Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 11:59:00 PM

Women With Troubles - April 2010

Reported in news stories during April 2010, 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. Links to month-by-month compilations are displayed on the navigation bar at left.

(AR) Jessica James, 23,
teacher - Arrested for engaging in sex with a male student, 16,

(AR) Brandi Lynn Mullikin, 29,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 17,

(CA) Adrienne Feistel, 36,
teacher - Gets three years prison for sex with boy, 12,

(CO) Linda Lewis Trabucco, 44,
teacher - Gets probation for sex assault of male student,

(FL) Tanya Michelle Beyer, 38,
Playboy model - Arrested for trafficking in oxycodone and doctor shopping,

(FL) Christina Cifaldi, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for urinating on an armful of clothing at Walmart,

(FL) Brenda Lee Jenkins, 39,
neighbor - Arrested for contributing to the delinquency for keeping her son out of school,

(FL) Natoshia Mellon, 28,
neighbor - Arrested for unlawful sex and stabbing boyfriend, 16,

(FL) Kristen Sullivan (aka Kirsten), 25,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student, 14,

(FL) Tara Nicole Thompson, 23,
guidance counselor - Arrested for sex with student,

(IA) Tanya Rae Cano, 31,
neighbor - Accused of drug and sexual exploitation charges,

(ID) Joanne E. Taylor, 48,
neighbor - Arrested for cocaine possession,

(IN) Heather Gibson, 22, & Justin Lashaway, 47,
neighbors - Arrested for molesting female family member, age 7,

(LA) Leah Arceneaux, 40,
school counselor - Arrested for possession and attempt to distribute various drugs,

(MI) Carrie Alice Denbow, 34,
school counselor - Accused of engaging in sex with male student, 15,

(MI) Norma Elise Lira, 32,
neighbor - Gets two years prison for sex with boy, 13,

(MN) Maria Kremper, 33,
neighbor - Gets 60 days jail/home monitoring for sexting student, 15

(NC) Kizzy Clark Corry, 31,
preschool teacher - Accused of hitting girl, 5,

(NC) Stacie Leigh McDonald, 33,
neighbor - Accused of sexual exploitation of two boys,

(ND) Dawn Kirby, 33,
neighbor - Accused of sex with friend's son, 16,

(NH) Lynn Manning, 35,
teacher - Accused of drug smuggling attempt at prison,

(NJ) Dana H. Bell, 34,
neighbor - Guilty of sex assault of boys between 14 and 15. Sentencing TBD,

(NM) Monica Romero, 30,
neighbor - Arrested for multiple alleged sexual episodes with boy, 13,

(NM) Angela Sanford, 30,
neighbor - Accused of murdering man in Wiccan ceremony,

(NY) Lindsey Latourette, 25,
neighbor - Gets 16 months to four years prison in rape and death of boy, 15,

(NY) Vicky Mantell, 43,
teacher's assistant - Arrested for hosting booze party for minors,

(OH) Anne Maiden, 38,
teacher - Gets five and one-half years in prison for theft and misuse of credit cards,

(OH) Catherine Tate, 39,
neighbor - Arrested for offering sex to police chief,

(OH) Jamie Volk, 23,
neighbor - Arrested for unlawful sex with boy, 15,

(OR) Rachel M. Petterson, 32,
neighbor - Arrested for engaging in sex with dogs,

(PA) Gloria Christofano, 42,
music teacher - Arrested for stealing cash from church safe,

(PA) Crystal Michelle Helms, 35,
softball coach - Accused of unlawful contact with a girl, 14,

(PA) Chynita Young, 25,
neighbor - Arrested after son, 8, distributed heroin at school,

(TN) Margaret L. Holt, 37,
teacher's aide - Guilty of statutory rape of two males between 14 and 16. Sentencing in June,

(TN) Donna Weidenbenner, 48,
teacher - Gets probation for child abuse of special needs children,

(TX) Lauri Ann Price, 43,
teacher - Accused of soliciting Canadian male, 16, over Internet,

(UT) Amy Carroll,
teacher - Arrested for selling stolen school property,

(UT) Amy Walker Ricks, 37,
neighbor - Gets sent home for 30 days for aggravated hammer beating of husband,

(WI) Candie Mathis, 42,
educator - Arrested for engaging in sex with male student, 17,

(WI) Katherine L. Mielke, 31,
teacher - Arrested for multiple drug charges,

(WI) Paula Wolf, 41,
neighbor - Arrested for random blow gun attacks,

(WY) Stacy Lee McLaughlin, 40,
neighbor - Pleads guilty in outhouse sex case. Sentencing TBD,

-----
(Canada) Renee Florence Gaudet, 32,
teacher - Convicted of sex with male student, 13, who sues for damages.

Thanks to the tipsters.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 11:15:00 PM

Presidential Peccadillo?



Vera Baker
Female fundraiser in shocking cheating scandal allegedly involving the President. Rumor or reality? Readers can decide.

Last time this happened, Clinton wagged the dog -- attacked an aspirin factory in Sudan or something. I think Obama would choose to attack some place in the Western Hemisphere -- maybe Arizona. But I'm just guessing.

The First Lady is likely going ballistic.

Search aid: Interested-Participant
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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 10:42:00 PM

British NHS Denies Treatment Based on 'Exceptionality'

(UK) A life-extending drug is being denied as treatment for cancer patients who are non-exceptional. Meanwhile, cancer sufferers have not been told how to achieve exceptional status.

A CANCER patient has been denied NHS funding for a new cancer drug which could add years to his life.

It means that health specialists will be unable to prescribe Everolimus, which costs about £40,000 a year and can extend lives by up to two years.

Doctors treating Graeme Johnstone, 54, from Middleton St George, near Darlington applied to the local primary care trust for funding for the drug. But NHS County Durham and Darlington rejected the request.

Fully licensed, and widely available in France and Canada, Everolimus, also known as Affinitor, has a proven track record. But so far it is not being made available through the NHS after the body which vets new drugs – the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) – decided not to recommend it.

Controversially, Nice uses a formula which calculates whether life-extending drugs represent good value for money.

It's also reported that besides Mr. Johnstone, another person has been deemed non-exceptional by NICE and also denied the cancer drug treatment. Mr. Fred Binch, 78, was denied treatment by the North Yorkshire NHS. He accused the primary care trust of "playing God."

Incidentally, NICE is obviously a misleading acronym for an organization which throws people under the bus.

Speculating, one might logically assume that ObamaCare will also be treating patients based on their "exceptionality," whatever that is.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 07:45:00 AM

SCOTUS allows cross in California’s Mojave National Preserve

The end of a very long saga

"In a significant shift away from church-state separation, the Supreme Court gave its approval Wednesday to displaying a Christian cross on government land to honor the war dead, saying the Constitution ‘does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm.’

Speaking for a divided court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the First Amendment calls for a middle-ground ‘policy of accommodation’ toward religious displays on public land, not a strict ban on symbols of faith.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices reversed lower courts in California that ordered the U.S. Park Service to remove an 8-foot tall cross that has stood in various forms in the Mojave National Preserve since 1934 as a memorial to the soldiers of World War I.”

Source

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).


[MJP Update] Here's a link to a previous post which contains background information and more pictures of the cross.

Also, according to STACLU, the cross is still covered with a plywood box which won't be removed until the case is reviewed again by U.S. District Court.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 06:55:00 AM

Belgium Bans Burqa

(Brussels, Belgium) The Belgium Parliament has banned the burqa.

The ban will be imposed in streets, public gardens and sports grounds or buildings "meant for public use or to provide services" to the public, according to the text of the bill.

Exceptions could be allowed for certain festivities like carnivals if municipal authorities decide to grant them.

People who ignore it could face a fine of 15-25 euros (20-34 dollars) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days.

All governing parties and the opposition agreed on the move -- most for security reasons linked to the fact that people cannot be recognised while wearing the clothing.

According to Belgium liberal deputy Denis Ducarme, there are hopes that other European countries will soon follow the lead. Muslims, on the other hand, are dismayed.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 05:53:00 AM

Woman Gets Prison for Rape and Death of Boy - Updated

(Kingston, New York) Twenty-five-year-old Saugerties woman, Lindsey Latourette, was sentenced yesterday in Ulster County Court to one and one-third to four years in state prison for causing the death of a 15-year-old boy in 2008.

She was also ordered to serve two years of probation after she is released.

* * * * *
Woman Guilty in Rape and Death of Boy - Updated
[Previous 3/3/10 post]
(Kingston, New York) Regarding the drug-induced death of 15-year-old Evan Wisniewski, 25-year-old Lindsey Latourette appeared in court earlier today and unexpectedly pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, rape and criminal sale of a controlled substance, all felonies.

She faces a possible four years in prison when sentenced.

District Attorney Holley Carnright said Latourette acknowledged she had had sex with the 15-year-old boy on June 14, 2008 when she provided him with methadone.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 29.

* * * * *
Woman Accused in Rape and Death of Boy, 15
[Previous 6/20/09 post]
(Kingston, New York) A 24-year-old Saugerties woman, Lindsey Latourette, has been indicted for allegedly raping, drugging and causing the death of a 15-year-old boy.

She faces charges of criminally negligent homicide, rape and criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Latourette’s arrest stems from a 12 month investigation into the death of Evan Wisniewski on June 14, 2008. His mother found Wisniewski unresponsive in the bedroom of his home on Latham Circle in Saugerties.

He was pronounced dead and an autopsy determined he had died from a drug overdose.

State Police BCI investigated along with the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office; a grand jury was convened afterwards as following testimony and examination of evidence, an indictment was handed down against Latourette.

Latourette was arrested yesterday and booked into custody at the Ulster County Jail.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/30/2010 12:35:00 AM

School Counselor Busted for Drugs

(Lafayette, Louisiana) A 40-year-old counselor with Lafayette Parish schools, Leah Arceneaux, was arrested yesterday after narcotics task force agents found drugs in her apartment. Agents conducted a search after receiving a tip.

Arceneaux faces charges of possession with intent to distribute Lortab; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession of a controlled dangerous substance; possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force Capt. John Babin, Arceneaux's roommate was not arrested.

“All the drugs were found in the room which belonged to Ms. Arceneaux and she actually took responsibility for everything,” Babin said.

Arceneaux was booked into custody at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center and later released on $45,500 bond.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 12:56:00 PM

New Drug for Premature Completion

Reportedly, men are jumping up and down and whooping with joy.

The first drug to give men more staying power in the bedroom went on sale this week and you can already hear the deafening roar of cheers as men prepare to spend longer between the sheets.

The new pill Priligy may well have the same potential to change men's sex lives as Viagra did. Premature ejaculation affects one in three men at some stage in their lives.

Maker Johnson & Johnson promises it can increase staying power threefold. Available on the internet at £76 for a pack of three, it sounds like manna from heaven.

Wow! Over a hundred dollars for three pills! That's pricey.

Frankly, Priligy would seem to be too expensive for most people. Given that premature ejaculation customarily means that pistol-firing occurs before unholstering, then we're talking, maybe, 10, 20 seconds before completion and, even with Johnson & Johnson's guarantee of a three-fold increase, the turtle will still be hiding its head in a measly minute or less. An extra 30 seconds, maybe, for about $35. Helluva deal!

But there's more to the story. Dr. Pam Spurr, the author of the article, says women are upset about the new drug since they prefer quick sex.

I am in no doubt that up and down the country women are secretly groaning in dismay as they brace themselves for the one thing they don't want - more sex.

It's almost a crime to admit that we don't want endless sex every hour of the day and night. We're all conditioned to think that the best kind of sex is long and lingering.

Men are encouraged to believe that unless they can enjoy endless feats of love-making they aren't real men.

Women are shy of admitting that short sex sessions actually suit them, because they fear it means they have a low sex drive. But the truth is that quick sex sessions aren't always a curse. For a great many women they are actually a blessing.

In conclusion, Dr. Spurr says that women aren't at all bothered by premature ejaculation. In fact, they're just too shy to admit that they're glad when sex is over quickly.

Personally, I suggest that psychologists spend too much time with loopy people. However, I'm also suspicious since we recently heard of European feminists adopting an anti-macho manifesto for men and this women-really-prefer-premature-ejaculators meme seems to be out of the same activist mould.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 08:50:00 AM

China and Cuba Strengthen Military Ties

(Beijing, China) The Chinese and the Cubans have been holding high-level meetings to discuss their armed forces.

Cuban Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Gen. Alvaro Lopez Miera, is in China for meetings with the Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, People's Liberation Army Chief of Staff Chen Bingde, and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that during the meeting Xi asked that ties between two of the world’s few remaining self-proclaimed socialist countries be tightened.

“Developing the friendly relationship between China and Cuba not only responds to the fundamental interest of the two peoples, but also reviews the great importance of maintaining world peace and stability and strengthening common development,” Xi said.

The vice president emphasized the development of bilateral relations since the two regimes established diplomatic ties in 1960, and he added that the countries’ respective armies have increased their mutual understanding through cooperation and top-level exchanges.

Notably, VP Xi is expected to succeed President Hu Jintao in 1012.

Regarding what is being discussed between the Chinese and Cuba, I'd ominously suggest that it has to do with an expansion of Chinese military influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Maybe Cuba is offering a location for the Chinese to set up camp in exchange for money. After all, Cuba is recognized as being chronically overextended financially and an influx of Chinese cash would help the Cuban socialist utopia to feed new promises to the people while continuing to give them equally distributed poverty.

In any event, I get the nagging feeling that Cuba has its hand out to a communist giant hoping to develop a relationship similar to that which existed when the island nation was essentially a satellite of the Soviet Union.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 07:50:00 AM

Chance Snap Catches Thief

(Hong Kong, China) Here's a happy-ending story. At the airport, a woman dozed while waiting for her flight and someone stole her notebook computer. She contacted security officers who questioned everyone in the terminal but didn't find the perpetrator.

The officers did find a family who had been seated with their backs to the woman and, fortunately, the family had taken some snapshots. Astonishingly, one of the snapshots displayed an image of the thief while he was committing the theft! What are the odds?



The thief's picture was circulated among the security officers and he was ultimately arrested. He subsequently admitted his guilt.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 06:56:00 AM

Woman Allegedly Does Boy 10 Times

(Carlsbad, New Mexico) A 30-year-old local woman, Monica Romero, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in multiple episodes of sex with a 13-year-old boy. Romero has denied having sex with the boy.

Investigators then questioned the boy, who reportedly said he did in fact have sex multiple times with Romero, dating back to November of last year, when he was still 13 years old.

He said he had sex with Romero six times on the couch of his home and four times at her home during the time he was reported missing, the complaint stated.

The boy's 11-year-old brother reportedly told investigators he had seen Romero having sex with the boy because he shared a room with him. The boy's older brother said he had been bragging to him about having sex with Romero, the complaint stated.

Another boy reportedly told police he witnessed Romero having sex with the boy in the woman's bedroom. He said he saw them from the hallway and the two were partially undressed.

Romero faces 10 counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor. She was booked into custody with bond set at $125,000 cash-only. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 05:41:00 AM

Teenage Drinking Party

(Chatham, New York) A 43-year-old teaching assistant at Chatham Middle School, Vicky Mantell, has been arrested along with her husband Robert, 50, and son Jacob, 21, for allegedly hosting an underage drinking party on April 2.

The three participated in drinking games with at least six underage teens ranging in age from 16 to 18 years old, said the Sheriff's Office. One 17-year-old reportedly became sick after drinking liquor.

The Sheriff's Office says it began investigating after receiving calls from two different school district officials concerning a district employee's possible involvement in an underage drinking incident.

Investigators are also looking into a second underage drinking party held at the Mantells' home on an evening after the April 2 party, though it's unclear whether the Mantells were aware there were minors drinking at the second party.

The Mantells each face charges of six counts of misdemeanor unlawfully dealing with a child. A court appearance is scheduled for May 5.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 04:03:00 AM

Who's worried about sea level rise? Gore buys $8.8 million ocean-view villa with 6 fireplaces and 9 bathrooms

Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, have added a Montecito-area property to their real estate holdings, reports the Montecito Journal.

The couple spent $8,875,000 on an ocean-view villa on 1.5 acres with a swimming pool, spa and fountains, a real estate source familiar with the deal confirms. The Italian-style house has six fireplaces, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/29/2010 01:05:00 AM

Tougher Impaired Driving Laws

(Victoria, British Columbia) In response to a tragic impaired-driving accident which resulted in the death of a 4-year-old girl, the British Columbia government has toughened its driving laws.

The introduction of Bill 14 makes B.C.'s impaired driving laws the toughest in Canada.

Drivers who blow over .08 or refuse to give a sample get an immediate 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine and possible criminal charges.

Drivers who blow in the "warn" zone--between .05 and .08--will now get an immediate three day suspension with a $200 fine.

The amount of the fine, and the suspension length will increase with each warning in a five year period.

A goal has been set to decrease the number of drunken-driving deaths by 35 percent by 2013. It's not clear what the course of action will be if the goal isn't achieved.

Watch for temperance activists to push for something similar in the U.S.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/28/2010 10:14:00 PM

Choir Director Accused of Theft

(Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania) A 42-year-old choir director formerly at the Church of St. Paul, Gloria Christofano, has been charged with theft of $28,000 from the Catholic Church.

Christofano is also a music teacher in the Upper St. Clair School District. She is not currently in a classroom, according to the district.

"We are conducting our own investigation. We will take appropriate action based on that investigation," Upper St. Clair Superintendent Dr. Patrick O'Toole said.

Detectives said Christofano told them that she used the money to help a relative in financial trouble.

They said they have surveillance video of her opening the church safe and taking the money.

A court appearance is scheduled for Friday.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/28/2010 11:03:00 AM

Noriega Sent to France

(Miami, Florida) SecState Hillary Clinton signed the extradition order to send former Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega to France to face money laundering charges.

Noriega appeared calm and cooperative as agents took him from a federal prison to Miami International Airport and put him aboard an Air France flight for Paris, where he faces trial for money laundering.

The general was taken to the airport shortly after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the extradition order, rejecting a request from Noriega’s attorneys that he be repatriated to Panama instead.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected for the second time an appeal from Noriega against his extradition to France to face money laundering charges.

The general asked the high court to find that as a prisoner of war, he was entitled to return to Panama after serving a reduced 17-year sentence in the United States for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Unfortunately, the court ruled that Noriega's POW status doesn't prevent him from being sent to France.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/28/2010 03:10:00 AM

Big government madness

Big government is a bloated mass of contradictions that often have unexpected, harmful consequences. Politicians scold citizens for consuming too much sugar, but the government provides subsidies for producing high-fructose corn syrup that’s widely used in sodas, cookies, and other sweets.

Government subsidizes farmers for growing crops and no crops at all. Government subsidizes homeownership and restricts the number of homes that can be built. Officials criticize business executives who take on too much debt, but government encourages debt by providing tax deductions for interest (but not for equity capital), and of course the government itself is deeper in debt than anybody else.

Officials complain that companies invest so much money overseas, but the government imposes a 35 percent tax on earnings brought back to the United States. Officials bemoan our dependence on foreign oil, while restricting U.S. oil drilling.

Businesses can be prosecuted for “predatory price cutting” if they charge too little, “price gouging” if they charge too much, and “price fixing” if they charge the same as their competitors.

By providing billions of dollars of federal aid for attending college, the government subsidizes demand, which has had the effect of making college more expensive and more difficult to pay for than it otherwise would be.

Officials promote the virtues of small, high-mileage cars, and they enforce laws that make it almost impossible to produce such cars profitably in the United States. There are laws that make it more difficult for employers to hire people and laws that provide income for the unemployed.

Officials encourage more couples to get married, but there are higher taxes on married people than on single people, providing incentives not to get married. Officials say they want more doctors while enforcing laws that limit the number of students who can enter medical schools.

Government probably does more than anyone else to cause health care inflation by channeling about a trillion dollars a year into that sector, enabling people to bid up prices–and then the government tries to limit health care price increases with rationing, such as excluding more treatments from Medicare.

Much more HERE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/28/2010 12:58:00 AM

NJ Woman Guilty of Sex with Boy

(Toms River, New Jersey) A 34-year-old woman, Dana H. Bell, pleaded guilty yesterday before Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson to sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Bell admitted she had sexual intercourse with a boy known to her when he was between ages 14 and 15, sometime between November 2007 and 2008.

She also admitted allowing another boy, also between ages 14 and 15, to have alcohol.

Bell said she was under the influence of alcohol at the time, and that only after reviewing her videotaped statement to police and other evidence in the case did she recall having sexual relations with the one boy on at least one occasion and allowing the other boy to drink.

Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman said she will seek a sentence of seven years in prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled after Bell undergoes a sex offender evaluation.

* * * * *
New Jersey Woman and Two Boys
[Previous 11/11/09 post]
(Toms River, New Jersey) A 34-year-old Ocean County woman, Dana H. Bell, has been indicted on multiple charges stemming from allegations that she engaged in sexual intercourse with two 14-year-old boys.

One victim was reportedly molested for 11 months between November 2007 and October 2008. The second victim was allegedly assaulted in June and July 2008. One victim's mother alerted the police.

An Ocean County grand jury late last week handed up an indictment charging Dana H. Bell of Seventh Street with aggravated sexual assault and two counts each of sexual assault and child endangerment.

Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman said Bell is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with both victims.

At times, she had sex with each of the victims in front of the other, Tannenbaum-Newman said.

Bell is free on $50,000 bail.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/28/2010 12:44:00 AM

Driving While Veiled - Updated

(Nantes, France) According to information from the French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, the woman charged and fined for driving while veiled and her husband have been identified.

It was revealed last Friday that Anne, 31, a French woman converted to Islam, had been given an instant €22 (£19) fine earlier this month for driving in Nantes, in western France, while wearing a face veil, or niqab, which left only her eyes exposed. National debate on the incident dwelled initially on the exaggerated "burqaphobia" generated by the Government's plan to ban the full-length veil from all public places.

The media spotlight instantly switched over the weekend to Anne's husband, Lies Hebbadj, 35, an Algerian-born butcher and taxi operator, said to be living in three bungalows near Nantes with his 12 children and four or maybe three, fully-veiled women.

In a letter to the immigration minister, which was released to the press, Mr Hortefeux said that "according to information at my disposal", Mr Hebbadj belonged to a radical Islamist group called Tabligh. The minister said that Mr Hebbadj was "thought to be living in a polygamous situation with four women". Each woman was "believed to be" claiming benefit as a single mother.

Mr Hortefeux said that he had asked for an investigation into "possible polygamy and social security fraud". He urged the immigration minister to consider action to revoke Mr Hebbadj's French nationality (acquired when he married Anne in 1999).

The issue is becoming car-burning hot in France. Watch where you park.

* * * * *
Driving While Veiled Leads to Deportation Threat
[Previous 4/26/10 post]
(Nantes, France) A French woman received a citation and a fine for driving while wearing an Islamic veil which she immediately challenged as being a violation of her human rights.

In response, French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux took action to punish the woman's husband for offenses.

Hortefeux had written to Immigration Minister Eric Besson asking him to look into allegations the woman’s husband may belong to a radical group and may be a polygamist with four wives and 12 children and guilty of welfare fraud.

He said the man could be stripped of his French nationality if they proved true. […]

French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen told local media it was “scandalous” that the man’s alleged wives were receiving family benefits and said the potential stripping of the man’s French citizenship was “normal”.

But on the veil ban, Le Pen said the issue was “covering up more serious problems” and there was “no need for a law”.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government said last week it would push ahead with a ban on wearing a full-face veil in public, despite a warning from state legal experts that such a law could be unconstitutional.

In this context, the Nantes incident gained political momentum and dominated the news this weekend.

Remember, this all started with a woman driving while wearing a veil. The speedy escalation to more substantive issues related to Islam is telling. Watch where you park. The youths will likely be burning even more cars.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 11:29:00 PM

Hugo Chavez Twitter Page

Thugniscient Hugo Chavez opened a Twitter account/page today. Last I checked, he hasn't posted anything despite having more than 19,000 followers.

Ironically, 19,000 people are following nothing. Heh, I suggest the same will be true even after he starts posting.

Here's a report from Caracas about Chavez's Twitter plans.

Known for hours-long speeches, Chavez will now face the challenge of keeping his outpourings within the 140-character limit demanded by Twitter.

"Comrades, @chavezcandanga has been reserved, soon we will have messages there from our 'Comandante,'" said the head of Venezuela's communications watchdog, Diosdado Cabello, also a close aide of the president, via his own Twitter account.

In some countries candanga translates as "devil," but in the Venezuelan lexicon it is used to mean someone who is strong-willed and rebellious, or a troublemaker.

Twitter will be a challenge for Chavez. Being verbose is a handicap and Chavez is as wordy as Castro.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 10:41:00 PM

Multiple Deportation Club

(Chattanooga, Tennessee) It's obvious that deportation is an ineffective law enforcement measure.

A man who authorities say has been deported several times is facing new illegal immigrant charges in Chattanooga Federal Court.

Salvador Rojas-Garcia was in a van along with seven other people that was stopped for speeding by a state trooper and Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents on I-24 near Manchester last Wednesday.

Authorities said Rojas-Garcia was found to be "a prior deport with an aggravated felony conviction."

After a fingerprint check at the ICE Office of Investigations in Chattanooga, it was found that he had been arrested and convicted in March 1994 in Salt Lake City for possession of a controlled substance. He was placed into deportation proceedings on April 18, 1994.

I would guess that the multiple deportation club has more than 100,000 members.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 07:38:00 PM

Probation for Sex with Male Student- Updated

(Littleton, Colorado) Having pleaded guilty in February to sex assault of a male student, former English teacher Linda Lewis Trabucco, 44, was sentenced earlier today.

She received sex offender intensive supervision probation for a period of five years to life and five years in community corrections.

The community corrections 5-year term will be served in a halfway house and it appears to be the same five years to be served on probation.

The male student said he met Trabucco when he was in the seventh grade. Two years later, he was in her English class. He told police that their relationship began when he was a freshman and lasted throughout high school, where she was an assistant principal. […]

The teenager told investigators that he and Trabucco engaged in sexual activity numerous times at his parent's house, while the teacher was married.

After her divorce, investigators said Trabucco bought a house in Highlands Ranch where she and the teenager continued to engage in sexual activity.

Trabucco was also ordered to register as a sex offender. Interestingly, it appears that Trabucco will spend exactly zero days behind bars.

* * * * *
Colorado Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student
[Previous 8/20/09 post]
(Jefferson County, Colorado) A 44-year-old English teacher at the Collegiate Academy in Littleton, Linda L. Trabucco, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student throughout his high school years.

Trabucco faces charges of sexual assault of a child while in a position of trust.

The student, now 21, alerted the police.

The man told investigators the relationship began his freshman year, and continued until he graduated. Investigators believe the first sexual activity was in 2003.

Deputies are also looking into allegations a second teenage boy may have had a relationship with Trabucco during the same time frame.

Investigators say they don't believe she's been involved with any recent students at the school.

Trabucco was booked into custody at the Jefferson County Jail with bond set at $50,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 08:14:00 AM

‘Solastalgia’ the Next Liberal Buzzword

Bob McCarty makes an interesting point below but the idea that people dislike a warmer climate and move away from it is rather laughable. All the former New Yorkers in Boca Raton must be confused. I myself was born and bred in the tropics -- as were all four of my grandparents -- and I can heartily recommend the relaxed life of the tropics

Remember when the word, gravitas, entered the public conversation for the first time? Well, stay tuned, because solastalgia is next.

A rarely-used 131-year-old word at the time, according to Merriam-Webster, gravitas was introduced en masse to the American vocabulary by members of the liberal media within 24 hours of President George W. Bush’s selection of Dick Cheney to be his vice presidential running mate in July 2000. Almost always used with negative connotations, it was used to describe what “W” was said to lack in terms of experience and what he needed in a running mate. Rush Limbaugh even devoted a segment of his radio show to the mainstream media’s “discovery” of the word.

Eight years after its introduction, gravitas was declared dead and, for almost two years, nothing had surfaced to take its place in the American vocabulary. Then solastalgia arrived just in time for heated debate to begin on Capitol Hill about the so-called “Cap and Trade” legislation.

Solastalgia is a new word that appears in a recently-released report (see Sec. 1, page 38) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Interagency Working Group on Climate Change and Health. It’s defined as “place-based distress caused by the effects of climate change due to involuntary migration or the loss of connection to one’s home environment.”

Despite the fact that, according to Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), climate change is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”, I predict members of the mainstream media will begin using it soon — and with fervor — as if it has existed since the beginning of time.

Despite the fact that Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary doesn’t even list the word, I predict it will become as mainstream as gravitas during the next few years.

Stay tuned for solastalgia.

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 07:59:00 AM

Wisconsin Educator Accused of Sex with Boy

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) A 42-year-old educator, Candie Mathis, was arrested yesterday by Milwaukee Police for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student.

Mathis works as an educational assistant at the Foster and Williams Charter School which operates within Burroughs Middle School.

Police sources say investigators found out about the alleged relationship after the student tried to end it.

The teen said the teacher’s aide sent him threatening text messages after he made his attempt to break away. He shared those text messages with law enforcement.

As of late Monday, Mathis had not been formally charged.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/27/2010 04:40:00 AM

Iranian Parts in U.S.-Built Warplanes



Iranian F-14 Tomcat
From last week comes this report.

Iran has overhauled and modernized its warplanes, including the "sophisticated" F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, an Iranian military official said on Tuesday.

Air Force Deputy Commander General Aziz Nasirzadeh said in an interview with the FNA news agency that indigenous radars and new engines were installed on F-14 Tomcat jets, developed in the 1970s.

He said that although most airplanes had "old designs," all of their components, "including systems and parts, are being optimized and upgraded on a regular basis."

He also said Iranian bombers were armed with "indigenous 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) smart bombs," Qassed (Messenger).

Iran's Air Force announced in September that it had successfully test-fired Qassed 1 and 2 bombs in aerial drills over the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

The Iranian fleet of Grumman F-14 Tomcat aircraft was bought from the United States during the reign of the last shah. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been under a U.S. arms embargo.

It's not clear what General Nasirzadeh was trying to accomplish by making the announcement.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 11:43:00 PM

Newspapers Lose Circulation

The drop in newspaper circulation is characterized as severe.

Figures released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations show average weekday circulation fell 8.7 percent in the six months that ended March 31, compared with the same period a year earlier. Sunday circulation fell 6.5 percent. […]

The top 25 newspapers in the country showed some huge circulation losses.

The San Francisco Chronicle's weekday circulation dropped nearly 23 percent from the year before to 241,330. At The Washington Post, average weekday circulation fell 13.1 percent to 578,482 and dropped 8.2 percent to 797,679 on Sundays.

USA Today lost 13.6 percent of its circulation and averaged 1.83 million. That extended a slump that began with a slowdown in travel during the recession, which trimmed sales where USA Today is especially popular, such as hotels and airports.

Free news on the web is being blamed.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 09:29:00 PM

Tractor Climbs Tower, Really!



Interesting.

Tip: GK
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 07:13:00 PM

Booking Photo in Blow Dart Attacks - Updated

Meet accused blow gunner Paula Wolf.


Accused Blow Gunner Paula Wolf
I'm not a therapist but I suggest that Ms. Wolf could likely use some counseling.

* * * * *
Woman Arrested in Blow Dart Attacks
[Previous 4/24/10 post]
(Stevens Point, Wisconsin) A 41-year-old local woman, Paula Wolf, has been arrested for allegedly attacking a series of individuals with blow darts as she was driving around in her van.

Authorities were alerted by one of the victims.

Police said they pulled over Wolf at the corner of Second and Main streets at 9:30 p.m. after getting her license plate number from a victim.

Inside her van, they found a blow gun, a slingshot and a small bucket of rocks sitting on the floor of the passenger side.

Police said Wolf initially denied any wrongdoing but eventually admitted to shooting the pedestrians, none of whom was seriously injured, because "she liked to hear people say 'ouch'" when she hit them, according to police reports.

Wolf was booked into custody at the Portage County Jail with bond set at $5,000.

Notably, there have been other serial blow dart attacks in recent history. An incident in Delaware last August is an example.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 10:07:00 AM

Muslim hate speech OK in the Netherlands

This is richly ironic in view of the fact that the same country is prosecuting Geert Wilders for telling the truth about the Koran. Dutch cowardice is obviously alive and well.

" The Netherlands Utrecht District Court on Thursday acquitted members of the Arab European League (AEL) of hate speech charges resulting from the posting a cartoon on their website that insinuated that the Holocaust was fabricated.

The criminal complaint against the group alleged that the cartoon violated Article 137c of the Dutch Penal Code, which punishes individuals for making discriminatory and defamatory statements against certain groups.

The AEL argued that they do not actually deny the historical facts of the Holocaust, but that the cartoon was posted to call attention to what they saw as a double standard in the distribution of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed

The court held that the cartoon was offensive, but that, in light an accompanying disclaimer and subsequent statements regarding its purpose, it was nevertheless protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Prosecutors had sought for the court to consider the fact that Jewish groups were not involved in the creation or distribution of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, but the court refused.

Source

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 05:46:00 AM

Boobquake 2010

Last week, an Iranian cleric named Hojatoleslam Kazim Sadeghi said that women cause earthquakes because of their promiscuity.

To test the contention, a Purdue University coed, Jen McCreight, has organized a "boobquake" for today. Interest is high. Shirts emblazoned with "Boobquake 2010" are for sale at McCreight's website.



The epicenter of Boobquake 2010 is West Lafayette, Indiana. Media coverage is expected to be extensive. McCreight has promised cleavage, "at least as much as is appropriate for TV."

Seismic results will be gathered and published at McCreight's site. Heh.

[Add.] Incidentally, 22-year-old McCreight started a Facebook page to “help fight supernatural thinking and the oppression of women, just by showing your cleavage.” So far, over 100,000 friends/followers pledged to join in today's boobquake.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 05:23:00 AM

Confirmed: South Korean Boat Torpedoed by North

(Seoul, South Korea) According to intelligence sources, a North Korean submarine fired a torpedo which sank the 1,200-ton South Korean patrol ship Cheonan on March 26.

It's not clear what South Korea will do in retaliation, if anything.

It's also not clear what the Obama administration would do if a shooting situation emerges on the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, Democratic People's Republic of Korea President Kim Jong-il can logically be expected to show aggressiveness. He's old and not in the best of health, therefore, he's forced onto accepting the reality of his last adventure.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/26/2010 04:27:00 AM

Reveille


For the traditionalists:




For others:











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       Following Entry Posted 4/25/2010 11:36:00 PM

Ohio Teacher Gets Probation - Updated

(Cleveland, Ohio) For her conviction on multiple property crimes, Avon Middle School art teacher Anne Maiden was sentenced late last month (3/30) by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo to five years of probation.

Judge Russo suspended a sentence of five and one-half years in prison.

Maiden was, however, ordered to perform 125 hours of community service and pay restitution of more than $20,000. Nevertheless, it's odd that she received no incarceration given the extent of her criminal activities.

Meanwhile, Anne Maiden pleaded guilty and was sentenced last week in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to two new charges of theft and misuse of credit cards.

Maiden, 39, entered guilty pleas to two counts each of theft and misuse of a credit card during a hear ing in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to probation, said Ryan Miday, spokesman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason. He said prosecutors don’t anticipate filing additional charges against Maiden at this point.

The latest charges stemmed from a Sept. 10 car break-in at Hudson High School and an Oct. 7 break-in in the parking lot of Northwood Middle School in Elyria. In both cases, the victims’ purses and credit cards were stolen, Miday said.

In the Hudson case, Maiden used the stolen credit cards to charge $903 for a television at a Wal-Mart and $826 for gift cards at a Kohl’s, Miday said.

The Northwood break-in took place while the victim was attending her son’s football game, Miday said, and the stolen credit cards were used to rack up $1,873 in fraudulent charges.

In addition to probation, Maiden was ordered to pay $4,934.76 in restitution, Miday said.

Reportedly, the new plea and sentencing occurred because the previous month's prosecution inadvertently didn't include everything agreed to between the DA and the defense. Heh.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Guilty of Multiple Property Crimes - Updated
[Previous 3/2/10 post]
(Cleveland, Ohio) Yesterday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, art teacher Anne Maiden, 39, pleaded guilty to a consolidated listing of property crimes committed in Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties.

Maiden's conviction covers charges of possession of criminal tools, 17 counts of theft and two counts each of forgery, misuse of credit cards and receiving stolen property. According to Ryan Miday, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor:

Prosecutors are still figuring just how much Maiden is accused of stealing, and a final figure will be available at her sentencing, when prosecutors ask that she be ordered to repay the victims.

Maiden also remains under investigation for other thefts in northern Ohio that weren’t part of Monday’s plea, Miday said.

Sentencing is scheduled for later this month when Maiden reportedly faces a possible 24 years in prison.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Accused of Multiple Property Crimes
[Previous 12/1/09 post]
(Avon, Ohio) A 38-year-old art teacher at Avon Middle School, Anne M. Maiden, has been charged with several property crimes related to break-ins of vehicles and stolen credit card use. Maiden was taken into custody by Metropark Rangers on November 4.

Maiden was indicted in four cases for a total of 30 charges including theft, forgery, criminal damaging, receiving stolen property, misuse of credit cards and possession of criminal tools.

Cleveland Metroparks conducted the investigation because the credit cards were obtained from cars parked in several Cleveland Metropark reservations.

Maiden's bond is set at $10,000. A court appearance is scheduled for this Friday.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/25/2010 07:27:00 AM

ANZAC DAY



Today is the most solemn day of the year in Australia. It is the day we remember our war dead. Australians have died in many wars and there can be few families not affected to some degree by the deaths resulting. I had a much loved uncle die in WWII.

Wherever British or American forces were fighting, there have generally been Australians fighting alongside them -- in two world wars and many smaller wars both before and after that. I have a family member deployed in Afghanistan at the moment and had news of him today. He is OK but finds it no picnic to be wearing body armour in high Afghan daytime temperatures at the moment.

Our flag above

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/25/2010 05:44:00 AM

Urinating at Walmart Case

(Cape Coral, Florida) A 22-year-old local woman, Christina Cifaldi, was arrested this week for allegedly taking an armful of clothes at a Walmart store into the changing room and urinating on them.

She faces charges of criminal mischief and damage to property.

Employees at the store on Del Prado Boulevard told officers that they saw her take $163 in clothes off the racks and go into a fitting room.

The employees told police that the woman then urinated on the clothes and left the store.

Police found Cifaldi because she left her wallet, with her driver’s license, in the changing room along with the urine-soaked clothes.

I'd suggest that Ms. Cifaldi isn't too bright, wanted to get caught or was in an altered state of mind. Otherwise, why would she leave her identification? Of course, a better question would be what was her motivation in the first place?

Nevertheless, she was booked into custody at the Lee County Jail and later released on $500 bail.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/24/2010 09:18:00 AM

Pignappers Bludgeon Victims

(Plymouth County, Iowa) Four suspects have been arrested for the alleged theft of livestock and tools.

Authorities say pigs and tools were stolen from three hog confinements near Le Mars and Merrill, and 13 pigs were killed with a hammer.

Jason Peters, 30, of Brunsville, and 21-year old Ryan Utesch, of Le Mars, face several counts of burglary and theft and one count each of livestock abuse.

After killing the pigs, Peters and Utesch reportedly buried them near a creek. Two other individuals, Robert Trobaugh, 30, and Cassandra Hansen, 23, were arrested for theft and burglary.

All four Iowans were booked into custody at the Plymouth County Jail.

It's unknown what motivates people to steal, kill and bury livestock.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/24/2010 08:29:00 AM

Russian scientist says Arctic getting colder

Russians have been routinely navigating parts of the North Eastern passage through the Arctic for over a century so are acutely aware of what the year-to-year variations in it are

A Russian scientist says the Arctic may be getting colder, not warmer, which would hamper the international race to discover new mineral fields.

An Arctic cold snap that began in 1998 could last for years, freezing the northern marine passage and making it impassable without icebreaking ships, said Oleg Pokrovsky of the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory.

"I think the development of the shelf will face large problems," Pokrovsky said Thursday at a seminar on research in the Polar regions.

Scientists who believe the climate is warming may have been misled by data from U.S. meteorological stations located in urban areas, where dense microclimates creates higher temperatures, RIA Novosti quoted Pokrovsky as saying.

"Politicians who placed their bets on global warming may lose the pot," Pokrovsky said.

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/24/2010 07:27:00 AM

Fecal Transplant



Apparently, fecal transplants are a medical breakthrough in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections of the intestinal tract. Donor feces is inserted into the patient's stomach via a tube in the nose (nasogastric tube).

Donated and infused stool contains healthy bacteria which cures the C. diff. infection. It's an infrequently performed procedure currently, but it has been successful and is gaining acceptance.

According to Dr. Tim Rubin of the Duluth Clinic Digestive Health Center,

He and his senior colleagues are the only crew in the country who regularly perform the rare, but growing procedure, variously known as fecal transplant, stool transplant and fecal infusion.

Since 2002, they’ve performed 64 poop transfers on patients with two or more incurable bouts of C. diff. It’s a technique first documented in the early 1990s by researchers in Norway investigating the best way to treat C. diff infection, which typically occurs when the normal flora in the gut is disturbed, most often by antibiotic use.

The procedure entails gathering a donated stool, filtering the stool to remove corn and other solid matter, blending for proper consistency and injecting several teaspoons into the nasogastric tube.

One patient reacted positively by remarking, "All I felt was coolness."
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       Following Entry Posted 4/24/2010 06:21:00 AM

Stolen Valor Act

(Stamford, Connecticut) A 22-year-old failed U.S. Army recruit, Damian Pace, has been accused of violating the Stolen Valor Act, a federal law prohibiting the unauthorized wearing of U.S. military uniforms, ranks and insignia. If convicted, Pace could receive six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Pace, who was discharged from Army medic training in 2007 for "motivational reasons," was arrested last week and released on $10,000 bond.

He is accused of wearing a U.S. Army uniform while attending paramedic training courses and during other occasions. Several badges and tabs for tactical and medical expertise and service in a war zone were affixed to the uniforms, documents allege.

Records indicate that Pace said he knew it was wrong to impersonate a U.S. Army soldier but he wanted to "look cool."

It's worth noting that the Stolen Valor Act is a point of contention among some people who believe that it's too broadly applicable, capturing a wide variety of instances where valor wasn't really intended to be stolen.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 11:49:00 PM

Ohio Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(West Alexandria, Ohio) A 23-year-old local woman, Jamie Volk, has been arrested for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Volk is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and gross sexual imposition.

Police Chief Charles Webb said Volk and the 15-year-old boy, who is also from West Alexandria, initially met at the home of a mutual acquaintance.

Webb said the two began communicating through social networking sites online and then the alleged inappropriate activity took place on at least two occasions at Volk’s home.

Volk was booked and released.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 08:42:00 PM

Hooker Busted for Soliciting Police Chief

(Fostoria, Ohio) A 39-year-old local woman, Catherine Tate, was arrested this week for offering sex for money to Chief of Police John McGuire.

"At first I thought it was a joke and then I realized she didn't know who I was," the chief said yesterday. "She persisted in asking if I was interested in sex for payment."

He told her that he needed to go to an ATM to get cash but instead drove to the police station and got Officer Derek Wensinger and a tape recorder. The officer hid in the back of the car and turned on the tape recorder when the prostitute climbed into the front seat and repeated her terms.

"After some very cool and colorful conversation, we made an agreement for sex for money," the chief said, adding that he quickly broke the news to her that he was the police chief and one of his officers was in the backseat.

In court yesterday, Tate was sentenced to 12 days in jail after pleading no contest to three misdemeanors -- soliciting, possession of criminal tools, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 08:34:00 PM

Mahmoud and Bobby

(Harare, Zimbabwe) Yesterday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Harare for talks with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Ahmadinejad was greeted with an 21-gun salute and a military flyover. Reportedly, trade agreements between the two nations are expected to be finalized and Ahmadinejad will open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Most Zimbabweans have viewed the whole reciprocal invitation as a tasteless joke.

“Here is a man who has been violently crushing protesters in his own country after a suspect election, and we were among the first to congratulate him and now we invite him to grace our shop window… We must have a severe case of economic suicidal syndrome,” said a Bulawayo businessman.

Other than tyrannical regimes, it's not clear exactly what else Iran has in common with Zimbabwe.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 10:51:00 AM

St George's Day




It is late Friday night as I am writing this in Australia, which means that it is sometime around Friday morning in America and around lunchtime in Britain.

And Friday 23rd is of course St. George's day -- England's national day. So as I am mainly of English descent, I thought it appropriate to mark the day -- which I did. I have had the St George cross flying from my flagpole all day and we had a leisurely commemorative dinner for just four family members.

We started the evening by standing and singing "God save the Queen" (the English national anthem) followed by a toast to the Queen and a toast to "St. George and merrie England". Then we sat down to a meal of England's favourite food: curry.

We washed the curry down with some good Australian "champagne" and a very pleasant evening was had by all. The chat over dinner was very wide-ranging and at one stage I even read a couple of choice excerpts from the 39 "Articles of Religion" from the 1662 "Book of Common Prayer" of the Church of England. None of us are religious but we still enjoyed the power of those historic words.

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 05:51:00 AM

SoCal Teacher Gets Prison for Rape of Boy, 12 - Updated

(San Diego, California) Former fifth-grade teacher Adrienne Feistel was sentenced yesterday by San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard S. Whitney to three years in prison for engaging in sex with a 12-year-old boy, the maximum sentence sought by prosecutors. Judge Whitney called Feistel's conduct predatory.

“You have betrayed your ethical, your legal and your moral obligations — as an adult and ... as a teacher,” he said.

The victim's family spoke during the hearing about how deeply hurt and betrayed they felt by Feistel's actions. The boy's mother, Maria Garcia, 44, and his sister Brenda, 20, both were teary as they spoke.

Feistel’s father and stepmother were in court, but didn’t want to comment afterward. An attorney for Feistel, Anna Yum, said her client would have had a better chance of obtaining treatment outside prison.

“With probation, she could get the help she needs,” Yum said.

During yesterday’s hearing, Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick said Feistel made statements about drinking a large amount of alcohol before molesting the boy, and that drug use has also been an issue.

Drugs and alcohol, eh? It's sort of a standard excuse.

* * * * *
SoCal Teacher Guilty of Statutory Rape of Boy - Updated
[Previous 1/14/10 post]
(San Diego, California) Former elementary school teacher Adrienne Elizabeth Feistel, 36, pleaded guilty earlier today to one count of statutory rape. In exchange for her guilty plea, numerous other charges were dropped.

Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick Mazzarella said Thursday that she believed the case was resolved fairly.

The prosecutor argued in trial that Feistel molested the boy, who is now 16, on numerous occasions, starting when he was 12. She was close friends with the boy’s older teenage sister, and lived briefly with the family in Lomita, according to the testimony.

At one point, the boy’s mother caught Feistel asleep in bed with the boy and kicked her out.

Sentencing has been scheduled for March 18 when Feistel will face a possible three years in prison.

* * * * *
SoCal Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 3/26/09 post]
(San Diego, California) A 35-year-old fifth-grade teacher formerly at Rosa Parks Elementary School, Adrienne Elizabeth Feistel, was arraigned yesterday on charges that she engaged in sex with her former student.

Feistel has been charged with four counts of lewd acts on a child with substantial sexual contact and six counts of lewd acts on a child aged 14 or 15.

She was the boy's fifth-grade teacher when she befriended his family, and even moved in with them for several months, according to San Diego police Detective Stacee Botsford.

She pressured the boy into letting her give him oral sex five times between August 2006 and August 2008, Botsford alleged.

The detective alleged that Feistel also text-messaged the boy and kissed him.

"They were kissing and cuddling," Botsford said in a written declaration to support an arrest warrant. "After that night (the boy) went to school and could not believe what happened. Feistel spent the night two nights later and they made out again. They made out more than 10 times."

Feistel resigned her teaching position in September 2006 and it's unknown where she has been working since then.

She was booked into custody with bond set by Judge David Szumowski at $50,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/23/2010 12:13:00 AM

Teacher Busted for Selling Swag from School

(Layton, Utah) A second-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, Amy Carroll, was arrested this week for allegedly selling stolen school supplies at a local swap meet. She faces misdemeanor charges.

“The things that she was selling were paper, books, teaching aids, things like that,” said Lt. Garret Atkin of the Layton police department.

Carrol became a target of the school and police investigation after getting a tip.

“We had reports that someone was stealing from the school,” Atkin said. “Then a tip lead us to Carroll.

Carroll was booked into custody at the Davis County Jail and later released.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 04:16:00 PM

Navy SEAL Found Not Guilty of Prisoner Abuse

A U.S. Navy SEAL has been found not guilty by a court martial for allegedly abusing an Iraqi prisoner.

Julio Huertas, a Navy Seal from Blue Island Illinois, has been cleared by a military jury of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraq prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors.

The burning death of the contractors became a major turning point in the Iraq war. There bodies were dragged through the streets of Fallujah and two were hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Huertas, 28, was the first of three Navy Seals to face a court martial for charges related to the abuse of an Iraqi prisoner, Ahmed Hashim Abed, who was suspected of masterminding the attack against the contractors.

I contend that there are entirely too many prosecutions of U.S. military personnel and entirely too few prosecutions of terrorists and terrorist supporters. (Source with video)

Tip: K. Solomon
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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 03:21:00 PM

And Furthermore ….

Politicians are regularly accused of simultaneously talking out of both sides of their mouths which metaphorically refers to their universal mendacity. Frankly, I don't think there's evidence that it has happened in reality.

However, there is evidence that a public servant can spew hot political wind out of both ends. Take a look at this video of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as he offers up his opinion in stereo.

Tip: Charley Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 05:32:00 AM

Patients Forced to Suffer by British NHS

(Staffordshire, England) A study of the operations of a National Health Service (NHS) trust has created a scandal. Stafford Hospital is accused of causing "unimaginable suffering."

Patients were routinely neglected or left “sobbing and humiliated” by staff at an NHS trust where at least 400 deaths have been linked to appalling care.

An independent inquiry found that managers at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust stopped providing safe care because they were preoccupied with government targets and cutting costs.

The inquiry report, published yesterday by Robert Francis, QC, included proposals for tough new regulations that could lead to managers at failing NHS trusts being struck off.

Staff shortages at Stafford Hospital meant that patients went unwashed for weeks, were left without food or drink and were even unable to get to the lavatory. Some lay in soiled sheets that relatives had to take home to wash, others developed infections or had falls, occasionally fatal. [...]

The report, which follows reviews by the Care Quality Commission and the Department of Health, said that “unimaginable” suffering had been caused. Regulators said last year that between 400 and 1,200 more patients than expected may have died at the hospital from 2005 to 2008. [my bold]

Simple math tells us that 100 to 300 people a year are being killed in one facility by the medical care system. Simple prognostication tells us that America can expect the same when full-blown ObamaCare is in effect. I feel ill.

Tip: Rita L.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 04:37:00 AM

Anti-Conservative Agenda Confirmed for Associated Content Website

Putative news website Associated Content has been outed as strongly anti-conservative by freelance writer Marc Schenker who was censored for trying to publish the truth. In fact, Schenker was punished by the site managers through holding back of payments he was due for already completed work.

Therefore, when viewing Associated Content, realize that you'll be seeing only half of any story at the very best.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 03:29:00 AM

Bar for Unemployed Alcoholics



(Kiel, Germany) Check out this European-style nanny-state experiment. A place for unemployed alcoholics to get hammered has opened to positive reviews in the northern city of Kiel. It's called the Sofa Bar and die-hard drinkers can be found all liquored-up by mid-morning.

The men sitting at the table on the left, in the front of the room, have already had their first four rounds of beer, the radio is blasting loud guitar riffs, and a young girl hops onto a patron's lap and asks him for a sip. A glass bottle is rolling back and forth on the floor, and the air is thick with cigarette smoke. Atze and Dirk sit at the bar, coughing, rolling unfiltered cigarettes and asking if anyone wants a drink.

The bar is the latest addition to Germany's social welfare state. […]

It has roughly 70 regulars, aged from 18 to 70, football pennants hang on the walls, and a TV set above the bar, on the left side, is always on -- but usually with the sound turned down. However, there is one critical difference between the Sofa and other bars.

In this bar, some of the costs are covered by taxpayer money from the city treasury.

For some unexplained reason, the homeless don't frequent the drinking room. On the contrary, all the regulars have permanent residences. They simply don't have jobs, largely because they are considered unemployable.

The Sofa Bar is run by a social worker, Reinhard Böttner, who disputes the contention that social workers have given up on the alcoholic crowd and they no longer are attempting to rehabilitate them. Böttner insists the bar is one of few ways to gain access to the city's drinkers.

In a nutshell, the German welfare state picks up the tab for the unemployed to get booze and also pays for an establishment, including heat, lights, television and jukebox, to drink the booze. It's not known who pays for the cab ride home but it's a good guess that it's also the state which, of course, means actual German taxpayers.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/22/2010 02:46:00 AM

No Deportation for Foreign Pedophile

(Blackburn, Lancashire, England) Apparently, the safety and security of the British public are trumped by the human rights of foreign pedophiles.

A FOREIGN paedophile has won the right to stay in Britain after claiming his human rights would be breached if he was deported.

Zulfar Hussain, 48, abducted and sexually exploited two vulnerable girls, both under 16, while plying them with drugs, after coming to Britain from Pakistan and settling in Blackburn, Lancashire.

He was jailed for five years in August 2007 at Preston Crown Court.

As a foreign national who has committed a serious crime in the UK, he was due to be handed over to the UK Border Agency for deportation to Pakistan on his release from custody.

Instead, he lodged an appeal against deportation and was granted leave to remain by a judge at a tribunal hearing earlier this month.

So, unless the judge's ruling is reversed, Mr. Hussain gets to stay in Britain.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 11:06:00 PM

Lowest Crime Rate

The Swiss have the lowest crime rate in the world and it's not because of the cheese or the chocolate or the banks with secret accounts. Make a guess why.

(Answer here)
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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 07:40:00 PM

Arkansas Teacher Arrested for Sex with Male Student

(Star City, Arkansas) A 29-year-old math teacher formerly at Star City High School, Brandi Lynn Mullikin, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student. She faces a charge of second-degree sexual assault.

According to a report by Lt. Kevin Kirk, who investigated the case with Police Chief Steve Young, police were called to the office of Superintendent Rhonda Mullikin (no relation) April 1 in reference to “inappropriate behavior” between the student, a senior, 18, and Brandi Mullikin. […]

“Mullikin admitted that (the student) stayed overnight at her house several times, including school nights,” Kirk’s report stated. “Mullikin also stated that (the student’s) mother, … was aware of the relationship the entire time.”

Kirk later interviewed the student, who also admitted to having a sexual relationship with Mullikin. He stated that he met Mullikin when she was tutoring him.

“(The student) first claimed that the sexual relationship started after he was 18, but after further investigation, (the student) admitted that he had visited Mullikin when she was staying at the [former] Super 8 Motel in Star City in June of last year, and that is when they began their sexual relationship,” said Kirk. The student turned 18 in October 2009.

Kirk then interviewed Mullikin again April 2, and she admitted to having a sexual relationship with the student when he was 17 and she was aware of his age.

Mullikin was booked into custody at the Dumas Jail since the Lincoln County Jail doesn't house females.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 05:55:00 PM

Gambino Crime Family Bust

(Manhattan, New York) Sixty-nine-year-old reputed boss in the Gambino organized crime family, Daniel Marino, and 13 other members of the family have been arrested and indicted on multiple charges, including sex trafficking of a minor.

Papers filed in federal court in Manhattan allege that Gambino soldiers and associates recruited prostitutes at strip clubs, including a 15-year-old, and advertised their services on the Internet.

Prosecutors said the mobsters drove the prostitutes to appointments in Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey, splitting their earnings with them. The defendants also "made the young women available for sex to the players at the regular high-stakes poker games" hosted by the family, the court papers said.

At a news conference, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called the sex trafficking ring both a "new low" and an apparent "first for the mob."

Since the prosecution and sentencing of Gambino boss John Gotti, known as the "Teflon Don," the family has suffered a series of indictments and prosecutions prompting a lower profile. Nevertheless, the Gambinos are still reportedly 200 members strong and ubiquitously influential.
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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 04:32:00 PM

Woman Sentenced for Attack on Husband

(Salt Lake City, Utah) In February 2010, a 37-year-old mother-of-two, Amy Walker Ricks, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault of her husband, Joel Ricks.

She admitted to blindfolding her husband and beating his head with a hammer.

As a result, 3rd District Judge William Barrett sentenced Amy Ricks to 30 days of home confinement.

"I'm happy with the sentence; she's happy with the sentence," said Susanne Gustin, Ricks' attorney. […]

After Ricks and her husband went on a date on May 4, 2007, they went to a Holladay condo belonging to a relative. There, she blindfolded her husband on the promise of a "surprise," leading him to the basement, where she attacked him with a hammer. He escaped the attack with minor injuries and called police.

Court filings claim Ricks was suffering from Battered Spouse Syndrome and did not remember the attack.

In her marriage to Joel Ricks, emotional abuse "wore down her self-esteem and wore down the core of who she was as a mother and as an LDS woman," Gustin said.

"Even though this looked premeditated, our expert talked about how a battered spouse feels almost like someone suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) in wartime." Gustin said.

Interestingly, a marriage counselor recommended that the Ricks go on the date. Meanwhile, Joel Ricks' family denied the claims of abuse.

Note that reporting on the attack of Joel Ricks has been sparse so it's not clear whether his wife was attempting to kill him or not but it sure seems that she was. With that in mind, a sentence of 30 days at home can hardly be called punishment.

Tip: Lame

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 09:03:00 AM

Comment on Nazism by "Theodore Dalrymple"

Who is Jewish

The worst thing about the passage that I have quoted is its apparent endorsement, or uncritical acceptance, of Freud’s characterization of the Nazis as “right-wing.” This seems to me simplistic to the point of dishonesty, or at least symptomatic of a desire that complex social and political realities should be located on an analogue scale from right to left or left to right. If such a scale must be used, it seems to me that there is as much, if not more, reason to place Nazism on the left of it rather than on the right.

Not that this would be satisfactory, far from it. As Bishop Butler said, every thing is what it is and not another thing; Nazism was what it was and not another thing. If it could not, and cannot, be fitted neatly on to a political analogue scale, so much the worse for the scale. To change the figure of speech, we must not construct Procrustean conceptual beds.

Does it matter, however, if Nazism — being what it was and not another thing — is routinely characterized as being right-wing? I think that it does matter, for the following reason. There is a false syllogism that has a profound psychological effect:

Nazism was right-wing.
Conservatism is right-wing.
Therefore Nazism was conservative and conservatism is Nazi.

But Nazism was not conservative; when the Nazis called their advent revolutionary, they were right. There was nothing conservative about their movement at all. But the “syllogism” above has insinuated deeply into the minds of our intelligentsia, which is why so many of them are afraid of the supposed taint of conservatism.

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 4/21/2010 05:28:00 AM

Teachers Booted for School Lap Dance - Updated

(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) For their participation in an arguably licentious lap dance during a school-sanctioned event, gym teacher Chrystie Fitchner and math teacher Adiel Ahmed have been let go.

In a statement, a division spokesperson said Fitchner resigned Monday, with the resignation to take effect at the end of June.

In the interim, she will be away from the classroom on sick leave under the terms of the collective agreement teachers have with the division. She was suspended without pay on March 3, but has been receiving sick benefits, the division said.

Ahmed, who had been working with the board on a contractual basis, will not have his contract renewed. His contract expired Friday. He had been suspended from teaching without pay since March 2, the division said.

Monday's decision brings to an end months of speculation about how the division would respond to the Churchill High School spirit week incident, which students described as being like "sex on the dance floor."

Reportedly, the trustees said the two teachers could apply for positions at other schools within the system but neither would be given a reference. Check here for another video of the lap dance.

* * * * *
Teachers Lap Dance in the Great White North
[Previous 2/25/10 post]
(Winnipeg, Canada) Aghast, readers! Teachers, students and parents are aghast that an incident of suggestive lap dancing took place last week at Churchill High School.

A video shows "students giggling, gasping and screaming as a male teacher and female teacher perform a sexually suggestive dance in the middle of the gym." Coupla hosers, eh?



Both teachers were sent home without pay for their sexually suggestive behavior. However, they have not been suspended. I would suspect as much since the sexually suggestive nature of the episode and the video is barely discernible.

On the other hand, when the Canadian media get to describe the incident, it becomes much more salacious.

How raunchy was the dance?

"The female teacher threw her head back and thrust her one leg out as the male teacher continued to dance over her. There was butt-slapping and further gyration," notes a report from the Globe and Mail.

The report adds that then the man dipped his head down between her legs and simulated oral sex.

Whole lot of simulating going on, eh?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.
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