Chaos in Iran, suicide bomb kills 60+ in Iraq

This image taken from amateur video posted online from Tehran June 20 shows supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossien Mousavi protesting in Tehran. Eyewitnesses described fierce clashes after some 3,000 protesters, many wearing black, chanted "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to dictatorship!" near Revolution Square. (Fox News)

Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of the presidential elections last weekend, but turmoil and violence continue to rule in Iran, particularly in the capital city of Tehran.

Rallies again led to clashes between sides--Mousavi vs. Ahmadinejad supporters--and with Iranian security forces trying to control the protesters.

Although the Iranian government sent notices to journalists prohibiting them from covering the demonstrations, numerous news and witness reports, including images and video, are being leaked to the media via blogs, instant messaging and websites such as Facebook and Twitter, among other outlets, and broadcast by news networks such as CNN.

The images show streets packed with protesters and police, and instances of beatings, gunfire, wounded people lying on the ground bleeding, tear gas and water cannons being used by security forces, and motor vehicles on fire, among others. Mousavi supporters reportedly set a mosque on fire.
One video shows police hitting women with clubs. Several show men and women lying on the ground covered in blood after being beaten or shot, and in another a woman is trying to protect a young man who's being beaten and kicked by protesters after being thrown off his bike.
Several Twitter reports stated a hospital close to the scene is reporting 30 to 40 casualties and more than 200 injured.

Iranian state media is reporting the situation has returned to normal with "sporadic clashes." Mousavi said today he's ready for martyrdom willing to die for the cause behind the protests--the claim that last week presidential elections were rigged. Meanwhile, rallies against the Iran elections are underway at several U.S. cities, among them New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., as well as in foreign cities such as Hamburg, Germany; Sidney, Australia; and Paris, France.

Yesterday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei backed Ahmadinejad during the Friday morning prayer session.

Left: An image of the ayatollah delivering his sermon, taken from IRIB television by The Associated Press. (AP/IRIB)

He said Ahmadinejad won a "definitive victory" in the June 12 election and denied vote-rigging, adding that "rioting after the election is not a good way. It questions the election. If they continue [the consequences] will be their responsibility. ... I'm asking my friends and brothers to follow the laws. Let God give us blessing to follow those ways."

Well, how could they protest the election results before the election?

He praised Ahmadinejad as a "hard working" leader and blamed western governments and media for undermining the election process. Ugh.

Many residents, however, shouted "Allahu Akbar!" and "Death to the dictator!" from rooftops throughout Tehran in defiance to Khamenei, NBC News reported..

Suicide truck bomb kills over 60 people in Iraq

In Iraq, a suicide truck bombing near a Shiite mosque killed at least 64 people and wounded at least 166 Saturday in a city close to Kirkuk, Iraq, an official with Kirkuk police said according to a CNN report.

The explosion occurred in a busy area near the Rasoul mosque, police said, and a number of people were trapped under rubble.

Police said at least 25 houses and shops were destroyed.

The blast took place about 1 p.m. in the town of Taza, about 10 miles southwest of Kirkuk and 149 miles north of Baghdad, CNN reported. Taza is predominately inhabited by Shiite Turkmen.

Above: Iraqis search through the wreckage of a truck bomb in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday. (Getty Images)

Last week, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned of increased political violence in the country, mentioning a deadly bombing on June 10 in the southern town of Bathaa that killed more than 30 people and injured dozens.

He said there will be attempts to undermine Iraqi security forces as U.S. troops complete their withdrawal from Iraqi cities by the end of the month and ahead of upcoming national elections.

Sources: BNO, CNN, Reuters, Fox News
Copyright © 2009

Bullies in the water--U.S. tracks North Korean ship

Right: The U.S. military is tracking the North Korean ship shown here, called the Kang Nam. (Fox News photo)

The U.S. military is preparing for a possible intercept of a North Korean flagged ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution, several news outlets reported Friday.

The N. Korean-flagged ship, identified as the Kang Nam, has carried "proliferation materials" in the past and is known to be a "repeat offender," CNN reported.

The USS John McCain destroyer is positioning itself in case it gets orders to intercept the Kang Nam as soon as it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China, Fox reported citing a senior U.S. defense official.

The U.N. resolution does not allow forcible boarding of a suspect N.Korean ship but allows for a permission request to search it, UPI reported. The resolution also allows for any country where the suspect ship docks to inspect it for any illicit items.

At a news conference Thursday, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. would not forcibly board a N. Korean ship but would request permission to search it or press for its inspection at any port where it stops. He did not mention the ship's name.

An official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said the N. Korea-based ship became "a subject of interest" after leaving a N. Korean port on Wednesday. The ship appears to be heading toward Singapore, Fox reported citing the senior U.S. military source.

The Kang Nam is the first ship to be monitored under the U.N. sanctions adopted last week after N. Korea raised tensions by test-firing missiles, restarting a plant to produce arms-grade plutonium, and conducting a nuclear test.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington is also concerned about the possibility of N. Korea firing off more missiles, possibly in the direction of Hawaii, between July 4 and July 8.

"Without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say we are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect American territory," he said.

In recent weeks, N. Korea has raised tensions in North Asia, responsible for one-sixth of the global economy, with missile launches, threats to attack the South, and the May 25 nuclear test that led to U.N. sanctions.

N. Korean companies might get blacklisted

Meanwhile, a U.N. sanctions committee is considering blacklisting more N. Korean companies and individuals for supporting its nuclear and missile programs, Reuters reported. The 15-nation Security Council gave the committee 30 days from last Friday to add new names to the sanctions list.

The sanctions are intended to target only companies and individuals that are connected to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs. The committee blacklisted three North Korean firms in April for aiding those programs.

North Korea responded by saying it would take "firm military action" if the U.S. and its allies tried to isolate it.

Are they asking for it or what?

Did or did we not see this coming?

First were the bullies in the sky, now the water. What's next--land?

The shit is going to hit the fan if these fuckers continue heading in this direction without any indication of slowing down.

WTF are they doing? Why? And why now?

Surely they must have their reasons and a long-term plan that these tactics are serving, that is, unless they're total dunces acting 100% on impulse. As much as I don't want to give them any credit, I must admit I doubt that's the case.

I don't know enough about N. Korea (somebody please help me!) to even try to speculate about the political motives and what role this ship is playing in the bullies' scheme, but y'all know what I think is at the core of their angst. Do I need to say it again?

Fine. Tiny dicks.

Sources: Reuters, UPI, CNN, Fox News
Copyright © 2009

Iranian women call for equality in election aftermath

Left: Parisa, an Iranian woman who is protesting the presidential election's results and asking for more democracy in Iran. (Getty Images)

Women, regarded as second-class citizens under Iranian law, have taken to the streets to participate in the massive demonstrations that have unfolded since in the aftermath of the presidential election a week ago, protesting not only the election results but demanding an end to discrimination.

The images show women with uncovered heads who are unafraid to speak their minds and crowds that are not segregated--both the opposite of the norm in Iran.

Iranians are protesting what they consider a fraudulent vote count favoring hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"This regime is against all humanity, more specifically against all women," said protester Parisa, whom CNN is not fully identifying for security reasons.

"I see lots of girls and women in these demonstrations," she said. "They are all angry, ready to explode, scream out and let the world hear their voice. I want the world to know that as a woman in this country, I have no freedom."

Though 63% of all Iranian college students are women, the law of the land does not see men and women as equal. In cases of divorce, child custody, inheritance and crime, women do not have the same legal rights as men.

In this year's presidential campaign, Iranian women pressured candidates to agree to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The 1979 treaty has been ratified by 186 nations, including several Islamic states.

Some women in Iran looked to Mir Hossein Moussavi, who promised to appoint women as cabinet ministers if he won, to carry their banner.

The weight of discrimination against women is felt most profoundly through Iran's legal system, but Ahmadinejad added to the hardship by clamping down on women's lifestyles, CNN reported. He mandated the way women dress and even censored websites that dealt with women's health. A woman would be

"Today, we were wearing black," Parisa said, referring to the day of mourning to remember those who have died in post-election violence. "We were holding signs. We said, 'We are not sheep. We are human beings,'" she said.

"Today," she said, "I had this feeling of hope that things will finally change."

I applaud Iranian women's courage to speak up and fight for their rights. However, I can't forget that, like the men, women also have chanted "Death to the U.S!" during anti-American demonstrations in Iran.

just sayin'...

Sources: CNN
Copyright © 2009

Clinton surgery to fix broken elbow a success

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a joint news conference with Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman following their meeting at the State Department in Washington June 17. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had successful two-hour surgery on Friday to repair her broken right elbow, her chief of staff said as reported by Reuters.

Clinton tripped and fell in the State Department's basement on Wednesday while en route to the White House for a meeting. She has canceled her public appointments since then because of the elbow injury.

"Her doctors at the George Washington University Hospital have advised her that they expect her to make a full recovery without lasting damage to her arm," Cheryl Mills, Clinton's chief of staff, said after the early morning surgery.

Clinton has several foreign trips planned in the coming weeks and Mills said decisions about the top U.S. diplomat's travel plans would be made in the coming days.

She is set to go to Trieste, Italy, next week for a meeting of Group of Eight foreign ministers and attend a conference on Afghanistan to which Iran has been invited.

On the same trip, Clinton is due to go to Corfu, Greece, for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on June 27-28.

In mid-July, Clinton is scheduled to make her first trip to India as the Obama administration's top diplomat.

Mills said Clinton had returned to her home in Washington after the surgery where she would remain with her family for the weekend.

(Reporting by Sue Pleming; Editing by Bill Trott)

Sources: Reuters
Copyright © 2009

Stew of News - Commando, Caylee Anthony, Boyle

No more "going commando" in Florida city

A Florida city is cleaning up with a new dress code that requires city workers to wear underwear and use deodorant, AP reported Friday.

The city council in Brooksville recently approved a dress code that instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene" and prohibits exposed underwear, clothing with foul language, "sexually provocative" clothes and piercings anywhere except the ears.

Repeat offenders can be fired. (I would be sooo fired...if I didn't quit first.)

The city council approved the dress code in a 4-1 as part of a wider effort to update existing policies and ordinances. The one vote in opposition came from Mayor Joe Bernadini, who said the underwear edict "takes away freedom of choice."

"I voted against it. I think it takes away people's personal freedom in my opinion it insults their intelligence a little bit," he said, according to a First Coast News report.

Judge allows release of Caylee's autopsy report

Cayle Anthony.( WESH.com)

An Orange County judge decided Friday to allow the release of Caylee Anthony's autopsy report to the public, WFTV Channel 9 reported.

At a court hearing, George and Cindy Anthony did not get the answer they wanted. George was emotional as he spoke to Judge Stan Strickland to try to convince him not to release his granddaughter's autopsy report.

"Please show us some peace and some dignity by keeping this report sealed," he said fighting tears.

The Anthonys said releasing the report would cause them even more anguish and are afraid that the results will be exploited. (Frankly, I read the report and I don't see how it would increase their anguish nor how it would be exploited.)

"This last year has been an emotional strain for our entire family," George said. "The protection of our family's rights and privacy and emotional well-being, has been tossed aside over and over again." (It's a murder investigation. Shouldn't they get that by now?)

On June 10, their attorney, Brad Conway, filed a motion to block Caylee's autopsy result findings claiming that publicizing the report would cause endless speculation. At the time, Judge Strickland ordered a stay on the release of the findings.

WFTV Legal Analyst Bill Sheaffer Caylee's grandparents had no legal standing in the case to ask the judge to seal the public record and said there was no legal basis for their argument."Unless there's a legal basis other than emotional distress, which is not a legal basis, this judge will not block the release of this public document," Sheaffer explained.

Casey, 23, is in the Orange County jail facing first-degree murder. She is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.

Susan Boyle continues to skip performances

Susan Boyle (AP photo)

Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle has scrapped two more appearances on the show's U.K. tour, skipping last night's performance in Liverpool and today's show in Cardiff, Wales.

The singer's publicist said decisions on whether Boyle performed were taken on a day-by-day basis, BBC reported.

"She would love to be able to perform every single evening but she is aware of what she can and can't do," her publicist said in a statement. "I feel sorry for her because she doesn't want to let people down but also she needs to have a rest."

The rep took pains to shoot down British tabloid reports claiming Boyle was a no-show because she was hysterical and homesick for her cat, Pebbles.

Boyle, 48, has cancelled three other performances, nine dates into the tour. Britain's Got Talent stars are due to perform 25 times during the show's run, BBC reported.

She previously scrapped matinee and evening performances last Sunday in Manchester, provoking boos from the audience when a video montage was shown in lieu of her live renditions of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables and "Memory" from Cats. Boyle has also cancelled two performances at the Manchester MEN Arena last Sunday and one in Liverpool on Thursday, BBC reported.

She did rally for performances in Birmingham and her native Scotland, getting rousing ovations from crowds in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this week.

The trek wraps up July 5, and, if she's well enough, judge Piers Morgan has invited her to pop in on the fourth season of the U.S. edition of America's Got Talent, kicking off Tuesday on NBC.

The singer was treated for exhaustion at The Priory in London after the show that made her famous wrapped up.

Evidently, something's wrong. It's hard to imagine someone getting severely tired from singing one or two songs per show--that's all she has to do. It's something else.

I think her body, to which her thoughts and emotions are inexorably linked, simply is not equipped for the limelight and the brutal UK tabloids. If she were younger, one could expect her to just get used to it. Nevertheless, I'm optimistic because there are some powerful people nearby who want to help her.

Sources: The Associated Press, CNN, BBC, NBC, WESH, WFTV, First Coast News, E! Online
Copyright © 2009

Woman fined $2-mil for illegal music downloads

A federal jury Thursday found a 32-year-old Minnesota woman guilty of illegally downloading music from the Internet and fined her $80,000 each -- a total of $1.9 million -- for 24 songs.

That's a bit stiff--isn't it?

Jammie Thomas-Rasset's case was the first such copyright infringement case to go to trial in the U.S., her attorney said according to a CNN report.

Attorney Joe Sibley said that his client was shocked at the fine, noting that the price tag on the songs she downloaded was 99 cents. She plans to appeal, he said.

Cara Duckworth, a spokeswoman for the Recording Industry Association of America, said the RIIA was "pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence and found the defendant liable."

"We appreciate the jury's service and that they take this as seriously as we do," she said.

Thomas-Rasset downloaded work by artists such as No Doubt, Linkin Park, Gloria Estefan and Sheryl Crow.

This was the second trial for Thomas-Rasset. The judge ordered a retrial in 2007 after there was an error in the wording of jury instructions. The fines jumped considerably from the first trial, which granted just $220,000 to the recording companies.

Thomas-Rasset is married with four children and works for an Indian tribe in Minnesota.

Here's the thing: tons of people do this--tons. That doesn't make it legal, but it bothers me when one person is used to send a message to the others.

Going after everyone suspected of downloading music without paying the fees would be too expensive and time consuming--wouldn't it be? So the authorities make a big production of this case hoping it will scare enough people to stop their illegal downloads. We'll see if it works.

Sources: CNN
Copyright © 2009

Speidi back in the jungle?

One of Speidi's cheesiest moments. (Photo pacificcoastnews.com)

Speidi just can't get enough of the jungle.

After several attempts to quit before officially leaving I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on June 8, the The Hills stars are returning to the show again, US magazine reported Thursday.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt will join the entire cast of the NBC reality series on the June 25 finale, a network source told US.

The last time the Pratts were in the Costa Rican jungle, Heidi was rushed to a local hospital to be treated for a gastric ulcer after spending the night in the "Lost Chamber."

When they return to the show, they will be joined by Heidi's sister, Holly Montag, who made her debut on the I'm a Celebrity last week when she took Speidi's place.

I really don't like this pair, but I think that for the first time in a looong time I'm acting like a normal person, slowing down to stare at the gruesome scene of a wreck. And I can take comfort in that .

Source: US Magazine

30 days and suspension from games--RU joking?

Browns receiver Donte Stallworth, right, flanked by his lawyer Christopher Lyons and his mother Donna Stallworth, listens to assistant state attorney Pat Trese during Tuesday's hearing in a Miami-Dade courtroom. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald)

I don't normally follow sports, but I've got something to say about Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth: are you fucking kidding me?

Stallworth, 28, pleaded guilty in a Florida court Tuesday to DUI manslaughter charges in the death of construction worker Mario Reyes in March. Under terms of a plea agreement, he will serve 30 days, which he began serving his sentence immediately, CNN reported.

Let me get this straight: this guy chooses to drink, get drunk, drive drunk, then kills a man while driving drunk and gets to serve a whooping 30 days in prison?

WTF?

Do I hear you saying he's also being suspended indefinitely by the National Football League? OK, so what? You can't work when you're in prison, right? If he were going to prison for years on involuntary manslaughter, he would not be playing football suspended or not.

Apparently, Stallworth, got slapped with this cruel, inhumane, torturous 30-day sentence as part of a plea deal, that is, because he pleaded guilty.

So what? Does pleading guilty cancel the crime?

I must be missing something here...

The big news today was his suspension from the NFL.

"The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told Stallworth in a letter Thursday.

"While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL commissioner to determine appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL," Goodell said.

Stallworth's suspension is effective immediately, the league said. Goodell wrote in the letter that "in due course" the league would contact his attorney to schedule a meeting with him, after which a final determination would be made on discipline.

Stallworth was driving his black Bentley GT east on the MacArthur Causeway, which connects Miami to the South Beach area of Miami Beach, when he struck Reyes on the morning of March 14, according to prosecutors. He had been drinking at a Miami Beach club, according to court documents. His blood alcohol level was 0.126%, prosecutors said; Florida's legal limit is 0.08.

Reyes, 59, reportedly was heading to a bus stop after work when he was struck. Court documents said he suffered "critical head, chest and abdominal injuries" and died at a hospital, CNN reported.

When police arrived at the scene, Stallworth told them he was the driver of the car and admitted striking Reyes. Fine, but still...

During Tuesday's hearing, Stallworth offered his "deepest condolences to the Reyes family."

"Though I cannot bring back Mr. Reyes or ease his family's pain, I can and will honor his memory by committing my time, my resources and my voice by educating this community about the dangers of drunk driving," he said.

Stallworth could have served up to 15 years in prison, but State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle noted in a statement that he cooperated with authorities and had no previous criminal record or traffic violations. Reyes' family supported the plea agreement, she said.

How could they support a 30-day sentence for a drunk driver who caused the death of their loved one?

Stallworth's attorney, Chris Lyons, on Tuesday told CNN sister network HLN that Stallworth had reached an "amicable" financial settlement with Reyes' family but would not disclose the amount.

Ahhh...that's how and why they went for it--cold hard cash. Can't really blame them...after all, a longer sentence wouldn't bring Reyes back and they could probably use the money now that he won't be bringing home the bacon.

Lyons said the length of Stallworth's jail term "had nothing to do with Donte Stallworth being a celebrity, a professional football player or money."

Of course not.

What else would he say? That it did?

Stallworth has shown "genuine remorse" and accepted responsibility for his actions, Lyons said.

But so have many other criminals--and I use this because from a legal standpoint Stallworth committed a crime and is, therefore, a criminal--and they don't all get Mickey Mouse sentences--do they?

Under terms of Stallworth's plea agreement, he will face two years of house arrest upon his release. He is also required to donate $2,500 (wow!) to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (known as MADD), serve eight years of probation and submit to random drug and alcohol testing throughout his probation. His driver's license was permanently revoked.

Oh, alrighty then. He got a bit more than a 30-day sentence. I'll shut up now.

Sources: CNN, ABC News
Copyright © 2009

Sean Goldman allegedly wants to stay in Brazil

Sean and his father David Goldman. (Family photo)

A 9-year-old boy at the center of an international custody battle told a psychologist he wants to stay with his stepfamily in Brazil rather than return to the U.S. with his biological father, according to a transcript of the interview as reported by AP.

In the transcript, released by the Brazilian family's lawyers on Wednesday, Sean Goldman tells the psychologist that if he is sent back to New Jersey to be with David Goldman he will "break down totally."

"I want to stay here in Brazil," the 9-year-old repeats in the interview.

I'll believe it when I see Sean himself say that on live TV.

The interview with Sean Goldman was conducted Monday by psychologist Terezinha Feres-Carneiro in a Rio de Janeiro hospital. It wasn't immediately clear who paid for the psychologist's services.

I think we know who paid for that interview.

When asked to draw a picture of his family, the boy drew only his stepfather, sister and Brazilian grandparents.

What exactly was he asked to draw? In what terms? He lives with them, so of course he's going to draw them when asked to draw his family or house, not his father in New Jersey with whom he hasn't lived for five years.

The transcript's release follows comments last week by David Goldman that a hearing in Brazil had made public an issue that he said he had been legally barred from discussion previously: "The psychological damage that has been inflicted on my son is finally out in the open."

"There's no words to describe the anxiety and the pain that I feel from that," he said.

Goldman's lawyer told the judges about reports by three court-appointed psychologists who found Sean was suffering.

Let's not forget that it was the mother who basically kidnapped Sean, took him to a strange land with people who speak another language, probably poisoned his mind about his father and relatives in the state, put him in the hands of a gangster stepfather who couldn't possibly care about this kid anywhere near as much as his father.

In 2004, Sean's mother, Bruna Bianchi, took him for a two-week vacation to her native Brazil and never returned. She divorced David Goldman in Brazil and married Rio de Janeiro lawyer Joao Paulo Lins e Silva.

She died last year, and a Rio state court granted Lins e Silva temporary custody of Sean.

Earlier this month, a lower court in Brazil later ruled that Sean Goldman be returned to the U.S., but that decision was suspended after a petition was filed arguing that removing Sean from his current family environment would hurt the boy.

Last week, Brazil's Supreme Court rebuffed the petition, instead ruling the decision on the boy's fate must be made by a federal court.

What a mess. I can only imagine the anguish this man, David Goldman, has had to endure for five years now. If there is a hell, she's there, if you ask me.

Sources: The Associated Press, USA Today
Copyright © 2009

Mother, grandma burn child in voodoo ritual

Voodoo dance. Photo source unknown.

Another burn victim at the hands of a couple of sick f#cks.

A New York mother and grandmother were charged with setting a 6-year-old girl on fire during a voodoo ritual that caused life-threatening burns over 25% of the child's body, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Frantzcia Saintil suffered physical and emotional scars after she was set ablaze with lighter fluid and kept at home overnight until another relative insisted she be taken to the hospital, prosecutors said according to a Reuters report.

"During the performance of a Haitian voodoo practice known as 'Loa,' the child's mother is alleged to have intentionally poured an accelerant over her young daughter's body, causing her to be engulfed in flames,"Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

"Despite the child's cries for help and the severity of her injuries, both defendants are accused of failing to seek immediate medical attention for the child," he said. "Instead, they allegedly washed her down with cold water and placed her in bed, where she was fortunately discovered the following evening by another relative who insisted that the child be taken to the hospital," he said, noting that the child has suffered permanent scarring--both physically and emotionally."

Jesus F. Christ.

According to the charges, Frantzcia was home with her mother, Marie Lauradin, 29, grandmother, Sylvenie Thessier, 70, and a family friend known as "Sketch" (sounds sketchy to me), and that pursuant to the mother's belief in the voodoo practice, Lauradin poured an accelerant on her head and in a circle on the floor. She then allegedly set the circle on fire and placed Frantzcia, who was naked, inside the ring of fire, at which point the accelerant on her body ignited and flames engulfed her. Although Thessier and Sketch were present in the room, neither intervened, even after Frantzcia cried out for help.

Lauradin reportedly told police that she had been preparing rice on the stove and accidentally spilled boiling water on the child and that she did not see any burns on her daughter until she was at the hospital. Thessier claimed to be in the bathroom at the time of the incident.

Lauradin was charged with first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child, and if convicted faces up to 25 years in prison. Thessier was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child, facing up to 7 years if convicted.

The girl was admitted to the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital on Feb 6, with second- and third-degree burns covering 25% of her body, including her face, torso and legs, ABC News reported. As part of her treatment, she was placed in a medically induced coma and hooked up to a respirator.

Frantzcia was placed in foster care following her release in May, and authorities say she eventually told her foster family a different account of what occurred.

What this story is lacking is an explanation of the ritual and it's purpose. According to several websites on the subject, Loa means "mystery" in the Yoruba language and stands for a group of spirits of the voodoo religion that serve as intermediaries (sort of like angels and saints).

Sources: Reuters, ABC News
Copyright © 2009

All this fuss over a handjob

Left: David Archuleta and his dad Jeffery Achuleta attend a new release signing and fan greeting event for his self-titled album David Archuleta on Nov 11 in New York City. (Joe Corrigan/Getty Images)

Former American Idol runner-up David Archuleta's father got caught receiving "sexual gratification" at a massage parlor, news outlets reported this week.

So what? Who cares?

Well, self-righteous Americans and the justice system care.

Jeff Archuleta, 47, was charged with soliciting a massage parlor prostitute, pleaded no contest and paid a $582 fine after he was arrested Jan. 14 during a raid at a massage parlor in Midvale.

That was in January, and somehow we're now hearing about it because someone thought it's news and spread it around.

During the raid, six officers entered the parlor and "found a female masseuse and male client," Midvale Police Sgt. John Salazar said. "At that time, an interview ensued and the male client admitted to receiving sexual gratification from the masseuse."

Sexual gratification? What exactly is he talking about--a handjob, a blowjob? And what's wrong with that? Alright, alright...if he paid for it, it's prostitution, and prostitution is illegal in this country. That's a load of crap--or sperm, in this case--if you ask me.

Jeff Archuleta's lawyer Eric Bauer said his client was there getting legitimate massage therapy for his back. Uh, huh.

"Oh, I don't know what those police officers say, I mean, who knows what they say," he told New York's Daily News of police claims. (That's kinda flaky for a lawyer, isn't it?) "He did not go there for sex and that was it and pure, plain and simple that's the way it was."

WTF? Either this guy can't talk in coherent sentences or the reporter who took the quote sucks.

As part of his plea to the class B misdemeanor, Archuleta agreed to complete a counseling class.

Counseling for what--not wanting or seeking or paying for sexual gratification? Will the so-called counseling include a seminar by the Pick-up Artist on how to get it for free?

Did I mention sexual oppression and I don't get along?

The case reportedly will be dismissed when he appears in court June 30 for a review as long as he does not repeat the crime.

Right, maybe when he's high-strong and frantic with sexual frustration and...I don't know...beats somebody up in parking lot somewhere he'll be ordered counseling sessions on how to channel his sexual energy via masturbation, a.k.a auto- or self-handjobs for which one does not pay oneself.

Meanwhile, David--the man with the velvet voice--is thanking his fans for standing by him during this difficult time.

"David is busy preparing for his upcoming tour with Demi Lovato," his rep said in a statement. "He thanks his fans for their continued support."

Jeff Archuleta was famously accused of disrupting production on American Idol in 2008. He was even banned backstage after pressuring David to alter his "Stand By Me" performance by adding a verse from the Sean Kingston tune "Beautiful Girls." Jeff had ignored the producers' objections, creating problems with the song's publisher.

You see? That man really needs to get laid...or blown...or both...massage table or not.

Source: US magazine, E!, Extra, My Twisted Mind
Copyright © 2009

Pilot dies midflight over Atlantic, plane lands OK

You'd think this would happen more often. After all, people drop dead for all sorts of reasons every day, anywhere.

A Continental Airlines captain died during a trans-Atlantic flight Thursday, prompting the co-pilot and a second pilot aboard the jet to take over the controls, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

The airline said he "apparently" died of natural causes.

The plane, a Boeing 777-200 carrying 247 passengers, took off from Brussels Airport in Belgium at around 10:06 a.m. local time (4:06 a.m. EDT).

The crew on board of flight 61 included an additional relief pilot who took the place of the deceased pilot to assist the co-pilot during the remainder of the flight, BNO reported.

"The flight continued safely with two pilots at the controls," said Kelly Cripe, a spokeswoman for Continental Airlines.

The deceased pilot was 60-years-old, from Newark and had more than 32 years of service with the airline. His name was not immediately released.

The aircraft safely landed at 11:49 a.m. EDT after it received "priority handling" at the airport. It was escorted by emergency vehicles to the gate.

The flight was scheduled for slightly more than eight hours, which under federal law requires the airline to hire a third pilot for the flight who monitors the controls while either the captain or co-pilot take rests during the cruise portion of the flight. The second co-pilot was available to step in after the captain was stricken, Continental said in a statement.

Simon Shapiro of Brooklyn, N.Y., was one of the first passengers off the jet in New Jersey, AP reported. He said he was seated in first class and didn't know anything unusual was going on in the cockpit.

"I knew nothing until I saw all the cops" at Newark International, Shapiro said. "The first time I'm hearing it is from your mouth," he told a reporter, noting "there were announcements, no panic, no nothing" aboard the flight.

Martha Love of Stewartsville, N.J., said she was sitting in first class during the flight. She said the crew broadcast a request for doctors, and more than a half-dozen doctors approached the front of the plane, but the pilot's death was not announced.

The passengers did not realize how serious the situation was until they saw fire trucks lining up as the plane landed on the runway, Love said.

After decades of requiring pilots to retire when they reached age 60, Congress changed the law on Dec. 13, 2007, to allow pilots to fly up to age 65, AP reported. Airline pilots must receive a medical check every six months by an FAA-approved physician.

Source: BNO, The Associated Press
Copyright © 2009

Teen wakes up to too many stars tattoo on face

Right: A distraught Kimberley Vlaeminck speaks on her mobile phone at home in Belgium today - the 56 tattoos still healing across her face. (EPA/Daily Mail)

WTF was she--or he--thinking?

Kimberley Vlaeminck said she fell asleep while tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz (god help me with these names) tattooed her face with 56 stars. She says she wanted three modest stars tattooed near her eye but awoke to "a nightmare."

"I woke up when he was starting to tattoo my nose... I counted 56 stars, it is frightening," she said.

Starface says she fell asleep during the procedure, that is, while getting 56 stars tattoed ON HER FACE.

Now, my friends, with all due respect to this girl, anyone who has had a frantic needle drill ink into the skin knows that there's no fucking way one can fall asleep during such a procedure, especially when it's being done on the face where nerve endings and bone galore, which in tattoo world translates to a holly-fuck-this-hurts-like-hell experience you're not soon to forget.

Toumaniantz denies Starface's claim that he misunderstood what she wanted. He alleges she was awake while he was working on her face and happy with the results until her father and boyfriend saw the stars. (The look on their faces must have been good enough for a MasterCard "priceless" ad and worth the tattoo, if you ask me.)

"She was awake and looked in the mirror several times as the procedure was being done," said Toumaniantz, who works at Tattoo Box in Kortrijk. "She agreed, but when her father saw it, the trouble started," he told a Belgian newspaper.

Her boyfriend reportedly dumped her, and that's when the shit hit the fan.

Now, she's suing him for £10,000 (about $16,400) after she paid £55 ($90) for "the graffiti that has ruined my life," claiming Toumanaintz, who speaks Romani, misunderstood her French and English.

"I explicitly said in my native tongue, French, and also in a little bit of English when he looked confused, that I wanted three little stars only near my left eye," she said.

"They are saying things now like I doped her or hypnotized her. What rubbish!...She asked for 56 stars and that’s what she got," he said.

Left: Rouslan Toumaniantz, who runs the tattoo parlour, says Kimberley asked for 56 stars. (Daily Mail)

A witness who was present and was questioned by police confirmed his story, "but be that as it may, Kimberley is unhappy and it is not my wish to have an unsatisfied client," Toumaniantz said. "There is a way to remove the tattoos with the help of a laser. I accept to pay for half the cost."

The surgery to remove the stars would cost £8,500 ($14,000), but even the most advanced laser techniques would leave deep white marks all across Kimberley's face--which means she would go from Starface to Scarface.

The tattoo artist, who's covered with tattoos and piercings from head to toe, said he doesn't regret the incident. "To tell you the truth, this has given me some publicity."

Kimberley says she wants to keep the stars on her forehead but have the rest removed. Hmm...

"It is terrible for me," she said. "I cannot go out on to the street, I am so embarrassed. I just look horrible."

Jules Clocher, a Belgian psychologist, said: "The trauma this girl must be feeling is indescribable. She feels like a circus freak--and no wonder, because she looks like one."

LOL!

Toumanaintz said that from now on he will get written consent from clients before he begins tattooing. I'm surprised he has been working without these up until now, though one cannot compare Belgium to the United States of Lawsuits.

SO--Is she lying about wanting three vs. 56 stars because of her family's reaction? Keep in mind she's a teenager, and it's a proven fact that teenagers lie whenever their lips move.

Yet, why would she ask for 56 stars as he claims she did? How would that number be significant to an 18-year-old girl? It's not like she's celebrating 56 years of marriage or was born on the 56th day of any month or in the 56th month of a Neptunian year. Maybe she meant to memorialized the 56 score she got on a Math test, but somehow I doubt it. Or perhaps she's had a boyfriend for 56 days, but by the next day it would've been 57. Same with the number of times she might have gotten laid. Could she (or anyone) be that stupid?

But, then again, why would a tattoo artist--and owner of his own parlor--draw the Milky Way on her face if all she wanted was a ternary stellar system? Was he high or on some sort of tattooing automatic pilot? He was definitely seeing stars...

And the being asleep part...was she so low on energy, benzos, opiates or who the fuck knows what that she could not communicate what she wanted done to her face and even fall asleep while she was being marked for life?

We'll probably never know for sure.

Frankly, I don't see this girl asking for 56 stars, but I also don't see this dude risking his business by doing something like this. She was stupid for (a) allowing someone with whom there was a language barrier to tattoo her, and (b) asking for a tattoo on her face. But she's 18 years old and, therefore, inexperienced.

This was a misunderstanding, if you ask me. So my vote goes for them split the tattoo removal cost in half and end of story...for him, at least.

Sources: BBC, UK's Daily Mail, Lemon Drop
Copyright © 2009

Clinton falls, fractures elbow--will need surgery

She won't be saluting like this any time soon.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fractured her right elbow during a fall Wednesday afternoon and will need surgery to repair it.

Clinton fell on her way to the White House and was taken to George Washington University Hospital. She was treated and released, and will have surgery to repair her elbow in coming weeks, Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, said in a statement.

"Secretary Clinton appreciates the professionalism and kindness she received from the medical team who treated her this evening and looks forward to resuming her full schedule soon," Mills said.

Clinton had been scheduled to join actress Angelina Jolie on Thursday morning at a Washington event marking World Refugee Day. That event has been removed from Clinton's public schedule, AP reported.

We wish her a speedy recovery.

Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, BNO
Copyright © 2009

Have you had enough of Speidi?

Kevin Perkins/PacificCoastNews.com

This photo needs no comment.

E! Online wants to know if it should be a Speidi-free zone, asking viewers and readers to vote. Here's the link to the poll: Should E! be a Speidi-free zone?

Source: E! Online News

Miami serial cat killer out of jail

The Miami teen accused of brutally killing nearly two dozen cats was released on bail because he poses no danger to himself or the community, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Are fucking kidding me?

Tyler Weinman, 18, allegedly terrorized a community with a month-long gruesome killing spree of neighborhood cats in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay areas of Miami. Most of the animals were found gutted and skinned on front lawns over the last month.

He was arrested on June 13 and charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty, four counts of burglary and 19 counts of improper disposing of an animal body.

Judge John Thornton ordered Weinman released after a brief hearing after his bond, which was set at $249,500, was posted Tuesday. The teen was ordered to house arrest wearing an a GPS ankle bracelet for monitoring his movements.

The judge had previously ordered a pschiatric evaluation for the suspect. According to the ruling today, the psychiatric exam indicated Weinman does not appear at risk of harming himself or others.

Observers and community members expressed outraged that the sick fuck was released.

The Miami Herald reported that Weinman, appearing in court wearing a red jumpsuit used for high-profile inmates, "smirked and nodded to his father and stepmother."

The newspaper quoted one of his lawyers, Michael Walsh, as saying Weinman is innocent and that police rushed to arrest him without evidence because of an intense public outcry over the cat killings.

Weinman could face a sentence of up to 158 years in jail. (see Serial cat killer caught, Miami Police say posted June 14). We all know that won't happen.

Weinman's parents did not return AP calls seeking comment; however, I just saw the father on CNN claiming Tyler is not the killer, noting--big shocker here--that he's "a great kid" that "loves animals." They're always great kids, aren't they?

Word is he was the ring leader of a cat killing mob in those neighborhoods, which doesn't surprise me a bit.

In any case, if he's the killer, he's toast. If he's not, I have no doubt it won't be long before the killer is caught. But if you ask me, he was already caught.

Sources: The Associated Press, CNN, ABC News, Miami Herald
Copyright © 2009