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Tuesday, January 22, 2013



Monsignor Meth Kevin Wallin: The Kinky Priest Who Sold Meth Daily Beast
Jan 22, 2013 4:45 AM EST
Amid reports of cross-dressing and having sex in the rectory, “Monsignor Meth,” was nabbed on charges that he used an adult novelty shop to launder a transcontinental drug enterprise. Michael Daly reports.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Self Delusion and the Lapdog Press



Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights, is eating crow over being a cheerleader for Lance Armstrong. He self flagellates in the Daily Beast in his article, I Was Deluded to Believe Lance Armstrong When He Denied Doping

The comment of Sir Peter Medawar in his scathing review of Père Teilhard de Chardin's book, The Phenomenon of Man, comes to mind:
"I have read and studied The Phenomenon of Man with real distress, even with despair. Instead of wringing our hands over the Human Predicament, we should attend to those parts of it which are wholly remediable, above all to the gullibility which makes it possible for people to be taken in by such a bag of tricks as this. If it were an innocent, passive gullibility it would be excusable; but all too clearly, alas, it is an active willingness to be deceived."

and: "Its author can be excused of dishonesty only on the grounds that before deceiving others he has taken great pains to deceive himself".

"They may be forgiven, because before they set out to deceive others, they went to great pains to deceive themselves."

Some of the comments on the Bissinger article are quiet incisive:

The main point to be taken here has nothing to do with Armstrong, and everything to do with the mainstream media in America today. There is a collective mentality in play, even a fawning for their subject at hand, that creates a universal bias that becomes the narrative. Journalistic integrity is dead, dead, dead. Investigative journalism only counts if the subject doesn't buy into the narrative.

Is it a mistake that the new headline in today's "Beast" edition has Obama and the words "second coming", as in "second coming of Christ", which is how the press does see the man? It certainly treats Obama that way. For if Bush had made some attempt at "executive orders" to the extent Obama has this week he'd have been pilloried. The narrative is to lionize, fawn, to add even more light to the glow only the press sees.

When Clinton wagged his finger at the American people, and lied to them, in every bit as big a conceit and deception as Lance, was his career destroyed as it should have been? No, the mainstream press loved the man beyond being lied to their face, and so the narrative is complete and utter redemption. He faces no press contempt, even today as he flies around the world with his buddy Bing, and forget all those twenty-something females, and thirty-something females that are always on the plane. No investigative journalism to be done on our beloved "statesman".

If Bissinger has even an ounce of decency this column would have been about Floyd Landis, who was absolutely destroyed by the major media, made to look like a fool, a buffoon; he was completely discredited. Where is he now? Where is the column on his courage, where is his redemption?

I can only hope that this ends the Redemption Tour, and Lance is kicked to the same hole where Pete Rose lives, a place of shame and embarrassment just outside the spot light they crave.

But it won't. Even the national news feeds picked up on the Oprah interview, and her self-serving comments led the sound bites, and were treated as "real news".

Sweet Jesus but the fourth estate needs to be torn down and rendered asunder. It's become a bloated hack for the liberal cause, running to the next microphone or word program to tell the public feel-good story lies of a football player and his imaginary girlfriend. Or how wonderful that buffoon of a vice president really is.

It's the press who has failed here, who is failing us completely. Bissinger is just another deluded egomaniacal cog in the wheel, feeding lies to the American people that he himself believes.

..................
Some people here are incredulous at Buzz for "not doing his homework" and for making some contradictory assertions. Fair enough. Unfortunately, sometimes the conditioning of society is so strong that we only see what we have been taught to see.

Firefighter. Policeman. Teacher. Astronaut. Soldier. What is everybody thinking? Hero...right? How about cancer survivor? Here's the hard, cold reality. All of the people in those professions and circumstances are just people. Some are generally good, and some are just lucky bastards who survived to see another day, and to make that day a living hell for someone else. It is extremely unpopular to even insinuate that anyone in a glorified position in the public eye could possibly be human, and God forbid, less than human. Until the story breaks that they lied, stole, cheated, scammed, abused, murdered...or doped.

So, I don't fault Buzz for being among the masses unable to machete their way through the thick vegetation of image and propaganda surrounding Armstrong and his chosen field. Who actually watched the Tours over the years and didn't at least once think or say out loud, "How can they be that much faster than everyone else?" What? Oh right, because they're American. As it turns out, not so much. But we all dismissed those thoughts with each win. And we all deferred our doubts when so many of the public figures we admire and idolize began to sport "the yellow bracelet".

In the end, we were all conned by Lance Armstrong, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. And it looks like he's not finished with us yet...



Veteran Miami police sergeant convicted of stealing drugs and money from dealers - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com
From www.miamiherald.com - January 19, 12:02 AM
A federal jury found veteran Miami police Sgt. Raul Iglesias guilty of stealing drugs and money from street dealers and lying to FBI agents about his misconduct.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Lawyers, Religion and Hypocrisy



When I lived in Houston my wife and I were active members of Palmer Episcopal Church, near Rice University. When we moved to Kerrville in 2002, we joined the local Episcopal church. When you live in a small town, it's hard to get that warm and fuzzy feeling in a church when you see its members acting pious on Sunday, but know how they lie, cheat and steal the other six days of the week.
We tried First Methodist Church, and had the same dilemma, maybe worse, because it has so many lawyers, a few who will do whatever it takes to win.
There's no way I could ever be Catholic, knowing about the perverts and pedophiles that the Vatican protects. One of my favorite t.v. shows is The Borgias, which shows how the Catholic Church was effectively started as a Mafia family.
I was raised as a Southern Baptist, but it's too far to the right for my tastes.

So, we are no longer members of any church.

The mainline churches are killing themselves trying to be contemporary. What started me thinking about this was an article in today's Austin American Statesman:
Austin church will offer Episcopal same-sex blessing

The Episcopalian Church has turned into a farce. I wish I had the talent to write a Mark Twain style satire about it.

Christianity Today

At their peak, Episcopalians in the United States numbered 3.6 million members, which was in 1966. Along with other mainline Protestant denominations, the church declined from the 1960s to the present.

Many exited the denomination following the 2003 consecration of openly gay bishop the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson and later the decision in 2009 by The Episcopal Church’s highest legislative body to open the ordination process to all baptized members, which many saw as giving the green light to practicing homosexuals.
Although at one time a large and influential religious denomination in North America, a fact sheet published by The Episcopal Church shows that its membership has dipped below two million members.

The survey of membership trends noted that in 2006 there were over 2.1 million “Active Baptized Members” in the church. By 2010, however, the number decreased to less than 1.96 million.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Round Up of Crooked Texas Cops, DEA Party Boys, Judge With Foot in Mouth Disease


The cops and DEA run around ruining people's lives for providing a commodity in high demand. You would think they would be beyond reproach, no? Well, not really -


DEA agents arranged prostitute for Secret Service agent

Two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents “facilitated a sexual encounter” between a prostitute and a U.S. Secret Service agent days before President Barack Obama visited Colombia for a summit meeting in April 2012, according to a Justice Department investigation obtained exclusively by NBC News. DEA special agents admitted that they had paid for sexual services of a prostitute, the investigation also found, and “used their DEA Blackberry devices to arrange such activities.” In addition, the report says the agents tried to destroy incriminating information or initially lied to investigators about the incidents. All three agents have high-security clearances. The summary concluded that the agents’ actions did not warrant criminal prosecution. It said the U.S. Attorney’s Office also “declined to initiate legal proceedings.” It said the case had been referred to the DEA for “action it determines to be appropriate.”

This, from the excellent website Above the Law:
Professional Benchslapper Gets Admonished By Fifth Circuit Over His Own Racial Insensitivity
A judge doesn’t understand a fried chicken insult, so he blames the black guy for being oversensitive. Of course this happened in Texas…

But one of his flippant remarks to an African-American plaintiff drew the ire of the Fifth Circuit, even as they were affirming his ultimate result.

You know that you have strayed a little too far from the flock when the Fifth Circuit (Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) is schooling you on racial sensitivity….

Judge Lynn Hughes’s (District Judge, S.D., Houston Div.) comments arose from a case in which an African-American plaintiff, Albert Autry, alleged he didn’t get a job at a school because of racial discrimination. One of his allegations was that a manager at the school district was later overheard saying that if Obama is elected president “they’re going to have to take the Statute of Liberty and put a piece of fried chicken in [its] hand.”

Do I have to explain why that’s racist? Here’s a good little test of whether or not a joke or statement is a little bit racist: can you replace the main character in your witticism with a similar person of a different race and have the thing make sense? Here, nobody would say, “If Bill Clinton gets elected, they’re going to have to take the Statute of Liberty and put a piece of fried chicken in its hand.” And I’m pretty freaking sure that Bill Clinton LOVES fried chicken.

Judge Hughes didn’t see it that way. From the ABA Journal:

“No black individually and no blacks collectively owns [sic] the sensitivity rights to fried chicken or anything else,” he said.
When Autry’s lawyer suggested the alleged reference to fried chicken was “a long-standing racial slur,” Hughes replied, “That’s really surprising to Colonel Sanders.”

In a story that could be the plot for an episode of The Shield (where a squad of L.A. cops rip off drug dealers and sell the loot to their dealer friends) -

Indictments come down against Valley police officers
A federal grand jury handed up indictments Wednesday against the sons of the Hidalgo municipal police chief and Hidalgo County sheriff, along with other members of a joint narcotics task force.
Jonathan Treviño, 28, son of Sheriff Guadalupe Treviño; Alexis Rigoberto Espinoza, 29, son of Police Chief Rudy Espinoza; Fabian Rodriguez, 28; and Gerardo Mendoza Duran, 30, face up to life in prison on cocaine distribution charges.

In the why you shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers department, this story of how two UT Longhorn football players were probably falsely accused of rape -

UT football: Police say sexual assault case still under review
AUSTIN — San Antonio police said Wednesday an investigation into an alleged sexual assault reportedly involving Texas football players remains open, despite a defense attorney’s statement to the contrary.

Perry Minton, the lawyer for UT linebacker Jordan Hicks, issued a statement Wednesday claiming a San Antonio Police Department detective told him the investigation into his client was closed.

Minton said an SAPD detective informed him that “no charges will be brought against Jordan Hicks or anyone else in this matter.”
According to the police report, the 21-year-old woman who made the accusation said she met the two men at a nightclub where she had several drinks. The group then went to the hotel bar before the woman brought the two men to her room at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk.

The woman told police she did not remember the entire incident but said one of the men had sex with her while the other watched. Police observed bruises on her knee and bicep, according to the report. The report also said the woman and both men were taken to Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hospital.

Houston lawyer gets 10 years for $7.8M Ponzi scam
A former lawyer in Houston who pretended to be a real estate investment tycoon has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for running a $7.8 million Ponzi scam.

A federal judge in Houston on Friday sentenced 68-year-old Billy Frank Davis and ordered him to repay the more than 20 victims. Davis on Oct. 15 pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Another crooked cop story -

Ex-HPD officer faces 25 years for running drug money
He pleaded guilty to being a courier of cash routed through Houston to Mexico
A former Houston police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to running drug money as a courier for an organization that laundered as much as $27 million collected from around the United States, then pumped through Houston and on to Mexico.

Anthony Foster, 47, faces up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for his role in the conspiracy, but could serve less time if he cooperates with authorities still looking for members of the organization, including the boss, who are believed to be in Mexico.

3 men put on the list of sexual victims at Lackland

Air Force Perverts - Three pushups and you're in

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/article/3-men-put-on-the-list-of-sexual-victims-at-4196935.php#ixzz2I8u3p3LT
The Air Force said Tuesday that two more basic-training instructors are being investigated for misconduct and their alleged victims were men — a first among dozens of sex-abuse cases at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
Details were sketchy, but a male instructor at Lackland was accused of sexual misconduct with two men in boot camp.


Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/article/3-men-put-on-the-list-of-sexual-victims-at-4196935.php#ixzz2I8uP3o9g
Anti-gay activist guilty of child pornography after videotaping daughter
Lisa Biron faces 25 years in prison for filming her 14-year-old having sex with two men on multiple occasions

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Money Laundering Banks; Predator Military Recruiters; Pervert Priests


Apologize Then Call it a Day
Big Banks and Drug Money

by HELEN REDMOND

Stuart Gulliver, the Chief Executive of the London-based international banking giant HSBC said: “We accept responsibility for our past mistakes. We have said we are profoundly sorry for them and we do so again… What happened in Mexico and the US is shameful, it’s embarrassing, it’s very painful for all of us in the firm…The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organization from the one that made those mistakes.”

What was Mr. Gulliver apologizing for and was he sincere? His bank got caught laundering tons of cash for drug cartels and alleged terrorists. That is a crime.

Lanny Breuer, the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice (DOJ) explained at a press conference, “HSBC is being held accountable for stunning failures of oversight – and worse – that led the bank to permit narcotics traffickers and others to launder hundreds of millions of dollars through HSBC subsidiaries… The record of dysfunction that prevailed at HSBC for many years was astonishing.”

South Texas sheriff to dissolve drug unit
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A South Texas sheriff says he will dissolve a drug-fighting task force whose members — including the sheriff's son — are at the center of a federal corruption probe.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino tells The McAllen Monitor (http://bit.ly/Sdv1ju ) that he plans to meet with command staff Monday to hear the results of an internal investigation. Then he'll disband the so-called Panama Unit.
Former Mission Police officer Jonathan Trevino, the sheriff's son, and two Hidalgo deputies who worked on the interagency unit were arrested in December on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Another Mission officer from another task force was also charged.


Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/South-Texas-sheriff-to-dissolve-drug-unit-4170965.php#ixzz2HIIWMz18



DWI arrest for Bexar deputy
A corporal with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office already on administrative leave for allegedly kicking out the windows of an arresting officer's patrol car has returned to jail — this time for an alleged drunken driving wreck in which police said they twice had to stun her with a Taser.
Susana Lisa Cervantes, 35, who has been a detention officer since March 2008, was booked Thursday night for driving while intoxicated, assault of a public servant causing bodily injury and retaliation.


Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/DWI-arrest-for-Bexar-deputy-4168626.php#ixzz2H77wGpPm

Military recruiter charged in rape
In what may be the worst case of its kind, a Houston-area recruiter has been accused of multiple crimes, including rape, against 18 women who sought to join the military.
The Air Force said Friday that Tech. Sgt. Jaime Rodriguez committed rape, forcible sodomy and adultery while assigned to the Lake Jackson recruiting office from August 2008 to November 2011. He faces a hearing Tuesday in San Antonio and could get life in prison if the case goes to trial.
“It was brought to our attention in November 2011, and basically it was brought to the attention of one of the mothers who saw inappropriate texting over the phone,” Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman Christa D'Andrea said.
A 13-year veteran, Rodriguez is thought to have had sex with four women, one who was an applicant and another on active duty.
He also pursued relationships with 14 others via text messaging — in some cases sending nude photos of himself or asking the women for them.


Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Military-recruiter-charged-in-rape-4167705.php#ixzz2H78Ynyzl


Weird news: Priest dials 9-1-1 because he is “stuck in a pair of handcuffs”
Father Tom Donovan of St. Aloysius church has taken a leave of absence after making a bizarre emergency call

The Illinois Times has published a strange 9-1-1 call placed by Illinois pastor Father Tom Donovan on Nov. 28, who was apparently tied up in a pair of handcuffs at St. Aloysius Church.

This is how the call begins:

Donovan: Hi there, I am stuck in a pair of handcuffs. I’m going to need help getting out before this becomes a medical emergency.

Dispatcher: What’s the problem?

Donovan: I’m stuck. In a pair. Of handcuffs.

Dispatcher: You’re stuck in a pair of handcuffs?

Donovan: Yes.

It’s not clear how Donovan ended up in handcuffs, aside from that he was “playing with them,” or why this constituted a medical emergency warranting police intervention, but the pastor has since taken a leave of absence. Kathie Sass, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Springfield, said that Donovan “came to the bishop before anyone was aware of the incident” and was granted a leave of absence sometime before Christmas.