Chinese Gun Runners on Trial

(Qinghai Province, China) In one of the largest arms-smuggling cases in China's history, 17 Chinese are being tried in Xining, the capital of the remote western province of Qinghai. They are accused of buying more than 900 guns and 1,500 gun accessories in Pakistan for transport into China, where private ownership of firearms is illegal.

From the Daily Times:

It was not clear whether the guns were headed for Muslim separatists in Xinjiang, who have been fighting for decades for an independent "East Turkestan" homeland and whom Beijing calls terrorists, or to meet demand amid a growing wave of violent crime that has come with China’s economic reforms.

The trial is expected to wrap up tomorrow and the accused gun-runners could be sentenced to death. No information is provided regarding the source of the guns.

Two Senior Egyptian Police Killed in Sinai Sweep

(Cairo, Egypt) According to the Egyptian Interior Ministry, two senior police officers were killed by land mines during the massive manhunt for terrorists in the Sinai.

From the Arab News:

Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Adel and Lt. Col. Omar Abdel Moneim were the highest ranked police officers killed in Egypt since a violent insurgency in the mid-1990s and the first slain since about 4,000 security personnel launched a massive sweep Sunday of the northern Sinai for suspects linked to July's triple Sharm El-Sheik attacks and October's bombings at the Taba and nearby Ras Shitan resorts.

Yesterday's blasts occurred after two land mines exploded on the 1,800-meter high Halal mountain, about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean coastal town of El-Arish, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

On conditions of anonymity, officials stated that they believe fugitives, who traditionally hide in the Sinai's mountains, planted the mines. Egyptian security forces have detained 650 people thus far in the Sinai sweep which started last Sunday. A primary target still at large is Salem Khadr El-Shenoub, suspected of harboring terrorists linked to the Taba and Ras Shitan attacks.

Also worthy of mentioning is that the indigenous Bedouin tribesmen, steeped in knowledge of hideouts and smuggling routes, have emerged as key suspects sometimes and valuable informers at other times. However, in general, it's believed that the tribesmen collaborate with the terrorists at a level less than originally thought due to significantly different ideologies and interests. For instance, the autonomous Bedouins do not like to have the police looking at their affairs which is exactly what happens if they collaborate with the terrorists. So, unless there are family ties, I suspect the tribesmen provide little help for the terrorists.

Companion at Jawa Report.

Survey: Swedes Biggest Whiners

According to a survey of global complaining conducted by NOP World, a business research consulting firm, the Swedish were found to be the world's premier country in bitching and moaning. In second place were the Brits, followed by the Aussies and Canadians in 3rd and 4th places.

At the bottom of the list reside the Taiwanese, who narrowly beat out Saudi Arabians, Chinese, Poles, and Russians as the population who whines least. The U.S. came in at 5th place, tied with Argentina and Brazil.

Interestingly, the polling found that "the wealthiest and better educated respondents tended to be the most likely to speak out if they were unhappy." I suspect this indicates that people with time on their hands often are the chief complainers. Obviously, those people who are up to their belt loops in muck trying to clear the swamp of deadly snakes just don't have time to piss and moan.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.

Canadians for Kinky Friedman

According to the Toronto Star, the official headquarters for Canadians For Kinky Friedman For Governor Of Texas In 2006 has been opened in Toronto.

Homeless Mom Gets 9 Years for Molesting Boy

(Lakewood, Colorado) After three years of sexually assaulting a boy and having a child by him, 31-year-old Tani Leigh Firkins pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child before Jefferson County Court Judge Peter A. Weir. She was sentenced today to nine years in prison.


Tani Leigh Firkins
Apparently, Firkins was homeless and lived in a shelter operated by the boy's parents when she began molesting him at age 14. The sex continued until the boy was 17 and charges were filed when a videotape surfaced of their sexual relationship. The boy's parents are justifiably outraged about Firkins. They took Firkins and her two other children in and gave them comfort and shelter and, all along, Firkins was having sex with the boy and provided him, and some of his friends, with marijuana and alcohol.

Just prior to being arrested and shortly after Firkins gave birth to the boy's child, social services took custody of the infant along with the other Firkins children.

The parents of the boy are also pursuing the possibility of additional charges being filed in Denver where they contend that, conservatively, 50 to 100 sexual assaults occurred. They have scheduled a meeting with Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.


[Update 03/23/07]

Firkins sentenced in Denver District Court to six more years in prison.

Blogger "Flag" Button

I'm sure you've probably noticed it. John Ray thinks it "looks like the thin end of the wedge of censorship." That's my assessment, also.

Arizona Shootings Were Preventable

(Glendale, Arizona) The killing of two employees in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart Superstore appears to be an example where two conflicting laws precluded prevention of the incident. The suspected shooter, Edward Liu, who obtained his gun just days before the killings, had satisfactorily passed a background check in accordance with federal and state law governing sale of firearms. However, according to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), patients' private medical records are confidential and cannot be released. Therefore, the background check of Edward Liu did not include review of his alleged history of mental instability contained in his medical files.

In summary, one set of laws specify that an individual will be evaluated for the suitability of possessing a deadly weapon while another set of laws prevent access to the information necessary to comprehensively perform the evaluation. If anything, it seems the law requiring background checks for potential buyers of deadly weapons should override the restrictions on releasing private medical information.

See also Privacy Law Prevents Gun Background Checks.

Titan Rain - Web Attacks Traced to China

A prudent observer of world affairs will likely not find the following report surprising. Simply put, hundreds of attacks on computer networks owned by the U.S. Defense Department and other agencies have been launched from websites in China.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Classified systems have not been compromised, but authorities remain concerned because, as one official said, even seemingly innocuous information, when pulled together from various sources, can yield useful intelligence to an adversary.

"The scope of this thing is surprisingly big," said one of four government officials who spoke separately about the incidents, which stretch back as far as two or three years and have been code-named Titan Rain by U.S. investigators. All officials insisted on anonymity, given the sensitivity of the matter.

U.S. analysts are divided on whether the attacks constitute a coordinated Chinese government campaign to penetrate U.S. networks and spy on government databanks. Some in the Pentagon are said to be convinced of official Chinese involvement; others see the electronic probing as the work of other hackers using Chinese networks to disguise the origins of the attacks.

There appears to be agreement among analysts that Titan Rain is organized and coordinated, but it's unknown who is directly responsible. It is known, however, that computer network attacks are like a flood. Last year, the Pentagon alone identified 79,000 separate intrusion attempts by all sources.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Leftists Supporting The Troops?

Rob Port at Wizbang has the story about anti-war protestors besieging wounded and disabled soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., with taunts and protest signs. One sign displayed "Maimed for a Lie." CNSNews.com purportedly will provide videotaped confirmation of the story later today.

True or otherwise, the story is somewhat credible based on previous antics of anti-war protesters. It's not unusual for radical leftists to voice their dissension in an outrageous and disturbing manner. In fact, on many occasions their actions have been substantively indistinguishable from children's temper tantrums. It's a lousy way for them to influence the public to be sympathetic to their viewpoint.

If this reported stunt at Walter Reed actually occurred, my guess is that they'll lose support. It's contrary to their mantra that they "support the troops." (via Drudge)


[Update 8/25/05, 1100 EDT]

Rob Port has updated the story, indicating that the hospital protest was organized by Code Pink Women for Peace and it apparently has been going on for some time. It's really disgusting that our wounded fighting men and women have to see these anti-war extremists out the windows of the hospital while they are trying to heal and recuperate. Clearly, these leftist low-lifes do not support the troops. All they seem to do is bring more agony to people who are already in pain.

Castration Won't Deter Sex Offenders

(Louisville, Kentucky) Commonwealth Attorney Dave Stengel has criticized proposed legislation that would impose a castration penalty for sex offenders. Stengel maintains that castration has no deterrent effect.

Oh, really?

Louisiana Woman and 15-Year-Old Boy

(Houma, Louisiana) Although she's married with four children, 26-year-old Brianne B. D'Errico decided nonetheless to engage in sex with a 15-year-old boy. She was arrested and charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said authorities were alerted by the boy's family that there had been a "relationship" for about three months.

If convicted, D'Errico could receive ten years in jail and a $5,000 fine. She is free on $2,500 bond.

Report of Osama bin Laden Injury

Mac Powell has the provocative news at In The Bullpen. Apparently, "various Islamic websites" are the sources for the information which describes an injury to bin Laden's left leg incurred while he was involved in an attack on a Spanish base, presumably in western Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, more than once we heard rumors of an enemy leader's death or injury that didn't pan out. So, the search is on for confirmation. Bin Laden's leg on a platter would be fine, as long as it was accompanied with his head.

Woman Accused of Criminal Sex with Boy

(Hastings, Minnesota) Dawn Marie Juelsgaard, 33, has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 14-year-old boy she hired to help her in her sales business. The boy admitted to Dakota County Sheriff's deputies that he and Juelsgaard had sex on three occasions between July 11 and July 20.

Juelsgaard faces up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine if convicted of the charges against her.

California Islamic Leader Under FBI Scrutiny

(Garden Grove, California) A grocer, who leads a lesser-known radical Islamic group, is being seriously looked at by the FBI. He is Iyad K. Hilal, Islamic author, philosopher, and leader of the extreme group Hizb ut-Tahrir in the U.S.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which means Party of Liberation, has been banned in parts of Europe and the Middle East. After the July 7 bombings in London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed banning the group there.

It advocates a return to the days when all Muslims were governed by a religious leader known as the caliph.

The Orange County businessman is apparently not suspected of any terrorist acts, but local FBI terrorism investigators have launched an inquiry into the activities of him and his group. An FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, Cathy Viray, declined to call it an investigation but confirmed that "we're looking into the matter." She declined to comment further.

Southern California Muslims who know Hilal, 56, said he was an Islamic scholar whose writings argued that the religion was incompatible with democracy.

Hilal seeks a caliphate state and he directs his anti-democratic teachings primarily to university students. While claiming to be non-violent, Hizb ut-Tahrir has strong ties to former leader Bakri Mohammed, the Syrian who praised the terrorists responsible for the 9-11 and London attacks. It's also believed that the members of Hizb ut-Tahrir are a politically-sensitized pool of individuals from which al-Qaeda frequently recruits.

FBI agents seem to have adequate justification to be checking on Iyad K. Hilal and Hizb ut-Tahrir. I would be troubled if they didn't.

Deathly Overdose on Death Row

(San Quentin, California) Nicholas Rodriguez, 27, is the first death row inmate to die of an unintentional heroin overdose in San Quentin State Prison. Officials closed the investigation into the incident without determining how the drugs got into the prison's high security area.

So, where's Human Rights Watch? Where's Amnesty International? For crying out loud, inmates are in danger of losing their lives.

Atlanta Compiling Database of Homeless

(Atlanta, Georgia) Starting today, a team of Atlanta police officers will be surveying the downtown homeless and panhandler populations to compile a database to assist in directing needy people to government services. The effort comes on the heels of a new law signed last week by Mayor Shirley Franklin which prohibits panhandling at tourist destinations in and around downtown Atlanta.

Full implementation of the new law won't occur for at least a month thereby allowing for the word to get out and for the homeless to get help. When implemented, police will issue citations and court summons to panhandlers who violate the new ordinance. Violators could receive as much as 30 days of community service, a fine of $1,000, and up to 30 days in jail.

Of course, there's opposition. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already threatened to sue on the basis that the new law violates rights of free speech. Although it's not really clear, the ACLU seems to believe that the right to beg is guaranteed by the Constitution. Don't ask me where in the Constitution. I don't have a clue.

Frankly, I would have anticipated the ACLU to have a big problem with the city creating a database of homeless people and panhandlers, claiming invasion of privacy or something. Admittedly, I might just be premature.

Plane Crash in Peru

(Lima, Peru) Preliminary indications are that bad weather caused the crash of a TANS Peru airliner carrying 100 people about 300 miles northeast of Lima. Casualty estimates are sketchy, ranging from 37 to 70 dead. The Boeing 737-200 carried a crew of eight and several Americans were among the 92 passengers.

Just after 3pm local time, the plane was on a landing approach to the airport at Pucallpa when it was hit by a strong crosswind. The pilot is believed to have tried an emergency landing without landing gear on a nearby road.


[Update 8/25/05]

According to this report, 58 people survived and 37 perished in the crash. Three passengers are currently unaccounted for. Two Americans were among the dead, Stephen Michael Lotti and Sherra Young Gay.

Pat Robertson Preaches

Pat Robertson said that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez should be assassinated and probably most rational, freedom-loving people secretly tend to agree with him. Nonetheless, Robertson should have kept those words from falling out of his mouth because, if Chavez is taken out, the United States will be boxed in without a shred of deniability. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Robertson's words actually caused an in-progress black operation to be aborted.

Ohio City Declares English the Official Language

(Norton, Ohio) Yesterday, the Norton City Council adopted a resolution by a vote of 4 to 3 mandating that English be used in all documents, publications, correspondence or any written material on behalf of the city.

It's interesting that three council members voted against the resolution.

High School Has 65 Pregnant Girls

(Canton, Ohio) There's a report out of Canton that 65 girls at Timken High School are pregnant out of a total of 490 female students. NewsNet5.com and WorldNetDaily have the story, but that's about it. So far, it seems that most other media sources don't think it's important enough to mention.

From the standpoint of pregnancy rate, the 65 girls represent slightly more than 13 percent at the school which is only marginally higher than the national rate of 10 percent. From the perspective of the sheer number of pregnancies, it would seem logical to have an obstetrician and a gynecologist on the faculty. Alphabetically, the Timken High School Prenatal Department would fit nicely between mathematics and science. Expect your property taxes to increase accordingly.

Kidding aside, it's not unreasonable to anticipate that most of the pregnant girls won't finish high school nor is it unreasonable to expect that a host of grandparents are going to be asked to raise another generation of children.

It's an outrage.

Woman Arrested for Rape of Boy

(Hoosick Falls, New York) Village police arrested 33-year-old Bonnie Rock on charges of felony rape and endangering the welfare of a child. Rock allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old boy about ten times in the past few weeks. Apparently, police were tipped to the alleged sexual behavior by Rensselaer County Child Protective Services.

Rock is in custody in the Rensselaer County Jail without bail. She is scheduled to appear before Village Justice Edward Gorman tomorrow morning.


[Update 8/24/05]

According to this report, acting Village Judge Edward J. Gorman released Rock without a hearing and without bail. There was no hearing because media interest would have caused safety and security problems in the village's small courtroom. No bail was set because Rock is not considered a flight risk since she has three children, ages 14, 9, and 6. However, she will be required to wear an electronic monitor and is only allowed to go to work, to the grocery store, and to take her children for visits to the doctor.

Rock's attorney, Richard McNally, stated that he hopes the case is settled in Hoosick Falls Village Court and not in Rensselaer County Court where felony cases are typically adjudicated. It's not clear what happens next in the case.

Men's Vogue

Apparently, there are a number of men in society who need a periodical to tell them about the latest trends in fragrances, herbal shampoos, matching accessories, and stylish shoes. Consequently, the publishers of Vogue have decided to introduce Men's Vogue to the already fairly-saturated magazine market. Although the target market is probably men who prefer umbrellas in their cocktails, don't be surprised if Men's Vogue shows up at the barber shop.

Network Television Slumping

Based on the summer ratings thus far, network television is taking it in the shorts.

From Variety.com:

With three weeks left to go, the broadcast nets are down a collective 10% among adults 18-49 vs. last summer -- and 15% in viewers 18-34. ABC is the only net up over last year, while Fox is flat; other four nets are down sharply.

The numbers have analysts scratching their heads. I don't understand why. All they have to do is look at some of the shows and ask themselves the question, "Is this programming worth my time?" In most cases, only the disingenuous would answer affirmatively.

Woman Sentenced for Sex with Boy

(Snohomish County, Washington) Last November, 37-year-old Gina Marie Bell decided to have sex with one of her children's friends, a 14-year-old boy. Yesterday, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Linda Krese sentenced Bell to a year and a day in jail for admitting to 3rd degree child rape. Upon her release, she will have to register as a sex offender.

The judge also specified that Bell is permitted to have only limited contact with minors, including her own children, until she undergoes an evaluation for sexual deviancy. For what it's worth, I've completed my evaluation. She's a pervert.

Man Accused of Plotting to Bomb VA Office

(Seattle, Washington) A 53-year-old man, Charles "Charlie" Merle Whitaker III, has been arrested for allegedly making threats to bomb the Veterans Administration offices in Seattle. Federal agents were tipped by former roommates that Whitaker made violent and aggressive comments regarding the VA including his intention to "blow up the building."

Whitaker is in state custody in the King County Jail on investigation of threatening to bomb or damage property and on suspicion of a drug violation. He's scheduled to appear in court later today. The U.S. Attorney's office is considering possible federal charges.

Palestinian Kidnappers Free French Journalist

(Gaza City) Here's a followup to a previous report regarding the kidnapping of French television journalist Muhammed Ouathi.

From the Khaleej Times:

A French television journalist abducted by Palestinian gunmen in Gaza a week ago was freed unharmed on Monday, witnesses said.

The kidnapping of Mohammad Ouathi, a soundman for France 3 television, was the longest in a series of abductions of foreign journalists and aid workers in Gaza. No group claimed responsibility. Ouathi is a Frenchman of Algerian origin.

His release was announced by the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), an umbrella group of Palestinian militants that said it helped mediate an end to the abduction.

No other details concerning Ouathi's release were disclosed. My guess would be that a ransom was paid.

Interestingly, the PRC, which is dominated by Fatah gunmen, claimed it helped free Ouathi. It's believed by others that the PRC was directly responsible for the kidnapping.

Library Lends People

(Almelo, Holland) The local public library has launched a new initiative to lend out people in an effort to dispel stereotypes. According to the library director, Jan Krol, several varieties of people, including gypsies, Muslims, and homosexuals, can be borrowed for one-hour sessions. This idea has great potential, especially if the list of people available for borrowing includes French chambermaids and Swedish lingerie models.

Egyptians Sweep Sinai for Terrorists

With adequate evidence that the Sinai Peninsula is a hotbed for terrorists, several thousand Egyptian police supported with armored vehicles were mobilized yesterday to search and apprehend perpetrators and anyone with information. The sweep started in the towns of El-Arish and Sheikh Zuayed and a total of about 500 individuals were detained for questioning. El-Arish has been identified as an explosives smuggling center.

In addition to the towns, security forces fanned out on the desert in the operation which is expected to take several days. The manhunt has been called open-ended, whatever that means. Hopefully, it means that they will continue searching and apprehending terrorists until there are none residing anywhere outside the comfy walls of Egyptian prisons.

Cops Forced to Take Taxis on Emergencies

I saw a movie where the police chief didn't have a driver's license and was forced to take a cab everywhere he went. That was art. Here's a case of reality following art.

From Aftenposten:

Police in Oksnes and Bo in Vesteralen, high up on Norway's northwest coast, have such equipment shortages that they have to call a taxi to respond to emergency calls.

Area police have had their fleet of vehicles trimmed from two to one due to budget cuts, and have repeatedly had to ring a taxi when needing another car to respond to a call ....

Fortunately, the mayor said he'll donate a sled for responding to calls in the winter. It seems that one may safely assume that there are no high-speed chases involving taxis and sleds.

Shuttle Landing Site in France

From the Stars and Stripes:

The United States and France have agreed to establish an emergency landing site for the shuttle at Istres air base, north of Marseille.

The agreement allows Americans to use the base during shuttle launches only. Istres was selected because it has one of the longest runways in Europe, three miles.

Man Spies on Stepdaughter

(Akron, Ohio) A 51-year-old Springfield Township man, Lowell Longshore, installed a camera in the shower to spy on his 19-year-old stepdaughter. He was arrested and charged with voyeurism.

Dummy.

Cheap 65-inch Plasma Televisions

Just in time for football season, Matsushita is expected to announce this week that its dropping the price of its 65-inch plasma television to less than $1,000, less than half its current price. The company is planning on a simultaneous worldwide introduction of cheaper units to expand its share of the market.

Intimate Pruner

Eva LongoriaFrom PageSix:

DESPERATE housewife Eva Longoria says she only discovered her sexual self after she got some pruning done in an intimate area.

I can't be the only person that believes celebrities sometimes reveal just a bit too much about themselves. And, people can't wash the knowledge from their minds so, every time I see Desperate Housewives, this little tidbit of information will be in the back of my mind.

Sheesh!


[Update 8/31/05]

Kevin at Wizbang has posted a couple additional smoking hot pictures of Eva. He focuses on the subject of push-up bras, but I can't get intimate pruning off my mind.

Congressman Kucinich Marries British Citizen

(Cleveland, Ohio) I didn't expect an invitation and my expectation was met.

From the Plain Dealer:

Wedding bells chimed at Cleveland City Hall Sunday as Rep. Dennis Kucinich said vows in a ceremony attended by about 250 people, including a host of politicians and a couple of movie stars.

Kucinich, 58, married Elizabeth Harper, a British citizen who works for a monetary-policy think tank in Chicago. It's his third marriage.

They were married at The Mall outside City Hall in Cleveland and the ceremony was witnessed by several celebrities. Notables included Shirley MacLaine and Sean Penn. For those that would like to formally send along best wishes, it's rumored they've registered at MoveOn.org and PETA.

Terrorist Catch and Release Program

So the Filipinos arrest an al-Qaeda linked terrorist, Daud Santos, preparing to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Manila with 1,000 kg of explosives and then, astonishingly, release him on bail.

Pretty disgusting, eh?

Women Caned for Gambling

(Jakarta, Indonesia) Here's another story attesting to the absolutely miserable lives women (and men) lead under Sharia law. Being a Westerner, I find it difficult to understand how they put up with it.

From the Mainichi Daily News:

Indonesia caned women Friday for the first time after they were accused of illegal gambling in the staunchly conservative province of Aceh.

More than 1,000 people gathered after Friday prayers to watch as four women were struck in the back with rattan canes, each receiving seven blows, Alias Abubakar, an official in the central town of Takengon told private-radio El-Shinta.

Authorities confiscated 65,000 rupiah (US$7) from the women, who were found guilty of betting on card games, he said.

To be fair, some men were also recently flogged for gambling, so the prohibition is not gender specific. Nonetheless, women are restricted and punished much more under Islamic law than men. In fact, women are treated almost like pieces of property.

Naturally, since Sharia law is not a product of the U.S., there is no outrage by international human rights organizations. However, if caning occurred at Guantanamo Bay, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International would be catalysts for violent protests and riots worldwide.

Women Join Hamas

From the Jerusalem Post:

Hamas revealed over the weekend that dozens of women in the Gaza Strip have joined its armed wing, Izzaddin Kassam, and were preparing to carry out attacks on Israel.

Pictures posted on the Hamas-affiliated Palestine Information Center Web site showed masked women, dressed in military fatigues and armed with Kalashnikov rifles and pistols, receiving training at a secret location in the Gaza Strip.

According to Hamas, the women were being trained in planting roadside bombs, firing rockets and mortars and infiltrating Jewish settlements.

Undoubtedly, Palestinian women have been involved with terrorist activities all along, but this is the first time that I've heard that Hamas has formed an official all-female military unit. Stupid me, I was under the impression that the Palestinians would be less belligerent when the Israeli settlers left the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, they are emboldened.

Ontario Needs New Nukes

(Totonto) It should be simple to understand that a number of major generating facilities, representing thousands of megawatts, have reached or are reaching the end of their useful lives and no replacement generating units are in the pipeline. Since the time required to build new units can be more than a decade, analysts believe the time to act is now to assure that power will be available to the grid in the future.

From TheStar.com:

Ontario needs more nuclear power plants and will soon have to decide how many and where new reactors should be built, Energy Minister Dwight Duncan says.

"I think the people of Ontario need to know that that decision is coming quickly ... clearly we have to look seriously at nuclear. There is no doubt (sic) it," he told the Toronto Star yesterday.

Duncan said the existing nuclear reactors, which produce about 50 per cent of the province's power, will reach the end of their life expectancy by 2020, putting Ontario's energy future even further into question.

And since it takes 12 to 15 years to complete a nuclear facility, costing billions of dollars, time is of the essence, the minister said.

Ontario, with a liberal government and an environmentally-idealistic electorate, may literally have to have the lights turned off before approval is given for new nuclear power plants. Already, Greenpeace Canada spokesman Dave Martin has said that there is a conspiracy at work by the government, Ontario Power Generation, and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to overstate Ontario's electricity needs. Interestingly, Martin's assertion comes on the heels of several system-wide brownouts imposed by operators due to insufficient generating capabilities.

Just the thought of new nuclear plants has the environmentalists puckered as they continue to advocate alternative energy sources and conservation. Unfortunately, wind power, solar cells, and conservation have not proven to be able to take the place of large capacity fossil, hydro, and nuclear units in terms of cost and reliability. Typically, wind farms and solar generators have to rely on subsidies and tax credits to produce power competitively. Also, the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. Nevertheless, solar and wind power, and also conservation, are fine for tweaking the edges of a power supply curve, but they're not capable of producing the thousands of megawatts of electricity required to meet the residential and industrial needs of the province.

In summary, it's foreseen that Ontario will not be able to meet the electrical needs of its citizens without building new, large generating facilities. The choices are coal, oil, nuclear, and hydro, all of which represent some defined, manageable risk to the environment with hydro fairly exploited to the maximum already. The Energy Minister and others favor nuclear power. On the other hand, the environmentalists are against all options other than alternative sources and they won't be satisfied until the world is blanketed with wildflowers and bunny rabbits and folk music is piped in from the heavens. Expect a loud political debate on the issue.

Taliban Told U.S. to Kill Osama in '98

As I recall, the U.S. had a different president back in 1998.

From the Daily Times.com.pk:

During a meeting between an American diplomat and a Taliban official in 1998, the latter suggested that one way of dealing with Osama Bin Laden “would be for the US to kill him or arrange for Bin Laden to be assassinated”.

This is one of the revelations found in US government documents released last week. The US diplomat who met Taliban official Wakil Ahmed, an aide to Mulla Omar, was Alan Eastham Jr, the No 2 man at the US embassy in Islamabad. More than one meeting took place between the two in November and December of 1998, three years before the 9/11 attacks.

The documents declassified Thursday indicate that bin Laden was clearly Washington's priority in 1998. Unfortunately, it appears that nothing substantive was undertaken to get him until after 9/11.

Saudis Whack Another Terrorist

(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) Here's some good news.

In conjunction with Thurday's Medina raid that resulted in the death of al-Qaeda biggie, Saleh al-Awfi, the Saudis report that most-wanted terrorist, Majed al-Hasseri, was also whacked the same day in Riyadh. The Saudis are rather proud of their success at neutralizing, by killing or capturing, 24 of 26 most-wanted terror suspects who were identified in 2003.

Since Saudis continue to be implicated in terror acts, there's reason to believe that the kingdom needs to update its most-wanted list.

Teacher with 12-Year-Old Boy

(Santa Fe, New Mexico) A substitute Santa Fe school teacher, Nancy McCulloch, 33, has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor and attempt to commit a felony for sexually abusing a 12-year-old male student. McCulloch pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to State Police Sergeant Chris Valdez, more charges are likely.

Trackback to Wizbang.

NCAA Backtracks

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has decided to backtrack from its absolutely brainless politically correct pronouncement banning Indian mascots. Now, the NCAA brain surgeons say it's acceptable to use Indian names if the tribe approves.

Maybe I'm looking at this issue from the wrong perspective, but it seems to me that the universities and colleges are being set up for a ready-made shakedown. Consider for a moment the scenario where the university is forced to get permission from the tribal elders for use of the name Sioux, Seminole, Apache, Comanche, Cherokee, or whatever. Would not the response be, "Sure, we will give our blessing if you pay us?"

Thanks, NCAA. You laid one stinking loaf and, to cover the stench, you pinched out another.

Ohio Couple Accused of Child Prostitution

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) I'm no longer astonished by the level of depravity brought about by addictive drug usage. It just sickens me.

From the Post-Gazette.com:

Pittsburgh police patrolling the North Side early Tuesday stumbled across a twisted tale of interstate child prostitution, sex abuse and drug addiction, according to the FBI.

As a result, a man and woman from Warren, Ohio, were hauled in to U.S. District Court yesterday to face federal charges of transporting a 15-year-old runaway from Warren to Pittsburgh to sell her to a man for sex in exchange for cocaine.

Greg Lowery, 44, who has an extensive criminal record in Warren, and Pamela Tilley, 45, could face at least a mandatory five years in prison if convicted.

If they are guilty of the alleged behavior, five years in prison would be a travesty. In addition to being apparent sicko druggies, Lowery and Tilley are alleged to have sexually assaulted the 15-year-old and also a 13-year-old female escapee from a juvenile placement center in Ohio.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday. In the meantime, Lowery and Tilley are locked up in the Allegheny County Jail. The girls are in foster care.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

High School Principal Beaten by Student

From WWLTV.com:

A former student of Covington High School was sentenced to six months in jail for battery on the principal and assistant principal of the school, the St. Tammany Parish district attorney announced Friday.

According to prosecutors, Delloyd Marigny, 17, become angry when he was told he was going to be expelled and grabbed the arm and neck of the principal, slamming him into a book case and cinder block wall.

The report doesn't mention why Delloyd was being expelled but it's not a stretch to assume it might have something to do with discipline. In liberal parlance, it seems that Delloyd has "issues." My crystal ball says that Delloyd will likely have a life encompassing at least several substantial stays in the slammer.

No More Cooties

(London) Modern science has made a breakthrough with the invention of antimicrobial underpants. The British Ministry of Defense is even supplying the cootie-free skivvies as part of the new desert uniform for soldiers. Woo-hoo!

From TheStar.com:

Col. Silas Suchanek, who led the team that procured the new equipment, said the unisex trunks were made from artificial fibres for comfort, with silver particles woven into the material to prevent soldiers from sweating.

Hi-Yo, Silver! Interestingly, I've noticed that I seem to sweat less when I have a lot of silver, but I never thought of putting any in my shorts.

Nevertheless, just think how popular the new cootie-free knickers will be among the sultry "Love-You-Long-Time" salesgirls in Skanktown. You have to admit that the Brits hit a home run with this idea. Maybe next they can make bed linen cootie-free to stave off the emerging bedbug problem in hotels around the world.

All in all, the idea sounds smashing with one possible exception. Specifically, just how much of a problem will people have trying to get through airport security screening while sporting metallic underwear?

Woman Killed for Being Pregnant with Female Fetus

(Rajkot, India) Twenty-five-year-old Nita Koli, six months pregnant with a female fetus, was set on fire by her husband, Sanjay, and mother-in-law, Kuwar Koli, for "not being able to give birth to a boy." Nita died from her burns Wednesday.

From The Times of India:

Sources say Nita, who has two daughters, may have been killed after a sex determination test that possibly revealed that she was carrying a female foetus.

The mother-in-law and the husband were arrested yesterday and charged with murder.

German Court Sentences 9/11 Terrorist to Seven Years

(Hamburg, Germany) The Hamburg State Superior Court found Moroccan citizen Mounir al-Motassadeq, 31, guilty of membership in the 9-11 terrorist organization and sentenced him to seven years in prison, less than half the 15 years imposed on him in 2003 verdict that was overturned.

From Expatica.com:

Presiding Judge Ernst-Rainer Schudt ruled that Motassadeq had been the "polite, friendly, reserved" member of an eight-man terror cell. Led by an Egyptian, Mohammed Atta, it formed in the German port city of Hamburg in autumn 1999.

"From being friendly, nice young men, they turned into fanatics," said Schudt. Motassadeq had "gone along" with this, not dissociating himself, and had taken over administrative tasks for the group.

Three of the cell members including Atta later piloted hijacked planes that were used as missiles on September 11, 2001 in attacks on New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. U.S. President George W. Bush declared a "war on terrorism" in response.

"The complete picture shows the accused to have been a member of a terrorist organization, but not to have been an accessory to the murderers of September 11," said Schudt.

Mounir al-Motassadeq
9/11 Terrorist
What a bunch of crap! Somebody needs to wipe the smile off this bastard's face. So what if he was polite, friendly, and reserved? He was equally responsible for the 3,000 deaths on September 11, 2001. In fact, if he took over "administrative tasks," he effectively managed the operation. This make me sick. Motassadeq deserves nothing more than the pitch darkness, extreme coldness, and concrete hardness of a prison cell for the rest of his life.


[Update 01/08/07]

Mounir el Motassadeq sentenced again.

Beth Geisel Gets DWI

(Albany, New York) Most people, after finding themselves in a hole, quit digging. Not 42-year-old Sandra "Beth" Geisel. Remember, it's only been a couple weeks since she was indicted for rape of a student in a high-profile case that has embarrassed and humiliated her children, her husband, her friends and the Christian Brothers Academy. Yet today, around 0830 EDT, she decides to drive while sloshed, cuts off a police car, and gets arrested for driving while intoxicated. She blew a 0.13 on the breathalyzer.


Beth Geisel pleads not guilty to DWI
(Photo - WNYT)
The only explanation I can figure for Geisel's behavior is that she's trying to fortify her contention that the hooch made her commit the rape of a student, or that she's exceedingly stupid. In either case, she's a menace to society.

Kudzu-Eating Goats

(Peachtree City, Georgia) In a pilot project, the Peachtree City Council has allocated $10,000 to see if goats can be used to control the spread of kudzu. It would be cheaper than herbicides in killing the kudzu which blankets many areas of the U.S., particularly in the southeast.

Native to Asia, kudzu was originally introduced in the U.S. as an ornamental plant and later used as fodder. Since the 1950s, however, due to its relentless growth and ability to completely cover other vegetation, it's been classified as a weed. In 1998, kudzu was officially listed by the U.S. Congress as a Federal Noxious Weed.

Attack on U.S. Navy Ships in Jordan Port

(Aqaba, Jordan) A mortar round was fired in the direction of two U.S. Navy warships in docked in the Jordanian Red Sea Port of Aqaba this morning. According to a statement by the U.S. 5th Fleet, the projectile flew across the bow of the USS Ashland (LSD -48), a dock landing ship, and hit a warehouse. There were no American casualties, however, one Jordanian soldier died of injuries.

Also in port was the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), an amphibious assault ship. Both ships subsequently left port.

Concurrently, there were two other mortar attacks, one near a hospital in Aqaba and one on a road near the airport of the resort city of Eilat.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility, however, the missiles used are believed to be Katusha-style rockets, used by pro-Iranian Shiite Hezbollah terrorists.

Teacher Arrested for Crack

(Saratoga Springs, New York) A 38-year-old physical education teacher and basketball coach at Saratoga Springs Central Catholic High School, David Speers, was arrested with a companion, Pamela Baumgardner, 37, for trying to buy drugs on an Albany street corner. Speers was charged with loitering for the purpose of buying drugs and criminal possession of crack cocaine. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany fired Speers.

Both Speers and Baumgardner were locked up in the Albany County Jail with bail set at $1,000 each.

Female Teacher Faces Sex Charges

(Grand Barachois, New Brunswick) A teacher at Ecole Pere Edgar T. LeBlanc, Rene Gaudet, has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old male student. She has been suspended from her teaching position and is scheduled to return to court on August 25.


[Update 01/27/06]

Gaudet sentenced to house arrest.

Gaza Protesters Fighting Off Soldiers

Live blogging (noon EDT) of clash at Kfar Darom, one of the most religious of 21 settlements.

- Troops clashing w/protesters on roof of synagogue (est. 300 at start),

- Sand, paint, and diesel oil thrown on troops, soldiers spraying soap on protesters,

- IDF not armed but outnumber protesters 30 to 40 to one,

- SWAT teams carrying out settlers one by one,

- Soldiers trying to breech barbed wire encircling synagogue,

- Security forces trying to clear roof before nightfall (1300 EDT),

- Cranes being used to put IDF troops inside large containers onto synagogue roof,

- (1209 EDT) About 100 protesters on roof,

- Soldiers using water cannon shooting water mixed with blue dye and turpentine,

- Five police officers have been injured, taken away on stretchers,

- Police say that acid was thrown at them,

- Leader of the settlers holding Israeli flag on top of synagogue,

- (1220 EDT) Soldiers reach rooftop and are removing barbed wire,

- Soldiers have upper hand now (1235 EDT), protesters being apprehended and put on buses,

- (1240 EDT) Soldiers in control of roof, show's over.

Newscasters report that those apprehended will be prosecuted for violently fighting the police, security forces, soldiers, and SWAT teams. The non-violent protest became violent, resulting in five injured soldiers and two injured protesters.

Bloggers With Military Service

Rusty Shackleford spent some time comparing Leftist bloggers' military service to Right bloggers' military service. Understandably and consistent with their general attitude towards the military, the Lefties lost. Take a look.

Woman Gets 10 Years for Sex with Boy

(Springdale, Arkansas) A 29-year-old Springdale woman, Shannon Hernandez, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Additionally, she must register as a sex offender within 120 days of her release. Hernandez was given credit for 76 days time served in the Washington County Jail.

The punishment in this case seems more appropriate than what is normally meted out to female sexual abusers. Too often, courts impose insultingly lenient sentences on women who molest children.

Saudi al-Qaeda Leader Killed

Here's some good news.

From Reuters:

Saudi security forces killed the leader of the kingdom's al Qaeda group in a clash in the holy city of Medina on Thursday, a security source said.

He said security forces had killed Saleh al-Awfi, who was believed to have taken over leadership of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia last year.

In a telephone interview from Riyadh, Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki said ongoing raids against suspected terrorists resulted in the killing.

Cleveland State Professor Electrocuted

(Cleveland) Biology professor Tarun K. Mal was electrocuted about 10:50am Tuesday while plugging in a device in a Cleveland State University science lab. He was found on the floor and taken to St. Vincent Charity Hospital, where he died. Mal leaves behind a wife and a 3-year-old daughter.

Elephant Dies of Herpes

(Columbus, Ohio) Ganesh, a 7,000 pound Asian elephant, has died of herpes according to spokesman Harry Peachey of the Columbus Zoo.

Jennings Tribute?

From the Associated Press:

"World News Tonight" topped the evening news ratings for the first time in more than a year - the increased viewership amounting to yet another tribute to Peter Jennings.

Uh ... it seems to me that people showing up after someone leaves could be taken two ways.

Al-Qaeda Fundraising in India

(Calcutta, India) Two Bangladeshis have been taken into custody by Calcutta police for distributing handbills and raising funds in support of a group called Mujahideen al-Qaeda Pacific International. Authorities are surprised and alarmed by the presence of al-Qaeda sympathizers in minority neighborhoods of the city.

Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee stated that an investigation has been launched to determine who is involved with the handbill and fundraising effort.

Chad Evans also has a report at In The Bullpen.

Islamic Jihad Plots Attack of Departing Gaza Settlers

Wednesday morning, Israeli Security uncovered a plot to attack evacuating forces and Gaza settlers when a 10-kg explosive belt was found hidden in a solar water heater at the Muwassi Palestinian enclave. According to this report, Islamic Jihad masterminded the plot where two cell members would wear IDF uniforms and explode themselves in suicide attacks.

So, as the Israelis bend over for the Palestinians and vacate the Gaza Strip, attempts are made to murder them as they leave. Helluva deal.

Cheaper Chilies From China

Americans are not the only people who complain about cheap Chinese imports. Mexicans now are feeling the heartburn. In the late 1990s, the Mexican market for chili peppers was penetrated by cheaper chilies from China.

From Herald.com:

The trickle soon became a flood. Between 50 percent and 80 percent of the dried peppers now sold in Mexico are imported, according to wholesalers and analysts.

Abroad, Mexico is losing market share as its top customer for peppers, the United States, increasingly is looking to China -- and recently Peru, Chile and parts of Africa -- to meet demand. India long has been the top U.S. chili provider but also is seeing its piece of the American pie shrink due to Chinese competition.

I suspect that a tabasco-strength insult now chinks the national pride knowing that most of the chilies bought in Mexico come from China.

Survey: Half of Mexico Wants to Live in the U.S.

(Mexico City) According to a survey conducted by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center, almost half of all Mexicans want to move to the United States. To be precise, 46 percent of the 1,200 Mexicans surveyed said they would high tail it north if they had a chance.

Interestingly, among college graduates, typically in the upper strata of society, 35 percent said they would like to live in the U.S. This finding is somewhat contrary to the generally accepted belief that people would likely stay in their birth nation if the standard of living improved. Obviously, other factors are involved if upper crust Mexicans still desire to move to the U.S.

In summary, rich or poor, a significant segment of the Mexican population will continue to claw their way to a life north of the border, despite what happens to the economy in Mexico.

A Thickening Plot

(Westerville, Ohio) All right, here's the story. A doctor, married to a policewoman, is under investigation by the county sheriff and the FBI for lying to public officials and stealing morphine from the scene of a suicide. He's also under investigation for drug dependency, impersonating an FBI agent, and using the identity of a man killed in an automobile accident in January.

The doctor is David A. Rath and he was the Delaware County Coroner when all the alleged improprieties occurred. Rath resigned as coroner two weeks ago and, last week, he was indicted by a grand jury for lying to officials. And, even as I write, the investigation continues and the plot thickens.

Mike Meckler has the details of the story and contends that it all sounds like a bad TV movie. I disagree and suggest to Mike that he check out what is currently being programmed on the tube. Hell, in comparison, the Rath story would probably make good television viewing. It's got all the elements of a hit series save maybe some salacious sexual content and a murder.

Schools Ban Soft Drinks, Lose Thousands in Funds

(Seattle, Washington) Tens of thousands of dollars in activity fund revenue has vaporized with the decision by the Seattle School Board to ban soft drinks and junk food.

From The Seattle Times:

By canceling an exclusive vending contract with Coca-Cola, the Seattle district will lose an estimated $315,000 this school year. Individual high schools are losing up to $25,000 each, while some middle schools are losing more than $10,000.

[ ... ]

"It's going to devastate us. It's going to absolutely devastate us," said Rainier Beach Athletic Director Dan Jurdy, who also used to be the school's activity coordinator. Jurdy said he quit his activity role last spring partly because he was so discouraged by the looming cutbacks. The football program, too, faces reductions. The school relied on the Coke money to buy uniforms, helmets and padding which cost hundreds of dollars per player, he said. He's not even sure how the school will afford travel to the state tournament.

Jurdy suggested the school save $5,000 by axing the yearbook, which typically loses money.

No football, no yearbook, and what you find in the vending machines is bottled water and rice cakes. Understandably, if a student was toying with the idea of dropping out of school, it would be hard to dispute the contention that this latest leftist social policy sealed the deal.

From the perspective of an Interested-Participant, it appears the Seattle School Board is more concerned about the contents of vending machines than the contents of students' minds.

Survey: Studmuffins Are Hairy, Chunky, and Poor

According to a Playgirl magazine survey of 2,000 readers and reported in the NY Daily News, women are unimpressed with "waxed chests and rock-hard abs" and much prefer scruffy, chubby men who are "rough around the edges."

"This survey shows that the guy who's most attractive to our readers is not your average Hollywood hunk," said Playgirl editrix Jill Sieracki. "It's the average Joe who came up on top. Women are practical about their choices, and they're smart."

And metrosexuals are definitely out. Women don't want a man who one ups them on manicures, hair styles, or body lotions.

As a consequence of the survey results, Playgirl is now looking for that newly-defined studmuffin, presumably for a feature photo spread. So, guys, put down the beer and send in your best beefcake snapshot to models@playgirlmag.com.

Pakistani Women Barred From Voting

(Lahore, Pakistan) Geo News channel reports that hundreds of thousands of women will be prohibited from voting in the upcoming Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) council elections.

From the Daily Times:

Tribal elder Haji Rahat Hussain said agreements to bar women from contesting and voting in the local council elections were signed by male candidates including nazims and naib nazims [local/district officials] with a view to maintain law and order, the channel reported. "Traditionally, our women have always stayed away from elections and they are not even ready to step out of their homes," he told Geo.

So, traditionally, women have not voted, therefore, women should be barred from voting. It's screwy logic, for sure. Nonetheless, it is consistent with fundamental Islamic teachings that women are subservient to men. The Election Commission and the government are being asked to intervene to allow women to have access to the polls.

District elections are due to start this week and are considered to be an indication of the level of support the various political parties can expect in the Pakistani general elections in 2007.

Pakistani Family Honor

(Lahore, Pakistan) The son of Muhammad and Nazo Afzal, Asif, saw his sister, Sumera, in an intimate circumstance with cousin Zeeshan and became enraged. Asif suspected for a while that his sister was having an affair with cousin Zeeshan and, seeing them together, he decided to do something about it. Asif grabbed a gun and shot Sumera in the head.

Sumera was rushed to the hospital, but couldn't be saved. Nazo and Zeeshan went to the police to register a case against Asif. It's not clear whether anything will happen to Asif for the murder. I haven't heard of many perpetrators of honor killings being punished in Pakistan.

Nevertheless, it appears that it's more honorable to have a murderer in the family than an lovemaker.

Kidnapped Canadian Executed by Terrorists

(Baghdad) On August 2, 32-year-old Iraqi-Canadian citizen, Zaid Meerwali, was kidnapped from his home in Baghdad by ten terrorists disguised as policemen. The attackers beat Meerwali's wife and robbed his home of jewelry and cash before taking him away.

The kidnappers contacted the family and demanded $250,000 ransom. As arrangements were being made for the money, the kidnappers stopped phoning. Subsequently, Meerwali was found to have been murdered with a gunshot wound to the head.

News of the murder prompted Prime Minister Paul Martin to tell all Canadians to leave Iraq. No group has claimed responsibility for Meerwali's murder, however, Sunni and Baathist extremists have been mentioned.

Marijuana for Cattle Feed

Moo! Moo! Moo! From Moscow comes the report that the Russians are planning on feeding cows marijuana plants over the winter months.

From Reuters:

Drug workers said they adopted the unusual form of animal husbandry after they were forced to destroy the sunflowers and maize crops that the 40 tonnes of marijuana had been planted among, Novye Izvestia daily reported.

"There is simply no other way out. You see, the fields are planted with feed crops and if we remove it all the cows will have nothing to eat," a Federal Drugs Control Service spokeswoman for the Urals region of Sverdlovsk told the paper.

This would seem to be a rare opportunity to see what happens when a population of animals ingests a significant quantity of cannabis. Mere observation may be able to explain the story of the cow jumping over the moon. Also, it may be possible to buy milk and cheese fortified not only with vitamin D, but with THC too. Imagine the market for pizza made with mozzarella spiked with THC.

I expect that PETA, the Humane Society, and other animal advocacy groups may want to weigh in on this issue.

Terrorist Cell Raided in Pakistan

(Karachi, Pakistan) In July, Syed Waseem Akhtar was arrested in Hyderabad for setting his own house on fire. During interrogation, Waseem Akhtar disclosed that he was a part of a newly-formed cell of 20 to 25 youths, belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami. Their group is a student wing called Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and it was directed to kill some important personalities to disrupt law and order in Karachi.

Ismail Aby Saeed and Jawaid Farooqi were named as leaders of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba.

As a result of the information provided by Waseem Akhtar, four terrorists were arrested during raids in several Karachi neighborhoods. They have been identified as Abubakar, Tanveer Malik, Nauman and Junaid.

Jamaat-i-Islami was founded decades ago by Maulana Maududi to promote strict Islamic governance of all aspects of Muslim life. The group has been linked to about every terrorist and radical Islamic group in South Asia, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, Jamaat-i-Islami is also Pakistan's largest religious political party.

Plane Crash in Venezuela

(Caracas, Venezuela) A charter jet with 152 listed passengers crashed in remote western Venezuela sometime after 0300 local time today. According to Francisco Paz, president of the National Aviation Institute, the plane was owned by West Caribbean Airways and was en route from Panama to the Caribbean island of Martinique when the pilot reported engine trouble to the Caracas airport.

Roughly 10 minutes later, when the plane was in the area of Machiques in the western state of Zulia, contact was lost and residents heard a loud explosion. Rescue teams have been dispatched. No information is available on casualties.

American Professor Killed in Brazil

(Sao Paulo, Brazil) While being robbed in a small town in the Amazon rain forest, Professor James Petersen, 51, was shot to death. U.S. Embassy spokesman John Wilcox said Petersen died in a restaurant in the town of Iranduba, about 1,650 miles northwest of Sao Paulo.

Petersen, Chairman of the University of Vermont Anthropology Department, was doing research in the rain forest. According to one source, three suspects were apprehended but the information is unconfirmed.

Chopper Down in Afghanistan

(Kabul, Afghanistan) According to Spanish military sources, 17 Spanish soldiers serving with NATO Forces have been killed in a helicopter crash in western Afghanistan.

From News International Pakistan:

Security officials in Afghanistan said two Pumas had collided about 10km (six miles) south of Herat and five people were still missing.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. Spain has about 850 troops deployed in Afghanistan.

It will be interesting to see how the Spanish public reacts to this news. They have been known to cave when circumstances become stressful.

Israeli Soldiers Storm Gaza

Nothing about this story is pleasant. Israeli security forces entered the main settlement of Neve Dekalim, using a bulldozer and bolt cutters to break down the gates.

From The Courier-Mail:

Around 1000 police and soldiers stormed into the settlement as hundreds of orange-clad protestors tried to block the path of several removal lorries.

Many protestors were thrown to the floor in the violent pushing and shoving as settlers, most of them youngsters, threw themselves at the wall of police barring their way.

At least a dozen youngsters were arrested, most of them dragged off screaming and kicking as the crowd howled in rage: "Jews don't evict Jews," the settlers shouted.

One religious man spat at the soldiers, "Nazis! Shame on you."

From ABC News Online:

The clash between the police and up to 1,000 pro-settlement protesters took place near the Kissufm entry point between Israel and Gush Katif.

Police say an Israeli army officer was injured in violent clashes which resulted in more than 500 arrests.

Local Israeli police chief Yuri Bar-Lev said another 250 protesters were forced back by his officers.

He described their behaviour as irresponsible and said it could lead to a catastrophe.

I hope I'm wrong but, in my opinion, the escalation in violence will probably lead to severe injury or death before the 48-hour operation is over. The youngsters, particularly, are at risk.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Wildlife Bought and Sold on Web Illegally

This should surprise absolutely nobody.

From ABC News Online:

Research carried out by the International Fund for Animal Welfare found that more than 9,000 live animals, or parts from dead ones, were on sale online in a single week.

Fund spokeswoman Jenny Hawley says the Internet has given a boost to the centuries-old illegal wildlife trade.

Let me guess. The 'research' consisted of a Google search.

Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sex with Student

(Fairfax, Virginia) In April, 24-year-old Fairfax County Public School substitute teacher, Dana V. Snyder, was charged with two counts of carnal knowledge with a minor for allegedly having sexual relations with a 14-year-old boy, a former student.


Dana V. Snyder
Yesterday, Snyder pleaded guilty before Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Smith to having sex with a minor on two occasions as part of a plea agreement. Other charges will not be pursued. If convicted, the felonies carry a possible 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Japanese Earthquake at 7.2 Richter

Off the coast of Honshu, north by northeast from Tokyo, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred at 11:46:30 AM local time (02:46:30 AM UTC). The event's hypocentral depth is estimated to be 33 miles below sea level. The earthquake coordinates are 38.267 degrees North Latitude, 141.990 degrees East Longitude.


Earthquake Japan 8/16/05
At least 27 people were reported injured in Miyagi Prefecture, and blackouts occurred in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures. A tsunami warning was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency but later lifted after waves only inches high were observed.

Woman Arrested For Rape of Boy

(Mount Olive, North Carolina) Wayne County Sheriff's deputies arrested Shannon Kathleen Munn, 25, and charged her with felony statutory rape and a felony statutory sex offense of a 15-year-old boy. The crimes were reported by the boy's aunt and uncle.

Munn is in the Wayne County jail in lieu of $100,000 secured bond.

Cindy Sheehan's Husband Seeks Divorce

Outside President Bush's Crawford ranch, Cindy Sheehan probably won't be able to avoid the process server bringing divorce papers from her husband, Patrick Sheehan. According to the petition, it took over 28 years for him to decide that he didn't want to live the rest of his life with Cindy.

It's interesting that it should occur at this time. And, since she's been given the bully pulpit by the media, I wonder what she'll have to say about her husband. Recent experience tends to indicate that she has very few kind words in her vocabulary.

The Strangelet

The strangelet is aptly named. Theoretically, it's an ultra dense, minute piece of matter that travels at cosmic speeds. It's also theorized that strangelets are responsible for unexplained seismic events. Researchers at Southern Methodist University "proposed that two strangelets of unknown mass moving at roughly 400 km/s had passed through Earth" which "may have been responsible for two unexplained seismic events recorded on October 22 and November 24 in 1993."

It seems to me that strangelets are somewhat similar to neutrinos with one big difference. While neutrinos zip through matter without interacting, strangelets interact violently with matter. Of course, I'm not a theoretical physicist, I'm just a blogger. So, what the hell do I know?

Nevertheless, when scientists themselves name something a 'strangelet,' it must be strange. (via Instapundit)

Police Raid Helios Airways' Offices in Cyprus

Updating a previous report about the plane crash in Greece, Cypriot police raided the offices of Helios Airways to search for evidence of a "possible criminal offence" (sic). Apparently, there has been a history of complaints about the airline. A total of 115 passengers and six crew were killed in the crash.

In Salonika, a man was arrested on suspicion of creating a hoax with his claim that he received a chilling text message from a passenger on the plane before it crashed.

He has reportedly confessed to fraudulently claiming he received a text message from a cousin on board the flight.

The man told private television Alpha that the text carried the following message: "We're cold. The pilot is blue. We're going to die. Farewell."

If this guy actually perpetrated a hoax in the middle of a tragic occurrence, somebody ought to regularly smack the sick bastard, every day he's in prison and at least weekly after he gets out.

Abu Zubair, Zarqawi Aide, Killed

(Mosul, Iraq) One of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's lieutenants, Abu Zubair, was ambushed and shot dead by Iraqi National Guard Forces in Mosul according to a statement by U.S. authorities. Abu Zubair was wanted for several attacks in Mosul, one of which left five policemen dead.

This is great news on two counts; one is that al-Qaeda in Iraq leadership is weakened and, two is that it was accomplished by Iraqi forces.

Tipped by Chad Evans.

Gaza Kidnap Victim is French-Algerian Muslim

Updating a previous report, the journalist kidnapped in Gaza City has become an embarrassment for the Palestinian Authority.

From the Jerusalem Post:

The journalist was identified as Muhammed Ouathi, an Algerian Muslim with French citizenship who was working as a soundman for French Television Channel III.

Eyewitnesses said three kidnappers armed with rifles kidnapped him while he was walking back to his hotel in Gaza City. The three threatened Ouathi, pulled him into a white Subaru and drove away to an unknown destination.

PA Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfik Abu Khoussa said that Outahi was abducted while he was with another three French journalists.

"The unknown kidnappers left the three French journalists and abducted the half French, half Algerian journalist and took him to an unknown place," he added.

It appears that the kidnappers went fishing for a victim, found a keeper, and threw the others back. No group has claimed responsibility and Hamas has condemned the abduction. Given the level of lawlessness in Gaza, any of a number of thug criminal gangs could be responsible for the kidnapping.


[Update 8/15/05, 1530]

France has weighed in on the kidnapping of Ouathi.

From Aljazeera.Net:

"French authorities condemn the kidnapping last night in Gaza of Mohamed Ouathi, a sound engineer for France 3 television, and call for his immediate release," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement.

"Our consulate in Jerusalem is fully mobilized to this end, in liaison with the relevant Palestinian authorities," it said.

I believe that full mobilization of the consulate means they've stocked up on pate and wine and hired additional bartenders and food servers.

Convicted Teachers Keep Teaching Certificates

The Buffalo News recently identified five Western New York teachers, convicted of sex crimes involving children, who still had their teaching credentials.

- Christopher J. Cross, substitute teacher at West Hertel Academy, currently in jail for molesting 8th-grade girls,

- Joel Fidanza, a gym teacher in Medina, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to child endangerment of a 15-year-old girl,

- Jeffrey Hart, an employee of the Tonawanda School District, serving a federal prison term for child pornography,

- Kevin Rocktaschel, registered sex offender, Williamsville music teacher, admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl,

- Rachelle Vantucci, registered sex offender, substitute teacher in Geneseo, admitted having sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Current rules and regulations don't adequately address revocation of teaching credentials. More troubling is the fact that each tenured teacher continues to be paid while being investigated which typically takes about 18 months, costing over $160,000.

Urine-Powered Battery

(Singapore) A team of researchers led by Dr. Ki Bang Lee at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore has developed a urine-powered battery. The battery is comprised of a layer of paper steeped in copper chloride sandwiched between strips of magnesium and copper. According to Dr. Lee, 1.5 volts is generated from 0.2 milliliter of urine.

If my calculations are correct, typical robust beer drinkers would have several thousand volts at their disposal.

Fergie Gets Drenched with Champagne

(Sotogrande, Spain) While handing out prizes at a polo tournament, the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, was drenched with champagne by a sore loser.

From the Mirror.co.uk:

Many royals would have lost their rag. But pointing out the culprit, she laughed and gave him a playful wigging before an official led her back to present the trophies.

How nice. Fergie, 41, didn't lose her rag and even was into some playful wigging. I'm not really sure what playful wigging is, but it must be fun.

Al Qaeda Prisoner Doesn't Pray, Drinks Whiskey Instead

(Ankara, Turkey) Apprehended four days ago in Istanbul, top Al Qaeda operative Luai Sakra is suspected to be the financier of the 2003 bombings in Istanbul and planned attacks on Israeli vessels.

During his off-the-record talks with police forces, Sakra gave misleading information about the planned attack whereas he gave a rather credible account of the November 15-20 attacks in Istanbul.

When told that he would be granted time and space to perform his religious rituals, Sakra shocked the authorities by saying that he doesn't "do the namaz." He also announced that he is an avid alcohol consumer, an action strictly forbidden by Islam. His personal favourites are whiskey and wine, Sakra revealed.

Sakra is considered one of the 5 most important figures in Al Qaeda and he had a few other things to say.

- Sakra claimed that he helped the militants who involved the 9/11 Attacks. Sarka said: "I provided them passport and other things."

- Sakra: "I knew London bombing."

- Sakra: "I do not pray. I drink alcohol and like very much drinking."

- Turkish police asked Sakra whether he like to pray after the operation. But he rejected the offer and said "I do not pray. I do not like praying."

- "I do drink alcohol and I prefer like whisky and wine," Sakra added.

- Sakra also confessed that he knew the London attack before the assaults happened.

- Sakra however claims that he knew nothing about the Egypt bombings.

It's somewhat hard to envision Sakra as a hard line al Qaeda biggie since he apparently lacks the fundamentalist persona. I'd say he appears to be no more than an everyday opportunistic thug. Of course, that description seems to apply to many of the terrorists. There's more at the link.


[Update 8/15/05, 0535 EDT]

Chad Evans notes that Sakra also told his Turkish interrogators that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is in Northern Iraq.


[Update 8/25/05]

In another report, Chad Evans has more detailed information about Sakra. Apparently, Sakra had tipped off the Syrian Secret Service of the planned 9/11 attacks beforehand. The Syrians told the CIA, but after the attack. Also, whereas Sakra told Turkish investigators (above) that he supplied the 9/11 attackers with "passport and other things," Chad reports that the "other things" included money. It's unknown where the money came from, however, it seems certain that Sakra was very familiar with the Hamburg cell responsible for 9/11.

Mexicans Smuggling Drugs on Tour Buses

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mexican drug smugglers are using charter tour buses to haul large amounts of contraband across the border.

No surprise here, they use whatever works.

International Underwear Festival

(Nova Friburgo, Brazil) There are some parties that I just hate to miss.


International
Underwear Festival
From Xinhuanet.com:

Model wear new-style underwears during a show in an international underwear festival held in Nova Friburgo, Brazil, August 10, 2005. More than 100 underwear companies participate in the four-day festival in Nova Friburgo, well-known for its underwear culture, to promote their lastet designs and materials. (sic the paragraph)

Given that my drawers are chock-a-block full of drawers, I consider myself to be part of the underwear culture. Even so, no invitation to the festival was received. It's probably just as well. From the media photos, I didn't see anything that I would wear.

Indian Call Centers Selling Personal Information

Detailed personal information of tens of thousands of Australians is being made available illegally on the black market by workers at Indian call centers. Nobody should be shocked. Cyber crime is just too easy.

Kidnapping in Gaza

(Gaza City) A French television sound engineer was kidnapped by three gunmen outside his hotel in Gaza City and bundled into a waiting car just hours before Israel commenced its withdrawal of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip. The technician works for French 3 Public Television.


[Update 8/14/05, 2330 EDT]

From TurkishWeekly.net:

Palestinian security forces have said they are investigating reports that a member of a French television crew was kidnapped by gunmen outside his Gaza City hotel.

At this time, there's not much confirmation of the story. It's understandable in light of the fact that the Israelis are presently shushing settlers out of the Gaza Strip. They have 48 hours to leave or be forced out. Expect trouble.


[Update 8/15/05, 1400 EDT]

From the Jerusalem Post:

The journalist was identified as Muhammed Ouathi, an Algerian Muslim with French citizenship who was working as a soundman for French Television Channel III.

Eyewitnesses said three kidnappers armed with rifles kidnapped him while he was walking back to his hotel in Gaza City. The three threatened Ouathi, pulled him into a white Subaru and drove away to an unknown destination.

PA Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfik Abu Khoussa said that Outahi was abducted while he was with another three French journalists.

"The unknown kidnappers left the three French journalists and abducted the half French, half Algerian journalist and took him to an unknown place," he added.

It appears that the kidnappers went fishing for a victim, found a keeper, and threw the others back. No group has claimed responsibility and Hamas has condemned the abduction. Given the level of lawlessness in Gaza, any of a number of criminal gangs could be responsible for the kidnapping.

Plane Crash in Greece

(Grammatiko, Greece) At 12:20pm local time (9:20 GMT), a charter Helios Airways flight out of Cyprus crashed north of Athens, killing all 121 people onboard. It's suspected that cabin depressurization caused the pilots to lose consciousness.

The ultimate destination of the flight was Prague and, according to Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, 80 of the passengers were children returning from a holiday on the Mediterranean island.