Riehl World View

Beth Twitty Lashing Out Again

In my opinion, this is an absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible charge from the Mother of Natalee Holloway, Beth Twitty. At this point it appears she is attempting to obstruct the very investigation you would think she wants to go forward. The notion that additional questioning of individuals in any investigation is only the result of poor police work is absurd.

The FBI conducted the questioning on the part of Aruban authorities. In an advisory capacity, they had every opportunity to address this if it were the case. Is she suggesting that the FBI are simply dopes who could or would only ask what the ALE told them to?

There is no excuse for her criticism here. It appears her agenda against Aruba law enforcement has now superceded any concern she may have once had for getting answers to what happened to Natalee. Unbelieveable ... and obstructionist. I can't even comprehend what is going on with this woman anymore.

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) - The mother of a U.S. teen who vanished on a school trip to Aruba said Saturday that prosecutors want to interview former classmates of the teen in the United States.

Beth Holloway Twitty repeated her charge that Aruban officials ignored leads and botched case and said they only want to speak with former classmates because there were holes in their questions.

"The reason they want to ask follow up questions to those students from Mountain Brook is because of the holes in their original line of questioning and because of questions they forgot to ask the first time," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Is PlameGate About To Flame Out?

Via Pundita and C:

My colleague Major General Paul Vallely, USA (ret.), West Point '61, wrote me ... that Wilson had bragged of his wife the "CIA desk officer" to Paul and all other ears in the green room at Fox News in D.C. in the winter spring of 2002. ...

I Don't See Dead People

Update: See Fausta for more info.

Or, take my state, please. Oh, how I love New Jersey. We have an election coming up on Tuesday, only there's at least one minor problem - our Democrat appointed state registrar of vital statistics Joseph Komosinski sort of forgot to track who has died in the state for the past two years - or, more precisely, he "was unaware that this was one of his obligations."

Of course - it IS listed as one of the department's responsibilities on the official website. Did a computer not come with the desk job?

The Office of Vital Statistics maintains all birth, marriage and death records for the period from 1878 to present and these can be obtained as outlined below.

State Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg has ruled on Friday that the figures must be tallied and provided to our 21 counties in time for the coming election, which is Tuesday.

"It is truly alarming," Feinberg said of concerns that people might have used dead people's names to illegally vote.

I wonder if our registrar of vital statistics could help me out ... I'm trying to get the yardage from the back tees on a few of our more notable golf courses.

This election may prove to be un-fun to watch.

More details here.

Ouch! Make-Up!!!!!

Oh, Warren ...

In a later interview, he alluded to Beatty only indirectly. "There's the main event, then there is the sideshow," the governor said. "I don't care about the sideshow." Beatty drew the ire of some of the governor's supporters who called him a Hollywood liberal and a has-been actor.

"It's time for some people to retire," said former San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock, who hosts a popular radio talk show. "I'm trying to be gentle about it but it's clear that Warren is over the hill and desperately looking for something else to do."

h/t Cindi

What's Puggle?

LOL besides the number one search term on Yahoo's Buzz Index? They had one at a local pet store here recently. Puggles

Still Ticked Off

Apparently I was ticked off when I first made this post. Now, almost a year later and it continues to be the number one image linked here through search engines.

Paris Violence Growing

Update: Paris violence still growing - inside city limits, now.

ACHERES, France (AP) - Youths armed with gasoline bombs fanned out from Paris' poor, troubled suburbs to shatter the tranquility of resort cities on the Mediterranean, torching scores of vehicles, nursery schools and other targets during a 10th straight night of arson attacks.

Police deployed a helicopter and tactical teams to chase down youths speeding from one attack to another in cars and on motorbikes. Some 2,300 police were brought into the Paris region to bolster security, France-Info said. More than 250 people were arrested.

The violence - originally concentrated in neighborhoods northeast of Paris with large immigrant populations - is forcing France to confront long-simmering anger in its suburbs, where many Africans and their French-born children live on society's margins, struggling with unemployment, poor housing, racial discrimination, crime and a lack of opportunity.

I wonder what Turkey is thinking about their EU bid in the face of recent violence in France? Chirac is backing Turkey now, though in the summer France was looking at blocking the move. And the French people still aren't on board.

Despite some reservations of the public opinion, notably in France, regarding the previous enlargement conditions, the EU has decided to keep its promises to Turkey. It has done so based on its concern to create a vision for the future and a new geographical balance.

On top of it all, a new EU poll shows general support for the EU leadership is crashing and additional ambivalence on Turkey's bid.

There is a big split on Turkey’s accession to the EU. The British support its membership by 45% to 37%, but the average across the EU is 55% to 32% against. The Eurobarometer poll found the main objection to Turkey was its human rights record, followed by its poor economy. But losing jobs to low-cost member states was the first objection raised to expanding the EU beyond its 25 members.

The US population gets ticked when unemployment goes over 5%, France is around 20% in some areas and still lecturing Turkey? As for human rights, sorry, I prefer peace in the streets first, and then a not overly done emphasis on human rights in developing countries, important as it is.

But here's more and much better information on France's problems today - from an American perspective:

If the Obin report is even one-half accurate, France faces a crisis of governance that, unless addressed, could eventually tear France apart.

And this American sounds flat out pissed about it, while providing good additional information through a set of links.

Help, We Need A Referendum!!

This is an old story, but ... okay, look, I have no problem with cheeky stuff. I'm not some die hard social conservative. So, when I saw this, I thought ... well, hmmm, I don't know ...

Peterborough, Ontario, Mayor Sylvia Sutherland plans to pose in the buff for a provocative calendar to raise money for the city's flood disaster relief program. "The Mayor and some of her lady friends, all over 50, got together and decided to do this to raise money for the flood relief," said Peterborough Councillor Paul Rexe.

I mean, a Mayor and all ... community standards, example for the young, yadda, yadda, yadda. So, I decided to take a closer look.

Sylvia - no offense, but ... I'm thinking ... bad idea. Sorry.

Crime Blogging

And then there's blogging an actual crime.

... this girl chronicled the slow deterioration of her mother due to the poison, and she did so not in a private diary, but in her online weblog.

Wunnerful

Steve Huff takes a look at some web logging of sorts ... from death row.

HELLO FROM TEXAS DEATH ROW, LIVINGSTON, TEXAS. MY NAME IS CHARLES THOMPSON AND I AM A PRISONER ON TEXAS DEATH ROW. I AM LOOKING TO CORRESPOND WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE ABOLITION MOVEMENT WORLD WIDE TO STOP THE SENSELESS KILLING OF HUMAN BEINGS. SOMEONE WHO WILL NOT JUDGE ME, BUT ACCEPT ME AS A PERSON WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT LIFE.

THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT MY GUILT OR INNOCENCE SHOULD CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT THE ADDRESS LISTED BELOW (...)