An American veteran of the Iraq War is being held in a notoriously dangerous prison in Juarez, Mexico, charged with carrying weapons over the border in his car.
Army Spc. Richard Raymond Medina Torres, on leave from his base at Fort Hood, Tex., was arrested in Juarez April 21 when he said he mistakenly crossed the border and found himself on the Mexican side of the Bridge of the Americas.
Medina Torres, 25, told Mexican officials that he intended to park his car in El Paso and walk across the border for breakfast, but got lost on the highway and was forced to cross into Mexico.
According to the El Paso Times, Mexican border police stopped him as he attempted a U-turn, and Medina Torres was arrested when they found an AR-15 rifle and handgun in his trunk. The newspaper said that Medina Torres said he'd bought the guns years before and had all the proper permits. However possession of firearms in Mexico is illegal and strictly controlled.
"Its a very sticky situation for foreigners to have weapons in Mexico," said a spokesman at the bureau of consular affairs at the State Department. "The laws are stricter and narrower there," he said.
Medina Torres, a helicopter mechanic, said he was on his way to Fresno, Calif., to visit his mother in time for her birthday Thursday. His mother told FOXNews.com that while on route, he wanted to make a pit stop for a Mexican breakfast, but instead got lost. That is when he was arrested, she said.
"It was his very first time," said Gloria Medina. "All he wanted was a good Mexican meal."
He never got his meal, and is now waiting in the infamous Cereso prison, a jail for some of Mexico's most violent drug smugglers, for a Mexican judge to decide his fate.
His mother said, He told me Mother, all I do is pray and sleep, pray and sleep.
Medina Torres was with charged with carrying weapons over the border in his car and an additional and much more serious charge of possession of a military-style weapon, which has since been dropped. If sentenced, Medina Torres could face from 3 to 10 years in prison, according to the El Paso Times.
But his mother said she is hopeful about prospect for his release. "I'm hopeful, I'm optimistic today because the consul [in Juarez] told me that they're optimistic, very positive" about his case.
The American consul in Juarez has taken a special interest in my sons case," she told FOXNews.com. "He told me, Hes a fine young man and hes a good son and a good soldier.'
I asked him to take of my son (the consulate general) and he said that he would.
According to the State Department spokesman, the U.S. military normally advocates for American soldiers who have been incarcerated abroad.
"In most cases overseas the military handles their own cases," the spokesman said. "In this case because he was probably on vacation, and by virtue of the fact that hes incarcerated in Mexico, the consul is working the case."
Medina Torres enlisted in the Army in 2001. He had recently returned from a 15-month tour in Iraq, his mother told FOXNews.com. He also served in Korea, and while in Fresno had planned to request a transfer to Honduras.
Im optimistic, praying that the Lord will deliver him from this ordeal, said Gloria Medina.
Retired NYC Detectives Spend 11 Years Connecting the Drowning Deaths of 40 Young Men Across the Country
Chris Jenkins was a popular student at the University of Minnesota who disappeared one night in 2003. Four months later, he was found dead in the Mississippi River. At first police thought Jenkins was just a drunk college kid who accidentally fell into the river and drowned after a night on the town.
But for two retired New York City Police detectives, Jenkins' death became the link that connected the drowning deaths of 40 young men -- usually high-achieving college students -- in 25 cities in 11 different states.
Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte have been tracking the suspicious drowning deaths of young men across the country ever since they investigated the death of college student Patrick McNeill, who drowned in New York City in 1997. Gannon made a promise to McNeill's parents that he would never give up on his case. When the detectives took a look at Jenkins' death, they discovered that the position of his body and other physical evidence proved that the college student didn't drown accidentally. The cause of death on Jenkins' death certificate was changed to "homicide."
While most local investigations focus on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte wanted to know where the body went into the water. If they could figure out that location, the detectives believed they'd be able to gather evidence from the actual crime scene.
In city after city, the detectives found a smiley face painted somewhere at the crime scene. The color of paint used and the size of the faces varies, but the detectives are convinced it is a sick signature claiming responsibility for the homicide. The detectives found the smiley faces in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Gannon and Duarte also came to the surprising conclusion that more than one person is involved in the murders. "Because there's such a wide range of states the killings are through," Gannon said today in an exclusive interview on "Good Morning America." "Besides the fact that we have multiple victims on the same night."
At the crime scene of a drowning in Michigan, Gannon and Duarte discovered grafitti that they believed was written by the killers, but were puzzled by a word they hadn't seen before. "We found 'sinsiniwa,' which was very suspicious at the time," said Gannon.
Then the detectives found the strange word in Iowa, where they were investigating the drowning death of 24-year-old Matt Kruziki. Bloodhounds tracked Kruziki's scent to an intersection near the Mississippi River. The detectives believe that is the location where the killers slid Kruziki's body in the water -- it was at Sinsiniwa Avenue.
"We believe they were specifically leaving a clue for us or anyone who was paying attention to these drownings, that the cases were ultimately linked," Gannon said.
Paul McCabe of the FBI office in Minneapolis said the bureau investigated some of the deaths late last year and concluded that they were accidental drownings. He said an FBI behavioral analysis, requested by a Wisconsin police chief, concluded that there was probably not a serial killer at work. McCabe said his office is not actively investigating any of the deaths but would be interested in seeing any new information that Gannon and Duarte had discovered.
Gannon said they were publicizing their conclusions now because they are looking for help. "Right now really we're out of finances and really can't do any more on the cases. In fact, we looked at 89 cases in totality. We knocked out 30 right away and there was 19 cases that we haven't even done yet and out of those 19, they look like at least 10, 15 of those could be connected," Gannon said.
Chris Jenkins' mother, Jan, like the McNeills and other families, want answers about how their son died. "The people that murdered Chris have murdered before him and they've also murdered people after him and those people are still at large," Jan Jenkins said.
Brazilian police are investigating allegations by three transvestites that Ronaldo, the Brazilian football star and AC Milan forward, threatened to harm them after he took them to a Rio de Janeiro motel.
"But . . . but . . . I can explain! I can, really."
Posted by: Mike ||
04/29/2008 10:52 ||
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300-pound inmate complains Ark. jail doesn't feed him well
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge is suing the county, complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds because of the jailhouse menu. Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn't happy that he's down to 308 pounds after eight months in the Benton County jail. He has filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn't provide inmates with enough food.
People in the toniest spas of Noo Yolk, Bahston and Elll-Laaaaay pay thousands of dollars and never get results like this ...
According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds when he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire.
"On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out," Laswell wrote in his complaint. "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."
But Laswell then goes on to complain that he undertakes little vigorous activity. "If we are in a small pod all day (and) do next to nothing for physical exercise, we should not lose weight," the suit says. "The only reason we lost weight in here is because we are literally being starved to death."
The suit also asks that the county be ordered to serve hot meals. The jail has served only cold food for years.
The meals, provided through Aramark Correctional Institution Services, average 3,000 calories a day, jail Capt. Hunter Petray told The Morning News of northwest Arkansas for a story Saturday. A typical Western diet consists of 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day.
Laswell's suit was filed without a lawyer in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
One of the favorite pastimes of cons is to file idiot suits in the Federal courts. This is one of those.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/29/2008 00:00 ||
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"we are literally being starved to death"
308 pounds is still a long way from emaciated, but the person he allegedly murdered is likely eating even less.
Marine scientists in New Zealand on Tuesday were thawing the corpse of the largest squid ever caught to try to unlock the secrets of one of the ocean's most mysterious beasts.
No one has ever seen a living, grown colossal squid in its natural deep ocean habitat, and scientists hope their examination of the 1,089-pound, 26-foot long colossal squid, set to begin Wednesday, will help determine how the creatures live. The thawing and examination are being broadcast live on the Internet.
The squid, which was caught accidentally by fishermen last year, was removed from its freezer Monday and put into a tank filled with saline solution. Ice was added to the tank Tuesday to slow the thawing process so the outer flesh wouldn't rot, said Carol Diebel, director of natural environment at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/29/2008 11:18 ||
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#1
Fo a bit I thought the headline was about a sailor.
MMMMM calamari!
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/29/2008 12:34 Comments ||
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or another Zapatero cover
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/29/2008 12:37 Comments ||
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Deacon - I suspect you'd pass: At the time it was caught, O'Shea said it would make calamari rings the size of tractor tires if cut up - but they would taste like ammonia, a compound found in the animals' flesh.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/29/2008 12:40 Comments ||
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To bad we can't stick another couple of squids named Obama and Billary back in deep freeze.
#11
Step right up boy and girls and you too young man in the back looking shy. You can see it right now right, here in New Zealand. Yes, the country with the highest literacy rate in the world now has it:
a living, grown colossal squid
Posted by: George Smiley ||
04/29/2008 18:44 Comments ||
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"he's alive...he's pining for the fjords"
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/29/2008 19:17 Comments ||
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REDDIT SCIENCE > GIANT FROZEN SQUID MAY BE THE RUNT OF THE LITTER.
ALLEGED SQUID-ZILLA may be a SQUIRT and could have BIGGER BROS-SISTAS "OUT THERE"???
Note formatting changes. Do not use italics for your comments. AoS.
Kevin D. Williamson, National Review "Media Blog"
After performing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, Roger Waters did the usual Pink Floydian thing with the giant inflatable pig. But Mr. Rogers, who apparently has never read Shut Up and Sing, made sure that the pig was festooned with the word "Obama" on its porcine belly. Endorsement . . . from pigs on the wing.
Not entirely sure that's the endorsement I'd want if I were running for president of a real country, as opposed to unicorn-emperor of the mythical kingdom in Roger Waters's head. The lunatic is in my head . . . the lunatics are in my head . . .
Unfortunately for Mr. Rogers, the giant inflatable pig broke its moorings and went floating off into the night. Long you live and high you fly . . .
A $10,000 reward and lifetime passes to the Coachella music festival have been offered for the pig's return. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
As the pig floated away, Mr. Rogers was heard to deadpan "That's my pig," which is almost up there with "What time is the next swan?" for in-concert comedy.
But one wonders if, under our byzantine campaign-finance laws, a floating. pig-shaped billboard for Barack Obama constitutes an illegal campaign donation. Cause if they catch you making excess donations to Barak, they're gonna send you back to mother in a cardboard box. You better run.
Posted by: Mike ||
04/29/2008 10:59 ||
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#1
What did he call himself the other day? A pinko shitbird?
Nice work, pinko shitbird...
#2
"A pig got loose last night," said Bill Fold, one of the festival's producers, on Monday. "We really like him and want him back.... It's a very emotional time for us."I>
#8
I love the hypocrisy...from the guy who railed against bloated corporate rock back in the 70s etc - now trying to use his own fading fame to endorse a presidential candidate - as the Brits would say - what a wanker.
A member of Australia's Angry Left combines a white Escort and a black Sharpie to make a Ford Chomsky LX Landau Brougham (RAGE Edition). Photos at the link.
Posted by: Mike ||
04/29/2008 10:37 ||
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Twerps always ignore what the Imperial Japanese forces accomplished without a bomb on the population of Manila in February '45. The Philippines were an American territory at the time already schedule for independence before the start of the war.
Gathering around a newly constructed portion of the 15-foot Harvey Canal flood wall, representatives with the Army Corps of Engineers staged a press event Friday on the West Bank to clarify their techniques for preventing floodwater from seeping through openings in the walls.
After a recent media report of joints between a New Orleans floodwall being stuffed with newspaper instead of the usual rubber material, corps officials said the work was a temporary solution in 2006 that is not being repeated elsewhere in area levee systems. But was it the Times-Picayune, or the trashy New York Times?
"You had a lot of work being done to get things up to snuff after Hurricane Katrina," said Maj. Timothy Kurgan, chief public affairs officer for the Corps' New Orleans district. "I don't want people thinking there's just a bunch of newspaper inside this wall, and that's the only thing keeping water out."
In order to prevent cracking in the floodwalls due to temperature change, walls are divided into separate panels with a half-inch gap in between.
A series of barriers are placed in the gaps to ensure floodwater or other debris does not seep inside. The most important barrier is a thick rubber "waterstop" that runs vertically from the top to the bottom of the floodwall gap and is anchored into the concrete foundation.
The waterstop is in the middle of the floodwall, and other rubber material fills the gap on both the front and back side of the floodwall. That material is sealed again on the outside.
Corps officials said Friday that three panel gaps in a flood wall near the Paris Road bridge in New Orleans, near the St. Bernard Parish line, were plugged with newspaper instead of rubber in May 2006, as an "expedient" method to do minor repairs the year after Katrina. Those three gaps were the only ones where such a method was used, Kurgan said.
"It's not the preferred technique," he said. Because the waterstop is in place, and because the outside of the newspaper filling was sealed, the risk of leaking is minimal, he said. Several engineers pointed to the black rubber filling being installed on one of the Harvey Canal floodwall gaps. So the newspaper is a spacer between other sealers. Slow news day.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/29/2008 06:00 ||
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during bridge pier construction in marine waters, we've used wood shavings and sawdust to seal small leaks - the wood gets in, swells, and seals 'er tight
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/29/2008 8:13 Comments ||
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Funny timing: Last night the History Channel showed the "Cities of the Underground" and did piece on post-Katrina New Orleans. The US Army Corp of Engineers Rep; was emphatic about having limited organic material in the levee mud / dirt/ stuff because the organic stuff rots and provides channels for the water to seep through and destroy the levee from within.
For the first time in Chile, a mayor plans to give out free Viagra to men 60 and older in his town to improve their "quality of life" four times a month, according to media reports. Sorry Geppetto, Pinocchio counts as a Woody.
"This has to do with quality of life and it's done responsibly. It's not just like handing out candy at the corner," Gonzalo Navarrete, a physician and mayor of the poor town of Lo Prado south of Santiago, told Las Ultimas Noticias daily.
He said any man 60 years and older who wants it can have up to four Viagra pills a month after undergoing a thorough medical exam to avoid potentially harmful side effects of the drug Sildenafil. "We'll give out four, 50 milligram pills, in other words, for four sexual relationships per month," Navarrete said, adding that the program would have a starting cost of about 20,000 dollars.
The mayor said the idea for his unprecedented move came from hearing older men in his town complain about not getting enough sex. A common complaint of men everywhere in the world.
He did have some advice, however, for the Viagra seekers: "Sildenafil doesn't get you going without direct stimulation." Try sanding the wood first.
#6
A guy I golf with was saying the other day that his wife asked him to get a script for the the Big Blue V. He did. He bitched about the cost per pill - about $13.00 each. Things between them didn't improve and she wasn't amused.
He had to explain to her that the Big Blue V doesn't instill DESIRE. She actually thought it did. The guy has been married to the same woman for almost 40 years and both are in their mid 60's. If you gave the guy his choice he'd rather play golf than have sex with his wife of almost 40 years.
You think he's mal-adjusted? I don't. I think he is perectly normal.
Seven German artists are living with lice in their hair in an Israeli museum for three weeks in the name of art. The Berliners aim to stretch boundaries of what is art, saying they are toying with ideas about hosts and guests in line with a theme set by the museum.
"The idea is that we live in the museum as their guests, and at the same time we are hosting lice on our heads," said artist Vincent Grunwald, 23. The artists are wearing shower caps to prevent the lice from spreading.
Milana Gitzin-Adiram, chief curator of the Museum of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, said: "Art is no longer just a painting on the wall. Art is life, life is art."
She said she spent weeks exploring the gallery's theme of "hosting", turning to philosophers such as Jacques Derrida and the Bible for inspiration. But after receiving proposals from around the world, she decided to choose the head lice.
But artists also stressed the show was not meant to be a reference to the Holocaust. "We were aware that, as Germans in Israel, there was a risk we may be misunderstood, that we would open up wounds," said Stefan Reuter, 27.
The exhibition has the potential to cause controversy in Germany, where the mention of lice could prompt memories of Nazi propaganda that described Jews as "parasites." "People ask about it - we had one woman who came and thanked us for making such a great statement against the fascist rhetoric of German history," Reuter said.
He and his fellow artists said the exhibition offered the chance to explore the concept of the parasite and to ask whether the word could be "reclaimed" in Israel. The group acknowledged that living with lice was uncomfortable, but said it was worth it for the sake of art, and insisted it was not a gimmick. "We are serious," said Akim One Machine-Tu Nyuyen. "The lice are part of the art."
Other controversial artworks have included last year's Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, who also made a film called Sleeper in which he dressed as a bear and wandered around Berlin's National Gallery. And an Australian performer, Stelios Arcadiou, also garnered attention when he had an ear grafted onto his forearm in the name of art in 2007. He said his extra ear, made of human cartilage, was an augmentation of the body's form.
These guys are all state-supported, right?
Posted by: john frum ||
04/29/2008 00:00 ||
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To me, art is paintings, music, sculpture, old cars, etc..
What is pawned off as "art" these days just leaves me scratching my head.
#2
See, gorb, that's the problem. You are not an artist. If you were, anything you called art would by definition, be art.
I agree with you about the definition of art, by the way. But then, I am not an artist either.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
04/29/2008 1:58 Comments ||
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I am an artist. That ain't art.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/29/2008 11:12 Comments ||
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Sounds like seven German bums conned an Israeli "art curator" into a free place to live for awhile.
Enjoy em. You deserve it...
(ANSA) - Rome, April 29 - Extensive testing has ensured that Italy's famed buffalo mozzarella is once again completely safe to eat, outgoing Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro said on Tuesday.
Speaking after weeks of checks on nearly 1,000 buffalo herds, the minister said he could guarantee ''with absolute certainty that Campanian mozzarella for sale is completely safe for Italian, European and international consumers''. The testing programme was launched over a month ago after batches of buffalo mozzarella were found to contain dioxins, which may lead to cancer. A number of countries imposed temporary bans on the soft cheese although most of these have since been lifted and the European Commission has praised Italy's handling of the crisis. ''These tests confirm that the dioxin problem was linked to very specific cases, which were swiftly identified,'' De Castro continued. ''Action has been taken and is still under way to ensure the complete elimination of the problem at source''.
Since the joint agriculture and health ministry testing programme was launched at the end of March, scientists have analysed 387 batches of buffalo mozzarella created using milk from 959 herds in 140 Campanian dairies.
Just 39 of these samples ''do not meet the precautionary limits provisionally established in a plan drawn up with European Union authorities,'' said a statement by the two ministries. The herds that contributed to the 39 contaminated samples have already been isolated since the start of the scare weeks ago, the statement said. None of the samples taken from other herds since then have contained unacceptable levels of dioxins, it added. However, scientists are still trying to identify the original source of the contamination.
According to Antonio Limone, commissioner of the Animal Disease Centre for Southern Italy, there are three possibilities. ''The first is toxic waste disposed of illegally, and prosecutors are looking into this,'' he said.
''There have also been reports of numerous fires in the area, suggesting it could have come from the combustion of plastic materials''. The third possibility is the dioxins came from the animal feed, Limone concluded. ''Until we know the answer, our work will continue''. ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SCARE.
Another major concern is the economic impact of the scare. One of Italy's largest farming associations, CIA, said the two-week alarm had ''crippled the sector, causing hundreds of millions of euros in damages''. CIA said it hoped for ''swift and fair compensation for those farmers affected'' and urged the government to apply emergency measures such as ''suspending tax contributions and extending loans''. De Castro, who will shortly be replaced when the new government of premier-elect Silvio Berlusconi takes power, admitted the sector would need a great deal of support in coming months but said he was confident it would recover.
''Immediate work is required to encourage consumers to return to the product, and we also need to help the many businesses, farms and processing centres that were hit so hard during the mozzarella crisis. ''However, thanks to the swift action at the start of the scare, the buffalo mozzarella sector should soon regain its role as a key engine for economic development and growth in Campania''.
Another instance of how our European allies have been turned away by America's bullying tactics.
ROME: Two weeks after sweeping national elections, Italy's center-right parties confirmed they had successfully captured the mood of the country after winning runoff votes in several cities, including a closely watched race in Rome.
Promising to crack down on crime, the center-right candidate Gianni Alemanno, who ran with the conservative People of Freedom party, defeated Francesco Rutelli, who had served as mayor of the capital from 1993 to 2001. Alemanno won a comfortable majority with nearly 54 percent of the vote. He will be the first rightist leader to govern Rome since the end of World War II.
Losing the vote dealt a double blow to the departing mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, who left city politics to become the leader of the newly formed Democratic Party, which lost the April 13-14 national elections to the conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/29/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- A Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter crashed into the Black Sea on Monday, killing 19 people on board, and the lone survivor was seriously injured.
Note to self: Never, ever fly anything Ukrainian.
The crash happened when the helicopter's tail struck part of an offshore platform operated by the Ukrainian state oil and gas company Blackseanaftogaz, to which the aircraft belonged, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted company spokesman Yuri Avdeev as saying.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/29/2008 00:00 ||
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For more Russian areospace news:
http://www.break.com/index/russian-il76-barely-makes-takeoff.html
#2
KOMMERSANT > RUSSIA: THE CONTINUATOR OF THE SOVIET UNION/USSR.
NUTSHELL - RUSSIA = "GREAT BRITAIN"? prefers death to turning into the "CANADA" of the former Soviet Repubs-SSRs, ala post-USSR "Commonwealth of Nations"???
Blogger "Dennis the Peasant" "I didn't know you were called Dennis."
"Well, you didn't bother to find out, did you?"
Evidently a rather large proportion of those wimmen calling themselves feminists are genuine morons.
This point is amply illustrated by the illustrations used by Seal Press in Amanda Marcotte's utterly dreadful tome, It's A Jungle Out There. You remember Amanda Marcotte, don't you? She was the John Edwards campaign's house blogger, the one who got shoved out the door for her tacky anti-Catholic rantings.
Prior to having canine dental surgery performed upon it, one of the first things that struck me about It's A Jungle Out There was the fact that the artwork was, in and of itself, a ticking time bomb. As your basic insensitive, insecure, capitalistic, patriarchy embracing, steeped in white male privilege white male, I couldn't help notice that several of the illustrations seemed to be unsuited for the sensitive, multicultural, racially inclusive and proudly progressive eyes of Amanda's intended audience.
In keeping with the obvious, unoriginal and trite nature of Marcotte's writings, her publisher, Seal Press, decided to illustrate the book using a White Amazon Woman (and White Male Hunter) motif rendered in a faux-1950s Marvel Comics style. Unfortunately, neither Amanda Marcotte nor anybody at Seal Press seemed to grasp that they were dealing with an exceptionally touchy cadre of readers. This Marcotte/Seal cluelessness is doubly amazing when you consider that the original cover art for the book was scrapped last year due to blogospheric outrage (at Pandagon, of all places) over its obvious, if subtle, racist imagery
You'd think, given that little episode, that both Amanda and the grrrls at Seal Press would have their multicultural antennae in the wind to ensure that nothing about the new artwork could be remotely considered racist. Well, that's what you'd think. What actually ended up in It's A Jungle Out There was this:
Illustrations at the link--and yeah, they're the sort of stuff that'll get you branded as racist in today's PC environment: bosomy, well-proportioned blonde white girl beating the snot out of dark-skinned witch doctors.
Amanda has issued an abject apology over at Pandagon:
Im sorry. Plain and simple. I didnt pick the offensive imagery in my book, but I should have caught it sooner than now. I didnt and theres no excuse. It was my first book, I was excited and happy, but I needed to have a more critical eye. I would do anything to remove racist images from the first printing of the book if I could, and I am relieved and happy to say that they will be removed from future printings. Seal Press has their note of apology up too, and they accept full responsibility for these mistakes. I really recommend reading it.
Amanda's apology goes on for another two paragraphs, and while she does try to weasel out of trouble by blaming Seal Press, it's clear her heart isn't into it. It's almost as if she's sitting there going, "Just what did I do to irritate the Negroes?"
On the other hand, Seal Press, which describes itself as " devoted to publishing titles that inform, reveal, engage, delight, and support women of all ages and backgrounds " is in full sacrifice-a-virgin-to-appease-the-angry-Gods supplication mode:
We are taking action immediately to remove the offensive images from It's A Jungle Out There. We are currently reprinting, and we will make these changes now. We apologize for any pain or concern these images have caused.
We do not believe it is appropriate for a book about feminism, albeit a book of humor, to have any images or illustrations that are offensive to anyone. . . .
As an organization, we need to look seriously at the effects of white privilege. We will be looking for anti-racist trainings offered here in the Bay Area. [my emphasis - DTP] We want to incorporate race analysis into our work.
Attaboy er, Attagrrrl! When in doubt, call in the diversity trainers! . . .
Given that Amanda Marcotte believes in this sort of crap, the fact that she couldn't figure out that illustrating her book with threatening Mau-Mau warriors might give offense is little more than astonishing. Beyond that, it's fun to note that these folks - both the white privileged feminist bloggers and the controlled by racism Radical Women of Color - can't understand why nobody in the real world pays the slightest bit of attention to them
Posted by: Mike ||
04/29/2008 08:29 ||
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#1
was just looking at Dennis's page, LOL. The book graphics were amazingly dumb. Marcotte's got all the sense of a box of hair. Ima thinkrn she's got the special director's cut DVD of Mandingo in her library
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/29/2008 8:50 Comments ||
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C'mon, tell the truth, lady. The only reason ya put them in there was to tempt somebody, anybody, to actally pick up the thing and at least look at it. That somebody noticed the subject matter and actually took the time to complain about it probably makes this a success beyond your wildest dreams...
#5
Heck, I found it even more ironic that an avowed femi-nazi had some well built blonde barbie running around slaying the natives and not some school marm looking thing wearing spectacles and a pair of clogs...
Posted by: Snash Oppressor of the Mohammatans aka Broadhead6 ||
04/29/2008 22:17 Comments ||
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#6
Don't be silly, g(r)omgoru, these are liberated feminists. They don't sew, that would be submitting to the stereotypes of Men.
Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Khyal Zaman Afridi on Monday paid Rs 100,000 as a fine to a member of a rigid religious group for publishing a baseless story against him.
A council of the religious group in the Bara area of Khyber Agency had imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on Khyal. Syed Akbar Khan, a supporter of the rigid religious group, had lodged a complaint with the group in the Bara Qamber Khel area against Khyal, who is a correspondent of the Urdu daily Aaj. The complainant said that Khyal had published a baseless story against him which led to his arrest and that he could not be released on bail the next day.
Akbar said that he lost Rs 400,000 while he was in jail. Khyal said the local political administration had arrested some people including Akbar eight months ago. According to Khyal, the authorities told him that Akbar was arrested because of charges against him. Khyal said that he released the news, as it was not possible for him to contact Akbar in jail late night. He said that there were two people in Bara with the same name, and that it confused him. The religious groups council asked Khyal to vacate his residence and leave the village, or pay Rs 100,000 to Akbar. The members of the council also warned journalists to be careful while reporting news regarding the groups activities.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/29/2008 00:00 ||
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I thought this was a story about the NYT trying to up its circulation.
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Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Khyal Zaman Afridi on Monday paid Rs 100,000 as a fine to a member of a rigid religious group for publishing a baseless story against him. 
