Women With Troubles - February 2013

Here is a compilation of women with troubles reported in news stories during February 2013. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

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

(AL) Alicia Gray, 28,
teacher - Accused of engaging in sexual relations with boy, 14,

(AR) Lisa Dawn Norman, 45,
neighbor - Charged with rape of a boy, age 7 or 8,

(AZ) Jennifer Dempsey, 35,
teacher - Arrested for engaging in sex acts with boys, 14 to 16,

(AZ) Maria Veronica Martinez, 37,
neighbor - Arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.S.,

(CA) Chrystina Delrosario, 25,
teacher's aide - Gets probation for having sex with a male student, 15,

(CA) Christine Hubbs, 44,
neighbor - Caught with pornography and re-arrested after being paroled for only days,

(CA) Laura Purviance, 24,
teacher - Arrested for fatally shooting her mother, 61,

(CA) Lianne Trout, 28,
teacher - Sentenced to 185 days in jail for sex with a male student, 16,

(CA) Kelly McKenzy Watson, 34,
teacher - Gets a year in jail but will be released early to have baby of student lover, 17,

(CO) Rhonda Eisenberg, 44,
teacher - Gets 90 days jail for sex with student, 17, resulting in childbirth,

(CO) Terah Rawlings, 33,
neighbor - Guilty of sexually assaulting student, 15; sentencing in April,

(CT) Carah Bosco, 27,
neighbor - Accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a teen,

(CT) Amanda Bowden, 19,
teacher - Arrested for threatening to commit a mass shooting and bombing,

(DE) Katheryn L. Carmean, 35,
paraeducator - Accused of sex abuse of her son's friend, 14,

(FL) Sally D. Clarke, 48,
teacher's aide - Accused of child molestation of a male relative, 9,

(FL) Alexis Anne Colson, 37,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 16, and sending nude photos,

(FL) Elizabeth M. Hatzidakis, 33,
teacher - Accused of getting liquored up, taking pills and smoking weed with male student, 17,

(FL) Janeene Lea Jones, 49,
neighbor - Charged with two counts of solicitation to commit murder,

(FL) Jamie Wichmanowski,
teacher - Arrested for driving a golf cart while under the influence,

(GA) Susan Parker Bergmark, 46,
teacher - Accused of beating her daughter, 17,

(IL) Tish Coleman, 31,
neighbor - Accused of killing her cousin's cat,

(IL) Amanda M. Ludwig, 28,
teacher - Accused of sending text messages to sexually entice a male student, 15,

(IL) Candace Welch, 29,
softball coach - Accused of sex with girl, 15,

(KS) Cathleen Balman, 43,
teacher - Guilty of a year-long indecent relationship with boy, 15,

(KS) Amber M. Stroda, 28,
teacher - Accused of engaging in sex with high school students,

(MD) Amanda Kay Miller, 35,
teacher - Accused of giving oral sex to a male student, 15,

(NC) Gail Attaway,
teacher - Arrested for allegedly assaulting a child under age 12,

(NC) Amanda Ann Grady, 32,
teacher - Accused of taking money from students,

(NC) Dawn Bridget Kavanaugh, 42,
teacher - Accused of stabbing and killing her boyfriend, 43,

(NH) Lisa Tagalakis Fedor, 42,
teacher - Accused of allowing drug sales from her apartment in front of her sons,

(NJ) Elyse Cromwell, 27,
teacher - Accused of sex on multiple occasions with student, 14,

(NJ) Erica DePalo, 33,
teacher - Gets life parole for having sex with a male student, 15,

(NV) Kara Vandereyk , 23,
neighbor - Charged with open and gross lewdness with her pit bull,

(NY) Marisa Anton, 33,
librarian - Gets probation for texting pics of bare breasts to student, 16,

(NY) Crystal DeRosa, 33,
teacher - Arrested for stealing jewelry from a student, 5,

(OH) Monica Jo Bush, 27,
neighbor - Arrested for unlawful sexual conduct with a boy, 15,

(OH) Michele L. Gross, 37,
teacher - Accused of perjury and furnishing alcohol to minors,

(PA) Jalissa Destinee Baez, 19,
babysitter - Accused of sexually abusing a boy, 9,

(RI) Jane E. O'Connell, 49,
teacher - Accused of assaulting two police officers at a restaurant,

(SC) Courtney Clark Kay, 29,
teacher - Accused of inappropriate touching of a student, 14,

(TN) Abby Elizabeth Hooper, 33,
teacher - Arrested for statutory rape,

(TX) Jessica Guilbeaux, 31,
teacher - Accused of having an improper relationship with a male student, 18,

(TX) Judy Lynn Langford, 35,
teacher - Guilty of sexual assault of a student,

(TX) Julie Ann Moore, 35,
teacher - Gets 180 days jail for sexual assault of child and indecency with child, 15,

(TX) Jennifer Marie O’Neill, 37,
teacher - Accused of inappropriate touching of a male student, 13,

(TX) LaShawn Simmons, 41,
teacher - Accused of engaging in sex with four students,

(TX) Linda White, 48,
neighbor - Arrested for abusing 911 by asking that cigarettes be delivered,

(UT) Claudia Reaney, 49,
teacher - Arrested for heroin possession,

(VA) Cathy Warren Bennett, 37,
nurse - Charged with conspiracy to commit murder,

(VA) Angela Nolen, 47,
teacher - Charged with trying to have her ex-husband killed,

(VA) Ashley L. Pigg, 25,
babysitter - Accused of shaking and severely injuring a baby boy, 2 months,

(VA) Stephanie Streight, 41,
neighbor - Guilty of sex with two boys, 13 and 15; sentencing in April,

(WY) Britney Rosenfield, 25,
neighbor - Pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse of a boy, 13.

Thanks to the tipsters.

Mississippi: Gay Candidate Found Dead



Marco McMillian
(Coahoma County, Mississippi)

The body of an openly gay candidate for mayor of Clarksdale, Miss., was recovered by authorities today, and although his death is being ruled a homicide, officials say they don’t believe it was a hate crime.

Marco McMillian was just 34, one of the first viable candidates for mayor in conservative Mississippi who was openly gay.

R.I.P.

Hollywood again

Argo — the movie that won Best Film — is yet another piece of Hollywood’s Brit-bashing junk history that casts Brits in a poor light.

The film, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, tells the story of how the Canadian government and the CIA managed to rescue six American diplomats from the clutches of the Iranian students who occupied the U.S. embassy during the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Although the movie is a cracker — tense and terrifying — like so much that comes out Hollywood, Argo plays fast and loose with the facts. And unsurprisingly, the Brits are given a real pasting. For, according to the Affleck version of the rescue mission, the six embassy staff were refused refuge by British diplomats. ‘Brits turned them away,’ says a senior CIA character in the film.

The sad irony is that what really happened in Tehran in 1979 is just as thrilling as Argo, if not more so — and it involved astonishing British pluck.

When the American Embassy was overrun by armed students on November 4, 1979, five members of staff managed to escape by a side exit. The remaining 55 embassy staff were to be held captive for a further 444 days.

The most senior member of the escaped group was Robert Anders, who worked in the visa department. He decided the best place to find refuge was the British Embassy.

The group made its way through the bustling streets, only to find the British embassy was also surrounded by an angry mob.

Thinking on his feet, Anders quickly took the group back to his flat and from there tried to contact anybody who might help rescue them.

After a tense night, a call came through from the British embassy informing the five terrified Americans that it could give them refuge in its residential compound, which was known as Gulhak.

As Argo neglects to mention, this was an exceedingly brave offer. Both the British embassy and residential compounds were under serious threat. After what had happened to the Americans, the British understandably feared an attack on their own staff.

The Iranian revolutionaries had dubbed Britain the ‘Little Satan’, and for our officials to shelter diplomats from the ‘Great Satan’ (America) meant running a huge risk.

Much more HERE

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

Connecticut Woman Accused of Sex Assault on Teen

(Naugatuck, Connecticut) A 27-year-old local woman, Carah Bosco, has been accused of sexually assaulting a teen.

Bosco faces charges of second-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child, second-degree reckless endangerment and illegal distribution of a prescription.

Bosco, 27, of 1081 New Haven Road, was acquainted with the young teenager, said Lt. Bryan Cammarata of the Naugatuck Police Department.

The teen reported performing the sexual act on Bosco, Cammarata said.

He was taken to Waterbury Hospital after his family noticed he was behaving strangely, and doctors determined he had been given a drug similar to Xanax, Cammarata said.

Bosco was booked and released on $25,000 bond.

Texas Woman Calls 911 for Cigarettes




(Granbury, Texas) A 48-year-old allegedly drunk local woman, Linda White, called 911 and asked deputies to deliver some cigarettes. Deputies arrived and arrested White.

White was booked on a charge of abusing 911, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and 180 days in jail.

She was released on bond about six hours later, she said.

Deputies don't deliver, they pick up.

U.S. Court Rules Anti-Whalers Are Pirates



(San Francisco, California) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that members of the anti-whaling protest organization, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, are pirates.

In doing so, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals castigated Paul Watson and members of the Friday Harbor-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society he founded for the tactics used in their relentless campaign to disrupt the annual whale hunt off the dangerous waters of Antarctica.

“You don’t need a peg leg or an eye patch,” Chief Judge Alex Kozinski wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel. “When you ram ships; hurl glass containers of acid; drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders; launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate, no matter how high-minded you believe your purpose to be.”

Naturally, the ruling will prompt additional legal maneuvering. It's not over, I'm sure.

Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr., b.1934 - d.2013



Van Cliburn
(Fort Worth, Texas) Internationally heralded American pianist Van Cliburn died earlier today, succumbing to bone cancer. He was 78.

Woman Collared at Border for Smuggling



(Nogales, Arizona) A 37-year-old California woman, Maria Veronica Martinez, was arrested this week for attempting to smuggle drugs through the Dennis DeConcini Port.

Customs and Border Protection officers selected Maria Veronica Martinez of Fresno for an additional inspection of her Dodge sedan when she attempted to enter the United States on Monday.

After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, an officer found a single package with approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine wrapped around the woman's midsection.

Martinez is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

Florida Woman Accused of Solicitation to Commit Murder

(Sarasota, Florida) A 49-year-old local woman, Janeene Lea Jones, was arrested this week for allegedly trying to hire a hit man.

Jones has been charged with two counts of solicitation to commit murder in the first degree.

On February 25, the Sarasota Police Department Narcotics Unit, with the help of the North Port Police Department, planned a meeting with Jones.

An undercover cop met with her and discussed the details of the plan. Jones provided the name of the person she wanted killed, their address and even a picture of the person to the undercover "hitman".

In the plan, Jones detailed exactly how she wanted the person murdered and how she wanted to make sure the "hitman" would clean up the mess as to not leave any evidence behind.

Jones gave the undercover officer money for the job and then made an additional agreement to kill another person.

If convicted, Jones faces life in prison.

Carolina Teacher Accused of Theft

(Kinston, North Carolina) A 32-year-old teacher formerly at Kinston High School, Amanda Ann Grady, has been accused of taking money from students.

Investigators with the Kinston Department of Public Safety have charged 32-year-old Amanda Ann Grady with obtaining property by false pretense.

Grady's accused of taking $1,450 in funds intended for a field trip. The alleged incident was reported to police by Lenoir County Schools January 30.

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

Red Sea Dead Sea Link



The idea to link the Red Sea to the Dead Sea was originally proposed over 100 years ago.

An ambitious plan to build a pipeline to carry water from the Red Sea to the shrinking Dead Sea lurched forward this month, after the World Bank held hearings to gather public comments on the proposal. But environmentalists charge that alternative plans to save the Dead Sea would be cheaper, more flexible and would have less impact on the region’s ecosystems.

If the project proceeds, a 180-kilometre buried pipeline will carry up to 2 billion cubic metres (m3) of sea water per year from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea through Jordanian territory to the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is world's lowest inland area. Proposals have been put forward to set up the pipeline so that the downward flow of the water goes through a hydroelectric plant that would in turn power a desalination plant, providing up to 850 million m3 of fresh water per year to the parched region. Brine from the desalination plant would be discharged into the already-saline Dead Sea, replenishing water that is evaporating from the lake at a rate of more than 1 metre per year.

Arguably, the linking of the two seas is a good idea but seemingly unlikely to see fruition unless someone can get the competing Mideast personalities and groups to agree -- on something.

North Korea: Claims US in Range of its Nukes

(Pyongyang, North Korea) In an editorial, the state news website claims that North Korea is now a "fully independent rocket and nuclear weapons state" which can easily reach the US mainland.

"The United States should be acutely aware that the US mainland is now well within the range of our strategic rockets and nuclear weapons," the editorial said. The piece was signed by a member of the Korean National Peace Committee, a state propaganda body.

Most military experts believe that North Korea has a long way to go before it can develop a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on its long-range Taepodong-2 missile. But North Korea’s third nuclear test last month reportedly involved a smaller device than the previous two, raising concerns that Pyongyang may soon reach the technological breakthrough.

However, Pyongyang must also develop atmospheric re-entry vehicle technology, which is an engineering challenge in itself. Without it, even a small nuclear device would not survive an intercontinental ballistic delivery system.

The Taepodong rocket is also far from perfect, as its only test in 2006 failed.

It must be true. It's on the Internet.

The importance of culture

In my days of writing academic journal articles (1970-1990), one of my most frequent themes was criticism of the way my fellow psychologists used students as their  subjects of study.  They seemed to assume that what was true of American college students was true of human beings everywhere.  And those psychologists who didn't use their students as subjects of study used white rats!

So I was something of a lone voice in expressing dissatisfaction with the reigning research traditions.  I was virtually the only voice in psychology saying that what is true of American college students might not be representative of other populations and sub-populations.

But as I have often found, my way of thinking does gain ground eventually and that has now happened again after the relatively recent work of a small group of researchers led by an anthropologist (Henrich).  You can read a lengthy summary of their work here.  They did a lot of cross cultural research among non-Western cultures which showed that in most of the world's cultures people think radically differently from the way "Westerners" generally and Americans in particular think.  And their evidence was sufficiently extensive and cogent to gain widespread acceptance, though I doubt that research traditions will change much.  More caution about generalizations can however hopefully be expected.

The new evidence was in fact stark in the way that Americans were shown to be at the far extremes of how the rest of the world thinks.  Americans are consistently outliers on most things.  There are great variations in the world's cultures but no culture  is as "weird" as American culture.

The only surprise is that that was a surprise. "American exceptionalism" anyone?  Modern Western civilization is an outlier to all of history. It is different precisely because it represents a new and better way of dealing with the world.  It dominates the world because it is different -- but different in an adaptive way.  It is a freak of cultural evolution that has transformed the world in a matter of only 200 years or so. It is clearly a pity that the Left are now beavering away to destroy that culture.


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

Chicago Woman Accused of Killing Cat

(Cook County, Illinois) A 31-year-old Woodlawn woman, Tish Coleman, has been accused of killing her cousin's cat.

Coleman faces charges of felony animal cruelty and domestic battery.

Coleman, of the 6400 block of South Maryland Avenue, got into a verbal argument with her 26-year-old cousin at the apartment, arrest documents show. The argument escalated, prosecutors said during Coleman's Sunday bond hearing.

Coleman struck her cousin in the face and tore her shirt, afterwhich her cousin "wrestled" Coleman out the back door of the apartment, according to prosecutors and arrest documents.

A witness at the scene allegedly noticed Coleman sitting on the back porch and saw the cat come outside. The witness went into the apartment and closed the door, documents show.

Coleman's cousin opened the door sometime later and saw her cat bleeding on the landing, according to arrest documents. Arrest documents show the pet was found with puncture wounds to its left side and didn't survive.

Cops arrested Coleman at a nearby CTA bus stop about 8 p.m, and she was found with a Swiss knife that had blood and "meat on the blade," arrest documents show. Prosecutors said she was "covered in blood."

No comment.

New boogeyman for the Warmists

A conservative charity gives money to climate-skeptic causes!  How surprising!  Roughly the whole of the conservative side of politics is skeptical of global warming so Donor's Trust sure is an heroically effective organization if they have achieved all that!    Nothing however could rival what governments around the world spend on promoting Warmist causes

While the secretive Donors Trust has given millions to a variety of right-wing causes, denying climate change appears to be its top priority. An analysis by the environmentalist group Greenpeace reveals Donors Trust has funneled more than one-third of its donations — at least $146 million — to more than 100 climate change denial groups over the past decade. In 2010, 12 of these groups received between 30 to 70 percent of their funding from Donors Trust. We’re joined by Suzanne Goldenberg, U.S. environment correspondent for The Guardian, who has written a series of articles detailing the ties between Donors Trust and opponents of climate change science. "The goal here is to create this illusion, this idea that there is a really strong movement against the science of climate change and against action on climate change," Goldenberg says. "In fact, that’s actually, to an extent, become a reality now: You see that opposition to action on climate change is central to Republican thinking."

SOURCE


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

Educating French Wolves



(Paris, France)

In a bid to try and crackdown on the number of wolf attacks on farm animals the French government has announced a plan to try and "educate" the wild beasts.[...]

Under a proposed "National Wolf Plan," the government says it will conduct experiments into "educating" the canine carnivore, which is spreading stealthily in remote areas.

Rest assured, this scheme does not entail lecturing wolves about the cuteness of lambs or trying to convert them to vegetarianism.

Instead, it entails capturing individual wolves that are known to attack a local flock and then marking these bothersome predators before letting them go.

The theory is that the animal will be so traumatised by the experience that it will leave the sheep alone and instead hunt for deer, boar, rabbits and other wild animals.

What's better? Hungry and vicious? Or hungry, vicious and traumatized? I would suggest that, without therapy, a traumatized wolf is more dangerous than the frolicking-in-the-wilderness-and-eating-sheep wolf.

Michigan: New Teacher-Student Sex Law

(Lansing, Michigan)

The Michigan state Senate passed a bill Friday making it illegal for teachers to have sex with students under 21 years of age.

Michigan teachers were previously barred from having sex with students younger than 18. But since some students turn 18 before they graduate, the current law does not fully protect students from lustful teachers.

Though the age of consent in Michigan is 16, it is considered wrong for teachers to have sex with students because the educator holds a position of power.

Seemingly, the new law was prompted because teachers have been waiting patiently for female students to turn 18 before turgidly taking them to a motel.

David Rose is truthtelling in Britain's Daily Mail once again


The DM has a circulation of about 2 million so the word is getting out

EXPLODING THE MYTHS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

MYTH The world is continually getting warmer.

TRUTH Official Met Office data shows no statistically significant global temperature rise since January 1997. The fact was confirmed last week by Raj Pachauri, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel  on Climate Change (IPCC). Many scientists say this means forecasts of how much warmer the world will be by 2100 must be revised downwards. Pachauri disagreed: for him to be convinced, the ‘pause’ would have to last 30 years.

MYTH Global warming is already causing extreme weather.

TRUTH If anything, weather has become less, not more extreme in the past 50 years. Professor Roger Pielke Jr of Colorado University – no climate sceptic – last week said that the past seven years had been the longest period ever recorded without a Category 3 or stronger hurricane hitting America, and that drought  has decreased since the  mid-20th Century. The IPCC admits  there is no evidence that global warming has caused more storms  in the tropics.

MYTH If we don’t take swift, drastic action to cut CO2 emissions, the world will soon become uninhabitable

TRUTH The ‘pause’ in rising temperatures, along with new research into the decline in the sun’s output and other natural factors, is leading many scientists to lower estimates of how fast carbon dioxide warms the world. Until now, the IPCC has suggested that doubling CO2 causes a worrying increase of 3.5C, but many experts say it is about 1.7C. The computer models still say the world will be at least 2C warmer by the end of the century, but they failed to predict the pause.

MYTH We’ve got to do our bit, even if it hurts. If we cut emissions, the rest of the  world will follow.

TRUTH The fiasco of the 2009 UN climate conference in Copenhagen proved that China, India, Brazil and other fast-growing nations are simply not prepared to make any binding commitments to reduce their emissions. However, by cutting our own ever more deeply, all we do is increase the already rocketing price of our energy and so drive jobs abroad – while making almost no difference to world CO2 levels.

MYTH The faster we cut carbon in our power generation, the more prosperous we will be.

TRUTH We face declining energy capacity, while the Government targets on 2030 emissions would mean few firms will be willing to invest in the one proven type of power source – gas – that can fill the gap relatively cheaply. Instead of  ‘green growth’, we face years of impoverished stagnation, while industry flees Britain and our  sky-high energy prices.

MYTH The Arctic is going to be ice-free in summer in a few years.

TRUTH Although last summer saw a return to the relatively low levels of ice seen in 2007, the growth of Arctic winter ice this year is the fastest on record. Canadian archaeologists have been finding evidence the ice cover shrank to half its current extent during a warm period 7,000 years ago – but never vanished entirely.

Much more here

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

California Educator Gets No Jail in Sex Case - Update

(La Mesa, California)

A woman found guilty of having sex with a 15-year-old student at Reflections Central School was sentenced on Thursday.

Chrystina Delrosario, 25, will have to register as a sex offender and could receive up to one year in prison. However, if she does not misbehave after a year of probation her sentence could be waived and her status as a sex offender will be revoked.

Should Delrosario successfully complete two years of probation, she also has the option to petition the court of dropping the charges to misdemeanors.

So, if Delrosario behaves, it appears she can escape with no punishment.

* * * * *
California Educator Accused of Classroom Sex
[Previous 7/18/12 post]
(La Mesa, California) A 25-year-old teacher's aide at Reflections Central School, Chrystina Delrosario, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student.




According to La Mesa Police Capt. Dan Willis, Delrosario faces counts of performing a lewd act with a child, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and intent to commit a sexual offense with a minor.

Delrosario has been an aide at the school since March 2010, said Music Watson, a county Office of Education spokeswoman. Delrosario has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending completion of the investigation, Watson said. She said school officials contacted police Monday morning after receiving information about the allegation. Willis said a patrol officer and detectives immediately went to the school and interviewed the aide, the victim and others. Delrosario was arrested at the school about 1 p.m. She is accused of having intercourse once with the boy in a campus classroom about 2½ weeks ago, Willis said.

Delrosario was booked into custody at the Las Colinas Detention Facility.

U.S. Troops in West Africa



(West Africa)

About 100 U.S. troops have deployed to the West African country of Niger to help establish a drone base for surveillance missions, in the latest step by the United States to aid French forces battling Islamic militants in neighboring Mali.

In a letter to Congress on Friday, President Obama said the deployment would "provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region."

he last 40 American troops in the deployment arrived in Niger on Feb. 20 with the consent of the government, Obama said.

A senior U.S. officer described the troops as a security unit that will protect crews flying and maintaining U.S. Air Force drones now operating from an airfield near the capital, Niamey. The force includes drone pilots, intelligence liaison officers and aircraft maintenance personnel, the officer said.

"We're basing drones there to help the French, and this deployment is the security element," the officer said.

He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the operation publicly.

Help the French, eh? Isn't America wonderful?

Open Fascism:   Democracy should be replaced by 'elite warrior leadership' in order to fight global warming

The world is full of envirofundamentalist doomsday prophets, who paint a grim picture of what is ahead for humanity. Few are however as candid as the two Australians, professor emeritus of medicine David Shearman and philosopher and ecologist Joseph Wayne Smith, who openly attack the liberal democratic system, which they think should be replaced by an authoritarian "elite warrior leadership".

This is what the two "warriors" have to say in the foreword of their book 'The Climate Change Challenge and the Failure of Democracy':

"We have known about these impending problems for several decades. Each year the certainty of the science has increased, yet we have failed to act appropriately to the threat. We have analyzed the reasons for this indolence. This understanding will lead you to ask yourself if Western civilization can survive in its present state of prosperity, health, and well-being, or will it soon suffer the fate of all previous civilizations—to become a mere page in history?

We will demand from you the reader, far more than your comprehension of the consequences of climate change and the workings of democracy. You will need to examine the limits of your introspection and the motivation bestowed upon you by biology and culture. The questions to be asked are difficult. You have a commitment to your children, but are you committed to the well-being of future generations and those you may never see, such as your great-grandchildren? If so are you prepared to change your lifestyle now? Are you prepared to see society and its governance change if this is a necessary solution?"

Chapters 6 and 7 demonstrate...

"that the inherent failures of democracy that have lead to the environmental crisis also operate in many other spheres of society. They are inherent to the operation of democracy. Furthermore, we come to share Plato’s conclusion that democracy is inherently contradictory and leads naturally to authoritarianism.

In chapters 8 and 9 we argue that authoritarianism is the natural state of humanity, and it may be better to choose our elites rather than have them imposed. Indeed Plato, on seeing the sequelae of democracy’s birth, observed that it is better that the just and wise should rule unwillingly, rather than those who actually want power should have it. We analyze authoritarian structures and their operation ranging from the medical intensive care unit and the Roman Catholic Church to corporatism with the conclusion that the crisis is best countered by developing authoritarian government using some of the fabric of these existing structures. The education and values of the new “elite warrior leadership” who will battle for the future of the earth is described."

The authors do not - at least not in the foreword - say, what will happen to the global warming    'deniers' in their brave new world. However, the Gulags of Stalin and Mao should serve as good models ...

SOURCE


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

California Teacher Gets Jail in Sex Case - Update

(Visalia, California)

Former Visalia teacher Lianne Trout was sentenced to 185 days in jail after she was convicted of 4 counts of sex with a minor.

Trout told her attorney she takes full responsibility for having sex with a 16-year-old student at Mt. Whitney High School in fall of 2011. […]

In July of 2012 Trout pleaded "no contest" to the five felony charges, four for having unlawful sex with a minor and another sexual assault charge. Judge Gary Paden agreed to sentence her to 185 days in jail for the crimes. Prosecutors disagreed with the sentence.

Matt Darby, Prosecutor said, "We would ask that prison would be imposed based on the fact the defendant the community's children were entrusted to her and she betrayed that trust."

Prosecutors also felt trout should be required to register as a sex offender for life. Instead, the judge allowed her sex offender registration to last only five years, the term of her probation.

Trout begins serving her sentence in April.

* * * * *
California Teacher and Former Student
[Previous 12/16/11 post]
(Visalia, California) A 27-year-old special education teacher at Mt. Whitney High School, Lianne Marie Trout, has been accused of engaging in sex with a former student.

Trout faces counts of lewd acts upon a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

According to a Visalia police report, Trout committed the unlawful sex acts on a 16-year-old male former student. The allegations include unlawful sex with a minor and oral copulation, and police say several incidents occurred over the past month in Visalia.

Craig Wheaton, Visalia Unified School District superintendent, said Trout resigned from her position on Thursday after the district completed an internal investigation on Wednesday and notified authorities.

Trout was booked into the Bob Wiley Detention Facility and released on $125,000 bail.

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas



I'd contend that one doesn't have to go to Las Vegas to find an abundance of douchebags. They're everywhere.

Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Sex Abuse of Boy, 9

(Reading, Pennsylvania) A 19-year-old local babysitter, Jalissa Destinee Baez, has been accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy.

Baez faces charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and indecent exposure.

According to detectives with the district attorney’s child abuse unit, the abuse was initially reported to city police who were told the child suffered the abuse at Baez’s hands at a home in the 200 block of Pear Street. The child’s father was working at the time of the assaults, police said.

Police said the abuse occurred between March and June of 2012 at the father’s home.

Baez was booked into custody. She awaits arraignment.

Coral reefs

Today I want to  publicize my new special-purpose blog on coral reefs.  The blog gathers together the most recent "wisdom" on coral reefs and the way they are "threatened" by global warming.  Rebuttals of that "wisdom" are also included of course.

The idea of the blog is as a one-stop-shop for anybody who is talking about coral reefs and wants to use just one link to blow the Warmist nonsense out of the water.  Link to the above blog and tell any coral alarmist to "go do some reading"

Because articles about coral reefs do not come up daily, the posts to the blog will not be daily.  The blog is intended as a reference rather than as regular reading.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.). 

FBI Arrests Connecticut Woman for Mass Murder Threats



(New Haven, Connecticut)

A 19-year-old woman who allegedly plotted a mass shooting and suicidal bombing at a community college in New Haven, Connecticut has been arrested and charged Thursday.

According to officials, Amanda Bowden of East Haven was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after threatening a Newtown-style massacre at Gateway Community College.

It was reported that Bowden used text messages to send several threats, and exchanged text message and talked with an undercover officer about her plans to commit a mass shooting and bombing at Gateway, revealed authorities.

U.S. Attorney David Fein said Bowden allegedly made a series of threats focusing on a suicidal mass murder at a community college in New Haven.

Bowden claimed to have guns and that she had constructed at least two napalm-based bombs at her home, added Fein.

A hearing is scheduled for March 1.

Nevada Woman and Pit Bull



Kara Vandereyk
(Las Vegas, Nevada) Responding to a tip, police found 23-year-old Kara Vandereyk engaging in various acts of sexual dispose with her pit bull.

Not only was the woman said to be in plain view of the neighbors, but police officers reported Vandereyk appeared to be under the influence of drugs, or was mentally ill, when she stood up and greeted the officers with a nonchalant, “Hi.”

Upon further investigation of the situation between the 23-year-old and the pit bull, police found that the woman couldn’t identify herself, the current date, or the name of the President of the United States.

Vandereyk was booked into custody and charged with open and gross lewdness.

Thigh-vertising



(Tokyo, Japan) A company called Absolute Territory PR pays young women to wear advertising stickers on their “absolute territory” – the part of their thighs between the edge of their miniskirts and their high socks.

Girls interested in having their thighs registered with Absolute Territory must be at least 18 years old, and also have a social media account connected to at least 20 other people.

After choosing a sticker ad, they have to wear it for at least eight hours a day, or more, for a set period of time, in order to meet the conditions of the contract and receive payment.

Once the ad is stamped on their thighs, they can get on with their daily lives, while wearing revealing skirts as often as possible and showing off their legs.

OK

Indian Virgin For Sale - Updated



Indian Virgin Shack
(Bharatpur, India) The prostitution of young girls of the Bedia tribe continues but efforts are in progress to change the tradition.

Unfortunately this is not the only village where women earn the livelihood by flesh trade. India has many such villages. These villages have time and again been in news for their outrageous acts, where fathers sell their daughters or husbands pimp their wives.

Recently a mass wedding was organized in one such village (Vadia). Here - couples between the ages of 12 and 16 got engaged and eight girls got married to volunteer grooms! Many hailed the move but the long-term approach to encroach prostitution by marriage is not the solution. Giving them better work opportunities is.

Women who enter by choice, need to be made aware about the politics being played with the in the name of caste and religion. Awareness to various sexual diseases and the short-term lure of money needs to be created.

Zee TV with the help of their show Phir Subha Hogi has brought the problems of Bedia village to limelight. There is still a lot to be done to change the mindset of the tribe members. Making them quit what they think of as an age-old tradition is difficult. But will this change really happen or will the shackles keep on tightening and more adolescent girls keep this tradition alive?

At best, I suspect it will take decades of outside involvement before there are any noticeable results in stemming the child prostitution trade.

* * * * *
Indian Virgin For Sale
[Previous 4/17/08 post]
(Bharatpur, India) A roadside cluster of young girls, heavily made-up and dressed beautifully, attract the attention of travelers in passing vehicles. The girls' maidenheads are offered for sale to the highest bidder.

Nita (pictured) is a pretty 13-year-old virgin who will follow her four sisters into the prostitution trade. One sister said Nita is particularly pretty and should command a high price. And Nita is willing, saying she doesn't like housework.

Nita's family is one of 59 who populate the roadside collection, all members of the Bedia tribe.

The Bedias are regarded as a 'warrior' caste, which initially took to prostitution, hunting and illicit brewing after suffering a series of military defeats in earlier times. It is said that to a member of the warrior caste, robbery or prostitution is preferable to manual labour.

[Note: Readers are cautioned not to confuse the Bedia tribe with the U.S. Congress since the Washingtonians, arguably quite adept at robbery and prostitution, have ceased to be recognized as a warrior caste.]

Deflowering virgins is a much sought-after commodity among middle-class businessmen and the price is high.

The normal rate is 100 rupees (£1.30) but a virgin is sold to the highest bidder for anything over 20,000 rupees. If she is very pretty, the community would hope to get up to 40,000 rupees. For this, the man can have access to the girl for as long as he likes - several hours, days, or even weeks. When he tires of her, there is a celebration.

Because it is considered unlucky for a girl to keep the money from her first time, it is spent instead on an extravagant party. Jewellery is bought for her and for her relatives, goats are slaughtered and alcohol runs freely. There is dancing, and offerings are made to the gods.

Unfortunately, once the girls are deflowered, they can no longer get married. It's of little concern, though, since the Bedia tribe has been sending girls into prostitution for at least a thousand years. There is no social stigma in what they do.

Starting with British colonial rule and continuing today, the government has attempted to reform the tribe by educating the girls. So far, there has been scant success since the Bedias are secretive by nature and the tribe's prostitution is a family institution which brings in a lot of money.

Ominously, the Bedia secrecy has stalled government efforts to collect data regarding the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the tribe's estimated 3,000 members.

Also: Jawa Report

California Woman Accused of Killing Her Mother



Laura Purviance
(Woodland Hills, California) A 24-year-old woman, Laura Purviance, has been accused of fatally shooting her 61-year-old mother.

Laura Purviance was arrested by Ore. State Troopers around 4 a.m. Friday at a rest area along Interstate 5 about 13 miles north of Medford.

The victim, identified as Purviance’s 61-year-old mother, was found around 8:20 p.m. Thursday in the 5600 block of Mason Avenue.

Investigators allege that Purviance shot the woman during an argument. Purviance’s roommate found the body.

The victim was found face down on her bed, surrounded by blood.

Christine Hubbs Violates Parole Conditions - Updated

(Dublin, California) On February 10, 44-year-old Christine Hubbs was paroled from prison after completing less than two years of her original five-year sentence.

Astonishingly, Hubbs was arrested a mere five days after her release for violating conditions of her parole. During a surprise visit by parole compliance agents, she was caught with pornography.

Hubbs was booked into custody at the Santa Rita Jail without bail. State action on her case is expected by February 25.

* * * * *
Christine Hubbs Interviewed Before Prison - Updated
[Previous 4/29/11 post]
(Dublin, California) Convicted child sex offender Christine Hubbs, aka "Hummer Mom," decided to talk to the media just before starting her sentence.



It appears that Hummer Mom is having difficulty recognizing her guilt.

* * * * *
Christine Shreeve Hubbs Gets Prison - Updated
[Previous 3/26/11 post]
(Livermore, California) Christine Shreeve Hubbs was formally sentenced yesterday to five years in prison.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy ordered that after Hubbs is released from prison, she will have to be on probation for three to 10 years and must register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

Hubbs' criminal behavior has touched many lives. Her husband, her children, her victims and her community are scarred.

* * * * *
California Woman Gets Prison in Teen Sex Case - Updated
[Previous 2/24/11 post bumped]
(Livermore, California) In accordance with a plea agreement, 42-year-old local woman Christine Shreeve Hubbs pleaded no contest to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor younger than 16 and three counts of a lewd act on a child.

The plea was part of a deal with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, which dropped 63 other felony sex charges against Christine Shreeve Hubbs, 42. An unrelated misdemeanor case against her also was dropped.

She is scheduled to be sentenced March 25 to five years in state prison. Once released, she will be on parole for as long as 10 years and must register as sex offender for the rest of her life.

Reportedly, Hubbs is married with three children.

* * * * *
California Woman and Teenage Boys
[Previous 8/6/10 post bumped]
(Livermore, California) A 42-year-old local woman, Christine Shreeve Hubbs, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with two 14-year-old boys.

Hubbs reportedly faces 67 criminal charges.

The mother of one of the boys went to Livermore police on July 27 to report she found a nude photo of Hubbs on her son's cell phone, according to court records. The boy told police the sex acts with Hubbs began in December 2008, when he was 14.

He told police he met with Hubbs multiple times for sex acts and twice went with her to a hotel to have sex with her. The boy said the relationship continued until January 2010.

During the investigation, police learned of a second boy, who is now 14, who said he had a sexual relationship with Hubbs from December 2009 through July.

Investigators say Hubbs communicated with the teens by text messages and at times used her cell phone to send sexual messages and nude pictures of herself.

Hubbs was booked into custody at the Santa Rita Jail with bail set at $4.3 million.

Companion post at TJR.

Ohio Teacher Accused of Perjury

(Zanesville, Ohio) A 37-year-old math teacher formerly at Tri-Valley Middle School, Michele L. Gross, has been accused of lying to a grand jury and giving alcohol to underage youth, charges linked to alleged crimes committed by her husband, Matthew Gross.

Michele Gross faces counts of perjury and furnishing alcohol to minors.

The perjury charge stems from her testimony during a Muskingum County grand jury hearing involving her husband in August, Prosecutor Michael Haddox said previously.

Gross’ husband, Matthew, who was a special education teacher’s aide at the school district from 2004-08, was indicted on two counts of rape and is expected to go to trial on those charges later this month.

Michele Gross pleaded not guilty during a hearing in the Muskingum County Common Pleas Court.

British penis enlargement ad banned after 'inadequacy' complaint

An advert for a penis enhancement has been banned after a man complained it left him feeling "inadequate".

The man contacted advertising watchdogs after being bombarded with ads telling him his penis size was a "disappointment" and that his partner might be "turned off".

The ad boasted men could "have a penis that's inches longer and much thicker naturally, without surgery, pumps or exercise. Guaranteed or your money back!" with the help of Maximus penis enlargement capsules.

But for one man, the ads aimed at tackling his manhood came too thick and fast after he began receiving the Life Healthcare four page mailing on his doorstep on a monthly basis so he complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The ASA banned the ad and said the company must suppress the complainant's personal data.

Source

Sounds like he does have a small one.  Such ads are as common as dirt on the internet. They have never bothered me.


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

Texas Teacher Accused in Sex Case

(Pasadena, Texas) A 41-year-old math teacher at Beverly Hills Intermediate School, LaShawn Simmons, has been accused of engaging in sex with four high school students.

Simmons faces counts of sexual assault of a child, improper relationship between an educator and a student, online solicitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.

A two-month investigation followed a complaint from a student's parent who discovered Facebook messages between her son and Simmons in December.

Investigators say they found Simmons had sex with two adults and two juveniles who attend J. Frank Dobie High School.

Quite a serious list of allegations, eh?

Massive Diamond Heist



(Brussels, Belgium)

Brussels Airport and a Swiss airline are at the center of a multimillion dollar international diamond heist that's in the news this morning (Feb. 19).

Police say the theft occurred late Monday at Brussels Airport.

According to authorities, a group of eight men cut a hole in a perimeter security fence, drove out to the tarmac and removed diamonds possibly worth hundreds of millions of dollars from the cargo of a Helvetic Airways' Fokker 100 jet operating for Swiss International Airlines.

It's reported that the raid lasted a mere three minutes and an estimated $50 million in diamonds were taken. Sounds like an inside job.

Another extreme outpouring of hate  -- against a very popular Royal Princess



Ms Mantel.  We would seem to have here a case of a fat old bag hating someone much more attractive and pleasant than herself.  Mantel is very egotistical and a former member of the Young Communist League -- an unsurprising combination

She is a double Booker Prize winner, the darling of the literary establishment.  And Hilary Mantel has used her position among the novel-writing elite to launch an astonishing and venomous attack on the Duchess of Cambridge.

Mantel, whose latest books are set in the Tudor court, dismissed Kate as a ‘machine-made’ princess, ‘designed by committee’.

Mantel, 60, also scorned her as a personality-free ‘shop window mannequin’ with a ‘plastic smile’.

She compared Kate unfavourably to both Anne Boleyn – one of her historical heroines – and to Princess Diana, insisting both had more personality.

She said Kate had gone from being a ‘jointed doll on which certain rags are hung’ to a woman whose ‘only point and purpose’ was to give birth.

Mantel said Kate ‘appeared to have been designed by a committee and built by craftsmen, with a perfect plastic smile and the spindles of her limbs hand-turned and gloss-varnished’.

She said the Duchess was quite unlike Anne Boleyn, who was ‘a power player, a clever and determined woman.’

Mantel contrasted her appearance to Prince William’s mother, Diana, ‘whose human awkwardness and emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture’.

Mantel, the author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, the acclaimed novels which detail the failure of Henry VIII’s wives to produce an heir, used a lecture to examine the prospects for the future queen consort.

Mantel said that when she first saw Kate Middleton, she struck her as ‘a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore.’

Ms Mantel’s comments on the Duchess of Cambridge’s appearance comes shortly after she spoke about having body issues of her own.

Ms Mantel went from a size ten to a size 20 in nine months after she was diagnosed with severe endometrosis at the age of 27.

The treatment, which included surgery removing her womb leaving her infertile, caused her to gain four stone.

The 60-year-old author said she sometimes dream of being thin again.

Mantel went on to say that female Royals were ‘at the most basic... breeding stock, collections of organs.’

Source


Although she is usually referred to simply as the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine's full title and style is Her Royal Highness Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Lady Carrickfergus.  No wonder Mantel hates her.

Mantel's quite explicit refusal to see the Duchess as as human being is very Communist.  Leftists generally seem to see classes of people only, not individual people.

And as a monarchist happily living in a constitutional monarchy, I feel perfectly entitled to refer to Mantel as a "fat old bag"  -- in response to much worse that she said about a member of the Royal family.  The Royal family themselves will of course have no comment on the matter


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

Car-Shaped Watermelons


(Can Tho City, Vietnam)

Since they first appeared last year in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho, watermelons in the shape of a car have drawn so much attention from the public that their price has jacked sky high, yet they sell like hotcakes.

These unique watermelons were grown by 59-year-old farmer Tran Thanh Liem, a resident of Binh Thuy Ward in Binh Thuy District in Can Tho City.

He is also well-known as the creator of gold-ingot-shaped watermelons, which were trademarked in 2010 by the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam.

I'd like to try one.

China Occupies Pakistani Port



(Gwadar Port, Pakistan)

China took control of Pakistan's Gwadar port on Monday as part of its drive to secure energy and maritime routes that also gives it a potential Arabian Sea naval base, sparking Indian concern.[…]

On January 30 the Pakistani cabinet approved the transfer of Gwadar, currently a commercial failure cut off from the national road network, from PSA International to the state-owned China company.

The Pakistanis pitched the deal as offering an energy and trade corridor that would connect China to the Arabian Sea and Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for a third of the world's traded oil, overland through an expanded Karakoram Highway.

So, China is expanding its strategic geopolitical influence while the U.S. is shrinking economically and sharply cutting its military capabilities. What's wrong with this picture?

New Hampshire Teacher Busted in Drug Case

(Manchester, New Hampshire) A 42-year-old art teacher at Central High School, Lisa Tagalakis Fedor, has been accused of allowing illegal drug sales from her apartment.

Fedor faces charges of criminal liability to drug sales and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police said she was aware that her roommate, Robert Doane, 26, of Manchester "was actively involved in drug sales from the apartment they shared and also in possession of a stolen firearm," according to a police news release. "Tagalakis Fedor reportedly allowed this ongoing activity to occur at their residence in the presence of her two young sons."

Her children have been placed with a family member pending further assessment by the state Division of Children, Youth and Families, according to police.

"She's been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal investigation," school superintendent Tom Brennan said Saturday night. "If convicted, that would be a possibility: termination."

Fedor was booked and released on $10,000 bail.

It's hate speech to condemn hate speech on campus?

A realistic portrayal of Muslims in campus life is not permitted, apparently

Students at the University of California, Santa Cruz are circulating a petition calling on the office of the university president to condemn shocking, inciteful hate speech and virulently racist assumptions by a UCSC lecturer against students involved in Palestine solidarity activism on campus.

The lecturer, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, is a well-known anti-Palestinian racist and inciter of accusations against students and professors who criticize Israeli policies. A video of a speech she gave at a synagogue on 20 June 2012 has surfaced, in which Rossman-Benjamin claims that students “have become poisoned by the rhetoric they hear on campus,” ostensibly referring to Palestine-related activism and criticism of Israel’s policies against Palestinians.

“And who are the primary sources of this?” she asks in the video. “Primarily the MSA [Muslim Student Association] and the SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine] students … they are generally motivated by very strong religious and political convictions, they have a fire in their belly, they come to the university, many of them are foreign students who come from countries and cultures where anti-Semitism is how they think about the world … These are not your ordinary student groups like College Republicans or Young Democrats. These are students who come with a serious agenda, who have ties to terrorist organizations.”

Source


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

School Librarian Gets Probation in Sex Sting - Update

(New Rochelle, New York)

Naughty high school librarian to be sentenced to three years probation for bombarding 16-year-old student with pics of her bare breasts.

Marisa Anton also sent explicit text messages to the New Rochelle High School student promising she would 'slaughter' him sexually.

Marisa Anton was arrested in a sting operation for sending sexually explicit pictures to a 16-year-old student.

OK

* * * * *
School Librarian Busted in Sex Sting
[Previous 6/1/12 post]
(New Rochelle, New York) A 33-year-old librarian at New Rochelle High School, Marisa L. Anton, has been accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with a 16-year-old male student.

Anton faces a charge of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree. From the police report:

On May 27, a sixteen year male student at New Rochelle High School appeared at Police Headquarters and reported that for the past several months Ms. Anton had been sending him e-mails and other computer data communications of explicitly sexual content in an effort to invite him to engage in sexual conduct with her.

Police investigation into the matter confirmed the student's report and Police Detectives apprehended Ms. Anton when she appeared at the student's residence in an apparent attempt to accomplish a sexual encounter.

Details on booking are unavailable.

Climate Change’s Hypothetical Links to Conflict



Schellnhuber is a nasty little creep.  He seems unaware (to be charitable) that when Indians talk of the monsoon "failing", they don't mean a total failure of it to appear.  It always appears but in "failing" years the rain starts later in the year and delivers (say) 10% less  rainfall overall.  And with greater prosperity, the tendency is for such "failures" to be much less disastrous than they were

Imagine India in 2033. It has overtaken China as the most populous nation. Yet with 1.5 billion citizens to feed, it’s been three years since the last monsoon. Without rain, crops die and people starve.

This is one of the scenarios Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, presented today to members of the United Nations Security Council in New York to show the connection between climate change and global security challenges.

Either rich nations will find a way to supply needy nations suffering from damaging climate effects “or you will have all kinds of unrest and revolutions, with the export of angry and hungry people to the industrialized countries,” Schellnhuber said in an interview yesterday.

In the Marshall Islands -- site of U.S. nuclear tests in the 1940s and 1950s and now being lost to a rising Pacific Ocean -- global warming has “threatened our very existence,” said Tony deBrum, minister-in-assistance to the president of the island state. In the future, the 68,000 inhabitants of the low- lying coral atolls could become stateless.

“Our roads are inundated every 14 days,” he told reporters in New York after the meeting. “We have to ration water three times a week. People have emergency kits for water. We can no longer use well water because it’s inundated with salt.”

Serious Consequences

The Security Council session was evidence of the increased focus on the link between climate change and global security.

Climate change is a “reality that cannot be washed away,” according to notes prepared for diplomats at today’s session. “There is growing concern that with faster than anticipated acceleration, climate change may spawn consequences which are harsher than expected.”

Yet, today’s discussions were not held as a formal meeting of the council because China and Russia, two of the larger emitters of the greenhouse gases that scientists tie to climate change, raised objections, said two UN diplomats who asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the subject. China was the largest gross emitter of carbon dioxide in 2011, followed by the U.S., the European Union, India and Russia, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Center.

More HERE


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

Elementary school bans white kids from tutoring
 
An elementary school principal in the Denver suburbs told parents that white children would be excluded from an after-school tutoring initiative.

Andre C. Pearson, the principal at Mission Viejo Elementary in Aurora, Colorado sent letters home to parents informing them that only students of color are eligible for the program, KJCT, the local ABC affiliate, reports.

Some shocked parents have alleged discrimination and segregation, reports CBS Denver.

“I was infuriated,” one parent, Nicole Cox, told CBS Denver. “I didn’t understand why they would include or exclude certain groups.”

“We have come so far in all of these years to show everybody that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated equally,” Cox added.

Cox is white. She has a 10-year-old daughter at the school, and she wants her daughter to have tutoring.

CBS Denver explains that Principal Pearson left Cox a voicemail before she could complain directly to the school (as other parents already had).

“This is Andre Pearson,” the voicemail said. “It’s focused for and designed for children of color, but certainly, if we have space for other kids who have needs, we can definitely meet those needs.”

The district has since apologized for the error. A spokeswoman for the school district told KJCT that Pearson’s letter was a mistake and that white students can participate in the tutoring program.

“We deeply regret that they got that communication,” the spokeswoman added, according to notes CBS Denver.

SOURCE


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

News

Maybe my readers can make sense of this.


From someone named Sasha:

Dozens of American states are in a fierce competition, vying to become home to one of six new proposed drone test sites, a major step towards the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in American skies, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) told RIA Novosti Friday.

OK

Popping Pimples or Voting, What to do first?



Frankly, this is bizarre. One would expect that a youngster would be required to have a high school education before making any decision concerning the political future of a nation.

Hamburg's citizens can now vote from the age of 16, with their first chance to make a political mark due in nine months - a state referendum on whether to buy back the electricity network from a private company.

The northern city-state follows Bremen and Brandenburg as the third German state to introduce voting rights for 16- and 17-year-olds for district and state matters.

Schools will inform the teenagers about their rights and duties, Die Welt newspaper said on Thursday.

Voting at 16 would seem to be a precursor to drinking alcohol and signing contracts at that age. A bad idea all around, I contend. And, if one looks throughout history, the Germans have made monumental mistakes. Think about it, Adolph Hitler was elected by the German people.

I've experienced the challenge of trying to get a 16-year-old to brush his teeth and make his bed. Everyday, over and over. One has to be a blithering idiot to think that 16-year-old pimple-faced youths can add anything other than comments to the political dialogue of a nation.

Looking at the situation from a demographic perspective, Germany has a game-changing concern with immigrants. Deutschland is flooded with Middle Eastern and North African folks. Quite possibly there are some moves afoot to keep the German society German. The idea will likely work in the short run but not forever. Unless Germany gets control of its borders, which won't happen, Germany will die and the German language will sit next to Latin, waiting for a religion to adopt it.

Florida Educator, 48, and Boy, 9

(North Port, Florida) A 48-year-old teacher's aide with the Sarasota School District, Sally D. Clarke, has been accused of child molestation.

Clarke faces 12 counts of child molestation.

The alleged abuse occurred within Clarke's home when the 9-year-old male victim stayed with her.

North Port Police spokesman Capt. Anthony Sirianni said the victim was a relative of Clarke, and that the alleged abuse had nothing to do with her employment for the school district.

According to police reports, the child told investigators Clarke touched his genitals with her hand over his clothing on 14 separate occasions — every night for two weeks that he stayed at her home.

Details on booking are unavailable.

Hero

Well worth a few moments, I believe.




Tip: slwlion

Australian study explores link between conservatism and happiness

This is a survey of university students only so is pretty idiotic but it does replicate the usual finding that conservatives are happier

A study conducted by a team from UQ Psychology, at the University of Queensland, surveyed 816 undergraduate students to explore the link between conservatism and happiness.

Professor Jolanda Jetten said the findings indicated that conservatives were happier than liberals because of their strong ties to a large network of social groups and a greater access to "social capital."

"In 2008, New York University psychologists Jaime Napier and John Jost were the first to attempt to explain this difference in happiness, arguing that the happiness gap is caused by the difference in ideology between conservatives and liberals," Professor Jetten said.

"It appears (from our research) that what makes conservatives happy is not conservative ideology but rather their social and material advantage - the same advantage that makes conservative ideology appealing in the first place."

Fellow researcher Dr Fiona Kate Barlow said it was found that those with a higher social economic status have access to more group memberships and this created greater life satisfaction.

SOURCE

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

The Tokugawa Shogunate


My brief note yesterday may have conveyed the impression that I approve of the tyranny of the Tokugawas.  I don't of course.  But the sharply stratified society of Tokugawa Japan was  much the same in Europe.  Both liberties and food security for the common man were very limited in both Europe and Japan.  The difference is that Europeans had to put up a lot of pretty vicious wars on their territory as well.  Life in Japan was at least pretty predictable.  And there was always the "floating world" for those who rose above the peasantry.

Predictability is not everything, however, and it could be argued that the insecurity in Europe was what lay behind the scintillating and eternal works of art that Europe produced at that time:  The work of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi etc.  By comparison, Japan at that time  produced practically nothing cultural that has gained renown outside its own borders -- excepting of course the work of Hokusai


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