Women With Troubles - June 2010

Reported in news stories during June 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.

(AZ) Christina Muniz, 29,
neighbor - Arrested for child neglect,

(AZ) Jennifer Whiting, 32,
teacher - Arrested for sending inappropriate photos to boy,

(CA) Melissa Huckaby, 29,
teacher - Gets life in prison for rape and murder of girl, 8,

(CA) Naomi Perez, 33,
teacher - Gets 150 days jail for sex with male student, 17,

(FL) Sheila Hoover, 56,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for meth conviction,

(FL) Stephanie Ragusa, 31,
teacher - Gets 10 years in prison for preying on teen boys,

(FL) Anita Smithey, 42,
neighbor - Charged with murder of ex-husband,

(GA) Requetta Jones, 37,
neighbor - Accused of sexual exploitation of girl, 16,

(ID) Lauren Kathleen Palmer, 25,
teacher - Violated probation stemming from sex with girl conviction,

(KY) Bambi Starr Mason, 18,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 11,

(MA) Dianne Wilkerson, 55,
state senator - Accused of corruption,

(MN) Lisa Miller, 45,
PTO treasurer - Accused of stealing $45,500 from PTO,

(MS) Sheral Lee Smith, 39,
teacher - Gets 7 years prison for sex with boy, 14,

(NC) Kindness Fuller Jones, 28,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy under age 13,

(NC) Kelly Michelle Ray, 32,
neighbor - Arrested for 2 DWIs in one night,

(NC) Amy Yarbrough, 32,
teacher - Gets 2 years prison for sex with male student,

(ND) Ruth Taylor, 42,
neighbor - Drugs, alcohol and sex with minor charges,

(NY) Suzanne M. Corona, 41,
neighbor - Accused of adultery,

(OH) Audrey Scott,
neighbor - Arrested for abusing 911 system,

(OR) Susan Alderson, 47,
teacher - Gets 40 years prison for sex with boy, 13,

(PA) Janelle Olisewski , 25,
neighbor - Gets prison for sex with boy, 15,

(PA) Sheila Maria Vazquez, 35,
neighbor - Accused of corruption of minors,

(SC) Sarah Banner,. 25,
teacher - Allegedly sent a picture of a woman's genitalia to a male student,

(SC) Melissa Kellie McBee,46,
teacher - Accused of sex with girl, 15,

(TN) Gayle Bishop, 61,
teacher - Arrested on drug charges,

(TN) Amy Elizabeth Kennedy, 42,
teacher's aide - Accused of sex with male student,

(TN) Kristine Ann Kidder, 25,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(TX) Kahilah Cardenas, 24,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(TX) Ashley Ochs, 23,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student, 17,

(TX) Cynthia Ann Ross, 30,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 11,

(UT) Danette Stark, 37,
neighbor - Accused of sexual exploitation of minor,

(VA) Jennifer Leigh Clark, 26,
teacher - Accused of shoplifting more than $400 in merchandise,

(WV) Stephanie Jo Walters, 28,
teacher - Gets 3 months jail for sex with boy, 14.

Thanks to the tipsters.

European Garlic Smuggling Ring Busted



Shipments of garlic are being smuggled through Norway to evade EU import duties. Swedish customs agents were able to sniff out the fraudulent garlic smuggling ring and confiscate 22 pallets.

Search aid: Interested-Participant

The Ersatz Conservative Polka

Words by John Hawkins and David Frum. David Brock arrangement. Here.

Mom Accused of Making Pic of Girl and Dog in Sex

(Salt Lake City, Utah) A 37-year-old local mom, Danette Stark, has been accused of creating an obscene image depicting a 13-year-old acquaintance of her daughter engaging in sex with a dog and distributing the image on fliers at Northwest Middle School in Salt Lake City.

Stark was in court on Monday to face 18 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. She admitted to making 30 fliers but police only recovered 18.

Authorities said surveillance video showed Stark entering the seventh-grade bathroom at the school on the second to the last day of classes. A custodian found the fliers in the bathroom and contacted local authorities, Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller told FoxNews.com. […]

“If anyone sees copies of these they need to turn them over to police immediately,” Miller said. “If they distribute it, make copies or put on the Internet, they are committing a crime of distributing pornography under Utah law.“

Stark allegedly told police that she believed the unidentified girl “wronged” her in some way.

Stark has a daughter who is the same age as the girl. Attorney Steve Russell, who was standing in for her attorney, said he wouldn’t explain the relationship between the two teens, but he told the Deseret News, “I’m sure they know each other.”

Stark also allegedly placed fliers in several students' lockers.

Tip: Suidae Empathy

Teacher Gets Probation for Drug Charge - Updated

(Cape Coral, Florida) Former English teacher at Mariner High School, Sheila Hoover, 56, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a controlled substance stemming from her being busted and arrested last December with crystal methamphetamine.

As a result, Hoover was sentenced to probation for 12 months. She must also submit to random drug screenings and pay applicable court costs and fines.

According to Lee County School District spokesman Joe Donzelli, Hoover retired from teaching last March.

* * * * *
Florida Teacher Busted for Meth
[Previous 12/5/09 post]
(Cape Coral, Florida) A 56-year-old English teacher at Mariner High School, Sheila Hoover, was busted for crystal methamphetamine yesterday afternoon as she left the school parking lot.

Acting on an anonymous tip, police conducted surveillance of the faculty parking lot at Mariner High and watched as Hoover entered her vehicle and drove off of school property.

A K-9 officer pulled Hoover over and an open air "sniff" by the K-9 indicated the presence of illegal drugs.

After a search, a gram of crystal meth was found in Hoover's vehicle.

Hoover was booked into custody at the Lee County Jail.

Two DWIs in One Night

(Gastonia, North Carolina) Last week, in the early Sunday morning hours around 2:40AM, Gastonia Police pulled over a driver, 32-year-old Kelly Michelle Ray, for not having a working license plate light. Ray was allegedly hammered.

She was taken to the magistrate, charged and released.

Police say a friend of Ray's picked her up and drove her to her car.

Another Gastonia police officer stopped Ray at approximately 4:45 a.m. after seeing her allegedly cross the center line of a two-lane road.

After that second incident, a magistrate ordered Ray jailed on a $5,000 bond and held until she was sober.

Heh. I suspect that most folks never get one DWI in a lifetime.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Kentucky Woman Accused of Sex with Boy, 11

(Louisville, Kentucky) An 18-year-old local woman, Bambi Starr Mason, has been accused of engaging in sexual relations with an 11-year-old neighbor boy.

Mason was arrested Monday evening by Louisville Metro Police for allegedly performing oral sex on the boy.

When the alleged offense occurred was not reported.

Mason has been charged with one count of sodomy.

WV Teacher Gets 3 Months for Child Sex Abuse - Updated

(Martinsburg, West Virginia) Former eighth-grade Musselman Middle School teacher, Stephanie Jo Walters, was sentenced yesterday to three months in jail and five years of supervised probation.

Circuit Court Judge Gina Groh remarked that Mrs. Walters "has disgraced her profession."

Walters herself begged for leniency, reiterating her concerns for her children.

"I really am sorry. I really will think about this every day for the rest of my life," Walters said. "I am really terrified that if I go to jail that he is going to take my kids from me. ... I just ask for mercy on behalf of my kids."

As part of probation, Walters also will have to adhere to an ongoing treatment plan requiring active participation in sexual abuse counseling. Walters will further be sentenced to five years of supervised release upon the expiration of her terms of probation. During the period of probation and extended supervision, Walters is not to have any direct or indirect contact with children other than her own.

She also will be ordered to voluntarily surrender any teaching license in any state and will be required to register for life as a sex offender.

Walters fears her former husband will try to get permanent custody of her children.

* * * * *
WV Teacher Guilty of Sex Abuse - Updated
[Previous 6/11/10 post]
(Martinsburg, West Virginia) Former teacher Stephanie Jo Walters, 28, was in court yesterday and pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust.

During an emotion-filled proceeding, 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gina M. Groh “reluctantly” accepted a binding plea agreement.

A prison sentence of not less than 10 years nor more than 20 is to be suspended and Walters will be placed on supervised release for 10 years as part of the binding plea.

However, the judge still has the discretion to sentence the former teacher to as many as four months in jail as a condition of probation.

Also, Walters' teaching career is over and the plea deal specifies that she is to register as a sex offender for life.

The reason Judge Groh was reluctant in accepting the plea deal is that Walters was somewhat reluctant in accepting responsibility for the crimes she committed. Walters initially blamed others for being unfair to her and then she learned that was a mistake and finally admitted culpability yesterday in court.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 28th.

* * * * *
WV Teacher Accused of Sex Abuse of Boy
[Previous 5/1/09 post]
(Martinsburg, West Virginia) A 27-year-old teacher at Musselman Middle School, Stephanie Jo Walters, has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old male student.

Walters has been charged with sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust.

The student told Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. B. F. Hall in an interview that he got Walter’s mobile phone number at a basketball game in December 2008 and began receiving text messages “of a sexual nature” from Walters in February 2009, according to Hall’s complaint filed in magistrate court.

The boy also said he received explicit messages from Walters via the MySpace social networking website and on April 3, Walters allegedly approached him and led him to a janitor’s closet in the school where they kissed and she allowed him to touch her breasts, but not beneath her shirt, according to Hall’s complaint.

Walters was arraigned in Berkeley County Magistrate Court earlier today and released on $20,000 bond. She has been placed on administrative leave by the school district.

Georgia Pair Accused in Child Sex Case

(Thomasville, Georgia) A Thomasville man and woman have been arrested for allegedly exploiting a 16-year-old girl at a local motel. An anonymous tip led to an investigation and the arrests of 70-year-old Gene Gaskins and 37-year-old Requetta Jones.


Both Gaskins and Jones face charges of sexual exploitation of children, prostitution by compulsion, and cruelty to children. They were booked into custody at the Thomas County Jail.

Teacher Accused of Shoplifting

(Woodbridge, Virginia) A 26-year-old biology teacher at Osbourn Park High School, Jennifer Leigh Clark, was arrested last Friday for allegedly attempting to shoplift more than $400 in merchandise from a Kohl's Department Store.

Clark was arrested along with her boyfriend, 22-year-old Geovanny Martinez, and both face charges of conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

Clark and Martinez were booked into custody and released on bond.

American Physicist Joins Attack on Global Warming Theory

Another well-qualified voice is added to the growing dissent in debunking the discredited greenhouse gas theory

Dr. Charles R. Anderson makes his announcement on his website (June 28, 2010) in joining a growing band of professional scientists, international academics and climate experts prepared to put their reputations on the line and denounce the orthodox views held by an influential clique of discredited government climatologists.

The catalyst for the sudden willingness to speak out against the once widely accepted theory of global warming may be an impressive new online publication, ‘A Greenhouse Effect on the Moon?’ by Dr. Martin Hertzberg, Alan Siddons and Hans Schreuder.

The controversial paper refutes the greenhouse effect (GHG) by showing that by properly testing the theory it can just as easily be ‘proven’ that the Moon also exhibits a greenhouse effect: a nonsense proposition that discredits the entire hypothesis.

NASA Refuses to Reveal Secret Data

Anderson writes, “Despite the fact that NASA scientists are among the foremost promoters of catastrophic global warming due to man's use of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions, NASA scientists have long known that the moon exhibits a warming effect which is similar to the effect which on Earth is said to be due to greenhouse gases.”

Like others who now dispute the GHG theory Anderson berates the secrecy that has kept so much of the data under wraps. NASA is currently facing court action for refusing to disclose its data to independent analysts seeking to check the validity of its global warming claims.

SOURCE (See the original for links)

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

Teacher Stephanie Ragusa Gets 10 Years in Prison - Updated

(Tampa, Florida) Former middle school teacher Stephanie Ragusa was sentenced today for sexually preying upon teen boys.

Circuit Judge Chet A. Tharpe sentenced her to the maximum according to a plea deal, 10 years in prison followed by five years of sex offender probation in one case and fifteen years of sex offender probation in the second.

"You were a teacher," Tharpe said. "And as parents, we place our trust in teachers to provide a safe environment in which our children can learn. You violated that trust in the worst imaginable way. You preyed on these young boys …

"I've seen you come into this courtroom time and time again as this case has progressed. You had a very lackadaisical attitude on your face, smiling, jovial. If I had to sum up your attitude in one word, it would be arrogance. I don't know as we stand here today that you truly appreciate the harm that you caused. I honestly believe, Ms. Ragusa, that you are a sexual predator. And I honestly believe that you are a danger to children in our community."

The plea deal allowed Ragusa to avoid a possible 22 to 45 years in prison if found guilty by a jury at trial.

* * * * *
Teacher Stephanie Ragusa Guilty of Sex with Boys - Updated
[Previous 4/12/10 post]
(Tampa, Florida) A teary-eyed Stephanie Marie Ragusa, a former middle school teacher now shackled and dressed in jailhouse orange, pleaded guilty today to engaging in sex with two boys.

She pleaded guilty to three counts of lewd and lascivious battery in a March 2008 case involving a 14-year-old boy.

She also pleaded guilty to two counts of having unlawful sex with a minor in an April 2008 case involving a 16-year-old student.

Prosecutor Rita Peters said Ragusa had intercourse with the 14-year-old on three occasions between October 2006 and May 2007. [...]

Peters said the encounters with the other teen began when he was 15. They ended when she was arrested in April 2008 as she was leaving his home.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 15 when Ragusa, 31, reportedly faces a possible 10 years in prison. (h/t Howie)

* * * * *
Florida Teacher and Middle School Boy
[Previous 3/14/08 post]
(Tampa, Florida) A 28-year-old Hillsborough County middle school teacher, Stephanie Marie Ragusa, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old middle school student.

An investigation showed that Ragusa had sex with a student five times while working as a teacher at Davidsen Middle School. Deputies say the incidents began when the student was 14-years-old and continued until after his 15th birthday.

Officials say the victim was never a student of Ragusa and had met her while on the school campus.

Ragusa was charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery and booked into custody at the Orient Road Jail without bail. A bond hearing is scheduled for today.

[Update 5 PM] Stephanie Ragusa was denied bond.

Also, Ragusa reportedly had five sexual encounters with the boy -- one in her own apartment.


[Update 04/16/08]

Stephanie Ragusa was arrested again yesterday for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a second male student, 15. Ragusa faces new counts of sex with a minor and lewd and lascivious battery

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter, the second victim was identified from text messages on Ragusa's cell phone.

Ragusa and the teen's relationship started Feb. 15, 2007, when they had sex at Ragusa's former home on Fox Terrier Court in Tampa, investigators said.

From then until March 10 this year — three days before Ragusa's first arrest — she and the teen had sex more than 20 times, Carter said.

Ragusa also is accused of buying the teen alcohol during their relationship, investigators said.

The teen identified Ragusa by describing her tattoos, which could only be seen if she was undressed, Carter said.

Ragusa was released from custody on $22,500 bail. She has been suspended from her teaching position.


[Update 04/28/08]

For the third time in six weeks, Stephanie Ragusa has been arrested for engaging in sex with a male student.

Detectives say Ragusa was arrested again today on two new charges, after she was caught having sex with one of the same former students early this afternoon. They believe she also had sex with the student back on April 5th.

“I can assure you that we are doing everything we can do right now to make sure that she not out at liberty to do this again,” said Lt. Fred Asteasuainzarra, a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Ragusa was all smiles as deputies brought her out of the Criminal Investigations Bureau for transport to the Orient Road Jail. Investigators say she refused to answer questions about the case.

It would probably be prudent to keep her in jail until trial.


[Update 05/08/08]

Judge released a transcript of a March 12 telephone conversation between Ragusa and a 14-year-old boy when she told him to keep quiet and compared herself to Debra Lafave.

Smearing Dog Feces

(Bellevue, Washington) Someone smeared dog feces on a van owned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Muslims are asking local police and the FBI to investigate the incident as a hate crime.

Authorities said there is no basis to consider the incident as anything but vandalism. Local police said that increased patrols would be dispatched in the area.

It's not known how the Muslim group determined the feces was from a dog as opposed to another animal. Once smeared on a horizontal or vertical surface, it would seem that most mammals' feces would look alike.

Stalin Statue Removed and Bust Unveiled

(Gori, Georgia) The 18-foot statue of former communist dictator Josef Stalin has been removed from the square in his hometown of Gori during a late-night clandestine effort. Journalists were kept away by the police.



Erected just prior to his death in 1953, the Gori statue was one of the few monuments to Stalin standing anywhere. Given that, imagine how fortuitous it was to hear that the Memorial Foundation in Bedford, Virginia, decided to unveil a bust of Josef Stalin to sit alongside busts of Roosevelt, Churchill and Truman.

So, I'd call it a push. Stalin loses a place of prominence in his home country of Georgia but picks up a place of prominence in the United States. Just ducky.

Companion post at TJR.

Reid the Son Trails in Nevada

From Rasmussen:

Republican Brian Sandoval continues to hold a lead of more than 20 points over Democrat Rory Reid in Nevada’s race for governor.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state shows Sandoval with 55% support, while Reid earns 33% of the vote. Eight percent (8%) favor some other candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) are undecided.

The numbers in this race have scarcely moved since February.

Rory has been trying to distance himself from his father, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, by campaigning under the name Rory only, but it doesn't seem to be working. Heh.

Must not speak lightly of oil spills



What next will be "wrong"?

"A new airline ad featuring scantily clad women has been slammed for poking fun at the BP oil disaster. A series of photos featuring oil-drenched women in bikinis appears on the Spirit Airlines’ website with the slogan: "Check Out The Oil On Our Beaches."

The women are accompanied by a green-and-yellow bottle of "Best Protection" 50 SPF sunscreen, with the B and P highlighted to stand out. The ads are promoting a $50 discount on travel to the carrier's coastal destinations: Cancun; Mexico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Atlantic City.

Source

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

Terror Suspects Nabbed at South African Border

(Johannesburg, South Africa) Two Pakistani terror suspects have been arrested at the South African border with Zimbabwe after they tried to enter with phony identification documents.

One of the men is listed as wanted by Interpol for terrorist activities.

Zimbabwe's government-run The Herald newspaper said police believe the suspects, Imran Muhammad, 33, and Chaudry Parvez Ahmed, 39, tried to enter the country with fake passports.

The men flew from Saudi Arabia to Tanzania where they allegedly acquired fake Kenyan passports before entering Zimbabwe overland.

South Africa's normally-porous border with Zimbabwe has been fortified for the safety of the World Cup. It's not known whether the Pak terror suspects had a particular target or just wanted to create chaos.

Ontario's Arrest-Boosting Law for G20 - Updated

(Toronto, Ontario) Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair have been bombarded with complaints about the secretive expanded police powers of arrest. Abuse of governmental power has been claimed by opposition parties, city councillors, civil libertarians and regular Torontonians.

“These are police state regulations — we fought wars to protect freedoms like these,” thundered Councillor Howard Moscoe.

“Yes, (Blair) should have made the change public. Not everyone carries ID and they have a right to know if they’re breaking the law by going near a fence.”

At Queen’s Park, NDP justice critic and lawyer Peter Kormos said: “This law was not only passed in secret, it was kept secret.

“This is the stuff Kafka wrote novels about. Secret laws that the citizenry is not aware of are the hallmarks of tin pot dictatorships.”

The measure, carrying a penalty of up to two months in jail or a $500 fine upon conviction, was revealed after a 31-year-old York University master’s student refused to show identification near the fence and was arrested based on a regulation few knew existed.

The government contends that the new regulation wasn't kept secret since it was posted on the e-laws website on June 16. It's not their fault if no one noticed. Critics assert that the whole issue was kept low-key to avoid a guaranteed constitutional challenge.

* * * * *
Ontario Imposes Secretive Law for G20
[Previous 6/25/10 post]
(Toronto, Ontario) On June 2, provincial authorities secretly passed a regulation allowing police to arrest people near the G20 security zone who refuse to identify themselves or agree to a search.

The regulation was made under Ontario’s Public Works Protection Act and was not debated in the Legislature. According to a provincial spokesperson, the cabinet action came in response to an “extraordinary request” by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, who wanted additional policing powers shortly after learning the G20 was coming to Toronto.

The regulation kicked in Monday and will expire June 28, the day after the summit ends. While the new regulation appeared without notice on the province’s e-Laws online database last week, it won’t be officially published in The Ontario Gazette until July 3 — one week after the regulation expires.

So, without debate a regulation was passed which expands law enforcement powers for the G20 summit conference and public notification will be made one week after the summit ends and the regulation expires. Interesting.

Don't Taze My Granny!

(El Reno, Oklahoma) An 86-year-old bed-ridden woman, Lona Vernon, failed to properly take her medication so her grandson, Lonnie Tinsley, called 911 for emergency help.

Instead of an ambulance and medical personnel, however, about a dozen police officers showed up.

When Mrs Vernon ordered the police from her house, officer Thomas Duran allegedly decided she was being 'aggressive' and gave the order: 'Taser her.'

Her alarmed garndson, is then said to have replied: 'Don't taze my granny!'

According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Tinsley’s 'obstructive' behaviour prompted the police to threaten him with their tasers.

He was then was assaulted, removed from the room, thrown to the floor, handcuffed, and detained in a police car.

At this point, the heroes in blue turned their attention to Lona.

According to officer Duran’s official report, Mrs Vernon had taken an 'aggressive posture' in her hospital bed.

In order to ensure 'officer safety', one of his men 'stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation'.

Another of the officers then shot her with a taser, but the connection wasn’t solid.

A second fired his taser, 'striking her to the left of the midline of her upper chest, and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain', and unconsciousness.

Grandma went to the hospital and later to the psychiatric ward where she spent six days.

Whooping Cough Epidemic in California

An epidemic of whooping cough aka pertussis has been declared in California. The number of cases has jumped to four times normal.

No specific cause of the outbreak has been cited but it is known that fewer parents are vaccinating their children against pertussis and waves of people are entering the country without being checked medically.

Another appalling decision from SCOTUS

This is going to gut people's willingness to put their names to a petition

"Those who sign a petition to place an issue of public dispute onto a statewide ballot may not later claim a broad First Amendment shield of anonymity to prevent disclosure of their names to the public, the US Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. In an 8-to-1 decision, the high court said public disclosure of referendum petitions does not as a general matter violate the First Amendment.

But the court also stressed that under certain circumstances, petition signers may be able to remain anonymous. ‘Those resisting disclosure can prevail under the First Amendment if they can show a reasonable probability that the compelled disclosure [of personal information] will subject them to threats, harassment, or reprisals from either government officials or private parties,’ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion in a case called Doe v. Reed.

The issue arose in Washington State after a group opposed to same-sex marriage sought to repeal a recently passed domestic partnership law. The group wanted the law to reflect that marriage and related legal benefits could only be between a man and a woman.”

Source

A fuller discussion of the decision here

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

Indo Terror Attacks Foiled

(Jakarta, Indonesia) On Wednesday of this week, the Indonesian Police Densus 88 Anti-Terror Unit captured the country's most-wanted terrorist, Abdullah Sunata aka Sonata, in Central Java.

The arrest reportedly foiled two planned terror attacks, one at the Police Anniversary Day ceremonies on July 1st and one at the Royal Danish Embassy to retaliate for Muhammad cartoons.

Sonata, a close associate of slain terrorist mastermind Noordin M Top, was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2006 for hiding Noordin and for possessing illegal firearms. He was released in April 2009 on good behavior.

Sonata and another suspect arrested on Wednesday, Sogir, have been linked to a terrorist network based at a training camp in Aceh, which police have been targeting since February.

The Aceh network was comprised of militants from several groups with links to the Middle East and the southern Philippines. The camp was being used to prepare for Mumbai-style assaults on Indonesian targets, police said.

The pair was arrested in raids in and around Klaten, Central Java, by Densus 88. A third suspect, Yuli Harsono, was killed by officers during the operation.

Sunata was jailed for a seven-year term in 2006 and let out last year for "good behavior." Imagine the surprise and embarrassment when he shows up a year later as Indonesia's most-wanted terrorist.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

A "consensus" of one!

The Warmists get more amusing by the day

klimaskeptik.cz, a Czech climate skeptic blog, has posted today an interesting article "Judithgate: The IPCC was only one Solar Physicist" (google rough translation). Her name is Judith Lean. On the basis of this "consensus of one" solar physicist, the IPCC proclaimed solar influences upon the climate to be minimal.

Objection to this was raised by the Norwegian government as shown in the AR4 second draft comments below (and essentially dismissed by the IPCC): "I would encourage the IPCC to [re-]consider having only one solar physicist on the lead author team of such an important chapter. In particular since the conclusion of this section about solar forcing hangs on one single paper in which J. Lean is a coauthor. I find that this paper, which certainly can be correct, is given too much weight"...:

Klimaskeptic.cz continues [google translation + editing]: "As I wrote elsewhere (article on pmode ACRIM), Judith Lean, along with Claus Frohlich, are responsible for the scandalous rewriting of graphs of solar activity.

Satellites showed that the TSI (measured in watts) between 1986 and 96 increased by about one third. Judith Lean and Claus Frohlich (authors of the single study noted above) "manipulated" the data.

People who were in charge of the satellites and created the original graphs (the world's best astrophysics: Doug Hoyt, Richard C. Willson), protested in vain against such manipulation.

Wilson: "Fröhlich has made changes that are wrong ... He did not have sufficient knowledge of (satellite) Nimbus7 ... pmode composites are useful for those who argue that global warming may be primarily due to anthropogenic causes."

SOURCE (See the original for links)

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

Women's Super Bowl of American Football

Well, news of the FIFA World Cup 2010 has been flooding the airwaves for the past week with the end another week ahead.

Meanwhile, under the radar has been the planning and advertising for the IFAF Women's World Championship, starting tomorrow in Stockholm, Sweden.



IFAF stands for the International Federation of American Football and the championship in Sweden will be, in effect, the first Women's International Super Bowl of American Football.

To emphasize the difference between the FIFA men's world championships in South Africa and the IFAF women's world championships in Sweden, the two tournaments are being referred to as the World Cup and the World No-Cup.

Neighbor Woman and Boy, 11

(Wichita Falls, Texas) A 30-year-old local woman, Cynthia Ann Ross, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with an 11-year-old neighbor boy. Ross has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

The boy's mother permitted Ross to stay at her house during a power outage and then she found Ross in bed with her naked son.

She left the apartment when the boy's mother ordered her out, but left her purse behind. Inside the purse, officers found identifying information naming the suspect. She was arrested this week in connection with the incident.

Ross was booked into custody with bond set at $10,000.

Rotten Food in Venezuela

(Caracas, Venezuela) Making big news in Venezuela in recent weeks has been the spoiling of thousands of tons of food under the jurisdiction of the state-run food distribution authority.

It's not a new problem. Only now, it's getting media exposure. President Hugo Chavez's government lackeys have had great difficulty implementing the food distribution network which had been privately-owned.

Up until last week, the issue of food spoilage had been kept off the headlines. But then on June 16, something happened.

Members of the staff of the Puerto Cabello Ports Authority confirmed the presence of Santa Paula, a ship with the Venezuelan flag, which was returned to Venezuela by authorities of the Dominican Republic, where the ship had been sent with a shipment of spoiled food to aid Haiti.

One source remarked that the stench from several thousand tons of rotten meat "stank like 100 dead dogs." Or a lot more, I'd suggest. But there's more. Talk of rotten food has brought to the forefront other recent stories of ineptitude by the government food distribution network.

a) Reported on last week, 1,600 tons of rotten rice was "found" in a warehouse in Puerto Cabello. The rice was allegedly "abandoned" 18 months ago.

b) Last month, the customs manager for the state-run food distribution network in the Puerto Cabello region "found" 1,197 containers of spoiled food.

c) The governor of Anzoátegui State admitted that the port of Jose warehouses rotten food, specifically noting a shipment of powdered milk from China.

d) El Universal newspaper estimated that at least 122,000 tons of rotten food have been found so far.

As a reminder, Chavez took over food distribution in 2008 to prevent private companies from stockpiling. So now there's no stockpiling, the food simply rots. Helluva deal!

Meanwhile, the Chavez government has issued a statement to counter the report that humanitarian rotten food for Haiti was sent back to Venezuela by Dominican Republic authorities. The statement said that Venezuelan authorities "requested" the return of the shipment to avoid food decay.

Out Darned Spot!

(Portland, Oregon) Don't know how long the legs are on this story, initially broke by the National Enquirer, but it's being reported that former Vice President Al Gore is caught up in a sex scandal involving a woman hired for a late-night massage in Gore's hotel room.

Allegedly, Mr. Gore became sexually aggressive.

The woman told investigators that she informed two friends and kept the clothes she wore that night, including her black pants with stains on them.

Say it isn't so! Another stain-making politician!

For the benefit of predicament-magnet politicians and others, some guidance from the web indicates that a type of magic eraser can be used to remove semen from garments and other surfaces.

Tip: CNestor

A warning for Obama: His Australian counterpart went from rooster to feather duster in less than 3 years

After the report below was filed, it emerged that Kevvy had stepped aside and the redhead is now PM. This was a pretty desperate throw as the Federal Labor party has to be badly damaged by it. Few people in the party liked Kevvy. It was only his ability to con the electorate that put him in the job and kept him there. Gillard has turned out much better from a conservative viewpoint than anyone expected so her challenge could return the Labor party to the sort of pragmatism we saw in the Hawke era. I am a bit biased in favour of redheads so I wish her well! Background on the precipitous fall of Rudd here



KEVIN Rudd this morning looks certain to lose his prime ministership in a caucus ballot after he and Julia Gillard last night spent a desperate 2.5 hours in failed talks.

Sky News reports Deputy Prime Minister Ms Gillard was tipped to take up to 70 of the 112 Caucus votes, and that Treasurer Wayne Swan has reportedly backed her for today's leadership ballot (9am AEST). Sky News believes Ms Gillard should win the vote on the reported numbers. Mr Swan is likely to become Deputy Prime Minister.

Key Labor powerbrokers yesterday moved on Mr Rudd, telling Ms Gillard she had the numbers to win. But Mr Rudd made it clear he would not step aside and that his enemies would have to force him out.

The final straw for Ms Gillard came early yesterday. Angered by a morning newspaper report leaked from the Prime Minister's office, questioning her loyalty to Mr Rudd, she called senior powerbroker and fellow Victorian MP Bill Shorten. She wanted to know what to do.

"It p***ed everyone in the caucus off," a New South Wales senior factional leader said. "And it p***ed her off, too. She has been nothing but loyal. And to have that happen was not only stupid but unwarranted."

By late afternoon, Mr Shorten, fellow Victorian Senator David Feeney, NSW MP Tony Burke and South Australian right wing factional leader Don Farrell went to see Ms Gillard in her office. They had been conspiring for the past week and they wanted her to challenge. "I'll consider it," she said. The dice was rolled.

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

Dog Runs Over Man

(Ridge Manor, Florida) Some days it just isn't worth it to get out of bed.

Searching for oil leaks underneath his pickup truck, Christopher Bishop placed his Ford F-150 in neutral and left the driver's door open.

Unwittingly, Bishop also left himself vulnerable to his rambunctious bulldog, Tassey.

According to a Hernando County Sheriff's Office report, Tassey hopped into the truck and jumped around in the front seat, knocking it into gear and causing it to roll over the left side of Bishop's body.

Bishop, 43, was transported to Pasco Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Heh.

BOLO for Guy Spraying Semen at the Mall

(Bury, England) It doesn't get too much weirder than this story. Police are seeking public input in a case where some guy is cruising local shopping malls and spraying animal semen at unsuspecting shoppers.

Between 13 November and 25 January around the Bury area teenage girls were approached by a man and later discovered a sticky white substance on their skirts and tights.

On each occasion the victims described the offender as a white man aged between 25 and 35.

Presumably, some type of laboratory testing was performed on the sticky substance to determine it was semen. The type of animal hasn't been reported leaving the possibility that it could be human. Regarding the type of spray device, no information has been disclosed.

One thing, if this guy has enough semen to hose down the skirts and tights of at least two girls, he might be associated with a farm, a zoo or maybe a circus -- some place with large animals.

Here's a short video of the semen-sprayer guy walking.


Anyone with information should call Bury CID on 0161 856 8150 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Cemetery Cross Too Dangerous

(North Somerset, England) I do not understand.

A council is under fire for banning crosses from one of its cemeteries - over health and safety fears.

Families have been left distraught after North Somerset Council started to remove wooden crosses from its graveyards.

One woman has told how her mother-in-law's grave was targeted after she died of cancer in May.

Liz Maggs placed a 26-inch high wooden cross bearing a personal inscription on Rosemary Maggs' burial plot at the Ebdon Road cemetery in Weston-super-Mare, while the family waited for a headstone to be made.

But when Mrs Maggs, 43, returned to visit the grave with her husband Charles and daughters Zoe, 16, and Danielle, 14, just a few days later she found the cross had disappeared.

Health and safety fears, eh? In a place that's full of dead people! I do not understand.

Research: California is the Dumbest State

According to a recent study by the Center for Immigration Studies, California in 2010 is the least-educated among the 50 United States.

It didn't used to be that way. Forty years ago (1970), California was one of the most-educated states.

SecLabor Pushes Min Wage for Illegals

(Washington) Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is pleading for illegals to complain if they don't think they are being paid the money they have earned. Sec Solis has distributed a telephone number for the illegals to call.

Frankly, I think this effort is more "Critical Theory" machinations where the entire dialogue regarding a subject is drowned out by incessant complaining. The theory is that if one complains long and hard enough, at least some progress will be made toward an ideological goal.

In any event, complaints by illegal aliens regarding pay scales will likely prompt another group of low-wage earners to pitch a bitch -- America's prison population. Last I noticed, the average wage paid to an incarcerated individual in a U.S. prison is less than 20 cents per hour.

Now, it seems to me that a person in prison for committing illegal acts should not be paid more nor less than a person who has avoided prison after committing illegal acts.

Therefore, it would seem prudent for employers to immediately start paying all illegals at the 15 or 20 cents per hour rate received by prisoners in the U.S. penitentiary systems. It is totally unfair for illegal alien border-crossers to be denied the benefits of incarceration.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Climate scepticism due to ‘genetic disposition’, Warmists claim

Leftists have been "psychologizing" those who disagree with them since at least 1950, but the claims have never stood up to scrutiny

What role does the media play in curbing climate change? That's the question a diverse group of participants will grapple with at Deutsche Welle's annual Global Media Forum in Bonn which opens on June 21....

The annual media conference in Bonn brings together an eclectic mix of environment campaigners, entrepreneurs, journalists, artists, scientists, lawmakers and civil rights activists from around the world. "The Global Media Forum is international, it's interdisciplinary and interactive," said Ralf Nolting, head of Deutsche Welle Media Services, the organizers of the conference.

The aim of the meeting is to get key players from a range of fields at one table to identify problems and come up with solutions – this time the subject is the role of the media in covering climate change.

Countering climate change denial

There's little doubt that it's a timely topic. A recent international study conducted by market research institute Synovate in cooperation with Deutsche Welle, which polled 13,000 people, shows that a rethink of attitudes towards climate change and sustainability is sorely needed.

Deutsche Welle chief Erik Bettermann said he was particularly concerned about the growing denial of the seriousness of the problem. “We've been forced to conclude that knowledge of the effects of climate change is widely accepted, but at the same time the number of those who think 'it's not that bad,' is increasing – it's 10 percent after all," Bettermann said. In 2008, that number was found to be at four percent.

Among others, the former BBC correspondent, now psychotherapist, Mark Brayne will look at some of the psychological reasons for climate change denial.

Ralf Nolting said it was an important trend one couldn't afford to ignore. "It's simply the genetic disposition of people the older they get – that includes most people in key positions," Nolting said."

"In short, if someone has turned coal into energy all his life as an operator of a coal-fired electricity plant, then it's suddenly a psychological problem for him to accept solar cells or wind energy."

SOURCE

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

Vietnam Going Nuclear

(Hanoi, Vietnam) Notably, there once was a time when the United States led the world in commercial nuclear power technology. That time is distant history.

Vietnam has announced plans to build eight nuclear power plants by 2030 as the Southeast Asian country strives to meet rising energy demand.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved eight nuclear facilities, each with at least four reactors, to be built in central Vietnam with the total output of 15,000 megawatts to 16,000 megawatts over the next two decades, the government said on its Web site Wednesday.

Vietnam has already signed a deal with Russia to build the first plant.

Accused Killer May Walk

(James City County, Virginia) A 36-year-old, illiterate, deaf-mute El Salvadoran, illegally in the U.S., Oswaldo Martinez, stands accused of the 2005 capital murder of 16-year-old Brittany Binger.

There has been no trial because the judge ruled five years ago that Martinez was not capable of assisting in his own defense, which is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, according to prosecutors. James City County Commonwealth's Attorney Nate Green said his office has been working since 2005 to provide Martinez, who is being held in Central State Hospital, with lessons in sign language.

"This is beyond unusual," said Green, who has been trying to navigate unchartered waters with this case. He said there are very few cases like this in the entire country. "For the past five years we have been trying to provide him with the skills, the tools he needs to learn sign language so that he can communicate with his attorneys," said Green. The prosecutor said that is the only way Martinez will be ruled competent to stand trial.

So far, all attempts to communicate with Martinez have been fruitless and it appears that he may have to be released. A competency hearing is scheduled for September 16.

Sex at Day Camp

(Leesburg, Florida) Their identities kept hidden, two 6-year-old boys were caught engaging in oral and anal sex at a day camp.

The incident occured under a piece of playground equipment, just large enough for the kids to get underneath and conceal what they were doing from counselors. Another camper noticed what was going on.

"[The counselors] were there all over the playground," said Deputy City Manager Jay Evans. "And they weren't clustered all in one area, they were dispersed all over the playground. It's hard to fathom how this happened."

Once counselors got wind of what was going on, Evans said they jumped into action.

"We immediately contacted law enforcement, we brought in the Department of Children and Families and the Children's Advocacy Center to see if we'd determine where this inappropriate contact originated," he said.

According to both 6-year-old boys, an 8-year-old boy at camp taught them what to do and this wasn't their first time.

"They believe that it happened between eight and 10 times over the course of three weeks," the mother said.

Investigators are looking for where the conduct was learned.

Tip: slwlion

Teacher Accused of Drug Offenses

(Chattanooga, Tennessee) A 61-year-old teacher at West Side Elementary School in Rossville, GA, Gayle Bishop, was arrested on June 7 for alleged drug possession.

Bishop faces charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Soddy-Daisy Police Officer Jed Krider says that while on routine patrol at 10:20 p.m., he "observed a gold-colored vehicle traveling north on Highway 27 at a slow rate of speed." He said the vehicle was "going 45 in a 65 and swerving in the lane."

He stopped the vehicle, and "I could smell the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle." He began writing the report, and upon returning to Ms. Bishop's car, "She had sprayed perfume in the car to hide the smell." He says she refused his request to search the vehicle, so he called an officer to bring a K-9 drug dog. The dog "hit" on the drivers side door.

Police reportedly found about 10 grams of marijuana.

Iceland 'home of free speech'

We read:

"Iceland's parliament has approved proposals to create some of the world's strongest protections for free speech and investigative journalism.

Fifty lawmakers voted today in favour of drafting strong media protection legislation, while one abstained and 12 were absent. The package of proposals requires the government to change Icelandic law to strengthen journalistic source protection and improve government transparency.

Birgitta Jonsdottir, one of the lawmakers behind the measures, says the new legislation could make Iceland a global home for freedom of speech and boost the country's international standing.

Source

Could be handy

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

CNN Drops AP News

CNN will drop AP and instead be using Reuters and its own reporters.

From the readers' perspective, there probably won't be a degree's-worth of difference in reporting.

Feds Launch Sweep, Biker Killed in Shootout

(Richmond, Virginia and Old Orchard Beach, Maine) Big news in the world of motorcycle gangs this past week. In Richmond VA, a federal indictment (dtd. 6/10/10) was unsealed charging 27 members of the Outlaws motorcycle gang, aka American Outlaw Association, with multiple racketeering, firearms and drug crimes.

Roundups of criminal suspects were launched throughout the U.S. One casualty has been reported, Outlaw member Thomas "Tomcat" Mayne, 59, who was killed Tuesday during a shootout with federal agents in Old Orchard Beach.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives approached the Mayne household to conduct a search and they were fired upon. Firing back, they killed Mr. Mayne.

Mayne, along with Michael "Madman" Pedini, are suspected in a shooting last October at a Hells Angels clubhouse in Canaan CT. Pedini is currently detained on drug trafficking charges.

It takes Britain for extremes of nuttiness

Firms paid to shut down wind farms when the wind is blowing!

Britain's biggest wind farm companies are to be paid not to produce electricity when the wind is blowing. Energy firms will receive thousands of pounds a day per wind farm to turn off their turbines because the National Grid cannot use the power they are producing.

Critics of wind farms have seized on the revelation as evidence of the unsuitability of turbines to meet the UK's energy needs in the future. They claim that the 'intermittent' nature of wind makes such farms unreliable providers of electricity.

The National Grid fears that on breezy summer nights, wind farms could actually cause a surge in the electricity supply which is not met by demand from businesses and households. The electricity cannot be stored, so one solution – known as the 'balancing mechanism' – is to switch off or reduce the power supplied.

The system is already used to reduce supply from coal and gas-fired power stations when there is low demand. But shutting down wind farms is likely to cost the National grid – and ultimately consumers – far more. When wind turbines are turned off, owners are being deprived not only of money for the electricity they would have generated but also lucrative 'green' subsidies for that electricity.

More here

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

Grave Disrespect

(Arlington, Virginia) This is not good news.

A seven-month long Army investigation has revealed a disturbing degree of mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery including misplaced remains, mislabeled graves and one case of bodies buried on top of one another.

Heh.

Jagged Rows of Teeth-Like Hooks -Updated



After several years of design enhancements and development, the anti-rape device created by Dr. Ehlers is being distributed at World Cup soccer venues in South Africa.

The device is called Rape-aXe, the female condom.

The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man's penis during penetration, Ehlers said.

Once it lodges, only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest.

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

Ehlers said she sold her house and car to launch the project, and she planned to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup period. […]

"The ideal situation would be for a woman to wear this when she's going out on some kind of blind date ... or to an area she's not comfortable with," she said.

Described as a cross between Chinese handcuffs and a wood chipper, the female condom has been called medieval and it's believed it could prompt rapists to be even more violent.

* * * * *
Anti-Rape Device
[Previous 7/4/05 post]
This story has been in and out of the news for the past month, however, it doesn't seem to have gotten much exposure.

A South African woman, Sonette Ehlers, invented and patented a tampon-like device for use in curbing the plague of rapes that occur in the country every year. The device has microscopic hooks which fold around the penis. The mechanical action is painfully noticed by even the most single-minded rapist, thereby terminating the sexual assault. Additionally, once engaged, the anti-rape device has to be surgically removed.

There are critics that assert Ehlers just hates men, however, she denies it and contends that "Something needs to be done."

Lisa Vetten, of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) said it was "a terrifying thought that women are being made to adapt to rape by wearing these devices."

Ms Ehlers's critics argue that it would be better to educate men not to rape in the first place, rather than just to catch them after the deed.

But the inventor insisted: "I'm not an educator - I will go for those they can't educate."

So, Ehlers believes she is just providing a practical solution to a significant problem. In my opinion, her device may be practical but it surely is fraught with problems.

First of all, I can't imagine that her device was actually tested on any guys, primarily because it's beyond reasonable to expect a man to insert his penis into a gizmo which is arguably a cross between Chinese handcuffs and a wood chipper.

Secondly, having a device inserting hooks into a penis would undoubtedly elicit a hugely spasmodic response from the hookee who likely would grab a frying pan and beat the skull of the woman, possibly killing her.

Thirdly, hooks stuck in the penis will normally cause severe bleeding, making the event potentially life-threatening for the rapist.

Lastly, it would seem that someone should be made liable for any maiming or death that could occur by using the device. Typically, a government or professional agency would review these types of concerns prior to allowing a penis trap on the market. Apparently that's not how it is in South Africa since the device is on sale in pharmacies for about 15 cents.

Pushback against stupid gun-hating Leftists

We read:

"A Rhode Island boy whose school banned a hat he made because the toy soldiers on it carried tiny guns was awarded a medal on Friday for his patriotic efforts.

Lt. Gen. Reginald Centracchio, the retired head of the Rhode Island National Guard, gave 8-year-old David Morales a medal called a challenge coin during an appearance on WPRO-AM's John DePetro show. Centracchio said the second-grader should be thanked for recognizing veterans and soldiers...

The school has said David was offered the chance to wear the hat if he replaced the toy soldiers holding weapons with ones that didn't have any. Centracchio said that didn't make sense because soldiers are armed, and met with school administrators Thursday to share his concerns.

Also Friday, the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said it sent a letter to Coventry Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro saying the school's policy was an unconstitutional violation of students' free speech. It called on the district to revise the policy.

Source

Good to see the ACLU doing something useful

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

US Microwave Weapon



It's being reported that the U.S. military is now testing a microwave weapon in Afghanistan. The weapon is called the Active Denial System.

It's classified as nonlethal although it shoots out an invisible beam of high-energy waves to fry people.

The villagers are not rejoicing. It's possible that many believe science fiction has unfairly invaded the battlefield.

Coach Gets 19 Days in Sex Case - Updated

(Boise, Idaho) Former substitute teacher and softball coach at Centennial High School, Lauren Kathleen Palmer, 25, has been prosecuted and sentenced for violating probation.

Palmer was convicted three years ago for fondling a 16-year-old girl and sentenced to probation. The terms of her parole stipulated no contact with her victim.

That victim accuses Palmer of having several other sexual escapades, even before she was sentenced for the original crime. Police, prosecutors, and the judge wouldn't' give weight to those accusations though, saying there were several inconsistencies.

Police reports show the contact with the victim was mainly initiated by the former 16-year-old, who's now an adult, and had started dating one of Palmer's close acquaintances.

Even with all of that, it was a violation with a consenting adult, Palmer's girlfriend that landed her behind bars.

The sex offender agreement Palmer falls under says she's not to engage in any deviant behavior, and that she has to tell her probation officer if she enters into an intimate relationship.

Palmer violated both conditions according to charging documents.

As a result, a judge sentenced Palmer to 19 days in jail which is all that was left after a five-year sentence was suspended and 120 days were imposed and reduced by credit for time served.

* * * * *
Idaho Coach Arrested for Sexual Battery of Girl
[Previous 5/2/07 post]
(Boise, Idaho) A 22-year-old assistant softball coach and substitute teacher at Centennial High School, Lauren Kathleen Palmer, was arrested this past weekend for alleged "inappropriate touching" of a 16-year-old female student.

An Asa County Sheriff's Deputy investigated a parked car about 1:00 AM Saturday and found Palmer and the girl on a blanket outside the vehicle. Inappropriate contact was suspected and Palmer was arrested.

Palmer has been charged with sexual battery of a minor with bond set at $10,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14. Palmer has been placed on administrative leave from her position with the school system.

Sad Story

(Brownsville, Texas) A 27-year-old local woman, Priscilla Falduto, was arrested earlier this month for swimming nude in a public fountain and spent the following week in jail due to outstanding prostitution offenses after which she was released and walked out the front door of the jail only to be run over by an SUV and dying.

Ted Koppel's Son Found Dead

Belated condolences go to the family of Ted Koppel, former ABC News anchor, whose son, 40-year-old Andrew Koppel, was found dead last month after a day of bar-hopping.

Andrew Koppel's May 31 death was ruled an accident.

He died from acute intoxication due to the combined effects of alcohol; heroin; cocaine; diazepam, the generic form of Valium; and Levamisole, a drug used to cut other drugs, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office.

Police had said no criminality was suspected.

I would suggest that the possession and use of at least two of the drugs listed would be considered criminal in most jurisdictions.

Internet "Kill Switch" Proposed for Obama

(Washington, D.C.) Thanks to Sen. Joe Lieberman, President Obama is on track to "seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet."

Bill S.3480, or the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act (PCNAA), has been dubbed the Internet “kill switch.”

According to the legislation, in the case of national emergencies, any private company that relies on the U.S. “information infrastructure” would be forced to comply with any orders (e.g. encrypt data, install a patch, or block web traffic) given by the president via the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC), a proposed agency that would be created under the Department of Homeland Security.

Uh, just out of curiosity, what prevents Obama from declaring a national emergency for the purpose of silencing his political opponents? I'd suggest that the Democrat Party, looking at its current polling numbers, could arguably declare its popularity as a national emergency.

Also there's the unemployment crisis and the Gulf oil spill and the flood in home foreclosures. Of course, we shouldn't overlook the national crises in border security, education, homelessness, immigration, the H1N1 virus and more. Any of the these could logically be justification for shutting down the Drudge Report, FoxNews and others viewed as adversarial.

[Add.] Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit says he'll get his gun if the government shuts down the Internet. Andrew Sullivan says that Reynolds is a paranoid gun nut. Frankly, I believe both are somewhat concerned about the proposed legislation.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Arizona Mom Arrested for Child Neglect

(Surprise, Arizona) A 29-year-old local mother, Christina Muniz, was arrested after her 11-year-old son called police and said she was going to California and leaving him and his 6-year-old brother behind.

Reportedly, Muniz told arriving police officers that she was sick of her children and wanted to follow her dream of becoming a stripper in California.

The older boy told investigators that he took care of himself and his little brother. He said their mom spent her money on alcohol and there wasn't very much food in the house.

Responding officers contacted Child Protective Services.

[Sgt. Mark] Ortega said Muniz continued to be verbally abusive to the children in the presence of CPS and police. She reportedly yelled at the children, cursed at them and told them she did not want them.

As the children were being removed by CPS, the older boy attempted to hug his mom and she punched him in the stomach, according to Ortega.

Muniz faces charges of child neglect, aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.

I can't shake the image of a little boy trying to hug his mom and getting rejected. Pretty sad.

Tip: Suidae Empathy

Tennessee Teacher's Aide Accused of Rape

(Blount County, Tennessee) A 42-year-old teacher's aide formerly at the Greenback School, Amy Elizabeth Kennedy, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student.

Kennedy has been charged with statutory rape by an person in a position of authority.

Through the investigation, authorities found that the alleged instances of sex between the two happened at a Blount County business on U.S. Highway 411 South in Maryville.

Kennedy was booked into custody and subsequently released on $50,000 bond. A court appearance is scheduled for June 21.

Smokin' Weed and Packin' Heat

The Oregon State Court of Appeals ruled this week that medical marijuana users cannot be denied concealed handgun licenses, contrary to the opinions of at least two county sheriffs.

The [federal gun control] act states that "an unlawful user ...of any controlled substance" can't own a gun, and the sheriffs contended the federal act trumps Oregon's medical marijuana law.

While federal law prohibits marijuana, Oregon's 12-year-old law legalizes pot possession for residents with a laundry list of qualifying ailments and a doctor's approval.

Leland Berger, who represented four medical marijuana users who were denied concealed handgun licenses, was relieved by the Court of Appeals decision.

He sees the sheriffs' denial of licenses as "discrimination" against patients who use cannabis as medicine for debilitating health problems -- including cancer, glaucoma, seizures, nausea and severe pain.

Broken down, it appears that the Oregon court simply ruled that, under state law, there is nothing to preclude issuing a concealed handgun permit to the medical dope smoker. However, under federal law, smoking dope and possessing a gun while smoking dope remain illegal.

In any event, there continues to be a disparity between state and federal law with regard to the medical marijuana issue.

Companion posts at GunWatch and Jawa Report.

Pop Quiz



The above photo is being taken for:

a) passport

b) voter registration

c) jail booking

d) employee ID card

e) driver's license.

Answer here.

Teacher Accused of Sympathizing with Israel

(Ajaltoun, Lebanon) An essay written by an Israeli boy has been branded as propaganda.

A newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah accused a sixth-grade English teacher Wednesday of sympathizing with Israel because of an essay she used to teach her class.

The teacher, who works in the Christian Lebanese town of Ajaltoun, searched online for an essay on Earth Day, marked on April 22, and lit upon a paragraph written by an Israeli student.

"My name is David Tagor," the essay says. "I am from Israel. My country is small but very beautiful. I live in Ashdod. I am proud to live in Ashdod. It is a big and modern city. About 200,000 people live here.

"Ashdod is near the sea. There is a big port in Ashdod. It is very important. There are many green parks and playgrounds for children. My favorite place is the beach. I am a pupil in the 6th grade. The name of my school is 'Hazon Yaacov'."

The essay appears an innocent display of affection by a student for his home city, but the Lebanese Al-Akhbar was not sympathetic. Wednesday's report accused the teacher of presenting Ashdod as a legitimate city to her students by giving them a text that borders on propaganda.

It appears that exposing Lebanese students to the fact that an Israeli city is a generally normal place with generally normal people leading generally normal lives is considered propaganda.

Animal Farm

(Port Chester, New York) A judge has apparently deemed that a sort of modified affirmative action should apply to voting and minority voters are therefore allowed to cast six ballots each. They are more equal.

White voters only get one ballot.

Doing the math, it seems that a minority group representing less than 10 percent of the population could run the table in every election.

Terror Plot Foiled in Malaysia

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Ten people have been arrested by anti-terror officers for an alleged plot to blow up two places of worship. The group was led by Islamic scholar and Lashkar-e-Toiba member Aiman Al Datak, a 39-year-old Malaysian.

Federal police sources told the New Straits Times that Aiman was linked to al-Qaeda and was on a mission to recruit members for the international terror group and Jemaah Islamiah.

The others in this group included three other Syrians, two Yemenis, two Nigerians, a Jordanian and a Malaysian. The nine foreigners were deported to their home countries in April, where they have been detained. One of the nine is Aiman’s son, Mohamed Hozifa. […]

Most of the nine foreigners were students of universities here. They came from various backgrounds. Some of their parents are professors, doctors, ambassadors, police officers and lecturers.

The foreigners entered Malaysia using student visas. Some were sponsored by their governments. Among the courses they registered for were English, Syariah Law, engineering and mass communications.

Aiman is the oldest in the group while the youngest follower is said to be 20 years old.

Furthermore, it's been reported that police are monitoring at least a couple dozen other terrorism suspects linked to the group.

Interestingly, the arrested individuals plotted to blow up places of worship arguably with intentions of inflicting serious property damage and killing and maiming as many worshippers as possible. All the while, there is no conceivable way to link the plot to Mohammad cartoons, Israel, George Bush, Palestine, Geert Wilders, burqa bans or any other of the multitude of excuses used to blame Muslim violence on Western civilization.

This episode is clearly a snapshot of the religion of peace when nobody else is around.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Must not say that Obama is racially prejudiced?

Even if there is evidence of it -- as in the Crowley/Gates affair?

Iowa Congressman Steve King said the following:

"When you look at this administration, I’m offended by Eric Holder and the president also, their posture. It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race,” said King. “And I don’t know what the basis of that is but I’m not a coward when it comes to that and I’m happy to talk about these things and I think we should.”

King added: “But the president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race – on the side that favors the black person.”

That remark got him "uninvited" from a tea-party event. I don't blame the tea partiers. They had to do that given an awareness of how the Left would have abused them over it. And the Democrats are in fact abusing them over it anyway.

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

Jihad Suicide Hug

It seems that would-be Afghan suicide bombers are known to welcome a final embrace from their fellow jihadis just before leaving on missions. Unfortunately, hugging is risky when an individual is rigged and ready with explosives.

Nowhere is the gap between sinister stereotype and ridiculous reality more apparent than in Afghanistan, where it’s fair to say that the Taliban employ the world’s worst suicide bombers: one in two manages to kill only himself.

And this success rate hasn’t improved at all in the five years they’ve been using suicide bombers, despite the experience of hundreds of attacks—or attempted attacks.

In Afghanistan, as in many cultures, a manly embrace is a time-honored tradition for warriors before they go off to face death. Thus, many suicide bombers never even make it out of their training camp or safe house, as the pressure from these group hugs triggers the explosives in suicide vests.

When backward societies fight modern wars, eh?

World Cup Fans Conscripted by North Korea



(Rustenburg, South Africa) With all due respect, Kim Jong-il is an idiot.

PERHAPS it was their identical red outfits or how their applause was directed by a "conductor" that suggested the North Koreans in the Ellis Park stadium in South Africa were no ordinary fans.

But today, the truth behind the "supporters" emerged when it was revealed that one group of North Koreans - none of whom knew each other in advance - had been hand-picked by Kim Jong-il's government, while another party were actually Chinese, "volunteered" to back their Communist cousins.

Fifa officials and millions of television viewers were surprised when rows of red-clad "North Koreans" took their seats, believing the harsh regime had allowed its citizens freedom to travel.

But one fan, Kim Yong Chon, 43, who said he was North Korean, told reporters his group of 300 had been carefully chosen by the North Korean government.

Although they sang their national anthem loudly, the group tended only to cheer when directed by a man who stood before them like an orchestra's conductor.

Meanwhile, another party of fans confirmed rumours they were Chinese, having obtained tickets through a Chinese sports PR agency, authorised to sell part of the North Korean allocation of 1,400 seats.

Dubbed the "fans volunteer army", they included dancers, musicians and other artists and said they were happy to don the North Korean national colours.

Interestingly, the Chinese "fans" know nothing about the game or the World Cup and the matches won't be shown in North Korea unless the "Dear Leader" approves.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Sex Offered as Compensation for War Crimes

(Tokyo, Japan) A beautiful 24-year-old Japanese woman, Anri Suzuki, who is concurrently identified as a history teacher and an adult film star, has generously offered to engage in sex with Chinese men to compensate for the brutal treatment China received from Japan during World War II.

Anri Suzuki said she was so shocked to learn about her nation’s past that it was time to make up for her country’s early 20th century wrongs by giving back, one man at a time.

Anri Suzuki told the Korean Times: “We have to respect history and cannot obliterate it. I want to cure the wounds of Chinese with my body, and I am practicing this by having sex with Chinese students in Japan.”

“I think it is psychological compensation to them. Actually, Chinese students treat me more friendly and comfortably than Japanese.”

Given that Suzuki is an adult actress whose sexual adventurism is documented on video, there's obviously a lot of tongue-in-cheek with this story.


 

 
Anri Suzuki

However, despite the ridiculousness of offering free sex to over 500 million Chinese men, Suzuki's overture is the first time I've encountered any Japanese citizen publicly acknowledging that the Chinese were brutalized by the Japanese during the war. It's also the first time I've heard anyone mention compensation.

From another perspective, one might easily see how the offer by Suzuki could be viewed as an insult to the Chinese people. The Japanese raping of China during WWII was pure genocidal evil and any characterization which implies that the blood of millions of Chinese can be compensated for by a quick throw from a porn starlet is offensive.

Nevertheless, Ms. Suzuki, your offer appears to be an attempt at wit while seeking publicity. Well, mission accomplished. You garnered publicity worldwide. Frankly, though, I'm not amused.

NSFW pics

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Catholics push Hyundai to kill soccer commercial

In a world where cartoons of Mohammed are banned, the objections below are no more than a call for equal treatment

"A 30-second television commercial that ran in the United States during the England-USA soccer match on Saturday has Catholic bloggers charging that the advertisement is blasphemous and mocks the core teachings of the church.

The ad begins with singing in Latin, and depicts an Argentine ‘church’ — complete with a stained-glass window of a soccer ball — in which the wildly popular sport is clearly what’s being worshipped.

Critics complain that Hyundai mocks the Eucharist, which Catholics believe to be the body of Christ, by showing ‘worshippers’ on their knees receiving slices of pizza rather than the communion host. … At one point the commercial shows a soccer ball covered with a crown of thorns. … Hyundai, a World Cup sponsor, apparently wanted to show how far some fans will go to support their cause.”

Source

One does wonder if Hyundai wants to sell cars to Catholics. It's an awful lot of people to antagonize. I think the Korean owners of the car-maker have been betrayed by Western ad-men. I hope Hyundai yank the account of the ad agency concerned.

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

Whale Feces Fights Climate Change

Imagine the luck! Next week, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is going to discuss opening up commercial whaling and this week a report comes out that indicates whale feces is a front line soldier in the fight against climate change.

Biologists at Flinders University estimated that one sperm whale defecates about 50 tonnes of iron into the sea yearly.

The iron is a terrific food for phytoplankton -- marine plants that live near the ocean surface and which suck up CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

As a result of faecal fertilisation, the whales remove 400,000 tonnes of carbon each year, twice as much as the 200,000 tonnes of CO2 that they contribute through respiration.

By way of comparison, 200,000 tonnes of CO2 is equal to the emissions of almost 40,000 passenger cars, according to an equation on the website of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The whales' faeces are so effective because they are emitted in liquid form and close to the surface, before the mammals dive, said the paper.

Now, this should be big news. For generations, purveyors of insults and jokesters have characterized whale feces as the lowest form of substance on the planet and here we have scientists say that it is spewed out as a liquid and it usually stays at the surface.

Modify your metaphors accordingly. Meanwhile, see if you can erase the mental image of people swimming around with whales in water full of liquid whale feces.

In any event, I am suspicious of the motivation behind the study since whaling is a red-hot political issue. Consequently, I have real trouble believing any of the numbers bandied about regarding whales and Earth's climate.

Once again, just imagine the luck of having the whale feces report come out right ahead of the meeting to discuss relaxing the moratorium on whaling.

More commentary here.