An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Morning Coffee 05/28/08
Thieves drilling as gas goes up
While gas station drive-offs and siphoning are far more common methods of stealing gas, reports of tank- and line-puncturing are trickling into police departments and repair shops across the country.
Some veteran mechanics and law enforcement officers say it’s an unwelcome return of a crime they first saw during the Middle East oil embargo of the early 1970s.
I see inventors busily trying to figure out a way to make some sort of deterrent for these thieves. An explosive devise would piss some people off, but it sure would be a deterrent. Kind of like concealed carry….ya never know who’s car has one. 
Israeli Defense Minister Calls for Olmert to Step Aside
Israel’s defense minister called on Wednesday for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove himself from his post pending the outcome of a high-profile corruption investigation in which Mr. Olmert is embroiled.
The defense minister, Ehud Barak, a former prime minister, was the first senior member of Israel’s coalition government to insist Mr. Olmert relinquish his office over the corruption case.
The guy should step down for a LOT of reasons, the possibility of corruption is just one.
Texas criticized for offering education grants to private schools
The state has allocated about $6 million for dropout recovery grants that will be distributed to school districts, charter schools, universities, education service centers, and private schools operated by nonprofit organizations.
It is the inclusion of private schools that has sparked opposition from public education groups, which contend that the plan is a back-door scheme for private school vouchers in Texas. But the commissioner disagrees.
“The dropout recovery pilot program is not a voucher program,” Mr. Scott responded on Tuesday. “It is an effort to bring dropouts back into the schoolhouse. It uses state grant funds and does not divert a penny of [regular school funding] from school districts.
Those “education” groups don’t give a flying flip about education….it’s all about the bennies, and whether or not they’ll get their cut.
Detroit Mayor Vetoes Resolution to Impeach Him
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has vetoed the City Council’s resolution asking Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to remove him from office.
The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press report the city charter does not allow Kilpatrick to veto the council’s own effort to remove him from office in proceedings that begin next month. But he says in a letter sent Tuesday that the council can only remove him if he was convicted of a felony or lacked qualifications to serve.
Council attorney Bill Goodman calls Kilpatrick’s arguments “brainless” and argues he can’t veto the council’s request to the governor.
Kilpatrick and former top aide Christine Beatty face perjury and other charges stemming from testimony given during a whistle-blowers’ trial.
I never cease to be amazed at the arrogance of politicians. 
Iran new speaker in nuclear watchdog threat
Ali Larijani, formerly Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, was overwhelmingly elected as parliament speaker Wednesday — and immediately warned that Tehran may reconsider cooperating with the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency.
He calls what they’ve been doing “cooperating”? Hmmmm…
Last week, Degeneres asked Senator McCain (R-Arizona) to share his thoughts on her plans to marry her female lover in California now that the state Supreme Court has legalized same-sex “marriage.” McCain told Degeneres that although he “believe[s] in the unique status of marriage between man and woman,” “people should be able to enter into legal agreements,” and should be encouraged to do so, “particularly in the case of insurance and other areas.”
I watched that snippet, and I couldn’t figure out if he was actually saying it was ok, or if he was pandering to the gay vote.
Report says courts can handle terrorism cases
Two former federal prosecutors say that when it comes to handling accused terrorists, the best way is the old way: Put them on trial in civilian courts, not military tribunals.
A report examines 123 terrorist cases from the past 15 years, and the study’s two principal authors say that the courts were able to produce just, reliable results while protecting national security.
I do not agree. When it comes to national security, I don’t feel civilian courts are the right place to prosecute. Just my opinion.
Abdallah Assures Iraq of Stepped Up Cooperation
Jordanian King Abdallah yesterday assured Iraqi Vice President Tareq Hashemi of Jordan’s determination to “boost political and economic” ties with Iraq, but stopped short of committing his country to sending a diplomatic mission to Baghdad at this juncture.
And I doubt they’d send any troop to help combat the Iranian infiltrators, and the local Iranian supported terrorists.
German police say a mother who believed her newborn baby girl had died has confessed to stashing her in a freezer _ but an autopsy showed the child was still alive at the time.
Police in the town of Horb, in southwestern Germany, say the young woman came to them on Sunday and said she had put the baby in the freezer three or four weeks ago.
They recovered the body and an autopsy showed the child was still alive when she was put in the freezer, police said in a statement Wednesday.
The woman has been taken into custody as the case is investigated.
I am at a loss for words. What more is to be investigated. She killed her baby!
Israeli police examine New Testament blaze
Israeli police Wednesday are reviewing a series of photographs showing students torching hundreds of New Testaments, a police spokesman said.
Uzi Aharon, the mayor of Or-Yehuda, told the Israeli media he tried to stop the distribution of Christian literature in his city by collecting New Testaments and other “Messianic propaganda.” He said students then torched about 200 of the volumes but noted he save another 200, CNN reported.
Messianic Jews, who holds both Christian and Jewish beliefs, expressed concern over the event and attorney Calev Myers said he will file a formal complaint with the national police. Myers says the torching violates a law forbidding the destruction of sacred items and another banning people from offending religions.
“I hope the people who are responsible for breaking the law will be indicted and prosecuted,” he said.
It’s not like those proselytizing are threatening to cut off heads if you don’t convert!
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