A memo has surfaced showing that the Administration expected some New Yorkers would panic at the low-level fly-over of a 747 and F16 in New York. However, they still barred the public release of the “classified” information. It also turns out that the photo op cost the taxpayers $328,835, though no one seems particularly upset about the costs of such a frivolous project at a time when people are being crushed by a recession. President Obama has said that he is furious and has demanded an investigation.
Category: Bizarre
The “No Fly” list of the Transportation Security Administration has long been ridiculed for showing little sense or scrutiny in putting people on the list. Despite years of criticism, the TSA shows little concern about the use of the list for arbitrary or capricious actions. That seems to be the case in a story this week of how the TSA allegedly refused to allow a French flight to pass through (not land but pass through) U.S. airspace on the way to Nicaragua because one of its passengers was Hernando Calvo Ospina, who is an author and journalist critical of the past policies of the U.S. in Latin America. He is not the first journalist to find himself on the list.
In one of the most uniquely stupid acts committed recently by our government, Louis Caldera, Obama’s Director of the White House Military Office, approved an operation where a 747 flew low over New York and the Statue of Liberty with a fighter jet in pursuit. New Yorkers panicked, fleeing buildings and running in the streets — only to be told it was a White House photo op stunt. What they succeeded in getting was pictures of New Yorkers fleeing and screaming what they believed was another attack.
Continue reading “Shudderfly: White House Terrifies New Yorkers With Fly-Over Stunt”
It appears that women in Saudi Arabia will soon be denied the right to work out in athletic clubs. Saudi officials have decided that there is only authority for men’s clubs to be operated and regulated in the Kingdom. Due to the strict separation of men and women, various clubs have started to tailor to women and those clubs now appear close to a shutdown.
Continue reading “No Spinning Zone: Saudi Female Athletic Clubs To Be Shutdown”
Criminal cases have often involved a modern problem for killers: the ability of pacemakers to keep victims alive. In Manchester, Iowa, Jesse Fierstine, 32, seems to have realized this when he allegedly beat his sixty-three year old father with a flashlight and firewood — and then cut out Charles Fierstine’s pacemaker out of his chest with a pocketknife.
Continue reading “Son Allegedly Beats Father With Flashlight and Then Cuts Pacemaker Out of His Chest With Pocketknife”
Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Berry had a jury form that only a prosecutor would love: it had not option for a verdict of “not guilty.” The error has resulted in the Michigan Court of Appeals overturning the conviction of Michael Jess Wade, 50, a former security guard who was convicted of shooting and killing a suspected thief.
Continue reading “Michigan Verdict Overturned After Judge Gives Jury No Option For a Finding of Not Guilty”
In light of the recent defenses made recently on behalf of Judge Jay Bybee, John Yoo, and Steven Bradbury, this picture appears to capture their sudden emergence into the public debate.
Continue reading “Bush Officials Surface To Answer Torture Claims”
The trial of Mazoltuv Borukhova and Mikhail Mallayev end with criminal sentences of life without parole for the gunning down of Dr. Borukhova’s estranged husband, Daniel Malakov, 34, in front of their 4-year-old daughter in a playground. The trial was filled with references to religion and the Jewish faith.
Continue reading “New York Murder Trial Ends With a Flurry of Religious References”
Gloucester Massachusetts police have a curious way of dealing with potentially criminal threats. Lt. Michael O’Hanley accidentally broadcasted a threat toward his estranged daughter-in-law over the department radio. However, it was the person who disclosed the threat to the media was that disciplined. An internal affairs investigation also revealed that police Chief John Beaudette knew about O’Hanley’s hreat days earlier than he stated. Beaudette has announced his resignation and retirement. O’Hanley has also retired. Both men were close friends on the force.
Continue reading “Senior Police Officer Overheard on Police Radio Threatening Criminal Act Against Daughter-in-Law — Police Discipline Man Who Disclosed Recording”
There is double indemnity and then there is double depravity. Baltimore Pastor Kevin Jerome Pushia, 32, is accused in a shocking criminal conspiracy. He allegedly befriended a blind and disabled man, Lemuel Wallace, as part of his work with developmentally disabled people at his church, The Arc of Baltimore. He then allegedly used church funds to hire a hit man to kill him and collect on life insurance money. Police say that he has confessed to the conspiracy.
Continue reading “Pastor Pushia Confesses to Using Church Funds to Hire Hitman to Kill Blind, Disabled Man for Insurance Money”
It is getting rather difficult to follow the line of logic at the White House on the torture investigation. For months, President Obama has been speaking about his intentions as to any investigation into the torture program. Then, this week, he suddenly declared that he should have no role in such decisions. Then the next day, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declared that Obama did not want to see a special prosecutor. I discussed this statement last night on this segment of Hardball. In the meantime, it appears that new pictures of detainee will be released — though obviously not the videos of torture that were destroyed by CIA officials to prevent their being used against themselves.
Continue reading “White House: No Special Prosecutor on Torture”
The Texas Supreme Court has overturned the verdict in a major torts case based on a nine-word note from a juror. During the second-day of jury deliberations in a rollover cases against Ford, a note was sent to the judge from forewoman Cynthia Cortez of the jury asking, “What is the maximum amount that can be awarded?” Cortez even put a smiley face on the note which sent Ford’s attorneys into a panic to settle the case. They quickly agreed to a settlement of $3 million. It was not until after the jury was dismissed that they learned that Cortez allegedly sent the note without the approval of the jury and that the jury was siding with Ford in its deliberations.
Continue reading “Texas Supreme Court Overturns Verdict Based on Nine-Word Note From Foreperson”
While New Yorkers continue to enjoy a rent control system, animals at the Bronx Zoo will be soon sent packing in the search of zoos due to the economic downturn. Hundreds of animals may soon be put out on the curb, including deer, bats, foxes, and antelopes.
As an IPhone and a longtime Apple user (I got the first Apple and never have used anything other than Apple and Mac computers since), I am positively disgusted by the decision of someone at Apple to feature an application where people can have fun shaking a baby to stop it from crying. After international outcry, the company has withdrawn the product.
Continue reading “Rotten Apple: Company Pulls Baby Shaking Application for IPhone”
There is an interesting account out of Waco, Texas where Bill Nye “The Science Guy” was booed for saying that the Moon does not generate it own light — in contradiction to the Bible. This will likely end any dream of Nye to open a new Bill Nye “The Religion Guy” line of products. The speech reportedly occurred in 2006 but the controversy was rekindled after critics cried foul at the removal of the story from the local newspaper’s online archive.