Teacher on Trial for Kidnapping Boy

(Nashua, New Hampshire) Last June, 32-year-old married mother of two sons, Jennifer Malone, disappeared from her home in Canterbury along with her 8-year-old son and a 16-year-old boy she met at a school where she worked as a counselor. Jennifer's husband, Rodney Malone, discovered that his wife and one son were missing on June 16 and that the family bank account was drained.

Subsequently, a nation-wide search found Malone and the boys in Florida. Ultimately, all three were returned to New Hampshire. In August, Malone was indicted on a kidnapping charge with bail set at $50,000. Her parents made bail and she was released. In September, Malone was arrested again for violating her bail conditions by trying to contact the boy.

Today, Jennifer Malone's kidnapping trial got underway.

From SeacoastOnline.com:

Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Justin Shepard acknowledged it wasn't a typical kidnapping case, but said Jennifer Malone took advantage of a vulnerable teen she should have been supervising.

"This case is about a 32-year-old woman enticing, befriending and seducing a 16-year-old boy," said Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Justin Shephard. "But for the sex, he wouldn't have gone to Florida."

Malone is charged with kidnapping Christopher Cole, of Nashua, whom she met while working as a teacher's assistant at Mount Prospect Academy in Plymouth. She also took her 8-year-old son Brennan when they ran away.

The defense is expected to counter the prosecution by arguing that the boy had his own reasons for leaving New Hampshire. Specifically, he was a juvenile offender on probation who had tested positive for drug use.

Malone's trial should conclude this week.


[Update 12/21/06]

After a mere 90 minutes of deliberation, a jury found Jennifer Malone, 33, guilty of kidnapping. Sentencing is expected within 30 days.


[Update 02/14/07]

Malone sentenced.

Blacks Protest Bus Seating

(Santa Clara, California) A discrimination controversy regarding the seating of black students on a school bus is threatening to flare up.

From MercuryNews.com:

When the driver began directing African-American students to the front of the bus -- for safety reasons, he reportedly said -- they quickly concluded that something was wrong.

Now, more than a month later, some Santa Clara High School students are still upset, the NAACP is asking questions and Santa Clara Unified School District officials are trying to determine exactly what happened.

It appears that two black students had gotten into a fight at the back of the bus so the bus driver subtly encouraged all the black students to temporarily sit in the front of the bus so they could easily be watched. The episode is all over now and bus seating is back to normal.

The issue, however, has not died. Students have demonstrated and made presentations to school officials. The NAACP is calling for action to improve conditions for African-American students and staff. The Santa Clara High School principal, Brad Syth, has cautioned against viewing the situation as racial when, in reality, it "may just be a bus situation."

Maybe so, but one thing seems certain. If black people are on a bus, they had better be allowed to sit anywhere they damn well please or somebody will likely have to answer to accusations of racial bias.

California Justice

Surely, Cleveland Indians fans recall Chuck Finley. The veteran pitcher spent a couple seasons calling Jacobs Field home. Finley's wife, now ex-wife, is also memorable as the temperamental actress Tawny Kitaen. And, she's making news.

From ContraCostaTimes.com:

Tawny Kitaen, who starred in the 1984 Tom Hanks comedy, "Bachelor Party," has entered a drug rehabilitation program after pleading guilty to possessing 15 grams of cocaine.

The 45-year-old actress will be allowed to change her plea to not guilty after completing the program, under terms of a plea agreement, officials said. The plea change will remove the conviction from her record.

Okay, let's recap. You plead guilty to a felony drug charge, get sentenced to rehab, complete rehab and return to court, plead not guilty and have your criminal record expunged. What a deal?!

Just think of all the sex offenders who could be helped by this criminal justice procedure. Go to rehab and refresh the record. Piece of cake, eh? How about Nick Nolte? And Mel Gibson? By now, they must have removed any reference to drunk driving from their records. Errant pencil scratch? Hey, rehab it. Got yourself a reckless driving ticket? Take the remedial driving course and rehab that ticket. Poof! Gone! Presto pure through rehab.

Don't you just love the creativity of California courts?

Mexican Kidnappers Release Texans

(Laredo, Texas) Late last month, Laredo businessman Librado Pina Junior, 49, and his 25-year-old son, Librado Pina III, were kidnapped by 30 to 40 armed men while on a hunting trip in Mexico.

Yesterday, 49-year-old Pina was released. His son was released last Friday. Nobody had comments on whether a ransom was paid. I'd make a guess that there was.

It's still unknown what happened to the other 60 Americans kidnapped around Laredo in the last two years.

Judith Zweifel Gets 14 Years for Child Sex

(Florissant, Missouri) In November, 38-year-old Judith Zweifel, a married mother of two, was convicted of 30 felony sex offenses for repeatedly engaging in sex with an 11-year-old boy.

The crimes occurred from December 2004 to August 2005 and involved a friend of her 9-year-old son.

Today, St. Louis County Circuit Judge John F. Kintz sentenced Zweifel to 14 years in prison.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Anti-Smoking Law Doesn't Cover Hookahs

... thinks the doctor.

From Cleveland.com:

Vip Garg, an ex-cigarette smoker and a doctor at MetroHealth Medical Center, said it didn't occur to him when he voted for November's anti-smoking measure that it would cover the water pipe.

Nevertheless, all the trendy Middle Eastern-styled hookah smoking establishments are in full pucker mode. Owners are developing every angle to support staying in business once the provisions of the anti-smoking law are fully implemented.

In the meantime, it's recommended that Dr. Garg avoid being quoted and that MetroHealth Medical Center provide training in diagnosing the obvious.

Ohio College Prep Plan Troubles Educators

Term-limited Ohio Gov. Bob Taft hopes to sign into law the Ohio Core Plan before his skanky tenure is over. The plan would require that a college preparatory curriculum be implemented in Ohio high schools consisting of more math, English and science courses.

Completion of the college prep curriculum would then be a prerequisite for acceptance to The Ohio State University and most other four-year, state-funded schools. Fortunately, students who don't complete the college prep coursework will still be able to attend three state schools; Youngstown State University, Shawnee State University in Portsmouth and Central State University in Wilberforce.

Unfortunately, educators are now concerned that students at the three schools not requiring college prep work will be stigmatized and looked upon as dummies.

Interestingly, there seems to be little concern about the fact that students who graduate from Ohio high schools must complete remedial work to acquire sufficient knowledge to succeed in college.

Lapse At Boeing

Check out some recent management performance indicators from the Boeing Co.

- In November 2005, a laptop computer containing personal information on 160,000 current and former Boeing employees was stolen.

- In April 2006, a laptop computer containing personal information on 3,600 Boeing employees and retirees was stolen.

- In December 2006, a laptop computer containing the names and Social Security numbers of 382,000 Boeing workers and retirees was stolen.

Obviously, there are entirely too many laps at Boeing.

Vermont Battles Kansas

(Montpelier, Vermont) Vermont Gov. James Douglas will oppose the construction of new coal-fired electric generating plants in Kansas because of global warming.

As a consequence, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will be challenged to consider calls to classify Vermont maple syrup as a prohibited hazardous substance which causes obesity and high rates of diabetes.

Big Deal, I Won

I want to thank everyone who selected me to be TIME magazine's "Person of the Year for 2006" and, with no misgivings, I must decline the award. No less than the Publisher's Clearinghouse, TIME has made every person a winner.

Interestingly, I also was notified that I won the UK Lottery today and was fortunate enough to be selected to help a Nigerian princess retrieve millions of dollars from a Swiss bank. I also won an Apple iPod, a cell phone and a laptop computer.

I'm now going to make a note on my calendar indicating that 2006 was the year that TIME magazine turned the "Person of the Year" award into spam.

Little Boy Passes Meth Training

(Phoenix, Arizona) Congratulations to four-year-old Ethan Morris for successfully completing the MethSmart prevention program. Fairly soon, he'll continue his education by starting kindergarten.

UMass - Elitist, Liberal, Sophisticated

(Amherst, Massachusetts) After the University of Massachusetts football team was defeated by Appalachian State 28-17 in the NCAA Div. 1 title game, about 1,800 students reacted with a display of their elitist liberal sophistication and sportsmanship in the streets of Amherst. They rioted.

Scores of police officers responded and were attacked with bottles, cans, rocks, trash cans and bicycles. A number of fires were started and windows were smashed. Two officers were injured.

Ten students were arrested for disorderly conduct and failure to disperse. Michael Gargano, vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life, said he was disappointed and he may discipline the offenders.

To some degree, drugs and alcohol are blamed. However, according to UMass spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski, the rioting is really a national problem.

Show's over. Go home, folks. It's a national problem that UMass has idiots.

Teacher's Aide Arrested for Sex Assault

(Berlin, Connecticut) A 26-year-old special education teacher's aide, Danielle Grasso, was escorted from Berlin High School on Thursday and arrested for second-degree sexual assault.

Grasso allegedly was involved in a months-long relationship with an 18-year-old student. An investigation was initiated when a group of students were overheard gossiping about the relationship at a local restaurant.

Grasso was booked with bond initially set at $50,000. At her arraignment yesterday, her bond was reduced to $25,000 and a court hearing was scheduled for January 17.

Female Teacher, 42, Boy, 15

(Whitfield County, Georgia) A 42-year-old math teacher at Whitfield County Career Academy, Frances Cook, was booked for molestation of a 15-year-old boy. Apparently, Cook was caught in a compromising position with the boy in a parked car behind the elementary school.

Cook faces charges of sexual battery and aggravated child molestation. She has resigned her teaching position.


[Update 03/14/07]

Cook sentenced.

Twin Teachers in Sex Jackpot

(Riverside County, California) Twin 26-year-old female teachers at Lakeside High School, Franca and Antonia Munoz-Juvera, were arrested in connection with alleged sex acts with an underage female student.


Franca Munoz-Juvera, Antonia Munoz-Juvera
Detectives arrested Franca for alleged "unlawful contact" with a female student. Antonio was arrested for failing to report the alleged "unlawful contact" as required by California law. A third woman, 18-year-old Eileen Valerio, was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The twins were placed on administrative leave by the Lake Elsinore Unified School District which is conducting its own investigation.

The three women were booked into the Southwest Detention Center with bond set at $50,000 each. A court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 4/27/08]

Franca and Antonia Munoz-Juvera and Eileen Valerio all plead guilty. Sentencing in June 2008.

Language Teacher Booked for Sex with Student

(Chaska, Minnesota) A 28-year-old language teacher at Chaska High School, Julia Ozirski Lund, has been charged for engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student. Authorities became aware of the relationship when the student spilled the beans.

Lund faces one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct which involves sex with a victim older than 16 but younger than 18 by a person in authority. She was booked and released on bail.

No comments have been forthcoming from her husband.

Tip: Jason Cann


[Update 07/16/07]

Lund acquitted.

Child Porn with Girl, 14

(Hillsborough County, Florida) A 44-year-old woman, Rebecca Abernathy, and a 50-year-old man, Michael Jones, were arrested by county deputies for sex crimes and child pornography with a 14-year-old girl. Investigators discovered several videos of the two having sex with the girl.

Both Abernathy and Jones face charges of sexual battery, lewd conduct, lewd exhibition, possession of child pornography, failure to report child abuse and lewd molestation.

Female Teacher, Female Student

(Somerset County, New Jersey) A 39-year-old high school physical education teacher and coach, Pamela Balogh, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old female student.

From The Express Times:

Pamela Balogh, 39, of Bethlehem, taught and coached the female student, who was 15 years old when the alleged sexual assaults started in December 2004, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. The alleged assaults continued through September 2005 and mainly occurred in Balogh's office at Immaculata High School in Somerville, the prosecutor's office said.

Balogh has been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Balogh sports a stellar history in athletics. She was named basketball player of the year in high school and has been inducted into the halls of fame at North Hunterdon High School and at Temple University.

Balogh was booked into the Somerset County Jail with bail set at $100,000.

Tip: Jason Cann


[Update 03/23/07]

Pamela Balogh offered deal of 10 years in prison in return for guilty plea. Going to trial could net her 20 years in prison. Her lawyer, James Wronko of Somerville, still needs to discuss the deal with Balogh.


[Update 12/08/07]

Balogh convicted and sentenced.

Eco-Thuggery in Britain

(Derbyshire, UK) Intimidating phone calls put fear in the mind of a farmer who was cooperating with a trial of a genetically-modified (GM) potato crop. He withdrew his participation.

The GM potato crop being tested was designed to resist blight, the fungus that ruined Ireland's potato crop in the 1840s famine. The German plant science company BASF is pursuing another location for the GM trial. Meanwhile, scientists are concerned about the apparent return to the tactics used by protesters during the GM debacle of the 1990s.

The ecological warriors must have found something more devastating about GM potatoes than famine-causing blight. Or, maybe they're just idiots displaying cult behavior. You make the call.

Darfur: Another Mogadishu?

Don't tell me that you haven't seen the heart-wrenching media campaign to garner public support for President Bush to send American help to Sudan, specifically Darfur. Malnourished waifs with pleading expressions are pictured in barren desert refugee camps with overlays detailing the numbers who have died.

There is no doubt that the situation in Darfur is desperate, made so by Islamic fundamentalists who are working "hand-in-glove" with the government. Thug Islamist Janjaweed militias, trained and backed by al-Qaeda, have been on a rampage for several years to steal, kidnap, rape and murder black African villagers throughout the Darfur region. Atrocities against children seem to be their specialty.

Ostensibly, the Janjaweed are razing the countryside to fight off Sudanese rebel insurgencies. Nonetheless, black Africans are displaced to refugee camps where some help has been provided by international aide groups. But the camps too have been attacked by the Janjaweed, killing people and destroying donated foodstuffs. Even NGO aide workers and journalists have been targeted for kidnapping (for ransom) and murder.

The African Union (AU) sent forces to stabilize the region. They were ineffective for a variety of reasons with the most important being that they lacked the political will from member African Union nations. The Janjaweed plowed through the AU forces like loose loam on the farrow back forty.

The United Nations has been toying with the idea of doing something to help. SecGen Kofi Annan ordered a report to determine if genocide is occurring in Darfur and concluded that there is no genocide. That determination allowed the UN to do nothing, and they have done just that. Oh, I must mention that the UN issued statements of outrage and orders to stop the killing and blah, blah, blah. The UN talks and nothing happens.

However, calls for UN action did produce one result. It was a threat from the Sudanese government that UN troops would be attacked as invaders. So, the UN doesn't do anything and likely won't, however, if they do, Sudan will declare war against the "invading" UN troops.

To recap, neither the AU nor the UN has found a solution to the desperate situation in Darfur and it doesn't seem likely that they will. And, all the while, the Islamist Janjaweed keep killing black Africans.

Now, I see two issues here. First is the situation in Darfur. It's more than tragic and, since no other group has taken a leadership position on finding a solution, I'm not against U.S. involvement. I also believe that U.S. intervention will become necessary because Darfur is just a symptom of the larger malady, the murderous spread of Islamic fundamentalism. The inhabitants of Darfur have been systematically rousted from their homes because they are Africans and not Muslim.

The same type situation is happening in Somalia where the al-Qaeda-backed Islamic Courts Union (ICU) is finishing up a takeover of the nation. In fact, the ICU is so sassy in its success that war with Ethiopia was declared. Presumably, the war is necessary for the ICU to defend Somalian territory along an ill-defined border with Ethiopia. More logically, the ICU is simply enlarging the area under its control. It sure doesn't take a map expert to see that Ethiopia may be the next target for al-Qaeda. The Sudanese Janjaweed are pressuring the western border and the Somalian Islamic Courts Union is warring on the east. It's a firepot of growing al-Qaeda trouble in the region.

The second issue is a complaint. From a geopolitical standpoint, there is no reason for immediate American involvement in Darfur. From a humanitarian standpoint, however, immediate relief is needed. And the need should be addressed by all humanity, not just America. The African Union and the United Nations apparently can't get excited about Darfur. The European Union, Russia, China, the Indian subcontinent and South America have expressed little, if any, interest. Yet, I and other Americans have been bombarded by the media about the need for U.S. action in Darfur. And, it will continue until the first soldier is killed.

For example, I just saw actor George Clooney on television discussing his efforts in talking to the UN and to Kofi Annan about Darfur and the need for immediate action. I don't believe he expects the UN to do a damn thing. I suspect that Clooney is making news entirely for the sake of the American public, hoping to put pressure on Congress and the administration to take action. Now we, the American television viewers, can expect a compliant liberal media to show repeats of his appearance, over and over, as if it's America's job to stop the genocide.

Tell me, how is it that the liberals can demand that U.S. forces get out of Iraq, where we have a strong interest, while at the same time, they can call for American forces to go to Darfur, where we don't have a vested interest?

The last time the U.S. became engaged in an African humanitarian venture (by sending food to Somalia), it was media-driven and America took it in the shorts. That stunt cost the lives of 18 of the bravest and best-trained fighting men in the world. I personally blame Defense Secretary, Les Aspin, and President Clinton, who appointed him. Neither cared enough to give needed military support in Mogadishu and American soldiers died. The corpse of one Ranger was even dragged through the streets, an unforgettable humiliation.

And one man who didn't forget, Osama bin Laden, has been quoted as saying that the episode in Mogadishu proved that America can be defeated.

In a nutshell, the effort for humanitarian aid in Somalia was media-driven and no geopolitical U.S. interests were in play. Similarly, the effort for humanitarian aid in Darfur is media-driven (aimed at the U.S. exclusively, it seems) and no immediate geopolitical U.S. interests are in play.

The first case resulted in the deaths of American soldiers and emboldened Osama bin Laden to believe that al-Qaeda can win a war with America.

Readers can make the call on the second case.

New Teen Driving Law in Ohio

(Columbus, Ohio) By a vote of 29-3, the Ohio Senate approved a law which will limit the number of passengers a teen driver could carry in a vehicle. A driver under 17 will be allowed only one passenger who is not a relative. If the teen's parent or guardian is present, more passengers are allowed.

From Cleveland.com:

Brian Newbacher, spokesman for the AAA club covering most of Northeast Ohio, said the Senate's vote will save lives.

"This law will prevent approximately 20 percent of the fatalities that would have occurred," he said.

The law has been approved by the Ohio House and now goes to Gov. Bob Taft, who plans to sign it.

It also would block drivers under 17 from driving from midnight to 6 a.m. without a parent or guardian.

Drivers 17 to 18 couldn't be on the road between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The only exception would be for driving to or from work, and the drivers would need documentation from employers.

The Ohio House previously passed the measure 90-3 in May. It takes effect in three months.

Violations will be misdemeanors punishable by fines of up to $150. Law enforcers, however, will be barred from pulling over cars for only a excess passenger violation. Citations for violations of the new law may only be issued in conjunction with another violation.

Sen. Tim Johnson

(Washington) Everyone surely knows by now that Sen. Tim Johnson (D - SD) suffered brain bleeding from a condition called arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. Doctors performed a brain operation to stop the bleeding. His condition is described as critical and stable. His long-term prognosis, however, is indeterminate. Some experts believe he has a chance for a full recovery.

It's reported that he responded to stimuli when awakened after his brain operation. It's also reported that Sen. Johnson awoke to see Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin and former Sen. Tom Daschle in his room to provide moral support.

In all candor, if I just had a brain operation and awoke to see those three guys, I'd probably go into a series of seizures.

Sick humor aside, I hope for Sen. Johnson's full recovery.

Russia Stopped Assassinating Spies

(Berlin, Germany) A former Russian KGB agent, Valentin Velichko, stated in an interview that "Moscow abandoned its policy of assassinating enemies long ago."

Fine. Now if Moscow were to announce that all veteran spies have taken an oath of truthfulness, we'd be set.

Mars Gets 16 Years for Rape, HIV Exposure

Just yesterday, I wrote about Donna Sue Mars and her trial, anticipating that it would take a nominal amount of time. But no, it appears that the court and the jury didn't need a lot of time to convict and sentence her. Everything was wrapped up yesterday afternoon.

Mars received 10 years for rape and six years for exposing the boy to HIV. Judge Clinger ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

Tamara Hoover Back to School

(Austin, Texas) Art teacher Tamara Hoover lost her job with at Austin High School when it became known that her nude pictures were placed on the Internet. She walked away with several month's severance pay and, in August, announced plans to obtain credentials to teach at the university level.

In the latest development, Hoover stated on her MySpace website that she will be teaching continuing education courses in "Urban Art" at Austin Community College. "Urban Art" encompasses street art and skate art.

I confess ignorance since I've always thought street art was just graffiti. There must be more to it if it's being taught in school.

Grand Jury Subpoena for ACLU

Last October, the American Civil Liberties Union received an unsolicited, leaked government document. It's three and one-half pages long, marked "Secret" classification, and was issued in December 2005. The U.S. Attorney wants the document returned since it was released without authorization. A grand jury issued a subpoena to the ACLU for its return.

The ACLU is balking and has asked a federal judge to quash the subpoena. It's claimed that the government is trampling on First Amendment rights.

This is nuts. The ACLU has no automatic right to classified information that obviously was purloined. Freedom of speech doesn't give anyone the right to steal nor the right to receive stolen property.

More discussion and links at STACLU.

This has been a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join, please email Jay@stoptheaclu.com or GribbitR@gmail.com. You will be added to the mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.

Woman, 41, Arrested for Sex with Boy,14

(Ann Arbor, Michigan) A 41-year-old woman, Dawn Marie Richards, was arrested and charged for engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. The sex allegedly occurred this past weekend. Police were alerted by the boy's parents.

Richards, a mother of two children, faces counts of criminal sexual conduct and soliciting or accosting a minor for immoral purposes. She is in custody in the Washtenaw County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.


[Update 01/19/07]

Richards sentenced.

Mars Rape Trial

(Bentonville, Arkansas) A year ago, a 42-year-old HIV-positive woman, Donna Sue Mars (aka Donna Sue Turner), was charged with rape and with exposing another person to HIV for engaging in oral sex with a 13-year-old boy.

This week, the trial of Donna Sue Mars, now 43, got underway before an 11-man, one-woman jury in Benton County Circuit Court, Judge David Clinger presiding. In the first two days of testimony, the jurors got a glimpse of the mentality of Mars.

"How can you rape the willing?" was Donna Sue Mars' first question after learning she was being arrested in December 2005, accused of performing oral sex on a 13-year-old boy.

When an officer explained state law gives special protection to those younger than age 14, Mars said, "Sometimes, when you get drunk, you forget the age, right?"

Her statements were recorded on tape the night of her arrest. The boy and his mother also testified, leaving the impression that the episode with Mars made the boy frightful and traumatized.

If convicted, Mars could be sentenced to life in prison. More later.

Cleveland's Traffic Cameras

(Columbus, Ohio) The Ohio House yesterday passed proposed rules which would make traffic cameras valueless. The legislation would essentially require that all traffic camera locations to be manned by a police officer to verify who was actually driving offending vehicles and to issue tickets.

In full-pucker mode, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson expressed outrage and threatened a lawsuit to overturn the new law. Jackson asserted that the new legislation is contrary to the home rule provisions of the Ohio Constitution.

Legislative reform was drafted due to accusations that Cleveland's traffic cameras were a naked cash cow fleecing the public. City officials deny that the traffic cameras have anything to do with money and contend that the system is for public safety.

Of course, when someone says it's not about the money, everyone knows it's about the money.

The Ohio Senate and Gov. Taft will have to give their okey-dokeys for the proposal to become law.

Stranded Man Saved by BBQ Sauce

(Kobe, Japan) A 35-year-old man, Mitsutaka Uchikoshi, was stranded for 24 days on Mount Rokko and survived on a half bottle of barbecue sauce.

The brand wasn't disclosed but it's rumored to have long-lasting flavor.

People Leaving California

It's not a mass migration, rather a message of dissatisfaction. Some of the gilding of the Golden State is rubbing off.

From KSBY.com:

For the first time in almost a decade, more people moved out of California last year than moved in.

According to the California Department of Finance, the state recorded a net loss of about 29,000 people in 2005. The most common destinations for the newest ex-Californians were Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Washington and Oregon.

The high cost of housing is cited as the primary reason people leave. I'd suggest that high taxes and crime have also been factors prompting folks to vamoose.

Nevertheless, 29,000 is a minute number when compared to the 37 million or so residents of the state. Also, the numbers don't reflect the "undocumented" hordes of illegal aliens in the state.

Illegal Alien Registration

(Pahrump, Nevada) The town board will take up a proposed ordinance today which would require all illegal aliens in Pahrump to register. If passed, the ordinance would allow the local government to charge $200 for each registration.

Penalties for not registering would be $500 for the first offense and $5,000 for the second offense. A third offense would require deportation.

Predictably, the American Civil Liberties Union has stated that the ordinance will likely face constitutional challenges.

Notably, the town of Pahrump passed an English-only ordinance last month. By a vote of three to two, the town board made English the official language of Pahrump.

Baby's Toes Gnawed Off

(Bossier City, Louisiana) This is inexcusable.

From KTBS.com:

Bossier City police today said a couple whose baby daughter's toes were gnawed off -- reportedly by a pit bull puppy -- have told several different stories about what happened.

Police said the couple told investigators they slept as the six-week-old puppy chewed off four of their month-old daughter's toes and did not wake up in time.

Mary Shannon Hansche, 22, and Christopher Wayne Hansche, 26, were charged with child desertion.

Police said the parents told them they were sleeping on a mattress in the living room of their residence and the baby was in an child carrier beside them when the puppy began chewing on their baby's toes. The Hansches told police they woke up to the sound of their daughter crying, found her mangled foot and took her to the hospital about 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

The baby girl underwent surgery in Shreveport but the toes could not be saved. She was placed in a foster home. The puppy has been quarantined to check for rabies.

Albino Whitetail Fawn

An emailer sent me this photo. I think it was taken in Texas. A couple saw it run across the road and went after it.


Albino Whitetail Fawn
Cute little thing, eh?

No Hat for Mr. Happy

Sometimes I chuckle at things that are not chucklable.

(Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Suon Da, 25, was knifed twice in the abdominal area by Sa Rida, a 24-year-old sex worker, during the fight at a brothel in Battambang province Wednesday, said Koam Roeuy, a deputy police chief from the area.

Koam Roeuy said Suon Da had paid Sa Rida $1.20 to have sex with her. But after Suon Da repeatedly refused to wear a condom, Sa Rida gave up and left the room.

Suon Da chased after her, demanding his money back and slapping the woman, Koam Roeuy said. Sa Rida responded by stabbing Suon Da in the stomach, he said.

Does that say $1.20?

Jayson Blair Is Back

Remember Jayson Blair? After being belched from the New York Times for plagiarism, the unrepentant Blair is recrudescing himself as a journalist for a bp (bipolar) magazine. Apparently, he blames bipolar disorder for all his problems and wrote a piece about it which impressed Editor Nancy Tobin.

Form BostonHerald.com:

"I was not a fan of Jayson Blair or what he had done," Tobin said.

But after spending a lot of time talking with Blair and having him outline his story, the magazine agreed to publish it. "If we weren't going to publish his story, what good where (sic) we?" asked Tobin, pointing out that the publication is about the disorder - and recovery.

Blair, who agreed to talk to the Herald via e-mail, said he's also among several dozen writers and others bp editors routinely turn to for feedback. He continues to pitch them stories but had to quit working on a second piece earlier this year because he said he "was not up to doing a fully reported piece."

Wait a minute! He's "not up to doing a fully reported piece?" Isn't that on his resume? And, isn't that the reason he got deep-sixed by the Times?

Anyway, the piece on bipolar disorder that got noticed was about the death of his dog. I haven't read it but, just guessing, he probably befriended the half-wolf mixed-breed after rescuing him from an abusive frontiersman owner in Alaska. Even now, he has bipolar nightmares of his dog Buck calling from the wilds of the polar hereafter.

Tip: Michelle Malkin

Alcohol Leading Killer in Finland

(Helsinki, Finland) An explosion in booze consumption has occurred since alcohol taxes were dramatically cut in 2004. Data is from the National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health.

From CTV.ca:

Alcohol was responsible for 17 per cent of all deaths among 15- to 64-year-old men, surpassing heart disease for the first time, the agency said. Alcohol also caused more than 10.5 per cent of all deaths in adult women, alongside breast cancer, for the first time.

Although the tax cut is being blamed for the rise in alcohol problems, the ten months of winter every year is likely a contributor.

EU Plans Global Positioning Alternative

Not wanting to rely on the U.S. military-operated global positioning system (GPS) any longer, the European Union plans to implement its own civilian-run system of positioning satellites called Galileo. The EU system will have 30 orbiting space vehicles which are projected to be more accurate than the 24 orbiters of GPS.

Galileo is due to be operational by 2011 at a cost of $4.8 billion. The EU is currently seeking comments by opening a four-month consultation period on possible uses of the system. Or so they say. Frankly, I suspect the EU is looking for reasons to convince people of the need for the new system while trolling for prospective users of Galileo to pony up some funding for the project.

Support from China has already been garnered. Two-hundred million euros have been invested in a Galileo training and application research center at Southeast University in Nanjing, China. Unfortunately, Chinese partnerships in foreign technology ventures customarily fade when they learn to do it themselves. Since China has its own satellites to work with, continued funding for the European project is uncertain.

From the viewpoint of some observers, Galileo appears to be a project motivated by politics and pride as opposed to the preferred selling points of economics and need. Strategic independence has been cited as a strong basis for a non-U.S. controlled navigation system since America has already shown that one GPS location can be disabled while allowing others to run. Friends and enemies alike were not at all amused upon learning that tidbit of information.

Nevertheless, the real question regarding Galileo is whether it is achievable to operate an exorbitantly expensive satellite system as a commercial venture. The EU is looking for an affirmative answer to the question. My take? Galileo will require the massive infusion of taxpayer-derived funds and accompanying governmental presence. In other words, as a privately-run system, Galileo won't.

Women Can Pack Sausage

(St. Louis, Missouri) The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that women can pack sausage and awarded damages to women who were denied the opportunity to pack sausage.

The decision resulted from a case filed by the EEOC against Dial Corporation claiming a pre-employment strength test discriminated against women at an Armour Star sausage-making plant in Fort Madison, Iowa. It seems that women are generally incapable of lifting 35 pounds of meat 65 inches off the floor so they failed the test and were disqualified for employment. The court declared the test a discriminatory practice since it was more difficult than what was required to perform the job.

Over $3 million was awarded to 52 rejected female job applicants.

Record Recording

A studio LP of Velvet Underground's first recording was purchased at a Manhattan flea market for 75 cents. Last night, it was sold on eBay for $155,401.

Simply ... Wow!

Illiterate Women in Turkey

(Diyarbakir, Turkey) A study conducted in the Diyarbakir District of southeastern Turkey by a women's group found, among many results, that 80 percent of women are illiterate.

From TurkishDailyNews:

A study, conducted by the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Center for Women's Issues (DIKASUM), with 472 married women in 97 districts and villages in Diyarbakir, has showed that 80 percent of women are illiterate, 16 percent were forced into berdel marriage (a southeastern tradition where families exchange daughters) and 43 percent gave birth to children between the ages of 14 and 18, reported the Dogan News Agency.

There's more at the link, including this nugget:

" ... some women don't even know the name of the city, district or village they live in."

There's no denying the fact that many women are denied education because Islamic traditions discriminate against women and Turkey is 99.8 percent Muslim. However, there is inconsistency regarding the reported literacy rate. According to The World Factbook estimate, more than 78 percent of Turkish women are literate. Therefore, the figures published in the DIKASUM study appear to be only applicable to the southeastern region of Turkey and not the whole country.

Furthermore, the Diyarbakir District is adjacent to the borders with Iraq, Syria and Iran and governed by democratically-elected local authorities. With universal suffrage, this means that the entire region is solidly patriarchal since illiterate women are unprepared to vote rationally in elections. Logically, half the population will be inclined to follow the guidance of fathers, brothers and husbands when voting, or not vote. In effect, women have been disenfranchised in southeastern Turkey. Their voices are not being heard and they don't even know it.

Woman Spits At Soldier

Check this out.

Syracuse radio station WFBL reports that Lauren Maggi, 35, of Thurber Street was charged with harassment for spitting in a soldier's face at Hancock Airport.

Apparently, out of the clear blue, she walks up to Jason Jones and asks if he is a soldier. Jones said yes so she spit on him.

There is no excuse for Maggi's behavior. Her value system is worth condemnation.


[Update 01/17/07]

Court date set.


[Update 03/21/07]

Maggi pleads guilty to harassment.

ACLU Targets Rumsfeld

Leave it to the ACLU to bayonet the wounded after the battle is over. Hey, ACLU, you won. Rumsfeld was booted.

Even so, the ACLU wants blood. A lawsuit has been filed to prosecute Donald Rumsfeld for dereliction of duty and violation of human rights. Plaintiffs are the ACLU and several former unhappy residents of Abu Ghraib and Bagram.

Jay has the whole story at STACLU.

Probation for Teen Alcohol/Sex Parties

(Lexington, South Carolina) Last August, 46-year-old Patricia Louise Hartwell was arrested for allegedly hosting sex and alcohol parties for high school students over a two-year period.

Investigators alleged that Hartwell encouraged youths as young as 14 to engage in sex while she provided drugs and alcohol and even birth control pills. Hartwell was charged with six counts of transferring beer to a minor, five counts of transferring liquor to a minor and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Yesterday, before Circuit Judge Thomas G. Cooper Jr., Hartwell pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She also pleaded for mercy from the court because she "meant no harm to these kids" and she just "enjoyed their company."

Judge Cooper then imposed a sentence of probation, counseling and drug tests.

Since her arrest, Hartwell has been in jail. Apparently, the prosecution believed that she had spent sufficient time behind bars. A 46-year-old man would have likely needed additional incarceration for committing the same crimes. As a woman, Hartwell is entitled to measurably more equality.

Remember Pearl Harbor - Dec. 7, 1941

My years in the U.S. Navy included an assignment at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Every morning for months, I parked my car at Halawa landing and took the ferry to my job on Ford Island. The ferry slipped past the Arizona Memorial, no more than a few dozen yards distant, on water which always showed the tell-tale oil still leaking from the rusting hull underwater. In the afternoon, it was the same ferry ride in reverse.


USS Arizona (BB-39) Memorial
I believe that most service members who rode the Ford Island ferry felt a same underlying sense of solemnity, knowing that beneath the Memorial, to this day, are more than eleven hundred entombed sailors. Here is a place of historical importance. A place for respectfulness. A place of honor.

No less than the "shot heard 'round the world" at Lexington or the first cannon volley at Fort Sumter, the attack on battleship row at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor 65 years ago today was a threshold in American history. The day before, America was isolationist, coming out of the Great Depression, and ignoring the belligerence in Asia and Europe. The day after, America was in World War II. It happened before I was born and, although it sounds nonsensical, I'll never forget the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Hezbollah Funds Source in S. America Frozen

Bully! It helps to hit terrorists in the pocketbook.

From The Daily Star:

WASHINGTON: The Bush administration took action on Wednesday aimed at choking off a major South American fundraising channel for Hizbullah in the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The US Treasury Department's action targets nine people and two entities - a shopping center in Paraguay and an electronics company, Casa Hamze, located in the shopping center.

The United States alleges that the designated targets have provided financial and logistical support to Hizbullah, considered a terrorist organization by the US.

Hizbullah called the US action an "attack" on Wednesday.

"This is part of the US policy to attack the party," Hizbullah politburo member Ghaleb Abu Zeinab said.

Abu Zeinab added that "every person who does not follow the US policy is being made a victim of the US and Israeli intelligence and being implicated in such allegations."

Americans are forbidden from doing business with the designated targets, whose bank accounts or other financial assets found in the US were frozen.

Key players in the fundraising operation include:

1) Assad Ahmad Barakat - Leads Hezbollah (Hizbullah) fundraising network in tri-border area. Suspected of trafficking in narcotics, counterfeit US dollars, arms and explosives. Called a "specially designated global terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department.

2) Muhammad Yusif Abdallah - Senior Hezbollah member in region and financial backer. Owns shopping center with percentage paid to Hezbollah. Alleged to also smuggle contraband, falsify passports, engage in credit card fraud and traffic in counterfeit US dollars.

3) Muhammad Fayez Barakat - Barakat network financial expert and bookkeeper.

4) Hamzi Ahmad Barakat - Brother of Assad Ahmad Barakat and allegedly a courier who traveled to Chile to collect funds for Hezbollah.

5) Muhammad Tarabain Chamas - Alleged counterintelligence agent.

6) Saleh Mahmoud Fayad - Alleged counterintelligence agent.

7) Sobhi Mahmoud Fayad - Liaison between the Iranian embassy and Hezbollah members in the tri-border area.

8) Ali Muhammad Kazan - Allegedly raised more than $500,000 for Hezbollah from Lebanese businesses in tri-border area.

9) Farouk Omairi - Tri-border Hezbollah community member.

The nation of Brazil denies it but the porous tri-border region has been considered a center of fund-raising and money laundering for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for years. Although it's not mentioned, the tri-border region logically is also a training ground for Spanish-speaking Islamofascists. Not good. One must presume that radical Islamists fluent in Spanish would have an easy time entering the U.S. through the imaginary southern border.

Another conclusion from the news reports that can be drawn is that the Iranians are working closely with Hezbollah in South America. This is hardly surprising. Rather it's a confirmation of widely-held suspicions.

Indonesian Playboy Editor on Trial

(Jakarta, Indonesia) The editor of Playboy Indonesia, Erwin Arnada, is on trial for distributing indecent pictures for money. He faces up to 32 months in prison, if convicted.

Interestingly, Arnada could be sentenced to a harsher term than was given to the mastermind of the Bali bombings. As a reminder, Abu Bakar Bashir (Ba'asyir) received only 25.5 months in prison for orchestrating the murders of 202 innocent civilians in the Bali nightclub bombing.

Therefore, on the scale of seriousness, publishing a racy magazine ranks higher as a criminal act than mass murder in a Muslim country.

Husband Taped to Death

(Bashkortostan, Russia) In the village of Sidyakbash, a 28-year-old wife came home drunk and demanded sex from her husband.

From MosNews.com:

A woman outraged by her husband's [lack of] desire to make love to her wrapped up his penis with scotch tape and tried to force him into sexual intercourse. Her plan failed the woman wrapped her husband's hands, legs and head with the tape and went to bed. The man died from suffocating, the website Pravda.Ru reported Thursday.

Reportedly, the wife "hit the bottle regularly, was unfaithful to her husband and constantly battered him and their kids." The woman is being investigated for manslaughter. If convicted, she faces up to 24 months in prison.

Ohio Smoking Ban Includes Truckers

According to the Ohio nanny-state anti-smoking law taking effect today, truckers will be prohibited from lighting up a smoke in the cabs of their big rigs. Exceptions are out-of-state truckers driving through Ohio and family-owned and operated trucks driven by family.

I'd guess enforceability of the trucker provisions of the anti-smoking law will be by caprice. Of course, the level of enforcement will be entirely dependent on the number of anti-smoking police officers that are recruited and deployed. And, as I recall, the initiating ballot measure placed no limits on the size of the tobacco gestapo.

Bio-Diesel from Human Liposuction Fat

Aha! Here's an answer to the putative obesity epidemic.

(Miami, Florida) A Norwegian firm, Venoy and Co., has signed a contract with Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami whereby the hospital supplies 11,500 liters of human fat from liposuction weekly for conversion to bio-diesel fuel. Approximately 10,000 liters of bio-diesel will be produced.

According to Lauri Venoy, "Maybe we should urge people to eat more so we can create more raw material for fuel."

And just like blood, people should be able to sell their liposucked fat.

Helluva deal!

Cat Killers Sentenced

(Middletown, New York) Three young men have been convicted and sentenced for the 2004 cat-killing spree at the Blooming Grove Humane Society Animal Shelter. Michael Melfi, 19, and Michael Bornhoeft, 21, each received terms of two to seven years in state prison. Terry Ayres, 20, testified against Melfi and Bornhoeft and was sentenced to an easier stretch of one to three years in prison.

It's not clear where cat-killers will fit in the prison hierarchy. Historically, child molesters have generally occupied the lowest status as prisoners, automatically becoming all other prisoners' whipping boys. However, based upon the emotional outrage triggered by the cat-killers, they may replace child molesters at the bottom of the prisoner totem.

Teacher/Principal's Wife Romanced Boy

(Fort Collins, Colorado) Last month, former teacher and the principal's wife at Brighton Charter High School, Carrie McCandless, was accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. Ultimately, McCandless was charged with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In new developments, McCandless' relationship has led to formal charges being filed against the school board chairman David Mundy Sr. for tampering with at least three witnesses/victims and failing to report child abuse to the authorities. Mundy resigned his position last Friday and is scheduled to be in court today to face the charges. Police didn't learn of the case until contacted by a television reporter.

Yesterday, McCandless was formally advised of the charges against her in Larimer County District Court. After her hearing, court records were unsealed to reveal the extent of the relations with the boy and other students. In summary, McCandless was involved with the boy in a schoolgirl-crush manner including the passing of love notes. On one day, for example, McCandless and the boy exchanged 76 text messages where they expressed their mutual love and she complained about her marriage to Chris McCandless, the principal.

There's no word of what happens next, however, if this case follows the lead of a multitude of similar cases, McCandless will probably be offered a plea deal with no jail and probation for a reduced charge of disturbing the peace or littering or something equally inconsequential. Mundy, on the other hand, will likely be convicted of felony counts of tampering with a witness and failure to report child abuse. He'll probably avoid jail and get community service. Mundy's career in the education field is history.


[Update 01/31/07]

McCandless faces new charge.


]Update 04/24/07]

McCandless accepts plea deal.


[Update 06/08/07]

McCandless sentenced.

Bernie Kosar to Coach?

The Miami Herald is reporting that former Cleveland Browns and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Bernie Kosar is in contention for the head coaching job at the University of Miami.

"Yeah, I'm interested," the former quarterback told The Miami Herald. "UM people knew that I had been offered the president of the [Cleveland] Browns job. They knew I wanted to get back into football and asked if I'd be interested in the UM job. At first it was just flattering, but then I thought, 'Yeah, I'd really like to look into it.'"

Notably, Kosar has no coaching experience so I don't see it happening.

Spray-On Safe Sex

There is a lot of interest in the newly-announced spray-on condom product. Testing is currently in progress with the goal of developing the perfect condom for every size penis.

From GizMag.com:

Researchers at the German Institute for Condom Consultancy plan to launch a spray-on condom -- the Institute is currently conducting tests on a spray can into which the man inserts his penis which is then sprayed with latex from nozzles on all sides.

The plan is to make the product ready for use in about five seconds and offer a more effective contraceptive that fits better than standard one-size fits all condoms and hence does not slip.

Pre-market trials are underway to demonstrate the new latex condom is evenly spread when sprayed and to optimise the vulcanization process.

The Vinico Company and Qualo Design collaborated on design and marketing with the Condom Consultancy. For those who are out of work, the Vinico Company is looking for men to help in the condom testing.

We are looking for 30 Condom-Testers. Your job is testing the new condom. We are looking for men with a penislengh from 9 until 12 cm and 15 until 20 cm. Men between 13 to 14 cm are welcome, too. You should have experience with condoms and beeing almost 18 years old. [sic all]

Good for 20 vulcanizations, the product is expected on the market in 2008 for about $27 with replacement cartridges also available. Different strengths and colors will be offered.

Woman, 31, Boy, 14

(Gary, Indiana) A 31-year-old Gary woman, Johnna Marie Kalinowicz, has been charged with sexual misconduct for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old boy. The sex allegedly occurred between December 2005 and September 2006.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 12/08/07]

Kalinowicz sentenced to prison.

Nun Accused of Molesting Boys

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) A 78-year-old nun and former principal at St. Patrick's Congregation grade school, Norma Giannini, has been charged with two felony counts of indecent behavior with a child. Giannini allegedly engaged in sex with two schoolboys 40 years ago.

From Journal Sentinel:

The two former students, now 54 and 53 years old, each described their sexual contact with Giannini to police, according to the complaint, which states:

One of the victims recounted one of the early sexual encounters with the nun in which she instructed him to unbutton her habit and indecently touch her breasts. The boy, who was about 13 at the time, was shaking so badly he couldn't undo the buttons.

As time went on, Giannini had more intense sexual contact with the boy, ultimately leading to sexual intercourse inside her south side home.

She initiated contact with the other boy, a seventh-grader, after discussing his "Beatle-style hair." The boy said the incident caused him confusion because he believed nuns were married to Jesus.

After that the boy recalled having more than 100 incidents of sexual contact with Giannini, including intercourse.

A warrant has been issued for Giannini's arrest.


[Update 09/22/07]

Giannini turns herself in.


[Update 11/12/07]

Giannini pleads no contest.


[Update 02/01/08]

Giannini sentenced to one year in jail.

Terrorist Sweep Nets American

We've got another American taking up arms against U.S. interests.

From SunTimes.com:

CAIRO, Egypt -- Police have arrested an American, 11 Europeans and several others from Arab countries for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

The group was part of an Islamic militant terror cell that had adopted extremist ideas and were living in Egypt under the guise of studying Arabic and Islamic studies, the ministry said in a statement.

Two Belgians, nine Frenchman and several Arabs were also within the cell. All are in custody. Thus far, no names have been released.

Rusty Shackleford provides background at The Jawa Report.

Litvinenko's Last Request

(Prague, Czech Republic) Shortly before his death by poisoning from radioactive polonium 210, former Russian security officer Aleksandr Litvinenko made a special request.

From RFE/RL:

Litvinenko's father, Valter, told RFE/RL's Russian Service his son converted to Islam shortly before his death and wished to be buried according to Muslim tradition.

"He told me about his decision two days before he died. He said, 'Papa, I have to talk to you about something serious. I've become a Muslim,'" Walter Litvinenko said.

"I said, 'Sasha, it's your decision. As long as you don't become a communist or a satanist, that's the main thing.' I'm a Christian myself, but I have a granddaughter whose father is Kabardin -- my daughter's husband, he's Muslim as well," he continued. "We haven't lost God; we believe in God. But how to believe in God, how to pray -- everyone should do that in the way they consider best."

Valter Litvinenko, who described the conversion as "an important personal decision," said his son had been thinking about becoming a Muslim for some time because of growing disenchantment with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Frankly, something about this conversion just doesn't seem right. It's just too politically convenient. Consequently, I lean toward skepticism. Unfortunately, there's no way to ever know for sure.

Litvinenko's funeral hasn't been scheduled yet.

Great Tit Research

(The Netherlands) Researchers at Leiden University have found that individual bird species sing different songs depending on where they call home. Birds in the city sing at a faster pace and at a higher frequency than country birds.

Led by Dr. Hans Slabbekoorn, the research team focused its studies on the great tit (Parus major) in ten large European cities including Paris, London, Prague, Brussels and Rotterdam. The results were then compared with songs of great tits in the country and forests. Great tits in the city sang shriller, faster and shorter songs than the country great tits which allowed them to compete with constant city noises.

Great tits in the city were also found to sing "rare and odd song types" although it's not known why. Great tits are native throughout Europe and not found in the Americas although a distant relative of the country great tit, unofficially designated Dollyus partonus, has reportedly been seen in the southeast U.S.

The research findings will be published this month in the journal Current Biology.

Illegal Votes in Cuyahoga County

No shock here. It's reported that many illegal votes were cast in strongly-Democrat Cuyahoga County.

Plain Dealer:

Nearly 12,000 people in Cuyahoga County cast votes illegally on Election Day, without signing the election books or, likely, showing identification as required by a new state law.

In 533 of the 570 voting precincts in Cuyahoga County, more voters cast ballots Nov. 7 than signed in, according to board records.

With some polling places, the numbers were off by more than 100. But the differences at 144 of the locations were fewer than 10 each.

I don't suppose that the discrepancies are going to be reviewed to determine if any races were affected. In any event, with 533 of 570 precincts showing bogus numbers, it's not a stretch to say that the Cuyahoga County Election Board has a generic incompetency problem.

It's probably unfair to assume the election problems are simply a result of arithmetic being viewed as higher education by students in the Cleveland Public School System.

State Senator's Illegal Alien Wife Hides

Naturally, when the authorities are chasing illegals, hiding is the only alternative to being deported. From Digger:

Georgia State Senator Curt Thompson, a Democrat, is married to an illegal alien, Sascha Herrera. Courts issued a deportation order, but when (Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed up at the home to issue the order, Sascha Herrera was nowhere to be found.

It should be noted that Curt Thompson is a big supporter of illegal aliens. I wonder why?

Interestingly, the deportation order for Sascha was issued in February 2005 and it has taken almost two years for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to go after her. This makes ICE a somewhat Freudian acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The organization responds with glacial speed.


[Update 1000 EST]

Earlier today, an immigration judge lifted the deportation order and agreed to reopen Herrera's case. Nothing scheduled yet.

Paltrow Opens Mouth, Words Fall Out

Here's an example of an uninformed celebrity, Gwyneth Paltrow, making public comments regarding the U.S. from a closed-minded, egocentric perspective.

From Breitbart.com:

"I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner," she told "NS," the weekend magazine supplement of daily Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias on Saturday.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans," the 34-year-old added.

She added that she loves living in London because Madonna is her neighbor. "She's like an older sister" who gives her "good advice."

But, oops! In another report, Paltrow now denies she said anything anti-American and blames the quotes on poor Spanish language skills she demonstrated during a press conference.

So, who does one believe? As I recall, Paltrow has a history of being quite the liberal elitist. Therefore, I'll believe she did diss the U.S. After all, it is the trendy liberal thing to do.

Thanks: Joe Citizen

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Israeli-Arab Woman Shot in Honor Killing

(Kafr Kasem, Israel) A 30-year-old woman was fatally shot in the chest by a 70-ish male relative last evening. Attempts to revive her at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva were unsuccessful. Police are describing the death as a "family honor killing."

The suspected perpetrator was taken into custody and the weapon allegedly used in the murder was recovered. No names were released.

According to Kayan, an Arab women's rights group, the murder was the seventh honor killing in Israel this year. Last year, there were 13 honor killings in the Arab sector of Israel. Kayan has launched a large-scale campaign to increase public awareness of the senseless murders. Unfortunately, like the constant barrage of Palestinian rockets into Israel, the elite media cannot be bothered to address honor killings as a significant and persistent societal problem.

Prison Is Too Hard

(Daytona Beach, Florida) Teen Warren Messner was sentenced to 22 years in prison for beating a homeless man, Michael Roberts, to death last year. Messner received the lightest sentence of the four boys involved in the killing. Jeffrey Spurgeon, Justin Stearns and Christopher Scamahorn all received at least 27 years.

Nonetheless, after 10 months of juvenile detention Warren Messner has had enough. Earlier today, Messner with his attorney appeared in court to ask the judge to reduce his sentence because prison is just too hard.

The judge said no, causing Messner's parents to break down. Mrs. Lori Messner tearfully complained that prison was unfair and her son was locked in a cell all the time and not getting anything like schooling and mental health services. The judge explained that that was the purpose of prison. People are locked away and not given anything.

When a parent has to be explained the purpose of a prison, is it any wonder that some kids do exceedingly stupid and criminal things?

The Egg McBrownie

Mrs. Interested decided she would like something different for breakfast this morning so I made her a cake brownie topped off with a slice of smoked ham, a slice of sharp cheddar, and a poached egg.

She loved it. It's another creative home run from the researchers at Interested-Participant Kitchens.

Miss Rodeo Beats Cancer

We all need good news occasionally.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Miss Rodeo North Dakota Ashley Andrews had goals of beating cancer and winning the Miss Rodeo America crown. She accomplished both.

Andrews, 21, was crowned Saturday at the 52nd annual Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas, beating out competitors from 28 states in categories such as horsemanship, personality and appearance.

She said her cancer has been in remission since Aug. 9, following months of chemotherapy. "I have a clean bill of health," Andrews said in a telephone interview Saturday.

Congratulations to Miss Andrews.

Tip: Don

Toddler Wails as Mom Dances

(St. Petersburg, Florida) Left in the back seat of an unlocked car, Maria Campo's two-year-old son cried the baby blues as momma was two-steppin' in Tequila's Sports Bar and Grill. Police were alerted and Campo was arrested and charged with child neglect.

I'd consider Campo's act a form of abandonment as opposed to a simple case of neglect. The toddler was making noise. The car was unlocked. Mom was oblivious to any threats to her child. The circumstances almost invited a kidnapping.

Bikini Rallies at Aussie Mosques

Crikey! Get a load of the peace going on down under.

(Sydney, Australia) About one year ago, Lebanese Muslim "gangs swarmed on Sydney's Cronulla beach, jostling elderly patrons, abusing Australian families and threatening to 'rape Aussie sluts' for wearing bikinis." Later, dozens of carloads of Lebanese gang members rioted in nearby neighborhoods, demolishing cars, smashing shop windows and assaulting anyone with an Anglo appearance.

Next weekend, on the anniversary of the Cronulla riots, Aussie women are being asked to dress in bikinis and rally outside mosques to protest comments made by a leading Muslim cleric. The cleric, Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly, has said that women are like "uncovered meat."

In preparation for the rally, the Lebanese Muslim Association has asked for 32 police officers to be stationed outside the Lakemba Mosque next Saturday and Sunday for protection. Tom Zreik, president of the association, said that they were treating the bikini protest as humorous but they are taking precautions in case some people become provoked to attack.

Inexplicably and seemingly contrary to taking precautions, Muslim women are being encouraged to counter protest in their hajibs and burqas. Now, I'm no expert but it sure seems that mixing hajibs and burqas with bikinis could provoke at least some followers of the religion of peace.

Fashion Model Starved to Death

(Sao Paulo, Brazil) Everyone knew that 21-year-old model Ana Carolina Reston was sick with anorexia nervosa and bulimia but nobody apparently intervened.

After a catalogue shoot for Giorgio Armani, she was sent home with a warning that she was "too skinny." Reportedly, Reston existed on only apples and tomatoes.

Last month, with visible ribs and protruding hipbones, Ana Carolina Reston died from kidney failure and a generalized infection. The 5-foot-8-inch model weighed only 88 pounds.

Even fashion show organizers are now worried about too-thin models. In Spain, one fashion event banned models with a body-mass index of less than 18. Typically, anyone with a body-mass of less than 18.5 is considered underweight. Ana Carolina Reston had a body-mass index of 13.4 when she died.

Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Torrance, California) A 37-year-old local woman, Ana Monique Magdaleno, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Magdaleno faces charges of oral copulation with a minor and is also accused of intimidation of a victim or witness. She was booked and released on $50,000 bail. A court date of December 29 has been scheduled.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Former Guard and Boy

(Fort Wayne, Indiana) A 27-year-old former corrections officer at the Northeast Juvenile Correctional Facility, Margaret A. Wiley, has been arrested and charged with felony sexual misconduct and trafficking with a 16-year-old male inmate. Wiley was terminated after an internal corrections department investigation.

Wiley was booked and released on $3,250 bond.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 04/06/07]

Wiley pleads guilty.


[Update 05/02/07]

Wiley sentenced.


[Update 02/12/08]

Wiley Violates Probation

She has been in jail since December after she was accused of violating her probation by having what prosecutors Monday deemed "incidental" contact with a child younger than 18.

As part of her probation, Wiley was prohibited from having contact with children.

Allen Superior Magistrate Robert Schmoll ordered Wiley placed back on probation after she admitted the violation, but under a "zero tolerance policy," and extended her probation by two months.

One must suspect that Wiley has friends in high places because the Indiana justice system is doing everything possible to keep her out of jail.

Men Automatically Guilty

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "57.8 percent of child abuse and neglect perpetrators were females and 42.2 percent were males." As such, consider the following:

Frances Kemp booked an aisle seat on a recent British Airways (BA) flight because she had a bad leg that required extra space. Her 76-year-old husband Michael occupied the middle seat. A nine-year-old girl took the window position. When a stewardess asked Frances to switch seats with her husband, she declined.

The stewardess explained that the seating arrangement breached the airline's child-welfare regulations and moved the child. Michael is a retired journalist with no criminal record; he made no contact-physical or verbal-with the girl; no complaint or request to move was received; the child's mother was elsewhere on the plane. The girl's welfare was deemed to be in peril solely because Michael was male.

Apparently, airlines have been enforcing male gender discrimination of this nature for years. It's been largely under the radar since it's imposed typically during seat assignment.

Airlines readily admit the bias. Men are considered dangerous potential pedophiles automatically and discriminated against accordingly.

If an airline restricted the seating of blacks because the 2004 Bureau of Justice data states "blacks [are] disproportionately represented among homicide victims and offenders", there would be a backlash of rage.

Also, imagine the scenario where every Muslim is considered a potential terrorist and denied boarding without a completed cavity strip-search.

Painting men automatically dangerous is irrational, insulting and sets a precedent frought with unintended consequences. What's next? Men not being allowed to be seated adjacent to children at baseball games or in theaters? Men denied careers in teaching and counseling? Nobody can be sure how far this politically correct belief will go but one thing is certain. Men will likely develop an aversion to being around children for fear of being labeled a pervert.

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Americans Kidnapped

Here's a sampling of reports about criminal activity this past week along the U.S.-Mexican border.

(Columbus, New Mexico) On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and New Mexico law officers broke up a large-scale, heroin trafficking ring in the border town of Columbus. Four people were arrested and more than a pound of Mexican black tar heroin was seized.

In custody are Ruben Ledezma, 72, a legal permanent resident, Macrina Quinones, 44, a U.S. citizen, and two suspects of unknown nationality, Christina Salcido, 23, and Angel Sanchez, 30.

Officials stated that the purity and availability of the Mexican heroin is increasing as the market expands and the business matures. Over time, one can expect the Mexican heroin producers to attain a purity level where the product is no longer black in color and, thereby, make their heroin more attractive to picky junkies.

(Rio Grande City, Texas) Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents along with a Starr County drug task force were tipped to suspected drug activity and found almost nine tons of marijuana in hidden bunkers. The street value of the dope is estimated at eight million dollars.

(Falfurrias, Texas) Earlier this week, a drug sniffer dog alerted on a tractor-trailer rig at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. Hidden within a cargo of fine Mexican limes, Border Patrol agents found an estimated five thousand pounds of marijuana with a street value of more than four million dollars.

(Tijuana, Mexico) Another Tijuana police chief was murdered last Tuesday, the fourth this year. A total of twelve Tijuana policemen have been murdered so far in 2006.

Police Chief Gerardo Santiago Prado, bodyguard Officer Hector Javier Inzunza, and secretary Nancy Gomez Teran were riddled with bullets when three vehicles cut off their police car and several gunmen began firing. The murders are tied to a wave of violence between warring drug gangs.

(Laredo, Texas) Last weekend, dozens of armed men stormed a deer-hunting ranch northwest of Laredo on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and kidnapped three Texans. Laredo businessman Librado Pina Junior, his 25-year-old son, Librado Pina III, and 45-year-old David Mueller were taken.

Also abducted were Mexican businessman Fidel Rodriguez Cerdan and ranch cook Marcos Ortiz. On Wednesday, Mueller and Cerdan were released.

According to the FBI, the kidnappings are tied to increasing violence and lawlessness from drug cartels warring for supremacy over control of smuggling routes into the U.S.

In the last two years, 60 Americans have been kidnapped in the Laredo area.

Sixty Americans kidnapped! One would imagine that it should be a bigger story. Apparently, the news hasn't reached the mainstream media yet. Surely, CNN, NBC and FoxNews will jump all over the story of 60 kidnapped Americans just like they did with the Natalie Holloway disappearance. Or ... maybe not.

Illegal Alien Trail Trash

(Phoenix, Arizona) Yesterday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio sent 200 county jail inmates into the desert to clean up some of the trash and garbage left by illegal aliens while sneaking into the U.S. An estimated 22 tons were picked up. In one day, mind you. Notably, according to Arpaio, the area cleaned is close to Phoenix and the filth gets much worse the farther one goes into the desert.


Trash along Arizona desert trail (typical)
Now, in my area I could occasionally get away with tossing some candy wrappers out of my car but, sooner or later, someone would see me and I'd be ticketed for littering. For some reason, that's not the case in national forests in the southwest. Literally, thousands upon thousands of people are turning public lands into garbage dumps and toilets and nobody seems to care.

Where is the media on this story? And the do-gooder environmentalists? The Sierra Club? Where are all the animal lovers who fret for endangered species habitats? And, above all, where's that Indian character sadly looking at the fouling of the countryside with a lonesome tear running down his cheek?

Journo Murdered

(Veracruz, Mexico) Another Mexican journalist has been murdered. The body of Adolfo Sanchez Guzman, 32, was found Thursday near Ciudad Mendoza, 75 miles west of Veracruz, shot twice in the back of the head at close range. The body of Cesar Martinez Lopez, a friend of Sanchez Guzman, was also found murdered.

Less than two weeks ago, the murdered body of investigative reporter for the magazine Testimonio, Roberto Marcos Garcia, was found outside Veracruz City.

At least 13 Mexican journalists have been murdered, mostly shot to death, in the last two years. It's a certainty that all were killed for writing about drug trafficking and government corruption.

Interestingly, the U.S. elite media are passively at the forefront of the campaign for open borders without seemingly thinking about what lack of border security means to them personally.

As millions of Mexicans, plus a variety of others, flood the U.S., they bring with them a couple-hundred-years worth of Mexican, and other, values which include the mindset of shooting people who write unflattering reports. So, despite how much one appreciates the positive aspects of south-of-the-border culture, it's pretty much moot when hot, high-velocity lead mixes with one's brain tissue.

The mainstream media should be careful what they wish for.

Woman Gets 2 Years for Sex Assault of Boy

(Greenwood, Arkansas) A 41-year-old woman, Laura Ann Pryor, was arrested in October on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. She was into the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center.

On Nov.15, Pryor appeared before 12th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge James R. Marschewski and pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault. She was sentenced to two years in prison and also ordered to register as a sex offender.

New Electronic Data Rules

New federal electronic data retention rules took effect today.

AP:

The changes, approved by the Supreme Court's administrative arm in April after a five-year review, require companies and other parties involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored information" as part of discovery, the process by which both sides share evidence before a trial.

Federal and state courts have increasingly been requiring the production of such evidence in individual cases. The new rules clarify that the data will be required in federal cases.

Records retention programs will now have to encompass stored electronic data such as emails and instant messages. This means retention times, security and methods of disposal must be specified similar to what is already being done for hardcopy records.

As I understand the change, if one receives an email from a stockholder with instructions to sell IMClone immediately, under the new rules the email would become a legal record, requiring retention and retrievability. Previously, the emails could have been dumped/overwritten from the database.

Of course, the new rules mean that electronic communications of a more personal, maybe even pejorative or licentious, nature will become records also. Those with porn proclivities, take note.