Yellow Limes

"Railroad Therapy"

2011-08-02T09:59:00.003-04:00

Photo: Achmad Ibrahim/AP
In Indonesia, this is what compassionate, government-sponsored health care looks like.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Ignoring the red-and-white danger sign, Sri Mulyati walks slowly to the train tracks outside Indonesia's bustling capital, lies down and stretches her body across the rails.

Like the nearly dozen others lined up along the track, the 50-year-old diabetes patient has all but given up on doctors and can't afford the expensive medicines they prescribe.

In her mind, she has only one option left: electric therapy.

"I'll keep doing this until I'm completely cured," said Mulyati, twitching visibly as an oncoming passenger train sends an extra rush of current racing through her body.

She leaps from tracks as it approaches and then, after the last carriage rattles slowly by, climbs back into position.

Pseudo-medical treatments are wildly popular in many parts of Asia — where rumors about those miraculously cured after touching a magic stone or eating dung from sacred cows can attract hundreds, sometimes thousands.

That may be especially true in Indonesia, where chronic funding shortages and chaotic decentralization efforts since the 1998 ouster of longtime dictator Suharto have left many disillusioned with the state-sponsored health system, said Marius Widjajarta, chairman of the Indonesian Health Consumers Empowerment Foundation.

"Battered Citizen Syndrome"

2011-08-02T09:23:00.002-04:00

From Out of Order:

I mean, you brought it on yourself anyways...

Sources: NFL Lockout to End Monday

2011-07-25T08:09:00.003-04:00

Sources from both sides indicate the NFLPA and NFL owners have reached a deal to end the lockout.

Via ESPN:

The NFL Players Association and the league's owners have reached agreement on the remaining points needed in their 10-year labor deal, sources from both sides said.

Despite the fact the new agreement will require a majority vote from the players, that part of the deal between the two sides is considered a formality, according to sources.

The NFLPA is making plans for a major press conference Monday. But first the player reps' executive committee was scheduled to fly to Washington, D.C., on Sunday so they can vote Monday.

Just as the NFL would not have called a vote Thursday in Atlanta without knowing it would pass in the way it did -- 31-0 with one abstention -- the NFLPA would also not be going forward without that assurance.

Remembering D-Day, 67 Years Later

2011-06-06T17:48:00.003-04:00

On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops began the march across Europe to defeat Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the troops as they began their assault on the fortified beaches of northern France. Casualties were high, 9,000 Allied troops were wounded or killed, yet this number was forecast to be even higher.

WWII Veterans remember.

Plaxico Burress to Be Released From Prison Today

2011-06-06T08:31:00.002-04:00

Burress' 20-month sentence stemming from several weapons-related charges, after carrying an unlicensed handgun and accidentally shooting himself in the leg in 2008, is set to end today.

From USA Today:

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Giants Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress is to get out of prison in June, after officials agreed Friday to shave about three months off his time behind bars in a gun case.

A committee of prison-system staffers decided Burress was eligible for time off for good behavior, so he can be freed after serving about 21 months of his two-year sentence, system spokeswoman Linda Foglia said.

With Burress' release date now set for June 6, his agent and lawyer said he's looking to return to football — and a number of teams are looking at him.

"He's counting the hours," lawyer Peter M. Frankel said. "He's extremely positive."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has ruled that Burress would be reinstated and eligible to sign with a team upon completing his sentence. While the league and players are locked in negotiations that have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the sport's next season, Frankel and Burress agent Drew Rosenhaus said several teams had expressed interest in the receiver.

From Yahoo!'s Scoop Du Jour: Eagles and Rams Want Plaxico?

NJ Supreme Ct: Drunk Driver Has Right to Sue Bar

2011-06-06T07:43:00.002-04:00

In a 5-2 ruling, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a convicted drunk driver can sue the bar that served him alcohol.

TRENTON — New Jersey's Supreme Court has ruled a convicted drunken driver has the right to sue the bar that served him.

Wednesday's 5-2 ruling stems from a 2006 motorcycle crash in which Frederick Voss had a blood-alcohol level of .196 percent, or nearly two and a half times the legal limit of .08 percent.

Voss later pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.

He sued the Toms River restaurant Tiffany's, claiming it negligently kept serving him.

The suit is based on the Dram Shop Law, a law intended to stop alcohol vendors from serving individuals who are clearly intoxicated. The Dram Shop Law is more commonly a litigation tool for independent victims of drunk driving accidents, not for the drunk driver themselves.

Tags: Law

Remembering: Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T10:25:00.003-04:00

The Korean War Memorial says it all:

As you spend the day with family and friends, grilling, swimming, and enjoying the great things we Americans like to do, please remember those who have given everything there is to give for our freedom. And remember too, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines do not sacrifice alone...

God bless those who gave all, and the families left behind to carry on without their fathers, husbands, sons, daughters, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters, and friends.

May we remember those who made the sacrifice in a more silent manner...

CIA Director Leon Panetta's Memorial Day message to his employees:

"History has shown that tyrants who threaten global peace and freedom must eventually face their natural enemies: America's war fighters, and the silent warriors of our Intelligence Community."

Continue to pray for and remember those who continue to serve in harm's way. Check out JD Johannes' dispatch from the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan at Outside the Wire.

See also one teen's mission to ensure those who have fallen will never be forgotten. 17- year-old Ricky Gilleland's website, preserveandhonor.com, seeks "to provide a virtual place for loved ones and friends to both locate the graves of the fallen and reflect on the memory of their sacrifice."

Thank you to all those who serve and protect this great nation. Your sacrifices are not in vain.

NATO Planes Strike Gadhafi Military Complex

2011-05-24T13:54:00.003-04:00

Photo: AFP
Targets were bombed east of Tripoli, in what was one of the heaviest rounds of bombing since the West's ~~war~~ campaign against Col Gadhafi began. Libyan military vehicles were many of the intended targets of Tuesday's early morning air raids. Though more than $75 million in various aid has been provided to Libyan rebels, Washington still refuses to formally recognize the group's "National Transitional Council".

Meanwhile the battle if heating up between some members of Congress and President Obama. A group of Republican members are demanding President Obama adhere to the War Powers Act, and ask for Congressional approval in continuing U.S. involvement in the Libyan campaign.

Tags: Libya

Alert Parole Agent Leads to L.A. Beating Suspect Arrest

2011-05-24T08:44:00.006-04:00

Photo: Family of Bryan Stowe
31-year old Giovanni Ramirez, a gang member with a violent past, was arrested Sunday and charged in connection with the March 31st beating of 42-year old Bryan Stow. Stow's condition has improved slightly, yet remains in critical condition with severe brain damage. Stow, a paramedic and father, was beaten by at least two suspects following the game outside Dodger's Stadium.

Ramirez was reportedly arrested after police were tipped off by his parole agent. Shortly after the attack, Ramirez attended a meeting with his parole agent. The agent believed Ramirez resembled a sketch put out by the LAPD following the attack. Police moved in after the agent reportedly observed a new tattoo on Ramirez's neck, new ink that led them to believe he was attempting to cover up his old tattoo.

Via the LA Times:

Early Sunday, a Los Angeles police SWAT team took the man into custody on suspicion that he is one of two assailants who blindsided Stow in the stadium parking lot on March 31 following the season opener between the rival teams. Stow suffered brain damage in the attack and remains hospitalized.

The trail that led police to the suspect hinged on a set of fresh tattoos on the man's neck, said the source, who asked that his name not be used because of the ongoing investigation.

Police were tipped off to the man's possible involvement by his parole agent, law enforcement sources said. The police source said the suspect had attended a meeting with his parole agent shortly after the attack, and the agent noticed that the suspect resembled a police sketch of one of the assailants.

Things fell into place last week when another parolee was detained as a possible suspect in the beating, according to the source. Detectives determined that that man had not been involved in the attack, but the detention led several parole agents to discuss the case amongst themselves. One of them voiced his suspicion that a different parolee under his supervision might be involved, the source said. It is unclear whether the parole agent had passed on his suspicions to police immediately after he met with the suspect and was simply reiterating them last week or whether he had neglected to say something after the meeting.

Regardless, the parole agent called the parolee back in for another meeting last week. When he arrived, the agent noticed that the parolee had recently added several tattoos which covered most of his neck, the source said. That led authorities to suspect that the man was trying to cover up an older tattoo on his neck that witnesses had described to police.

The beating of Bryan Stow comes after years of growing violence in the immediate area surrounding Dodger Stadium. On Opening Day 2009, a man was nearly stabbed to death following an argument outside the stadium. Gang activity is prevalent in and around the stadium, making attending a Dodger's a bit too exciting for some, especially those who dare voice a favorable opinion for the Dodgers' opponent of the day. Danny Lee asks "What Happened to the Dodger Stadium I Used to Love?"

Police are still searching for at least one more suspect directly involved in the attack on Stow. A search is also on for a woman who drove the vehicle the suspects fled the scene in.

Stow's family has set up a website to provide updates on his condition and the case itself. You can also donate and purchase items at the site to help with Stowe's long road to recovery. Follow Stowe's progress also at @Support4Stow.

San Francisco Giants' ace Tim Lincecum donated $25K to the Stowe family to help with mounting medical bills:

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants ace Tim Lincecum is giving $25,000 to assist the longtime San Francisco fan who was attacked outside Dodger Stadium last month.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner's donation will go to the Bryan Stow Fund to help with the 42-year-old paramedic's medical bills and other expenses. The father of two was beaten in a parking lot outside Dodger Stadium after the teams' March 31 season opener and remains hospitalized in Los Angeles in a medically induced coma. No arrests have been made despite a $150,000 reward.

"This was a senseless act of violence and I wanted to help out Mr. Stow and his family," Lincecum said in a statement Thursday. "It's also close to me because not only is Mr. Stow a Giants fan, but I have family and friends who are firefighters, police officers and paramedics and this honors their service to the community.

"I encourage Giants fans to support Mr. Stow in a positive way and hope there are not any more unfortunate acts between fans in this great rivalry," Lincecum said.

Tags: Crime, Sports

Spring Break "BK Brawler" Gets 45 Days in Jail, 5 Years Probation

2011-05-10T20:34:00.002-04:00

Nekiva Hardy, 30 years old (a 30-yr old on Spring Break, that's all you need to know about this incident), was sentenced by a Bay County judge to 45 days in jail, 5 years probation, plus an array of fines. Hardy made national headlines after visiting a Burger King on March 19 and found herself unable to act like an adult human being:

A Smoking Gun reporter reportedly asked Hardy if she would surrender to police after additional charges were brought against her. Hardy's response? "F#&$ them, they’ll have to come and get me. It’s gonna be hard to find me."

Apparently they did, and apparently it wasn't.

Tags: Crime

Life in America, Fill Up Your Tank & Buy a Crack Pipe

2011-05-10T11:19:00.005-04:00

Photo: David L. Malhalab – MNS Photo
CBS Detroit reported on Monday of crack pipes being sold as novelty items in gas stations and other stores in Detroit and surrounding suburbs.

DETROIT (WWJ) – Be careful of what’s being sold under the counter.
Crack pipes are being sold at neighborhood stores from Detroit to the suburbs.

That’s according to former Detroit police officer David Mahalab, who says the pipes are disguised as novelties.

“To avoid police detection and to try to avoid the law, they put a pen insert – (in) a glass tube, and try to evade the law, which talks about paraphernalia and stuff that has a second use,” says Mahalab.

Mahalab says they’re also disguised as a ballpoint pen or small glass vases with a rose sticking out of them.

Mahalab says people may be surprised where the pipes are being sold.

“Dollar stores, gas stations, liquor stores, virtually every store in the 6th Precinct that I did enforcement with, were given a ticket and found guilty. I’ve seen them in Allen Park, Dearborn Heights and Garden City,” says Mahalab.

Mahalab says the pipe sales are lucrative, but bring crack addicts and crime to neighborhoods.

Sadly, these items have been for sale for years all around the country. Crack, it does a body (and a city) good.

Tags: Crime

Where Was (Is) the PR Plan for the Fallout of OBL's Death?

2011-05-04T14:13:00.002-04:00

In what no doubt is, and will remain, one of the biggest stories of the century, the White House failed miserably in rolling out the story of killing of OBL. Within minutes of the President's Sunday late-night speech, confirming what most of the nation had already figured out, the questions began growing like a poison ivy patch in July. Was OBL armed? Was a woman, reportedly his wife, killed when she was used/volunteered to be used as a human shield? How many were subjects were killed?

In what was a magnificently executed special operation, planned for months, the PR aspect has been a total fail. Why was a decision about showing photos of an OBL at room temperature not already made? President Obama said today that photos of OBL's body will not be released. That announcement comes after CIA director Leon Panetta said yesterday a photo will be released to the public. Whether or not to show it can be debated for infinity. Why though all the waffling? The back and forth of whether or not to release the photos is amateurish, further fuels the abounding conspiracy theories, and takes away from the highly professional, highly skilled mission executed by the hands of Seal Team Six, our clandestine operators, and all others involved in the raid.

And now we are learning there are more questions about the raid itself. A "White House insider" tells Socyberty President Obama wasn't exactly gung-ho about ordering the raid, and was perhaps forced into taking action by those around him:

Q: You stated that President Obama was “overruled” by military/intelligence officials regarding the decision to send in military specialists into the Osama Bin Laden compound. Was that accurate?

A: I was told – in these exact terms, “we overruled him.” (Obama) I have since followed up and received further details on exactly what that meant, as well as the specifics of how Leon Panetta worked around the president’s “persistent hesitation to act.” There appears NOT to have been an outright overruling of any specific position by President Obama, simply because there was no specific position from the president to do so. President Obama was, in this case, as in all others, working as an absentee president.

I was correct in stating there had been a push to invade the compound for several weeks if not months, primarily led by Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, David Petraeus, and Jim Clapper. The primary opposition to this plan originated from Valerie Jarrett, and it was her opposition that was enough to create uncertainty within President Obama. Obama would meet with various components of the pro-invasion faction, almost always with Jarrett present, and then often fail to indicate his position. This situation continued for some time, though the division between Jarrett/Obama and the rest intensified more recently, most notably from Hillary Clinton. She was livid over the president’s failure to act, and her office began a campaign of anonymous leaks to the media indicating such. As for Jarrett, her concern rested on two primary fronts. One, that the military action could fail and harm the president’s already weakened standing with both the American public and the world. Second, that the attack would be viewed as an act of aggression against Muslims, and further destabilize conditions in the Middle East.

For an administration that has demonstrated an excellent ability to handle the PR front, they have fumbled an opportunity to handle and steer what is one of their most defining moments. One also must wonder how much forethought has gone into what our future with Pakistan entails. What did Pakistan's ISI know? What role did US aid to Pakistan play in OBL's ability to remain at large there, residing in a neighborhood full of the Who's Who of the Pakistan army? Christopher Hitchens notes what President Obama does next regarding Pakistan will define OBL's legacy.

Also see: Stephen Green: The Gang That Could Shoot Straight, But Not Much Else

Tags: OBL, Obama, Pakistan

Osama bin Laden is Dead; USA Has Body; Updated: Shot in the Head

2011-05-01T22:51:00.006-04:00

Breaking tonight, Osama bin Laden is dead. Nearly a decade following the horrific day of 9/11, officials claim they have the terror mastermind's body.

Fox News and the AP are reporting OBL was killed during a U.S. military operation approximately a week ago, and have had the body since. Officials are reportedly releasing the information following DNA confirmation.

President Obama is set to address the nation on the matter in a matter of minutes.

Updated at 11:55pm ET 5/1/2011
President Obama announced a U.S. team killed OBL today, during a firefight at a mansion compound outside of Islamabad, Pakistan.

What one can say about the last ten years is that the Middle East today is quite different from the one that existed when OBL quickly rose to the top of the world's most wanted list. Iraq is a democratic nation, the U.S. stayed in Afghanistan, while OBL was sent running for the hills, and the recent uprisings of the "Arab Spring" all signal significant change in the Middle East.

The figurehead of one of the world's most evil terror groups has been killed. Thousands of U.S. lives have been lost at the expense of this man, and for that, his death should be cause for celebration.

The Sticky Note Campaign

2011-04-26T11:16:00.003-04:00

Coming to a grocery shelf and gas pump near you.

Via YourDaddy's Politics:

Twitter/#stickynotecampaign

Another GA Tech Student Robbed

2011-04-26T08:40:00.002-04:00

For criminals, the poor students are like fish in a barrel. Anyone with two cents of intelligence would know to commit such a crime in an area where the victim is highly unlikely to shoot back. How's that no guns on campus idea working out President Peterson?

Via the AJC:

The incident happened about 12 a.m. Monday on Lovejoy Street between Pine and Hunnicutt streets, according to a crime alert sent out by Georgia Tech police.

"The victim as walking to his vehicle from his apartment when he was approached from behind by two black males," the alert stated. "One of the black males wearing a big, heavy dark-color jacket brandished a black handgun and demanded the victim's wallet, cell phone and keys."

Meanwhile, just up the road in GunTown, USA, it's a different story.

Tags: Second Amendment, Crime

Dog Fighting Videogame Produces Fake Outrage from Michael Vick

2011-04-25T17:08:00.004-04:00

In March, Kage Games, LLC, released a Droid application game titled Dog Wars.

Distasteful? Yes. Should it be illegal? No. Why not? Personally, I always default to freedom. If a company wants to make such a game, then let them make it. The market will decide for itself whether such an idea will work or not.

The real outrage should not be over a stupid video game, but over the fact that Michael Vick was ever allowed to play another second in the NFL.

Vick released the following statement after, according to him, he was made aware of the game by the Humane Society.

"I’ve come to learn the hard way that dogfighting is a dead-end street. Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it’s important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app."

Except, his venture into the world of dog fighting led to anything but a dead-end.

18-Yr Old Charged in McDonald's Assualt

2011-04-25T16:06:00.003-04:00

Baltimore County Police released this mugshot of 18-year old Teonna Monae Brown, who is facing three assault charges stemming from the beating of a transgender woman in a Baltimore area McDonald's. The beating caused the victim, 22-year-old Chrissy Lee Polis, to have a seizure.

If you haven't seen it, here is the video of the beating. The McDonald's employee who filmed the beating, and then warned the attackers to run before officers arrived, has reportedly been fired.

The Smoking Gun reports Brown has been arrested before on assault charges, stemming from events at the same McDonald's. A Baltimore County Police report indicates officers were familiar with Brown from "prior contacts". A 14-year old has also been arrested for her involvement in the beating, and is being charged as a juvenile.

Tags: Crime

Top GA Football Recruit Busted in Locker Room Thefts After Twitter Post

2011-04-19T19:59:00.003-04:00

Deion Bonner, one of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution's 2012 "Tentative Top 10" GA high school football recruits, demonstrates why not to use social networking to bring attention to your criminal activities. Bonner, one of 3 arrested by UGA police, after stealing an array of iPods, iPhones, and other items, decided to use his Twitter account (one that appears to be no longer active) to sale one of the items...

Such a shame, so much physical talent, the intellect of a snail.

From Hedges to Hardwood has more.

Tags: Crime

The Dawg that Dared to Drink From the Forbidden Bowl

2011-04-17T17:08:00.001-04:00

A Step Back In Time

2011-04-17T16:56:00.002-04:00

Some old brick-firing kilns we found just outside of Columbia, SC.

Updated at 8:45 p.m. ET 4/17/2011
My wife found this link explaining what these structures were for.

Toby & Baxter

2011-04-16T13:29:00.001-04:00

The wife & I are in SC visiting her parents, Toby wore out his big brother Baxter

Three Girls Robbed of $150 from Fundraiser Lemonade Stand

2011-04-12T14:50:00.004-04:00

Outside Macon, GA, three young girls were raising money for a toddler who is set to undergo surgery for an intestinal disease. The girls were approached by a male and female, who then snatched the jar containing $150 and made their getaway. The female half of the upstanding pair, 21-year old Amber Umbarger, was arrested near the crime scene. Police say they are still searching for the male suspect.

Tags: Crime

Deadliest Catch Season 7 Premieres Tonight

2011-04-12T14:15:00.005-04:00

The wild ride kicks off again tonight at 9pm ET.

Photo: Discovery Channel
The Wall Street Journal's blog Speakeasy caught up with the show's creator to give fans a preview of the upcoming season:

The show is a wild ride to start with, but it’s also a wild party. With some of the main characters sobering up, do you think the sense of adrenaline is going to slow down?

I don’t think so at all. For every sober man, there are three people who are willing to step in and take the old slot. This is not drinking and drug use on the ship. These guys when they are working, they are sober. This is that weird thing you get with soldiers and with everyone who lives on the edge they have that same thing. Once you realize that you’ve made it safely through another passage, whatever it is, the first thing you want to do is go get hammered to celebrate that you are alive. So it’s that balancing effect, it’s work hard, play hard. But after 10-20 years of that, that play hard you just don’t bounce back the way you used to.

Helping Felons Committ Crime Faster

2011-04-05T09:10:00.002-04:00

Lucky residents in Atlanta's English Avenue neighborhood will likely be getting their neighborhood crack heads and burglars back even faster. The Fulton County Commission's terrific idea seeks to release "nonviolent" offenders "quickly" and under heavy supervision. Data shows 85% of the inmate population they will be dealing with are, on average, locked up again within 12 months of being released from prison.

Good luck and God bless to those of you decent citizens in Fulton County's 30318 zip code.

Via the AJC:

Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves is spearheading a pilot program to see if social workers can get inmates who have been repeatedly arrested for nonviolent crimes to change their behavior.

The county has a $750,000 federal grant to establish a pilot program in which two case managers work with 40 inmates for five years with the hope that at least 20 will go straight.

The immediate savings to taxpayers if the program meets its benchmark would be $545,000 a year, based on the daily cost per jail inmate. Bigger savings would come, both in taxes and the uncalculated costs of stolen property and damages, if the program proves its merit and the county expands it, said Erika Story, who is heading the program.

The program will provide repeat, nonviolent offenders help in securing housing, education, drug treatment and employment and intensive counseling, said Story, who was a Bronx prosecutor for a decade before returning to Atlanta.

The program will focus on inmates from the 30318 ZIP code, which includes English Avenue, because of the high number who come from there. While in jail, the participants will be separated from other inmates and the goal will be to release them quickly under heavy supervision, Story said.

GOP Budget Proposal Cuts $6.2 Trillion Over 10 Years; Updated w/ Video

2011-04-05T08:18:00.006-04:00

GOP Rep. Paul Ryan(WI) will formally release this morning what will be the big news of the day, and should be for the month. His 2012 budget proposal, being called The Path to Prosperity, seeks to cut over $6 trillion from the President's budget in the next 10 years. The plan seeks reform in domestic spending, welfare, Social Security, Medicare, and the nation's tax structure.

Rep. Ryan outlines the proposal in a WSJ opinion piece:

The president's recent budget proposal would accelerate America's descent into a debt crisis. It doubles debt held by the public by the end of his first term and triples it by 2021. It imposes $1.5 trillion in new taxes, with spending that never falls below 23% of the economy. His budget permanently enlarges the size of government. It offers no reforms to save government health and retirement programs, and no leadership.

Our budget, which we call The Path to Prosperity, is very different. For starters, it cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president's budget over the next 10 years, reduces the debt as a percentage of the economy, and puts the nation on a path to actually pay off our national debt. Our proposal brings federal spending to below 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), consistent with the postwar average, and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion.

The Democrats' leadership have been squealing like a stuck pig over $30 billion in cuts the GOP is seeking in the current budget. The reaction from their side today will be entertaining at the least.

Will we choose to reform our spending, and step back from the debt ledge, or do we just keep adding numbers to the nation's debt counter?

Updated at 10:29 a.m. ET 4/5/2011

A Choice of Two Futures

hat tip: @PJTatler

We Can't Drink Enough

2011-04-05T08:11:00.003-04:00

Ralph R. Reiland's thoughts on incompetence and corruption, via The American Spectator.

"No nation in the world has ever paid more per mile to move people from a shrinking downtown to watch their subsidized baseball team drop another game."

Hangover Part II: Bangkok Blues

2011-04-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the trailer...

Veena Malik Speaks Out

2011-03-28T18:44:00.002-04:00

Veena Malik, a famous Pakistani entertainer, who has faced death threats from the Taliban, fights back against thuggish Muslim cleric.

Tags: Paksitan, Islam, Culture

Another School Bully Beat Down

2011-03-28T09:57:00.001-04:00

Thug bites off more than he can chew...

Obama to Brazil: We Want to Buy the Oil We Won't Drill for From You

2011-03-21T10:40:00.002-04:00

The current U.S. energy policy resembles a child repeatedly smashing their forehead on a classroom tabletop.

President Obama pledged to Brazil President Dilma Rousseff that the United States will be a major oil export customer from the South American country:

Mr Obama spoke of the US's desire to secure more of its oil from Brazil in future after talks with his counterpart, President Dilma Rousseff, in Brasilia at the start of a two-day visit to Latin America's biggest country. "I have told her that the United States wants to be a major customer, which can be a win-win for both our countries," he said.

Drilling for their own oil, and preparing to host both the World Cup and the Olympics in the next five years, Brazil is seeking a whole host of infrastructure improvements. These improvements could now be financed with American dollars. Meanwhile, crude hits $120/barrel and Americans face $4/gallon fuel prices.

D.C. to America: Let them eat cake.

Libya & Operation Odyssey Dawn: What's the Endgame?

2011-03-21T09:25:00.004-04:00

President Obama has stated no U.S. troops will be on the ground in Libya, even as questions about a game plan mount. Are the air strikes, Tomahawk missile launches, and 25-hour round-trip runs by B-2's from Missouri to Libya and back, meant to directly topple the Gaddafi regime? Or is the multi-national intervention hoped to be the boost Libyan rebels needed to overthrow the longtime thug leader themselves? U.S. leaders have stated Gaddafi himself is not a target, while European leaders are less-than-hinting at the fact that the head of the snake may very well be a military target.

Via The Guardian:

The British defence secretary, Liam Fox, said the scale was in line with UN resolutions that had been "essential in terms of the Gaddafi regime's ability to prosecute attacks on their own people". He also said it was possible that Gaddafi himself could become a target of air attacks if the safety of civilians could be guaranteed.

Ahead of a Commons debate and vote tomorrow, leading figures in David Cameron's cabinet were under pressure to clarify whether the explicit purpose of the attacks was to render Gaddafi's regime so powerless that it collapses.

Speaking on the Politics Show, Fox said: "Mission accomplished would mean the Libyan people free to control their own destiny. This is very clear – the international community wants his regime to end and wants the Libyan people to control for themselves their own country."

He then added: "Regime change is not an objective, but it may come about as a result of what is happening amongst the people of Libya."

He said: "When the dynamic shifts and the equilibrium shifts, we will get a better idea just how much support the Gaddafi regime has and how much the people of Libya genuinely long to be able to control their own country.

"If Colonel Gaddafi went, not every eye would be wet."

Much remains to be seen.

Tags: Libya, U.S. Military, United Nations

Savannah to Girl Scouts: Take Cookies Sales Elsewhere

2011-02-28T09:24:00.002-05:00

So much for southern Hospitality.

After reportedly receiving a complaint from someone last year, Savannah city zoning administrator, Randolph Scott, says the girls are violating a city ordinance by selling in front of their founder's former home.

From Savannah Morning News:

Savannah-area Girl Scouts are getting a tough lesson in business regulation and competition - one that is taking them away from selling cookies in front of the childhood home of their founder, Juliette Gordon Low.

After decades of selling in front of the house at 10 E. Oglethorpe Ave., strategically located at the busy intersection of Oglethorpe and Bull Street, Girl Scout troops this year have moved to other high-traffic locations to sell Thin Mints, Samoas and other fundraising staples.

Jan McKinney, who heads product sales for the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and Randolph Scott, city of Savannah's zoning administrator, recall the situation arose after someone complained last year.

Scott investigated and realized the girls were setting up their table on the public sidewalk, which violates city ordinance. He looked for solutions. He called for a survey, hoping the Low house's property line left some private space between the house and the sidewalk.

It didn't.

4 American Hostages Killed by Somali Muslim Pirates

2011-02-22T10:48:00.002-05:00

Jean and Scott Adam of California, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, of Seattle, Washington, were aboard the Adam's yacht "Quest" when they came under attack from Muslim Pirates off the coast of Somalia. The group had reportedly been sailing with a group of vessels on a trip to circumnavigate the globe, but then left the group at some point and set off on their own.

From the AP:

NAIROBI, Kenya – Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.

U.S. naval forces, who were trailing the Americans' captured yacht with four warships, quickly boarded the vessel after hearing the gunfire and tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died of their wounds, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement from Tampa, Fla. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead for some time were also found. The U.S. military didn't state how those two might have died.

Negotiations had been under way to try to win the release of the two couples on the pirated vessel Quest when the gunfire was heard, the U.S. military said.

The Navy Times reports forces boarded the Quest after hearing gunfire. The four Americans were found shot. Initial Navy reports are that 2 pirates were killed and 13 have been taken into custody.

Tags: Pirates

Berkeley, No to Marines, Yes to Gitmo Detainees

2011-02-15T08:34:00.004-05:00

Code Pink Women for Peace: "No Military Predators in Our Town Campaign" - Regulating Military Recruiting Coalition

Bay Area Code Pink members latest efforts to further enrich the citizenry of Berkeley includes recruiting "cleared" Guantanamo Bay detainees to move in. In this sense, the term "cleared" meaning detainees have won conditional releases or habeas corpus petitions. But residents of Berkeley can rest easy, statistics show that only one in four released detainees engage in terrorism following their releases. Bingo. That means you've got only a 25% chance this happening at your local coffee shop just after you've ordered your skinny latte...

I nominate Tora Bora-trained Othman Ahmed al Ghamdi, the current military commander of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and former Gitmo resident. He's a celebrity and could play a pivotal role in paving the road for those detainees gun-shy (pardon the pun) about taking up residency in sun soaked Cali.

From ABC-Channel 11:

BERKELEY, Calif. -- A coalition of human rights groups is asking Berkeley's city council to adopt a resolution welcoming certain detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison.

The group supports one or two detainees to make their home in Berkeley if they've been cleared by the U.S. government of wrongdoing and have been determined to pose no threat.

Currently, U.S. law bans detainees from settling in this country, but the Obama administration is asking other nations to allow them in. Germany, Ireland, and Denmark are among the countries that have.

"It is past time these men were given their freedom and allowed to rebuild their lives," Code Pink and Women For Peace Cynthia Papermaster said.

Previously at Limes
Berkeley, Code Pinkers, Shameful & Traitorous : "Marines Must Leave"

More From Berkeley, Code Pink, and the Marine Recruiting Station

Tags: Code Pink, Military, Guantanamo Bay, Gitmo

Oh my Spleen

2011-02-14T08:34:00.003-05:00

Awesome.

Next, Kenny G, Head of Riot Suppression...

Jules Verne, 183 Years

2011-02-08T10:01:00.004-05:00

Today marks the 183rd birthday for one of the fathers of the science-fiction genre, Jules Verne. Born Feb. 8, 1828, Verne is best known for his penning of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Around the World in Eighty Days.

Also see Google's interactive logo honoring Verne.

On Egypt

2011-01-31T10:06:00.003-05:00

Victor Davis Hanson perhaps sums it up the best. The situation in Egypt is predicated on an Islamic population that, thanks to the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, etc., etc., is constantly being exposed to freedom, democracy, and wealth, the fruits of a capitalist, free society, emanating from the West.

What to do? Sit back, expect the worst and hope for the best.

Massive Winter Storm Coming

2011-01-31T09:56:00.004-05:00

Approximately one-third of the contiguous U.S. could be impacted when all is said and done by Wednesday. Ice, snow, tornadoes, hail, and wind will be a threat, from the eastern range of the Rockies, to the New England coastline.

Not good with many cities, including Boston, are running low on their snow clean-up budgets.

Tags: Weather

Hell Came to Tuscon

2011-01-10T09:02:00.003-05:00

9-yr old Christina Green, the Tuscon Terror's youngest victim
If you needed more proof that our world is one of fallen individuals, and unrelenting evil, Tuscon, AZ on Saturday would have been the place to be. 22-year old Jared Loughner, a deranged outcast, wrought unspeakable tragedy in a matter of seconds, ending the lives of 6 innocent individuals.

Loughner appeared to be obsessed with hatred for who appeared to be his prime target on Saturday, Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords (D-AZ). An FBI affidavit indicates notes were found in a safe belonging to Loughner, stating "I planned ahead", and a letter Loughner received from Giffords' office, thanking him for attending another one of her "Congress on the Corner" events in 2007. Former friends of Loughner also say he held "years-long grudge" against the Congresswoman.

By all accounts, Jared Loughner was an arrogant, disturbed, and mentally-ill individual, who fancied himself a philosopher. However, even as the blood in the streets was still warm, the always infantile-minded Paul Krugman coudn't wait to point fingers:

A Democratic Congresswoman has been shot in the head; another dozen were also shot.

We don’t have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was. She’s been the target of violence before. And for those wondering why a Blue Dog Democrat, the kind Republicans might be able to work with, might be a target, the answer is that she’s a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist. (Her father says that “the whole Tea Party” was her enemy.) And yes, she was on Sarah Palin’s infamous “crosshairs” list.

Just yesterday, Ezra Klein remarked that opposition to health reform was getting scary. Actually, it’s been scary for quite a while, in a way that already reminded many of us of the climate that preceded the Oklahoma City bombing.

In a twist of irony, Krugman updated his post, announcing he has disabled comments...

Update: I’m going to take down comments on this one; they would need a lot of moderating, because the crazies are coming out in force, and it’s all too likely to turn into a flame war.

Unfortunately, he didn't disable himself. And who was it that said “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun”?

The rush to politicize such actions, by any political angle, is childish. Loughner was a deranged individual, and in reality, nothing could have been done to totally prevent this tragedy. We live in a world where evil abounds, and all too often evil rears its head. Thank God though for heroes like Patricia Maisch, retired Army Colonel Bill Badger, Roger Sulzgeber, and Joseph Zamudio.

“The woman next to me was shot and I was expecting to be next. But then the shooting stopped, right at the lady next to me. Then next thing I knew he was on the ground right by me.” She said the two men were pinning the gunman down amid a chaotic scene.

“Somebody yelled 'Get the gun!’ so I knelt up. I was kneeling over the shooter trying to get the gun but it was too far away.

“Then he reached into his left pocket and brought out a magazine and I assumed he was going to try to reload. Then a third man came up and grabbed him. He dropped the clip and I was able to pick it up and secure it.”

The third man was Mr Zamudio who came running out of a nearby store.

Zamudio was interviewed this morning and Fox News' morning show Fox & Friends. Zamudio was inside a store, buying a pack of cigarettes, when the shooting started. Zamudio said he then left the store, and made his way towards the shooting. Zamudio also told Fox & Friends that, as always, he was carrying his own handgun. He said as he made his way towards the shooting scene, he had his hand on his gun, released the safety, and kept the gun inside his jacket. Zamudio said as he arrived at the scene, he saw a man holding the gun, and then realized the gun was locked open, indicating it was empty.

He said he then realized the man holding the gun was not the shooter, and that the man had taken the gun from Loughner. Zamudio then holstered his gun, and with the help of several others, restrained Loughner until officers arrived. Zamudio was asked by the hosts if he was ready to use his gun if he needed to, to which he replied yes. Zamudio stated he always carries his gun, and that he feels he can better protect himself and others around him when he carries.

As much as many in our society don't want to hear it, an armed citizenry is a safe citizenry. Zamudio was a force of good, ready to counter a force of evil. Zamudio is not a former soldier, or police officer, but a citizen who practices his right to carry.

Thank God for heroes like Zamudio, those among us who are ready to meet unspeakable evil with the force needed to do so.

Meanwhile, Rep. Giffords remains in critical condition, following brain surgery after being shot at point-blank range in the back of the head. Doctors say they are optimistic about Giffords' condition and chances for recovery, though she remains in very serious danger.

Also among the victims, was 9-year old Christina Green. Green was born on 9/11, and had aspirations of going into politics.

Tags: Crime, Politics

A Career Criminal & Another Dead Cop

2011-01-03T09:37:00.003-05:00

We've seen the story before, and now it plays out again, this time in the Atlanta, GA area. Trooper First Class Chadwick LeCroy, of the Georgia State Patrol's Criminal Suppression Unit, attempted to stop a vehicle after observing an inoperable headlight (or according to some accounts, an inoperable brakelight). The driver, 30-year old Gregory Favors, decided it was going to be an inconvenience to have an encounter with a police officer on that particular night.

At the time Trooper LeCroy attempted to pull over Favors, Favors was out bond, and was supposed to have been in court earlier that day to enter a plea on multiple felony charges from a Dec. 10th arrest. Those charges stemmed from an incident that began when a police officer observed Favors using a broken antenna to break into a Ford Mustang in the Atlanta area. Favors, as he had done already two other times in separate arrests in 2010, fled from the officer. Favors was captured a short time later, and apparently lacked the brain capacity to drop the cocaine he had in his pocket while he was fleeing. Favors was arrested and booked on felony charges of criminal attempt to enter an auto, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, cocaine possession and two counts of obstructing a police officer.

Favors was then promptly released on a signature bond (note when these types of bonds are traditionally used). And thanks to Fulton Magistrate Roy C. Roberts, the road was paved for Favors and LeCroy's meeting. Magistrate Richard Hicks, head of Fulton County's "rocket docket", defended Roberts' decision to release Favors, saying Favors had not been brought before a judge within 48 hours of his arrest.

Sadly, as in many counties in this country, the judicial system is a farce. Many judges and judicial systems fail on a daily basis to protect the citizens of their jurisdictions. Gregory Favors had been arrested some 18 times in Fulton County alone. Favors is also on probation for charges out of neighboring Cobb County.

Excuse after excuse is being made for Favors being free at the time he murdered Trooper LeCroy (no need to say alleged, the incident being caught on video courtesy of LeCroy's cruiser dash cam). The Marietta Daily Journal suspects Favors' use of multiple aliases, as the reason for him receiving light sentences and multiple stints on probation.

MARIETTA - Why did Gregory Favors shoot state Trooper Chadwick LeCroy of Marietta on Monday night, as Atlanta police say he did? Perhaps it was because he was on probation in Cobb and thought that was about to catch up to him.

But why was he was out and about in the first place - considering he was arrested and booked into Fulton County Jail twice after being placed on probation in Cobb? Maybe because, records indicate, he has used at least three aliases in his repeated run-ins with the law...

...Fulton Superior Court records indicate Favors used at least two other aliases over the years, which may be the reason Fulton officials could not immediately identify all crimes possibly connected to the Atlanta man. His use of aliases could also be the reason he kept receiving probation sentences.

This, however, is not an excuse. Anytime one is booked into jail, fingerprints are taken. Fingerprints are indeed, a gift from God, a gift that allows the orderly of society to ID, track, and somewhat control the animals among us. Aliases or not, Favors should have been ID'd properly, each time he was booked on any of his various drug, weapons, or theft charges.

The craziness doesn't end there though. Greg Schwarz, a former prosecutor and now defense lawyer, found it "incredulous" that Favors would actually shoot at a police officer:

“It makes no sense for somebody like him, who knows how the Fulton County system works, to take a step like that,” Schwarz said. "What is the worst that is going to happened to him? A couple of weeks in jail."

Actually, Mr. Schwarz, it makes perfect sense that someone like Favors would shoot at a police officer. Favors has demonstrated for years that he is unfit to reside as a free individual in our society. His crimes involved drugs, thefts, and weapons. Favors made a living preying off of the free society around him. Each time, when given the opportunity, the justice system charged with keeping order, failed its citizens.

Favors murdering of Trooper LeCroy just solidifies what had already been demonstrated before, he had no business being out of a jail cell. If someone is willing to shoot at someone they know is trained to shoot back, and trained to shoot to kill, then God help the citizens dealt the sorry hand of living in the vicinity of such an individual.

Sadly, as Trooper LeCroy now enters the Gates of Paradise, acknowledging to St. Peter that he has served his time in hell, a widowed wife, and two sons, must go on. More proof of a sadly fallen world in which we walk, where justice rarely seems to find the right mark.

For as long as we are in this world, innocent and well meaning people, including both police officers and civilians alike, will be murdered and meet untimely deaths. However, citizens must demand that those put into office and the judicial system protect them, and hold the guilty among us accountable. There is no excuse on this Earth for why Gregory Favors was anywhere else but a jail cell on December 27, 2010.

Society asks police officers to keep them safe. Most in society only want police around, when quite frankly, it's all hitting the fan. They ask police to go from a friendly face, to drawing a handgun and shooting a would-be murderer of themselves in microseconds. And this isn't to be done on a Hollywood screen, using multiple HD camera angles, and bright lighting, but on a dark street corner, in the rain and with innocent children in the house located feet behind the subject shooting at them.

Society asks a lot of those they ask (demand) to protect them. The least we can do as a society, is demand real justice for the guilty among us. It's past the time to eliminate the career criminal in the United States. It's time we understand that someone who is out on bond for burglary or drug charges or weapons charges, when they are arrested for the same types of charges, has automatically demonstrated their inability to function in a free society. Such individuals belong in a jail cell for the remainder of their life, period.

Those residing in the United States of America enjoy a degree freedom and prosperity never seen before in the history of human civilization. Those who consistently demonstrate their inability to take advantage of such freedom, and instead prey on the innocent among them, must be sentenced to life sentences and be forced to serve those sentences.

Favors demonstrated he doesn't like the idea of going to jail. So do the other criminals that run from police on a daily basis in this land. Creating an understanding that you will never see a free day again if you are caught burglarizing, drug dealing, shooting, or stealing, will assist in limiting the number of crimes our country. When so many of the crimes are perpetrated by so few, it's inexcusable for such individuals to keep being released back into a mostly orderly society.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Trooper Chadwick LeCroy, as well as to his family at the Georgia State Patrol. His sacrifice will not be forgotten.

"The Final Inspection"
The policeman stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't,
Because those of us who carry badges
can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
Because the streets are awfully tough.

But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't.....I'll understand.

There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, policeman,
You've borne your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in hell."

-Author Unknown

Tags: Police, Crime

How Long Til Goodell Makes Skirts Mandatory for NFL Uniforms?

2010-12-27T08:13:00.003-05:00

Photo: CBS/AP
Apparently NFL Commish Roger Goodell wasn't happy enough with his move earlier this year to make it more dangerous to be a cheerleader on the sideline, than a player on the field, with his random fines for hits he deems too hard. Goodell, along with Eagles executives, and Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, who declared a "snow emergency" at 2pm ET on Sunday, all made the decision to postpone the game until Tuesday night.

As of this morning, Philadelphia had received an estimated 12 inches of snow, hardly enough to slow down a major northern U.S. city. The temperatures included single digit wind chills, yet much of the country is under similar conditions. Wind chills along the GA coast this morning were in the teens.

From Philly.com: "The Wimps Who Stole Christmas"

There is nothing more magical than football in the snow.

If you grew up anywhere in the wintry half of this country, you probably have fond memories of hiking up your snow pants and playing sloshing around with your buddies and your Pete Rozelle-signed football in the backyard drifts-- and the only thing that comes a close second to playing football in the snow is watching a classic NFL matchup in furious downpour of the white stuff.

In 1948, the Eagles won an NFL championship at Shibe Park in a raging blizzard, a game that was never forgotten by the 36,309 die-hards who didn't think twice about braving those conditions to watch history in the making. Then there was the "Snow Plow" game in New England and the Pats' memorable playoff victory over Oakland in a snowstorm years later, and the frigid 1967 Ice Bowl in Green Bay. To paraphrase Frank Capra this Christmas season, for a true football fan it would not have been as wonderful a life had those remarkable games never been born.

That's why the decision by the NFL and the Eagles with input from the city of Philadelphia to postpone tonight's game because of a snowstorm that isn't really all that (we might get 11 inches in the city -- not exactly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer territory, not even close) is more than downright disappointing.

This is the height of wimpiness, and the girly-men who made this sad decision (pictured at top) should be ashamed of themselves. The NFL has been rightfully called the No Fun League for a number of years, but this takes that to a whole embarrassing new level. In fact, let's name names here -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Eagles' owner Jeff Lurie and president Joe Banner and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, you are the Wimps Who Stole Christmas from football fans in Philadelphia.

PA Governor Ed Rendell had it right when asked what he thought what Vince Lombardi would say about the postponement, "he would be mocking us".

Tags: Sports, Weather

Good Samaritans Chase Down, Detain Child Rapist

2010-12-06T08:57:00.006-05:00

Convicted sex-offender Eugene Melendres Ramos was chased down and held until police arrived, after he sexually assaulted a two-year old girl in the middle of a Dollar Tree store in the Oakland, CA area. The two-year old had just left her aunt and grandmother's side, to return an item to another aisle, when she was grabbed by Ramos. Ramos pulled the child's pants and diaper down, pulled down his own pants and underwear, and began sexually assaulting the child in the middle of the aisle. The man then fled the store pulling his pants up.

Eugene Melendres Ramos, 36 (Photo: Fremont PD)
As Ramos fled the store, several customers and bystanders chased him through the complex, eventually tackling him. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Eugene Melendres Ramos, 36, of Union City was chased outside the Dollar Tree store at 1720 Decoto Road on Wednesday and tackled by two men who held him down until officers arrived, said police Lt. Kelly Musgrove...The girl's grandmother turned into an aisle and found the girl "pinned down by the suspect," Musgrove said. Ramos had removed the girl's pants and diaper and was sexually assaulting her, the lieutenant said.

Ramos ran, with the grandmother and aunt in pursuit, police said. Demario Hawkins, who was soliciting donations outside the store for a nonprofit that helps homeless people, and another man, Sammy Johnson, also gave chase, police said. The men tackled him.

"Had it not been for these two gentlemen, he could have gotten away with this," Musgrove said.

Two of the heroes that day were Sammy Johnson and Demario Hawkins...

Johnson
Hawkins
Via the Oakland Tribune:

"She (the aunt) was just hysterical, holding this baby and screaming, 'Please, please, help me,' " Johnson said.

He and Hawkins thought there had been a purse snatching, and intervened.

Hawkins tried to stop Ramos, who squared off and swung at him. Hawkins punched back and hit Ramos on the cheek.

"I reeled back, swung at him and kind of decked him," Hawkins said.

Johnson then tackled Ramos and kept him pinned down.

"I couldn't do nothing else," he said. "I didn't care -- I was going to get him."

BART police Officer Kory Frost was flagged down, and he took Ramos into custody.

"A lot of people are saying that I did a good job, and I appreciate that," Frost, a 28-year veteran, said in a statement. "But the heroes are the citizens, not me."

Both Johnson and Hawkins, though, said they don't feel like heroes.

"I just felt like I was happy to help," Hawkins said.

The girl was treated and released from Children's Hospital Oakland
with minor injuries.

Thank God for citizens like Hawkins and Johnson; citizens aware of their surroundings, and ready to act in a moment. Johnson was a customer inside the store when the incident occurred, Hawkins was outside collecting donations for a non-profit organization.

This incident is reason 143,089,094,094,099 to never release those charged with sexual abuse on children from prison. According to the San Francisco Chronicle article linked above, Ramos was convicted in 2003 of of assault with intent to commit rape, sodomy or oral copulation, after attacking a 7-year old child. Jail records indicate Ramos is unemployed, a leech living off the taxpaying citizenry of California, the same citizenry he attacks in such defiling ways.

One of the many questions that need to be asked and answered is, why after only 7 years was Ramos released from prison for his crimes? Another question is, why does the majority of California continually elect liberal law makers and judges to office, who coddle to the worst of the worst in California prisons? Subjects like Ramos must be kept separated from the rest of a society they seek to prey on. It's ironic a state like California, that beats her chest about "looking out for the little guy", fails so miserably at keeping her citizens safe.

Tags: Crime

Accused Portland Bomber's Attorneys Raise Entrapment

2010-11-30T09:43:00.002-05:00

It wasn't hard to see this coming. Accusing the FBI and the federal government of entrapment is the only defense Mohamed Osman Mohamud has at this time. Problem is, Mohamud was given chance after chance to back out of his plan. Not only was he given the opportunity to alter his path, he took his plan all the way to the point of execution, dialing the cell phone he thought would set off a van laden with explosives.

Via The Oregonian:

Mohamed Osman Mohamud's defense team suggested Monday that undercover FBI operatives may have entrapped their 19-year-old client, grooming him for a foiled bomb plot that prosecutors timed for maximum media exposure.

Mohamud's lawyers joined him in Portland's U.S. District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to accusations that he attempted to ignite a bomb next to thousands of Christmas revelers crowded into Pioneer Courthouse Square for Friday's annual holiday-tree lighting.

Previously at Limes: Portland Bomb Plot - Another Reminder

Tags: FBI, National Security, Terror

Portland Bomb Plot - Another Reminder

2010-11-29T09:24:00.003-05:00

Photo: AP
If anyone was doubting the current crop of Jihadists' resilience, the latest foiled terror plot in Portland should prove otherwise. Undercover FBI agents appear to have saved hundreds or thousands from death or injury. The operation stemmed from August of 2009, to November 26 of this year.

19-year old Mohamed Osman Mohamud is accused of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, according to an FBI affidavit (pdf). Mohamud believed all along he was speaking with fellow jihadists, but in reality was speaking with several undercover federal agents. Mahomud was arrested on Nov. 26 after attempting to carry out his plan to detonate a van laden with explosives, at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. ( On a side note, who knew they had such a ceremony in Oregon these days?)

Via Yahoo! News:

PORTLAND, Ore. – A Somali-born teenager plotted "a spectacular show" of terrorism for months, saying he didn't mind that children would die if he bombed a crowded Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, according to a law-enforcement official and court documents.

He never got the chance. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested Friday in downtown Portland after using a cell phone to try to detonate what he thought were explosives in a van, prosecutors said. It turned out to be a dummy bomb put together by FBI agents.

It is the latest in a string of alleged terrorist plots by U.S. citizens or residents, including a Times Square plot in which a Pakistan-born man pleaded guilty earlier this year to trying to set off a car bomb at a bustling street corner. Last month, another Pakistan-born Virginia resident was accused in a bomb plot to kill commuters.

In the Portland plot, Mohamud believed he was receiving help from a larger ring of jihadists as he communicated with undercover federal agents, but no foreign terrorist organization was directing him, according to a law-enforcement official who wasn't authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on a condition of anonymity.

As fate would have it, it was Portland's leaders who wanted nothing to do with FBI anti-terror efforts. Writing in the Washington Examiner, Byron York notes how in 2005 Portland's mayor and city council, voted to remove city police officers from an FBI joint terror task force:

What is ironic is that the operation that found and stopped Mohamud is precisely the kind of law enforcement work that Portland's leaders, working with the American Civil Liberties Union, rejected during the Bush years. In April 2005, the Portland city council voted 4 to 1 to withdraw Portland city police officers from participating in the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mayor Tom Potter said the FBI refused to give him a top-secret security clearance so he could make sure the officers weren't violating state anti-discrimination laws that bar law enforcement from targeting suspects on the basis of their religious or political beliefs.

Other city leaders agreed. "Here in Portland, we are not willing to give up individual liberties in order to have a perception of safety," said city commissioner Randy Leonard. "It's important for cities to know how their police officers are being used."

Mohamud was born in 1991 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Before his arrest, Mohamud was a student at Oregon State University. There are some suggestions that Mohamud's father went to the FBI, after becoming worried about his son's fascination with jihad. In the FBI affidavit, Mohamud is quoted as saying "Do you remember when 9/11 happened when those people were jumping from skyscrapers ... I thought that was awesome."

But at least the residents of Portland can rest easy, at least as long as President Obama is in the White House. That's because city leaders are now looking to reverse the decision to keep officers out of FBI anti terror efforts. Why? Because current Portland Mayor, Sam Adams, says he has more faith in the Obama administration and the U.S. Attorney's office now than he did in 2005.

Tags: Terror, National Security

U.S. Justice Dept to Hold 9/11 Mastermind Indefinitely

2010-11-15T08:14:00.003-05:00

Photo: AP
President Obama's Justice Dept is now, according to a Washington Post report, set to hold 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay. Yes, the same Guantanamo Bay Obama campaigned on to close more than two years ago.

It's predictably ironic that the Obama adminstration, that continues to rip the Bush administration's practices of holding and trying war prisoners, is now set to hold a prisoner "for the forseeable future". Officials cite a poor political environment, one not conducive to support a civilian federal trial, as the reason for the delay. Mohammed has been in U.S. custody since his capture in Pakistan in 2003.

One senior official's statement notes the failure of Obama's campaign, one that was grounded in simplistic and juvenile platitudes, and thus failed to address the reality of a dangerous and complex world:

[The Mohammed case] is "a case that has to be addressed, and clearly it's complicated in ways that weren't originally foreseen, but as a symbol in some way of a thwarted policy, it is wholly misleading."

This news is nothing new, nor unexpected. The Obama administration started drafting executive orders months after taking office that would allow them to hold such prisoners indefinitely. On June 27, 2009 the Washington Post ran the following:

Obama administration officials, fearing a battle with Congress that could stall plans to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, are crafting language for an executive order that would reassert presidential authority to incarcerate terrorism suspects indefinitely, according to three senior government officials with knowledge of White House deliberations.

Meanwhile, those who seek to do us harm are hard at work.

Previously at Limes
The Anti-War Peaceniks on the Left Will Be Disappointed; Wiggle Room & "Additional Guidance"

Senate Votes to Keep Gitmo Open for Biz

No Hopenchange for Gitmo Detainees?

Tags: Gitmo, National Security, Law, Obama, 9/11

Man Applies For Job, Then Commits Armed Robbery at Same Location

2010-11-09T09:40:00.003-05:00

The man had just submitted an application, using his real name and address. Police say the man then walked outside and robbed someone at gunpoint.

The kind of person that must be reminded to eat and breathe, so as to not pass away...

Via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Police said a job application helped them locate a man accused of robbing a person at gunpoint outside the Subway restaurant in Homestead yesterday.

The suspect applied for a job in the sandwich shop moments before walking outside and committing the armed robbery, West Homestead police said. West Homestead didn't handle the call but held the suspect in lockup until Homestead police took him to Allegheny County Jail for arraignment last night.

The man, whose identity was not immediately available, included his actual name and address on the application, West Homestead police said. Police went to the address and spoke with the man's mother, who said he had taken a bus to Pittsburgh. Officers were waiting for the man when he got off the bus, police said.

Homestead police could not be reached. A Subway spokesman could not be reached.

Tags: Crime

Man Sentenced to Death for Triple Murder & Home Invasion

2010-11-09T08:18:00.003-05:00

A Connecticut jury has sentenced Steven Hayes to death, on each of the six separate capital felony counts, for the 2007 home invasion that left an 11-year old, 17-year old, and their mother dead. The lone survivor, Dr. William Petit, was beaten but mananged to survive the ordeal.

The daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, were raped, tied to their beds, and then doused in gasoline before Hayes and his co-defendant Joshua Komisarjevsky set fire to the house. Medical records indicated the daughters died of smoke inhalation.

Their mother, 48-year old Jennifer Hawke-Petit, was taken to a bank by Hayes and forced to withdraw money from the family's account. Meanwhile, William Petit and both daughters were held captive in the home bhy Komisarjevsky. Jennifer was herself raped and later strangled by Hayes.

The six capital offenses Hayes was found guilty and sentenced to death for were killing two or more people, the killing of a person under 16, murder in the course of a sexual assault, and three counts of intentionally causing a death during a kidnapping.

From Boston.com:

NEW HAVEN — A Connecticut man was condemned to death yesterday for a night of terror inside a suburban home in which a woman was strangled and her two daughters tied to their beds, doused in gasoline, and left to die in a fire.

Tweet Be the first to Tweet this!Yahoo! Buzz ShareThis Jurors in New Haven Superior Court voted unanimously to send Steven Hayes to death row after deliberating over four days. Judge Jon Blue is expected to impose the sentence Dec. 2.

“You have been exposed to images of depravity and horror that no human being should have to see,’’ Blue said in thanking the jurors for their service.

William Petit, the husband and father of the victims, said the verdict was not about revenge.

“Vengeance belongs to the Lord,’’ Petit said. “This is about justice. We need to have some rules in a civilized society.’’

Dr. William Petit: "Michaela was an 11-year-old little girl tortured and killed in her own bedroom, surrounded by stuffed animals..."

Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky were out of prison on parole. Neither men reportedly had violent records. The two men reportedly lived together in the same halfway house following release from prison on various burglary, drug, and other "technical" charges. Both men also, reportedly, met weekly with their parole officers and abided by requirements of their release.

Hayes and Komisarjevsky are two perfect examples in the danger of a state releasing repeat offenders back into society. Of course the state (and the taxpayers that fund prisons) cannot simply hold repeat burglars for life. It is imperative for homeowners and private citizens to take their lives into their own hands. An armed citizenry is a safe citizenry.

God bless the Hayes family, and may God above give Dr. William Petit and his surrounding friends and family a peace that only He can.

Tags: Crime

At-Fault Driver in Fatal Hit & Run Gets 36 Years

2010-11-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

Aimee Michael, who is only 24-years old herself, received a 36-year prison sentence for causing a fatal hit & run accident last Easter that left 5 dead. On Easter Sunday 2009, Michael was traveling on a metro Atlanta highway, when she swerved from her lane and struck a Mercedes traveling in the lane beside her.

Both vehicles spun out and crossed the median, entering on-coming traffic. Via the AJC:

Michael was 22 at the time of the crash. A recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she was on an ice cream run to a Publix in her parents’ gold BMW 740 iL.

She swerved into a silver Mercedes driving in the lane to her left, and both cars spun out of control and across the median, into oncoming traffic.

The Mercedes crashed head-on into a tan Volkswagen Beetle.

Killed in the crash were Mercedes driver Robert Carter and his wife, Delisia, plus their 2-month-old son, Ethan Carter, and Delisia Carter’s daughter Kayla Lemons, 9.

In the Volkswagen, Morgan Johnson, 6, was killed. Her mother, Tracie, now 44, survived but suffered broken legs, a broken hip and collarbone and damage to her spleen and liver.

For the next 10 days, police would search frantically for the gold BMW, using pieces of the car that were ripped away in the crash to identify it. Finally, based on tips from suspicious neighbors, an officer found it in the driveway of the Michaels’ south Fulton County home, its body repaired and smelling of fresh paint.

Michael was found guilty on all 13 felony counts, including vehicular homicide in the first degree, and two misdemeanor counts. Michael's mother, Sheila Michael, was also charged after assisting her daughter in the cover-up. Sheila Michael was sentenced to 8 years in prison after being found guilty on two counts, tampering with evidence, and hindering the apprehension of a criminal.

Photos of the crash and the victims in better times here.

Tags: Crime

San Francisco Giants are 2010 World Series Champs

2010-11-02T11:59:00.004-04:00

The team that many picked to win the Series have now done just that. Few expected such a dominating performance though. It only took five games, and some world-class pitching, to end a 52-year World Championship drought. Formed in 1958, this marks the organization's first championship.

Photo: SF Chronicle
From the SF Chronicle:

It was a mixture of tears and embraces and looks of childlike wonder. The players had been inside the clubhouse after the final out, spraying Champagne on each other like wild men, but the scope of their triumph was realized on this empty field, the clock approaching 11 p.m., without a sign of the Rangers, their fans or anything Texas.

Meanwhile, San Fran burns in the obligatory riots...The SF Chronicle called it "joyful mayhem".

Photo: APVia Yahoo! News:

The front page of the San Francisco Chronicle's website said city streets were full of "joyful mayhem" in the hours after the Giants won Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Joyful mayhem is a euphemism for riots.

Among the fires, attempted looting and general madness, here is shocking video from KTVU of a mob attacking a car, even pulling people from the car and beating them until riot police closed in — after several frightening minutes pass.

Tags: Sports

GA Voters to Decide on Trauma Tax Hike

2010-11-02T09:06:00.003-04:00

On the ballot when GA voters get to the polls today, is a proposal to add a $10 fee to annual vehicle tag renewals. The proposal would bring in an estimated $80 million a year, and would supposedly be used to increase the number of trauma centers around the state, as well as bolster existing trauma centers.

The problem in GA with trauma centers, and many other states, is that emergency rooms are not used as such, but as primary care centers. Too many residents and citizens in GA, choosing to not carry or unable to carry health insurance, simply show up at the ER when they get too sick to handle it on their own.

At least two of our four hospitals containing a Level-1 trauma center have experienced bancruptcy in recent years, in large part due to this practice. Both Grady Memorial in Atlanta and Memorial Medical Center in Savannah have hit financial shortcomings. Until the practice of using such a center for something that it's not intended for, hospitals around the state and country will continue to bleed (pun intended) money through them.

The problem isn't lack of money, it's foul practices in medicine, healthcare, and social services. In a time with spending out of control, it's time to cut spending, not grab more money from GA taxpayers.

A reader at Savannah Morning News notes the state's failures at other projects:

The " super speeder" tickets were to generate ? How after 10 years of LOTTO ga. could our schools be in such bad shape??? The problem is not money , its spending. I cant vote for this either...its a hidden tax that will never go away. What next ? a 10$ / box tax on bullets? A 10$ / each on power tools ? 10$ / bicycle ? who comes up with these lame ideas ??? Pitch something that EVERYONE will contribute to , then maybe.

The "super speeder" comment is referring to a law that went into effect on 1/1/10 that places an additional $200 fine, on top of the regular speeding ticket fines for excessive speed in certain situations. This new fine was pushed as a measure to fund the state's trauma centers.

Tags: Georgia, Election 2010, Health Care

Watching Nevada

2010-11-02T08:43:00.002-04:00

Early voting tallies signal a tight race pitting Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle. Even though state records indicate registered Democrat voters outnumber registered Republican voters by some 60,000, early ballot counts gave Democats only a 9,000 vote lead.

Nevada voters may just have decided four terms is enough for Harry "the war is lost" Reid, and his spend-us-into-oblivion policies.

Tags: Harry Reid, Election 2010, Nevada

A Tale of Two Years

2010-11-02T08:02:00.004-04:00

The below photo is now the most emailed photo on Yahoo! News:

If photos could only speak. It appears that even with trillions of dollars in bailouts, stimuli, jobless benefits, and with all the Hopenchange in the world, it still wasn't enough for this individual. Again I ask of all, are you better off than you were two years ago?

We've traveled a proverbial universe in just two years...

Michelle Malkin says it all:

Peggy the Moocher and Nameless the Beggar — two book-end images that perfectly capture the meteoric rise and Icarus-like fall of Barack Obama.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Tags: Obama

Fight or Flight? A Look at the Psychological & Physiological Elements

2010-10-26T10:30:00.003-04:00

An interesting two-part article from Ernest Emerson. Emerson takes a look at the human experience concerning fight or flight, and the various reactions to exposure to extreme violence and danger.

Extreme Violence Part 1

What Will Happen To You And What To Expect

A pretty young flight attendant starts up the aisle to respond to a call light above a seat in row 23. As she passes the fourth row a man stands up steps behind her and grabs her from behind. No one even notices his actions. Her eyes go wide with surprise as he cuts across her neck from her left ear across her throat tearing out the front of her trachea. Still not realizing what has just happened, the flight attendant's hands come up to her throat, blood spraying from her severed arteries as her expression changes from surprise to mortal terror.

Extreme Violence Part II: Fight or Flight, It’s Not Your Only Choice

Fight or flight are obvious, so what about the other three? Remember one thing, we are humans but we are still animals, so we are subject to the same reactions as our animal relatives. These attributes are of course, more evident in mammals than most other creatures. The reason that I bring this up is that, if you’ve never experience the “other” three reactions, I’m sure you’ve seen them in animals. The remaining three reactions are, Posture, Submit or Freeze, and they are all possible options to a spontaneous, unexpected threat stimulus. How you will react depends on the threat, the environment, precursor events, the OODA Loop process, and your own life experience.

Tags: Personal Combat, Science

Youth Unemployment Hits Record High

2010-08-12T17:05:00.003-04:00

It's ok, you're still cool for voting for Change.

Behold, the Age of Change...

Photo: Getty Images

Global youth unemployment has hit a record high following the financial crisis and is likely to get worse later this year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Thursday.

The report from the ILO says 81 million out of 630 million 15-24 year olds where unemployed at the end of 2009, some 7.8 million more than at the end of 2007.

Thursday marks the first day of the UN International Youth Year; the ILO warned these trends will have "significant consequences for young people as upcoming cohorts of new entrants join the ranks of the already unemployed."

The world risks a crisis legacy of a "lost generation" of young people who dropped out of the job market, the organization added in its report.

On a related note, Victor Davis Hanson has more on this time in America that can only be described as simply delusional.

Unemployment is still high, growth low, deficits huge. States are cutting out everything from streetlights to paving. Public pensions are exploding everywhere.

A class war looms between retirees who want their sweet-heart obligations honored, and strapped, poorer taxpayers who feel about those bloated payouts as they do their underwater mortgages.

Tags: Economy, Politics

W and Laura Surprise Homecoming Troops

2010-08-12T13:44:00.004-04:00

The former first couple was on hand to assist the USO at the Dallas-Ft Worth airport in welcoming home returning troops.

Photo: USO Dallas/Fort Worth
More photos here at the USO Dallas/Fort Worth's Facebook page.

Tags: US Military

Flooding Wreaks Havoc on Iowa Towns

2010-08-12T11:38:00.003-04:00

Under the radar.

Photo: Des Moines Register
In a story that the national news media has all but ignored, thousands of residents in Iowa have been displaced, and at least one killed, after flood waters swept through central Iowa.

Des Moines' KCCI-Channel 8 has aerial video of the flooding.

More here ABC5/Twitter.

Tags: Weather

Fail

2010-08-12T10:35:00.003-04:00

Story here via Yahoo! News.

Afghan Medical Team Murders Reveal True Face of Enemy We Face

2010-08-08T09:52:00.003-04:00

The cold-blooded murders of 10 individuals, each apart of a medical team giving eye care to poor Afghan villagers, is further evidence of the Dark-Age cruelty that possesses the minds of our enemies. Afghan police are claiming the murders were the result of a robbery, gone bad or otherwise. Yet, we now have the Taliban claiming full responsibility for gunning down the unarmed group. The reason? According to the Taliban, the group was "teaching Christianity".

In their defense, the mere act of traveling to another culture, giving up your time for the benefit of other men, and actually tending to the needs of a people group, rather than just talking about it, probably did appear as "teaching Christianity" to the Taliban. The members of the Taliban who committed these murders could never fathom performing even one act of kindness remotely close to as those performed by the members of the medical team. The Taliban, nothing more than a street gang on steroids with "faith" in a fake god, rules by fear, thuggery, and intimidation.

The members of this medical team, and their thoughts and actions towards others, were wholly antithetical to those of the Taliban. If Muslims around the world want to separate themselves from such actions of self-declared members of their religion, here is as good of an opportunity as ever. Where (or) will the chorus from moderate Muslims begin? I'm not holding my breath.

Tags: Terror, Taliban, Afghanistan

Man Collapses, Dies in Bizarre Sauna Contest

2010-08-08T09:46:00.002-04:00

Sort this under "fail".

Via ABC News:

A Russian man trying to win the Sauna World Championships died after collapsing with severe burns in the final stage of an event that required contestants to sit in a 230-degree (110 Celsius) room as water was tossed onto a searing stove, officials and witnesses said.

Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy was pronounced dead late Saturday after he collapsed in the sauna alongside reigning champion Timo Kaukonen of Finland. Medical workers pulled both men out of the sauna and administered first aid in front of nearly 1,000 spectators in the southern Finnish town of Heinola.

Darwin. Award.

GA Man Finds $4800 of Pot In Painting

2010-07-26T15:50:00.002-04:00

80-year old Gordon Clement wasn't sure what to do after finding $4800 worth of pot in a painting he was attempting to sale at an auction. Clement reportedly purchased the painting at an auction about five years ago.

From WSBTV/Channel 2:

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. -- A local man who bought a painting at auction told Channel 2 Action News that he later discovered the artwork had an alarming secret.
Gordon Clement, of Cherokee County, said he found thousands of dollars worth of drugs hidden in the painting.
The 80-year-old gave Channel 2 Action News reporter Eric Philips an up-close look at the painting and recounted how he discovered 4 pounds of marijuana stashed inside the frame of the painting he owns.
“I was devastated … it was nerve racking,” said Clement.

Mexican Guards Released Inmates to Carry Out Drug-Related Killings

2010-07-26T10:14:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, Mexican prosecutors alleged that several guards and the Gomez Palacio prison's director allowed the members of a hit squad to leave their cells and carry out the massacre. Inmates were reportedly given government vehicles and weapons to attack a party, an attack that left 17 dead. Investigators of the shooting found over 100 shell casings at the scene following the deadly attack.

The attack came after a dispute between rival Mexican drug gangs.

Via ABC News:

Guards and officials at a prison in northern Mexico allegedly let inmates out, lent them guns and allowed them to use official vehicles to carry out drug-related killings, including the massacre of 17 people last week, prosecutors said Sunday.

After carrying out the killings the inmates would return to their cells, the Attorney General's Office said in a revelation that was shocking even for a country wearied by years of drug violence and corruption.

"According to witnesses, the inmates were allowed to leave with authorization of the prison director ... to carry out instructions for revenge attacks using official vehicles and using guards' weapons for executions," office spokesman Ricardo Najera said at a news conference.

The director of the prison in Gomez Palacio in Durango state and three other officials were placed under a form of house arrest pending further investigation. No charges have yet been filed.

Tags: Crime, Mexico

One Professor's Reflection on Chicago v. McDonald

2010-07-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

Marcus Cole, a Stanford Law professor, has a powerful essay on American's right to self-defense.

From the Pileus Blog:

I purchased a gun several years ago, when I became concerned for the safety of my young family after receiving a verbal racial assault in our 21st century Northern California neighborhood. Perhaps I am the only Stanford Law professor who owns guns, including the one that once graced my father’s lap on that porch forty years ago. As an American, I am grateful for that gun. I am also grateful for the four black men who have made it possible for my sons to sleep at night, secure in the knowledge that I, and it, will do what is necessary to protect them.

Tags: Second Amendment, Law

Closing Arguments for Blagojevich Trial Set for Today

2010-07-26T08:31:00.002-04:00

The circus rolls on...

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Jurors sitting through his corruption trial may already hear the name "Rod Blagojevich" in their sleep, but they're in for one more daylong flurry of argument over whether he conspired to use his job as Illinois governor to enrich himself.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel on Thursday told the lawyers he expects them to give closing arguments in a single day, most likely Monday, setting aside more than six hours for them to address the jury one final time.

The longest scheduled argument will be given for the former governor by Sam Adam Jr., who has frequently been lectured by Zagel for his manner of questioning during his cross-examination of prosecution witnesses. Zagel called Adam a "practitioner of the repetition style" of lawyering, so he asked co-counsel Aaron Goldstein, who was in court for Blagojevich, how long Adam would need for his closing.

Tags: Politics

Epic Tennis Match Over, Isner Defeats Mahut at Wimbledon

2010-06-24T11:58:00.002-04:00

If you don't watch much tennis, then you're like me, and you probably would not have known that Wimbledon does not have tie breakers for the fifth sets. Throw in two ridiculously and obviously in shape world-class tennis players, and the table is set for an 11 hour and 5 minute epic showdown, spanning 3 calender days. The match was put on hold Tuesday and Wednesday nights due to darkness.

WIMBLEDON, England (CBS) ― John Isner has won the longest tennis match ever, taking 5th set at Wimbledon, 70-68.

Isner, of the United States, and Nicolas Mahut of France resumed Thursday what was the longest tennis match on record, picking up at 59-59 in the fifth set at Wimbledon.

The first-round match already had lasted 10 hours, nearly 3 1/2 hours longer than the previous mark. The fifth set alone has lasted 7 hours, 6 minutes.
The match continued in the same fashion Thursday, with both players holding serve easily. By the time they reached 63-63, Isner had a match total of 105 aces and Muhat had 101.

Isner and Mahut split the first four sets Tuesday, before it became too dark to play. They began the fifth set Wednesday at 2:04 p.m., and play was halted at 9:10 p.m., because of darkness.

Isner's coach is former Georgia standout Brandon Waggoner.

More here from ESPN.

Tags: Wimbledon 2010, Sports

Man Pleads Guilty in Robbery After Accidentally Shooting Self

2010-06-24T11:07:00.002-04:00

Boy genius.

32-year old John Catania pleaded guilty in the robbery of a Tuscon Little Ceasers, after Catania shot himself in the leg during the botched robbery. Catania later had his girlfriend call 911, and proceeded to attempt to convince police he himself was an armed robbery victim.

Fail...

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Tucson man is facing up to 70 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven felony charges in connection with a restaurant robbery.

Pima County prosecutors say 32-year-old John B. Catania pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts each of armed robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping. He also pleaded guilty to being a prohibited gun possessor.

Catania's plea came minutes before jury selection was expected to begin in his trial.

He was arrested last October after a robbery at a Little Caesar's Restaurant in which he shot himself in the leg.

Catania will be sentenced July 27 and prosecutors say he faces a prison term of between 10½ and 70 years.

Tags: Crime

Toronto Police Make Arrests Ahead of G20

2010-06-24T10:42:00.002-04:00

A woman and her husband were arrested by Toronto police and now face weapons and explosives charges.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Toronto police, on high alert before the G8 and G20 summits, said on Thursday they had arrested a woman on explosive and firearms charges whose common-law husband was earlier arrested on similar charges.
They said the 37-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday and charged with possession of an explosive device and possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes. She was due to appear in a Toronto court later in the day.
The Integrated Security Unit, which is overseeing a massive security operation to protect the summits, did not say what, if any, direct threat the two may have posed but said there was "no risk to public safety at this time."
The arrest was made after police executed search warrants in Tiny and Lake of Bays, two communities in northern Ontario.

Tags: Police, Politics, Terror

Stoppage Time Goal Gives U.S. Victory over Algeria

2010-06-23T12:15:00.003-04:00

Landon Donovan's goal in the 91st minute of the game pushed Team USA over Algeria and on to win their World Cup Group, for the first time since 1930.

From ESPN:

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Landon Donovan scored in the first minute of stoppage time off a rebound, advancing the United States to the second round at the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Algeria.

With the U.S. perhaps three minutes from elimination, Jozy Altidore was stopped on a breakaway by goalkeeper Rais Bolihi. Donovan hustled in and kicked in the rebound to win Group C Wednesday.
After his U.S. record 44th international goal, Donovan joyously ran to the corner flag and his teammates ran down the touchline to mob him. Donovan was in tears when the game ended and the United States had moved into the second round.
With just its fifth shutout in World Cup play, the United States (1-0-2) won a World Cup group for the first time since 1930 and will face the runner-up in Group D this weekend.

Tags: Sports, World Cup 2010

Supreme Court Ruling Shifts Burden of "Miranda Rights"

2010-06-02T08:54:00.003-04:00

The latest Supreme Court ruling involving "Miranda rights" has now shifted more of the burden to invoke the right to remain silent to a suspect. In the past, it was on the government to show a suspect had "knowingly and intelligently waived" his or her rights. Now, in a ruling on a case out of Michigan, the Supreme Court has ruled that after being informed of one's right to remain silent and obtain a lawyer, it is a suspect's duty to inform officers they want to stop questioning or to speak to a lawyer.

Justice Kennedy wrote "a suspect who has received and understood the Miranda warnings, and has not invoked his Miranda rights, waives the right to remain silent by making an uncoerced statement to the police".

From the LA Times:

But in a 5-4 decision Tuesday, the court said the suspect has the duty to invoke his rights. If he fails to do so, his later words can be used to convict him, the justices said.

The police are "not required to obtain a waiver" of the suspect's "right to remain silent before interrogating him," wrote Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

In this case, Michigan police had warned the suspect, Van Thompkins, of his rights, including the right to remain silent. Thompkins said he understood, but he did not tell the officer he wanted to stop the questioning or to speak to a lawyer.

However, he sat in a chair and said nothing for about two hours and 45 minutes. At that point, the officer asked, "Do you pray to God to forgive you for shooting that boy down?"

"Yes," Thompson said, and looked away. He refused to sign a confession or to speak further, but he was convicted of first-degree murder, based largely on his one-word reply.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Thompkins' conviction on the grounds that the use of the incriminating answer violated his right against self-incrimination under the Miranda decision.

The Supreme Court reversed that ruling and reinstated the conviction. "A suspect who has received and understood the Miranda warnings, and has not invoked his Miranda rights, waives the right to remain silent by making an uncoerced statement to the police," Kennedy said. He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.

From the WaPo: Supreme Court: Suspects must invoke right to remain silent in interrogations

Tags: Law, SCOTUS

Breaking: Pakistani Arrested in Chile at US Embassy, Traces of Explosives Found

2010-05-11T13:08:00.003-04:00

The man was arrested after he set off detectors inside the embassy. The man reportedly was requesting a U.S. entry visa.

SANTIAGO, Chile – A Pakistani man who tried to enter the U.S. Embassy in Santiago with traces of explosives was in preventive custody Tuesday pending an investigation. Embassy detectors were set off by traces of bomb-making substances when Mohammed Saif Ur Rehman walked through, said Mario Schilling, a spokesman for the prosecutor in the case.
Schilling did not elaborate on what kind of explosives were involved or whether Rehman, 28, was suspected of any criminal activity.
Embassy spokesman Juan Pablo Varela confirmed that Rehman was detained, but provided no further information.
El Mercurio newspaper reported that the explosive substances were found in a bag and on documents and a cellular telephone that Rehman was carrying. Schilling neither confirmed nor denied the report.

Bloomberg is reporting the man had traces of TNT on his hands:

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Chilean police arrested a Pakistani- born man after sensors at the U.S. embassy in Santiago detected traces of explosives on him, El Mercurio reported today.

Mohammad Saif Ur Rehman, 28, has been in Chile since January studying tourism and working at a hotel, the newspaper said. He will be charged today with breach of Chile’s firearms law after traces of TNT were detected on his hands, the newspaper reported.

Saif Ur Rehman was at the embassy to renew his visa, the newspaper said. Police removed a computer and clothes from the student residence where he was staying, El Mercurio said.

Tags: Terror, National Security

Betty White, SNL, and the Web's Influence

2010-05-11T09:26:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday, Ms. Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live. 2010 marks Ms. White's eighth decade in show-business. The campaign to get Ms. White hosting SNL began shortly after her appearance in this Snicker's commercial...

From the WSJ:

Together, we inveterate Web surfers can do anything: get our favorite low-rated cult show renewed or brought back to life, make pop stars out of obscure acts plying their wares on MySpace and get Howard Dean elected President (well, almost anything). On May 8 on a venerable late-night sketch show institution we’ll witness the spoils of a Web crusade that has unexpectedly captured the public imagination: the campaign to get 88-year-old Betty White to host “Saturday Night Live.”

It’s a curious cultural phenomenon that marks an odd marriage of convenience between the youth-obsessed world of social networking sites like Facebook, which boasts over a half-million supporters of a group called “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” and the sepia-toned nostalgia of the greatest generation.

Tags: Culture

Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor Charged With Rape of 16-Year Old

2010-05-06T17:27:00.002-04:00

Taylor was arraigned earlier this afternoon on charges stemming from an incident early this morning.

From ESPN:

SUFFERN, N.Y. -- Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has been arraigned on rape and prostitution charges in an assault on a 16-year-old runaway who police said was brought to his New York hotel room against her will.

A Rockland County judge set bail at $75,000.

Taylor, who has a history of drug abuse and runs-in with the law, was charged with third-degree rape, a felony charge that carries a term of up to four years in prison. Taylor was also charged with third-degree patronizing of a prostitute, a misdemeanor charge that carries a term of up to one year in prison.

Police officials said at a news conference Thursday that Taylor was "cooperative" when he was taken into custody and questioned.

From the NYT:

Mr. St. Lawrence said the chain of events started when the girl’s uncle, who had reported her missing, called the New York Police Department saying he had received a text message from her. In it, she said she was being driven back to the Bronx by a pimp and gave the address where she was headed. N.Y.P.D. officers went to that address, and found the girl and the alleged pimp. The N.Y.P.D. then called the Ramapo police and asked them to arrest Taylor.

Tags: Crime, Sports

GA General Assembly Approves Expansion of Gun Carry Rights

2010-04-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

Both the GA House and Senate have approved a measure allowing for gun owners possessing a CWP to carry in areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Intl Airport not under the control of the federal government. Licensed carriers would be permitted to carry in areas such as parking lots and passenger pick-up areas located inside the airport itself.

(WSB Radio State Capitol Bureau) -- In a late night vote, the House votes to allow guns at airports where the federal government doesn't control security.

"That means when you take someone to the airport or when you pick them up, you do not have to pause and throw that gun out of your car... it will be allowed," says Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) who presented the bill in the House.

She says SB 291 also creates an automatic renewal process for concealed permit holders and prohibits firearm seizure by government officials.

The bill now awaits the governor's signature.

With one day left in the legislation session, the House has yet to take up a bill that could allow guns to be carried by permit holders into churches and bars where the pastor or owner allows it.

View Senate Bill 291 here (pdf)
HTML version here

Tags: Gun Rights, Law, Second Amendment

Top Economist: U.S. in Worse Shape Than In 2008, Worse Off than Greece

2010-04-28T08:21:00.004-04:00

Peter Schiff, President of Euro Pacific Capital, warns the worst is yet to come. From Yahoo! Finance:

"A lot of people were confused – they thought the market going up was somehow ratifying what the government had done – that the stimulus and bailouts were good and the economy was improving – it's not[.]...Rather than resolved the crisis, all we've done is papered over problems in the banking system with "phony accounting" and "dug ourselves deeper into debt,"

Via Doug Ross:

Today the rating agency S&P downgraded the debt of Greece and Portugal by two notches apiece, with Greece's paper now worth about as much as a handwritten I.O.U. issued by a Nigerian Oil Minister. Greece is demanding that the International Monetary Fund and its European Monetary Union partners cough up a paltry $60 billion, while its public sector unions are helpfully rioting rather than working to enact austerity measures. In that respect, they're kind of like the SEIU, only with gyros for lunch.

The reaction back in the States was swift, with the Dow tanking 213 points as investors realized that our economic situation is, in the words of Carl Levin, really "s****y". U.S. federal and state debt levels, exacerbated by brilliant spending programs like cash-for-clunkers, basically mimic those of the poor European states.

hat tip: @jimvicevich

Tags: Economy, Finance

On Arizona, A Nation of Laws?

2010-04-27T13:59:00.006-04:00

During MSNBC's 12pm hour today, the 24-hour news channel ran the following headline during a segment on Arizona's new immigration law: "Law Makes it a Crime to be Illegal Immigrant"

The key word here being illegal.

From Dictionary.com:
il·le·gal
/ɪˈligəl/ [ih-lee-guhl]

–adjective
1. forbidden by law or statute.
2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.

–noun
3.Informal . illegal alien.
The bottom line is, Arizona got tired of waiting on the Feds to address the illegal immigration problem. Drug and smuggling violence has spread across the border and turned parts of the Southwest into all-out areas of lawlessness. Since the passage of the bill, members of the media, race hustlers like Al Sharpton, and plenty of others, have screamed racism, and accused Arizona Governor Jan Brewer of overstepping federal law.

From Section 2, Article 8, subsection B of AZ Senate Bill 1070:

FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT (emphasis mine) MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).

As is notated, the key words in this section, found in the beginning of the bill, are "Lawful Contact". This squashes the notion that Arizona officers will randomly stop a subject, who is walking down the street, and is not involved in any criminal or suspicious activity, and demand proof of citizenship. The act of merely walking down the street to work, home, etc., does not constitute a "lawful contact" by a law enforcement officer. This law merely gives officers, whom in the course of their daily duties, having lawful contacts with subjects, the tool to verify a subject's citizen or residence status.

Thousands of people across the country are lawfully stopped by law enforcement officers everyday. Most everyone reading this blog has likely had an encounter with an officer in the past. Whether during the course of a traffic stop or another type of encounter, you were likely asked for your identification, vehicle registration, etc. What then is the outrage over Arizona passing a law stating an officer, while in the course of a lawful contact with a subject, has the duty to confirm that subject's legality to be in the United States?

The United States is a great nation because of many things, with the fact that we are a nation of laws being one of our most important aspects. When we reach a point where a majority of individuals in this country fail to yield to the rule of law, law that is set by individuals elected to office by majorities, we have reached a grave time. We are great because of the respect for the rule of law and the peaceful creation of laws by peacefully elected leaders. Whatever your thoughts on immigration, amnesty, and controlling the border are, one can hardly produce a legitimate argument against the need for rule of law concerning illegal immigration.

Violence is spiraling out of control in Mexico, fueled by marauding drug gangs and smuggling cortels. Law enforcement and security officials in this country must do something. U.S. citizens are now, apparently, being murdered while working their own land. This debate surrounding illegal immigration has been swirling for decades now. The time has now come for government, at all levels, to protect U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Tags: Illegal Immigration, Law, National Security, Police

What Did the FBI & Port Authority Police Know?

2010-04-27T10:41:00.004-04:00

That's the question concerning the case of terrorist Najibullah Zazi. You'll remember Mr. Zazi was arrested by officials in Colorado, along with this father, last September. Zazi had been under surveillance by the FBI, and later admitted to his role in a "martyrdom operation", in which he planned to blow himself up on a NYC subway train.

A report in the WSJ reveals Zazi "slipped" past Port Authority officers, into New York City, with two pounds of explosives hidden inside his rental car:

Port Authority police were told to stop and search would-be subway bomber Najibullah Zazi's car last September as he drove up to the George Washington Bridge—but waved him across without finding two pounds of explosives hidden inside.

The failure to uncover the explosives after an alert about Mr. Zazi from the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been widely discussed among police but never publicly disclosed. It stoked longstanding tensions between the Port Authority Police and the New York Police Department, which are more pronounced since the 9/11 attacks. The Port Authority is tasked with protecting the bridges, tunnels and major airports between New York and New Jersey.

There are, however, questions about the extent of the search that Port Authority officers could engage in. There was reportedly no warrant in place allowing for a search of Mr. Zazi's vehicle. P.A. officers were requested to stop Zazi's car by the FBI, who had tracked Zazi from his home in Colorado, and conduct a search of the vehicle. The Port Authority, in an effort to not tip Zazi off, conducted a "random drug search point". Zazi was then allowed into the city, where he reportedly disposed of the explosives (triacetone triperoxide, or TATP).

These developments have reportedly further strained relations between Port Authority Police and the NYPD. P.A. Police are tasked with security of the NYC area's bridges, tunnels, and ports.

The challenge surrounding cases such as this centers around the question of how far should would-be terrorists be allowed to carry on their plans? Do authorities risk a terrorist plan being carried out or risk moving on an operation too soon, before details and critical evidence surrounding the plans are known?

Previously at Limes: FBI Arrests Suspected Terrorists in Colorado

Tags: Terror, National Security, Police, Law

Even the AP Can't Avoid the Obama Reality

2010-04-27T09:34:00.003-04:00

After months of shilling, even the AP is now taking note of the disparities between President Obama's words and the reality of America's economy. While our narcissistic Commander-in-Chief lauds himself daily for the efforts he's made towards job production since taking office, the reality experienced by Americans everyday is a far cry from the rhetoric flowing from the Oval Office.

Via the AP:

WASHINGTON – Even as he touts his efforts to put more Americans to work, President Barack Obama faces a public increasingly skeptical of his ability to bring jobs back to Main Street.

During stops in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, Obama will try to convince voters that his economic policies are working, despite an unemployment rate that's expected to remain at painfully high levels for months if not years.

Those voters - many of them crucial independents - will be key to Obama's re-election prospects in 2012. And his fellow Democrats, facing a tough political climate in the November, need their support even sooner.

"The bottom line is that the Democrats are almost certain to be campaigning in economic circumstances that will not be politically favorable," said William Galston, a former domestic policy aide in Bill Clinton's White House and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Between George Bush's "I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system" moment, and spending actions prior to leaving office, and the Obama administration's "efforts" to create jobs, enough Americans should understand that it's not Washington D.C. that creates jobs. Bureaucrats in D.C. can only impose policies (i.e. lower, non-punitive tax rates, etc.) that help foster job creation. Mere spending, such as was seen with the New Deal, and as we are seeing now, will only continue to cripple our nation with debt, and saddle future generations with back-breaking mountains to climb.

Previously at Limes:
Obama: Dire Consequences If We Don't Spend More

Obama: Stimulus Measures Are Only "One Leg of the Stool", Claims We Have to Restore Confidence

Tags: Obama, Economy

U.S. Retains Nuclear First-Strike Strategy

2010-04-07T08:59:00.002-04:00

The Obama administration's new document, the Nuclear Posture Review, does not change the long-standing first-strike strategy, even against non-nuclear nations.

Via the WSJ:

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration will release a new national nuclear-weapons strategy Tuesday that makes only modest changes to U.S. nuclear forces, leaving intact the longstanding U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear nations.

But the new policy will narrow potential U.S. nuclear targets, and for the first time makes explicit the goal of making deterrence of a nuclear strike the "sole objective" of U.S. nuclear weapons, a senior Obama administration official said Monday.

Meanwhile, Russia has already announced what the rest of the world new, that it reserves the right to bow out of the new U.S.-Russian arms treaty, that seeks to reduce the nuclear arsenals in both nations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia will back out of the accord if the United States goes forward with plans for a European missile-defense system. From the AP:

MOSCOW – The new U.S.-Russian arms control treaty is a much better deal for Russia than its predecessor, but Moscow reserves the right to withdraw from it if a planned U.S. missile defense system grows into a threat, Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Sergey Lavrov said Russia will issue a statement outlining the terms for such a withdrawal after President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the treaty Thursday in Prague. The new accord replaces the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, which expired in December.

Lavrov has said before that Russia could withdraw from the treaty. But his comments at a briefing Tuesday were his most specific yet on how and why a withdrawal could occur.

"Russia will have the right to opt out of the treaty if ... the U.S. strategic missile defense begins to significantly affect the efficiency of Russian strategic nuclear forces," he said.

Previously at Limes: What is the Significance of President Obama's New Nuke Policy?

Tags: Foreign Policy, Terror, Obama, National Security, Russia

What is the Significance of President Obama's New Nuke Policy?

2010-04-06T08:18:00.005-04:00

On the surface, the Obama administration's new policy concerning the use of nuclear weapons seems nothing short of deranged. However, like all statements and promises from President Obama, this one too has a proverbial expiration date; they all do. Does anyone really believe that if the country faced an imminent nuclear attack from anyone, that the Obama administration wouldn't act in any manner necessary to prevent it? I don't.

From the NYT:

Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation’s nuclear posture for a new age in which rogue states and terrorist organizations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China.

It eliminates much of the ambiguity that has deliberately existed in American nuclear policy since the opening days of the cold war. For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack.

Being his first term in office, and with the potential to spend up to another nearly 7 years in office if reelected, it's in President Obama's own self-interest to protect the nation from such an attack (as it would be for any elected leader). No President wants to be the one that allowed a nuclear attack to occur in the country during their watch.

The problem isn't that the Obama administration wouldn't act if nuclear weapons were, in fact, needed. The problem is that the Obama administration has clarified a U.S. nuclear policy that has been, by design, ambiguous. This policy of ambiguity has been the cardinal rule since the Cold War era. Keeping our enemies and would-be threats guessing has been key to keeping the American homeland safe and secure. Having those who would do us harm wondering if maybe, just maybe, we are crazy enough to turn their piece of turf into a glass sheath, keeps our national security in a safer balance. This policy that will be announced today would of course be abandoned if the 11th hour ever came. The question is, do our enemies believe that?

What the Obama administration has done is display to the world our nuclear hand. And while no right-minded person believes the administration would fail to use nukes if the God-forsaken day they were needed ever came, this move sends all the wrong messages to our enemies and our allies.

Updated at 9:24 a.m. ET 4/6/10
President Obama's new policy will also announce the reduction in the number of nuclear warheads the U.S. will retain in it's arsenal. The proposal will reportedly shrink the arsenal by thousands of warheads. This is a dangerous step in the wrong direction and is the kind of moral equivalence that severely threatens U.S. national security. Comparing nuclear weapons in the hands of the U.S. with those in the hands of a country such as Russia, is similar to comparing a gun in the hand of a cop to that in the hand of a bank robber. There is no equivalent comparison. Nuclear deterrence is crucial to national security, and should remain an integral part of U.S. foreign policy.

Updated at 9:17 a.m. ET 4/7/10
U.S. Retains Nuclear First-Strike Strategy

Tags: Foreign Policy, Terror, Obama, National Security

Anti-Gun Advocate: "I Got Sick to My Stomach and Left the Restaurant"

2010-04-05T11:47:00.002-04:00

Dan Dillon, an Arizona resident, can't take the sight of a gun on a law-abiding citizen:

I am just not sure what is happening in the state I have called home for 30 years.

About two months ago, I left an eating establishment after discovering that there was a meeting of individuals all "bearing arms." Since it was a buffet, they were walking all over the place, many carrying children along with their guns.

This week, I drove over 15 miles to eat at a healthy place that served soup and salad. Standing in line I saw a customer bearing his gun, while holding hands with his 5-year-old son. I got sick to my stomach and left the restaurant.

What are these people scared of? The only thing that scares me is them.

What happened to "In God we trust?" I hope more and more places embrace their right to refuse service to individuals bearing arms and post it in the window so all know it is a safe place to visit.

If the bill passes allowing people to conceal weapons with no permit, I may be forced to move out of the state I love. - Dan Dillon,Goodyear

What exactly does Mr. Dillon mean by his "in God we trust" question? Yes, I pray daily for God's protection over my loved ones and myself. However, I wholly believe He gave us a mind to reason with and to use while on this Earth. Being mindful of one's and other's well-being and safety is an ability He gave us all, as well as the ability and the tools to defend ourselves.

Living life as naive as Mr. Dillon does must be quite easy. Mr. Dillon seems to believe that a subject hell-bent on holding-up a business, and committing armed robbery, would care about a no-weapons policy within the grounds of that business. Mr. Dillon also indicates his belief that if a weapon cannot be seen on a person, then it simply isn't there. In the interest of self-preservation, Mr. Dillon may want to rethink his current mindset.

Previously at Limes: Brady Campaign Targets Starbucks

Tags: Second Amendment, Culture, Gun Rights, Law

Fatal Crash Leaves Six Dead, Driver Has Extensive Record

2010-04-05T11:28:00.003-04:00

Melissa L. Mitchell, 39; Miya Mitchell, 11; and 4-year-old twin brothers Christian and Keyshawn Perry, all of Lawrenceville, Ga. The others who died were Brenda Mitchell Edwards, 57; and Dhanja Mitchell, 16, both of Jacksonville, were all killed when there vehicle was clipped by the vehicle 38-year old Pedro Juan Ocacia Alcazar was driving. Police records indicated Alcazar has an extensive arrest history, including multiple arrests involving unsafe driving and driving on a suspended license.

From Channel 2/WSBTV:

Authorities said the family was traveling from Georgia to Jacksonville Friday night when their van was clipped by a speeding car, sending it into the median, where it was hit by a pickup truck.

Those who died were identified Saturday as Melissa L. Mitchell, 39; Miya Mitchell, 11; and 4-year-old twin brothers Christian and Keyshawn Perry, all of Lawrenceville, Ga. The others who died were Brenda Mitchell Edwards, 57; and Dhanja Mitchell, 16, both of Jacksonville.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Ryan Young spoke with the victims’ neighbors in Gwinnett County. They said when they heard about what happened, it left them in tears.

"I just can't believe she's gone ... they're all gone ... precious children," said Carol Lewis, a close family friend.

The Florida Times-Union has more here.
Read the Florida Highway Patrol report here (pdf).

Tags: Crime, Police

Brady Campaign Targets Starbucks

2010-03-03T10:02:00.004-05:00

No pun intended...

The Brady Campaign has now set its sites on Starbucks; yes, as in the coffee chain. Starbucks corporation currently allows, when in accordance with state and local laws, for customers to carry handguns openly in their stores. And now, the Brady Campaign, a group hell-bent on forcing their ideas onto private citizens and corporations across the country, are circulating an online petition demanding Starbucks ban guns in their shops.

Guns & Coffee? Tell Starbucks: "Keep Guns Out"...

From the Seattle Times:

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is asking people to sign a petition telling Starbucks to keep guns out of its shops, because they say they can't get a straight answer out of the Seattle company about its gun policy. The petition has more than 15,000 signatures.

"Our California activists are responding to the activities of Open Carry activists in the Bay Area, who noticed Open Carry demonstrations at Peet's, California Pizza Kitchen and Starbucks," said Doug Pennington, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign.

OpenCarry.org describes itself as "a pro-gun Internet community focused on the right to openly carry properly holstered handguns in daily American life." They sometimes meet in public places to exercise their right to carry unconcealed guns.

When the Brady Campaign asked each company for its gun policies, Peet's Coffee and California Pizza Kitchen promptly issued notices that guns are not allowed -- either at all or on display -- in their shops unless you're a police officer.

Starbucks hasn't done that. "So far, Starbucks hasn't said what seems to be an obvious kind of policy, that 'no guns are allowed in our stores unless you're a police officer,'" Pennington said.

There is no word yet from the Brady Campaign on how many illegal-gun carrying criminals have signed the petition.

Tags: Law, Gun Rights, Second Amendment, Culture

Hope & Change Gets Real For GA College Students & Faculty

2010-03-03T09:22:00.002-05:00

Students, staff, and faculty in Georgia higher-ed are getting all the hope and change one could hope for this year. Massive budget cuts to the state's university system are being proposed by state legislators, in order to overcome growing budget shortfalls. Some students, just months away from graduation, are now faced with the reality of their programs being slashed all together.

Via the Augusta Chronicle:

Senior nurse anesthesia student Carla Farrell summed up the anger, hurt and bewilderment many were feeling at the Medical College of Georgia on Tuesday over the potential impact of $25.6 million in proposed cuts.

"None of us like to be pawns in whatever game is being played here," she said to thunderous applause from a packed auditorium.

Her program is scheduled to be closed in July under the proposal, leaving her and 40 classmates months from graduation with no plan to help them.

MCG was given 48 hours last week to prepare plans for the massive cut, part of $300 million in reductions legislators told the University System of Georgia to prepare, on top of $265 million already proposed for fiscal year 2011.

Erroll Davis, the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, is testifying this morning before House and Senate budget writers. The University System is presenting its plan to cut $600 million from the 2011 fiscal year, set to begin July 1.

Tags: Higher Education

McDonald v. Chicago: The High Court Talks Gun Rights

2010-03-02T18:14:00.005-05:00

In what will be another landmark case concerning gun rights, as well as State's rights over the Federal government, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in McDonald v. Chicago. In the biggest case concerning the subject, since D.C. v. Heller, the Justices will decide whether or not Chicago's ban on handguns is constitutional. Simply put, the question will be answered on whether or not the ruling in D.C. v. Heller was a fluke, or if the ruling applies nationwide, and what role the 14th Amendment plays concerning citizen gun rights.

From the WSJ:

The Supreme Court today is the scene of a Constitutional duel in a case that will decide if the Second Amendment's guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to the states. The answer will determine whether the Court's landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller is a hollow legal anomaly, or if it extends nationwide.

In McDonald v. Chicago, the Justices will consider whether the Windy City's ban on handguns is Constitutional. Brought by plaintiffs including 76-year-old Otis McDonald, who wants to keep a handgun in his South Side home to protect himself from gangs, the question is similar to that in Heller, which challenged a handgun ban in the District of Columbia.

However, unlike Washington, D.C., which is governed directly by federal law, the challenge to Chicago's gun ban comes to the Court under the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which protects fundamental rights against infringement by the states.

David Hardy, author of the blog Of Arms & the Law, believes the court will up hold the Heller ruling:

Just got back from oral argument. Short form: I think we have five votes. MIGHT do better than five, but five seem secure. Roberts, Scalia and Kennedy seemed VERY strongly against Chicago's position, Alito seemed against it, Thomas asked no questions but is thorough pro-2a and 14thA, so it looks like the Heller majority holds. Conversely, Breyer attacked Heller and kept arguing against incorporation. Majority did not like privileges or immunities, but due process seemed solid.

Hardy has extensive background on this case here.

SCOTUSblog has the rundown on today's arguments:

When the Justices cast their first vote after starting later this week to discuss where to go from here, it appeared that the focus of debate will be how extensive a “right to keep and bear arms” should be spelled out: would it be only some “core right” to have a gun for personal safety, or would it include every variation of that right that could emerge in the future as courts decide specific cases? The liberal wing of the Court appeared to be making a determined effort to hold the expanded Amendment in check, but even the conservatives open to applying the Second Amendment to states, counties and cities seemed ready to concede some — but perhaps fewer — limitations. The eagerly awaited oral argument in McDonald, et al., v. Chicago, et al. (08-1521) found all members of the Court actively involved except the usually silent Justice Clarence Thomas. And, while no one said that the issue of “incorporating” the Second Amendment into the 14th Amendment had already been decided before the argument had even begun, the clear impression was that the Court majority was at least sentimentally in favor of that, with only the dimensions of the expansion to be worked out in this case and in a strong of likely precedents coming as time went on.

In all likelihood, the vote will go down along the same lines as that of D.C. v. Heller. The 5 members of the majority from that ruling are still on the court, and thus would be forced to dissent against a similar argument they ruled on in that case; the major difference, though, being this case concerns state and local governments' rights to have such bans in place. D.C. v. Heller, of course, involved a district ruled directly by the federal government itself.

The transcript of today's oral argument can be found here (pdf).

Tags: Law, Gun Rights, Second Amendment, Culture, US Supreme Court

The Glock: An Unsafe Weapon?

2010-03-02T14:06:00.003-05:00

Ed Miller And Phil Elmore take on the legend's naysayers.

You've seen the endless discussions on internet discussion sites. You've read the articles. You've seen the topics discussed ad nauseam by gun owners who range from novices to experts. What all these pundits have in common is a simple enough prospect, but one in which they hold the firmest of convictions and the most powerful of faiths: They are convinced that the Glock pistol is inherently unsafe.

In fact, the Glock is a remarkably popular weapon with civilians and law enforcement agencies alike. There are very good reasons for this. If the Greek philosopher, Plato, could have imagined a handgun in his world of forms-those concepts that embody the ideal versions of all we are capable of imagining, the earthly manifestations of which are but imperfect copies-he would have envisioned a combat firearm with a simple means of sighting, a barrel, a hand grip, a simple and light trigger, and a cocking and ignition mechanism that fires when the user pulls the trigger (but does not fire unless the trigger is pulled).

The closest "imperfect" manifestation of this Platonic form would be the Glock. Available in multiple popular calibers, the Glock comprises precisely the minimum number of features a combat handgun must possess. It has a comfortably sized, slip-resistant grip for the average male or female hand, which remains comfortable across a broad range of ambient temperatures. It offers a simple, easily upgradeable sighting system. It exhibits reasonable combat accuracy at 25 meters. It has an acceptable light trigger that is long enough on the first shot to permit mere mortals to recognize that the trigger finger is moving, but it has a very short trigger reset that permits rapid fire of multiple shots. There is no manual mechanical safety the user must remember to use, nor are there complicating features such as decockers or double- to single-action transitions in operation. Consisting of relatively few parts, yet customizable and available with accessory rails, The Glock can be tailored to suit almost any operator.

Read the full article here.

Tags: Guns

Scientists: Chilean Quake May Have Shortened Length of Day

2010-03-02T13:48:00.002-05:00

The massive 8.8 magnitude quake that stuck Chile on February 27, was so powerful it may have shortened the length of a day. A NASA computer indicated the length of day was shortened by 1.26 microseconds; a microsecond being one millionth of a second.

The 9.1 quake that struck Indonesia and the Indian Ocean in 2004 also shortened the length of a day by 6.8 microseconds. The shortening of a day is caused by a shifting of the Earth's figure axis following the shifting of plates.

From CTV News:

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Feb. 27 was so powerful it may have tipped Earth's axis and shortened the length of a day, scientists at NASA say.

According to NASA, a complex computer model's preliminary calculation shows that Earth's days should have shortened by 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is a one millionth of a second).

A large quake shifts enough rock to redistribute the mass of the planet, which can speed its rotation.

The change won't be noticed in day-to-day life, but is permanent.

NASA scientist Richard Gross also calculated that the quake moved Earth's figure axis (the axis about which Earth's mass is balanced) by about eight centimetres.

The figure axis is not the same as the Earth's north-south axis, of which the Earth rotates around once a day at about 1,600 kilometres per hour. The figure axis is offset from the north-south axis by about 10 metres.

Tags: Science, Chile

R.I. School District Votes to Fire All Every Educator

2010-02-24T10:54:00.003-05:00

The Central Falls School Committee voted yesterday to fire every teacher, counselor, and the principal. The town's high school is among the worst in the state, graduating less than half of its students.

From Boston's WCVB Channel 5:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --
The U.S. Secretary of Education is applauding the vote to fire all the teachers at the high school in Central Falls because it is one of the worst performing schools in the state.

"This is hard work and these are tough decisions, but students only have one chance for an education," Duncan said in Wednesday's edition of The Providence Journal, "and when schools continue to struggle we have a collective obligation to take action."

The Central Falls School Committee on Tuesday evening voted 5-2 to fire every educator at the school, from teachers to guidance counselors to the principal. The vote came the same day that State Education Commissioner Deborah Gist approved the firing plan, which was recommended by Superintendent Frances Gallo, and gave the district 120 days to come up with a detailed plan.

Central Falls Teachers Union President Jane Sessums said she is reviewing several legal options.

Students from across the area held a rally last week in support of the plan:

Tags: Education

Drew Peterson Murder Trial Set to Begin June 14

2010-02-23T14:51:00.002-05:00

Drew Peterson's murder trial in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, is set to start June 15 of this year. Jury selection for the trial will begin that day.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Drew Peterson will stand trial beginning June 14 for murder in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a Will County judge ordered today.

Judge Stephen White ordered jury selection to begin that day for the 56-year-old former Bolingbrook cop, who's charged with drowning Savio in her bathtub during their bitter divorce.

Peterson, who remains jailed, has denied any involvement in her death — which initially was ruled accidental — or in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, who remains missing.

Judge Stephen White, who will proceed over the trial, has yet to rule on if hearsay evidence will be admitted. White has stated he will not announce a ruling until after the jury has been selected, in order to prevent tainting potential jurors.

Previously at Limes:
Drew Peterson Murder Pretrial Begins, Hearsay Evidence to Be Heard

Hearsay Hearings in Drew Peterson Murder Case Roll On

Tags: Crime, Police, Law, Drew Peterson Case

One Dead After Shooting and Fatal Crash at Arizona Air Force Base

2010-02-23T08:35:00.002-05:00

One man is dead and another injured after they ran through a gate and were then confronted by a base security officer. As the officer attempted to make contact with the suspects, the driver of the vehicle drove at him. The officer fired shots at the vehicle which then crashed.

From Fox News:

A shooting and fatal car crash on Luke Air Force Base in Litchfield, Ariz., have left one person dead and another injured, KSAZ Phoenix reported.

At 11 p.m. Monday night two individuals ran a gate at the base with their car, said Capt. Gonzales, a spokesman at Luke Air Force Base.

A security forces officer reportedly confronted two men inside the car, previously reported stolen, said Officer Karen Gerardo, the public information officer at the Glendale Police Department.

When the officer got out of his car to try to make contact with the two men, the car drove directly at him. The officer shot at the car, which then crashed, said Gerardo.

One of the occupants of the vehicle was killed. His cause of death has not been determined.

The other person in the car was injured and transported to a hospital.

Investigators do not suspect terrorism, said Gerardo. They don't believe the men were anything other than car thieves, said Gonzales.

Updates as they become available.

Tags: Crime

Battle in Marjah, Taliban Using Women & Children as Shields

2010-02-17T07:07:00.002-05:00

According to a top Afghan military official, Taliban fighters in the town of Marjah are placing women and children on rooftops and in windows of buildings they are fighting from, using them as human shields.

The way of the mighty, holy, brave, and courageous Islamic warrior...

Via the AP:

MARJAH, Afghanistan – Taliban insurgents are increasingly using civilians as human shields as they fight allied troops trying to take the militants' southern stronghold of Marjah, an Afghan official said Wednesday as military squads resumed painstaking house-to-house searches.

About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive around Marjah, which has an estimated 80,000 inhabitants and was the largest town in southern Helmand province under Taliban control. NATO hopes to rush in aid and public services as soon as the town is secured to try to win the loyalty of the population.

With the assault in its fifth day, insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, said Gen. Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.

"Especially in the south of Marjah, the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof or in a second-floor or third-floor window," Ghori said. "They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians."

Not surprising at all from a group of people that blow up buses full of women and children on their way to a religious gathering.

Previously at Limes: US & Afghan Troops Prepare to Take Taliban Stronghold

Tags: Afghanistan, Taliban, Terror

Bay Area Police Officer Faces Murder Charges

2010-02-13T08:47:00.002-05:00

A Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T.) officer is facing murder charges stemming from an on-duty shooting on New Year's Day 2009. The shooting occurred when the officer shot a subject he and other officers were attempting to subdue, in the back. The officer claimed he accidentally pulled his firearm when he intended to pull his Taser gun.

The trial is being held in Los Angeles. A gag order is in place, forbidding either side to publicly discuss trial details. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry has also declared there will be no coverage inside the courtroom, with even cell phones and texting being banned during the proceedings. This is why:

For whatever reason, too many people in California can't control their suppressed childhood anger, and when the chance to let it out presents itself, they can't control the urge to smash private cars and businesses belonging to wholly innocent people.

The defense argues the officer shouldn't be facing murder charges for the shooting. For murder to be present, the officer would needed to have meant to kill the suspect. I can't imagine anyone trying to get away with murder with all those witnesses around, much less with the knowledge of cameras being everywhere. Yes, the officer must be held liable for this awful incident. However, something along the lines of negligent homicide seems a more appropriate charge.

The pretrial phase is taking place now with the trial set to begin in May.

Tags: Police, BART Shooting, Crime, Law

US & Afghan Troops Prepare to Take Taliban Stronghold

2010-02-12T07:07:00.003-05:00

Photo: Associated Press
In what is being described as what will be the largest battle of the nine-year war, U.S. and Afghan forces are preparing to take the town of Marjah, located to the southwest of Kabul, and a major Taliban stronghold and narcotics epicenter. Marjah has been a long-time narcotics center and the Taliban are thought to have been strengthening their numbers in the area for years.

Mines, IED's, and other bombs surround the city and are thought to be buried throughout the city of 80,000. U.S. and Afghan forces have surrounded the city and sealed off escape routes in preparation for the assault. Up to 1,000 militants are located inside the city.

Via the Associated Press:

NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan – U.S. and Afghan forces ringed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, sealing off escape routes and setting the stage for what is being described as the biggest offensive of the nine-year war.

Taliban defenders repeatedly fired rockets and mortars at units poised in foxholes along the edge of the town, apparently trying to lure NATO forces into skirmishes before the big attack.

"They're trying to draw us in," said Capt. Joshua Winfrey, 30, of Tulsa, Okla., commander of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.

Tags: Afghanistan, Taliban, Terror

Hearsay Hearings in Drew Peterson Murder Case Roll On

2010-02-12T06:49:00.002-05:00

Much controversy surrounds the case in Illinois as a veteran judge decides on whether or not to allow hearsay evidence into the case involving the murder of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife. Drew Peterson is the lead suspect in the case. Peterson is also a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson.

The hearsay hearings are expected to be lengthy because of the uncharted legal territory the case is entering.

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Drew Peterson's hearsay hearing has taken Illinois criminal law into uncharted territory, a path that has sparked a lively — and sometimes angry — debate in the legal community as the prosecution nears completion of its portion of the landmark proceeding.

"It's a miscarriage of justice," said Leonard Cavise, a DePaul University law professor. "This hearing is not how the American judicial system is supposed to work. It's ridiculous."

Nearly 70 witnesses have been called in the unprecedented hearing in which a Will County judge will decide whether hearsay statements condemning former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Peterson for the March 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, are trustworthy enough to be admitted into trial.

The prosecutors are relying on a new Illinois statute, dubbed "Drew's Law," that allows them to build their case around comments made by Savio and Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, who vanished in 2007.

Previously at Limes: Drew Peterson Murder Pretrial Begins, Hearsay Evidence to Be Heard

Tags: Crime, Police, Law, Drew Peterson Case

GA Deputy Shot Responding to Suicide Call

2010-01-30T09:07:00.003-05:00

Spalding County deputies responded to a house yesterday after receiving a call about a man attempting suicide. As deputies arrived and approached the house, a man inside walked out and opened fire with an assault rifle. Deputy Joe Buice was struck in the head as he sought cover behind his patrol car.

Via Atlanta's WSBTV/Channel 2:

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. -- Spalding County sheriff's deputy Joe Buice is in critical condition after being shot in the face Friday, Channel 2 confirmed.

A second person, identified as a passing motorist, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. Police said the man in the car received cuts from shattered glass after a bullet hit his car window. He has since been released from Grady. Police said the suspect was killed by two other deputies who later arrived at the scene.

This incident has all the signs of a premeditated ambush on these officers. This is another example of why no call for officers is ever routine. May we all say a prayer for Deputy Bruice and his family during this difficult time.

Tags: Police, Crime

Hope & Change Comes to Massachusetts?

2010-01-20T09:48:00.004-05:00

For the first time in decades, the people of Massachusetts have voted to send a Republican to the United States Senate. Many are calling it an epic loss.

From the Associated Press:

BOSTON – Republicans are rejoicing and Democrats reeling in the wake of Scott Brown's stunning victory over Martha Coakley in a special Massachusetts Senate election that Brown insists was not simply a referendum on President Barack Obama.

Still, Obama grimly faced a need to both regroup and recoup losses on Wednesday, the anniversary of his inauguration, in a White House shaken by the realization of what a difference a year made. The most likely starting place was finding a way to save the much-criticized health care overhaul he's been trying to push through Congress.

In one of the country's most traditionally liberal states, Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Coakley, the attorney general who had been considered a surefire winner until just days ago. Her loss signaled big political problems for Obama and the Democratic Party this fall when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

Brown, and many others, are calling his election a referendum on government-run healthcare, liberal spending practices, and other liberal polices that the American people are fed up with. Some, including Zack Cooper at the Huffington Post, are still pimping the strawman argument that Republicans want to kill health care reform.

If Scott Brown's victory spells the end of health care reform, then the Americans who really lost out last night were the uninsured, and the scores of others bankrupted by health care costs. This morning's coverage of the Massachusetts Senate race focused on Democrats and Republicans, politicos and pollsters and it has ignored the Americans dying without health insurance. The uninsured weren't just ignored in today's coverage; they have been largely voiceless in the health care debate thus far.

And this morning, to nobody's surprise, David Axelrod says despite Brown's defeat of Coakley in Massachusett, President Obama will stay the course on his health care "reform" attempts and other liberal policies. The tone deafness in Washington is just that, deafening. The Democrats have yet to learn the lesson Republicans learned all too well during the previous two elections.

Poll after poll shows a majority of the American people are apprehensive about the current health care reform measures. This shot heard round the world, from of all places, Boston, may very well signal a change in direction for Washington, regardless of what the President or his advisers say. Despite the promises from the White House, Pelosi, and Reed, to push forward with health care "reform" as it exists now, more and more Democrats are becoming apprehensive about ramming such a large piece of legislation through.

The instinct of self-preservation can provide excellent clarity in tough times:

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), one of the leading advocates for health reform in the House, urged fellow Democrats to heed the message of Massachusetts and pivot toward creating jobs, perhaps with a health-care component added in. "If there isn't any recognition that we got the message and we are trying to recalibrate and do things differently, we are not only going to risk looking ignorant but arrogant,” he said.

One other option available to Democrats is ramming a revised reform package through the Senate in the roughly two weeks before Brown takes office. That idea already was fading in popularity before Tuesday’s vote, with Democrats knowing they’d be slammed for such a political power-play.

But moderate Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) effectively put the idea to rest Tuesday night, calling the Brown victory a “referendum” on health reform and taking a swipe at his party's leadership by calling for more transparency in the process.

Tags: Politics, Massachusetts, Health Care

Drew Peterson Murder Pretrial Begins, Hearsay Evidence to Be Heard

2010-01-19T09:53:00.004-05:00

A potentially landmark case in Illinois is set to begin with Drew Peterson's pretrial hearing set for today. In 2008, the Illinois House voted to allow hearsay evidence. Such evidence is called "hearsay" since it comes from defendants who may have been murdered, thus not allowing them to testify themselves. Examples of hearsay evidence would be a letter sent by Drew Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, to a prosecutor expressing her fear of Peterson taking her children away or even that he was going to kill her.

From Chicago's Daily Herald:

In the months before Kathleen Savio's mysterious drowning death, relatives say, the Bolingbrook woman grew "terrified" that her estranged husband would harm her.

Her fears also were captured in writing, such as in a 2002 letter to a prosecutor in which Savio said Drew Peterson "knows how to manipulate the system, and his next step is to take my children away. Or kill me instead."

Such hearsay evidence, which, in effect, allows Savio's words to be heard from beyond the grave are the subject of a landmark court hearing opening Tuesday in Will County.

Peterson's criminal trial is set to begin later this year. The pretrial phase examining hearsay evidence could last several weeks. Following the pretrial, a judge will determine if the hearsay evidence can be entered in during the criminal trial. Peterson is also a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson, who went missing in October 2007.

Tags: Crime, Police, Law, Drew Peterson Case

Taliban Launches Attack on Kabul

2010-01-18T09:27:00.002-05:00

At least two dozen Taliban fighters set off coordinated attacks in the Afghan capital today, targeting government ministry buildings, killing at least ten and wounding dozens more. The attack involved suicide bombers and groups on gunman that stormed the streets. There are claims that an ambulance was wired and detonated as a suicide bomb.

After more than three hours of fighting, the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said security had been restored to the capital. He accused "enemies of Afghanistan" of "trying to spread fear among Kabul citizens". Searches were continuing for the attackers, officials said. Reports of casualties remained confused.

It is the most serious attack on the city for years and rated by some as the biggest since the Taliban were ousted. Militants initially struck around the presidential palace and several government ministries. At least three blasts shook the district.

Gunfire echoed through the streets as Afghan police and soldiers tried to track down what a Taliban spokesman said was a force of 20 armed militants. Some reports put at the number higher. Security forces evacuated a large part of the city centre, forcing back traffic and pedestrians and closing shops and schools.

Tags: Taliban, Afghanistan, Terror, Jihad

Haiti's Public Health Nightmare

2010-01-16T12:09:00.004-05:00

Disease, lack of water, starvation, and little shelter are just some of the dangers facing Haitians, as the Caribbean-island nation digs out of the rubble following last week's devastating earthquake. The 7.0-magnitude quake toppled buildings across Port-Au-Prince and surrounding areas, crushing thousands to death, and leaving even more homeless with nowhere to go.

Though there were a number of health and charity agencies already in place in Port-Au-Prince, they too suffered from the quake, many having their own buildings and clinics knocked out of commission. Doctors Without Borders, which had three clinics operating around the capital, are now operating out of temporary outdoor facilities.

The first reports are now emerging from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams who were already working on medical projects Haiti. They are treating hundreds of people injured in the quake and have been setting up clinics in tents to replace their own damaged medical facilities.

The Martissant health center in a poor area of Port-au-Prince had to be evacuated after the earthquake because it was damaged and unstable. The patients are now in tents in the grounds and the medical staff have been dealing with a flow of casualties from the town. They have already treated between 300 and 350 people, mainly for trauma injuries and fractures.

There is growing concern over disease as officials and citizens alike rush to bury bodies as they pile up on the streets. Haiti officials say 30-40,000 bodies have been buried, with perhaps another 60,000 to go. The country has turned to mass graves as piles of bodies as much as 1,500 stack up outside of hospitals.

Photo: Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
At 6:00pm local time yesterday, the first four of five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services arrived in country. The teams include a Medical Surgical Response Team and a Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team. Teams from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service are also hitting the ground.

Haiti has a long road ahead. Perhaps with the efforts of the U.S. military and various other militaries from around the world, along with the countless health and charity agencies on the ground, a massive public health disaster can be avoided, or at least kept to a minimum. Time will tell.

Tags: Haiti, Public Health, Haiti Earthquake

Sex Sting Busts Former U.N. Weapons Inpsector

2010-01-16T10:33:00.002-05:00

A police sex sting has netted a former U.N. weapons inspector. Scott Ritter, the U.N.'s former weapons inspector in Iraq, now faces sex-related charges involving a minor.

Via the Pocono Record:

A former chief United Nations weapons inspector is accused of contacting what he thought was a 15-year-old girl in an Internet chat room, engaging in a sexual conversation and showing himself masturbating on a Web camera.

Scott Ritter of Delmar, N.Y., who served as chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991-98 and who was an outspoken critic of the second Bush administration in the run-up to the war in Iraq, is accused of contacting what turned out to be a Barrett Township police officer posing undercover as a teen girl.

The police affidavit states the following:

Officer Ryan Venneman was posing as 15-year-old "Emily" in an online chat room when he was contacted by someone using the name "Delmarm4fun." This person, later identified as Ritter, told "Emily" he was a 44-year-old male from Albany, N.Y.

"Emily" told Ritter she was a 15-year-old girl from the Poconos, at which point Ritter asked for a picture other than the one "Emily" had posted on her account. Ritter then sent her a link to his Web camera and began to masturbate on camera.

"Emily" asked Ritter for his cell phone number, which he provided.

Ritter again asked "Emily" how old she was. Told she was 15, Ritter said he didn't realize she was 15 and turned off his webcam, saying he didn't want to get in trouble.

Ritter told "Emily" he had been fantasizing about having sex with her, to which she replied: "Guess you turned it off ..."

Ritter then said: "You want to see it finish," reactivated his

webcam and continued masturbating and ejaculated on camera.

Tags: U.N., Police, Crime

Disaster Abounds in Haiti

2010-01-14T09:38:00.002-05:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti as they continue this morning to dig out of the rubble after a 7.0 quake rocked the island nation earlier this week. For those interested in donating towards the relief efforts, Fox News has assembled a list of charities and relief agencies involved in the clean up.

Estimates of injured and dead are still varying widely. Some early estimates put the death toll above 100,000:

Distraught Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive announced the massive toll while witnesses told how the victims died in 60 seconds of mayhem as buildings collapsed on them.

But one estimate predicted the final toll could reach 500,000, making it the second most devastating quake in recorded history.

The grim task of recovering thousands of bodies got under way in Haiti yesterday as the sheer scale of the disaster began to emerge.

Rescue workers in the capital Port-au-Prince dragged so many bodies from the rubble they had to pile them in the streets.

Within hours, the mounds of corpses were everywhere. The bodies of tiny children were piled near schools that had collapsed when the earthquake struck with devastating force.

The bodies of workers were piled beside what remained of their offices.

Outside one crumbled building lay an entire family, five children and three adults.

Here is raw video of the immediate chaos and aftermath following the quake:

*Warning: Graphic Content*

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the next 24 hours are "critical".

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, maintaining that "the next 24 hours is critical" to saving victims of the Haitian earthquake, says American forces are moving in as swiftly as possible.

"It’s a devastating situation," she said today in an appearance on CNN. "But we’ve got a very coordinated, aggressive response going on. We’ve sent some of our crack search and rescue teams in."

"We’re going to be there for the long term," Clinton said in another appearance on MSNBC. "This is going to be a full-court press."

The State Department already has raised $3 million for the Red Cross with a text-messaging line for $10 donations, Clinton said today. People can text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10.

It is too early to offer a reliable estimate of the extent of casualties in Haiti, Clinton said.

"I don’t want to hazard a guess," she said on MSNBC. "We know it's going to be in the tens of thousands."

The U.S. military is spearheading relief efforts. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is expected to reach Haiti this afternoon. Military officials say they are still assessing the situation to decide what is needed and what military resources will be sent from the U.S.

The US government has begun to mobilize what is likely to become a massive humanitarian relief effort to deal with Haiti earthquake damage, rerouting an aircraft carrier and other ships, using aerial reconnaissance planes, and sending assessment teams to arrive later Wednesday.

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is expected to reach Haiti by Thursday afternoon, after loading up with relief supplies at a depot in Mayport, Fla., Pentagon officials say. A number of other ships, including the USNS Comfort hospital ship and a group of amphibious ships with a Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard, are on standby and may leave for Haiti in the next few days. In addition, the US Coast Guard has deployed a number of cutters that were already in the region, officials say.

As always, Twitter has become an excellent source for information and news out of Haiti. Follow the latest news at Twitter here.

Tags: Haiti, Haiti Earthquake

2 Decapitated in Latest Mexico Drug Gang Violence

2010-01-11T09:21:00.002-05:00

The bodies of two decapitated men, two women, and the body of a disabled man were found in the streets in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez. The bodies were found by police over the weekend.

Via the NYT:

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) -- Police found two severed heads and the bullet-ridden bodies of two women and a disabled man in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, the latest chapter in Mexico's increasingly gory drug war.

The killing of women or the disabled has been rare in a conflict that has cost more than 15,000 lives in the past three years. But drug gangs appear to using such killings -- and progressively more gruesome mutilations -- to intimidate rivals and the public.

Prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located, said the first man's body was found on a street late Friday with its hands and head cut off. Between the hands was a message with characteristics similar to those usually left by organized crime gangs.

Another man's body, with its head cut off and eyes gouged out, was found elsewhere. Mexican news media reported that a handwritten message was found nearby but Mexican police rarely disclose the contents of such notes, which the cartels use to insult and intimidate their rivals.

Tags: Mexico, Crime, Drugs, Police