Scaramucci No Longer Works Here

That's right; you read that correctly. Anthony Scaramucci, hired on July 21 to be the communications director of the White House, has been fired by the star of The Apprentice, Donald Trump. It seems that newly hired White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, retired Marine Corps general and former Homeland Security secretary, was not amenable to working with someone who reminds everyone of a mob godfather apprenctice! It has been an interesting week for Scaramucci, as his wife filed for divorce for on July 27.

What If Comey Was Fired Because Of This?

Suppose, during the fall of 2016, before the election, Donald Trump's campaign offered Jim Comey, our former FBI director, a gratuity in exchange for publicly reopening the investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton's emails on her private server? What if Comey, during a moment of weakness, accepted this bribe, thinking the investigation would not go any further than any of the numerous previous investigations of the same matter? Then, after another investigation leading to no actual wrongdoing or crime on Secretary Clinton's part, was threatened by Trump's goons, and by Rudy Giuliani, to "earn" the bribe he had taken? Could this be the reason he made the announcement on October 27 that arguably threw the election?

What if the "payment" was not only to throw the election, but to actually find or manufacture false evidence against Secretary Clinton? Could that be the real reason Donald Trump decided to tell Jim Comey, via an announcement on national television, that he was fired?

It's possible.

A Kansas Racist Pig

Geesh! How is it that so many white Kansans actually claim the moral high ground while their white police officers threaten others? In this case, the white police officer got on Facebook and threatened a woman and child whom he had never met! Neither of the victims live in Kansas or know the police officer. Actually, he's a former police officer. He's been fired, but not arrested.

Kansas media was very slow to release the name of the former officer. Mostly, no pictures of him are available, except pictures that have been culled from Facebook. His name is Rodney Lee Wilson, and his picture is on the left.

If Rodney Lee Wilson had not been a white police officer, one can be sure that the media in Kansas would have plastered his name and picture everywhere. In the current culture and political climate of Kansas, it is really rather surprising that he lost his job because of his unprofessional behavior.

Facebook Strikes Again

A Flint, Michigan police officer by the name of Rob Garceau was recently fired because of something he posted on Facebook. The statement he made relates to the investigation of two homicides, and what he wrote is, "Keep purging society of the maggots. 2 less welfare, food stamp people. Keep it up."

Garceau's attorney is running a media campaign against the police department in Flint because he is convinced that Garceau has the right, via the First Amendment, to post such statements as long as he is not on duty. There are several problems with that, beginning with the fact that Garceau is a cop, and cops are trusted to enforce the law. Murder is against the law, yet the police department in Flint had an officer whose public statements technically encourage murder. He may not have meant it literally, but the words still set a terrible example: Garceau essentially told anyone who happens to read his post that murder is behaviorally acceptable. Next, it appears, from Garceau's Facebook post that he believes that anyone who receives public assistance or charity should not have the same protections from law enforcement as the rest of the population. Is a child who qualifies for reduced lunches at school in more danger when Garceau is on duty? Most food stamp recipients are, after all, children. If policemen really think that it is sufficient to allow anyone who might be receiving government assistance to become victims of crime, how can they possibly discourage and fight crime? There is also the reality that a police officer, unless clairvoyant, is not likely to have the ability to determine who is on welfare and who isn't, while on duty. Are we to assume that anyone who the cops think is needy enough for charity will not merit protection from law enforcement? So much for public trust! I do not blame the police department one bit for giving Garceau his walking papers.

Something else Garceau's attorney should think about is the murder case, itself. If the case is still under investigation, chances are quite strong that the prosecutor does not need public comments made about it by a police officer. Not only is there an outside chance of influencing or intimidating witnesses, thereby perverting justice; it shows an officer who does not work well with the court system. I think getting Garceau off the force was a good idea.

Crazy Racist Principal Is Fired

Nancy Gordeuk, the crazy racist high school principal who ruined graduation for the seniors at TNT Academy in Georgia, has been officially relieved of her duties as a school employee. Apparently, the private school's investors did not accept her excuse, "the devil made me do it", as a legitimate reason for ruining graduation. Perhaps the devil was annoyed, too. After all, his reputation takes a beating when people like Nancy Gordeuk and her ilk (fundamentalist christians) do not wish to take responsibility for their actions. While it is a very wonderful thing that she will no longer be extended the privilege of badly influencing the young people at TNT Academy, the graduating class of 2015 will never be given their graduation back. Because she's a bigot, Nancy Gordeuk ruined a once in a lifetime event for these students.

Shangri La, Baby

Does anyone remember a time, about three years ago. when Terri Horman, sometime stepmother of missing Kyron Horman, who was last seen on June 4, 2010, thought she could find another teaching position?  No school in Oregon, public or private, was willing to hire Terri Horman, but a non-profit organization called Shangri La, which serves disabled and disenfranchised people in different parts of Oregon, actually hired Terri to be a "mental health specialist". She will render "mental health care", probably as a glorified orderly, to children with intellectual difficulties.

As Terri Horman was the last person seen with Kyron before he disappeared, law enforcement was particularly interested in her testimony and timeline on that day. Instead of coming forward with pertinent answers, Terri gave vague and conflicting answers and took two polygraph examinations which yielded results that indicated deceptions when compared against her baseline. Then, there were allegations about Terri conspiring to have her spouse murdered, and four years later, she attempted to change her name to that of a foreign national whose appearance is similar to hers, but this was not permitted by the court. In addition to all of the above, Terri Horman was discharged from a teaching position at an Oregon elementary school because she was unable to co-exist peacefully with the children she taught. All of these "items" would serve as reasons for your faithful blogger to dispose of her resume by way of the circular file, if she answered a classified advertisement, but Shangri La, evidently; is of the more daring variety of employers. At the very least, Shangri La should be able to see that Kyron Horman's missing persons case is still under investigation, and Terri Horman was actually referred to as a "de facto suspect" by a judge who presided over a related case. At any time that the "powers that be" decide to alter her "de facto" status to an active status, pending changes in the investigation, this will bring swarms of police officers of all stripes and temperaments, from all directions, to wherever Terri Horman may physically be located at that moment. If life at Shangri La is truly so dull that such excitement would be welcome, that may be a consideration, but can anyone's liability insurance countenance such risks?

Shangri La has been quite rude in response to questions posed by the general public about taking such risks. What they appear to have overlooked is that the disenfranchised people in their care have rights, along with those from whom they seek donations. Most donors to charities do not donate with the expectation of watching the very people who should be helped by donations become callously endangered and abused, instead. Just something for Shangri La to consider, while it works out new liability insurance rates and develops a linguistically pleasing answer to the queries of any visitor who recognizes Terri Horman.

Kansas Public School Teachers Protest

Governor Brownback, of Kansas, was met by a small group of protesting teachers in Hays one day last week because he recently signed a bill into law that he hopes will help redistribute funding for Kansas public schools more equally among school districts. The bill has some language and clauses that allow tax credits to those of us who do not use local public schools, and strips public school teachers of their tenure and due process if they happen to get fired from their jobs. Normally, I would be inclined to sympathize with the teachers, but not here in Kansas. My children do not attend the local public school, Frankfort, part of USD 380, because a teacher abandoned my fourteen year old daughter four miles away from school, and when he realized she was lost, did nothing to find her. He went home and had dinner, thinking she could find her own way back to Frankfort. No worries about my daughter being slowed down by an accidental injury, a bee sting, asthma, or an unsavory stranger. The school responded by failing to fire this teacher, and failing to make any changes to ensure safety at school. For this reason alone, I find the tax credit for families that home school and removal of tenure for Kansas public school teachers only fair. Another reason why I think public school teachers in Kansas do not deserve tenure is the way some of them treat children and parents. Below is a rather ugly message sent to me by a teacher who thought she could remain anonymous online. She was attempting to pressure me to vote for a candidate she favored in the 2008 presidential election, and in the 2012 presidential election. She also got very angry with me for enlisting the assistance of the ACLU in the enforcement of Abington School District v. Schempp, which gives children the right to learn in school, unhindered by religious pandering.

"Oh Miss Juli! Once again you just crack me up :) If Mitt doesn't win this election you can pretty much kiss the USA goodbye, but then, you would really like that, wouldn't you? You are the type that doesn't really give two shits about the flag, thinks God doesn't belong....ANYWHERE"

Nowhere else have I had interactions with public school teachers who engage, unsolicited, in disagreeable discourse about politics and elections! A post on this site and a bumper sticker revealed my political leanings to this teacher, and she was unable to stop herself from harassing my children and me! This is actually in conflict with the Constitution, which allows me to vote for the candidate of my choice, and for this reason, it pleases me greatly to see teachers a little bit closer to the unemployment office when they fill their salaried hours with activities other than teaching.

Note: Lemme clarify something about my last picture right here; there isn't a problem in bearing a love child. The problem arises when we pretend to be holy, when in fact, we are not.

Violent Pennsylvania Cop Fired

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania police officer punched a woman in the face the other day at a parade. Then, he claimed she threw beer on him, in order to justify his violence. Video footage, however; does not support his claim, but does show beer in the hands of a male parade watcher somewhere in the crowd. All charges have been dropped against the victim, and the police officer is getting fired. I can just say, "Thankyou!" It's refreshing to see the taxpayors decline to pay the salary of a two hundred pound cop who punches a one hundred pound woman in the face simply for attending a parade.