Woman, 24, Arrested for Posing as Boy, 15

(Williamson County, Illinois) A 24-year-old woman, Jennifer May (aka Jack Kaiser and Jack Stones), was arrested for attempting to pass herself off as a 15-year-old boy and enroll in high school.

Investigators say Jack Kaiser is a transgender person who also has gone by the name Jennifer May. Kaiser was arrested Tuesday and charged with disorderly conduct for misrepresenting herself to a state agency.

Police say Kaiser was using the name Jack Stones when she tried to enroll at Marion High School, telling the state child-welfare agency she'd been abandoned.

Kaiser/May/Stones was booked into custody at the Williamson County Jail with bond set at $20,000.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Investigates Out-of-State Gun Shows

(New York City) Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered an undercover operation of gun shows in Tennessee, Nevada and Ohio to gather evidence that a "loophole" in gun laws allow felons, the mentally unfit and domestic offenders to obtain guns.

The City of New York investigated 7 gun shows in 3 states involving buys from 47 gun sellers using hidden cameras. The investigation videos showed that 35 out of 47 sellers approached by undercover investigators at these gun shows sold guns illegally.

Results of the operation are posted here.

Not everybody is happy with the New York mayor sending spies into other states. As an example, Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) said that "Bloomberg and his anti-gun cronies should stay the heck out of Tn."

Shock! Posters of Obama defaced!

Rollins College is a liberal arts college located in Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando, Florida.

"On Thursday, Oct. 1, over one hundred Rollins students and faculty members turned out for a town hall meeting in response to the vandalizing of posters featuring Barack Obama. These posters were defaced with images of swastikas, Hitler-like mustaches, and the number "666" on the posters. While one might argue that students have the right of freedom of speech to declare their opinions on politics and other aspects of society, the use of hate-speech or racial slurs on college property will not be tolerated by the faculty, staff and students of Rollins.

Source

I wonder how many turned out to protest depictions of GWB as Hitler?

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

Counterfeit Zebras

(Gaza Strip) In a thinly-veiled sympathy piece regarding hardships in Gaza, the Israeli and Egyptian blockade is blamed for depriving Palestinians from enjoying a world-class zoo.

Only humanitarian goods are allowed through checkpoints.

Hundreds of smuggling tunnels have since been built under the border with Egypt, to bring in anything from weapons to cars, petrol and toys.

But the tunnel imports can be costly and Israel drives up the prices by regularly bombing the smuggling tunnels.

The zoo's lion and two ostriches were brought in through the tunnels when they were babies, but a zebra would be prohibitive.

Instead of real, smuggled zebras, zoo officials decided to counterfeit zebras from donkeys. Using masking tape and French hair-coloring, two made-in-Gaza zebras were created.

Heh.

Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Track Ammo

(Sacramento, California) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill (AB 962) to require sellers of handgun ammunition to keep a log of sales information which includes the buyer's thumbprint, signature and driver's license data. The bill, sponsored by Los Angeles Democrat Kevin De Leon, goes into effect in 2011.

Because the governor had vetoed other bills restricting guns this year, the executive of Gun Owners of California was baffled that the governor agreed to track ammunition sales.

"We think it was a devastating mistake,'' said Sam Paredes, executive director of the group representing 30,000 gun owners. Ammunition buyers, he said, "are going to be treated like registered sex offenders now.''

By putting restrictions on ammunition, this bill is just another step toward complete gun control. Arguably, the anti-gun crowd are utopians who believe that anything that makes gun ownership more burdensome is good. After all, without ammunition, what good is a gun? Expect Second Amendment opponents to continue to exasperate and restrict as many facets of gun ownership as possible.

Schwarzenegger also signed bills to celebrate slain homosexual activist Harvey Milk's birthday (May 22), to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, to criminalize paparazzi picture-taking, to prohibit cosmetic surgery without a physical examination and to outlaw political candidates from paying their spouses to work on their campaigns.

Cascading Convictions

(Barron, Wisconsin) A 51-year-old woman, Lisa K. White, has been sentenced to four and one-half years in prison for driving while intoxicated. She has been arrested 13 times for the offense and the sentence results from her 10th and 11th convictions. White awaits prosecution on the 12th and 13th cases.

Maybe it's just me, but one might reasonably think that two, three, possibly four apprehensions for drunk driving would make a point. Not so with Lisa White. She's cascading convictions.

Obama Flag


Obama Flag
Reportedly, the Obama flag flies boldly over a midwestern American city and the picture is not a photoshop. If you'd like one for your very own, instructions for purchase are here.

Amusing:

Truth Serum has "interviews" with newsworthy figures showing what might happen if the interview subject were on truth serum. It is headlined as The Conservative Comedy Cure For That Painful Liberal Hangover.

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

Iran Condemns Three Election Protesters to Death

(Tehran, Iran) The Iranian Justice Ministry announced that three post-election protesters have been sentenced to death.

"Three people who were accused (for their role) in the post-election incidents have been sentenced to death," said Zahed Bashiri Rad, media officer at the justice ministry, quoted by ISNA news agency on Saturday.

Bashiri Rad, giving only the initials of the convicts said that "MZ and AP were convicted for ties with the Kingdom Assembly of Iran and NA for ties with the Monafeghin (exiled opposition group commonly known as the People's Mujahedeen)."

The post-election protesters claimed that Ahmadinejad rigged his election. As a result, about 4,000 people were arrested, including reformers and journalists. It's expected that arrests of complainers, protesters and reformers will continue on a whack-a-mole basis.

Amnesty International and other heel-nippers urged the Iranian regime to not execute the protesters.

Greenshirts out in force

Phelim McAleer, co-director/producer of “Not Evil Just Wrong” and asker of difficult questions, reportedly just had his microphone turned off a little while ago as he queried Al Gore at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Madison, Wisc.

If you want to see what a joke the SEJ and its meeting is, just take a look at their list of panels. Awards named for Rachel Carson and sponsored by Animal Planet and Planet Green; panels with titles like "Crane Conservation on our Fractured Landscape," "Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Justice," and "Green PR in the Blogosphere: How PR Practitioners are End-Running Professional Journalists and How We Should Respond;" and moderators from the ranks of the most activist of writers.

Phelim at work at the premiere of "The Age of Stupid:"



SOURCE (See the original for links)

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

Chinese Condemn Six Uighurs to Death

(Beijing, China) According to a report from the official Xinhua news agency, a Chinese court has sentenced six Muslim Uighurs to death for their part in the July 2009 rioting in Xinjiang Province.

It was not clear from the report by the official Xinhua news agency if any of the death sentences would be commuted, as sometimes happens in China, or appealed against. Another person was given life imprisonment, Xinhua said.

The reported names of those convicted left little doubt that they were Uighurs, a Muslim, Turkic-speaking people native to Xinjiang. But the report did not specify their ethnicity.

They were the first people to be convicted for involvement in the riots, and the convictions may revive memories of the discontent and bloodshed that have left Xinjiang increasingly divided.

The verdicts prompted outrage from Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, who claimed the trials were a sham.

"The whole process lacked transparency and was unfair," he said by telephone. "They were not given any kind of legal aid. Uighurs have no protection under the law."

The basic conflict results from animosity between the Uighurs, a Muslim-Turkish population living in the western province of Xinjiang, and the majority Han Chinese. The two groups don't like each other. The Han Chinese see the Uighurs as threatening their jobs in addition to blaming them for rapes, robberies and arsons. The Uighurs see the Han Chinese as oppressive interlopers in their traditional homeland which they demand become separated from China as independent East Turkistan.

The deadly riots were sparked by fatal attacks on two Uighurs at the Early Light Toy factory in Guangdong last June.

Expect the Uighur-Han Chinese conflict to continue. Also expect the reporting of the situation to be sketchy and slanted since the ChiComs keep a tight grip on journalists.

Orthorexia Nervosa


People who obsessively restrict their diets to healthy foods are considered to be junkies who exhibit orthorexia nervosa, a term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman in a 1997 journal article.

In the article, Bratman defined orthorexia nervosa as a "pathological fixation on eating proper food." Bratman, who still lives in Colorado and is now working on a master's degree in public health, says that after the publication of the article, he was excoriated over the idea that healthy eating can take an unhealthy turn.[...]

Bratman says he rarely talks about orthorexia nowadays, but the concept has lived on among health professionals who deal with eating disorders.

Although it is not an official diagnosis, the concept of orthorexia can be a useful way for health professionals to understand the perspective of a person whose once-appropriate idea of a proper diet may have crossed the line into disordered eating.

Ironically, it's sort of like being a Kool-Aid drinker despite Kool-Aid being the last thing a health food junkie would probably drink.

Tax Amnesty in Connecticut

(Hartford, Connecticut) Apparently, citizens of the state have had difficulty in prompt payment of their taxes so the authorities are offering an amnesty period with reduced payment incentives.

Under the Connecticut Tax Settlement Incentive program, the state Department of Revenue Services is offering to reduce outstanding interest by 50 percent and eliminate all penalties, if a taxpayer settles its debt with the state by Dec. 15.

Notification letters will be sent out to 75,000 delinquent payers this week.

Note that citizens who don't receive notification and believe they should be on the delinquent taxpayers list and thereby eligible for amnesty are encouraged to call the Department of Revenue. Yeh, like that'll happen.

Tip: slwlion

Why is a large modern house a "McMansion"?

And why is anybody who wants one "obsessed"? This hate-speech from America's Green/Left now seems to have arrived in Australia. See below. It is just a sneer at ordinary people who don't follow Green/Left fads. (NSW is the Australian State of New South Wales)

" NSW'S obsession with the McMansion is as strong as ever. While the rest of Australia opts for smaller, more efficient abodes, new homes being built in NSW are 22 per cent larger than the national average. Data from property research firm BIS Shrapnel has revealed the average size of new homes in NSW grew 3 per cent this year to about 308.3sq m, compared with a national reduction of 0.8 per cent to 253.1sq m, The Daily Telegraph reports.

AVJennings NSW general manager Rod Killick said the figures revealed NSW buyers still believed "bigger is better". "It has been clear for some time that Australians are starting to prefer homes which are more efficient with their use of space," Mr Killick said. "That means smaller homes in terms of square metres, but it doesn't mean less comfort or amenity. "NSW homebuilders are clearly bucking that trend. "In fact, while NSW's homes were exactly the same size as the national average in 1990, they are now more than 50s m larger - that's more than the size of a double garage."

According to BIS Shrapnel, while the national average house size had grown by almost 12 per cent over the past decade, the NSW average had almost doubled. "In the last 10 years, NSW homes have grown by 23.9 per cent. That's double the national growth average and shows that home builders in NSW still believe bigger is better," Mr Killick said. However he expected obsession with size to wane, with trends suggesting buyers were becoming focused on design and quality.

Mr Killick said he didn't expect the outlandish growth to continue. "AV Jennings is finding that customers are starting to prefer spending their money on smaller homes with better quality inclusions and combined living areas, rather than paying the same for a larger home," Mr Killick said.

SOURCE

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

UK Poll - Obama and Nobel Prize

An unscientific poll in today's UK Daily Mail:

Does President Barack Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

Results:
YES -- 22%
NO -- 78%

One might have predicted that the British would be more supportive of Obama.

Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Perry County, Pennsylvania) A 37-year-old local woman, Rachel A. Scott, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Scott faces charges of statutory sexual assault and involuntary deviant sexual intercourse.

Scott was arrested Friday after police say she interferred with the custody of the boy after taking him from his home to her residence, police say. She was also charged with a small amount of marijuana, police say.

Scott was arraigned and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. A court appearance is scheduled for October 20.

Anticipatory Obedience

(Berlin, Germany) About all that free speech and artistic license stuff, well, it's dead.

A German publishing company has pulled out from a novel based on ‘Islamic honour killings’ in order to avoid any violent protests from the Muslim community.

The publisher said that he withdrew from the book, which was to be titled ‘To Whom Honour is Due,’ after an Islamic expert warned him that some of the passages could put his life in danger.

According to one author, Nonie Darwish, Western governments are to blame since citizens are not being protected from assaults by Islamic extremists.

White House: Taliban No Threat to U.S.

Former Indian diplomat M.K. Bhadrakumar writes:

India has a substantial policy crisis on its hands with the US indicating that the Taliban did not pose a direct threat to its interests. [...]

A senior US official in deep-briefing in Washington unveiled the thinking prevailing in the White House: The Taliban did not pose a direct threat to the US and, therefore, America's war on terror in South Asia would rather focus on tackling Al Qaeda inside Pakistan. [...]

We have the first official signal that the Barack Obama administration is now inclined to send only as many more troops to Afghanistan as are needed to keep Al Qaeda at bay.

The stunning news is that the US has reframed the question 'who is the US's adversary?' What we are now to believe is that the Al Qaeda terror network is distinct from the Taliban and the US military has been for eight years fighting the Taliban even though it posed no direct threat to America.

In the history of wars, such an incredible somersault has never probably been attempted by human ingenuity. The US diplomats will now fan out from their embassies in world capitals and propagate that the Taliban has no agenda to harm other countries. This was exactly what they used to propagate a decade ago until their own embassies in Kenya and Tanzania got bombed and a gaping hole was put into USS Cole by a jihadi.

Clearly, Obama is content with ensuring that Al Qaeda doesn't regroup in Afghanistan as was the case before the 9/11 attacks. The limited American mission implies that the US will in immediate terms require only a small increase in its troop levels in Afghanistan. Most important, the US has decided to pivot its regional strategy by strengthening the Pakistani military and encouraging it to take the battle to extremists inside its borders.

All this adds up to a very substantial policy crisis for our government. The much-touted US-India strategic partnership is in tatters. The partnership is an illusion when the two sides cannot even see eye to eye on what constitutes a threat to their national security.

Therefore, the argument has been made that the strategic partnership between India and the U.S. is an illusion. According to the comment thread accompanying the link, there is general agreement with the argument.

Curiously, it's unknown how the Obama administration concluded that the Taliban is not a threat to the U.S. since the Taliban has issued direct threats to the U.S. In particular, early this year was a specific threat to attack Washington, D.C. One would imagine that Obama would be aware of the threat since he was living in Washington at the time.

Frankly, I suggest the administration wants to weasel-word the war in Afghanistan to justify managing the conflict as a cops-and-robbers police chase rather than a military battle front.

Be careful: "Cautious" is a sexist term

Color me sexist in that case. There are several Democrats pursuing the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. One is Martha Coakley and another is Michael Capuano. And they are all bitter rivals trying to put one another down:

"It was Coakley supporter Therese Murray who finally broke down and played the sexist trump card. She accused Capuano of being sexist for calling Coakley "cautious." ‘‘You all have these little code words; now it’s cautious,’’ Murray charged...

In a follow-up Globe article, "Capuano attacks front-runner Coakley," Capuano seemed as surprised as anyone about the change in status of the "cautious" word: “I don’t think the average person thinks the use of the word cautious to describe generic candidates is a sexist term."

SOURCE

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

Alabama Teacher Pinched for Drugs

(Brewton, Alabama) A 46-year-old 4th-grade teacher at Brewton Elementary School, Kelley Ball, was arrested this week for alleged possession of a controlled substance.

According to Capt. Randy Nicholson, Ball was arrested near her home as part of an undercover investigation.

Nicholson would not say what they (sic) controlled substance was.

Reportedly, Ball has been teaching at Brewton City Schools since 1990.

Beauty Queen Teacher Gets Prison - Updated

(Gulfport, Mississippi) Earlier today, 29-year-old Rebecca Dawn Bogard, the former Biloxi teacher and beauty pageant winner crowned Shrimp Bowl Queen, was sentenced to prison for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy.

Biloxi Circuit Court Judge Roger Clark imposed a sentence of seven years in prison with six years suspended.

Therefore, Bogard will serve one full year in prison and six years of probation. She was also ordered to forfeit her teaching credentials and register as a convicted sex offender.

* * * * *
Mississippi Female Teacher, 27, Boy Student, 15
[Previous 1/21/08 post]
(Biloxi, Mississippi) A 27-year-old science teacher at Fernwood Alternative School, Rebecca Bogard, was arrested last Friday for allegedly engaging in sexual contact with a 15-year-old male student. She has been charged with sexual battery.

Police were alerted by the boy's family.

School officials will meet tomorrow to determine actions regarding Bogard's employment.


[Update 01/23/08]

Bogard, a former beauty pageant contestant crowned Shrimp Bowl Queen 1996, has been suspended with pay from her teaching position. According to Superintendent Paul Tisdale, Bogard is also prohibited from going on any school campus without authorization.

After booking at the Harrison County Jail, Bogard was released on $50,000 bond.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.


[Update 9/16/08]

Bogard was indicted by a Harrison County grand jury on charges of exploitation of child, touching of a child for lustful purposes, and statutory rape. According to court documents, Bogard admitted to engaging in sex with the 15-year-old.

I Am Ozzy and You're F&%#&^!

Weathered rock icon Ozzy Osbourne has written a book, I Am Ozzy, available here.

Through an anonymous source, I received a bootleg copy of the introduction to the book which explains the reasons Osbourne wrote it.

"Ya' f#$^&, a&#@ can eat ma b#%@& f yer the don't. Ma c&#%$ fins tah f$##&, and din f^&$# mer. Nah git an g$#%&&^ by. Day muffin f%$#^*# kisser ok g&$%# and s$%#&."

Fill in the blanks and enjoy a fine read, I'm guessing. It helps if one understands Ozzyspeak.

Interestingly, it's hinted that Osbourne wants the book made into a movie starring Johnny Depp.

ACORN Thugs Throw Out Republican Registrations

ACORN activists are famous for using your tax dollar to register characters like Mickey Mouse. But what would happen if they did something really weird — like register Republicans? As reported by Pam Geller, Black Republican Fathiyyah Muhammad of Jacksonville discovered the answer when she signed up to register voters for ACORN at $3/head.

In stark contrast to typical ACORN operatives, Muhammad is an entrepreneur who grasps the concept of economic liberty. As she puts it: "America is the place you can live your dreams if you work at it."

When potential voters didn't have a preference, she signed them up as Republicans. An apparatchik back at the ACORN office was not pleased. "I showed what I had, and he said, "No, no, you a fraud, there can't be any black Republicans,' and oh, he just kind of hung me out to dry.… But of course their main aim was to register only Democrats. They're not interested in registering Republicans."

As for the Republican registrations she collected… "They just discarded those, they weren't valid. All of the registrations… they just threw those out."

To top it off, ACORN stiffed her for the $3 per registration she'd been promised. "Everyone else got paid, all the other people got paid, but I didn't. And I didn't make a big deal about it, I just figured that it was another one of life's experiences."

Let's hope the whole country learns from its recent experiences with ACORN — and with the community activist it helped place in the White House.

SOURCE

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

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Congratulations, Mr. President.

Since Obama's performance in office has arguably been closer to toe-stubbing than exemplary over the past nine months, the award was apparently based on hopey-changey expectations.

Either that or the prize committee has affirmed that the Nobel Peace Prize is now a vehicle to push a political agenda rather than an award which recognizes superior achievement.

[Add.] Here are some reactions:

- "I am a genuine admirer of Obama. And I am very pleased that George W Bush is no longer president. But I doubt that I am alone in wondering whether this award is slightly premature. It is hard to point to a single place where Obama’s efforts have actually brought about peace - Gaza, Iran, Sri Lanka? The peace prize committee say that he is being rewarded for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy”. But while it is OK to give school children prizes for “effort” - my kids get them all the time - I think international statesmen should probably be held to a higher standard." - Gideon Rachman at FT.com

- "Obviously, the award is based on the hope that Obama will achieve real progress in advancing diplomacy rather than confrontation around the globe." - Jacob Heilbrunn at HuffPo

- "The simple explanation for the Committee’s decision to cite Mr. Obama at this stage of his presidency is that he is not George W. Bush. The more generous interpretation is that the decision is hortatory; that is, it is designed to encourage the President to follow a path in U.S. foreign policy that is preferred by Committee members." - Norman Spector at The Globe and Mail

- "The Taliban Friday condemned the decision to award this year's Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, saying he had 'not taken a single step towards peace in Afghanistan'." - AFP report

There are many raised eyebrows. The receipt of the prize may ultimately be a negative since it encourages people to actually assess what Obama has done in his short time in office. I contend that an honest assessment would not be flattering.

More reactions:

- The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska Freds) has classified as "shameful" the decision by the Nobel Committee in Oslo to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to Barack Obama. "The choice of Barack Obama as the recipient of the world's foremost peace prize is shocking," said the group's chairwoman Anna Ek in a statement.

Ek conceded that the US president had sent "positive signals" with regard to his future commitment to global peace. "But at the same time Obama is the president of the biggest military power in the world and is waging two wars in the world. That should certainly disqualify him from a peace prize," said Ek. - The Local (Sweden)

- The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and opposes a peace treaty with Israel, said the award was premature at best. "Obama has a long way to go still and lots of work to do before he can deserve a reward," said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri. "Obama only made promises and did not contribute any substance to world peace. And he has not done anything to ensure justice for the sake of Arab and Muslim causes." - Kyiv Post

Tennessee Woman Gets Hand Slap in Sex Case

(Murfreesboro, Tennessee) In February 2009, a 45-year-old medical assistant, Brenda M. Strahan, was indicted on four counts of statutory rape of a 17-year-old male student who attended Blackman High School.

Investigators found that she had performed oral sex on the teen a number of times throughout 2007 and 2008.

In September, Strahan pleaded guilty to statutory rape and was sentenced to probation.

Strahan entered a plea with the district attorney Sept. 30, admitting to two counts of aggravated statutory rape. She was granted diversion on those charges, meaning she won’t serve time behind bars, while two other charges of statutory rape were dropped.

Strahan will be on probation for eight years and during that time she’ll be in the state’s sex offender database. She’ll have pay the $500 sex offender tax to be placed in that database as well, according to court documents.

She will also “submit to a psychosexual (evaluation) and follow any recommendations” made by a therapist, her plea agreement read. “She will be subject to the (state’s) sex (offender) directives and will comply with the requirements.”

The plea agreement also states that Strahan “will have no contact with her victims by any means whatsoever, including through third parties” and “will not go to the victim’s place of employment.”

So, blah -- blah -- blah, she walks.

Teacher Gets 20 Years in Sex Case

(Magnolia, Arkansas) In August 2008, a 30-year-old English teacher at Magnolia Junior High School, Allison Dean, was arrested for allegedly providing drugs and engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

This week just before the scheduled start of her jury trial in Columbia County Circuit Court, Allison Dean, now 31, pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree sexual assault.

As a result, Dean was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.

Ouch.

Dumb Stuff

(Stamford, Connecticut) Six woman have been charged with assault after beating the bejeezus out of a criminally-bad karaoke singer.

Police say the attack on the 25-year-old woman from Port Chester, N.Y., happened on the night of Sept. 23 when she was singing a Spanish song at Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe in Stamford.

Authorities say the six women, all under the legal drinking age of 21, knocked the singer to the floor, punched her and pulled her hair. The victim suffered bruises and a chipped tooth.

I'd suggest the accused bring the singer in court, have her perform and then claim self-defense. They could say that their mental health was being compromised.

EU Nuke Waste Going to Russia

(Moscow, Russia) The Russian government has entered into a deal with the European Union to use a former nuclear weapons production site, Krasnoyarsk-26, as a nuclear waste repository for Europe's nuclear plants. In return for functioning as Europe's nuclear garbage dump, Russia gets $20 billion.

It's expected that most of the money will be "diverted" to officials for personal use instead of improved security and radiation protection measures at the site.

And there is the symbolism involved. The facility was built by slave laborers in the GULAG at Stalin’s direct order in January 1950. Thousands– there were 27,000 there in 1953, of whom 4,000 were women – worked and in many cases died to dig out the inside of a granite mountain to protect Soviet plutonium production against even a direct hit by a nuclear bomb.

Consequently, not only is Krasnoyarsk-26 an ugly reminder of the communist slave labor camps which killed millions, it is already one of the more radioactive places on Earth.

The nuclear waste at Krasnoyarsk-26 already has a total radioactivity equal to three billion curies. By next year, that figure is projected to rise to 10 billion curies. And by 2015 – six years from now – it will be more than 25 billion curies – a figure equal to “the explosive of 500 Chernobyls.”

Interestingly, the EU has a strong NIMBY (not in my back yard) mentality which has entered into a civil union with a DINBY (dump in neighbor's back yard) permissiveness.

Gay Man Tries to Poison 2 Lesbians Over Missing 3-Legged Cat



(Manchester, England) A 37-year-old gay man, Gary Stewart, tried to poison his lesbian neighbors, Marie Walton and Beverley Sales, with slug pellets after being accused of kidnapping their three-legged cat.

Stewart claimed he had ordered too much curry from an Indian takeout and offered some to the lesbians as a peace offering but only after mixing in some slug pellets. Noticing the extra crunchiness of the curry, the lesbians called the authorities.

Reportedly, Stewart admitted to the offense.

Tip: Midwest Conservative Journal

Clunkers in Practice

One of Washington's all-time dumb ideas

Remember "cash for clunkers," the program that subsidized Americans to the tune of nearly $3 billion to buy a new car and destroy an old one? Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared in August that, "This is the one stimulus program that seems to be working better than just about any other program."

If that's true, heaven help the other programs. Last week U.S. automakers reported that new car sales for September, the first month since the clunker program expired, sank by 25% from a year earlier. Sales at GM and Chrysler fell by 45% and 42%, respectively. Ford was down about 5%. Some 700,000 cars were sold in the summer under the program as buyers received up to $4,500 to buy a new car they would probably have purchased anyway, so all the program seems to have done is steal those sales from the future. Exactly as critics predicted.

Cash for clunkers had two objectives: help the environment by increasing fuel efficiency, and boost car sales to help Detroit and the economy. It achieved neither. According to Hudson Institute economist Irwin Stelzer, at best "the reduction in gasoline consumption will cut our oil consumption by 0.2 percent per year, or less than a single day's gasoline use." Burton Abrams and George Parsons of the University of Delaware added up the total benefits from reduced gas consumption, environmental improvements and the benefit to car buyers and companies, minus the overall cost of cash for clunkers, and found a net cost of roughly $2,000 per vehicle. Rather than stimulating the economy, the program made the nation as a whole $1.4 billion poorer.

The basic fallacy of cash for clunkers is that you can somehow create wealth by destroying existing assets that are still productive, in this case cars that still work. Under the program, auto dealers were required to destroy the car engines of trade-ins with a sodium silicate solution, then smash them and send them to the junk yard. As the journalist Henry Hazlitt wrote in his classic, "Economics in One Lesson," you can't raise living standards by breaking windows so some people can get jobs repairing them.

In the category of all-time dumb ideas, cash for clunkers rivals the New Deal brainstorm to slaughter pigs to raise pork prices. The people who really belong in the junk yard are the wizards in Washington who peddled this economic malarkey.

SOURCE

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

Tennessee Teacher Accused of Stealing Students' Lunch Money

(Murfreesboro, Tennessee) A 30-year-old teacher at Cason Lane Academy, Angela Strube, has been accused of stealing third-graders' lunch money. Strube has been charged with theft under $500.

Murfreesboro City Schools’ spokeswoman Cheryl Harris said Strube was suspended without pay. She is a tenured teacher.

Police spokesman Kyle Evans said the Murfreesboro City Schools system, not the children, was the victim because the teacher reported the children paid for the lunches.

“She admitted to taking the school lunch money – just to pocket the money,” Evans said.

Principal Chad Fletcher reported money missing from the school lunches and Smart Card fund Sept. 14.

Strube has a court appearance scheduled for November 30.

Colorado Mom Accused of Sex with Boy

(Denver, Colorado) A 38-year-old local woman, Marci Ann Carillo, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy and introducing him to methamphetamine.

The affidavit said Carillo lived at the home with her three children and the teen's father from July 2008 until February.

Carillo bought and supplied marijuana for the teen, and according to the affidavit, as they shared the pot, "they started to spend more time together and grew closer and confided in each other."

In August 2008, Carillo hugged the boy to comfort him about a death in his family. That night she snuck into his room and had sex with him, the affidavit said. They kept their sexual relationship a secret from his father.

After being caught with marijuana and forced into rehab, the boy told a counselor of the sex abuse who then informed the police.

Carillo was booked into custody and released on $50,000 bond.

The Ronery Guy

Kim Jong-il looks for love.



More here.

Alabama Woman Guilty of Raping Boy, 13

(Russellville, Alabama) Yesterday in Franklin County Circuit Court, Ashley Turner was convicted of second-degree rape of a 13-year-old boy by a jury of six men and six women who deliberated for about an hour.

The boy testified Tuesday that he was in his bedroom watching wrestling when Turner came into the room. "She told me she was bored and asked me if she could watch wrestling," he testified. "I told her she could."

The youth said he was sitting at the head of the bed while Turner sat at the foot. The youth said he was wearing Sponge Bob pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.

"She asked me if I wanted a massage. I said sure," the boy testified. "I left my shirt on and she massaged my back. Then she started touching me. I wanted her to stop, but she didn't." He said one thing led to another and the two engaged in sex.

Defense attorney Rebecca Thomason said the boy was the aggressor, not Turner who had passed out from taking muscle relaxers. Thomason also said Turner was a good person who attended church regularly. Nevertheless, the jury was convinced of Turner's guilt.

Sentencing is scheduled for next week by Judge Terry Dempsey.

* * * * *
Alabama Woman Accused of Rape of Boy
[Previous 6/12/09 post]
(Russellville, Alabama) A 24-year-old local woman, Ashley Turner, was indicted last month on a charge of second-degree rape for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Sheriff Larry Plott said his office was notified in August about the allegation, which was already being investigated by the Franklin County Department of Human Resources.

Sheriff's investigators said DHR officials were notified by the boy's parents after they discovered the relationship.

Authorities said it appears the relationship was active for a long time before the parents found out.

Turner was booked and released on $7,500 signature bond.

Evacuate Before Boarding

Passengers on the Japanese All Nippon Airways are being asked to hit the head before boarding to minimize their travel weight and thereby help save the planet. Sheesh!

The carrier is testing the policy on 42 flights, starting last Thursday, and hopes to achieve a five-tonne reduction in carbon emissions in the one-month experiment.

Here's how it works: The average human bladder holds up to a litre of fluid, which weighs roughly one kilogram. All Nippon's most popular aircraft, a Boeing 777, holds 247 people. So, in theory, if 247 passengers all go to the washroom before boarding, they could lighten the plane by up to 247 kilograms – the weight of three average men.

Estimating that a typical coil of human feces weighs 12 ounces, a packed Boeing 777 would be transporting approximately 185 pounds of passenger excrement, the weight of the average Nippon Airways executive, which could also be deposited prior to boarding. It's not clear whether the request for pre-boarding urination includes pre-boarding defecation or if a separate pinch-a-loaf-for-Gaia campaign will be launched.

The idea of ipecac-supplied pre-boarding passenger vomit stations has apparently received little support thus far even though it's conceivable that all travelers could each be carrying 10 to 12 ounces of matter in their stomachs. Emptying the stomach of each passenger prior to takeoff would add up to the weight of another adult individual.

In any event, one must wonder exactly what demographic-type adult passenger, from and to what locations, can be assumed to have a full bladder when boarding an airplane. I contend that most people, definitely those who are experienced travelers, will take care of business before getting on a plane. They don't have to be told.

Eight-State Biker Bust - Pagans MC

A 44-count indictment of 55 members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club was unsealed yesterday. Charges have been filed in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida.

The multi-agency investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of West Virgina, found the Pagans committed violent crimes to maintain control over other motorcycle gangs and clubs throughout the country since March 2003.

Five Pagans office-holders face racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) charges.

Those men include the national president, David Keith Barbeito, also known as "Bart,'' of Myersville, Md., and the national vice president, Floyd B. Moore, also known as "Jesse'' and "Diamond Jesse,'' of St. Albans, W. Va.

In one of dozens of accusations, Moore and other Pagans members and associates allegedly conspired with a prison guard to kill an inmate suspected of cooperating with authorities. The indictment also alleges Moore ordered another Pagans member to commit a murder to help the president of a local chapter of the Avengers Motorcycle Club, federal authorities said.

Prosecutors requested that 28 of the gang members be held without bail.

Pagans MC Data:

- Established: 1959 in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States
- Founder: Lou Dobkins
- Years active: 1959-present
- Territory: East Coast of the United States
- Ethnicity: Predominantly White
- Membership: 350-400 full-patch members, many more prospects and hang-arounds
- Criminal activities: Drug dealing, arms dealing, extortion, prostitution, trafficking in stolen goods
- Allies: Sons of Silence MC, the Aryan Brotherhood and the Pittsburgh crime family
- Rivals: The Breed, Hells Angels MC, Outlaws, Warlocks and the Philadelphia crime family

Leaving the Pagans requires forfeiture of colors, removal of tattoos, payment of an exit fee of up to $2,000, giving up motorcycles and complying with a strong hint to leave town.

More on the ocean acidity scare


There is quite a debate over ocean acidity going on among the skeptical community and I seem to get most of the emails copied to me. The debate is over just how ocean acidity works. The Warmists just assume they know but the facts contradict their ideas. I have no claims to being a chemist, however, so I am not going to post any more of the debate. I put up two excerpts yesterday so from now on I will wait until someone else who really knows the science puts it all together. Meanwhile, however, a reader has sent me some links that look very interesting:

See this PDF of pH measurements of "Monterey Bay Aquarium Incoming Seawater". Note that from when measurements started until the present, there is no trend. The range is from about 7.7 to 8.1, with the first and last being about 7.9, which is consistent with this PDF -- which makes clear that ocean pH is highly variable, with an "average" of around 7.6 (a skewed distribution?), meaning that the bay is more alkaline than average ocean water.

So any claim that there is a "given", global or proper level of ocean acidity is as absurd as the claim that there is a "given", global or proper level of temperature. Acidity is highly variable, follows no simple rule and we have much to learn about it. Warmist certainty in the matter is just the work of con-men with no respect for the facts.

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

MO Mom Gets Prison for Sex with Boys

(Crawford County, Missouri) In May 2008, a 41-year-old mother-of-four, Linetta Holmes, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with six teenage boys, including a 15-year-old. Holmes faced statutory rape and statutory sodomy charges for incidents reportedly occurring between March and May 2008.

Having admitted her guilt earlier this summer, Linetta Holmes (aka Llnetta Holmes), now 42, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison.

Florida Teacher Allegedly Drives Hammered, Crashes

(Vero Beach, Florida) A 30-year-old teacher at Dodgertown Elementary School, Keri Gielow, was arrested Saturday for allegedly driving drunk and leaving the scene of an accident.

Gielow reportedly crashed her car into a van which was stopped at a light and carrying five people who suffered non-life threatening injuries. The five injured persons were taken for treatment at the Sebastian Medical Center.

Upon searching Gielow's car, Indian River County Sheriff's deputies found that her purse contained a half-full bottle of vodka.

Gielow was booked into custody and later released on $16,000 bond.

Illegal Horse Meat

Illegal horse meat is on sale in Florida -- by the carcass, by the steak, at restaurants and butcher shops. It's reported that you can watch the horses carved up right on the sides of South Florida streets.

Virginity Restored

The Gigimo Artificial Virginity Hymen Kit, made in China and selling for $30, leaks a blood-like substance when inserted and broken. It's created a controversy among the Muslims.

Prominent Egyptian religious scholar Abdel Moati Bayoumi said anyone who imports the artificial hymen should be punished.

"This product encourages illicit sexual relations. Islamic culture forbids these relations except within the confines of marriage," Bayoumi said. "I think this should absolutely not be allowed to be exported because it brings more harm than benefits. Whoever does it (imports it) should be punished."

In a country and a region where pre-marital sex is so taboo it can even lead to a woman's murder, the debate over the virginity-faking kit has revived Egypt's constant struggle to reconcile modern mores with more traditional beliefs — namely, that a woman is not a virgin unless she bleeds after the first time.

Note that it comes in a nice box. I'm certain you're supposed to take it out of the wrapper before use.

Illinois Woman Accused of Offering Little Girl for Sex

(DuPage County, Illinois) A 38-year-old Aurora woman, Christina Sykora, is accused of facilitating the rape of a preteen female relative. She has been charged with predatory sexual assault of a child and permitting sexual abuse of a child.

According to Asst. State's Attorney Mike Pawl, Sykora offered the girl, age 7 or 8 at the time, for sex with a 68-year-old handyman, Sabino Martinez, who has been charged with multiple counts of predatory sexual assault. The sex, watched by Sykora at her request, occurred in 2004 or 2005.

Sykora admitted some aspects of the crime to investigators, Pawl said. The girl was staying at Sykora's parents home in an unincorporated area near Lombard when the attack occurred. Pawl said the girl was later victimized repeatedly by Martinez, a handyman who often worked for Sykora's parents.

Pawl said Sykora has a lengthy criminal history that includes skipping out on bond. Most recently, Sykora had lost custody of her infant child after she was arrested in 2008 on drug charges.

Both Sykora and Martinez have been booked into custody at the DuPage County Jail with bond set at $1 million each.

FTC to Regulate Blogging‏

This sounds very much like the thin end of the wedge. What will they try to regulate next?

"The Federal Trade Commission will try to regulate blogging for the first time, requiring writers on the Web to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products. The FTC said Monday its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final Web guidelines, which had been expected. Violating the rules, which take effect Dec. 1, could bring fines up to $11,000 per violation. Bloggers or advertisers also could face injunctions and be ordered to reimburse consumers for financial losses stemming from inappropriate product reviews.

The commission stopped short of specifying how bloggers must disclose conflicts of interest. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising practices division, said the disclosure must be "clear and conspicuous," no matter what form it will take...

The FTC's proposal made many bloggers anxious. They said the scrutiny would make them nervous about posting even innocent comments. To placate such fears, Cleland said the FTC will more likely go after an advertiser instead of a blogger for violations. The exception would be a blogger who runs a "substantial" operation that violates FTC rules and already received a warning, he said.

Source

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

New York Teacher Accused of Sex with Girl

(Binghamton, New York) A 23-year-old student teacher at Union-Endicott High School and Oswego Free Academy, Amy N. Miller, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Miller, who was a student in Binghamton University's teacher education program, has been suspended by the university after her arrest Sunday. She was also dismissed from teaching assignments and removed from course work at the university, state police said.

She faces charges of third-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, according to state police.

Miller was booked into custody at the Tioga County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond.

U.S. Army Deserter Arrested

(Mountain Home, Arkansas) A 25-year-old female reported deserter from the U.S. Army, Naomi Christine Hobbs, was arrested last Thursday during a traffic stop by Baxter County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Brown.

A standard driver's license check indicated that there was a warrant for her arrest issued in April 2008.

Hobbs joined the U.S. Army in March 2007, presumably, to be all she could be and skipped about a year later after she apparently discovered that all she could be is a deserter.

Hobbs was booked into custody at the Baxter County Jail.

Convicts Voting

(Portland, Maine) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has launched a statewide drive to register convicts to vote.

Though prison inmates tend to skew to the Democratic side, the drive isn't about furthering any political agenda, said Rachel Talbot Ross, president of the Portland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Heh. No political agenda here. My rule of thumb: "when someone asserts there is no political agenda, you can bet that there is a political agenda."

Ten-Fold Spike in Chinese Border-Crossers

(Nogales, Arizona) Based upon data from the Tucson sector of the U.S.-Mexico border, the number of Chinese nationals crossing into Arizona has increased ten-fold this year.

The Border Patrol in the Tucson sector has arrested at least 261 Chinese border-crossers this year, compared with an annual average of 32 during the last four years, officials said.

"They are the main [non-Mexicans] we catch," said field operations supervisor Juventino Pacheco of the patrol's international liaison unit in Nogales. "Lately we have been catching more Chinese than Central Americans."

Heh.

Once again: It's OK for blacks to be racist

We read:

"Can you imagine the uproar if a Republican uttered a racial slur such as this? All hell would break loose, the offender would be drummed out of office and left for dead in a smoldering pile, quivering and trembling, begging the NAACP and any other outraged group for forgiveness. But in this case, the offender is a vile, nasty NAACP honcho, a woman with a long track record of bigoted, incendiary comments, so it's OK, I guess.

A top civil rights leader called Democratic controller nominee John Liu "the little Asian boy" who's been "running around" with the NAACP for years, as Liu poked a bit of fun at his own heritage on Saturday.

Speaking before the Rev. Al Sharpton's birthday party, Hazel Dukes noted that Liu - elected the city's first Asian-American councilman in 2001 - was on hand for the festivities.

"I see John Liu here - he's been the little Asian boy running around with us a long time [in] the NAACP," Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference, warmly said to laughter during Sharpton's weekly radio broadcast. "But Rev. [Sharpton], he was a good guy, so we said, 'Come on, come on, come on - we can make you what you want to be,'" Dukes continued to more chuckles and applause as Liu, 42, sat on the stage with a bemused smile.

The Taiwan-born, Queens-bred Liu, who came to the United States with his family at age 5, won the Sept. 15 primary and later defeated rival Councilman David Yassky (D-Brooklyn) in the Sept. 29 runoff. Liu enjoyed strong support from the Asian-American community and other ethnic minority voters.

Source

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

Disposable Airplanes and Other Stuff

(Atlantida, Honduras) At night a week ago, local residents observed ten luxury cars being positioned with their lights on to form an improvised clandestine runway on a farm as a light airplane flew overhead. The plane, a Colombian-registered Cessna 210, landed. Several trunks were unloaded from the plane and then everyone climbed into the luxury vehicles and left.

The next day, the abandoned Cessna 210 was searched and found with drug residue and a hidden compartment believed to have contained 1,000 kilograms of cocaine. The plane was left for the taking.

***
(Mexico) Meanwhile, five men from Peru were detained at the Mexico City Airport after being found, collectively, with 328 capsules of cocaine in their intestines. After being expelled, the capsules weighed in at 3.74 kilograms. By my calculations, each smuggler had swallowed more than 26 ounces of cocaine.

***
(Mexico) And then there's this:

The trafficking of persons and the kidnapping of migrants in the Gulf of Mexico zone are controlled by “Los Zetas.” [...]

A source on the Reynosa Police revealed that “Los Zetas” have complete control of migrant trafficking through the gangs of “Pateros” (those who cross the migrants across the Rio Grande River to the U.S.), the agents of different police forces, principally the Municipal Preventive Police, and the Immigration Service.

So, the drug cartel completely controls illegal alien undocumented worker smuggling by controlling the gangs, the police and the immigration service. How nice, eh?

***
(Mexico) Lastly, there's this news gem from Mexico City. Mexicans appear to have an interest in U.S. national health care.

Should U.S. approve “Health Reform?”

Results of a poll taken by Excelsior daily newspaper:

YES: 522 -- 87.73%______________NO: 73 -- 12.27%

Therefore, it could be suggested that almost nine out of 10 Mexicans are concerned about the health of Americans. Frankly, I have my doubts.



Source1, Source2

"Daddy's at the (Monkey) Bars"

(Manchester, England) Isn't this just precious. A little boy reached puberty and immediately started procreating.

A schoolboy aged 13 has become one of Britain's youngest fathers, it was revealed today.

The boy, from Manchester, was 'chuffed to bits' after his 16-year-old girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl this week, according to his family.

'My son is mature for his age and will make a good father. He will make a better dad than most 25-year-old men would,' his father told the Daily Mirror.

The young couple's identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons.

They are said to have been in a relationship for some time, although they did not go to the same school.

Well, first of all, I had to look up "chuffed to bits" thinking it had something to do with a woodchipper but that wouldn't be consistent with the story. No, it means delighted to pieces.

So, the 13-year-old is delighted to be a father but it's a mature delight since the boy's father, presumably an expert on what constitutes good parenting (/sarcasm), said the boy is as mature as a 25-year-old. Thank goodness because the way he's going, he'll be a grandfather by 25.

And, the young couple have been in a relationship for some time which, of course, means at least nine months. Heh. It doesn't make it less wrong if he started boffing a 15-year-old when he was 12.

And just think, the British taxpayers will be forced to enjoy supporting this crowd of losers their entire lives. Of course, I'm speculating -- with a basis. The sum total of decision-making capabilities of all three, the father, the 13-year-old and the 16-year-old, doesn't equal the intelligence to become one, much less three, functioning and contributing member of society. Sad, sad case.

Naturally, I'll allow that I could be wrong and all that is needed is more sex education in schools. They need to go over that cucumber-condom course material one more time. Heh.

Tip: Barry ~

No Global Warming in 351 Year British Temperature Record


If people were interested in evidence, this would kill global warming stone dead

The Central England Temperature (CET) record, starting in 1659 and maintained by the UK Met Office, is the longest unbroken temperature record in the world. Temperature data is averaged for a number of weather stations regarded as being representative of Central England rather than measuring temperature at one arbitrary geographical point identified as the centre of England.

A Scottish statistician, Wilson Flood, has collected and analysed the 351 year CET record. Here is the comparison of the 18th Century with the 20th Century:



Wilson Flood comments: “Summers in the second half of the 20th century were warmer than those in the first half and it could be argued that this was a global warming signal. However, the average CET summer temperature in the 18th century was 15.46 degC while that for the 20th century was 15.35 degC. Far from being warmer due to assumed global warming, comparison of actual temperature data shows that UK summers in the 20th century were cooler than those of two centuries previously.”

SOURCE

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

Gun-Control Mayors - Updated

A group of 450 mayors nationwide, calling themselves Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), has sent 40 recommendations to President Obama to make gun control a federal priority.

Led by Boston Mayor Menino (D) and New York Mayor Bloomberg (RINO), the MAIG wants undercover criminal investigations at gun shows, enhanced crime gun tracing, new law enforcement organizations (the "Office of Tactical Trace Analysis" and the "Interstate Firearms Trafficking Unit") and a requirement for a "hidden serial number" to be placed on all guns during manufacture.

Sadly, it's not illogical to speculate that organized criminal enterprises are funneling money into gun control campaigns.

Companion post at GunWatch.


[Add.] Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) who favor significant increases in federal gun controls are listed here. Of the reported 450 members, 43 are listed from Ohio. For the sake of my home state readers, here's a listing of Ohio gun control mayors.

Ohio Gun Control Mayors

Addyston, OH - Mayor Dan Pillow
Akron, OH - Mayor Donald Plusquellic
Beachwood, OH - Mayor Merle Gorden
Bedford, OH - Mayor Daniel Pocek
Bedford Heights, OH - Mayor Fletcher Berger

Bratenahl, OH - Mayor John Licastro
Broadview Heights, OH - Mayor Samuel Alai
Cincinnati, OH - Mayor Mark Mallory
Cleveland, OH - Mayor Frank Jackson
Cleveland Heights, OH - Mayor Edward Kelley

Columbus, OH - Mayor Michael Coleman
Dayton, OH - Mayor Rhine McLin
Dublin, OH - Mayor Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher
Euclid, OH - Mayor Bill Cervenik
Fairfax, OH - Mayor Theodore Shannon

Garfield Heights, OH - Mayor Thomas J. Longo
Glendale, OH - Mayor Joseph C. Hubbard
Golf Manor, OH - Mayor Alan Zaffiro
Lakeline, OH - Mayor Deborah Neale
Lakemore, OH - Mayor Michael Kolomichuk

Linndale, OH - Mayor Jo Ann Toczek
Macedonia, OH - Mayor Donald Kuchta
Mayfield Heights, OH - Mayor Gregory Costabile
Mayfield Village, OH - Mayor Bruce Rinker
Middleburg Heights, OH - Mayor Gary Starr

Moreland Hills, OH - Mayor Susan Renda
North Olmsted, OH - Mayor Thomas E. O`Grady
Orange Village, OH - Mayor Kathy Mulcahy
Parma Heights, OH - Mayor Martin Zanotti
Pepper Pike, OH - Mayor Bruce Akers

Richmond Heights, OH - Mayor Daniel Ursu
Shaker Heights, OH - Mayor Earl M. Leiken
Silverton, OH - Mayor John Smith
Solon, OH - Mayor Kevin Patton
South Euclid, OH - Mayor Georgine Welo

South Russell, OH - Mayor Matthew Brett
Toledo, OH - Mayor Carleton S. Finkbeiner
Trotwood, OH - Mayor Darreyl D. Davis
Twinsburg, OH - Mayor Katherine Procop
University Heights, OH - Mayor Beryl Rothschild

Warren, OH - Mayor Michael J. O`Brien
Wyoming, OH - Mayor Barry Porter
Youngstown, OH - Mayor Jay Williams

Voters may find the listing useful during the next local election. (h/t Doom in Comments)

Residual Immunity to H1N1 Swine Flu

An apparent residual immunity to H1N1 virus (swine flu) among the elderly has been reported. It's theorized that people born before the mid-1950s have at one time been exposed to H1N1 viruses which circulated from 1918 to 1957 and they consequently acquired an immune response which makes them less susceptible to the 2009 H1N1.

Anecdotally, almost the entire staff at a long-term care home in Ontario are believed to be infected and showing symptoms of H1N1 while all elderly residents are unaffected.

Therefore, the demographic group usually most at risk of flu (the elderly) are seemingly given a break with 2009 H1N1.

Heh.

Al-Shabaab Threat to U.S.

From FOX News:

They could strike the United States. That grim assessment is the first time the FBI director or any other senior law enforcement or intelligence official has stated on the record that the Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabaab is no longer content to strike within the East African nation of Somalia.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller was asked if members of al-Shabaab, which translates as "mujahideen youth," would send American recruits back to the U.S. to launch attacks.

"I would think that we have seen some information that the leaders would like to undertake operations outside of Somalia," Mueller told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Mueller said he is "absolutely" concerned that Americans who traveled to Somalia to train as terrorists would have U.S. legal status and would therefore be able to return to the United States and carry out attacks.

These fanatics are being radicalized in the U.S. Not a good development.

Ted Nugent Interview


Ted Nugent and buck
From my InBox:

Ted Nugent, rock star and avid bow hunter from Michigan, was being interviewed by a French journalist, an animal rights activist. The discussion came around to deer hunting.

The journalist asked: "What do you think is the last thought in the head of a deer before you shoot him? Is it, 'Are you my friend?', or is it, 'Are you the one who killed my brother?' "

Nugent replied, 'Deer aren't capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, what am I going to eat next, who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away. They are very much like the French."

The interview ended.

I can neither confirm nor dispute the story but it sounds like something Ted Nugent would do.

60 Years of Communism


Chinese Babe Battalion
Flashy parades were part of the celebration for the 60th anniversary of the ChiComs. In the photo are putative female Red Army soldiers carrying automatic weapons. Armed and communist, just wonderful, eh? Actually, one report says they are factory and office babes choreographed for a one-time display.

Word has it they marched to a Disney theme in a parade that included the Dongfeng 21-C, a missile with a range of 1,200 miles, and a speed of Mach 10 which is designed to sink U.S. supercarriers in one strike.

Just freaking great! Hey, let's light up the Empire State Building and kiss commie butt big time since they have weapons designed specifically to attack America. Surely, that will deter them from going after Taiwan while the U.S. is sitting on its thumbs in Afghanistan, playing "I see nothing" Sgt. Schultz with Iran and curling into a ball saying "yessir, yessir, three bags full" to Putin.

Homemade Guns

If a person lives in the country and doesn't have access to manufactured firearms or can't afford them, weaponry can be obtained with a little ingenuity. Check out some of the homemade arsenal items (pics) found in Chechnya.

Frankly, I would be hesitant about pulling the triggers on some of them.

New Greenie villain: Nitrous oxide!

It's not actually a new villain but it has now been upgraded to Jack-the-ripper status. Reading between the lines, this would appear to be an apology for the fact that the Antarctic ozone hole is just fluctuating as normal instead of shrinking -- despite the much touted ban on CFCs. An attempt to ban N2O would be a joke, though. There's a lot of it about

Stratospheric ozone is depleted by many different chemicals; most prominently, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) responsible for causing the Antarctic ozone hole. Nitrous oxide is also an ozone-depleting substance that has natural sources in addition to anthropogenic ones. Moreover, unlike CFCs, its use and emission are not regulated by the Montreal Protocol, which has helped to reverse the rate of growth of the ozone hole. Surprisingly, Ravishankara et al. (p. 123, published online 27 August; see the Perspective by Wuebbles) now show that nitrous oxide is the single greatest ozone-depleting substance that, if its emissions are not controlled, is expected to remain the dominant ozone-depleting substance throughout the 21st century. Reducing nitrous oxide emissions would thus enhance the rate of recovery of the ozone hole and reduce the anthropogenic forcing of climate.

SOURCE

Journal abstract follows:

Nitrous Oxide (N2O): The Dominant Ozone-Depleting Substance Emitted in the 21st Century

By A. R. Ravishankara et al.

By comparing the ozone depletion potential-weighted anthropogenic emissions of N2O with those of other ozone-depleting substances, we show that N2O emission currently is the single most important ozone-depleting emission and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century. N2O is unregulated by the Montreal Protocol. Limiting future N2O emissions would enhance the recovery of the ozone layer from its depleted state and would also reduce the anthropogenic forcing of the climate system, representing a win-win for both ozone and climate.

Science 2 October 2009: Vol. 326. no. 5949, pp. 123 - 125

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

Democrat hate speech OK

Referring to a claim made in the House by Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla.

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says anyone using harsh rhetoric to raise fears about health care reform should apologize and get on with writing policy, but said there's no reason to single out a Florida Democrat who said Republicans want sick Americans to "die quickly."

Source

And this from the people who demanded an apology from Joe Wilson when he said that Obama lied. Joe Wilson, of course, had the class to apologize. The Left are big on demanding apologies from others but it takes enormous pressure to get even a half-hearted apology from them.

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

Ted Williams' Corpse Allegedly Abused

(Scottsdale, Arizona) A book scheduled for release next week allegedly describes how workers at a cryonics facility, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, mutilated the frozen head of baseball legend Ted Williams.

Written by Larry Johnson, a former Alcor executive, "Frozen" details how technicians beheaded Ted Williams and batted his frozen head with a monkey wrench.

Johnson writes that holes were drilled in Williams' severed head for the insertion of microphones, then frozen in liquid nitrogen while Alcor employees recorded the sounds of Williams' brain cracking 16 times as temperatures dropped to -321 degrees Fahrenheit.

Johnson writes that the head was balanced on an empty can of Bumble Bee tuna to keep it from sticking to the bottom of its case.

Johnson describes watching as another Alcor employee removed Williams' head from the freezer with a stick, and tried to dislodge the tuna can by swinging at it with a monkey wrench.

The technician, no .406 hitter like the baseball legend, missed the can with several swings of the wrench and smacked Williams' head directly, spraying "tiny pieces of frozen head" around the room.

In its defense, Alcor issued a statement:

"Alcor denies allegations reported in the press that there was mistreatment or disrespectful treatment of the remains of Ted Williams at Alcor, and will be litigating this and any other false allegations to the maximum extent of the law."

Expect this story to get a lot of attention. Fans of baseball and its history revered Ted Williams and abuse of his corpse is unthinkable. I believe it's also a crime.

In summary, until more is known, it's he said, he said.

Tip: slwlion

Canada's Alternative Fuel Dreams

(Ottawa, Canada) In 1995, the Canadian government passed the Alternative Fuels Act which mandated that 75 percent of new government vehicles must run on alternative fuels. Unfortunately, more than a dozen years after imposing the requirement, it's not happening.

Gasoline and diesel accounted for 89 per cent of all fuel consumed last year; only one per cent of cars ran on Ethanol 85, biodiesel, propane and natural gas. About 8 per cent of fuel costs went to a gasoline-ethanol blend, E10. Another 1.6 per cent of fuel costs went to gasoline used in hybrid vehicles.

In a report that was tabled by the House of Commons, the government blames a lack of convenient alternative fuel stations. Reportedly, there are only four service stations in all of Canada that carry the ethanol blend, E85, which costs twice as much as regular gasoline.

Also, chauffeurs for the government confidentially say that they avoid ethanol since it doesn't perform as well as gasoline,

It takes a brave driver to risk stranding a powerful cabinet minister on the side of the road halfway between Ottawa and Montreal or Toronto in the name of global warming.

Some experts advocate amending the Alternative Fuels Act to include hybrid vehicles which seemingly fit the environmentalist formula to save the planet although the gasoline-electric cars' battery performance is as bothersome as the lousy efficiency of ethanol-fueled vehicles.

In summary, Canadian greenie efforts to ratchet the nation into alternative fuels continue to be hopes without changes.

"No Samba for You!"

(Tyre, Lebanon) Lebanese Muslim leaders have prohibited a Brazilian dance troupe from performing because they show too much skin. One Muslim leader, Sheikh Ali Yassin, said the dances are pornographic.

Putative pornographic pics of buxom Brazilian babes here.

Worse off than their parents

Parents usually want their children to have a better life than they did. In the United States, the parents of today's under-30 crowd may be disappointed in that hope. Throughout last year, they were far more likely than other age groups to have reported unemployment in their households. Labor force participation for those ages 16-24 has decreased to its lowest levels since WWII as a Pew report on the graying work force notes that the recession has tilted the job market towards older workers and those with degrees.

The Pew report also says that nearly a third of the public has come to believe that a degree is necessary to get a good job, whereas 30 years ago, just under half believed that. As former President Clinton pointed out last week at a a press event, the cost of a degree has tripled in recent decades, entirely wiping out the benefits of every government assistance program for college costs.

Those college costs are usually financed instead by loans which are currently not eligible for bankruptcy protection. Loan repayment therefore eats up larger percentages of future earnings which have been plummeting for 8 years for those under 55. Bad timing for anyone who's taken out student loans in recent years in the hopes that the job market would catch up to their education expenditures, and worse luck if their parents' declining wages reduce the possibility for family assistance.

A third of adults under 27 also lack health coverage, with nearly half of those young adults earning less than $14,000 per year. Since wages for most people have been effectively stagnant, they have not kept pace with health coverage increases, and the lower you go down the economic ladder, the truer that is. Especially because there's been an ongoing decline in employer-based coverage that has disproportionately affected low-income workers and the small businesses that create the most jobs.

For another worrying indicator, an AARP poll earlier this year indicated that around a quarter of adults 18 and over are living with parents or in-laws. Another 15 percent were worried they might have to do so soon, while one in seven lived with a sibling.

I don't know about you, but the American Dream I was sold didn't include worse buying power and relative wealth than my blue-collar, high school-educated parents for myself, my peers and those who came after me.

SOURCE

The Leftist author above can see the problem but goes on to say that the solution is more factory jobs! She seems unable to see that ever more of America's wealth is being sucked up by a vast, continuously growing and useless bureaucracy that has been foisted on Americans by Democrats at Federal, State and local levels. America's vast army of paper-shufflers CONSUME wealth. They don't create it. And, to add insult to injury, they are on average paid far more than private-sector workers

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

Where's PETA?

(Palm Coast, Florida) Somehow, Florida law enforcers obtained a CD displaying an adult woman engaging in sex with a girl and a dog in separate episodes. The woman was recently convicted of child sex but was able to avoid any charges for copulating with her German shepherd. It is reportedly quite legal in the state of Florida to have sex with animals.

My question: Where are the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on this case? How can any animal protection group allow this woman to fiddle with Fido and not suffer any penalty? And how can the state of Florida not have laws to protect dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, hamsters, etc. from inhumane sexual assault and molestation?

I suggest that PETA would be tail-wagging interested if the person fornicating with a dog were an NFL quarterback.

Recycled to the Landfill

(Toronto, Ontario) The Toronto Star investigated organic waste recycling in the city, known as the green bin program, to document how food scraps and similar garbage are processed into compost for save-the-planet efforts on farms and gardens.

Reporter Moira Welsh went to the Newmarket, Ont., recycling facility of the Halton company and videotaped steaming loads of compost being dumped onto tractor-trailer trucks. The trucks were then followed for hundreds of miles to a landfill near Flint, Michigan. Reporters observed the trucks dumping the compost load into a section of the landfill.

So, instead of putting table scraps in regular garbage for customary trucking to a Michigan landfill, Toronto residents must pay a premium to separate the organic waste and place it in special "green bins" which are collected in special trucks and transported 60 miles north of Toronto for processing at a Newmarket compost facility which ultimately loads the composted waste into a truck that then travels at least 300 miles to Flint, Michigan, for dumping in the same landfill that customarily receives regular Toronto garbage.

Halton Recycling has admitted to sending organic waste to the landfill.

Jack McGinnis, a spokesperson for Halton, told the Star this week that Halton could not process some of the organics because they had turned "liquid" by the time the company received them.

Managers were also worried about health and safety issues for their workers, so they felt they were "doing the right thing" by shipping the waste to the landfill.

Therefore, the company asserts that the identified episode was isolated and resulted from circumstances beyond its control. Interestingly, the landfill manager added inconsistent clarification.

The first five loads were so contaminated with plastic and glass that they were dumped in the landfill with the rest of the day's garbage.

The final two loads were sent to the landfill's "compost" section, an isolated spot where unfinished material is left in outdoor piles.

I would suggest that all parties involved are not on the same page with their stories. In any event, the City of Toronto reportedly fired Halton Recycling.

[Add.] Oh, by the way, Toronto and the whole province of Ontario should be used to criticism of their recycling efforts. In a report from earlier this year, sharp criticism emerged when it became known that 20,000 tons annually of Toronto's recyclables were being transported across the continent by train to Vancouver where the trash was loaded on ocean freighters bound for South Korea and China.

People have questioned the logic of recycling Toronto-produced trash in Asia when such a "huge carbon footprint" is created in the process.

No Jail for Improper Relations with Student - Updated

(Midland, Texas) Former geography teacher and cheerleading coach Kenzi Friday was sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation and a $2,000 fine for convictions on two counts of engaging in an improper relationship with a student.

Midland Assistant District Attorney Laura Nodolf handled the case. “Ms. Friday was charged with improper student/teacher relationship,” she said, adding that the acts alleged were consensual. “The only thing criminal was the fact that it was with a student.”

“Unlike some of our other cases that we’ve had with improper student/teacher relationships where teachers have had some type of physical relationship (fondling, touching, intercourse) with students under age 17,” Nodolf said. “In those instances, they’re charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, or sexual assault of a child. In those cases, you would be looking at a harsher punishment."

Friday and her husband have divorced since the incidents with the student.

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Texas Teacher Accused of Improper Relations with Male Student
[Previous 4/29/09 post]
(Midland, Texas) A 23-year-old teacher at Midland High School, Kenzi Friday, was arrested earlier today for allegedly engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student. A fellow teacher alerted Midland ISD officials to the alleged improper relationship.

The alleged sexual relations reportedly occurred between the start of the school year and the beginning of April at a residence in Midland.

"These are very serious allegations and the entire situation is upsetting to us all." MISD Superintendent Sylvester Perez said. "We fully support the investigation and await more information from local law enforcement."

Friday turned in her resignation Friday morning. No information reported on jail or bail.

Dogs

I have commented on this in the past but I am still rather bemused about how accounts of human evolution leave out dogs. We hear lots about cranial size etc. but such discussions normally leave out our symbionts: dogs.

The relationship between dogs and humans is both ancient and amazingly powerful. How many human households to this day do not include a dog? Not many.

And yet there is a perfectly clear evolutionary reason why that is so. Dogs and humans complement one another. Dogs have the big and sensitive nose, big and sensitive ears and weaponized jaws that we lack. And we have the big brain that can give dogs good direction in the hunting life that comprises most of our evolutionary past. Without dogs we would probably still be tree-dwelling vegetarians. I wonder if modern-day vegetarians are averse to dogs? I wouldn't be surprised. There's a research paper in that.

These days we are long past the stage where we need dogs -- but we still love them. They are our "other half". They made us possible. I believe stories I have heard about a man being upset when his wife left him but being REALLY upset when his dog died. I have shed tears over a dog myself.

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