Driver's License Suspended On Doctor's Report

(Lebanon, Pennsylvania) Keith Emerich had his driver's license suspended after his doctor notified the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that he admitted to drinking 6 to 12 beers daily. County Judge Bradford Charles has upheld the decision and ordered Emerich to install an expensive ignition interlock device on his car to prevent him from driving while drinking. Otherwise, he has lost his privileges to drive.

I guess there is no longer anything like doctor-patient privilege. It also appears that Emerich is being punished without having committed a crime. There is no law (yet) prohibiting beer drinking and there is no evidence that Emerich drove while drinking. "Innocent until proven guilty" has been replaced with "punished for talking to your doctor."

If the liberals get their national health care program, we'll see more extensive Gestapo-like rules and just think of the amount of liberty that will disappear. My advice would be to keep one's mouth shut when around government informants, like doctors.

Tax-Free School Supplies

(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Philadelphia Democratic State Representative Mike McGeehan has announced that he will propose legislation to institute two week-long holidays from sales tax on school supplies, in August and in January. During those periods, the state's 6 percent sales tax would not be levied on pencils, notebooks, calculators, lunch boxes, and other school items.

This idea is great! Any time taxes are cut, it's great! And, if computers are included in the list of school supplies, I'm sure retailers will see a boon in sales.

That said, it needs to be pointed out that a Democrat has proposed the idea and timed it just before the November election. Democrats generally don't believe in tax relief so it appears that McGeehan is only trolling for votes.

Online Drugs

According to Illinois Governor Blagojevich, within a month, the state will have an online clearinghouse in operation to help citizens order drugs from foreign countries. The online service will be established despite the fact that it's contrary to federal law. So far, other states have initiated similar programs and, as yet, the Food and Drug Administration has taken no legal action to stop the practice. I'm sure that drug importation will continue to be a contentious issue. However, the way things are currently trending, it doesn't look like the federal government is going to do anything.

Mark my words, soon we'll be hearing offbeat stories of idiots trying to order illegal narcotics via the online clearinghouse.

Supreme Court May Disbar Judge

(Columbus, Ohio) For allegedly engaging in a pattern of improper and unprofessional conduct, Court of Common Pleas Judge Deborah O'Neill may be disbarred by the Ohio Supreme Court. Judge O'Neill faces five charges of judicial misconduct and the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline recommended her law license be suspended for two years. Eight judges who work with her filed an official complaint describing rude behavior, arriving to court two hours late, and violations of law.

In one case, the judge allegedly expressed her opinion of guilt for a crime for which the defendant was not convicted.

O'Neill also allegedly pressured both sides to reach a plea agreement because she was going away. She allegedly told the lawyers, "No plea, no bail, and he'll sit in jail until I'm back from vacation."

In her defense, O'Neill has said that the other judges are just as guilty and that they are politically allied against her. Also in her defense, she told reporters that:

"I think I forgot I had a robe on. I made independent decisions and instead of sticking by them, I did things and that was a result of human behavior."

Um ... okay, whatever that's supposed to mean.

My general impression is that Judge O'Neill sounds like she could use a vacation. I also think that there should be more vigorous policing of judges throughout the United States. Many are incompetent and hurt society more than they help.

Vagrant Kills Tavern Owner

(Tulsa, Oklahoma) A homeless man, Terry Badgewell, used a length of pipe to kill Shawn Howard, owner of the Deadtown Tavern. Tulsa residents are angered and some fear vigilante justice may erupt against the homeless. People downtown have been seen wearing "F*** the homeless" T-shirts handed out by bar owners.

The prosecutor believes it is a case of self-defense so Badgewell has been released from custody. However, family and friends of Howard believe otherwise and are collecting signatures on a petition to have a grand jury hear the case. In the meantime, Interested-Participant recommends that vagrants vamoose from Tulsa and go to San Francisco or Key West, two of the best cities for the homeless where attractive benefits are provided. (via Dummocrats.com)

Kerry and Waxman

In this story from the Jerusalem Post, it's reported that John Kerry has selected Democratic former Congressman Mel Levine from West Los Angeles to be his top Mideast advisor. I presently have no comment concerning this appointment other than the fact that I really have a hard time understanding why any Jew would ever vote for or become a Democrat.

It's been reported that the Palestinians are secretly supporting Kerry. In unofficial meetings with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and other Palestinian leaders, the potential new administration's Middle East plans were discussed along with the possible appointment of Sandy "Hot Pockets" Berger as Secretary of State. Since the Palestinians are generally known to raise their children to hate all Jews and the Palestinians support John Kerry, it's unfathomable to me how the Jews can also support Kerry. It's not in their best interest.

What I also found interesting about the article is a quote by Democrat Congressman Henry Waxman in which he praises John Kerry for his ability to "translate his views into public policy." Well, excuse me for not paying enough attention. I thought I kept pretty current on the political landscape, but somewhere I missed the expression of anything definite from John Kerry. In fact, every time I've felt comfortable about where he stands on an issue, he reverses himself. It seems to me that the only thing a person can be sure of is that John Kerry is solidly founded in liberalism. With regard to Kerry's "views" on individual issues, hell, I honestly don't know. Nevertheless, whatever they are, Henry Waxman seems to know and also knows they're well translated into public policy. Maybe it's a secret.

Bug Gamblers Arrested

(Hong Kong) Facing charges of illegal gambling on cricket fights are 115 bug lovers. Approximately 300 crickets and more than $1,000 were confiscated during the raid by Hong Kong police. Each gambler may receive penalties of three months in jail and a $1,280 fine.

Sheesh! I didn't know you could get crickets to fight each other. One has to wonder if an army of fighting crickets could be trained to attack something. If not, just the idea could be used in a new Godzilla movie.

Oprah Selected For Jury Duty

(Chicago, Illinois) Even though she said she couldn't be impartial to a defendant who did not testify, Oprah Winfrey was chosen to sit in judgment in the trial of Dion Coleman, 27, charged with first-degree murder. Last night, Winfrey sat quietly taking notes while opening statements were presented in the courtroom of Judge James B. Linn in the Cook County Criminal Courts building. Duration of the trial is expected to be three days.

Australians Most Dopey

According to this report from News.com.au, a team of international experts has found that Australians use more cannabis than the citizens of the United States, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Research indicates that 60 per cent of Australian adults have tried cannabis and 2 per cent are believed to be dependent on the drug. The research also indicates there is a link between cannabis use and mental illness.

One can assume that the marijuana advocacy will adamantly refute the findings of the experts.

Bobby Fischer To Renounce U.S. Citizenship

(Tokyo, Japan) Former chess champion Bobby Fischer wants to renounce his American citizenship, but the U.S. Embassy wants him deported to face charges that he violated international sanctions on the former Yugoslavia. Fischer also wants to get married, but Japanese officials require a valid passport and proof of citizenship, neither of which he has. He's been checked in his effort to be mated. The story continues to develop.

Slowly Recovering

Almost back to Olympic form is Joe Kelley of The Sake Of Argument who is recovering from a bout with meningitis and hopefully will be back blogging soon. Go visit and lend some encouragement.

On Stage With President Bush

Last Wednesday, Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended appeared on stage with the President during a campaign event at the Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Phoenix. His report on the event is a pleasure to read, fairly concise yet informative to the point where one gets the feeling of actually having been there. Take a look.

Legal Prostitution in Bay Area?

(Berkeley, California) Although it would be contrary to California state law, a group called the Sex Workers Outreach Project has collected enough signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot which aims to essentially legalize prostitution in Berkeley.

Wait a minute! Didn't the State Supreme Court rule just last week that a community cannot intentionally violate California state law? There are many, many people upset because their marriages have been voided since Mayor Gavin Newsom's actions were illegal when he married them. It would seem that election officials would take the hint and prohibit ballot measures that don't comply with state law. Of course, this is California where rules and laws are all relative. Also, it's Berkeley where I understand that years ago they passed a city ordinance making it illegal to detonate nuclear bombs within the city limits. There have been no violations as yet.

It's not surprising that support for the measure comes from two primary groups, the hookers, who are tired of being shuffled in and out of jail, and the adjacent communities, who want their prostitutes to go to Berkeley so that they can clean up the blighted hooker stroll areas. We'll hear more about this story as election day approaches.

Wild Animals Cause Wilderness Damage

The pristine government wilderness areas around San Francisco Bay are experiencing some significant challenges since they've become populated with wild animals. In particular, wild hogs and foxes are damaging the happy wilderness. The hogs tear up entire hillsides allowing erosion and the foxes are killing other species. As a result, wildlife management authorities are aggressively implementing a modified wilderness program where some species are more equal than others. According to District Wildlife Program Manager Joe DiDonato,

"If certain animals expand at the expense of endangered species or the general environment, we must take remedial measures."

The problems associated with wilderness areas are blamed on 200 years of human influence and, therefore, additional human intervention is necessary to assure that wilderness areas are true wilderness areas. As DiDonato says,

"We can't just let things slide and expect nature to work it out. In these lands, nature needs an active helping hand."

It would seem that these areas shouldn't be referred to as wilderness areas. More appropriate would be wildlife management areas or preserves. Also, no surprise nor frustration should be expressed by the authorities when wild animals show up and proliferate in areas that appear to be a wild. After all, how are the wild animals to know that they are entering the equivalent of a gated community?

Banned Drug Producer

New Law Bans Popular Drug

(Turkmenistan) Due to health concerns, the President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan has banned the chewing of a drug called nas or naswai which is a mixture of chicken excrement, tobacco, and lime. As the drug is chewed, it acts as a narcotic and stimulant. Violators of the law will face fines. A typical production facility is pictured below.



Apparently, use of the drug results in a high incidence of throat cancer, reportedly blamed for 80 percent of Central Asians afflicted with the disease. Although not mentioned in the report, it's suspected that the drug causes 100 percent of the halitosis in Turkmenistan. (Via The Owner's Manual)

Gustatory Art

Gustatory Art



Some people like modern art or renaissance art or impressionism, I'm particularly fond of gustatory art. Pictured is a masterpiece. Italian meatballs slathered in red marinara sauce, and then rolled in shredded asiago cheese. Thanks to Brent at Coptalk who also has a pic of chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick.

Competing With Wal-Mart

(Middlefield, Ohio) With a Wal-Mart Supercenter scheduled to open in this NE Ohio community next spring, the Middlefield Chamber of Commerce has hired a consultant to aid merchants in competing. Kenneth Stone, a professor emeritus of economics at Iowa State University, has years of experience researching the impact of chain stores.

"Unless you change the way you do business," Stone warned, "you risk losing your business."

In a three-hour presentation, Stone outlined necessary techniques and tactics for small businesses to compete and survive. Adapting their products, services, and methodologies to work around the influence of Wal-Mart is required.

In addition to Middlefield, within the next year Wal-Mart plans to open Supercenters in Chardon in Geauga County, North Madison in Lake County, Oberlin in Lorain County, and Wadsworth in Medina County.

Journalism As Thuggery

Via Les Jones, I was pointed to a new blog called Varifrank by Frank Martin who has written an excellent post on the current state of the journalism profession. Frankly (no pun intended), I wish I had written it.

The question Frank puts on the table is:

What if the power of the press itself has become corrupt?

In convincing detail, the question is answered and I agree with Frank's logic and conclusions.

It's worthwhile to spend a few minutes looking over Varifrank. He's also posted an engaging entry which explains the chaotic political situation in Venezuela. It appears that, sooner or later, the mess in Caracas is going to grow into a significant international problem. Like it or not, everybody will be affected.

Radio Quiz

Yesterday, as I was puttering around the house, I had the radio on, half listening to the WTAM Cleveland station. Two guys were hosting a sports-talk program where they asked questions to callers and gave out prizes for correct answers. The subject was based on the fact that virtually all NFL teams have at least one player named Johnson and they were trying to identify which player weighed the most. Callers were asked to answer the question of which of two teams had the bigger Johnson. Funny.

It turned out that a player on the Lions weighed more than all others named Johnson. So, Detroit, you've got the biggest Johnson.

Dalai Lama Teams With PETA

It seems that corporate officials for YUM Brands, parent company for KFC, received notification from the Dalai Lama in a letter, dated June 22nd, stating:

"On behalf of my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I am writing to ask that KFC abandon its plan to open restaurants in Tibet, because your corporation's support for cruelty and mass slaughter violate Tibetan value." The Buddhist holy man cited the death of a chicken for his becoming a vegetarian. He also stressed that eating chicken was not a Tibetan cultural tradition.

YUM brands studied the feasibility of selling chicken in Tibet but halted all plans when they realized it wouldn't be a receptive marketplace.

I personally don't make much of the tie-in of PETA with the Buddhist leader. They would surely be equally successful in coaxing a Muslim cleric into writing a letter pleading that Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage not be sold in Islamabad.

The Ohio Economy

It is so depressing to listen to the elite media and the Democrats constantly vilify the business and jobs climate in Ohio. It's described as an abysmal pit of poverty and desperation, a picture of pitch blackness. John Kerry and his campaign operatives, which includes the major media in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Akron, and other cities, constantly rail at the Republicans for making Ohio a dismal stinkhole.

It's understandable that John Kerry would preach gloom. He's a politician with an agenda, an agenda to convince everyone that Ohio is a sewer and it's the Republicans' fault. Consequently, if everyone votes for the Democrats, Ohio will no longer be a sewer.

What's not understandable is the elite Ohio media becoming a de facto extension to the Kerry campaign team, echoing the message of misery. One would imagine that at least one major news and opinion outlet would come to the defense of the people and the businesses in Ohio. Unfortunately, that's all one can do, dream about it. It's like a football player on the field being shouted at by his teammates on the bench, "Hey! You suck!" It takes real character to keep one's mind on the game.

In addition to a previous post citing examples of business growth, other simple facts about life in Ohio do not support the absolute black characterizations from the Democrats. First of all, the Department of Labor reports that the Ohio unemployment rate hovers at somewhat less then 6 percent. Almost everybody desires to have this number lower and works towards that end. Nonetheless, John Kerry, the ersatz Frenchman, portrays Ohio unemployment as a disaster, yet the country of France, Kerry's touchstone for political philosophy, has gotten comfortable with unemployment cuddling 10 percent. If Ohio is dismally black at 6 percent unemployment, how would the Democrats portray France at 10 percent?

Another simple fact is that the downturn in the economy in Ohio and nationally has little to do with the Republicans. Several major events put the brakes on business and it's futile to try and place specific blame. The aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 put airlines and airports into financial distress due to increased security measures. The massive sell off of ridiculously overpriced Internet stocks in the dotcom bust caused the markets to tumble and wealth to evaporate. The criminal accounting practices of Enron, Worldcom, and others made pension funds disappear. Plus, let us not forget that the United States is at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Needless to say, each of these events had a rippling effect on the entire economy.

Not insignificant and bound to continue is the impact of global free trade. Many countries, most notably China, have become vigorous competitors in the American marketplace, forcing staid and traditional U.S. companies to rethink their business methodologies. They're losing sales because there are lower-priced equivalents in the market. The changes occurring are similar to what happened in the early 1970s when low-priced cars from Japan took over the American market and Detroit automakers were forced into changing the way they conducted business.

The economy in Ohio and the U.S. has been dramatically affected by all these, and other, events and no one administration can be faulted for causing them. An administration can be asked to do something to help mitigate the negatives in the economy and, in this regard, the Bush administration is doing a notably effective job. The economy is recovering fast, so much so that the Federal Reserve just increased the discount rate to allay inflationary pressures and, although there was a stumble last month, the trend in job creation has been positive and substantial. Any rational assessment of the state of the economy would have to conclude that America should continue doing what it is doing.

On the other hand, the Democrats would like everyone to believe the economy is in the toilet and we need to increase taxes on the rich. They highlight the lack of jobs in Ohio, portraying the state as a wasteland. And the Ohio media surreptitiously heralds the Democratic Party message. Pick up any major newspaper in Ohio to learn how much Ohioans suck. The media make great cheerleaders. Unfortunately, they're on the wrong side.

Iraqi Olympic Team

Olympic Opening Ceremonies

It really warmed my heart to see the resounding ovation accorded the Iraqi delegation upon their entrance to the Olympic Stadium. For the first time in a generation, the Iraqi athletes can compete without being threatened with physical punishment if they don't win. The burden of Uday is gone and it was reflected in the beaming smiles of the Iraqi athletes.



And, contrary to some people's predictions (Eleanor Clift for one) of jeers and catcalls for the American team, the United States athletes entered to a warm welcome. I heard no boos from the crowd. (via Wizbang)

Democrat Congressman Switches to Republican

The political environment in Louisiana is always full of surprises but is seldom surprising. People have grown accustomed to political shenanigans to the point where it's considered a form of entertainment. For example, I'm sure many folks recall Edwin Edwards telling the people of Louisiana to "hold their noses" and vote for him anyway.

Well, politics as usual was demonstrated by last week when freshman Democratic Congressman Rodney Alexander switched party affiliation to Republican at the last moment of filing for reelection. The result has been absolute shock. Democrats in Louisiana and Washington are angry, very angry. They're mad at the treachery, the perfidy, the cowardice, the just plain sneaking no-good backstabbing.

It appears that no one is more upset than Rep. Nancy Pelosi who aspires to become Speaker of the House and, therefore, cannot afford the loss of any Democratic seat. Not only that, but Pelosi hosted a fund-raiser last month where Alexander was the guest of honor. She feels betrayed and it shows in her demeanor and on her face. Oh, wait a minute, she looks like that all the time.

Interestingly, Alexander also feels betrayed - by the Democratic Party.

"For several months, I have been defending my vote within my party. I'm pro-life. I'm pro-family. I'm pro-gun. I'm for a strong defense," he said.

Since everything Alexander supports is contrary to the Democratic Party's agenda, it appears he needed a new home.

The drama is by no means over, though. The Democrats are endeavoring to get Alexander removed from the ballot. A complaint has been filed in Baton Rouge stating that Alexander violated the law when he change parties and he may be removed from the ballot. Whether he stays on the ballot or not won't change the political impact to the Democrats. They've suffered a wallop. It left them without a viable candidate for the November election.

Pamela Anderson Authors Book

This news is contrary to a dream I had one time. In it, Pamela Anderson reads a book. Of course, I can always hope it will still happen.

Anti-Weed Ordinance

The anti-weed ordinance is now in effect in Baltimore, Ohio. Violations could result in hundreds of dollars in fines and possible criminal charges.

Giant Squid

Giant Squid

Check out this stinking mess.



Found dead and tangled in fishermen's nets, the giant squid is 30 feet long and weighs 222 lbs. It's not even close to the record of 60 feet and 2,000 lbs. but it's a big deal nonetheless because they are rarely seen. There have only been 300 confirmed sitings in the past 500 years and none were alive, although some people believe that Jules Verne saw one attack a ship.

Ohio Storage Facilities Alerted

(Columbus, Ohio) State and federal agencies, including the FBI, have been sending out alerts and warnings to owners and managers of self-storage businesses in the Columbus area to be on the lookout for possible terrorist activity. Apparently the authorities have received intelligence indicating that public self-storage units have been used for staging of weapons and explosives and for bomb preparation. This makes sense because, in a storage unit, the terrorists wouldn't have to worry about nosy neighbors as they would in an apartment building or residential street.

Law enforcement said owners, workers and customers should be on the lookout for storage items like chemicals, pesticides, explosives, ammunition and laboratory materials, such as masks and rubber gloves, textbooks, and manuals, such as those explaining how to fly a plane.

They should also look for large delivery vehicles, containers and equipment.

Owners are being asked to watch for customers who insist on paying in cash or who seem overly concerned about privacy and who visit the facility late at night.

It's also being reported that, starting this month, a statewide terrorism prevention program records database will be inaugurated. The plan is to connect all 970 local law enforcement agencies in Ohio and be accessible statewide.

Mongolian Baseball

I never would have thought that I would see the day that the all-American game of baseball was introduced and adopted in Asia and played by native citizens of the Gobi Desert. But it has. There is a Mongolian National Federation of Baseball and they compete internationally. Quite appropriately, Robert Koehler calls them the Homerin' Horde.

Let's see, now. We've got Japan, China, and South Korea represented in Major League Baseball, along with Canada and most countries in Central America. So don't be surprised if George Steinbrenner decides to add a Mongolian pitcher or slugger to the Yankee roster sometime in the future. It's conceivable that an entire team could be fielded with a different country represented at each position without one American in the lineup.

Francine Prieto

Francine Prieto

Reading the Marmot regularly keeps me up to speed on events and trends in the Far East and I found some recent posts (see here and here) very interesting. They concern a Filipino actress and model named Francine Prieto who is phenomenally popular and, according to Korean media, the most searched-after foreign name in Korean cyberspace.

Famous wealthy Koreans have even made some indecent proposals with one reported offer to Ms. Pietro of 100 million South Korean won in return for one night of her intimate company. Based on the current exchange rate and my math, 100 million won equates to about $85,000. Nice rate of pay for sure, but she turned it down nevertheless while noting that she was an actress and model and not a sleazy money-chaser.

My take on these reports is that her immense popularity in the Far East may be a harbinger of future celebrity in North America and Europe. (Rev. 8/14, pic deleted)

Republican Convention Bloggers

On the Interested-Participant blogroll, I've added the list of officially accredited bloggers for the Republican National Convention. Thanks to Kevin Aylward at Wizbang who will be blogging the convention and is currently polling his readers to determine which celebrities to track down for interviews. So far, Laurie Dhue has been selected. There's another poll up now. Go visit and vote.

Also, Kevin is looking for help to defray the cost of staying in New York and attending the convention. For those inclined, any donation would be appreciated.

Wal-Mart Background Checks

(via Always Low Prices) Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced today a plan to perform criminal background checks on all new applicants for employment. The program starts with Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in the Midwest in September and then expands nationally.

Of course this plan is a good idea but one wonders what type of review will be performed to check on existing workers, estimated at 1.5 million as of 1/31/04. With that size of a workforce, I'm sure they have a crook or two worth weeding out.

Also, don't be surprised if some leftist do-gooder outfit protests because the program is unfair.

I must mention that I have personal experience with soup-to-nuts employee background verification projects and the results were primarily astonishment. Virtually everyone involved with the process was astonished by the not insignificant number of people who presented applications and resumes that were largely or total fiction. Fortunately, the majority of workers were fairly honest, although a tendency to fudge on information about experience and qualifications was noticed.

Same-Sex Marriages Voided

By a vote of 5-2, the California Supreme Court ruled that the city of San Francisco violated the law by issuing certificates for same-sex unions and voided all of the thousands of marriages conducted in February and March.

NE Ohio Rabies Cases

In Geauga and Lake Counties there have now been seven confirmed cases of rabies after two more raccoons tested positive for the disease.

Bonnie and Charley

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

(Via Speed of Thought) Picture from about 18 hours ago.



It's time to rig for foul weather.

[Update 8/12/04, 1300EDT) The disorganized center of Tropical Storm Bonnie moved closer to the Florida panhandle, raining down on already-soaked coastal areas with 50-mile-per-hour winds. The center is located just south of Apalachicola.

Hurricane Charley, with sustained winds of 90 mph, is expected to hit the Keys and Southern Florida tomorrow morning. Charley is just north of Grand Cayman island and moving north at 17 mph. (via ABCNews)

BIN LADEN CALLS FOR NEW ATTACKS

(Islamabad, Pakistan) According to this report from Scotsman.com, Pakistani intelligence sources have stated that Osama Bin Laden is calling for new attacks on the United States and Britain.

"Osama has given the go-ahead to target important places and personalities in the US, UK and Pakistan," one Pakistani intelligence source said.

[ ... ]

Pakistani intelligence agencies have been questioning key al-Qaeda figures captured in the past month in a crackdown that has yielded a wealth of details about personnel and plots to hit targets in the country and abroad.

They include Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted for the attacks on US embassies in east Africa in 1998; Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a key al-Qaeda operational chief in Pakistan; and a computer engineer, Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan.

Khan's laptop computer has proved a treasure trove of information on al-Qaeda's plans to launch attacks, including in the US and on Heathrow airport.

This news is not welcome nor should it be considered a politically motivated act by the Bush administration as has been contended. It's from intelligence gathered by the government of a foreign country.

600-pound Woman Dies During Rescue

(Stuart, Florida) Authorities estimate that 600-pound Gail Grinds, 40, had not moved from her couch for at least two years. When she had trouble breathing, rescuers had to have the couch surgically removed from her skin since they had grown together. According to this report,

Martin County Fire amd [sic] Rescue crews faced what seemed to be an impossible mission. Everyone going inside had to wear protective gear. The stench was so powerful they had to blast in fresh air.

They tried to cut out the front door, but at four-and-a-half feet wide, it wouldn't work. They had to cut plywood since a normal stretcher wouldn't do.

An ambulance was too small, so they brought in a trailer to get her out. While rescue crews came up with a back-door rescue plan, detectives secured what had become a crime scene, questioning family members about how it got so bad.

Using planks, they loaded the woman on to the trailer, still attached to the couch. Removing her would be too painful, since her body is grafted to the fabric.

Unfortunately, in spite of all efforts to save her life, Gail Grinds died at the hospital.

I just cannot imagine someone not moving for that length of time (i.e. no trips to the bathroom, no trips to the refrigerator). Some other person or people had to be there to enable the condition to exist. As a minimum, somebody brought her food and water. And, it seems that someone was probably negligent to allow the situation to deteriorate to a life-threatening degree.

Pointers For the Homeless

Via Seven Inches of Sense, I found this informative post which provides some valuable tips for the homeless and other street people. For example,

1) Make friends with someone who closes up at a fast food restaurant. They have to throw out the food that has not been sold at the end of the night anyway so if you ask them nicely, they'll put it in a box for you beside the dumpster instead of inside it.

2) If you ever run out of gas and have no money, just go to a junkyard. There are tons of cars there that will never run again and they all have gas in them. Just find one without rust on the wrecked area, because it hasn't been sitting there long enough to get water in the gas tank most likely, and ask the owner/manager if you can siphon the gas out.

Follow the link for additional pointers.

It should be mentioned that specific street skills aren't really necessary if a person goes to Key West, Florida. The city fathers of Key West are providing just about every benefit imaginable to their homeless population.

Italian Men Are Wussies

According to the results of a survey of 1,200 Italian men on the holiday beaches of Rimini, Viareggio and Gallipoli, their reputation of being hot-blooded lovers is history. The legend of Italian manliness has been erased and replaced with namby-pamby wussiness because of women's growing independence.

After I read this story, I mentioned it to my friend Tony who beseeched me to convince him it wasn't my opinion. Whew! Luckily I was successful. He's rather adept at beseeching.

By the way, the article was written by a woman.

Dog Support Granted in Divorce

Canadian truck driver, Kenneth Duncan, didn't receive a child support judgment in his divorce from Barbara Boschee because they had no children. They did, however, have a dog and the judge assessed Duncan with monthly dog support payments equating to about $150. He gets no visitation which was probably decided to protect the dog. I got a feeling the dog wouldn't have lived through one visit.

Best Cities

The results of a recent survey indicate that the 20 best cities in the world to move to are primarily in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand along with a smattering of European cities. Only one, Honolulu, is in the United States and it was No. 16. Leading the list are Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal. Toronto came sixth, barely behind Perth, Australia.

If all this is true, then why are so many people trying to get into the United States? It's generally recognized that many illegals go to Canada with a primary purpose of using it as a way station on the trek to the U.S. Somehow it seems that the survey criteria may have been lacking something. If not, those people that made it to Canada would stay there and not try to cross the border to the U.S.

Proposed: Parents to Clean Schools

To cut costs, the government of New South Wales in Australia is evaluating a scheme to force parents to clean the public schools. Having no familiarity with the school systems down under, it's not clear by what authority this scheme could come about. The laws must have provisions for school administrators to martial the general citizenry into indentured servitude.

I'm fairly confident that the proposal wouldn't be well received in the U.S. However, if a proposal were introduced whereby a homeowner was exempted from paying property taxes in return for spending a couple hours a week emptying trash cans and sweeping floors, there might be some deals made.

Record Halibut Caught

Anyone that is in the least bit interested in fishing has to be impressed with this report. Using a rod and reel, a Dane landed a 419-pound halibut while fishing in Norwegian waters at a depth of about 120 feet.

The halibut, which had to be moved by forklift, had impressive vital statistics indeed: 190 kilos, 2.38 meters (7 feet 9 inches) long, 1.26 meters (4 feet 1 inch) wide and 35 centimeters (13.7 inches) thick.

The fish weighed over 60 lbs. more than the previous record and took 90 minutes to reel in.

Republican National Convention

If the behind-the-scenes buzz is accurate, President Bush is sure to see a leap in the polls from the Republican National Convention beginning Aug. 30. Besides the announced plans, Steven Taylor insinuates that:

[W]hen Bush accepts the nomination, Ed McMahon is going to announce "And heeeeeeer's Dubya!" and Doc will strike up the band. It will be fan-freakin'-tastic.

With a stage band of some of the most prominent studio musicians in New York accentuating celebrity appearances, patriotic symbolism, and the party's message, it's sure to be enjoyable viewing. This would be true even without showcasing the award winning beauty of Republican women.

And, of course, good shows get good ratings.

Run! Spot! Run!

(St. Charles Township, Illinois) Residents of this community outside Chicago need to keep a close eye on the family dog. A 27-year-old man, Daniel Joyner, has been charged with two counts of having sex with a pit bull and one count of criminal damage to property after a neighbor filed a complaint with the Geneva Police Department. Kane County Judge Grant Wegner set bail at $50,000 and ordered a psychological examination of Joyner.

It seems that Joyner really needs some professional therapy, counseling, reprogramming, or some other intervention. Having sex with a pit bull would appear to indicate some courageous sado-masochistic tendencies. He obviously likes it ruff!

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Book Ban

It's a good thing I wasn't taking a sip of coffee when I read this report. I would have choked, spit, coughed, and spilled. I have always thought the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was nothing more than a stealth division of the ACLU and then I learn that the court decides to affirm banning a book. Call me surprised.

The book was written by tax protester Irwin Schiff and two associates and is titled, The Federal Mafia: How Government Illegally Imposes and Unlawfully Collects Income Taxes. The court ruled that the content was fraudulent, encouraged people to break the law, and was not protected by the First Amendment.

This ruling doesn't seem to be consistent with what is already allowed to be printed and sold. Library shelves are peppered with books that are fraudulent and encourage law-breaking. Of course, the book in question has to do with collecting taxes and, if there's anything that liberals, and liberal judges in particular, absolutely love, it's jacking up and collecting taxes.

John Kerry's Chances

Adam Sparks contributed a column in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle which analyzes John Kerry, his history, and the probability that the Kerry/Edwards ticket will win in November. His conclusion?

John Kerry will lose this election, and he will do so decisively. The defeat will go down as perhaps the only thing this candidate has ever done decisively.

Sparks supports his assessment convincingly. It's worth a look.

Kerry Campaigns Out West

From Gallup, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona, John Kerry traveled by train and straddled the fence by refusing to take any position on the high-profile issue in Arizona over a proposal to deny state benefits to illegal aliens. Kerry also is unwilling to support federal help to the border states that incur tremendous expenditures for federally mandated services "as well as imprisoning those illegal entrants who have broken Arizona law." So, basically he's telling Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California to suck it up.

Interestingly, there's been a blast of criticism of the current administration's handling of border issues, yet it appears that John Kerry doesn't have any ideas either. At least President Bush speaks Spanish.

Teresa Heinz Kerry, on the other hand, pleased the crowds by promising every high school graduate a free four years in college in exchange for two years of community service. I'm interested in learning more about that giveaway scheme. As an aside, I'm not running for president, but even if I was, my wife wouldn't go around making commitments for me.

Bulgarian Beheaded by Militants

Led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Tawhid and Jihad group today announced the beheading and posted a video (see here) of a man identified only as a Bulgarian. Bulgarian officials have examined the video and could not identify the individual. There's speculation that the victim is one of two Bulgarian truck drivers taken hostage in June. The body of one truck driver, Georgi Lazov, was found in the Tigris River last month. The whereabouts of the other driver, Ivaylo Kepov, are unknown, thereby leading to the speculation that he is the latest beheading victim.

Others following the story with commentary and video links (Real and Windows Media) include:

mypetjawa

Our Life

Outside the Beltway

Wizbang

Also helping to illustrate the barbarianism of the radical Islam militants, mypetjawa has a listing of the hostages to date. It's worthwhile to take a look to remind oneself of the irrationality of our enemies and to remember fondly of the good people who were maliciously murdered.

[Update] According to this report from the Sofia News Agency, Bulgarian authorities have proven through DNA testing that Ivaylo Kepov died and his body was found in the Tigris River along with the body of Georgi Lazov. Officials have seen the video posted by the militants, but were unable to make any determination due to the very poor quality.

Pedophile Charged With Thousands of Molestations

As reported previously, Jimmy Ray Thompson, 39, of Olmsted Falls, was jailed on suspicion of sexually abusing children after police found him in possession of hardcore sex photos and videos with recognizable neighborhood children. Today, the local FOX affiliate is reporting that Thompson will be facing over 2,800 separate charges of child molestation and that police now believe that he's been committing the crimes for at least 20 years. Daily, more people are presenting themselves as past victims of the low-life pervert.

School Lunch Prices

Based on every conceivable complaint, schools systems nationwide are planning to raise the price of breakfast and lunch by as much as $1. According to this report, schools systems have a variety of specific reasons, but they all share in having to increase prices due to the political push to make food healthier in some group's opinion. For example, it was probably some nanny-state socialist cluster-thinkers in Texas who decided to impose their dislike for french fries on the entire state by having standards mandating restrictions on fried food. Consequently, schools are forced to scrap deep fat fryers and buy expensive new equipment.

Personally, I think that school lunch programs have taken the path of every other bungling government bureaucracy and are achieving noteworthiness for inefficiency. Part of the reason is that the lunch programs are an easy target for political special interests. Rest assured that politicos from Wisconsin are at the forefront in trying to get school systems to buy more milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream. By the same token, the PETA crowd continually lobbies to have school lunch menus offer less food and more leaves and grasses.

PETA Santa Claus

PETA Protests in Singapore

As shown in the picture below, the PETA crowd is trying to shove their radical animal rights and vegetarian agenda down the throats of people in Asia. Dressed as Santa Claus, the PETA activist is protesting the mistreatment of chickens in front of a KFC franchise in downtown Singapore.



It remains to be seen whether PETA is successful in radicalizing the Far East, but one thing is sure. The history and traditions of Asian populations shows that they'll put just about anything into the stewpot, including dogs and cats. So, PETA has their work cut out for them.

And, I still don't get the Santa outfit. Besides being diametrically out of season, it's not clear that the idea of Santa would be understood by a population that is primarily Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist.

The English Language

A Malaysian government minister recently called for citizens to master the English language, following efforts by China and Taiwan, to provide for increased opportunity and competitiveness in the global marketplace. According to this report in The Star Online, at one large manufacturing plant in China, all workers, even the shop-floor employees, were taught to speak basic English in three years.

The plant research officers were also able to grasp the scientific information from materials written in English. This enabled the plant to manufacture and package its products to the specification required by America and other developed countries.

The Japanese are teaching English in high school yet see the need to focus additional effort to improve their language proficiency. According to a senior Matsushita senior executive,

"Today, we have branch offices in 45 countries and more than half of our workforce of 300,000 live abroad. English became extremely important for our employees and we now have a vast number of English-language training programs at all levels," he said.

At places like Nissan and Japan Telecom, the emphasis on English proficiency has been hastened by foreign chief executives who chair meetings and require reports to be done in English.

Besides the economic benefits, Japan's stature on the world stage is impacted by politicians being unable to communicate in English, the language of diplomacy.

The trend for foreign populations to emphasize English proficiency is understandable. It's necessary for trade and diplomatic communications across international boundaries. After all, the ability to sell a better mousetrap is greatly minimized if a person is unable to use the words "better mousetrap."

This foreign emphasis on English proficiency, however, is not exactly mirrored in the United States. It's dismally apparent that American educators and school administrators place the English language into a grab bag full of other equally important areas of knowledge. Students are taught about tolerance and diversity and racism and global warming. They learn about sex and alternative lifestyles and homelessness. Occasionally, they're taught the English language, but not always. According to this report on English language learners by Christine H. Rossell of Boston University, it's not unlikely that students will be awarded a New York State Regents High School Diploma without ever learning English. They are allowed to take the Regents Exam in their native language, with a bilingual dictionary, and all the time they need. It would be nice to know what benefit a high school diploma is if the person can't speak English.

So, while many in the world strongly spotlight English proficiency, educators and school administrators in the U.S. view it as one among many subjects to study and, sometimes, it's not even necessary. I think they're wrong. And, it seems the Malaysians, the Chinese, the Taiwanese, and the Japanese would agree. Teaching English should be a primary focus in American schools and leaders in education should be embarrassed.

Fiji Fantastics

Fiji Fantastics are the world's most expensive sheep, commanding thousands of dollars each. They have little wool, look like goats, and thrive in tropical climates. Extensive cross-breeding was required in their development as food.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

From John Ray:



If I saw a set of eyeballs like those staring at me from next door, I'd not only build a fence, I'd also hide.

Petition to Stop Dove Hunting

(Lansing, Michigan) Anti-hunting advocates have started a petition drive to stop the hunting of mourning doves in Michigan. The petition needs to be signed by 158,000 citizens by March to suspend hunting until the issue can be decided by the voters in a general election. Interestingly, the law allowing the hunting of mourning doves was only signed two months ago.

Aliens and Smugglers Caught

Twice in the past 10 days Chinese illegals and their Canadian smugglers have been intercepted and arrested trying to enter the United States by crossing the Detroit River from Ontario to the city of Wyandotte, Michigan. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Wyandotte Police, and the Coast Guard participated in the apprehension of at least 10 illegals and two smugglers. Authorities have to assume that every illegal alien is a potential terrorist.

"If you can smuggle in aliens - some who are seeking a better life - then those who might have a different agenda can exploit the same method," said Brian Moskowitz, immigration special agent for Michigan and Ohio.

Homeland Security officials stated that they will continue to aggressively combat the smuggling of people across U.S. - Canadian waterways.

I'm of the opinion that the Canadian government, in general, and the Ontario provincial authorities, in particular, are not doing nearly enough to stem the flow of illegals. In fact, it's known worldwide that one of the easiest ways to get into the U.S. is to go to Canada on a tourist visa and then disappear across the border.

Kerry Woos Native Americans

More than 300,000 Native Americans are being targeted this weekend as Sen. and Mrs. Kerry campaign in Arizona and New Mexico. They will be traveling by iron horse, sending a message to the many tribes that they are not stuffy, wealthy, and aristocratic New Englanders.

Iraq Suspends al-Jazeera

(Baghdad, Iraq) Yesterday, Iraqi police entered al-Jazeera's offices in Baghdad and ordered all employees to leave. As a result of an order from the Iraqi interim government, for the next four weeks al-Jazeera will not be broadcasting from Iraq because the station encourages criminal acts, incites hatred, and fosters racial tension. Interior Minister Falah Hassan al-Naqib stated that the 30-day blackout would allow al-Jazeera to establish a more acceptable programming policy.

I can't see anything to disagree with in the Iraqi decision. Conditions in Iraq need to be stabilized and al-Jazeera programming has been facilitating continued disturbances throughout the country.

Prisoner & Girlfriend Glue Hands Together

(Madrid, Spain) To avoid extradition for human smuggling charges, a male prisoner glued his left hand to his girlfriend's right hand. They were taken to the hospital where doctors are scratching their heads.

Strangely, there's no end to the story. I assume they're still glued together.

Halfway House Stores Stolen Property

(Sidney, Maine) The staff at HealthReach Hearthside, a halfway house for substance-abuse and mental-health patients, claims to conduct random room checks of the facility, but they apparently missed looking into Roland Jalbert's 10-by-12-foot room. If they had, they would have found that it was packed with stolen property worth as much as $35,000 from an estimated 40 burglaries. Police arrested Jalbert, 49, who has a history of burglary convictions and has confessed to some of the recent break-ins. According to the halfway director, Gerry Dunn, he had no idea that Jalbert was storing stolen merchandise at the facility.

I suggest the halfway director institute a policy of checking all rooms at random times as opposed to checking random rooms and allowing some to go unchecked. If all rooms are checked, criminal activity will be noticed. Of course, this incident begs the question of what else is going on at the halfway house.

Hopefully the halfway director isn't lauded in his next performance evaluation. Personally, I'd have a hard time going even half way toward praising his work.

Gore Valuables Stolen

Deciding not to have Secret Service protection was disadvantageous for Al and Tipper Gore. While vacationing in Italy, their "luxurious villa in Castellina" was robbed of $35,000 worth of valuables. Apparently, room security is not considered a desirable luxury in Castellina. (via Country Store)

[Update] There's a rumor that law enforcement authorities have decided it's probably not necessary to check Sandy Berger's pants and socks for the stolen valuables.

Canadian Health System

From today's news, two stories about the Canadian health care system caught my eye. One from The Toronto Star explains the dismal financial condition of hospitals in Ontario even though they received a cash infusion of $470 million less than a month ago. According to a hospital association survey, they need an additional $550 million to meet an anticipated shortfall through year's end. Coincidentally, this story comes on the heels of last week's report that doctors are leaving the country in droves and waiting times for health care in Canada are unacceptably long.

The other story comes from BBC NEWS and it details the results of a study of deaths from bacterial infections in Canadian hospitals and nursing homes. Experts have found that 189 deaths over the past 18 months (more than 10 each month on average) can be attributed to cases of infection from a mutated strain of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) bacteria. Thus far, the infections have been found primarily in Quebec and Alberta. It's spread by spores through poor hygiene.

I don't believe that these stories are directly related, however, I think it's appropriate to point out any major stories associated with socialized health care since there's an effort to impose a similar system on the population of the United States. Under scrutiny, it seems a government-mandated medical plan has many unwanted consequences (i.e. doctors leaving, permanent underfunding, waiting times that actually increase the severity of the medical condition). Those advocating a national health plan in the U.S. need to be made aware of these drawbacks and to remember that socialism always has resulted and always will result in the general degradation of quality and quantity.

Alan Keyes to Campaign for U.S. Senate

No announcement yet, but it's speculated that, on Sunday, former presidential candidate and former Ambassador to the UN, Alan Keyes, will jump into the race for U.S. Senator from Illinois. According to an early report, Keyes' primary concern is whether he can raise enough money from across the nation for a viable election campaign against Barack Obama, who just happens to have a commanding head start.

Med Students Find Towel in Cadaver

(Canton, Ohio) Students at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine were learning on a female cadaver when they found a towel inside the chest cavity. Apparently, the towel was left over after surgery was performed on the woman seven years before her death. The family of Bonnie Valle is suing the Cleveland Clinic and her doctor, Jeffrey Miller. They allege that the towel caused many complications and her death.

Heisman Hopeful in Jail

(Austin, Texas) Cedric Benson, Texas running back, has probably guaranteed receiving a few more votes for the Heisman Trophy by being convicted of and sentenced to jail for criminal trespassing. Oddly, it's seems almost normal and expected for athletes to engage in criminal behavior.

Billionaires for Bush

Billionaires for Bush

Check out the recent leftist group Billionaires for Bush. Pictured is an example of their shtick. They plan on being in Cleveland this weekend.



Looking around their web site indicates they're probably funded by George Soros who is a billionaire but likely not the target of their lampooning. I'm sure that Peter Lewis, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Montana Ted Turner are also not targeted for their animosity.

Judge Rules for Same-Sex Marriage

(Seattle, Washington) In a case filed by 16 plaintiffs, King County Superior Court Judge William Downing yesterday ruled that same-sex couples can marry under Washington state law. There are many aspects of this case that are worthy of comment, but I'll just address one for now.

Regarding the decision, Judge Downing stated that the sixteen homosexuals are the kind of people:

"any of us should be proud to call a friend or neighbor or to sit with at small desks on back-to-school night."

And, he wrote:

"(Their) lives reflect hard work, professional achievement, religious faith and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs. They are law-abiding, taxpaying model citizens. They include exemplary parents, adoptive parents, foster parents and grandparents.

"They know what it means to make a commitment and to honor it."

My comment is that, based upon Judge Downing's words, it appears his mind was made up and substantially fortified sometime while adjudicating the case or, as I suspect, Judge Downing was prepared to rule on the issue whether or not a complaint was filed.

I'm confident that somewhere in his opinion, he wrote about the merits of the legal case. However, I'm also fairly convinced that the legal aspects of the case were secondary in importance to his furthering and imposing his political beliefs.

Pedophile Nabbed in DWI Arrest

(Olmsted Falls, Ohio) These stories sicken me but they have to be reported. Jimmy Ray Thompson, 39, lived adjacent to a community swimming pool and playground and was known by his neighbors to be friendly with the local children, spending many hours interacting with them. Nobody was suspicious.

Well, now they don't have to be. Jimmy Ray Thompson was arrested for drunken driving and police

"[F]ound photographs of naked children in his console and children's underwear in the back seat of his F-150 pickup.

Police conducted a search of Thompson's condominium and found thousands of sexually oriented pictures.

[ ... ]

They said Thompson lured girls between the ages of 2 and 10 into nearby Mills Park, where he forced them to perform sex acts. He reportedly offered children candy and coloring books.

Several of the children in the photos have been recognized and more identifications are anticipated. Thompson is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

My one wish is that parents would come to realize that if a grown man is found to be spending any more than a minimum amount of time with children when he doesn't have to, warning bells, whistles, and flashing lights should go into the alarm mode. Any grown man with a balanced and rational mentality will usually not opt to spend his leisure time with exuberant children. In a way, then parents helped feed Jimmy Ray Thompson's perversion by not heeding the warning signs and taking precautions.

[Update @ 11:00pm] Police are reporting that they have found more than 10,000 sexually explicit photos and 36 videotapes under lock and key, some of it in toolboxes.

They also found laminated playing cards with pictures of the nude children and more children's clothing items.

Police say Thompson also made notes and cue cards, so he could practice his answers in case a parent became suspicious and asked him questions.

Authorities also believe the sexual abuse has been going on for an extended period of time, one subject was victimized more than ten years ago. Some of Thompson's neighbors are shocked. They never suspected he could do such unspeakable things.

911 Operator Caught Sleeping

(Anne Arundel County, Maryland) A woman, Patricia Berg, calls 911 about 2:40am to report a break-in at her house and the 911 operator falls asleep during the call. After almost two minutes of snoring, Berg startled the snoozing operator awake. She had to repeat her emergency to him and later reported the incident. Police are investigating the operator's work history and his training. According to an Anne Arundel County Police spokesman, Lt. Joe Jordan,

"Well, I'm not sure that you can train someone to stay awake."

It wouldn't surprise me if there was an attempt to develop a stay awake training program. After all, the operator couldn't possibly be what he seems to be, an irresponsible idiot that shouldn't be allowed to do anything without constant supervision.

Nah, I'm sure it's inadequate training.

Female Concealed Carry

Persnickety of the Ordinary Galoot provides this nugget of guidance for women who want to carry a concealed weapon without being forced to wear the wardrobe equivalent of a circus tent.

Sex Industry Safety Guide

John Hudock had me rolling on the floor with his post about the recently issued 100-page Sex Industry - A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand. To get a general idea of what subjects need to be addressed when bureaucratizing the sex industry, the rules are divided into the following 20 categories.

1) Introduction
2) References in this Guide
3) Roles and Responsibilities
4) Sexual Health Education for Sex Workers, their Clients and Management
5) Sexual Health Assessment for Sex Workers
6) Personal Protective Equipment
7) Reproductive Health
8) Overuse Disorders
9) Cleanliness of Workplace Amenities
10) First Aid
11) Fire Safety
12) Heating and Cooling
13) Lighting
14) Security and Safety from Violence
15) Alcohol
16) Drugs
17) Smoking in the Workplace
18) Complaints
19) Employee Participation
20) Workplace Documents

The document is quite enlightening, even for those that are quite experienced in affairs of the flesh. One thing that struck me immediately was the fact that I didn't know that 'overuse' (see No.8 above) has been classified as a disorder.

New Zealand has been establishing somewhat of a renegade reputation for creativity and originality in government initiatives. For example, they were the first (and only, so far) country to propose and impose taxes on the flatulence of farm animals. The sex guidelines publication will rightly support their reputation of creativity and originality. It's worth a look. Also, a visit to John Hudock's post provides today's chuckle.

Missouri Primary Elections

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Bob Holden lost in heavy primary voting to State Auditor Claire McCaskill. She will face Republican nominee Matt Blunt in November. Holden's loss is the first for an incumbent governor since 1994.

By a large margin, Missouri voters approved amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. The ban was approved despite the fact its opponents had a 40 to 1 advantage in campaign funding.

Virtually every county in the state rejected a proposal to change the constitution to allow riverboat gambling in the struggling resort town of Rockaway Beach. Missourians displayed strong moral underpinnings by rejecting both expanded gambling and same-sex marriages by convincingly large margins.

It should be noted that the voters' sense of right and wrong trumped political party loyalty with regard to the same-sex marriage and gambling issues. Personally, I don't think the moral fabric indicated by the election results is unique to Missouri. Contrary to what the elite media and Hollywood tries to make everyone believe, most of America is not very liberal.

Woman Eats BLT Sandwich, Gets Fired

(Orlando, Florida) Apparently without a written or documented policy to convey company rules, the Muslim owners of a telecommunications firm felt justified in firing Lina Morales for eating a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich in the company lunchroom. According to the Koran, pork is unclean and forbidden.

Attorney Travis Hollifield is filing a religious discrimination lawsuit on behalf of Morales stating she was fired strictly on the basis of religion. Some believe that the suit involves precedent-setting issues.

My take is that the company has a weak case. Despite what the Koran says, the laws of the United States specify that discrimination in the workplace is illegal.

More troubling to me, though, is that it seems the company is monitoring what people are eating in the lunchroom. Otherwise, how would they even know? I've eaten a lot of lunches in a lot of lunchrooms and I've never been in a situation where other people would know what's in my sandwich unless they were looking very, very closely or they asked.

The company's policy, although unwritten, is dumb and this case appears to be minor in nature. I won't be surprised, however, if it blows up into something major.

Debra Beasley Lafave Pleads Not Guilty to More Charges

(Tampa, Florida) Last month, middle-school teacher Debra Lafave pleaded not guilty to charges in Marion County of having sex with a 14-year-old former student. Today, she pleaded not guilty to additional charges in Hillsborough County. Pictured are Lafave and her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, entering the courthouse.



Investigators contend Lafave had sex with the boy at her Riverview town house, in a portable classroom at Greco Middle School, and in the back of her SUV while his 15-year-old cousin drove around Ocala. Consequently, Debra Lafave could well be described as the alleged multi-jurisdictional sex offender and child molester. And, of course, my take on Debra Lafave and her actions continues as stated in my previous remarks.


[Update 11/22/05]

Debra Lafave pleads guilty and gets no jail.

Fat Activists Convention

(Newark, New Jersey) The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is holding its 2004 annual convention this week in Newark and overweight activists are grouping to form a protest campaign against the campaign against obesity.

The activists complain that obesity is portrayed as "the next worst thing after terrorism." They insist obesity, which doctors say contributes to 300,000 premature deaths a year in the US, is not a disease.

"We're living in the middle of a witch-hunt and fat people are the witches," said Marilyn Wann of San Francisco, a militant member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.

It appears that the people in the "Fat Liberation Movement" are enraged at the people who are trying to help the fat people. It's got me confused.

Kindergarten Stabbings

Man Stabs 15 Kindergarteners



(Beijing, China) The doorman at a kindergarten, Xu Heping, 51, went on a rampage and stabbed 15 children and three teachers before being overpowered by police. One child died and two others are in critical condition. No motive has been disclosed.

Court Rules for Tongue in Passport Photo

A German court has ruled that a person may stick out their tongue when being photographed for a passport picture. Some people are really odd. Next, someone is going to want to be photographed while spitting or something equally strange.

Oz Blogger Alliance

Be it known that a new group of bloggers who call themselves the Australian Bloggers Alliance has been born. If anybody stateside is interested in perusing news and opinions in a different hemisphere about 12 time zones away, give them a visit. Realize, though, they are just out of the starting gate. Interested-Participant wishes them luck.

New York Times Leftist Bias

The subtle leftist bias possessed by the elite media and reflected in all their supposedly objective news reports is fairly obvious to anyone wanting to recognize it. It regularly hits me right between the eyes and it's disturbing. Jay Tea at Wizbang has put together a post which dissects a New York Times news report that's infected with a seething bias against the Israelis and for the Palestinians. For those that need some pointers on recognizing unforgivable and insidious prejudice in journalism, Jay Tea's post is most instructive. It's highly recommended.

In the eternal conflict between right and wrong, the values of freedom, democracy, and truth are being attacked and the elite media are among the attackers. The NYT demonstrates its attitude towards the truth in the aforementioned report and post. Take a look.

Missouri Primary Elections

Although today's primary results are not final yet, it looks like the proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution to ban homosexual marriage will pass. About two-thirds of the voters are supporting the ban in early reporting.

The proposed amendment to allow casino gambling in Southwest Missouri seems on the verge of rejection by the voters. With almost half of the precincts reporting, the casino issue is losing 56 to 44 percent.

Stay tuned.

Mary Kay Letourneau

(Gig Harbor, Washington) The exact date and time are being kept secret, however, sometime in the next few days (tomorrow is a safe bet), Mary Kay Letourneau will have paid her debt to society and will be released from prison. One has to wonder if the six and one-half years in prison for child rape has changed her mind about anything. My take is that it probably hasn't.

The 12-year-old sixth grader she was convicted of raping is now a 21-year-old adult and I suspect he has changed his mind on many things during Letourneau's incarceration. The years between ages 12 and 21 are a period of constant emotional, physical, and intellectual change. She's now a weathered and, likely bitter, 40-year-old ex-convict who must register as a sex offender. He's just starting his adulthood in a culture predominated by permissiveness and promiscuity. I don't see them hooking up again, other than maybe one night of being neighborly for old times' sake.

I must mention that everybody apparently disagrees with me. All that I've read recently has emphatically indicated the two will be a permanent item soon. I don't see it happening.

With regard to sexual molestation of youth, it's curious that Amy Fisher, The Long Island Lolita, is publishing her autobiography coincidentally with sexual molester Letourneau's release from the slammer. Fisher also spent some years in prison for shooting Joey Buttafuoco's wife. I'm certain there's no connection between Letourneau and Fisher but, I think it's interesting for both to be in the news at the same time after so many years.

Maybe they're predestined to be sisters in spirit.

Biometric Passports

The British have kicked the tires and are now taking their biometric passport scheme out for a test drive. The UK Passport service is hoping that 10,000 Brits will volunteer to get their irises, fingerprints and facial biometrics recorded as part of a trial for the new passport. Authorities believe that biometric passports will deter identity theft linked to organized crime, illegals entering the country, benefit fraud, and terrorism.

Rather than a feasibility study, the trial of the passport system appears to be more for data collection to facilitate development of a workable and reliable technology. In other words, the project is still largely at the idea stage with many unanswered questions. Experts in the field of information engineering recently expressed the same opinion.

As an aside, I always thought 'information engineering' was a euphemism for lying. Apparently, it's a real discipline and an actual field of study. Ya' learn something new every day.

Literacy Study

Chancellor and Professor of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Jack Miller, Ph.D., compiles and publishes the results of a study of the most and least literate cities in the United States. Minneapolis came in at No. 1 while El Paso was at the bottom of the list at No. 79.

Clinton To Host SNL?

NBC has offered Bill Clinton the opportunity to host Saturday Night Live. A decision is expected this week and it's my guess he'll do it.

Shawnee Reclaiming Ohio Homeland

According to this story in the Dayton Daily News (free reg.), the Eastern Shawnee tribe of Oklahoma wants to reclaim ancestral homeland in central and southern Ohio. They want the land to be placed in trust with the U.S. Department of the Interior so that the tribe can negotiate a deal granting them ownership and sovereignty. However, Gov. Bob Taft is prepared to circle the wagons to prevent the Shawnee from succeeding since it's generally recognized the tribe intends to open several casinos if they are granted rights to the land. Several sites in the Miami River Valley have been mentioned, including the town of Botkins, south of Lima.

The Shawnee were a tribe originally from the Pacific Northwest and they established camps in many locations so it's not clear that their claim for Ohio lands is supportable.

Stay tuned.

Franken Going to Cable TV

The Sundance Channel will program "The Al Franken Show" on their cable network starting in September. Sundance, a collaboration of Robert Redford, NBC Universal, and Showtime, plans to show a one-hour version of Franken's daily Air America radio program at 11:30pm and 2:30am. Franken and co-host Katherine Lanpher are sure to continue their anti-Bush theme.

"Anything I can do to get this guy out of office I'll do, and to get (John) Kerry in," he said.

Viewers will also be entreated to a demonstration of the abject level of visceral hatred the leftists have adopted as a character trait. What's interesting is that the Hollywood liberal elitists who passionately hate the President and the Republican Party are the same group doing late-night public service commercials telling everybody to 'end the hate.'

Just think what they're teaching their kids. Hatred and hypocrisy, what a mix?

Turkish Hostage Executed in Iraq

(Dubai) From Reuters comes the report that a group linked to al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has executed a Turkish hostage because "Turkey is still insisting on aiding the infidel U.S. operation." The murder was broadcast on the Internet showing a masked gunman shooting the hostage three times. Authenticity of the video has not yet been established.

These hooded murderers need to be found and destroyed.

[Update] The killing has prompted the Turkish truckers to stop sending up to 300 trucks daily into Iraq to provide fuel, food and other supplies to U.S. Forces. Chalk up another victory for the murdering scum.

Guns In The Home

This story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses childhood obesity and the fact that it should be diagnosed and treated early. Children's Hospital pediatrician Dr. Sarah O'Brien believes that parents and doctors shouldn't wait to take action when a child exhibits a chronic weight problem. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors hesitate to discuss the subject with parents because they don't want to scare them.

"I personally found that obesity is just as difficult to talk about as discipline and guns in the home and all the other things you have to broach as a pediatrician," O'Brien said.

Hold the phone! Now, I can understand the concern about overweight kids, but what's with this statement about "guns in the home?" Why does a pediatrician have to broach the subject of guns in the home? And, what does she do when she finds out there are guns in the home? Are special dossiers maintained for gun owners?

I wonder if she's also interested in knowing if there are knives in the home such as machetes or Samurai swords. And what about harpoons or crossbows or stashes of explosives? How about pesticides and toxic cleaning solutions?

It would seem to me that what people have in their homes is their business, not the pediatricians. Am I missing something here? Was a law passed that I'm unaware of?

China Censors Porn

Almost 700 web sites have been shut down by the Chinese government and over 200 people have been arrested in a campaign against Internet pornography. Overseas porn sites are also starting to be blocked. The Chinese believe that the sites may result in a decline in ethical standards among young people.

Good luck! I read somewhere recently that there are over a million porn sites and that's probably a low estimate.

Hells Angels' 50th Anniversary

(San Francisco, California) From around the world, members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang are in town to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Some members believe the gang has unfairly received a bad reputation and, to plead their case, they allowed San Francisco Chronicle reporter Julian Guthrie to tag along with and interview them.

At the beginning of the day, the atmosphere was heavy with hostility. Getting past the door of a Hells Angels' clubhouse is an unnerving, arduous task. Men with beards thick like Brillo stared stolidly, tattooed-arms crossed, cigarettes dangling from lips.

An organizer named Tony put it this way: "We do good and no one remembers. We do bad and no one forgets."

Excuse me for not being boned up on the subject, but if the Hells Angels have done something good for society, I'm incapable of remembering it because I'm unaware of it. Regarding the unforgettable part of their reputation, it's hard to have murder, racketeering, and drug convictions fade from the memory. Interestingly, while the gang members complain about their bad reputation, it was only last month that Hells Angels' clubhouses in California, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, and Washington state were raided by federal agents and 57 members were arrested and indicted on racketeering and other federal charges.

Authorities seized drugs, bulletproof vests, stolen vehicles, explosives and more than 100 weapons.

"These individuals thrive on a culture of violence," said Stephen Herkins, assistant special agent-in-charge of the San Francisco office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The gang is described by the prosecutors as "highly organized criminal enterprise in 23 states and 25 countries involved in threats, violence, murder, robbery and conspiracy to distribute drugs."

It seems that, if the Hells Angels want to be viewed positively, they need to spend the next 50 years assuring they aren't implicated in or convicted of any major felonies.

UK Guardian Endorses Kerry

No shock here, the leftists already are clamoring to get a good seat on the Kerry bandwagon with the UK Guardian calling dibs on a front seat. Today's edition spells out their support for Kerry for President based on the following reasoning.

Kerry immeasurably improves our chances of defeating terrorism and making the world safer.

It's beyond my capability to understand how they could possibly come to that conclusion. At best, Kerry would be an ineffectual and weak leader of a party controlled by radical leftist special interests. A Kerry presidency would do immeasurable harm to Western civilization by appeasing the terrorists and bending over to radical leftists and socialists. The interests of America would be diluted, maybe drowned, in the cacophony of cocktail party liberalism.