New Zealand Mud Snail Invades America

Tiny, spiral-shaped New Zealand Mud Snails have invaded the western U.S. and environmentalists are alarmed. The snails multiply and spread rapidly, clinging to boats, boots and fur. They were first discovered near the Yellowstone National Park as an invasive species threatening native fish and aquatic populations.

From NPS.gov:

In 1994, New Zealand mud snails Potamopyrgus antipodarum were discovered in the Madison River near the park boundary. Subsequent investigations by independent researchers have documented a rapid spread of this exotic species to the Firehole and lower Gibbon rivers.

The long-term effects of the spread remain to be seen, however, it's speculated that the potential exists for the New Zealand Mud Snail to cover stream bottoms. One sample of the Madison River in 1997 found 28,000 of the little invaders per square foot. Quite dense, I'd say.

Current scientific efforts are focusing on measures to stop the spread of the snails and to determine their long-term impact on native wildlife. Alternatives for killing the little pests are also being investigated. However, other than informing the public, to date no specific protocols for control have been implemented.

Readers are cautioned not to confuse the invasive New Zealand Mud Snail with the American Global Warmer Snail. Similarities in brain matter aside, it's important to remember that the New Zealand snail embeds itself in mud whereas the Global Warmer snail nestles itself in sewage. Notably, the New Zealand snail eats mud while the Global Warmer actually produces sewage while it spreads.

Disturbingly, however, the Global Warmer also carries an infection to human brains which results in persistent fright and loud, irrational behavior. Infected humans have been known to fear driving automobiles and possess a desire to eat grasses and ride bicycles. Fortunately, those infected can be easily treated by reading a few books that don't start with the blanket assertion that the end of the world is imminent.

Female Judge Booked for Child Rape

Although this blog has primarily reported on instances of female pedophilia in the U.S., cases arising in other countries are frequently worthy of mention. Here's one from Sweden which appears to be a supreme violation of the public trust.

From TheLocal.se:

A female magistrate and active politician Orebro was detained for raping a 13-year old boy, according to reports.

The woman, who is in her fifties, is being held on suspicion of several counts of child rape.

The charges were confirmed a court hearing in the town on Friday. Local newspaper Nerikes Allehanda reported that the woman denies all charges.

Prosecutor Lars Duberg confirmed to Dagens Nyheter that the charges had been made, but refused to give further details.

As a magistrate, the woman is a political appointee.

Tipped by Sugiero.

Woman Gets 10 Years for Slavery

This is interesting.

(Melbourne, Australia) An Australian court sentenced a woman to 10 years in prison on Friday for making five Thai women work as sex slaves in a brothel.

Tang Wei, 44, is the first person in Australia to be found guilty by a jury of possessing sex slaves, under federal anti-slavery laws introduced in 1999.

During the eight-week trial at the Victorian County Court, the prosecution said the five women were brought to Australia with the promise they would be able to work legally in the sex trade.

Without papers and unable to speak the English language, the women were locked into slavery. But, thankfully, Australian legislators made slavery illegal seven years ago.

Fox News' O'Reilly Visits Gitmo, Prisoners Commit Suicide

Well, somebody had to say it. Certainly odd but, I believe, merely coincidental.

From CNN.com:

Three prisoners at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have hanged themselves in what is being called a "planned event," the U.S. military has said.

They are the first confirmed deaths at the compound. Prisoners have attempted suicide in the past.

"Two Saudis and one Yemeni, each located in Camp 1, were found unresponsive and not breathing in their cells by guards," said a statement issued by Joint Task Force-Guantanamo on Saturday.

According to Rear Adm. Harry Harris, commander of Joint Task Force-Guantanamo, there is a mythical belief that Guantanamo would be shut down if three detainees died. As a result, the suicides were planned, not spontaneous.

Human rights advocates are eagerly jumping on the incident to bolster their claims that America is bad and President Bush is evil. Expect their assertions to be repeatedly emphasized by the generally complicit mainstream media.

My take on the situation is that fanatics killing themselves is not, at all, an unusual event. And, in all candor, I'd much rather fanatics commit suicide in a cell as opposed to a bus or restaurant crowded with innocents.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Woman Guilty of Schoolyard Sex

(Warren, Michigan) Check this out. Twenty-one-year-old Leslie Judkins was already on probation for a sex offense against a 14-year-old boy with whom she had a child before this latest incident. In the middle of the afternoon, Judkins engages in sex in a school entryway just a few yards from the playground.

From The Macomb Daily:

Leslie Judkins, who faced charges of gross indecency and indecent exposure in the April incident at Warrendale Elementary School, was already serving two years' probation on a criminal sexual conduct case in which she became pregnant by a 14-year-old boy.

Wednesday she pleaded guilty in Macomb County Circuit Court to the gross indecency charge and a violation of her probation in the past sex case. In return for the plea, prosecutors have made a sentence bargain with her and agreed to drop the indecent exposure charge and limit her jail time to six months.

Judkins and her sex partner, Edward Lechner, faced charges of gross indecency between a male and female, a 5-year felony, and indecent exposure. A security guard saw them engaging in sex a little after 4 pm April 20 in an entrance area at the school. Lechner pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Circuit Judge James M. Biernat will determine sentencing for both defendants. My guess would be probation for both. There doesn't seem to be an abundance of law and order DNA in the jurisdiction. It's more like law and ignore.


[Update 03/11/07]

More trouble for Judkins nets her slammer time. The court finally had enough.

Hamas Shoots at Israel and Misses

(Gaza Strip) An errant Israeli artillery round killed seven Palestinian civilians yesterday. The Israelis had targeted a rocket-launching placement but the shell landed 400 yards away, killing civilians picnicking on the beach. Israel called the incident an accident. Hamas called it a massacre and declared open warfare against Israel. Consequently, Hamas retaliated.

The Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for at least 15 of the rockets fired after midnight, as well as a barrage of mortar bombs. The attacks caused no casualties, and the Israeli army said nearly all of them appeared to land inside Gaza.

[ ... ]

On Saturday morning, Hamas said it had fired rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. There were no immediate reports in Israel that any of the rockets had landed in Israeli territory.

Now, I'm not a military tactician but still I have to question the competency of the Hamas terrorist forces. The Israelis accidently missed their target by several hundred yards and, sadly, civilians died but, at least, they came close. Hamas, on the other hand, shoots at a country and apparently misses with 15 rockets and a barrage of mortar shells.

Maybe it's an unfair comparison but I'm reminded of the first night of the Gulf War when American stealth aircraft bombed important targets in Baghdad and Saddam's air defense forces started shooting willy-nilly into the sky. Like Hamas' retaliation, they didn't hit anything either.

Mentioned at Wizbang COTT.

Huge Drug Ring Busted

From the DEA and the Seattle Police Department:

They allegedly smuggled drugs in cereal boxes, in the false bottoms of water bottles, inside industrial rolls of cellophane and in special compartments welded beneath car manifolds. Despite their ingeniousness, 91 members of a ring suspected of smuggling heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into Washington state have been rounded up by a drug-enforcement task force, officials announced Friday.

And, just who were the aforementioned 'they?'

Two-thirds of the suspects, DEA agents say, are Mexican nationals illegally in the U.S.

Obviously, 'they' were doing jobs that Americans won't do.

Joystick Love Club

(Amsterdam) Smith and Jones Addiction Consultants is opening "Europe's first detox clinic for video game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone."

You know who you are.

Flags in Arizona

(Phoenix) "A proposed law that would help to ensure an American flag flies in Arizona public schools classrooms from kindergarten through college levels received a final nod in the state Senate on Thursday. Senators voted to put flags in legislative hearing rooms, too."

You watch. Before this measure is approved by the governor, there'll be some complaining about nationalism being shoved down the throats of citizens.

Woman Gets Hand Slap for Forcible Rape of Boy

(Rochester, New York) Outrageous! Sentenced to a mere six months in jail for the rape and robbery of a 13-year-old at knifepoint.

From Democrat and Chronicle:

Marilyn Rosario, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape involving the boy, who claimed she came to the door of his North Plymouth Avenue home on May 8, identified herself as a health department worker who was there to talk to him about sexually transmitted diseases, and raped and robbed him after he invited her inside.

When she's sentenced July 28, Rosario will receive six months in Monroe County Jail and will be ordered to spend 10 years on probation. She'll also have to register as a sex offender, be required to have no contact with the boy, and pay restitution of $9 for the money she stole from him.

Previous report is here.

Woman Arrested for Sex with 5-Year-Old Boy

(Naples, Florida) This is disgusting.

From Naples Daily News:

A Golden Gate woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of having sex multiple times with a 5-year-old boy.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office said Genny Simmons, 29, was arrested on a warrant based on an investigation from last year. She is charged with six counts of capital sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child.

During the investigation, officials determined that Simmons engaged in sexual activity with the boy on several occasions. The Sheriff's Office said videotapes exist of the sexual activities.

Authorities say the sex occurred in Collier County and Pinellas County.

Dixie Chicks See Poor Ticket Sales

What a shame. Concerts in Houston, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and other cities have been postponed.

Afterlife Shocker! Martyrs Get the Bird

Since the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, there has been much speculation of what impact there will be on al-Qaeda in Iraq and the global war on terror. Naturally, opinions vary. Through time, we'll know.

But a more curious question also should be answered. What happens to Zarqawi's remains? Once all his body pieces have been collected, it's presumed that they will be given to his family for a final farewell and internment.

According to Adil Salahi, who answers religious questions for the Arab News, cremation is not an option. Islam forbids it because fire is the symbol of divine punishment. Therefore, "when a Muslim dies, his relatives attend to him or her, washing their bodies thoroughly and wrapping them in clean shrouds, offering a special congregational prayer for them before burying them." The guidance applies even when only pieces of the deceased carcass remain.

After burial, the soul or spirit does not remain in the grave. Instead, it goes somewhere but the Qur'an doesn't specify where.

God says in the Qur'an: "They ask you about the spirit. Say, (knowledge of) the spirit belongs to my Lord; and you have been given but scanty knowledge." (17:85 )

Okay. So the body rots in the grave and the soul goes to the Lord. Seems pretty clear.

There is, however, the special case of martyrs. Some have said that Zarqawi was a martyr and, if so, he would be governed by a different procedure.

The Prophet tells us, for example, that the spirits of martyrs remain within green birds flying in heaven.

Now, I'm flummoxed. There's no mention of any virgins, much less the advertised 72.

Agreed, Adil Salahi is only one of a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Qur'anic experts but he writes for a primary media outlet in the Wahabist Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which likely indicates his words are authoritative. Nevertheless, he may have skipped over some salient details regarding the afterlife of martyrs. If so, it's still difficult to create a link between 72 virgins and green birds. Maybe there's a separate passage in the Qur'an which explains how martyrs, virgins and birds are related.

My guess would be that the idea of offering 72 virgins was created as an advertising gimmick to buttress the recruiting of martyrs after the green bird promise failed to get many takers. After all, there is little reason to believe that truth in advertising is a basic precept of Islam.

In summary, Zarqawi, certified as a martyr, would fly in heaven inside a green bird. If Zarqawi is not certified as a martyr, he doesn't get the bird and his soul goes to some undefined place. Apparently, there's no other option.

Source

European Wine Glut

The idea of turning quality French and Italian wines into fuel and disinfectant would have been considered sacrilege decades ago, but not now.

From Scotsman.com:

The EU agriculture commissioner yesterday announced plans for a radical shake-up of the wine market to prevent over-production. In the meantime, it was agreed that the EU will finance the conversion of millions of bottles of French and Italian wine into industrial alcohol.

The growing popularity of wines from the New World has been blamed for the decline in the appetite for traditional European produce.

"Europe is producing too much wine for which there is no market," the commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, said.

"That is why a deep-rooted reform of the sector is urgently needed."

Buying large quantities of wine for conversion to fuel and disinfectant bolsters the market price of the wine that is sold. The process, which is becoming more common, is called "crisis distillation" and it's costing EU taxpayers very large amounts of money. Last year, an estimated $600 million in EU funds were allocated for crisis distillations.

Critics blame European wine producers for not adapting to the market which has been flooded with cheaper and more consistent wines from Australia, Chile, the U.S. and South Africa.

Woman - Liquor - Teens - Sex

(Lewiston, Maine) A 20-year-old Lewiston woman, Katherine Holt, was arrested and charged with providing 14-year-old teens with alcohol and sexually assaulting them.

Specifically, Holt faces three counts of sexual abuse of a minor, three counts of furnishing liquor to minors and a charge of gross sexual assault. In one case, Holt plied a 14-year-old girl with alcohol until she couldn't resist and then had sex with her.

Holt is in custody at the Androscoggin County Jail.


[Update 08/11/06]

Jury selection begins for Holt trial.

Woman, 36, Charged with Sex Assault of Boy

(Toms River, New Jersey) A 36-year-old woman, Michelle L. Adams, was arrested and charged with having sex with a 13-year-old boy she was caring for. Reportedly, the sex occurred in front of a seven-year-old girl Adams was also caring for. Adams faces two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of sexual assault.

Adams was booked into the Ocean County Jail in Toms River and released after posting $100,000 bail.


[Update 04/06/07]

Adams indicted.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Is Dead


Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Is Dead
The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq is dead, killed in an air strike at 6:15pm local time Wednesday by U.S. Forces at a safe house north of Baghdad.

NYTimes:

At a joint news conference with Iraq's prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the top American military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., said Zarqawi's body had been positively identified by fingerprints, "facial recognition" and "known scars." He said seven of Zarqawi's associates had also been killed in the strike.

[ ... ]

General Casey said an American air strike had targeted "a single dwelling in a wooded area surrounded by very dense palm forest" eight kilometers, or five miles, north of the city of Baquba, and that "precision munitions" had been used, a phrase that usually refers to laser-guided bombs or missiles. An unconfirmed report on Iraq's state-owned television channel, al-Iraqiya, said the attack had been carried out by American attack helicopters.

In a broadcast media report, two 500 pound bombs were dropped on the safe house from a Predator drone. The action came after "intelligence reports [were] provided to Iraqi security forces by residents in the area, and US forces acted on the information."

Notably, al-Qaeda in Iraq has been experiencing persistent losses in the last year and a number of Zarqawi's chief advisors and lieutenants have been captured or killed. The fight against terrorism in Iraq is far from over but the death of their elusive leader is a major defeat.

Hooray for the U.S. and Coalition Forces! I'm going to have a piece of pie.


[Update 0845EDT]

Per FoxNews, two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters dropped the bombs.

Other coverage:
In The Bullpen
The Jawa Report
Michelle Malkin
Wizbang

New Victims in Teacher-Student Sex Case

(Canon City, Colorado) Updating a previous report, sixth-grade teacher Jennie Overstreet now faces 21 charges related to allegations of sexual assault of students. According to the district attorney, evidence shows Overstreet sexually assaulted three children under age of the 15 and attempted sexual assaulted on a fourth child. Previously, she was charged with assaulting only one boy.

From KOAA.com:

Overstreet's lawyer, Mike Gillick, said his client maintains her innocence. He also told News First how she is holding up. He said, "Well not well. Miss Overstreet has been threatened in the county jail by other inmates. She is being kept in a solitary confinement type of situation, which is good for her, but not great for anyone."

Overstreet is accused of committing the crimes sometime during the past year. She is due back in court at the end of June for a bond increase hearing.

Bond is currently set at $50,000.


[Update 06/10/06]

According to this report, "Overstreet's husband told detectives one of the biggest problems with his relationship with Overstreet was her addiction to pornography."


[Update 06/23/06]

A bail hearing for 33-year-old sixth-grade teacher, Jennie Overstreet, on Wednesday resulted in her bail being increased to $75,000 based upon new information. Additionally:

From KRDOTV.com:

She is facing seven counts of sexual assault on a child, as well as several counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The five alleged victims are all former students of hers at the elementary school. She is also accused of a felony for allegedly distributing the drug dextroamphetamine.

Overstreet is also charged with misdemeanor child abuse for permitting her own two children to be unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat to the health of the children. The alleged sexual acts happened in the teacher's locked bedroom of her home, with her own children in the house.

I know that Overstreet should be given the presumption of innocence but it's made very hard with all the allegations against her.


[Update 10/03/06]

Overstreet pleads guilty.

History Teacher and 16-Year-Old Boy

(San Diego, California) A 27-year-old history teacher at Clairemont High School, Danielle Marie Walls, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old boy.

The sex reportedly occurred off campus between April and December 2004 and police were alerted by the boy's family in March 2006.

Walls was booked into the San Diego County Jail.


[Update 07/30/06]

Walls pleads guilty.

Female Teacher and 13-Year-Old Boy

Here's another case where a female teacher could not resist the magnetic allure of a young teen boy.

From CentreDaily.com:

(Kingwood, West Virginia) A former West Preston Middle School physical education teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old male student last September.

Lana Jo Rinehart, 26, of Terra Alta, was indicted Tuesday on charges of third-degree sexual assault and sexual abuse by a custodian. Both are felonies.

The alleged crime was not on school property or during a school function, said Preston County Prosecuting Attorney Melvin C. Snyder III.

Rinehart resigned last November, after being on leave for about 30 days. She was hired in October 2004 to teach physical education and health.

"We received a complaint, and we turned it over to DHHR (Department of Health and Human Resources) for investigation. She was on leave, and then she chose to resign," said Preston County Superintendent John Lofink.

It's not known why it took so long for the grand jury to indict Rinehart.


[Update 12/05/07]

Rinehart gets hand slap.