Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sheikh flies Lamborghini 6,500
How would you like to be on his xmas mailing list. What a dick head. And we paid for it.
RICH Arab sent his Lamborghini on a 6,500-mile round trip to Britain for a service.
The £190,000 supercar was put on a scheduled flight from Qatar to Heathrow – then flown BACK after the oil check.
Money was no object as the flight would have cost the owner – thought to be a Sheikh – around £20,000.
The move sparked fury from green campaigners.
An airport worker said: “This car doesn’t have a carbon footprint – more of a crater.”
The overall cost of sending the Lamborghini to London for the oil change would have cost more than £23,000.
His black-and-gold supercar costs £3,552 to service at an approved dealer – on top of the £20,000 to freight from Qatar to Britain.
The Murciélago LP640 – driven by Batman in movie The Dark Knight – arrived from the Middle Eastern country on Friday.
It cleared customs and was trucked to specialist mechanics in London for the service.
On Monday it was flown back 3,250 miles to the oil-rich state where it was collected by the owner.
A cargo handler at Heathrow blasted the car’s environmental damage.
He said: “It would have been far more efficient to fly mechanics out there.”
IOC agrees to Internet blocking at the Games
Funny how we have fought communism for so many years, and so many of our sons and daughters have died to combat it, and yet we are walking right into the cradle of it.
BEIJING: The Chinese government confirmed Wednesday what journalists arriving at the lavishly outfitted media center here had suspected: Contrary to previous assurances by Olympic and government officials, the Internet would be censored during the upcoming games.
Since the Olympic Village press center opened Friday, reporters have been unable to access scores of Web pages - politically sensitive ones that discuss Tibetan succession, Taiwanese independence, the violent crackdown of the protests in Tiananmen Square and the sites of Amnesty International, Radio Free Asia and several Hong Kong newspapers known for their freewheeling political discourse.
On Wednesday - two weeks after its most recent proclamation of an uncensored Internet during the Summer Games - the International Olympic Committee quietly agreed to some of the limitations, according to Kevan Gosper, chairman of the IOC press commission, Reuters reported.
Gosper said that he regretted the limitations but that "IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related."
A government spokesman initially suggested the problems originated with the site hosts, but on Wednesday, he acknowledged that journalists would not have unfettered Internet use during the Games, which begin Aug. 8.
Obama says Republicans trying to scare voters
As if he would ever even be on one of our bills.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama, the first black candidate with a shot at winning the White House, says John McCain and his Republican allies will try to scare them by saying Obama "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."
Stumping in an economically challenged battleground state, Obama argued Wednesday that President Bush and McCain will resort to scare tactics to maintain their hold on the White House because they have little else to offer voters.
"Nobody thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. So what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me," Obama said. "You know, he's not patriotic enough, he's got a funny name, you know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."
During a round of appearances in Missouri, Obama worked to link McCain to the unpopular Bush, saying the Republican senator from Arizona would serve the equivalent of a third Bush term if elected. He said the country can't afford more of the same and expects different results.
(AP) Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a town hall-style...
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"That's a definition of madness, but that's what John McCain is offering. He's offering Bush economic policies and Karl Rove politics," Obama said.
He pressed the theme later at a rain-soaked barbecue in Union, Mo.
"They're going to say I'm a risky guy," Obama said. "What they're going to argue is I'm too risky. The real risk is that we miss the moment, that we do not do what's needed because we're afraid."
For its part, McCain's campaign on Wednesday released a withering television ad comparing Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, suggesting the Democrat is little more than a vapid but widely recognized media concoction.
"He's the biggest celebrity in the world, but is he ready to lead?" the voiceover asks in the ad, which mixes images of Obama on his trip to Europe last week with video of the 20-something pop stars.
(AP) Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a town hall-style...
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Obama's campaign quickly responded with a commercial of its own, dismissing McCain's complaints as "baloney" and "baseless."
Throughout the day, Obama argued that McCain "thinks we're on the right track," drawing boos from his audiences.
"These anxieties seem to be growing with each passing day," Obama said. "We can either choose a new direction for our economy or we can keep doing what we've been doing. My opponent, John McCain, thinks we're on the right track."
That elicited boos from some of the 1,500 people who filled a Springfield high school gymnasium. When an AP-Ipsos poll asked the "right track, wrong track" question this month, 77 percent said they thought the country was on the wrong track. The same poll set Bush's approval rating at 28 percent. Both were records for the AP-Ipsos survey.
"It's true that change is hard, change isn't easy," Obama said. "Nobody here thinks that Bush or McCain has a real answer for the challenges we face so what they're going to try to do is make you scared about me."
(AP) Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a town hall-style...
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Obama also compared himself to western legend Wild Bill Hickok, who he said had fought a duel in Springfield.
"I'm ready to duel John McCain on taxes right here, quick draw," Obama said, prompting a quick retort from the other side.
"If Barack Obama wants this so-called duel then why did he and his entourage run for the hills when John McCain challenged him to 10 town halls?" McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said.
Obama responded after shaking hands at a restaurant in Lebanon, Mo.
"I don't hear very much positive from Sen. McCain," he said. "He seems to be only talking about me. You need to ask John McCain what he's for, not just what he's against."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Big Day For Me. Think I'll Have A Few Beers Tonight. I just hit 5000.
This my not sound like much to most of you, but for me to stick with this blogging stuff for 6 months says a lot. Now GuyK just rolled over 300,000, so mine is tiny in comparison, but I have him and a few other to thank for this. Guy did more for me than you would know, while learning this stuff. He is patient after numerious phone conversations and endless questions, he stuck with me until I kind of got the hang of it. I think my first post was around the first part of Feb 2008, and hopefully I'll still be doing it this time next year. Anyhow for those who visit my humble offering thank you.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Iran Hangs 29 Convicts
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran hanged 29 people at dawn on Sunday after they had been convicted of murder, drug trafficking and other crimes, state run television reported.
All were hanged inside Evin prison, north of the capital. The hangings were carried out after the death sentences were ratified by Iran's Supreme Court, the television report said.
A separate report on the television station's web site quoted Tehran Chief Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi as saying the men had records of repeated crimes, including rape, armed robbery and murder. The Web site also said some of the convicts had "smuggled thousands of kilograms of various kinds of narcotics" in and out of Iran.
The hangings brought to about 150 the number of people executed in Iran so far this year.
International human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty, but Iranian officials say capital punishment is an effective deterrent carried out only after all judicial proceedings are exhausted.
The Rome-based Hands Off Cain, which campaigns to stop the death penalty, said last week that at least 355 people were put to death in Iran last year, compared with 215 in 2006. The group said the actual figure may be even higher because Iran does not publish official statistics on the number of executions.
The 355 executions placed Iran second only to China as the world's biggest executioner.
The group said China alone accounted for at least 5,000 executions based on reports by the media and other human rights groups.
Iranian rights activists said earlier this month that authorities have sentenced eight women and one man convicted of adultery to death by stoning.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Spent All Day At The Range
Well I did my duty today and woke up at oh dark thirty, had a big breakfast, showered and shaved and headed to Carter Coutry (Firing Range). Sat in class for 5 hours then it was time to see if my old eyes were still good. Burnt a box of .40 cal, and didn't do to bad. shooting at 7, 10, and 20, I had seven in the 9 ring and the rest were in the 10. Not bad for an old man. I had a good day. Temps were only 98, not bad for Houston. Looking forward to doing it again next week end, but without the classroom. I hate trying to remember penal codes. Long as you know 30.06 you are good to go.
Sphere: Related ContentFriday, July 25, 2008
Immigration By The Numbers
This Video scared the crap out of me, and if you watch it you will understand. I had no idea of how much trouble we are in and will be in in the near future. This is a must see for all living in America.
Sphere: Related ContentWhy obama Will Not Win The General Election
I know most of you have seen this, but it is worth seeing again, just to piss you off.
Big hole in fuselage prompts Qantas flight to makes emergency stop in Manila
By PAUL ALEXANDER
Associated Press
RESOURCES
See what it was like inside the plane from a passenger's camera
Relief after Qantas flight lands MANILA, Philippines — A Qantas jumbo jet carrying 345 passengers made an emergency landing today with a gaping hole in its fuselage after a mysterious "explosive decompression," officials said.
There were no injuries, but some passengers vomited after disembarking the Boeing 747-400, said Octavio Lina, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations.
The cabin's floor gave way, he said, exposing some of the cargo beneath and part of the ceiling collapsed.
"There is a big hole on the right side near the wing," he said, adding it was 7 1/2 feet to 9 feet in diameter.
Flight QF 30, from London to Melbourne, had just made a stopover in Hong Kong. Passengers who talked to the media at the airport described hearing an explosion, and then oxygen masks were released.
"One hour into the flight there was a big bang, then the plane started going down," passenger Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told The Associated Press by phone from Manila airport. "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."
She said the hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin.
"No one was very hysterical," she said.
June Kane of Melbourne described how parts of the plane's interior broke apart in the depressurized cabin.
"There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," she told Australia's ABC Radio. "It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."
Video shot by a passenger showed people sitting with their oxygen masks on — just-served meals on their tray tables — as the plane descended quickly to 10,000 feet en route to an emergency landing at Manila's international airport. Cabin crew continued to work, walking down the aisles and showing no sign of panic.
Applause erupted as the plane touched down safely.
Geoff Dixon, the chief executive officer of Qantas, praised the pilots and the rest of the 19-person crew for how they handled the incident.
"This was a highly unusual situation and our crew responded with the professionalism that Qantas is known for," he said.
Qantas — Australia's largest domestic and international airline — boasts a strong safety record and has never lost a jet to an accident, although there were crashes of smaller planes, the last in 1951.
However, the airline has had a few scares in recent years. In February 2008, a Qantas 717 with 84 passengers on board sustained substantial damage in a heavy landing in Darwin, Australia.
In addition, union engineers — who have held several strikes this year to demand pay raises — say that safety is being compromised by low wages and overtime work.
A report by the Manila International Airport Authority, quoting pilot John Francis Bartels, said the plane on Friday suffered an "explosive decompression." Australia's air-safety investigator said an initial investigation suggested "a section of the fuselage separated."
The passengers were taken to several hotels while waiting for another plane to Melbourne late today, Wantas said. The plane was towed to a hangar in Manila.
Chief Superintendent Atilano Morada, head of the police Aviation Security Group, said his officers, including explosives experts, may assist in the airline's investigation.
"So far, they don't want us to touch it, so we will respect the aircraft owner. But we will make our personnel available if they need assistance in the investigation," he said.
Qantas touts itself as the world's second-oldest airline, founded in 1920. As of December 2007, Qantas was operating 216 aircraft flying to 140 destinations in 37 countries, though in recent months it has announced it will retire some aircraft and cancel some routes — as well as cutting 1,500 jobs worldwide — due to skyrocketing fuel prices.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Beer Bottle Symphony Orchestra
I love beer, and have for as long as I can remember. I drink several a day, and will till I can't swallow, but this beats all I have ever seen. It's great, even though they are using VB (Victory Bitters) bottles, which is an Australian beer, which I never cared for. During my 8 years down under, I tried them all and none went down like good old XXXX, which many Aussies may agree with or not. Enjoy.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years
I think one of these guys lives next door to me.
Aliens have contacted humans several times but governments have hidden the truth for 60 years, the sixth man to walk on the moon has claimed.
Apollo 14 astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell, said he was aware of many UFO visits to Earth during his career with NASA but each one was covered up.
Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'
He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.
Chillingly, he claimed our technology is 'not nearly as sophisticated' as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned 'we would be been gone by now'.
Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission.
'I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real,' Dr Mitchell said.
'It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it.
UFO theorists believe Roswell in New Mexico was the site of an alien crash in 1947
'I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit.'
Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated.
He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction.'
Mr Margerrison said: 'I thought I'd stumbled on some sort of astronaut humour but he was absolutely serious that aliens are definitely out there and there's no debating it.'
Officials from NASA, however, were quick to play the comments down.
In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.
'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.'
American flag disappears from Obama campaign jet
This person is headed down a bad road, and he is the only one paving it.
By Aaron Klein
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
The U.S. flag no longer appears on the tail of the plane that will be used by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (Courtesy Chicago Sun-Times)
As part of a month-long aircraft makeover, a painted American flag was removed from the tail of Sen. Barack Obama's official campaign airplane and was replaced with the presidential candidate's trademark "O" symbol.
The refurbished 757 was unveiled to members of the news media today, 41 of whom boarded the craft and took off to meet Obama in Amman, Jordan, where the presidential candidate will stop as part of a Middle Eastern and European tour.
Obama traveled to the Mideast earlier this week on board a separate airplane.
Fox News blogger Bonny Kapp, traveling on Obama's new airplane, reported:
"The North American jet that flew Obama and his traveling crew around for much of the primary season was refurbished with new seats and power for each passenger a must on the campaign trail. And the plane that once had an American flag on its tail now sports the Obama 'O.'"
(Story continues below)
Obama's 'O' symbol is red, white and blue.
Most official U.S. government aircraft, including Air Force One, have U.S. flags on their tails.
Both Fox News and the Chicago Sun-Times posted pictures of the Obama campaign's redressed airplane, which does not have an American flag or any other U.S. national symbols on the section that sports the airplane door from which Obama and his team will enter and exit.
The airplane boasts Obama's anthem, "Change We Can Believe In" and the candidate’s website address.
The plane that Sen. Barack Obama will use on his campaign features his slogan and his Web address (Courtesy Sun-Times)
The aircraft also has required identification numbers and a U.S. flag to identify the nationality of the aircraft.
According to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet, the refurbished Obama aircraft features a "first class" section for the candidate and his closest advisors; several "business class" seats, and a large coach section, usually meant for the traveling press corps.
Sweet reported fruit and cheese platters greeted reporters on board the flight. Dinner options offered were beef medallions, baked tilapia or eggplant parmesan.
She wrote the Obama campaign provided overnight kits for the flight that include toothbrush, mouthwash, socks, Neutrogena body lotion and lip moisturizer, Scope mouthwash, ear plugs and a blindfold for sleeping.
Medal for valor
Bet you won't see this in the main stream media. This is a local boy who was a classmate of my oldest son.
AF honors Kingwood graduate for saving soldiers in Afghanistan
A daring nighttime mission that saved a group of German soldiers from insurgent attack in the mountains of Afghanistan has won a Kingwood Air Force pilot the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor — an honor for heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight.
Capt. Brian Erickson, 29, who graduated from Kingwood High School in 1997 and later obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Christian University, was honored for the close air support he provided in a Hindu-Kush mountain range valley on Oct. 16, 2006.
The military gave this account of Erickson's actions:
Assisted by a wingman who flew above the weather to provide the A-10 pilot with information regarding the location of insurgent gunmen, Erickson flew into the valley in darkness. The only light came from the enemy's weapons.
The six Germans, members of a reconstruction team, were pinned down by mortar, machine gun and small arms fire.
Initially, Erickson attempted to locate the source of the enemy fire through his infrared sensor, the pilot told his superiors. But each time a rocket-propelled grenade was fired, the sensor screen would glow so intensely that he momentarily would be blinded.
After turning the device off, he made several low-level runs, using flares to light the landscape. On locating the insurgents' position, he fired 240 rounds of 30mm ammunition, halting the enemy fire. Soldiers from the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Quick Reaction Force then escorted the Germans to safety.
"During the day, or at night at low altitude, it's usually not like in the movies," Erickson said Tuesday in a telephone interview from his station at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "I'm pretty much focused on executing the mission. That's where the excitement is."
Erickson, who is assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron, was deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan at the time of the medal-winning mission. He has served two tours of duty in that nation and will return for a third in August.
Erickson said he has been fascinated by flying since childhood.
"He's always wanted to fly," the fighter pilot's father, Gary Erickson, affirmed. "He started out with computer games. I had several friends in the Kingwood area who were commercial pilots. They would take him up with them. Brian has always had this natural knack for flying. It truly was his dream."
Gary Erickson, a salesman of gas products, said his son, who participated in his college's Air Force ROTC program, likely will pursue an Air Force career. For erstwhile fighter pilots, commercial airline positions are far too tame, he said.
The younger Erickson demurred.
"It's way too early to be talking about career aspirations," he said.
allan.turner@chron.com
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Polish tourist killed by urinating on 750-volt electric railway line
This is a hell of a way to die.
Last updated at 10:04 AM on 22nd July 2008
Comments (4) Add to My Stories
Electrocuted: A 41-year-old man died after being hit with 750 volts at Vauxhall Station
A tourist who relieved himself over a live railway line at a south London station was electrocuted.
The Polish man died when an electric current connected with urine which had splashed on to the 750-volt line.
It is thought the married 41-year-old teacher was on a trip to London to improve his English.
Workers found his body slumped over a track at Vauxhall station after he was seen by staff at the station.
They had earlier spotted him on CCTV screens walking into a recess area but failing to reappear.
Rail workers fear the victim may not have known that some tracks in Britain are electrified.
It took police a week to identify the victim after the tragedy, which happened at around 5pm.
A source said: 'Perhaps because he was from Poland he had no idea the rail was electrified. His family back home is heartbroken.'
The station has no toilets, but there are public toilets nearby.
Friday, July 18, 2008
From Our Friends In Scotland On Our Presidential Election
From our friends in Scotland...
"We, in Scotland, cannot figure out why people are even botherin' to hold an election in the United States.
On one side, ye have a pants-wearing lawyer, married to a lawyer who cannot keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary against a lawyer who goes to a church where the pastor offends folk and who is married to yet another lawyer who doesn't even seem to like the country her husband wants to run.
Now...On the other side, you have a nice, old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate Mc terminology married to a good looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship.
What are ye lads thinkin' over there in the colonies?"
Rick Noriaga, Pelosi, Dean, clark in town.
We Texas will need to break out the heavy duty hip boots for all the bullshit that will be flowing out of Austin with this crew in town.. All I can say is "REMEMBER THE ALAMO"
We have known for a long time that the national left wing was behind Rick Noriega. Last week, he bragged in a press release that he has raised more money nationally from the liberal blogosphere than any other congressional candidate in the country. This week, a who’s who of the liberal hierarchy is in Austin. Everyone from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Governor Howard Dean to General Wesley Clark will be in Texas over the next 72 hours.
They are here for one reason -- to rally around the Noriega campaign as we approach the final three months of the campaign.
Senator Cornyn will stand with you, and all Texans, over these out-of-state travelers any day.
Rick Noriega and his far left-wing blogger cronies are out of touch with Texas values. But the sad fact is his left wing cohorts have deep pockets. We need your help to combat them.
It is ironic they chose to come to Texas because I am sure the Netroots participants will look around and ask—did we get lost on the way to Berkeley?
They will learn that Texas is arguably the fastest-growing and most successful state in the Union. Our economy is doing well. We have largely avoided the housing bust. We know how to create jobs.
How do we do it? By enacting policies that are the opposite of what Rick Noriega and his liberal blogger allies advocate. We do it with a business-friendly climate that encourages entrepreneurs. We keep regulations to a minimum, so job creators aren’t bogged down by bureaucratic red tape. And we keep taxes low. We also think clearly about our priorities. We want to WIN the war against terrorism. We want government to get out of the way and allow development of our energy resources.
Noriega has raised nearly half of his total funds online, much of it from out-of-state “progressives” who will never even visit Texas, let alone vote here. His campaign regularly boasts that he has strong support from the left-wing blogosphere. Make no mistake, if he were to get elected he would be beholden to these people.
Obama's Fatwa On American Citizens
by john lilipop
July 17, 2008 10:00 AM EST
If inflammatory, anti-American rhetoric is any indication, Barack Obama appears to have issued a Fatwa against English-speaking, law abiding American citizens and their institutions.
Speaking at a "Trolling for Hispanic Votes" event at La Raza, the charismatic Democrat took on the Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) agency, essentially accusing ICE agents and other law enforcement authorities of being domestic terrorists.
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007820.html
This on the heels of a tirade in which Obama berated Americans for not being more bilingual.
Forget that Obama himself is an English only dude: Pay heed to what this arrogant fascist says, not what he does!
In addition, the closet Jihadist admonished American citizens to be sure that their children could speak Spanish, after chiding those folks for being too partial to English.
So while the charismatic Obama continues to campaign under the banner of CHANGE, he seems manacled to old school "wedge" politics.
Were he a true patriot, Obama could provide a far greater service to America and its citizens by pressuring Hispanic parents to teach their children the following essential truths about America:
* America is a sovereign nation, completely independent of Mexico. It has been that way for more than 200 years, and we intend to keep it that way.
* In 1848, The Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo was ratified by both the United States and Mexican congresses. That Treaty satisfied any and all claims Mexico had to land now part of the United States.
* Native Indians were the original landowners of what is now the Southwestern United States. Any valid "chain of title" belongs to Native American Indians, not Mexicans.
* Brown may be beautiful in Latin America. But in the United States, we are partial to colors that symbolize freedom under the rule of law. That would be Red, White and Blue.
* In America, Mexico is a foreign nation and Spanish is a foreign language.
* Speaking two or more languages is fine-- provided one of the languages is English. Literacy in Spanish but not English is not acceptable.
* Being hard working and good hearted is commendable, but those qualities do not entitle anyone to enter the United States illegally.
* Celebrating ones cultural heritage is perfectly fine--provided it does not interfere with assimilation into American culture.
* U.S. immigration laws exist to protect American citizens & others here legally, not to facilitate a foreigner's pursuit of a better life, and
* Those who come to America must adjust to our culture and traditions. We have no obligation or desire to change our way of living to accommodate foreign newcomers.
Now that is the message that Barack Obama should be delivering to Hispanic parents!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The world's most crowded swimming pool
Someone floated the idea and they all went with it.
But once in the water, trying to swim a few lengths was suddenly out of the question.
In fact, there was treading room only when thousands of swimmers crowded into a pool in Penglai in Sichuan, western China.
Texas still plans to execute killer despite U.N. order
Texas will go ahead with the scheduled Aug. 5 execution of Houston rapist-killer Jose Medellin despite Wednesday's United Nations world court order for a stay, a spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry said.
The U.N.'s International Court of Justice's call for stays in the cases of Medellin and four other Mexican nationals awaiting execution in Texas came in response to a petition filed last month by the Mexican government.
The petition sought to halt executions to allow for review of the killers' cases to determine whether denying them access to the Mexican Consulate after arrest impaired their trial defenses.
The Geneva Convention stipulates that, upon request, an alien offender's national consulate must be notified of his arrest.
In its order, the world court quotes the Mexican government's argument that "Texas has made clear that unless restrained, it will go forward with the execution without providing Mr. Medellin the mandated reveiw and reconsideration," which will "irreparably" breach the U.S. government's obligations to the court's 2004 order.
The Mexican government reasons that "the paramount interest in human life is at stake," according to the court's order. If Medellin and the other nationals are executed without additional court reviews, "Mexico would forever be deprived of the opportunity to vindicate its rights and those of the nationals concerned."
Perry's office dismissed the argument.
"The world court has no standing in Texas and Texas is not bound by a ruling or edict from a foreign court," Perry spokesman Robert Black said. "It is easy to get caught up in discussions of international law and justice and treaties. It's very important to remember that these individuals are on death row for killing our citizens."
But international law expert Sarah Cleveland, a professor of human and constitutional rights at New York City's Columbia Law School, said if the U.S. fails to act on the world court order, other countries may follow suit.
"This can only come back to hurt U.S. citizens when they are detained abroad," she wrote in an e-mail. " ... When a global leader like the U.S. refuses to comply with its clear international legal obligations (and everyone agrees that this is a clear legal obligation), it undermines the willingness of other states to comply with their own obligations and it inspires them not to trust us to obey ours."
Deadly gang initiation
Medellin, 33, was condemned for the 1993 killings of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16, who stumbled into a drunken midnight gang initiation rite at T.C. Jester Park in north Houston.
Medellin's accomplice, Derrick O'Brien, was executed in July 2006. Also sentenced to die is gang leader Peter Anthony Cantu. Three other accomplices are serving prison sentences. Medellin was the only non-American involved in the murders.
Wednesday's U.N. court decision in The Hague, Netherlands, was the latest development in an an ongoing legal wrangle that has involved President Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Mexican government.
In 2004, the U.N. court ordered a review of the cases of 51 Mexican nationals facing execution in the United States because they had not been allowed to speak with their nation's consular officials.
Deadly gang initiation
Medellin, 33, was condemned for the 1993 killings of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16, who stumbled into a drunken midnight gang initiation rite at T.C. Jester Park in north Houston.
Medellin's accomplice, Derrick O'Brien, was executed in July 2006. Also sentenced to die is gang leader Peter Anthony Cantu. Three other accomplices are serving prison sentences. Medellin was the only non-American involved in the murders.
Wednesday's U.N. court decision in The Hague, Netherlands, was the latest development in an an ongoing legal wrangle that has involved President Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Mexican government.
In 2004, the U.N. court ordered a review of the cases of 51 Mexican nationals facing execution in the United States because they had not been allowed to speak with their nation's consular officials.
Deadly gang initiation
Medellin, 33, was condemned for the 1993 killings of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16, who stumbled into a drunken midnight gang initiation rite at T.C. Jester Park in north Houston.
Medellin's accomplice, Derrick O'Brien, was executed in July 2006. Also sentenced to die is gang leader Peter Anthony Cantu. Three other accomplices are serving prison sentences. Medellin was the only non-American involved in the murders.
Wednesday's U.N. court decision in The Hague, Netherlands, was the latest development in an an ongoing legal wrangle that has involved President Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Mexican government.
In 2004, the U.N. court ordered a review of the cases of 51 Mexican nationals facing execution in the United States because they had not been allowed to speak with their nation's consular officials.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Shoot around corners. I love it
The Corner Shot is a brutally simple contraption: a modified gun that, thanks to a hinged frame, under-the-barrel camera and handy video screen, allows the user to shoot around corners. Currently, there are three versions available, each with a different weapon at the business end of the frame—a pistol, a compact assault rifle or a 40mm grenade launcher. The device is designed for urban environments, where the ability to peek around corners with impunity is useful, but being able to open fire while behind cover is even better.
With the Corner Shot Launcher, the concept is the same, but the result is less subtle. Essentially a sideways-firing rocket launcher, it allows the user to aim with the same kind of integrated camera and video screen, and fire a massive 60mm round into an enemy vehicle or reinforced position, such as a bunker. This device, which could be an overwhelming weapon in urban engagements, is a collaboration between Israeli and German defense firms.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
16 Year Old Daughters and Drivers License
Ya know a funny thing happened at my house on Friday. I saw a sweet loving and happy 16 year old girl (my daughter) turn into a different person. I still can't figure it out. She completed her drivers school 6 months ago, and was issued a learners prmit..Great, now she gets to practice driving my vehicles with me or her mama. Well she turned out to be a pretty good driver and then the count down started. Everyday she would say, "Daddy 25 more days" till she would get her real drivers license. The closer we got to that fathful day the more stuff she started doing around the house to help out, things that before she would have had to be told to do. I am thinking she is attempting to show me how mature and responsible she is. Well the day arried as I said last Friday. We spent 2 and 1/2 hours sitting at the Texas DPS office and got her drivers license. First thing upon leaving the building was Daddy when we get home can I use the car to go to Starbucks? My answer was no. Now the change starts. Her Mama is overseas until the 20th of next month, so I told her you can start driving when she gets back. Really I didn't want to assume the responsibility of letting her drive alone. I am a chicken that way. I mean after all she is my only daughter, and all I can think about is the worse of course. She comes up with all kinds of excusses to use the car, like this friend of mine made be a blouse, and I have to go to her house and pay her. I said is she home now, answer no she is with her dad for the summer, so how are you going to pay her, answer put the money in the mailbox. I say no she gets mad, slams doors, stays in her room etc. Hence the change. We had a long talk about maturity and being truthful about what she really wants. Now things are better. I let he use my truck on Sunday to pick her friend up and brin her to our house for a swim. She made it ok. Damn, I am just worried for her driving, guess I have to start letting go, but it's hard. Anyhow, I now let her use our Nissan (her mom's car) for short periods of time and only for specifc things, not for jut driving around letting her friends see her driving, which I think this whole thing is about. We will see how this saga continues to unfold.
Sphere: Related ContentMonday, July 14, 2008
2-year-old left in hot car in NW Houston dies
This happens a lot around her during the summertime. There is no excuse for this type of accident however.
A 2-year-old boy died after he was left in a vehicle for nearly an hour at a northwest Houston apartment complex Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The child's uncle had picked up the boy, along with other young relatives, to swim at his apartment complex's pool in the 8000 block of West Tidwell around 4 p.m., authorities said. The boy's aunt drove separately with an adult and additional children from the boy's home, but made several stops before arriving at the apartment.
After arriving at the residence, the boy's uncle instructed the children to exit the vehicle from the passenger side and to hold hands as they walked to the apartment, police said.
The toddler, who may have fallen asleep, did not get out of the vehicle, authorities said. The aunt and uncle both thought the toddler was with the others before finding him unconscious in the vehicle.
Paramedics took the 2-year-old to Spring Branch Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity and cause of death are pending an autopsy by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.
Investigators believe the boy may have been in the vehicle for about an hour. Temperatures on Sunday reached 95 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
anita.hassan@chron.com
Anheuser-Busch agrees to be bought by Belgian brewer
Well there goes another bit of America. Damn, I cut my teeth on Bud when I was a young man.
ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser and Bud Light, has agreed to a takeover by a giant Belgian brewer, a union that creates a global beer leader and brings to an end one of the most iconic names in American business.
The board of directors of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. on Sunday accepted a sweetened $52 billion takeover offer from Belgian brewer InBev SA, according to a joint press release.
The deal, which is subject to shareholders' and regulators' approval, would create the world's largest brewer and create the fourth-largest consumer product company worldwide.
"This combination will create a stronger, more competitive global company with an unrivaled worldwide brand portfolio and distribution network, with great potential for growth all over the world," Carlos Brito, CEO of InBev, said in the statement.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Hosed at The Gas Pump
I saw this over at Maggies Notebook, and how true it is.
2010 Was Not a Good Year to Be President
I borrowed this from www.bastisays.info because it is excellent and should be read by all.
From Our Writers:
Welcome to Toastmasters, June 13, 2033. That's right: 2033.
Today Rick Campbell, one of our senior members at age 87, is here to reminisce a bit and give us a history lesson. He says that he is so old that he learned to drive an internal combustion engine car (remember those) with a manual transmission. He once owned a typewriter. He remembers when bicycles had one speed, phones had two-party lines, and cameras had something called film. As incredible as this may seem, he says that when he was young, it was common for people to smoke in restaurants and public places. He is from a different time; almost a different world.
I'm sure all of us are far too familiar with the tragic events of 2010, so Rick is not going to plow that fertile field again. Instead, he is going to give us a personal look back at the conditions which led up to that fateful year, in a speech titled ''2010 Was Not a Good Year to Be President.'' So, I present to you our speaker, Rick Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Yes, 2010 was long ago and far away.
As we look back on history, it appears that some presidents had an easy ride, with times of growth and stability. Teddy Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Dwight Eisenhower, and Bill Clinton come to mind. Those were good years to be president.
Others were elected just when the republic was facing terrible crises: Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, George W. Bush. They rose to the occasion, even though they were controversial and widely hated while in office. Not such good years to be president.
Just a few years prior, in 2008, the country began foundering. We were in the sixth year of the Iraqi Occupation, and the economy was flat. The mainstream press clearly wanted a Democrat elected.
Although we didn't know it until some years later, oil producing nations had colluded to secretly buy their own oil on the open market, driving oil prices to shocking levels above the true demand price- reaching a high of $162 a barrel in October, 2008, just before the general elections.
Their purpose was simple: to effect regime change in the United States.
And of course, the U.S. economy was already in a real estate slump and also suffering the curse of stagflation; slow growth and high inflation.
There were a million home foreclosures.
Independent truckers went under by the thousands.
Airlines failed. Airlines with names now long-forgotten: United, Delta, Northwestern, American. All now merged, of course, into the one lone U.S. carrier we love so much: Southwest.
Against this backdrop of weariness of the war on terror, and economic distress, the American people were ripe for a demagogue, and they certainly got one in Barack Hussein Obama.
He and his running mate Kathleen Sibelius, former governor of Kansas, inspired them with vague notions of hope and change, and of a world in which diplomacy settled all international problems, of free universal health care, of abundant alternative energy, of peace and love.
It was a vision too good to resist.
The Republican nominee was a name you probably haven't heard in years. Yes, it was John McCain, an obscure senator from Arizona who had no clue how to run a national campaign, and a platform nearly as liberal as Obama's.
The selection of Condoleezza Rice as his running mate looked brilliant at first. Unfortunately, black voters viewed her as white, and women voters viewed her as one of the guys.
Even so, the McCain/Rice ticket would have won the election if it weren't for the fact that 16 percent of conservative Republicans voted for a Third Party candidate. That's right, Bob Barr, another name that's a footnote in history.
After Obama's narrow win, thanks to recounts in Broward County, Florida, the country was positively giddy. A Democrat House, Senate, and President? At last an end to gridlock in Washington.
Camelot!
When Congress convened in January, 2009, the 44th President of the United States did something unique in history: he made good on his campaign promises.
Certainly most Americans never really thought he was serious during the campaign. But whether because of inexperience, idealism, or simply incompetence, he followed through.
In Obama's first ''One Hundred Days,'' the Congress passed his initiatives, and he signed them into law as he said he would.
He repealed the Bush tax cuts, and increased capital gains taxes.
He enacted a windfall profits tax, and instituted price controls on gasoline and diesel fuel.
He passed universal health care, which added an additional 10 percent tax increase on all working Americans.
He signed the Immigrant Amnesty bill which created 12 million new citizens instantly, each with entitlements.
He closed the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and summarily released all the detainees.
He repealed the Patriot Act, cut funding for espionage, and eliminated all terrorist listening and wiretaps.
Most important, he began the complete and immediate withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq.
He ignored the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who wanted to retain bases in Kuwait and Qatar. Instead, he went with the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Dennis Kucinich, and ordered all troops back to U.S. soil.
Viola! In One Hundred Days, by May of 2009, it was all done, and the vision was complete. He did exactly what he said he would do.
And so it was in the summer of 2009 that things began to unravel for Obama.
Of course, the economy needed a tax cut, not an increase, and unemployment quickly rose to 12 percent. Even attorneys and economists were put in the bread lines. Hard times!
Price controls on gasoline immediately led to shortages and gas lines.
The global cooling trend we have seen for the past 25 years first became obvious in 2009, exposing the CO2 global warming fraud.
People were justifiably angry.
Federal deficits increased massively because thousands of baby boomers, facing job loss and much higher taxes, simply gave up and took social security.
Although the superb U.S. health care system was thrown into disarray, the bright spot was the creation of the Federal Department of Health care, and the immediate hiring of 250,000 administrators, inspectors, and auditors, the only job growth in any economic sector in 2009.
By February 2010, the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was complete. It was a very expensive undertaking.
And then in March, the gradual Shiite insurgencies from Iran turned into a true Iraqi civil war. In May, Iranian tanks crossed the border and quickly took Baghdad. Although the exact number is not known, at least 230,000 Sunni Iraqis died as we stood by.
Iran also quickly moved into undefended Kuwait.
President Obama did exactly what he said he would. He sent Secretary of State Maria Cantwell, to Tehran to meet with Iranian President Ahmadinejad. After two weeks of high level talks, the United States agreed to allow Iran to retain Iraq and Kuwait to create stability in the middle east, with the understanding that Israel would not be disturbed.
Cantwell returned to Washington, and explained the agreement in her famous speech, in which she proudly noted that the Obama administration had finally achieved ''peace in our time'' in the Middle East.
So there was some surprise at the rocket attacks on Tel Aviv on August 14.
President Obama said, ''This is not the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad I knew.''
The Obama administration decided it would be de-stabilizing to take sides in the conflict, and approximately 29,000 Israeli civilians died during the summer and fall.
American Jews were appalled at the inaction. Yes, in 2010 most American Jews were Democrats, but because of 2010, they are solid Republicans today.
As awkward as it was, everything might have turned out all right for the Obama administration going into the fall mid-term elections of 2010, if it hadn't been for the dirty bomb in the Port of Long Beach in California..
The administration leaders had cut funding for the inspection of containers, because they felt it showed a ''lack of trust'' in the international trading community.
It wasn't really a very big bomb, and thank goodness, not a real nuclear device, but nonetheless it contaminated some expensive real estate: Long Beach, Newport Beach, Anaheim, and Palos Verdes Estates--and it ultimately caused the death of 14,000 Americans. People were especially annoyed that Disneyland had to be closed for decontamination.
And so, in the midterm elections, Republicans regained control of both the House and Senate, and the rest is history.
The impeachment proceedings against President Obama for ''failure to protect and defend'' were swift and nearly unanimous. Vice President Sibelius resigned. Newly-elected Speaker of the House, J. C. Watts, became the 45th President of the United States.
But you know the rest of the story well.
Republicans finished the war on Islamic fundamentalists, largely by aiming ICBM's at Mecca and Medina.
No Democrat has been elected president since.
Republicans have held both Houses of Congress.
History of Western Civilization and Economics are now taught in all public schools, and in English only.
Marriage is defined as one man and one woman.
And there are border fences, north and south.
We old codgers remember the ancient Confucian curse: ''May you live in interesting times.''
Well, 2010 was an interesting year, but it was not a good year to be president.
(Far fetched? We are likely to find out, if we continue to be unaware of the issues and vote with our emotions rather than be studious in our approach to electing our ''public officials.'')
Police digging Galena Park backyard for fetus
Texas is a wonderful place to live, but we sue do have some sick folks here as well. Now this is the kind of Mama everyone dreams of having.
The fetus fit easily into the palm of a hand, but it had already developed arms and legs, fingers and toes.
Carla Perez told her aunt the fingers and toes lay still when she gave birth in June, five months into her pregnancy.
The 16-year-old wanted to carry the baby to term, said her aunt, Alma Perez, but the teen's mother forced her to induce an abortion on June 10, by taking pills. Then, the would-be grandmother buried the fetus in the backyard, Perez said.
Late Thursday, police said cadaver dogs had picked up the scent of a decomposing body in the backyard of the Galena Park home. But authorities would not confirm if any remains had been found.
No charges had been filed against the girl or her mother, Leticia Zamora, but police said Zamora, a nurse in a private doctor's office, had contacted an attorney.
Galena Park Police Chief Robert Pruett said he had hoped to charge Zamora with abuse of a corpse. Even if the teen had a miscarriage, he said, it's not legal to bury a fetus in a yard.
But without a body, he said, the Harris County District Attorney's Office declined to charge Zamora, who remained free Thursday evening.
"The DA wants us to dig more," said Pruett, referring to acting District Attorney Kenneth Magidson. "He wants more proof."
Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, police had brought Zamora to her 15th Street home in a patrol car, hoping she could lead them to where the fetus was buried.
The woman led them to the same spot they had searched all afternoon, near a tree at the side of the house.
Nearly three hours later, cadaver dogs made a hit. While it was unclear late Thursday if a body was found, authorities said all evidence found in the yard was taken by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office for analysis.
Although Zamora hadn't confessed to any wrongdoing and wouldn't discuss specifics, she did tell police to look for the fetus there, Chief Pruett said.
"The mother swears up and down the baby is buried here," he said as dusk fell Thursday. "We don't know if she's telling the truth or not."
Pruett said the case had posed challenges because of conflicting stories from family members. The chief said he believes Carla's story.
"There's no doubt it happened," he said.
To verify her claims, police brought the teen to Texas Children's Hospital late Thursday for exams that would determine whether she had given birth.
If a fetus is found, Pruett said, the Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death, and that will determine what charges are filed.
Under Texas law, the teen will likely not face criminal charges. But if the story is true, the mother could be charged with capital murder, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a criminal law professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
"Technically it's capital murder if it's an intentional killing and it's a child under the age of 6," Thompson said.
The law exempts pregnant mothers from criminal charges for harm to their unborn children. It also exempts medical professionals who perform abortions at a patient's request.
Carla had confided in relatives about the birth, and when word reached her aunt Thursday, she called police.
"I told them. I had to," Alma Perez said as homicide investigators sifted freshly-disturbed dirt in the yard. "I didn't think it was right."
Alma Perez said Carla's mother bullied the teen into terminating her pregnancy.
"She said she was ashamed of her daughter being 16 years old and pregnant," said Perez. "She said, 'You know you aren't keeping it, right?' "
Perez said Carla told her she wanted to keep the child, but Zamora insisted on the abortion. She took the teen to a shop on Canal Street — "a horrible place, like a witchcraft thing," Perez said — where a proprietress gave the teen six pills. Carla said she took the pills over several hours and began to have contractions.
After she delivered the fetus, Perez said Carla didn't want to look at it, but she caught a glimpse before her mother removed the umbilical cord and carried the tiny body outside.
The teen told her aunt she saw her mother digging a hole.
In 2003, the Legislature enacted a state law allowing prosecution for anyone other than the child's mother or an abortion provider who causes the death of an unborn child. The fetal protection law has led to convictions such as that of a Lufkin teen who in 2004 stomped his pregnant girlfriend's stomach to induce a miscarriage. The teenage mother was not charged, even though she testified she had asked to be stomped.
Cases like these weren't the intent of the law, which was meant to cover crimes like drunken driving and domestic abuse in which a fetus was lost as a result, said Elizabeth Graham. Graham is the director of Texas Right to Life, one of the bill's proponents.
"I can see where shades of this case may fall under the law, but there are so many other egregious aspects to this case," Graham said. "I'll grant that the end result was murder, but I'll leave the charges up to prosecutors who know the law better."
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees
If we let this happen it is then more than obvious that they have won. I can't post how I feel about the mooo slums, but this article dosent help them at all.
Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.
Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.
Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. “We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people’s homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it,” Acpo said.
Related Links
It's the apology that's offensive, not the dog
Anger over the arrest of reformed jihadist
Problems faced by the use of sniffer dogs were highlighted last week when Tayside police were forced to apologise for a crime prevention poster featuring a german shepherd puppy, in response to a complaint by a Muslim councillor.
Islamic injunctions warn Muslims against contact with dogs, which are regarded as “unclean”.
Police dogs at present are issued with footwear only at scenes of explosions to prevent them injuring their paws on broken glass.
Ibrahim Mogra, one of Britain’s leading imams, said the measures were unnecessary: “In Islamic law the dog is not regarded as impure, only its saliva is. Most Islamic schools of law agree on that. If security measures require to send a dog into a house, then it has to be done. I think Acpo needs to consult better and more widely.
“I know in the Muslim community there is a hang-up against dogs, but this is cultural. Also, we know the British like dogs; we Muslims should do our bit to change our attitudes.”
John Midgley, co-founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: “The police are in effect being overly sensitive to potential criminals and not being sensitive enough to the public at large who need to be protected. These sort of things have a counter-productive effect because they cause huge friction between different communities.”
Caroline Kisko, of the Kennel Club, said: “We would not condone any attempt to make search dogs wear special clothing, which could cause them distress.”
Toddlers who dislike spicy food 'racist'
This could be just the reason for my attitude.
Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency.
The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.
This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.
The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age.
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It alerts playgroup leaders that even babies can not be ignored in the drive to root out prejudice as they can "recognise different people in their lives".
The 366-page guide for staff in charge of pre-school children, called Young Children and Racial Justice, warns: "Racist incidents among children in early years settings tend to be around name-calling, casual thoughtless comments and peer group relationships."
It advises nursery teachers to be on the alert for childish abuse such as: "blackie", "Pakis", "those people" or "they smell".
The guide goes on to warn that children might also "react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying 'yuk'".
Staff are told: "No racist incident should be ignored. When there is a clear racist incident, it is necessary to be specific in condemning the action."
Warning that failing to pick children up on their racist attitudes could instil prejudice, the NCB adds that if children "reveal negative attitudes, the lack of censure may indicate to the child that there is nothing unacceptable about such attitudes".
Nurseries are encouraged to report as many incidents as possible to their local council. The guide added: "Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution. In fact, the opposite is the case."
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
If you want to dance you got to pay the band.
HOUSTON -- A Harris County municipal court judge who is suing the Harris County Sheriff's Office has been arrested again, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Judge April Walker, a lawyer and Texas Southern University law professor, was taken into custody on an evading arrest charge Wednesday night at the Harris County Jail. She posted bond around 1 a.m and was released shortly after.
After her release, Walker said, "It was another horrible experience."
Her attorneys, Rodney Moton and Lloyd Kelley, told KPRC Local 2 that Walker was arrested after she went to check on her son when she learned he was being arrested down the street from her home.
Walker's attorneys said she tried to talk to her son and sheriff's deputies ordered her to leave the property, which she did. She returned and when she left again, she was pulled over and arrested.
According to the complaint filed by the sheriff's office, "the defendant knew that the complainant was a peace officer attempting to detain the defendant and the defendant used a motor vehicle while she was in flight."
"We think once all the facts come out, our client will be vindicated and the sheriff's department will be exposed for their wrongdoing," said Moton, Walker's attorney and brother-in-law.
Moments after Walker's release, Moton picked her up in his car. Sheriff's deputies pulled them over around the corner from the jail and issued Moton several traffic tickets.
In January, Walker was arrested on charges of impersonating a public servant. She was acquitted of the charges.
Walker is among a group of people suing the sheriff's department, claiming they were terrorized by deputies after filing complaints.
"This was clearly retaliation," Kelley said. "They knew who she was and said some derogatory remarks about her."
KPRC Local 2 tried to contact the sheriff's department for a comment overnight, but was unsuccessful.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Could Watermelon Replace Viagra?
Well this could explain a lot. Me being an old southern boy and raised on watermellon.
People often eat watermelon to cool down, but it could help get you heated up, in one way.
Researchers at Texas A&M University said that a substance in the rind of the fruit may relax blood vessels in a manner similar to Viagra, the popular erectile-dysfunction drug.
The substance is a phytochemical called citrulline, according to a news release from the school.
By helping the body create a certain protein called arginine, watermelon has other positive effects, said Dr. Bhimu Patil of the school's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center.
"The citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes," said Patil.
So while the substance may be able to help in some cases of impotence, it also could ease angina or high blood pressure, Patil said.
"Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra," Patil said, "but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."
Other scientists at Texas A&M are working to engineer watermelons with a higher amounts of citrulline in the flesh, which is more commonly eaten.
The release from the university did not say if the amounts that a person could reasonably eat would have any noticeable effect. Often, reports of benefits from certain compounds in foods are based on highly concentrated amounts given to animals, rather than clinical evidence in people.
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