Christian As A Foreign Language

People often pepper conversations with Christian words, but they may not know what they're talking about.....CNN, in an interesting article about how dumb some people are.

Ya think? I didn't realize how big of a problem it can be, until I moved to Kansas. On the East Coast, where I grew up, it was unfashionable and decidedly unintelligent to bring Christianity into any discussion that was NOT about Christianity, and marked the speaker as ignorant. And in most diverse communities that thrive, it is considered boorish and rude to push one religion on the masses. My children grew up with my religion, but were still too young for initiation when I moved to Kansas. They knew about fundamental Christians, but those people were more of an unreal fantasy, in stories from the middle ages about the inquisition or footage from the History Channel about the KKK. They never thought they would go to school and be victimized by people who speak fluent Christian, yet don't understand that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew and looked more like Bin Laden than any of the methodist church pictures of him suggest. My children also never knew, until I moved to Kansas, how much of a bigot the Christians' Jesus (not to be confused with any real Jewish man by that name, if one existed at the time he is said to have existed) is.

A mistake that is easy to make, if one was not brought up to be a Christian, is to think that these jargon-speaking Christians actually think about what they say, and know and are completely conscious of the inconsistancies between their words, their deeds, and their so-called Messiah. A prime example is the Christian woman who teaches the low-end special ed kids at my kids' school. It is counter productive for this woman to really help her students progress and get ahead, academically, because after all the students have been discharged from her program, the school board would have to reassign her to a school with children enrolled who need her services. She would have to travel, rather than teach in a school located in her town, near her house. While talking about Jesus out of one side of her mouth, she deleberately impedes the progress of her students, withholding instruction to which they are entitled out of the other side of her Christian mouth, taking advantage of a vulnerable segment of the student population at her place of employment. Thus, she is making a profit off of a captive audience, to their detriment. She makes money from keeping her students stupid. Helping them learn is not in her best interest, because success, in her case, would mean she would have to learn to teach a different audience. How come she isn't aquainted enough with the real Jesus to remember what he did in synagogue when animals were being sold for ritual at exorbitiant prices to people who were unable to raise the animals at their homes? Why does her Christian jargon, lingo, doctrine, and practice lack the understanding of a man who would treat her classroom the same way he treated the vendors' booths in synagogue that day? She's doing the same thing!

If I learn to speak Christian, will there be a way for me to communicate my concerns that twenty or thirty children, in any given year, at a school with only about one hundred and fifty kids need this teacher's special ed services? Or will my nonchristian English or Spanish finally be heard?

"When Christians develop their own private language for one another, they forget how Jesus made faith accessible to ordinary people, he (John Blake, of CNN) says.
“Speaking Christian can become a way of suggesting a kind of spiritual status that others don’t have,” he says. “It communicates a kind of spiritual elitism that holds the spiritually ‘unwashed’ at arm’s length."..............John Blake, CNN

Another disturbing reality involved with American Christians and their nonsense jargon is the idea that they can somehow use language to magically "claim" something other than belief. Here is an explanatory excerpt from the same article:

Or say you’ve been invited to a megachurch that proclaims the prosperity theology (God will bless the faithful with wealth and health). You may hear what sounds like a new language.
Prosperity Christians don’t say “I want that new Mercedes.” They say they are going to “believe for a new Mercedes.” They don’t say “I want a promotion.” They say I “name and claim” a promotion.

Ya know...........I really like the way Janis Joplin put it better, when she said, "♫ Oh Lord...won't you buy me.....♪♫♪......a mercedeeees benz ♫............" She, at least, was sincere. I'll bet Jesus would have liked her, too.

Another Really Sorry Story

This is Jewell Hendricks. A Utah court has just accepted her guilty plea to the murder of one of her two infant sons. According to the story offered by her husband, which, by the way, does not match up, detail for detail, from beginning to end, she suffocated one of the twins out of frustration, because she thought having one baby would be easier. Easier. But then, he explains, it was an accident. Which is it, husband? Deliberate suffocation and accidents are two different types of event.

Her attorney also goes on to tell the public that she has a diminished mental capacity, and that she has "she has the mentality of a twelve to sixteen year old". Ahem..........when I was twelve, I knew better than to kill babies. Also, while sixteen is not a great age to have children, many teenage moms bring up children without committing murder. But this does bring up an interesting question about her baby-daddy: what the hell does a guy see in a girl with a diminished mental capacity? Is she just easier to use? Why the f*&# would a man have children with someone who's thoughts and actions were like a twelve year old's? This whole situation, in my opinion, really says as much about the "dad" as it does about the mom.

One more thing........if Mr. Defense Attorney knew she had a diminished mental capacity, why didn't he take this to trial and argue this? Now this woman is going to prison with a diminished mental capacity. I am also wondering who hired him......was it the baby daddy? And if the mom, or someone who truly had her best interests at heart hired the attorney, instead, would this have ended in a guilty plea? Would more investigation, possibly of the baby-daddy been done? Is this attorney covering for him? I really hope this girl copped that plea because she is really guilty. If she's not, prison is definately not the place for her.

Very Sad Update

Police have now determined, via DNA, that the body of a small child found in an empty home in Detroit is, indeed, Mariha Trenice Smith. Rest in peace, Mariha.

Suffer The Children To Come Unto Me

Ok, ok............I guess I'm sorry if this offends anyone. You gotta admit, though; this was a VERY BAD design! The "Uncle Festor" I know would definately want one of these for every room of his house!

A Brief Recent History Of The Republican Party

Winner Of The Barney Fife Award This Month

It's time for another Barney Fife award. This time, it goes to the cops who arrested Ms. Raquel Nelson, five weeks after she and her children disembarked a city bus, attempted to cross the street, and watched in horror as her four year old son was hit by a hit and run driver and fatally injured. Yep......five weeks after it happened, social services, and apparently enough cops to make what I consider a false arrest, paid her a visit and turned her life even more upside down than it already was. Unbelievable.

This happened in April of 2010. Raquel Nelson was just in court on Tuesday. Thank the Gods that there was enough outcry about all this to send a message to the judge concerning the fairness of this. Had her sentence not been suspended, and had she gone to jail at all, I would have gone to Georgia myself, to picket the courthouse in Marietta. I don't think this mom committed a crime at all. Gosh; my own kids used to run, and dance around parking lots and up and down streets when I walked places with them and I never got charged with a crime! What's up with Georgia's social services department, anyway? Don't they have REAL abuse/neglect cases? It looks to me as if they zeroed in on this family because they thought the mother wouldn't have enough money to hire a good attorney, and her case could just be fodder for them, without them having to go to the trouble and inconvenience of dealing with a real child abuser. Ever notice how real child abusers almost never get prosecuted? Don't forget Adam Herrman, of Kansas. No one had any problems at all with the abuses meted out to Adam by Doug and Valerie Herrman. Real abusers are nasty people, and hard to deal with. It's easier for police and social workers to go pick on people who really are not abusers and use them to fill their dockets and caseloads and get paid, instead.

So.......in honor of this:

Five weeks after the accident, investigators came to Nelson's home, said her aunt, Loretta Williams. Nelson was charged with three misdemeanors: second-degree vehicular homicide, failing to cross at a crosswalk and reckless conduct, according to court records.

A jury convicted her this month. Although prosecutors did not recommend jail time, each count carried a potential sentence of one year in jail -- for a total of 36 months."........CNN

Law Enforcement in Marietta, Georgia gets the dubious honor of the Barney Fife Award from the blog of Siri's World for July of 2011. Believe it or not, the hit and run, I repeat, HIT AND RUN, driver who hit the little boy got less jail time than Raquel Nelson. Vehicular manslaughter.......and she doesn't even own a vehicle!

Update: Raquel Nelson will get a new trial. I am very sorry for her loss.

Mariha Trenice Smith Is Missing

Detroit Michigan...........a five year old girl named Mariha Smith was kidnapped from her home on Sunday Morning, and there is an Amber alert for her. A child was found murdered in the same general area, but it is not known, at this time, if it is Mariha, or if there is even a connection between the two cases. You can read about it here.

Here is a picture of Mariha. If you think you have seen her, or have any information about the case, please call 313-596-5900, or dial 911.

It's Monday, Terri Horman's Cold Case

It's Monday, the day of the week that I choose a cold case from somewhere that has been solved, despite all odds, to discuss with Terri Horman. Today, I have chosen the D.C. Sniper case. I know that this case only went on for several weeks before it was solved, and it didn't really become a cold case, per se, but it had a lot going against it in the way of getting solved. It started on October 2, 2002, and ended on October 24, 2002. I remember the whole thing rather well, because I lived in that area, at the time. The Sniper killed eleven people and wounded six, not counting prior criminal acts in other parts of the country.

Everyone thought it was just one person, not two; and no one ever guessed that one of the two would be a minor! Everyone also thought the Sniper was travelling in a white van. Wrong on both counts.......on the morning of October 24, I got out of my car in Frederick, Maryland, where I worked, and about five helicopters, flying really low, went by. "Hmmmm.........", I thought, "Wonder if they caught the Sniper?"

I was right. They caught the Sniper alright.........the sniperS! There were two of them. Wanna know how it happened, Terri? They stopped at a rest stop, on the interstate, in Frederick County, Maryland. Someone else happened to also be driving through there, and noticed what looked like a kid resting in the trunk of a car that had an unusual looking hole in the trunk. It wasn't a white van, though, it was a blue 1990 caprice. The trunk had, indeed, been altered, so that a person could see out of it, and actually aim a weapon from it. And there were two people, not just one. The man who noticed it called it in, and luckily, the police checked it out, even though the scenario did not quite fit the profile they had in mind. Then, the helicopters descended on them, and the rest is history.

Here they are, John Allen Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo. I was most disgusted because Malvo was only a kid, and really did not deserve to make the aquaintance of Mohammed in order too have his delinquency contributed to in such a serious fashion. Mohammed apparently had dated Malvo's mother at one time or another, and that's how they met. Ladies.......do NOT get your boyfriends at Kmart! Another reason I was disgusted was because all this was brought on by Mohammed's desire to murder his exwife! I mean......really.........(where's the eye-rolley when I need it?) this would have been a great time to just repress those angry feelings and go on with life! Oh well.....speaking of life, that's what Malvo is serving now. And John Allen Mohammed got the death penalty, and is no longer with us.

So you see, Terri? A chance encounter with an observant person possessed of both a telephone and a desire to do right can make all the difference in the world. Do you like helicopter rides?

Could Carol And Larry Moulton Have Something In Common With This Parent?

"This defendant sought to conceal one of the most violent terror plots in recent times," Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news release. "He also enlisted others to help him spin his web of lies and to destroy key evidence. His actions, had they not been thwarted, would have left Americans at grave risk."............CNN, on Mohammed Wali Zazi

In September of 2009, the FBI foiled a plot to bomb a segment of New York's subway system by a young man named Najibullah Zazi. He was hiding explosives in his backpack. Had he actually carried this out, many, many people would have been injured and killed. But Najibullah's dad still wanted to protect his son..........................to the extent of lying to the FBI and hiding and disguising evidence. The Underwear Bomber's dad didn't feel that way, so it must just be some parents of thugs, not all.

That brings me to a couple in Oregon, with a surname that is easier to pronounce and a daughter whose antics are also the subject of interest to the FBI: Carol and Larry Moulton. They also want to protect their daughter, even  if it means an eight year old will never go home. Their fortyone year old so-called daughter, Terri Moulton Horman, is just more important. Well......if they hide evidence or lie for her, covering up for ANY criminal activity, this is a crime. Just a friendly reminder, Carol and Larry. Just a friendly reminder.

Please believe me when I tell you that the FBI, the local police, the court system, and the general public all support Kyron's interests rather than your daughter's. It's time for Kyron Horman to come home safe and unharmed. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Parents Caught Hiding The Evidence

This is Rex Adkins. There was a story about him on CNN this morning. About twenty years ago, in a trailer park in Whitehall, Ohio, someone called the cops, when he was on duty, as a sort-of-new detective, to report a child in a family of five who was being beaten black and blue by his insane parents. Rex Adkins answered the call and paid the monsters a visit, but the monsters lied and said they only had two children, introduced the two children to the cops, and the cops left. But Adkins did not buy the story, at face value, and went back later, taking four other detectives with him. This time, the monsters did not answer the door, so the officers told them they'd hang out all night, outside the trailer, if need be, until they opened the door. They were finally invited back inside, and this time, conducted a search of the premises, and they found a third child, under the waterbed in the master bedroom (a waterbed in a trailer!) who was beaten so badly that he had several broken bones and a fractured skull! I wonder how Steve Houze or Jose Baez would have defended THAT case?!

 
James Stacy, at the time Whitehall's police chief, told me that the child had been beaten virtually since the time he was born. He was the one of the three children who was singled out for the brutality.

"He had never been sent to school," Stacy said. "His life consisted of being beaten in that trailer. His parents ridiculed him and made fun of the way he talked. ... He was made to stand in the corner for hours and sleep on the floor with the dog. When our officers asked the father why the boy had never been enrolled in school, the father said, 'He ain't been sent to school because he talks funny.' ".....From Bob Greene, CNN.

Ya know.........even twenty years ago, we had birth control for people who honestly didn't want any more children, or didn't want children in the first place. I don't care what the Church says about birth control; I don't care how many fantasies Governer Browncrack (R. Kansas) has that all pregnancies occur in the bellies of potentially loving mothers and that families are somehow "heaven sent". There are people among us who should never have children. Period. And too many police officers fear legal reprisal if they construe a report like the one the neighbors of the above mentioned monster-couple as "probable cause" and search the place, if they think a child with a skull fracture might be hidden somewhere on the premises. It's just legally easier and politically correct to whitewash everything and say you "checked", but that there turned out to be "nothing wrong". I am so relieved that Rex Adkins "listened to his gut" instead, since that truly was this little boy's only chance of ever being found under the bed and eventually growing up without broken bones.


Here's the whole article.

Don't Get Your Jesus At Walmart

Geesh! Some people in South Carolina think they have a picture of Jesus on a Walmart receipt. And this actually made the headlines...........! When I read stuff like this, I become even more grateful that my Dad taught me that religion is really the opiate of the masses more than it is anything else. Seriously, read this.

How come everyone thinks they know what Jesus looked like, anyway, if he really existed? I see a lot of pictures, supposedly of Jesus, in midwestern Methodist churches featuring a man with light brown hair, blue eyes, and very Caucasion features. If Jesus really existed, he probably never saw a pair of blue eyes, (possibly green, but not blue) and probably had an olive to very dark complexion and black hair. It's quite likely that he resembled Osama Bin Laden more than the imaginary entity of the the "Jesus" pictures. But Christians in South Carolina, and probably everywhere in the United States, likely do not agree with me. Here's a quote from the article: "The couple said the image seemed to answer a question they had just been asked at church.

"We had a message on knowing God, abiding in him," Sutherland said. "(The preacher asked) 'If you know God, would you recognize him if you saw him?'"

What a question! If the real Jesus reappeared, he probably wouldn't be able to board a plane or open a bank account because some good Christian would think he's a terrorist, and his name was really "Yeshua", not Jesus. His surname would be Middle Eastern, and sound very scary to the Republican Party.  He'd oppose war, and oppose all of the greedy goals so many politicians have right now.......would any American Christians recognize him, and once they did, would they want thim around? I kinda don't think so.

Here's a popular picture of what lots of people in Kansas, and the surrounding states think Jesus looked like. They also think god is a white old man with a flowing white beard, too. And they probably think that white old man is gonna zap yours truly for publishing this! Hahahahahahaha! Believe me when I tell you this isn't what any Middle Eastern man looked like at the time Jesus allegedly existed!

Oh...........I almost forgot...........here's a question for Christians, if any care to answer me; isn't there a commandment regarding "graven images"? Would that include walmart receipts?

Adam Herrman's Adoptive Parents May Spend Time In The Pokey

Remember any of my former rants about this couple?

Well......as it happens.....hopefully.....Doug and Valerie Herrman will go to jail for stealing money from their adopted son, Adam Herrman, while he's been missing since 1999, instead of the court accepting their plea agreement. The judge thought that the mysterious disappearance of their son, along with their ten year failure to report his absence, while cashing checks intended for him every month during that time, was a factor that really set this case apart from others. I have to agree.

Perhaps while sitting in jail, they will remember more details about what could possibly have happened to Adam. Hopefully, they will get no special treatment, and spend their time with the rest of the prison populations where they are housed. How often can it be surmised that a fellow prisoner actually meets someone who has never been incarcerated before, but has been sentenced to the maximum for a first offense which happened to be theft, and is also strongly suspected by the community of being responsible for the disappearance of a helpless child? If I were Doug or Valerie Herrman, I would start talking about Adam's whereabouts very soon. That may be the only way those two can be separated from the rest of the prisoners for their own safety. Well......maybe being locked up won't be that bad for them, but it seems like it will certainly serve them right.

I really hope, after the Casey Anthony trial, that the prosecuting attorneys in Butler County, Kansas put together an airtight case against Doug and Valerie Herrman when they finally have the evidence and statements lined up. I am very encouraged to see Kansas finally begin to send a message to those who would harm children in their care.

Reward Offered For Wading Pool Thief

I guess it's been a really hot summer. Some guy actually robbed a walmart employee at gunpoint and absconded with an inflateable child's wading pool! That's all he wanted, just a wading pool and pool stuff.............It happened in San Antonio, Texas.

He got away, though, taking the wading pool with him. According to KENS5 News, "Officers said the man also tried to steal an inflatable boat before taking off in a yellow taxi"; which made me wonder if the yellow taxi was also inflateable. There is a $5,000 reward offered for this man. Tips can be called in to 210-224-7867.

Theft of an inflateable wading pool at gunpoint. Unbelieveable.

Wedding Picture Of The Century

Here's a bride in Michigan who got her picture taken in handcuffs............but sadly, there was nothing kinky about it. She had been wanted for three years for identity theft, and police thought she was in Florida. I wonder how they found her...........could it have been her application for a marriage lisence, a wedding announcement, or possibly her real name used in everything from invitations to other arrangements? Possibly all of the above? Sounds even more stressful than a normal wedding, but I've gotta admit, she has a great story to tell her grandchildren one day!

Here's the pic of the bride getting handcuffed by someone other than the groom! Sadly, she may not have learned her lesson. She's already duffed a court date since the arrest:  "The woman was to appear in court on Monday but failed to show stated Blackman Township police, which could lead to further charges against the newlywed."---CBSlocal

Terri Horman's Cold Cases

It's Monday, everyone! Time for Terri Horman's Cold Cases, when I describe a case that went cold on the local law enforcement and the FBI, but then got solved, to the amazement of the community and to the befuddlement of the suspect. Today I think I will remind Terri Horman of the Unabomber, who thought he had everyone outsmarted for eighteen years, but then got caught.

Do you remember the Unabomber, Terri? In 1978, Ted Kaczynski started mailing homemade bombs to people in the mail. He had really dumbass reasons for doing it, too. I mean, some of his complaints about cooperations were legit, but wouldn't it have been more effective to just write a book about what he thought was wrong? Words are usually the method of choice for communication; when explosives get thrown in, one's point has a tendency to become lost in the aftermath. And so it was with Ted Kaczynski, when he injured twentythree people and killed three more. I don't think anyone really cared what he was trying to say anymore. Everyone just wanted him caught and locked up, with his mail priveledges indefinately suspended. In 1996, that happened. Wanna know how? Here's what happened...........Ted Kaczynski knew authorities were trying to nab the elusive Unabomber, so he teased everyone by writing a piece, which he called his "manifesto", and sending it to the Washington Post. He did this with the same anonymity under which he mailed explosives. He thought he could continue to fool everyone.......but.....his own brother recognized the writing style and the choices of words and gave the FBI a call. One thing led to another, and it's all history now: the Unabomber is in prison. You can read more about it here.     

Here he is, Terri, the man who thought he had outsmarted everyone. The case was cold, but he got caught. The fact that he was wanted by the FBI didn't just go away.........it followed him everywhere he went. Do you think any of your problems are going to just melt away, Terri?

Northern Goshawk Killed In Maryland

In June of this year, some hunter shot and killed the female of the last mating pair of Northern Goshawks in Maryland. The nest was left with three chicks, who died, because they could not fend for themselves. The bird was found,  shot with pellets.

Garrett County is one of the last places in Maryland with enough forest to appeal to such a bird. Why do hunters shoot at endangered or extinct species, anyway? Here's the story.

Republicans Vote To Raise Debt Ceiling All The Time

You know, Republicans have voted to raise the debt ceiling quite a few times in the past. Why are they refusing to work with Obama? Is it really about economic issues?

Ya know.........the American people elected President Obama. The republicans have a RESPONSIBILITY to work WITH him. I, for one, am beginning to truly resent the way those who refuse to work with Obama are posturing. If certain republicans don't want to work with the President elected by the people, they need to resign their offices, or ask the people not to elect people they don't want to work with anymore. Of course, that would reflect a case wherein a democracy is no longer a democracy, and it would also force them to reveal the inner, true reasons why they won't sit down and listen to Obama. The hypocrisy, bigotry, and pettiness are all transparent, republicans. Give it up.

Unresolved Questions

In the wake of the Casey Anthony trial, and the ongoing search for Kyron Horman, I am not surprised to hear about Kyron's Law, concerning the reporting of children who are absent from school without written excuses, and Caylee's Law, about reporting missing children. Then I read and hear what Jaycee Dugard has to tell all of us about her situation. There were sixty logged visits from probations officers to the Garrido residence, where Jaycee was hidden in the backyard and various buildings on the property, and no one could see three young ladies who did not belong there. And........there were clearly laws against Mr. Garrido having any children in his home. What is it going to take for all of us to start opening our eyes and using common sense?

Among the mistakes by state parole agents who supervised Garrido from 1999 until his latest arrest in August was a failure to investigate why there was a 12-year-old girl inside the home of a registered sex offender, why "clearly visible utility lines" were running from Garrido's home to a concealed compound where he allegedly kept Dugard and why agents took no action when they received information "clearly showing Garrido had violated his parole terms."

That was a quote from the above linked article, and it seems like a no-brainer. Especially the part about utility lines running from the home to a concealed compound. We didn't need psychics with crystal balls; we needed eyes, ears, and common sense!

Kyron's Law is excellent wisdom. I sincerely hope it helps in the future; but, if I had been teaching his class that day, and noticed his backpack and other personal effects in the classroom when I started to teach, I would have insisted that he be in the classroom with them! I would have notified the office and had someone call his parents. Of course, in the event that this was planned by his stepmother, she would probably not have helped, but at least some notice would have been taken before six or seven hours had elasped. Along with Kyron, I fervently pray that common sense is found very soon.

And I cannot forget about Adam Herrman, although his adoptive parents probably would have, had they not been convicted of theft of monies intended for him and forced to pay a small fraction of it back to the state of Kansas. Caylee Anthony was not reported missing for thirtyone days; Adam Herrman was missing for ten years before anyone reported him missing. His case has not generated all of the outcry that Caylee's has. No one has even charged Doug and Valerie Herrman of a crime in connection to Adam's disappearance. It's almost as if it were legal to lose a child in Kansas. As a parent, I would normally not think that there would need to be a law about reporting missing children in a timely manner, but ten years is a long time. I had no idea that people like Doug and Valerie Herrman even existed outside of horror movies or very isolated true stories until I heard about Adam Herrman. Yet..........here in Kansas.......they abound and thrive, taking advantage of every taxpayor funded resource they can get their hands on, with social service's blessing. Yes; I guess we need some federal laws to protect children.

Here are Doug and Valerie Herrman, the two people who thought Adam Herrman, their ADOPTED son did not matter to anyone. After never looking for their son, not even once, after he went missing, they go to work every day, unharrased, and no one incessently demands that they disclose Adam's whereabouts. They even reportedly got nasty on the phone with Adam's biological sister, telling her not to ever call back or ask about Adam again! That's how firm they are about their God-given right to "lose", or dispose of, a child, here in Kansas. Below is Adam, how he looked before he disappeared, and how he might look now if he is still alive. There is more than enough testimony from eyewitnesses and former victims of their abuses to children in the past for our judicial system to look a little harder at this. I do not agree with the citizens here in Kansas who are simply letting Doug and Valerie slide in this one. I do not agree with Kansas that Adam is not important. He is to me, just because he was a little boy who deserved love, and certainly deserved  better than Doug and Valerie Herrman. I really want Kansas to try harder to find him, and try harder to bring Doug and Valerie to justice. This probably won't happen as long as everyone feels that the situation is just "ok". It's not "ok" with me.

Here is one more unresolved question, for the road: where is Kyron Horman? Here's his picture, one more time.

Big Brother Says Our Kids Can't Be Too Fat

Seriously? If my son or daughter is overweight, I can get a visit from a social worker and the sheriff, and have my family split up and disrupted? But.........let me get this straight.......if a kid complains that his parents won't let him eat, or won't let him have a winter coat, or presents with obvious signs of abuse resulting from violence, that's okay, and social services will just "keep and eye" on the parents (whatever that means) and let the kid stay with them. But; with all the budget cuts, we have enough money to separate the families of overweight children and exacerbate the stress those children already experience! No joke; I read it here. Dr. David Ludwig, with Childrens Hospital Boston, thinks we should start reporting fat kids the same way we report battered kids.

A battered child goes through so much when social services takes him away from his parents. Not that it isn't ever called for; at times, it is. Often, siblings are split up, with no effort to keep any contact at all between the siblings. Sure, a cursery effort is made, but not much is really done to keep brothers and sisters together. There are times when it's impossible. A lot of parents don't want a child back when the child has been removed from parental custody. The child represents failure to the parent, and the parent would rather blame the child. Is it really the parent's fault if the child is obese, anyway?

Those are just a couple of problems with the whole idea of removing overweight children from parental custody. I can't help but wonder where the good Dr. Ludwig thinks he should draw the line between morbid obesity, obesity, and "chubby". Would a parent who isn't popular become the victim of community harassment if his kid was a little bit fat? This could create legal nightmares!

Ultimitely, the most obvious problem with Dr. Ludwig's wonderful brainstorm is this:

Jerri Gray, a Greenville, S.C., single mother who lost custody of her 555-pound 14-year-old son two years ago, said authorities don't understand the challenges families may face in trying to control their kids' weight.

"I was always working two jobs so we wouldn't end up living in ghettos," Gray said. She said she often didn't have time to cook, so she would buy her son fast food. She said she asked doctors for help for her son's big appetite but was accused of neglect.

Her sister has custody of the boy, now 16. The sister has the money to help him with a special diet and exercise, and the boy has lost more than 200 pounds, Gray said.

"Even though good has come out of this as far as him losing weight, he told me just last week, 'Mommy, I want to be back with you so bad.' They've done damage by pulling us apart," Gray said.

We have a cultural problem on our hands, and no family is perfect. Children are not encouraged to exercise anymore, and lot of schools will not even allow children to ride their bikes to school. We pump our kids full of drugs for ADHD, and discourage the very lifestyle that will help the most with obesity in children. There are so many conflicting messages! Each family with this issue, if it's really an issue, is going to have to find it's own way to cope, the same way each person with a medical problem has to find his own way to accomodate the medical problem. Forcing children to say goodbye to brothers, sisters, pets, and home, and telling them that they can no longer live with parents who love them somehow does not seem like the answer, when there are children in this country who really are in grave danger because of actual abuse. That may be the biggest conflicting message of all about Dr. Ludwig's recommendations. I hope no one listens to him.

Amber Alerts And How Tips Help

Earlier today, in Baltimore, Maryland, eight year old Derrick Charles Brown was kidnapped by two men, thrown into the trunk of a car, and hustled away from his friends. An Amber Alert was issued for him, since the kidnapping involved a motor vehicle, and someone actually saw the vehicle described as having been inovolved in this crime, then the person recognized Derrick, as he was being taken from the trunk. Derrick is very lucky, because this person did not mind getting involved, and called the cops and got Derrick rescued. The two men, one of whom is in custody now, thought they were going to lock Derrick in an empty house.

So why am I posting about this? Just to remind everyone that if an Amber Alert has been issued for a child, and you think you have seen a child whose picture and description are the subject of the alert, and possibly the description the a vehicle that may have been used, you have nothing to lose by calling it in. Derrick Brown is safe now, because someone did that for him.

Here's the story about Derrick.

Please do not forget about Kyron Horman, missing from Oregon since June, 2010.

And don't forget about Timothy Pitzen, who has been missing from Illinois since May, 2011.

Seamus O'Riley's Unthinking Following

 

Anonymous said...

Juli Henry said... The jury was obviously thinking about the constitution in our country, the law, and the way our judicial system works. They were following instructions extreemly well under the circumstances, which inolved lots and lots of media, and they were listening very carefully for EVIDENCE, which was never presented. The case was WEAK from the start, folks, realize it! The duct tape on Caylee's face was only evidence that there was duct tape on Caylee's face. It may be "common sense" to ASSUME it was Casey, and I am reasonably sure it was, but ASSUMPTIONS cannot amount to EVIDENCE! Our justice system simply cannot work that way. Why won't the populace look at themselves and ask why the State of Florida, or "The People" didn't work harder to bring a stronger case? That's where the disconnect took place. It wasn't the Jury. They did what they were supposed to do. Casey played this game very strategically from a what appeared to be a losing position. Had the prosecuting attorneys and law enforcement played by the rules, a stonger case would have resulted. This should be a lesson to everyone about arrogence.....prosecuting attorneys thought they were better/smarter/more educated/ect. than Casey, went to court with a sloppily prepared case, thinking it would be slam-dunk, because they were "better" then she, and look...they lost. _________ So, the Prosecution lost its case, because it was suffering from a superiority complex? Wow, that would be hilarious, if it weren't so fantastical and sad. When I clicked on your username, your profile page on Blogger popped up. You describe yourself there as a "professional troublemaker". In addition, one of your two blogs is a homage to "Tarot" readings, an occult practice based on fantasy and a deck of cards. How fitting, though, that Killer's defense team, along with the jury, would be complemented by the above poster, since their shenanigans in court, and the resulting unjust verdict, were routed in fantastical thinking, too.

This was what another poster over at Seamus O'Riley Statement Analysis had to say to me about my opinion that the jury in the Casey Anthony trial simply did their job, to the best of their ability, doing the best they could with the CIRCUMSTANTIAL evidence that was presented to them. I am just amazed at the number of people in this country who do not understand our justice system and how it works. Yes; it looks very much like Casey Anthony is guilty of murdering her daughter. It really does; but in order to convict, a jury needs more than just assumptions and circumstantial evidence. Could the prosecution have obtained it? Yes, I think so, if they had gone to the trouble. I really think the prosecuting attorney felt that he was smarter and better educated that Casey Anthony, and that he could wrap this whole case up without actually doing any work, especially if he made sure the media got everyone agitated. Unfortunately, for the prosecution, our justice system doesn't work that way. And.....just look at Project Innocence and it's statistics! Personal feelings, assumptions, and circumstantial evidence have sent many an innocent person to jail! Even with Casey Anthony walking, I do not want to turn back the clock to the Salem Witch trials and no DNA evidence. I truly love this country and I don't want the presumption of innocent until proven guilty to change. Sorry, anonomous poster who doesn't like me because of my tarot cards, troublemaking career, and opinion which differs from yours. You feel that my thinking is "fantastical"? Well........if you thought they jury on the Anthony trial could convict with no evidence, YOUR thinking was obviously more "fantastical" than mine ever could be. And I did not compliment the jury. I called out the prosecution on a weak case because I did not think they cared about the child who got killed.

Another Wonderful What I Did Last Summer Story

Dylan McCoy accidently fell into a well, while jumping on plywood covering the well. Then, he ended up floating in ten feet of water. Instead of waiting for the fire department, his dad, Jason, jumped right in after him. Now Jason and Dylan are both safe. Pretty cool.

I always love a story with a happy ending.

What I Did This Summer

I LOVE children! They are so much fun! Look at Kobe Bryant, playing basketball with this kid!

And here's the whole story!

Attention, Carol and Larry Moulton

Here is a story about a bunch of kids who got together and created a ruckus in Riverwest, Wisconsin. They committed several armed robberies, and while they were caught on security camaras, they were not caught by police. Some were as young as thirteen years old.

Wanna know how they got caught? The local news in Wisconsin aired the story, complete with footage taken from the security camaras, and when several parents noticed THIER OWN progeny in the pictures, they called the cops. You read that right: they CALLED THE COPS. If you watch the video featured in the story to which I have provided a link, you will also hear how one mother agonized over it, but told her kids what she decided to do, and ACCOMPANIED them to the police station, where she insisted that they CONFESS, thereby giving the SUPPORT in doing the RIGHT thing, and RECTIFYING what they did wrong. What a concept in parenting! Is it new? Or is it just a Mom who loves her kids and wants them to grow up, have happy lives, and take their place in the community as adults with self respect?

You probably think you are better than the parents of these children for several reasons, which I will not discuss here, but you fall short. You know that your daughter has been involved in immoral crap from the day she broke up Kyron Horman's family. He was part of Kaine's life first. Not your daughter. Kyron has dibs on his dad's time and energy. I think, at this point, Kaine realizes his mistake; at least, I hope so. But you..........how on Earth do you bring up an "adultery" person and then present yourselves as good people? Aren't you ashamed? Now, more to my point about Terri Moulton Horman................Kyron did not disappear into thin air on June 4, 2010. Whatever happened, it was well planned and well executed. All of the adults in Kyron's life with the SOLE EXCEPTION of your daughter passed polygraph examinations and have been cleared as suspects. Whatever she knows about all of this, she has an obligation to share, in order to bring Kyron home. Why don't you let the fortyone year old adultery woman cope with whatever consequences will result from whatever level of involvement she may have executed in all this, and have some compassion for Kyron, who is only eight?  How do you compare to these parents in the story, here, from Wisconsin? Do you love your Terri Moulton Horman enough to insist that she do the right thing? Prolly not, your opinion that breaking up a family is just fine is evidenced by your continued housing of the person who did it.

You really suck, Carol and Larry. You really suck. I am glad you never taught in my schools, or in any of my childrens' schools. You don't have what it takes to teach children anything. Not if you can't take the positive step of teaching your daughter to do all she can with her guilt or innocence (as if!) to help Kyron, not hurt him. Morals are a child-rearing basic, and yours obviously suck. If any of my daughters decided to sneak around with a married man, I'd be horrified, disappointed, and ashamed. And if Terri would sneak around with a married man, what else would she do that isn't right? Keep in mind, she FAILED a polygraph. We all understand Terri Horman's need for a criminal defense attorney, but it looks to me as if she has needed decent, upstanding, supportive parents all her life. It also looks to me as if she has never had them.

Here's a link to the Riverwest, Wisconsin story. The woman who gave the interview is a good woman who loves her children. It's too bad Terri Horman couldn't have had parents like her.

Another Cold Case For Terri Horman

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez says they weren't able to file chages until two witnesses came forward to tell investigators that Gargiulo admitted killing Pacaccio.

Calfornia investigators say Gargiulo may be responsible for other unsolved murders in and around Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2011, WGN-TV, Chicago

wgntv-charges-filed-for-1993-murder-glenview-teen-july7"

What's all this about? Well, Terri, it seems a young man named Michael Gargiulo has been on the lam since 1993 over a murder he is suspected of having committed. He probably thought he had gotton away with it, too. But you know what? It didn't go away.

A couple of witnesses finally came forward. Do you know of any other situations wherein that sort of thing could happen?

And Terri, if you don't believe me, read this.

 

Caylee's Law

Call me naive...........I actually thought it was the law, already, to report a missing child in a timely manner! But if it isn't, then it is about time it became a law. But it has to be a very easy-to-understand law, that federally applies, in all 50 states and all territories. And the time limit for reporting something can definately not be thirtyone days, as in Caylee Anthony's case; ten years, as in Adam Herrman's case, or even six or seven hours, like what happened with Kyron Horman. And here's something else......who counts as a guardian? If a teacher sees a kid's backpack and jacket still in the classroom, and he has not been officially signed out for the day via the office, is the teacher, or someone else at the school, in a "guardian" position and legally responsible to report the child as missing? And....what if the teacher already KNOWS the child is missing? But still wants to look for the child himself, and "not get the police involved"? See http://siriunsun.blogspot.com/2011/04/child-safety-and-kansas-schools.html

I think we all accept that reporting Kyron Horman as missing immediately would have helped greatly in the effort to find him. I know we all accept that Caylee Anthony should have been reported as missing way, way before thirtyone days went by. And a few of us die-hards who feel that EVERY child is important feel that Adam Herrman should not have had to wait ten years for anyone to look for him. I will be interested in seeing how this law is enforced.

More on the subject.

Casey Anthony And The Court Of Public Opinion

In May, I posted about Camden Hughes, who was found in Maine, just outside of New Hampshire, deceased. I was horrified to learn that his mother had not only murdered him, but had actually planned the whole thing, travelling from Texas, where she would have gotton the death penalty for first degree murder, which it WAS, to crime tolerant New Hampshire, where people feel sorry for mommies who didn't realize that when we bring children into this world, we don't get to BE children anymore. Someone left a comment under that post that said "Poop". So........everyone wants to hang Casey Anthony, but it's truly fine to let Julianne McCreery get away with murder? The link to my post is http://siriunsun.blogspot.com/2011/05/second-degree-murder-children-and-new.html

So why do I get such an ignorant, negative response at the prospect of holding accountable a murderer against whom the people have EVIDENCE? Not only is there legally gotton statements from Camden Hughes's mother, there are witnesses to where she went with him, and there is camara footage. She was a danger to her child, and would be a danger to others. Why isn't it ok to want her locked up for the rest of her life? But someone thought they should comment "poop" under my post.

Then, there is the famous Casey Anthony. As we all know, by this time, she was aquitted of first degree murder. Before anyone judges me for what I am about to say, please know that I think she is guilty. I am not sure how little Caylee died, and that one, unclear point was probably a big problem for the jury, but I think Casey knows exactly how it happened and lied about it. It was up to the state of Florida to bring an airtight case against her and get her out of circulation for the rest of her life. They failed. Lack of evidence. But; does anyone really want a defendant in our courts to be guilty before proven innocent? I don't. We have enough problems with our justice system, from the way suspects are profiled, often wrongly, to the way evidence is mishandled and sometimes ignored. We don't need to undermine one of the biggest benefits we have in our criminal justice system.

One of the problems we have in the way justice is administered is that if a defendant presents as lower middle class to poor, the police will often assume that no one who matters will care about the person. They will also assume that the person is uneducated and untravled. They, and often prosecuting attorneys, will badger the defendant, throwing lies and circumstantial evidence in the defendant's face, swearing up and down that they KNOW a judge and jury will take the lies and circumstantial evidence seriously. That's how a lot of pleas are copped to crimes that the defendant didn't really commit, or that the defendant did not commit alone. Thus, justice does not actually get served. Casey lied, at times even pulling truly silly lies out of her ass, but didn't play the game the way most young and undereducated Florida defendants play it when law enforcement intimidates them. But the prosecution, in it's arrogance, went ahead and went to trial with a weak and circumstantial case. Now, because they thought they could get away with not doing thier jobs, a very dangerous person is free. Nice going, Florida. Even worse than New Hampshire.

Then, there is Carlos Rico, who dropped his four year old son off on the side of the road near Lubbock, Texas last week. He had choked the boy, and dumped him, thinking he was dead. But surprise! He wasn't dead! He got back up after daddy dearest thought he killed him and continued to live! But Texas went out and got daddy dearest, and charged him with attempted first degree murder. They have the vicitim's testimony, and forensic evidence. If this goes to court, I am reasonably sure they will get a guilty verdict. I really have to appreciate the message they send here: "If you wanna commit a crime, especially one against a child, don't do it in Texas". That's why Julianne McCreery went to New Hampshire.

Man Wants Porn In Prison

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/07/04/pkg.wdiv.inmate.porn.rights.cnn?hpt=hp_c2

I must have my pornography

I have to have my fix,

Not having it is killing me!

I have to have my nudie pics!

Such living conditions have been used as a method of 'psychological warfare' against prisoners, in order to both destroy the morale of inmates and break the spirit of individuals," Richards wrote in a court filing

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110704/METRO03/107040358/Inmate-sues-state-over-lack-of-porn-in-jail#ixzz1RKzcoBKZ

Well duh! Kyle Richards is incarcerated for armed robbery. Where did he think he was going after getting caught, charged, and sentenced? To summer camp? This 21 year old also wants his own TV and video games. He feels that the lack of video games is cruel and unusual punishment!

My only problem with this is that sometimes the ACLU picks up these cases, and there are really so many more cases, REAL cases, that need the attention of the ACLU. But I could just see this now.........the Supreme Court having to rule on whether or not depriving a man of his video games and porn constitutes cruel and unusual punishment<<<<<<<<<<<<<sigh>>>>>>>>>>>>>>where's the eye-rolley when I need it?

Hey Kyle, if you can't do the time, remember, next time, not to do the crime.

Young Man Puts Blow Up Sex Doll In School Bathroom Stall As Prank

Hahaha! That's a GOOD one! I've always been a big believer in pranks...........any of you familiar with the Red Horse Inn, in Frederick, Maryland, with a big red horse on the top of the building? The red horse in the corral actually ended up on top of Damascus High one year! Good times!

The thing is, all the police did, when the red horse ended up on top of Damascus High, was visit the school, demand to know exactly who the pranksters were, and further demand that the horse be put back where it belonged, and that no one bother the horse again.......blah, blah, blah. The horse was taken back, no one was arrested, even though the guilty parties were identified in the process, and life went on.

So why is this young man facing criminal charges? And why are they trying to charge him with a FELONY? Isn't that overkill? It sounds to me, as if the police in Indiana are vying for the Barney Fife Award.

Happy Independence Day, Terri Horman

Ok.........new download. Problem with music fixed!

Maria Ridulph

This is a picture of seven year old Maria Ridulph, of Illinois, who went missing in early December of 1957. Her alleged kidnapper, a man named McCollough, who later took on the alias of Tessier and never went back to using his REAL name, was known to all the children in the neighborhood. He offered little Maria a piggyback ride, and it sounds as if no one who knew her ever saw her again. Here is her picture. Rest in peace, Maria. Even after fiftyfour years, there is a clear message that you still always had the right to grow up and enjoy your life.

The search for Maria in December 1957 grew to involve more than 1,000 law enforcers and numerous other community members, ultimately catching the attention of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who requested daily updates, DeKalb County State's Attorney Clay Campbell said in a written statement Friday."

That is really commendable on the part of an FBI director and a president. Not that I am a great fan of J. Edgar Hoover, but I really wish elected officials in those positions today would take that kind of interest in missing persons cases involving children.

Beltane and Samantha

Here are two great friends of mine, Beltane and Samantha. Wonderful cats.

What The Hell Is Wrong With Some Parents?

A four year old boy was found, all by himself, on the side of the road near Lubbock, Texas, the other  night. He was dropped off there by his father, and abandoned. When I first saw the story, I couldn't blog about it immediately, because it upset me so much.

This little boy was lucky, Someone noticed him, and picked him up and called the police. Then, a relative came to get him. When the man who initially picked up the child asked him his name and age, he wouldn't say anything. He just held up four fingers, to tell how many years old he was.

I don't know if I can take any more stories like this. I picked up a dog off the side of the road that way, once. It's bad enough when a pet gets abandoned, but one's own child???? Please.......if you don't want your child, take advantage of the Safe Havens law, which allows a parent to take the child to a police station or hosptital, say, "this is a safe havens child", and leave, no questions asked. I could never do that, and I don't think I currently know anyone who could, but wouldn't that be much better for the child that just leaving him by the side of the road?

Here's a picture of the father. He's been charged with attempted first degree murder now. And somehow, his son got hundreds of cactus thorns in his skin. How could anyone do that to a child, and why?

This Should Really Scare Terri Horman

CNN) -- A 71-year-old Seattle man living under an assumed name at a retirement community in Washington has been arrested in connection with the 1957 kidnapping and murder of an Illinois girl, authorities said Friday.

Seriously: check this out..............

Imagine that, Terri! After becoming a suspect in the kidnapping of Maria Ridolph, in Illinois, a man whose surname was McCollough changed it to Tessier, joined the service, and skipped town. Then, when he got back to this country after serving, he settled in Seattle! So close to where you used to live..............You know how old little Maria was when she disappeared? She was seven......just like someone else in your aquaintance..........a couple found her in the woods.

Are you and Houze planning to attend the extradition hearing in King County, Washington, today? McCollough is being held on a 3 million dollar bond. I'll bet that was unheard of back in 1957. I'll bet he is also surprised that anyone would feel that his "alleged" victim is even worth that much; after all, she was only a seven year old child.............

Notice this guy's balding, grey head. I'll bet he looked a lot younger back in 1957. I'll bet he also never thought he'd get caught. But then, there's been a lot of that going around, hasn't there? I am really thinking of starting separate newsletter, just for you, containing info about each and every cold case I hear about that gets solved after a number of years goes by, while the perpetrator thinks he or she has gotton away with something. Maybe you and Houze should think about it. I know Houze has had some high profile clients, but has anyone on his client roster ever been held on a 3 million dollar bond pending extradition? And will he still be practicing law in fifty-four years? Who will you hire if you find yourself having to answer questions about Kyron at some distant, future date, Terri?

The questions we all have about Kyron are not going to go away, Terri. The above described case should outline this clearly for you. And a seven year old truly IS worth a 3 million dollar bond, and much more; no matter what you and McCollough probably think.

Didn't I see a video message addressed to you, not too long ago, stating that "once the FBI sinks their teeth into something, they never let go"? You should start believing it.

Strauss-Kahn Is Still An Ass Grabbing Creep

"NEW YORK (AP) — The hotel maid who accused former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault may have inflicted fatal damage on her own case by lying to prosecutors about her life story and what she did in the moments after the suspected attack, legal experts said.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office revealed Friday that the 32-year-old woman had committed a host of minor frauds to better her life in the U.S. since arriving in the country seven years ago, including lying on immigration paperwork, cheating on her taxes, and misstating her income so she could live in an apartment reserved for the poor."


Folks; I really don't care what this young woman did before she had the misfortune of meeting the toadlike, European, self-important creep. Let me also remind you that "not a one of us is perfect". No, she shouldn't have done all the stuff the above paragraph SAYS she did, but it has nothing to do with what France's version of a........... ahem......cough.....cough........"leader" (that's probably the most loosely, no pun intended, that I have ever used the word "leader") should do when he visits another country. I went 80 mph in a 65 mph zone once and got a ticket for it. Does that mean it's okay to assualt me, but maybe it wouldn't be if that ticket had never been part of my driving record? WAKE UP, folks! This man is obviously a danger in any society that values equality and safety! Lets tell his attornies to shut the f*** up and send the appropriate message.

Here's another picture of the the entitled-feeling creep.

And here's a link to an article in which Jeffery Toobin states that we need to be more openminded about people who get arrested for rape. He does not mention the subject of being more openminded about rape victims, a subject of much study and revision here in America. http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/01/toobin.dsk.case/index.html?hpt=ju_bn2

I wonder if anyone in France is embarrassed about this. If not, they should be.

Timothy Pitzen Is Still Missing

Timothy Pitzen, who went missing in May, from Aurora, Ill., is still missing. Family, Law Enforcement, and friends are still hoping for a positive outcome in this case. Timothy's mother, Amy, was found deceased, presumbly a suicide, in her hotel room, and while she left a note stating that Timothy is with friends, no one has been able to determine who those friends are. Police are still trying to find out exactly where timothy was handed off to these friends.

If you know anything about this case, or about Timothy Pitzen and his whereabouts, please, please, get in touch with police in Aurora. Timothy's family desperately wants him back.

Above are two more pictures of Timothy, and the latest new story is here.

Hey Terri, Does This Make You Nervous?

LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio - On Thursday authorities arrested a Amherst Twp. man in connection with murder that occurred more than 35-years ago.

Bobbie New, 69, of Ohio was just charged with a murder that happened in 1976, Terri. See his grey hair? All these years, he thought he had gotton away with it. The case went cold, but it didn't go away.

Here you go, just in case you don't believe me.

Why Is Ass Grabber Strauss-Kahn Free?

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is no longer on house arrest. Cool. If he goes back to Europe, good luck getting him back to this country for his trial. Anyone remember a producer named Polanski?

The buzz now, about the woman whose parts Strauss-Kahn thought he was free to grab, is that her past is not "nice", or "yuppie class" enough to merit immunity from the sexual assualts of European men who are used to getting everything they want. I'm sure it was a huge shock to Strauss-Kahn when he got arrested in the first place. Here's the latest on the case against this creep.

Demoralizing a sexual assualt victim and her past is nothing new. When defending against that particular type of charge, in fact, it is a staple for defense attornies. Anything I hear about a rape victim's past goes in one ear and out the other, because I know that her past and whatever transpired between her and her attacker are two different things. American justice is beginning to catch up to that concept. European justice, I am not so sure about. After this incident, I hope no one minds if I have some questions about European morals, too. Call me old fashioned, if you want to.

Here's a picture of the toad, right here. Flanked by his wife. Has she just accepted this as a part of her culture? Or perhaps, not something cultural, but a part of her life? I wouldn't.

One more thing: Dominique Strauss-Khan picked on a Muslim this time. No; I am not Muslim, but from what I know about that culture, as a whole, they are NOT AT ALL given to the type of immorality defined by this case. Most European cultures at this point in history, while they have their good points, are a different story when it comes to sex and morals. I find myself inclined to believe a Muslim woman over a French man-about-town any day of the week.

Why was Dominique Strauss-Khan on house arrest in the first place? Why wasn't he in Rikers Island, with all the other New York ass-grabbing, pushy, filthy, crude, non-law-abiding males?