From the June 5 blogHouston: IN THURSDAY'S CHRONICLE, BRIAN ROGERS reported on double-jeopardy arguments surrounding the case of a man now being tried for arson after previously being acquitted of a capital murder charge related to the fire that killed his daughter. Today, Rogers reports that Harris County prosecutors asked for -- and received -- a gag order on the trial (a reaction that seems a little extreme to this layman).
I resonded with this comment: Not really extreme. These gag orders are designed to ensure that jurors selected for trial have not already made up their minds as to guilt or innocense by exposure to media reports.
A couple of bloggers going by the name of Sun Tzu and Ubu Roi got involved. Both argue that the only reason the prosecutor is trying the defendant on the arson charge is so that it will help her get elected as a district judge. And both insist that the defendant cannot be tried again because that constitutes ‘double jeopardy.’ My follow up comments to the contrary fell on deaf ears.
Ubu came back with: Would it be fair to say that your [police experience] might have biased you towards the prosecutorial side?
Here was my reply: YOU BET I AM BIASED TOWARD THE PROSECUTION SIDE. I’D SURE AS HELL RATHER BE BIASED IN FAVOR OF THE PROSECUTION THAN BE BIASED IN FAVOR OF CRIMINALS.
As for the double jeopardy argument, Ubu wrote: I'm arguing that the courts are wrong, not from a legal standpoint, but from a moral one, and from the intent of the founders.
When Sun Tzu and Ubu Roi insist that this case is only being retried to help one of the prosecutors in her quest to become a district judge, they are full of shit. I am sure that the prosecutors are retrying this case because they are convinced the defendant got away with murder and not for political reasons. So, from Ubu’s ‘moral standpoint’ let me repeat a long-standing legal community saying: LEGALLY INNOCENT, BUT MORALLY GUILTY.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
CALM DOWN AND GET OVER YOUR APOPLEXY
In his response to a question NBC's Matt Lauer asked about criticism of the way he’s handling the Gulf oil spill, President Obama answered, "I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."
A horde of people went apoplectic over Obama’s use of the word ‘ass’ because they felt it to be inappropriate language for the President of the United States. Hey folks, get a life! If you’ve followed my blogs, you know that I am most certainly not an Obama fan. But I don’t see anything wrong in what he said and I do not believe his use of that word is going to pollute the minds of children. Shit, by the time kids reach middle school they have already been well versed in the use of the ‘f’ word.
I remember when Harry Truman, my favorite president, called columnist Drew Pearson a SON OF A BITCH for criticizing daughter Margaret’s singing ability. From the public’s reaction you would have thought the world was coming to an end. As for me, I applauded the president for standing up on behalf of his daughter.
Other presidents have also used profanity in public. Obama’s "whose ass to kick" was absolutely mild compared to Truman’s SOB remark. So, all you screamers, calm down and get over your apoplexy.
A horde of people went apoplectic over Obama’s use of the word ‘ass’ because they felt it to be inappropriate language for the President of the United States. Hey folks, get a life! If you’ve followed my blogs, you know that I am most certainly not an Obama fan. But I don’t see anything wrong in what he said and I do not believe his use of that word is going to pollute the minds of children. Shit, by the time kids reach middle school they have already been well versed in the use of the ‘f’ word.
I remember when Harry Truman, my favorite president, called columnist Drew Pearson a SON OF A BITCH for criticizing daughter Margaret’s singing ability. From the public’s reaction you would have thought the world was coming to an end. As for me, I applauded the president for standing up on behalf of his daughter.
Other presidents have also used profanity in public. Obama’s "whose ass to kick" was absolutely mild compared to Truman’s SOB remark. So, all you screamers, calm down and get over your apoplexy.
DON'T LEAVE BEHIND A MUDDY TRAIL
After I forwarded this story to Bob Walsh, he came back with: "I guess that East Texas mud hangs in there like a good case of the clap."
JAMES "COOKI9E RAY" ANDERSON: ALLEGED COPPER THIEF ACCIDENTALLY LEADS COPS TO HOME METH LAB
By John Nova Lomax
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 9, 2010
Connoisseurs of Deep East Texas Redneck misbehavior will love this one. While the actual offenses are pretty run of the mill, this one has a little bit of everything in the way of Piney Woods cliches, from a getaway on a 4-wheeler, to a badass nickname, to that old standby, the meth lab.
Around 1 a.m.. last Friday, deputies from San Jacinto County responded to a call about a copper theft in a semi-forested area on Highway 150 East near the town of Coldspring.
The thief left behind a telltale clue. Thanks to last week's heavy rains, the cops were able to follow a 4-wheeler's tracks through the mud direct from the crime scene, and through the forest and over the hills, right back to a suburban home across the street from Coldspring Intermediate School.
This was the abode of James Anderson, a.k.a. "Cookie Ray." But instead of baked goods, cops claim that what Anderson liked to cook up was trouble.
There, they found not only 100 pounds of industrial copper wire that Cookie Ray couldn't explain, but also a meth lab in full production mode. And after the special meth disposal team arrived around dawn, they were able to recover approximately 600 grams of Cookie Ray's freshest crank.
Cookie Ray has been charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession/transport of chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, cooper theft, and burglary of a building.
JAMES "COOKI9E RAY" ANDERSON: ALLEGED COPPER THIEF ACCIDENTALLY LEADS COPS TO HOME METH LAB
By John Nova Lomax
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 9, 2010
Connoisseurs of Deep East Texas Redneck misbehavior will love this one. While the actual offenses are pretty run of the mill, this one has a little bit of everything in the way of Piney Woods cliches, from a getaway on a 4-wheeler, to a badass nickname, to that old standby, the meth lab.
Around 1 a.m.. last Friday, deputies from San Jacinto County responded to a call about a copper theft in a semi-forested area on Highway 150 East near the town of Coldspring.
The thief left behind a telltale clue. Thanks to last week's heavy rains, the cops were able to follow a 4-wheeler's tracks through the mud direct from the crime scene, and through the forest and over the hills, right back to a suburban home across the street from Coldspring Intermediate School.
This was the abode of James Anderson, a.k.a. "Cookie Ray." But instead of baked goods, cops claim that what Anderson liked to cook up was trouble.
There, they found not only 100 pounds of industrial copper wire that Cookie Ray couldn't explain, but also a meth lab in full production mode. And after the special meth disposal team arrived around dawn, they were able to recover approximately 600 grams of Cookie Ray's freshest crank.
Cookie Ray has been charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession/transport of chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, cooper theft, and burglary of a building.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
PARALLELS BETWEEN IXTOC UNO AND DEEPWATER HORIZON
Although quite long, this article is an excellent read!
’79 IXTOC UNO GULF OIL SPILL LEAVES SOBERING LESSON FOR BP
by Mark Stevenson and Molly O’Toole
Associated Press Writers
The Brownsville Herald
June 4, 2010
MEXICO CITY (AP) — It started with a burst of gas through the drilling well. Workers scrambled to close the safety valves but within moments, the platform caught fire and collapsed. Tens of millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous attempts to stanch the spill failed.
Three decades later, the 1979 Ixtoc disaster remains the Gulf's — and the world's — worst oil spill.
The parallels between that disaster and the current BP oil spill offer sobering lessons. There were no quick fixes for Ixtoc: It took 10 months to stop the leak, with Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, trying methods similar to those that BP has attempted at its Deepwater Horizon rig.
Pemex managed to slow the spill a little using several methods including forcing metal spheres into the well. But it couldn't stop the leak until two relief wells were drilled — and even that didn't work right away: the oil kept gushing for another three months after the first well was completed.
In the end, Ixtoc spewed a record 140 million gallons of oil. Massive slicks reached the northern Mexican Gulf coast and Texas, where it would eventually coat almost 170 miles (275 kilometers) of U.S. beaches.
By comparison, Deepwater Horizon has spilled an estimated 21 million to 45 million gallons of oil. But if the Pemex disaster serves as a precedent, the BP spill could continue even after the two relief wells are expected to be finished in August.
By then, it could surpass Ixtoc as the worst oil spill in history, said Tad Patzek, chair of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at the University of Texas-Austin.
"We are looking at an August time frame for stopping it," Patzek said. "If for one reason or another that stopping is left imperfect or it takes another drill or what have you, we're looking at another four months, at that time this spill would look like the Ixtoc spill."
The BP spill, at a depth of nearly 5,000 feet, is proving more complicated to choke off than Ixtoc, a shallow-water rig about 150 feet deep. The Ixtoc well could be accessed directly, while the Deepwater spill must be combated remotely, using robots to wield clamps, saws and other tools while monitoring the action by video feed.
"They could fight Ixtoc from and at the surface," said Robert Bea, a professor of engineering at University of California at Berkeley who has studied offshore drilling for 55 years and worked for Pemex for a number of years. For Deepwater, "they must fight from the sea floor remotely, from the sea surface miles above."
Most recently, BP tried to stop the gusher by pumping in heavy drilling mud and cement. The tactic, called a "top kill," had never been tried 5,000 feet underwater. It didn't work.
The good news is the Ixtoc experience suggests the Gulf of Mexico has natural properties that help it cope with massive oil spills, scientists say. Warm waters and sunlight helped break down the oil faster than many expected. Weathering reduced much of the oil into tar balls by the time it reached Texas.
Two decades after the Ixtoc disaster, marine biologist Wes Tunnell sank his diving knife into an area where he had spotted a tar patch just after the spill. The blade came out black and tarry but the hardened surface of the patch was under sand, shells and algae that had completely covered it.
"No one else would know that it was anything other than a rock ledge," said Tunnell of Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University. "I think that the Gulf of Mexico is hugely resilient, or at least it was 30 years ago. We've insulted it a lot since then in various ways."
The Gulf has also long dealt with oil that naturally seeps from the seafloor. Some experts estimate that tens of millions of gallons seep into the Gulf from natural up-wellings each year, fostering large populations of oil-eating bacteria and microorganisms.
However, it is unclear how much any of that will help this time around.
The Deepwater spill is closer to sensitive coastlines than Ixtoc was. And it is affecting Louisiana marshlands that are more sensitive than the more sparsely populated Texan and Mexican coastlines Ixtoc reached.
"Obviously there were some helping factors — nature, climate, current — that in the end helped people (with Ixtoc) so that's good news," said Patzek. "However ... the Ixtoc well seemed to have been a little farther out from sensitive places."
The depth of the BP spill could also complicate the Gulf's ability to cope.
The oil-eating bacterial populations are located mainly on the surface or near shore, where the Ixtoc oil appeared. BP has tried to break up the oil deep underwater, pumping chemical dispersants directly into the damaged well.
That could be a mistake, said Larry McKinney, the director of the Harte Research Institute. While chemically dispersing the oil keeps the spill less visible and ugly than Ixtoc, it prevents the oil from floating up to the surface where wind, waves, bacteria and sunlight could help break it up, he said. And some environmentalists question the safety of the dispersant itself.
"I know, out of sight, out of mind," McKinney said. "But also, out of sight is what can kill you, like a cancer, and that may be the bigger problem."
Pemex estimates that about half the Ixtoc oil may have burned away in the rig fire that lasted months. About a quarter dispersed and the rest was either recovered or evaporated.
Ixtoc threatened coral, sea turtles, shrimp and commercially valuable fish. Some species have rebounded while others have drastically declined.
Jack Woody, a retired officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was in northern Mexico a month after the Ixtoc spill, leading the U.S.-Mexico effort to save the Kemp's ridley sea turtles.
He watched as the oil slick closed in and tar balls began washing up at the Rancho Nuevo beach, the only significant nesting ground for the female turtles, which had dwindled to a population of about 300. Hatchlings were just emerging, and helicopters desperately tried to ferry the baby turtles to open ocean beyond the slick.
"I thought we were too late," Woody said.
The turtle population continued to dwindle until 1988 but has since rebounded to up to 12,000, due in part to programs to relocate hatchlings to safer beaches in Texas and cut down on turtle deaths in shrimp nets.
"I was wrong. This is the one time I like to be wrong," Woody said.
Scientists say it is difficult to know how much long-term damage Ixtoc caused because it is hard to separate the effects of the spill from overfishing, sediment, runoff and other pollution.
Tunnell said his students saw coral islands ringed by oil "like black doughnuts" after Ixtoc. Many of those islands have since lost most of their coral cover but Tunnell could not say whether the spill was to blame. Other causes, he said, could include overfishing of coral-friendly fish, coral collecting and sewage.
Perhaps the most tragic thing about Ixtoc is that it is still a mystery.
The tar mats on Texas beaches largely disappeared some five years after the Ixtoc spill, probably broken up and swept seaward. People stopped paying attention once the beaches looked better and funding for research largely dried up.
"Unfortunately, from a science standpoint, not much was followed up on, to learn from," says McKinney. "That was a mistake that was made that hopefully won't be repeated."
’79 IXTOC UNO GULF OIL SPILL LEAVES SOBERING LESSON FOR BP
by Mark Stevenson and Molly O’Toole
Associated Press Writers
The Brownsville Herald
June 4, 2010
MEXICO CITY (AP) — It started with a burst of gas through the drilling well. Workers scrambled to close the safety valves but within moments, the platform caught fire and collapsed. Tens of millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous attempts to stanch the spill failed.
Three decades later, the 1979 Ixtoc disaster remains the Gulf's — and the world's — worst oil spill.
The parallels between that disaster and the current BP oil spill offer sobering lessons. There were no quick fixes for Ixtoc: It took 10 months to stop the leak, with Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, trying methods similar to those that BP has attempted at its Deepwater Horizon rig.
Pemex managed to slow the spill a little using several methods including forcing metal spheres into the well. But it couldn't stop the leak until two relief wells were drilled — and even that didn't work right away: the oil kept gushing for another three months after the first well was completed.
In the end, Ixtoc spewed a record 140 million gallons of oil. Massive slicks reached the northern Mexican Gulf coast and Texas, where it would eventually coat almost 170 miles (275 kilometers) of U.S. beaches.
By comparison, Deepwater Horizon has spilled an estimated 21 million to 45 million gallons of oil. But if the Pemex disaster serves as a precedent, the BP spill could continue even after the two relief wells are expected to be finished in August.
By then, it could surpass Ixtoc as the worst oil spill in history, said Tad Patzek, chair of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at the University of Texas-Austin.
"We are looking at an August time frame for stopping it," Patzek said. "If for one reason or another that stopping is left imperfect or it takes another drill or what have you, we're looking at another four months, at that time this spill would look like the Ixtoc spill."
The BP spill, at a depth of nearly 5,000 feet, is proving more complicated to choke off than Ixtoc, a shallow-water rig about 150 feet deep. The Ixtoc well could be accessed directly, while the Deepwater spill must be combated remotely, using robots to wield clamps, saws and other tools while monitoring the action by video feed.
"They could fight Ixtoc from and at the surface," said Robert Bea, a professor of engineering at University of California at Berkeley who has studied offshore drilling for 55 years and worked for Pemex for a number of years. For Deepwater, "they must fight from the sea floor remotely, from the sea surface miles above."
Most recently, BP tried to stop the gusher by pumping in heavy drilling mud and cement. The tactic, called a "top kill," had never been tried 5,000 feet underwater. It didn't work.
The good news is the Ixtoc experience suggests the Gulf of Mexico has natural properties that help it cope with massive oil spills, scientists say. Warm waters and sunlight helped break down the oil faster than many expected. Weathering reduced much of the oil into tar balls by the time it reached Texas.
Two decades after the Ixtoc disaster, marine biologist Wes Tunnell sank his diving knife into an area where he had spotted a tar patch just after the spill. The blade came out black and tarry but the hardened surface of the patch was under sand, shells and algae that had completely covered it.
"No one else would know that it was anything other than a rock ledge," said Tunnell of Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University. "I think that the Gulf of Mexico is hugely resilient, or at least it was 30 years ago. We've insulted it a lot since then in various ways."
The Gulf has also long dealt with oil that naturally seeps from the seafloor. Some experts estimate that tens of millions of gallons seep into the Gulf from natural up-wellings each year, fostering large populations of oil-eating bacteria and microorganisms.
However, it is unclear how much any of that will help this time around.
The Deepwater spill is closer to sensitive coastlines than Ixtoc was. And it is affecting Louisiana marshlands that are more sensitive than the more sparsely populated Texan and Mexican coastlines Ixtoc reached.
"Obviously there were some helping factors — nature, climate, current — that in the end helped people (with Ixtoc) so that's good news," said Patzek. "However ... the Ixtoc well seemed to have been a little farther out from sensitive places."
The depth of the BP spill could also complicate the Gulf's ability to cope.
The oil-eating bacterial populations are located mainly on the surface or near shore, where the Ixtoc oil appeared. BP has tried to break up the oil deep underwater, pumping chemical dispersants directly into the damaged well.
That could be a mistake, said Larry McKinney, the director of the Harte Research Institute. While chemically dispersing the oil keeps the spill less visible and ugly than Ixtoc, it prevents the oil from floating up to the surface where wind, waves, bacteria and sunlight could help break it up, he said. And some environmentalists question the safety of the dispersant itself.
"I know, out of sight, out of mind," McKinney said. "But also, out of sight is what can kill you, like a cancer, and that may be the bigger problem."
Pemex estimates that about half the Ixtoc oil may have burned away in the rig fire that lasted months. About a quarter dispersed and the rest was either recovered or evaporated.
Ixtoc threatened coral, sea turtles, shrimp and commercially valuable fish. Some species have rebounded while others have drastically declined.
Jack Woody, a retired officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was in northern Mexico a month after the Ixtoc spill, leading the U.S.-Mexico effort to save the Kemp's ridley sea turtles.
He watched as the oil slick closed in and tar balls began washing up at the Rancho Nuevo beach, the only significant nesting ground for the female turtles, which had dwindled to a population of about 300. Hatchlings were just emerging, and helicopters desperately tried to ferry the baby turtles to open ocean beyond the slick.
"I thought we were too late," Woody said.
The turtle population continued to dwindle until 1988 but has since rebounded to up to 12,000, due in part to programs to relocate hatchlings to safer beaches in Texas and cut down on turtle deaths in shrimp nets.
"I was wrong. This is the one time I like to be wrong," Woody said.
Scientists say it is difficult to know how much long-term damage Ixtoc caused because it is hard to separate the effects of the spill from overfishing, sediment, runoff and other pollution.
Tunnell said his students saw coral islands ringed by oil "like black doughnuts" after Ixtoc. Many of those islands have since lost most of their coral cover but Tunnell could not say whether the spill was to blame. Other causes, he said, could include overfishing of coral-friendly fish, coral collecting and sewage.
Perhaps the most tragic thing about Ixtoc is that it is still a mystery.
The tar mats on Texas beaches largely disappeared some five years after the Ixtoc spill, probably broken up and swept seaward. People stopped paying attention once the beaches looked better and funding for research largely dried up.
"Unfortunately, from a science standpoint, not much was followed up on, to learn from," says McKinney. "That was a mistake that was made that hopefully won't be repeated."
FOR ISRAEL, ALMOST ANYONE WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO OBAMA
Peter Beinart, an Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York with impeccable far-left credentials, is one of those liberal Jews who is submarining Israel. I seriously doubt that an ‘Obama official’ told him that Netanyahu was waiting for Sarah Palin to become president. If Bibi is waiting until we have another president, I can’t really blame him.
OBAMA OFFICIAL: NETANYAHU WAITING FOR ‘PRESIDENT PALIN’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
IsraelNationalNews.com
June 8, 2010
The Netanyahu government’s attitude to the United States shows it is "waiting for President [Sarah] Palin, an Obama official reportedly told Peter Beinart, writing for the Atlantic Monthly news site. Palin was the Republican candidate for vice president two years ago and is considered a front-running candidate for the next presidential election in 2012.
"As an Obama official once told me about the Netanyahu team, with amazement, ‘these guys are actually waiting for President Palin,’" wrote Beinart, a senior political writer for The Daily Beast and associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York.
In a critical article noting that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and senior government officials preach to the chorus of right-wing and Christian fundamentalist groups in the United States, Beinart cited the American education and background of the Prime Minister and senior aides. Prime Minister Netanyahu learned at a Philadelphia high school and his close adviser Ron Dermer and Ambassador to the United States were born there.
He maintained that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reaction to the flotilla crisis "shows just how out of touch he is with America" while ignoring what Beinart said is the "need to join the age of Obama."
"This familiarity breeds overconfidence and ignorance," Beinart argues. "When Netanyahu travels to Washington, he speaks before Jewish audiences that mostly dislike Barack Obama’s Israel policy, even though according to a recent American Jewish Committee survey, American Jews overall support it by a margin of close to two to one. When he’s not speaking to right-wing Jews, he’s speaking to right-wing Christians. And when he’s not speaking to right-wing Christians, he’s speaking to former Bush administration officials who expect to soon be back in their old jobs."
Beinart also asserted that today’s Arab leaders, such as Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who learned at an American university, support non-violence. Beinart contrasted him with Yasser Arafat, although Fayyad is often careful to be photographed with a picture of Arafat in the background.
OBAMA OFFICIAL: NETANYAHU WAITING FOR ‘PRESIDENT PALIN’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
IsraelNationalNews.com
June 8, 2010
The Netanyahu government’s attitude to the United States shows it is "waiting for President [Sarah] Palin, an Obama official reportedly told Peter Beinart, writing for the Atlantic Monthly news site. Palin was the Republican candidate for vice president two years ago and is considered a front-running candidate for the next presidential election in 2012.
"As an Obama official once told me about the Netanyahu team, with amazement, ‘these guys are actually waiting for President Palin,’" wrote Beinart, a senior political writer for The Daily Beast and associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York.
In a critical article noting that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and senior government officials preach to the chorus of right-wing and Christian fundamentalist groups in the United States, Beinart cited the American education and background of the Prime Minister and senior aides. Prime Minister Netanyahu learned at a Philadelphia high school and his close adviser Ron Dermer and Ambassador to the United States were born there.
He maintained that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reaction to the flotilla crisis "shows just how out of touch he is with America" while ignoring what Beinart said is the "need to join the age of Obama."
"This familiarity breeds overconfidence and ignorance," Beinart argues. "When Netanyahu travels to Washington, he speaks before Jewish audiences that mostly dislike Barack Obama’s Israel policy, even though according to a recent American Jewish Committee survey, American Jews overall support it by a margin of close to two to one. When he’s not speaking to right-wing Jews, he’s speaking to right-wing Christians. And when he’s not speaking to right-wing Christians, he’s speaking to former Bush administration officials who expect to soon be back in their old jobs."
Beinart also asserted that today’s Arab leaders, such as Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who learned at an American university, support non-violence. Beinart contrasted him with Yasser Arafat, although Fayyad is often careful to be photographed with a picture of Arafat in the background.
HEY YOU DAMN JEWS, GO BACK TO POLAND AND GERMANY (2)
This parody by Mike Adams is absolutely priceless!
Mike really nailed Al Sharpton for what he is - a hate mongering charlatan. I just wish he had also mentioned that Sharpton's inflammatory Jew-baiting rhetoric provoked one of his followers to take a gun into Freddie's Fashion Mart and slaughter seven customers.
GET BACK TO AFRICA
by Mike Adams
Townhall.com
June 8, 2010
Author’s Note: The author would like to thank "Bob" who is really clever by Caucasian gentile standards.
Left wing White House reporter Helen Thomas was recently forced to issue an apology to African American citizens. She stated bluntly, in front of a live microphone, that blacks should "get the hell out of America."
Thomas is a longtime White House correspondent who writes a column for Hearst newspapers. She made the comments on May 27th after a White House African American History event.
Thomas was asked by a black reporter if she had "any comments on African Americans." She replied, "Tell them to get the hell out of America."
Thomas went on to say that decent white Americans are burdened by the presence of blacks "and it’s the Caucasian-American’s land, not the African American’s." She went on to say that black people should "go home to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and everywhere else they came from."
In a written statement issued Friday, Thomas apologized, saying, "I deeply regret the comments I made last week regarding colored people." She also said the comments do not reflect her "heart-felt belief that racial harmony will come to America when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance."
"May that day come soon," she later added.
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia was asked for his reaction to Thomas’ controversial remarks. According to a reporter from Black Entertainment Television, the former Klansman said that Thomas’ remarks were "unfortunate." He went on to say "There are a lot of whites in America who act black. They should also get the hell out of the country. It isn’t fair to focus solely on black Americans."
The Reverend Al Sharpton, when reached for comment, called the comments "unforgivable." A reporter for Jewish World then confronted Sharpton with a number of anti-Semitic statements attributed to him. Sharpton denied characterizing Jews as "kikes" and "blood suckers" saying that the statements were probably made by Louis Farrakhan or Jesse Jackson. He went on to say the following:
"I’ve said similar things in the past but I don’t think it really matters whether those statements were made by Lou, Jesse, or me. We are talking about blacks, here. The Jews control everything including the banks and the media. They can fend for themselves. Blacks don’t control anything, so what you call a ‘double standard’ is justified."
He then characterized the Jewish reporter’s question as "cheap" and "underhanded."
The reporter then asked whether he regretted inciting violence against Jews in New York City in the Crown Heights neighborhood several years ago. Sharpton was also asked whether he felt responsible for his supporters’ decision to kill a Hasidic Jew after Sharpton made a number of incendiary anti-Semitic statements. Sharpton responded by saying that "Comparing blacks and Jews is like comparing apples and oranges. Given the power structure of America, it just isn’t fair to make the comparison."
The White House released a statement Monday explaining the Obama administration’s decision to revoke Helen Thomas’ press pass and to ban her from all future White House events. Speaking for the White House, Rahm Emmanuel said the following: "Had Thomas made similar remarks about Jews, President Obama could have overlooked the situation. But the remarks were about blacks, and that is an entirely different matter."
When White House reporters (sans Thomas) pointed out that Emmanuel is himself Jewish, he continued: "Most blacks care more about their blackness than Jews care about their Jewish-ness. We’ve found other ways to advance in America. We have honed our skills. The blacks must still rely on the rhetoric of civil rights. We understand that. And we respect that."
In response, a reporter pointed out that the President is himself black. The press conference was adjourned immediately. Outside, the Reverend Al Sharpton objected to Emmanuel’s statements reminding reporters "You just can’t trust a Jew."
Reverend Jesse Jackson agreed while assuring reporters that, despite Thomas’ comments, liberal Democrats are still the leaders of the modern civil rights movement. Senator Byrd concurred.
Mike really nailed Al Sharpton for what he is - a hate mongering charlatan. I just wish he had also mentioned that Sharpton's inflammatory Jew-baiting rhetoric provoked one of his followers to take a gun into Freddie's Fashion Mart and slaughter seven customers.
GET BACK TO AFRICA
by Mike Adams
Townhall.com
June 8, 2010
Author’s Note: The author would like to thank "Bob" who is really clever by Caucasian gentile standards.
Left wing White House reporter Helen Thomas was recently forced to issue an apology to African American citizens. She stated bluntly, in front of a live microphone, that blacks should "get the hell out of America."
Thomas is a longtime White House correspondent who writes a column for Hearst newspapers. She made the comments on May 27th after a White House African American History event.
Thomas was asked by a black reporter if she had "any comments on African Americans." She replied, "Tell them to get the hell out of America."
Thomas went on to say that decent white Americans are burdened by the presence of blacks "and it’s the Caucasian-American’s land, not the African American’s." She went on to say that black people should "go home to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and everywhere else they came from."
In a written statement issued Friday, Thomas apologized, saying, "I deeply regret the comments I made last week regarding colored people." She also said the comments do not reflect her "heart-felt belief that racial harmony will come to America when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance."
"May that day come soon," she later added.
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia was asked for his reaction to Thomas’ controversial remarks. According to a reporter from Black Entertainment Television, the former Klansman said that Thomas’ remarks were "unfortunate." He went on to say "There are a lot of whites in America who act black. They should also get the hell out of the country. It isn’t fair to focus solely on black Americans."
The Reverend Al Sharpton, when reached for comment, called the comments "unforgivable." A reporter for Jewish World then confronted Sharpton with a number of anti-Semitic statements attributed to him. Sharpton denied characterizing Jews as "kikes" and "blood suckers" saying that the statements were probably made by Louis Farrakhan or Jesse Jackson. He went on to say the following:
"I’ve said similar things in the past but I don’t think it really matters whether those statements were made by Lou, Jesse, or me. We are talking about blacks, here. The Jews control everything including the banks and the media. They can fend for themselves. Blacks don’t control anything, so what you call a ‘double standard’ is justified."
He then characterized the Jewish reporter’s question as "cheap" and "underhanded."
The reporter then asked whether he regretted inciting violence against Jews in New York City in the Crown Heights neighborhood several years ago. Sharpton was also asked whether he felt responsible for his supporters’ decision to kill a Hasidic Jew after Sharpton made a number of incendiary anti-Semitic statements. Sharpton responded by saying that "Comparing blacks and Jews is like comparing apples and oranges. Given the power structure of America, it just isn’t fair to make the comparison."
The White House released a statement Monday explaining the Obama administration’s decision to revoke Helen Thomas’ press pass and to ban her from all future White House events. Speaking for the White House, Rahm Emmanuel said the following: "Had Thomas made similar remarks about Jews, President Obama could have overlooked the situation. But the remarks were about blacks, and that is an entirely different matter."
When White House reporters (sans Thomas) pointed out that Emmanuel is himself Jewish, he continued: "Most blacks care more about their blackness than Jews care about their Jewish-ness. We’ve found other ways to advance in America. We have honed our skills. The blacks must still rely on the rhetoric of civil rights. We understand that. And we respect that."
In response, a reporter pointed out that the President is himself black. The press conference was adjourned immediately. Outside, the Reverend Al Sharpton objected to Emmanuel’s statements reminding reporters "You just can’t trust a Jew."
Reverend Jesse Jackson agreed while assuring reporters that, despite Thomas’ comments, liberal Democrats are still the leaders of the modern civil rights movement. Senator Byrd concurred.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
THOSE DEVASTATED LOUISIANA FISHERMEN
Let me be perfectly clear. BP deserves much of the scorn heaped on it over the Gulf oil spill. This oil giant has had a long record of taking short cuts with safety in order to save money and some of the remarks made by its CEO ("I want my life back.") are simply outrageous. But there is plenty of blame to go around and our federal government’s share of that blame is far from insignificant. When the Obama administration says it has been in control of everything BP is doing since ‘day-one’, the president and his spokespersons cannot then slam BP for everything that has gone wrong with their attempts to stop the flow of oil.
On Sunday’s ABC This Week, that left-wing loudmouthed Arianna Huffington, an ardent Obama supporter, spouted off that the oil spill is entirely the fault of the Bush-Cheney regulatory policies. Then she added that the explosion on the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ rig was the fault of Halliburton for pumping concrete into the well. The left which has always demonized the oil industry, is having a field day with slamming BP and blaming their favorite whipping boys, Bush and Halliburton.
The fishermen of Louisiana are complaining that their way of life and their livelihood has been destroyed by the oil spill. And an ‘angry’ President Obama has vowed that he will make BP pay for destroying the lives of the fishermen. Sharon Churcher, a Daily Mail reporter, went to Louisiana to have a first-hand look-see at the BP oil spill disaster. Surprisingly, it appears as though many of the fishermen are actually doing quite well thanks to the much maligned oil giant.
Most notable in Churcher’s report is the fact that, because of cheap foreign seafood imports, the Louisiana fishing industry had been in a steep decline since well before the oil spill. But you won’t find that reported by any of America’s media outlets. All you see on TV is angry people in Louisiana raging at BP for destroying their way of life and their livelihoods. And then you see Obama administration officials parroting those complaints and swearing to make BP pay for this. And you won't read about the declining fishing industry in our print media either.
One industry that could be hurt badly is tourism. If the oil washes ashore on the beaches of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, tourists will look for other destinations. There have already been cancellations of hotel room reservation. And Florida’s economy will be devastated because tourism normally brings in $60 billion a year.
The fishermen’s complaints remind me of back in the ‘70s when Gulf Coast shrimpers complained loudly that government-subsidized Vietnamese immigrant shrimpers were taking away their livelihood. The KKK had a revival of sorts by taking up their cause – many shrimpers up and joined that hate-mongering bunch of malcontents. Several Vietnamese boats were destroyed after someone set them on fire. But the Vietnamese fishermen were not to blame. They caught a lot more shrimp simply because they worked harder and longer hours, rather than spending their time and money hanging out in local beer joints. Eventually the Klan disappeard and everyone went back to doing business as usual.
Here, from Churcher’s report, are some excerpts on how Louisiana fishermen are profiting from the Deepwater Horizon disaster:
‘I WAS LUCKY IF I MADE $1,000 A MONTH BEFORE THE SPILL. NOW BP PAYS ME $1,200 A DAY’: FISHERMEN MAKE MOST OF GULF OIL DISASTER
by Sharon Churcher
mail online
June 6, 2010
Understandably, many locals have chosen to drown their sorrows. At a popular bar, the Vu-Doo Lounge, fishermen ply me with riches-to-rags stories. ‘I was making $100,000 a year. Now I’m making nothing,’ I was told by Tim Cheramie, who was buying rounds of Bud Lite for a group of friends.
The large amounts of beer being consumed made it clear, however, that the Lounge’s patrons still had some source of income.
Questioned more closely, one boat captain, Dodd ‘Milk’ Champagne, blurted: ‘Those of us with bigger boats are still shrimping because we can go further out to sea, beyond the closed area.’ His vessel, Milky Way, was due to depart the next morning for a ten-day expedition.
The vessel will cover more miles, devouring extra fuel, so he is entitled to collect compensation from BP on a monthly basis, and he has just received his first cheque, for $5,000.
His three deckhands also have each submitted claims – for $2,500 each – to compensate for ‘lost earnings’.
Hundreds of fishermen with smaller boats have converted them into oil-skimming vessels, which lower absorbent pads, resembling old-fashioned draught stoppers, into the ocean to scoop out the contaminants.
A BP source says the company is paying them between $1,200 and $3,000 a day, in addition to which they are reimbursed for their meals and fuel. To the disgraced oil company, desperate to retrieve its reputation, this undoubtedly seems worthwhile.
After another beer, however, one of the captains at the Lounge mordantly confided to me that his business lost nearly $40,000 last year.
Soaring fuel costs and cheap imports of shrimp from China and Thailand have driven prices to as low as 30 cents (20p) a pound and according to official estimates, more than 16 per cent of Grand Isle’s residents subsist on incomes below the poverty line.
The rotted teeth and prematurely aged faces of most of those I meet lead me to believe the real figure may be double that.
Long before the spill, the industry throughout the US states bordering the Gulf of Mexico was being driven into extinction by another factor that conveniently has gone unmentioned by the politicians: pollution.
Agricultural chemicals and fertilisers have been carried by rivers into the sea, creating a dead zone that has nothing to do with oil. It has stretched at times for as much as 6,000 square miles along the coast and is blamed for sharply decreasing catches.
‘Ma’am, I hate to say anything good about BP,’ I was told by a fisherman who asked not to be identified, because he is collecting $1,200 a day by the company to skim oil.
‘What they’ve done is a tragedy. But it was bad before the spill. I was lucky if I made $1,000 a month. After the mortgage on my house and other bills, we had maybe $120 a month left to buy food. We lived on chicken wings. We couldn’t afford to eat our own shrimp. Now BP pays me $1,200 a day.’
On Sunday’s ABC This Week, that left-wing loudmouthed Arianna Huffington, an ardent Obama supporter, spouted off that the oil spill is entirely the fault of the Bush-Cheney regulatory policies. Then she added that the explosion on the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ rig was the fault of Halliburton for pumping concrete into the well. The left which has always demonized the oil industry, is having a field day with slamming BP and blaming their favorite whipping boys, Bush and Halliburton.
The fishermen of Louisiana are complaining that their way of life and their livelihood has been destroyed by the oil spill. And an ‘angry’ President Obama has vowed that he will make BP pay for destroying the lives of the fishermen. Sharon Churcher, a Daily Mail reporter, went to Louisiana to have a first-hand look-see at the BP oil spill disaster. Surprisingly, it appears as though many of the fishermen are actually doing quite well thanks to the much maligned oil giant.
Most notable in Churcher’s report is the fact that, because of cheap foreign seafood imports, the Louisiana fishing industry had been in a steep decline since well before the oil spill. But you won’t find that reported by any of America’s media outlets. All you see on TV is angry people in Louisiana raging at BP for destroying their way of life and their livelihoods. And then you see Obama administration officials parroting those complaints and swearing to make BP pay for this. And you won't read about the declining fishing industry in our print media either.
One industry that could be hurt badly is tourism. If the oil washes ashore on the beaches of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, tourists will look for other destinations. There have already been cancellations of hotel room reservation. And Florida’s economy will be devastated because tourism normally brings in $60 billion a year.
The fishermen’s complaints remind me of back in the ‘70s when Gulf Coast shrimpers complained loudly that government-subsidized Vietnamese immigrant shrimpers were taking away their livelihood. The KKK had a revival of sorts by taking up their cause – many shrimpers up and joined that hate-mongering bunch of malcontents. Several Vietnamese boats were destroyed after someone set them on fire. But the Vietnamese fishermen were not to blame. They caught a lot more shrimp simply because they worked harder and longer hours, rather than spending their time and money hanging out in local beer joints. Eventually the Klan disappeard and everyone went back to doing business as usual.
Here, from Churcher’s report, are some excerpts on how Louisiana fishermen are profiting from the Deepwater Horizon disaster:
‘I WAS LUCKY IF I MADE $1,000 A MONTH BEFORE THE SPILL. NOW BP PAYS ME $1,200 A DAY’: FISHERMEN MAKE MOST OF GULF OIL DISASTER
by Sharon Churcher
mail online
June 6, 2010
Understandably, many locals have chosen to drown their sorrows. At a popular bar, the Vu-Doo Lounge, fishermen ply me with riches-to-rags stories. ‘I was making $100,000 a year. Now I’m making nothing,’ I was told by Tim Cheramie, who was buying rounds of Bud Lite for a group of friends.
The large amounts of beer being consumed made it clear, however, that the Lounge’s patrons still had some source of income.
Questioned more closely, one boat captain, Dodd ‘Milk’ Champagne, blurted: ‘Those of us with bigger boats are still shrimping because we can go further out to sea, beyond the closed area.’ His vessel, Milky Way, was due to depart the next morning for a ten-day expedition.
The vessel will cover more miles, devouring extra fuel, so he is entitled to collect compensation from BP on a monthly basis, and he has just received his first cheque, for $5,000.
His three deckhands also have each submitted claims – for $2,500 each – to compensate for ‘lost earnings’.
Hundreds of fishermen with smaller boats have converted them into oil-skimming vessels, which lower absorbent pads, resembling old-fashioned draught stoppers, into the ocean to scoop out the contaminants.
A BP source says the company is paying them between $1,200 and $3,000 a day, in addition to which they are reimbursed for their meals and fuel. To the disgraced oil company, desperate to retrieve its reputation, this undoubtedly seems worthwhile.
After another beer, however, one of the captains at the Lounge mordantly confided to me that his business lost nearly $40,000 last year.
Soaring fuel costs and cheap imports of shrimp from China and Thailand have driven prices to as low as 30 cents (20p) a pound and according to official estimates, more than 16 per cent of Grand Isle’s residents subsist on incomes below the poverty line.
The rotted teeth and prematurely aged faces of most of those I meet lead me to believe the real figure may be double that.
Long before the spill, the industry throughout the US states bordering the Gulf of Mexico was being driven into extinction by another factor that conveniently has gone unmentioned by the politicians: pollution.
Agricultural chemicals and fertilisers have been carried by rivers into the sea, creating a dead zone that has nothing to do with oil. It has stretched at times for as much as 6,000 square miles along the coast and is blamed for sharply decreasing catches.
‘Ma’am, I hate to say anything good about BP,’ I was told by a fisherman who asked not to be identified, because he is collecting $1,200 a day by the company to skim oil.
‘What they’ve done is a tragedy. But it was bad before the spill. I was lucky if I made $1,000 a month. After the mortgage on my house and other bills, we had maybe $120 a month left to buy food. We lived on chicken wings. We couldn’t afford to eat our own shrimp. Now BP pays me $1,200 a day.’
IS OBAMA'S SPENDING LEADING US STRAIGHT INTO AN ECONOMIC DISASTER?
U.S. FACING DEBT ‘SUPER CYCLE’: 13 TRILLION BLACK HJOLE TO OVERTAKE COUNTRY’S GDP ‘WITHIN TWO YEARS’mail online
June 7, 2010
America's $13 trillion debt is set to overtake the country's GDP within the next two years as economists warn of a 'debt super cycle.'
Forecasters predict the U.S. debt will grow to surpass gross domestic product in 2012, based on data from the International Monetary Fund.
According to Bloomberg, the world's largest economy will expand at a slower pace than the 3.2 per cent average of the past five decades.
It comes as Barack Obama borrows record amounts to fund spending programs to help the economy recover from its longest recession since the 1930s.
'Over the long term, interest rates on government debt will likely have to rise to attract investors,' said Hiroki Shimazu, a market economist in Tokyo at Nikko Cordial Securities Inc.
'That will be a big burden on the government and the people.'
The forecast prompted warnings the country will be plunged into a debt 'super cycle' - which occurs when a debt exceeds the value of a nation's annual economic output.
Economist Bill Gross, who runs the world's largest mutual fund in California, said last month that U.S. economic growth wouldn't be enough to support the debt 'if real interest rates were ever to go up instead of down.'
The grim forecast follows Friday's disappointing U.S. job figures, which sent the Dow Jones down by 3 per cent.
The figures showed only 41,000 of the 431,000 non-farm jobs created in May were in the private sector.
June 7, 2010
America's $13 trillion debt is set to overtake the country's GDP within the next two years as economists warn of a 'debt super cycle.'
Forecasters predict the U.S. debt will grow to surpass gross domestic product in 2012, based on data from the International Monetary Fund.
According to Bloomberg, the world's largest economy will expand at a slower pace than the 3.2 per cent average of the past five decades.
It comes as Barack Obama borrows record amounts to fund spending programs to help the economy recover from its longest recession since the 1930s.
'Over the long term, interest rates on government debt will likely have to rise to attract investors,' said Hiroki Shimazu, a market economist in Tokyo at Nikko Cordial Securities Inc.
'That will be a big burden on the government and the people.'
The forecast prompted warnings the country will be plunged into a debt 'super cycle' - which occurs when a debt exceeds the value of a nation's annual economic output.
Economist Bill Gross, who runs the world's largest mutual fund in California, said last month that U.S. economic growth wouldn't be enough to support the debt 'if real interest rates were ever to go up instead of down.'
The grim forecast follows Friday's disappointing U.S. job figures, which sent the Dow Jones down by 3 per cent.
The figures showed only 41,000 of the 431,000 non-farm jobs created in May were in the private sector.
THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS (2)
I’ve never had any faith in state medical boards. They are more interested in protecting doctors than in protecting the public from doctors who should not be permitted to practice medicine. Here is a good case in point.
Cindy George of the Houston Chronicle reports that a Houston doctor who prescribed thousands of drugs through pain management clinics had his medical license temporarily restricted this week by the Texas Medical Board. HIS LICENSE WAS NOT REVOKED, IT WAS MERELY RESTRICTED.
The medical board’s disciplinary panel investigation revealed that more than 21,000 controlled substance prescriptions were written with the doctor’s signature over a 19-month period from September 2008 through mid-April. The investigation also showed "large numbers of pre-signed prescriptions were issued" while he was out of the country. In addition, more than 900 prescriptions for 400-plus patients the doctor never treated personally were issued under his signature through a Houston ambulance company.
The doctor’s liar – oops, I mean lawyer – said his client "Never intended to break any laws and he might have been taken advantage of. The board's going to allow him to continue to practice medicine." What a crock of shit on both counts – the lying lawyer’s claim and the board’s action.
The restriction on his license prevents the doctor from prescribing any Schedule II drugs, which include oxycodone and morphine. All other prescribing is limited to one-time medications for 72 hours with no refills. He also cannot authorize refills of controlled substances, dangerous drugs or pain medications.
The medical board’s order restricting his license said that he "is a continuing threat to the public welfare and a real danger to the health of … patients or to the public." AND YET THEY ALLOWED THIS DOCTOR TO CONTINUE PRACTICING MEDICINE. A board spokeswoman said the restriction was a way "to take immediate action" in lieu of suspending his license. Another crock of shit!
This doctor and the doctors described in "That’s Where The Money Is" (6-1-10) are nothing more than dope dealers, pure and simple. They’re dealing dope for the money! They belong in prison, not on the streets. And there is no way that the Texas Medical Board can justify letting these crooks continue to practice medicine, any restrictions on their licenses notwithstanding.
Cindy George of the Houston Chronicle reports that a Houston doctor who prescribed thousands of drugs through pain management clinics had his medical license temporarily restricted this week by the Texas Medical Board. HIS LICENSE WAS NOT REVOKED, IT WAS MERELY RESTRICTED.
The medical board’s disciplinary panel investigation revealed that more than 21,000 controlled substance prescriptions were written with the doctor’s signature over a 19-month period from September 2008 through mid-April. The investigation also showed "large numbers of pre-signed prescriptions were issued" while he was out of the country. In addition, more than 900 prescriptions for 400-plus patients the doctor never treated personally were issued under his signature through a Houston ambulance company.
The doctor’s liar – oops, I mean lawyer – said his client "Never intended to break any laws and he might have been taken advantage of. The board's going to allow him to continue to practice medicine." What a crock of shit on both counts – the lying lawyer’s claim and the board’s action.
The restriction on his license prevents the doctor from prescribing any Schedule II drugs, which include oxycodone and morphine. All other prescribing is limited to one-time medications for 72 hours with no refills. He also cannot authorize refills of controlled substances, dangerous drugs or pain medications.
The medical board’s order restricting his license said that he "is a continuing threat to the public welfare and a real danger to the health of … patients or to the public." AND YET THEY ALLOWED THIS DOCTOR TO CONTINUE PRACTICING MEDICINE. A board spokeswoman said the restriction was a way "to take immediate action" in lieu of suspending his license. Another crock of shit!
This doctor and the doctors described in "That’s Where The Money Is" (6-1-10) are nothing more than dope dealers, pure and simple. They’re dealing dope for the money! They belong in prison, not on the streets. And there is no way that the Texas Medical Board can justify letting these crooks continue to practice medicine, any restrictions on their licenses notwithstanding.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
SMOKE AND MIRRORS ON THE EMPLOYMENT FRONT
The government released its employment report for the month of May. The Obama administrateion boasted that the economy continues to recover because employers added 431,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell from 9.9 percent to 9.7 percent. Pretty impressive numbers, aren’t they? Well, not at all!
It’s like reading the small print. 411,000 of those new jobs were federal government jobs and they were temporary jobs at that. How’s that? Those 411,000 workers were hired to help with the census and those jobs will end in a few months.
When you get beyond the smoke and mirrors, a different employment picture begins to appear. The private sector delivered only 41,000 new jobs. This is far below the 150,000 to 180,000 new jobs that had been expected for the month. Furthermore, the rate on the number of long-term unemployed, those out of work 27 weeks or more, continued to be at its highest level since the 1940s when the Labor Department first began to collect such statistics.
And several economists are raining on the Obama administration’s parade. They are predicting another severe downturn before the economy finally does turn around. The administration cannot keep blaming this on Bush. Smoke and mirrors aside, the sour economy may turn out to be Obama’s Waterloo.
It’s like reading the small print. 411,000 of those new jobs were federal government jobs and they were temporary jobs at that. How’s that? Those 411,000 workers were hired to help with the census and those jobs will end in a few months.
When you get beyond the smoke and mirrors, a different employment picture begins to appear. The private sector delivered only 41,000 new jobs. This is far below the 150,000 to 180,000 new jobs that had been expected for the month. Furthermore, the rate on the number of long-term unemployed, those out of work 27 weeks or more, continued to be at its highest level since the 1940s when the Labor Department first began to collect such statistics.
And several economists are raining on the Obama administration’s parade. They are predicting another severe downturn before the economy finally does turn around. The administration cannot keep blaming this on Bush. Smoke and mirrors aside, the sour economy may turn out to be Obama’s Waterloo.
ACCORDING TO THE WORLD, ISRAELIS ARE THE NAZIS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
From the time that Israel relinquished its control over the Gaza Strip in 2005 until it retaliated with a military invasion of the strip in 2008, the southern part of the Jewish state was subjected to a daily bombardment of rockets launched by Hamas and other Palestinian militants. Did the world condemn the firing of more than four thousand rockets at Israel? Of course not! But it sure as hell condemned the Israeli self-defense invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Reacting to the world outcry over the deadly raid on the Gaza-bound ‘aid’ flotilla, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would "not allow the establishment of an Iranian port in Gaza." Now the Israelis have boarded another ship bound for Gaza after it refused to change course, this time though without any injuries or loss of life.
The whole world knows that Iran is supplying Hezbollah and Hamas with weapons to be used against Israel. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and has vowed to destroy the Zionist entity. But the world doesn’t give a shit about the Jewish state – as far as the world is concerned, Israelis are the Nazis of the 21st Century.
The Obama administration has joined the British foreign ministry in insisting that the blockade of Gaza be lifted. Mike Hammer, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said "The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay went further by insisting the Gaza blockage was illegal.
Didn’t President Kennedy order the United States Navy to blockade Cuba in 1962 during the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’? As I recall, our navy intercepted Russian and other Soviet block ships in international waters and forced them to abandon their efforts to reach Cuban ports. But that was when we were threatened with the accumulation of weapons by the Castro regime. Why is it OK for us to defend ourselves, but not Israel?
You would have to be a person with a sub-zero IQ not to know that Hamas would receive thousands-of-tons of military weapons and war materials if the Gaza blockade were to be lifted. Nevertheless, the Obama administration is stabbing Israel in the back by insisting that the blockade must end. But what would you expect from a president who is reaching out to the Muslim world. In effect, Israel’s only ‘friend’ is saying ‘fuck you’ to the Jewish state.
Reacting to the world outcry over the deadly raid on the Gaza-bound ‘aid’ flotilla, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would "not allow the establishment of an Iranian port in Gaza." Now the Israelis have boarded another ship bound for Gaza after it refused to change course, this time though without any injuries or loss of life.
The whole world knows that Iran is supplying Hezbollah and Hamas with weapons to be used against Israel. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and has vowed to destroy the Zionist entity. But the world doesn’t give a shit about the Jewish state – as far as the world is concerned, Israelis are the Nazis of the 21st Century.
The Obama administration has joined the British foreign ministry in insisting that the blockade of Gaza be lifted. Mike Hammer, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said "The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay went further by insisting the Gaza blockage was illegal.
Didn’t President Kennedy order the United States Navy to blockade Cuba in 1962 during the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’? As I recall, our navy intercepted Russian and other Soviet block ships in international waters and forced them to abandon their efforts to reach Cuban ports. But that was when we were threatened with the accumulation of weapons by the Castro regime. Why is it OK for us to defend ourselves, but not Israel?
You would have to be a person with a sub-zero IQ not to know that Hamas would receive thousands-of-tons of military weapons and war materials if the Gaza blockade were to be lifted. Nevertheless, the Obama administration is stabbing Israel in the back by insisting that the blockade must end. But what would you expect from a president who is reaching out to the Muslim world. In effect, Israel’s only ‘friend’ is saying ‘fuck you’ to the Jewish state.
HEY YOU DAMN JEWS, GO BACK TO POLAND AND GERMANY
I remember that every president since JFK has called on her to ask the first question at the White House press conferences.
HELEN THOMAS: JEWS, GO BACK TO POLAND
Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas makes shocking anti-Jewish remarks
By Yitzhak Benhorin
Ynet news.com
June 5, 2010
WASHINGTON - Veteran White House Correspondent Helen Thomas has provoked a storm in the US after saying the Jews must "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland or Germany.
Thomas, who will be celebrating her 90th birthday soon, made the remarks in a talk with Rabbi David Nesenoff on the margins of an event held by President Obama last week to mark Jewish heritage month.
After being asked for her opinion of Israel, Thomas responded by saying: "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine."
Turning her attention to the Palestinians, she said, "Remember, these people are occupied. And it's their land," adding the Jews should "go home" to Poland and Germany.
Thomas' remarks have prompted numerous calls for her resignation. One of those who spoke out against her is Ari Fleischer, the former White House spokesman during President George W. Bush's presidency.
"She should lose her job over this," Fleischer told the Politico website. "As someone who is Jewish, and as someone who worked with her and used to like her, I find this appalling."
"She is advocating religious cleansing… If a journalist, or a columnist, said the same thing about blacks or Hispanics, they would already have lost their jobs," he said.
As a daughter of Lebanese immigrants, Thomas has not been hiding her sympathy for the Arabs and Palestinians in questions she asked at White House press briefings. She has referred to the lethal raid on the Gaza-bound Marmara ship Monday as a "massacre."
HELEN THOMAS: JEWS, GO BACK TO POLAND
Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas makes shocking anti-Jewish remarks
By Yitzhak Benhorin
Ynet news.com
June 5, 2010
WASHINGTON - Veteran White House Correspondent Helen Thomas has provoked a storm in the US after saying the Jews must "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland or Germany.
Thomas, who will be celebrating her 90th birthday soon, made the remarks in a talk with Rabbi David Nesenoff on the margins of an event held by President Obama last week to mark Jewish heritage month.
After being asked for her opinion of Israel, Thomas responded by saying: "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine."
Turning her attention to the Palestinians, she said, "Remember, these people are occupied. And it's their land," adding the Jews should "go home" to Poland and Germany.
Thomas' remarks have prompted numerous calls for her resignation. One of those who spoke out against her is Ari Fleischer, the former White House spokesman during President George W. Bush's presidency.
"She should lose her job over this," Fleischer told the Politico website. "As someone who is Jewish, and as someone who worked with her and used to like her, I find this appalling."
"She is advocating religious cleansing… If a journalist, or a columnist, said the same thing about blacks or Hispanics, they would already have lost their jobs," he said.
As a daughter of Lebanese immigrants, Thomas has not been hiding her sympathy for the Arabs and Palestinians in questions she asked at White House press briefings. She has referred to the lethal raid on the Gaza-bound Marmara ship Monday as a "massacre."
GOLD STAR PAROLEE
Bob Walsh says, "Some people just can’t get with the program I guess." 'Gold Star Parolee' is a term coined by Bob for reporting the fuck-ups by parolees on PACOVILLA Corrections blog. I don’t think Bob and Paco will mind my copying the term.
ONE-MAN CRIME WAVE SENTENCED TO 31 YEARS
By Henry K. Lee
San Francisco Chronicle
June 3, 2010
REDWOOD CITY -- A parolee has been sentenced to more than 31 years in state prison for a crime spree along the Peninsula in which he carjacked two women's automobile, stole a shotgun from a gun shop and dragged the store owner with his car, and robbed a bank using a gun stolen from a sheriff's detective, authorities said.
Joshua Michael Godfrey, 26, of San Mateo will not be eligible for parole until 2033 after being sentenced Friday by Judge Robert Foiles of San Mateo County Superior Court to 31 years and four months behind bars.
Godfrey, who was on parole for possession of stolen property, pleaded no contest in March to carjacking, three counts of robbery, six counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and numerous weapons enhancements.
On Valentine's Day 2006, Godfrey carjacked two women of a Mercury Sable in a Belmont apartment complex parking lot, said Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Hill.
Several hours later, he ran behind the counter of the Tabor's Shooters Supply on El Camino Real in San Bruno and stole a pump-action shotgun. The store owner tried to stop Godfrey as he fled in a car and was dragged several feet, Hill said. The owner then fired a shot at the car when Godfrey drove toward him.
On July 26, 2006, a masked Godfrey, armed with a gun stolen from a San Mateo County sheriff's detective, staged a takeover robbery of the Bank of America at 1375 Woodside Road in Redwood City, authorities said. The gun was stolen from a locked, unmarked sheriff's car, but Godfrey was not charged in connection with the theft.
After the bank holdup, police tracked him to his apartment, where a search turned up all of the $14,000 that was stolen from the bank, along with a police protective vest and police badges stolen during a burglary of a Colma police officer's car in Belmont, authorities said.
ONE-MAN CRIME WAVE SENTENCED TO 31 YEARS
By Henry K. Lee
San Francisco Chronicle
June 3, 2010
REDWOOD CITY -- A parolee has been sentenced to more than 31 years in state prison for a crime spree along the Peninsula in which he carjacked two women's automobile, stole a shotgun from a gun shop and dragged the store owner with his car, and robbed a bank using a gun stolen from a sheriff's detective, authorities said.
Joshua Michael Godfrey, 26, of San Mateo will not be eligible for parole until 2033 after being sentenced Friday by Judge Robert Foiles of San Mateo County Superior Court to 31 years and four months behind bars.
Godfrey, who was on parole for possession of stolen property, pleaded no contest in March to carjacking, three counts of robbery, six counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and numerous weapons enhancements.
On Valentine's Day 2006, Godfrey carjacked two women of a Mercury Sable in a Belmont apartment complex parking lot, said Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Hill.
Several hours later, he ran behind the counter of the Tabor's Shooters Supply on El Camino Real in San Bruno and stole a pump-action shotgun. The store owner tried to stop Godfrey as he fled in a car and was dragged several feet, Hill said. The owner then fired a shot at the car when Godfrey drove toward him.
On July 26, 2006, a masked Godfrey, armed with a gun stolen from a San Mateo County sheriff's detective, staged a takeover robbery of the Bank of America at 1375 Woodside Road in Redwood City, authorities said. The gun was stolen from a locked, unmarked sheriff's car, but Godfrey was not charged in connection with the theft.
After the bank holdup, police tracked him to his apartment, where a search turned up all of the $14,000 that was stolen from the bank, along with a police protective vest and police badges stolen during a burglary of a Colma police officer's car in Belmont, authorities said.
OLIVER'S LAW OF SPEAKING YOUR MIND - A CLOSED MOUTH GATHERS NO FEET
Mark is correct, but not politically correct. Erin should have stuck to her specialty, the financial news.
‘WHY WOMEN AREN’T IN CHARGE OF SPORTS’: U.S. TV NEWS ANCHOR SHOCKS VIEWERS WITH SEXIST COMMENT
by Daniel Bates
mail online
June 5, 2010
Most men might agree - but few of them would say it on national television.
American TV news anchor Mark Haines shocked viewers with a sexist comment about how women don't understand sport.
His co-anchor Erin Burnett suggested that a bad call by a baseball referee did not matter because the situation was handled gracefully by both sides.
Haines replied: 'See, this is why women aren't in charge of sports'.
As production staff could be heard giggling, Burnett sat open mouthed and said: 'Oh my! You know...I think...this is a moment that should be passed over'.
The footage has found its way onto YouTube where incredibly most of the comments support what Haines said.
GBTRU wrote: 'She makes it sound so trivial that a perfect game was thrown, because of a stupid call by the ump.
'She and women like her...have a fair play everybody wins mentality when it comes to sports. This was record breaking...she knows nothing.'
aXmanchi added: 'Truer words have never been said'.
Yanks1335 said: 'Damn straight put her in her place' and jsullivan05 noted: 'This guy was completely right... this is why women aren't in charge of sports, they aren't nearly competitive enough... There is no Live and let Live in sports, it's about winning.'
Among the few dissenting voices was KingOne who said: 'She should have punched him in the face'.
Haines's outburst came on CNBC when he and Burnett were watching footage of a baseball match between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians in which Detroit's pitcher was denied a 'perfect game' by a bad call from a referee.
Armando Galarraga had stopped every batter getting to base until the last one, who was ruled to have made it even though he was in fact caught out.
The incident has become a major talking point in America, especially as baseball authorities have refused to reverse the decision.
As he watched the footage Haines said: 'It was a perfect game! And the umpire blew the call.’ After the game he admitted he blew it. 'There are financial implications...Come on! Outrageous, outrageous.'
Burnett replied: 'I don't know, I kinda say who cares about the money. The ump admitted to making a mistake, he hugged the pitcher who wasn't mad. Doesn't America need moments of graciousness like that more frequently?'
Haines replied: 'How about a moment when a guy celebrates a perfect game?'
As tension began to mount, Burnett said: 'Hey you know, mistakes happen, but everyone admitted it. I thought it was handled so beautifully that it was a more memorable moment for its failure perhaps than its success, I don't know, maybe a little sentimental.'
Haines paused and said: 'See, this is why women aren't in charge of sports.'
Haines says that another news anchor enjoyed his comment, but Burnett chipped in that they were only interested in what he said because they thought I might punch him.
‘WHY WOMEN AREN’T IN CHARGE OF SPORTS’: U.S. TV NEWS ANCHOR SHOCKS VIEWERS WITH SEXIST COMMENT
by Daniel Bates
mail online
June 5, 2010
Most men might agree - but few of them would say it on national television.
American TV news anchor Mark Haines shocked viewers with a sexist comment about how women don't understand sport.
His co-anchor Erin Burnett suggested that a bad call by a baseball referee did not matter because the situation was handled gracefully by both sides.
Haines replied: 'See, this is why women aren't in charge of sports'.
As production staff could be heard giggling, Burnett sat open mouthed and said: 'Oh my! You know...I think...this is a moment that should be passed over'.
The footage has found its way onto YouTube where incredibly most of the comments support what Haines said.
GBTRU wrote: 'She makes it sound so trivial that a perfect game was thrown, because of a stupid call by the ump.
'She and women like her...have a fair play everybody wins mentality when it comes to sports. This was record breaking...she knows nothing.'
aXmanchi added: 'Truer words have never been said'.
Yanks1335 said: 'Damn straight put her in her place' and jsullivan05 noted: 'This guy was completely right... this is why women aren't in charge of sports, they aren't nearly competitive enough... There is no Live and let Live in sports, it's about winning.'
Among the few dissenting voices was KingOne who said: 'She should have punched him in the face'.
Haines's outburst came on CNBC when he and Burnett were watching footage of a baseball match between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians in which Detroit's pitcher was denied a 'perfect game' by a bad call from a referee.
Armando Galarraga had stopped every batter getting to base until the last one, who was ruled to have made it even though he was in fact caught out.
The incident has become a major talking point in America, especially as baseball authorities have refused to reverse the decision.
As he watched the footage Haines said: 'It was a perfect game! And the umpire blew the call.’ After the game he admitted he blew it. 'There are financial implications...Come on! Outrageous, outrageous.'
Burnett replied: 'I don't know, I kinda say who cares about the money. The ump admitted to making a mistake, he hugged the pitcher who wasn't mad. Doesn't America need moments of graciousness like that more frequently?'
Haines replied: 'How about a moment when a guy celebrates a perfect game?'
As tension began to mount, Burnett said: 'Hey you know, mistakes happen, but everyone admitted it. I thought it was handled so beautifully that it was a more memorable moment for its failure perhaps than its success, I don't know, maybe a little sentimental.'
Haines paused and said: 'See, this is why women aren't in charge of sports.'
Haines says that another news anchor enjoyed his comment, but Burnett chipped in that they were only interested in what he said because they thought I might punch him.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
HELPING SENIORS IN NEED OF CONSTANT CARE AND PUNISHING CRIMINALS
My friend Audrey suggests we put seniors in need of constant care in jail and criminals in nursing homes. That way we would be helping seniors and punishing criminals.
SENIORS
Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks, they'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc. and they'd receive money instead of paying it out.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
A guard would check on them every 20 minutes, and bring their meals and snacks to their cell. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool, and education, simple clothing, shoes, slippers, P. J.'s and legal aid would be free, on request.
Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
Each senior would have a TV, Radio and daily phone calls, and access to a computer if capable of using one.
There would be a review board, to hear complaints. The guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
CRIMINALS
The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone most of the time and when supervised, it will be by aides who don’t give a shit because they hate their jobs. Lights off at 8 pm and showers once a week.
Live in a tiny room and pay $5000.00 per month with no hope of ever getting out.
SENIORS
Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks, they'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc. and they'd receive money instead of paying it out.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
A guard would check on them every 20 minutes, and bring their meals and snacks to their cell. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool, and education, simple clothing, shoes, slippers, P. J.'s and legal aid would be free, on request.
Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
Each senior would have a TV, Radio and daily phone calls, and access to a computer if capable of using one.
There would be a review board, to hear complaints. The guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
CRIMINALS
The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone most of the time and when supervised, it will be by aides who don’t give a shit because they hate their jobs. Lights off at 8 pm and showers once a week.
Live in a tiny room and pay $5000.00 per month with no hope of ever getting out.
U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS IN DISARRAY
NEW FACE OF TERRORISM IS ‘HOME-GROWN’
Former NJ Gov. Tom Kean says, "We can't count on the terrorists being incompetent forever"
By Judy Peet
The Star-Ledger
June 2, 2010
The United States is more vulnerable to terrorist attack than any time since the 2001 assault on the World Trade Center, according to the chairman of the 9/11 commission.
"This is the most dangerous time I've seen since 9/11," former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean said. "Al Qaeda is constantly learning our weaknesses, and the U.S. intelligence community is dysfunctional.
"I am feeling a sense of urgency," said Kean, who recently testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about President Obama's "failure to clarify who is in charge" of the massive intelligence gathering organization.
"If we don't get our act together, we're going to be in serious trouble," Kean said, elaborating on comments he made on the Sunday Star-Ledger's editorial page.
Although some disagree with Kean, many involved in national security issues agree al Qaeda has mutated as an international organization over the past few years, diversifying its bases of operations and attack plans.
"For several years after 9/11, our government was successful in attacking decision-making centers of al Qaeda. They responded by reorganizing themselves on a much smaller scale. They may be less sophisticated and less deadly, but they are also much harder to catch," said Aaron Friedberg, professor of international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.
Noting the number of terrorist attempts on American soil in the past few years was "not trivial," Friedberg added that in more recent attempts - such as the "Christmas Day bomber" and the Times Square car bomb - "the only thing that saved people was the incompetence of the terrorists."
Both Friedberg, who was deputy national security adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Kean also agreed the new face of terrorism is increasingly "home-grown." Faisal Shahzad, for example, is a naturalized citizen allegedly responsible for last month's abortive attempt to detonate a car bomb in Times Square.
"Thank God no one was hurt, but terrorists have learned that they don't have to be successful to disrupt our lives and our economy," Kean said. "So now they're looking to recruit home-grown (American) operatives who can move around at will under the radar of our intelligence community."
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th Dist.), New Jersey's only member on the Homeland Security Committee, acknowledged Congress has not addressed the security gaps that contributed to 9/11 or the possibility the U.S. may be the target of a biological weapons attack in the next few years.
"The bureaucracy in Washington and among the intelligence community is cumbersome," said Pascrell, who plans to introduce a bill to increase U.S. protections against weapons of mass destruction. "Yet we're more concerned about turf than protecting our country from a very determined, inventive enemy."
While al Qaeda adapts, the U.S. intelligence community is in disarray, Kean said. He noted that Obama has not replaced former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, who announced his resignation May 20, and "six years after the recommendations of the 9/11 commission were released, we still haven't gotten any action on reform in Congress.
"The FBI is still not fixed, and Homeland Security spends way too much of its time reporting to the 100 congressional subcommittees that claim some type of jurisdiction," Kean claimed. "We can't count on the terrorists being incompetent forever."
Former NJ Gov. Tom Kean says, "We can't count on the terrorists being incompetent forever"
By Judy Peet
The Star-Ledger
June 2, 2010
The United States is more vulnerable to terrorist attack than any time since the 2001 assault on the World Trade Center, according to the chairman of the 9/11 commission.
"This is the most dangerous time I've seen since 9/11," former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean said. "Al Qaeda is constantly learning our weaknesses, and the U.S. intelligence community is dysfunctional.
"I am feeling a sense of urgency," said Kean, who recently testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about President Obama's "failure to clarify who is in charge" of the massive intelligence gathering organization.
"If we don't get our act together, we're going to be in serious trouble," Kean said, elaborating on comments he made on the Sunday Star-Ledger's editorial page.
Although some disagree with Kean, many involved in national security issues agree al Qaeda has mutated as an international organization over the past few years, diversifying its bases of operations and attack plans.
"For several years after 9/11, our government was successful in attacking decision-making centers of al Qaeda. They responded by reorganizing themselves on a much smaller scale. They may be less sophisticated and less deadly, but they are also much harder to catch," said Aaron Friedberg, professor of international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.
Noting the number of terrorist attempts on American soil in the past few years was "not trivial," Friedberg added that in more recent attempts - such as the "Christmas Day bomber" and the Times Square car bomb - "the only thing that saved people was the incompetence of the terrorists."
Both Friedberg, who was deputy national security adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Kean also agreed the new face of terrorism is increasingly "home-grown." Faisal Shahzad, for example, is a naturalized citizen allegedly responsible for last month's abortive attempt to detonate a car bomb in Times Square.
"Thank God no one was hurt, but terrorists have learned that they don't have to be successful to disrupt our lives and our economy," Kean said. "So now they're looking to recruit home-grown (American) operatives who can move around at will under the radar of our intelligence community."
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th Dist.), New Jersey's only member on the Homeland Security Committee, acknowledged Congress has not addressed the security gaps that contributed to 9/11 or the possibility the U.S. may be the target of a biological weapons attack in the next few years.
"The bureaucracy in Washington and among the intelligence community is cumbersome," said Pascrell, who plans to introduce a bill to increase U.S. protections against weapons of mass destruction. "Yet we're more concerned about turf than protecting our country from a very determined, inventive enemy."
While al Qaeda adapts, the U.S. intelligence community is in disarray, Kean said. He noted that Obama has not replaced former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, who announced his resignation May 20, and "six years after the recommendations of the 9/11 commission were released, we still haven't gotten any action on reform in Congress.
"The FBI is still not fixed, and Homeland Security spends way too much of its time reporting to the 100 congressional subcommittees that claim some type of jurisdiction," Kean claimed. "We can't count on the terrorists being incompetent forever."
WE DON'T SERVE COPS
This is what really pisses me off: "The cafe, too, has received a deluge of calls, with about half supporting the cafe and the rest expressing anger." The half supporting the café ought to be ashamed of themselves. I wonder how they would feel if they needed the police and the cops told them, "We don’t serve vegans" or "We don't serve environmentalists."
And the officer didn’t go there expecting a free cup of coffee, he gladly paid for it.
PORTLAND CAFÉ SHOWS OFFICER THE DOOR, WON’T SELL HIM COFFEE AGAIN
Co-owner said he felt uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in the vegan cafe
By Lynne Terry
The Oregonian
June 3, 2010
In mid-May, Portland police Officer James Crooker went to Southeast Portland on a patrol call. With a few minutes to spare, he decided to get a coffee.
So, he popped into the Red & Black cafe on Southeast 12th Avenue near Oak Street, bought a coffee and was heading out when a customer approached him, saying she appreciates the hard job that police officers do every day in Portland.
One of the co-owners of the cafe, John Langley, has another point of view. While the officer and customer were chatting, he walked up and asked Crooker to leave, saying he felt uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in the vegan cafe.
The incident, which was brief, speaks volumes about the tensions between Portland police and some members of the community who are more worried about police shootings than protection.
Crooker said he was surprised to be shown the door but left immediately. He said this marked a first during his nine-year in law enforcement, two in Portland and seven in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
"The places that I've been kicked out of before have been places like the methadone clinic," he said. "I've never been kicked out of a regular cafe."
But the 36-year-old officer, who was born and raised in Portland, said it's all part of working this city's streets in a uniform.
"We have a unique relationship with the community," he said. "You're there to protect them but on the other hand they don't know what that involves. Being gracious is part of it."
A former Marine who served in Iraq, Crooker didn't take the incident to heart.
"It was not personal," he said. "He was being hostile to my uniform," he said.
Langley, who did not raise his voice during the encounter, agreed.
"It's not about the police," Langley said. "It's about what the police represent to many people who frequent the cafe.
The cafe draws vegans -- of course -- along with homeless people and animal-rights and environmental activists who Langley said have been targets of police abuse and harassment.
But the cafe also draws customers like Cornelia Seigneur, who blogged about the incident on her website.
Seigneur, a freelancer for The Oregonian who was enjoying lunch with her daughter on May 18 when Crooker came in, was the one who approached him.
"There have been some unfortunate situations recently," Seigneur said. "But overall the police are out there day in and day out protecting us."
She said she struck up a conversation with Crooker to show her support for police, who she said saved the life of a friend after he was shot by gang members.
When Langley asked Crooker to leave, she was startled.
"It was shocking," Seigneur said. "Everyone deserves to have a coffee, and he was served a coffee. It was humiliating."
She said there were only about three other people in the cafe and that no else seemed to notice the officer.
But the incident has fired a reaction, with dozens of comments pouring into Seigneur's website.
It's been so overwhelming that she took the blog post down but put it back up Thursday afternoon.
The cafe, too, has received a deluge of calls, with about half supporting the cafe and the rest expressing anger.
"We've received threats," Langley said. "People have threatened to attack us and break our windows."
Still, he has no regrets.
"I never expected a police officer to come into the space," he said. "If it happened again, I wouldn't serve him."
And the officer didn’t go there expecting a free cup of coffee, he gladly paid for it.
PORTLAND CAFÉ SHOWS OFFICER THE DOOR, WON’T SELL HIM COFFEE AGAIN
Co-owner said he felt uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in the vegan cafe
By Lynne Terry
The Oregonian
June 3, 2010
In mid-May, Portland police Officer James Crooker went to Southeast Portland on a patrol call. With a few minutes to spare, he decided to get a coffee.
So, he popped into the Red & Black cafe on Southeast 12th Avenue near Oak Street, bought a coffee and was heading out when a customer approached him, saying she appreciates the hard job that police officers do every day in Portland.
One of the co-owners of the cafe, John Langley, has another point of view. While the officer and customer were chatting, he walked up and asked Crooker to leave, saying he felt uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in the vegan cafe.
The incident, which was brief, speaks volumes about the tensions between Portland police and some members of the community who are more worried about police shootings than protection.
Crooker said he was surprised to be shown the door but left immediately. He said this marked a first during his nine-year in law enforcement, two in Portland and seven in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
"The places that I've been kicked out of before have been places like the methadone clinic," he said. "I've never been kicked out of a regular cafe."
But the 36-year-old officer, who was born and raised in Portland, said it's all part of working this city's streets in a uniform.
"We have a unique relationship with the community," he said. "You're there to protect them but on the other hand they don't know what that involves. Being gracious is part of it."
A former Marine who served in Iraq, Crooker didn't take the incident to heart.
"It was not personal," he said. "He was being hostile to my uniform," he said.
Langley, who did not raise his voice during the encounter, agreed.
"It's not about the police," Langley said. "It's about what the police represent to many people who frequent the cafe.
The cafe draws vegans -- of course -- along with homeless people and animal-rights and environmental activists who Langley said have been targets of police abuse and harassment.
But the cafe also draws customers like Cornelia Seigneur, who blogged about the incident on her website.
Seigneur, a freelancer for The Oregonian who was enjoying lunch with her daughter on May 18 when Crooker came in, was the one who approached him.
"There have been some unfortunate situations recently," Seigneur said. "But overall the police are out there day in and day out protecting us."
She said she struck up a conversation with Crooker to show her support for police, who she said saved the life of a friend after he was shot by gang members.
When Langley asked Crooker to leave, she was startled.
"It was shocking," Seigneur said. "Everyone deserves to have a coffee, and he was served a coffee. It was humiliating."
She said there were only about three other people in the cafe and that no else seemed to notice the officer.
But the incident has fired a reaction, with dozens of comments pouring into Seigneur's website.
It's been so overwhelming that she took the blog post down but put it back up Thursday afternoon.
The cafe, too, has received a deluge of calls, with about half supporting the cafe and the rest expressing anger.
"We've received threats," Langley said. "People have threatened to attack us and break our windows."
Still, he has no regrets.
"I never expected a police officer to come into the space," he said. "If it happened again, I wouldn't serve him."
WHAT IS QUALITY POLICE SERVICE?
EVALUATING QUALITY POLICE SERVICES
The Police News
June 4, 2010
How do you rate the quality of service provided by your local law enforcement agency? Is the measure of quality service simply a result of the number of police officers per 1,000 population, or the average response time to all citizen calls for service, or the per capita cost of police services to the residents of a community? While these measures are frequently used throughout the country to evaluate police service, they do not accurately assess the quality or effectiveness of a police agency.
This is the conclusion outlined by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in a publication titled, "How to Rate Your Local Police" written by David C. Couper. PERF is a national professional association of chief executives of large law enforcement agencies. The mission of PERF is to improve the delivery of police services and the effectiveness of crime control through: the exercise of strong leadership; public debate of police and criminal justice issues; research and policy development; the provision of vital management leadership services to police agencies.
PERF identifies several myths commonly held concerning what makes a good police department. These myths include, for example, "A higher ratio of police officers to citizens means higher quality police service." PERF states succinctly, "Nothing could be farther from the truth." The number of police officers per 1,000 population "ignores the diversity among communities' socioeconomic structures, their use of public services, the nature of their crime problems and the expectations that a community has of its police agency."
Another myth is: "Responding quickly to citizens calls for service shows that a police agency is efficient." Although some calls received by the police are of an emergency nature and an immediate response should be provided, most calls for service do not require an emergency response.
Many times a citizen returning home to discover a theft or vandalism will wait to call police until they have spoken to family members or neighbors. In these cases, a rapid response rarely results in an arrest. And in those situations when an immediate emergency response is provided, national studies have shown only a small percentage of the time will a suspect be apprehended at the scene of the crime.
If these myths are not accurate measures of the quality of police service, then why are they so frequently used? They are used because they are easily obtained and can be reduced to a numerical base and thereby compared to another police department or some computed average.
In lieu of using myths to evaluate the quality of police service, PERF has identified three factors which must be considered in any evaluation of quality police service.
These factors are: leadership, organization and policy characteristics.
Only by closely evaluating these issues can we get an idea of the true quality of the police service we receive.
LEADERSHIP
In order to evaluate the leadership characteristics of a police agency, you must ask, "What kind of person is the chief?"
The chief's leadership ability is the single most important factor in an agency's ability to provide quality police service. The chief must lead by example and display a level of personal integrity which inspires respect from the employees of the agency, the members of the community and the elected officials.
The chief must set the tone for the police department. He or she must be sensitive to the needs of the community and ensure that all citizens, regardless of sex, race, religion or national origin, receive equal protection under the law. If the chief does not display these qualities, it is a clear signal to the men and women of the police agency that they can act in a similar fashion.
The chief of police must also be able to clearly articulate the mission and policies of the police agency. The St. Louis County Police Department has adopted and distributed to the community a Statement of Values and a Mission Statement which serve as the foundation of everything for which we stand. These documents serve as examples of how a chief executive can provide leadership and set the tone for the overall operation of a police department.
ORGANIZATION
The organizational characteristics of an agency also serve as an indicator of the quality of police service. Police officers must uphold our civil rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. In all dealings with the public, law enforcement officers must follow the legal requirements for use of force, arrest and search and seizure. PERF indicates this "is the hallmark of professional and competent officers."
As part of its organizational characteristics, a quality law enforcement agency will adopt an approach which involves all community resources in an effort to address the crime problem. This is best accomplished through a community or neighborhood policing program which forms a partnership between police and citizens to create permanent solutions to problems that lead to crime. This approach enhances the quality of life within our neighborhoods.
A police agency, if it is to provide quality service, must also ensure it has welltrained personnel with access to the most advanced equipment and technology to assist in the effort to combat crime. Not all agencies, because of their small size or limited financial resources, have the ability to possess the most advanced technology. In these cases, it is necessary that cooperative agreements are coordinated with other agencies to provide these services.
POLICY
Policy characteristics are the third measure PERF recommends be considered when evaluating the quality of police service. Policy characteristics include the agency's ability to: provide written policies for operational practices; recruit and employ the most qualified individuals; provide the highest quality training for its employees; ensure employees conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner and investigate and discipline officers that may engage in misconduct.
In an effort to improve the quality of police service in the area of policy characteristics, PERF has joined with other law enforcement associations in establishing the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
CALEA is the only national accreditation body which certifies that a law enforcement agency has met the highest level of professional policy standards.
Evaluating the quality of police service is not as simple as comparing the number of police officers or response time averages. You can identify high quality police service you just need to know what to look for.
The Police News
June 4, 2010
How do you rate the quality of service provided by your local law enforcement agency? Is the measure of quality service simply a result of the number of police officers per 1,000 population, or the average response time to all citizen calls for service, or the per capita cost of police services to the residents of a community? While these measures are frequently used throughout the country to evaluate police service, they do not accurately assess the quality or effectiveness of a police agency.
This is the conclusion outlined by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in a publication titled, "How to Rate Your Local Police" written by David C. Couper. PERF is a national professional association of chief executives of large law enforcement agencies. The mission of PERF is to improve the delivery of police services and the effectiveness of crime control through: the exercise of strong leadership; public debate of police and criminal justice issues; research and policy development; the provision of vital management leadership services to police agencies.
PERF identifies several myths commonly held concerning what makes a good police department. These myths include, for example, "A higher ratio of police officers to citizens means higher quality police service." PERF states succinctly, "Nothing could be farther from the truth." The number of police officers per 1,000 population "ignores the diversity among communities' socioeconomic structures, their use of public services, the nature of their crime problems and the expectations that a community has of its police agency."
Another myth is: "Responding quickly to citizens calls for service shows that a police agency is efficient." Although some calls received by the police are of an emergency nature and an immediate response should be provided, most calls for service do not require an emergency response.
Many times a citizen returning home to discover a theft or vandalism will wait to call police until they have spoken to family members or neighbors. In these cases, a rapid response rarely results in an arrest. And in those situations when an immediate emergency response is provided, national studies have shown only a small percentage of the time will a suspect be apprehended at the scene of the crime.
If these myths are not accurate measures of the quality of police service, then why are they so frequently used? They are used because they are easily obtained and can be reduced to a numerical base and thereby compared to another police department or some computed average.
In lieu of using myths to evaluate the quality of police service, PERF has identified three factors which must be considered in any evaluation of quality police service.
These factors are: leadership, organization and policy characteristics.
Only by closely evaluating these issues can we get an idea of the true quality of the police service we receive.
LEADERSHIP
In order to evaluate the leadership characteristics of a police agency, you must ask, "What kind of person is the chief?"
The chief's leadership ability is the single most important factor in an agency's ability to provide quality police service. The chief must lead by example and display a level of personal integrity which inspires respect from the employees of the agency, the members of the community and the elected officials.
The chief must set the tone for the police department. He or she must be sensitive to the needs of the community and ensure that all citizens, regardless of sex, race, religion or national origin, receive equal protection under the law. If the chief does not display these qualities, it is a clear signal to the men and women of the police agency that they can act in a similar fashion.
The chief of police must also be able to clearly articulate the mission and policies of the police agency. The St. Louis County Police Department has adopted and distributed to the community a Statement of Values and a Mission Statement which serve as the foundation of everything for which we stand. These documents serve as examples of how a chief executive can provide leadership and set the tone for the overall operation of a police department.
ORGANIZATION
The organizational characteristics of an agency also serve as an indicator of the quality of police service. Police officers must uphold our civil rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. In all dealings with the public, law enforcement officers must follow the legal requirements for use of force, arrest and search and seizure. PERF indicates this "is the hallmark of professional and competent officers."
As part of its organizational characteristics, a quality law enforcement agency will adopt an approach which involves all community resources in an effort to address the crime problem. This is best accomplished through a community or neighborhood policing program which forms a partnership between police and citizens to create permanent solutions to problems that lead to crime. This approach enhances the quality of life within our neighborhoods.
A police agency, if it is to provide quality service, must also ensure it has welltrained personnel with access to the most advanced equipment and technology to assist in the effort to combat crime. Not all agencies, because of their small size or limited financial resources, have the ability to possess the most advanced technology. In these cases, it is necessary that cooperative agreements are coordinated with other agencies to provide these services.
POLICY
Policy characteristics are the third measure PERF recommends be considered when evaluating the quality of police service. Policy characteristics include the agency's ability to: provide written policies for operational practices; recruit and employ the most qualified individuals; provide the highest quality training for its employees; ensure employees conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner and investigate and discipline officers that may engage in misconduct.
In an effort to improve the quality of police service in the area of policy characteristics, PERF has joined with other law enforcement associations in establishing the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
CALEA is the only national accreditation body which certifies that a law enforcement agency has met the highest level of professional policy standards.
Evaluating the quality of police service is not as simple as comparing the number of police officers or response time averages. You can identify high quality police service you just need to know what to look for.
LINDSAY LOHAN MOMENT FOR THE BIRDS
‘DRUNK’ PARROTS BEING LEFT WITH NASTY HANGOVERS AFTER MSYSTERY ILLNESS SRIKES
mail online
June 4, 2010
Australia’s tropical wet season in Darwin seems to be having a strange effect on native parrots - leaving them falling out of the sky drunk.
The red-collared lorikeets in Northern Territory have fallen victim to a mystery illness which leaves them displaying the signs of human drunkenness.
The birds have been spotted stumbling around with no co-ordination, while some have even fallen off their perches or out of the sky while flying.
Up to eight parrots a day have been taken to The Ark Animal Hospital in Palmerston by locals over the past few months.
One of the veterinary surgeons, Lisa Hanson, told The Times: ‘They act quite like a drunken person would.’
It’s not just the clumsiness that shows similarities to drunkenness either; Ms Hanson said other symptoms have also included ‘obnoxiousness’ and over excitement.
And just like after too many pints, the birds appear to experience a hangover of sorts, which includes headaches, tiredness and sadness, which can take months for them to recover, while some have even died.
The most likely cause is thought to be from an unknown substance the birds are eating – perhaps fermented nectar from a plant, Ms Hanson said.
Or it could be a mystery virus that is being passed around.
It’s not the first time the ‘drunken’ lorikeets have been spotted though and it seems to be a regular occurrence during the region’s wet season, between November and May.
More than 200 have been treated this year though, which is far greater than the usual number in past years.
The Ark Animal Hospital has been feeding the birds sweet porridge and fresh fruit to nurse them back to health before releasing them.
mail online
June 4, 2010
Australia’s tropical wet season in Darwin seems to be having a strange effect on native parrots - leaving them falling out of the sky drunk.
The red-collared lorikeets in Northern Territory have fallen victim to a mystery illness which leaves them displaying the signs of human drunkenness.
The birds have been spotted stumbling around with no co-ordination, while some have even fallen off their perches or out of the sky while flying.
Up to eight parrots a day have been taken to The Ark Animal Hospital in Palmerston by locals over the past few months.
One of the veterinary surgeons, Lisa Hanson, told The Times: ‘They act quite like a drunken person would.’
It’s not just the clumsiness that shows similarities to drunkenness either; Ms Hanson said other symptoms have also included ‘obnoxiousness’ and over excitement.
And just like after too many pints, the birds appear to experience a hangover of sorts, which includes headaches, tiredness and sadness, which can take months for them to recover, while some have even died.
The most likely cause is thought to be from an unknown substance the birds are eating – perhaps fermented nectar from a plant, Ms Hanson said.
Or it could be a mystery virus that is being passed around.
It’s not the first time the ‘drunken’ lorikeets have been spotted though and it seems to be a regular occurrence during the region’s wet season, between November and May.
More than 200 have been treated this year though, which is far greater than the usual number in past years.
The Ark Animal Hospital has been feeding the birds sweet porridge and fresh fruit to nurse them back to health before releasing them.
Friday, June 04, 2010
HE SINGS ALTO NOW
Bob Walsh wrote, "Damn, I’ll bet that hurt." I say the man's voice change could have been avoided if only he had had the balls to spend a few bucks on a good holster.
POLICE: MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS SELF IN TESTICLES
Seattle Police Say A Man Accidentally Shot Himself In The Testicles At A Department Store
Associated Press
May 31, 2010
LYNNWOOD, WA - Police said a man accidentally shot himself in the testicles at a Lynnwood department store.
Police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said the man was carrying his handgun in his waistband and it accidentally went off about noon Sunday.
She said he was wounded in the testicles and also in his leg and foot. No one else was hurt.
The man was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but there was no immediate word on his condition.
POLICE: MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS SELF IN TESTICLES
Seattle Police Say A Man Accidentally Shot Himself In The Testicles At A Department Store
Associated Press
May 31, 2010
LYNNWOOD, WA - Police said a man accidentally shot himself in the testicles at a Lynnwood department store.
Police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said the man was carrying his handgun in his waistband and it accidentally went off about noon Sunday.
She said he was wounded in the testicles and also in his leg and foot. No one else was hurt.
The man was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but there was no immediate word on his condition.
DON'T LET HIM CATCH A COLD
A man returns home a day early from a business trip. It's in the middle of the winter and it’s after midnight. On the way home, he asks the cabby if he would be a witness. The man suspects his wife is having an affair, and he wants to catch her in the act. For $100, the cabby agrees.
Quietly arriving home, the husband and cabby tip toe up the stairs and into the bedroom. The husband switches on the lights, yanks the blanket back and there is his wife in bed with another man!
As the husband puts a gun to the naked man's head, the wife shouts, 'Don't do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money.
HE paid for the Corvette I gave you.
HE paid for our new cabin cruiser.
HE paid for your Dallas Cowboys season tickets.
HE paid for our house at the lake.
HE paid for our country club membership and HE even pays the monthly dues!'
Shaking his head from side-to-side, the husband lowers the gun. He looks over at the cabby and asks, 'What would you do?'
The cabby replies, 'I'd cover his ass back up before he catches a cold.'
Quietly arriving home, the husband and cabby tip toe up the stairs and into the bedroom. The husband switches on the lights, yanks the blanket back and there is his wife in bed with another man!
As the husband puts a gun to the naked man's head, the wife shouts, 'Don't do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money.
HE paid for the Corvette I gave you.
HE paid for our new cabin cruiser.
HE paid for your Dallas Cowboys season tickets.
HE paid for our house at the lake.
HE paid for our country club membership and HE even pays the monthly dues!'
Shaking his head from side-to-side, the husband lowers the gun. He looks over at the cabby and asks, 'What would you do?'
The cabby replies, 'I'd cover his ass back up before he catches a cold.'
Thursday, June 03, 2010
LAWS WE ALL LIVE UNDER
Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch & you'll have to pee.
Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal & someone always answers.
Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).
Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Law of the Theater & Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet & who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies & stay to the bitter end of the performance. The aisle people also are very surly folk.
The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Oliver's Law of Speaking Your Mind - A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better.. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.
And then there is the MOTHER OF ALL LAWS:
Murphy’s Law - Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.
Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal & someone always answers.
Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).
Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Law of the Theater & Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet & who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies & stay to the bitter end of the performance. The aisle people also are very surly folk.
The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Oliver's Law of Speaking Your Mind - A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better.. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.
And then there is the MOTHER OF ALL LAWS:
Murphy’s Law - Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.
DEMOCRATS VOTE DOWN 5 PERCENT RULE
In a bid to stem taxpayer losses for bad loans guaranteed by federal housing agencies Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) proposed that borrowers be required to make a 5% down payment in order to qualify.
His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, "passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to ONLY THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT."
Say what Senator Dodd? Didn’t our economy collapse because of all those sub-prime loans which allowed people to buy homes they could not afford?
His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, "passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to ONLY THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT."
Say what Senator Dodd? Didn’t our economy collapse because of all those sub-prime loans which allowed people to buy homes they could not afford?
GORES SURPRIZE HAIR BALLS MARRIAGE PUNDIT
AL & TIPPER: FIVE POLITICAL MARRIAGES WE THOUGHT WOULD END BEFORE THEIRS
By Richard Connelly
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 1, 2010
If you've been wondering why the internet is full of awful global-warming related puns today, it's because Al and Tipper Gore have announced that, after 40 or so years of marriage, things are just not going to work out.
We're guessing there are some shoes about to be dropped, but what do we know? After all, we would have bet big money that any one of these five political marriages would have busted up long before the Gores:
1. W & Laura
As everyone knows when there's a Democratic politician on the cover, the National Enquirer is full of rock-solid reporting on domestic scandals. It's only because the liberal mainstream media is in the tank for Obama that they're not reporting on the Enquirer's recent scoop on the president's mistress.
Except we used to see, seemingly every couple of months, an Enquirer cover on the checkout line screaming that W was back on the booze and Laura was saying it's over. So we just assumed that once they left the White House, the two would go their separate ways.
Maybe they're waiting until their books are in paperback.
2. Bill & Hillary
Come on, no one had the Gores in the year 2000 version of "Which marriage lasts longer -- the Clintons or the Gores?" It was the equivalent of asking "Who wins a Super Bowl first -- the Texans or any other NFL team?" in 2004.
Yet the Clintons endure, while the Gores split. Make of that what you will, and we're guessing what you'll make of it is not "The Clintons have a wonderful, monogamous relationship."
3. Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich
Because....well, just because. Unless Dennis makes Ron Jeremy jealous.
4. James Carville & Mary Matalin
Please, get this couple off our TV screen. Carville is entertaining, Matalin is whinier than Debbie Downer, and our mind is permanently injured from the thought of them talking to each other. (We refuse to countenance the idea they actually have sex.)
Anyway, if two people disagree so vehemently on the subject they are most passionate about, either they don't really believe what they say on TV or they have the best elephant-in-the-room-ignoring abilities outside of....Hillary Clinton, we guess.
5. David Vitter & Whomever He's Married To
David Vitter is a senator from Louisiana. He's also a guy whose name tends to show up in stories that use the word "madam," normally not a good thing for a marriage.
When you've been going to prostitutes as a married man -- when googling your name and "diapers" doesn't bring up parenting tips -- we're not going to have your name down on our "most likely to last" marriage list.
But power is a wonderful thing, the diaper charge was never proven, and you've asked God for forgiveness. So maybe you've never cheated on your wife again, and that's why she stays with you.
We just never figured on you outlasting the Gores.
By Richard Connelly
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 1, 2010
If you've been wondering why the internet is full of awful global-warming related puns today, it's because Al and Tipper Gore have announced that, after 40 or so years of marriage, things are just not going to work out.
We're guessing there are some shoes about to be dropped, but what do we know? After all, we would have bet big money that any one of these five political marriages would have busted up long before the Gores:
1. W & Laura
As everyone knows when there's a Democratic politician on the cover, the National Enquirer is full of rock-solid reporting on domestic scandals. It's only because the liberal mainstream media is in the tank for Obama that they're not reporting on the Enquirer's recent scoop on the president's mistress.
Except we used to see, seemingly every couple of months, an Enquirer cover on the checkout line screaming that W was back on the booze and Laura was saying it's over. So we just assumed that once they left the White House, the two would go their separate ways.
Maybe they're waiting until their books are in paperback.
2. Bill & Hillary
Come on, no one had the Gores in the year 2000 version of "Which marriage lasts longer -- the Clintons or the Gores?" It was the equivalent of asking "Who wins a Super Bowl first -- the Texans or any other NFL team?" in 2004.
Yet the Clintons endure, while the Gores split. Make of that what you will, and we're guessing what you'll make of it is not "The Clintons have a wonderful, monogamous relationship."
3. Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich
Because....well, just because. Unless Dennis makes Ron Jeremy jealous.
4. James Carville & Mary Matalin
Please, get this couple off our TV screen. Carville is entertaining, Matalin is whinier than Debbie Downer, and our mind is permanently injured from the thought of them talking to each other. (We refuse to countenance the idea they actually have sex.)
Anyway, if two people disagree so vehemently on the subject they are most passionate about, either they don't really believe what they say on TV or they have the best elephant-in-the-room-ignoring abilities outside of....Hillary Clinton, we guess.
5. David Vitter & Whomever He's Married To
David Vitter is a senator from Louisiana. He's also a guy whose name tends to show up in stories that use the word "madam," normally not a good thing for a marriage.
When you've been going to prostitutes as a married man -- when googling your name and "diapers" doesn't bring up parenting tips -- we're not going to have your name down on our "most likely to last" marriage list.
But power is a wonderful thing, the diaper charge was never proven, and you've asked God for forgiveness. So maybe you've never cheated on your wife again, and that's why she stays with you.
We just never figured on you outlasting the Gores.
THREE MAJOR AREAS OF THREAT TO AMERICA
Excerpts from a speech David Horowitz gave on May 24, 2010:
There are three major areas of threat to America. One is the War on Terror. Of course it’s not a War on Terror. It’s a war on Islamic holy war that has been declared on us and is being carried out by millions of Muslims. That’s just a fact. And it’s a fact that nobody in government can mention. Not even anybody in the Bush administration.
The second area of great concern is our borders. You cannot have a sovereign country without borders. The only borders in the world that are under attack from within are America’s borders. The President of the United States has said, "You can’t define a country by its borders." Well, what else can you define it by? And that’s because of this fantasy that there’s going to be a world without nations.
The third area - and this one frustrates me the most because I have not been able to generate a reform movement to deal with it, although Texas and Arizona are beginning - is our schools. Gov. Rick Perry told me personally that every trustee at the University of Texas was personally appointed by him. Yet you can go through the University of Texas and get a degree in radical Communist anti-American politics. Of course that’s not what they call it.
I have to go under police guard to almost any university, but UT is a major problem. The last time I was at UT a Marxist professor was leading her students in chanting all kinds of things so I couldn’t begin speaking. There was an official from the university. They get three warnings. So they had to be warned and warned. Finally they were told that if they didn’t stop they were going to be arrested. And that’s what stopped them. The big problem was that woman (professor) teaches Marxism. She teaches hate America. And that’s going on all over the country.
There are three major areas of threat to America. One is the War on Terror. Of course it’s not a War on Terror. It’s a war on Islamic holy war that has been declared on us and is being carried out by millions of Muslims. That’s just a fact. And it’s a fact that nobody in government can mention. Not even anybody in the Bush administration.
The second area of great concern is our borders. You cannot have a sovereign country without borders. The only borders in the world that are under attack from within are America’s borders. The President of the United States has said, "You can’t define a country by its borders." Well, what else can you define it by? And that’s because of this fantasy that there’s going to be a world without nations.
The third area - and this one frustrates me the most because I have not been able to generate a reform movement to deal with it, although Texas and Arizona are beginning - is our schools. Gov. Rick Perry told me personally that every trustee at the University of Texas was personally appointed by him. Yet you can go through the University of Texas and get a degree in radical Communist anti-American politics. Of course that’s not what they call it.
I have to go under police guard to almost any university, but UT is a major problem. The last time I was at UT a Marxist professor was leading her students in chanting all kinds of things so I couldn’t begin speaking. There was an official from the university. They get three warnings. So they had to be warned and warned. Finally they were told that if they didn’t stop they were going to be arrested. And that’s what stopped them. The big problem was that woman (professor) teaches Marxism. She teaches hate America. And that’s going on all over the country.
PHONY PROVOCATIVE MISSION (6)
On board one of the ships, according to Al-Jazeera, the "humanitarian" Palestinians chanted the Islamic battle cry "Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return" -- a reference to Khaibar, a Jewish populated oasis north of Medina that was crushed by Muhammad in 628. And they also chanted songs about invading Israel.
RE-RUN
by Cal Thomas
Townhall.com
June 2, 2010
Does it strike anyone else as beyond coincidence that within hours of Israel's commando raid on a flotilla of ships bound for Gaza -- ships supposedly containing "humanitarian supplies," and left-wing "peace activists" -- that demonstrations broke out in Europe and outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington? And how about the U.N. Security Council, which often acts in slow motion, except when it has the opportunity to criticize Israel. It sprang into action on Memorial Day to listen to haters of the Jewish state denounce Israel as if it already knew who was to blame for the nine civilian deaths and the many wounded. The Council has now called for an "impartial" and "transparent" investigation.
Haven't we seen this equivalent of a TV summer re-run before? According to the familiar script, anything that the Palestinian side, Hamas, Iran and numerous other haters of Jews and Christians do is justified because of the Israeli "occupation" of "Palestinian land." When Israeli soldiers defend themselves from violent attacks by these "peace activists," they are always acting "disproportionately" and thus deserving of denunciation, censure and ostracism from the "world community." One wishes the haters of Israel would direct some of that zeal to the real enemies of freedom and religious pluralism: radical Islam.
The 1994 Gaza-Jericho agreement served as the basis for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. In it, Israel was given authority to act precisely as it did on Monday. The relevant sentence states: "As part of Israel's responsibilities for safety and security within the three Maritime Activity Zones, Israel Navy vessels may sail throughout these zones, as necessary and without limitations, and may take any measures necessary against vessels suspected of being used for terrorist activities, or for smuggling arms, ammunition, drugs, goods, or for any other illegal activity..."
If one is known by the company one keeps, then it is useful to consider who was behind this flotilla to Gaza. According to Israeli intelligence, the chief sponsor of the mission was an organization known as IHH, a Turkish humanitarian relief fund with a radical Islamic, anti-Western orientation. Like many other groups, including some that have infiltrated Western countries, IHH does just enough legitimate charitable work to serve as a front for its true agenda. In this it resembles the American Mafia.
Israeli intelligence says IHH initiated a number of "humanitarian aid" convoys to anti-U.S. Islamic terrorists in Iraq's Fallujah Triangle. It cites information from the Danish Institute for International Studies that asserts IHH is connected to al-Qaida and global Islamic terrorism. IHH offices in Istanbul were raided by Turkish security services and IHH activists were arrested. Explosives, weapons, manuals and documents pertaining to Afghanistan were found.
According to a French intelligence report, Bulent Yildirim, the president of IHH, recruited "Jihad warriors" and transferred money, firearms and explosives to al-Qaida and other Islamic terrorists in various countries.
There's plenty more tying IHH to the Gaza flotilla and to its efforts in support of radicals and terrorist organizations, but you get the picture.
Israel's minister of defense, Ehud Barak, told a news conference a few hours after the flotilla incident, "On one of the six ships, the protestors initiated violence. We express remorse for the injured activists, however, the full responsibility rests on the organizers of the flotilla and those participants who acted violently."
President Obama said it is important to learn "all the facts and circumstances" behind the incident before reaching conclusions. The facts and circumstances are already known. It is a fact that those trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza hate and wish to destroy Israel. And any circumstance will be created or used to achieve that objective.
Again, we've seen this scenario before and surely will see it again, and again, and again, unless and until the world wakes up to the clash of civilizations too many want to ignore, hoping it will go away. It won't until one civilization crushes the other.
RE-RUN
by Cal Thomas
Townhall.com
June 2, 2010
Does it strike anyone else as beyond coincidence that within hours of Israel's commando raid on a flotilla of ships bound for Gaza -- ships supposedly containing "humanitarian supplies," and left-wing "peace activists" -- that demonstrations broke out in Europe and outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington? And how about the U.N. Security Council, which often acts in slow motion, except when it has the opportunity to criticize Israel. It sprang into action on Memorial Day to listen to haters of the Jewish state denounce Israel as if it already knew who was to blame for the nine civilian deaths and the many wounded. The Council has now called for an "impartial" and "transparent" investigation.
Haven't we seen this equivalent of a TV summer re-run before? According to the familiar script, anything that the Palestinian side, Hamas, Iran and numerous other haters of Jews and Christians do is justified because of the Israeli "occupation" of "Palestinian land." When Israeli soldiers defend themselves from violent attacks by these "peace activists," they are always acting "disproportionately" and thus deserving of denunciation, censure and ostracism from the "world community." One wishes the haters of Israel would direct some of that zeal to the real enemies of freedom and religious pluralism: radical Islam.
The 1994 Gaza-Jericho agreement served as the basis for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. In it, Israel was given authority to act precisely as it did on Monday. The relevant sentence states: "As part of Israel's responsibilities for safety and security within the three Maritime Activity Zones, Israel Navy vessels may sail throughout these zones, as necessary and without limitations, and may take any measures necessary against vessels suspected of being used for terrorist activities, or for smuggling arms, ammunition, drugs, goods, or for any other illegal activity..."
If one is known by the company one keeps, then it is useful to consider who was behind this flotilla to Gaza. According to Israeli intelligence, the chief sponsor of the mission was an organization known as IHH, a Turkish humanitarian relief fund with a radical Islamic, anti-Western orientation. Like many other groups, including some that have infiltrated Western countries, IHH does just enough legitimate charitable work to serve as a front for its true agenda. In this it resembles the American Mafia.
Israeli intelligence says IHH initiated a number of "humanitarian aid" convoys to anti-U.S. Islamic terrorists in Iraq's Fallujah Triangle. It cites information from the Danish Institute for International Studies that asserts IHH is connected to al-Qaida and global Islamic terrorism. IHH offices in Istanbul were raided by Turkish security services and IHH activists were arrested. Explosives, weapons, manuals and documents pertaining to Afghanistan were found.
According to a French intelligence report, Bulent Yildirim, the president of IHH, recruited "Jihad warriors" and transferred money, firearms and explosives to al-Qaida and other Islamic terrorists in various countries.
There's plenty more tying IHH to the Gaza flotilla and to its efforts in support of radicals and terrorist organizations, but you get the picture.
Israel's minister of defense, Ehud Barak, told a news conference a few hours after the flotilla incident, "On one of the six ships, the protestors initiated violence. We express remorse for the injured activists, however, the full responsibility rests on the organizers of the flotilla and those participants who acted violently."
President Obama said it is important to learn "all the facts and circumstances" behind the incident before reaching conclusions. The facts and circumstances are already known. It is a fact that those trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza hate and wish to destroy Israel. And any circumstance will be created or used to achieve that objective.
Again, we've seen this scenario before and surely will see it again, and again, and again, unless and until the world wakes up to the clash of civilizations too many want to ignore, hoping it will go away. It won't until one civilization crushes the other.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
PHONY PROVOCATIVE MISSION (5)
The U.N. voted to conduct an ‘impartial’ investigation of the Israeli assault on the ‘aid’ ships. Hillary Clinton, speaking on behalf of the U.S., gave her strong backing to that investigation. What a joke! When has the U.N. ever been impartial about Israel? The U.N. is dominated by third world countries, many of them Islamic, and has ranked just below the Arab and other Muslim countries as Israel’s enemy.
And what about that 'impartial’ investigation? When it comes to Israel, where are they going to find any impartial investigators? There is no such creature unless one has been living under a rock. The U.N.’s call is like calling on Hitler, Himmler, Goering and Goebbels to make an impartial investigation of the Holocaust.
Shmuel Rosner, a Tel Aviv-based columnist, got it exactly right when he wrote: Those countries and organizations now wanting an "investigation" can get the answers they need without having to trouble themselves with a lengthy examination. Here's what happened: The soldiers were surprised by a mob; they saw their friends being lynched; they acted as any soldier would have and should have acted. To save their fellow soldiers, they opened fire. Civilians were killed. It's no cause for pride—but also nothing to be ashamed of.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also got it right when he said: This was not a ‘Love Boat,’ it was a hate boat. And Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: We need to always remember that we aren't North America or Western Europe, we live in the Middle East, in a place where there is no mercy for the weak and there aren't second chances for those who don't defend themselves.
As I wrote before, when they resorted to deadly fire, the commandos reacted the same way any America law enforcement officer would react if attacked with knives, iron bars, clubs or other deadly weapons.
And what about that 'impartial’ investigation? When it comes to Israel, where are they going to find any impartial investigators? There is no such creature unless one has been living under a rock. The U.N.’s call is like calling on Hitler, Himmler, Goering and Goebbels to make an impartial investigation of the Holocaust.
Shmuel Rosner, a Tel Aviv-based columnist, got it exactly right when he wrote: Those countries and organizations now wanting an "investigation" can get the answers they need without having to trouble themselves with a lengthy examination. Here's what happened: The soldiers were surprised by a mob; they saw their friends being lynched; they acted as any soldier would have and should have acted. To save their fellow soldiers, they opened fire. Civilians were killed. It's no cause for pride—but also nothing to be ashamed of.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also got it right when he said: This was not a ‘Love Boat,’ it was a hate boat. And Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: We need to always remember that we aren't North America or Western Europe, we live in the Middle East, in a place where there is no mercy for the weak and there aren't second chances for those who don't defend themselves.
As I wrote before, when they resorted to deadly fire, the commandos reacted the same way any America law enforcement officer would react if attacked with knives, iron bars, clubs or other deadly weapons.
HEY, THOSE OLD JOKES ABOUT WOMEN DRIVERS TURN OUT TO BE TRUE
Man, are women going to have APOPLEXY over this one. Men are significantly better drivers than women. But don’t worry ladies, you walloped us men when it comes to cooking and cleaning.
TEXAS DRIVERS ARE DUMB, IF YOU DON’T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
By Craig Malisow
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 1, 2010
In case you needed empirical evidence that Texas has some of the worst drivers in the country, look no further than the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test: The Lone Star state ranked an unimpressive 35th, falling ten spots from last year and 18 from 2008, meaning that by 2014, we will probably be too stupid to even figure out how to get the key in the ignition.
According to GMAC, "if taken today, 18.4 percent of drivers on the road -- amounting to roughly 38 million licensed Americans -- would not pass a written drivers text exam." And, proving again that men are better drivers, "males over 45 earned the highest average score" and "the average test score was significantly higher among males than females....Females also had a higher failure rate than males...." (Don't worry, ladies, women scored significantly higher than men on GMAC's Cooking and Cleaning test).
The biggest problem areas had to do with relatively unimportant stuff like safe following distance, what to do at a stoplight with a steady yellow, and the meaning of a solid yellow line. The test also showed that about a quarter of drivers "admitted to talking on a cell phone, selecting songs on an iPod or CD, adjusting the radio or eating while driving their vehicle." (And, driving the point home again, women were more likely to be engaged in those activities; they were also more likely to be "applying make-up and reading" while driving....we assume they weren't reading articles about how to be better drivers).
So how do you think you'd measure up? Would you be like one of the smarty-pantses in Kansas, or the Death-on-Wheels types in New York? Here are some questions, including Texas-specific ones, we're sort of sure appeared on the test:
True or False: The term "one-way," when referring to driving direction on a street, is merely a suggestion
When passing a car accident on a Houston freeway in rush hour, how many minutes should you stop to gawk at the damage and hold up miles of traffic so that the crying, terrified victims don't consider you impolite?
True or False: In Texas, pickup trucks always have the right-of-way.
How many six-packs is it okay for a male of average height and weight to consume before driving to the gun range?
True or false: HOV lanes are open to single occupants as long as the automobile's trunk contains at least one dead prostitute.
True or false: Drivers in Houston never have to worry about potholes because, unlike in other cities, Houston is smart enough to cover potholes with giant slabs of metal that in no way could ever fuck up your car as much as the pothole itself.
Let us know how you score!
TEXAS DRIVERS ARE DUMB, IF YOU DON’T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
By Craig Malisow
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 1, 2010
In case you needed empirical evidence that Texas has some of the worst drivers in the country, look no further than the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test: The Lone Star state ranked an unimpressive 35th, falling ten spots from last year and 18 from 2008, meaning that by 2014, we will probably be too stupid to even figure out how to get the key in the ignition.
According to GMAC, "if taken today, 18.4 percent of drivers on the road -- amounting to roughly 38 million licensed Americans -- would not pass a written drivers text exam." And, proving again that men are better drivers, "males over 45 earned the highest average score" and "the average test score was significantly higher among males than females....Females also had a higher failure rate than males...." (Don't worry, ladies, women scored significantly higher than men on GMAC's Cooking and Cleaning test).
The biggest problem areas had to do with relatively unimportant stuff like safe following distance, what to do at a stoplight with a steady yellow, and the meaning of a solid yellow line. The test also showed that about a quarter of drivers "admitted to talking on a cell phone, selecting songs on an iPod or CD, adjusting the radio or eating while driving their vehicle." (And, driving the point home again, women were more likely to be engaged in those activities; they were also more likely to be "applying make-up and reading" while driving....we assume they weren't reading articles about how to be better drivers).
So how do you think you'd measure up? Would you be like one of the smarty-pantses in Kansas, or the Death-on-Wheels types in New York? Here are some questions, including Texas-specific ones, we're sort of sure appeared on the test:
True or False: The term "one-way," when referring to driving direction on a street, is merely a suggestion
When passing a car accident on a Houston freeway in rush hour, how many minutes should you stop to gawk at the damage and hold up miles of traffic so that the crying, terrified victims don't consider you impolite?
True or False: In Texas, pickup trucks always have the right-of-way.
How many six-packs is it okay for a male of average height and weight to consume before driving to the gun range?
True or false: HOV lanes are open to single occupants as long as the automobile's trunk contains at least one dead prostitute.
True or false: Drivers in Houston never have to worry about potholes because, unlike in other cities, Houston is smart enough to cover potholes with giant slabs of metal that in no way could ever fuck up your car as much as the pothole itself.
Let us know how you score!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
MARXISTS LOVE BP
You knew this was bound to happen sooner or later - Marxists entering the picture.
On this morning’s newscast they showed a demonstration being held against BP somewhere in Louisiana. There were a lot of signs held by protesters, with almost all of them looking like they were made by the participants themselves.
However, there was one large sign that had obviously been professionally made. That sign read: BP THE UGLY FACE OF CAPITALISM.
Leave it to the Marxists to take full advantage of the oil spill. They’ve got to love BP. And it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the protester holding that sign turned out to be a college professor.
On this morning’s newscast they showed a demonstration being held against BP somewhere in Louisiana. There were a lot of signs held by protesters, with almost all of them looking like they were made by the participants themselves.
However, there was one large sign that had obviously been professionally made. That sign read: BP THE UGLY FACE OF CAPITALISM.
Leave it to the Marxists to take full advantage of the oil spill. They’ve got to love BP. And it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the protester holding that sign turned out to be a college professor.
PHONY PROVOCATIVE MISSION (4)
Here are some excerpts from a Stratfor op-ed piece:
FLOTILLAS AND THE WARS OF PUBLIC OPINION
By George Friedman
Stratfor Global Intelligence
May 31, 2010
THE GEOPOLITICAL FALLOUT FOR ISRAEL
It is vital that the Israelis succeed in portraying the flotilla as an extremist plot. Whether extremist or not, the plot has generated an image of Israel quite damaging to Israeli political interests. Israel is increasingly isolated internationally, with heavy pressure on its relationship with Europe and the United States.
In all of these countries, politicians are extremely sensitive to public opinion. It is difficult to imagine circumstances under which public opinion will see Israel as the victim. The general response in the Western public is likely to be that the Israelis probably should have allowed the ships to go to Gaza and offload rather than to precipitate bloodshed. Israel’s enemies will fan these flames by arguing that the Israelis prefer bloodshed to reasonable accommodation. And as Western public opinion shifts against Israel, Western political leaders will track with this shift.
The incident also wrecks Israeli relations with Turkey, historically an Israeli ally in the Muslim world with longstanding military cooperation with Israel. The Turkish government undoubtedly has wanted to move away from this relationship, but it faced resistance within the Turkish military and among secularists. The new Israeli action makes a break with Israel easy, and indeed almost necessary for Ankara.
With roughly the population of Houston, Texas, Israel is just not large enough to withstand extended isolation, meaning this event has profound geopolitical implications.
Public opinion matters where issues are not of fundamental interest to a nation. Israel is not a fundamental interest to other nations. The ability to generate public antipathy to Israel can therefore reshape Israeli relations with countries critical to Israel. For example, a redefinition of U.S.-Israeli relations will have much less effect on the United States than on Israel. The Obama administration, already irritated by the Israelis, might now see a shift in U.S. public opinion that will open the way to a new U.S.-Israeli relationship disadvantageous to Israel.
The Israelis will argue that this is all unfair, as they were provoked. They seem to think that the issue is whose logic is correct. But the issue actually is, whose logic will be heard? As with a tank battle or an airstrike, this sort of warfare has nothing to do with fairness. It has to do with controlling public perception and using that public perception to shape foreign policy around the world. In this case, the issue will be whether the deaths were necessary. The Israeli argument of provocation will have limited traction.
Internationally, there is little doubt that the incident will generate a firestorm. Certainly, Turkey will break cooperation with Israel. Opinion in Europe will likely harden. And public opinion in the United States — by far the most important in the equation — might shift to a "plague-on-both-your-houses" position.
While the international reaction is predictable, the interesting question is whether this evolution will cause a political crisis in Israel. Those in Israel who feel that international isolation is preferable to accommodation with the Palestinians are in control now. Many in the opposition see Israel’s isolation as a strategic threat. Economically and militarily, they argue, Israel cannot survive in isolation. The current regime will respond that there will be no isolation. The flotilla aimed to generate what the government has said would not happen.
The tougher Israel is, the more the flotilla’s narrative takes hold. The Palestinians are learning, controlling public opinion requires subtlety, a selective narrative and cynicism. As they also knew, losing the battle can be catastrophic. This maneuver was far more effective than suicide bombings or the Intifada in challenging Israel’s public perception and therefore its geopolitical position (though if the Palestinians return to some of their more distasteful tactics like suicide bombing, the Turkish strategy of portraying Israel as the instigator of violence will be undermined).
Israel is now in uncharted waters. It does not know how to respond. It is not clear that the Palestinians know how to take full advantage of the situation, either. But even so, this places the battle on a new field, far more fluid and uncontrollable than what went before. The next steps will involve calls for sanctions against Israel. The Israeli threats against Iran will be seen in a different context, and Israeli portrayal of Iran will hold less sway over the world.
And this will cause a political crisis in Israel. If this government survives, then Israel is locked into a course that gives it freedom of action but international isolation. If the government falls, then Israel enters a period of domestic uncertainty. In either case, the flotilla achieved its strategic mission. It got Israel to take violent action against it. In doing so, Israel ran into its own fist.
FLOTILLAS AND THE WARS OF PUBLIC OPINION
By George Friedman
Stratfor Global Intelligence
May 31, 2010
THE GEOPOLITICAL FALLOUT FOR ISRAEL
It is vital that the Israelis succeed in portraying the flotilla as an extremist plot. Whether extremist or not, the plot has generated an image of Israel quite damaging to Israeli political interests. Israel is increasingly isolated internationally, with heavy pressure on its relationship with Europe and the United States.
In all of these countries, politicians are extremely sensitive to public opinion. It is difficult to imagine circumstances under which public opinion will see Israel as the victim. The general response in the Western public is likely to be that the Israelis probably should have allowed the ships to go to Gaza and offload rather than to precipitate bloodshed. Israel’s enemies will fan these flames by arguing that the Israelis prefer bloodshed to reasonable accommodation. And as Western public opinion shifts against Israel, Western political leaders will track with this shift.
The incident also wrecks Israeli relations with Turkey, historically an Israeli ally in the Muslim world with longstanding military cooperation with Israel. The Turkish government undoubtedly has wanted to move away from this relationship, but it faced resistance within the Turkish military and among secularists. The new Israeli action makes a break with Israel easy, and indeed almost necessary for Ankara.
With roughly the population of Houston, Texas, Israel is just not large enough to withstand extended isolation, meaning this event has profound geopolitical implications.
Public opinion matters where issues are not of fundamental interest to a nation. Israel is not a fundamental interest to other nations. The ability to generate public antipathy to Israel can therefore reshape Israeli relations with countries critical to Israel. For example, a redefinition of U.S.-Israeli relations will have much less effect on the United States than on Israel. The Obama administration, already irritated by the Israelis, might now see a shift in U.S. public opinion that will open the way to a new U.S.-Israeli relationship disadvantageous to Israel.
The Israelis will argue that this is all unfair, as they were provoked. They seem to think that the issue is whose logic is correct. But the issue actually is, whose logic will be heard? As with a tank battle or an airstrike, this sort of warfare has nothing to do with fairness. It has to do with controlling public perception and using that public perception to shape foreign policy around the world. In this case, the issue will be whether the deaths were necessary. The Israeli argument of provocation will have limited traction.
Internationally, there is little doubt that the incident will generate a firestorm. Certainly, Turkey will break cooperation with Israel. Opinion in Europe will likely harden. And public opinion in the United States — by far the most important in the equation — might shift to a "plague-on-both-your-houses" position.
While the international reaction is predictable, the interesting question is whether this evolution will cause a political crisis in Israel. Those in Israel who feel that international isolation is preferable to accommodation with the Palestinians are in control now. Many in the opposition see Israel’s isolation as a strategic threat. Economically and militarily, they argue, Israel cannot survive in isolation. The current regime will respond that there will be no isolation. The flotilla aimed to generate what the government has said would not happen.
The tougher Israel is, the more the flotilla’s narrative takes hold. The Palestinians are learning, controlling public opinion requires subtlety, a selective narrative and cynicism. As they also knew, losing the battle can be catastrophic. This maneuver was far more effective than suicide bombings or the Intifada in challenging Israel’s public perception and therefore its geopolitical position (though if the Palestinians return to some of their more distasteful tactics like suicide bombing, the Turkish strategy of portraying Israel as the instigator of violence will be undermined).
Israel is now in uncharted waters. It does not know how to respond. It is not clear that the Palestinians know how to take full advantage of the situation, either. But even so, this places the battle on a new field, far more fluid and uncontrollable than what went before. The next steps will involve calls for sanctions against Israel. The Israeli threats against Iran will be seen in a different context, and Israeli portrayal of Iran will hold less sway over the world.
And this will cause a political crisis in Israel. If this government survives, then Israel is locked into a course that gives it freedom of action but international isolation. If the government falls, then Israel enters a period of domestic uncertainty. In either case, the flotilla achieved its strategic mission. It got Israel to take violent action against it. In doing so, Israel ran into its own fist.
THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS
When Willie Sutton, a notorious bank robber during the 1920s and 1930s, was asked why he robbed banks, he allegedly answered: "Because that’s where the money is." That was then and this is now. Today the money is in the illegal sales of drugs.
Back in the ‘60s when I was working drug cases, we found that a lot of lawyers and doctors were involved in the illegal sales of drugs. Lawyers were bankrolling large drug smuggling operations – marijuana and cocaine from Mexico to the U.S. Doctors were dispensing loads of pills to ‘patients’ addicted to amphetamines, barbituates and other prescription drugs.
I remember busting one doctor in Riverside, California. His medical building had one room filled with so many pills that it took three of us the better part of two days to count all of them.
In the ‘90s, two friends and I established a private investigation agency in Houston. Our lawyer was also a friend. He specialized in defending drug dealers. One time a dope dealer went to his office after he had been arrested and made bail. He wanted our lawyer to represent him. He was told that he would have to put up $20,000 as a detainer. He said that was no problem, left the office and returned within the hour, suitcase in hand. The suitcase contained $20,000 cash. The next day the dope dealer was shot to death. Our lawyer said it was the easiest $20,000 he ever made.
I warned our friend that he was asking for trouble defending only drug dealers, telling him how lawyers like him in California eventually got involved in the drug smuggling business. He shrugged me off. Sure enough, a couple of years later he got busted by the DEA and ended up spending several years in federal prison.
On Sunday, the Houston Chronicle had a feature story on Houston area doctors dealing prescription drugs illegally. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, those doctors have been dispensing (1) Hydrocodone, a narcotic sold under the brand name Vicodin, (2) Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug sold under the brand name Xanax, and (3) Carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant sold under the brand name Soma. Each drug is highly addictive.
According to DPS, one doctor wrote more than 43,000 prescriptions for highly addictive drugs over a 15 months period. That’s 3,000 prescriptions a month. He averaged 64 prescriptions a day for Hydrocodone and that was only one of the three drugs he was dispensing. Another doctor wrote24,328 prescriptions for Alprazolam during that period, an average of 1,600 prescriptions a month for that drug alone. A third doctor dispensed more than 3.5 million tablets of Vicodin, Xanax and Soma in one year.
The doctors operate out of ‘medical’ pain clinics where the top six doctors prescribing the three drugs wrote between 23,907 and 43,383 prescriptions each during the 15 months period. According to the Chronicle, at some of these clinics ‘patients’ can "often be seen lining up around the block as if waiting for tickets to a rock concert." The clinics can be extremely profitable, earning anywhere from $1 million to $3 million a year.
The pain clinics, usually located in a strip shopping center, operate on a cash-only basis, charging $60 to $100 a visit. According to the Chronicle, "many of the physicians recruited by such clinics are know as ‘twilight doctors,’ who may be at the end of their careers and like earning $10,000 to $20,000 a month in cash."
Doctors, who are dispensing drugs illegally, are every bit as dangerous as are the underworld dealers of heroin, cocaine and meth. Not only are they responsible for a substantial part of America’s illicit drug problem, but these doctors are also responsible for many thefts, burglaries and armed robberies that their ‘patients’ rely on to pay for those $60 to $100 cash-only visits. Even if these doctors are in their twilight years, they need to get busted and sentenced to long prison terms, with probation and parole not an option.
Back in the ‘60s when I was working drug cases, we found that a lot of lawyers and doctors were involved in the illegal sales of drugs. Lawyers were bankrolling large drug smuggling operations – marijuana and cocaine from Mexico to the U.S. Doctors were dispensing loads of pills to ‘patients’ addicted to amphetamines, barbituates and other prescription drugs.
I remember busting one doctor in Riverside, California. His medical building had one room filled with so many pills that it took three of us the better part of two days to count all of them.
In the ‘90s, two friends and I established a private investigation agency in Houston. Our lawyer was also a friend. He specialized in defending drug dealers. One time a dope dealer went to his office after he had been arrested and made bail. He wanted our lawyer to represent him. He was told that he would have to put up $20,000 as a detainer. He said that was no problem, left the office and returned within the hour, suitcase in hand. The suitcase contained $20,000 cash. The next day the dope dealer was shot to death. Our lawyer said it was the easiest $20,000 he ever made.
I warned our friend that he was asking for trouble defending only drug dealers, telling him how lawyers like him in California eventually got involved in the drug smuggling business. He shrugged me off. Sure enough, a couple of years later he got busted by the DEA and ended up spending several years in federal prison.
On Sunday, the Houston Chronicle had a feature story on Houston area doctors dealing prescription drugs illegally. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, those doctors have been dispensing (1) Hydrocodone, a narcotic sold under the brand name Vicodin, (2) Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug sold under the brand name Xanax, and (3) Carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant sold under the brand name Soma. Each drug is highly addictive.
According to DPS, one doctor wrote more than 43,000 prescriptions for highly addictive drugs over a 15 months period. That’s 3,000 prescriptions a month. He averaged 64 prescriptions a day for Hydrocodone and that was only one of the three drugs he was dispensing. Another doctor wrote24,328 prescriptions for Alprazolam during that period, an average of 1,600 prescriptions a month for that drug alone. A third doctor dispensed more than 3.5 million tablets of Vicodin, Xanax and Soma in one year.
The doctors operate out of ‘medical’ pain clinics where the top six doctors prescribing the three drugs wrote between 23,907 and 43,383 prescriptions each during the 15 months period. According to the Chronicle, at some of these clinics ‘patients’ can "often be seen lining up around the block as if waiting for tickets to a rock concert." The clinics can be extremely profitable, earning anywhere from $1 million to $3 million a year.
The pain clinics, usually located in a strip shopping center, operate on a cash-only basis, charging $60 to $100 a visit. According to the Chronicle, "many of the physicians recruited by such clinics are know as ‘twilight doctors,’ who may be at the end of their careers and like earning $10,000 to $20,000 a month in cash."
Doctors, who are dispensing drugs illegally, are every bit as dangerous as are the underworld dealers of heroin, cocaine and meth. Not only are they responsible for a substantial part of America’s illicit drug problem, but these doctors are also responsible for many thefts, burglaries and armed robberies that their ‘patients’ rely on to pay for those $60 to $100 cash-only visits. Even if these doctors are in their twilight years, they need to get busted and sentenced to long prison terms, with probation and parole not an option.
PHONY PROVOCATIVE MISSION (3)
As expected, the world-wide frenzy against Israel is well under way in the Muslim world, in the European Union, and in the United Nations. Palestinian and left wing-led demonstrations against Israel were also held in American cities. While the Obama administration indicated its displeasure with the Israeli raid, the president, to his credit, called for the withholding of judgement until all the facts are known.
None of the Western and Arab media reported that it was the Israelis who were brutally ambushed by passengers and crew. Nor did the media report that paintball rifles were the primary weapons carried by the boarding Israeli Navy commandos who were also armed with pistols. When they resorted to deadly fire, the commandos reacted the same way any America law enforcement officer would react if attacked with knives, iron bars, clubs or other deadly weapons.
The organizers of and participants in the blockade running mission planned and hoped from the get-go for the Israeli interception and boarding to happen. Their true goal all along has been to demonize Israel, not to deliver any humanitarian aid to Gaza. Mission accomplished!
Here is a first-hand account of the raid:
A BRUTAL AMBUSH AT SEA
Ron Ben Yishai recounts bloody clash aboard Gaza-bound vessel: The lacking crowd-dispersal means, the brutal violence of ‘peace activists,’ and the attempt to bring down an IDF helicopter
By Ron Ben-Yishai
Ynetnews.com
May 31, 2010
Our Navy commandos fell right into the hands of the Gaza mission members. A few minutes before the takeover attempt aboard the Marmara got underway, the operation commander was told that 20 people were waiting on the deck where a helicopter was to deploy the first team of the elite Flotilla 13 unit. The original plan was to disembark on the top deck, and from there rush to the vessel’s bridge and order the Marmara’s captain to stop.
Officials estimated that passengers will show slight resistance, and possibly minor violence; for that reason, the operation’s commander decided to bring the helicopter directly above the top deck. The first rope that soldiers used in order to descend down to the ship was wrested away by activists, most of them Turks, and tied to an antenna with the hopes of bringing the chopper down. However, Flotilla 13 fighters decided to carry on.
Navy commandos slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandos were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other "don’t shoot, don’t shoot," even though they sustained numerous blows.
‘I SAW THE TIP OF A RIFLE’
The Navy commandos were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, rather than trained street fighters. The soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.
The planned rush towards the vessel’s bridge became impossible, even when a second chopper was brought in with another crew of soldiers. "Throw stun grenades," shouted Flotilla 13’s commander who monitored the operation. The Navy chief was not too far, on board a speedboat belonging to Flotilla 13, along with forces who attempted to climb into the back of the ship.
The forces hurled stun grenades, yet the rioters on the top deck, whose number swelled up to 30 by that time, kept on beating up about 30 commandos who kept gliding their way one by one from the helicopter. At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.
Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire. The soldiers pulled out their handguns and started shooting at the rioters’ legs, a move that ultimately neutralized them. Meanwhile, the rioters started to fire back at the commandos.
"I saw the tip of a rifle sticking out of the stairwell," one commando said. "He fired at us and we fired back. We didn’t see if we hit him. We looked for him later but couldn’t find him." Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds to their knee and stomach after rioters apparently fired at them using guns wrested away from troops.
2 ERRORS
During the commotion, another commando was stabbed with a knife. In a later search aboard the Marmara, soldiers found caches of bats, clubs, knives, and slingshots used by the rioters ahead of the IDF takeover. It appeared the activists were well prepared for a fight.
Some passengers on the ship stood at the back and pounded the soldiers’ hands as they attempted to climb on board. Only after a 30-minute shootout and brutal assaults using clubs and knifes did commandos manage to reach the bridge and take over the Marmara.
It appears that the error in planning the operation was the estimate that passengers were indeed political activists and members of humanitarian groups who seek a political provocation, but would not resort to brutal violence. The soldiers thought they will encounter Bilin-style violence; instead, they got Bangkok. The forces that disembarked from the helicopters were few; just dozens of troops – not enough to contend with the large group awaiting them.
The second error was that commanders did not address seriously enough the fact that a group of men were expecting the soldiers on the top deck. Had they addressed this more seriously, they may have hurled tear-gas grenades and smoke grenades from the helicopter to create a screen that would have enabled them to carry out their mission, without the fighters falling right into the hands of the rioters, who severely assaulted them.
None of the Western and Arab media reported that it was the Israelis who were brutally ambushed by passengers and crew. Nor did the media report that paintball rifles were the primary weapons carried by the boarding Israeli Navy commandos who were also armed with pistols. When they resorted to deadly fire, the commandos reacted the same way any America law enforcement officer would react if attacked with knives, iron bars, clubs or other deadly weapons.
The organizers of and participants in the blockade running mission planned and hoped from the get-go for the Israeli interception and boarding to happen. Their true goal all along has been to demonize Israel, not to deliver any humanitarian aid to Gaza. Mission accomplished!
Here is a first-hand account of the raid:
A BRUTAL AMBUSH AT SEA
Ron Ben Yishai recounts bloody clash aboard Gaza-bound vessel: The lacking crowd-dispersal means, the brutal violence of ‘peace activists,’ and the attempt to bring down an IDF helicopter
By Ron Ben-Yishai
Ynetnews.com
May 31, 2010
Our Navy commandos fell right into the hands of the Gaza mission members. A few minutes before the takeover attempt aboard the Marmara got underway, the operation commander was told that 20 people were waiting on the deck where a helicopter was to deploy the first team of the elite Flotilla 13 unit. The original plan was to disembark on the top deck, and from there rush to the vessel’s bridge and order the Marmara’s captain to stop.
Officials estimated that passengers will show slight resistance, and possibly minor violence; for that reason, the operation’s commander decided to bring the helicopter directly above the top deck. The first rope that soldiers used in order to descend down to the ship was wrested away by activists, most of them Turks, and tied to an antenna with the hopes of bringing the chopper down. However, Flotilla 13 fighters decided to carry on.
Navy commandos slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandos were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other "don’t shoot, don’t shoot," even though they sustained numerous blows.
‘I SAW THE TIP OF A RIFLE’
The Navy commandos were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, rather than trained street fighters. The soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.
The planned rush towards the vessel’s bridge became impossible, even when a second chopper was brought in with another crew of soldiers. "Throw stun grenades," shouted Flotilla 13’s commander who monitored the operation. The Navy chief was not too far, on board a speedboat belonging to Flotilla 13, along with forces who attempted to climb into the back of the ship.
The forces hurled stun grenades, yet the rioters on the top deck, whose number swelled up to 30 by that time, kept on beating up about 30 commandos who kept gliding their way one by one from the helicopter. At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.
Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire. The soldiers pulled out their handguns and started shooting at the rioters’ legs, a move that ultimately neutralized them. Meanwhile, the rioters started to fire back at the commandos.
"I saw the tip of a rifle sticking out of the stairwell," one commando said. "He fired at us and we fired back. We didn’t see if we hit him. We looked for him later but couldn’t find him." Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds to their knee and stomach after rioters apparently fired at them using guns wrested away from troops.
2 ERRORS
During the commotion, another commando was stabbed with a knife. In a later search aboard the Marmara, soldiers found caches of bats, clubs, knives, and slingshots used by the rioters ahead of the IDF takeover. It appeared the activists were well prepared for a fight.
Some passengers on the ship stood at the back and pounded the soldiers’ hands as they attempted to climb on board. Only after a 30-minute shootout and brutal assaults using clubs and knifes did commandos manage to reach the bridge and take over the Marmara.
It appears that the error in planning the operation was the estimate that passengers were indeed political activists and members of humanitarian groups who seek a political provocation, but would not resort to brutal violence. The soldiers thought they will encounter Bilin-style violence; instead, they got Bangkok. The forces that disembarked from the helicopters were few; just dozens of troops – not enough to contend with the large group awaiting them.
The second error was that commanders did not address seriously enough the fact that a group of men were expecting the soldiers on the top deck. Had they addressed this more seriously, they may have hurled tear-gas grenades and smoke grenades from the helicopter to create a screen that would have enabled them to carry out their mission, without the fighters falling right into the hands of the rioters, who severely assaulted them.
HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS CAN BE SO STIMULATING
Wow! But of course, this happened in that State known as ‘The Land of Nuts and Fruits.’
AMERICAN CAGE FIGHTER ‘RIPS OUT STILL-BEATING HEART OF TRAINING PARTNER AFTER FEARING HE WAS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL’
By Paul Thompson
Mail Online
May 30, 2010
A U.S. cage fighter ripped out the heart of his training partner while he was still alive after becoming convinced he was possessed by the devil, it was alleged today.
Jarrod Wyatt also cut out Taylor Powell's tongue and ripped off most of his face in a brutal assault that police said looked like a scene from a horror film, officers said.
They claim they found the 26-year-old standing naked over his friend's body with parts, including an eyeball, strewn around the blood splattered room in Klamath, California.
Wyatt allegedly told police he had drunk a cup of tea spiked with hallucinogenic mushrooms and became convinced Powell was possessed.
According to an autopsy Powell, 21, bled to death after his heart was ripped out.
The coroner said Powell had been alive when the organ was ripped out after his chest had been sliced open with a knife.
Wyatt told the police he had thrown the heart into a fire along with other organs that he had removed from the body, it was claimed.
He allegedly told investigators he cooked the body parts because he was fearful Powell was still alive and he ‘needed to stop the Devil’.
Police had been called to the grisly scene after a third friend had witnessed a sudden mood change in Wyatt after they had all ingested wild mushroom tea.
Justin Davis told police he returned to the flat to find Wyatt naked and covered from head to toe in blood.
He noticed an eyeball lying in the middle of the floor and saw Powell's mutilated body.
A lawyer representing Wyatt has claimed the wild mushrooms caused him to act in such a violent way and had not control over his actions.
‘My client was trying to silence the devil,’ said James Fallman.
‘I think he was having a psychotic fit based on the mushrooms he had.’
Wyatt has been charged with first degree murder and torture.
Prosecutors added the torture charge as Powell was still alive when his heart was removed.
AMERICAN CAGE FIGHTER ‘RIPS OUT STILL-BEATING HEART OF TRAINING PARTNER AFTER FEARING HE WAS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL’
By Paul Thompson
Mail Online
May 30, 2010
A U.S. cage fighter ripped out the heart of his training partner while he was still alive after becoming convinced he was possessed by the devil, it was alleged today.
Jarrod Wyatt also cut out Taylor Powell's tongue and ripped off most of his face in a brutal assault that police said looked like a scene from a horror film, officers said.
They claim they found the 26-year-old standing naked over his friend's body with parts, including an eyeball, strewn around the blood splattered room in Klamath, California.
Wyatt allegedly told police he had drunk a cup of tea spiked with hallucinogenic mushrooms and became convinced Powell was possessed.
According to an autopsy Powell, 21, bled to death after his heart was ripped out.
The coroner said Powell had been alive when the organ was ripped out after his chest had been sliced open with a knife.
Wyatt told the police he had thrown the heart into a fire along with other organs that he had removed from the body, it was claimed.
He allegedly told investigators he cooked the body parts because he was fearful Powell was still alive and he ‘needed to stop the Devil’.
Police had been called to the grisly scene after a third friend had witnessed a sudden mood change in Wyatt after they had all ingested wild mushroom tea.
Justin Davis told police he returned to the flat to find Wyatt naked and covered from head to toe in blood.
He noticed an eyeball lying in the middle of the floor and saw Powell's mutilated body.
A lawyer representing Wyatt has claimed the wild mushrooms caused him to act in such a violent way and had not control over his actions.
‘My client was trying to silence the devil,’ said James Fallman.
‘I think he was having a psychotic fit based on the mushrooms he had.’
Wyatt has been charged with first degree murder and torture.
Prosecutors added the torture charge as Powell was still alive when his heart was removed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)