Women With Troubles - August 2009

Reported in news stories during August 2009, here is a compilation of women with troubles. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

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

(AL) Amanda Alldredge, 32,
teacher - Guilty of failing to report child abuse. Sentencing TBD,

(AL) Jessica Heather Defoor, 35,
teacher - Indicted for sex crimes against girl, 12 to 16 years old,

(AL) Rebecca Leigh Nichols, 37,
school clerk - Accused of sex with male student, 16,

(AR) Rebecca Sue Harvey, 36,
librarian - Accused of sex with student,

(AZ) Emili Kay Daniels, 34,
teacher - Guilty of sex with male student, 17. Sentencing on September 22,

(AZ) Debra Kylochko, 49,
educator - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(CA) Rita Brum, 24,
teacher - Gets six months in jail for sex with female student, 17,

(CA) Ashley Galvan, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(CA) Genise Schu, 47,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 13, her son's friend,

(CA) Sandra Sigala, 27,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 16,

(CO) Melissa Snow, 27,
teacher - Gets probation for sex crime on male student,

(CO) Linda L. Trabucco, 44,
teacher - Accused of years-long sex with teen boy,

(DE) Erin R. Boone, 23,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(FL) Ashley Elenea Burkett, 31,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with three male student, 17,

(FL) Tawnya Rae Burrows, 30,
neighbor - Arrested for molesting children,

(FL) Melanie Fonseca, 32,
teacher - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(FL) Danielle Lynnette Jones, 33,
teacher - Guilty of sex with four teen boys. Sentencing TBD,

(FL) Sheila Long, 47,
teacher - Arrested for meth possession,

(FL) Zoraya Narvaez, 46,
neighbor - Accused of sex with friend's son, 17,

(FL) April Burford Warson, 33,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with three male students, 17,

(GA) Gina Leigh Sabin, 39,
teacher - Arrested for child molestation,

(ID) Esmeralda Ahumada, 21,
neighbor - Gets up to seven years in prison for sex with boy, 12,

(IL) Katie Stockton, 28,
neighbor - Linked to three dead babies,

(KY) Nicole Howell, 26,
teacher - Threatens civil suit against school system for firing resulting from alleged sex with boy, 16,

(MI) Michelle Simsonson (aka Simonson), 28,
teacher - Charged with enticing male student, 14,

(MO) Melanie D. Hunt, 37,
neighbor - Gets probation for rape of boy, 14,

(MO) Bridget Matarazzi, 25,
teacher - Accused of assaulting wheelchair-bound usher at stadium,

(MS) Kelly Bozeman, 42,
school hall monitor - Guilty of sexual battery of male student. Sentencing in November,

(MT) Summer Many White Horses, 31,
neighbor - Sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing son, 2,

(NC) Leslie Denise Nichols, 39,
neighbor - Arrested for forcing child, 9, into sex acts,

(NC) Cecilia Ann Tolliver, 29,
teacher - Arrested for allegedly selling drugs,

(ND) Stacey Anvarinia, 26,
neighbor - Drunken breast-feeding case,

(NJ) Jenny Erazo-Rodriguez, 33,
neighbor - Arrested for killing one daughter, 4, and attempting to kill another, 6,

(NJ) Lisa Glide, 35,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with male student, 17,

(NJ) Christine Sigall, 34,
babysitter - Guilty of sex with boy, 13, she was babysitting. Sentencing TBD,

(NY) Michelle K. Finley, 44,
prison counselor - Accused of sex with inmate,

(NY) Melissa Weber, 28,
teacher - Gets probation for classroom sex with boy, 14,

(OH) Heather Musgrove, 37,
babysitter - Arrested for raping baby girl, 11 months old,

(OH) Lori Richards, 25,
neighbor - Arrested for leaving baby home alone while she worked the street for johns,

(OK) Mindy Carder, 30,
neighbor - Arrested for alleged teen boy sex ring,

(OK) Jayme Jo Nelson, 32,
neighbor - Accused of sex crimes against teen boys,

(OK) Ashley Sprague, 21,
neighbor - Arrested for alleged teen boy sex ring,

(OR) Denise Louise Flanary, 19,
neighbor - Arrested for tossing her dead baby in trash,

(PA) Ashley Irene Moore, 20,
neighbor - Gets 6-24 months jail for sex with boy, 14,

(SC) Mandy Pike, 24,
neighbor - Accused of sex with girl under age 16,

(TN) Sandra Kay Curtis, 36,
teacher - Gets 180 days jail for rape of male student, 16,

(TN) Margaret Ann “Peggy” Olea, 50,
animal activist - Gets 30 days in jail for rape of boy, 16, to be served on weekends,

(TN) Megan Danielle Tucker, 20,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 16,

(TX) Jennifer Lea Burton, 40,
teacher - Sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex with female student, 14,

(TX) Mariane Kieffer, 29,
teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(TX) Megan Michelle Sparks, 26,
teacher - Gets probation for improper relations with student,

(TX) Sharletha Woodard, 31,
teacher - Gets four years in federal prison for drug distribution,

(UT) Melissa Ann Andreini, 28,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with boy, 15, whom she reportedly paid,

(UT) Kerri Lynn Ferguson (aka Kerrie Lyn Ferguson), 37,
neighbor - Arrested after being "caught in the act" with girl, 15,

(VA) Laura Leaven, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 17,

(VT) Allyson Hoffman, 38,
teacher - Arrested for hosting underage drinking party,

(VT) Lisa Lavallee, 38,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15.

Thanks to the tipsters, commenters and readers.

Online Gun Sales in Canada

Likened to an eBay for guns, an online gun auction website launches tomorrow in Canada. Gun collector Dennis Hingsberg conceived of GunAddicts.com to serve an estimated 1.6 million Canadians involved in hunting and recreational shooting.

According to the Canadian Firearm Program's numbers for 2009, nearly a million Canadians have a possession and acquisition licence (PAL), which is needed to sell or receive a firearm.

And those people have more than 7.3 million registered firearms.

Any exchanges on GunAddicts will follow federal gun rules, Hingsberg said.

The buyer sends his PAL number to the seller, who verifies with the RCMP that the licence is valid. If there are no problems, the seller ships the firearm.

If someone tries to circumvent the laws – say, buy or sell a gun without a PAL – the site has "full right to disclose personal information to the necessary authorities," Hings- berg said. But firearm sellers say they're doubtful the site would be co-opted for illegal sales.

"I've never come across someone using a bogus PAL to get a firearm," said John Hipwell, co-owner of Manitoba-based gun seller Wolverine Supplies.

The launching of GunAddicts includes a promotional giveaway of a Czech-made semi-automatic CZ-858 tactical rifle (similar to the banned in Canada AK-47).

Of course, anti-gun people are having cows.

Companion post at GunWatch.

Smelling the Future

Whether it's a squirt of Capt. Kirk or a dab of Spock, Star Trek colognes are getting mixed reviews. One fan said they smell like VHS tape.

The maker claims they smell like a blend of chemistry and emotion.

Heh. Anything to make a buck.

Bulgarian National Health Care System Collapsing

(Sofia, Bulgaria) According to Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev, the debt and deficit of Bulgaria's socialized health care system are growing at unmanageable rates and the nation's leaders have no answers. The head of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Roumyana Todorova, hit the panic button three months ago but no one apparently listened.

She said that with the new and more expensive pharmaceuticals added to the list, the money will be over in September and this has already started to happen.

The former cabinet, which was headed by Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergei Stanishev, took no heed of her warnings, deliberately causing a deficit of 30 million leva a month. The institution says that the real picture will come out in October 2009, when it begins paying for very expensive medication for patients on waiting lists such as hepatitis B and C patients.

Nanev pointed to the lack of reforms in hospital care as another factor for the nagging deficit, adding that 1.6 million more people are now hospitalised, a "serious" increase given that the population is not growing and no new diseases have been registered. But doctors claim they have to hospitalise each patient as clinical paths are not fully financed and hospitals need to dig into their pockets.

A third factor for the gap is the large number of people paying no health care contributions. Their current number of about 1.2 million is growing by 30 000 to 40 000 every month as more people go out of work.

"Health care insurance should be treated as law and contributions should be a kind of tax payable by everyone," Nanev said.

Simply put, Bulgaria has run out of other people's money to spend on health care.

Companion post at SocGlory.

14 Years for Raping Two Girls

(Manchester, England) In July 2009, a 22-year-old man, Munshur Ali, was convicted of raping two 13-year-old girls he had liquored up with vodka. The rapes reportedly occurred in November 2008.

Last week, Ali was sentenced in Minshull Street Crown Court to 14 years in prison.

Passing sentence, Judge Peter Lakin said: "Once you had them in your clutches, you plied them with more alcohol. You drove them to a secluded area and then you raped them.

"You knew, because they had told you, that they were only 13.

"You subjected these two vulnerable, naive 13-year-olds to a terrifying ordeal – an ordeal that had, and continues to have, a very substantial impact on both girls and their respective families."

Lakin said Ali had been "devious and manipulative" throughout the case.

Ali has professed his innocence throughout and even accused the girls of being willing participants. "You're all racist, I'm telling you," he shouted as he was led away from the dock.

It's worthwhile to note that dozens of web pages have reported on the rapes and prosecution and one has to view virtually every one before gleaning the information that Ali is a Muslim of Pakistani descent. The British media seem to have completely ignored those bits of information. Maybe it's a political correctness thing.

Savage set to sue British Leftist politician

We read:

"She quit as Home Secretary almost three months ago but Jacqui Smith hasn’t been forgotten — not, at least, by the American “shock jock” whom she banned from Britain.

Michael Savage, one of 16 people on a list of “undesirables” drawn up this year by Ms Smith, has given her until tomorrow to agree to pay more than £100,000 in damages and costs or be sued for libel. She must also retract allegations that he incites violence, and apologise, he says.

Mr Savage, 67, whose controversial Talk Radio Network show has eight million listeners, has been accused of racism and homophobia. He is the third-most popular radio talk-show host in America. The Home Office said that he was “considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence”.

In an interview with The Times Mr Savage said that he had tried the diplomatic approach with the Home Office but now wanted action. His British lawyers had sent Ms Smith a letter saying that if she did not comply they would issue a personal writ against her immediately.

He accused Ms Smith and the Home Office of putting his name on the exclusion list to provide “political balance”. He cited Home Office e-mails that his lawyers have obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showing that one official accepted that he had never incited violence. Another document said his name would show that those excluded “are not all Islamist extremists”....

Mr Savage said: “Why do they continue to dig their heels in when their own e-mails condemn their position? I am a member of the American media, a commentator. I provoke people to thought, not to kill.”

The Home Office has said it will fight a libel action and that there is little prospect of Mr Savage’s name being taken off the exclusion list.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Tongueless Man Accused of Rape

(Murrieta, California) A 32-year-old man, Ronald Douglas McGowan, has been accused of raping four women including one who bit off his tongue. McGowan faces charges of rape, forcible rape, assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury.

Prosecutors say one of the victims bit off part of McGowan's tongue in self-defense during a June 5 rape at her apartment. McGowan, of West Covina, was arrested at an emergency room where he went for treatment. His tongue could not be reattached.

Subsequently, McGowan was linked to three other rapes.

Frankly, I was unaware that rapists (alleged) kissed their victims. Of course, I'm assuming that's how a tongue got into someone else's mouth.

Tip: slwlion

History of the Internet

Short version.

Strangely, Al Gore isn't mentioned.

Tip: CNestor

NKorea Arms Shipment to Iran Seized

(Melbourne, Australia) This report is hardly surprising.

Weapons including rocket-propelled grenades were found on an Australian-owned ship seized by the United Arab Emirates while travelling from North Korea to Iran, Australia's transport minister confirmed Sunday.

Anthony Albanese said Australia was investigating the vessel ANL Australia, which was reportedly stopped earlier this month carrying a shipment of North Korean arms.

'I can confirm that that is the case,' Albanese told Channel Nine television when asked whether weapons including grenade launchers were found on the ship.

The vessel's seizure marks the first time a nation has acted on UN sanctions to stop the communist state's arms proliferation, a UN diplomat told AFP Friday.

Albanese said Australia took its responsibilities under the UN sanctions seriously and the foreign affairs department was investigating the circumstances surrounding the seizure.

'We are investigating as to whether there have been any breaches of Australian law,' he said.

'If there have been, that will be referred to the appropriate police authorities.'

The incident emerged despite a recent easing of tensions with the hardline communist nation, which has been seeking a resumption of talks with the United States three months after stunning the world with a nuclear test.

But the seizure is seen as an indication that North Korea remains set on exporting its military technology, long a top money-maker for one of the world's poorest and most isolated nations.

The arms had been falsely labelled 'machine parts,' the Financial Times reported.

Registered in Australia, the vessel ANL Australia is reportedly a Bahama-flagged container ship built in 1991. ANL is a subsidiary of the world's third largest container company, CMA CGN, headquartered in Marseille, France.

Flight Deck - USS Edward Kennedy (CVN78)

Take a look, if you must.

Lesbians "Cured" by Corrective Rape

(Johannesburg, South Africa) This report is disturbing. South African lesbians are raped to attempt to cure them.

This is the land of "corrective rape". Despite South Africa having one of the most enlightened constitutions in the world, traditional views about sexuality still run deep. In many quarters, especially male ones, lesbians are resented, perhaps even feared. And to some young men the remedy is simple: rape.

Each year, ActionAid estimates, 500,000 women are raped in South Africa, with lesbians a particular target. The warped logic is that the assault will "cure" them. As a result, says ActionAid, 86 per cent of black lesbians live in fear of rape. Their anxiety is understandable: only a minority of rapes are reported to the police and, of these, only one in five ends up in court, with a meagre 4 per cent of them ending in a conviction.

A high-profile case being adjudicated currently is the murder of sports star and prominent lesbian Eudy Simelane who was killed after being raped. At least 30 lesbian murders have been recorded in the last decade.

Global Warming Protest in London

(London, England) A group of about 100 anarcho-warmists gathered at Blackheath Common Climate Camp 2009 and organized a direct action attack against the 32-story, name-in-neon Barclays Bank.

Led by a 30-something skittish woman called Blonde Leader, they were a rag-tag bunch, "with seasoned activists in dreadlocks mixing with middle-class couples in chinos" and shaven-headed anarchists.

"Departments" were designated and everyone was reminded that they don't have to legally reveal their names under any search power. Pens, paper and Post-it Notes were made handy for delivering an ugly mess of global warming, anti-capitalist messages on every available surface.


Spirited, the throng of 1960s throwbacks boarded the train to their destination, the strikingly-unmissable Barclays Bank.

The mood was buoyant. This was the big one.

Each of us tried to stay focused, turning all our thoughts to how evil Barclays was investing in coal.

The concerns expressed during our training – one middle-aged lady in Calvin Klein sunglasses had been very worried about ‘getting arrested and not being able to get to work on Monday’ – quickly dissolved.

Then we arrived at our destination: the capitalist concentration of Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands. And it was here that things began to go wrong.

Blonde Leader moved purposefully to the target. Entering the skyscraper’s marbled first-floor reception, she beseeched her charges to ‘make as much noise as you like as it is very echoey in here’.

What began as yelling and shrieking soon turned to nervous whispering as one thought struck everyone in unison. Everyone, that is, except Blonde Leader.

By now whipped up into near-hysteria, she mounted a lone charge on the security barrier, only to be held back by the guards.

Suddenly, her resistance faded and her face began to flush. We were in the wrong skyscraper. Barclays HQ was two minutes down the road.

There's more ridiculousness at the link.

Tip: slwlion

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Boycott of Idaho Potatoes

This boycott doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

The Connecticut-based Friends of Animals group is calling for a boycott of Idaho potatoes to protest proposed hunting of wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

A district judge in Montana still has to weigh in on environmental groups efforts to stop the hunt as part of their push to have Federal Endangered Species Act protections restored to the big predators that now number over 1,600 Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

A hearing is scheduled for Monday where a final decision will be made.

The wolf hunts are supposed to start Tuesday in Idaho and on September 15th in Montana.

I don't know. Seems a stretch for Connecticut animal-lovers to get so charged about wolf hunts 2,000 miles away, especially since the Nutmeg State isn't known to have any significant populations of wolves running around. It would arguably make more sense to boycott tourism or wolf pelts than potatoes.

However, maybe the Friends of Animals group would cancel the boycott of potatoes if the wolves were simply captured and transported for release in Connecticut. Then potato-lovers could enjoy their russets without nettlesome distractions and animal-lovers could claim they saved the wolves. Everybody wins.

Florida Students Sent Home After Wearing 'Islam Is of the Devil' Shirts



We read:

"A handful of students were sent home from Florida schools this week after showing up in shirts proclaiming that "Islam is of the Devil," part of a fiery church campaign to "expose" Islam as a religion of violence.

Three high schoolers were forced to leave Tuesday for wearing the shirts made by the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., where school officials say violated the district's dress codes. A middle schooler was also asked to change clothes because of the shirt, which got a 10-year-old fifth grader sent packing on Monday, when the incidents began.

"Students have a right of free speech, and we have allowed students to come to school wearing clothes with messages," school district staff attorney told the Gainesville Sun. "But this message is a divisive message that is likely to offend students. Principals, I feel reasonably, have deemed that a violation of the dress code."

Source

So messages must not be "divisive"? And must not offend? Can't find those bits in the 1st Amendment. And Muslims can call America "The Great Satan", of course

Posted by John Ray.

Google chaos

Not long after they lost a court case over abusive content hosted on their blogspot subsidiary, Google seem to have decided "never again" and unleashed a "Reign of Terror" on blogspot blogs that they thought might be dubious in some way. Four of my blogs were blocked in one day. The two that were most obviously innocuous were unblocked within 24 hours but POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH and EYE ON BRITAIN were apparently too marginal for immediate unblocking so apparently had to wait evaluation by some sort of Google High Priest. The Oracle has now spoken however and both blogs were unblocked a couple of days ago.

In the meanwhile I had of course transferred operations for both blogs to new sites here and here. And I am going to keep it that way. Once bitten twice shy. As Google has blocked those blogs once they could well do it again.

But some blogs have apparently not yet gone before the Google High Priest. He must be overworked. The following post from Wicked Thoughts suggests that:

Goodbye Google

I still think Google have the best search engine but they are woeful blog hosts. Via their blogspot subsidiary, they hosted this blog from January 2003 to July, 2009 without a single problem. Then one fine day earlier this month, they completely blocked anyone from viewing it. Why? I have no idea. What they can have against a humor blog quite escapes me. But so it was and is.

Moving my blog here seems to have worked well. I now seem to have most of my old readership back. But a niggle has been that Google has made all my past posts (archives) inaccessible too. I am pleased to say, however, that I have just completed the transfer of ALL my past posts elsewhere. So they are all generally accessible again. There are a lot of good jokes and funny stories in them so I hope a few people might browse them occasionally.

As I say in the side-column here: "The archives not stored on this site are mostly available at Wicked Thoughts Archive but the archives for April to July 2009 (incl.) are available via the Mirror Site"

Posted by John Ray.

Still Single at 34

(Carneys Point Township, New Jersey) A 34-year-old woman, Tamesha F. Telfair, is facing charges of burglary, assault and criminal mischief stemming from a domestic dispute.

A Salem woman was arrested at a motel here recently after police said she allegedly rubbed human feces on her boyfriend's room and car door handles during a domestic dispute, police said. [...]

Police said Telfair was taken into custody at the Friendship Motor Lodge around 12:38 p.m. on Aug. 20. Authorities said her friend allegedly defecated in a bag, which she allegedly used to wipe on the surfaces.

So, it appears that Telfair burgled the bag and used it to assault her boyfriend's property in a mischievous way? I'm guessing.

Nevertheless, it's hardly surprising that Telfair has boyfriend problems.

Assisted-Suicide Covers for Snuffing Elderly

According to Britain's most senior policewoman, Barbara Wilding, killing elderly relatives will likely be facilitated by relaxation of assisted-suicide laws. The Crown Prosecution Service is preparing guidelines reflecting an anticipated "progressive" policy toward killing "loved ones."

"Grandpa, calm down. How can I assist in your suicide with you resisting like that? Now, stop it, you old fossil."

China Admits Organs Removed from Prisoners

(Beijing, China) The ChiComs no longer deny what has arguably become common knowledge on the street.

China has admitted that two-thirds of all organs used in transplants in the country are taken from executed prisoners.

Facing a growing demand for transplants, the Beijing government finally conceded that abuses had taken place after years of allegations that prisoners and even young conscripts in its army were targeted for their organs.

Interesting.

Basic military training has a reputation of being physically and psychologically demanding without the added feature of giving up a body part. Furthermore, one has to wonder how many soldiers in the million-plus Chinese Army are walking around with one kidney or half a liver.

10-Foot Mako Shark Caught in Massachusetts Bay

(Scituate, Massachusetts) A 20-year-old Massachusetts Maritime Academy junior, Taylor Sears, caught a 10-foot, 624-pound male mako shark Thursday and it's believed to be a record.

Greg Skomal, a shark specialist with the state Division of Marine Fisheries, said the 10-foot fish is the largest male mako shark ever to be recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, and appears to be the largest male ever caught.

"We didn't think they got this big, basically," he said.

The charter fishing boat Sears was working aboard pushed out of Scituate Harbor about 5 a.m. Thursday, carrying a family of four for a day of bluefin tuna fishing. The father hooked a large bluefin at 9 a.m. and struggled with it for about 45 minutes.

Suddenly, a giant shark appeared and chomped the tuna in half.

"When I saw the shark, I said, 'That would be a dream to catch,'" Sears recounted. "So the family let me try."

Sears said he fastened a larger hook to the line, slid on a chunk of the tuna, and hooked the shark within minutes. Two hours later, they were able to secure the record-breaking fish to the boat and began towing it back.

Man! Talk about an exciting fishing trip! Just as the guy is pulling in a large bluefin, a monster shark appears and chomps it in two. That's the perfect time to say, "We need a bigger boat."

Florida Teacher Caught in Drug Ring

(Holmes County, Florida) A 47-year-old teacher at Bonifay Elementary School, Sheila Long, has been arrested by Holmes County Sheriff's deputies in a bust of an extensive local methamphetamine ring.

The ring was allegedly supplied by an illegal alien named Jose Lopez who has ties to the Mexican drug cartels.

People say they aren’t surprised people are doing meth, but they are surprised about how they’re getting it.

“This is such a small town; I would never think that people from Mexico would be involved over here in a drug ring,” said Samantha Garner.

This case is also different because of the type of crsytal meth being used. Lopez was reportedly trafficking meth ice.

“It kind of looks like ice chips. It comes from Mexican drug cartels. It usually comes from Mexico but the major hub city is Atlanta,” said Sgt. John Tate of the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s different than the homemade meth we see made locally, it’s much darker.

Sgt. Tate says homemade was more popular a few years ago but, “here recently it’s been ice that’s been the most popular thing because it’s more readily available,” said Sgt. Tate.

According to Superintendent Gary Galloway of Holmes District Schools, Sheila Long has not been contracted to teach for the 2009-2010 school year.

Hell, It's Just Numbers!

Apparently, good math skills are sometimes not all that important.

Earlier this month the Chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee "amended" his 2007 financial disclosure form—to the tune of more than a half-million dollars in previously unreported assets and income. That number may be as high as $780,000, because Congress's ethics rules only require the Members to report their finances within broad ranges.

This voyage of personal financial discovery brings Mr. Rangel's net worth for 2007 to somewhere between $1.028 million and $2.495 million, while his previous statement came in at $516,015 and $1.316 million.

When you're a powerful Congressman and working diligently to increase tax rates to pay for President Obama's health-care plan, we suppose it's easy to lose track of one of your checking accounts. That would be the one at the federal credit union with a balance somewhere between $250,001 and maybe as high as $500,000. And when you're crunched for time and pulling together bills to pass in a rush, we guess, too, that you might overlook several other investment accounts, even if some of them are sizable, such as the ones Mr. Rangel missed at JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Oppenheimer and BlackRock.

You'd imagine that a guy exercising control over taxes would be a better bean-counter. Heh.

Tip: slwlion

"Low-fat" food no help


SOME "skinny foods" are no different than chocolates or other high-fat options when it comes to trying to lose weight, dietary experts warn. Eating so-called light food can sometimes result in consuming the same amount of kilojoules as eating "full-fat" varieties. Over-eating of low-fat biscuits, light yoghurts and low-carb beers can be waist-bloating, the experts warn. And although many of those items are lighter in kilojoules, they often don't appease an appetite and can result in indulging again a short time later.

Dietitian Clare Evangelista, from the Dietitians Association of Australia, said so-called diet drinks were among the worst offenders. "Recent research suggests people who consume large amounts of diet soft drink do not weigh less than those who don't," Ms Evangelista said. "This may be because after drinking diet soft drink, the body does not get the fluctuation in blood-glucose levels that helps tell the body we are full. "So, drinking diet soft drink may increase food cravings and feelings of hunger."

SOURCE


Posted by John Ray.

Leftists putting out fake-hate again?

Leftists have a long history of creating fake hate incidents and fake hate-speech and attributing it to conservatives. This time it looks like they got caught red-handed. There have been quite a few prior examples of such fakery noted on Tongue Tied. See here, for instance. Real hate speech is so rare among white conservatives that blacks and Leftists have to make it up from time to time.

"One of two people suspected of shattering 11 windows Tuesday morning at the state Democratic Party headquarters has an arrest record and a history of helping a Democratic political candidate, public records show.

Police said that about 2:20 a.m., 24-year-old Maurice Schwenkler, now in custody, and an at-large accomplice took a hammer to the picture windows displaying posters touting President Barack Obama and his health care reform efforts.

Early Tuesday, Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak said the damage to her building in Denver's art district was a consequence of "an effort on the other side to stir up hate." She tempered her statement after Schwenkler's political history was revealed.

Balmer said he suspects the vandalism might have been aimed at making the GOP look bad. "This sounds like the type of Democratic tactic from the left fringe trying to make Republicans look mean-spirited," Balmer said. "In this case, it blew up in their face. He was caught red-handed." Schwenkler allegedly tried to conceal his identity while committing the crime by wearing a shirt over his face, a hooded sweat shirt and latex gloves, according to police descriptions.

When a Denver police officer on patrol spotted two people smashing windows, the suspects fled on bicycles. Schwenkler was arrested after a short foot pursuit, but the other suspect sped away, police Detective Vicki Ferrari said.

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Saudi Prince Escapes Assassination Attempt

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) While greeting Ramadan well-wishers at his house in Jeddah last night, Prince Muhammad bin Naif escaped an assassination attempt by a wanted terrorist who blew himself up inside the prince's home.

The terrorist's body was turned into bits and pieces by an exploding suicide belt.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah visited Prince Muhammad at the hospital soon after the incident to inquire about his health and safety. The king thanked God for saving the minister's life, and commended his services to the country.

The king asked Prince Muhammad why was the terrorist allowed in without proper checks, to which the prince replied, “It was a mistake.” [...]

"Among them there was a wanted terrorist, who had previously expressed his desire to surrender himself to the prince," the statement said.

Prince Muhammad said the criminal act would only strengthen his resolve to do more to reinforce the country's security and stability.

"The wanted criminal exploded himself during security inspection," the royal court said, adding that the prince escaped the assassination attempt with minor injuries. The bomb had been fixed to his body and that was triggered when the terrorist received a call from outside.

Prince Muhammad bin Naif is the Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs.

It's notable that reporting of the incident repeatedly displays the word "terrorist" which likely indicates that the Saudis don't adhere to the mandatory new nomenclature launched by the Obama administration. Instead of terrorist, everyone is supposed to use opposition contingency something or something something force. I forget.

Texas Teacher Caught in Drug Ring

(Houston, Texas) A 31-year-old fifth-grade teacher at Robert Lee Frost Elementary School, Sharletha Woodard, has been convicted and sentenced for distribution of drugs.

Woodard was found to be part of an organized drug smuggling and distribution ring involving the Mexican Gulf Cartel, the former sheriff of Starr County TX and many others.

A small player in that distribution operation was Houston school teacher Sharletha Woodard whose boyfriend John Louis Jordan said he received drugs on consignment and distributed them.

Woodard, a fifth-grade teacher with a master's degree, was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison for sometimes mailing packages of cocaine for Jordan, who received a 15-year sentence.

"I made a mistake," Woodard said. "This is a lifestyle that I really wouldn't take part in."

It's not clear how the felony conviction and prison term will affect Woodard's professional teaching career. It appears that the Houston Independent School District has been late in learning of the criminal prosecution.

The federal bust of the drug ring netted dozens of arrests with the biggest fish being the former Starr County Sheriff, Reymundo "Rey" Guerra, 52, who received more than five years in prison for drug trafficking.

Lost Cat - Reward



From Slater Bakhtavar

Texas Teacher Gets 10 Years in Sex Case - Updated

(Orange, Texas) Former PE teacher and coach Jennifer Lea Burton, 39, was sentenced today by District Judge Pat Clark during a plea bargain hearing.

He sentenced her to ten years each on two charges of sexual assault and one charge of improper relationship between educator and student.

As part of the plea bargain, one charge of sexual assault and two charges of improper relationship were dismissed.

All three 10-year sentences are to be served concurrently and Burton must register as a sex offender.

There's no explanation reported for Burton's life-changing irrational behavior. Typically, similar cases have been accompanied with excuses of mental health problems or psychological trauma. Not so in Burton's case. Strangely, she seemed to have just flipped one day from being a responsible, productive member of the community to a child molester. Of course, there is the possibility that Burton has been behaving badly for a long time but never got caught before now.

In conclusion, for episode(s) of sexual gratification with a minor, Burton traded her career, her marriage, her family and her good name. She's left with a 10-year stretch in prison and, subsequently, a future with no attractive options. It's a sad story. (h/t Lame)

* * * * *
Texas Teacher Jailed Again in Sex Case - Updated
[Previous 8/18/09 post]
(Orange, Texas) In April, Jennifer Lea Burton turned herself in to faces allegations of sex with a female student. She posted bond and was released.

In July, Burton rejected a plea offer and indicated she would go to trial. Unfortunately, plans may change because Burton has more troubles.

Recent information surfaced last week accusing Burton of continuing sexual relations with a 14-year-old former student. Burton and the girl had allegedly met at various locations including an Orange residence and a Winnie motel, according to sources close to the family.

As a result, Burton — along with her attorney, Larry Hunter — appeared before Judge Pat Clark of the 128th District Court Monday afternoon for a “show cause” hearing, at which a motion for insufficient bond was made. Bonds were then re-set at $30,000 each on the six charges against her.

Therefore, Burton is back in jail with a total bond amount set at $180,000. The status of Burton's case is unclear because of the latest development but it's assumed that a new plea deal will be offered, probably less generous than the previous one.

Tipped by commenter Lame.

* * * * *
Texas Teacher Indicted for Sex with Student
[Previous 4/9/09 post]
(Orange, Texas) A 39-year-old physical education teacher and coach at Orangefield Junior High School, Jennifer Lea Burton, has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges for allegedly engaging in an improper relationship and sexually assaulting a student.

The alleged offenses reportedly occurred between September and November 2008 and the victim is a student at Orangefield Junior High. Mrs. Burton coaches volleyball, basketball and track at the school.

Orange County District Attorney John Kimbrough said the next step in the process is for Burton to either turn herself in to authorities or she will be arrested.

“It is not like there is a manhunt out for her, but she does need to turn herself in or she will be arrested,” Kimbrough said.

Interestingly, Mrs. Burton has a daughter who attends the eighth-grade at Orangefield Junior High. Mrs. Burton's bond has been set at $75,000.

New Jersey Grade Tampering Case

(Fort Lee, New Jersey) A 61-year-old guidance counselor at Fort Lee High School, Judith Meller, has been accused of tampering with the transcripts of six students.

In March, district officials revealed that grades for at least six high school seniors had been changed on their transcripts without their knowledge. The tampering had reportedly gone on for at least six years.

The state Department of Education, which completed a probe into the case, concluded that guidance counselor Judith Meller altered the grades or had someone else do it.

The school's superintendent received a letter from the agency Tuesday, explaining the conclusions of the investigation.

"The completed investigation confirmed that the school's official academic records at all times accurately reflected student grades," the letter said. But "the investigation also confirmed that a high school guidance counselor, after being directed not to modify college admission records, did alter or direct others to do so," the letter said.

Interestingly, no motivation for the alleged grade-tampering has been reported.

I would suggest that Meller may be among the population of progressive academics who believe that grades are inherently unfair to students and she improved the records of those she particularly liked.

Ireland's new blasphemy law

We read:

"The Irish government plans to bring into force a new law in October that critics say is a return to medieval justice. The legislation, aimed at providing judges with clear direction on the 1937 Constitution's blasphemy prohibition, imposes a fine of up to 25,000 euros - about $39,000 - for anyone who "publishes or utters matter that is (intentionally meant to be) grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion."

Police with a search warrant will be able to enter private premises and use "reasonable force" to obtain incriminating evidence.

The initiative has stunned some Irish and international commentators who say it contradicts Ireland's recent emergence as a more multicultural, tech-savvy country that has in recent years showed its independence from the Roman Catholic church by liberalizing its divorce law

Source

Hah! It's clear from the way the law is worded that it's Muslims, not Catholics who are being placated.

Posted by John Ray.

SPCA Boss Kills Her Dog

(Richmond, Virginia) The local boss of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Robin Starr, apparently killed her dog, Louie, by leaving the poor pooch in a hot car for four hours.

Surely an embarrassment, however, Starr's supporters immediately put some spin on the death.

Anne Grier, chairwoman of the Richmond SPCA board of directors, said she believes the dog's death will boost Starr's position as an animal advocate.

"I think it enhances her ability to communicate and educate the public about humane issues."

Then Starr's husband, Ed, said he put the dog in the car and didn't tell his wife about it so it's his fault. Nonetheless and despite the spin and the excuses, some in the public think there should be consequences, suggesting that Starr step down since she's lost credibility.

Incidentally, I'm really flummoxed by Grier's logic. She contends that Starr's ability to communicate and educate are enhanced by killing a dog. Am I to believe that Starr would achieve superior enhancement if she killed more dogs?

To be fair, from the description of Louie it sounds like he was on his last legs anyhow. Louie was 16 years old, deaf and blind. Chances are that Louie would have been denied any care under a progressive veterinary health system.

Porn in North Korea?

The answer appears to be yes although there is much more to the story.

The Marmot reports.

In my estimation, if porn is getting into a tightly-controlled society then it's logical to assume that other information is traversing communications barriers also (i.e. where porn goes, news follows). Arguably, it's a good thing.

DIY Sex Change - Welshman Whacks Wee Wee

(Newport, Wales, United Kingdom) A couple weeks ago, a local man cleaved his own package [OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!] to become a woman -- right in the family bathroom.

Roland Mery, a 61-year-old, married, father-of-four from Newport, was told he had to wait two years for gender reassignment surgery he decided he had no option but to do the job himself.

Telling his wife of 23 years, Julie, that he had a headache, Roland took some painkillers and headed for the family bathroom. Using a home-made surgery kit, he removed his genitals, losing two pints of blood in the process.

But for Roland, this drastic action was his only way of setting himself free.

“From the moment I walked down the stairs after I did it I just felt right. I had repressed my feelings for so long,” said Roland, who is considering changing his name to the more feminine-sounding Rolande.

“I had worked out exactly how I would do it and rehearsed it many times. It proved to me afterwards that your brain and emotions can overpower you so much. I had rehearsed the whole thing over and over. So when it came to actually doing it, the pain wasn’t an issue anymore.

“My priority was to just get rid of it all, but I obviously had to be very careful.

“When I was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital afterwards, the doctor told me I had actually done quite a good job!”

Whilst Roland was being ferried to hospital in an ambulance, the Mery family bathroom was turned into a crime scene. At first, traumatised wife Julie was suspected of attacking her husband. But when police entered the bathroom, it became clear that he had planned it all himself.

It's not clear why Mr. Mery didn't just have the British National Health System (NHS) do the whacking since the NHS must be removing testicles and penises at a rapid and proficient rate. How else could one explain the level of political correctness, wussification and dhimmitude prevalent in Britain? It's surely not from manliness.

Regarding Mr. Mery's severed genitalia, no information has been reported.

University Counselor & Wife Busted for Marijuana

(Evansville, Indiana) The 66-year-old Director of Counseling at the University of Southern Indiana, James W. Browning, and his wife, 64-year-old Sara Ellen Browning, were arrested after helicopter-borne troopers spotted marijuana plants growing on their property.


 
James W. Browning & Sara Ellen Browning
The Brownings face marijuana cultivation and possession of paraphernalia charges.

The investigation started shortly before 10 a.m. when troopers spotted marijuana plants growing at 8908 No. 3 School Road during a helicopter flyover, according to a news release.

Police say the troopers landed in a nearby field and found 73 marijuana plants - ranging from a foot to 6 feet in height - growing in the area. The street value is estimated at $44,000.

The Brownings were booked into custody at the Vanderburgh County Jail without bond.

SC Woman Accused of Sex with Girl

(Woodruff, South Carolina) A 24-year-old local woman, Mandy Pike, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16. Pike faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Pike is accused of giving a minor alcohol and having oral sex with the female on two dates earlier this month.

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

Democrat HQ Vandalized in Denver

(Denver, Colorado) A 24-year-old local man, Maurice Schwenkler, has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Democrat Party headquarters by smashing picture windows displaying posters of President Obama.

Notably, Schwenker previously worked as a Democrat campaign canvasser.

Schwenkler allegedly tried to conceal his identity while committing the crime by wearing a shirt over his face, a hooded sweat shirt and latex gloves, according to police descriptions.

When a Denver police officer on patrol spotted two people smashing windows, the suspects fled on bicycles.

Schwenkler was arrested after a short foot pursuit, but the other suspect sped away, police Detective Vicki Ferrari said.

Democrat Party chairwoman Pat Waak blamed hate-stirring by "the other side" but retreated from her statement when she learned that Schwenker was one of her own. Republican State Representative David Balmer said Schwenker's actions appear to be "the type of Democratic tactic from the left fringe trying to make Republicans look mean-spirited." I would suggest that Schwenker's actions tend to indicate that average Democrats are losing their hopey-changey adoration of Barack Obama.

Schwenker has been charged with criminal mischief which could be a felony due to the amount of damage. (More here ....)

Tip: slwlion

Virginia Counselor Accused of Sex with Minor

(Suffolk, Virginia) Earlier today, a 27-year-old counselor, Laura Leaven, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student.

Leaven faces charges of carnal knowledge of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Suffolk Police officers took Leaven into custody after the incident was brought to their attention earlier this year. The alleged incident is believed to have occurred in May.

The police continue to investigate.

Microsoft Edits Black Man Out of Photo, Apologizes


We read:

"Software giant Microsoft Corp. is apologizing for altering a photo on its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.

A photo on the Seattle-based company's U.S. Web site shows two men, one Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room table. But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The color of his hand remains unchanged.

The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.

"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday. "We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image."

Source

I wonder where the law is that says you must not delete pictures of blacks? Poland is probably the "whitest" country there is so a judgment that a picture of a black man might not appeal to Poles is understandable. Jesus Christ is almost always pictured as a thin pale-skinned blond blue-eyed Northern European when he was almost certainly a short swarthy Middle Eastern man with curly black hair and dark eyes. People identify best with scenes and images that are familiar to them and getting people to identify with the scene in an advertisement is part of selling.

But it has of course been taken as an insult to blacks to assume that images of them might not appeal to Poles. Images of old people don't seem to appeal to anyone very much either, but old people are generally mature enough to handle that. The Leftists behind this protest are assuming that blacks are not mature enough to handle the possibility that Poles might prefer to look at people like themselves. That does not show much respect for the maturity of blacks.


Posted by John Ray.

Tennessee Teacher Sentenced in Student Sex Case - Updated

(Henry County, Tennessee) Last week, 36-year-old teacher Sandra Kay Curtis pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated statutory rape and one count of solicitation of a minor stemming from a relationship with a 16-year-old male student.

Curtis appeared before Judge Donald Parish on Monday, Aug. 17. Parish sentenced her to four years for each of the statutory rape charges and two years for the solicitation charge.

The sentences will be served concurrently and split with Curtis actually spending 180 days in confinement. The balance of the sentences will be served on supervised probation.

Curtis is forbidden to have any contact with the victims and she will not be allowed to work in any school system. She will also be registered as a sex offender.

Assuming Curtis doesn't violate her probation, case closed.

* * * * *
Tennessee Teacher Arrested for Sex with Male Student
[Previous 4/22/09 post]
(Paris, Tennessee) An English teacher at Henry County High School, Sandra Curtis, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student.

Curtis has been charged with three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure and three counts of aggravated statutory rape.

Investigators say the sophomore joined Curtis' English class in January. By February, they said, the relationship had begun.

Sheriff Monte Belew said the pair met three times after school hours- having sex once in a car, at a home, and at another undisclosed location. Within a few weeks, he says, the student told his parents.

"I think the 16-year-old just realized this was a situation gone wrong," Belew said.

Sheriff Belew says the student helped in the investigation- calls and text messages he says will be great evidence.

Curtis was booked into custody at the Henry County Jail and later released on $15,000 bond. A court appearance is scheduled for May 19th.

Big Soccer Scam in Nigeria

(Abuja, Nigeria) According to Nigeria's opposition party, the Action Congress (AC), organizers for Nigeria's teenage soccer team are preparing for the FIFA U-17 World Cup (U-17 = under 17 years old) with players who are old men.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said it was particularly shocking and disappointing that the discovery occurred with just about two months to the tournament to be hosted by Nigeria, giving the country little or no time to replace the over age players.

It's said the implication is that Nigeria would send a makeshift team to the competition, with the result that it faced a first round elimination from a tournament that was costing the country's tax payers billions of Naira to stage.

"Even with the best team that is adequately prepared, Nigeria faces an uphill task in the competition, having been zoned into the 'Group of Death' with Germany, Argentina and Honduras in the first round.

"Now with the possibility that Nigeria will field a makeshift team at best, the country stands no chance in the forthcoming tournament. This will be a shame of international proportion and we need to fish out those responsible for selecting the team and slam them with appropriate sanctions to prevent a recurrence," AC said, adding that football was too important to Nigeria as a source of unity to be toyed with by unscrupulous officials.

I'm shocked! Attempts to deceive? Unscrupulousness? Passing off old men as teenagers? In Nigeria? I'm shocked!

However, it should be noted that Nigeria was previously banned for fielding over-age players and apparently didn't take adequate corrective action.

Frankly, I'd suggest that blatant scamming and cheating are not necessarily foreign concepts to the Nigerian population in general. I've heard stories and I personally have been contacted by a guy who "by chance" acquired $20 million. He said I could have some.

Oregon Mom Indicted for Tossing Baby

(Medford, Oregon) A 19-year-old local mother, Denise Louise Flanary, has been indicted by a Jackson County grand jury on charges of abuse of a corpse and concealing the birth of a child.

Flanary allegedly threw away her baby which was found dead by a garbage-picker in a dumpster behind a hotel.

Flanary was booked into custody at the Jackson County Jail and later released on 10 percent of $10,000 bail.

Must not say blindness is a handicap??

Regarding Democrat NY governor Paterson who is both blind and black and whom the Democrats are trying to get rid of. Schwartz is a Pateron aide:

"Schwartz didn't comment on Gaspard's call yesterday but ripped into Staten Island Democratic state Sen. Diane Savino, who said Paterson's blindness may make it difficult for him to be an effective governor - especially in a digital age.

Schwartz called the comments "insensitive and totally inappropriate" and said "Diane Savino owes a public apology to Gov. Paterson ... [and] every visually impaired New Yorker."

Source

Paterson appears to have got the job as deputy governor as a "token black" but when Eliot Spitzer imploded over his wandering penis, Paterson became top dog. His public approval ratings as governor are in the basement however and Democrats know that they will lose with him as the candidate in the next gubernatorial election.


Posted by John Ray.

Font size

I have moved to a larger font for my new Political Correctness Watch site and my new Eye on Britain site.

I would be interested if anyone has any strong feelings about it being now too large, just right etc.

Posted by John Ray.

Lutherans to Ordain Practicing Homosexuals

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America last Friday approved a measure to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained.

The vote was 559 for and 451 against the resolution.

Ireland Outlaws Blasphemy

(Dublin, Ireland) Drip, drip, drip, free speech is incrementally disappearing worldwide. The new blasphemy law will become effective in October.

The legislation, aimed at providing judges with clear direction on the 1937 Constitution's blasphemy prohibition, imposes a fine of up to 25,000 euros - about $39,000 - for anyone who "publishes or utters matter that is (intentionally meant to be) grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion."

Police with a search warrant will be able to enter private premises and use "reasonable force" to obtain incriminating evidence.

The law is an attack on liberty.

Probation for Rape/Sodomy of Boy - Updated

(St. Charles, Missouri) For conviction on three counts of statutory rape, four counts of statutory sodomy and 10 counts of supplying liquor to a minor, 37-year-old Melanie D. Hunt was sentenced yesterday to five years of probation.

Hunt was also fined $500 for misdemeanor supplying liquor to a minor charges.

No information has been provided regarding registration as a sex offender. Since Hunt is guilty of rape and sodomy of a juvenile, sex offender registration should be considered.

In any event, I contend that Hunt is walking away with a wrist slap.

* * * * *
Missouri Woman Guilty of Sex/Alcohol Crimes
[Previous 8/14/09 post]
(St. Charles, Missouri) A 37-year-old O'Fallon woman, Melanie D. Hunt, pleaded guilty today before Judge Lucy Rauch to a raft of charges stemming from liquoring up male minors and having sex with a 14-year-old boy.

Hunt was convicted of three counts of statutory rape, four counts of statutory sodomy and 10 counts of supplying liquor to a minor.

Circuit Judge Lucy Rauch fined Hunt a total of $500 for the misdemeanor charges as part of a plea agreement reached by prosecutors and defense attorneys. The misdemeanors dealt with several teenagers who received beer and liquor from Hunt between January and July of 2008.

The same plea agreement likely will result in five years of probation for Hunt. Formal sentencing for the felony counts was delayed until Aug. 24 so the victim could give a statement, attorneys said.

Since the maximum sentence for convictions of felony rape and sodomy is 59 years, it's not clear why no jail or prison time is expected for Melanie Hunt. It's understandable that a plea agreement was sought to avoid having the youths testify, but the number and seriousness of the crimes should have warranted some prison time.

In summary, Melanie D. Hunt pleaded guilty to multiple sex and alcohol crimes and it appears that she will only be required to pay a $500 fine.

Brits Experience "Diabolical" Cuban Health Care System

(Holguin, Cuba) A British family from Manchester spent a lot of money to go on a dream vacation to Cuba.

Instead, they were forced to enjoy an up close and personal experience with the Cuban socialized health care system.

A TOP Manchester cop and his young daughter were held in a `diabolical' Cuban hospital for FOUR days - because airport officials thought she had swine flu.

Det Chief Insp Pete Marsh, 47, spent £4,000 treating his wife and two children to a dream holiday. But it became a nightmare when a thermal camera showed daughter Bethany, 12, had a high temperature. She was rushed to a ramshackle hospital - with Pete insisting he went along too.

They were put in a room with bars on the windows and no running water - and forbidden to leave.

They only got out when Pete, of the Wythenshawe major incident team, told staff they would have to arrest him to make them stay. Now they are back at their hotel with the rest of the family - but claim the holiday has been ruined.

"The conditions were absolutely diabolical," Pete, from Stockport, said from Cuba.

Correct me if I'm mistaken but I don't recall filmmaker Michael Moore using the word "diabolical" when he described the Cuban health care system.

Above photo (source) of Sala de Curaciones en un Hospital de la Isla displays typical conditions of medical facilities available to the general public.

Companion post at SocGlory.

Football Team Gets First Win in Seven Years

(Nashville, Tennessee) After chalking up a record of 0-67 for the past seven years, the Red Boiling Springs High School Bulldogs football team beat Oakdale High School 28 to 12 last Friday.

The fans stormed onto the field.

Tennessee Woman Gets 30 Days for Rape of Boy

(Gallatin, Tennessee) In February 2009, a local animal rights advocate, Margaret Ann “Peggy” Olea, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male on two occasions. Olea faced two counts each of statutory rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

“The first incident of Statutory Rape occurred on/about October 25, 2008, while the second incident of Statutory Rape and supply of Xanax to the juvenile was conducted on February 7, 2009,” an investigator with the Gallatin Police Department wrote in the affidavit.

The charges of contributing to the delinquency resulted from furnishing the boy with alcohol. Authorities were initially alerted by the victim's parents. Olea was booked into custody at the Sumner County Jail and later released on bond.

Last week, 50-year-old Margaret Olea pleaded guilty in Sumner County Court to two counts of aggravated statutory rape of the 16-year-old boy. Consequently, Olea was sentenced to 30 days in jail -- to be served on weekends.

She is required to register as a sex offender and is under a no-contact order with the victim. Olea may not be in contact with any minors without responsible adult supervision.

Also, Olea must undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation within the next 60 days to determine whether any additional treatment is required.

Each count in the agreement carries a $200 fine and a $500 tax.

Olea was also required to write a letter of apology to the victim and his family.

I'd suggest that 30 days in jail for aggravated statutory rape is a lenient sentence.

It's worth mentioning that Olea has achieved some local notoriety as an animal rights activist who snoops around finding people who abuse pets and other animals. She reportedly owns five dogs.

Ohio Mom Accused of Endangering and Soliciting

(Kettering, Ohio) A 25-year-old local mom, Lori Richards, was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaving her precious 8-month-old baby alone at home while she attempted to sell her precious flower on the street outside a bar.

Richards faces misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and soliciting.

Police received a call stating that a “female was standing outside the door offering sex for exchange of money,” according to the log entry.

Police dispatched to the scene approached Richards, who matched the description of the woman described by the caller.

The log said, “Talking with her, they discovered she may have left her 8-month-old baby unattended in her apartment. Checking her apartment, they found her 8-month-old baby boy asleep in a swing with no one else in the apartment...Richards admitted she was attempting to exchange sexual favors for $40 to $120.”

Police on the scene called Montgomery County Children Services Board and the baby was placed in the custody of his grandparents.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for August 31.

Arkansas Librarian Accused of Sex with Student

(Beebe, Arkansas) A 36-year-old librarian for the Beebe School District, Rebecca Sue Harvey, is accused of engaging in sex with a student.

Harvey has been charged with first-degree sexual assault.

Beebe Superintendent Belinda Shook says Harvey worked with third- and fourth-graders and would not have had contact with the student at school. Shook says the student has now graduated and Harvey has resigned.

Harvey allegedly had sex with the boy several times while plying him with alcohol.

Mississippi School Worker Sex Case

(Jackson, Mississippi) In February 2009, a former employee at Madison Central High School, Kelly Bozeman, was indicted on charges of sexual battery of a 17-year-old male student.

The indictment followed an investigation by the Madison Police Department which was prompted by the victim's friends alerting the school principal.

Bozeman, who was a detention monitor at the school, is accused of allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to a 17-year-old male student last October and performing oral sex on him.

An original trial date was canceled to allow for a competency evaluation, the results of which will be discussed today at a hearing. If Bozeman, 42, is found to be competent, a new trial date will be scheduled.


[Update 8/25/09]

Kelly Bozeman pleaded guilty Monday to sexual battery after it was reported that she was competent to stand trial. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 9. If convicted, Bozeman reportedly faces a possible 30 years in prison. Frankly, I think she'll get probation.

No free speech for Lou Dobbs?

I certainly don't always agree with Lou Dobbs but ....

"One campaign is a petition to call upon CNN head John Klein to fire Lou Dobbs for his repeated displays of anti-immigrant/anti-Mexican propaganda and for his equally racially divisive and inflammatory pot-stirring insistence that President Obama is not an American citizen.

Freedom of speech is one thing, hate speech is another. Intentionally inciting hatred and fanning the flames of racial division is a dangerous, destructive practice that does nothing to bring about productive, candid, honest dialogue about race this country desperately needs right now. These actions are completely unacceptable from someone who claims to be a journalist working for a mainstream news organization like CNN that claims to be “America’s most trusted name in news.”

Dobbs has been stoking the flames of racial fear and paranoia for far too long, and he, along with CNN, must finally be held accountable for it. If Dobbs wishes to continue along those lines then let him continue at Fox News where that kind of behavior is expected and where barely veiled and often blatant racism, sexism, homophobia and hatred is the order of the day.

Source

Lots of Leftists seem to display the sort of compartmentalized thinking that often characterizes madmen. The writer above says that "candid, honest dialogue about race" is desperately needed but then rules out allowing one of the most candid, honest speakers from being heard. She wants a MONOLOGUE of Leftist pieties, not a DIALOGUE of any kind. It appears that when Leftists propose a dialogue they mean it as nothing more than an opportunity for others to agree with them. I suspect that they actually NEED everyone to agree with them. They know that they are denying half of reality and need universal agreement to save them from confronting that. They can't AFFORD for there to be free speech.

Posted by John Ray.

Bypassing Google

Since Google will not let me put up any new posts on my old POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH site, I now have a new Political Correctness Watch site. Please adjust your bookmarks accordingly. It might be advisable, though, to keep a note of the Political Correctness Watch mirror site in case the new blog hosts go strange on me.

And since Google will not let me put up any more posts on my old EYE ON BRITAIN site, I now have a new Eye on Britain site. Please adjust your bookmarks accordingly. A permalink to any day's postings there can be obtained by clicking on "Leave a comment". It might be advisable, though, to keep a note of the Eye on Britain mirror site in case the new blog hosts go strange on me. I have chosen two different blog hosts this time in order to spread my risks.

Posted by John Ray.

Sunday Frog

Chefs Saving the Planet

Regarding sustainability issues pertaining to saving the planet, a group of chefs from the fancy-schmancy restaurant crowd weighed in. Questions on whether to sell bottled water and bluefin tuna were discussed.

Several chefs claim to relish the creative challenge of having to impress guests within the constraints of certain ingredients being off-limits. As a group, they take a strict line. "People want to sell [bluefin tuna] to me, and I would love to still serve it," says Jérôme Tauvron, "but I won't do it."

In sharp contrast to restaurants such as Sumosan and Nobu, who are still selling endangered fish such as bluefin tuna, Hélèn Darroze is clear that restaurants must lead: "It's not the customers who should decide what's going to happen. On the contrary, our role as chefs is to teach them. This is a question of survival."

So, the dilemma remains. What is the responsibility of chefs in saving the planet? At least some believe their job is to teach the customers what to eat.

The Soros Connection

President Obama dedicated $2 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds to the Brazilian oil drilling and development company, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, conveniently right after George Soros positioned himself to receive dividends from the state-owned oil company.

Coincidence?

A better question -- does a good detective believe in coincidences?

More official speech bans in Britain


We read:

"It could be construed as a black day for the English language — but not if you work in the public sector. Dozens of quangos and taxpayer-funded organisations have ordered a purge of common words and phrases so as not to cause offence.

Among the everyday sayings that have been quietly dropped in a bid to stamp out racism and sexism are “whiter than white”, “gentleman’s agreement”, “black mark” and “right-hand man”.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has advised staff to replace the phrase “black day” with “miserable day”, according to documents released under freedom of information rules. It points out that certain words carry with them a “hierarchical valuation of skin colour”. The commission even urges employees to be mindful of the term “ethnic minority” because it can imply “something smaller and less important”.

The National Gallery in London believes that the phrase “gentleman’s agreement” is potentially offensive to women and suggests that staff should replace it with “unwritten agreement” or “an agreement based on trust” instead. The term “right-hand man” is also considered taboo by the gallery, with “second in command” being deemed more suitable.

Many institutions have urged their workforce to be mindful of “gender bias” in language. The Learning and Skills Council wants staff to “perfect” their brief rather than “master” it, while the Newcastle University has singled out the phrase “master bedroom” as being problematic.

Advice issued by the South West Regional Development Agency states: “Terms such as ‘black sheep of the family’, ‘black looks’ and ‘black mark’ have no direct link to skin colour but potentially serve to reinforce a negative view of all things black. Equally, certain terms imply a negative image of ‘black’ by reinforcing the positive aspects of white. “For example, in the context of being above suspicion, the phrase ‘whiter than white’ is often used. Purer than pure or cleaner than clean are alternatives which do not infer that anything other than white should be regarded with suspicion.”

Source

Posted by John Ray.

Mali: Demonstrators Protest Women's Rights Laws

(Bamako, Mali) Earlier this month, the Mali National Assembly passed women's rights legislation which awaits the signature of President Toure.

Unfortunately, many people are unhappy with the proposed changes.

Some 50,000 people joined a demonstration in Bamako's main stadium on Saturday to protest against legislation that would strengthen the rights of women in Mali.

They carried posters and banners declaring "No to this law that divides the people of Mali", "Let women remain women, and men remain men" and "Western civilisation is a sin."

The proposed new family law -- which replaces the words "paternal power" with "parental authority" and raises the legal age for marriage to 18 -- was adopted by the National Assembly at the beginning of August, but has yet to be signed into force by the president.

Imam Mamoud Diko, the head of Mali's High Islamic Council, which organised Saturday's protest rally, has appealed to President Amadou Toumani Toure not to sign the legislation in order to "maintain peace and order" in the nation.

Several demonstrations rejecting the legislation have already taken place in other town and cities across Mali.

Numerous veiled women were seen at Saturday's demonstration, where a religious leader regularly interrupted the chanting with cries of "respect God", to which the crowd responded "God is great."

I'd like to think that international women's groups are planning counter-demonstrations.

[Add.] Interestingly, the massive protest against women's rights comes on the heels of SecState Hillary Clinton's African tour during which she reportedly once mentioned something akin to "I am woman, hear me roar. Don't ask about Bill, anymore."

Gov. Paterson Deals Race Cards

(Albany, New York) Apparently tired of seeing poor poll numbers, New York Governor David Paterson dealt out a whole tabletop of race cards during a rant yesterday on a radio program.

Gov. Paterson blamed a racist media Friday for trying to push him out of next year's election - launching into an angry rant that left even some black Democrats shaking their heads. [...]

He suggested that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the country's only other African-American governor, also is under fire because of his race.

"We're not in the post-racial period," Paterson said.

"The reality is the next victim on the list - and you can see it coming - is President Barack Obama, who did nothing more than trying to reform a health care system."

Correct me if I'm mistaken but couldn't this episode of race card dealing be considered a preemptive strike? Despite whether Paterson clarifies and ameliorates his remarks, racism has been put on the table to explain any potential failures by three high-ranking African-American politicians.

Forget about mismanagement or wrong-headed ideas or marginal competence being pegged for unpopularity, the skids are greased to blame racism. Claims that Gov. Paterson was remarking offhand while angry lack credibility. Paterson is an accomplished politician and accomplished politicians don't walk into media interviews without preparation.

Furthermore, it's not clear why Gov. Paterson dropped the names of Gov. Patrick and President Obama into the discussion nor is it known whether they were consulted beforehand. Patrick and Obama have entirely different sets of problems.

It does seem clear, however, that some African-American leaders who claim to want the racial divide in America erased are mighty quick on drawing out the race card when situations sour.

Tip: slwlion

Once again: Bush=Hitler OK; Obama=Hitler not OK

We read:

"In the wake of this week's beating of a black fisherman in an apparent hate crime, a leader of the Jewish community says hate speech becoming more acceptable. Speaking at a City Hall news conference with Mayor Sheila Dixon and clergy leaders on the beating of James Privitt, Art Abramson said that he's heard hate speech at the recent town meetings on health care reform..

The executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council said he is bothered by comparisons of various health care reform plans to Nazi atrocities. "Identifying this health care plan as a Nazi like plan shows how quickly we are accepting out there these comparisons...comparisons that are wrong as these people have no idea of what happens when we begin to see Nazi like plans," Abramson said.

Abramson says as hate speech becomes more acceptable in conversation, incidents like this week's beating will increase.

Source

One might note that Mr Abramson is the author of a site that includes an entry about "How Bush's Grandfather Helped Hitler's Rise to Power" -- so connecting Bush to Nazism is obviously fine by him. Shame on you for your hate-speech, Mr Abramson!


Posted by John Ray.

Michigan Woman Guilty in Sex Case

(Jackson County, Michigan) A 32-year-old woman, whose name is withheld to protect the innocent, has pleaded no contest to gross indecency and contributing to the delinquency of a minor stemming from a sexual relationship with her adopted brother.

She was accused of having sex in December 2002 with the boy, who had been adopted by her parents. The boy was 12 and she was 25 at the time. Assistant Prosecutor Allison Bates said they were drinking and the woman provided the alcohol, which justified the misdemeanor conviction on contributing to delinquency.

The two have a 6-year-old daughter together, according to court records.

Bates said the girl and the woman's 14-year-old son by a different father, are not currently in the woman's custody.

Because of her plea, the woman will have to register as a sex offender.

Police were not notified of the crimes until May 2007 when an investigation was launched. Sentencing by Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain is scheduled for October 8.

Just covering the major points, one must assume that this family couldn't be more screwed up.