Europe Not Sharing Bank Data with U.S.

The U.S. request for the European Union to share bank data to aid in tracking down terrorists has been rejected.

This means the banking details of millions of both ordinary European citizens and – what the deal is aimed at – potential financers of international terrorism will be out of reach for the US.

The most active opponents of the agreement claimed that if the tables were turned and it was the EU government going to US Congress, asking them to allow the transfer of bank details of US citizens to a foreign country, there is no way such a decision would be made.

Interestingly, 378 lawmakers voted against the interbank transfer system and only 196 were in support.

EU and US officials have warned there would be a security gap if the deal was rejected, and diplomats in Brussels fear Washington could turn to old bilateral methods of collecting data without proper safeguards.

"This is a serious setback in the fight against terrorism as the agreement has supplied vital leads against those terrorists responsible for planning or committing attacks against EU citizens," a British government spokesman said.

An EU diplomat said the decision meant that "now the United States can walk away, ignore any concerns we have and stop providing the vital leads we need to help to prevent terrorist attacks."

The parliament was elected in June last year, and beyond privacy concerns, some deputies are keen to flex new political muscle that the assembly won under the Lisbon reform treaty which entered force in December.

"The US administration may have wrongly thought they could deal with the European parliament like Gulliver with the Lilliputians," said Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialist bloc, the second biggest in the assembly.

WTF? The U.S. administration has been apologizing and bowing to the entire international community. If anything, the Obama crowd has exhibited weakness, not strength.

Vietnam Buys Russian Fighter Jets

It has been reported out of Moscow that the government of Vietnam has inked a deal with Russia to purchase 12 Su-30MK2 fighters and associated weapons.

The purchase appears to be in addition to 8 Su-30MK2 fighters bought last year.

Price negotiated in the deal is approximately $1 billion with delivery scheduled for 2011 and 2012.

The Su-30MK2 fighter is an all-weather, long-range strike fighter with a NATO reporting name of "Flanker-G." In addition to Russia, the nations of China, Indonesia and Venezuela fly the Su-30MK2. It is reportedly comparable to the U.S. Air Force F-15E.

NY Woman, 21, and Boy, 13

(Rochester, New York) A 21-year-old local woman, Damaris Ilirraza, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy she was watching. She has been charged with second-degree rape.

Police say Damaris Ilirraza allegedly had multiple sexual encounters with the boy who she was watching.

Ilirraza has pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape.

Information on arrest and booking is not available.

Teacher Gets Probation for Corrupting Minors - Updated

(Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania) In accordance with a plea agreement, substitute teacher Virginia Cipriani-Baustert, 35, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors, stalking a youth and taking students out of school without permission.

In exchange for the plea deal, prosecutors withdrew four counts of giving alcohol to minors, two counts of taking students out of school without permission and one count of corruption of minors.

As a result, Westmoreland County Judge Debra A. Pezze sentenced Cipriani-Baustert to three concurrent five-year terms of probation. She was also ordered to have no unsupervised contact with the youths and to undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations.

* * * * *
Pennsylvania Teacher Accused of Corrupting Minors
[Previous 4/22/09 post]
(Vandergrift, Pennsylvania) A 33-year-old substitute teacher for the Kiski Area School District, Virginia Cipriani-Baustert, was arraigned today on charges stemming from allegedly taking students on unapproved field trips, stalking students and providing alcohol to students.

Cipriani-Baustert faces corruption of minors and other charges.

She is accused of bring vodka to school one day in March and allowing the 17-year-old to mix it with a sports drink for consumption in school. Cipriani-Baustert also is accused of giving beer to that boy and the girl when they visited her home.

Finally, police are charging the woman for allegedly stalking the 18-year-old boy at his workplace and his home.

According to Kiski Area Superintendent John Meighan, Cipriani-Baustert no longer works for the district.

Mexican Man Convicted of Rape

(Painesville, Ohio) In October 2009, a 32-year-old Mexican national, illegally in the United States, Miguel Pina-Martinez, was arrested for allegedly raping a 17-year-old local girl. Yesterday, Pina-Martinez pleaded guilty through an interpreter to one count of rape and one count of kidnapping.

The rape plea was an Alford plea — meaning he denies certain facts presented by the prosecutor but is admitting guilt to avoid the possibility of a much greater sentence if convicted at trial.

Sentencing has been scheduled for March 11 when Pina-Martinez faces a possible 18 years in prison.

Judge Eugene A. Lucci revoked Pina-Marinez's bond and indicated that he may end up being deported. Jeez, one might think that deportation should be a definite as opposed to a maybe.

Female Cop Accused of Sexual Harassment

(Fairfield, Connecticut) There's a lot of interest in the local story of Fairfield Police Sgt. Diane Krahm, a 23-year-veteran who has been accused of sexual harassment of a fellow officer, Tiffany Bennett. Hearings, closed to the public, are underway.

According to records released by the Police Department under the Freedom of Information Act, an internal investigation found that Krahm, the first female appointed to the detective division, subjected Officer Tiffany Bennett to "unwanted sexual advances, proposals and gifts" and was not "fully truthful" during the investigation.

This is the second time an internal investigation found that Krahm created a hostile work environment.

In 2004, Officer Timothy Stalling filed a complaint against Krahm, who he said repeatedly called him on his cell phone and at home, inviting him to sporting events and dinner. Just before Stalling filed his complaint, Krahm filed a harassment complaint of her own, alleging that he violated department radio policy when he gave his location as "Hello Gorgeous," to a female dispatcher. At the time, Stalling's cruiser was parked by a nail salon named, "Hello Gorgeous."

In 2003, Krahm filed a complaint of gender discrimination against the department, and when that complaint was dismissed by the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, she filed suit in Bridgeport Superior Court, claiming she was retaliated against because of her complaint against Stalling. That lawsuit was dismissed last October.

The internal investigation reveals that Krahm offered to mentor Bennett, who joined the Police Department eight years ago, as she studied for a promotional exam, but the friendship between the two began to change. At one point Bennett, who is not gay, said Krahm "made unwanted sexual advances" and tried to kiss her on the lips with an open mouth.

According to the report, Krahm said, "I think you should let me kiss you because I know you would really love it." Bennett rebuffed Krahm's advances, and Krahm began to cry, according to the report.

There is more about the relationship at the link which, frankly, reads like a soap opera. The outcome of Officer Bennett's complaint remains to be determined based upon the ongoing hearings.

However, one aspect of the situation that hasn't been adequately explained is the outcome of the complaint filed by Officer Timothy Stalling in 2004. It appears that the complaint filed by a male officer was not acted upon while the complaint filed by the female officer was. If that is true, someone should ask why.

Tip: slwlion

It's genes, not diet or lifestyle, that lead to longevity

A US study looked at 500 Ashkenazi Jews living in New York with an -average age of 100. They were chosen after previous studies found the group to have a very specific genetic footprint because their bloodline had been kept very pure.

Although a third were obese or had smoked two packets of cigarettes a day for more than 40 years, they shared three "super-genes" that extended life expectancy.

Two genes produced "good" cholesterol, which reduced the risk of heart disease and strokes, while a third gene protected against diabetes. Those with the longevity genes had a one in 500 chance of reaching 100, compared with a one in 10,000 chance in the rest of the population.

Dr Barzilai, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said: "Because our centenarians have -longevity genes, they are protected against many effects of the environment. "That's why they do whatever they want to do and they get through anyhow."

He said two of the genes "increase good cholesterol in a -significant way". He added: "There's no drug that does it so effectively."

The specific genotype that seemed to protect against diabetes also appeared to radically cut that person's chances of developing Alzheimer's.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "I think it's optimistic to say we're going to have pills in three years but it would certainly add -significantly to the ways in which we can help -prolong life. "It's perfectly logical that if you have heart disease, you're likely to live less long so if you stop that happening, you might live longer."

SOURCE

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

Cruelty to Rat Conviction - Updated

(Sydney, Australia) The British broadcaster ITV pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for the killing, cooking (popular recipe) and eating a rat on a television show. As a consequence, Magistrate Mark Buscombe fined ITV $2,600 plus $2,500 in court costs.

Also as a result, the RSPCA committed to dropping the case against Gino D'Acampo and Stuart Manning.

The rat reportedly took more than a minute to die while on camera.

* * * * *
Cruelty to Rats
[Previous 12/7/09 post]
(New South Wales, Australia) Two television personalities, Gino D'Acampo and Stuart Manning, each face a possible three years in prison for capturing, killing and cooking a rat. The men were arrested after serving the cooked rat with rice to contestants on a television game show.

D'Acampo, 33, and Manning, 30, are charged with animal cruelty.

RSPCA NSW chief inspector David O'Shannessy said it was unacceptable for the rat to have been killed for a TV show.

He said there was a "code of practice" dictating how animals could be used in theatrical productions and films.

"The killing of a rat for a performance is not acceptable," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The concern is this was done purely for the cameras.

Strangely, it appears that had the rat been killed and cooked away from any cameras, no animal cruelty would exist. It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. Presumably, I could sit in a shack, kill and cook rats, day in and day out, and there would be no cruelty because no camera was present. But, as soon as someone walks in with a camera, I would be accused of cruelty. Cruelty is defined by the camera. It's not based on how the animal was treated.

Utah Woman Accused of Molesting Boy for Years

(Magna, Utah) A 45-year-old local woman, Adorabelle Bonifacio, was arrested earlier today for allegedly engaging in a long-term sexual relationship with a neighbor boy, starting at the age of 12 and transpiring until he was 16.

Bonifacio faces four felony charges including rape of a child, sodomy upon a child and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

She was booked into custody at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. A bail amount wasn't reported.

Say Hello To A Little Friend



KRISS 45 Carbine, Semi-Automatic
Considered the smallest, lightest, most controllable and accurate carbines in the world, the KRISS 45 series weapons vector their recoil downward to reduce muzzle climb by 90 percent and produce 60 percent less pounding to the shoulder of the shooter. All the while, they deliver reliable .45-caliber taps to the target. Plus, it weighs less than six pounds.

The KRISS Vector CRB/SO is the civilian version of the military KRISS Vector SMG (sub-machine gun) and it's reportedly legal in 38 states.

You too can have a "little friend" to watch over you for about $1,750.

Companion post at GunWatch.

Gun Control in Maryland

Legislators in Maryland are seemingly trying to pull a fast one. They are pushing a gun control bill which hasn't been read by anyone yet. Jeez, it's almost like they're impersonating the U.S. Congress.

The measure, HB820: Firearm Safety Act of 2010, was introduced in both the Maryland House and Senate by Delegate Sandy Rosenberg and Senator Brian Frosh, respectively. It goes without saying, both are Democrats.

The bill includes:

"... a requirement for gun license applicants to provide fingerprints to the Maryland State Police for a background check.

The bill would also expand the definition of a “habitual drunkard” in current law, a classification of people who are ineligible for purchasing firearms. Currently, a person who has been found guilty of three alcohol-related crimes in the past year can't get a gun permit. Frosh's bill would change that to someone convicted of two alcohol-related crimes in the past five years.

The bill would also require gun sellers to be audited at least once every two years.

Second Amendment supporters at AmmoLand.com view the bill's provisions as noxious and a fundamental change to gun ownership in Maryland. Consequently, they have issued a call for action. Gun rights advocates are asked to call or write their representatives and tell them to shut down the proposed firearms act.

Companion post at GunWatch.

Microsoft Won't Sell XBox 360s to US Army

The US Army wants to use XBox 360s for training but Microsoft reportedly has refused to sell. According to Roger Smith, chief training equipment buyer for the Army:

* Microsoft was afraid that the military would buy up lots of Xbox 360s, but would buy only one game for each of them, so MS wouldn't make much money off of the games.

* that a big military purchase would create a shortage of Xbox 360s.

* that if the Xbox became an Army training device, it would taint its reputation. Microsoft was concerned that "do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?" Smith told me during an interview for Training & Simulation Journal.

Starting from remarks by Microsoft representatives at a trade show, the controversy gathered steam, I'd suggest, by a general anti-military attitude among liberal elite who suggested that the console would become a weapon.

Thus far, however, nothing definitive has come from Microsoft. The actual controversy lacks clarity. It's all fogged up with a cloud of "He saids."

In any event, since Microsoft hasn't yet officially announced its position on selling to the military, all discussion is speculative. If and when Microsoft comes out and formalizes a policy of non-support for the U.S. military, I suggest that the company will risk creating a public relations tsunami, potentially enduring for generations.

Tip: Richard L.

You are REALLY privileged if you are a Leftist "comedian"

Go to this YouTube link and you will simply see:

"Stephen Colbert: Sarah Palin Is A F*cking Retard"

This video contains content from Viacom, who has decided to block it.

Such language would lose any conservative his job and ensure that he would never be heard from again. But don't expect Colbert to disappear any time soon.

My opinion of Obama is similar to what Colbert said of Palin but I know I can't take the risk of putting it into those words. Can I get away with calling Obama an "emptyhead"? Just barely, I think.

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

New York Woman Accused of Rape of Boy

(Lockport, New York) A 26-year-old local woman, Nicole L. Nelson, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Yesterday, Nelson pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape in Lockport City Court.

Nelson was booked into custody with bail set at $1,500. A court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow.

Islamist Extremists Sentenced to 30 Days Detention

(Brcko, Bosnia and Herzegovina) Seven members of the Islamist Wahhabi sect were arrested last week by special forces at Gornja Maoca, a village which is known as a hideout for Islamic extremists where state law has been replaced by sharia law.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered today a one-month detention for seven members of the Islamist Wahhabi movement, who were arrested on Tuesday in a major action of special forces in the village of Gornja Maoca near Brcko.

One of the arrested, a foreign national and, according to media, an Islamic extremist, is in an extradition custody and the competent service for foreigners is responsible for him.

The arrested Wahhabis, B-H citizens, are suspected to have attacked the constitutional order, endangered territorial integrity, incited religious and national hatred, involved in organized crime, and possessed unauthorized weapons and explosive materials.

The village of Gornja Maoca is exclusively inhabited by members of the Wahhabi movement, and until the action of the state forces, applied were not valid laws of B-H, but the sheriate law.

The authorities in Sarajevo have been alerted repeatedly by foreign intelligence organizations about the radical Islamist nest, its arsenal and its training practices, in Gornja Maoca. Also, information has been made available regarding foreign extremists using Gornja Maoca as a transit point.

Although 30 days detention is hardly a serious countermeasure, at least the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina appears to be doing something.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Reuters: An Obama lapdog?




On 3rd., I wrote (scroll down) of "A Reuters journalist who will be looking for a new job soon". Guess what?

"Journalist Whose Article Was Retracted Leaves Reuters

The journalist who wrote an article on Monday that turned into an embarrassment for Reuters and a cause for some conservatives has left the wire service, the company said Friday. A Reuters spokeswoman declined to say whether the journalist, Terri Cullen, left voluntarily, or why. “I can’t really go into any detail,” said the spokeswoman, Courtney Dolan.

Ms. Cullen stepped down less than a month after being hired for the newly created position of wealth management editor. She had worked for more than a decade for The Wall Street Journal Online.

Her article said that President Obama’s budget amounted to a backdoor tax increase for middle-income and even lower-income people, based largely on the scheduled expiration of income tax cuts passed in 2001. But the president had actually proposed keeping those cuts in place for all but high-income families.

After a complaint from the White House, Reuters withdrew the article, stating that it was inaccurate.

Source

Whether the article was inaccurate or not is not what interests me here. What I would like to know is how many articles Reuters withdrew in response to requests from the Bush White House? Should ANY White House be pressing news organizations to withdraw articles? What happened in this instance sounds to me very much like censorship, albeit censorship with a willing accomplice.

You can read the censored article here. A blogger caught it before it disappeared.


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

Waterborne Terror Attacks

Remember when the government was going to beef up security at ports to protect America from possible terror attacks in waterfront cities? Well, apparently the urgency is gone.

Almost half of the maritime security teams are being eliminated by the Obama administration.

Special Ed Teacher Accused of Inappropriate Conduct

(Knox County, Tennessee) A 29-year-old special education teaching assistant at Carter High School, Heather A. Pratt, was placed on administrative leave with pay last November for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office was alerted to the allegation and commenced an investigation and notified the school system.

Pratt has been an employee of the Knox County School System since 2008.

Boeing Engineer Gets 15 Years for Spying - Updated

(Santa Ana, California) In July 2009, Dongfan Chung was convicted of economic espionage and spying.

For almost 30 years, Chung passed information to the People's Republic of China. Data from the NASA Space Shuttle program to the B-1 Bomber and the F-15 to the B-52 to the Chinook helicopter were stolen and given to the PRC.

Earlier today, 73-year-old Dongfan “Greg” Chung was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney to 188 months in prison. Judge Carney said he wanted to send a message to China to stop sending spies to America.

Chung held a “secret” security clearance when he worked at Rockwell and Boeing on the space shuttle program, authorities said. He retired in 2002 but the next year returned to Boeing as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Chung has always maintained that he was not spying, rather he was writing a book.

* * * * *
Boeing Engineer Accused of Spying for China
[Previous 2/11/08 post]
The Department of Justice has arrested a former Boeing engineer for spying on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China. The spying allegedly went on for years.

The department said the arrest of 72-year-old Dongfan "Greg" Chung, of Orange, Calif. follows his indictment on eight counts of economic espionage and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.

Chung is alleged to have taken and concealed Boeing trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft and the Delta IV rocket.

A native of China, Chung is a naturalized U.S. citizen who held a "Secret" clearance.

The government said the investigation into Chung is related to an earlier investigation of Chi Mak and several of his family members, who were convicted last year of providing defense articles to China.

Each charge of economic espionage carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government and obstruction of justice each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine.

Chung's arrest was part of a broader Justice Department move against alleged spies for China.

The Chinese sent letters to Chung requesting specific technological information. In one case, Chung responded by stating "a desire to contribute to the motherland."

Just freakin' great! It's as if we don't have enough to worry about with the scum terrorists.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Global Warming Guru Claims Suicidal Thoughts

(UK) Climategate pivot man Professor Phil Jones indicated that he was so stressed by the global warming email scandal that he contemplated suicide "several times."

In an interview, Jones compared himself to Dr. David Kelly who committed suicide after being outed as the source for a BBC report which alleged that the government "sexed up" the argument supporting the invasion of Iraq.

Jones, 57, said he was unprepared for the scandal: “I am just a scientist. I have no training in PR or dealing with crises.”

Yeah, right. Except for directing the orchestra in the biggest global environmental crisis to ever be manufactured. You'd think that the leadership in a worldwide scam would be less whiny. Also, as a scientist, Jones should be used to controversy.

Rep. John Murtha Dead at 77 - Updated

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has died from complications of gallbladder surgery.

Born in 1932, Murtha was first elected to Congress in 1974 and served 19 terms, becoming known as the "King of Pork." He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Korea and Vietnam.

Murtha is survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren. He was 77.

* * * * *
Rep. Murtha in Intensive Care
[Previous 2/2/10 post]
Latest news:

Rep. John Murtha has been hospitalized in intensive care stemming from complications related to gallbladder surgery.

Spokesman Matt Mazonkey said the 77-year-old Pennsylvania congressman underwent scheduled surgery last week and is currently at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

Murtha was also hospitalized in December with gallbladder problems.

The 19-term Democrat was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress. He currently leads House Appropriations subcommittee on defense spending.

Interestingly, Murtha was elected to Congress about the same time that President Nixon resigned.

Mom Accused of Starving Child to Death

(Houston, Texas) A 34-year-old local mother-of-ten, Almita Nicole Lockhart, was arrested last week for allegedly allowing her 8-year-old daughter, Halle Shamille Smith, to starve to death. Lockhart has been charged with injury to a child.

Halle, fed her entire life through a feeding tube, was five weeks shy of her ninth birthday when she was declared dead in the hospital's emergency room.

According to medical records, Halle weighed 35 pounds at age 2, dropped to 23 pounds by age 4 and weighed 27 pounds in November 2006, the last time it appears she was seen by doctors or nurses.

She lost 40 percent of her body weight between that last visit and the date of her death because of malnutrition and dehydration.

Lockhart was booked into custody with bail set at $30,000.

Sadly, Texas Child Protective Services appears to have been somewhat negligent in monitoring Lockhart.

The incomparable Pat Condell on the trial of Geert Wilders

No-one speaks the truth about Islam better than Pat Condell. Background: Conservative Dutch politician Geert Wilders is on trial in Amsterdam for inciting hatred against Muslims. The Dutch judges have refused to allow most of the defense witnesses Wilders wanted to call -- probably because they knew that the Muslim fanatics he wanted to call would confirm everything he has said. For more details of what is happening, see here



There's another fabulous Pat Condell video here

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

Maryland Woman Allegedly Caught Muling Drugs into Prison

(Hagerstown, Maryland) A 23-year-old Glen Burnie woman, Johanna Fout, was arrested last week for allegedly trying to smuggle marijuana and heroin into a prison.

She is charged with trying to deliver four drug-filled balloons Monday to a relative serving time at the medium-security Roxbury Correctional Institution.

Fout faces six charges with maximum penalties of 36 years in prison and fines totaling $68,000.

Fout was booked into custody and later released on $15,000 bail.

Nebraska Teacher Gets Prison in Boy-Sex Case - Updated

(Omaha, Nebraska) Last Friday, 37-year-old former Millard North Middle School teacher Stephanie Draper was sentenced to two years in prison.

Draper received one year in prison on each charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and procuring alcohol for a minor.

The boy, now an adult, testified that Draper gave him alcohol and cigarettes, took his virginity and taught him how to perform oral sex. He said he began smoking marijuana to cope with the pain of being molested.

He cut and burned himself, he said, and stopped going to high school because he couldn't trust his teachers. He also described having trust problems with friends, especially girls.

Under sentencing guidelines, Draper may only serve one year.

* * * * *
Nebraska Teacher Pleas to Reduced Charges - Updated
[Previous 12/9/09 post]
(Omaha, Nebraska) After 15 hours of deliberation last July, a jury failed to convict Stephanie Draper of first-degree sexual assault. She was scheduled for retrial this week, however, Draper decided to accept a plea deal on Monday, admitting to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and procuring alcohol for a minor.

Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Matt Lierman said today that he deferred to the man's wishes about how to proceed with the case.

“The victim wanted an acknowledgment of responsibility,” Lierman said. “She’s still facing up to two years of incarceration as a basis of this plea.

“He’s happy with it.”

Draper’s attorney, Chris Perrone, said the plea to the reduced charges “was definitely in her best interests.”

The plea agreement eliminates the possibility of Draper being required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for February 5.

* * * * *
Nebraska Teacher Accused of Sex Assault of Boy
[Previous 7/23/08 post]
(Omaha, Nebraska) A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a former teacher at Millard North Middle School, Stephanie Draper, 35, for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old, eighth-grade boy six years ago.

The alleged sexual assaults happened during the Spring school year of 2002. The court records show Stephanie Draper befriended the boy by taking him to dinner and talking on cell phones. The victim claims it soon turned sexual with his teacher making advances.

He described to investigators "four incidents of sexual assaults, including intercourse" at her Sarpy County home and her property near Blair. He claims it happened while her husband was away. The court papers say they had been drinking.

The investigator asked the alleged victim, why come forward six years later? He said it was "wrong what she did to him." And even after joining the military, it still bothers him. Earlier this year, he allegedly contacted Draper and asked her for $5,000 to keep him from going to police. He told investigators he felt, "she needed to pay for what she had done."

Draper resigned her teaching position last year when the allegations surfaced. She is currently wanted to face a charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child.

Endangered Species Condoms

The Center for Biological Diversity advocates taking action to address overpopulation since people are crowding out animal and plant species.

Free condoms emblazoned with endangered species will be distributed nationally next month. Just think, you can now have a spotted owl, a polar bear or a giant rat on your rubber.

Facilitating the effort to limit procreation among humans, volunteers are needed to hand out the condoms. It's believed that distribution of condoms is Plan A in the campaign to reduce the number of humans on Earth. Plan B hasn't been announced but it's feared that something more sinister may be in the works.

Follow the link if you want to volunteer.

[Add.] Note the tag line for the campaign:

The human population is at 6.8 billion and growing every second. Three species go extinct per hour. Coincidence?

Heh.

Pak Diplomat Rejected for His Name

(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) After similar actions by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has rejected the assignment of Pakistani diplomat Akbar Zib to the post of ambassador.

Reportedly, the rejections are based on the fact that Akbar Zib's name translates into "Biggest Dick" in Arabic.

G7 Meeting in Northern Canada

(Iqaluit, Canada) The week's Group of Seven (G7) meeting of finance ministers is being held in town of Iqaluit on the south end of Baffin Island, a location better known for its seal meat than international economic conferences.

In February, the average temperature in Canada's most northern capital dips to minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a lot chillier than the past February's Group of Seven meeting in Rome.

As the host of the February meeting, Canada had its pick of the location. Officials chose the venue to showcase its Canadian Arctic and to bring the G7 back to the group's roots, where ministers could talk less formally in fireside chats.[...]

Jim Bell, the editor of the Iqaluit's weekly newspaper, Nunatsiaq News, said he was surprised when his home of 30 years was chosen, because of the logistical problems it poses.

"It's not a kind of place that has the resources to completely support a gathering like this," Bell says. "Even in the best of times the telecommunications services can be dicey."

NorthwesTel, the major telecommunications company in the area, warned residents to expect dropped calls and spotty Internet connections.

Thanks to its one-runway airport, Iqaluit is considered the major gateway to the Eastern Arctic. The city is a three-hour plane ride away from Montreal and Ottawa, the nearest large cities.

In other words, Iqaluit is not the end of the world but, if you get on your tippy-toes, you can see the end of the world. It's believed that the location discourages protesters.

Heh. No kidding.

More Bogus Global Warming Science

The Sunday Telegraph reports on new "flaws" identified in the supposedly authoritative global warming account of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Frankly, I wouldn't use the term flaws. Using my gritty patois, I suggest the IPCC pulled crap out of thin air to buttress a very weak argument.

Examples cited:

The publication of inaccurate data on the potential of wave power to produce electricity around the world, which was wrongly attributed to the website of a commercial wave-energy company.

Claims based on information in press releases and newsletters.

New examples of statements based on student dissertations, two of which were unpublished.

More claims which were based on reports produced by environmental pressure groups.

Reportedly, the IPCC has issued a statement insisting that everything they document is, in more gritty patois, good poop, "critically assessed" with a review of "the quality and validity of each source."

I'm in agreement, sorta. As previously mentioned, it's poop alright, more steamy than good and largely pulled out of thin air.

Texas Teacher Accused of DWI, Drug Charges

(Taylor, Texas) A 39-year-old eighth-grade teacher at Cameron Junior High School, Blair Dorner, was arrested this week for alleged DWI and possession of cocaine.

Dorner was initially pulled over by Taylor Police for allegedly "swerving all over the road."

According to the police report, the officer smelled “a strong odor of an intoxicating beverage,” and Dorner admitted to having a few beers. She did not pass a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest for DWI.

At the police department, Dorner refused to provide a blood specimen, said Captain Don Georgens. The Taylor Police Department only administers blood tests because the department does not have the breathalyzer equipment on site.

When impounding her vehicle, the officers noticed a white powdery substance in a baggy on the front seat. This field-tested positive for cocaine. Taylor police were not able to release the exact amount of cocaine, but it was less than 200 grams. This amount constitutes a second-degree felony.

Dorner was booked into custody.

Sea terrorists obstructing Japanese whalers again

For the sake of Australia's farmers, one must fervently hope that the Australian government keeps right out of this. It has taken decades to open up the Japanese market to some Australian farm products but if the Japanese consumer gets the idea that Australia is backing these hostile and dangerous publicity-seekers, that market would come to an abrupt dead end. Most countries have "country of origin" labelling laws for goods in their shops and the Japanese government would just have to step that up a bit for Japanese consumers to get all the signal they need

ANTI-WHALING activists have described how Japanese whaling ships circled their protest vessel "like sharks" before ramming it off Antarctica. Sea Shepherd founder, Captain Paul Watson, said the Japanese harpoon ship rammed the conservationists' ship the Bob Barker and tore a 90cm gash in the hull above the water line. The incident happened about 300 kilometres off Cape Darnley, in the Australian Antarctic Territory, about 3pm (AEDT) yesterday. No-one was injured in the incident.

Capt Watson said the collision was "entirely intentional" on the part of the Japanese. "Four Japanese ships circled the Bob Barker like sharks," he said. "Then one of them, the Yushin Maru 3, did a quick turn and rammed a three-foot gash in the hull. "Luckily, the waters are calm at the moment and we have a welding crew working to fix it."

The anti-whaling vessel was blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, the Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship, when the collision occurred.

Japan's Fisheries Agency said however, the activist boat caused the collision by suddenly approaching the harpoon vessel to throw bottles containing butyric acid in an attempted attack on the Japanese ship. The Japanese agency accused Sea Shepherd of "committing an act of sabotage" on the Japanese expedition, noting that it is allowed under world whaling restrictions as a scientific expedition. "We will not tolerate the dangerous activity that threatens Japanese whaling ships and endangers the lives of their crew members," it said in a statement late yesterday.

Capt Watson called on the Australian government take action on illegal whaling. "The Japanese are violating Australian laws on whaling and nothing is being done to stop them," he said.

This is the second major clash between Japanese whalers and anti-whaling activists this year, after the Ady Gil sank following a collision with a Japanese whaling ship in the Southern Ocean on January 6.

SOURCE

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

No free speech for Israelis at British universities


But Muslims can say what they like

"The Israel Society at Cambridge University has succumbed to pressure and canceled a talk by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev historian Benny Morris after protesters accused him of “Islamophobia” and “racism.”

Morris was scheduled to speak to students at the university on Thursday, but following a campaign led by anti-Israel activist Ben White the Israel Society canceled the talk. Instead Morris was invited to speak at an event hosted by the university’s Department of Political and International Studies.

White, who graduated from the university in 2005 and authored the book Israeli Apartheid: A Beginners Guide, set up a protest page on Facebook in which he claimed that “on different occasions, Morris has expressed Islamophobic and racist sentiments towards Arabs and Muslims.” ...

Last year, Cambridge’s Palestine Society hosted Abd al-Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper. In 2008, Atwan said the terrorist attack on Jerusalem’s Mercaz Harav yeshiva, in which eight students were killed and 15 were wounded, was “justified”

Source

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

Corrupt Principal Gets Hand Slap - Updated

(San Diego, California) This week, 59-year-old former principal Paulette Thompson was sentenced to five years of probation for her conviction on grand theft and misappropriation of public funds.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers acknowledged Thursday that Thompson had positively affected many students, parents and staff throughout her long career, as indicated by the letters he received before the hearing.

But he said those were the same people whose trust she violated when she took tens of thousands from the San Luis Rey Elementary and Reynolds Elementary schools. The exact amount of the loss is still being sorted out, the judge said.

Weathers ordered Thompson to stay away from the two schools as a condition of probation, and to complete 400 hours of volunteer work at a nonprofit organization. She is not allowed to work or volunteer anywhere in which she would have “fiduciary responsibility,” the judge said.

Thompson's lawyer said she is remorseful.

* * * * *
Principal Guilty of Grand Theft
[Previous 2/6/10 post]
A former principal at San Luis Rey Elementary School, Paulette Dastrup Thompson, 59, pleaded guilty earlier today to charges of grand theft and misappropriation of public funds.

Outside the courtroom, Deputy District Attorney Robert Eichler said Thompson is suspected of receiving nearly $50,000 in checks and cash from San Luis Rey Elementary and Reynolds Elementary. She had served as principal at each school.

At Reynolds, the president of the Parent-Teacher Organization discovered accounting irregularities last year and started an audit, the prosecutor said. When Thompson’s actions came to light, the president notified the school district, which led to an investigation involving the Oceanside Police Department and eventually the District Attorney’s Office.

Eichler said it’s not clear whether all of the money was used improperly, but much of it was withdrawn from a bank account Thompson set up in the name of San Luis Rey Elementary, a violation of school district policy.

Thompson admitted to the judge Tuesday that she diverted some of the money, about $1,800, to her relatives. She received about $10,000 from the San Luis Rey’s parent-teacher organization that was intended to pay for a shade structure to be installed at the school. Instead, the Oceanside Unified School District paid for the structure.

She also admitted taking just over $120 from the district that was intended for school books.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 4.

NJ Teacher Guilty in Cash-for-Grades Scheme - Updated

(Colts Neck, New Jersey) Former Colts Neck High School teacher Megan Laboy has confessed to culpability in the cash-for-grades scheme and admitted that she never had any intentions of turning the money over to charity.

Laboy admitted to the crime under questioning from her defense attorney, Marcie Mackolin, before state Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci Jr. She pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree theft by deception.

During the questioning, Laboy admitted she received between $200 and $500 in donations from students; earlier reports from police put the total amount of donations at more than $1,400 during the 2008-09 school year.

Laboy initially faced a third-degree charge of theft by deception.

Authorities had contended that she told her students she would give the money to various undisclosed charities and in turn give them extra credit on their final grades and exams. But instead of making the donations, Laboy admitted she pocketed the money for herself.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 14.

Once again, I have to note my bewilderment at this most illogical crime committed by Laboy. Maybe she lives near one of those infamous New Jersey toxic waste dumps. Sheesh!

* * * * *
NJ Teacher Accused in Cash-for-Grades Scheme
[Previous 9/1/09 post]
(Colts Neck, New Jersey) A 30-year-old teacher formerly at Colts Neck High School, Megan Laboy, surrendered to police yesterday morning to face charges of theft by deception stemming from an alleged scheme where she collected money from students in exchange for higher grades.

It's reported that Laboy collected more than $1,400 during the 2008-2009 school year.

Laboy allegedly told her students she would give the money to various charities and in turn give them extra credit on their final grades and exams, but instead kept the money for herself, Sgt. Joseph Whitehead said.

Laboy, of Howell, turned herself in at police headquarters this morning and was released on her own recognizance after being charged with one count of third-degree theft by deception.

If the allegations are true, Laboy essentially traded a $65,000+ per year job for a handful of cash from the students -- hardly a savvy move.

A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER

Today is the Gipper's birthday. If only we still had him with us



Feb. 6, is the 99th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. Although it has been 21 years since President Reagan completed his second term and left the White House, he still remains a figure of great interest to many Americans, including a large number of young people who were not even born during the time he was president.

New books come out about Reagan every year. The more research that is done about him, the greater the appreciation of what he accomplished and of him as a person. During 2008 Reagan was the president whose name was most mentioned in the debates of both parties, as an example of an effective leader the candidates wished to follow. Since he left office, Ronald Reagan has been the standard to which subsequent presidents have been compared. In numerous polls Reagan has been selected as one of the outstanding presidents in the history of the country

More here


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

The products of an "everyone wins" education are losers in the job market

This report is from Australia but I have no doubt that the same applies in the USA

EMPLOYERS are refusing to hire Generation Y workers because they lack a work ethic and spend too much time talking to friends in work hours. "Employers come to us about Gen Y, saying they're looking for a staff member but they don't want anyone in that 20s age bracket because they find they don't understand common courtesy in the workplace," Kristy-Lee Johnston, director of Footprint Recruitment told The Courier-Mail.

And the complaints don't only come from managers and bosses. Social researcher Mark McCrindle said: "They also come from other people in the team who are of another generation."

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland policy general manager Nick Behrens said the global financial crisis should act as a wake-up call. "The chamber is hoping Gen Y will learn from this, that they can no longer take for granted the good times and will no longer get away with the luxuries they have been given."

SOURCE

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

Glued Penis Case

(Chilton, Wisconsin) Readers may recall the case from July 2009 of four women who lured a married man to a motel room, tied him up, cut off his underwear and glued his penis to his stomach as punishment for being promiscuous.

The women, Michelle Belliveau, 43, Wendy L. Sewell, 43, Therese Ziemann, 48, and the man's wife (name withheld to protect the man, a victim of sex assault) were all sentenced this week to probation for one year.

Judge Donald Poppy acknowledged that the sentence was lenient and blamed the "possible" double standard between what men receive and what women receive. Judge Poppy also blamed the victim for his adulterous behavior.

Teacher Gets 150 Days Jail for Sex with Girl - Updated

(St. Paul, Minnesota) Earlier today, 31-year-old teacher and coach Melissa Diana Koehn was sentenced for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student.

According to the criminal complaint, Koehn and the teenage girl were found in parked car in Apple Valley, lying on top of each other and kissing in a fully-reclined seat.

Koehn was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 10 years of probation and payment of a $200 fine.

* * * * *
Teacher Guilty of Criminal Sex with Student - Updated
[Previous 11/22/09 post]
(St. Paul, Minnesota) The trial of Melissa Koehn concluded this week with guilty verdicts on three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Under Minnesota law, sexual contact with a 16- or 17-year-old is a felony if the perpetrator is at least four years older and in a position of authority over a teen. Koehn, who began an unofficial mentoring relationship with the girl her sophomore year, had previously coached her in basketball, and the teen referred to her as "Ms. Koehn" from the witness stand.

Koehn's trial opened Wednesday with prosecutors asking the teen whether she had sexual contact with Koehn, her former history teacher. The student, now 18, denied that anything sexual had occurred and then, when pressed, said she couldn't remember.

Assistant Dakota County Attorney Larry Clark later played for the jury audio recordings of police interviews in which Koehn admitted to having touched the student sexually.

Dakota County District Judge Robert King ordered a psychological evaluation prior to sentencing which was scheduled for February 5.

* * * * *
Female Teacher Caught Naughty with Female Student
[Previous 12/24/08 post]
(St. Paul, Minnesota) Thirty-year-old Melissa Diana Koehn was arrested and charged after being caught in an inappropriate embrace with a 17-year-old female student.

Koehn is a social studies teacher and girls basketball coach on leave of absence from St. Croix Lutheran High School.

The female student attends St. Croix Lutheran. Koehn has been charged with three counts of felony sexual misconduct.

Koehn taught and coached the girl in the 2007-08 school year, according to charges. She began an unofficial mentoring relationship with her and continued seeing the girl after beginning her leave of absence in June. [...]

At times, the teen's parents allowed Koehn to sleep over because she did not have a residence in the Twin Cities, according to the complaint. The teen's parents later told authorities that they believed Koehn had slept on their daughter's bedroom floor when she stayed over and that they were unaware of any sexual activity.

The complaint states that on Saturday, an Apple Valley police officer dispatched to investigate a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot overlooking a soccer field discovered Koehn and the teen kissing inside the car. The teen was wearing her school letter jacket.

Alarmed by the age difference, the officer notified the teen's parents and turned the investigation over to a detective.

Interviewed by police, Koehn acknowledged taking part in a "handful" of sexual encounters with the teen in the teen's bedroom, the complaint states.

She also acknowledged she still "exercised some authority" over the student, according to charges. When interviewed by police, the student referred to her as "Ms. Koehn."

Koehn was booked into custody at the Ramsey County Jail and subsequently released on $10,000 bail. A court appearance is scheduled for February 9.

Texas Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student

(Houston, Texas) A 33-year-old Spanish teacher at Alief Hastings High School, Lindsay Garcia-Yazdi, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with one of her 16-year-old male students.

Garcia-Yazdi faces two counts of sexual abuse of a child as well one count of improper relationship with a student.

According to court documents, Garcia-Yazdi was the boy's Spanish teacher when they had sexual contact three times dating back to Dec. 18. The last time was Jan. 21.

The boy said that they were intimate in the back of a minivan that Garcia-Yazdi drove when she picked him up from his friend's home or other spots.

She parked at a public park or along streets and they had sexual intercourse, the documents state the boy told investigators.

Garcia-Yazdi was booked into custody and subsequently released on $130,000 bail.

Texas Woman Gets Probation for Sex with Boys

(Terry County, Texas) In June 2009, Kristen Dill, a 37-year-old local woman who served as president of a parent-teacher organization for the Wellman-Union School District, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with underage boys, 15 and 16.

Dill was charged with sexual assault. In a written confession, Dill admitted to sexual relations with the boys, both Wellman-Union High School students.

After pleading guilty to a lesser charge, Dill was sentenced this week to probation.

Tuesday, Dill left the courthouse with no sexual assault convictions. Instead, a judge sentenced her to 10-years deferred adjudication for injury to a child.

That means she's on probation, and if she doesn't violate the terms of her probation, it will not stay on her record. While she cannot work at a school or daycare, she does not have to register as a sex offender.

According to Lubbock attorney Rod Hobson, a man committing the same crimes against young girls would have been sent to prison. Heh, no kidding.

Some examples showing who the real haters are

We read:

"Recent criticisms of President Obama and his policies have been characterized as un-American. Suggestions that his policies should fail are equated with a suggestion that America should fail. This concern for American institutions may be something new, because it apparently was not a factor in the past. In 1986, Washington Post columnist William Raspberry commented on his view of the Reagan administration: "Ronald Reagan is in trouble, and [we might as well own up that] some of us are tempted to take a certain fiendish pleasure in the fact." Later, Michael Kinsley of the New Republic wrote in the Washington Post, "The fall of Reagan is a laughable matter. The only irritating aspect of the otherwise delightful collapse of the Reagan administration is the widespread insistence that we must all be poker-faced about it."

Liberals can demonize entire classes of people. One of the favorite targets of the liberal elite is the Christian right. According to Michael Weisskopf of the Washington Post, the followers of people like the late Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "are largely poor, uneducated, and easy to command." These people are not only ignorant, but they are also a definite threat. Chris Matthews has declared, "The group in this country that most resembles the Taliban, ironically, is the religious right." Rosie O'Donnell asserted, "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America." This demonization makes it permissible to say some pretty outlandish things. NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu on his "All Things Considered" segment stated, "The evaporation of four million [people] who believe in this [Christian] crap would leave this world a better place." Actress Megan Fox, admittedly not a representative of the elite intelligentsia, said that if given the chance, she'd urge the fictional character Megatron to murder only the "white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super Bible-beating people in Middle America."

Of course, Republicans and conservatives are the prime target of liberal spleen. Sen. Ted Kennedy gave this description of Republicans: "The Republican Party is basically anti-civil rights, anti-immigration, anti-women, and anti-worker." Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, stated, "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for." Jesse Jackson after the 1994 GOP victory claimed that "[h]ate and hurt are on a roll in America. If what was happening here was happening in South Africa, it'd be called racist apartheid. If it was happening in Germany, we'd call it Nazism. And in Italy, we'd call it fascism. Here we call it conservatism."

Liberals appear to get a pass when they attack conservative individuals. USA Today columnist and Pacifica Radio talk show host Julianne Malveaux expressed her opinion of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on PBS: "The man is on the Court. You know, I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early, like many black men do, of heart disease. Well, that's how I feel. He is an absolutely reprehensible person."

Nina Totenberg, National Public Radio and ABC News reporter, commenting on Senator Jesse Helms, said, "I think he ought to be worried about what's going on in the Good Lord's mind, because if there is retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it." Former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill had a less than flattering opinion of Ronald Reagan: "The evil is in the White House at the present time. And that evil is a man who has no care and no concern for the working class of America and future generations of America and who likes to ride a horse. He's cold. He's mean. He's got icewater for blood." New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis claimed that President Reagan "spews out rage and hate, fear and falsehood." It would take volumes to chronicle the outrageous attacks on George Bush or Sarah Palin.

On "Late Night with David Letterman," Sam Donaldson said, "I think he's [Reagan] going to have to pass three tests. The first is, will he get there, stand in front of the podium, and not drool?" After the audience showed its disapproval, Donaldson responded, "Wait a minute, I don't mean that disrespectfully." Letterman replied, "Well, I think we all took that as flattery, Sam, we did." When Whoopi Goldberg drew a distinction between "rape" and "rape-rape," she possible provided an explanation for liberal "rants." They are not "hate-hate" -- simply "hate."

Source

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

Anti-Gun Senator Indicted in Shooting Incident

(Whiteville, North Carolina) In August 2009, long-time anti-gun activist and Democrat state senator, R.C. Soles Jr., 74, shot at and hit one of two alleged intruders at his home, Thomas Kyle Blackburn. Blackburn survived and the incident was initially called self-defense.

Notably, the shooting incident has resulted in loud charges of hypocrisy against Soles who has devoted a career trying to take guns out of the hands of the public while owning and using one himself.

In any event, assertions of self-defense apparently failed to deter a Columbus County grand jury from indicting Soles last month for felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

State Attorney General Roy Cooper's Special Prosecution Division and the State Bureau of Investigation presented evidence to the Columbus County grand jury regarding the shooting.

The district attorney had requested that the attorney general handle the case, officials said.

Other matters involving Soles remain under investigation by the SBI and the Attorney General's Office, according to a state spokeswoman.

Consequently, it appears that there is much more to the story of the shooting that hasn't been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Soles announced that he won't be seeking reelection to the General Assembly.

Tip: Rita and Eugene

Companion post at GunWatch.

Restaurant Offers Bathroom Sex

(Toronto, Ontario) Want to erase the memory of the men's room at Pepe's Pepper Palace, a place that prompts you to burn your clothing? Then don your finest garb and head over to Mildred's Temple Kitchen for an arguably more unique experience.

Hoping to spice things up for Valentine’s Day, or perhaps to attract a different breed of customer (the Larry Craig–George Michael set), Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is encouraging customers to have sex in its four unisex bathrooms.

Now, I have to confess that I see a restaurant advertising bathroom sex as largely indistinguishable from a whorehouse offering a sandwich buffet. Furthermore, the scheme conjures up mental images I find disgusting. But there's more.

According to co-owner of Mildred's Donna Dooher:

“We’ve always had little trysts in our bathrooms,” she says and points out that she’s hired a maid for the Valentine’s Day cleanup and is encouraging customers to bring their own condoms.

The restaurant is also supplying furry handcuffs as part of a $55 “love hamper”—a decorative birdcage that also contains cookies, pecan squares and a cookbook.

Jeez, for $55, one can easily just get a room at the No Tell Motel and not fear having a waiter knock on the stall door with a shout, "Your entree is up."

Tip: slwlion

U.S. to South Korea: Take a Number

Somewhere, I'm fairly certain, there's a military doctrine which states, "Don't telegraph your weaknesses." Apparently, the Obama Doctrine reverses that rule. According to OPLAN 5029 regarding the United States coming to the aid of South Korea, if attacked by the North Koreans,

Additional U.S. ground forces may not be able to arrive in South Korea in time in case of an emergency situation in North Korea due to America’s heavy commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials said Wednesday.

This is somewhat similar to a battlefield commander announcing the section of the front lines where reinforcements won't be sent. How fortuitous for the enemy.

I suggest that military weaknesses should never be made public. (More ....)

Pregnancy From Oral Sex

Here's a report of a 15-year-old South African girl who became pregnant after performing oral sex and having sperm migrate from her stomach to her vagina.

It's alleged that subsequent to the oral sex the girl was stabbed with a knife, puncturing her stomach, and the sperm swam out and into the peritoneal cavity. From there, the sperm then meandered and ultimately found and penetrated the girl's reproductive parts. Once inside, the sperm sought out and fertilized an egg.

One other important point is that the girl reportedly was born without a vagina, a condition called the Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. MRKH is a genetic anomaly indicated by an absence of the upper vagina and uterus and afflicts at least 1 in every 4,500 women.

The existence of MRKH in the South African girl is the basis of the claim that she became pregnant from oral sex. After all, if she didn't have a vagina, how else could she have been inseminated?

Helluva story but I tend to be skeptical. Too much magic for me.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Anonymous internet comments made illegal

So far only in South Australia but I expect the Democrats will seize on this idea within 12 months -- ready for the mid-terms?

"South Australia has become one of the few states in the world to censor the internet. The new law, which came into force on January 6, requires anyone making an online comment about next month's state election to publish their real name and postcode. The law will affect anyone posting a comment on an election story on The Advertiser's AdelaideNow website, as well as other Australian news sites. It could also apply to election comment made on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The law, which was pushed through last year as part of a raft of amendments to the Electoral Act and supported by the Liberal Party, also requires media organisations to keep a person's real name and full address on file for six months, and they face fines of $5000 if they do not hand over this information to the Electoral Commissioner.

Attorney-General Michael Atkinson denied that the new law was an attack on free speech. "The AdelaideNow website is not just a sewer of criminal defamation, it is a sewer of identity theft and fraud," Mr Atkinson said. "There is no impinging on freedom of speech, people are free to say what they wish as themselves, not as somebody else."

The Advertiser's editor, Melvin Mansell, said: "Clearly this is censorship being implemented by a government facing an election. "The effect of that is that many South Australians are going to be robbed of their right of freedom of speech during this election campaign. "The sad part is that this widespread suppression is supported by the Opposition. "Neither of these parties are representing the people for whom they have been elected to govern."

Source

People often have good reasons for anonymity. For instance: Known supporters of California's successful Proposition 8 (banning homosexual marriage) were subsequently harassed and attacked by homosexuals. A ban on anonymity could therefore have a VERY chilling effect on free speech.

Update:

Public outcry has caused a complete backdown

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

Brit NIMBYs Calm Wind Farm Plans

(Northampton, England) At a Cold War missile site location about half-way between Birmingham and London, plans were proposed to build a wind farm but public opposition last week was overwhelming.

... villagers expressed their concerns over the plans, which they say would blight the landscape, cause noise nuisance and be detrimental to the missile site, World War Two airfield and war memorial.

Although the proposals were recommended for approval by planning officers, members voted overwhelmingly to reject the application on the grounds it was against planning policies, causing scenes of jubilation in the public gallery and outside the packed chamber.

The wind energy company responsible for the project, Nuon, indicated that an appeal of the rejection is being considered. The company was warned to expect the same level of opposition.

Typical, isn't it? People seem to fully support wind power until some big turbines are planned for their backyards.

Carolina Woman Caught with Pipe Bombs, Drugs

(Taylorsville, North Carolina) A 48-year-old nurse at the Alexander County Correctional Institution, Sherry Stella Bortz, was arrested last Friday after police found two pipe bombs and drugs in her parked vehicle at the jail.

Bortz was charged with possession of weapons of mass destruction and possession of a controlled substance on prison premises.

Officers initiated a search of her car after receiving a tip.

That's when they found 13 Vicodin pills in a plastic bag and two pipe bombs under the seat.

The pipe bombs also were in a plastic bag and had birthday candles in the ends — probably to serve as makeshift fuses, said Jones.

When they found the bombs, officers called on the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office's Hazardous Materials Unit for help.

When they arrived, they were able to defuse the bombs and pour out a mixture of what looked like black powder and drywall screws, said Alexander Correctional Institution Superintendent Keith Whitener.

One of the threaded galvanized pipes was about six inches long and the other was just a little longer, Whitener said.

Bortz was booked into custody with bond set at $150,000.

Hawaii Teacher Arrested for Drugs

(Kahului, Hawaii) A 47-year-old teacher at Wailuku Elementary School, Cheryl Bisera, was arrested yesterday for drug crimes.

Bisera has been charged with promotion of a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and promoting a controlled substance near a school.

According to Capt. Gerald Matsunaga, Commander of the Police Vice Division, Bisera allegedly was selling crystal methamphetamine and a search of her home was conducted, resulting in:

Finding 2.9 grams of crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia including a glass pipe commonly used to smoke ice, digital gram scales and a butane lighter.

Bisera was arrested at the residence, which is about 210 feet from Maui High School, well within the 750-foot distance required for the felony charge of promoting a controlled substance near a school, Matsunaga said.

Bisera was booked into custody with bond set at $3,000.

Nest Egg



Not my nest egg, though. It was found in the fortified house of a Mexican drug dealer.

Tip: Rita and Eugene

Florida Teacher Arrested for Oral Sex with Boy

(Ocala, Florida) A 24-year-old teacher formerly at Meadowbrook Academy, Abigail Lee Nichols, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy. She has been charged with lewd and lascivious molestation.

An alleged victim's mother alerted Ocala Police.

On Monday, Detective Mike Bowman met with the woman's son and another 16-year-old at the police department.

The first boy told Bowman that Nichols taught him 10th-grade history, that he did not have to do homework and that she reportedly gave him answers to quizzes. He said they became friends and, last June, she came to his home. While watching a movie, he said, they kissed and she performed oral sex on him.

The second 16-year-old told the official that when he was 15, he and some friends were hanging out with Nichols and she asked if they wanted to ride in her Jeep. He said while they were in the vehicle, Nichols, who was in the back with him, gave him permission to touch her breast, which he said he did.

Nichols was booked into custody at the Marion County Jail. A bail amount wasn't reported.

Fox News Channel Cleans Clock

For the month of January 2010, the Fox News Channel (FNC) captured the top 13 spots in the number of total cable news viewers and the ages 25-54 demographic. CNN and MSNBC were way, way behind.

Given that advertising revenue is directly tied to the size of the audience, CNN and MSNBC are undoubtedly having difficulty paying their bills. Look for belt-tightening.

Interestingly, if people start flocking to a better mousetrap, prudent businessmen typically corral the better mousetrap in their product line and jettison the non-performers. CNN and MSNBC don't seem to believe in that particular business philosophy. I'd suggest they're like Jake and Elwood. They're on a mission.

Maybe they're looking for a bailout.

Livestock Rights Petition for Ohio Ballot

(Columbus, Ohio) The Humane Society of the United States and other animal rights groups are collecting signatures to put a measure on the November ballot which would impose more regulations on farmers. Specifically, the animal rights agenda is to dictate minimum housing requirements for chickens and hogs.

I'd suggest that rational people will decline to support the initiative, knowing that imposing comfort requirements for farm animals shouldn't be applied before imposing similar regulations for people. To my knowledge, there currently exist no minimum housing requirements for people.

In any event, the government should avoid adding to the cost of farming through burdensome mandates and the public should realize that voting for new farm regulations simply pushes up the prices of animal products.

From my perspective, the only farm animal comfort I entertain is the desire for seasoned parts to rest cozily next to the mashed potatoes. Animal living conditions prior to slaughter I'll trust to experts in animal husbandry, a field of human endeavor pursued efficiently for thousands of years.

Furthermore, I contend that the animal rights do-gooders possess an extreme level of liberal arrogance. Their self-assessed, superior intelligence and unmatched wisdom allow them to profess greater knowledge on the correct method of farming livestock than the successes of actual farmers over thousands of years.

Think about it. For five thousand years, livestock farmers have been putting chicken and pork on dinner tables and now, all of a sudden, activists say that chickens and hogs are not treated properly and we need a law to correct the situation. I don't think so.

Deduct Your Sex-Change

The U.S. Tax Court has ruled that the costs of sex-change operations are deductible.

Frankly, I think all medical expenses should be deductible, elective or otherwise.

Viewing NSFW Pictures

If you're an adventurous individual who ignores sage advice about not viewing NSFW (not-safe-for-work) images while on the job, try to make certain that no television station is broadcasting live from your office.



As can be seen, the worker in the background is totally oblivious to the television camera as he clicks through images of nekkid babes. Heh.

Premier Bypasses Canada Health for U.S. Treatment

(St. John's, Newfoundland) In consultation with his doctors to have heart surgery performed at an undisclosed location in the United States, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams has apparently shunned the Canadian health care system.

According to Deputy Premier Kathy Dunderdale, Premier Williams will be away for three to 12 weeks being treated by a renowned American doctor.

"It was never an option offered to him to have this procedure done in this province," said Ms. Dunderdale, refusing to answer whether the procedure could be done elsewhere in Canada.

Mr. Williams, 59, has said nothing of his health in the media.

"The premier has made a commitment that once he's through this procedure and he's well enough, he's going to talk about the whole process and share as much detail with you as he's comfortable to do at that time," she said.

So the logical question must be asked: When socialized medicine is forced on the U.S., where will all the foreign nationals go for top-quality health care?

Furthermore, it's enlightening that it was "never an option" to perform Mr. Williams' heart surgery in Newfoundland nor, seemingly, "elsewhere in Canada." Imagine that.

Tip: slwlion

Companion post at SocGlory.

China Spying on Ex-Gitmo Uighurs

(Stockholm, Sweden) According to the Swedish Intelligence Service, SÄPO, foreign spies and espionage operations are rife in Sweden.

It's been revealed that between ten and twenty foreign government's are carrying out spying work in Sweden on refugees from their own country who live here.

Since 1995 ten foreign diplomats have been expelled from Sweden for carrying out unlawful spying activities, mostly directed against refugees.

Although it's been confirmed that up to a score of nations spy in Sweden, news reports have focused on the efforts of the Chinese who seem particularly obsessed with chasing and watching Uighurs (Uyghurs) worldwide.

A Chinese man will go on trial next week, charged with spying on Uyghur refugees in Sweden.

The man, a Swedish-based Uyghur journalist is accused of passing on detailed information to Chinese authorities regarding refugees in Sweden from China's Uyghur minority, including former prisoners of the US Guantanamo Bay facility who were found to be innocent.

The public prosecutor in the case says that preventing Uyghur’s released from US custody from getting asylum in Sweden has been a high priority for China which continues to treat the former prisoners as terrorists.

Since the Chinese Uighur population has been linked to al-Qaeda, it's logical to support China in its efforts to prevent terrorism. On the other hand, it's also reasonable to view the Uighurs as an oppressed segment of the Chinese population, similar to the Tibetans and the Christians, and thereby feel outrage on the denial of human rights.

In final analysis, however, the ChiComs going after the Uighurs is arguably a glass-half-full/glass-half-empty situation and America's interests are likely best served in the near-term by supporting and applauding the ChiCom suppression of Islamic fundamentalism.

In any event, having a spy infiltrate the Uighurs in Sweden indicates the global reach of Chinese espionage. It's a safe bet that Chinese spies are everywhere.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Maryland Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Eldersburg, Maryland) A 35-year-old local woman, Thi Nguyen, has been charged with sex crimes for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. She faces counts of third-degree sex offense and sex abuse of a minor.

Nguyen's husband discovered information regarding the alleged sex and alerted police.

The investigator interviewed the boy on Jan. 11, and the boy confirmed that he and Nguyen had a sexual relationship, according to court documents.

Nguyen was booked into custody and subsequently released on $50,000 bond.

Attention Cuban Gun Owners!

(Havana, Cuba) All Cuban firearms owners without licenses will register their weapons by February 12.

The advice, broadcast over TV and Radio and national dailies, states that owners of the arms should present themselves as of Feb 12 with their weapons at the municipal National Revolutionary Police (PNR) station.

One of the requirements for the licence is that people over 18 yrs should pass a psycho-physical examination and must know how to operate the weapons.

The process of registration and renewal of firearms is the first one since the approval in Nov 2008 of the Decree-Law 262 that regulates the possession of weapons and munitions in Cuba.

Decree-Law, eh?

Massacre in Juarez

(Juarez, Mexico) Fifteen armed men broke into a birthday party on Saturday night and separated the males and females before starting a bloodbath with 9 mm handguns, .40-caliber handguns and .223-caliber weapons. Sixteen partygoers died according to the latest report, ranging in age from 13 to 42.

The killers used their vehicles to block the street at both ends and chased several people who tried to escape. The victims reportedly were celebrating a school soccer championship and the birthday of one of their friends.

When police arrived at the scene, they found bodies scattered across three properties on Vista del Portal. Neighbors who became aware of what happened rushed the injured to clinics, and washed away several pools of blood.

The motive for the attack is suspected to be drug-related. Authorities have offered a reward of one million pesos (about $76,000) for information leading to the arrests of the perpetrators.

Hotbunking at the Holiday Inn

Having spent some time hotbunking while in the USNavy, I cannot imagine anyone preferring it. Crawling into a rack immediately after someone leaves is disgusting.

But times change and people are sometimes idiotic. Check out this report from last week.

The Holiday Inn's Kensington, London, location will offer a free five-minute “human bed warming” service throughout next week, according to Britain's Sky News.

So what does a human bed warmer do? A hotel staffer, dressed from head-to-toe in a white, fleecy getup that looks like a cross between a footed pajama set and a snowsuit, will get into your bed upon request and move around, generating some heat between those chilly sheets.

I can't think of many things creepier than a person preferring to hotbunk. Everyone I knew in the Navy hated hotbunking. The ick factor was stratospheric. The simple memory of hotbunking disgusts me.

I Won the Nobel Prize, It's a Joke

Arguably somewhat eccentric, Lord Christopher Monckton made a public appearance last week before a large crowd in Sydney, Australia. Subsequently, he was a guest on the Alan Jones radio program. Here's a telling exchange:

Monckton: I found out on the day of publication of the 2007 [UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report] that they'd multiplied, by 10, the observed contribution to sea-level rise of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet. By 10! I got in touch with them and said, 'You will correct this.' And two days later, furtively, on the website, no publicity, they simply relabelled, recalculated and corrected the table they'd got wrong.

Alan Jones: But this report won a Nobel Prize!

Monckton: Yes. Exactly. And I am also a Nobel Prize winner because I made a correction. I'm part of the process that got the Nobel Prize. Do I deserve it? No. Do they deserve it? No. The thing is a joke.

I suggest that rational individuals would likely agree.

Illegal Slashes Two Women

(Leominster, Massachusetts) Illegally in the United States and previously deported, a 23-year-old Guatemalan national, Aaron Noel Camey Valenzuela, was arrested after a canine-assisted three-hour manhunt for allegedly slashing two women.

Valenzuela faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

The slashing incident occurred yesterday morning at Valenzuela's work location, the United Solutions manufacturing facility in Leominster. Valenzuela allegedly slashed a female co-worker, his ex-girlfriend, and then another woman who tried to intervene.

There had been a domestic incident between Camey and his girlfriend at the company three weeks ago, and the company put the two in separate departments.

The girlfriend was taken to UMass-Worcester, where she was last listed in stable condition.

The other woman was treated and released at Leominster Hospital.

It's not unusual that a domestic dispute escalated to serious physical violence nor is it unusual that an illegal alien is gainfully employed at an American company in Massachusetts.

And, sadly, it's also not unusual for illegal aliens to be deported and subsequently reenter the U.S. over and over. The fact that it's newsworthy is because it's not unusual. Deportation has become the equivalent of a speed bump on the road to retirement from a career with a U.S. company.

All in all, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that some illegal aliens use vacation time accrued with an American company to weather pesky deportations.

"Hey, Boss, I need to take my vacation now. The government is deporting me."

"Okay, see you next month."

Heh.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.