"Progressive" by name and "progressive" by nature

I have just seen the recent appalling story about the firm Progressive Insurance, the insurance company from hell. They spent much more on dodging a claim they were due to pay than it would have cost them to pay the claim in the first place. Lawyers don't come cheap. Their customer had to go to court to collect what was due and the court verdict was eventually in favor of the customer anyway. So now Progressive have legal costs to pay as well as the customer's original entitlement. What a way to run a business! What a way to chase away prospective customers! What use is an insurance company that runs away just when you need them?

Interestingly, their name seems to be the only thing about them that is straight up. They ARE political Progressives (Leftists) and do donate to Leftist causes and organizationa.

So their actions exhibit the complete lack of ethical anchors that we expect from Leftists: The people who tell us, "There is no such thing as right and wrong". Doing their best to dodge a payout is obviously not wrong to them. And they are such moral defectives that they cannot even see that their actions are unwise. They are moral imbeciles.

Where I live we have a large insurance company (Suncorp) that prides itsef on making payouts without quibbling. And they do, resulting in their having about two thirds of the State's housing insurance business. As the early Protestants saw, good ethics are in fact good business.

Anybody insured with Progressive, however, should in my view go elsewhere at the earliest opportunity.

UPDATE: The company has now paid the original claim of about $70,000 but we also read: "the payment is separate from the judgment rendered by a jury in Baltimore Circuit Court last week awarding the Fishers $760,000". That should give them a well-deserved pain in the pocket. They are probably unwise enough to appeal it, though.

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

Florida Mom Guilty of Molesting Her Baby




(Charlotte County, Florida) A jury took less than two hours to convict 29-year-old Melissa Bailey of molesting her 18-month-old daughter.

Bailey was convicted of two counts of sexual battery on a person under the age of twelve, lewd and lascivious molestation, lewd and lascivious exhibition, possession of child pornography and use of child in sexual performance.

Sentencing is scheduled for October.

Pussy Riot Punk Band Sentenced - Update

(Moscow, Russia)

A Moscow judge has sentenced each of three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot to two years in prison on hooliganism charges following a trial that has drawn international outrage.

Friday's sentence comes amid a wave of protests around the world in support of the feminist rockers.

The judge said in the verdict that the three band members "committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred" and offended religious believers.

The three were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral calling for the Virgin Mary to protect Russia against Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a new term as Russia's president two weeks later.

The case prompted wide interest with demonstrations and protests supporting Pussy Riot across Europe.

Celebrities including Paul McCartney, Madonna and Bjork have called for the band members to be freed.

Germany's top human rights official, Markus Loening, joined them Friday, saying the women's detention had already been "fully disproportionate."

It appears President Putin wants to send a message of intolerance toward those who may be too free with their acts of political expression.

* * * * *
Pussy Riot Punk Band
[Previous 7/25/12 post]



(Moscow, Russia)

Six months or so ago, few people in Russia -- and even fewer abroad -- had even heard of Pussy Riot. Now they're not only an international cause celebre, but well on their way to becoming a global brand.

And all it took was a little Kremlin-sponsored repression.

Sting is the latest artist to publicly express support for three members of the band -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- who are languishing in pretrial detention and face stiff prison terms for their infamous unauthorized performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.[…]

The group's performance in the cathedral on February 21 -- shortly before Vladimir Putin's reelection as president -- was an attempt to draw attention to the close ties between the Kremlin leader and the Russian Orthodox Church and to protest what they consider Russian Patriarch Kirill's inappropriate support for Putin in the election.

Reportedly, the group didn't actually perform a concert in the church. They mimed the performance and matched it later with music as shown on the following video. It's essentially an anti-Putin rant.




After the video was viewed by church officials, the members of Pussy Riot were charged with hooliganism, debasing the feelings and beliefs, diminishing the spiritual foundations of the state, and blasphemy.

Debra Lafave - The Enduring Story - Updated

(Tampa, Florida)

Almost a year ago, a retiring judge joked with Debra Lafave about the demands of her newborn twins, complimented her on completing her community control sentence, then released the ex-teacher from the probation she had promised to serve for having sex with a 14-year-old boy in 2004.

On Wednesday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman's last act of leniency before retirement was "an abuse of judicial power resulting in a gross miscarriage of justice."

The ruling means Lafave — whose platinum blond hair and blue eyes made her name a household word — will have to resume four remaining years of sex-offender probation.

Defense attorney John Fitzgibbons said he may take the case to the Florida Supreme Court.

* * * * *
Debra Lafave - The Enduring Story - Updated
[Previous 9/28/11 post]




(Tampa, Florida) Last week, Judge Wayne Timmerman granted Debra Lafave's request to be released from the remaining four years of her probation and, the following day, prosecutors asked for a stay on the decision while an appeal to the 2nd District Court of Appeals is crafted.

Assistant State Attorney Michael Sinacore said Lafave was contractually obligated to serve her entire probation since it was a provision in her original, signed plea deal.

However, today Judge Timmerman nixed the prosecution's argument, saying that ending probation early is common practice despite what was agreed to in the plea deal.

The judge did say he would grant the stay to file an appeal but not for the sole sake of keeping Lafave on probation.

* * * * *
Debra Lafave - The Enduring Story
[Previous 9/23/11 post]
Arguably the teacher-student sex story with the longest legs has been the adventures of Debra Lafave (aka Debra Beasley), who was initially arrested and charged more than seven years ago.

The blonde beauty had mixed it up with a 14-year-old boy in a variety of ways, ultimately being prosecuted in two different Florida counties.

In the end, she was sentenced to a hand slap, no jail, only three years house arrest and seven years probation in Hillsborough County Court.

The courts were understandably influenced by the massive public and media interest in the story.

To be fair, who could resist the tale of the bombshell 24-year-old teacher (pic), who claimed she was insane during sex and bipolar, having creative oral sessions with a 14-year-old male student in the back seat of a car as it was driven around central Florida through Hillsborough and Marion Counties by the student's cousin?

The furor died down in March 2006 when prosecutors dropped charges in Marion County against Lafave, leaving her with only the house arrest and probation terms imposed by the Hillsborough County Court. But that's not the end of the story.

In December 2007, having completed nearly two years on house arrest with good behavior, Lafave was arrested on a probation violation for engaging in intimate conversations with a 17-year-old coworker at Danny Boys' Restaurant. Apparently, the offense was dropped as being a minor isolated instance.

In April 2008, reports of Lafave's good behavior prompted Hillsborough County Court Judge J. Rogers Padgett to cut the remaining time that Lafave was to serve on house arrest from seven months to three and a half.

In October 2009, having completed her term of house arrest and a sex offender therapy program, Debra Lafave filed a motion to amend the terms of her probation to allow contact with "a limited number of children of family and friends" with their parents' permission.

In 2010, reports surfaced indicating that Debra Lafave would run for Congress and had become engaged to a Florida restaurant owner. Neither of the stories panned out. The reports do, however, seem to indicate that Lafave was being watched closely.

In the latest development, a judge yesterday (9/22/11) released Debra Lafave from her final four years of probation. Since she recently gave birth to twin boys and became engaged to be married, Lafave argued that also being on probation was too hard.

Texas Teacher Busted for Drugs

(Houston, Texas) A 40-year-old science teacher at Elsik High School, Percy Melton, was busted for marijuana possession after a traffic stop on Interstate 10 between Vinton and Sulpher, Louisiana.

Investigators said when Melton began to act suspiciously during the traffic stop, they asked for permission to search the car and she refused.

A drug dog was brought in and was alerted to the odor of the drugs in the car's trunk, officials said. The 53 pounds of drugs were found wrapped in cellophane and trash bags inside a duffel bag, investigators said.

Detectives said the marijuana has a street value of more than $120,000.

Melton was booked into custody Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Dishonorable Disclosures




The outrage at revealing secrets is understandable. Throughout history, secrecy in military operations has been of paramount importance.

More than 2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu detailed in The Art of War:

. . . of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.[…]

If plans relating to secret operations are prematurely divulged the agent and all those to whom he spoke of them shall be put to death.

Granted, Sun Tzu's words may not be directly applicable to sensitive disclosures by the Obama administration. However, it's notable that in Sun Tzu's time, revealing operational secrets was a capital offense.

Nutjob Maine mother terrorizes her children

Meteorologist Joseph D’Aleo has supplied the following graph of temperatures in Maine



My 12-year old has just asked to participate in another weekly activity thirty minutes away. I try a quick rebuff: “You’re already too busy and it’s too expensive.” With more than a bit of adolescent attitude, she replies, “You just don’t want to take the time to drive me.”

I look at the clock. It’s past 7 p.m. We haven’t eaten dinner, and unfinished homework clutters the kitchen table. There is never a perfect moment to get into the real nitty gritty of why and wherefore. Still, sometimes you have to take the time to give your kids an honest answer to their questions.

“Yes, you’re partly right,” I tell her, and her sister too, who has now wandered in. “I don’t especially want to spend more time carting you around. But there is another reason. Every time we get in the car we contribute to climate change. By the end of this century – and you may both still be around – climate change is likely to make conditions for life on earth drastically different from what they are today.”

I pause. It’s gloomy stuff, the state of the environment. Usually I try not to dwell on scientists’ pessimistic planetary forecasts. Nobody, including me, really wants to hear it. Nobody wants to read about it over morning coffee and a doughnut. Nobody wants to tell their kids about it.

I plunge ahead. I tell them that they have just lived through the hottest decade ever recorded. I tell them that recent flooding submerged one fifth of the land surface of Pakistan, washing away 7,000 schools.

I tell them that the Arctic is melting, that hurricanes are getting stronger, droughts are lengthening, and rainfall records are being shattered. Within their lifetimes, sea level could rise by 6 feet, or more, submerging the world’s coastal cities.

The children are quiet. Finally they ask if our house, a few miles inland from the Maine coast, will be okay. This question, in its innocent disregard either for the welfare of others, or for the fact that if the world disintegrates around them it won’t matter if their house is okay, seems to reflect a child’s perspective.

But it’s how us adults think too: Sure, catastrophic drought struck Texas last year and the Midwest this summer. But here in the Northeast global warming so far has mostly meant warmer winters. In other words, our house and family are fine.

Well then, my children ask, shouldn’t we do something about it?

I tell them they are already helping by riding their bikes and walking around town, by delighting in hand-me-downs rather than shopping trips, by eating local spinach rather than asking for processed foods from afar.

Although this cheers them up a bit, they are smart enough to know that a few leaves of spinach are not going to fix a whole lot. By the end of the conversation, they’re in tears.

Like every parent, I want my children to believe their futures are full of hope and promise. Yet at some point they also need to look with clear eyes at the world around them. Without that, where will the motivation come from to make anything better?

SOURCE

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

Carolina Woman and 3 Little Boys

(Lexington County, South Carolina) An 18-year-old local woman, Kayla Renee Walters-Merrian, has been accused of coercing three young boys into performing sex acts on her.

Walters-Merrian faces three counts of criminal sex with a minor.

Arrest warrants say Walters-Merrian engaged the three boys, an 11-year-old and two 12-year-olds, in sexual relationships on an old red couch in the woods.

The mother of one of the boys reported the incidents to the sheriff's department on Tuesday after the sister of one of the three boys told the mother about what happened.

Walters-Merrian was booked into custody at the Lexington County Detention Center with bail set at $15,000.

Colorado Teacher Gets Probation in Sex Case - Updated

(Eagle, Colorado)

A former teacher at Basalt High School potentially avoided additional jail time for having sexual relations with a male student, but she faces four years of supervised probation and treatment for sexual offenders, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Lauren K. Redfern, 25, of El Jebel, faced sentencing in two related cases — one stemming from the sex case and another for violating conditions of her bond after her arrest. Eagle County Judge Katharine Sullivan sentenced Redfern to 180 days in jail but suspended 150 days on the condition that she meet other requirements.

Redfern has been in the Eagle County Jail since July 17 after she voluntarily relinquished bond. She will get credit for the time served.

Redfern will be freed this week.

* * * * *
Colorado Teacher Guilty of Sex with Student - Updated
[Previous 5/20/12 post]
(Basalt, Colorado) In accordance with a plea agreement, teacher and coach formerly at Basalt High School, Lauren Redfern, pleaded guilty to one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Two counts of Sexual Assault on a Minor by a Person in a Position of Trust were dropped.

The charges comes after she and the 18-year-old student were allegedly caught having sex in her office bathroom at the school in February.

According to the Aspen Time, both Redfern and the victim told authorities they had sex when he was 17, as well.

The Times also reports the victim told authorities he "pursued" Redfern romantically and that the couple called off their relationship until he graduated.

Details on sentencing are unavailable.

* * * * *
Colorado Teacher Accused of Sex with Student
[Previous 2/16/12 post]
(Glenwood Springs, Colorado) A 25-year-old teacher and coach at Basalt High School, Lauren Redfern, has been accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.

According to Eagle County Undersheriff Mike McWilliam, Redfern faces a charge of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.

Investigators believe Redfern had repeated sexual contact with a male student attending Basalt High School for “three of four months, since last fall,” McWilliam said.

The student is a senior at the high school. He was 17 years old when the contact started and is now 18, according to McWilliam.

The Sheriff's Office was notified by school officials about the alleged sexual relationship last week. Investigators believe the teacher and student met at his house and at her house, but not at the school.

Redfern has been placed on paid leave from the school.

Arkansas Educator Gets Hand Slap in Sex Case - Update

(Bentonville, Arkansas) Former Bentonville High School teacher’s aide Mandy Flynn, 33, pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in sex with a 17-year-old special education student.

Flynn pleaded guilty because prosecutors offered her a lesser felony charge, said Bonnie Bridges, Benton County deputy prosecutor.

Benton County Circuit Court Judge Jon Comstock sentenced Flynn to 28 days of house arrest with an ankle monitor, despite prosecutors’ suggestion that Flynn serve the time in jail.

Flynn will also be required to register as a sex offender, and she will spend the next four years under probation.

Flynn resigned her teaching position when she was initially arrested.

* * * * *
Arkansas Teacher's Aide Accused in Sex Case
[Previous 1/30/11 post]
(Bentonville, Arkansas) A teacher's aide at Bentonville High School, Mandy Flynn, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a special needs student.

Mandy Flynn was accused of having inappropriate relations with one of her 17-year-old special needs students that started just before the first of the year.

Flynn faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault.

Submarine Commander Booted



USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)

(Groton, Connecticut) On August 3, 2012, Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II became the commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh, relieving Cmdr. Michael K. Savageaux.

On August 10, 2012, Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II was relieved of his command "due to lack of confidence in Ward's ability to command based upon allegations of personal misconduct on the part of Ward." Ward has been accused of engaging in an affair with a 23-year-old Virginia woman and faking his own death as a means of ending it.

The woman said she met Ward, 43, on a dating Website in October 2011. She said he told her he worked in "special ops." She said Ward, who is married with children, told her he was separated. She said he impregnated her and, in an effort to end the relationship, faked his death in an email communication in July.[…]

The Virginia woman, who works in the banking industry, asked not to be identified because she does not want to jeopardize her career.

"I don't want revenge here," the woman said in a phone interview Sunday. "I want everyone to know the truth about Michael. He does not need to be commanding a submarine. He's a deceitful man."

The woman said she has been in contact with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and with the master chief of the USS Pittsburgh. She provided The Day with copies of text messages and emails from Ward.

"I want you, but I don't know how to make this all perfect," says one of the texts. Another says, "I love you and I always will."

The woman said Ward sent her emails using the name Tony Moore. On July 6, she received an email from his address purporting to be from a man named Bob who worked with Ward.

"He asked me to contact you if this ever happened," the email says. "I am extremely sorry to tell you that he is gone. We tried everything we could to save him. I cannot say more. I am sorry it has to be this way."

The email goes on to say, "He loved you very much," and that Bob had something Ward wanted to give to the woman.

The woman said on July 9, she drove with her family members to Ward's house in Burke, Va., to pay her respects and learned from the new owner that Ward was alive and had moved to Connecticut to take command of a submarine.

She said she became ill, was hospitalized, and learned she was pregnant. She said she has since lost the baby.

Cmdr. Michael Savageaux has returned to command the USS Pittsburgh.

Reinventing the Toilet

(Seattle, Washington) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is sponsoring a competition to reinvent the toilet.

Scientists from around the world have taken up the challenge, and the foundation announced some projects Tuesday that will be getting more money to take their ideas from the lab to cities.

There, local entrepreneurs will use the new technology to turn pollution into cash.

"We couldn't be happier with the response that we've gotten," Bill Gates said.

To pass the foundation's threshold for the world's next toilet, it must operate without running water, electricity or a septic system, not discharge pollutants, preferably capture energy or other resources, and operate at a cost of 5 cents a day.

The Gates toilet effort has committed $370 million for research and development of the new toilet. First prototypes are expected within three years.

Bumper Sticker Removal

According to this source:




Tip: Rita and Eugene

Woman Gets Probation in Nebraska Child Sex Case

(McCook, Nebraska) In October 2011, a 23-year-old South Dakota woman, Heather J. Geary, was accused of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Geary was initially charged with felony sexual assault, however, she pleaded guilty in accordance with a plea agreement to misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The plea agreement, offered by Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood, reduced the original felony charge to a Class I misdemeanor and also agreed the state would not seek any finding under the sex offenders registration act.

Geary's original offense stemmed from a October 2010 incident in Red Willow County during which she was accused of having sexual contact with a victim who was 14 years of age or younger, when she was at least 19 years of age.

Geary was assigned a public defender in October 2011 and subsequently failed to appear for hearings in the case in November 2011 and January 2012.

As a result of her conviction, Geary was sentenced this week in Red Willow County District Court to 12 months probation.

Another "Green" car goes up in flames

In yet another example of a federally funded “green energy” failure, Fisker has confirmed that its Karma hybrid “burst into flames” in a California parking lot last Friday, in the words of Reuters.

The car was not charging at the time, and Fisker said the fire was not caused by problems with the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack, new technology components or exhaust routing.

A Fisker Karma driver from Woodside, California parked his hybrid at the grocery store… and after grabbing the items he needed, returned to the parking lot to find that his vehicle was on fire.
He called the manufacturer immediately, who then told him to call 911. The Woodside Fire Department arrived to put out the fire, saying there was considerable damage to the front left area of the car.

Fisker Automotive’s Karma is a plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan that goes for about $102,000 and up.

This fire is the second occurrence this year. Back in May 2012, a Karma plug-in was held responsible for a house fire in Houston, Texas. Before that, Fisker and A123 Systems, which is the battery maker for Fisker’s Karma, recalled over 200 batteries for the Karma. No fires had occurred at that point yet, but A123 Systems said that a poorly positioned hose clamp could potentially be the cause of such issues.

Fisker is currently investigating the cause of the fire, but does not yet have any concrete answers.

According to the New York Times, the government approved $529 million in guaranteed loans for the company, but it has still struggled to maintain its workforce, laying off 66 workers earlier this year.

Commenters have noted a number of interesting aspects about the story. “Ironic isn’t it? They put all their money in a car to have zero emissions. Now how [many pollutants] are being expelled as it burns?” one asked.

A Jalopnik reader added: “Wait. His first response to ‘oh dear, my exceedingly expensive car is on fire’ was to CALL FISKER? That…Is just not even something I can comprehend.”

SOURCE

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

42-Inch Television Boosted




(Oslo, Norway) Regarding a female shoplifter:

A woman was arrested in Oslo on Thursday after walking out of a shopping centre with a 42-inch flat screen television between her legs.

The woman, who was accompanied by a male companion, wandered out of the Elkjøp shopping centre in the Skøyen area of Oslo with the substantial item under her long flowing skirt.

A witness alerted the police after spotting the cumbersome couple leaving the shopping centre at around 8pm on Thursday.

The woman was able to carry the widescreen television clasped between her legs and well hidden under her long skirt, to a nearby bus stop. The police however took up the chase and the pair were apprehended as their bus headed out of the city centre.

It's hard to believe that a woman could effectively conceal a 42-inch television under her skirt. She must be real tall with long, muscular legs.

Stressed-Out Men Prefer Chubby Women

(London, England) According to a survey performed by researchers at the University of Westminster, when men are stressed, they prefer chubbier women.

The study, lead by Viren Swami, rounded up 81 young men whose ages ranged from 18 to 42 and raised the stress levels of 41 of the men by having them do some tough math and to participate in a simulated job interview — a situation that has been proven to significantly increase tension and anxiety, while the rest of the group got to relax in a quiet room.

Afterwards, all of the participants were shown 10 photos of women whose weight ranged from emaciated to obese and were then asked to rate the attractiveness of the women on a scale of 1 to 10.

The men found the overweight women to be more attractive.

Ohio Teacher Gets Hand Slap in Sex Case - Updated

(Elyria, Ohio) Former North Ridgeville High School teacher Constance Yacobozzi (aka Yacabozzi) has been sentenced to three years probation, much to the dismay of the victim's mother who referred to the sentence as a slap on the wrist.

Yacobozzi claimed she is remorseful.

But the victim’s mother, Margie Mahaffey, asked the judge to send Yacabozzi to jail for violating her son.

“If this were a 28 year-old male (teacher) with a 17 year-old girl, a junior, this would not even be a question,” Mahaffey told the court.

But Judge Mark Betleski says the law makes him consider certain factors and he found that Yacabozzi has no criminal history and is unlikely to repeat her offense.

“The factors are the factors,” the judge said.

It's believed that 'The factors are the factors' is a legalistic euphemism for 'Up yours.'

In any event, Yacobozzi was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and to register as a sex offender.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Guilty of Sexual Battery - Updated
[Previous 6/5/12 post]
(Elyria, Ohio) Yesterday, former North Ridgeville High School teacher Constance Yacobozzi pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student.

Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski said he told Yacobozzi that she will likely receive probation when she is sentenced later this year. That is contingent on a report on her past coming back without any prior criminal convictions, the judge said.

Yacobozzi, 29, resigned in March, but had been on leave since November while the district and police investigated the allegations against her. The district had been in the process of firing her when she left her job.

According to the indictment, handed down shortly before her resignation, Yacobozzi, whom records show is married, had sexual contact with the student Nov. 7.

Seems like a real friendly judge, eh? (h/t Phil)

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Accused of Sexual Battery
[Previous 3/16/12 post]
(North Ridgeville, Ohio) A 28-year-old teacher at North Ridgeville High School, Constance Yacobozzi, has been accused of sexual battery of a 17-year-old male student.

Yacobozzi has been indicted by a Lorain County grand jury.

In November, Yacobozzi admitted to school officials she had texted photos of herself wearing a bikini top to a student, as well as having inappropriate and flirtatious conversation with him via text messaging.

At the time, Yacobozzi denied having sexual relations with the student.

Yacobozzi was arrested by Lorain County Sheriff's Deputies.

Olympic Sailing Video

This video is a hoot. Watch to the end.




Heh.

Sydney Spies & Mom Arrested - Update


 
Sydney Spies -- Denise Spies
(Durango, Colorado) A local mother-daughter pair, Denise “Miki” Spies, 45, and Sydney Spies, 18, face charges for allegedly hosting a drinking party with minors in attendance and obstructing police officers on their arrival.

Sydney Spies was booked on one count of obstruction and released on $500 bail. Note that Sydney Spies was previously involved in controversy regarding a high school yearbook photo.

Miki Spies was booked on counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest. Her bail was set at $10,000.

Interestingly, mother Spies was arrested last June for trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing a police officer stemming from an incident where she allegedly broke into a church and refused to leave.

* * * * *
Yearbook Photo Rejected
[Previous 1/6/12 post]



Sydney Spies in rejected photo
(Durango, Colorado) An 18-year-old student at Durango High School, Sydney Spies, is protesting the administration's decision to eliminate her senior photo from the school yearbook.

“I feel like they aren’t allowing me to have my freedom of expression,” said Spies, 18. “I think the administration is wrong in this situation, and I don’t want this to happen to other people.”

Spies argued that until the school creates a formal policy about yearbook photos, it can’t tell her not to use her picture.

Looks okay to me. Her outfit is not too different from a typical cheerleader uniform which one sees in every yearbook.