TWO Democrats publish death wishes for Sarah Palin

And they accuse conservatives of hate speech! If a conservative said this about a liberal there would be an uproar for months but this post will probably be the last you hear about the matter

"A New Hampshire state representative has resigned his position and announced he will not run for re-election after writing that a dead Sarah Palin is "more dangerous than a live one."

State Rep. Timothy Horrigan stepped down Thursday after posting a Facebook page in which he described the "myth" of the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate.

His resignation comes after another New Hampshire Democratic candidate apologized the same day for his Facebook post in which he wished Sarah Palin and the father of her grandchild, Levi Johnston, had been on the plane that crashed Tuesday, killing former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

"Just wish Sarah and Levy [sic] were on board," Keith Halloran originally wrote in reference to Palin and Johnston, her daughter Bristol's ex-boyfriend.

In his post, Horrigan wrote, "a dead Palin wd [sic] be even more dangerous than a live one...she is all about her myth & if she was dead, she cldn't [sic] commit any more gaffes."

Source

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

Chinese Girl with Big Breasts - Updated

Here's an intriguing story and I haven't found any followup information.

Three years ago, a 16-year-old Chinese girl, Xu Haojia, was auctioning her breasts, touted as the Biggest Breasts in China, on the Internet with intentions of gathering at least $50,000.

The money reportedly would go to charity and to plastic surgery to remove the biggest breasts. The mammaries would then be awarded to the highest bidder.

So, Xu Haojia planned to hand over surgically removed breast tissue to someone. Only heaven knows what type of person would want sliced and diced body parts, but the girl hinted that fatty breast tissue is utilized in transgender procedures. In any event, that was the deal. Highest bidder gets the boobs.

There was some media interest for awhile and then the story died. No followup on the auction and whether the whole scheme was squashed.

However, there is a report from earlier this year indicating that Ms. Xu Haojia, also called Sally, never had her breasts removed but the auction isn't mentioned. Instead, she complains about the size of her breasts and people staring at her breasts. This is while she passes herself off as an artiste who performs at nightclubs and karaoke bars.

I'm quite curious as to whether the initial story was a hoax or if it just scratches the surface of a bigger story about underground sales of body parts. From my perch, it seems that Asians, unlike the West, don't have any cultural taboos regarding selling one's body parts.

The lack of information makes me think that the ChiComs may have sent out their morality police to shut down the girl's website, but that's simply a guess. If any readers come across some followup on the auction story, please leave a comment.

* * * * *
Biggest Breasts in China
[Previous 7/6/07 post]
(Shanghai, China) A 16-year-old girl from Shandong Province, Xu Haojia, claims that she has the biggest breasts in China and she is trying to auction them to the highest bidder. Xu is seeking more than $50,000 for the pair and plans on giving the money to the needy.

Xu, measuring about 5'4" tall and an E-cupper at 33/28/34, advertised on her blog (in Chinese) "The No. 1 breasts want an auction for love donation." She says she hopes that five celebrated Chinese men bid on her breasts because "they may need the fat to change to be females in the future."

According to Shanghaiist, "Xu is literally auctioning her breasts. As in, she will have them surgically removed, and will literally hand her disembodied mammaries over to the highest bidder." I believe this would be a new high (low) on the Ewww! scale.

From Shanghai Daily:

"Thirty percent of the money will be used for a migrant workers' Website," Xu said in the article. "Sixty percent will be donated to a happy education program held by a Red Cross in Hunan Province and I'll use the remainder for plastic surgery."

It's suggested that Xu is simply seeking publicity and the idea is merely a ploy.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Hawaii Teacher Gets More Years in Prison - Updated

(Hilo, Hawaii) Former teacher Lynn M. Dionise received bad news this week while serving five years in federal prison on methamphetamine charges.

She was sentenced in state court to 10 more years, also for methamphetamine, to be served consecutively.

Big Island Circuit Judge Glenn Hara on Wednesday sentenced Lynn M. Dionise, 53, a former special-education teacher at Keaukaha Elementary School, to serve 10 years following her release from a California federal prison in May 2014.

"I think consecutive sentencing was appropriate sentencing given her involvement in drug dealing," said Deputy Prosecutor Jason Skier.

Dionise was found to be in possession of one-eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine in her Keaukaha apartment, along with $13,245, and was arrested April 29, 2008, Skier said.

So, Dionise will do a full 15 years of hard time for her involvement with methamphetamine. Let that be a lesson to all you youngsters.

* * * * *
Hawaii Teacher Gets Prison for Drugs
[Previous 11/18/09 post]
(Hilo, Hawaii) In April 2008, a 51-year-old special-education teacher at Keaukaha Elementary School, Lynn M. Dionise, was arrested for trafficking in methamphetamine after a police raid on her condominium.

Yesterday, U.S. District Senior Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Dionise, now 52, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

The FBI says Dionise was among a group of 10 people who brought methamphetamine into Hawaii from California in 2007 and 2008 and distributed the drugs on Oahu and the Big Island.

The government said the group used Dionise's condominium as a meeting place and that Dionise used her credit card to arrange airline flights and car rentals for members of the group.

All but one of her co-defendants in the federal case have pleaded guilty.

Dionise also faces state charges of trafficking and possession of methamphetamine which remain to be adjudicated.

Judge Mollway is allowing Dionise to remain free on bail until February 1, 2010, when she must turn herself in to begin her federal sentence.

High School Coach Accused of Sex with Girl

(Bloomington, Illinois) A 22-year-old girls' basketball and softball coach formerly at Bloomington High School, Shelby Parker, has been accused of engaging in sex with a teen girl.

She faces three counts of sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a girl older than 13 but younger than 18 years old.

According to police reports, Parker and the alleged victim were found by a Normal police officer in a vehicle July 25 in a public parking lot. Parker, who was an assistant coach for two years before her job with the school district ended May 25, was arrested the following day.

She was released after posting $2,000 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A court appearance is scheduled for September 9.

Woman Sues Donald Duck

A female visitor at Epcot Center in Florida has accused a cartoon-costumed performer of groping her. The Pennsylvania woman, April Magolon, 27, had been seeking an autograph.

After the alleged groping, Donald Duck made gestures--apparently with his snowy white hands—“indicating he had done something wrong,” according to a lawsuit filed last month by April Magolon.

The Upper Darby woman, 27, was visiting Epcot with her children and fiancé in May 2008 when the incident reportedly occurred.[…]

According to Magolon’s complaint, she has suffered “severe physical injury, emotional anguish and distress including, but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder” as a result of the run-in with Donald Duck.

She also contends that the incident was “one of a long line of continuing, long standing, similar prior incidents” involving the groping of patrons by costumed Disney employees.

Magolon seeks "in excess of $50,000" from the Disney Corp. for negligence, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

Frankly, I think it's a bit much to claim PTSD after a guy cops a feel but then -- people have varying sensitivities. In any event, Magolon's case hints at a more generic problem with costumed amusement park gropers, which I find quite believable.

Tip: C. Nestor

Iranian Woman Tortured Before Interview - Updated

(Tabriz, Iran) Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani allegedly was tortured before "confessing" during an interview on state television last night.

An Iranian woman whose sentencing to death by stoning has sparked international outrage has apparently confessed to adultery and talked about her husband's killing in a state television interview.

In the interview, aired on Wednesday night, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani also criticized her lawyer for publicizing her case, saying it had brought shame on her family.

A human rights campaign group, the International Committee Against Stoning, called the TV show "toxic propaganda". Ashtiani had previously denied the adultery accusations against her.[…]

Attorney Houtan Kian, who is also representing Ashtiani, said his client was tortured and "forced" to make the comments on TV.

"She was severely beaten up and tortured until she accepted to appear in front of camera. Her 22-year-old son, Sajad and her 17-year-old daughter Saeedeh are completely traumatized by watching this program," he told the Guardian.

Low-life barbarians.

Tips: Kenny Solomon, Graham Kissack

* * * * *
Iranian Woman Faces Death by Stoning
[Previous 6/27/10 post]
(Tabriz, Iran) A 40-year-old Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, will soon be stoned to death for adultery unless a public outcry gets the Iranian authorities to change their minds.

According to women's rights activist Soheila Vahdati, Ashiani has been in prison since 2005.

Vahdati says Sakineh was earlier sentenced to 99 lashes in 2006 for having "illicit relationships." The sentence was subsequently carried out and her case was closed.

But authorities later charged Ashtiani with murder. Prosecutors alleged that Ashtiani and her boyfriend had killed her husband.

In making the murder case against Ashtiani, activist Vahdati says the court "illegally" reopened the adultery case against Ashtiani. It was the second time Ashtiani would be tried for the same alleged adulterous conduct.

According to Vahdati, Ashtiani was sentenced to be stoned to death for the same alleged act of adultery for which she earlier had been convicted to 99 lashes. It is not clear when she was sentenced.

Ashtiani's two children have written a letter and distributed it on the web pleading for worldwide public support to pressure Iranian authorities into pardoning her.

Understandably, Ashtiani is in extremely poor spirits anticipating being buried to the chest and pelted with small stones until dead. Large stones are prohibited since they may cause death to be instantaneous.

Heh. For a religion of peace, Islam sure has a lock on extreme cruelty while seemingly having no problem with trying people twice for one offense.

Clicktivism

This is a new term for me. It means activism using:

… sophisticated email marketing software that brags of its "extensive tracking" including "opens, clicks, actions, sign-ups, unsubscribes, bounces and referrals, in total and by source".

And clicktivists equate political power with raising these "open-rate" and "click-rate" percentages, which are so dismally low that they are kept secret. The exclusive emphasis on metrics results in a race to the bottom of political engagement.

Gone is faith in the power of ideas, or the poetry of deeds, to enact social change. Instead, subject lines are A/B tested and messages vetted for widest appeal. Most tragically of all, to inflate participation rates, these organisations increasingly ask less and less of their members. The end result is the degradation of activism into a series of petition drives that capitalise on current events. Political engagement becomes a matter of clicking a few links.

In promoting the illusion that surfing the web can change the world, clicktivism is to activism as McDonalds is to a slow-cooked meal. It may look like food, but the life-giving nutrients are long gone.

Basically, tracking clicks obsessively for political purposes is clicktivism.

Abu Bakar Bashir Arrested in Indonesia



Abu Bakar Bashir
(Jakarta, Indonesia) The co-founder and spiritual leader of al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Bashir, 71, was arrested this week and charged with planning terrorist attacks.

Abu Bakar Bashir was arrested on Monday for allegedly helping set up and fund a terror cell that was plotting high-profile assassinations and attacks targeting foreigners at luxury hotels in the capital.

Investigators have collected strong evidence linking the fiery 71-year-old cleric to an al-Qaeda-linked terror cell discovered in westernmost Aceh province in February, said Lt. Gen. Ito Sumardi, chief detective for the national police.

"He has been officially detained and charged with violating the anti-terrorism law," Sumardi told reporters, adding that authorities compiled their case by combing Bashir's bank records, tapping telephone conversations, and hearing confessions from other suspected militants.

Bashir has been blamed for behind-the-scene planning of the Bali bombings which resulted in the deaths of 202 people. If convicted in Indonesia, he faces the possibility of being put to death.

Bashir hasn't been talking in his own defense but supporters have started making noise on the Internet. A Facebook page has gathered over 10,000 supporters calling for his freedom.

Gloom reigns over world stockmarkets as US recovery slows

WORLD markets were thrown into turmoil yesterday as investors worried that US growth - a key engine of the global economy - is coming coughing and spluttering to a halt. Investors from New York to Tokyo poured money into safer assets after the Federal Reserve warned the US recovery would be "more modest" than expected.

In an effort to bolster market confidence the central bank on Tuesday announced a return to crisis-era stimulus spending. But the policy shift was seen more like a plumb line that revealed the depths of the Fed's concerns. "Investors are now rightly questioning the strength and sustainability of the recovery," said Joseph LaVorgna, Deutsche Bank's chief US economist.

And question they did. In New York the benchmark Dow index of 30 leading companies fell around 2.5 per cent, its worst drop in nearly a month. Individual US companies shed millions of dollars in value, continuing a downward trend seen in Asian and European bourses earlier in the day. "Global equity markets were pummelled," said Sam Stovall of Standard & Poor's Equity Research, pointing to gloomy US trade data that darkened the mood further.

The US Commerce Department reported that imports to the US increased by 3 per cent in June, draining billions of dollars out of the US economy. "This is spectacularly terrible," said Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics, explaining that rising imports will eat into already anemic domestic growth.

That was enough to prompt analysts to slash growth forecasts across the board. Deutsche Bank's LaVorgna predicted US growth in this quarter would be limited to three per cent, well down from the 4.6 per cent previously forecast and raising doubts that sky-high unemployment can be trimmed soon. Other economists made similar calls, slashing past estimates as well as predictions running deep into next year.

It is "bad news for real GDP growth in the US, which will be further reduced by the effects of rising imports," said Christopher Cornell of Moody's Economy.com....

More here

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

Michigan Woman Guilty in Teen Sex Case

(Adrian, Michigan) A 40-year-old local woman, Marcy Ann Rowe, pleaded guilty in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution to a reduced charge of felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

Rowe's plea came on the eve of a second trial. Her first trial in May ended with a hung jury.

The boy previously testified he and Rowe were drinking and she forced herself on him.

Rowe remains free on bond but under house arrest.

Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for September 9 when she faces a possible 10-year prison term.

Spain: Booming Sales of Electric Cars



(Madrid, Spain) According to this report, Spain has enjoyed a 1,500% year-to-year increase in sales of electric cars.

The government-backed REVE electric car and wind power project said 15 cars had been sold so far this year, in addition to one last year.

On the negative side, sales figures are falling behind plans of selling 2,000 electric cars by the end of this year.

Tip: Ronin at TJR

Carolina Woman Accused of Sex Crimes

(Spring Hope, North Carolina) A 36-year-old local woman, Loretta O’Neal Johnson, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Johnson faces charges of felony crimes against nature and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

According to North Carolina law, a sex act other than vaginal intercourse constitutes a crime against nature, including anal and oral sex.

Johnson was booked into custody at the Nash County Jail with bond set at $2,000.

The "racist" accusation against the Tea Partiers again

The comment below is from the Left-leaning "Slate" and the author is trying to make the best of a bad job from his viewpoint.

"It's rarely convincing when Tea Party activists brush off attacks on the movement by claiming that the bad apples at their rallies are really agents provocateurs. That's just too convenient. Sometimes, the people who make you look bad actually are part of your movement. But a videographer at this weekend's Fancy Farm political celebration in Kentucky hounded a man wearing Rand Paul swag and holding up a racist anti-immigrant sign, badgering him to reveal who he was. The cameraman caught back up with him when, later, the man walked with supporters of Paul's opponent, [Democrat] Jack Conway."

Source

So the infiltrator was caught red-handed, as it were.

The Tea Partiers are aware that anything the Left do not like will be accused of racism so make sure that none of their members do carry racist slogans. But Leftists are such intellectual midgets that the "racist" lie about the Tea Partiers is about all they can think of when they want to criticize the Tea Partiers. So they need that lie.

But even a big lie does need some oxygen to sustain it so, in a familiar Leftist strategy, Leftists themselves propagate racist utterances and blame them on the Tea Partiers. And you will note in the above quote that the Leftist author does implicitly admit that such frauds happen.

But probably the most interesting thing about the paragraph is the heading that its author put on it: "Tea Party Infiltration Done Wrong"

So rather than deploring the fraud he deplores only that it was not well done! That's a pretty revealing confession, it seems to me. It certainly reveals the utter dishonesty and corruption of the Leftist mentality.

And how come someone writing for "Slate" knows so little of grammar? "Wrong" should have been "wrongly". The midget shrinks even further.

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

Utah Woman Arrested for Sex with Girls

(Roy, Utah) A 31-year-old local woman, Alexsa Mirabal, was arrested Monday for allegedly impersonating a boy to get sexually close to two teen girls.

"She had me fooled for two years,” said the mother of one of the teens. “I as well thought Alex was a boy."

Roy police said Mirabal lured one of the victims through the internet using Myspace. She's accused of pretending to be ‘Alex’, a male teen. Police said the Myspace account was all made up.

“It had histories, it had photos it had family members, people we can't even identify that she has pulled off and used,” said Roy police Chief Greg Whinham.

Police said ‘Alex’ connected with a victim for a year on Myspace sending the young girl loving messages. Eventually police said she revealed herself to the teen.

“For some unknown reason that's when the relationship began sexually and inappropriately,” said Whinham. ‘Alex’ even sent his photo to the mother of the second victim trying to win over her friendship. They even talked on the phone.

“He sounded very real … just like a guy,” said the victim’s mother. “Alexsa is very talented. She can make voices, change her voice to be a guy, to be an old lady. She fooled me really good.

Mirabal was booked into custody at the Weber County Jail.

Olbermann Booted from Football Slot

Keith Olbermann has been booted from NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

Reportedly, bosses are resolving a conflict between Olbermann's nightly harangue-fest on cable and the football pre-game show -- a conflict causing him to miss some Friday night broadcasts.

NBC officials assured reporters that Olbermann's florid, left-of-center politics and tendency to rant against Republicans is not the reason he is being yanked.

I would suggest otherwise. Olbermann's usual demeanor radiates poorly-corralled grudges and obvious anger toward those who disagree with him. When people see his face, the first thought is "What's he pissed-off about now?" Viewers automatically relate Olbermann with insult-spewing and complaining, never initiating or contributing to rational dialogue. Heh. Sportscasters and commentators need to be a bit more level-headed.

If we could read the NBC executives' minds, I suspect that they don't like Keith Olbermann any more than most television viewers which, by the way, isn't all that much if television ratings can be relied upon.

Tip: Charley Nestor

NY Woman Gets 6 Months for Sex with Boy

(Ithaca, New York) In January 2010, a 31-year-old local mother-of-six children, Amanda Rojas, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy. Rojas was charged with second-degree rape.

In June, Rojas pleaded guilty in Tompkins County Court to second-degree rape.

Rojas admitted to having intercourse with the male at her residence repeatedly between June and October 2009. Rojas and the male had sex 15 times, according to court documents.

Rojas' attorney Ciano Lama sought asked that Rojas be sentenced to 10 years probation.

Incarceration would hurt Rojas' six children, he said, adding that Rojas grew up in foster care and has struggled with marijuana addiction. Rojas cooperated with police, accepted responsibility and confessed to the crime, which likely occurred because Rojas hasn't received enough treatment, Lama argued.

Nevertheless, Rojas was sentenced by Judge John Rowley to six months in jail and 10 years of probation.

Grandma Arrested for Child Sex Offenses

(Salisbury, North Carolina) A 72-year-old local woman, Juanita Byars, was arrested last Thursday for allegedly committing sex acts with a seven-year-old child.

Byars is charged with two counts of sex offense in a parental role, two counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.[…]

According to the report, Byars had the child to perform two sex acts on her and also had the child drink beer and smoke cigarettes while in her care.

Byars was booked into custody at the Rowan County Jail with bond set at $80,000.

Woman's Hand Slapped for Sex with Boy

(Wenatchee, Washington) In March 2010, a 22-year-old local woman, Bridget D. Scharpp, was charged with rape of a child stemming from a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

The boy told his mother that he had sex with Scharpp four times between July and September 2009. The mother called the police.

At the time, a probable cause affidavit stated that Scharpp was pregnant and the boy was the father.

Last week, Scharpp pleaded guilty in Chelan County Superior Court to a reduced charge of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation. As a result, Scharpp was sentenced to 90 days electronic home monitoring and 30 days jail with work release privileges. She was also ordered to pay fines and fees of $550.

It's not known why the charges were reduced nor what happened to the pregnancy.

Kentucky Teacher Arrested for Drugs

(Georgetown, Kentucky) A 41-year-old biology and chemistry teacher at Scott County High School, Susan Charron, was arrested yesterday for allegedly selling prescription pills to a student.

Charron has been indicted on a charge of first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Police had received a complaint in late April 2010 that a high school teacher was allegedly selling prescription pills to a student.

Detectives looked into the allegation and confiscated prescription medicine from the teacher. The investigation results were taken to a Scott County grand jury, which returned the indictment.

Charron was booked into custody at the Scott County Jail with bond set at $5,000.

No More Smokes for Deployed Troops

Apparently, the smoking lamp will soon be out in combat zones.

The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 quietly took effect June 29. It cut off those care packages by effectively requiring that tobacco be sent with one particular kind of U.S. Postal Service shipping that requires a signature for delivery but does not deliver to most overseas military addresses.[…]

The law was created to prevent minors from ordering cigarettes through the mail and to prevent trafficking by requiring tracking and confirmation that the recipient is old enough. It allows small shipments of tobacco products, but only via Express Mail because that's the only postal service product that meets the identification requirements under the law.

"The issue is that Express Mail is not available to some overseas military destinations, primarily Iraq or Afghanistan," said Beth Barnett, spokeswoman for the postal service in Tennessee.

Families don't have any other options for shipping cigarettes. The law only affects the U.S. Postal Service because UPS and FedEx do not allow consumer-to-consumer shipping of tobacco.

Interestingly, bans of this nature customarily foster black market operations and it's hardly arguable that black markets are a field of expertise possessed by the military. I suspect that servicemen and women will find a way to get their smokes.

However, there's also this little element to keep in mind.

The military has been trying to reduce smoking among soldiers and vets, including banning indoor smoking and ending smoking on submarines by the end of the year.

The Pentagon laid out a plan in 1999 to reduce smoking rates by 5 percent a year and reduce chewing tobacco use to 15 percent by 2001, but wasn't able to achieve the goals. And the Defense Department received a study last year recommending the military move toward becoming tobacco-free perhaps in about 20 years.

Frankly, I contend that Congress needs to quit the nit-picky social engineering of the military. It kills morale. Ironically, even a condemned man is offered a smoke before being shot by a firing squad.

I suspect that if liberal politicians get their way, the battlefield, with bombs bursting and people dying, will ultimately be regulated as a smoke-free workplace.

[Add.] Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he does not plan to take away soldiers' smokes since he doesn't want to increase the stress and strain of fighting in a combat zone. On the other hand, Gates said it's "not our preference to have a force using tobacco products."

Of course, the problem isn't getting permission to smoke. It's getting the smokes. The new law prevents sending cigs to the troops.

[Add.] On target comment:

I pity the Taliban unit that decides to attack some soldiers who’ve run out of cigarettes. There won’t be any prisoners. Can anyone tell me how many soldiers in combat have died from smoking?

Thanks to This Ain't Hell.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Cartoonist Ted Rall amps up the abuse of the Tea Partiers

Ted is in quite a serious mood but it's still all just assertions below, of course. He has no evidence for his claims. But that's par for the course among Leftists. Like their National Socialist predecessors in 1930s Germany, they believe that if you shout a big enough lie often enough people will believe it.

What's crooked about Ted is that he uses the word "Fascist" while closing his eyes to what was basic to Fascism. The ONE thing that nobody disputes about Fascism is that it stands for enormous government power over the population -- The biggest of big government, in other words. So according to Ted Rall, the Tea Partiers must be advocates of big government. That their central theme is OPPOSITION to big government doesn't seem to matter to him.

It's not entirely his fault, however. He has obviously made an effort and looked up what a Leftist historian and an Italian novelist say about Fascism. That Leftist historians glide over the inconvenient bits about Fascism is just what one expects of people who believe that "There is no such thing as right and wrong", of course.

I could go on and point out, for example, that unlike Fascists, Tea Partiers don't have any leader at all, let alone a charismatic one -- and that Tea Partiers oppose socialism rather than embrace it -- but what's the point? Ted has his little fancied resemblances and to hell with the basic facts of the matter!

"Certainly a sizable minority of Tea Partiers' "take America back" rhetoric is motivated by thinly disguised resentment that a black guy is president. As for the remainder, their tacit tolerance of the intolerant speaks for itself. "Take America back" from whom? You know whom. It ain't white CEOs.

Yes. The Tea Party is racist. Obviously.

But racism is only one facet of a far more sinister political strain. It's more accurate to categorize the Tea Party as something the United States has never seen before, certainly not in such large numbers or as widespread.

The Tea Party is a protofascist movement.

Source

If you want a detailed survey of what Mussolini's Fascism was see here. If you want a detailed survey of what Hitler'a Nazism was see here. And if you want to find out where both of them got their ideas from, see here.

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

German Tourist Fatally Shot in San Francisco

(San Francisco, California) A 50-year-old German tourist, Mechthild Schroeer, was killed early Sunday after being caught in a crossfire between two rival groups of gunmen. The gunfire reportedly is part of a wave of nightclub-related violence plaguing the city.

Mechthild and her husband Stefan had checked in to the St. George Hotel only hours before. The trip was to be a celebration of the couple's wedding anniversary.

The woman died of her injuries at a California hospital. Two other people were injured.

On Monday night police said they had charged 18-year-old Phillip Steward with murder.

Mayor Gavin Newsom expressed condolences while anti-gun activists from California to Germany began voicing full-throated outrage.

Lewd Acts with a Mannequin

(Kanawha County, West Virginia) While on patrol, Kanawha County Sheriff's deputies spotted 61-year-old Eddie M. Campbell in a park with his shirt off and his pants around his ankles.

Deputies say Campbell was sitting on a park bench with an armless mannequin on his lap, holding it with one hand -- pleasuring himself with the other.

When the deputy identified himself, Campbell stopped, pushed the mannequin off him and pulled his pants up.

All of this happened in a residential area and close to a church, according to Deputies.

Campbell has been charged with indecent exposure.

Heh.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Aussie Teacher Gets Prison for Molesting Boys - Updated

(Melbourne, Australia) Grade 3 teacher Josephine Mary Greensill, 59, has been sentenced for molesting two eight-year-old boys.

Judge Gabriele Cannon said her crimes were repugnant and dastardly, robbing the victims of their childhood innocence.[…]

Greensill had shown no remorse and got no discount for pleading guilty as she maintained her innocence.

She was jailed for five years and ordered to serve at least 2 years 8 months before being paroled.

Greensill was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Thanks to phantom tipster.

* * * * *
Aussie Teacher Does Boys
[Previous 7/21/10 post]
(Melbourne, Australia) A 59-year-old 3rd-grade teacher, Josephine Mary Greensill, aka Josephine Sumpton, has been convicted of engaging in sex with two eight-year-old Bayswater Primary School boys back in the 1970s.

Reportedly, Greensill erected a tent in her back yard where she sexually assaulted the boys while her husband and children were inside her home.

In June 2010, a jury convicted Greensill on nine counts including kissing, indecent touching and sexual penetration.

Prosecutor John Livitsanos said her offending was of the worst type.

Mr Livitsanos said the boys were groomed, given treats and treated as teacher's pets at the school where she taught in Melbourne's outer east.

"This is a breach of trust and authority of the highest order," he said.

Defence barrister Chris Carr said his client, who denied the events, was a generous and caring woman of good character.

However, defense attorney Carr also said that Greensill has expressed no admission of guilt nor remorse. Meanwhile, both victims prepared statements indicating they are haunted by the experience which has made them distrustful of all women.

Greensill is in custody awaiting scheduled sentencing on August 10. The crown seeks five to seven years in prison.

Tip: JR

Taliban Execute Pregnant Woman

(Herat, Afghanistan) Barbaric is not a strong enough word to identify this murder.

The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by firing three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday.

Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis.

The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an "illicit affair" that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi told AFP.

"She was shot in the head in public while she was still pregnant," Sayeedi said.

No punishment was given to the man with whom she allegedly had the affair.

This episode is beyond horrible and, mark my words, nobody will likely hear outrage from members of the feminist crowd, who claim to spearhead the fight for women's rights.

Unfortunately, "women's rights" has grown to mean equal pay, abortion, same-sex marriage and other issues that are meaningless if you are dead. Women's rights should start with keeping them alive and there should be loud and continuous worldwide outrage, protests, strikes, letter-writing campaigns, sit-in, marches and any other tactic that will help stop the systematic murder of women, wherever it occurs.

I suggest we won't hear a peep.

Tip: Kenny Solomon

Boy Molested by Quran Teacher

(Dubai, UAE) In May 2010, a 26-year-old Quran teacher, an Indian imam identified as DH, was convicted of molesting an eight-year-old boy in a mosque at the Jumeirah Lakes Towers. As a result, DH was sentenced to three years in jail.

However, the case is being appealed since DH claims that he initially denied the charges but the police coerced a confession from him.

DH’s lawyer Harun Tahlak claimed at the Dubai Court of Appeals that his client confessed only to kissing the boy innocently.

“This is not sexual assault, my client kissed the child on the cheek, this is culturally accepted in India and he kissed him like a teacher kisses his student,” said the lawyer.

Records show that the boy was taken to a private room and molested while his 10-year-old brother was ordered to sit in a corner of the mosque and memorise (sic) verses from the Quran.

The boy escaped after he landed a painful blow to the man with his elbow.

The victim and his brother are Americans and their father wanted them schooled in the Quran before returning to the U.S.

Mr Tahlak told the court that no evidence was presented to support the claims registered by police other than DH’s confession.

He said that his admission to the sexual assault was “unfounded”, and that police made him sign the confession under duress and abuse”.

The court will take up the appeal on August 22.

Incidentally, Mr. Tahlak's argument that teachers customarily kiss students in India, if that is true, really shouldn't carry any weight in a Dubai court.

Companion post at TJR.

Glacier calves: Warmists get aroused

Every time a big iceberg breaks off a glacier, Wamists in their illogical way hail it as a sign of global warming. But, if anything, it proves the opposite

1962: Chunk of Greenland ice shelf calves into 230 square-mile island.

2010: Second-largest Greenland glacier calves into 100 square-mile island.

With climate change being blamed for, gasp!, a hot summer, shouldn't these "islands of ice" be increasing in a so-called warming world? Sadly for alarmists (and CNN), this glacier is actually growing which causes increased calving!

That's because the Petermann Glacier, from which the latest ice island broke off, has been getting larger over the last 8 years, which is the primary cause for the creation of these floating islands of ice. They literally snap off under their own enormous weight. Just ask Obama's chief science advisor, John Holdren.

More HERE (See the original for links, graphics etc.)

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

The racism of anti-racists

We read:

"One of the recurring arguments I hear from those who accuse conservatives of being insensitive to the travails of the underclass, whether black or Latino, is that many of those communities are filled with people so unable to take responsibility for their own lives that “we had better learn we have to take care of them or they are going to start a revolution to take us all down.”

I am astounded that this thinking doesn’t register as incredibly condescending and even racist … in the sense that it ascribes no intelligence, talent or ambition to those with whom they purport to empathize. One of George W. Bush’s speechwriters came up with the phrase “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” How accurate and telling it is!

Source

"Affirmative action" comes from the same mentality. Only a Leftist would think that you end discrimination by discriminating.

In truth they DON'T want to end discrimination. They feed on it. When opponents of discrimination oppose affirmative action, that enables the Left to pose as the friend of minorities and yields a rich harvest of black votes.

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

The Sisterhood



Michelle Obama -- Oprah Winfrey
I don't know either woman but the picture makes me think that they don't like each other. If they are feuding, I'd suggest that there will be political implications for President Obama.

(Story….)

Missouri Constitutional Amendment for Dog Rights

Animal rights activists have collected enough signatures in Missouri to place a constitutional dog rights amendment on the November ballot.

The proposed amendment would specify minimum requirements for dog living facilities and conditions, including temperature controls, exercise programs and medical examinations.

Sadly, no proposals have surfaced to amend the state constitution to specify minimum requirements for living facilities and conditions, nor temperature controls, exercise programs and medical examinations, for children. Neither are adults going to be guaranteed the special constitutional goodies.

One must wonder why the constitution must be changed to protect dogs when it would be more appropriate to impose mandates by legislative action such as ordinances or regulations.

More media lies

As in TIME magazine in this piece titled Islamophobia and the 'Ground Zero Mosque' Debate. Two particularly bald-faced ones I'll highlight:

...figures like Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf — the Arab-American cleric behind the mosque project near Ground Zero — stand out. A consummate moderate who has made a career preaching about the compatibility of Islamic and American values...

A consummate moderate? Really? Let's go to Wikipedia:

In a 2001 60 Minutes interview, though Abdul Rauf condemned the 9/11 attacks as un-Islamic, he said that the U.S. was "an accessory to the crime that happened" because "we have been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world." In 2010 he declined to state that Hamas was a terrorist organization.

Mr. Moderate Islam also had the following to say a few years back:

"The Islamic method of waging war is not to kill innocent civilians. But it was Christians in World War II who bombed civilians in Dresden and Hiroshima, neither of which were military targets."

Imam Feisal said the bombing in Madrid had made his message more urgent. He said there was an endless supply of angry young Muslim rebels prepared to die for their cause and there was no sign of the attacks ending unless there was a fundamental change in the world.

Imam Feisal, who argues for a Western style of Islam that promotes democracy and tolerance, said there could be little progress until the US acknowledged backing dictators and the US President gave an "America Culpa" speech to the Muslim world.

That was back in 2004. Since then he's found a US President that does nothing but give "America Culpa" speeches and we're seeing how well that's working out for the West.

More HERE

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

Internet Virginity Sales

(London, England) Recently, a British guy and an Irish guy became locked in an eBay bidding battle to win the precious flower of an 18-year-old Hungarian girl. The auction was halted by eBay, due to sensitivities, and ultimately completed via email.

The pretty blonde, identified only as Miss Spring, promised her virginity to the Brit for £200,000 (approx. $320,000). Steep, eh?

Miss Spring's ambition is to attend medical school but beforehand, she wants to help her family.

"My family has debts, we cannot afford to pay them. My mother borrowed a lot of money in Swiss Francs, and now with the credit crunch in Hungary the repayments in Hungarian forints have tripled, she couldn't pay it back.

"We faced losing our home and being on the street. I want to be able to pay back those loans —that's why I came up with the idea for this auction. It is not such a lot of money for what is on offer, considering half will vanish in tax, but it will be enough to pay of my debts and leave us clear.

"I was in contact with two final bidders — the Irish guy and the British guy. Both wanted me to come to them. I chose the British guy. He was very sympathetic to my cause. Both men wanted to marry me take care of me and my family. But for me this was supposed to be a one off thing. Getting married and living with someone is a challenge I am not sure I am yet ready for," she said.

Interestingly, the price for a maidenhead has dramatically increased since British lesbian Rosie Reid completed a deal for her virginity for $20,000 back in 2004. Reid, arguably the first of the high-profile virginity sellers on the Internet, even promised to throw in a free massage.



Rosie Reid
Following Rosie Reid in the virginity racket was a 22-year-old Southern California woman calling herself Natalie Dylan who put her enchanted garden up for bids in 2008.

Natalie Dylan claimed that the money was needed to finance graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy. It's not known if any deal was finalized for Ms. Dylan but it was reported that bidding had reached $3.7 million.



Natalie Dylan
And then there was 20-year-old ex-showgirl Raffaele Fico (aka Raffella Fico), who announced in 2008 that she would sell her virginity for one million euros (more than $1.3 million).

Reportedly, Fico is a devout Catholic who prays every night and she has never had a boyfriend.



Raffaele Fico
Twenty years old, devout Catholic ex-showgirl, and never had a boyfriend paint a swimmingly incongruent portrait. The puzzle pieces don't connect.

In any event, I still need to find the completed details of the Dylan and Fico transactions. If any reader knows the final sale prices, leave a comment.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Viagra for Teachers

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) While the Milwaukee School Board is giving layoff notices to hundreds of teachers due to a "financial crisis," the teachers union is asking a judge to order the school board to include erectile dysfunction drugs in its health insurance plans.

So, instead of allocating $786,000 towards keeping teachers working, the teachers union wants the funds applied towards anti-limp medication for those dysfunctional members still in classrooms.

In a nutshell, it seems there's a dilemma as to whether it's more important to keep teachers working or shelve them to provide a pharmaceutical-assist to the erection-challenged.

Heh. Maybe it's just me but a simple scan of news reports would find that American school systems have problems with too many erections, not too few. It would be more logical to incorporate erection inhibitors in teachers' pharmaceutical regimen.

Tip: slwlion

Companion post at EdWatch.

Fashion Secret?


 
Granted, it's easily seen to be a photoshop but surely members of the haute couture crowd will roll their eyes.

Source

Weasel-Wording the Constitution

The argument put forth by the Department of Justice against the state of Arizona's law SB1070 appears to be based on an erroneous or intentional misquote of a constitutional requirement. Enforcement of the law is presented as an option, not as a required job function of the President. From GRA:

The Department of Justice's suit against the state of Arizona is based on a lie. It's based on the idea that the President has the ability to decide whether or not to enforce law. The only problem is that to make the argument, they omitted a key word from the Constitution. Here's the DOJ's basis for their argument (page 5, line 12):

The Constitution affords the President of the United States the authority to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”

Hmm. According to the DOJ, the Constitution affords the President the authority to enforce law. There's one small problem, however. Here's the Constitution...ahem...in context (article 2, section 3):

He shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Interestingly, the DOJ cut the quote of right after the word "shall." Shall has a very specific meaning in contractual arrangements. It means action is required to fulfill an obligation. The action MUST occur, or the obligation is not met. In this case "he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The President has the responsibility to enforce all law, and faithfully. He doesn't have the ability to decide whether or not to enforce law. The Constitution compels him to enforce the law. However, the DOJ bases their entire argument on this misquote.

Heh. I'm not surprised.

Tip: Richard L.

Australian court rules that it is OK to tell police officers to 'f*ck off'

I would be surprised if such a ruling were made anywhere in the USA (though I welcome being shown as wrong about that) but Australia has pretty strong anti-authority and anti-police traditions. There have been previous similar rulings in other Australian jurisdictions -- e.g. here

"A Queensland magistrate has ruled that it is acceptable for people to tell police officers to "f*ck off". Magistrate Peter Smid yesterday threw out the court case against Mundingburra man Bardon Kaitira, 28, who swore at a female officer outside the Consortium night club on December 20, last year at 2.40am, The Townsville Bulletin reports.

Constable Belinda Young gave evidence that Mr Kaitira used the swear word twice towards her after a group of officers patrolling Flinders St East poured out his girlfriend's drink. "The defendant said 'f*ck off' and starting walking away and I asked: 'What did you say?'," she said. "He said 'f*ck off" again and then said: 'I don't like the police you think you are all heroes'.

"I told him it was an offence to swear at an officer and gave him two choices - a fine or be arrested." Mr Kaitira opted to be put in handcuffs and taken to the watch house....

Mr Greggery added that police were trying to criminalise language, which set a dangerous precedent. "When they try to set the bar this low they are saying the word f*ck is criminal conduct," he said. "This is language they use themselves on the job (while arresting offenders and to other officers)."

Mr Smid will decide today whether the Queensland Police Service will cover Mr Kaitira's legal bills.

The case follows that of Sydney student Henry Grech, who was cleared in May of an offensive language charge against police after a local court magistrate ruled the word "prick" was part of every-day speech.

SOURCE

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

Gaza Kid's Show Glorifies "Martyrdom"

(Gaza City) On Tuesday, a children's musical troupe from Jordan performed an outdoor concert for the Palestinian youngsters in Gaza.

The group, known as The Birds of Paradise, recently produced a music video circulated on the Internet in which a young girl sings, “When we die as martyrs we will go to heaven.”

On a stage made to look like a Palestinian village children dressed as Israeli soldiers “massacre” civilians before the camera switches to a grown man singing, “Children you have fulfilled your religious obligation... You have taught us the meaning of manhood.”[…]

Khaled Muqdad, the founder of the 12-member troupe, told AFP they had come “to put smiles on the faces of children who have suffered from the Israeli war and the (internal) political troubles.”

And at a formal welcoming ceremony with Hamas MPs, he said the concert would “affirm to the entire world the right of the children of Palestine to live in freedom and dignity.”

So, the goal is to tell the world that Palestinian children have the right to live free while encouraging the children to die for Allah. I'm confused.

What good is the right to live free if you're just sending the children to be martyred on suicide missions?

Also: TJR

Pastor's Wife Guilty in Sex Case

(Decatur, Illinois)

A 29-year-old woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy who attended the church where her husband was a youth pastor.

Melissa B. Jones was sentenced to two years probation for the offense, which is a Class 4 felony. She must register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.

At the time she was charged in November 2008, Jones was married to the youth pastor of Salem Baptist Church. According to the church's Web site, Dean Jones now works there as an assistant pastor.

The 16-year-old told police in 2008 that he had attended Salem Baptist for several years. He met Melissa Jones at church camp, and she began counseling him for an addiction to Internet pornography.

The counseling sessions led to multiple episodes of sex. Jones ultimately confessed to Rev. Thompson who notified the authorities.

Barack Obama's popularity dips among white voters

President Obama’s popularity among white voters has plunged to create a widening racial divide in America. While support from black Americans has remained steady, a new Gallup poll reveals that whites have become increasingly disillusioned with the president. By last month, a 50-point gulf separated the two racial groups.

After Mr Obama’s inauguration in January 2009, he boasted a 62 per cent approval ratings among whites. But that percentage plunged in July to just 38 per cent. That compares to an 88 per cent job approval among blacks last month, only a slight dip from his high point of 92 per cent a year ago.

More here

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

20 Tons of Burning Cheese

Five-blend shredded spread on Interstate-10 in Florida. Heh.

Drink Victim's Blood to Hide from Cops

(Bartow, Florida) A 42-year-old local man, Mauricio Mendez Lopez, has been accused of fatally knifing his housemate, Macario Cruz, during an ongoing dispute about Cruz's "illicit affair" with his sister-in-law, Mariella Mendez. Throughout the disagreement, there were bouts of physical violence and threats.

The conflict was resolved with Lopez allegedly killing Cruz.

Mendez told police she heard her children scream, according to the report.

Lopez exited the house with a plastic cup on his hand. It appeared to hold blood, and he took a drink from it, she told police.

He told her that in Mexico, there is a ritual that "involves the person drinking the blood from a murder victim to prevent law enforcement from being about to find and prosecute them," the report states.

Ms. Mendez found Cruz, gasping his last breaths, in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.

Tip: slwlion

Cops Clobbered in Teacher DUI Case

(Homestead, Florida) A 42-year-old Spanish teacher at Chapman Elementary School, Joann Tomas, was arrested on multiple charges resulting from a traffic stop for erratic driving.

When the first officer pulled her over, he noticed she had "watery eyes, flushed face and slurred speech," according the arrest affidavit.

The officer also noted in the report that she had trouble finding her drivers' license, needed help regaining her balance while exiting the SUV and had to hold onto her vehicle to get her balance before walking.

Tomas was handcuffed and taken to jail but not before threatening the officer. She stated, "I am taking your job, I am going to say you took my shirt off, lifted by skirt and touched my (expletive)," according to the arrest report.

She allegedly didn't stop there.

When she arrived at the jail, police say she managed to take off the handcuffs and threw them at another officer, before she kicked him in the groin. The officer tasered Tomas in the chest but she still got up and tried to punch the officer. He then tasered her a second time.

When other officers arrived and attempted to handcuff her again, she tried to kick and punch them, according to the arrest report.

Tomas has been charged with battery of an officer, DUI and resisting arrest with violence.

NJ Teacher Guilty of Sex with Girl - Updated

(New Brunswick, New Jersey) Twenty-seven-year-old teacher and swim coach Sarah E. Blessing pleaded guilty earlier today to criminal sexual contact with an underage female and witness tampering in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

Under the plea agreement, the state agreed to recommend a sentence of 364 days at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick as a condition of 5 years probation.

Blessing will not be allowed to have any contact the victim or unsupervised contact with females under the age of 18 and comply with mental health counseling.

Blessing has also agreed to forfeit her teaching certificate and any ability to hold public office in the future.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 30.

* * * * *
NJ Teacher Indicted for Sex with Female Student
[Previous 3/5/10 post]
(Middlesex County, New Jersey) Suspended fifth-grade teacher Sarah E. Blessing, 27, has been indicted on charges of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child and witness tampering.

She remains free on $150,000 bond.

* * * * *
NJ Teacher Arrested for Sex with Female Student
[Previous 12/3/09 post]
(Edison, New Jersey) A 27-year-old fifth-grade teacher and girls swim coach at Bishop George Ahr High School, Sarah E. Blessing, was arrested Tuesday (12/1) for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old female student.

Blessing has been charged with criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

Investigator Raj Chopra at the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and Edison detectives Michael Michalski and Tim Farrell determined that Blessing began having sex with the student in June of this year, said Jim O'Neill, spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation started Tuesday, when the Diocese of Metuchen called law-enforcement authorities after discovering the relationship, O'Neill said.

Authorities said the teen-ager was a student at Bishop Ahr the time of the alleged assaults, but declined to release more details to protect the identity of the victim.

Blessing was booked into custody at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center with bail set at $150,000.

Powder-Filled Envelope Rec'd at Israeli Embassy

(Washington, D.C.) The elite media probably will neglect to report this incident.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. was targeted on Wednesday by unknown perpetrators who sent an envelope filled with an unidentified white powder to the building.

The FBI is currently examining the suspicious envelope, which was found in the embassy’s mailroom at approximately 4:00 p.m. EDT. It was addressed to the embassy itself and not to any one person in particular.

I suspect that if the incident had occurred at UN Headquarters, the story would lead the news.

Tip: Kenny Soloman

Was Prop 8 Judge Biased?

If a judge is homosexual and he rules in a case favoring homosexual marriage, is there any reason to question his impartiality?

SFGate says no. HuffPo says no.

I disagree. Just on the surface, it seems that there is reason to question the judge's impartiality. I'm not contending the judge was biased, just that it appears he could have been.

It would be like a Coke or Pepsi taste test where the judge picked Pepsi and it was found that he worked for Pepsi. Impartial? Maybe or maybe not. Reason to question his impartiality? Absolutely.

(more….)

Diversity: Wolves Killing Pets and Livestock

(Wisconsin) It's reported that 18 pet dogs have been killed by wolves in Wisconsin so far this year as farmers in the Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain regions continue to suffer from wolf predation of livestock.

The numbers on wolf predation are troubling since animal rights activists, in particular the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), are concurrently attempting to unleash wolves nationwide. Despite what the stated motivation is, the diversity crowd has found that wolf programs are fund-raising bonanzas.

A CBD petition sent to the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) asks for a nationwide wolf "recovery" program. The petition specifically asks that:

Wolf populations be established in “suitable habitat in the Pacific Northwest, California, Great Basin, southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and New England.”

The CBD is basically asking the Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce wolves to areas where they have not existed in decades.

It's worth noting that the Center for Biological Diversity has concurrently submitted petitions to impede 2nd Amendment gun rights and to put wolves throughout America.

Maybe it's just me but if wolves are in my area, I surely don't want my ability to own and load a firearm to be infringed upon by anyone. With ubiquitous wolves and no or restricted ability to protect oneself, the wolves win. And predation of pets and livestock will become secondary when children are taken.

In the final analysis, it appears that the biological diversity crowd fails to include people in its vision of a utopian animal planet.

Anti-Gun Groups Seek Ban on Lead Bullets

It's hardly arguable that anti-2nd Amendment activists will try every conceivable backdoor bureaucratic method to impede the use of weapons or take them out of the hands of American citizens.

The latest attempt is a petition by anti-gun ideologues filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claiming that lead ammunition violates the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976.

The petition goes on to suggest that the use of traditional ammunition poses a danger to wildlife, in particular raptors such as bald eagles, that may feed on entrails or unrecovered game left in the field.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has voiced strong opposition to the petition, citing its erroneous assertions.

“There is simply no scientific evidence that the use of traditional ammunition is having an adverse impact on wildlife populations that would require restricting or banning the use of traditional ammunition beyond current limitations, such as the scientifically based restriction on waterfowl hunting,” said NSSF President Steve Sanetti.

Sanetti's argument is supported by the explosive increase in breeding populations of bald eagles and raptors throughout the U.S. even though they have been feeding on "entrails or unrecovered game left in the field."

Companion post at GunWatch.

LeBron Disses Cleveland -- Again

In a full-page ad in yesterday's Akron Beacon Journal, basketballer LeBron James thanked the city and residents of Akron while noticeably not mentioning nearby Cleveland, where he won two Most Valuable Player awards.

Ostensibly, James is full of anger or arrogance or both. Readers can make the call.

Wisconsin Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Racine, Wisconsin) A 23-year-old local woman, Andrea R. Epps, has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy. She has been charged with misdemeanor sex with a child age 16 or older.

According to the criminal complaint, the boy's mother contacted Racine police on June 29 to report that her son had been having a sexual relationship with Epps since he was 15. Reports said the teen had told his special education therapist from the Racine Unified School District that Epps pursued him and eventually he had sex with her.

The relationship reportedly continued until two weeks before the teen's mother called police.

Epps was originally charged with a felony but it was changed to a misdemeanor after investigators found the boy was 16 when the relations started. She was booked into the Racine County Jail and released on $500 bond.

Palin a "racist" for criticizing the NYC mosque proposal?

I suppose such an accusation was to be expected from the Left. That Islam is a religion, not a race, is too deep for them, of course. As long it's abusive, a Leftist thinks it's a good argument.

"The war of tweets began Sunday when Palin called the mosque an "unnecessary provocation" on her Twitter feed.

"Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts," she wrote. "Pls reject it in interest of healing."

That didn't sit well with openly progressive Bloomberg aide Andrea Batista Schlesinger, who quickly issued this response from her Twitter feed: "@SarahPalinUSA whose hearts? Racist hearts?" she asked. "Mind your business."

When a reporter asked Bloomberg on Monday whether Schlesinger's tweet "seemed to suggest that Palin was being racist," the mayor responded that his aide "more than 'seemed to'" suggest it, according to The Wall Street Journal. But Bloomberg added that, just like the former governor of Alaska, Schlesinger is entitled to her opinions [and slurs, apparently. Sarah didn't slur anybody]

Source

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

PETA Protests Cock Soccer

(Liaoning Province, China) Perpetually-outraged PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are currently complaining about cock soccer.

The soccer-playing cocks were the idea of Zhang Lijun of China back as she noticed the roosters had a good time when allowed to play with balls.

She started throwing them mini-soccer balls to kick around a few years ago and was amazed how they reacted to them.



The entrepreneur is now organizing and holding mini-tournaments on the ancient streets of Shenyang, which is located in Liaoning province in northeast China.

She stated the roosters don’t take any dives like some of the sport’s prima donnas do and are glad to play for chickenfeed.

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said the cocks are being exploited and abused.

Georgia Woman Arrested for Child Molestation

(Stockbridge, Georgia) A 35-year-old local woman, Tanika Latrese Nicholas, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in years-long sexual molestation of a boy, starting at age 10.

According to Henry County Police Captain Jason Bolton, Nicholas is charged with aggravated child molestation.

"The charge stems from multiple incidents that occurred at her home in Stockbridge over the course of three years," Bolton said.

He could not say how Nicholas came to know the boy, but said the woman and child were acquaintances rather than relatives. He also could not say what led police to begin investigating.

Nicholas was booked into custody at the Henry County Jail without bond.

Immortalizing Helen Thomas

(Dearborn, Michigan) A campaign to immortalize former White House correspondent Helen Thomas has been launched in Muslim-saturated Dearborn.

Ahead of her 90th birthday, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who resigned following her offensive remarks against Israel, may be getting a statue in her honor at the Arab American National Museum in Michigan.

Presumably, Thomas became quite the iconic figure for Arabs after she publicly told the Jews to "get out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland and Germany. What a gal, eh?

Tip: Charley Nestor

Sunday in Juarez

(Juarez, Mexico) While many Americans were enjoying a leisurely Sunday, the border city of Juarez was experiencing an ongoing war.

It all started when a riot broke out Sunday afternoon on the rooftop of the state Cereso prison in south Juárez, leaving two people dead and seven others injured.

Later, two fragmentation grenades, which are military weapons, were thrown at the federal police command center in central Juárez about 7 p.m. Only one exploded against the wall of a nearby building. No one was hurt.

Shortly afterward, a federal policeman was shot dead in north Juárez. Three other police officers were wounded in the attack about 7:20 p.m.

Fifteen minutes later, gunfire erupted between federal police and a group of gunmen in central Juárez across from a motel called Las Fuentes. Federal agents were patrolling the area when they found a stolen vehicle. They called a towing company to remove the car when two other vehicles suddenly drove by and began shooting at them.

Federal police shot back. Gunmen then threw two fragmentation grenades, which exploded and injured two federal policemen and a taco stand owner.

Just a thought, if I were living in El Paso, mere blocks away from the war, I would be heavily armed and thinking about moving. The Rio Grande is not nearly wide enough to keep the violence on the Mexican side of the border.

Women and Gorillas Want Men in Red

According to new research conducted by psychologist Andrew Elliot and others, female primates are more sexually attracted to men who wear red.

Elliot and his colleagues carried out studies in which ladies were shown pictures of men in different coloured shirts. Men in red were perceived by the women as significantly more attractive, and they expressed themselves much more likely to have sex with the scarlet-clad chaps.

The same effect was seen even where a red border was added to black-and-white photos - it seems that the colour red simply has a devastatingly lubricious effect on the female mind.

Devastatingly lubricious, eh?

"Brown Wash"

"Brown Wash" is a new hate-speech term describing climate skepticism dreamed up by Warmists attached to Australia's Green/Left public broadcaster, the ABC. They say that "Brownwashers" should be prosecuted for fraud.

Such threats seem to have faded away in most of the rest of the world but the mental world of many ABC "intellectuals" still seems to be fixed somewhere in the old East Germany so their polemical primitivism is no great surprise.

My immediate response is "Bring it on". I am sure most skeptics would LOVE to present their case before a court -- where it is evidence, not abuse, that counts.

Meanwhile, however, Jo Nova has some derisive comments on the ABC effusions. See HERE

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

NH Woman Gets Prison for Sex with Boy - Updated

(Dover, New Hampshire) Yesterday, 29-year-old Martha Thibodeau pleaded guilty to multiple counts of felony sexual assault stemming from episodes with a 14-year-old boy.

As a result, Thibodeau was sentenced by Judge Marguerite Wageling to three and one-half to seven years in prison on one count of sexual assault and suspended consecutive sentences on each of six additional counts.

Thibodeau cannot have any contact with her victim and no unsupervised contact with any individuals under the age of 16 excluding her own children.

She must complete the state sexual offender program as a condition to obtain her parole, for which she will be eligible after 31/2 years in prison, according to Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi.

She also must register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life.

In a strange twist, Judge Wageling apologized to Thibodeau for the "terrible disservice" done to her in life. Citing confidentiality, Judge Wageling refused to discuss the "disservice."

* * * * *
NH Woman Accused of Sex Assault of Boy
[Previous 11/21/09 post]
(Rochester, New Hampshire) A 29-year-old local woman, Martha Thibodeau, has been accused of engaging in a pattern of inappropriate sexual behavior with a 14-year-old boy.

Thibodeau faces one felony count of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

The charge alleges she engaged in a pattern of sexual assaults by committing various sex acts on a 14-year-old boy on more than one occasion between Aug. 1 and Oct. 16.

Authorities say the alleged victim lives near her in another unit at Cold Spring Manor. Thibodeau's bail was originally set at $5,000 cash, but it converted to personal recognizance after she underwent a mental health referral.

According to County Administrator Ray Bower, she entered into Community Corrections' monitoring program on Friday, Nov. 13.

Thibodeau's case will now go before a grand jury.

New Jersey Woman Guilty of Sex with Boy

(Somerville, New Jersey) A 43-year-old woman, Joann Schwarz, pleaded guilty yesterday before Somerset County Superior Court Judge John Pursel to engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy.

As part of the deal struck by Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Holly and public defender Robert Gaynor, Schwarz pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault and third- and fourth-degree endangering the welfare of a child.[…]

Dressed in a pink and black striped sweater and blue jeans, Schwarz answered "yes" to a series of questions that Gaynor and Holly asked her about the incidents that occurred between Dec. 1, 2008, and May 13, 2009.

During that same time period, in various towns — including Bridgewater and Franklin Township — she engaged in sexual conduct with the youngster, and she knew it would impair the youngster’s morals. She also received a sexually explicit video of the boy on her cell phone, she admitted.

Schwarz was remanded into custody at the Somerset County Jail with bail set at $75,000. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 5 when Schwarz faces a reported three years in prison.

Woman Accused of Abusing 911 Call System

(Norwood, Ohio) A 43-year-old local woman, Bernadette Music, has been accused of misusing the 911 emergency call system by repeatedly asking operators to find her a date.

Music has been charged with disorderly conduct.

When police arrived to talk to her, the documents state, Music refused to answer the door, then urinated on the floor of the hallway outside her apartment when she was arrested.

That urination thing might have something to do with her inability to get a date.

Prince Charles Plans to Save the World

Frankly, I suggest that Prince Charles needs a new circle of associates and friends. He's getting some really bad advice.

The Prince of Wales says he believes he has been placed on Earth as future King ‘for a purpose’ - to save the world.

Giving a fascinating insight into his view of his inherited wealth and influence, he said: ‘I can only somehow imagine that I find myself being born into this position for a purpose.

This guy has a serious case of silver-spooned lofties. In reality Prince Charles was "born into this position" because his mother was the Queen of England, not because of provident interference.

If the prince has a higher purpose in life, it came from God, not repeated viewings of Al Gore's movie or sessions of tinkling glasses with East Anglian academics. And last I'm aware, he has never said he's on a mission from God.

Disturbingly, the only things royal being displayed by Prince Charles' latest statements are ego and arrogance.

Make a note of my prediction, Your Royal Highness. You won't save the world. In fact, as a "green" King of England, when it comes about, you will automatically become a leader in the extreme environmental movement, a movement which only succeeds when shutting down businesses and industry and restricting sources of food and fuel.

To the greenies, "saving the world" means that the mass of humanity is unemployed, hungry and cold. It's utopia, the environment is undisturbed and the world's populations suffer evenly-distributed abject poverty.

Palin: Obama lacks the balls to tackle immigration

I think it was an amusing metaphor for Sarah to refer to Jan Brewer as having "cojones". The word of course refers to "bravery" in ordinary American usage but in Spanish it is a word for testicles, something which Jan Brewer, as a female, certainly does not have.

There is no doubt however that a woman can have the psychological attitudes associated by Spanish-speakers with "cojones". And there is no doubt that saying a woman had more balls than Obama was thoroughly derogatory of Obama's attributes.

I note that some reports spelled the word euphemistically as "cajones", which preserves the colloquial meaning but not the literal one. Who knows which way Sarah had it spelled in her notes -- if it was written down at all?

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Sunday that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has "the cojones" that President Obama "does not have" to take on illegal immigration. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Palin blasted Obama for suing Arizona to block the state's controversial new law without addressing "sanctuary cities" -- in which local law enforcement are prohibited from asking people about their immigration status.

The former governor said the president and congressional Democrats "are all wet" on plans to allow the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire. "It's idiotic to think about increasing taxes at a time like this," Palin said. She added that her "palm isn't large enough" to write all her notes down and she proceeded to read prepared notes about tax policy from a sheet of paper.

Palin declined to address "fickle" polls showing that she remains unpopular with independents. "I don't blame people for not knowing what I stand for," Palin said. "If I believed everything I read in the media, I wouldn't like me either."

Source

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

Russian Bombers Nosing Around Canadian Airspace

(Labrador, Canada) Two Russian TU-95 long-range bombers were intercepted Wednesday as they tried to probe Canadian airspace east of Labrador. The bombers were met by two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets.

According to Defense Minister Peter McKay, the Russians were within the 300-mile buffer zone claimed by Canada but they didn't enter sovereign airspace.

The fighter jets escorted the bombers until they turned northeast and back toward home.

Arguably, the Russians were gathering intelligence regarding electronic defenses and armed response times. As to why they need that information is not known.

Wind-Power Complaint Avoidance Scheme



(Ione, Oregon) To avoid complaints about noise from wind-power turbines, a New York company, Caithness Energy, is buying the silence of residents. Local people will be given $5,000 to sign a waiver saying they won't complain about the excessive noise emanating from the turbines.

Developers have plans for hundreds of the wind-power units to be erected in Oregon.

It remains to be seen how many of the heralded eco-sensitive Oregonians will whore their environmentalism for pieces of gold.


[Add.] It appears the British are now realizing that noise pollution from wind turbines hasn't been adequately addressed.

A review has been launched which may result in new restrictions.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has admitted noise regulations are applied "inconsistently" by councils and planning inspectors.

They have ordered an investigation which may lead to stricter controls being imposed where officials have been too lax in the past.

Campaigners who claim their lives have been made a misery by constant turbine noise gave a cautious welcome to the review but said they wanted to see more wide-ranging changes. Energy companies also welcomed the move.

So, the question is: How much will be paid to residents in the British complaint avoidance scheme?

Evil Michigan welfare bureaucrats

This is a bit of a blood-boiler: Man not the Dad, but Owes the State Welfare Reimbursement for the child anyway

This time it’s the State of Michigan that’s suing Gary Harper for AFDC payments made to a woman named Dorothy Hoose. She had a son in 1988 and named Harper as the dad. There’s just one problem, though; he’s not.

But the State of Michigan isn’t interested in technicalities like who the actual father is. It’s known for many years that Harper is not the dad and, as far as I can tell, lifted nary a finger to find out who is. That’s because it’s got Harper on its line and the hook is set. Why go after another fish when you’ve already got one reeled in?

You see, when Hoose named Harper as the dad, he was in prison. According to Michigan law, the state has to pay for a DNA test for any inmate for whom it seeks to establish paternity. The state knew Harper was in the joint because a Friend of the Court sent correspondence there about his case. But it never offered him the genetic testing.

After he got out, he didn’t have the $500 it would have taken at the time to determine whether he was the dad or not. He didn’t do the test until years later, when he had the money. That test proved he wasn’t the dad, but it was too late. His window of opportunity for disproving his paternity had closed.

That’s one of those technicalities the state is interested in.So as of now, Harper’s on the hook for $22,500, down from the $50,000 the state claimed at first. He’s got an attorney, Susan Pushman, who says that the state’s failure to provide DNA testing when Harper was inside means it can’t complain that he didn’t do it on his own when he got out. If Michigan had done what it was obligated to do, it would have known Harper isn’t the father, is her argument.

The case is pending. The “child” in question is now 22 years old. Perhaps oddly, he and Harper have gotten to know and like each other pretty well. That’s a positive development in an otherwise tawdry affair.

It’s worth asking why the State of Michigan has expended such effort in trying to bankrupt a man it knows has no responsibility for Hoose’s son. After all, Harper has been trying to get his life back together after his time in prison, and he’s done a pretty good job of that. But if the state has its way, it’ll tear down whatever he’s built. Nice.

What truly escapes me is why state welfare authorities don’t just ask Hoose who the father is, do DNA testing on him and, if she’s right this time, demand payment. What’s the problem with getting the right man and letting the wrong one go? What state interest is served by soaking a man who’s not the father and letting the man who is go free? One of the points of child support is that he who fathers a child should be financially responsible for it. In Harper’s case, the State of Michigan has it exactly backwards.

SOURCE

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

Woman Accused of Child Rape

(Ephrata, Washington) A 30-year-old Grant County woman, Pamela K. Ortega, has been accused of performing various sex acts on her daughter, 9, and son, 7. She took photos and videos and then distributed them on the Internet.

Authorities were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Ortega was interviewed at her apartment at 800 S. County Road in Warden in May, where she reportedly admitted to sexually abusing two relatives and a 2-week-old boy she babysat.

Ortega told police she was a methamphetamine addict who filmed herself abusing the children at the behest of people she chatted with on the Internet.

Police investigated a bestiality claim against Ortega and a Moses Lake man’s dog, but no charges have been filed.

Ortega was booked into custody at the Grant County Jail.