DHS Sued Over Laptop Searches at Border

The Department of Homeland Security is being sued by the ACLU and others over searches performed on laptop computers possessed by cross-border travelers.

It's claimed that the laptop searches are unconstitutional, violating the prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures.

Matt Chandler, deputy press secretary for the Division of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C., said the agency performs laptop searches sparingly, as a security measure.

“While we cannot comment on pending litigation, searches of laptops and other electronic media during secondary inspection are a targeted tool that Customs and Border Protection uses in limited circumstances to ensure that dangerous people and unlawful goods do not enter our country,” he said in an e-mail to the Press-Republican.

“The department has been transparent about these searches — the policies themselves, as well as a privacy impact assessment of the policies, are available on DHS.gov.”

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.

The Leftist faith in verbal magic again

"Global warming" is out, "climate change" is out. Now it's “global climate disruption"

"John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, says that the term "global warming" is "a dangerous misnomer” that should be replaced with “global climate disruption."

At the Environmental Protection Agency's 40th celebration of the Clean Air Act on Tuesday, Holdren said, "I think one of the failures of the scientific community was in embracing the term 'global warming'. Global warming is in fact a dangerous misnomer." And in a speech last week in Norway, echoing remarks he made at a 2007 speech at Harvard University, Holdren said the term "global climate disruption" should be used instead of "global warming."

Source

Holdren should read his Shakespeare: "A rose by any other name ..."

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

Oklahoma Teacher Accused of Raping Student

(Marietta, Oklahoma) In July, a 38-year-old science teacher at Marietta High School, Kimberly McClure, was charged with second-degree rape for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student.

McClure was booked into custody and released on bond immediately thereafter.

On Thursday, McClure appeared in court and reportedly waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Next scheduled court appearance is October 26 when McClure is expected to enter a plea.

Tennessee Teacher Arrested for Drugs

(Nashville, Tennessee) A 26-year-old 5th-grade teacher at LEAD Academy charter school, Natasha Kruithof, was arrested Thursday after police found an "elaborate" marijuana grow operation in her home.

Ms. Kruithof faces multiple drug charges as do her brother, David, and her boyfriend, Brian Day.

Officers were led to the marijuana grow operation by an overwhelming smell of pot in the neighborhood.

Police knocked on the door, and after getting a search warrant, they found 11 marijuana plants along with heat lamps, a ventilation system, drug paraphernalia, xanax without a prescription, and multiple handguns along with a rifle.

Notably, the marijuana operation was spitting distance from Caldwell and Glen Elementary Schools.

Ms. Kruithof was booked into custody with bond set at $28,000.

Smelly Feet Lead to Stabbing

(Everett, Washington) An 18-year-old female, Dallas Amber Smith, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly stabbing a man in the back at a party because he said her feet smelled.

Smith has been charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.

She boasted to party-goers that she was good at doing back flips and that she could do one off anything, court papers said.

A man, 19, challenged her to do a flip off the deck. Smith took off her shoes and attempted the maneuver. She couldn’t do it. That’s when the man laughed at her and told her that her feet smelled, Albert wrote.

Smith started to playfully wrestle with the man, rubbing her socks in his face. She started hitting him. After several seconds, he pushed her away, Albert wrote.

She grabbed her coat, picked up a steak knife and headed for the door. On the way, Smith walked up to the man and stabbed him in the back, court papers said.

The man and others called 911. A sheriff’s deputy found the man sitting on porch with the knife sticking out of his back, the blade buried a few inches in. His lung had collapsed from the stabbing.

I contend that Smith committed an absolutely senseless crime and she should logically expect to be forever nicknamed "The Backstabber" within her circle of acquaintances.

Nevertheless, the prosecution should take action to assure Ms. Smith gets help with her anger issues.

Tip: slwlion

Britain Sees Threats from al-Shabaab, N. Ireland

(London, England) Jonathan Evans, the head of the British national Security Service MI5, earlier today briefed government leaders on imminent threats to the nation.

In his first public speech on the national security threat for three years, Mr Evans will say on Friday that his officers are engaged in an "intense struggle" against Muslim radicals and Irish nationalists.

It is only "a matter of time" before Britain is the victim of an attack from extremists based in Somalia, the director-general of the security service adds.

There has been a "persistent rise in terrorist activity and ambition" in Northern Ireland over the past three years, says Mr Evans.

Reading between the lines while viewing terrorist activity as a series of waves, it appears that Mr. Evans is saying Britain is about to see another deadly wave of terrorism.

It's "harassment" if men talk among themselves about women's looks?

We read:

"Last week The American Prospect [Leftist magazine] revealed an unsettling workplace trend. This discovery is completely unanticipated, so prepare to be shocked.

When female coworkers are out of earshot, men sometimes talk about them. Just awful, right? And guys aren’t just discussing the work habits of their female colleagues — occasionally they mention their looks!

This is the new “sexual harassment”: not the groping, fondling, and obscene comments of yesteryear, but “what’s said about [women] when their backs are turned.” According to the Prospect‘s Ann Friedman, “behind-their-back comments are also intimidation and bullying of a sexual nature.” And this indirect harassment is even worse than dealing with run-of-the-mill lewdness from male coworkers...

Source

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

Parts Found in Shark Identified - Updated

(Bahamas) From Telegraph.co.uk, the body of a sailor whose parts were found inside a tiger shark tummy has been identified.

Police in the Bahamas used fingerprints to identify Judson Newton, although they are still waiting for DNA test results.

It is unclear if the 43-year-old Mr Newton was alive when he was eaten.

Mr Newton went on a boating trip with friends off Jaws Beach, where Jaws: The Revenge was filmed, on August 29.

The group, who were fishing off New Providence Island, encountered engine trouble and called for help.

Rescuers found three men aboard who said that Mr Newton and a friend jumped into the water to try to swim back to shore. Officials launched a search for them, but neither was found.

Condolences to the families.

* * * * *
Human Parts Found in Shark
[Previous 9/10/10 post]
(Bahamas) Human remains were found in the stomach of a 12-foot tiger shark caught Tuesday off Exuma Island in the Bahamas.

DNA testing is being performed on two legs, two arms and a torso to determine who the parts came from.

According to Assistant Police Commissioner Glenn Miller,

At least two people have been reported missing recently on the archipelago. He also didn't rule out the possibility that the remains are those of an impoverished refugee whose boat might have capsized during a risky sea journey to Florida.

One source said the remains were those of a man. It's not known whether the person was dead or alive when consumed.

PA Woman, 30, Accused of Sex with Boy, 14

(Johnstown, Pennsylvania) A 30-year-old local woman, Jamie Lynn Hahm, was arraigned Wednesday on 43 counts of sex-related crimes stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

Hahm also allegedly sent an explicit nude video of herself to the boy’s cell phone as a birthday present, West Hills Regional Police said.

The boy and the woman became familiar in April, West Hills police Sgt. George Musulin III said.

“In July, the relationship expanded, and they became sexually involved,” Musulin said.

The boy also traveled to Nags Head, N.C., with Hahm and her family.

While there, Hahm allegedly had sex with the boy inside a condo while the family was at the beach, police said.

Police were notified after the boy’s family became aware of the relationship.

Hahm was booked into custody at the Cambria County Prison with bond set at $50,000.

Indiana Woman Does Boy, Gets Prison

(Muncie, Indiana) In April 2009, a 32-year-old local woman, Lara Leeann Williams, was caught fondling a 14-year-old boy by the boy's father who alerted authorities.

This week, Williams pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class C felony.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Williams at first denied the father's claims, but said she had a "friendly relationship" with the boy that had included "cuddling and kissing."

Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said Wednesday that Williams later would admit having about a half-dozen encounters with the teen.

Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. imposed a five-year prison sentence, three of which were suspended. Williams was also ordered to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison.

Chink in Delaware Liberalism

New polling data indicate that Delaware's citizenry is somewhat conservative in its views on immigration.

Chances are that the mainstream media won't mention it.

Student Field Trip to Mosque




Grrr!!!

Tip: C&S

Fruits and Vegetables in Liquor Stores

First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference yesterday and pushed for more grassroots efforts supporting her campaign to end childhood obesity.

Mrs. Obama offered praise for one Detroit group which shuttles fruits and vegetables into areas of high obesity and convinces "liquor stores to stock more fruits and vegetables."

Apparently, I've led a sheltered life. I can't recall ever entering a liquor store which stocks fruits and vegetables -- much less more fruits and vegetables.

Malware Alert

I'm receiving reports of readers getting malware warnings upon visiting Interested-Participant and the warnings appear to be associated with rpc.blogrolling.com.

For the time being, I have removed Blogrolling from my site.

If other readers receive any kind of error or warning window upon visiting, I'd appreciate a comment or an email. Thanks.

Must not insult the sacred Obama

Leftists all over the world used the most gross insults about George Bush and that was OK. But Obama is "different", somehow -- a sacred person apparently

"A British teenager who sent an e-mail to the White House calling President Obama a "pr*ck" was banned from the U.S. for life, The Sun reported Monday.

The FBI asked local cops to tell college student Luke Angel, 17, that his drunken insult was "unacceptable."

Angel claims he fired off a single e-mail criticizing the U.S. government after seeing a television program about the 9/11 attacks. He said, "I don't remember exactly what I wrote as I was drunk. But I think I called Barack Obama a pr*ck. It was silly -- the sort of thing you do when you're a teenager and have had a few."

Angel, of Bedford, in central England, said it was "a bit extreme" for the FBI to act. "The police came and took my picture and told me I was banned from America forever. I don't really care but my parents aren't very happy," he said.

Source

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

Pop Singer George Michael Behind Bars

(Pentonville Prison, England) In July, 47-year-old popular recording star George Michael crashed his Range Rover into the Snappy Snaps shop in North London while stoned out of his mind.

Slumped over the wheel, Michael repeatedly denied crashing into anything as he was arrested for drug-driving, second offense.

On Tuesday, Michael was sentenced by Judge John Perkins to eight weeks in jail for his second drug-driving conviction. He was also banned from driving for five years.

Cheering broke out round Pentonville jail when prisoners found out pop star George Michael was being locked up with them.

But their joy was not shared by the traumatised singer yesterday after he was strip-searched, put in the sex offenders' block and mocked by inmates screaming out twisted versions of his hits.

In the most harrowing 12 minutes of his first full day, Michael - aka prisoner A8365AW - was escorted to the shower block to the relentless chants of "Guilty George has got no Freedom".

Michael was particularly unhappy when being strip-searched, telling the guards, "God, is this really necessary? It's degrading." Subsequently, he had to surrender his fancy pin-stripe suit for a prison maroon-colored uniform, also demoralizing.

Michael was housed with the pedophiles, perverts, and sexual deviants since jail officers decided he needed to be protected from the general inmate population. Interestingly, one must sleep with the sexual deviants to feel safe.

Michael was distraught when guards told him he was not allowed any visitors for his first 48 hours behind bars. His only contact with the outside world has been a three-minute phone call to boyfriend Kenny Goss.

A prison insider revealed: "George wants to see Kenny but he can't have any visitors until Friday. He spoke to him on the phone at reception for three minutes and asked for him to bring some of his clothes in." Inmate Chris Smith, who was released yesterday, added: "He was in bits. The guards said he was crying in his cell."

Michael is scheduled to be transferred to another prison next week.

French Weather

(Paris, France) Via an impeachable source, word has it that the weather reports in France were revised after the burqa ban was passed.

Coupled with alarming news regarding the status of the proposed Ground Zero mosque and the reports that President Sarkozy is expunging France of all the Roma gypsies, the burqa ban was all that was needed to take the weather from hot and smoky to hotter and smokier.




Mysterious aggressive youths are believed to be responsible and, as can be seen, they appear to be fairly active throughout the nation.

A different theory is presented at TJR.

Copenhagen One-Legged Bomber Named - Updated

(Copenhagen, Denmark) According to this source, the Copenhagen bomber is likely a Chechen-born man named Lors Doukaiev who has lived in Belgium for the past five years. The Danish police are performing a complete background search on him.

Meanwhile, new details have emerged from Russian archives.

(translating from Danish) -- Ekstrabladet.dk nevertheless had access to some Russian archives of Chechen children who were hit by Russian attacks on Chechnya in 1995-96. And here appears a name to stand out.

Lors Dukajev. [Note: Doukaiev is the French spelling of Dukajev.]

There are several points where the bomber lors Doukaiev and the Chechen boy from the archives, lors Dukajev, recalls the same person.

Lors Dukajev was hit by a Russian bomb under the Kremlin's war against Chechnya in the mid-nineties. To save his life, doctors had to ambulance with his one foot.

Bomb man lors Doukaiev has been amputated his leg.

According to Dean, Institute Superior d'Architecture Saint-Luc, Norbert Nelles where lors Doukaiev akitektur studied in two semesters, he stepped on a bomb as a twelve year old.

Nelles also mentioned that Doukaiev exhibits little patience and is quick to "freak out." His hair-trigger personality coupled with a report that authorities found 40kg of explosives, presumably at his house, are ominous.

It's still not clear what Doukaiev was targeting and why. And, we still need confirmation of all the information. His motivation to blow stuff up is still locked inside his psyche along with who-knows-what other demons.

* * * * *
Copenhagen One-Legged Bomber
[Previous 9/14/10 post]


Copenhagen Bomber
Received:

"We (Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet) are trying to enlist the world wide web in the search for the identity of the one-legged Copenhagen bomber. We're posting leads here:

facebook.com/identifycphbomber"

Europol is also asking for help. It's mighty curious that this guy doesn't want to be known. I suspect that he's wanted somewhere.

[Add.] Three points:

1) The bomber may be wanted for a crime which is much more serious than terrorism (whatever that would be),

2) the bomber's identity may lead investigators to a terror cell which must be protected, and

3) the profile of the bomber and the nature of the incident appear to apply to a variety of extreme leftist-types, i.e. global warming, animal rights, etc., and not just Islamists.

(More....)


[Update 9/14/10, 1845 EDT] Breaking! Islam in Europe reports that a sports trainer has identified the mystery bomber as L.D., 24 years old, from Chechnya. Sketchy and unconfirmed.

Silvio is at it again

The man is irrepressible. Definitely one of my top favorite politicians. The Mayor of London -- Boris Johnson -- and Sarah Palin are the other two. All three are good-humored people, unlike the sour whiners of the Left.

Report below from "The Guardian", Britain's major leftist newspaper

"Silvio Berlusconi has chosen to woo a youth rally with jokes about Adolf Hitler and his own sexual prowess.

He launched into a series of anecdotes and apparent jokes that promptly drew accusations of anti-Semitism and even mental instability from opposition politicians.

The former cruise ship entertainer told a joke in which Adolf Hitler is begged by his supporters to return to power after they discover he is still alive. After resisting, Hitler says: "I'll come back, but on one condition ... next time I'm going to be evil."

Fabio Evangelisti, a member of parliament for the opposition Italy of Values party, demanded Berlusconi apologise to Israel and the Italian Jewish community. The party's leader, Antonio Di Pietro, said: "At this point the problem is not political or judicial, but psychiatric."

Source

Amusing how the "Guardian" loftily refers to Silvio as the "former cruise ship entertainer". That he is a savvy media mogul and billionaire is not mentioned. How they hate him!

There is a video at the link which is worth watching. It gives you the full version of his Hitler joke. It has subtitles in English.

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

Blind Woman Gets Prison for Sex with Boy - Updated

(Washington Court House, Ohio) Chastity Davis appeared in court on Monday and was sentenced by Judge Steven Beathard for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy which resulted in a child being born.

Davis will serve eight months in prison and be subject to five years of post-release supervisory probation.

"In reading your statement and hearing you today, I haven't heard that you're ashamed of what you did," Judge Beathard said. "If no one's told you, I'll tell you....Shame on you for this action."

Before Judge Beathard's reprimands, Davis, who is legally blind, tearfully explained her situation.

"Your honor, I'd just like to say that I know that I was wrong," she said. "This has not only affected my life but it's affected my kids. I promise you that I will not mess up again and I know that you hear that all the time....but I thought that with parental consent, it was OK. We were going to get married. It's not like I sneaked him out or anything."

However, Fayette County Prosecutor David Bender pointed out that Davis did try to hide the juvenile from the law.

Judge Beathard ordered Davis to be classified as a Tier II sex offender. After the proceedings, Davis was taken to the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville.

* * * * *
Blind Woman Guilty of Unlawful Sex with Boy
[Previous 7/30/10 post]
(Washington Court House, Ohio) A 25-year-old local blind woman, Chastity J. Davis, pleaded guilty in Fayette County Common Pleas Court this week to two counts of unlawful sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Despite her blindness, Davis admitted knowing the boy was a minor.

On March 25 of this year, Washington C.H. Police received a call about a runaway juvenile, possibly at Davis' home, according to reports. When an officer met Davis at her home, Davis reportedly said that the juvenile was not in the residence.

However, the boy was hiding in the back room and Davis was arrested for obstruction of official business.

During discussions with the juvenile, he admitted to being the father of Davis' 1-month-old child, according to authorities.

Following this discovery, Davis was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Sentencing has been scheduled for September 13.