, gray wolves number between 7,000 and 11,000 in Alaska.

This TV spot isn't for the squeamish, especially not squeamish animal-lovers. Its visuals include sinister-looking photos of Gov. Sarah Palin juxtaposed with footage of a wolf trying to outrun an airplane, then being shot and writhing in pain. Finally we see a small plane taking off, a wolf carcass tied to one of its wing struts.

There's a lot of emotional huffing and puffing in the ad. It says "Sarah Palin actively promotes the brutal and unethical aerial hunting of wolves and other wildlife" and says she encourages "cruelty" and "champions ... savagery." But strip away the emotional characterization and we're left with a description of Palin's position that is essentially factually correct, though incomplete....

If you think the explanation above implies a more complicated landscape than the ad shows us, you're correct. In the first place, while gray wolves are listed as an endangered species in the Lower 48, and great efforts have been made to reintroduce them in some Western states, they are abundant in Alaska. Ron Clarke, assistant director of the Division of Wildlife Conservation at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, says the state is home to between 7,000 and 11,000 of them. Wolf populations in Alaska have bounced back since the 1950s, when federal agents conducted an extensive poisoning and aerial shooting campaign; moose and caribou proliferated as a result, in some cases leading to severe degradation of their own habitats.

Second, it's not for nothing that wolves have acquired their big, bad reputations. Studies indicate that predators (wolves and bears) often take 70 percent to 80 percent of the moose and caribou that die each year in Alaska. Research by the state Department of Fish and Game shows that "a single wolf eats 12-13 moose in a typical year and/or 30-40 caribou, mostly calves."

More here



Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/27/2008 07:23:00 AM

NC Woman Gets Prison for Child Sex Crimes

(Winston-Salem, North Carolina) A 32-year-old local woman, Jacqueline Gray, was sentenced yesterday by Judge John Craig to four years in prison for sex crimes committed against an 11-year-old boy. The sentence resulted after Gray entered an Alford plea to reduced charges in accordance with a plea agreement.

According to prosecutor Pansy Glanton:

Gray entered an Alford plea, a type of plea in which a defendant does not admit guilt but agrees it is in her interest not to contest the charge.

She had been charged initially with first-degree child rape and first-degree sex offenses.

Glanton indicted Gray on lesser charges -- two counts felony child abuse by sex act and four counts of indecent liberties with a child -- after Gray agreed she would enter a plea.

Glanton said she did so to spare the victim from having to testify.

The boy had told investigators that Gray would come to his bedroom and touch him and that she had tried to have sex with him. The boy's grandmother indicated that the now-13-year-old continues to struggle with the trauma of abuse.

Apparently, Gray experiences mental-health issues. She suffers from severe depression and twice has attempted suicide. Gray's attorney, Mike Grace, argued that her mental problems indicate that she wasn't motivated to commit the crimes by lust and, therefore, she should be treated leniently. Personally, that logic escapes me.

In any event, maybe Gray will receive counseling for her non-lustful child sex proclivities while in prison.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 08:57:00 PM

Ohio Mom Gets Prison for Sex, Drugs, Weapons

(Bexley, Ohio) In August 2008, Becky Jo Tatum, 42, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, drug possession and illegal gun possession.

Consequently, she was sentenced yesterday by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Timothy S. Horton to five years in prison.

The Bexley house "cultivated an environment for perverse activity," the judge said.

It was a characterization that homeowner Becky Jo Tatum didn't deny.

The 42-year-old mother of two apologized for the environment and the crimes that ensued: having sex with her daughter's 14-year-old friend, having cocaine in the home and keeping a gun, which was illegal for someone previously convicted of drug and prostitution charges.

Tatum was also ordered to register as a sex offender, requiring her to check in with the sheriff's office twice a tear for 25 years.


* * * * *
Ohio Mom Sought by Police for Sex Crime
[Previous 3/26/08 post]
(Bexley, Ohio) A 41-year-old local mother, Becky Jo Tatum, is being sought by police on a charge of unlawful sex with a minor. Be on the lookout for Tatum, described as a white female, six feet tall, 145 lbs.

Reportedly, during one of the regular parties Tatum threw for teenagers, she led a 14-year-old girl into the bedroom and engaged in oral sex.

The girl told police that Becky Jo Tatum "was acting very flirtatious with everyone" during a party at the woman's house in early March.

Tatum took her hand and led her to the master bedroom, where they had oral sex, court documents say. The girl was not forced to have sex and returned to the party afterward, she told police.

Warrants issued Friday charge Tatum, 41, with having unlawful sex with a minor. Her case will be presented to a grand jury and could lead to more charges.

Police have not been able to find Tatum.

It is also alleged that Tatum engaged in sex with one of her daughter's friends, a 17-year-old boy. No charges have been filed as yet.

Tatum is known to the police with a criminal history dating back to 1998. She has been convicted of various prostitution, drug and property crimes.

Also: Jawa Report


[Update 03/29/08]

Tatum apprehended.

Police said a phone call from an anonymous source led them to the southeast Columbus complex.

Detectives spotted the car that Tatum was said to have been driving and waited for her, [10TV's] Ludlow reported.

"We observed her coming out of the apartment and into her car," said Bexley police Det. Bob Cuschleg. "We kind of took her by surprise. She didn't see us approach, so she was a little dazed."

A reward of $2,000 from Crimestoppers was offered for information leading to her arrest. (Thanks SE)


[Update 04/10/08]

Tatum was indicted yesterday on charges of having sex with a 14-year-old girl, insurance fraud, cocaine possession and having a gun as a convicted felon.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 07:17:00 PM

Toronto "Youth" Guilty of Terrorism

(Brampton, Ontario) A 20-year-old homegrown Toronto terrorist, part of the infamous "Toronto 18" terror cell, has been found guilty of plotting to kill civilians with guns and explosives.

In the first verdict under Canada's new anti-terrorism laws, Ontario Superior Court Justice John Sproat rejected defence assertions the Toronto-area plot was nothing more than "musings and fantasies."

"It might well have been said prior to Sept. 11, 2001 that a plan to kill thousands and destroy landmark buildings in lower Manhattan and Washington had no possibility of implementation," Sproat said.

Sproat dismissed defence assertions that the group's co-leader - the youth's friend and mentor - was a self-aggrandizing liar who simply talked an ugly extremist game.

"I also reject the argument that (the alleged ringleader) was a hapless fanatic who posed no risk."

The 20-year-old accused, who cannot be named because he was 17 at the time of his offences, showed little emotion as the verdict was read.

The unidentified youth faces a possible ten years in prison at sentencing. No sentencing date was reported.

There's been no indication as to when we might be told the name of the 20-year-old convicted terrorist. Maybe after he gets sentenced -- or -- maybe never.

Frankly, I think it's dangerous to hide the identities of terrorists. After all, al-Qaeda's greatest challenge is to keep its members names a secret until they act. What kind of distorted Canadian logic is being used to keep terrorists names secret once they are caught and convicted? It's nuts.

Tip: CN
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 06:27:00 PM

School for Deaf Teacher Pinched for Sex with Boy

(Bristol, Connecticut) A 27-year-old former teacher at the American School for The Deaf, Julie Denno, was arrested today for the alleged sexual assault of a male student under the age of 16.

Denno faces charges of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

A Ballston Lake, NY, resident, Denno is accused of sexual assault of the boy at her former home in Bristol, CT, between December '07 and January '08. Police started investigating after receiving a complaint in February 2008. Denno was terminated from school employment after the initial allegations were made.

Denno was booked into custody with bond set at $75,000.

Reportedly, both Denno and the boy are deaf.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 05:04:00 PM

Ohio Woman Gets No Jail in Boy Sex Case - Updated

(Fremont, Ohio) Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Hafford sentenced Renee L. Frye to probation for two counts of felony unlawful sexual conduct in a relationship with a 14-year-old boy for a period of more than three months.

Electronic monitoring for 180 days was also ordered and Frye will be classified as a sex offender.

Lenient? I'll say. Can you imagine a 28-year-old man slipping the smooth one to a 14-year-old girl for three months and walking away with zero slammer time? I can't.


* * * * *
Ohio Woman Guilty of Sex with Boy
[Previous 6/24/08 post]
(Fremont, Ohio) A 28-year-old local woman, Renee L. Frye, pleaded guilty in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court last week to engaging in a three-month sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy. Police were initially alerted to the relationship by the boy's mother.

Frye admitted to two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor while 10 other counts were dropped in accordance with a plea agreement.

At sentencing, Frye faces a possible five years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count. She will be required to register as a sex offender. No information on a sentencing date has been provided.

Interestingly, according to this report, Frye received a divorce from Todd Frost on March 3. This means that she was mixing it up with the boy while still married or began the relationship while the divorce papers were still hot.

Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 04:05:00 PM

Hezbollah Terrorist Loses at Trial

Kudos to Debbie Schlussel who just won a criminal court case where her client was falsely accused of felony possession and assault with a firearm.

The accuser, Ali Taleb, is a Hezbollah terrorist who is wanted in Lebanon for kidnapping and murder. The accused, identified as Haidar, is a resident alien from Lebanon who has a fatwa issued for his death because he helped the U.S. government investigate Hezbollah.

Working pro bono, Schlussel had to deal with a hostile prosecutor, Raj Prasad, and a hostile judge, Thomas Jackson, while confronted with dissembling from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who worked with Haidar.

In the end and despite the obstacles, the jury saw through the attempted kangarooization of the trial and acquitted Haidar.

Check out Debbie's post. While outlining the victory at trial, it additionally gives common sense substance to the contention that America is becoming Islamized.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 02:28:00 PM

New British ID Card

(United Kingdom) Starting in November, Britain's newest identity card will be issued to foreign citizens. The new card is pink and blue and covered with European Union symbols while displaying no British symbols.




To get a job and welfare state services, foreigners will need the card. It contains a biometric symbol, a digitized photo, personal data, security features and a microchip storing personal data and fingerprints. As many as 60,000 cards will be issued by March.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith believes the cards will protect against illegal aliens and identity fraud. Critics say that the current card scheme is a pilot project intended to acclimate all British citizens to the idea of having a national ID card crammed down their throats from 2011 on.

In any event, since the card displays a unicorn and a powder-blue and boudoir-pink color scheme, I could easily believe it was designed in a lingerie shop.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 09:35:00 AM

Bill Clinton Defends John McCain's Debate Decision-- Blames Dems For Meltdown!

ABC News' Nitya Venkataraman Reports: Former President Bill Clinton defended Sen. John McCain's request to delay the first presidential debate, saying McCain did it in "good faith" and pushed organizers to reserve time for economy talk during the debate if the Friday plans move forward.

Appearing on Good Morning America Thursday, Clinton told ABC News' Chris Cuomo that McCain's push to postpone the debate would only be a good political move if both candidates agreed. McCain announced on Wednesday that he would "suspend" his presidential campaign to come to Washington to help negotiate a financial bailout bill.

"We know he didn't do it because he's afraid because Sen. McCain wanted more debates," Clinton said, adding that he was "encouraged" by the joint statement from McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. "You can put it off a few days the problem is it's hard to reschedule those things," Clinton said, "I presume he did that in good faith since I know he wanted -- I remember he asked for more debates to go all around the country and so I don't think we ought to overly parse that."

Also... During the interview Bill Clinton blamed the Democrats for blocking reform of the mortgage giants, via Patriot Room:

Going very much against the media meme that the current financial crisis is all George W. Bush and the Republicans' fault, Bill Clinton on Thursday told ABC's Chris Cuomo that Democrats for years have been "resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac"

True. President Bush warned about reforming Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae 17 times this year alone. John McCain's reform bill was blocked by dems in 2005. Thank you, Bill Clinton!

Source



Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 08:45:00 AM

MRSA in Northeast Ohio

Four cases of infection from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) have emerged in the northeast Ohio area.

In Mentor, the school system reported three cases of MRSA. School officials said each case appears to be isolated.

In Bay Village, a Heinen's grocery store employee was confirmed to be infected. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health said it was not a public health concern.

I wonder what the upper limit is for isolated cases before MRSA can be classified as a public health concern. We've got at least four now. And, regarding all the "isolated" cases, I believe the authorities should determine where the patients came into contact with the bacteria before nonchalantly announcing that there is no public health concern.

Being part of the public, I can say I'm concerned.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 08:12:00 AM

California Woman Busted for Boy Sex

(Watsonville, California) A 23-year-old local woman, Yazmin Reyes Ruiz, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy when she was a guest in his house.

According to Watsonville Police Sgt. Terry Traub, Ruiz faces charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than 10 years her junior.

The boy’s mother confronted her son when she noticed “suspicious issues” concerning the boy, said Traub. When she talked to him, he admitted the encounter. The mother contacted police and Ruiz was removed from the home.

Ruiz was booked into custody at the Santa Cruz County Jail.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 06:11:00 AM

Pedophile Clergyman Gets Prison for Child Porn

(Wales, UK) A 59-year-old vicar at the Beguildy Church in Wales, Richard Hart, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of child pornography stemming from the discovery of 57,000 filthy images of children in his home. Hart even enlarged one image and posted it on the wall in the vicarage bathroom.

As a result, pedophile Hart was sentenced in Cardiff Crown Court to three and one-half years in prison.

Many of the pictures were of children who enrolled in Sunday School during his 17 years in the village of Beguildy, near Knighton, Mid Wales. Others, described as 'stomach-churning', came from the internet.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Hart's wife Julia, 41, a teaching assistant, knew he had pictures of children as young as five.

Prosecutor Ieuan Morris, who called her attitude 'bizarre', said that when police arrived at the vicarage she said she was not surprised to see them.

After her husband was arrested she told police: 'We occasionally looked at images of teenage girls, sometimes leading to sexual intercourse.'

She added: 'If parents were happy to have their children on the internet in this manner it wasn't anyone else's business.

Hart was also added to the sexual offenders register and banned from working with children. Wife Julia Hart was also punished. She has been disqualified from working with children for two years. In summary, Hart gets less than a handful of years in prison and his wife gets nothing.

It's noteworthy to mention that if Hart had been prosecuted in the U.S. for possessing 57,000 child porn images, he would likely be facing 50 years in prison. Apparently, British law is rather blasé regarding child pornography.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 04:34:00 AM

The Obamazebo

(Chicago, Illinois) Investigative work by the Sun-Times is underway in the Chicago area to find what happened to a $100,000 in Illinois taxpayer funds given by State Senator Obama in 2001 to a campaign volunteer.

The money was supposed to be spent on improvements to an economically-blighted area in Chicago's South Side.

Other than a gazebo, dubbed the Obamazebo, on a vacant, littered lot along with weeds, garbage and broken pavement, there's no evidence that the state money was properly handled.

When questioned about the grant money, Obama stated that somebody should have been monitoring the disbursement, showing no sense of responsibility for the results even though he picked the person to receive the money.

In a nutshell, as a state senator, Obama couldn't keep track of $100,000 dedicated for urban beautification. Instead, the money appears to have simply vanished while leaving only a gazebo, the Obamazebo.

Notably, the story of the mishandled $100,000 is percolating while the Democrat Party is seeking to have Obama elected to the presidency so he can control trillions of dollars.

BizzyBlog has all the details.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/26/2008 03:48:00 AM

Harry Reid Puts Oil Shale Ban in Continuing Resolution

(Via Tom Blumer)

We've just been alerted that despite House Democrats relenting on extending bans on offshore drilling and oil shale in the continuing resolution (CR) appropriations bill, Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid has decided to sneak an extension of the oil shale ban through as Congress fights over the financial bailout.

Oil shale in America's West is estimated to hold be between 800 billion and 2 trillion barrels of oil -- that is more than three times the proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia alone.

It's our oil. Let's go get it.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 07:14:00 PM

Florida Teacher Pinched for Cocaine and Theft

(Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) A 41-year-old teacher at Treasure Coast High School, Lynne Wilson, has been accused of stealing items from a Wal-Mart Supercenter and possession of cocaine.

When investigators stopped her, she said, "I have a problem, I have a problem."

Asked if she had anything illegal on her, Wilson pulled a small amount of cocaine from her right front pocket. Investigators also turned up a clear straw with cocaine residue on it in her back pocket.

Police listed the value of the goods she took at $40.28, including a Tim McGraw CD, a DVD, two dozen highlighters and a pair of sunglasses.

Wilson faces counts of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 05:30:00 PM

Colorado Teacher's Aide Sex Case Closed - Updated

(Lakewood, Colorado) According to this report, the criminal case against April T. Robertson, now 33, was dismissed last June. Robertson's lawyer convinced the prosecution that the teenage boy involved was actually obsessed with her. I removed her pic from the post.

* * * * *
Colorado Teach Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 4/21/07 post]
(Lakewood, Colorado) A 32-year-old teacher's aide at Sobesky Academy, April T. Robertson, was arrested Thursday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student in December 2006.

The boy told his family about the sexual conduct and they alerted the authorities. According to Steve L. Davis of the Lakewood Police Department, "There were at least two reported incidents," and they occurred off of school property.

Robertson faces charges of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust with a pattern and enticement of a child.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 04:34:00 PM

The Media Were Shocked

Regarding John McCain suspending his campaign to work on the financial crisis, one result is remarkable. It dramatically shook up the media.

Politically it’s the equivalent of turning the game of risk over and scattering all the pieces.

I agree. Pundits and reporters were caught totally by surprise. I was entertained.

Presumably, the Obama campaign is diligently producing and planning its own shocker to counter McCain's. I wonder what it could possibly be.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 03:41:00 PM

Dem Woes and Volcanoes

The Democrats are dividing and infighting.

This week, my "best friend" living a great distance away dumped me when I disclosed my support for McCain-Palin.

I laid out my reasons for rejecting our party's nominee; offered facts, links, and analysis from major sources; and explained that my decision was based on a fervent conviction that Obama is not ready to become president and, more importantly, may not have America's best interests at heart. I reassured her that I was still a Democrat, and planned to vote for as many down-ticket Dems as possible...

The Democrat "best friend" then, being as civil and tolerant as possible, erupted like a volcano, swift and violent.

That's a shame.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 02:25:00 PM

Ohio Woman Gets Prison for Unlawful Sex with Boy, 13

(Canton, Ohio) Last month, a 24-year-old Nimishillen Township woman, Sarah M. Rice, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for engaging in a three-month sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy. The sex occurred at the victim's home.

Yesterday in Stark County Common Pleas Court, Sarah Rice was sentenced by Judge John G. Haas to three years in prison, however, he agreed to consider early release. Tearfully, Rice told the judge that she was sorry.

Rice was also ordered to register as a sex offender twice a year for 25 years.

Early release to be considered, eh? Any takers on a bet that she doesn't do six months?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 01:15:00 PM

Facing Mecca During Defecation

I guess there is a rule written somewhere that says Muslims must turn their heads away from the holy city of Mecca when they defecate.

LONDON -- Olympic organizers issued detailed design rules for the 2012 London games Wednesday, including a mandate that at least some toilets in the Olympic park do not face the holy Islamic city of Mecca.

Just from one person's perspective, it would seem prudent to label those toilets that don't face Mecca. Think about it. Someone walks around all day and enters an arbitrary facility to relieve the urge and, whoa, how does he know which toilets face which way? I won't believe that all Muslims have the inherent ability to automatically know the direction of Mecca at all times.

To take it one step further, when a toilet is picked to be identified as not facing Mecca, it might be simpler just to indicate what it does face. Examples might include: China, Iran, North Korea, Barbra Striesand's Malibu mansion, Angelina Jolie's swimming pool, etc. Of course, labeling all toilets with directions faced would be a decidedly frivolous expenditure of taxpayer dollars.

Silliness aside, the whole subject of Mecca-facing toilets is moot if one considers that the Earth is a globe. Furthermore, Mecca sits at approximately 40 degrees E. longitude and 20 degrees N. latitude and on the other side of the Earth, straight through the core, sits Tahiti (approximate enough for discussion purposes). Now, for a Tahitian toilet to face Mecca, it would have to be mounted on the wall, facing downward toward the center of the Earth. Obviously, a wall-mounted toilet would not be functional.

However, it is also obvious that any functional Tahitian toilet could not possibly face Mecca. When the curvature of the Earth is taken into account, any toilet out of the region surrounding Mecca can't possibly face Mecca.

I would suggest that the only toilets actually able to face Mecca are within 100 miles of the city or they are mounted at an angle to the floor. In Britain, at 0 degrees longitude, a toilet would have to be tilted 40 degrees from the plane of the floor to face Mecca. Chances are that a user would find it difficult to defecate at a 40 degree down angle.

So, if a respected Islamic scholar could rule that the Earth is not flat and it's impossible to face Mecca at most points on the planet, the dumb defecation requirement can be repealed.

Companion post at The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 09:05:00 AM

Typical Democrat elitist behavior: Someone else will pay

Barack Obama's Wisconsin Campaign for Change left no change in Waupun last week. The presidential candidate's campaign staff arrived at the Chit Chat Cafe at 324 E. Main St., last Tuesday to hold a round table discussion about Obama and his positions. More than 40 people crowded the family restaurant.

But when it came time to leave, the campaign staff got up and left, refusing to pay the tab for coffee. "When they came the place was full and they started talking," said the waitress Amanda, who didn't want to use her last name. "Then some people said they couldn't hear, and so they stood up and started giving a speech, talking loud enough for everyone to hear. "We didn't even know they were having a meeting here."

Amanda said it started last week when two men came in to eat. "After they ate they asked if we could reserve a table for 10 people for next week. We said sure. We didn't know it was for a meeting. "We didn't know what was going on Tuesday. I didn't know anything about this. They never told us, but they had press releases, and were on the radio, and called people to come."

As the campaign staff started walking out, a startled Amanda stopped them at the door and asked who was going to pay for the coffee. "One man said he only had $10, and another said they had to hurry on to the next meeting in Watertown," Amanda said. About 20 cups of coffee weren't paid for but that small amount didn't concern Chit Chat owner Debbie Vanden Boom.

"It's the principle of the matter. Had they said they were having a meeting and many people would be coming and could the coffee be complimentary, it wouldn't have been a problem," she said. "On top of that, Amanda never even got a tip."

Source



Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 05:16:00 AM

Teacher Naughty for Cracks to Girls About Panties

(Jacksonville, Florida) A seventh-grade science teacher at Twin Lakes Middle School, Patrick Foster, is under investigation for telling a girl student the color of her panties after he had warned that he would do so.

"Girls, if you wear short skirts and I can see your panties, I am going to tell you what color they are."

Reportedly, Foster also directed inappropriate comments to boys about their underwear, saying that when one wears his pants low, it means, in prison terms, that "you are open for business."

None of Foster's cracks sit well with the administration which is going to ask the school board to suspend him for 10 days without pay.

"Following his suspension, if that is what's passed at the board meeting in October, then he'd be moved to a different school," said Jill Johnson, spokeswoman for the Duval County School Board.

I think Foster suffers from being distructively candid. He needs to learn tact and diplomacy.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/25/2008 12:08:00 AM

South Dakota Woman Gets Probation for Rape

Honestly, the prosecution and punishment of female sex offenders borders on being a joke. Yesterday, Marchelle West (aka Marchelle West-Boston) was sentenced by Circuit Judge Brad Zell to probation for raping a 14-year-old boy. Judge Zell said West doesn't have the characteristics of a child predator.

Apparently, Judge Zell failed to give adequate consideration to the fact that she committed a crime. The crime seems to have been relegated to secondary importance to Marchelle West's "characteristics."

Nevertheless, despite the prosecution asking for a three-year prison term, Judge Zell gave West a suspended sentence with five years of probation. West will be required to register as a sex offender. Regarding the alleged pregnancy previously reported, no news has been forthcoming.

In closing, it's notable that the ages-old cliche of "do the crime, do the time" has largely become not applicable to female sex offenders.


* * * * *
South Dakota Woman, 28, Indicted for Rape of Boy, 14
[Previous 5/3/08 post]
(Sioux Falls, South Dakota) A 28-year-old local woman, Marchelle Dawan West-Boston, was indicted this week by a Minnehaha County grand jury on two counts of rape of a boy who was 14 and 15 at the time.

According to court documents, the mother of the 15-year-old reported to DSS that 28-year-old Marchelle Dawan West-Boston had sex with her son during the summer of 2007. The defendant had been staying at the teen's friend's house in Humboldt South Dakota, when she allegedly "came on to" the victim.

The victim also allegedly received letters from West-Boston. In those letters, she said that she loved him and that she was pregnant with his baby.

A court appearance is scheduled for next week.


[Update 7/8/08]

From Argus Leader:

A 28-year-old Sioux Falls woman has pleaded guilty to the rape of a teenage boy.

Marchelle West-Boston faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty last week to fourth-degree rape, according to court records.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 28.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 11:23:00 PM

Florida Teacher and Neighborhood Youth

(Largo, Florida) A 36-year-old third-grade teacher at Southern Oak Elementary School, Alyson Perry-Jarvis, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly engaging in a two-year sexual relationship with a neighborhood male youth.

The sexual relations allegedly started when the teen was 16 in July 2006. Now 18, the young man reported Perry-Jarvis to authorities on September 19.

Married with a son, Perry-Jarvis faces one count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. She was booked into custody.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 01:40:00 PM

Obscene Language Class

(Fresno, California) Check out the latest behavior course content being loafed out by the progressive public school system in Fresno.

During the first week of school, the kids got a lesson on words they shouldn't use, including terms for oral sex and prostitution. The teachers and kids were focused on behavioral expectations instead of the normal subjects, but some parents say the way the school taught kids not to swear was obscene.

The first week of school included a vocabulary lesson for Phoenix Hawkins and the words he learned won't help him on the SAT. He says his history teacher wrote out 15 dirty words for the whole class to see and then asked them not to use those words.

Phoenix says he only knew a few of the words, but he and some of the other kids tried to figure out the ones they didn't know. "After school, I asked my mom what some of the words were," he said. "And she said, 'where did you hear those words?'"

His mother says it was quite a shock to her ears and that he wasn't using "standard swear words." She called the words the most vulgar and disgusting words she's ever heard. "I couldn't believe what he was saying to me," said Erin Hawkins. "I felt so violated."

Phoenix says he's heard a lot more bad words at school since the cursing class, including that same day, when he says kids were using the 'C' word.

The obscene language curricula apparently is a system-wide project to improve behavior. Unfortunately, there are significant unintended consequences, a customary attribute of progressive ideas.

First of all, the kids only learned many of the words when they were told not to use them.

Second, once the kids knew the words, they searched for explanations regarding their meaning.

Third, vigorous discussion about the words and their meanings ensued among the kids.

Fourth, the parents found out what the school is doing and they are angry.

Fifth, valuable classroom time is being wasted on the obscene language program and the kids are not learning anything that will help them score good grades.

A Fresno Unified School Board meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. I expect it will be lively as parents seek answers to their complaints.

Companion post at EdWatch
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 12:25:00 PM

Fart Leads to Battery Charge

(Charleston, West Virginia) A 34-year-old local man, Jose Antonio Cruz, was arrested Monday night in South Charleston for allegedly driving under the influence and battery on a police officer.

Cruz was initially stopped for driving with his headlights off. After failing a sobriety test, Cruz was arrested.

As Cruz was being booked and fingerprinted, he leaned toward the booking officer, aimed his exhaust pipe and, likely grinning drunkenly, let loose with a regal rectal ripper that blasted the officer right in the face. As a consequence, Cruz was additionally charged with battery on a police officer.

According to the criminal complaint, investigation determined that the gaseous effluent from Cruz had a "very strong" odor.

Cruz was booked into custody at the South Central Regional Jail.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 10:31:00 AM

Man Dies Waiting 34 Hrs at Emergency Room

(Winnipeg, Manitoba) It's unexcusable! A man waits 34 hours at a Winnipeg hospital emergency room and dies before he is seen. Not only that but he was dead for several hours before it was noticed that he had become a corpse progressing toward rigor mortis.

Although the 45-year-old man -- who CTV Winnipeg identified as a double amputee named Brian Sinclair -- was "a regular" at the emergency room, regional health officials say he was never registered or seen by triage nurses over the weekend until it was too late.

"The bottom line is we are not making an excuse for this," [Manitoba Premier] Doer said yesterday following a grilling over the incident in the legislature. "This is a tragic incident and it shouldn't have happened."

Sinclair was dropped off at the hospital by a taxi Friday afternoon after visiting a downtown health clinic, which is part of the regional health authority.

Some hospital staff did speak with the man at some point, but it was not until shortly after midnight on Sunday that he was examined and pronounced dead. The cause of death has not been released.

Although it's arguably unethical, immoral and illegal to deny emergency treatment to people out in society, denying treatment to someone at the emergency room, even by neglect or incompetence, must border on being a prosecutable offense.

Also: SocGlory
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 09:20:00 AM

Must not diss Obama in a Colorado school




We read:

"An 11-year-old in Aurora says his first amendment rights are being trampled after he was suspended for wearing a homemade shirt that reads "Obama is a terrorist's best friend." The fifth grader at Aurora Frontier K-8 School wore it on a day when students were asked to wear red, white and blue to show their patriotism.

The boy's father Dann Dalton describes himself as a "proud conservative" who has taken part in some controversial anti-abortion protests. Dalton says the school made a major mistake by suspending his son for wearing the shirt. "It's the public school system," Dalton says. "Let's be honest, it's full of liberal loons."

According the the boy's father, the school district told the student, Daxx Dalton, that he had the choice of changing his shirt, turning his shirt inside out or being suspended. Daxx chose suspension.

"They're taking away my right of freedom of speech," he says. "If I have the right to wear this shirt I'm going to use it. And if the only way to use it is get suspended, then I'm going to get suspended." .... The boy's father says he intends to pursue a lawsuit against the district.

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 08:13:00 AM

McCain Will Push Amnesty on First Day of Presidency

John McCain told an interviewer on Univision that he would present a plan for comprehensive immigration reform (read: amnesty) on the first day of his presidency.

Just freaking beautiful.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/24/2008 06:03:00 AM

College Credit Offered for Obama Campaigners

(Amherst, Massachusetts) Frankly, at least one person should be fired for merely trying to pull this stunt.

University of Massachusetts officials yesterday quashed efforts by an Amherst campus chaplain to offer two college credits to any student willing to campaign in New Hampshire this fall for Democrat Barack Obama.

Chaplain Ken Higgins told students in a Sept. 18 e-mail, “If you’re scared about the prospects for this election, you’re not alone. The most important way to make a difference in the outcome is to activate yourself. It would be just fine with McCain if Obama supporters just think about helping, then sleep in and stay home between now and Election Day.”

Higgins added that an unnamed “sponsor” in the university’s History Department would offer a two-credit independent study for students willing to canvass or volunteer on behalf of the Democratic nominee.

“It is relatively (easy) to do late add-ons,” Higgins wrote.

University spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said the scheme wasn't approved by the administration. Higgins isn't commenting.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 11:29:00 PM

Idaho Cheerleaders Show Too Much

(Boise, Idaho) Due to complaints from unidentified fans, the University of Idaho cheerleaders are being forced to change their uniforms.

Apparently, the uniforms, consisting of halter tops and short black shorts, were considered too skimpy.

New uniforms with a less-revealing halter tops and skirts six inches longer have been ordered.

Despite reported complaints, however, the adviser to the Spirit Squad, Shelly Robson, hinted that some of the girls might be on the beefier side and actually needed more material.

Personally, I'd recommend that the cheerleaders be decked out in the same uniforms worn by the women's Olympic beach volleyball teams. Over a billion people watched the beach volleyball competition and, as I recall, not one official complaint made the news.

Also: Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 10:25:00 PM

Oregon Woman Indicted for Sex Abuse of Children

(Salem, Oregon) An 18-year-old woman, Morgan Alicia Jodeen Larson, has been indicted by a Marion County grand jury on sex abuse charges involving an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, both young relatives.

She faces charges of rape, sodomy, sex abuse, unlawful sexual penetration and use of a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct.

The acts became known when the female victim told an older relative about the abuse. When questioned by police, Larson said she was innocent and couldn't understand why the children would make such accusations.

Larson was booked into custody at the Marion County Jail without bail.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 03:14:00 PM

Florida Teacher Caught in Drug Bust

(Tampa, Florida) A 23-year-old teacher at Turner Elementary School, Wildalynn Harris, has been arrested by Hillsborough County officers and charged with possession of marijuana.

Harris was caught during a bust of a marijuana grow and sell operation at the home of Shawn Crane, 24.

Detectives say they found 16 marijuana plants, along with approximately 200 grams of marijuana packaged to sell inside the home.

Crane was charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 01:11:00 PM

Deserter Jeremy Hinzman Granted Reprieve

(Toronto, Ontario) The first U.S. Army deserter to seek refugee status in Canada, Jeremy Hinzman, was scheduled for deportation today, however, Crown Justice Richard Mosley granted a stay on the deportation order.

Hinzman's lawyer, Alyssa Manning, had argued that "evidence suggests U.S. soldiers who have spoken out against the 2003 U.S.-led Iraq invasion have been facing more punishment than other deserters." Furthermore, Manning stated that the immigration officer had not properly assessed the hardship Jeremy and his family would endure.

Hinzman, who has worked in the past as a bike courier in Toronto, says he and his wife, Nga Nguyen, and children, Liam, 6, and 2-month-old Meghan, have been living off their savings in recent months. "When our compassionate and humanitarian application was turned down, my work permit was revoked (in August) ... We have a little bit (of money) so we've been okay," he said.

At the Toronto hearing yesterday "the judge said if our family was to be separated, that would be irreparable harm," said Hinzman, as he held his baby at Friends House, a Quaker centre on Lowther Ave. in Toronto.

He said he volunteered to go to war: "I wanted to make a better life for myself and my family."

The Rapid City, S.D., native joined the 82nd Airborne in January 2001. Three years later, he went AWOL and fled to Toronto just before his unit was scheduled to leave for Iraq.

Hinzman now gets a chance for an additional appeal before a federal court, expected within a couple months.

Maybe it's just me, but if someone deserts the U.S. military in a time of war, I think it's naive to expect there will be no consequential hardship. I also think the Canadians might want to consider scrubbing some of the liberalism from the judiciary.

Also: Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 10:56:00 AM

Michigan Woman Gets Jail in Sex Case

(Muskegon, Michigan) In May 2008, a 29-year-old local woman, Anna Marie Glass, was arrested and charged with engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Last month, Glass pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person between the ages of 13 and 15. Yesterday, Glass was sentenced by Muskegon County Circuit Judge Timothy G. Hicks to one year in the Muskegon County Jail. The sentence was the very least punishment that Glass could have received according to state sentencing guidelines.

Glass did not speak during the proceeding.

Hicks acknowledged receiving many letters from supporters of Glass, attesting to her lack of a criminal record, her otherwise good character, her condition of bipolar disorder diagnosed last year, and the fact that the sexual contact was consensual and that the boy was physically much larger than Glass.

But, Hicks said, "this was not a Romeo and Juliet case (of two teenagers in love). You were almost twice his age, and you knew him a long time."

It's not known if Glass will be ordered to register as a sex offender.

Interestingly, we have another bipolar disorder excuse from a female sex offender to go along with the dozens of others documented on this site. Strangely, I've not seen the excuse generally used by male sex offenders.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 09:40:00 AM

Mississippi Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Jackson, Mississippi) A 37-year-old teacher at the New Summit School, Sheral Lee Smith, was arrested last Wednesday by Rankin County Sheriff's deputies for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old male student.

Smith has been charged with statutory rape and transfer of a controlled substance.

Reportedly, the alleged statutory rape occurred at Smith's home and not at the school. The New Summit School is a private K-12 institution founded in 1997.

Smith was booked into custody with bond set at $50,000. She bonded out last Friday.


[Update 10/11/08]

This week, Sheral Smith was booked into the Hinds County Detention Center on new charges of rape and sexual battery. Consequently, Smith faces similar charges in two counties. Smith was subsequently released on bond.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 09:10:00 AM

Some things speak for themselves



(Via Fausta)

If you enjoy life, I think this tells you which way to vote. And if you don't, likewise.

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 08:01:00 AM

A Town Named Obama

(Marin County, California) Not too far from the birthplace of the ebonics education proposition, we get this experiment in preferential spelling.

Motorists entering the quaint, woodsy town of Olema near the sea in Marin County may notice a subtle change as they enter: it appears the burg's name has been changed to ''Obama.''

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama supporter and bed and breakfast owner Kelly Emery created a perfect mirror of the green sign people read as they enter the town's limits.

Now people unfamiliar with the area may think they are entering the town of Obama, population: 55.

Since the area is dilettante-deep in snooty liberals, there has been little fuss.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Also: Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 07:30:00 AM

Dog Brings Home a Child's Severed Foot

(Russellville, Alabama) This is ominous.

A family dog brought home a child’s foot, but searchers combing surrounding woods in northwest Alabama found no signs of any other remains and don’t know where the child might be.

No children have been reported missing, killed or maimed in or around Russellville. Police Chief Chris Hargett said investigators were studying missing persons reports from nearby areas and sent the severed foot for forensic tests in a bid to narrow the search.

The foot is believed to have been exposed to the elements for only a few days. An orthopedist indicated the foot was severed below the ankle.

Forensics may determine the child's age, race and gender. Cadaver-sniffing dogs will be searching again today.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 07:00:00 AM

Fannie and Freddie Simplified

There's true blame to divvy out but the MSM is seeing and hearing none of it. With the MSM and the Dems, obfuscation is preferable.

Now that the collapse has occurred, the roadblock built by Senate Democrats in 2005 is unforgivable. Many who opposed the bill doubtlessly did so for honorable reasons. Fannie and Freddie provided mounds of materials defending their practices. Perhaps some found their propaganda convincing.

But we now know that many of the senators who protected Fannie and Freddie, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd, have received mind-boggling levels of financial support from them over the years.

Throughout his political career, Obama has gotten more than $125,000 in campaign contributions from employees and political action committees of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, second only to Dodd, the Senate Banking Committee chairman, who received more than $165,000.

It's noteworthy to mention that Obama received his contributions in a much shorter period of time than the others. So, it can be said that Obama's account was flooded at a faster rate.

More.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/23/2008 06:26:00 AM

Watch Your Back Around Mary Winkler

In March 2006, after administering a premeditated shotgun blast to the back of her sleeping husband, Mary Winkler fled with her three children and was arrested days later in another state.

After claiming, without proof or corroboration, that her husband Matthew abused her, Mary Winkler was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

Give or take a few days, she served five months behind bars and was freed.

Last week, Mary Winkler was granted full custody of her children. More here.

So, a Mary Winkler kills her sleeping husband with a shotgun blast in the back and, less than three years hence, she's a free woman enjoying life with her three children as if nothing at all had happened. I wonder if anyone visits Matthew Winkler's grave or reminisces over his image in the family picture albums. Probably not.

* * * * *
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean are in federal prison doing more than a decade each for wounding a drug smuggler while doing their jobs. Winkler got five months and custody of her kids for the cold-blooded execution of her sleeping husband.

Also for comparison, Kristen Rene Santoya, a special education assistant at Camarillo High School in Oxnard, CA, got six months behind bars for stealing students' lunch money. Winkler got five months and custody of her kids for the cold-blooded execution of her sleeping husband.

I could go on but you get the point. I believe that Mary Winkler got away with murder. It would be prudent for all her acquaintances to watch their backs. Testimony from executioners indicates that the first one is troubling but all the others come easily -- like getting olives out of a jar.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 12:04:00 PM

Ohio: McCain Leads Obama 48-42 Percent

Published yesterday, the Ohio Newspaper Poll by Ohio's eight largest newspapers found McCain leading Obama by six percentage points based upon a survey of Ohio voters conducted September 12-16.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 11:29:00 AM

Berkeley Tree-Sitters Must Pay

The University of California - Berkeley is seeking reimbursement of more than $800,000 from the infamous campus tree-sitters for expenses incurred by police and security forces. It looks like each participating activist will be assessed more than $10,000 which goes straight to the university.

That's a shame. Of course, it may mean that the eco-radicals will think twice before pulling another stunt on the UC Berkeley campus.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 09:21:00 AM

Must not criticize Islam


British critic to be banned from teaching because of his "intolerance". British teachers are generally very Leftist and so are those who control and represent them.

"A teacher could face being struck off over allegations of racial and religious intolerance. Adam Walker, who taught at Houghton Kepier School, is believed to be the first teacher to be hauled before England's General Teaching Council (GTC) to face the charge. It is believed he is accused of expressing views "suggestive of racial and religious intolerance" in an Internet forum.

The 39-year-old, from County Durham, has stood as a candidate for the British National Party (BNP) in local elections. He claims the allegations against him are driven by "politically motivated spite". Mr Walker, a design teacher, resigned from Houghton Kepier Sports College after the school began disciplinary action in early 2007.

Source

The BNP is an anti-immigration party.

Note the following Leftist comment from another report of the matter:

"But Christina McAnea, of the Unison union, questioned whether BNP members should be allowed to teach. "Schools should be centres of learning and tolerance, not a breeding ground for the poisonous views of the BNP," she said.

Christina sounds pretty intolerant herself. Perhaps she too should be banned from teaching.

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 08:31:00 AM

Airport Terminals Evacuated

Less than an hour ago, the Jet Blue terminal at JFK Airport was evacuated because grenades were found.

Five hours ago, the Qantas terminal at Brisbane, Australia, airport was evacuated because three passengers slipped by screeners.

About 15 hours ago, a terminal at the Newark International Airport was evacuated because a suspicious package was found. It was proven harmless.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 06:34:00 AM

Germany's Dumbest Bankers

Three German bankers with KfW Bankengruppe were suspended after it became known that they wired more than $500 million to Lehman Brothers just as it was collapsing.

Oops!
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 06:17:00 AM

Chinese Baby Milk Crisis Widens

Thus far, four children have died and 53,000 are sick from consuming melamine-contaminated baby milk.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/22/2008 04:54:00 AM

Sarah Palin Smear Campaign Professionally Orchestrated

Regarding the series of false charges aimed at Sarah Palin, the Jawa Report conducted a review of available Internet data to verify that the false claims were arbitrary reactions by a number of unrelated emotional web users prone to exaggeration.

Review findings, however, indicate that the Sarah Palin smears are linked to a few individuals tied to one of the nation's largest public relations firms with close connections to the Obama campaign.

Consequently, the Palin smears appear not to have resulted from the grassroots of American politics, rather evidence indicates the smears were professionally orchestrated by political operatives while being surreptitiously disseminated to appear as a grassroots effort.

Remember the story of the dumb criminal who steals a credit card and stupidly signs his own name when he uses it? That's essentially what happened with the Palin smears. A bulk of evidence regarding the creation and promulgation of the false charges leads back to several people who, metaphorically, signed their own names to stolen credit cards.

[Full disclosure: Interested-Participant is a Jawa Report contributor]
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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 06:04:00 PM

FBI Cases Alleged Palin Email Hacker

(Knoxville, Tennessee) According to sources, the FBI served a search warrant around midnight last night on the residence of University of Tennessee student David Kernell, the suspected hacker who allegedly accessed Sarah Palin's personal email account.

According to the witness, several agents arrived at The Commons of Knoxville around midnight.

They presented their badges upon entering Kernell's apartment, where several students were having a party, and took down their names.

The witness tells us they asked him and those who did not live in the unit to go outside. He believes the investigators took about 1.5 to 2 hours taking pictures of everything inside the apartment.

He says Kernell's three roommates were also subpoenaed, and must testify this week in Chattanooga.

Hopefully, the invasion of privacy case will be prosecuted to the fullest extent and, thereby, possibly establishing a precedent for future misbehavior on the Internet. Also, the expected silence from the ACLU would expose, once again, its inherent bias and hypocrisy.

Tip: Canadian Guy via Stable Hand
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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 04:59:00 PM

Massive Oil Deposit in U.S. Announced

Tell me, why hasn't this story, dated April 2008, been prominent in the news?

Reston, VA - North Dakota and Montana have an estimated 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in an area known as the Bakken Formation.

A U.S. Geological Survey assessment, released April 10, shows a 25-fold increase in the amount of oil that can be recovered compared to the agency's 1995 estimate of 151 million barrels of oil.

Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources.

New geologic models applied to the Bakken Formation, advances in drilling and production technologies, and recent oil discoveries have resulted in these substantially larger technically recoverable oil volumes. About 105 million barrels of oil were produced from the Bakken Formation by the end of 2007.

The USGS Bakken study was undertaken as part of a nationwide project assessing domestic petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol as required by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 2000.

The Bakken Formation estimate is larger than all other current USGS oil assessments of the lower 48 states and is the largest "continuous" oil accumulation ever assessed by the USGS. A "continuous" oil accumulation means that the oil resource is dispersed throughout a geologic formation rather than existing as discrete, localized occurrences. The next largest "continuous" oil accumulation in the U.S. is in the Austin Chalk of Texas and Louisiana, with an undiscovered estimate of 1.0 billions of barrels of technically recoverable oil.

It's our oil. Let's go get it.

Tip: Rita and Eugene
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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 09:49:00 AM

Hot Biden Rumor

Snopes is investigating. Current status is indeterminate.

On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.

There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info. Generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this - the 'health problem' cited in those articles was aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings.

More here.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 09:05:00 AM

Male Lesbian Discrimination Case

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) successfully represented Diane Schroer, a lesbian trapped in a man's body, in a discrimination case against the Library of Congress. It was claimed that Schroer had been denied employment because of sexual nonconformity.

Frankly, I see the ruling as counterproductive. Given that a small segment of society is flummoxed because the biology doesn't coincide with the psychology should not mean that the rest of society has to be forced into confusion.

I'll confess to being clueless about sexually nonconforming people. In the case of Schroer, I guess the original equipment remains while the behavior and appearance has shifted to the female side. And while presenting as a female, Schroer expresses a preference for female lovers.

However, if you rub off the lipstick and remove the female clothing, what are you left with? A guy who likes girls. How's that different from the rest of American men?

Now if Schoer has had male genitalia sliced away and a female prothesis crafted, then Schroer could legitimately be classified as female since the anatomy largely matches. But if Schroer still sports a penis and testicles, then the male classification is appropriate. Most people are understandably apprehensive around people of indeterminate biology.

Transgenders are ill-defined and, in all candor, nobody can say exactly what they are. Currently, transgender status puts a person in a biological waiting room with no requirement to ever leave.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 09:03:00 AM

Blogger in Muslim country 'arrested for upside-down flag'

We read:

"MALAYSIAN authorities have arrested a second blogger, this time for displaying an upside-down national flag on his website, according to reports. Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Sheih Kickdefella, was picked up by police late yesterday under the Sedition Act from his home in opposition-held northern Kelantan state, the Star daily reported.

Mr Syed Azidi, known for his links to the opposition conservative Islamic PAS party, had recently organised a nationwide Internet campaign to fly the Malaysian flag upside down in a sign of protest over the country's political and economic turmoil. The campaign caused outrage in the conservative Muslim-led country with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ordering a police investigation into the matter.

Source

I'm guessing that they would have shot him if he had done what American Leftists routinely do to the American flag. An old pal of Mr Obama below:




Posted by John Ray.


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       Following Entry Posted 9/21/2008 08:09:00 AM

Sex Education Mistakes

An excerpt from a Minette Marrin column at TimesOnLine.co.uk:

Judged by its results -- not a bad way of judging -- sex education has been an utter failure. The increase in sex education here in recent years has coincided with an explosion of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease (STD) far worse than anywhere else in Europe. Since the government’s teenage pregnancy strategy was introduced in 1999, the number of girls having abortions has soared. You might well be tempted to argue that sex education causes sexual delinquency.

Only two months ago the Health Protection Agency reported that a culture of promiscuity among the young had driven the rate of STDs to a record. Almost 400,000 people -- half of them under 25 -- were newly diagnosed, 6% more than in 2006.

When something fails, the usual procedure is to drop it and try something else. With sex education, the worse it gets, the more people cry out for more of it and earlier. Ministers are considering whether to make schools offer more sex education, offer it earlier and deny parents the right to withdraw their children from it.

Primary complaints are that sex education teachers are often inexperienced, albeit politically correct, and the sex education curricula is based on incorrect assumptions that all children come from similar backgrounds and they mature at the same rate.

Common sense would customarily dictate that policies which create undesirable conditions should be abandoned as opposed to fortified. Arguably, the Brits are not using common sense regarding sex education.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 11:21:00 PM

How to Poison Your Dog

Dog owners, take note.

With fewer calories than sugar, Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is harmless to humans but deadly to dogs. It's used in sugar-free gum, breath mints, muffins, candy, Jell-O, ice cream and other products.

Dogs metabolize xylitol differently from humans.

[Xylitol] can send canine blood sugar plummeting to life-threatening lows in just minutes, followed within 12 to 24 hours by liver failure, which is often fatal. In fact, it's so deadly that as few as three pieces of xylitol-sweetened sugar-free gum can kill a 20-pound dog.

Because dogs love sweets and can sniff out food better than almost any other mammal, dogs owners need to be extremely careful to keep xylitol out of dogs' reach.

Cats, reportedly are not affected by xylitol. Ferrets and rabbits, maybe. In any event, check all labels.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 08:40:00 PM

EU Observers in Georgia

(Brussels, Belgium) Maybe I'm being unfair but it sure seems that the EU spends a majority of its time watching world events.

The EU ministers decided to send at least 200 observers to Georgia. They will supervise the implementation of the accord between Russia and Georgia brokered by the EU.

The Netherlands will "make a proportional contribution to the mission" which must be operational before the end of the month.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 10:54:00 AM

Ohio Supreme Court Lifts Gun Bans

(Columbus, Ohio) Gun control advocates were dealt a severe setback this week when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that cities cannot ban guns in public parks.

In a 4-3 decision, the court upheld an appeals court ruling that had struck down the city of Clyde's 2004 ban on guns in its parks because it conflicts with the state's multifaceted concealed-carry law. Clyde is southwest of Sandusky.

The ruling not only eliminates gun bans in Independence and Cleveland Heights parks but also threatens several Cleveland gun restrictions and all but kills further efforts by cities to trump or challenge the 4-year-old state law.

"The main impact is that it is going to restrict municipalities, city councils and so forth from restricting the rights of Ohio citizens who carry concealed weapons in public areas," said Patrick Lewis, a Cleveland attorney and member of the conservative Federalist Society, who was not involved in the case.

Despite the ruling, Second Amendment advocates and opponents remain sharply divided on the issue of firearms. However, the issue before the Supreme Court was argued on the basis of a constitutional provision which allows municipalities to establish "home rule" laws which conflict with state law. The majority ruled that the state concealed-carry law took precedence over the home rule provision since it was enacted by the legislature to apply to the whole state.

Know that the controversy is hardly over. Given the fanaticism of the anti-gun utopians, I'm certain that rights granted by the Second Amendment will forever be under attack.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 10:23:00 AM

Bar Loses License

(Canton, Illinois) The Outskirts Bar and Grill has lost its liquor license because entertainment included topless midget oil wrestling.

Apparently, topless midget oil wrestling is prohibited by a city ordinance.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 09:06:00 AM

Another Golliwog furore



Golliwogs are old-fashioned soft toys for children modelled on the appearance of an African. They are still popular with children in England and Australia.

"A mother ended up getting arrested in a bizarre case of political correctness gone mad when her six-year-old daughter stuck a golliwog doll on their windowsill. English 39-year-old Amanda Schofield was quizzed on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after a neighbour complained.

Schofield, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, had removed the toy from the window as she put little Eboni to bed - yet was still visited by cops the same night. She was asked to attend a police station and was not charged.

Schofield told our sister paper The Sun: "I feel like a criminal. I can't believe it." A police spokesman said: "It was the latest in a number of previous incidents that the victim perceived to be race-related."

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/20/2008 07:22:00 AM

Discussing the ACLU

Check out this bit of email dialogue between Jay at Stop The ACLU and a sometime reader.

Original email from Travis to Jay:

Dear Jay

I probably have some agreement with you that the ACLU takes seperation of church and state way too far.I don't see that a prayer at a graduation is any violation of a so-called seperation of church and state.Jay my problem arises when we look at some of the ultra conservative ideas to expand we have seen lately from the Bush Administration when it comes to shredding our Fourth Amendment and on those issues I'm thankful for the ACLU.In addition with our economy going into a tailspin in part because of the supply-side economics and sillly idea that the markets can regulate themselves of BUsh and MCCain.What I"m trying to say Jay is that the GOP and far right wing pro corporate agenda of the right is almost as sickening as some on the hyper secular left that you talk about.Look we are in a mess Jay, and its not democrats its the 6 years of GOP policy from 2000-2006 so when you combine your rehetoric against the ACLU with rhetoric attacking Obama and complimenting Bush and McCain you have destroy your credibility.TThere are many on the left who are not part of the secular left and would have some agreement with you but any effort to join the GOP team and group together absolutely destroys your credibility and doesn't help our cause to fight for more relisgous liberties and unlike you something i cherish "civil liberties.

Travis

Jay's response to Travis:

I'm gonna guess that you are a conservative leaning libertarian. I could be wrong, with the way you talk about the "right wing" though. However, I proudly call myself a conservative, and embarrassingly call myself a Republican. It isn't about party. I don't disagree with everything the ACLU does. I just think they are a fraud and dangerously misguided far to the left. I believe in civil liberties. I just think the ACLU take those liberties too far, to a dangerous level. Their advocacy of having child molesters live across the street from playgrounds and elementary schools is too far for me. Their advocacy that looking at child porn should be freedom of speech is too far. Their hypocrisy in fighting against listening in to phone calls to known terrorist over privacy issues while keeping a database of their member's personal financial history is too far. Their attacks on free speech for Christians are too far, and on top of that hypocrisy they have restricted their own board member's speech. I don't want to stop the defending of the bill of rights. I want to stop the perversion of the Constitution. I also want to stop taxpayer funding paying the ACLU's cases they convince left wing judges of, that the majority of American taxpayers don't agree with. I'm tired of these legal groups destroying the foundation of our Constitution. If homosexuals want equal rights, then convince enough people to amend the Constitution like they did for abolishing slavery. They only hurt their cause when they convince judges to push it on a population not ready to accept it. Then they only get reactions from politicians ready to represent the will of the people who put Constitutional amendments to ban such things before the people. The people react, just as you would expect, and it makes everything that much harder. They hurt their own cause by going the route of the judiciary. The ACLU is a partisan organization that should not receive any tax exemption as they do. They separate their organization into two so they can lobby and play the courts. They are evil.

Check original post for links.

My take? Cease paying the ACLU with taxpayer dollars every time they file a lawsuit. If the ACLU contributors had to cover the cost of court cases, maybe it's supporters would provide some oversight of the ACLU's activities. Right now, despite the merit of cases, the ACLU files lawsuits with abandon because it knows that payment is assured. Win or lose, the ACLU is paid. It shouldn't be that way. Losses in court should lead to the ACLU digging in its own pocket.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 11:00:00 PM

Cooking With Mother's Milk

(Winterthur Resort, Switzerland) For those customers who apparently resent being weaned from their mothers' nursing, the Storchen restaurant is preparing dishes with human breast milk. According to Hans Locher, Switzerland's most controversial restaurant owner:

"I first experimented with breast milk when my daughter was born. One can cook really delicious things with it."

Paid about $6 a pint, donors are constantly being sought.

For those individuals concerned about growth hormones in cows milk, you might want to pass on the human breast milk dishes. Nobody has a clue what miscellaneous goodies could be in it. There appears to be a legal loophole.

"They are not on the list of approved species such as cows and sheep, but they are also not on the list of the banned species such as apes and primates," Rolf Etter of the Zurich food control laboratory said.

Fortunately, since the menu at the Storchen restaurant specifies that the dishes are made with human breast milk, it's logical to assume that no dishes are prepared using milky discharges from other parts of the human body. To be certain, consult your waiter.

By the way, it's notable that humans are not considered to be primates in Switzerland.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 09:53:00 PM

Iowa Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Indianola, Iowa) A 37-year-old local woman, Shannon Michelle Rew, was arrested Wednesday by Indianola Police officers for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Rew faces 12 counts of sex abuse plus dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors and admitting minors to premises where obscene material is exhibited.

The boy allegedly told officers that he had had sexual intercourse with Rew at least 12 times and that he had viewed pornographic material at her residence. Indianola Police Sgt. Scott Dwyer said the sexual relationship between Rew and the boy lasted approximately two months.

Officers spoke with Rew, who admitted to having romantic feelings for the boy and said she sent the text messages to him.

The boy’s mother, who will not be named to protect the identity of a minor, said her son declined to comment.

Rew’s mother, Indianola resident Linda Adair, told police Rew threated to “kill” her when she confronted Rew about her relationship with the boy.

Rew was booked into custody at the Warren County Jail with bond set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 22.


[Update 10/22/08]

(Indianola, IA) After being released on $100,000 bond with a trial date set for December 10, Shannon Rew rekindled the relationship with the boy and she was arrested again. New charges of sex abuse, violation of a no-contact order and obscenity were imposed. Bond is set at $3,000.


[Update 11/11/08]

Shannon Rew pleads guilty and is sentenced to prison.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 08:11:00 PM

PETA Video Leads to Hog Abuse Case

(Bayard, Iowa) A video is evidence in a hog abuse case being pursued by Greene County Sheriff Tom Heater.

Heater said the undercover video from People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals will be a key piece of evidence in the investigation of the hog farm near Bayard. Heater said the graphic images make a pretty compelling case.

“It’s evidence that’ll help us greatly,” he said. “Everything was cross-filed with it so that we could actually look at the tape and then go right to the report and actually see what happened.”

Investigators have already begun questioning employees at the farm, including some who were identified in the video. Heater said some of them could be charged with animal cruelty, but it’s too soon to say that for sure.

“What we’ll have to do is decide, like I say, the severity of each incident,” he said. “Some people seem to be involved possibly in multiple incidents. We’ll probably looks at those first.”

Charges could be filed in a week or two, Heater said.

Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 07:31:00 PM

Arizona Teacher Gets No Jail in Student Sex Case - Updated

(Mesa, Arizona) After pleading guilty to sexual conduct with a student, Gay Lyn Turley, now 43, was sentenced by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Helene Abrams to probation, supervised for 10 years.

Turley was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to surrender her teaching certificate.

Victim Charmai Choate, now 21, said she is not disappointed with the lack of jail time because Turley needs psychological help.

"She's lost everything she's basically worked for," Choate said. At one point, she said Turley was a mentor but the relationship changed.

"I love her but I hate her. It was basically two different relationships," Choate said.

Choate said she is seeking counseling for PTSD.


* * * * *
Female Teacher Accused of Sex with Female Student
[Previous 12/20/07 post]
(Mesa, Arizona) A 42-year-old physical education teacher and coach at Mesa High School, Gay Lyn Turley, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in a long-term sexual relationship with a female student, starting when the girl was 16 years old.

Gilbert police said the victim came forward earlier this week and told police that she and Turley began their relationship in 2003 when she was 16 and a student.

She eventually moved in with Turley and the relationship continued until earlier this year. The victim is now 20.

Sgt. Mark Marino said Turley admitted the allegations were true when she was questioned.

Turley was booked into custody on 10 counts of sexual contact with a minor.


[Update 12/21/07]

From another source, the alleged victim has been identified as Charmai Choate who was arrested in August 2007 during a domestic dispute with Turley.

Choate was charged with domestic violence assault, domestic violence disorderly conduct, and domestic violence criminal damage. According to neighbors, Choate filed the sexual contact with a minor charges to get back at Turley.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 09:07:00 AM

Political attitudes are predicted by physiological traits

Study finds that conservatives react more strongly to apparent danger. Conservatives are more cautious! Nice to see it demonstrated physiologically but not a big surprise

Is America's red-blue divide based on voters' physiology? A new paper in the journal Science, titled "Political Attitudes Are Predicted by Physiological Traits," explores the link. Rice University's John Alford, associate professor of political science, co-authored the paper in the Sept. 19 issue of Science.

Alford and his colleagues studied a group of 46 adult participants with strong political beliefs. Those individuals with "measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control, whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War," the authors wrote.

Participants were chosen randomly over the phone in Lincoln, Neb. Those expressing strong political views -- regardless of their content -- were asked to fill out a questionnaire on their political beliefs, personality traits and demographic characteristics.

In a later session, they were attached to physiological measuring equipment and shown three threatening images (a very large spider on the face of a frightened person, a dazed individual with a bloody face and an open wound with maggots in it) interspersed among a sequence of 33 images. Similarly, participants also viewed three nonthreatening images (a bunny, a bowl of fruit and a happy child) placed within a series of other images. A second test used auditory stimuli to measure involuntary responses to a startling noise.

The researchers noted a correlation between those who reacted strongly to the stimuli and those who expressed support for "socially protective policies," which tend to be held by people "particularly concerned with protecting the interests of the participants' group, defined as the United States in mid-2007, from threats." These positions include support for military spending, warrantless searches, the death penalty, the Patriot Act, obedience, patriotism, the Iraq War, school prayer and Biblical truth, and opposition to pacifism, immigration, gun control, foreign aid, compromise, premarital sex, gay marriage, abortion rights and pornography.

The paper concluded, "Political attitudes vary with physiological traits linked to divergent manners of experiencing and processing environmental threats." This may help to explain "both the lack of malleability in the beliefs of individuals with strong political convictions and the associated ubiquity of political conflict," the authors said.

Source. More details here. Original journal abstract follows:

Political Attitudes Vary with Physiological Traits

By Douglas R. Oxley et al.

Although political views have been thought to arise largely from individuals' experiences, recent research suggests that they may have a biological basis. We present evidence that variations in political attitudes correlate with physiological traits. In a group of 46 adult participants with strong political beliefs, individuals with measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism, and gun control, whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism, and the Iraq War. Thus, the degree to which individuals are physiologically responsive to threat appears to indicate the degree to which they advocate policies that protect the existing social structure from both external (outgroup) and internal (norm-violator) threats.

Science 2008: Vol. 321. no. 5896, pp. 1667 - 1670

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 06:03:00 AM

TV Producer Found Dead, Toddler Clinging

(New York City) Former CNN producer Julie Horner Lankamp was found dead in her Manhattan apartment on Tuesday with her crying, two-year-old daughter Shaine clinging to her legs.

Lankamp's remains were found decomposing. She had a broken jaw, bruising and bleeding from her nose and mouth. The medical examiner preliminarily stated that the injuries were not caused by a beating.

Sources said the death may have been accidental, caused by a fall or a drug overdose. Lankamp took a variety of prescription medication and evidence of cocaine was found near her corpse.

The last known contact with Lankamp was on Sunday. Police are looking for her husband who last year was arrested for assaulting her with a chair.

Lankamp was a producer for CNN from 1995 to 1998. She graduated from California State University - Northridge in 1993 with a BA in Journalism.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/19/2008 05:00:00 AM

Chavez Crushing Venezuela's Democracy

(Caracas, Venezuela) According to a report by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has instilled an environment of fear by enacting laws which concentrate authority in his hands. Now, Chavez simply strong-arms, demonizes and silences his opponents.

Releasing the report, HRW's America's Director, Jose Miquel Vivanco, said that Chavez has "degraded the country's democracy."

In response, senior Chavez spokesman Saul Ortega said Vivanco is an imbecile and Venezuela is the splendor of democracy. Vivanco was then booted from Venezuela by Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro.

Vivanco was ordered to leave along with a Human Rights Watch deputy director, U.S. citizen Daniel Wilkinson, Maduro said. He accused them of acting at the behest of the U.S. government.

HRW acting at the behest of the U.S. government? How absolutely absurd! Even utopian cheerleaders in the elite media can't support that allegation.

Frankly, though, there's some entertainment value watching leftist Chavez and leftist HRW go toe-to-toe. Unfortunately, it's not a fair fight. Chavez has an army.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 11:14:00 PM

Woman Gets Life for Sex with Boy, 5 - Updated

(Sanford, Florida) Earlier today, after being retried and convicted on a charge of capital sexual battery of a 5-year-old boy, 33-year-old Kelly Lumadue was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.



Woman Guilty of Sex with Boy, 5
[Previous 6/16/07 entry]
(Sanford, Florida) Yesterday, a jury convicted 32-year-old Kelly Marie Lumadue of capital sexual battery for engaging in sex with a five-year-old boy. Leonard Lumadue, Kelly's husband and a professional pornographer, filmed the sex in 1996.

Leonard died in 2003 and, afterward, Kelly cleaned out the house, including pornographic videotapes. A garbage collector retrieved the tapes, viewed them at home and notified the authorities. Kelly was then arrested and charged.

Defense attorney James "Tad" Figgatt said Leonard Lumadue made his wife do it.

Nonetheless, the jury was convinced of Kelly's guilt and she was led away from court in handcuffs. Sentencing is scheduled for July 27th when she faces the only punishment allowed by law, life in prison without parole.

I don't want to even know how an adult woman has sex with a five-year-old boy.


[Update 9/15/08]

(Sanford, Florida) The conviction of Kelly Lumadue, now 33, was thrown out by a judge citing "potential juror misconduct and an overly-aggressive prosecutor."

This week, Lumadue goes back on trial for a redo before Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 09:30:00 AM

Iranian Bomb Parts Tracked to Florida

(Miami, Florida) Stuff like this just chafes my glutes.

Sixteen foreigners and overseas businesses were charged in Miami on Wednesday with illegally supplying U.S.-made electronic parts to Iran for producing explosives to kill American soldiers fighting in the Iraq War, federal authorities said.

The computer chips and other high-tech goods -- made in South Florida and other regions of the country -- were used by Iranian-controlled companies to make roadside bombs, federal officials said. The chips play an integral role in triggering the bombs, known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

The IEDs have been a major cause of death and injuries to U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq.

''We cannot allow American-made goods to threaten our soldiers abroad,'' said U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta, who said that the part numbers on the U.S.-made microchips matched those found on unexploded IEDs in Iraq.

U.S.-based technology exporters say they were tricked into selling items through front companies and didn't know the end user was Iran.

Just glute-chafing wonderful.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 09:10:00 AM

The pants amendment?


We read:

"A Florida judge has deemed unconstitutional a law banning baggy pants that show off the wearer's underwear. A 17-year-old spent a night in jail last week after police arrested him for wearing low pants in Riviera Beach, Florida.

The law banning so-called "saggy pants'' was approved by city voters in March after supporters of the bill collected nearly 5,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

"Somebody help me,'' said Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle, before giving his decision. "We're not talking about exposure of buttocks. No! We're talking about someone who has on pants whose underwear are apparently visible to a police officer who then makes an arrest and the basis is he's then held overnight, no bond."

"Your honour, we now have the fashion police,'' said public defender Carol Bickerstaff, who asked the law be declared "unconstitutional.'' The judge agreed with Bickerstaff immediately, reported the Post.

Source

The 1st amendment has previously been stretched to cover other non-speech activities such as pole-dancing and flag-burning so I suppose this decision is correct in terms of stare decisis. One wonders where the limits are, though

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 08:34:00 AM

Mexican Law Enforcement - An Anecdote

Check out this report from the far-southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

With the argument “they could be kidnappers,” citizens and authorities of San Juan Chamula, Chiapas apprehended, disarmed and jailed four ministerial police who had tried to execute an order of arrest of an indigenous Indian man accused of a violation.

The police agents were rescued in an atmosphere of tension in a town square gathering of municipal and state authorities in the presence of a thousand townspeople who demanded the four be released so they could be lynched for “extortion.”

The incident began when the police entered an indigenous neighborhood looking for the man known only as Fernando. The police group apparently made the mistake of arrogant behavior in their inquiries and pointed guns at the people while searching. Citing that they did not know the police officers and that “there are kidnappers and insecurity everywhere,” they demanded identification from the officers as well as their order of arrest, which was denied.

The public conflict was finally settled by authorities by confiscating the officers’ firearms and fining them 63,000 pesos [about $5800] and then turning them over to federal authorities. Despite all that, the Indians continued demanding the release of the four so they could “beat them.”

So, in a nutshell, federal agents go into town to exercise an arrest warrant and the townspeople apprehend them and put them in jail. Then, the townspeople gather for a lynching. Finally, authorities get involved and the agents are fined and turned over to federal authorities.

Wait a minute. Didn't the agents start out as federal agents looking for an offender?

It seems that the townspeople of San Juan Chamula don't want to see no stinking badges. If they do, they are willing to jail the agents and even lynch them. Why am I reminded of the American West circa 1800s?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 06:02:00 AM

"Preeze Stit, Chillren!"

(Clarkston, Michigan) Her name is not being reported but a seventh-grade teacher at Sashabaw Middle School was placed on administrative leave for allegedly arriving drunk on the first day of class.

The teacher, a 20-year-veteran, reportedly blew a 0.08 blood alcohol content on a breathalyzer.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 05:30:00 AM

Dead American Passport Fraud Ring Busted

(San Jose, California) With 300,000,000 citizens in the U.S., one must wonder how much additional fraud such as this goes on.

In the largest investigation ever of its kind, federal authorities Tuesday announced the arrests of more than 100 people who are suspected of fraudulently applying for and obtaining U.S. passports using birth certificates of dead Americans.

Between July 2005 and August 2008, 112 individuals across the country were charged with federal passport fraud and related offenses, according to the U.S. State Department. The individuals charged include fugitives, military deserters, delinquent taxpayers, parolees, convicted felons, habitual drunken drivers and undocumented workers from more than 20 countries, all of whom wanted passports to hide from law enforcement, according to authorities.

Dubbed "Operation Deathmatch," the investigation was a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Diplomatic Security's San Francisco and Los Angeles Field Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Sacramento Field Office. Senior security service officials from both agencies, who did not want to reveal their names, said investigators merged California's death record database, going back to 1940, with passport requests.

Hopefully, and I'm looking into the future, law enforcers can put a crimp in the practice of having dead people cast votes. If illegal aliens can easily get passports of dead people, just imagine what a breeze it is to vote as a dead person.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 01:08:00 AM

Lead Obama Troopergate Investigator A "Phony Soldier"

Kind of interesting. Democrat state Senator Hollis French is leading the Obama campaign to smear Sarah Palin so it's noteworthy to mention that French has been found to be a phony soldier. According to his resume, French was a U.S. Marine. Evidence indicates otherwise.

Tip: Stable Hand
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       Following Entry Posted 9/18/2008 12:09:00 AM

Woman Faces Trial in Traffic Death

(Lee County, Florida) A 25-year-old New Jersey woman, Ashley Brooke East, will face trial on ten charges for allegedly causing the automobile crash in Fort Myers Beach that killed returning Iraqi war vet, Staff Sgt. Daniel Beougher, and seriously injuring Beougher's wife, Lauren.

East was charged with DUI manslaughter and driving without a license, among other offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident since she had to be arrested in New Jersey after fleeing.

East’s attorney, Assistant Regional Council Ita Neymotin, asked Lee Circuit Judge Thomas Reese on Wednesday for a Nov. 25 pretrial conference date and acknowledged East’s waiver to a speedy trial.

“There were a lot of witnesses in this trial, your honor,” Neymotin told Reese.

In court, East fidgeted uncomfortably in an orange Lee County jail jumpsuit.

Incidentally, the East case was the impertus behind new legislation. Although unlicensed, East had borrowed the vehicle involved in the accident. Consequently, Beougher's family and others lobbied to make loaning a vehicle to an unlicensed driver subject to criminal penalties. Called "Beougher's Bill" and signed by Gov. Crist, it makes the offense punishable by license suspension and possible jail time.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 08:58:00 PM

Chinese Baby Milk Scandal

(Beijing, China) So far, three babies have died from consuming Sanlu formula melamine-contaminated baby milk, two in the Gansu Province and one in Zhejiang Province. Four government officials have been fired including Zhejiang's head of the Food and Drug Administration and the Quality and Technical Inspection Bureau chief.

According to China’s Minister of Health Chen Zhu:

Aside from the three deaths, a total of 6,244 infants are now confirmed sick after drinking contaminated milk powder.

4,917 infants had minor symptoms and have been discharged from hospitals after treatment. Chen said, the remaining 1,327 babies, the majority newborns, remain hospitalized. Of those, 158 babies suffered from acute kidney failure. Chen said 94 were in stable condition.

Most of the babies developed urinary problems, such as kidney stones, after taking Sanlu’s milk powder for three to six months.

As of Wednesday morning, the health ministry had not received reports of babies becoming sick after drinking milk powder produced by other companies.

Nevertheless, China's top quality watchdog found melamine, a thermoset plastic, in 69 batches of baby milk powder produced by 22 companies nationwide.

In the U.S., however, a review by the Food and Drug Administration found no examples of contaminated baby milk in samples from hundreds of specialty stores.

As a reminder, melamine was also identified as the contaminant in pet food imported from China in 2006 and 2007 that reportedly killed hundreds of dogs and cats.

Also, in February of this year hundreds of Japanese people were sickened by potstickers imported from China. The contaminant in those illnesses was identified as an organophosphorus pesticide, methamidophos.

In summary, all people should be cautious when purchasing food items from China. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that Chinese foods don't generally contain biological contaminants, rather it appears that unhealthy food additives are obtained from the home and garden center.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 10:19:00 AM

Another Virgin Selling Her Flower

So, we've got another woman who thinks her precious flower is worth at least a million dollars.

Described as a saucy ex-showgirl, Raffaele Fico (aka Raffella Fico), 20, has announced that she will sell her virginity for a million euros ($1,416,000).

"I can’t wait to see who’s going to pull out the money to have me," she said in the interview.

"I don’t know what it’s like to have sex.

"But if I don’t like him I’ll just have a glass of wine and forget about it."

Her brother told the magazine: "She’s never had a boyfriend. I swear on my mother’s grave.

"She’s a devout Catholic and prays every night."

As a devout Catholic, Fico has apparently found the heretofore lost Bible verse which authorizes indiscriminate mingling if the price is right. I'm personally unfamiliar with the particular passage permitting promiscuous penetration of her passage.

Notably, Fico's offer to sell her virginity for big bucks follows closely on the heels of Natalie Dylan's offer reported last Friday. Both are looking for a million dollars or more and I think we'll see more of these offers. With such high potential reward, one must assume that other women will test the market.

Thus far, no information has been reported regarding the secondary market for Fico's and Dylan's used flowers. However, just as an automobile loses considerable value once driven off the lot, Fico's and Dylan's used flowers will greatly depreciate and be priced according to miles driven.

By the way, I would speculate that the original idea to sell virginity over the Internet came from Rosie Reid, the 18-year-old, at the time, British lesbian coed looking to finance her education in 2004. Sadly, though, she apparently underpriced her flower and received only about $20,000.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 09:57:00 AM

Democrats feel at home at home in fantasyland

Ted Nugent doesn't like Hollywood pinheads and is rather fond of Sarah Palin. He delivers a nice slap at simpleton Matt Damon and his idiotic statements last week.

Anyone who has watched Ted Nugent appear on talk shows over the years knows he can deliver a punch when he deems it necessary. In an email exchange The Vote had with Nugent this morning, the rock star starts off diplomatic. "To be concerned is prudent, but his references are without merit," Nugent wrote. "Her record in politics proves she is a tough woman of intellect, logic, common sense, integrity and defying courage. Theoretically, Matt's concerns would better be aimed at and earned by Barack Obama."

Nugent had high praise for the Republican vice presidential nominee, who - like Nugent - is an avid hunter. "I like her a lot," he said. "I have examined her record and she is my kind of elected official. She may very well be the best Republican in America today." ...

Nugent, an outspoken conservative, is a minority in the entertainment community. When asked why the celebrity crowd seems to better connect with the Democratic party, Nugent becomes the Nugent you know on TV - unfiltered.

"With all due respect, many in the entertainment industry are deep into mind-altering substance abuse, and when one's logic and intellectual calculating powers are replaced with dopey feel-good, fantasy-driven denial, the democratic party serves them well," Nugent blasted.

Ouch. Speaking of Hollywood celebutards, John McCain delivered his own slap at Obama and Barbra Streisand today.

"He says he's siding with the people just before he flew off for a fundraiser in Hollywood with Barbra Streisand," McCain said of his rival. "Let me tell you my friends, there's no place I'd rather be than right here with the working men and women of Ohio."

McCain used the line as his close at an airport hangar rally, drawing loud applause.

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 08:39:00 AM

Terrorist Training Camp Video

The Nine/Eleven Finding Answers Foundation (NEFA) has obtained a video (2:40) reported to be of the "Toronto 18" conducting terrorist training in Ontario. Check it out.

Personally, although it's not surprising, I find it to be disturbing that terrorists are being trained in North America.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 07:04:00 AM

Russia to Estonia Vodka Pipeline Destroyed

(Narva, Estonia) A mile-long illegal vodka pipeline was found and destroyed by Estonian authorities and four Russian men have been accused of being ringleaders in the smuggling operation.

Smugglers built an underwater pipeline to pump thousands of litres of cheap vodka into the European Union from Russia, it has been claimed.

The crooks would have pocketed millions of euros because of massive price difference between the two zones.

But police in Estonia rumbled the scheme and destroyed the one-mile 'Vodka Galore' link which had been laid across a reservoir.

'It might sound weird and unbelievable but it's a very real criminal case,' said prosecutors' spokeswoman Mari Luuk.

The alleged smugglers face five years in prison if convicted.

The illegal pipeline was cunningly submerged in a reservoir located between Russia and Estonia near the town of Narva, she said.

Obviously, the price of vodka is much cheaper in Russia than the European Union.

Interestingly, this is not the first illegal liquor pipeline to be found in the region. In 2003, Latvian police discovered a kilometer-long pipeline running from Russia into Latvia. The pipeline of illegal spirits was first noticed by Russian soldiers who notified their counterparts across the border.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/17/2008 06:16:00 AM

Bombing at U.S. Embassy in Yemen

(Sanaa, Yemen) A group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen has taken responsibility for a powerful car bomb exploding about 2:15 AM ET outside the gate of the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Sanaa. Multiple casualties have been reported.

Two cars were involved with the attack, Yemeni officials said. The first contained people in police uniforms who exchanged fire with Yemeni security forces, the officials said.

The second car exploded after it passed an outermost gate to the Embassy but before it reached a second protective barrier, the officials said.

Notably, Yemen is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden and the U.S. Embassy has previously been targeted for attacks.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 11:38:00 PM

15 Will Get You 20

Check this out. A 20-year-old country singer and male model, Justin Gaston, has been exposed as 15-year-old Miley Cyrus' "lot of time together" friend from Nashville.

From a reader:

"15 year old Miley Cyrus and her 20 year old boyfriend. Wonder what your blog readers would think. Perhaps the rules are different for celebs?"

Since marriage and/or pregnancy would not be career enhancers for the young mega-star, Billy Ray should make sure that Miley isn't serving up any down-home shaky pudding.

Until she's a little older, I believe that Miley should keep Mr. Gaston out of field goal range.

Tip: Stilgar
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 03:02:00 PM

Woman Arrested for Sex Abuse of Friend's Daughter

(Harvey, Illinois) A 30-year-old Harvey woman, Valencia Sephus, was arrested last Thursday for the alleged sexual abuse of a friend's 15-year-old daughter.

Sephus has been charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Sephus was booked into custody with bond set by Judge John Hynes at $250,000.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for October 2.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 10:02:00 AM

Portland, OR - Chinese Motor City?

The city fathers in Portland, Oregon, along with state biggies, are trying to convince the Chinese communists to make Portland their headquarters for North American sales of ChiCom cars.

With an aggressive package of attractive we'll-kneel incentives, the Portland political community might get its wish. With a strongly liberal-minded citizenry, Oregon would seem to be a frictionless fit for the ChiComs.

Arguably, it's a big plus when there's general agreement on the concept of utopia.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 09:44:00 AM

Would more rain be bad for us?

Below is an academic journal abstract preceded by a popular summary of it. It makes a point that I often make but which Greenies sedulously ignore: That warming would INCREASE rainfall overall -- which is of course great for crops. The idea that increased rainfall is a problem is laughable. I grew up in the tropics, where we measured our annual rainfall not in inches but in yards. And the rain was so heavy we used to say that it came down "in sheets". All that rain was slightly pesky at times (good for raincoat sales!) but the environment sure was lush and all the crops grew like mad. We had fields of grass that was over 6' high. And the grass concerned (sugar cane) was and is the world's cheapest source of sugar and ethanol. Heavier rain would be GREAT!

And India and much of Asia have lived with monsoonal rain (seasonal tempests) for millennia. They seem to have survived somehow. People actually welcome the monsoon there, funnily enough

The slim point that the Greenies have is that rainfall PATTERNS would change. Most areas would become wetter but some will become drier. But in large countries such as Australia, China, the USA, Russia and Canada, that would lead only to slightly different patterns of internal trade. Small countries would change their international trading patterns. Overall, food should become cheaper for everyone. Normal people would celebrate that but the Greenies hate it, of course.

The article below is in fact little more than a boring confirmation of basic precipitation physics. Amusingly, however, it once again finds that reality does not fit the Warmist models!

Global warming is expected to have a large effect on the amount and distribution of precipitation, with wet areas projected to become wetter and dry areas drier, and an overall increase in total rainfall. Another important aspect of these predicted changes is the frequency of extreme rainfall events, because the impact of a few heavy rain events is very different from that of many more moderate ones. Allan and Soden (p. 1481, published online 7 August) use satellite observations and model simulations to evaluate how climate warming is affecting the frequency and strength of rain events. Heavy rains are occurring with increasing frequency when it is warm and less often when it is cold, and these extremes are happening more frequently than models have suggested they should. This implies that the impacts of precipitation changes due to global warming could be greater than have been assumed.

Source

Atmospheric Warming and the Amplification of Precipitation Extremes

By Richard P. Allan and Brian J. Soden

Climate models suggest that extreme precipitation events will become more common in an anthropogenically warmed climate. However, observational limitations have hindered a direct evaluation of model-projected changes in extreme precipitation. We used satellite observations and model simulations to examine the response of tropical precipitation events to naturally driven changes in surface temperature and atmospheric moisture content. These observations reveal a distinct link between rainfall extremes and temperature, with heavy rain events increasing during warm periods and decreasing during cold periods. Furthermore, the observed amplification of rainfall extremes is found to be larger than that predicted by models, implying that projections of future changes in rainfall extremes in response to anthropogenic global warming may be underestimated.

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 08:39:00 AM

Veggies Shrink Brains

Vegans, take note! Not enough computing capacity in the old cabbage? Eat animal products. The latest scientific research coming out of Oxford University indicates that vitamin B-12 is missing from vegetarian diets, shrinking the coconuts.

Scientists have discovered that going veggie could be bad for your brain-with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage.

Vegans and vegetarians are the most likely to be deficient because the best sources of the vitamin are meat, particularly liver, milk and fish. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anaemia and inflammation of the nervous system. Yeast extracts are one of the few vegetarian foods which provide good levels of the vitamin.

The link was discovered by Oxford University scientists who used memory tests, physical checks and brain scans to examine 107 people between the ages of 61 and 87.

When the volunteers were retested five years later the medics found those with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 were also the most likely to have brain shrinkage. It confirms earlier research showing a link between brain atrophy and low levels of B12.

I read about the vitamin B-12 problem a number of years ago so the research is confirmation rather than discovery. Not only that but all of the few self-acclaimed "enlightened" vegetables-only consumers I've met were aware of and rationalized away the B-12 problem.

Interestingly, though, none of the acquaintances could explain to me why the animals at the top of the food chain, i.e. the King of the Jungle and the tyrannosaurus rex, have historically charged past the peas, broccoli and spinach for raw meat.

Tip: Omnivore Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/16/2008 07:53:00 AM

Woman Gets No Jail for Sex with Aussie Boy

(Victoria, Australia) Earlier this summer, a 36-year-old American woman, Barbara Case, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Australian boy she met over the Internet.

It seems the provocative keyboarding style of the boy prompted Case to tell her husband and three children that she was going on vacation but, instead, she caught a flight to Australia to be with the boy.

It's unclear what Case was looking for but what she got was criminal charges of illegal sexual intercourse and oral sex with a boy under 16. In August, Case pleaded guilty to the charges and her case was scheduled for court adjudication.

Pleading guilty to two charges of sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16, the court heard Case met the boy through an online game called Runescape on Christmas Day last year.

"You knew he was 15, and you corresponded regularly," Judge Tim Wood said.

In May, Case flew to Australia to meet the boy.

They spent their first night together in a holiday park cabin in Bendigo.

For the following 11 days, the pair had intercourse on eight occasions and engaged in oral sex three times.

They were caught when the boy's parents became concerned and contacted police.

Today, Barbara Case sobbed as she was sentenced in Bendigo County Court by Judge Tim Wood. She received 16 months in jail, suspended for two years, and was warned that she could serve the time if she committed additional offenses.

Judge Wood also ordered her to register as a serious sex offender which would seem to only apply if she plans to visit or reside in Australia again. It was hinted that she may face charges in the U.S. (Virginia) but there's no indication that American officials are taking action.

In summary, the story is presumably over. Case was charged and convicted of child sex crimes, sentenced to no jail and likely has already boarded a flight to return to her humiliated family in Virginia.

Tip: John Ray
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 08:18:00 PM

Woman Guilty in Sex Party Case

(Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania) In June 2008, two local mothers were arrested on charges related to an alleged sex party with teenage boys.

Lynne Long (pictured), 45, hosted the party and was accused of allowing her friend, Angela Honeycutt, to engage in sexual contact with two boys, ages 14 and 15.

Earlier today, Lynne Long pleaded guilty in Bucks County Court to endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

No sentencing date for Lynne Long has been reported.

Interestingly, between Long and Honeycutt, it appears that Honeycutt was the wild and crazy perpetrator in the sexual activity among the partygoers. The case against Honeycutt has yet to be adjudicated.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy


[Update 12/5/08]

Angela Honeycutt found guilty of two misdemeanors by a Bucks County jury. No sentencing date reported.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 07:39:00 PM

Hackers Block Al Qaeda 9/11 Anniversary Tape

From Hindustan Times:

Hackers prevented Al Qaeda from releasing a videotape to mark the seventh anniversary of 9/11. Al Qaeda has traditionally issued a video or audiotape by either Osama bin Laden or Ayman al Zawahiri, the terror network’s two leaders, to mark their massive terrorist attack on the US.

As-Sahab, Al Qaeda’s media unit, had indicated earlier this week that it would post such a videotape on September 11. As-Sahab had banner images on the internet showing a silhouetted head with a question mark and the words, “Wait 11 September”.

The US-based intelligence group IntelCenter had speculated the video would be a message from Osama or Zawahiri with a recording of the last will and testament of Mohammed Atta, one of the leaders of the 9/11 attackers.

Sources close to US intelligence said, “Hackers knocked out Al Qaeda’s online means of communication, thus preventing them from posting anything to commemorate the anniversary.”

Western intelligence suspects two hackers who have targeted Islamicist sites before were responsible: Aaron Weisburd from Internet Haganah and Rusty Shackleford from the web group My Pet Jawa. Both have been active in ongoing Internet battle between Islamicist hackers and their opponents.

Kudos to the good guys.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 11:21:00 AM

Mom Takes Daughter's Identity

(Green Bay, Wisconsin) A 33-year-old local mom with a history of identity theft, Wendy Brown, has been accused of stealing her 15-year-old daughter's identity, enrolling in high school, and trying out for the cheerleading team.

Wendy Brown was charged Friday in Wisconsin with identity theft for allegedly using her daughter's documentation to become a student at Ashwaubenon High School.

Officials said the woman stopped attending school after the first day, prompting a truancy investigation that led to the discovery of her true identity.

Brown's daughter is living with her father in Nevada. Police said Brown told them she wanted to get her high school diploma and become a cheerleader because she had no childhood.

School officials said Brown looked older but acted like a teen.

Frankly, I would guess that she is older than many of the teachers.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 08:55:00 AM

A small victory for free speech



Naughty novel to be published after all

"Gibson Square, a British publishing house, has announced that it will soon release "The Jewel of Medina," a novel by American author Sherry Jones whose publication in the United States was recently canceled by Random House for fear of triggering violence by Islamic fanatics. Bravo.

The novel fictionalizes the relationship between the Prophet Muhammad and his youngest bride, Aisha. After paying the author a significant advance and making plans for the release of the book, Random House sent copies of the galleys to various scholars, some of whom told the publisher that the content distorted history, would inflame Muslims and could cause much trouble. Security experts were also consulted. Random House decided to cancel publication of Jones' work, invoking reasons of "safety."

Many people in the West misunderstand what freedom of expression means. They associate it with the restriction on the power of the government to interfere with the freedom to express oneself. It is really a restriction on the power of anyone to interfere with anyone else's right to free expression, including but not limited to the government. If a business decision is made under extreme fear-directly or indirectly caused by force from a third person rather than the government-freedom of expression also suffers.

I am not interested in the reasons why Gibson Square has decided to publish the book-whether opportunism, greed, love of scandal, a dislike of the prophet, or a belief in the merits of the novel. But the fact that someone, somewhere, is willing to run the risk of not letting the threat of violence inhibit free expression is tremendously comforting

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 08:47:00 AM

Regarding Obama's "Can't Email" Ad Attacking McCain

I don't believe that the Obama campaign was unaware of John McCain's physical limitations. They knew he didn't use computers and they knew why, I think. Frankly, they were simply going for the sound bite. It's short and meaningful to the young, Internet-savvy voters that Obama wants energized to go to the polls.

The sound bite was more powerful than any followup refutation and the disproof wouldn't be heard.

The fact that they were demeaning McCain based upon disability was weighed against the upside of getting more voters to the polls. With the mainstream media backing them up, I believe the Dems figured they would get away with the stunt.

Interestingly, Tom Blumer at BizzyBlog notes that John McCain was a pathfinder at harnessing the Internet for election campaigns contrary to the Obama campaign team's disgusting portrayal of McCain as a computer-illiterate dunce.

Not a lot of class coming from the Obama team, eh?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 05:55:00 AM

British Sharia Courts Now Legally Binding

(London, UK) Civil and criminal verdicts by Islamic sharia courts are now legally binding under UK law.

A new network of courts in five major cities is hearing cases where Muslims involved agree to be bound by traditional Sharia law, and under the 1996 Arbitration Act the court's decisions can then be enforced by the county courts or the High Court.

Officials behind the new system claim to have dealt with more than 100 cases since last summer, including six involving domestic violence which is a criminal rather than civil offence, and said they hoped to take over growing numbers of 'smaller' criminal cases in future.

The revelations sparked uproar yesterday, with warnings that the fundamental principle of equal treatment for all - the bedrock of British justice - was being gravely undermined.

No kidding, Sherlock. Either there is equal treatment under the law or there is sharia. You can't have it both ways. Under sharia, women are considered to be less equal than men.

Now that the precedent has been set, it's logical to assume that African voodoo proceedings conducted by divinely-inspired shamans will become legally binding under British law. Recognition of voodoo court decisions will likely be limited to cases of theft of spirit, proven disruptive mojo, and failure to pay debts.

In any event, my British friends, throw out the Magna Carta and British Common Law and expect to be governed by virtually any new system of rules that crosses the English Channel or flies into Heathrow.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/15/2008 12:28:00 AM

Vegetarian Rams Pig Truck

(Gutersloh, Germany) Although most vegetarians simply don't eat meat, it appears that others consider vegetarianism to be a religion.

For a female German driver the sight of a truck full of pigs being transported to the slaughterhouse was so upsetting, she crashed her van into another truck -- which also happened to be full of pigs.

According to Gütersloh police, the woman, who is vegetarian, was so disgusted with seeing the pigs crammed onto the large truck, that she somehow was unable to control her own car, veering from her lane into yet another transport vehicle, which just so happened also to be full of live pigs.

It's unknown how many of the pigs died in the crash.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 07:27:00 PM

SiteMeter Botched Rollout

According to the SiteMeter weblog, the rollout of the new, revised SiteMeter system has been aborted and a return to the "classic" SiteMeter is in progress.

Apparently, there were problems.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 11:11:00 AM

Hugo Chavez to Pilot TU-160 Bomber

Two Russian strategic TU-160 bombers flew 13 hours across the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans last week to Venezuela, ostensibly for joint maneuvers with the South American nation. The bombers reportedly carried no nuclear weapons and were escorted throughout their flights by NATO fighters.

President Hugo Chavez welcomed the warcraft with glee and announced that he was hoping to pilot a TU-160 himself. In preparation, Chavez has been reviewing flight theory in a simulator. Apparently, Chavez has a goal.

Addressing his close friend Fidel Castro, Chavez said: "I'm going to fly a Tu-160. Fidel, I'm going to fly low past you there."

So, Hugo Chavez, who chews coca every day and has severely compromised vision due to permanent eye damage, is going to joyride a Russian strategic bomber at low altitudes over Cuba.

Good times.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 09:05:00 AM

Jonathan Haidt on voting


Jonathan Haidt is an anti-gun activist who thinks a poodle is his nephew. He is also a distinguished psychologist. Few people will be surprised by that juxtaposition. His orientation is of course Leftist and he accepts some of the convenient myths that Leftist psychologists cling to.

Anybody who has attempted to read German philosophers such as Hegel and Kant will be acutely aware of how long-winded and hard-to-follow many intellectuals are. Haidt is a junior member of that tribe. He is a student of something that is important to conservatives: morality. He has written much on the topic and has recently presented what seems intended as a summary of his findings under the heading: "WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN?". It is very long, however, so I thought I might summarize the summary for the convenience of readers here. What he has found is that conservatives are much more complex in their thinking about morality than Leftists are. If he had listened to his fellow Leftists and their constant mantra "There is no such thing as right and wrong" he would have known that already.

He must be credited with getting on board with reality eventually, however: never easy for a Leftist dreamer. So he concludes that people vote for conservative parties because conservative parties give more comprehensive attention to moral issues. Listening to almost any conservative spokesman would have told him that conservatives address moral issues that Leftists ignore or spit upon.

Haidt's own thinking on gun control would seem to be an excellent example of how simplistic and deficient Leftist thinking is on moral issues. Conservatives look at the fact that gun control takes guns out of the hands of law-abiding people but not out of the hands of criminals and see that as a huge problem. Leftists seem to see that as no problem. To conservatives, anybody who ignores that problem seems to have a bit missing in his brain.

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 06:13:00 AM

Sarah, Warrior Princess, Steals Obama's Thunder

According to TimesOnLine, Sarah Palin is now being called Xena, the Warrior Princess. An Obama official admits that Palin has stirred the pot.

In the face of Palin's onslaught, Obama has continued to base his campaign on the outdated claim that John McCain and his running mate represent four more years of a failed Bush administration.

A senior Obama adviser said candidly that claim did not work. “I don’t think it’s sticking. The McCain campaign has stolen our message of ‘change’ - the very thing we’ve been campaigning on for 20 months. Well, who’s the change? It’s McCain.”

Palin’s astounding rise has left the Obama camp floundering for a new narrative that will capture the imagination of voters in the run-up to the November 4 election. “There is overreaction and panic,” the official admitted. “The hard part for Barack is she’s stolen his thunder a bit. It has knocked us off our game.”

With the Obama train being sidetracked by the Palin nomination, a new Democrat strategy was created which, right now, seems to be something akin to sending blowflies to search for stinking carcasses in Palin's past.

Meanwhile, the Democrat mainstream media department is pushing the "Palin's lack of experience" theme which I think is a non-starter. A tale of the tape shows the warrior princess has held positions of more responsibility and more authority than Obama ever has.

However, having the media and the Obama campaign stressing out over Sarah Palin is arguably illogical. Obama is running against John McCain last I heard.

Nevertheless, I expect that the Democrats will be throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, at the McCain-Palin ticket. It'll be messy. And let's not forget the customary Democrat October surprise. I've already heard one rumor regarding McCain that is apparently being scheduled as a bombshell mere days before the election.


[Update]

Not the kitchen sink but it's close. This too.

The Dems have blown past mudslinging to creating stuff out of thin air.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 01:19:00 AM

Number of Single-Sex Classes Trending Upward

In 2006, a provision was added to the No Child Left Behind law which allowed schools to offer single-sex programs.

In the beginning, 11 public schools nationwide offered single-sex classes or schools. This school year, there are at least 442.

A 40-fold increase in two years is noteworthy.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 01:05:00 AM

Fatty Burgers for 36 Years

(Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin) A 54-year-old local man, Don Gorske, 6' 2" and 185 lbs., claims to have eaten 23,000 McDonald's Big Macs over a period of 36 years.

So, somebody please tell me why this guy doesn't look like Michael Moore after a couple of heart attacks? Surely, most of the burgers he consumed were made in establishments before trans fats were banned. I'm also confident that Mr. Groske couldn't resist McDonald's french fries, arguably the most popular item on the menu.

It's inexplicable. Listening to and reading the news, we learn that scientists are convinced that there's an obesity crisis caused specifically by the stuff Mr. Groske has been consuming.

Look at his picture. Does he appear to be a man in crisis due to body mass. I contend that he looks absolutely normal, well, except for the goofy Moe Howard haircut.

So, congratulations, Mr. Gorske! May you continue to eat two Big Macs a day for another 36 years.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/14/2008 12:55:00 AM

Babysitter Accused of Killing Baby in Clothes Dryer

(Harvey, Louisiana) A 19-year-old babysitter, Ariel Smith, was arrested Thursday by Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies for allegedly killing a 5-month-old baby by putting him into a clothes dryer and turning it on. The infant, Andre Jenkins, was declared dead when the emergency responders arrived.

According to JPSO spokesman Col. John Fortunato, Andre and his 18-month-old brother were dropped off at Smith's residence by their mother, Brandy Dozier, before going to work. At 11:15 AM, Smith called 911, claiming that the infant wasn't breathing.

Smith first told investigators that burns on the child's body were received when his brother pushed a pot of boiling water from her stove onto the child, he said.

Under questioning by homicide detective Keith Locascio, Smith later admitted the infant sustained the burns when she placed him into the clothes dryer, turned it on and left the room, Fortunato said.

"She stated she was frustrated with the child, " Fortunato said.

Smith was booked into custody on a charge of first-degree murder.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 08:28:00 PM

California Train Wreck

(Los Angeles, California) Currently, 24 people are known to have died from injuries as rescue workers search for more. A total of 135 people, so far, are reported as injured with 81 sent to hospitals. At least nine are listed in critical condition.

Regarding the cause of the collision:

A preliminary investigation found that "it was a Metrolink engineer that failed to stop at a red signal and that was the probable cause" of Friday's collision with a freight train in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said.

She said she believes the engineer, whose name was not released, is dead.

We need to know more about this guy who ran the red light. It appears that he was either out of his mind or he was suicidal and wanted to take people with him.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 06:31:00 PM

Democrats Control Ohio's Voting Machines

Anyone who believes that there is little substance to accusations of voter fraud in the United States likely owns or is a prospective buyer of fetid swamp land. Prudent observers of American politics, however, know that party operatives will take advantage of every conceivable opportunity to rig an election. With those assertions in mind, consider the following quotes.

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama

"Well, I tell you what, it helps in Ohio that we've got Democrats in charge of the machines."

Ohio GOP Chairman Robert Bennett

"That may be how you win elections back in Chicago, but Ohioans tend to frown upon the idea of massive voter fraud, especially when it's floated by a presidential candidate."

Whether Obama is floating the idea or strongly hinting about what he expects is up to the reader.

From my perspective, if the Cleveland Indians were in the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds and the umpires were members of the Cincinnati team, I'd put all my money on the Reds. Obviously, I think the current system for oversight of elections has inherent flaws.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 05:36:00 PM

Obama VP Survey

Voting is in progress at this site where respondents are asked:

If you had been given the authority to select Obama's VP running mate, who would you have selected?

Only four choices to select from and the current status is:

Hillary - 44%

Gore - 22%

Oprah - 18%

Biden - 17%

Heh, so much for Biden's experience. At present, it loses out to Oprah's.

Honestly, I believe that an Obama-Oprah ticket would be most entertaining. I'm already grinning at a VOTE Democrat O-O bumper sticker.

Tip: Stable Hand
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 03:23:00 PM

Britain Has Jumped the Shark

This report indicates that logic and rational thinking have been jettisoned from the British legal system and replaced with lemming-like cult worship of Earth God Gaia. The majority Christian nation now has precedent to ignore legally enacted laws.

This is very big. Over in the UK, a group of Greenpeace supporters trespassed on to a coal-fired power station and started vandalizing it, painting a message to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown about global warming. They were arrested and prosecuted.

Their defense strategy was to claim a "lawful excuse" on the grounds that their actions could help prevent significant damage to others' property that would result from global warming. Their defense witnesses included James Hansen, Al Gore's adviser and head of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies, and Zac Goldsmith, ultra-wealthy heir of Sir James Goldsmith and a wannabe Tory MP.

The strategy worked. Yesterday, a jury returned a majority verdict, acquiting the so-called Kingsnorth Six. As The Independent put it, the jury decided the "threat of global warming justifies breaking the law."

If the laws of Britain can be superceded by the scurrilous assertions of Mother Earth cultists, the UK ceases to be a democratic nation governed by laws.

So, where does it end? When property can be maliciously damaged with impunity, contrary to existing laws, using global warming as a "lawful excuse," what prevents eco-terrorists from exterminating populations of citizens citing the lawful excuse that they contribute to global warming?

In Britain, justice has become a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. Allowed to continue, Britain can expect anarchy and ruin or totalitarianism and ruin. Take your pick.

More here.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 09:41:00 AM

Hilarious! ObaBaby attacks McCain's patriotism!



"A pretty scathing charge from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., this morning as he spoke to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and assailed Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., position on free trade. "Just ask the machinists in Pennsylvania who build Harley-Davidsons," Obama said of McCain's record. "Because John McCain didn't just oppose the requirement that the government buy American-made motorcycles, he called Buy American provisions 'disgraceful.' Just ask the workers across this country who have seen their jobs outsourced. The very companies that shipped their jobs overseas have been rewarded with billions of dollars in tax breaks that John McCain supports and plans to continue. "So, when American workers hear John McCain talking about putting 'Country First,'" Obama said, "it's fair to ask -- which country?"

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/13/2008 05:22:00 AM

Young Sex in Chile

(Santiago, Chile) Last year, a national scandal resulted when a video-hosting web site displayed a clip of "a 14-year-old girl eagerly performing oral sex on a teenage boy" on a Santiago park bench.

About the same time, the public became aware of the sexual awakening occurring in Chile among the nation's yutes, and the incident on the park bench was found to be only a symptom of a general societal trend.

The sexual awakening in the 14 to 18 age group has been attributed to three primary factors, (1) the ouster of dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet leading to the end of strict traditional standards, (2) the explosion of the Internet containing explicit content, and (3) the almost complete lack of sex education in the schools. Frankly, I'd add a fourth -- lack of adult supervision.

More than any other South American country, Chile is connected to the Internet with use highest among the 6 to 17 age group. An industry in under-18 networking sites, featuring photo and video sharing, has grown on the web which enables the youths to meet and plan weekend make out parties.

And the parties are big affairs with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of kids showing up to bump and grind to the music while attempting to make out with as many members of the opposite sex as possible.

At the Bar Urbano disco, boys and girls ages 14 to 18 are stripping off their shirts, revealing bras, tattoos and nipple rings.

The place is a tangle of lips and tongues and hands, all groping and exploring. About 800 teenagers sway and bounce to lyrics imploring them to “Poncea! Poncea!”: make out with as many people as they can.

And make out they do -- with stranger after stranger, vying for the honor of being known as the “ponceo,” the one who pairs up the most.

One 14-year-old girl, Nicole Valenzuela, admitted that everything starts with the kiss and leads to penetration and oral sex. “That’s what’s going on, sometimes even in public places.”

Unfortunately, without adequate sex education, the pregnancy rate among girls under 15 is rising and the threat of an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases lurks.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 09:35:00 PM

Female Molester Gets 6 Years in Prison

(Woodbury, New Jersey) A 35-year-old Philadelphia woman, Pamela Torres, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker Jr. earlier today to six years in prison for engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy between September 2004 and April 2006.

Though a Feb. 29 plea agreement with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office called for six years in prison, Torres' attorney argued for the minimum five-year sentence, saying she had been in an abusive spousal relationship when the offenses occurred and had dealt with addiction and depression. He also noted she has an 11-year-old son with disabilities.

Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Audrey Curwin maintained that the sentence was appropriate, pointing out that the defendant took advantage of the victim's "extreme youth" and had sex with him more than 100 times, according to his statement.

Curwin also presented the boy's guardian, who gave a statement to the court that described the boy as borderline retarded and now struggling with confusion over how to relate to female adults and girls of his own age.

Upon release from prison, Torres must serve a minimum of 15 years of probation and register as a sex offender.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 08:07:00 PM

Pam Anderson's Expert Guidance

(Toronto, Ontario) Frankly, Pamela Anderson should be trumpeted as the supreme example of a celebrity, a poster girl, who constantly shoots her mouth off with the media enamored by every dingleberry of nonsense she spews.

Some more recent Pam Anderson dingleberries of wisdom were in response to a question about Sarah Palin,

“I can’t stand her,” Pam blurted out. “She can suck it!”

As far as political commentary is concerned, Pam's statement ranks right up there with the "tingly-leg" remark from former anchor Chris Matthews.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 05:59:00 PM

Why Hate Sarah Palin?

It's reasonable to assume that certain individuals would dislike Sarah Palin for decisions she has made as mayor or governor, but there doesn't seem to be any logical reason to hate her. And that is exactly the brunt of feeling coming from Democrats and other lefties. Sarah Palin has stirred hatred among those who may disagree with her.

Why? I'd suggest it's because Sarah Palin doesn't goose step to socialist marches. Contrary to the leftist dance card, Sarah Palin taps her toes to freedom, individual responsibility and capitalism.

On the other hand, Greg Gutfeld offers a more kitchen-table answer.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 05:12:00 PM

Tania Head - 9/11 Scammer

(New York) Tania Head told a compelling story. Too bad there wasn't a scintilla of truth to it.

During the years following the 9/11 attacks, many stories emerged of triumph, tragedy and heroism. But one story stood out. Tania Head was one of only 19 people to survive above the point of impact in the South Tower at the World Trade Centre.

Her story was triumphant and tragic. She was a survivor who, despite horrific burns, had escaped the falling towers, but she was a victim, too, in that she lost her fiance, Dave, when the North Tower collapsed.

As Tania Head became president of the self-help group, the World Trade Centre Survivors' Network, her vivid account of miraculous escape and tragic loss convinced everyone - politicians, media, fellow survivors and the families of those who died in the attacks.

But Tania wasn't who she said she was. And on the day of the attacks she wasn't even in New York; she was thousands of miles away in Spain, sitting down to lectures at a prestigious business school in Barcelona, where she was completing a masters in business administration.

Tania Head, her real name is Alicia Esteve Head, is a serial liar and she fooled many people until finally exposed by the NYTimes. My guess is that she's a 21st Century embodiment of Baron von Munchhausen, able to describe fantastic stories of battles never fought.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 03:24:00 PM

Hugo Chavez: "Go To Hell, S--- Yankees!"

(Caracas, Venezuela) President Hugo Chavez has given U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy orders to leave Venezuela within 72 hours.

Chavez accuses Ambassador Patrick Duddy of conspiring against his government. He made the move in solidarity with Bolivia after his ally expelled the U.S. ambassador there, accusing him of aiding violent protests.

Chavez said he's also recalling the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington. And he said a new American ambassador will not be welcome in Caracas "until there's a U.S. government that respects the people of Latin America."

Maybe it's just me but it sure seems that Chavez is demanding a regime change in the United States as a prerequisite to diplomacy.

"Go to hell, s--- yankees, we are a dignified people, go to hell 100 times," Chavez shouted at a political rally to thousands of roaring supporters.

I guess that passes as dignified eloquence in the world of thug banana-republic rhetoric. Nevertheless, both Chavez and Bolivia's President Morales blame the United States for their problems with violent protesters.

Interestingly, Chavez also made the statement that he's prepared to send troops into Bolivia if there's an effort to oust his comrade Morales from office.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 02:41:00 PM

Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested

(Titusville, Florida) A 67-year-old most-wanted fugitive, David Lee Green, was arrested at a Florida rehab center after U.S. Marshals received a tip generated by the America's Most Wanted television program.

"He is a notorious-gangster type. He is one of the worst of the worst," Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Disbrow told Local 6 news partner Florida Today.

Green has been on the run since June 2000, when he escaped from a Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, Ohio, where he was serving a 20-year sentence for cocaine distribution, according to information released by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

He was described as the kingpin of a narcotics organization and also wanted for possession of a machine gun by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department in Georgia.

A fingerprint match confirmed Green's identity.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 02:14:00 PM

Father Arrested for Protecting Daughter

(Deltona, Florida) Okay, readers, what would you do if you discovered a naked male in your daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night? In this report, we learn that one 45-year-old father grabbed a metal pipe and bonked the intruder.

When he heard noises coming from his daughter's bedroom Thursday morning and saw a stranger standing naked on the girl's bed, he swung a metal pipe. He then chased the teen out the front door and called police.

The boy was taken to the hospital where doctors closed a head wound with staples.

Apparently, the father didn't know that his daughter had a boyfriend and that the boyfriend had been engaging in sneaky, shaky pudding visits for a year. As a result of the bonk, the father was charged with aggravated battery on a child. He was released from custody on $10,000 bond.

Without additional information, it's difficult to analyze the situation but one thing seems certain. Any intruder into any home is lucky when leaving without sporting an unattractive bullet hole. So, in a general sense, the kid was lucky. On the other hand, arresting the father seems unsupportable.

Tip: WW
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 09:27:00 AM

Sarah's interview with Charlie Gibson of ABC News


Much commentary far and wide, of course. Below is a comment from Nick Ragone, a presidential historian and a regular contributor to Fox News and Fox Business News, as well as the Ralph Bailey radio show and Real Simple Magazine.



For the Obama camp, Sarah Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson had to be deflating. They needed her to stumble -- badly -- and she didn't. In fact, quite the opposite: she looked resolute, confident, and in command of the subject matter. It mostly focused on foreign policy -- her supposed weakness -- with a little bit of religion thrown in for good measure. Bonus points for quoting Lincoln.

Was she brilliant? no. But she didn't have to be brilliant. She simply needed to avoid a Dan Quayle moment. Her strength is on the stump, talking directly to voters, and energizing the base. Irrespective of what McCain campaign manager Rick Davis thinks, she needs to go through this one-on-one vetting process -- I think the public would be outraged if she didn't -- but it will never be her strength. But it's not Obama's strength, either. He tends to stammer and stumble when he's off script, like he did during the debates against Hillary. In that sense, he and Palin are a bit alike.

Team McCain knows that, and that's why they're carefully selecting the outlets and the formats for Palin. I'm not sure we'll see her on Meet the Press or This Week with George Stephanopoulos, but we'll probably see her do a morning show or two, and perhaps some local market interviews. If Obama wants to derail the Palin express, their only real opportunity may come during the Vice Presidential debate. And the stakes get even higher.

Source




Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 12:43:00 AM

Colorado School Office Worker Accused of Sex with Boy

(Canon City, Colorado) A 39-year-old clerk and office supervisor at Fremont Middle School, Stephanie Kay Bellino, was arrested early this month for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy. Bellino faces charges of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust.

She had been under investigation since mid-August when concerned individuals at the school alerted the police. Apparently, Bellino was known to frequently communicate to students via text messaging and some were considered inappropriate.

Authorities say when the 13-year-old was questioned about the text messages, he denied any sexual relationship with Bellino -- even though she expressed love for him and both had discussed explicit sex acts.

Three days later, the boy tearfully admitted to having sex five times with Bellino at her home, in June and July. The boy said he began receiving text messages from Bellino in October 2007. The relationship began to escalate, with the boy meeting her at her office after school, and at her home.

Furthermore, a police officer used the student's phone to pose as the student and send text messages to Bellino, whose responses allegedly became sexual in nature.

Bellino was booked into custody with bond set at $50,000. The Florence-Penrose School District placed Bellino on administrative leave.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/12/2008 12:28:00 AM

California Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Corona, California) A 45-year-old fifth-grade teacher at Corona Ranch Elementary School, Wendie Estrada Fernandez, was arrested this week by Corona Police officers for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student in the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

The married, mother-of-four faces charges of having unlawful sexual intercourse and oral sex with a minor.

Fernandez was placed on administrative leave by the school system. She was booked into custody and later released on $25,000 bail.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 11:59:00 PM

3,000 Victims - Preserve the Memory

The horror of September 11, 2001, plagues me -- and will continue to do so for as long as I have a heartbeat. Let us all remember.

Above the 92nd Floor

American Airlines Flight 11, scheduled Boston to Los Angeles, took off from Logan Airport at 7:59am on September 11, 2001. Its flight path was due west.

About the same time, 44-year-old Obdulio Ruiz-Diaz arrived at One World Trade Center along with two coworkers, 43-year-old Manuel Da Mota and 37-year-old Joshua Poptean. The three men then took the minutes-long elevator trip to the Windows of the World restaurant on the 107th floor.

Representing Bronx Builders, a woodworking and renovation company, Ruiz-Diaz, Da Mota and Poptean commenced planning and scheduling a remodeling project for one of the bars in the restaurant.

  
Obdulio Ruiz-Diaz, Manuel Da Mota, and Joshua Poptean

At 8:20am, Flight 11's pilots stopped transmitting a transponder signal and turned the plane northward, a dramatic change from the intended heading. Although the pilots had not actuated a distress call, controllers concluded Flight 11 had likely been hijacked.

At 8:28am, the controllers' traffic screens displayed Flight 11 making a 100 degree turn to the south.

Meanwhile, Obdulio, Manuel and Joshua concentrated on their job planning efforts. They discussed the client's desired results, took measurements, and identified necessary materials and equipment for the renovation project.

At 8:46am, traveling at 490 miles per hour, American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 carrying thousands of pounds of jet fuel, crashed into One World Trade Center between the 94th and 98th floors. The resultant fire and collapse of the building killed Obdulio Ruiz-Diaz and his coworkers. Their deaths were confirmed by the coroner's office.


North WTC burning. South WTC just before collision.
Obdulio Ruiz-Diaz, Manuel Da Mota and Joshua Poptean were targeted for murder, not by name, but by the fact that they were human beings in America. The Islamofascists didn't care who they murdered just as long as the body count was high.

Approximately 3,000 people were murdered on September 11, 2001. Everyone above the 92nd floor of the North Tower, 1360 people, died. Obdulio, Manuel, and Joshua were three of them.

We won't forget you.

Link: 2,996: A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11

And, seven years hence, the horror perpetrated on the United States has not been reciprocated. By comparison, in December 1941, the Empire of Japan perpetrated a horrible attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Less than four years hence, America reciprocated with two atomic bombs on Japan.

In my opinion, the enemies of America have not been made to pay for 3,000 murders.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 09:34:00 PM

Virginia Doctor Accused of Sexual Assault of Male Patient

(Alexandria, Virginia) A local family practice doctor, Dr. Antonio Ramada, was arrested two weeks ago by Alexandia Police officers for allegedly sodomizing a 32-year-old male patient. Ramada has been charged with sexual assault.

Police said the victim called earlier this month and reported that Ramada had sodomized him during an exam at the doctor's office, located at 6000 Stevenson Avenue.

"There is enough probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant, and again, right now we are piecing all of the information needed to get a conviction," said Capt. Hassan Aden, of the Alexandria Police Department.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that there are additional victims.

Dr. Ramada was booked into custody and released on bond.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 09:17:00 PM

Doctor Accused of Sexual Battery of Patients

(Monroe, Georgia) A 65-year-old internal medicine specialist, Dr. Kallambella C. Ramesh, was arrested Wednesday by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents for alleged inappropriate contact with patients in his office.

GBI agents stated that charges of misdemeanor sexual battery resulted from allegations dating back two years.

Ramesh was booked into custody at the Walton County Jail.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 06:48:00 PM

Obama Wants Kindergarten Sex Ed

Even though Obama's position is clear on this 2007 video, it's not clear that it will remain his position. I swear, the guy is all over the gameboard when it comes to positions and it all depends who he's talking to.




Frankly, I don't think it would be illogical to assume that every scripted and unscripted statement Obama utters has an expiration date and time. Any position uttered is only valid until the next time he makes a statement.

More here.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 06:11:00 PM

Hurricane Evacuation Horror Stories

Here's a snippet.

Does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone, charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?

Is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walks immediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or current bottle (most of which are narcotics)?

Isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afford a $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelter yet they can take a city-provided bus to Wal-mart, buy 5 bottles of Vodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?

Oh, the unfairness! Why can't the government help more?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 05:22:00 PM

Greenpeace Accuses Restaurant of Serving Endangered Tuna

(London, England) Greenpeace investigators went undercover to gather evidence that the restaurant chain Nobu, partly owned by actor Robert DeNiro, was selling critically endangered bluefin tuna to customers.

At three Nobu restaurants in London, investigators ordered tuna dishes described on the menu only by Japanese terms for the cut of the fish they were from.

The investigators asked that staff to identify the tuna species used, for Nobu does not specify on its menus which species of tuna it serves.

Samples were later tested to determine the type and it was found that dishes from all three were Atlantic bluefin.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List classifies the bluefin tuna as critically endangered because of overfishing.

When asked to comment on the anti-endangered species practices at his restaurants, Robert DeNiro is rumored to have said, "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?"
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 09:41:00 AM

Obamania makes way for Palinmania

Excerpt:

Even before Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska had appeared on the stage to introduce Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, the chant went up around the hall: "We want Sarah!" A tear rolled down the cheek of a middle-aged woman volunteer who moments earlier had been barking orders to keep the exits clear. A mother clutched the hand of her 11-year-old daughter, whose face was made up like a clown with stars and the letters P-A-L-I-N painted across her face.

Outside, queues which began six hours earlier snaked around the sports hall as more than 9,000 people filed in. Hundreds would be left outside. They held home-made signs with slogans like "God, guns, lipstick" and "Read my lipstick - Palin." A vendor had run out of badges with Mrs Palin's picture and the legend: "Coldest State, Hottest Governor." One beaming woman wearing a "USA" baseball cap had scrawled a on a piece of cardboard: "A Real Woman = Governor, mom, CEO, pro-Life, God fearing, happy. GO SARAH!"

"I've never seen anything like it," said G. Edward LeFevre, a local Republican committee member. "The crowd, the enthusiasm, the upbeat feel and the emotion is unprecedented. Sarah Palin is quite a lady."

Then the 44-year-old mother of five appeared, with her husband Todd, also 44, and Mr McCain, 72, alongside her. The crowd went wild, the screaming and cheering eventually subsiding into a steady cry in unison of: "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!" .....

Almost every woman asked about Mrs Palin used the word "real" to describe her. "We can relate to her," said Lori Ciarrocca, 40. "She's like other moms out there. She's a real person who speaks her mind and tells you how it is."

Tom Bross, 62, a Vietnam veteran who was twice wounded in combat, said that it was not just women she appealed to. "There are old rednecks who would have thrown me out of the local restaurant two weeks ago if I'd said they'd ever vote for a woman "Now Sarah Palin comes along and they're like a bunch of school kids tripping over themselves to listen to her."

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 05:42:00 AM

Natalie Dylan Virginity Auction

(San Diego, California) A 22-year-old San Diego woman calling herself Natalie Dylan has announced that she is auctioning her virginity on the Internet. The date of the auction has not been announced.

Natalie Dylan, a pseudonym for safety reasons, will offer her maidenhood to a bidder selected from entrants participating online via bunnyranch.com, the website for Nevada's infamous Moonlight Bunny Ranch.

"I'm not just looking for the highest bidder," says Dylan. "I'm looking for someone who is a genuine, overall nice person." Ironically, Natalie has a bachelor's degree in Women's Studies from Sacramento State and wants to pursue a master's degree in Marriage & Family Therapy.

Natalie's mother, a fourth-grade teacher, doesn't support the scheme. Natalie, on the other hand, believes the auction is simply capitalism at work. By announcing that she is, by definition, a prostitute negotiating a price, she contends that she is bettering herself.

Frankly, I suspect that Natalie came up with the idea when she found out that a degree in women's studies didn't open many doors to lucrative career paths.

On a different note, I suggest it's unusual for an attractive female to be born, bred, and schooled to the age of 22 in California with her virtue intact. Maybe abstinence was taught in her schools. Of course, a lot of good it does if one decides to become a whore.


[Update 9/16/08]

Another virgin is selling her flower. Saucy Italian babe, Raffella Fico, 20, wants one million euros.


[Update 1/16/09]

Bidding has reportedly reached $3.7 million and Natalie Dylan has expressed a preference to be deflowered by a woman.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 12:50:00 AM

Yeah, I'm Wearing Lipstick. You Got a Problem?


No problem here, officer.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/11/2008 12:34:00 AM

Multiculturalism Hiccup

(Hong Kong) As demonstrated by this report, multiculturalism and the effort to globalize all cultures do have limitations.

For the global event of the Olympics, the Chinese cheerleading squad included foreign members. When asked to donate personal items to auction to help earthquake victims, the Japanese cheerleaders offered their unwashed underwear, which is commonplace enough in Japan.

How did the Chinese take that? Not well, at this moment in time.

It makes one wonder what the exchange rate of skanky skivvies to the dollar is.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/10/2008 06:00:00 PM

Violence Against Border Agents

(San Diego, California) With a porous southern border, it's reasonable to expect the rampant violence and lawlessness in northern Mexico to spill over into the U.S. It's only a matter of time.

Since Oct. 1, 2007, there have been 340 cases -- up from 254 the year before.

Some cases have turned deadly, with one agent, Luis Aguilar, being killed in January.

In that case, a suspected smuggler struck Aguilar while he was trying to place spike strips.

The Border Patrol said when the U.S. steps up its patrols along the border, drug cartels retaliate with violence against law enforcement.

I predict the cross-border violence will soon become a national story, producing significant public outrage.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/10/2008 05:25:00 PM

Mom Accused of Trying to Sell Baby for Drugs

(Augusta, Georgia) An Augusta mother, Amanda Johnson, and her boyfriend and reported baby's father, Michael Jenkins, were arrested by Georgia investigators this week for allegedly attempting to trade Johnson's seven-month-old baby to a drug dealer for crack cocaine.

The arrests were made on consecutive days at the Augusta Lodge Motel on Gordon Highway.


 
Amanda Johnson - Michael Jenkins

Richmond County, Georgia investigators say the woman and the child's father were living in a motel in Augusta. They say several people were in the room smoking crack, and that the baby was in the room.

At some point, investigators say Johnson offered to sell the baby for more of the drug.

One of the people in the room contacted an outside party, who then contacted police.

Both Johnson and Jenkins have been charged with cruelty to children and reckless conduct. Logically, one might expect more charges since illegal drugs were being consumed in the motel room.

Some of Augusta's Gordon Highway motels have been identified as havens for prostitution and drugs and law enforcers are trying to police the area since many law-abiding citizens live at the extended-stay motels. Interestingly, Amanda Johnson has been reported to be a known prostitute.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy
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       Following Entry Posted 9/10/2008 09:03:00 AM

Mexican Law Enforcement Changes Proposed

(Mexico City) Federal Secretary of Public Security Genero Garcia Luna has proposed structural changes to the entire law enforcement system in Mexico.

Apparently, the practice of hiring uneducated men to work as police officers and paying them dirt-poor wages isn't working to prevent corruption.

”In Mexico, recruitment of police was catching someone who had no job or education. The present operating system doesn’t work. Paying police wages less than necessary to actually survive doesn’t only lead to individual corruption, but department corruption. The fault is not the officer’s, it’s the system’s.”

Luna is proposing that officers have at least a high school education.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/10/2008 06:30:00 AM

Al-Qaeda Plotting Attacks in Western Algeria

(Algiers, Algeria) Abdel Malik Droukedel, head of the Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, is reported to be planning suicide attacks during Ramadan on commercial targets in western Algeria.

Droukedel reportedly decided to change his strategy and relieve the pressure from central Algeria, recently the target of Al-Qaeda suicide attacks, to the western region to meet new objectives.

He reportedly decided to invest in these new attacks with the money from the ransom gained from the kidnap of several businessmen in Boumerdes and Tizi Ouzou, east of Algiers.

Meanwhile, the leader of Al-Qaeda in central Algeria has been identified as Hudheifa Abu Yunes al-Asimi, formerly of Algiers.

The information appears reliable since it came from an informer who deserted al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/09/2008 02:09:00 PM

Somalian Immigrants Claim Discrimination by UPS

(Toronto, Ontario) Eight Somalia-born women have filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal claiming discrimination by United Parcel Services (UPS). The eight were temporary package sorters for the company over many months.

When a new union contract forced UPS to hire the women as permanent employees with better pay and benefits, the company told them that they would be required to raise their skirts above floor-length since the practice of wearing long skirts is considered a safety concern as a tripping hazard.

The women refused to shorten their skirts and, as a result, were given their walking papers which prompted the discrimination complaint. They contend that their skirts were fine when they were temp employees and UPS created an instantaneous "safety hazard" excuse when it was forced to hire them as permanent workers. (more)

Given the history of decisions by Canadian human rights overseers, there is no way to predict how this case will be resolved. It goes before the tribunal next week.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/09/2008 12:53:00 PM

Illegal Alien Advocates Want to End Drunk Driving Enforcement

(Pomona, California) A campaign to stop enforcement of drunk driving laws has been launched by an Ethics Studies Professor at UC - Riverside.

Professor Armando Navarro is urging all citizens to forward a form letter to the Pomona City Council indicating that sobriety checkpoints are "a grave threat to the stability of the local economy, and social harmony within the community."

I contend that enforcement of drunk driving laws is a good thing. Readers can weigh in, for or against, by contacting the Pomona City Council which is considering the issue.

Diggers Realm has the whole story.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/09/2008 11:44:00 AM

Don't Disrespect Thai Royalty

(Bangkok, Thailand) According to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), a Thai court has ordered hundreds of websites to be shut down because their content is disrespectful to the royal family.

"(The ministry) sought court orders on September 2, 2008 to shut down about 400 websites and ... block 1,200 sites it considers to be either a danger to national security or a disturbance to social order," SEAPA said.

The minister for information and communications technology, Mun Patanotai, said the sites had been detected between March and August, and prosecuted under Thailand's Computer Crime Act, according to SEAPA.

The ministry is now seeking to prosecute the people responsible for the websites, it said.

Meanwhile, an Australian author has been jailed by the Thai authorities for a passage he wrote in a book, "Verisimilitude," published in 2005. The author, 41-year-old Harry Nicolaides, has apologized, however, he was denied bail and faces 15 years in a Thai prison if convicted.

In summary, it's illegal to say that the Thai royal family has no clothes.


[Update 2/21/09]

Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in prison and pardoned after six months.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/09/2008 09:59:00 AM

OK to call GWB a "retard"



I noted on August 12 how vastly incorrect the word "retard" seems to be. Some hairy British Leftist, however, thought nothing of applying the word to GWB:

"If his aim was to be noticed by America, Russell Brand more than achieved his goal last night as he ranted that President Bush was a "retarded cowboy" while hosting the MTV awards.

The British comedian, who is a virtual unknown in America, left the creme of the music world stunned as he championed Barack Obama, ran down George Bush and made lewd jokes about the Christian pop band Jonas Brothers.

Brand told the Hollywood audience they must vote for Barrack Obama "on behalf of the world", before insinuating that America had lower standards than Britain when it came to picking leaders.

"Some people, I think they're called racists, say America is not ready for a black president. "But I know America to be a forward thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retard and cowboy fella be president for eight years?

Source

Predictably, The New York Times loved it! But many listeners did not.


Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 06:49:00 PM

Reader Explanation Sought

(Fresno, California) A man broke into a home and attacked two men with spices and an eight-inch sausage. The intruder rubbed spices on one man, beat the other man with the sausage, and dropped his wallet before fleeing with stolen money. No names were disclosed.

Later, police found the man in his underwear hiding in an orchard. The stolen money was recovered. A dog ate the sausage.

Bizarre, eh?


[Update]

Reader Charley Nestor found a source which identifies the perpetrator as 22-year-old Antonio Vasquez.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 05:19:00 PM

China Arnold Gets Life for Baby Microwave Death - Updated

(Dayton, Ohio) After the jury convicted China Arnold and deadlocked on the death penalty, the maximum sentence she could see is life in prison without parole. That's exactly what Arnold received today for microwaving her baby to death.

"No adjectives exist to describe this heinous atrocity," said Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Wiseman, who added that the crime was "beyond all human and moral comprehension."

Arnold, who remains in the Montgomery County Jail, chose not to be present for the sentencing. Some of Arnold's supporters, who packed the courtroom, cried out when the sentence was announced.

Wiseman presided over Arnold's second trial, which started Aug. 11 and ended Sept. 3, after jurors deadlocked during the penalty phase.

Arnold's attorney, Jon Paul Rion, asked for the chance of parole after 25 years because she was drunk when 28-day-old Paris Talley was killed.

"She regrets, obviously, that she had been drinking at all, Rion said. "China would have been there to understand what was happening."

Rion also read a statement from Arnold, that started, "My name is China Arnold and I am innocent of these charges."

Evidently, China Arnold continues to deny culpability in the death. Also, according to prosecutor David Franceschelli, Arnold feels no "genuine remorse."


* * * * *
Baby Microwave Death
[Previous 11/28/08 post]
(Dayton, Ohio) Mother China Arnold, 26, was arrested by Dayton Police yesterday on a charge of aggravated murder for allegedly causing the death of her three and one-half weeks old daughter. Authorities believe that death resulted from the baby being burned in a microwave oven.

From DaytonDailyNews.com:

Ken Betz, director of the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, said, "We have reason to believe and scientific evidence to support that a microwave oven might have been involved in the death of this child." The cause of death was ruled a homicide at the time, by hyperthermia due to thermal injury.

The baby, Paris Talley, died in August 2005. Since that time, police investigators have been gathering evidence to support an arrest warrant.


[Update 11/29/06]

From DaytonDailyNews.com:

Arnold, arrested by police Monday on a warrant, was arraigned Tuesday via video in Dayton Municipal Court, and heard Judge Bill Littlejohn place her bond at $1 million on an aggravated murder charge in Paris Talley's death. Arnold's preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 7.

Interestingly, Sgt. Gary White of the Dayton police stated that the Arnold family has made "no efforts to get updates of this baby's death. Only one person has kept in touch, (and it was) not one of their family."

A little odd, don't you think?


[Update 02/11/08]

China Arnold, 27, gets another trial.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Visiting Judge John Kessler on Monday afternoon granted a mistrial in the China Arnold aggravated murder case.

The judge cited new evidence brought forward by the defense Monday. The case will be returned to the docket for rescheduling, and Kessler ordered that Arnold continue to be held in the Montgomery County Jail pending another trial.

Apparently the new evidence has something to do with Arnold's claim that she is not the perpetrator. The prosecution and defense have been ordered not to discuss the case outside the court.


[Update 8/29/08]

(Dayton, Ohio) China Arnold, 28, was convicted of aggravated murder today by a jury in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Arnold showed little emotion as the verdict was read, but was weeping as sheriff's deputies led her out of the courtroom. Some of her supporters began to sob, a few of them leaving the courtroom immediately after the verdict was read.

The sentencing phase begins tomorrow when the jury will decide whether Arnold deserves the death penalty. Judge Mary Wiseman cannot order the death penalty unless the jury recommends it. More here.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 04:34:00 PM

Castle Doctrine Comes to Ohio

Tomorrow, September 9th, 2008, the state of Ohio will enact a version of the Castle Doctrine regarding firearms use in protecting life and home. The doctrine is based upon the belief that a person's home is a person's castle.

The law will state that a person using force against an intruder in the home or car is presumed to act in self-defense. Second Amendment advocates believe the law is "a long time coming."

Currently, if a criminal case comes from such an incident, the person who used force must prove it was self-defense.

Under the Castle Doctrine -- already in effect in several states and named for the centuries-old theory that a person must protect his or her property (or castle) -- it will be the prosecutors' job to prove it wasn't self-defense, which all admit is a much more difficult task.

"Right now, if someone breaks into your house tonight and waves a knife at you and you shoot them, you have to prove their intent," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a state gun rights advocacy group.

Although using deadly force to protect one's life and property is ages-old, a specific law is needed to prevent lawyers from prosecuting everyone who committed the act of self-preservation.

Companion post at GunWatch.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 10:03:00 AM

Palin now greeted by 'Sarah! Sarah!'


The banners, buttons and signs say McCain-Palin, but the crowds say something else. "Sa-rah! Pa-lin!" came the chant at a Colorado Springs rally on Saturday moments before Republican nominee John McCain took the stage with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a woman who was virtually unknown to the nation just a week earlier. The day before, thousands screamed "Sa-rah! Sa-rah! Sa-rah!" at an amphitheater outside Detroit. "Real change with a real woman," read one sign at a Wisconsin rally. "Hurricane Sarah leaves liberals spinning," cried another.

In the short time since McCain spirited the 44-year-old first-term governor out of Alaska and onto a national stage as his running mate, Palin has become an instant celebrity. And since her speech at the Republican National Convention, watched by more than 40 million Americans, she is emerging as the main attraction for many voters at their campaign appearances. "She's the draw for a lot of people," said Marilyn Ryman, who came to see her at the Colorado rally inside an airport hangar. "The fact that she's someone new, not the old everything we've seen before."

McCain has sought to portray Palin as a bulldog who will help him "shake things up" on Capitol Hill. Washington, he said Saturday, is "going to get to know her, but I can't guarantee you they'll love her." "We do!" came a cry from the crowd.

"Colorado, it's going to be a hard-fought battle here," Palin said. As soon as she began speaking, a group of supporters interrupted her with a cheer of "Sa-rah! Sa-rah!"

More here

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 06:49:00 AM

RNC Delegates Stifled by Security Officers

Republicans in the crowd at the Republican National Convention were told by security officers (video) to put down the "Build the Fence" signs.

It's no secret that McCain has been an amnesty-for-illegal-aliens advocate and, therefore, he logically didn't want the issue emphasized.

The vid is well worth viewing.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 05:34:00 AM

The Screaming Cult of Gaia

Readers, do yourselves a big favor and view this video.

It runs a minute and 47 seconds and displays complete, unadulterated, idiocy by people with too much time on their hands and in dire need of a new circle of friends.

It's sad comedy, a burgeoning genre, at it's finest. It's also a reason that mental health counseling is always in demand.

By the way, after viewing the video, you'll have a better understanding about the three dozen Heaven's Gate people who committed mass suicide in preparation to embark on an imagined space ship that was following the Hale-Bopp comet.

Tip: C & S
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       Following Entry Posted 9/08/2008 12:10:00 AM

Montana Mom Arrested for Son's Death

(Great Falls, Montana) A 31-year-old woman, Summer Many White Horses, was arrested last Friday for allegedly killing her 2-year-old son, James Many White Horses. An odd sequence of events led to the discovery of the toddler's decomposed body in the trunk of Many White Horses' car.

It started with Many White Horses getting into a car wreck in early August, followed by an search for the missing toddler.

She was arrested on several misdemeanor charges, including driving under the influence, reckless driving and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.

She was taken to jail, and her car was towed to Carnahan & Sons Towing and Repair on Smelter Avenue, said Cascade County Attorney Brant Light. Many White Horses was released Aug. 10, a detention officer said.

On Friday, Great Falls Police found Many White Horses in Great Falls and questioned her about the missing toddler. In the interview, she told police her son had been in the trunk of the car since the night of the accident, Light said.

Officers obtained a warrant to search the car, which was still at Carnahan and Sons. They found the body of James Many White Horses in the trunk at about 3 p.m. Friday, Light said.

The body was badly decomposed, and authorities don't know if he was alive when the accident happened, Light said. Summer Many White Horses gave several different stories during the interview, he said.

Without a warrant nor probable cause, police never searched the vehicle on the night of the accident. The remains of James Many White Horses were sent to the Montana State Crime Lab for autopsy. Results are expected next week.

Summer Many White Horses faces charges of deliberate homicide, tampering with evidence and obstruction. She was booked into the Cascade County Detention Center.


[Update 6/12/09]

Summer Many White Horses pleads guilty to negligent homicide and evidence tampering. Sentencing is scheduled for July.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/07/2008 11:56:00 PM

Peter Jemley - U.S. Army Deserter

(Toronto, Ontario) A 42-year-old deserter from the U.S. Army, Peter Jemley, is seeking refugee status in Canada claiming he feared being ordered to participate in torture.

In a complimentary profile, Canadian media describe Jemley as a unique, quiet and polite, independent, father of two young children who is principled about stopping torture in the world.

Jemley enlisted in 2005, not as a patriot, but because "Iraqis are people too" and immediately entered the two-year Arabic linguist training program at the U.S. Army Language School in Monterey, California. Jemley was then assigned as an Arabic linguist with a top security clearance to the 341st Military Intelligence Battalion at Camp Murray, Washington, where he started reading media reports about torture at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Consequently, when learning that he might be sent to Guantanamo, Jemley deserted.

"I think everyone is agreeing now that torture is really what has been going on ... I have every reason to believe that from my small pool that I belong to, with my credentials, that I'd be ordered to do such things."

Notably, Jemley is the first deserter to claim he skipped to Canada because he didn't want to be a torturer. He's also the first to admit that he deserted because he was convinced by the mainstream media.

Interestingly, as I follow the Canadian media in their reports of U.S. military deserters, I get the strong feeling that each article is written by the deserters' mothers. Deserting the U.S. military is a serious offense, at a time of war or otherwise, yet when these same people arrive in Canada, the media portrays them as not only sympathetic but close to heroic and saintly.


[Update 9/10/08]

Some additional details are provided by a soldier attached to Peter Jemley's 'former' U.S. Army unit. Apparently, Jemley's military specialty had nothing to do with interrogations at Guantanamo and he would never be ordered to do so. Therefore, Jemley being disingenuous by stating that he feared being ordered to participate in torture.

Furthermore, Jemley had acquired a reputation of being extremely arrogant and standoffish, neither of which contribute to unit cohesion, and he had the habit of jumping the chain of command when he didn't get his way.

Jemley reportedly has been gone for months while his wife complained that he wasn't supporting her. She also said she didn't know where he was. Check the link for more.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/07/2008 05:41:00 AM

Eco-Beer

(Suffolk, England) The Brits have come up with a beer that's reported to be carbon-neutral.

The guest ale has been developed by Suffolk brewers Adnams with the help of East Anglia university's carbon reduction team.

It is made at Adnams's new Southwold brewery which has an energy recovery system that recycles all the steam created during the brewing process, and uses 90 per cent of it to heat the following brew.

It is made of high-yielding barley which subsequently minimises carbon dioxide emissions, while aphid-resistant hops are used to significantly cut the use of pesticides.

So, it appears that the lefties now have an alternative to Kool-Aid. However, I think they're fudging the truth a bit by calling the beer carbon-neutral.

The beer is reported to be quite popular, ostensibly because it saves the environment, which I contend is proof that once people become cultists worshipping Gaia, they'll believe anything.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 10:47:00 PM

Question Asked, Question Answered

Is Oprah biased?



There's more.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 09:04:00 PM

Democrat Patriotism: An Oxymoron?

The Democrat Party has a candidate that won't wear the flag and the lack of respect for Old Glory now seems to be reflected by the entire Democrat Obama campaign team.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 07:52:00 PM

NFL Without A Johnson

(Broward County, Florida) Thirty-year-old, twice-arrested, unmarried father-of-four, professional football player Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Ocho Cinco, "a rough Spanish translation" for his Cincinnati Bengals uniform number.

Reading through Johnson's petition to change his name, it's interesting to note that he apparently has no education to speak of and his four children are members of three different families living in two different states.

Presumably, Ocho Cinco's performance on the football field is substantially more disciplined than his decision-making off the field. After all, he still has a job.

It's noteworthy, though, that Johnson's name-changing may be a harbinger of future, similar moves by other players. Imagine, for instance, Joe Pizza Hut or Tom HighStakesPoker.com. Hey, if advertisers will pay you to tattoo your forehead, they would surely part with the big bucks for a name change.

It's also worth mentioning that the idea is hardly new. Kristian von Hornsleth, a Danish artist, for several years has been getting Africans to change their names in exchange for pigs and goats. Last I heard, thousands of Africans are now named Hornsleth.

More at The Smoking Gun.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 11:40:00 AM

Pickens and the Plan

Is anyone else getting annoyed seeing T. Boone Pickens on television telling everyone that time is running out and he knows how to buy time? Frankly, I'm ready to pop a rivet.

And, since when does T. Boone Pickens need the support of the American public to implement one of his business ideas? Well, the answer is, he doesn't need public support, he needs public money and he's willing to fudge, or at least fuzzy-up, the facts to get it.

Consider these items from the Pickens Plan.

He says that today the U.S. imports 70% of our oil. That's not true. U.S. net petroleum imports for the first seven months of 2008 have averaged less than 57%.

Pickens indicates that the U.S. accounts for 25% of the world's oil demand but fails to indicate that the U.S. provides 26% of global economic output.

Pickens asserts that the U.S. transfers $700 billion in wealth out of the country every year but ignores the fact that we receive $700 billion worth of oil in return. How is that a transfer of wealth? It's called trade.

According to economist Raymond Keating of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, what Pickens wants is actually massive government intrusion so his wind energy can replace natural gas for electricity production and his natural gas can then replace gasoline for trucks and automobiles.

Unfortunately, getting in the way of the Pickens Plan is a pesky entity called free market capitalism and the simple fact that wind power has not yet proved itself to be commercially competitive. Pickens needs government mandates for his plan to have a chance.

So, fellow taxpayers, remember, when Pickens says he wants to buy time, he wants to do it with our money -- lots of our money.

Lastly, for a guy who can read charts of seismic anomalies to pinpoint exactly where gas and oil are, Pickens sure seems to be deaf to the rumblings from Congressional Democrats wanting to nationalize the oil industry. He seems to be totally unaware of the socialists slithering around Congress. Hell, Obama is even quoting Pickens, considering him as an ally in the environmental hope and change scheme. I'd suggest that a prudent businessman wouldn't risk his bread and butter on hope and change.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 10:42:00 AM

Carticipate

My first reaction was "Huh?"

Reading through, however, I see it's 21st Century, electronic gizmo-aided, GPS-assisted hitchhiking.

Of course, hitchhiking still requires reliance on the kindness of ax murderers strangers.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 09:43:00 AM

Here Come the Christian-Bashers. Leftists attack Gov. Palin's 'Controversial Worldview'




An amusing attempt to equate Obama's America-hating church with the regular Christian gospel. You would have to be an amazing ignoramus to think that the two are the same.

"In an obvious attempt to create a Jeremiah Wright-style scandal for the Republican presidential ticket - and to marginalize conservative Christian values - Huffington Post National Editor Nico Pitney is questioning the religious beliefs of GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her former pastor.

A Sept. 2 Huffington Post (HP) article by Pitney and Political Reporter Sam Stein begins with an ominous headline: "Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview." They write, "And if the political storm over Barack Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright is any indication, Palin may face some political fallout over the more controversial teachings of Wasilla Assembly of God."

Pitney and Stein label Palin's worldview "controversial," and quote snippets from Wasilla Senior Pastor Ed Kalnins's sermons that paint him as extreme. Wasilla Assembly of God church member Karissa Nelson told CMI what she thought of the HP story: "It's sad how people twist your words."....

To define Palin's faith, Pitney and Stein quote what they describe as "provocative" and "eyebrow-raising" statements by Wasilla pastor Ed Kalnins. The minister's teachings, however, may not be as controversial as Pitney and Stein believe. The HP writers display a very poor understanding of conservative Protestant theology and language.

For example, Pitney and Stein quote Kalnins saying in 2004, "I'm not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person [Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry], I question your salvation. I'm sorry." As they understand the statement, Kalnins "questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted to heaven." Their interpretation of Kalnins's remarks conflicts sharply with the evangelical Protestant theology of salvation.

Properly understood, Pastor Kalnins was not saying that God would punish people who voted for Kerry by sending them to hell. Kalnins was saying that a person willing to vote for Kerry probably had not already received salvation.

Evangelical theology teaches that a person is saved based not on how he votes, or any other action, but on whether he places his trust in Jesus's sacrifice to pay the price for his sins. Trust Christ today and you're "saved" today. Therefore, salvation is not so much a future event as a present possession. Once people are "saved," however, they undergo a spiritual transformation that affects the way they think, behave, and vote.

Source

As Leftist commentary goes, "controversial" is probably a rather mild term of abuse for evangelical Christianity. The HuffPo must be losing its mojo. I expected "Ayatollah Palin" at least.

I have read the HuffPo article and the authors clearly do not understand the Calvinist influence in Protestant thinking. Following Ephesians 1:4&5, Calvin taught that God had predestined who would be saved -- and this tends to spill over to a view that most of the things that happen around us are God's will. There is even a careful exposition of the doctrine in Article 17 of the 39 "Articles of Religion" promulgated by the Church of England. If you have a copy of the old Anglican "Book of Common Prayer", you can find it right at the back of the book.

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 12:42:00 AM

Reenlistment Ceremony

(Baghdad, Iraq) General Petraeus officiated the reenlistment of the pictured American military personnel.


Reenlistment Ceremony, Baghdad, Iraq (July 4, 2008)
Described as the largest reenlistment ceremony in military history, it occurred at the Al Faw Palace in Baghdad on July 4, 2008. Although it happened a couple months ago, few knew since the mainstream media apparently didn't want to give the ceremony, nor its significance, wide exposure.

You've got to be proud of these courageous men and women who tackle the challenges of harm's way for the sake of our nation. They get my salute.

Tip: Rita & Eugene
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 12:29:00 AM

Did ISNA Illegally Host Obama Campaign?

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) enjoys tax-exempt status since it is a religious organization but the tax-exempt status comes with a prohibition from hosting or supporting partisan political activity.

Contrary to the prohibition, however, there's evidence to indicate that the ISNA is in the tank for Barack Obama. At its national convention last week in Columbus, Ohio, the ISNA hosted a campaign booth for Obama and then officially endorsed the candidacy of Obama for President.

Consequently, the question is being asked: Did ISNA and the Obama campaign violate tax and election laws in this instance?
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 12:12:00 AM

Florida Mom Gets Prison for Sex with Runaway - Updated

(Naples, Florida) Holly Louise Gee, now 33, was sentenced this week in accordance with a plea agreement with the prosecution.

Collier County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier imposed a sentence of two years in prison and eight years of sex-offender probation with an ankle monitor.

Gee also will be a registered sex offender, must submit to random drug and alcohol testing, and can’t be around anyone less than 18 without supervision, except her two children.

Sex-offender probation also includes restrictions that bar offenders from driving alone, require a travel log, and prohibits Internet use.

Gee's sentence was below recommended sentencing guidelines but was agreed to by all parties.

* * * * *
Woman Nabbed for Sex with Runaway
[Previous 2/9/07 post]
(Naples, Florida) A 31-year-old neighbor woman, Holly Louise Gee, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 16-year-old runaway boy. The boy ran away from home in December to stay at Gee's house, a favorite hangout for kids skipping school.

From NaplesNews.com:

Gee told the boy she really liked him and would rub his stomach and kiss him, the boy told investigators. During the week the 16-year-old stayed at Gee's house, the two performed a number of sexual acts on one another, an arrest report says.

Gee had sex with the boy toward the end of the week, officials said. During the last five or six days the 16-year-old stayed at Gee's house, they had some sort of sexual contact each day, the boy told authorities.

The boy reportedly broke off the relationship because Gee was becoming too attached. Gee faces charges of unlawful sexual activity with minors.

Tip: Don Morgenstern
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       Following Entry Posted 9/06/2008 12:05:00 AM

LPGA Backs Down on English-Only Policy

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has backed off its announced "English-only" policy for golfers in response to a loud negative reaction.

The LPGA has decided to rescind penalty provisions of its new "effective communications policy" that previously had proposed suspensions for international tour members who did not pass an oral English evaluation after two years on tour.

The LPGA will announce a revised plan by the end of 2008 -- but the new plan will not include penalties.

"We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions," LPGA commissioner Caryolyn Bivens said in a statement released by the LPGA Friday. "After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every tour player."

In summary, LPGA officials pussied out and quickly changed their position at the first sign of disagreement. I think they realized that their initial decision was difficult to defend.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 06:49:00 PM

Florida Woman Arrested for Child Sex & Drug Offenses

(Tampa, Florida) A 24-year-old local woman, Marbelis Margarita Dorado, was arrested last night by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputies for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Dorado faces charges of felony child abuse, misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

An affidavit states that she encouraged four juveniles to smoke marijuana in her vehicle.

The sheriff's office said that a deputy had approached a 2004 Dodge Caravan at the park because the park closes at sundown. The deputy found Dorado and four youths -- a 14-year-old girl and three boys, two of them 15 and one 14 -- in the Dodge.

The deputy smelled marijuana and found a plastic baggie of it in the Dodge, the sheriff's office said. Dorado knows the youths from her neighborhood and told deputies she provided the marijuana and encouraged the youngsters to smoke it, the sheriff's office said.

The youths were released to their parents. Deputies took Dorado to a district office, where during an interview deputies learned that on Aug. 30 she had been accused by a mother of lewd and lascivious behavior with the woman's 15-year-old son.

The 15-year-old told investigators that he and Dorado had been having sex since July in Dorado's car, her apartment and friend's apartment.

Dorado was booked into custody at the Orient Road Jail with bail set at $48,000.

Tip: mbaustert
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 05:09:00 PM

Oklahoma Teacher's Aide Gets Probation in Rape Case

(Tulsa, Oklahoma) In July 2008, a 35-year-old former teacher's aide with Jennings Public Schools, Lori June Canady, pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

According to police reports, Canady, who is married, picked up the boy at his home and took him to the Sand Springs Motel on February 18th for sex.

This week, Canady was sentenced by Tulsa County District Judge William Kellough to an eight-year suspended sentence. She will serve probation instead.

As a result of the felony conviction for second-degree rape, Canady will have to register as a sex offender. However, it appears that her options to continue being a teacher's aide will not be affected.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 10:55:00 AM

School Counselor to Stand Trial for Sex with Student

(Lansing, Michigan) A 32-year-old counselor at the Hill Center School, Carrie Alice Denbow, is accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student and, yesterday, District Court Judge Charles Filice ruled that enough evidence exists to go to trial.

During the hearing, the victim, now 18, testified that he had sex throughout 2006 with Denbow at a motel and repeatedly in her office while a class was in session next door.

"We were having sex three to four days a week in that room," the 18-year-old said.

Denbow will stand trial on six counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. A court date wasn't announced.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 09:21:00 AM

Woman Gets Jail for Cross-Country Sex Trip - Updated

(Eau Claire, Wisconsin) Yesterday in Eau Claire County Court, 44-year-old Tracy Taylor was sentenced to seven months in jail after previously pleading no contest to attempted sexual assault of a child under 16.

"In some ways, it's every parent's nightmare," Eau Claire County Judge Lisa Stark said Thursday at Tracy A. Taylor's sentencing hearing.

"This was so close to taking place," the judge said of the attempted sexual rendezvous.

Taylor has no prior criminal record and has bachelor's and master's degrees in social work.

"You knew the boundaries. You knew what you shouldn't do," Stark said to Taylor. "What happened here cannot happen again."

Taylor also received seven years of probation to be served when she is released. She has permission to serve the probation in New York, if possible. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

Additionally, Taylor is prohibited from contacting her victim or his family and prohibited from using computers or cell phones without her parole officer's consent. She was also ordered to pay an unspecified amount of restitution for counseling for her victim.


* * * * *
Woman Arrested for Internet Hook Up with Boy
[Previous 4/27/08]
(Eau Claire, Wisconsin) A 44-year-old Albany, NY, woman, Tracy Taylor, was arrested Friday for allegedly enticing a 15-year-old boy for sex.

Authorities say that Taylor met the boy on an Internet networking website and made plans to meet him for apparent sexual relations.

After traveling from New York and checking into a motel, Taylor was taken into custody on charges of attempted sexual assault of a child, using a computer to facilitate a sex crime and child enticement.

According to a Eau Claire Police Department release:

Eau Claire Police investigators and Eau Claire County Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant at the female’s hotel room after she was observed checking in. Evidence located in the room indicates pre-planned sexual contact.

Taylor is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.


[Update 4/30/08]

Tracy Taylor appeared in Eau Claire County Circuit Court on Monday where a judge set bail at $50,000. Also, new information was disclosed.

As part of the investigation, the county sheriff's detective on the case reviewed text messages, including one from April 22 where the boy asked "Will we be able to have sex?" to which the woman allegedly replied: "I hope so. I love you."

Detectives learned Taylor had reserved a room at the Days Inn on Truax Lane in Eau Claire from Friday through Monday.

Police obtained a search warrant. After Taylor checked into Room 103, police found condoms, candles, baby oil and bottles of alcoholic beverages. Additionally, they found a letter from the teen giving his age, said the criminal complaint.

Eau Claire Deputy Police Chief Eric Larsen, said Monday that Taylor met the teen on the social networking site gaiaonline.com. He characterized it as a children's gaming Web site.

Another court appearance is scheduled for May 6.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 09:03:00 AM

Harvard cop fights racism charge


Must not speak firmly to blacks:

"Harvard University police officer Theresa McAuliffe has spent a decade teaching self-defense to women and patrolling the Cambridge school's hallowed grounds but now may lose her job because she's been accused of racial profiling. McAuliffe and the other officer, whose name has not been released, are on paid administrative leave but face a disciplinary hearing at which they could be fired. The pair are accused of racial profiling for an Aug. 8 incident in which they were called to a report of a man stealing a bike.

The pair went to a bike rack on campus where they found a black teenager cutting a lock off a bicycle. The officers later learned the bike belonged to the teen and that he was cutting the lock off because his key broke. The teen has since complained that he was verbally abused by the officers and says McAuliffe pointed her gun at him.

A Braintree mother of three, McAuliffe admits she and her colleague used "authoritative voices," but denies pointing her sidearm at the teen. She said she had her hand on her gun and unlocked it from its safety holster in case she had to use it. "I had it pushed forward so if I needed it it was ready," she said. "When you can't see their hands or their face, you don't know what they have. You have to assume they have a weapon."

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 06:01:00 AM

Beijing Gives Stench Subsidy

(Beijing, China) Residents of Beijing are authorized by the city's People's Congress to receive a stench subsidy if it stinks where they live.

Only a few years ago, Gao'antun was still a farming village in the east part of Beijing's Chaoyang District. Like many other villages on the expending [sic] edges of the fast growing city, high-rise apartment buildings began to shoot up in Gao'antun in recent years.

Along with the buildings came the city's new affluent class, able afford 15,000 yuan ($2,193) per square metre apartment prices and unlikely to welcome a stinking landfill.

According to The Beijing News, local villagers receive a 400 yuan ($58.49) per year per capita subsidy from the government for the stench that they have to suffer.

For some reason, the local government has ignored requests to move the landfill.

Something will likely have to be done soon since the incidence of serious disease has increased in the area and it's being blamed on the garbage dump.

Also: The Jawa Report
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       Following Entry Posted 9/05/2008 12:17:00 AM

FBI Foils RNC Bomb Plot

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) A 23-year-old Michigan man, Matthew Bradley DePalma, was arrested at a residence in south Minneapolis last Sunday for allegedly manufacturing and possessing Molotov cocktails he intended to use at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

According to the FBI, last July DePalma attended the CrimethInc Convergence, an anarchists gathering held annually, in Wisconsin and was overheard to say that he planned on making bombs to blow up the RNC.

He also discussed making Molotov cocktails with a thick flammable liquid to replace the customary gasoline. DePalma said it would "stick to a target and burn longer and hotter."

DePalma's conversations, recorded on Aug. 20, described a plan to place a bomb near the Xcel Center during the RNC in an effort to disrupt the convention. The plan involved entering the tunnels near the center and using either Molotov cocktails or a chemical bomb to destroy electrical cables and cause a power outage.

DePalma, the affidavit states, also described a related plan to use napalm-filled Molotov cocktails on the streets against police officers stating, "I will light one of those pigs on fire."

According to an FBI affidavit, DePalma went to the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 and researched explosives devices. On Aug. 21-22, he purchased supplies and manufactured two jugs of a napalm-like flammable gelatin. On Aug. 25, DePalma went to a remote rural location to assemble and test chemical bombs and Molotov cocktails.

On Aug. 30, DePalma was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with illegal possession of Molotov cocktails. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later today.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/04/2008 11:40:00 PM

Woman Accused of Obscenity

(Bossier City, Louisiana) A 37-year-old local woman, Christie Hemler Semeraro, was arrested last Sunday for allegedly riding topless in a boat on the Red River in full view of people on the river and the beach.

Bossier County Sheriff's Marine Patrol deputies made the arrest about a mile south of the Jimmie Davis Bridge.

Semeraro was booked into custody at the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and later released on $5,150 bond. She faces charges of obscenity and disturbing the peace.

Jeez, I wonder if the radical Breasts Not Brains Bombs crowd ever thought about demonstrating in Bossier City.


[Update 9/5/08]

In related news, Semeraro is scheduled to go on trial October 18th in Bossier District Court for contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. She was arrested last January after a complaint was filed by a parent alleging the "12- and 13-year-olds drank and engaged in sexual activity at Semeraro's home and that she was there and condoned it."

So, the plot thickens.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/04/2008 11:33:00 PM

Israelis Observe Ramadan

This is absolutely nuts. Being nice to people who, arguably, seek to drown you in the Mediterranean Sea has to be akin to suicide.

With the Monday morning start of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, Israeli forces gave directives to soldiers manning 470 checkpoints in the west Bank to avoid eating in front of Palestinian citizens when they pass through checkpoints.

The directives also instructed soldiers to avoid smoking and drinking in front of Palestinians as a sign of respect for those who fast as a religious act.

Politeness and common courtesy is one thing, but being told to roll over for Islam throughout the community is something entirely different. The next step would be to order everyone to stop and pray to Allah five times daily as a sign of respect for those who pray as a religious act.

If, however, an individual chooses to modify his/her personal behavior to comply with Islamic requirements, that's fine. But, government directives, as the Israelis have issued, should never mandate the dhimmitude.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/04/2008 05:22:00 PM

Obama Questioned by Invitation-Only Crowd

(New Philadelphia, Ohio) Yesterday, 300 selectees attended an invitation-only Obama campaign rally at Kent State University - Tuscarawas. Here's an excerpt from the news report.

Gabrielle Neavin, 24, a single mother and student at Kent State's Tuscarawas campus, introduced Obama, saying she works multiple jobs, has significant credit-card debt and worries about quality child care.

''I believe this man, Barack Obama, has an understanding of my struggles,'' Neavin said. ''I've heard he has a plan to help women like me.''

Generally, women who have children out of wedlock are destined for lives of need. Couple that with irresponsible use of credit and you've got a situation that is entirely based on behavior. It's ludicrous to expect the President of the United States to provide a fix for irresponsible behavior other than simple nanny-state giveaways which don't actually address the real problem.

By the way, one wonders how many new supporters will result from Obama's invitation-only event. I'm guessing the list of invitees contained nothing but Obama supporters.

Nevertheless, Obama followed Neavin by talking about how he was going to help her. Taxes will be cut, tuition credit will be made available for community service and affordable health care will be provided. And, two million jobs will be created in Ohio through rebuilding roads and bridges. Of course, he said nothing about personal responsibility for negligent behavior. Not did he mention how he could marry a tax cut with massive giveaways.

Then, there's this.

Obama said the country is spending $10 billion a month in Iraq. ''I think we should spend that money here -- in New Pennsylvania,'' he said, misstating the name of the city where he was speaking.

I take that to mean he wants to deprive the military for the sake of New Philadelphia.

When Obama is with the military, he pledges his rock-solid support. When he is away from the military, he pledges to pilfer its resources.

Frankly, I don't think anyone should trust anything that Obama says. If you really want to know what the guy thinks, you have to look at his long-time associates because, generally speaking, he's flavor-of-the-day in what he says.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/04/2008 09:23:00 AM

"Hate" claims about anti-illegal-immigration groups are losing clout

Excerpt:

We read:

"McCarthy-like tactics and techniques are being used to discredit and silence average citizens and public officials who lobby on behalf of tighter borders and vigorous law enforcement, Dan Stein, president for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has charged in response to a report targeting his organization.

Although press coverage is still weighted against the proponents of immigration reform fewer reporters are willing to help peddle incendiary and inaccurate allegations leveled individuals and groups who have expressed concern over America's porous borders, Stein said in an interview.

Under the guise of "tolerance" The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) saw fit to label FAIR as a "hate group" in one of its most recent "Intelligence Reports." This quarterly magazine provides law enforcement officials and the public at large with updated information on "extremist activity," according to the organization's web site.

FAIR is accused of promoting "racist conspiracy theories" pertaining to America's Southwest and of accepting financial contributions from sources with racist overtones in the report. The objective here is to control and re-frame the debate over immigration policy by way of a compliant media Stein said in an interview. The "hate group" designation does not have any factual standing and was created "out of thin air" in an effort to derail reform efforts that enjoy widespread public support...

"The SPLC is an extremely dangerous organization because it hides behind the mask of promoting tolerance when in fact it represents nothing but intolerance for political points of view it disagrees with," he said. "What started out as organization that many felt had a worthy goal has metastasized into this demon to justify the accumulation of vast resources. This means it has to create enemies."

Source

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 10:51:00 PM

Hells Angels Gang Leader Killed

(San Francisco, California) The 45-year-old head of the Hells Angels in San Francisco, Mark "Papa" Guardado, was fatally shot last night on a Mission District street during a fight with a suspected rival motorcycle gang member.

"They had a wrestling match first," said Lt. Mike Stasko of the San Francisco police homicide detail. Then "the guy shot him, and he got on his motorcycle and left."

Mark Guardado shot last night in SF Mission District.
Guardado died at San Francisco General Hospital.

Attorney Patrick Ciocca, who once defended Guardado, said he was "absolutely devastated" by the death, characterizing the Hells Angels leader as a "wonderful human being."

At the street corner where Guardado was shot, across from a bar and a nail salon, there was a makeshift memorial where someone had written in large, black letters, "R.I.P. Papa Frisco."

Nearby, others wrote "never forget" and "we will always love you." Five burned-out candles lay nearby.

An opposing view of Guardado is generally expressed by criminal prosecutors. To them, he was an extremely dangerous gang member.

Members of the Hells Angels at their clubhouse declined to comment on Guardado's death. Photo by Fred Sharples.

Also: The Jawa Report


[Update 10/8/08]

Suspect Christopher Ablett is in custody in Oklahoma, awaiting extradition to California.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 09:48:00 PM

Cross-Dresser Snatches Purse

(Port St. Lucie, Florida) A 74-year-old woman was accosted by a cross-dressing man wearing a denim skirt and tube top during a purse snatching in the parking lot at Sears yesterday.

When police got there, they found bruises on the woman's knee, left arm and hand.

They also found a water-filled condom, covered by a sock, which the woman said popped out of the suspect's tube top during the struggle.

The woman said that earlier that morning she had been shopping at the Beall's on the same street and believed the robber followed her from there.

One witness told police the thief wore a denim mini skirt and a black tube top and left in a silver car occupied by two other men also dressed as women.

Police found a hair in the condom which is being processed for DNA. When caught, the perpetrator will likely faces charges of robbery and aggravated battery.

I figure the perp must be down on his luck if he has to get all dressed up just to snatch a purse.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 08:31:00 PM

Teacher Cathy Heminghaus Gets Prison - Updated

(Clayton, Missouri) For her convictions on statutory sodomy, sexual contact with a student and providing alcohol to a minor, former suburban St. Louis teacher Cathy Heminghaus, now 48, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Judge Michael Jamison also imposed a $1,000 fine.

It's not known whether she will be required to register as a sex offender or if any term of probation will be imposed. It's a safe bet, however, that her days teaching schoolchildren are over.


* * * * *
Teacher Cathy Heminghaus Convicted of Sex Crimes
[Previous 7/3/08 post ]
(St. Louis County, Missouri) In January 2006, a 46-year-old special-needs teacher at Ferguson Middle School, Cathy Heminghaus, was charged with 19 felony counts of statutory sodomy resulting from allegedly engaging in oral sex with behaviorally-maladjusted students aged 13 to 15.

Since her initial arrest, there has been considerable legal wrangling which culminated last night with a jury convicting Heminghaus, now 48, on seven criminal counts after seven hours deliberation.

Today, the jury recommended that Heminghaus serve two years each for three counts of performing sex acts on male students and two-year sentences for two counts of a teacher having sex with a student.

Sentencing has been scheduled for August 20 when St. Louis County Circuit Judge Michael T. Jamison will decide whether the sentences will run consecutively or concurrently. Heminghaus faces a minimum of two and possibly 10 years in prison.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 04:54:00 PM

Auto-Theft Protection

Forget Lo-Jack. Forget The Club. By far, this is the best auto-theft protection ever devised.

You can take my word for it.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 03:39:00 PM

LPGA English Proficiency Policy Upsets Sponsors

(New York) The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has announced a new policy that requires all Tour members to effectively communicate in English.

Tour sponsors, including State Farm Insurance and Choice Hotels International, are greatly concerned and have asked the LPGA to reconsider its decision.

This is interesting. The LPGA, with a reputation of being populated with politically-liberal women, would arguably be in favor of multiculturalism and oppose efforts to make English the official language. Therefore, the decision to mandate English proficiency among golfers seems contradictory.

By the way, the LPGA has 478 tour members which includes 121 international players, some who no speaky English.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 09:30:00 AM

THE TALE OF THE ARAB FLIGHT CREW

As experienced observers know, Snopes.com is a heavily Left-biased site. Moral tales that favour conservatives even have a special contemptuous word for them on the snopes site. Such a tale is called a "glurge". So the history of snopes on the story below is interesting. They appear initially to have said that the tale was false and that no Arabs were involved. Then they said the story is "undetermined". Now they do not seem to mention it at all. So I think we can regard the story as true. Note that it did happen. Even the BBC reported it. It is only the identity of the crew that was at issue

The brand spanking new Airbus 340-600, the largest passenger airplane ever built, sat in its hangar in Toulouse, France without a single hour of airtime. Enter the Arab flight crew of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) to conduct pre-delivery tests on the ground, such as engine runups, prior to delivery to Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. The date was November 15, 2007.

The ADAT crew taxied the A340-600 to the run-up area. Then they took all four engines to takeoff power with a virtually empty aircraft. Not having read the run-up manuals, they had no clue just how light an empty A340-600 really is.

The takeoff warning horn was blaring away in the cockpit because they had all 4 engines at full power. The aircraft computers thought they were trying to takeoff but it had not been configured properly (flaps/slats, etc.) Then one of the ADAT crew decided to pull the circuit breaker on the Ground Proximity Sensor to silence the alarm.

This fools the aircraft into thinking it is in the air.

The computers automatically released all the brakes and set the aircraft rocketing forward. The ADAT crew had no idea that this is a safety feature so that pilots can't land with the brakes on.

Not one member of the seven-man Arab crew was smart enough to throttle back the engines from their max power setting, so the $80 million brand-new aircraft crashed into a blast barrier, totaling it.

The extent of injuries to the crew is unknown, for there has been a news blackout in the major media in France and elsewhere. Coverage of the story was deemed insulting to Moslem Arabs. Finally, the photos are starting to leak out.

Source. Pictures here

Posted by John Ray.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 12:36:00 AM

Woman Gets Prison for Sex with 3 Boys - Updated

(Hampton, Virginia) Although Larae Denise Osborne-Hilton, now 40, was initially accused of having sex with one boy, she was ultimately charged with engaging in sex with three teen boys, one 14 years old and two 15 years old. The sexual episodes occurred in May 2006.

Osborne-Hilton knew the boys before the encounters through her work coaching track in a community organization. Osborne-Hilton was not married at the time but had two children living with her.

Osborne-Hilton, who lost her executive secretary job at Hampton University over the incident, asserted the boys had raped her. But Circuit Court Judge William C. Andrews III didn't believe her story.

Yesterday, Larae Denise Osborne-Hilton was sentenced for convictions on two counts of carnal knowledge for sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old boy; five counts of indecent liberties for other sexual acts on the boys; three counts of contributing to a delinquency of a minor; and one count of filing a false police report.

Circuit Judge William C. Andrews III gave Osborne-Hilton two and one-half years in prison and 17 and one-half years suspended. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender.


* * * * *
Woman, 39, and Boy, 14
[Previous 5/29/07 post]
(Hampton, Virginia) A 39-year-old local woman, Larae Osborne-Hilton, was arrested last Friday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in May 2006. Osborne-Hilton faces a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge.

Police were alerted to the alleged crime by the boy's parents.

Osborne-Hilton was booked into custody and is being held without bond. A court appearance is scheduled for June 12th.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/03/2008 12:04:00 AM

Dad Allegedly Procures Female for Son, 15

(Ocala, Florida) A 40-year-old local father (name withheld) was arrested last week for allegedly providing a female and a motel room for his 15-year-old son to have sex. He was charged with lewd and lascivious battery.

According to the Ocala Police Department, the boy's mother alerted authorities to the scheme.

Police say the boy's father rented a room at the Palms Motel, 2340 S. Pine Ave., dropped off his son, picked up a woman and dropped her off at the motel, too.

The boy said the girl performed a sex act on him and then they had intercourse. It was not yet known if the woman was a prostitute or, indeed, a girl his age. Police were still investigating that part of the case.

The boy's father was booked into custody at the Marion County Jail.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 9/02/2008 07:30:00 PM

NC Teacher Gets Probation for Sex with Girl - Updated

(Hendersonville, North Carolina) Today, the case against health teacher Julie Miller Culbertson concluded with her being sentenced to three years of probation on one count of felony sex offense with a student.

Per a plea agreement in July, Culbertson pleaded guilty to the felony charge and spent 30 days in the Henderson County jail. Culbertson was released from jail in August, according to Assistant District Attorney Beth Dierauf.

The victim, the daughter of a local police officer, was not present during the sentencing proceedings this morning.

Resident Superior Court Judge Mark Powell allowed the victim’s father to address the court about the incident.

“It’s a shame that in my 24 years in law enforcement I have protected strangers, and I couldn’t even protect my own daughter,” he said while sobbing.

Culbertson was remorseful about the incident and addressed the court and the victim’s family.

As a defense, Culbertson's lawyer Roy Neil said that his client had changed medication at the time of the incident. Sheriff Rick Davis had previously indicated, however, that the sex had apparently been "going on for several weeks prior to the arrest."

Interestingly, the age of the victim hasn't been reported.


* * * * *
Teacher Arrested for Sex Offense
[Previous 5/7/07 post]
(Hendersonville, North Carolina) A 38-year-old health teacher at East Henderson High School, Julie Miller Culbertson, was arrested Friday for an alleged felony sex offense of a student. According to school officials, Culbertson also resigned her teaching position on Friday.

Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis said the offense is serious. It's also mysterious since little information has been disclosed.


[Update 05/08/07]

According to this report, the student was female.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/02/2008 05:31:00 PM

Video - Jedi Master Obama

Obama is using Jedi mind tricks.


As with all parody, there must be a nugget of truth. This vid is aptly nuggeted.

From: Recovered Liberal
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       Following Entry Posted 9/02/2008 04:34:00 PM

Jerry Reed 1937 - 2008

Popular guitarist, songwriter and singer Jerry Reed died yesterday of complications from emphysema. He was 71.

Reed learned to play guitar beginning at age eight which led to a career entertaining millions.


Jerry Reed 1937 - 2008
Here's one of my favorites. "East Bound and Down" from "Smokey and the Bandit." Enjoy.



Rest in peace, partner, and thanks for the yucks.
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       Following Entry Posted 9/02/2008 03:06:00 PM

Joe Biden - Intellectually Barren?

During the 1988 Presidential campaign, correspondent Elizabeth Drew of The New Yorker followed the candidates, documenting and analyzing the day-by-day political drama which was published in 1989 in her Election Journal - Political Events of 1987 - 1988.

In remarking on both Gary Hart's and Joe Biden's campaigns, Drew contended that their ambitions were both squelched because of inherent character traits. Hart was knocked out because he "seemed incapable of exercising self-control in his sex life." A "great many people" were aware of it and expected his campaign to eventually run into trouble. It did.

Drew stated furthermore:

Biden, too, was knocked out by a weakness that was going to catch up with him anyway -- a kind of intellectual barrenness. Biden is a nice guy who hasn't demonstrated much depth or mental or verbal discipline. So when he was caught appropriating the biography of British Labour leader Neil Kinn