Bubbly Palin quits Alaska via incoherent speech

Delivering the craziest--no kidding--speech I've ever heard any politician make, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced today she's resigning from office at the end of the month, giving as a reason nothing anyone could understand.

"Only dead fish go with the flow," Palin said.

WTF?

News anchors were at a loss, and journalists everywhere were frantically rewinding the tape over and over trying to figure out what the heck she said during a flash press conference unlike anything I've ever seen.

One CNN anchor said she seemed unprepared for her speech and questioned why given the significance of the occasion--resigning to a governor post--Palin didn't prepare a better speech.

Speaking at a hastily arranged press conference in the backyard of her lakefront home in Wasilla, Alaska, Palin said she loves Alaska and her job but did not give a reasonable explanation--that I could detect anywhere there in her speedy, disjointed speech--as to why she's stepping down, other than she hates the current administration and refuses to work with it.

She also didn't reveal what her plans are as non-governor, other than to say she can better serve Alaska off the helm...whatever that means.

She told many anecdotes that did nothing to help clarify any of her points. She jumped from one topic to another at light speed, using basketball and animal analogies, giving explanations without stating what she was explaining...OMG, it was nuts!

Listening to that was worse than sitting on first row heading down a 200-foot drop at a 90-degree angle on a roller coaster without a safety bar or seatbelt. Fuck! How much coffee does she drink? If I had to listen to that woman talk every day, I swear to god I would kill myself.

If I had to see the smirk on Palin's face on a daily basis, I would kill myself.

OK, just for fun I will try to write this post emulating her freakish ADD-ish speaking style without going off topic. But without going off topic I couldn't possibly do a written representation of that speech. That means all I can do is be as disorganized as possible while still communicating the intended message so that this post makes sense to you reading it. But then, I would be making a point, and if I do that, then I'm not copying her style.

I love trees and sunsets. There's nothing better than clear air and water.

Before the press conference, there was speculation that Palin would announce she would not run for re-election in 2012; no one expected her to quit.

Palin is resigning because millions of dollars and time are being wasted and will continue to be wasted if she continues to be Alaska's governor in the "current political environment."

"I cannot stand here as your governor and allow the millions of dollars and all that time go to waste just so I can hold the title of governor," she said, referring to the alleged impact of multiple ethics complaints against her, most of which have been dismissed.

I'm not saying that to sound like a champion of the environment, I just happen to love nature. I'm a tree-hugger--literally--but I'm not an environmentalist. Does that make sense?

She said something about being willing to work with people who respect the Constitution and not with a" government that has taken over."

Alrighty then, it's Obama's fault.

Ever noticed how Egyptians painted people as facing forward from the waist up and sideways from the waist down?

Sarah Palin hugs Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell after she announcing she would be stepping down as governor. (Robert DeBerry)

Palin said she has accomplished all she could as governor and would, therefore, pass on the baton to the lieutenant governor, whatever his name is, stressing resigning is what's best for the state.

"People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing is as important to me than the state of Alaska," she said.

"I promised four years ago that I would be showing my independence and there would be no more conventional politics as usual...." And your point is...what? Is Palin showing how independent she is by quitting midterm?

The maverick is gonna show them how it's done.

The left side of my lap top's keyboard heats up, burning the underside of my left wrist. I need to get something to put on that surface, something made of rubber or cloth, but it would have to have an adhesive on the bottom so it won't slide as I type. I think I'm hungry.

At some point in there, between breaths, Palin bragged about her success as governor (which must be why she's quitting, because she was so successful), listing project after project she spearheaded. Then she went on and on about Alaska's resources.

"God gives us energy...oil...gas...petroleum," something about the natural gas pipe, pizza, tacos.

In other words, since the democrats won't allow drilling in Alaska, Palin is taking off.

If there was a way to travel to the center of the Earth, I would go even if there was a 99% chance I would not be returning--same with outer space. I love the 1959 film "Journey to the Center of the Earth." The young man said he wasn't having dinner that night because it was Tuesday. I'll never forget the giant mushrooms halfway between the planet's surface and its core.

Palin made no pauses between her sub-topics or points she was trying to (was she?) make during the motormouth speech. She also smirked throughout--as usual. I hate that. I can't tell you how much I hate that.

Right: Sarah Palin at the news conference on Friday afternoon. (Robert DeBerry/The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman via AP)

She complained about the media not reporting "the good stuff."

Alrighty then--it's the media's fault.

Palin said her life changed on Aug 29 last year when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, chose her as running mate in a highly contested race to the White House, a race they lost. She pointed out that a lot of resources have been spent to weather numerous media and political attacks since then, and that it has been a waste of "precious" time and funds.

"It isn't fair to Alaskans," she said.

When I was a kid, I loved precious stones. As a matter of fact, my first career choice was geologist. I was always looking for these stones--around my house, in school...--expecting to find an amethyst or emerald somewhere. What a dunce.

"I choose for my state and for my family more freedom to progress...not from the governor's desk...[now she talked about laying ducks]...I'm not going to put Alaska through that...I'm determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it's not in the most conventional or comfortable way...," Palin added to whatever she said before, then she talked about fish before going back to ducks.
.
"Many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit that road. They draw a paycheck. They kind of milk it. And I'm not going to put Alaskans through that," she said.

My friend Walter is crazy about ducks, loves to feed them.

The 45-year-old mother of five children said her family weighed heavily in her decision.

"I polled the most important people in my life, my kids, where the count was unanimous," she said. "Well, in response to asking, 'Hey, you want me to make a positive difference and fight for all our children's future from outside the governor's office?' It was four yeses and one 'Hell, yeah!" And the 'Hell, yeah' sealed it."

Ugh.

"We just gotta put first things first...I love my job and I love Alaska, and I'm doing what is best for Alaska," she said again. "There's no more politics as usual."

You know what I think? I thing Palin was happy to be governor while there was a Republican in the White House but not with a Democrats there.

It's her way, or now way.

Palin is dumping the state she says she loves claiming it's best for the people while at the same time elevating herself to some higher plane. If you're so great, why aren't you what is best for the state?

Pinocchio politics.

Word is she's working on one or more book deals and more lucrative projects, and governing just gets in the way, especially given the puny $125,000 a year salary. There's also speculation that Palin plans to run for president on 2012. Don't Republicans look down on quitters?

If you ask me, Palin is playing the martyr, encouraging her fans to hate Obama more than ever for "making our beloved governor quit."

Um...nobody made her do it.

OMG, David Letterman! Letterman made her do it!

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Michael Jackson memorial to be watched by millions

Album cover for Michael Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.

I knew Michael Jackson's death was a HUGE event the second I heard about it, which was right when it happened as I was tracking news feeds online. I thought Michael is American royalty and as such his death would be treated. Indeed, it has been the top story for a week, making headlines daily with every new detail or speculation reported in a nearly 24/7 coverage that has left many who didn't understand Michael's reach mystified.

Yes, he's no Kennedy--no present or former U.S. president would get anywhere near the attention Michael is getting, by the way. Even the passing of Mother Teresa--revered as a modern-day saint by Christians throughout the world--from a heart attack at 99-years-old on Sep 5, 1997, was overshadowed by Lady Diana's sudden death in a violent car accident days earlier on Aug 31. The first one transcended royalty; the second one was royalty and, therefore, commanded the general public's attention for weeks and months following the tragedy.

There's no question now that the "King of Pop" has turned out to be more than a media- or fan-concocted term for one of the most--if not the most--talented and fascinating pop artist of our time. The aftermath of his death is the evidence.

Critics claim media coverage has been excessive. Perhaps. After all, the media is not known for its restraint. Nevertheless, in this case (unlike so many others), I believe the public's hunger for all things Michael has been the driving force behind this "excessive" coverage and not the other way around. Viewers, listeners and readers aren't viewing, listening and reading about Michael simply because of the information and images saturating the media. They are seeking this information online with fervor. While some wish they could get away from it (good luck with that), many more seem captivated by this story, even those who didn't care much for him or his music while he was alive.

Why?

I think there's just so much triumph and tragedy in his story--enough to engage anyone with a spec of curiosity regardless of age or music preference.

The extremes are mindboggling. Michael was a collection of dualities--the contrasts between his bold larger-than-life persona on stage and his extremely shy and eccentric character off stage...between the genius and discipline that drove him to the pinnacle of success and the self-destructive forces he surrendered to...between his joy and sadness, his love for humanity and his disillusionment with it after being repeatedly let down.

It's a gripping tale, and people won't be getting enough of it anytime soon, if you ask me.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The memorial will be held Tuesday at the 20,000-seat Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Michael's family is giving away 17,500 free tickets for the event to fans via an online lottery. If that website doesn't crash, it will be a miracle.

UPDATE: Within hours of the announcement, the website got 500,000,000 hits--that's half a billion visits, and, as expected, it crashed.

It will be watched my millions of people all over the world, whether on TV or online. It will be up there with Obama's acceptance speech. I'm sure of it.

City officials have a gargantuan task to accomplish, not only because of the scope of the event, but also, in my opinion, because of the emotions that have been percolating since Michael's death and that will reach a boiling point that day.

Despite California's current running-out-of-money financial state of emergency, a Los Angeles councilwoman said earlier today that the City of Los Angeles has funds set aside in its budget earmarked to secure citizen's safety and for extraordinary events. "And this is an extraordinary event," she said noted.

The city, however, needs help the private sector to pay for services other than security, such as sanitation and information technology, she added. Michael's celebrity friends could contribute with donations; I hope they do.

As of the time of this post, there was no word yet on whether or not Michael's body would be at the memorial.

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Some recently posted MJ stories:
Did Michael Jackson crave anesthesia?, posted July 2
Michael Jackson dies after cardiac arrest, posted June 25
Stars will shine in wake of Michael Jackson's death, posted June 26
Michael Jackson -- What the doctor ordered? posted June 27

OMG! Woman flushes her newborn in portable toilet

This one is looking pretty good to me for the Sick Fuck of the Week award coming up in a couple of days.

Unless someone microwaves a baby or impales one for a BBQ before then, this atrocity should be hard to top.

A 44-year-old sick fuck in Maryland gave birth in a portable toilet and dropped the newborn into the waste tank.

After exiting the portable toilet in Long Wharf Park in Cambridge, she got a cigarette from a construction worker and sat at a picnic table, police said according to a CNN report.

Um...wasn't there any, you know, blood...or a piece of plancenta hanging from something somewhere?

I would like to know what was going through her mind...if she has one.

As she sat smoking--and to think that her habit would've been what poisoned the baby had it not been flushed down a portable toilet--a man started heading toward the toilet warned him: "Don't go in there, I just had a baby there."

Here we go again: is she evil or insane?

The man called 911.

She returned to the toilet and retrieved the newborn from the foul liquid at the base of the tank. The baby girl was unresponsive and covered with a blue antibacterial chemical agent when emergency responders reached the scene, CNN reported.

How unbelievably disgusting.

Candy Vigneri told officers that she didn't know she was pregnant.

Ugh! Another killer playing dumb. (1) She did know, and (2) so what if she didn't? She knew she gave birth.

She was arrested on charges of child abuse and reckless endangerment and is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Child abuse? Reckless endangerment? She meant to kill that baby...

The baby reportedly is in stable condition, and Dorchester County social services will take care of her after she's released from the hospital.

Nothing--no jail time, no matter how long--could punish her enough.

What needs to be done, if you ask me, is stick her head inside an overflowing waste tank in a portable toilet from a construction site for hours, then dump her naked in a large waste tank full of the vile crap that comes out of these PTs and leave her there to be eaten alive by bacteria and, eventually, turn into waste matter.

Too harsh? I don't think so.

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Did Michael Jackson crave anesthesia?

"Walking on Air" by Jamieasur

This story--including news and commentary--was among the ingredients in one of my Stew of News, but I decided that given the interest in the subject matter, it should be a meal on its own.

News of Michael Jackson's interest in a drug used to anesthetize patients during surgery to help him sleep surfaced yesterday when a nurse who allegedly knew him and had treated his kids said he said he needed the drug to sleep.

Here are the details along with additional comments.

Michael Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and pleaded for a powerful sedative despite knowing its harmful effects, a nutritionist who worked with the singer told CNN Tuesday.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who first met Michael Jackson in January to treat his children for a common cold, said she rejected his requests for Diprivan, which is administered intravenously as an anesthetic during surgeries.

"I told him this medication is not safe," Lee said. "He said, 'I just want to get some sleep. You don't understand. I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep.' "

"I told him...'if you take this you might not wake up'," she added.

UPDATE: On Friday, one day after I posted this story, it was reported that Los Angeles police did find Diprivan in Michael Jackson's house.

This drug reportedly is an and out of the body in a flash, so some are concerned it might not show up in the toxicology tests. However, if Michael had been using it frequently, wouldn't a hair analysis--provided he had at least a strand still attached, somewhere--show traces of it?

An initial dose of Diprivan, or the generic Propofol, puts a person to sleep. An overdose can lead to cardiac arrest.

Lee is licensed as a registered nurse in California. According to her website, she is a proponent of alternative medicine that uses a holistic approach.

She said that four days before Jackson's death, she received a call from a Jackson staff member who said the singer felt that one side of his body was cold; the other hot.

"I could hear Mr. Jackson saying in the background, 'Please have her come see me now. Can she come now?' "

Lee, who was in Florida at the time, said she told Jackson's staffers to take him to a hospital.

"I was really afraid because of the symptoms they were telling me," she said. "It could have meant something going on in the nervous system or something cardiovascular."

Lee could not say why Jackson would call on her, when the last time she saw him was three months ago.

"I asked him, 'What doctor gave you this drug?' " she said, when the singer initially brought up the medicine. "He told me, 'Oh it was a long time ago.' "

Did chasing bliss lead to a new face?

I can't count the times I've wished I could be put to sleep with an anesthetic drug for an hour or two every once in a while just to "reset."

To be totally unconscious and unaware of my existence, experiencing absolutely nothing during that time...to rest from oneself and one's environment and circumstances, to cease being for a while--wouldn't that be heaven?

I think the hours following a relatively minor surgery for which one is put under general anesthesia can be among the best in life...unless one is really messed up. The remnants of drugs used to induce that blissful medically induced coma, which are still circulating in the body right after the procedure, can make those some of the most relaxing hours--ever. And that can be priceless for those who find it hard to relax.

Now, don't go getting all excited and bothered. I'm not suggesting we switch our nature sounds and meditation music DCs, massages and breathing exercises for anesthesia. I'm just daydreaming here for a moment--okay?

I've only experienced this type of bliss a couple of times in my life following outpatient surgery, but I distinctively remember feeling like I was floating by without a care in the world while everything and everyone around me moved a bit too fast. Nothing could bother me. Nothing. And that, my friends, is a powerful sensation that one can't get enough of yet must learn to live without.

Maybe that's why Michael had multiple facial plastic surgeries. Maybe it was not all about looks. Maybe that was secondary. Maybe after the first surgery, he got to know what it's like to float gleefully and unaffected by a frantic world. Maybe, just maybe, that's what kept him going back for more.

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Some recently posted MJ stories:
Michael Jackson dies after cardiac arrest, posted June 25
Stars will shine in wake of Michael Jackson's death, posted June 26
Michael Jackson -- What the doctor ordered? posted June 27

FLASH News - Honduras cuts freedoms, Jackson's funeral for Tuesday, Staten Island Ferry mishap

- The Honduran Congress approved the temporary suspension of some liberties like freedom to assemble, and the right to free movement, allowing security forces to arrest people at home without a warrant during the night curfew period, AFP reported.

Can true freedom be "suspended"? Either Iran and Honduras are re-inventing the meaning of freedom and democracy, or I just had it wrong all along.

- Michael Jackson's funeral will take place on Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CNN reported. Meanwhile, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into whether prescription drugs were involved in his death.

- New York City Fire Department official said nine people were injured after the Staten Island Ferry in New York slammed into a dock at the George Ferry Terminal., BNO reported. All minor injuries; 750 were on board.

Sources: AFP, CNN, BNO

FLASH News - Actor Karl Malden dies, California in crisis, Detroit shooting suspect in custody, Jackson had a will

Actor Karl Malden 1912-2009

- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a fiscal emergency due to budget impasse, issuing an executive order to close all state DPA offices on the first, second and third Friday of every month until June 2010. (Didn't California run out of money two years ago?)

- Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden (right), one of Hollywood's strongest and most versatile supporting actors--better known for On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Patton, Baby Doll, and The Streets of San Francisco--has died at 97. (Death is on a roll...)

- An 18-year-old suspect, Jamel Turner, turned himself in to Detroit police for a shooting that wounded seven students waiting at a bus stop, leaving three in critical condition. Another gunman and a third person waiting in a mininvan have yet to be arrested.

- Michael Jackson's 15-page will was filed in court today and, as previously reported, he makes his mother the guardian of all three of his children, naming Diana Ross as the guardian if his mother died or couldn't serve as guardian. (Diana Ross? What about his brothers and sisters? Interesting...)

Source: BNO, TMZ, Los Angeles Times, CBS News

Zelaya-Micheletti clash in expected Saturday

New Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez Colindres (center) and new Finance Minister Gabriella Nunez (right) are sworn in before Roberto Micheletti (left) who took power on Sunday after a military coup ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Micheletti swore in the first ministers who will join him during the six months of his planned interim presidency. (Xinhua/David De La Paz)

Things are about to get uglier in Honduras, with ousted President Manuel set on returning despite a warrant for his arrest if he does, and interim President Micheletti claiming it will take a foreign invasion for Zelaya to be restored.


Zelaya "has already committed crimes against the constitution and the law," said Micheletti, a member of Zelaya's Liberal Party who was named interim leader by Congress hours after coup.

"He can no longer return to the presidency of the republic unless a president from another Latin American country comes and imposes him using guns."

Oh, brother...is he asking for it?

Micheletti said he would not resign, defying the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Obama administration and other leaders that have condemned the military coup d'etat that overthrew Zelaya, and insisting Honduras would be ready to defend itself against any invasion.

"No one can make me resign if I do not violate the laws of the country," Micheletti told AP. "If there is any invasion against our country, 7.5 million Hondurans will be ready to defend our territory and our laws and our homeland and our government."

The OAS said Wednesday called for the "immediate, safe, and unconditional return of the president to his constitutional functions," giving coup leaders three days to restore Zelaya to power before Honduras risks being suspended from the group.


If that's all the leverage they've got--a suspension from the OAS--they've got nothing...if you ask me.

"We need to show clearly that military coups will not be accepted," OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza said. "We thought we were in an era when military coups were no longer possible in this hemisphere."

Zelaya, who had planned to return to his country Thursday, said he will wait until Saturday, when a three-day deadline expires. He was on his way to Panama today, Reuters reported.

Micheletti again vowed Zelaya would be arrested if he returns, even though the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador have signed on to accompany him along with the heads of the OAS and the U.N. General Assembly, AP reported.

"As soon as he enters he will be captured," he said. "We have the warrants ready so that he stays in jail in Honduras and is judged according to the country's laws," Enrique Ortez, the interim government's foreign minister, told CNN.

Warrants for Zelaya's arrest on charges of violating the constitution and drug trafficking were issued earlier this week. Ortez said Zelaya had been letting drug traffickers ship U.S.-bound cocaine from Venezuela through Honduras, noting the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was aware of Zelaya's ties to organized crime, CNN reported.

That's a heck of a low blow if it isn't true. And if it's true...he's toast.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne could neither confirm nor deny a DEA investigation.

Well, if the U.S. is set on standing by Zelaya, shouldn't it clarify this allegations?

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington saw no acceptable solution other than Zelaya's return to power, AP reported. He said the U.S. is considering cutting off aid to Honduras, which includes $215 million over four years from the U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation.

All this foreign aid...and meanwhile we can't afford a healthcare reform.

Micheletti has promised that he would step down in January and that he has no plans to ever run for president, AP reported. He said a key goal of his short term in office would be fixing the nation's finances. Zelaya never submitted the budget to Congress that was due last September, raising questions about what he was spending state money on, according to the report.

In a military coup at dawn Sunday, troops took Zelaya by force and flew him out of the country to Costa Rica, effectively blocking a referendum he intended to hold that day asking Hondurans if they wanted to reform the constitution. The Supreme Court, Congress and the military all deemed his planned ballot illegal.

The Honduran constitution limits presidents to a single, four-year term. Congress claims Zelaya, whose term ends in January, modified the ballot question at the last minute to help him eventually try to seek re-election. Chavez has used referendums in Venezuela to win the right to run repeatedly, AP reported.

Zelaya, who is an ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, backed down from the referendum Tuesday, saying he would no longer push for the constitutional changes he wanted.

Isn't it a little too late for that? Surely he had the time to give up on his plans before the coup. Congress, the courts and the military were clear on their opposition to the referendum.

Zelaya's popularity has sagged in recent years, but his criticism of the wealthy and policies such as raising the minimum wage have earned him the loyalty of many poor Hondurans, and thousands have rallied to demand his return, AP reported.

Thousands of others rallied in favor of Micheletti, accusing Zelaya of trying to bring Venezuelan-style socialism to Honduras. Yet beyond the demonstrations at the presidential palace and the capital's central square, there has been little sign of major disruption to daily life, according to the report.

I think Honduras coup leaders are hoping the issue will blow over just as the Iran election fallout is sliding toward the back burner, especially when there's no revolt in Honduras, just a few scattered protests, so there's much less pressure from the public to undo what has been done.

Sources: AP, Reuters, CNN
Copyright © 2009

Michael Jackson will not be buried in Neverland

Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch is located in Santa Barbara, California (photo source unknown).

The King of Pop will not be buried at his Neverland ranch due to legal issues, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Jackson’s family initially wanted him interred at the Santa Barbara County estate, the site of some of the happiest and saddest times in his life, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had agreed to help clear any state bureaucratic hurdles, LA Times reported citing a source close to the matter.

But county officials could not find a way to quickly circumvent legal restrictions governing burial at a private residence, the source said.

California's health and safety code makes interring any uncremated remains outside of a cemetery a misdemeanor; cremated remains can be kept in a home or private mausoleum outside a cemetery, AP reported.

UPDATE: The family released the following statement after the publication of this blog post:

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland. Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

Law enforcement officials also had expressed concerns about thousands of cars driving up a narrow mountain road to Neverland.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's Lt. Butch Arnoldi said that the two-lane Figueroa Mountain Road is not designed for a crush of cars and that his department is discussing how to make the route to Neverland as safe as possible, the LA Times reported.

There have been reports the memorial might be held at Staples Center, according to the report.

Santa Barbara County spokesman William Boyer said Wednesday that despite meetings to prepare for the possibility of a memorial service, county officials had not heard from the Jackson family. "There's been no decisions that have been made as of last night," he said.

Meanwhile, heavy construction equipment and workers were seen entering Neverland Tuesday, and broadcast news vans continued to line up the road leading to the gates, AP and CNN reported.

More than a dozen vehicles, including a tractor, a cement mixer and a backhoe, along with groups of gardeners and florists bearing huge wreaths, were spotted in the 2,500-acre property some 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles, AP reported.

Sources: BNO, Los Angeles Times, AP, TMZ
Copyright © 2009

2-year-old strangled by 9-foot pet python

Wildlife officials capture the snake that killed the child. (Tom Benitez/Orlando Sentinel)

A 2-year-old girl from Oxford, Florida, was strangled to death by a 9-foot pet python.

A man woke up Wednesday morning and found his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter being strangled by his pet Burmese python, Sumter County sheriff's officials said according to a CBS News report.

WTF is up with people having dangerous animals around kids? Can you imagine the suffering this baby went through being squeezed to death by a snake? For crying out loud!

The fatal incident occurred at about 10 a.m. at the residence, some 60 miles northwest of Orlando, when the snake apparently escaped from its cage overnight and strangled the girl, who was also bitten on the forehead, deputies said.

OMG! That must have been a gruesome sight.

Charles Darnellv stabbed the animal, which was wrapped around the girl's neck, and pulled the girl away before calling 911, deputies said.

Emergency workers could not revive the girl, whose death is now under investigation.

Darnell also owns a boa constrictor (wonderful), and the snakes have not been removed from the house, deputies said. (Snakes? Does that mean the python is still alive?)

The only way you can have such a snake is locking it in a cage--right? Then what's the fucking point? What's the point of having a large snake only to have to restrict its space to a cage that could never be large enough for a reptile meant to be out in the wild? What's the point of having such a pet? Oh...right...he gets to show it off as part of his king-of-the-jungle manhood to his buddies over beers. WTF?

The 2-year-old girl's mother, Jaren Hare, was also inside the home (left) at the time of the incident, deputies said.

I wonder if his snakes were part of the attraction...

Matt Harrison, a Critter Control employee who has worked with pythons for more than eight years, said the animals are extremely strong. (Nah...ya think?)

"A 12-foot snake is kind of like having a truck sitting on your chest. They have enough power not only to asphyxiate you, but to break bones as well," said Harrison, who added that stabbing a python would not force the animal to release its prey.

He suggested throwing alcohol down the snake's throat or running hot water over it to get it to release its prey.

Prey. Just think what would've been like to wake up to find the python half-way into devouring the baby. Jeez...

Harrison urged owners to be careful with pet pythons.

"Most (of) the time, as long as you're careful, you don't have anything to worry about, but occasionally, they can turn on their owners," he said, noting attacks tend to be a feeding response and stressing that cages should be kept secure and safe especially around children.

It is outrageous to me that such common sense should have to be pointed out from an expert.

Harrison speculated that there are more pythons in Florida than anywhere else in the U.S. (there are also more...never mind--no comment).

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, pythons are a nonnative species to Florida, although some Burmese pythons have been found in parts of Florida, CBS News reported.

An invasion of giant Burmese pythons in South Florida that made national headlines last year was "rapidly expanding" and expected to reach Central Florida, according to a University of Florida study.

It will be interesting to see if the incident will be written of as an accident, given that it was an accident, or if negligence will be found and either one or both of the adults be held responsible for what happened.

Sources: CBS News
Copyright © 2009

Iran reform leader Mousavi: 'It's not yet too late'

Ahmadinejad supporters demonstrated in Tehran along with Mousavi supporters. (Newsha Tavakolian/Polaris, for The New York Times)

Iran's embattled opposition leader urged his supporters Wednesday to keep working for "the rights of the people" in his first rally since the regime earlier this week validated the results of the country's disputed presidential election, AP reported.

In a fresh show of defiance, Mir Hossein Mousavi reasserted his claim that the June 12 election was illegitimate, and he demanded that Iran's cleric-led government release all political prisoners and institute electoral reforms and press freedoms, according to the report.

"It's not yet too late," Mousavi, who has slipped from public view in recent days, said in a lengthy statement posted on his website. "It's our historic responsibility to continue our complaint and make efforts not to give up the rights of the people."

Mousavi better watch his back. I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly went missing...

Mousavi also called for a return to a more "honest" political environment in the Islamic Republic. Return?

His latest challenge came as Iran's Basij militia asked the chief prosecutor to investigate Mousavi for his role in violent protests that it said undermined national security.

I'm telling you--if this continues they're going to lock him up, and when they do, the shit is going to hit the fan yet again. A call for reform is understandable, but it came on the heels and partly as a result of the June 12 elections. What if indeed Ahmadinejad is the legitimate winner? That would mean that the majority chose him, and in a democracy the majority rules--right?

The semiofficial Fars news agency said the militia—known as supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's street enforcers—sent the prosecutor a letter accusing Mousavi of taking part in nine offenses against the state, including "disturbing the nation's security," which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment, AP reported.

Mousavi insists the vote was tainted by massive fraud and that he--not incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad--is the rightful winner.

Will we ever know for sure? With the Guardian Council, Iran's top electoral oversight body, confirming Ahmadinejad won after recounting only 10% of the votes earlier this week, I doubt it.

Iran's regime says 17 protesters and eight Basiji were killed in two weeks of unrest that followed the election.

Hmm...that figure is something else we'll never know for sure.

"Whether he wanted to or not, Mr. Mousavi in many areas supervised or assisted in punishable acts," said the Basij letter, which also accused Mousavi of bringing "pessimism" into the public sphere.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad canceled plans to travel to Libya as an observer at an African Union summit, Libyan officials said. It would have been Ahmadinejad's second trip outside Iran since the election.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said unspecified "preoccupations" (such as being shot) kept the president at home. Some African officials had complained that Ahmadinejad's presence at the three-day gathering could divert attention from Africa's problems.

Ahmadinejad on Tuesday repeated the claims that post-election street riots were linked to a "soft revolution" aided by foreign powers.

If that's what a soft revolution looks like, I'd hate to see what a regular revolution would look like in Iran. It's not like the general public has weapons at its disposal...

"Enemies, despite overt and covert conspiracies to topple (the ruling system) through a soft overthrow, failed to reach their goals," state television quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Intelligence Ministry officials, AP reported.

It's unclear how many people have been detained during the post-election riots and protests, but at least one group, the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights, claimed at least 2,000 arrests have been made. The figures could not be independently verified because of tight media restrictions, AP said.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to be sworn in as early as July 26.

They better do that ceremony indoors.

Sources: AP, Reuters
Copyright © 2009

Stew of News - Detroit shooting, BOA exposed

7 teenagers wounded in drive-by shooting

Lovely men with guns in what must have been an ugly-green minivan opened fire on a group of teenagers at a bus stop near a school Tuesday, wounding at least seven, two of whom were in critical condition, AP reported.

My guess is they were pissed...and stupid.

Two or three scumbags with guns oozed out of the minivan and asked for someone by name before displaying their toughness by opening fire at the crown, a Detroit Police spokesman said according to an AP report.

The students' names and ages weren't immediately released, AP said.

Wronged bank clients and workers demand reform

Consumer and labor groups are demanding Bank of America (BOA) and other lenders reform their sales practices so that workers under pressure to meet sales quotas do not screw customers over with costly and unnecessary products.

The whistle-blowing campaign was announced Tuesday as the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled legislation to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which is part of the Obama administration financial regulation overhaul, Reuters reported.

Former BOA employees (among them bank whores) allege their supervisors drove them to burden consumers with needless debt and fees to fatten the bank's earnings and the paychecks of senior executives, claiming the bosses threatened to screw them too if they complained (I just threw up in my mouth a little). Some say the banks were stiffing them with puny salaries, so they had to hit the "screwing the customer" quotas to earn needed bonuses.

Representative Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who sits on the House Financial Services Committee said lending standards could be compromised by "the urgency to sell, sell, sell, sell, sell." (Could be? Ya think?)

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), National Association of Consumer Advocates, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group organized the campaign.

Bank of America spokeswoman Anne Pace rejected the allegations (nah...really?), noting the SEIU misrepresented BOA's relationship with its customers and associates. (Where there's smoke, there's fire...if you ask me...though unions can be one of the worst pains one can get in the ass.)

She said the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank, the largest in the U.S., is "pro-associate and believes that managers are well-equipped to respond to associates' needs," and is committed to ensuring that customer fees are "transparent and predictable." (Blah, blah, blah...yada, yada, yada.... ugh. Sounds like something straight out of the bank's mission statement or some bullshit like that.)

Christopher Feener, who used to work in the bank's credit card unit, complained (victims or whiners?) the bank regularly violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, pushing workers to falsely threaten legal action against customers (bastards!). He said his team was sometimes pushed to call customers' neighbors about delinquent accounts "to embarrass the customer and actually encourage the neighbor to bring over a message."

I Just threw up in my mouth again.

Sources: AP, Reuters, Me
Copyright © 2009

FLASH News -- Michael Jackson, Gannett layoffs

• U.S. retailers sold 415,000 Michael Jackson albums in the four days following his death last week, and more than 2.3 million digitally downloaded songs since his death. (And that's just the beginning...)
  
• Michael Jackson had a will, drawn up by his friend and attorney John Branca in 2002, and according to this will, Michael's mother gets custody and his assets are to be placed in a private trust. It also names Branca and music exec John McClain as executors. (I would change my name...)
  
• Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. will lay off more than 1,000 employees. (With the likes of Twitter, expect more newspaper layoffs.)
  

Source: BNO, The Associated Press, E!, Wall Street Journal

Transfer of military control completed in Iraq

Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American troops from the country's cities and towns in Baghdad on Tuesday. (Joseph Sywenkyj for The New York Times)

Transfer of control of all Iraqi cities and towns from U.S. forces to Iraq's government and security forces has been completed, marking an "important milestone that we've reached in Iraq," President Obama said Tuesday.

Obama, who made the announcement at the White House during a ceremony to honor entrepreneurs committed to social justice, noted U.S. forces had met a June 30 deadline to complete their withdrawal from urban areas and hand over full control to Iraqi security forces, warning of "difficult days" ahead.

“Now make no mistake. There will be difficult days ahead. We know that violence in Iraq will continue. We see that already in the senseless bombing in Kirkuk earlier today,’’ he said referring to the car bomb that killed some 30 people and wound 65 others in Iraq Tuesday.

Iraq's Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders will have to make some hard choices to resolve disputes that have hindered political reconciliation, he said.

“This is an important step forward, as a sovereign and united Iraq continues to take control of its own destiny. And with this progress comes responsibility. Iraq’s future is in the hands of its own people and Iraqi leaders must now make some hard choices necessary to resolve key political questions, to advance opportunity, and to provide security for their towns and their cities,’’ he said, promising the U.S. would be ‘’a strong partner for the Iraqi people.’’

The President praised U.S. troops and said he's confident that those who test Iraqi security forces and the resolve of the Iraqi people through more sectarian bombings will fail.

There's more work to be done to support a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, he said. "And everyone who has served there, both in uniform as well as our civilians, deserves our thanks."

Obama has made ending the six-year Iraq "war" a top foreign policy priority, with plans to withdraw all U.S. troops by the end of 2011.

The country has been almost torn apart by sectarian attacks (countless bombs) that have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more.

The Iraqi government celebrated the final withdrawal of American troops its cities Tuesday with parades, fireworks and a national holiday, marking a political milestone to trumpet what the prime minister called sovereignty from foreign occupation.

“The Iraqi people are rightly treating this day as cause for celebration,’’ Obama said.

Better late than never...still...

What percentage of the Iraqi population either favored or opposed the presence of U.S. forces in that county still is--and probably will always be--up for debate. But we know that many suffered throughout this six-year occupation, and their troubles are hardly over.

In the meantime, people in this country--Americans--are suffering at the hands of a broken economy--losing their homes, jobs, savings, healthcare insurance, even their hope.

Contributing (greatly, in my opinion) to the current state of affairs is a pseudo war launched by former President George W. Bush et al whose price tag has reached $683 billion--yes, billion. Add another $191 billion spent in Afghanistan, and you have some $874 billion, nearly a trillion dollars my friends, spent as of today.

According to the Brooking Institution's Iraq Index, the U.S. has spent $12 billion per day on the so-called this fake war--that's $5,000 per second. A significant portion of the money--billions of dollars--is unaccounted for as per multiple news reports and Congressional hearings.

Bush and his fan club--a brilliant group of good old boys from Ivy League schools--thought draining our economy with an unnecessary so-called "War on Terror" against a country that did terrorize the U.S. on 9/11 would be a good idea, as it would make W look "presidential" and boost his chances at re-election. Sigh.

There were no weapons of mass destruction, and (as far as we know) Osama Bin Laden along with his al-Qaeda posse are still plotting our destruction under the stars somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan.

As of today, U.S. troop casualties add up to 4,318, with another 31,368 wounded, 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries and not counting psychological injuries.

The price we have paid for this pseudo war, or occupation, is high--in U.S. dollars, resources, time wasted, and lives abruptly ended or forever shattered (literally).

I'm no political pundit, war correspondent or White House reporter. My thinking can be--and probably is to a certain degree, just like everybody else's--flawed in some way due to a lack of information, education and/or an excess of ignorance. Whatever. No one knows everything.

Yet, I still gotta call it as I see it because that's what I do. And Iraq was a BIG mistake, if you ask me.

Sources: AP, Reuters, New York Times, Me
Copyright © 2009