I just completed a two-city debate with former Bush official John Yoo on executive power with a focus on undeclared wars. It appears Yoo won the debate . . . at least with President Obama. Indeed, Yoo appears to have had Obama at “hello” to quote Jerry Maguire. Without any declaration of war, Obama has launched attacks against targets in Syria — an act of war by any measure and a violation of international law.
Continue reading “United States Bombs Syria In Latest Undeclared War”
There is an interesting backlash in California where civil rights leaders are condemning an African-American actress for alleging racism in her encounter with members of the Los Angeles Police Department. Actress Daniele Watts (who was in “Django Unchained”) accused the LAPD of detaining her and her boyfriend because they are a mixed race couple. Witnesses insisted that, in fact, they were having sex in a car in plain view on a street. An audio tape below has further undermined Watt’s claims of racism. She immediately claims that the only reason that they stopped them was race on the audiotape available here. In the midst of the tape, she freaks out in a conversation with her father but admits that they were “making out” in the course of the diatribe. In a true Hollywood moment, Watts is heard saying “I know my rights, I played a cop on TV and I know that when someone asks for ID you aren’t required to give it to them.”
Seattle’s city prosecutor has announced a rather novel decision to toss out all tickets issued for the public use of marijuana through the first seven months of this year after concluding that virtually all of them were written by one officer who opposed the legalization of pot. City Attorney Pete Holmes announced the dismissal of roughly 100 tickets and moving to refund those people who forked over $27 ticket. Officer, Randy Jokela, 52, reportedly addressed some of the tickets to “Petey Holmes” or wrote that he considered the pot law “silly.”
John Fecteau really knows how to guarantee a maximum sentencing. The Seattle man was arrested for robbery and assault charges after a crime spree. When arrested, police say that Fecteau proclaimed that he loved stabbing people, asked if he severed one victim’s spine, and said that “It is better than doing meth.”
We have previously discussed the excessive celebration rule in the NFL (I am rather old school and I do not like seeing the growing signature celebrations of players). However, not since Bill Gramatica has a player put himself on the injured list due to his celebratory dance. That distinction rests with Detroit Lions middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch.
Continue reading “The Perils of Excessive Celebration: Detroit Lions Stephen Tulloch Injured While Gloating Over Sack”
There is a horrific story out of Huntsville, Alabama, where school officials are being sued after a 14-year-old girl with special needs was allegedly used as bait to catch a student sexual predator. A lawsuit states that the girl reluctantly agreed, but that she was then trapped by the boy and anally raped in a bathroom. The school later suggested that the sex may have been consensual and denied responsibility. The case has prompted the Justice Department to file a brief in favor of the girl in the litigation, a relatively rare move in such a case.
I had a fleeting sensation of hope yesterday when a poll of 1,000 Egyptians by the Pew Research Center found that 59% percent said that their preferred form of government is democracy. Then a little below the poll found that 82% feel adulterers should be stoned and 84% believe that apostates from Islam should face the death penalty.
Continue reading “Poll: Egyptians Want Democracy . . . and Stonings”
My home town of Chicago continues to be plagued by gang violence. Children are often the victim of drive by shootings and gang gun fights. However, the intentional killing this week of 9-year-old Antonio Smith Jr., known as “Fat Baby” and “Hamburger,” has shocked many in the city. The four men are reportedly members of the Sircon City faction of the Gangster Disciples street gang and murdered Smith because they thought he had warned their intended victims, rival members of the Pocket Town gang.
It is a perilous path to attempt to understand the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants who justify massacres and beheadings as the height of moral Islamic conduct. However, the perverted sense of logic that goes into such views continues to amaze many of us. This week, the press is reporting that Islamic State fighters are deeply worried. No, not about U.S. air strikes or the training of their opponents. According to reports, IS fighters are terrified that they are facing female Peshmerga fighter (“Peshmergettes”) and, here is the poetic justice, if they are killed by one of them, they will not get the 72 virgins that they were promised in paradise.
If their indictments are true, Joey Betrail Garron, 28, Robert Carl Johnson, 23, and Ketorie Glover, 23, represent some of the most depraved of a highly depraved class of criminals. The three men in Columbus, Georgia challenged a woman to a hip hop rap battle at a house party. When the woman won, the three were so outraged that they allegedly kidnapped the woman at gun point, took her to a parking, and gang raped her. They then beat her and doused her with gasoline and set her on fire, according to police. She survived and the three were arrested.
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
An Australian passenger was removed from a flight and detained by the Federal Police allegedly after doodling in a notebook.
Passenger Oliver Buckworth claims he was removed from a Gold Coast bound flight on Tiger Airways after another passenger glanced over his shoulder and complained to the flight crew. The offending text? “TerrorISm ade up,” and “Tyrannosaurus Rex. Terodactyl. Tarantula. Terrorist,” spoken by an image of a child with his hands on his head .
The interior designer also drew a picture of a chandelier.
Continue reading “Passenger Removed From Flight Allegedly Over Notebook Doodles”
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
The culmination of numerous examples of barriers of entry into the marijuana industry in Washington State along with regulatory costs, high taxation, competition from medical marijuana dispensaries, the well-established illegal market, and uncertainty is hampering implementation and legalization. From an investor perspective of market forces, the risks might be too high to attract further interest and this could halt or at least greatly slow growth.
In what could be a strong indicator, the Washington Liquor Control Board, which is charged by statute with licensing and regulating the industry, reported recently that the large majority of applications currently in the review process for acquiring a marijuana permit have stopped.
Continue reading “Washington Marijuana Industry Showing Signs Of Unraveling”
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
After a backlash from the general public and lack of support, the Florida city of Ocala repealed its ban against wearing saggy pants on public property.
During a city council meeting members voted 4-1 to repeal ordinance 2014-44 “Clothing requirements on public property” that called for a punishment of up to 60 days in jail and a $500.00 fine.
Among the public were representatives of the NAACP who voiced concern the law would target African-American youth.
The lone dissenter to the repeal, Councilwoman Mary Rich who authored the original ordinance, argued that she believes the types of people who wear saggy pants also don’t have jobs.
“And when you don’t have money to feed your family, what do you do? Steal,” Rich said. “I don’t think we’re violating their First Amendment rights.” Her words caused a stir in the audience.
Continue reading “City Drops Controversial Saggy Pants Ordinance”
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
If you drive a fully electric car, hoping at least to benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions, the location of your home can actually affect how carbon neutral your ride is.
Why is this significant? It depends on which electric utility provides service.
Compare two vehicles: The all-electric Tesla S; and the Toyota Prius hybrid, garaged in two neighboring cities: Bellevue, WA; and Seattle. The cities are separated by Lake Washington and a floating bridge. It is not about sunlight or cloud cover it is the utilities used.
It seems your zip code could dictate the environmental benefits more than might be expected.
Continue reading “Electric Cars And Zip Codes: Location Can Negate Environmental Benefits”
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Officials of Yakima, Washington reportedly asked the Washington Attorney General’s Office to investigate allegations that Municipal Court Clerk Sarah Matheny, a candidate for the elected office of Yakima County Clerk, had abused her authority to access records using her workstation attached to government databases in an effort to provide her with potentially damaging information of all other candidates in the election.
Reportedly Sarah had been previously disciplined for performing an illegal inquiry using the Washington State ACCESS telecommunication system to query Department of Licensing records on an opponent but at another point had used other systems to perform backgrounds on the other candidates, including alleged illegal use of the judicial records database.