Political Correctness Gone Mad

The Daily Mail reports an absolutely insane situation in Britain. This is so over the top, one seriously fears for the Brits. A schoolgirl was arrested and taken into custody for 3-1/2 hours because she asked to be reassigned to a group of students she could understand. As in actually discuss a problem the teacher had given out.

A teenage schoolgirl was arrested by police for racism after refusing to sit with a group of Asian students because some of them did not speak English.

Codie Stott's family claim she was forced to spend three-and-a-half hours in a police cell after she was reported by her teachers.

The 14-year-old - who was released without charge - said it had been a simple matter of commonsense and accused the school and police of an over-the-top reaction.

The incident happened in the same local education authority where a ten-year-old boy was prosecuted earlier this year for calling a schoolfriend racist names in the playground, a move branded by a judge "political correctness gone mad."

Codie was attending a GCSE science class at Harrop Fold High School in Worsley, Greater Manchester, when the incident happened.

The teenager had not been in school the day before due to a hospital appointment and had missed the start of a project, so the teacher allocated her a group to sit with.

"She said I had to sit there with five Asian pupils," said Codie yesterday.

"Only one could speak English, so she had to tell that one what to do so she could explain in their language. Then she sat me with them and said 'Discuss'."

According to Codie, the five - four boys and a girl - then began talking in a language she didn't understand, thought to be Urdu, so she went to speak to the teacher.

"I said 'I'm not being funny, but can I change groups because I can't understand them?' But she started shouting and screaming, saying 'It's racist, you're going to get done by the police'."

Codie said she went outside to calm down where another teacher found her and, after speaking to her class teacher, put her in isolation for the rest of the day.

A complaint was made to a police officer based full-time at the school, and more than a week after the incident on September 26 she was taken to Swinton police station and placed under arrest.

Just boggles the mind, doesn't it? PC is like a cancer. It eats away at a society and eventually kills the host that it has survived on. (Via LGF, H/T Larwyn).

Diana And Goliath

Diana Irey continues her admittedly uphill battle against John Murtha in the PA-12 Congressional race. I admit, I'm biased here because I think Murtha is a disgrace to the office he holds and to the uniform he once wore. But Irey is running hard in this race and she has closed the gap in the polls by a frankly amazing amount. Unseating an incumbent is brutally hard, especially with the McCain-Feingold Incumbent Protection Act in place. (Ed note: That was "Campaign Finance Reform". No it wasn't.). Today the Pittsburgh Review-Tribune has a story about the race. Unlike the national media, the local media does a fairly good job of trying to hold a neutral position.

When Diana Irey was a tomboy growing up with three brothers near Clarksburg, W.Va., her life's ambition was to become a wife and mother.

Now, the married mother of three is embroiled in one of the nation's premier midterm election challenges, campaigning against one of the most powerful members of Congress, U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown.

"I always loved the idea of having a family," said Irey, 44, of Carroll Township, Washington County. "It's a sacrifice — being away from them and missing some of their activities — but after listening to Mr. Murtha's comments about the war last year, I prayed about this for six weeks and decided this is where I want to be."

Murtha, 74, a decorated Vietnam veteran, also is driven by a new ambition as he seeks an 18th term in the 12th Congressional District.

Earlier this year, he began to cultivate support among House colleagues and announced he'll seek the majority leader's post if Democrats win the 15 seats needed to regain control of the chamber for the first time since 1994.

"The Democrats are going to be back in power. The Democrats are going to be in charge," predicted Murtha, a close ally of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, of California. Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, who most likely would move into the top job of speaker of the House.

Abe Amoros, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said the nation would benefit from Murtha in the leadership role.

"It would be a tremendous public service for the country," Amoros said.

Irey, a Republican who has served as a Washington County commissioner since 1995, disagrees. Highly critical of Murtha, she latched onto the war as her main campaign issue after he called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from a battle he believes is "militarily unwinnable."

Murtha's remarks garnered him the prestigious 2006 Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and support from various groups across the country, but sparked venomous opposition from those who favor staying the course, including Irey.

The petite Irey is quick to point out that she represents a stark contrast to the strapping incumbent who is 30 years her senior. She insists she'll win and compares the Nov. 7 election to a contest between "Diana and Goliath."

The paper doesn't give Irey much chance, which is why an upset here would be fabulous. You can still support Irey's campaign over at the "Rightroots" button on the sidebar and help get a better looking and more honest person into PA-12. The troops will thank you.

Russia And China Will Not Back Tough Sanctions

And the world is heading down a bad road. It may be sooner, it may be later, but we have collectively missed a big chance here.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Russia and China on Thursday opposed tough sanctions the U.S. wants to impose against North Korea this week for its claimed nuclear test, saying they want more time to work out a more moderate response to Pyongyang's nuclear brinkmanship.

The United States and Japan, which has already imposed tough unilateral sanctions on the North to protest the reported test Monday, had initially hoped for a U.N. Security Council vote on Thursday. But if Washington wants to get China and Russia - the two council nations closest to Pyongyang - on board, a vote could be delayed until early next week.

China, the North's closest ally, opposes any mention of the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7, which authorizes punishments including economic sanctions, naval blockades and military actions. China and Russia want to see sanctions focus primarily on reining in North Korea's nuclear and weapons programs.

Beijing and Moscow also object to the wide scope of financial sanctions and a provision authorizing the inspection of cargo going in and out of North Korea, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks are private. There is concern among some diplomats that boarding North Korean ships could lead to a military response from the North.

China reportedly will not back sanctions authorized under chapter 7 of the UN Charter. Most of the strongest language has been backed out. Ahmadinejad now knows how far he can go - he can test a nuke and not face sanctions. Why the hell would he back off. The world is heading for an arms race in two areas, the Far and the Middle Easts. The clock is ticking now.

Still More On The Lancet Study

From Silvio Canto:

Check this out Huge Iraqi death estimate sparks controversy:

"Have over 650,000 people, or 2.5% of the population, really died in Iraq as a result of the US-led invasion?

That's the conclusion of a study published in The Lancet this week.

But the number has attracted criticism from other researchers who say the result is a major over-estimate, and may have been published for political reasons."

It goes on:

"With mid-term US elections due next month, Burnham's team is open to the same accusations.

Debarati Guha-Sapir, director of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Brussels, says that Burnham's team have published "inflated" numbers that "discredit" the process of estimating death counts.

"Why are they doing this?" she asks. "It's because of the elections."

By all means drop over there and read. Or follow the link to Nature. The magazine article has some well respected authorities from around the world who do not believe the study is correct and do believe the study has a political intent. People are paying attention here.

Woman Sues Postal Service Over Fruitcake

88 year old Lucille Greene had her lawsuit dismissed. She had sued the USPS over alleged fruitcake abuse and humor at her expense.

In December 2002, Greene showed up at the Magnolia, Del., post office to mail fruitcakes to relatives and friends when, her lawsuit states, a postal worker asked her, "What kind of explosives do you have in here?" before shaking the box.

In the lawsuit, she said others in the post office laughed at her, leaving her upset and in tears. She said she tripped over a concrete parking barrier outside and fell, breaking her glasses and chipping a tooth.

The judge dismissed her allegations two weeks ago, and her appeal for $250,000 compensation, because Greene had a prior eye condition, and contradictory testimony.

But U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson wasn't entirely unsympathetic. She wrote the clerk "was likely being less than courteous" despite following standing procedures for suspicious packages.

We suspect that Greene got off easy here. It is a well known fact that fruitcake is a terrorist weapon.

South Park Skewers 9/11 “Truthers”

Truthers skewer themselves even more. WuzzaDem harvests some "Truther Chat" and reveals the way in which Truthers react when someone giggles at them.

What Could Be Funnier Than An Episode Of South Park That Makes Fun of 9/11 "Truthers"?

I'll tell you what: The "truthers" discussing the possible impact of said South Park episode on "the movement." (Broken link removed)

Micayah:

My guess is they will completely make fun of 9/11 truth movement.

Good guess, but "truther" Method feels the need to keep Micayah honest after that remark:

Question - If that happens, is it going to stop you from doing your own investigative research and spreading the truth?

Even IF thats the case, who cares? We aren't trying to win any popularity contest. Our goal is spreading truth, not becoming homecoming king/queen.

Not trying to win a popularity contest? The hell you say!

Meanwhile, 911wasaninsidejob is disappointed with South Park's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone:

Man i used to have a lot of respect for trey and matt until now, I can see exactly where this is going, they are going to completely make fun of our entire movement and make everyone in our generation (pretty much everyone watches south park in the 10-20 age range) laugh at the "conspiracies" of 9/11…why did they do this?

Why, Trey and Matt? WHY? I mean, don't they usually take jabs at people who are already making asses out of themselves?

Please do read it all - it gets funnier. Greg Tinti at The Political Pit Bull has the video. So you can laugh at the Truthers being laughed at. Don't forget to laugh at the Truthers, too!

UPDATE: Oh, you must see this. It is truly hysterical. Dude.

Eat Healthy? That Stuff Kills Camels!

The food police keep saying that it's important to eat green leafy vegetables. Now, not everyone likes green leafy vegetables, but it's kind of hard to avoid it when your significant other insists you have to have a salad. Fortunately, we here at Blue Crab Boulevard are always on the lookout for good excuses to get our readers out of those healthy lifestyle issues. That why we brought you the excuse to use when you wanted to get out of exercising, "Sorry, honey. I can't go for a walk. The bears will eat me." Now we have a way to dodge that healthy salad!

"Are you trying to poison me?"

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Healthy eating has proved fatal for a group of camels donated to Peru by Morocco's King Mohammed.

Two camels died this week and another is sick after being fed a type of Peruvian lettuce that poisoned the animals with its high nitrate levels, initial tests showed on Thursday.

"The animal feeders thought that the lettuce would have lots of protein and that's why they gave it to them," said William Raffo, head of animal hygiene in Peru's desert coastal city of Ica, which has a climate similar to North Africa's Sahara.

Officials fear the other seven camels donated to Peru may have eaten the lettuce and could become ill.

"It seems like an epidemic," said Moroccan embassy official in Lima Abdelilah Nejjari.

It's that or, "That stuff kills you know!" Don't be really surprised if your significant other compares you to a camel, however. We provide the excuses, we make no claim that they actually work.

US Brings Treason Charge

The American who has been helping make propaganda videos for al Qaeda, Adam Gadahn, has been charged with treason in the first such charge since the World War Two era.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A California-born convert to Islam, accused of making a series of al Qaeda propaganda videos, became on Wednesday the first American charged with treason since the World War Two era, U.S. Justice Department officials said.

Fugitive Adam Gadahn, 28, who is believed to be in Pakistan, was accused of treason, which carries a maximum punishment of death, and providing material support to al Qaeda, they said.

According to the charges, Gadahn appeared in five videos broadcast between October 2004 and September 11, 2006, giving al Qaeda "aid and comfort … with the intent to betray the United States."

"Gadahn gave himself to our enemies in al Qaeda for the purpose of being a central part of their propaganda machine," Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty told a news conference.

"By making this choice, we believe Gadahn committed treason — perhaps the most serious offense for which any person can be tried under our Constitution," he said.

McNulty acknowledged that Gadahn appeared to be involved only in propaganda for the Islamic militant group, not in planning any attacks.

Gadahn converted to Islam from a Jewish-Christian family when he was 17 and a few years later moved to Pakistan. He was previously known as Adam Pearlman and grew up on a goat ranch outside Los Angeles.

The charges were contained in an indictment handed up in a federal court in California by a grand jury. The evidence against him in the indictment consisted entirely of the videos.

The indictment is moot until the actually get their hands on Gadahn, of course. The actual treason charge is a bit of a surprise.

Iraqi Response To Lancet “Study”

Omar at Iraq The Model has a few things to say to the researchers who conducted the much discussed Lancet study purporting to show extremely high casualties in Iraq. He takes rather great exception to the entire study, the motivation for it and the people who conducted it.

They shamelessly made an auction of our blood, and it didn’t make a difference if the blood was shed by a bomb or a bullet or a heart attack because the bigger the count the more useful it becomes to attack this or that policy in a political race and the more useful it becomes in cheerleading for murderous tyrannical regimes.

When the statistics announced by hospitals and military here, or even by the UN, did not satisfy their lust for more deaths, they resorted to mathematics to get a fake number that satisfies their sadistic urges.

When I read the report I can only feel apathy and inhumanity from those who did the count towards the victims and towards our suffering as a whole. I can tell they were so pleased when the equations their twisted minds designed led to those numbers and nothing can convince me that they did their so called research out of compassion or care.

To me their motives are clear, all they want is to prove that our struggle for freedom was the wrong thing to do. And they shamelessly use lies to do this…when they did not find the death they wanted to see on the ground, they faked it on paper! They disgust me…

This fake research is an insult to every man, woman and child who lost their lives.
Behind every drop of blood is a noble story of sacrifice for a just cause that is struggling for living safe in freedom and prosperity.

Scientific? No, straight emotion. But from someone who is there and would have noticed if the body count had outstripped the rates of civilian deaths in the Second World War. The people supporting this study refuse to listen to the Iraqi officials who know what the deaths are rather than speculating with questionable methodology. They won't listen to Omar either. Or me, or Meaghan McArdle or anyone else. For their fundamental truthiness is set in stone.

(H/T to TC for reminding me to check what Omar had to say about this.)

Asymmetrical Common Sense

Asymmetrical Information has a must read of the Lancet study that said there have been such enormously high casualties and gives some vital perspective.

I agree that there are a lot of deaths. But I don't think that there are as many as the Lancet study makes out. Not because I am comparing them to one-time events like Nagasaki, which I agree is silly. But even comparing them to other long term wartime figures makes it look to big.

Germany, with a prewar population of just about 80 million, suffered 1.8 million civilian deaths during six years of invasion, concentrated aerial bombing of civilian targets, and occupying forces that in the case of the English and Americans, frankly didn't give a [expletive deleted] what happened to the Krauts, and in the case of the Russians, took great pleasure in terrorising, raping and killing the local populace in revenge for their own dead. How likely is it that Iraq has lost a higher percentage of its civilian population in three years–especially given the vast advances in medical care, field treatment for water supply issues and famine, and GDP? With my admittedly limited knowlege of World War II, I find it very difficult to believe that the insurgents are worse than the Russians were, not to mention the Allied Air Command.

The Netherlands lost 30,000 people out of a population of roughly 9 million during six months of famine, during which the average calorie consumption dropped well below 1,000 per day. There was also a total famine of medical and other supplies, which could not pass through the battle lines. How likely is it that there is a larger humanitarian crisis in Iraq than there was in a country getting no food or supplies whatsoever?

Or to compare it to another civil war, this is more deaths than America's civilian and military deaths combined (union and confederate) during 4 years of brutal civil war with no medical care worth having, Sherman's march to the sea, and the tragic mistake of using massed formations against repeating rifles and modern artillery.

And in an update a stinging slap at the methodology:

Obviously, the fact that the researchers are likely to be left-wing doesn't invalidate the study. But observer bias does matter, especially in survey studies. My personal feeling is that given the difficulties of doing research in a war zone, any study, whether it bolsters or refutes my opinions, is likely to be crap. We'll know how many excess deaths there were when Iraq calms down, the refugees return, and they get a decent census; not before.

As Medpundit points out, this stuff may be bog-standard for public health work, but public health work is not exactly known for its outstanding statistical methodology:

And sorry, but the defense that it's as soundly designed as can be expected for these kinds of public health surveys is a weak one. Retrospective, interview-based studies like this are poor designs. It may be the standard way of gathering data in the public health field, but that doesn't make it the best methodology, and it certainly doesn't make its statistics sound. For too long the field of public health has relied on these types of shotty shoddy numbers to influence public policy, whether it's the number of people who die from second hand smoke or the number who die from eating the wrong kinds of cooking oils.

I'd urge people to read the whole thing. Before commenting.

Elko Opens Branch Office

The city of Elko, Nevada, home of the National Cowboy Festival and the National Basque Festival has opened a branch office in a new location.

Out beyond the orbit of Mars.

SALT LAKE CITY - Two Utah scientists who discovered an undocumented asteroid outside the orbit of Mars have won approval to name it for Elko, a Nevada town.

"It was discovered quite by accident," said Wiggins, NASA's solar system ambassador to Utah and northeastern Nevada.

The two spotted the asteroid on Nov. 2, 1999, and gave it the temporary name of UOFU03, for University of Utah object No. 3. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in France quickly confirmed the discovery and earlier this year gave it a designation as the 80,180th numbered asteroid.

Wiggins earlier had submitted Holly Phaneuf's name, but the IAU refused, saying asteroids cannot be named for their discoverers. In August, it approved the new name — Elko, the Deseret Morning News reported.

We anxiously await the announcement of the National Basque Space Cowboy Festival. Entrants must supply own transportation.

Bovine Berserker Breaks Free

We here at Blue Crab Boulevard keep trying to warn the world about the nefarious schemes of the animal uprising. We brought you news earlier this year about the porcine berserker who was Taser-proof. (The pig also lawyered up after he was finally brought down). Now comes news out of South Carolina that the animal uprising is deploying Taser-proof cows as part of their evil scheme.

Scott's supervisor gave permission to use the Taser to stun the animal so its owner could rope it.

The first time the animal fell to the ground dazed, but not in a position where the owner could lasso it. Even after a second zap, the owner couldn't corral the animal.

Then the Taser prong fell off and the cow in turn ran off. Deputies spent several hours chasing it in and out of traffic before suspending the pursuit, according to the report.

They later received a call the animal was running toward Walterboro where a city officer saw, but then lost the cow.

The cow hasn't been seen since, apparently. It's up to no good, we say. We demand the the people at Taser immediately come up with an new and improved Taser. There is an obvious need to stay ahead of the animal uprising technologically. We suggest the new device have a "broil" setting.

Dead Heat In NJ Senate Race

The latest Quinnipiac University poll in the New Jersey Senate race shows a dead heat. Relative positions have reversed with Menendez now ahead, however both this and the last poll show the results are within the margin of error. Essentially, there has been no real change at all.

The new Quinnipiac University poll shows Menendez favored by 49 percent of likely voters, compared to 45 percent of those polled favoring Kean. Six percent were undecided.

In the last Quinnipiac poll, released Sept. 20, Kean was favored by 48 percent of likely voters with Menendez at 45 percent.

Both polls have a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points, meaning the difference between the candidates is not clear-cut. Also, 18 percent of those polled said they could change their mind before Election Day.

The latest poll of 761 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 4-10.

"It looks like the two will be neck and neck down the stretch to Election Day," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the poll.

In the latest poll, Kean continues to outpoll Menendez on the issue of honesty.

Kean is viewed as honest and trustworthy by a margin of 51 percent to 18 percent, while voters are split on Menendez's honesty and trustworthiness, 38 percent to 39 percent.

That last result is where Menendez is in real trouble. Kean has a commanding lead in the honesty department. If any more bad news comes out about Menendez, that may well sink him. This is another place where the Democratic "Culture of Corruption" theme risks cutting their own candidates as badly as the Republicans.

Deal? What Deal?

After leftists and striking teachers reached a tentative agreement to scale back protests in Oaxaca, Mexico, hard-line elements sabotaged the deal and escalated the violence. Some government workers had been returning to their offices and had been trying to get the city stabilized. That is in jeopardy now as masked gunmen warn them to leave.

OAXACA, Mexico (Reuters) - Masked protesters hijacked buses and forced government workers from offices in the Mexican city of Oaxaca on Wednesday as violence reignited in the troubled tourist town.

Striking teachers and leftist activists occupied much of the colonial city four months ago, storming Congress and blocking hundreds of streets in an effort to oust state Gov. Ulises Ruiz.

Fears of violence before Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon takes office in December had eased after protesters tentatively agreed this week to loosen their grip while a Senate commission studies whether Ruiz has lost control.

But gunmen shot at a group of about 100 masked protesters who roamed Oaxaca in hijacked public buses, demanding government workers who were trickling back to their offices go home.

A Reuters photographer saw a gunman firing a pistol at masked, fleeing protesters as a handful of people ran out of one government building. Protest leaders said one demonstrator was wounded by the gunfire.

News reports said teachers had postponed a planned return to classes pending a decision on Ruiz's future, and that a group of senators who planned to visit the city on a fact-finding mission on Wednesday had called off the trip.

A protester who declined to give his name displayed several bullet casings he had picked up in the street. "I hope the senators that visit us in Oaxaca see that things are out of control," he said.

I think the whole world can see that without a fact-finding trip. Obviously, someone is stirring this pot. The tentative peace deal indicated that many of the protesters were tired of the whole situation. A few radicals appear to have derailed the entire effort. It's time for the Mexican government to start identifying who is behind this. Someone is paying the bills and keeping up the violence. It will take years for Oaxaca to return to its former tourist destination status - if it ever does.

UPDATE: Adirondack Base Camp has a running updated post on the situation in Oaxaca. It isn't real pretty and may be spreading.

Warner Won’t Run

Former Virginia governor Mark Warner will not seek the presidency in 2008.

Warner scheduled a late morning news conference in Richmond to make the announcement. In a written statement, he said he made the decision after celebrating his father's 81st birthday and taking his oldest daughter, Madison, on a college tour.

"I know these moments are never going to come again," Warner said. "This weekend made clear what I'd been thinking about for many weeks — that while politically this appears to be the right time for me to take the plunge, at this point I want to have a real life.

"And while the chance may never come again, I shouldn't move forward unless I'm willing to put everything else in my life on the back burner," he said.

Man, this is going to be one long, drawn out campaign season.