Sergio Palomares-Guzman, 28, is accused of a truly bizarre crime of force feeing a goat a combination of whisky and cocaine. The abuse was captured on a videotape as Palomares-Guzman and another man can be heard laughing. He is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and also faced deportation.
Category: Bizarre
Many of us were critical of the decisions of Evergreen State College in not just its holding of it “Day of Absence” event were whites were expected to leave campus but its treatment of Biology professor Bret Weinstein who was hounded out of the college (and later received a $500,000 settlement for his mistreatment). The school has also been criticized for racial exclusions of authors in the school newspaper. Now there is a report that Evergreen could be heading in the same direction of the University of Missouri, which has seen a massive drop in applications in the wake of controversial decisions in race-related controversies. Evergreen reportedly expects a 20 percent decrease in admissions even as it replaces its “Day of Absence” event. There is now a proposed “inclusion” course. The Administration and faculty were remarkably slow in adjusting its course, which seemed to abandon Weinstein and embrace racial exclusionary principles. It is still early to determine if Evergreen will experience the disastrous “Mizzou Effect.”
In Rathdrum, Idaho, Brett K. Anderson, 47, does not appear to have seriously thought out his criminal scheme. Anderson is accused of stealing 40 foot sections of irrigation pipe and then driving down the highway with the pipes sticking out the car windows. He proceeded to hit other cars with pipes before being pulled over by police.
I recently discussed the highly problematic statement of Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, that he paid off porn star Stormy Daniels (aka Stephanie Clifford) out of his personal funds. This admission did not necessary end the controversy over possible campaign finance violations but did add some thorny ethical questions. One of the possible costs was to void the 2016 agreement itself. Both sides reportedly agreed not to speak publicly about the details of the agreement, but Cohen has now done so in media interviews. In response, Daniels is declaring herself free of any limitations and promising to tell her full story. There is also a story that Daniels has a dress that might have forensic evidence linking her to Trump (sound familiar?). She is reportedly shopping her story. What a mess. This is the result of a combination of bad lawyering, publicity seeking, and what appears strikingly dishonest public statements. Non-disclosure agreements are tricky things since the parties will often dance around a breach in the hopes that the other party will trip the wire in response.
The danger for Trump is that Cohen, as previously described, has left him open to an allegation similar to the one that resulted in criminal charges against John Edwards — the use of a third party to conceal an affair as a circumvention of campaign finance laws. Mueller could conceivably ask about such payments as a possible crime — putting Trump in the same position as Bill Clinton.
I have been critical of the House Democrats on the Intelligence Committee, particularly for their claims of highly sensitive material in the Nunes memo (which turned out to be facially devoid of such material). However, I believe that the Democrats (and some Republicans) are on solid ground in considering a contempt sanction against former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon has refused to answer questions on the grounds of executive privilege but the White House has not asserted executive privilege in prior hearings as far as we can tell. He simply says that he was told not to answer questions. After failing to appear before the Committee or to answer questions previously, Bannon was already looking at a serious possibility of contempt. He then showed up yesterday with a list of 25 questions that he was prepared to answer “yes” or “no.” Bannon spent 20 hours with the Special Counsel’s investigators but gave monosyllabic responses to a congressional oversight committee and then refused to answer material questions. That sounds a lot like contempt to me.
Continue reading “Bannon Moves Closer To Contempt In Defying The House Intelligence Committee”
There is an interesting fight brewing this week after CBS News reported that the White House is refusing to release a photo of President Donald Trump signing a bill overturning an Obama-era regulation restricting certain people from buying guns. I was previously critical of both the Bush and Obama Administrations in withholding photos for purposes political purposes. These photos are the property of the American people and should not be withheld from the media because the White House does not like the imagery. There is a valid journalistic interest in the photo, which should have been released to CBS.
Juliet Germanotta is running for Congress in Wisconsin on the Democratic ticket and a pledge to advance a“fiscally responsible” approach to government. That promise seemed less than compelling after she was arrested for trying to sell a $4,800 ring allegedly stolen from Mikaelians Jewelry in New York. Her Facebook page says that she is an ordained minister fighting for equal rights as a transgender woman.
We have previously discussed tourists who damage art and artifacts by their thoughtless conduct (here and here and here and here and here). This includes people snapping off legs or fingers of ancient works. Now Michael Rohana of Bear, Del. is accused of intentionaly snapping off the thumb of one of China’s ancient terracotta warriors on loan to the Franklin Institute.
Given my column strongly disagreeing with the premise of a recent New York Times column suggesting that House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes could be charged with obstruction of the memo released by the Committee, I am reluctant to raise yet another Times column. However, the Times yesterday ran a piece that highlights the growing angst over every costume and image as a possible act of “cultural appropriation.” In an article entitled “Who’s Allowed to Wear A Black Panther Mask?”, the newspaper interviews experts on whether white children should be allowed to wear the costume of the popular character. While the verdict was that white children could wear the outfits, it was not without trepidation and the need for some pre-playtime exploration of the racial, socio-economic, and political implications for the children.
Tonight, I will speaking at the Hirshhhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. as part of a panel discussing the ongoing controversy over the removal of confederate and other historical monuments across the country. I have been critical of this movement that has extended not only to Robert E. Lee statues but statues of Christopher Columbus and other historical figures (here and here and here and here and here). The event, Monuments and the First Amendment, will be held at:
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 • 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Hirshhorn Museum
Independence Avenue Southwest
Washington, DC 20560
The Trump Administration has been openly hostile to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and recently proposed massive cuts in the new budget. Director Mick Mulvaney was viewed as an appointment designed to dismantle the consumer protection agency. Now, as NPR reported, Mulvaney has ordered the dropping of the case against Golden Valley Lending which alleged charged consumers up to 950 percent interest rates. The Administration owes the public a full explanation for this decision. There may be a reason (such as deferring to state prosecution) but the decision on its face is troubling.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has shocked the world with his blood-soaked reign including his orders to police to murder drug suspects and his bragging about his own murders. Thousands of suspected drug dealers have been killed under Duterte. Duterte has mocked those who object to the extrajudicial murders, including teenagers found dead. Now Duterte has found a way to shock the world again after telling soldiers to shoot female rebels in their genitals. Many of us were alarmed by President Donald Trump’s praise of Duterte as “a good man” and praising his crackdown on drugs. Duterte however shows no ability to control himself any more than his son (who has been implicated in drugs and corruption) or his henchman . . . or his mouth. However, this not just some clown in office. Duterte is actively encouraging extrajudicial murders as a policy of this close allied nation.
Continue reading “Duterte Tells Soldiers To Shoot Female Rebels In Their Genitals”
We have been discussing the accumulation of power by the Russian Orthodox Church under Vladimir Putin, including crackdowns on free speech. The latest victim is Irina Kudinova, who was charged with mocking the Church with the photograph above. Russian prosecutors charged her after she simply posted the above picture which was curiously portrayed as phallic and indecent. They alleged that this posted picture involved the “deliberate desecration of a religious object” and “insulting the feelings of believers.” A judge has ruled that it is merely an Easter cake and nothing more.
Edward Wilson, 37, was reportedly in a position most drivers loathe. He was standing in the apartment complex in Sartell, Minnesota with the temperature at -9 degrees Fahrenheit but could not start the car. According to police, the problem is that he stole a car that was already running and could not re-start it. His solution? He allegedly contacted the victim to ask for her help in starting her stolen car.
There could be a ticket war starting after the Milwaukee Brewers moved to reduce the number of Cubs fans at Miller Park. In recent years, the park has sounded like Wrigley with large numbers of people driving the two hours to Milwaukee. Not only do Cubs fans want to cheer for their team but the tickets are generally cheaper. However, that could be a thing of the past after the team opened early tickets to Wisconsin residents only. Of course, entrepreneurial Brewers fans could easily circumvent the plans and resell the tickets to Cubbie fans. The question is whether this will spark a ticket war.