Israel’s much maligned right-wing foreign minister tells it like it really is. No diplomatic doublespeak here.
FOREIGN MINISTER TO EUROPE: ISRAEL HAS NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR
Following strong European condemnation of settlement activity and rightist violence, FM says Israeli democracy 'has nothing to be ashamed of' and will know how to handle 'price tag' assailants. 'Obstacle to peace not Jewish settlements, but Palestinian policies,' he adds
By Omri Efraim
Ynetnewsl.com
December 25, 2011
Israel does not need to apologize to European nations which condemned its West Bank construction policy and the growing rightist violence, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday.
During a meeting with Israeli ambassadors, the FM said "we don't need to apologize, quite the contrary. Israeli democracy has nothing to be ashamed of – even in comparison with the glorious British democracy - and we do not need tips on how to handle rioters who break the law in Judea and Samaria or in any other place in the country."
Last week European members of the UN Security Council – Britain, Germany, France and Portugal – issued a strong condemnation of Israel's construction in the West Bank and attacks by settlers on Palestinians.
In response, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying "if instead of contributing to stability in the Middle East (European Union members of the UN Security Council) are investing their efforts in inappropriate bickering with the one country in which the independent law justice system knows how to deal with lawbreakers, then they are losing their credibility and making themselves irrelevant."
On Sunday Lieberman reiterated the Foreign Ministry's position, saying Israel was doing all it can to curb violence initiated by rightists "who are hurting Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria." According to him, "the countries which issued the condemnation should understand that construction in Judea and Samaria is not an obstacle to peace; it is the Palestinians who are hurting the chances for peace by refusing to negotiate.
"The peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan have proven that Jewish settlement is not an obstacle to peace," Lieberman stressed.
"(Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas showed his true face last week when he travelled all the way to Turkey to honor terrorist Amna Muna - who lured an innocent boy, Ofir Rahum, to his death – and met with 10 other terrorists who were released in the Shalit deal," Israel's top diplomat told the ambassadors.
"This is Abu Mazen (Abbas). This is the path he believes in, and this is why he is avoiding negotiations with Israel. He proves again and again that he is not a partner for anything. He is the one the European states should be condemning," said Lieberman.
The FM further claimed that the Palestinians were not interested in peace. Rather, he said, they seek to change the reality on the ground and internationalize the conflict. "Therefore, Israeli must adjust its diplomacy and way of thinking to reality and realize that the key to our relations with the Palestinians should be managing the conflict rather then trying to find a solution for it," he said. "Those who claim peace with the Palestinians can be achieved in the coming years are mistaken and misleading. No territorial concession will solve the real issues at hand."
Lieberman said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be resolved "until a broad, prosperous and influential middle class emerges within the Palestinian Authority."
"I know it is sometimes hard to face facts. Some prefer to live in denial and delude others, but I prefer to tell the truth, even if it is not the most pleasant," the minister added.
Addressing the Iranian threat, Lieberman said "unfortunately, I am under the impression that some European states and senior figures (in Europe) speak of sanctions more to allay Israel's concerns than to actually terminate Iran's nuclear program.
Monday, December 26, 2011
OCCUPY LA PROTESTERS CAN OCCUPY CLASSROOM IN LIEU OF OCCUPY COURTROOM
The authorities must have been smoking some funny tobacco to make them think that the Occupy LA rabble will learn anything by attending Free Speech classes. Well, at least they will have to fork over $355 if they accept the deal.
OCCUPY LA PROTESTERS GET FREE SPEECH CLASSES
Attorney: City won’t press charges if program completed
By Kate Linthicum
Chattanooga Times Free Press
December 25, 2011
LOS ANGELES — Many Occupy L.A. protesters arrested during demonstrations in recent months are being offered a unique chance to avoid court trials: pay $355 to a private company for a lesson in free speech.
Los Angeles Chief Deputy City Attorney William Carter said the city won't press charges against protesters who complete the educational program offered by American Justice Associates.
He said the program, which may include lectures by attorneys and retired judges, is being offered to people with no other criminal history and who were arrested for low-level misdemeanor offenses, such as failure to disperse.
There have been more than 350 arrests at Occupy demonstrations in Los Angeles since protesters first set up camp outside City Hall in October.
The most recent arrests occurred last weekend, when six protesters climbed a wall and jumped onto the City Hall lawn, which has been fenced off for rehabilitation since police cleared the encampment Nov. 30.
Carter said the free-speech class will save the city money and teach protesters the nuances of the law.
"The First Amendment is not absolute," he said, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled government can regulate when, where and how free speech can be exercised.
But a civil rights attorney who has worked closely with the protesters called the class "patronizing," and said the demonstrators who were arrested are the last people needing free-speech training.
"There they were exercising their First Amendment, their lawful right to protest nonviolently," said attorney Cynthia Anderson-Barker.
Several Occupy protesters, many of whom are fueled by anger at what they perceive as corporate greed and the increased privatization of public services, have noted the irony of being asked to pay a private contractor for the program. The tuition will go to the company, not the city, officials say.
In the past, first-time offenders arrested in L.A. protests were typically granted an informal hearing at the city attorney's office.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has taken a tougher approach. In several instances, he has gone to court to prosecute protesters, especially if they had tied up traffic or police.
This year, the city has filed charges against 50 Occupy protesters arrested for more serious offenses or who have criminal records.
But prosecuting the remaining protesters arrested on lesser charges would unduly burden the city attorney's office, said Trutanich's chief legal adviser, Curt Livesay. The office has seen its budget cut 25 percent in recent years.
The city often turns to privately run pretrial diversion programs like the one offered by American Justice Associates, Livesay said. The programs have different themes, depending on the low-level offenses involved. The city is likely to divert more cases to such classes given overcrowding in jails, he said.
First-time arrestees at other protests this year, including antiwar demonstrations and protests against tuition hikes, also may be offered a chance to enroll in the free-speech diversion program, Carter said.
Anderson-Barker said many Occupy protesters already had paid for their actions, and shouldn't be subjected to a costly class.
The bulk of Occupy protesters — those who were arrested on the night of the LAPD eviction — were held on at least $5,000 bail and locked up for two days.
"Spending that much time in jail was definitely punishment enough," she said.
OCCUPY LA PROTESTERS GET FREE SPEECH CLASSES
Attorney: City won’t press charges if program completed
By Kate Linthicum
Chattanooga Times Free Press
December 25, 2011
LOS ANGELES — Many Occupy L.A. protesters arrested during demonstrations in recent months are being offered a unique chance to avoid court trials: pay $355 to a private company for a lesson in free speech.
Los Angeles Chief Deputy City Attorney William Carter said the city won't press charges against protesters who complete the educational program offered by American Justice Associates.
He said the program, which may include lectures by attorneys and retired judges, is being offered to people with no other criminal history and who were arrested for low-level misdemeanor offenses, such as failure to disperse.
There have been more than 350 arrests at Occupy demonstrations in Los Angeles since protesters first set up camp outside City Hall in October.
The most recent arrests occurred last weekend, when six protesters climbed a wall and jumped onto the City Hall lawn, which has been fenced off for rehabilitation since police cleared the encampment Nov. 30.
Carter said the free-speech class will save the city money and teach protesters the nuances of the law.
"The First Amendment is not absolute," he said, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled government can regulate when, where and how free speech can be exercised.
But a civil rights attorney who has worked closely with the protesters called the class "patronizing," and said the demonstrators who were arrested are the last people needing free-speech training.
"There they were exercising their First Amendment, their lawful right to protest nonviolently," said attorney Cynthia Anderson-Barker.
Several Occupy protesters, many of whom are fueled by anger at what they perceive as corporate greed and the increased privatization of public services, have noted the irony of being asked to pay a private contractor for the program. The tuition will go to the company, not the city, officials say.
In the past, first-time offenders arrested in L.A. protests were typically granted an informal hearing at the city attorney's office.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has taken a tougher approach. In several instances, he has gone to court to prosecute protesters, especially if they had tied up traffic or police.
This year, the city has filed charges against 50 Occupy protesters arrested for more serious offenses or who have criminal records.
But prosecuting the remaining protesters arrested on lesser charges would unduly burden the city attorney's office, said Trutanich's chief legal adviser, Curt Livesay. The office has seen its budget cut 25 percent in recent years.
The city often turns to privately run pretrial diversion programs like the one offered by American Justice Associates, Livesay said. The programs have different themes, depending on the low-level offenses involved. The city is likely to divert more cases to such classes given overcrowding in jails, he said.
First-time arrestees at other protests this year, including antiwar demonstrations and protests against tuition hikes, also may be offered a chance to enroll in the free-speech diversion program, Carter said.
Anderson-Barker said many Occupy protesters already had paid for their actions, and shouldn't be subjected to a costly class.
The bulk of Occupy protesters — those who were arrested on the night of the LAPD eviction — were held on at least $5,000 bail and locked up for two days.
"Spending that much time in jail was definitely punishment enough," she said.
18 MONTHS FOR POTTED CHRISTMAS TREE
Oh my goodness, the Brits jailed this poor soul because they didn’t like his idea for a Christmas tree. Bah, humbug!
UK MAN JAILED FOR CANNABIS CHRISTMAS TREE
The 5-foot tall plant was brightly decorated to resemble a Christmas tree
By Tom Pugh
The Press Association
December 25, 2011
A man who grew a large cannabis plant to look like a Christmas tree will spend the festive season behind bars after police found his home-based drug factory.
Ian Richards, 46, made the cannabis plant resemble a festive tree by growing it to 5ft tall and decorating it with brightly-colored baubles.
Police found it along with a small number of other cannabis plants when they raided his home in Attlee Avenue, Aylesham, near Canterbury, Kent, last December.
Investigating officer Pc Darren Dennett, of Kent Police, said: "By using a 5ft tall cannabis plant as a Christmas tree, Richards showed a total disregard for the law."
A judge at Canterbury Crown Court sentenced Richards to 18 months behind bars for drugs offences on November 24, a Kent Police spokesman said today.
Pc Dennett added: "One of the bedrooms at his home had been transformed into a very sophisticated cannabis factory.
"He claimed the plants were for his own personal use but the factory clearly had the potential to produce a large quantity of cannabis.
"He is now spending his Christmas in prison, and by closing down this cannabis factory we have prevented a large quantity of Class B drugs from reaching the streets."
UK MAN JAILED FOR CANNABIS CHRISTMAS TREE
The 5-foot tall plant was brightly decorated to resemble a Christmas tree
By Tom Pugh
The Press Association
December 25, 2011
A man who grew a large cannabis plant to look like a Christmas tree will spend the festive season behind bars after police found his home-based drug factory.
Ian Richards, 46, made the cannabis plant resemble a festive tree by growing it to 5ft tall and decorating it with brightly-colored baubles.
Police found it along with a small number of other cannabis plants when they raided his home in Attlee Avenue, Aylesham, near Canterbury, Kent, last December.
Investigating officer Pc Darren Dennett, of Kent Police, said: "By using a 5ft tall cannabis plant as a Christmas tree, Richards showed a total disregard for the law."
A judge at Canterbury Crown Court sentenced Richards to 18 months behind bars for drugs offences on November 24, a Kent Police spokesman said today.
Pc Dennett added: "One of the bedrooms at his home had been transformed into a very sophisticated cannabis factory.
"He claimed the plants were for his own personal use but the factory clearly had the potential to produce a large quantity of cannabis.
"He is now spending his Christmas in prison, and by closing down this cannabis factory we have prevented a large quantity of Class B drugs from reaching the streets."
Sunday, December 25, 2011
METH-HEAD PAROLEE RAPES CHIHUHAHUA
Bob Walsh reports that the dog was severely injured and required surgery as a result of the assault. About a dozen animal rights activists were in attendance at this sicko’s sentencing hearing.
DOG MOLESTER SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS, MUST REGISTER AS SEX OFFENDER
By Cynthia Hubert
The Sacramento Bee
December 23, 2011
A Sacramento judge today sentenced a man convicted of animal abuse to 10 years in state prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender over strong objections from his defense lawyer.
It may represent the first time that "Jessica's Law" has been applied in a case involving sexual abuse of an animal, a county prosecutor said. The man's defense lawyer indicated she will appeal.
A Superior Court jury convicted Robert DeShields, a parolee and chronic methamphetamine user, of felony animal cruelty in the sexual abuse of a Chihuhahua mix named Shadow.
Sacramento Deputy District Attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia argued in court Friday that DeShields be treated as a sexual offender for the rest of his life because he is a danger to society.
The defendant's lawyer, Jennifer Stoneburner, argued that her client was convicted of animal abuse, not a sexual crime.
But Judge Thadd Blizzard concluded that the crime that DeShields committed was "inherently sexual in nature" and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
As such, DeShields will be prohibited from living near schools and places where children gather and must wear a tracking device on his ankle for the rest of his life.
Blizzard also imposed the maximum sentence of 10 years, saying that the defendant's conduct represents "a serious threat to society."
DOG MOLESTER SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS, MUST REGISTER AS SEX OFFENDER
By Cynthia Hubert
The Sacramento Bee
December 23, 2011
A Sacramento judge today sentenced a man convicted of animal abuse to 10 years in state prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender over strong objections from his defense lawyer.
It may represent the first time that "Jessica's Law" has been applied in a case involving sexual abuse of an animal, a county prosecutor said. The man's defense lawyer indicated she will appeal.
A Superior Court jury convicted Robert DeShields, a parolee and chronic methamphetamine user, of felony animal cruelty in the sexual abuse of a Chihuhahua mix named Shadow.
Sacramento Deputy District Attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia argued in court Friday that DeShields be treated as a sexual offender for the rest of his life because he is a danger to society.
The defendant's lawyer, Jennifer Stoneburner, argued that her client was convicted of animal abuse, not a sexual crime.
But Judge Thadd Blizzard concluded that the crime that DeShields committed was "inherently sexual in nature" and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
As such, DeShields will be prohibited from living near schools and places where children gather and must wear a tracking device on his ankle for the rest of his life.
Blizzard also imposed the maximum sentence of 10 years, saying that the defendant's conduct represents "a serious threat to society."
HOUSE BONEHEADS MAY HAVE HANDED OBAMA HIS SECOND TERM ON A SILVER PLATTER
The Republicans have been on a hell-bent roll of self-destruction. The presidential candidates have been ripping each other apart, thus providing lots of campaign fodder for the Democrats to use against the eventual winner who will be Obama’s opponent. But that’s nothing compared to what the tea party boneheads among House Republicans managed to do - they virtually handed Obama his second term on a silver platter.
The Senate passed a stop-gap measure to extend the payroll tax cuts for two months. The bipartisan measure preserved the $1,000 average tax break for 160 million working Americans, maintained benefit payments for the long-term unemployed and prevented reduced Medicare payments to doctors. Even though Congress will have to wrestle with this measure all over again when it returns from its holiday break, the payroll tax cut was important to middle class Americans.
Speaker John Boehner was all set to sign off on the Senate measure when the tea party Republicans hung Boehner out to dry and left him twisting in the wind by refusing to go along. This led prominent Republicans, the Wall Street Journal and, of course, President Obama to condemn the House tea party boneheads and to question the Speaker’s leadership.
In the end, the House boneheads caved in, but not before giving Obama a huge political victory, one that may well carry him into a second term. Obama capitalized on the fact that the Republicans were about to raise the taxes of hard working middle class Americans, and that resonated well throughout the country.
Obama had been blaming the GOP for the congressional gridlock since well before this latest Republican debacle. When you add up the congressional gridlock, the attacks on each other by the Republican presidential candidates and the payroll tax cut fiasco of the House boneheads, it spells victory for President Obama. And if either Ron Paul or Donald Trump decides to run as a third party candidate, that will be the coup de grace to the Republican Party’s presidential quest.
The Senate passed a stop-gap measure to extend the payroll tax cuts for two months. The bipartisan measure preserved the $1,000 average tax break for 160 million working Americans, maintained benefit payments for the long-term unemployed and prevented reduced Medicare payments to doctors. Even though Congress will have to wrestle with this measure all over again when it returns from its holiday break, the payroll tax cut was important to middle class Americans.
Speaker John Boehner was all set to sign off on the Senate measure when the tea party Republicans hung Boehner out to dry and left him twisting in the wind by refusing to go along. This led prominent Republicans, the Wall Street Journal and, of course, President Obama to condemn the House tea party boneheads and to question the Speaker’s leadership.
In the end, the House boneheads caved in, but not before giving Obama a huge political victory, one that may well carry him into a second term. Obama capitalized on the fact that the Republicans were about to raise the taxes of hard working middle class Americans, and that resonated well throughout the country.
Obama had been blaming the GOP for the congressional gridlock since well before this latest Republican debacle. When you add up the congressional gridlock, the attacks on each other by the Republican presidential candidates and the payroll tax cut fiasco of the House boneheads, it spells victory for President Obama. And if either Ron Paul or Donald Trump decides to run as a third party candidate, that will be the coup de grace to the Republican Party’s presidential quest.
NEAR-RIOTING BY IDIOTS WHO CAN ILL AFFORD $180 SHOES
Nike made its new $180 retro Air Jordans available for purchase on Friday. All over the country people camped out and lined up outside malls and stores for a chance to buy those over-glorified, over-priced athletic shoes.
At many locations, the police had to be called out in force to deal with near-riotous conditions. In Seattle cops had to use pepper spray to break up fights over people cutting in line and shoving. In the Houston area suburb of Humble, there were fights and some mall doors were broken. In several locations some people, including small children, were trampled as the mobs swarmed into stores.
I saw video clips from all over the country, and the one thing that stood out was the fact that most of those waiting in line and rushing into the stores were people of color. I wonder how many of those folks are on welfare. And even if they are not on welfare, can they really afford to pay $180 for a pair of athletic shoes? I doubt it.
What makes those Nikes so expensive? They carry the name of Michael Jordan despite the fact he hasn’t played basketball in eight years. You can buy any number of athletic shoes just as good as the retro Air Jordans for around 30 to 40 bucks.
And by pointing out that most of the idiots charging into malls and stores to buy those shoes were people of color, possibly on welfare, I am leaving myself open to be targeted as a racist.
At many locations, the police had to be called out in force to deal with near-riotous conditions. In Seattle cops had to use pepper spray to break up fights over people cutting in line and shoving. In the Houston area suburb of Humble, there were fights and some mall doors were broken. In several locations some people, including small children, were trampled as the mobs swarmed into stores.
I saw video clips from all over the country, and the one thing that stood out was the fact that most of those waiting in line and rushing into the stores were people of color. I wonder how many of those folks are on welfare. And even if they are not on welfare, can they really afford to pay $180 for a pair of athletic shoes? I doubt it.
What makes those Nikes so expensive? They carry the name of Michael Jordan despite the fact he hasn’t played basketball in eight years. You can buy any number of athletic shoes just as good as the retro Air Jordans for around 30 to 40 bucks.
And by pointing out that most of the idiots charging into malls and stores to buy those shoes were people of color, possibly on welfare, I am leaving myself open to be targeted as a racist.
DRINKING AND DRIVING
Now that New Year’s Eve is close at hand, I would like to share an experience with you all about drinking and driving.
It’s no secret that some of us have had brushes with the law over the years while driving on our way home from office parties, New Year’s Eve celebrations and other social gatherings.
A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends and had a few too many beers and some rather rare Goldslager Schnappes. Realizing that I was in no condition to drive, I did something I've never done before - I took a bus home.
I arrived home safely and without incident. It turned out to be a real surprise because I have never driven a bus before and am not sure how or where I got this one.
It’s no secret that some of us have had brushes with the law over the years while driving on our way home from office parties, New Year’s Eve celebrations and other social gatherings.
A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends and had a few too many beers and some rather rare Goldslager Schnappes. Realizing that I was in no condition to drive, I did something I've never done before - I took a bus home.
I arrived home safely and without incident. It turned out to be a real surprise because I have never driven a bus before and am not sure how or where I got this one.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
SEASON'S GREETINGS
To all my Christian readers, I want to wish you and your loved ones a Very Merry Christmas.
To all my Christian readers and those who do not follow the Christian faith, I wish you and your loved ones a very healthy and prosperous year in 2012.
To all my Christian readers and those who do not follow the Christian faith, I wish you and your loved ones a very healthy and prosperous year in 2012.
AMERICA'S SAUDI FRIENDS TEACH THEIR KIDS THAT JEWS NEED TO BE EXTERMINATED AND HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH
With so much of the oil that we depend on coming from Saudi Arabia, we shouldn’t let a little thing like 9th and 10th-grade textbooks get in the way of our friendship with the Saudis.
ARABIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS SHOW CHILDREN HOW TO CHOP OFF HANDS AND FEET UNDER SHARIAH LAW
9th and 10th-grade textbooks published and handed out by the Saudi government also call for the extermination of Jews and homosexuals
By Leon Watson
Mail Online
December 23, 2011
Barbaric textbooks handed out in Saudi Arabian schools teach children how to cut off a thief's hands and feet under Sharia law, it has emerged.
The shocking books, paid for and printed by the Saudi government, also tell teenagers that Jews need to be exterminated and homosexuals should be 'put to death'.
Recent editions were obtained by the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, D.C., which says they should raise fears in the West over the use of jihadist language.
The books were published and handed out to 9th and 10th-graders despite Saudi Arabia's promises to clean up textbooks in the kingdom.
Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Fox News: 'This is where terrorism starts, in the education system.
'They show students how to cut (the) hand and the feet of a thief,' he said.
The textbooks were printed for the 2010-2011 academic year and translated from Arabic by the institute.
In one, for ninth-graders, students are taught the annihilation of the Jewish people is imperative.
One text reads in part: 'The hour (of judgment) will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. There is a Jew behind me come and kill him.'
According to the translations, women are described as weak and irresponsible.
Mr Al-Ahmed said the textbooks also call for homosexuals to be put to death 'because they pose a danger at society, as the Saudi school books teaches'.
Mr Al-Ahmed said: 'If you teach six million children in these important years of their lives, if you install that in their brain, no wonder we have so many Saudi suicide bombers.'
The Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. was approached for comment, but there was no immediate response.
ARABIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS SHOW CHILDREN HOW TO CHOP OFF HANDS AND FEET UNDER SHARIAH LAW
9th and 10th-grade textbooks published and handed out by the Saudi government also call for the extermination of Jews and homosexuals
By Leon Watson
Mail Online
December 23, 2011
Barbaric textbooks handed out in Saudi Arabian schools teach children how to cut off a thief's hands and feet under Sharia law, it has emerged.
The shocking books, paid for and printed by the Saudi government, also tell teenagers that Jews need to be exterminated and homosexuals should be 'put to death'.
Recent editions were obtained by the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, D.C., which says they should raise fears in the West over the use of jihadist language.
The books were published and handed out to 9th and 10th-graders despite Saudi Arabia's promises to clean up textbooks in the kingdom.
Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Fox News: 'This is where terrorism starts, in the education system.
'They show students how to cut (the) hand and the feet of a thief,' he said.
The textbooks were printed for the 2010-2011 academic year and translated from Arabic by the institute.
In one, for ninth-graders, students are taught the annihilation of the Jewish people is imperative.
One text reads in part: 'The hour (of judgment) will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. There is a Jew behind me come and kill him.'
According to the translations, women are described as weak and irresponsible.
Mr Al-Ahmed said the textbooks also call for homosexuals to be put to death 'because they pose a danger at society, as the Saudi school books teaches'.
Mr Al-Ahmed said: 'If you teach six million children in these important years of their lives, if you install that in their brain, no wonder we have so many Saudi suicide bombers.'
The Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. was approached for comment, but there was no immediate response.
FOR THE OIL-HUNGRY EUROPEANS, ISRAEL HAS BEEN AND IS NOTHING BUT A PARIAH
In order to curry favor with the oil rich Arabs, the Europeans have long sided with the Palestinians and in doing so they, along with the United Nations, have held Israel out as a pariah.
ISRAEL: WHO CARES WHAT EUROPE SAYS?
By Ryan Jones
Israel Today
December 22, 2011
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lashed out at European powers for their harsh criticism of the Jewish state at the UN Security Council a day earlier. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that the European Union was in danger of making itself irrelevant as far as the peace process is concerned.
If European powers continue to focus exaggerated attention on Israel, a law-abiding and democratic nation, instead of real flash points like Syria and Egypt, "they are bound to lose their credibility and make themselves irrelevant," read the Foreign Ministry statement.
Israel's anger was sparked by a statement released by the four European members of the Security Council - France, Britain, Germany and Portugal - that condemned Jewish building in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem and took a very unbalanced view of what is needed to get the peace process back on track.
The Europeans said that recent Israeli plans to build additional apartments in existing Jewish "settlements" on in Jewish neighborhoods on the eastern side of Jerusalem "send a devastating message" and must be reversed.
"All settlement activity, including in east Jerusalem, must cease immediately," insisted France, Britain, Germany and Portugal.
Contradicting the traditional position that all peace negotiations should take place between Israel and the Palestinians, the Europeans demanded that both sides instead present proposals to the Middle East Quartet comprised of the European Union, United States, UN and Russia. The Quartet would then mediate those proposals and provide a plan for peace.
Knowing that the international powers have generally sided with Arab demands and adopted the Arab narrative, the Palestinians are pleased with the new direction taken by the Europeans, and have already submitted a "peace" proposal to the Quartet. Israel refuses to do so since the peace process has always been based on the idea of direct bilateral negotiations, and so is being made out as the primary obstacle to peace.
Israel's Foreign Ministry noted that instead of advancing the cause of peace, the Europeans were only "adding obstacles on the path toward renewed negotiations."
The Americans took Israel's side in that debate.
Israel and the Palestinians must "get back to the table and settle these issues together, and that's the way we are going to have a lasting, stable peace," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. "Shouting from the rooftops of the Security Council is not going to change the situation on the ground."
The European statement issued from the Security Council also took Israel to task for recent acts of vandalism against Arabs and Muslims by a small group of right-wing religious youth. The so-called "price tag" attacks are meant to demonstrate to the Israeli government that it cannot surrender to international demands without creating a problem with its own people.
The Europeans appeared to place a lot of importance on those attacks, despite the fact they have resulted in no casualties. They demanded that Israel "bring the perpetrators to justice and put an end to impunity," calling the attacks "deliberately provocative actions."
The statement was enormously hypocritical.
For decades Palestinians groups, many of them actually associated with and backed by the Palestinian leadership, have attacked and killed Israeli Jews. Very rarely, if ever, has the UN Security Council or the European Union issued such a strong and direct condemnation of such attacks. Instead, the international community usually responds to Palestinian terror attacks by condemning violence in general, and calling on both sides to "show restraint."
The Europeans generally give the Palestinian Authority itself a pass when it comes to Palestinian violence, accepting the official Palestinian position that it cannot stop all acts of aggression, which at any rate are legitimate responses to ongoing "Israeli occupation."
ISRAEL: WHO CARES WHAT EUROPE SAYS?
By Ryan Jones
Israel Today
December 22, 2011
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lashed out at European powers for their harsh criticism of the Jewish state at the UN Security Council a day earlier. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that the European Union was in danger of making itself irrelevant as far as the peace process is concerned.
If European powers continue to focus exaggerated attention on Israel, a law-abiding and democratic nation, instead of real flash points like Syria and Egypt, "they are bound to lose their credibility and make themselves irrelevant," read the Foreign Ministry statement.
Israel's anger was sparked by a statement released by the four European members of the Security Council - France, Britain, Germany and Portugal - that condemned Jewish building in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem and took a very unbalanced view of what is needed to get the peace process back on track.
The Europeans said that recent Israeli plans to build additional apartments in existing Jewish "settlements" on in Jewish neighborhoods on the eastern side of Jerusalem "send a devastating message" and must be reversed.
"All settlement activity, including in east Jerusalem, must cease immediately," insisted France, Britain, Germany and Portugal.
Contradicting the traditional position that all peace negotiations should take place between Israel and the Palestinians, the Europeans demanded that both sides instead present proposals to the Middle East Quartet comprised of the European Union, United States, UN and Russia. The Quartet would then mediate those proposals and provide a plan for peace.
Knowing that the international powers have generally sided with Arab demands and adopted the Arab narrative, the Palestinians are pleased with the new direction taken by the Europeans, and have already submitted a "peace" proposal to the Quartet. Israel refuses to do so since the peace process has always been based on the idea of direct bilateral negotiations, and so is being made out as the primary obstacle to peace.
Israel's Foreign Ministry noted that instead of advancing the cause of peace, the Europeans were only "adding obstacles on the path toward renewed negotiations."
The Americans took Israel's side in that debate.
Israel and the Palestinians must "get back to the table and settle these issues together, and that's the way we are going to have a lasting, stable peace," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. "Shouting from the rooftops of the Security Council is not going to change the situation on the ground."
The European statement issued from the Security Council also took Israel to task for recent acts of vandalism against Arabs and Muslims by a small group of right-wing religious youth. The so-called "price tag" attacks are meant to demonstrate to the Israeli government that it cannot surrender to international demands without creating a problem with its own people.
The Europeans appeared to place a lot of importance on those attacks, despite the fact they have resulted in no casualties. They demanded that Israel "bring the perpetrators to justice and put an end to impunity," calling the attacks "deliberately provocative actions."
The statement was enormously hypocritical.
For decades Palestinians groups, many of them actually associated with and backed by the Palestinian leadership, have attacked and killed Israeli Jews. Very rarely, if ever, has the UN Security Council or the European Union issued such a strong and direct condemnation of such attacks. Instead, the international community usually responds to Palestinian terror attacks by condemning violence in general, and calling on both sides to "show restraint."
The Europeans generally give the Palestinian Authority itself a pass when it comes to Palestinian violence, accepting the official Palestinian position that it cannot stop all acts of aggression, which at any rate are legitimate responses to ongoing "Israeli occupation."
MEXICAN COPS ROUTINELY SLAUGHTERED
While there has been a marked increase in gunshot ambushes of American police officers, just look at what is happening to cops in Mexico.
From Borderland Beat:
POLICE OFFICER IN JUAREZ BURNED ALIVE
By Arturo Chacon and Nick Valencia
CNN
December 21, 2011
A policeman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, was burned alive Tuesday by unknown attackers in front of several witnesses who saw him writhing in agony as he died.
The killing was the 33rd of a municipal police officer in Juarez this year and the 59th in the last 15 months, according to the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office.
Jose Everardo was kidnapped Monday night, according to prosecutors. Witnesses said Everardo was dumped from a vehicle around 8:30 a.m.. His hands and feet bound, his attackers sprayed him with a flammable liquid and set him afire.
A photographer, who did not want to be identified for security reasons, told CNN he was warned not to arrive at the scene "very quickly" because the attackers were still there. In the past, journalists who arrived at crime scenes moments after an attack have faced retribution.
"The body was upside down, burned completely," prosecutors said.
The photographer eventually arrived at the scene and snapped a grisly picture of a charred body, face down in the middle of a Juarez street. The officer appears to still be wearing his police uniform.
A note for the police was left at the crime scene, prosecutors said, but the contents of the note have not been disclosed.
On the Texas border, Juarez is one of Mexico's most violent cities.
It has become a symbol of the brutal realities of the nation's drug war, which has claimed about 43,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon declared a crackdown on cartels in December 2006.
From Borderland Beat:
POLICE OFFICER IN JUAREZ BURNED ALIVE
By Arturo Chacon and Nick Valencia
CNN
December 21, 2011
A policeman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, was burned alive Tuesday by unknown attackers in front of several witnesses who saw him writhing in agony as he died.
The killing was the 33rd of a municipal police officer in Juarez this year and the 59th in the last 15 months, according to the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office.
Jose Everardo was kidnapped Monday night, according to prosecutors. Witnesses said Everardo was dumped from a vehicle around 8:30 a.m.. His hands and feet bound, his attackers sprayed him with a flammable liquid and set him afire.
A photographer, who did not want to be identified for security reasons, told CNN he was warned not to arrive at the scene "very quickly" because the attackers were still there. In the past, journalists who arrived at crime scenes moments after an attack have faced retribution.
"The body was upside down, burned completely," prosecutors said.
The photographer eventually arrived at the scene and snapped a grisly picture of a charred body, face down in the middle of a Juarez street. The officer appears to still be wearing his police uniform.
A note for the police was left at the crime scene, prosecutors said, but the contents of the note have not been disclosed.
On the Texas border, Juarez is one of Mexico's most violent cities.
It has become a symbol of the brutal realities of the nation's drug war, which has claimed about 43,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon declared a crackdown on cartels in December 2006.
PALIN MUST BE SUFFERING FROM A BRAIN ANEURYSM
How low can Sarah Palin sink? Now she’s joined Roach Limburger who bashes everything Barack and Michelle Obama do, no matter how trivial. Palin's criticism of the Obama holiday greeting card is not something a healthy person would do. She must be suffering from a brain aneurysm. Doesn’t Palin realize that Obama is president of all Americans, not just of Christian Americans?
SARAH PALIN CRITICIZES OBAMA HOLIDAY CARD – AND THE DOG
By David Ng
Los Angeles Times
December 21, 2011
So much for the holiday spirit. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is once again targeting the Obama administration, leveling a critical glare at the official White House holiday greeting card for not emphasizing Christmas.
The card was created for the Obama family by L.A. artist and designer Mark Matuszak. It features an image of Bo, the Obama family dog, in front of a fireplace in the White House library with a poinsettia and other decorations. The card, which makes no direct mention of Christmas and doesn't feature a Christmas tree, states: "From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season."
Palin told Fox News that she found it "odd" that the card emphasizes the dog instead of traditions like "family, faith and freedom." She also said that Americans are able to appreciate "American foundational values illustrated and displayed on Christmas cards and on a Christmas tree."
In the past, White House cards have varied in terms of a secular versus a Christian approach. The George W. Bush administration tended toward the religious. In 2008, the White House card made no direct reference to Christmas but featured a quote from the Gospel of Matthew. In 2005, the Bush family's card featured a quote from the book of Psalms.
The Bill Clinton administration took a more secular tack. The family's 1995 card used the word "holiday" but featured an image of a Christmas tree.
The Obama family has also preferred a more secular approach. Last year's holiday card featured an image of a White House covered with snow, with the following greeting: "May your holiday be filled with all the simple gifts of the season, and may your new year be blessed with health and happiness."
Matuszak said in a phone interview last week that he was contacted a few months ago by the White House social secretary, who asked him to create this year's holiday card.
"They wanted to do an inside shot, something home related," said Matuszak. One idea was to focus on Bo, the Obama family dog. "So we thought, let's put Bo in front of a fireplace."
SARAH PALIN CRITICIZES OBAMA HOLIDAY CARD – AND THE DOG
By David Ng
Los Angeles Times
December 21, 2011
So much for the holiday spirit. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is once again targeting the Obama administration, leveling a critical glare at the official White House holiday greeting card for not emphasizing Christmas.
The card was created for the Obama family by L.A. artist and designer Mark Matuszak. It features an image of Bo, the Obama family dog, in front of a fireplace in the White House library with a poinsettia and other decorations. The card, which makes no direct mention of Christmas and doesn't feature a Christmas tree, states: "From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season."
Palin told Fox News that she found it "odd" that the card emphasizes the dog instead of traditions like "family, faith and freedom." She also said that Americans are able to appreciate "American foundational values illustrated and displayed on Christmas cards and on a Christmas tree."
In the past, White House cards have varied in terms of a secular versus a Christian approach. The George W. Bush administration tended toward the religious. In 2008, the White House card made no direct reference to Christmas but featured a quote from the Gospel of Matthew. In 2005, the Bush family's card featured a quote from the book of Psalms.
The Bill Clinton administration took a more secular tack. The family's 1995 card used the word "holiday" but featured an image of a Christmas tree.
The Obama family has also preferred a more secular approach. Last year's holiday card featured an image of a White House covered with snow, with the following greeting: "May your holiday be filled with all the simple gifts of the season, and may your new year be blessed with health and happiness."
Matuszak said in a phone interview last week that he was contacted a few months ago by the White House social secretary, who asked him to create this year's holiday card.
"They wanted to do an inside shot, something home related," said Matuszak. One idea was to focus on Bo, the Obama family dog. "So we thought, let's put Bo in front of a fireplace."
PHYSICS LESSON
Since we are in an election cycle, this seems like an appropriate lesson for all of us:
“If you run naked around a tree at a speed of 185,999 miles per second, there is a distinct possibility of fucking yourself. Or you can vote for Obama to obtain the exact same effect.”
__Albert Einstein
I might add that the same lesson applied to those who voted for Jerry 'Moonbeam' Brown in California’s election for governor.
“If you run naked around a tree at a speed of 185,999 miles per second, there is a distinct possibility of fucking yourself. Or you can vote for Obama to obtain the exact same effect.”
__Albert Einstein
I might add that the same lesson applied to those who voted for Jerry 'Moonbeam' Brown in California’s election for governor.
Friday, December 23, 2011
LAW ENFORCEMENT IMPAIRED
Much of the sleep deprivation among cops results from the fact that so many officers moonlight in order to make ends meet. Sleep deprivation is definitely an officer safety hazard. Studies showed that when 10 hour shifts were popular, there was a marked increase in police car accidents during the last two hours of the shift.
MANY COPS HAVE SLEEP DISORDERS
A new study found that nearly half of police officers from the U.S. and Canada suffer from sleep disorders, including apnea and insomnia
By Geneva Pittman
Reuters
December 21, 2011
A survey from the United States and Canada found 40 percent of police officers had symptoms of a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea and insomnia.
Officers who screened positive for those disorders were also more likely to be burnt out, depressed, or have an anxiety disorder. And over the next two years, they committed more administrative errors and safety violations and were more prone to falling asleep at the wheel than sound sleepers.
"In general we have this cultural attitude of, sleep is for the weak," said Dr. Michael Grandner, from the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
"When you're in an environment where signs of weakness are particularly discouraged, there may be a social pressure to not address sleep problems or to shrug them off," added Grandner, the author of a commentary published with the new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
But when police officers in particular suffer from sleep problems, he said, it becomes a public health and safety problem. "It's not just the people with sleep disorders that are affected," Grandner told Reuters Health. "If they're impaired, you're at risk."
Researchers say police departments could do more to make sure that officers with sleep disorders get the appropriate treatment, which may include sleep machines, therapy, or changes in work schedules.
For the new study, close to 5,000 police officers were surveyed on sleep problems and other health topics. That included Philadelphia officers and Massachusetts state police as well as a broader range of other U.S. and Canadian cops. The officers were an average of 38 to 39 years old and most had been in the police force for more than decade.
Dr. Charles Czeisler from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his colleagues found that 40 percent of the officers screened positive for at least one sleep disorder. The most common was sleep apnea, which affected one-third of cops, followed by moderate or severe insomnia and shift work disorder, which consists of sleepiness and insomnia associated with working at night.
Officers with a sleep disorder were more than twice as likely as healthy sleepers to report depression, emotional exhaustion, or burnout and anxiety disorders on their original surveys.
On follow-up questionnaires sent out over the next two years, they were also 40 to 60 percent more likely to report making serious administrative errors, falling asleep while driving, or committing a fatigue-related error or safety violation during work. Poor sleepers reported more citizen complaints and more often showed uncontrolled anger toward a suspect or citizen.
"You have people who are sleep deprived, which means that their ability to make good decisions, to respond effectively, to drive emergency vehicles well ... all of those things are impaired," said Bryan Vila, a criminal justice professor who studies sleep and performance in cops at Washington State University in Spokane but wasn't involved in the new study.
The researchers noted that being heavy increases the risk of sleep apnea, and that almost 80 percent of the officers they surveyed were overweight or obese.
Czeisler said that the lowest rates of both sleep apnea and overweight and obesity were in Massachusetts state cops, and that that's no coincidence.
Those officers get one hour paid exercise time for every work shift, he told Reuters Health, and undergo regular fitness tests that simulate chasing a suspect or dragging a victim, with a bonus in pay if they pass. "It's an impressive program and perhaps a model for the nation," Czeisler said.
Putting in measures to catch sleep disorders early could also help prevent future health and safety consequences, researchers say. Those could include on-the-job screening in police departments, according to Czeisler, and making sure cops with sleep problems get help.
"We have great treatments for sleep disorders, we have great screening tools, the technology is there," Grandner told Reuters Health. He said that sleep apnea can be treated with a breathing machine and mask used at night, and that behavioral therapy is often the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. For cops with shift-work disorder, cutting back on extra-long shifts and overtime hours could help.
"Not only is sleep important for health, it's also important for functioning," Grandner said. "We're making it much harder for [police officers] than it needs to be. They'd have a much better time doing their job if we were able to take better care of them."
"What are we doing with impaired cops working these critical jobs where the public safety is at risk?" Vila, also a former law enforcement officer, told Reuters Health. "This is a critical problem, and it affects a population we rely on to do some of the most sensitive things in society."
Some of the researchers report receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies, including those that develop and manufacture sleeping pills. The current research was funded by a sleep medicine foundation as well as the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Czeisler said next up is a study funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to look at sleep disorders in firefighters.
MANY COPS HAVE SLEEP DISORDERS
A new study found that nearly half of police officers from the U.S. and Canada suffer from sleep disorders, including apnea and insomnia
By Geneva Pittman
Reuters
December 21, 2011
A survey from the United States and Canada found 40 percent of police officers had symptoms of a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea and insomnia.
Officers who screened positive for those disorders were also more likely to be burnt out, depressed, or have an anxiety disorder. And over the next two years, they committed more administrative errors and safety violations and were more prone to falling asleep at the wheel than sound sleepers.
"In general we have this cultural attitude of, sleep is for the weak," said Dr. Michael Grandner, from the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
"When you're in an environment where signs of weakness are particularly discouraged, there may be a social pressure to not address sleep problems or to shrug them off," added Grandner, the author of a commentary published with the new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
But when police officers in particular suffer from sleep problems, he said, it becomes a public health and safety problem. "It's not just the people with sleep disorders that are affected," Grandner told Reuters Health. "If they're impaired, you're at risk."
Researchers say police departments could do more to make sure that officers with sleep disorders get the appropriate treatment, which may include sleep machines, therapy, or changes in work schedules.
For the new study, close to 5,000 police officers were surveyed on sleep problems and other health topics. That included Philadelphia officers and Massachusetts state police as well as a broader range of other U.S. and Canadian cops. The officers were an average of 38 to 39 years old and most had been in the police force for more than decade.
Dr. Charles Czeisler from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his colleagues found that 40 percent of the officers screened positive for at least one sleep disorder. The most common was sleep apnea, which affected one-third of cops, followed by moderate or severe insomnia and shift work disorder, which consists of sleepiness and insomnia associated with working at night.
Officers with a sleep disorder were more than twice as likely as healthy sleepers to report depression, emotional exhaustion, or burnout and anxiety disorders on their original surveys.
On follow-up questionnaires sent out over the next two years, they were also 40 to 60 percent more likely to report making serious administrative errors, falling asleep while driving, or committing a fatigue-related error or safety violation during work. Poor sleepers reported more citizen complaints and more often showed uncontrolled anger toward a suspect or citizen.
"You have people who are sleep deprived, which means that their ability to make good decisions, to respond effectively, to drive emergency vehicles well ... all of those things are impaired," said Bryan Vila, a criminal justice professor who studies sleep and performance in cops at Washington State University in Spokane but wasn't involved in the new study.
The researchers noted that being heavy increases the risk of sleep apnea, and that almost 80 percent of the officers they surveyed were overweight or obese.
Czeisler said that the lowest rates of both sleep apnea and overweight and obesity were in Massachusetts state cops, and that that's no coincidence.
Those officers get one hour paid exercise time for every work shift, he told Reuters Health, and undergo regular fitness tests that simulate chasing a suspect or dragging a victim, with a bonus in pay if they pass. "It's an impressive program and perhaps a model for the nation," Czeisler said.
Putting in measures to catch sleep disorders early could also help prevent future health and safety consequences, researchers say. Those could include on-the-job screening in police departments, according to Czeisler, and making sure cops with sleep problems get help.
"We have great treatments for sleep disorders, we have great screening tools, the technology is there," Grandner told Reuters Health. He said that sleep apnea can be treated with a breathing machine and mask used at night, and that behavioral therapy is often the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. For cops with shift-work disorder, cutting back on extra-long shifts and overtime hours could help.
"Not only is sleep important for health, it's also important for functioning," Grandner said. "We're making it much harder for [police officers] than it needs to be. They'd have a much better time doing their job if we were able to take better care of them."
"What are we doing with impaired cops working these critical jobs where the public safety is at risk?" Vila, also a former law enforcement officer, told Reuters Health. "This is a critical problem, and it affects a population we rely on to do some of the most sensitive things in society."
Some of the researchers report receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies, including those that develop and manufacture sleeping pills. The current research was funded by a sleep medicine foundation as well as the U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Czeisler said next up is a study funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to look at sleep disorders in firefighters.
ASSAULTS ON POLICE INCREASE (2)
There is something terribly wrong in this country when gunmen ambush police officers, especially since the overwhelming majority of cops do not mistreat people, unlike in many other countries.
MORE POLICE OFFICERS DIE IN AMBUSH ATTACKS
By Kevin Johnson
USA Today
December 22, 2011
WASHINGTON – Despite a national campaign focused on police safety, the number of officers killed in the line of duty will increase for the second consecutive year, largely because of an alarming spike in ambush-style attacks, a Justice Department review found.
Federal and local officials have been troubled for the past two years by the overall number of firearms-related fatalities, which are up 23% in 2011, even though violent crime has declined in much of the country, according to preliminary statistics compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Yet in 63 of the 65 shooting deaths that the Justice Department analyzed this year, 73% were the result of ambush or surprise attacks, said Josh Ederheimer, deputy director of the Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services Office. (The Justice Department hasn't reached a determination on the other two shootings.)
"It is an incredibly large number," Ederheimer said.
This year, a USA TODAY review of officer deaths highlighted a rising number of ambush slayings. In that August review, nearly 40% of the shooting deaths at that time were attributed to ambush or surprise attacks. That number was up from 31% in all of 2009, according to the most recent FBI study.
Ederheimer said the ongoing Justice review has revealed a more troubling pattern of violence.
Although the pace of overall shooting deaths has slowed since midyear, the numbers continue to frustrate law enforcement officials who convened a national review of officer safety this year.
Less than two weeks until the end of the year, the total number of officer deaths from all causes — 174 — marks the third largest death toll in the past decade.
Alarmed by the recent spikes in officer deaths, Attorney General Eric Holder called a meeting of law enforcement officials in March to examine the problem. Police departments were directed by the Justice Department to require officers to wear body armor or risk losing millions of dollars in federal aid.
(A 2009 study by the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement think tank in Washington, found that 41% of departments did not require officers to wear armor at least some of the time.)
Ederheimer said increased use of body armor, though important, does not necessarily protect victims of ambush. Many of the officers were shot in the head or other unprotected areas of the body.
Ederheimer said Justice Department officials have scheduled a meeting of safety and training experts Jan. 26 to discuss the overall firearm deaths, in addition to the increase in ambush attacks, to produce written guidelines for police agencies. "This is a priority of the attorney general," Ederheimer said.
Among the most recent victims of a deadly ambush, Atchison, Kan., police Sgt. David Enzbrenner, 46, was shot in the back of the head Dec. 9 as he was responding to a nuisance complaint.
Police Chief Mike Wilson said the gunman, who was not apparently involved in the incident, attacked the officer from the rear and later fatally shot himself. "It was an assassination," Wilson said.
Wilson said Enzbrenner, a 24-year veteran, was one of the "best-trained, best-educated and most-informed" of the department's 23 full-time officers. "He did all the right things to avoid something like this."
Before the shooting, Wilson said, he and his officers were aware of the rising number of officer fatalities and took appropriate precautions.
He said Enzbrenner wore body armor at the time of the attack, but the gunman targeted his head.
"When someone assassinates you from behind, all of the training, education and equipment is sometimes not much help,'' Wilson said.
MORE POLICE OFFICERS DIE IN AMBUSH ATTACKS
By Kevin Johnson
USA Today
December 22, 2011
WASHINGTON – Despite a national campaign focused on police safety, the number of officers killed in the line of duty will increase for the second consecutive year, largely because of an alarming spike in ambush-style attacks, a Justice Department review found.
Federal and local officials have been troubled for the past two years by the overall number of firearms-related fatalities, which are up 23% in 2011, even though violent crime has declined in much of the country, according to preliminary statistics compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Yet in 63 of the 65 shooting deaths that the Justice Department analyzed this year, 73% were the result of ambush or surprise attacks, said Josh Ederheimer, deputy director of the Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services Office. (The Justice Department hasn't reached a determination on the other two shootings.)
"It is an incredibly large number," Ederheimer said.
This year, a USA TODAY review of officer deaths highlighted a rising number of ambush slayings. In that August review, nearly 40% of the shooting deaths at that time were attributed to ambush or surprise attacks. That number was up from 31% in all of 2009, according to the most recent FBI study.
Ederheimer said the ongoing Justice review has revealed a more troubling pattern of violence.
Although the pace of overall shooting deaths has slowed since midyear, the numbers continue to frustrate law enforcement officials who convened a national review of officer safety this year.
Less than two weeks until the end of the year, the total number of officer deaths from all causes — 174 — marks the third largest death toll in the past decade.
Alarmed by the recent spikes in officer deaths, Attorney General Eric Holder called a meeting of law enforcement officials in March to examine the problem. Police departments were directed by the Justice Department to require officers to wear body armor or risk losing millions of dollars in federal aid.
(A 2009 study by the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement think tank in Washington, found that 41% of departments did not require officers to wear armor at least some of the time.)
Ederheimer said increased use of body armor, though important, does not necessarily protect victims of ambush. Many of the officers were shot in the head or other unprotected areas of the body.
Ederheimer said Justice Department officials have scheduled a meeting of safety and training experts Jan. 26 to discuss the overall firearm deaths, in addition to the increase in ambush attacks, to produce written guidelines for police agencies. "This is a priority of the attorney general," Ederheimer said.
Among the most recent victims of a deadly ambush, Atchison, Kan., police Sgt. David Enzbrenner, 46, was shot in the back of the head Dec. 9 as he was responding to a nuisance complaint.
Police Chief Mike Wilson said the gunman, who was not apparently involved in the incident, attacked the officer from the rear and later fatally shot himself. "It was an assassination," Wilson said.
Wilson said Enzbrenner, a 24-year veteran, was one of the "best-trained, best-educated and most-informed" of the department's 23 full-time officers. "He did all the right things to avoid something like this."
Before the shooting, Wilson said, he and his officers were aware of the rising number of officer fatalities and took appropriate precautions.
He said Enzbrenner wore body armor at the time of the attack, but the gunman targeted his head.
"When someone assassinates you from behind, all of the training, education and equipment is sometimes not much help,'' Wilson said.
DOCTORS DISCOVER TUMOR WHILE TREATING GUNSHOT VICTIM
Could the gunman have been someone in a nearby room who couldn’t sleep because of all the noise coming from the prostitute party?
GETTING SHOT SAVED HIS LIFE
“Sinner” says he got wake-up call
By Jeff Weiner
Jewish World Review
December 22, 2011
ORLANDO— At first, getting shot by an assault rifle in an Orange Blossom Trail motel room seemed like a bad thing.
Now, Dan D'Amato says it likely saved his life. That's because, were it not for the bullet wound, doctors may not have found the massive tumor that was festering in his lung.
D'Amato, 45, says he views the shooting as a catalyst to change his life by shedding bad habits and improving his health.
However, the gunman who opened fire at the Knights Inn last month remains at large, and D'Amato fears the next victim won't be so lucky.
D'Amato doesn't deny why he went to the Knights Inn: He was there to meet a pair of prostitutes at what he described as a "24-hour party" in a motel room, with other people popping in an out over the course of the evening for sex and possibly drug use.
He was sitting on the floor of the room just before 4 a.m., D'Amato says, when gunfire erupted and he dove for cover behind a bed.
"It was like all hell broke loose in that room," D'Amato recalls. "All I know is it was like the Wild West in there. Pure chaos."
Surveillance video of the incident shows D'Amato's assailant, a man with what appears to be an AK-47 standing outside the room and firing numerous rounds into the walls and windows. It's not clear who was targeted in the shooting.
One of those bullets struck D'Amato just above his buttocks. After the shelling stopped, he staggered to the motel's front desk to await the authorities.
The bullet that hit D'Amato traveled through his body, exiting near his hip. He says doctors told him the same shot centimeters to the right or left could have been devastating or potentially fatal.
He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. There, D'Amato was stunned when doctors found what appeared to be a pair of growths in the upper lobe of his right lung.
One was a tumor - described by a surgeon in his report as a "giant mass" weighing between three and four pounds, according to hospital officials.
Although the growth wasn't cancerous, D'Amato's doctors have attributed a host of respiratory ailments to it, including a hacking cough, pneumonia and a growing build-up of fluid in his lungs.
"(The surgeon) said, 'Dude, getting shot saved your life," says D'Amato, who praised his surgeon and ORMC doctors and staff for providing excellent care. He lost half of one of his lungs in the surgery.
The gunman fled the shooting in a dark red, late-90s Nissan Maxima with tinted windows, according to Central Florida Crimeline. Tips can be reported to Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.
The suspect is described as a man between the ages of 20 and 25, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 and weighing about 150 pounds.
D'Amato, who has a history of theft and trespassing arrests and admits he's "no angel," says he's worried that his case - because of who he is, where he was and what he was doing when he was shot - isn't getting enough attention from authorities or the public.
A woman who answered the phone at Knights Inn immediately declined comment when asked about the shooting by a reporter.
D'Amato is working to get help for his medical bills, which have ballooned to tens of thousands of dollars. But he says the shooting has forced him to reflect on how he wound up bleeding on the floor of an OBT motel.
"I put myself in a position to die surrounded by people I didn't know," he said. "The fact that I almost died alone was a wake-up call for me."
GETTING SHOT SAVED HIS LIFE
“Sinner” says he got wake-up call
By Jeff Weiner
Jewish World Review
December 22, 2011
ORLANDO— At first, getting shot by an assault rifle in an Orange Blossom Trail motel room seemed like a bad thing.
Now, Dan D'Amato says it likely saved his life. That's because, were it not for the bullet wound, doctors may not have found the massive tumor that was festering in his lung.
D'Amato, 45, says he views the shooting as a catalyst to change his life by shedding bad habits and improving his health.
However, the gunman who opened fire at the Knights Inn last month remains at large, and D'Amato fears the next victim won't be so lucky.
D'Amato doesn't deny why he went to the Knights Inn: He was there to meet a pair of prostitutes at what he described as a "24-hour party" in a motel room, with other people popping in an out over the course of the evening for sex and possibly drug use.
He was sitting on the floor of the room just before 4 a.m., D'Amato says, when gunfire erupted and he dove for cover behind a bed.
"It was like all hell broke loose in that room," D'Amato recalls. "All I know is it was like the Wild West in there. Pure chaos."
Surveillance video of the incident shows D'Amato's assailant, a man with what appears to be an AK-47 standing outside the room and firing numerous rounds into the walls and windows. It's not clear who was targeted in the shooting.
One of those bullets struck D'Amato just above his buttocks. After the shelling stopped, he staggered to the motel's front desk to await the authorities.
The bullet that hit D'Amato traveled through his body, exiting near his hip. He says doctors told him the same shot centimeters to the right or left could have been devastating or potentially fatal.
He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. There, D'Amato was stunned when doctors found what appeared to be a pair of growths in the upper lobe of his right lung.
One was a tumor - described by a surgeon in his report as a "giant mass" weighing between three and four pounds, according to hospital officials.
Although the growth wasn't cancerous, D'Amato's doctors have attributed a host of respiratory ailments to it, including a hacking cough, pneumonia and a growing build-up of fluid in his lungs.
"(The surgeon) said, 'Dude, getting shot saved your life," says D'Amato, who praised his surgeon and ORMC doctors and staff for providing excellent care. He lost half of one of his lungs in the surgery.
The gunman fled the shooting in a dark red, late-90s Nissan Maxima with tinted windows, according to Central Florida Crimeline. Tips can be reported to Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.
The suspect is described as a man between the ages of 20 and 25, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 and weighing about 150 pounds.
D'Amato, who has a history of theft and trespassing arrests and admits he's "no angel," says he's worried that his case - because of who he is, where he was and what he was doing when he was shot - isn't getting enough attention from authorities or the public.
A woman who answered the phone at Knights Inn immediately declined comment when asked about the shooting by a reporter.
D'Amato is working to get help for his medical bills, which have ballooned to tens of thousands of dollars. But he says the shooting has forced him to reflect on how he wound up bleeding on the floor of an OBT motel.
"I put myself in a position to die surrounded by people I didn't know," he said. "The fact that I almost died alone was a wake-up call for me."
SAY WHAT?
Dorina Lisson sent me a video clip of an Aussie guy saying … “G’day mate, I’ve been from the big smoke to the back’o’Bourke to get a website for my bizzo, from the top of my ticker toe to the dingo’s flapper.”
Shit, and I’ve always been under the impression that English was the spoken language of Aussies. After ‘G’day mate’ everything else was unintelligible to me. Fortunately, Dorina came back and furnished me the translation from Australian to American:
“Good day friend, I have been from the big city to the back of beyond and in the middle of nowhere to get a website for my business, from every person who talks about nothing they know about except a wild dog’s penis that hangs.”
Dorina added: In simple English ... the Australian man wants a website for his business. He is pissed because he has been everywhere, from here to there, talking to many people whilst trying to find someone who knows what they are talking about.
I rather liked the ‘dingo’s flapper’ bit.
Shit, and I’ve always been under the impression that English was the spoken language of Aussies. After ‘G’day mate’ everything else was unintelligible to me. Fortunately, Dorina came back and furnished me the translation from Australian to American:
“Good day friend, I have been from the big city to the back of beyond and in the middle of nowhere to get a website for my business, from every person who talks about nothing they know about except a wild dog’s penis that hangs.”
Dorina added: In simple English ... the Australian man wants a website for his business. He is pissed because he has been everywhere, from here to there, talking to many people whilst trying to find someone who knows what they are talking about.
I rather liked the ‘dingo’s flapper’ bit.
IF PETS KEPT DIARIES
Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary......
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary......
Day 1983 of my captivity...
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.
Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bast**ds.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.... For now.................
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary......
Day 1983 of my captivity...
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.
Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bast**ds.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.... For now.................
Thursday, December 22, 2011
THE CASE FOR MALE CHAUVINISM
Every time a notorious murderer ends up behind bars a number of women make the case for male chauvinism by falling in love with the killer. Serial killer-rapist Ted Bundy had his share of women professing their love for that creep as he awaited execution. Charlie Manson continues to accumulate a number of women that have fallen in love with him.
Now if these women were ugly or had scored low on IQ tests, one could understand their desperate need to find a man willing to love them. But in most cases, these bimbos have been very good looking professional women, rather than mentally challenged ugly ducklings.
The latest example involves Dr. Mary Monica Hamer, a 55-year-old divorced Florida radiologist, who is in love with Joran van der Sloot presently roosting in a Peruvian prison awaiting trial for the murder of 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores. Van der Sloot, 24, is also the primary suspect in the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway.
Hamer says that she is in love with van der Sloot, but not in a romantic sense. Duh? In trying to save his sorry ass, Hamer has written a song for him that she’s titled "Rescue". She's recorded it on a CD and sings the song with gusto. Some of the lyrics are: "I'll help you heal from the justice...When everything has been shattered, and given up for lost, I will rescue you."
Hamer has gone broke sending van der Sloot care packages, visiting him in prison, buying him clothes, and paying for the killer’s legal defense. As a result Hamer has had to dip into her retirement savings to make ends meet. She has made several trips to Peru to visit her love and plans to move to Peru to be with him.
Hamer is convinced that van der Sloot is innocent. "It is stressful but it is for a good cause," she claimed. "It takes time and money and interest to reach out to someone who is suffering." She has appealed to both President Humala and President Barack Obama for Joran to be released into her care so that she can rehabilitate him. Yeah, right.
Van der Sloot says that “Mary is my guardian angel” and considering what Hamer has done and is doing for this dirtball, she is his guardian angel indeed.
While attractive, Hamer is no raving beauty. However, she is a professional woman, one who you would expect to have better sense than to fall in love with, and squander her savings on a murderer.
Since Hamer is but one of many such fools, one could conclude that compared to men, women are more likely to use bad judgment and more likely to lack good sense.
Now if these women were ugly or had scored low on IQ tests, one could understand their desperate need to find a man willing to love them. But in most cases, these bimbos have been very good looking professional women, rather than mentally challenged ugly ducklings.
The latest example involves Dr. Mary Monica Hamer, a 55-year-old divorced Florida radiologist, who is in love with Joran van der Sloot presently roosting in a Peruvian prison awaiting trial for the murder of 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores. Van der Sloot, 24, is also the primary suspect in the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway.
Hamer says that she is in love with van der Sloot, but not in a romantic sense. Duh? In trying to save his sorry ass, Hamer has written a song for him that she’s titled "Rescue". She's recorded it on a CD and sings the song with gusto. Some of the lyrics are: "I'll help you heal from the justice...When everything has been shattered, and given up for lost, I will rescue you."
Hamer has gone broke sending van der Sloot care packages, visiting him in prison, buying him clothes, and paying for the killer’s legal defense. As a result Hamer has had to dip into her retirement savings to make ends meet. She has made several trips to Peru to visit her love and plans to move to Peru to be with him.
Hamer is convinced that van der Sloot is innocent. "It is stressful but it is for a good cause," she claimed. "It takes time and money and interest to reach out to someone who is suffering." She has appealed to both President Humala and President Barack Obama for Joran to be released into her care so that she can rehabilitate him. Yeah, right.
Van der Sloot says that “Mary is my guardian angel” and considering what Hamer has done and is doing for this dirtball, she is his guardian angel indeed.
While attractive, Hamer is no raving beauty. However, she is a professional woman, one who you would expect to have better sense than to fall in love with, and squander her savings on a murderer.
Since Hamer is but one of many such fools, one could conclude that compared to men, women are more likely to use bad judgment and more likely to lack good sense.
TWO LEADERS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF HUMANITY
Vaclav Havel and Kim Jong il.
FREEDOM AND TYRANNY
By Monica Crowley
politicalmavens.com
December 22, 2011
Over the past day or so, we’ve gotten the news of the deaths of two prominent global leaders: former Czech president Vaclav Havel and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.
The two men could not have been more different. Havel was a brave voice in the wilderness of communist hell. Locked and brutalized behind the Iron Curtain, Havel became one of the most dynamic and eloquent dissidents of the cold war era. He spoke out relentlessly and profoundly about the soul-crushing nature of communism, the trampling of the individual and the basic human desire for liberty. He was an artist and a poet, which made him even more loathed by his communist overlords. But more importantly, Havel was a warrior for liberty, with his words that rang out throughout the Soviet bloc, and later with his actions when he became president of a free Czech Republic. Havel was true hero of freedom.
On the opposite side of the scale was Kim Jong Il. He spent decades studying communist brutality and oppression at the feet of his tyrannical father, Kim Il Sung. When he ascended to power, the totalitarianism of the North Korean regime didn’t miss a beat. He plunged his people deeper into poverty and despair. He starved millions to death. His country rationed electricity, so much so that at night, satellites showed the northern end of the Korean peninsula drenched in darkness every night. Those who dared to speak out were sent to the gulag, never to be heard from again. His regime was the most isolated on earth, but it was nuclear (its only point of leverage with the United States and the west and what made it markedly more dangerous.)
Havel and Kim: the yin and yang of human freedom. Interesting that they were called to meet their Maker on the same day. What different stories they have to tell Him—and what very different legacies they leave.
FREEDOM AND TYRANNY
By Monica Crowley
politicalmavens.com
December 22, 2011
Over the past day or so, we’ve gotten the news of the deaths of two prominent global leaders: former Czech president Vaclav Havel and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.
The two men could not have been more different. Havel was a brave voice in the wilderness of communist hell. Locked and brutalized behind the Iron Curtain, Havel became one of the most dynamic and eloquent dissidents of the cold war era. He spoke out relentlessly and profoundly about the soul-crushing nature of communism, the trampling of the individual and the basic human desire for liberty. He was an artist and a poet, which made him even more loathed by his communist overlords. But more importantly, Havel was a warrior for liberty, with his words that rang out throughout the Soviet bloc, and later with his actions when he became president of a free Czech Republic. Havel was true hero of freedom.
On the opposite side of the scale was Kim Jong Il. He spent decades studying communist brutality and oppression at the feet of his tyrannical father, Kim Il Sung. When he ascended to power, the totalitarianism of the North Korean regime didn’t miss a beat. He plunged his people deeper into poverty and despair. He starved millions to death. His country rationed electricity, so much so that at night, satellites showed the northern end of the Korean peninsula drenched in darkness every night. Those who dared to speak out were sent to the gulag, never to be heard from again. His regime was the most isolated on earth, but it was nuclear (its only point of leverage with the United States and the west and what made it markedly more dangerous.)
Havel and Kim: the yin and yang of human freedom. Interesting that they were called to meet their Maker on the same day. What different stories they have to tell Him—and what very different legacies they leave.
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