TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalHaiti marks 100th anniversary of U.S. occupation
PORT-AU-PRINCE — They landed a century ago this month, brandishing guns and hoisting the Stars and Stripes on government buildings in a foreign land.
It would be 19 years before Old Glory would come down, and Haiti’s flag would fly again.
While many in this struggling nation are too young to remember the 1915-1934 period that marked the first U.S. invasion of Haiti, the occupation remains a complex, and for some, a vexing period in Haitian history.
“Haitians like the U.S. visa to travel, but they don’t like American interference in their politics,” said Jean-Junior Joseph, a political blogger who once served as spokesman for the U.S.-backed interim government that led Haiti between 2004 and 2006.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/world/article29263498.html#storylink=cpy
8 Australian men charged with 500 sex offenses against girl
PERTH, Australia — An Australian man was accused Wednesday of allowing seven men to sexually abuse his 13-year-old daughter over the past two years, with police charging all eight men with more than 500 child sex offenses.
Western Australia police arrested the men after receiving a tip-off from the public. Police say the father knew all of the men, and arranged for them to meet his daughter and subsequently assault her when she was between the ages of 11 and 13. The father is also accused of assaulting the girl.
The father and the other men, who range in age from 35 to 47, are facing 503 charges, including sexual penetration of a child under 13, stupefying with intent to commit a criminal offense and sexual servitude of a child.
Police Detective Superintendent Glenn Feeney, who described the abuse the girl suffered as "horrific," said one of the men had 200,000 videos and 4 million child pornography images. The victim was featured in 149 images, he said.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/world/article29266969.html#storylink=cpy
Hays High School retires ‘Dixie’ as school fight song
In the wake of the fatal June 17 shooting in a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., and after years of distancing itself from Confederate symbols, officials at Hays High School in Kyle said on Tuesday they were retiring “Dixie” as the school’s fight song.
The district earlier this month sought public input on the fate of the song and whether to change the school’s Confederacy-related mascot, the Rebel. Hays Consolidated Independent School District spokesman Tim Savoy said as many as three-fourths of the roughly 100 emails or electronic communications it received favor dropping both the song and the school team name. At the same time, an online petition to keep both had 1,300 signatures, he said.
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-education/hays-high-school-retires-dixie-as-school-fight-son/nm75Y/ (subscription required)
Jet fuel spill creates hazardous scene in Temple
Josh Quinn/Telegram
TEMPLE -- A tanker truck carrying JP8 jet fuel flipped and rolled early Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Old Highway 95 and FM 93, spilling highly flammable jet fuel onto already dry grass.
The driver was initially trapped in the smashed 18-wheeler’s cab, but a passersby probably helped free him, Bell County Sheriff Eddy Lange said at the scene. Lange said the driver had some injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening and was transported to Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital.
Texas Department of Public Safety Senior Trooper Harpin Myers said the man was treated and released.
The tanker was on its side, and Temple Fire & Rescue firefighters confirmed the tanker was leaking fuel.
Read more: http://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_d09a13f8-3594-11e5-865f-cbdff0480547.html (Temple Daily Telegram)
Fallin: Daughter's trailer at governor's mansion must go
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday she was trying to be a good mother when she let her daughter park a "nice trailer" on the grounds of the governor's mansion, but that the vehicle runs afoul of an obscure state regulation and Christina Fallin must move the home on wheels.
Fallin told Oklahoma television station KFOR that her 28-year-old daughter received no special benefit by parking the travel trailer outside the mansion near the state Capitol since April. Any electricity or water she would have used in the trailer would have also been used if she had been living inside the brick-and-mortar home.
"My Oklahoma values ... is to take care of your family," Fallin, a Republican, told the TV station in a live interview.
"My daughter a couple of months ago came to me and said she was in between living arrangements," Fallin said. "She does have a very nice trailer that she bought" but didn't have a place to park it. "And so I told her you can park it in the back of this lot, not seen to the public eye, and store it there."
Read more: http://kdhnews.com/news/politics/fallin-daughter-s-trailer-at-governor-s-mansion-must-go/article_d0a224a8-90da-5b6f-8f67-a5c82ab6064d.html
[font color=330099]This is the same daughter that attracted attention for wearing a Native-American headdress in a Facebook photo.[/font]
In April, 2014 Pink Pony {a music project she is involved in} performed at the Norman Music Festival. That morning, the band's Facebook posted a status saying "I heard Pink Pony was wearing full regalia tonight", leading Natives and their allies to request that Pink Pony either clarify that they would not be engaging in cultural appropriation or that they be removed from the lineup. Fallin appeared in a shawl that was made from her drapery with "sheep" written on the back. Native American protesters, led by musician Samantha Crain picketed the show with signs such as "I am not a costume." Native activists, such as Summer Wesley (often cited as Chahta Summer) and other members of Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry (EONM) had been called "sheep" by Pink Pony supporters, during the earlier incident surrounding the headdress photo, and Fallin's display was perceived as an intentional act of continued disrespect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Fallin
[font color=330099]It's comforting to know that there is trailer trash in Oklahoma too. She filed for annulment of her first marriage in April 2012, remarried in July 2012 and her husband filed for divorce in November 2012.[/font]
Mexico soccer coach Herrera fired after claim he punched reporter
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Embattled Mexican national soccer team coach Miguel Herrera was fired Tuesday following a TV reporter's claim that the coach known as "El Piojo" punched him.
The ouster comes just two days after Herrera led Mexico to victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. But Decio de Maria, who on Saturday becomes president of the Mexican Soccer Federation, said the incident with the journalist was not in keeping with "the spirit of fair and respectful competition" that the organization espouses.
"Our values, our principles, are above any result," de Maria said at an afternoon news conference. "In our profession, our industry, the matches are never over, and as public figures who represent an institution we must be absolutely clear on that."
He did not say who will be chosen to replace Herrera, who led Mexico to the round of 16 at last year's World Cup in Brazil.
Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28547236/el-piojo-fired-after-journalists-claim
Yapping Mutts' no bark, no bite after seven-game winning streak comes to end
After going 9-3 on their post All-Star break road trip, the El Paso Chihuahuas were hoping to keep the hot play intact on their return trip to Southwest University Park.
Instead, the Tacoma Rainiers played spoiler on Tuesday night, hit four homers and ended El Paso's seven-game winning streak with an 9-4 victory in the opener of a four-game series.
The Chihuahuas (54-49) entered Tuesday's game just 31/2 games behind Las Vegas in the Souther Division. Las Vegas was leading Sacramento 12-2 late in Tuesday's game in Sacramento.
Tacoma (50-54) seized control of the game in the third inning with five runs. Left fielder Stefen Romero and right fielder Jabari Blash each blasted two-run homers to lead the way, while Justin Ruggiano drove in a run with a single.
Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_28553574/el-pasos-seven-game-winning-streak-comes-an
Anti-Abortion Propaganda is Big Bu$ine$$
Two types of people make money from Planned Parenthood—employees who work for the organization, providing actual medical and educational services to people who willingly seek out care, and people who willfully lie about those medical and educational services for a fee.
Mother Jones calls the recent release of gotcha videos part of an annihilation campaign against Planned Parenthood, and that’s pretty accurate. It is a campaign with paid staff. David Daleiden, the rabble rouser behind the latest skirmish, started an entire nonprofit to get paid for lying about what Planned Parenthood does.
Tomorrow in Austin, prompted by Daleiden’s work, a hearing called by Sen. Charles Schwertner will convene. It will consider how Planned Parenthood affiliates operate, whether their business practices violate any state or federal laws, and whether abortion providers should be subjected to additional regulations regarding the sale of fetal tissue.
Since the hearing, and possible release of a new video recorded in a Houston clinic, will keep this story in the Texas news cycle, here are some facts to share with those who have not yet applied critical thinking skills to the situation.
Read more: http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/30697/anti-abortion-propaganda-is-big-buine
Dallas Zoo’s baby giraffe Kipenzi dies in accident while running in habitat
The Dallas Zoo’s giraffe calf Kipenzi, who became a viral star after her birth was broadcast live by Animal Planet, died Tuesday, the zoo announced.
Related
The zoo said Kipenzi was scampering around the feeding yard with her brother, Kopano, when she made a sharp turn and hit something. Preliminary reports indicate that she broke three vertebrae in her neck. She died immediately, zoo spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said in a statement.
“This is a huge loss for our giraffe herd, our staff and our guests,” Gregg Hudson, president and chief executive of the zoo, said in a statement. “To be honest, it hurts terribly. We’re crushed, and everyone here is mourning. Please keep our staff in your thoughts.”
The incident happened as keepers were shifting the giraffe herd into their night barn shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Read more: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2015/07/dallas-zoos-giraffe-calf-kipenzi-dead-after-breaking-three-vertebrae-in-neck.html/
Supporting The Iran Deal
For a candidate to get a Blue America endorsement, we try to get to know them down to the core of their being. What we're not looking for is some phony politician willing to tell us what they think we want to hear on any set of issues. We learned our lesson long ago after helping reactionary Blue Dog Chris Carney win a Pennsylvania congressional seat.
We don't send out questionnaires and we don't depend on any one issue before making an endorsement. Maybe that's why we endorse so few candidates each cycle. When we ask perspective endorses about women's Choice, punishment for corrupt Wall Street banksters and LGBT equality, it has more to do with learning about their core beliefs and how they make decisions and about their courageousness than how they stand on any particular issue. This year we started asking candidates to explain their thinking on BlackLivesMatter so we can get a better understanding of their thought process on such a complicated-- if not morally ambiguous-- issue. Similarly we're asking candidates to tell us their thoughts on the Iran nuclear deal.
Although we think the deal is definitely worth supporting, we don't consider it a make it or break it issue. There's more than one way of looking at the deal, and again, what we're looking for is a thought process. Interestingly, even Joe Manchin, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, says he is leaning towards supporting the deal. "I'm leaning very strongly towards that because of the options that I have," Manchin said on CBS' Face the Nation. "The only other option is go to war, and I'm not ready to send our people into harm's way again until people in that part of the world want to clean up their own mess." Manchin agrees with our position on Iran-- and, despite Huckabee's insane screed, that of most American Jews-- but his overall record isn't one that would ever move us to consider endorsing him. Grayson is against the deal, but overall, we find him to be as close to an ideal candidate as possible.
It's worth mentioning that, according to the latest polling, the American people also favor the deal with Iran.
Read more: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2015/07/supporting-iran-deal.html
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,081
