We saw some posts on these forums about potential legislation that criminalizes conduct on the internet like cyber bullying.

So far most of the legislation I have seen that addresses this issue seems sloppy.

I love how so many want to jump up and make assumptions based on overly broad possibilities or those who blame the prosecutors.

Guess what?

Charges must have a legal basis. If there is no law addressing an issue prosecutors and the public may see wrong doing but be unable to bring charges since no statute exists as was the case with this woman.

I think it's pretty clear that an adult woman who was acquainted with the child and the child's family and who knew about her pre-existing metal health issues and then exploited them by pretending to be a teen age boy who courted, dumped and then suggested suicide to the child is a pretty sick *****.

This woman clearly is a disturbed person who knowingly caused harm to a child but absent a statute to charge her under there is little any prosecutor can do.

The charges that were brought stem from a violation of the user agreement for the site she used to manipulate the child right?

It's my bet there are a whole bunch of people on this site violating the user agreement here.

Law is always chasing technology. It's the nature of the beast. It's hard to make a law that anticipates technology right? I am pretty sure the founders never anticipated sexting, jet planes, being able to transfer funds anywhere in the world in minutes...all the things that seem common now were once new.

With each innovation the law adapts, with each adaptation there are tests and refinement. There is nothing sinister in that. It is the evolution of thought and the incorporation of technology in society and societies reaction to it that makes law a living evolving and truly beautiful thing.

We need new laws sometimes...based both on tradition and changing conditions to deal with new circumstances and technologies.

Clearly...this case is a wake up call.

The charges, "three misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization" were clearly the only legal tool the prosecutors had to use. I dare say...there are more than a few people in this site guilty of the same.

I see a dangerous precedent about to be set with this case.

Clearly...this woman is a steam pile of $hit...but...I sort of hope she beats these charges.

Anyway...I haven't slept in a very very long time and I am rambling...I should read and organize this post but...frankly my dear...I don't give a damn.

In an odd sort of way his actions show he cares about you I think. I might be wrong but...

At any rate, I have friends from many different religious backgrounds. I to have found myself in similar situations once or twice in my career as a human being.

My standard reply is to tell the proselytizer that I respect their beliefs and hope they would do the same for me. With reasonable intelligent people that usually ends it.

I did have to tell a co-worker who would let it go that I was going to enjoy the weekend sacrifice of a chicken that would be followed by naked dancing and sex in the woods around a bonfire. She paled and never ever brought up saving my soul again.

No matter the result of the Wings v. Hawks series is I am a happy camper!

It's a terrific match up.

Taking myself out to the bar for game two woohoo

Here is some interesting news from CA regrading the rape shield law there.

I admit I haven't read the pdf or the statute in question but I am familiar with the MI law.

I have issues with shielding the victim while the accused (before conviction) name is typically made public. I also believe past sexual history or someone who has a history of making accusations of rape may be relevant. There are aspects of MI law that I feel, while well intentioned, making arriving at a just verdict more difficult.

Still, I see this CA case as wrong. To assert that the law does not apply because the defendant denies the charge? I might be wrong here but don't most rapists deny committing a crime? I am sure with the advent of DNA testing what happens in rape cases has changed somewhat...still?

So, what do you think about rape shield laws?

April 24, 2009
Shhh: Cal Supremes to Review Rape Shield Law

Earlier this year, Division Five of the First District Court of Appeal issued an eye-popping decision: The court threw out the rape conviction and 89-year sentence of a serial sex offender, and declared that California’s Rape Shield Law does not apply when the defendant denies having sex with the victim.

What’s that? You say you don’t remember that bombshell of an opinion? Well, People v. Fontana, [.pdf], was issued unpublished, even though there appear to be few California cases on point.

But it didn’t slip by the California Supreme Court, which granted review last week. Legal Pad expects that by the time amicus curiae briefs from victim’s rights and women’s rights groups are filed and Fontana rolls around for oral argument, many more people will have heard of it.

The victim in Fontana was a 19-year-old identified only as Irene S. who worked at a discount store in the South of Market area of San Francisco.

Defendant Danny Fontana, who had prior convictions for rape and assault with intent to commit rape, invited her up to the room he rented above the store to see if she wanted to buy his laptop computer. Irene testified that when she got near his room Fontana grabbed her, pulled her inside, choked her unconscious, penetrated her digitally, forced her to fellate him and then took pictures of her naked body and told her he would post them on the Internet if she reported him to police.

According to the First District’s opinion, medical personnel found bruises on Irene’s shoulder and scalp, lip lacerations, pooling of blood in her eyes, genital injuries and petechiae – small dots caused by capillaries broken from the inside, consistent with strangulation -- on her face, neck, scalp and inside her ears. A nurse practitioner testified she had never seen such severe petechiae from an individual who survived strangulation.

Fontana testified that Irene had tried to seduce him in exchange for the laptop. When she took off her clothes he panicked because he had parole conditions that precluded him from being alone with a woman. He became disgusted when he noticed semen “in her privates” and made her wipe it off. He then took pictures of Irene because he was afraid of false accusations and thought having the pictures would protect him. Only when she tried to forcibly orally copulate him did he grab her by the throat, because he had a phobia about women biting his penis. Or so he testified.

Fontana’s counsel sought to elicit evidence that on the morning of the encounter, Irene had had sex with her boyfriend. That would corroborate Fontana’s account of the semen between her legs and explain the injuries to her genitals. Veteran Superior Court Judge Jerome Benson refused, citing California’s rape shield law, which restricts evidence of a victim’s prior sexual history. He ruled that any such evidence would not corroborate Fontana’s testimony anyway because semen from a morning sexual encounter would likely no longer be present in the late afternoon.

Fontana was convicted and sentenced to 89 years to life pursuant to California’s One Strike and Three Strikes laws.

But the First District, in an opinion by Justice Henry Needham, reversed the convictions. Needham ruled that Benson had erred when invoking the rape shield law. “As a number of cases from other jurisdictions recognize, federal due process requires the admission of such evidence when it would provide an alternative explanation for injuries allegedly inflicted during a sexual assault,” Needham wrote, citing decisions from Virginia and Missouri and two federal decisions involving child victims.

Needham pointed out that California’s rape shield law -- found in Evidence Code Sections 1103 and 782 -- precludes evidence of the victim’s sexual conduct to “in order to prove consent” was given. “Here, appellant completely denied having sexual relations with Irene, so consent was not an issue,” Needham wrote.

Furthermore, he ruled the errors were prejudicial. “Absent the evidence that Irene had consensual sex earlier in the day, a sexual assault by appellant was the only explanation for the non-strangulation injuries,” Needham wrote. Justice Barbara Jones and S.F. Superior Court Judge Robert Dondero, sitting by assignment, concurred.

All seven Supreme Court justices voted to grant review [.pdf] in People v. Fontana.

— Scott Graham
http://legalpad.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/shhh-cal-supremes-to-review-rape-shield-law.html

Here's the thing about life.

Even for the best prepared it is unsure. There are no guarantees.

Each of us can only do our best with what we have and try to build on it.

To assume anything solely from the number of unwed mothers is silly. There are simply too many other factors at play here.

Feel safer now or does it matter that the guys diploma is fake?

What do you all think?

Breach of Trust: Fake Diplomas Found at U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command
WHNT NEWS 19's Investigation reveals AMCOM's Director of Readiness purchased bogus diploma

Wendy Halloran WHNT NEWS 19 Chief Investigative Reporter

May 13, 2009

HUNTSVILLE, AL - It's graduation season all across the country. Thousands of students spent years to get their bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.

However, many people have bought phony diplomas. In Part 1 of our Taking Action Investigation, WHNT NEWS 19 showed you how fake degrees have infiltrated the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Army.

Now, our investigation reveals this breach of trust goes all the way to the top civilian ranks at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal.

The fake degree is in the hand of a key essential leader at the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command, AMCOM. The bogus diplomas are against policy, put a person's integrity in question, and make them a potential target for blackmail.

As Director of Readiness for the Army's Aviation and Missile Command, Chris Oleyte carries the weight of America's missile defense readiness on his shoulders. He's also carrying other baggage.

Story continues and video is available at:

http://www.whnt.com/news/takingaction/whnt-amcom-official-fake-diploma,0,4817962.story

I usually visit my best girl friend at Glenn Lake a couple times every summer. (I live down state)

We always find tons to do with all the great cultural offerings in the area during the summer months.

My favorite place is Art's Bar in Glen Arbor. Great burgers made with fresh meat ground daily, good beer and a friendly atmosphere for all ages.

A burger at Art's is a must when I visit.

There's also a terrific little book store in town two doors down but I don't recall the name of the place.

If I think about it perhaps I will post when I go up next.

Welcome to Michigan...enjoy!

Thanks Fran...stretching your money is important in this economy.

Until I can secure the purchase I will just have to hope my luck holds.

Hummm maybe I shouldn't say that. Here is a little story about my luck.

Three years ago in September I had a very bad week behind the wheel. The first of three accidents or near accidents occurred when the hood latch failed on my car sending the hood crashing through the windshield of my car. I was going 70+ mph on the freeway. Huge scary moment but I was able to safely get off the road, secure the hood and get off the highway.

In the next five days I had near misses twice. A woman ran a stop sign and came within inches of hitting me. The third incident involved a woman hitting the car in front of me, losing control and nearly hitting me.

So, by the end of the week I confessed to a friend on the phone that I really didn't feel much like taking that morning drive into the city very much. You are tough he assured me...see all those close calls and you are fine.

Jokingly I replied, "Yep, what ever Gods that are mad at me it appears I am tougher than they are!"

With that we laughed and I got out of bed and headed for my morning shower.

The last thing I remember is the image of the digital clock. It blazed 8:40 in bright red l.e.d. lights.

Then it happened.

My feild of vision went bright white the light so brilliant I have never seen anything like it at the exact same moment I heard and felt a huge roar.

Then there was nothing.

Nothing that is until my dog Fugley revived me by nudging me, licking my face and barking at me. I awoke to see my house burning around me. I was about ten feet from the last place I recall standing.

I had been hit by lightening.

The lesson here? Do not mock God or the Gods...she, he or they? Definitely tougher than I am!

Come to think of it...I think I will order today...

There's a great movie called The Bad Seed (1956) that explores the whole nature versus nurture issue.

Yes, it is fiction but though provoking fiction.

As for this unwed mothers business. I see more and more people who are in committed relationships, even with children, who choose not to marry. I am not sure the numbers accurately reflect what is going on in society.

There is an unwed mother in my family.

My 29 year old daughter is an unwed mother who's child was born in December. Because her father was working on the road I was the one who cut the cord when she was born. My daughter and the baby's father live together and mutually support Maya in all aspects of her life.

Gosh franshade thanks...I think!

I am torn...money is tight...not sure if I should order the satan protection or the death protection.

Fear Not!

For just five dollars...that's right just five U.S. dollars you can be officially protected from evil! Take note...protection from multiple forms of evil will required additional payment.

http://paranormalrestrainingorders.com/

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Should you get a restraining order?

A restraining order can be a powerful tool to help you keep yourself safe from an abusive paranormal entity, however, it is not your only choice and there are limitations to what a restraining order can do. A restraining order is not right for everyone in every situation and it cannot guarantee your safety.

Making the decision to apply for a restraining order can be very difficult, but it must be your decision. The following lists may help you decide whether a restraining order against a paranormal entity is the right choice for you.

* Reasons to get a restraining order: It may make you feel more confident because you are taking control of the situation
* It can encourage authorities to help protect you from the paranormal entity
* To establish an official record of the abuse and activity
* To allow you to enjoy activities with less threat of harm

* Remember, a restraining order cannot guarantee: your personal safety
* the paranormal entity won't still be able to intimidate or scare you
* the safety and welfare of your family
* the paranormal entity will be out of your life
* the paranormal entity won't destroy property that may be irreplaceable
* the paranormal entity will seek counseling or other means help

How do you know that you're in an abusive relationship?

It is important to remember that abuse in relationships often starts out fairly mild and then escalates over time. Even if the abuse does not escalate, it is important to remember that no one has the right to abuse you in any way. If you find yourself in a situation where such behaviors are occurring, this may be a warning signal to you that the entity is, or may become, dangerous to you.

* Signs that you may be in a relationship with an abusive paranormal entity are: You frequently worry about how they will react to things you say or do
* Your family and friends have warned you about them, or told you that they are concerned for your safety or emotional well being
* You leave and then return to them repeatedly, against the advice of your friends, family, and loved ones
* You have trouble ending the relationship, even though you know inside it's the right thing to do

* You may need protection from an abusive paranormal entity if they: Are jealous or possessive toward you (a primary symptom of abusive relationships)
* Try to control you, often by being very bossy or demanding
* Try to isolate you by demanding you cut off social contacts and friendships
* Pressure you sexually, or demand sexual activities you are not comfortable with
* Have a history of bad relationships
* Are violent and/or lose their temper quickly
* Shame, humiliate, or embarrass you, either privately or around family and friends
* Claim that you are responsible for their emotional state (a criteria for co-dependency)
* Blame you when they mistreat you
* Abuse drugs or alcohol

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Okay surely these are the end days, cats are sleeping with dogs...I posted something Thomas3474 liked!

HA HA HA

This is great stuff...as reported in The Washington Post. I cannot quit laughing over this one. Most all pundits and talking heads are full of beans about ninety percent of the time I suspect because they have space to fill be it in papers, on-line or on other broadcast media. This is just too perfect.

NYTimes columnist admits using blogger's words

The Associated Press
Sunday, May 17, 2009; 11:38 PM

NEW YORK -- New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has admitted to using a paragraph virtually word-for-word from a prominent liberal blogger without attribution.

Dowd acknowledged the error in an e-mail to The Huffington Post on Sunday, the Web site reported. The Times corrected her column online to give proper credit for the material to Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall.

The newspaper is expected to issue a formal correction Monday.

The error appeared in Dowd's Sunday column, in which she criticized the Bush administration's use of interrogation methods in the run-up to the Iraq war.

In the original column, Dowd wrote: "More and more the timeline is raising the question of why, if the torture was to prevent terrorist attacks, it seemed to happen mainly during the period when the Bush crowd was looking for what was essentially political information to justify the invasion of Iraq."
ad_icon

Marshall last week wrote virtually the same sentence. But where Dowd's column used the phrase "the Bush crowd was," Marshall used "we were."

Dowd, who won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1990, told The Huffington Post that the mistake was unintentional. She claims she never read Marshall's post last week and had heard the line from a friend who did not mention reading it in Marshall's blog.

A spokeswoman for the Times late Sunday referred requests for comment from The Associated Press to remarks Dowd made to The Huffington Post.

In the updated version on the Times' site, Dowd's column had this note: "An earlier version of this column failed to attribute a paragraph about the timeline for prisoner abuse to Josh Marshall's blog at Talking Points Memo."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051702328.html

Hummm wonder who, whether it be a person the business or a government, is behind this?

The article reads oddly because it was translated to English.

Authorities investigating the attempted fraud of 50 billion U.S. dollars for Portugal

By Lusa, on 05-17-2009 22:36

Published in : Agenda, Economy

The Portuguese authorities are investigating an attempted transfer of 50 billion dollars (36.6 billion) from JP Morgan Chase, U.S., to Canada, what, where result would be the biggest fraud ever in the country.


The operation was attempted by an unidentified woman, who presented a bank in Lisbon an interbank transfer contract, which the Lusa had access, which provides a movement of 36.4 million euros in the first tranche.
The document raised strong suspicions about the legality of the operation that was to materialize, either by the mode of action of the woman or, especially, the large amount involved.


Official source of the prosecutor told the Lusa that "the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP) is to collect information on the matter."


The Bank of Canada is also investigating the case, according to official sources, which indicated that the process followed for the department of supervision "of the institution led by Vitor Constâncio, confirming also that the way the case is similar to other attempts at fraud detected by the authorities in Portugal.


The Financial Information Unit of the Judicial Police (PJ) is also aware of the process. Contacted by Lusa, PJ's official source said, however, "is not considered appropriate to comment on specific situations," goes to disclose data on situations of the kind found in recent years in Portugal.


As the amount involved, 50 billion dollars (36.6 billion), is far superior to any other similar case ever found in Portugal, confirmed to the Lusa the supervisor of banks.


Even if there is a limit to transfers of money from abroad to Ireland and vice versa, the amount is so high that it would do for five lines of high-speed train in Portugal or ten airports in Lisbon.


If the operation was carried out, would be transferred to Portugal twice the value of the 20 largest Portuguese stock exchange."An amount ever seen, is in the Portuguese market or in any place of reference of the world," said a banking source to Lusa. Indeed, it is not every day that are transferred 50 billion dollars from one country to another and, as another source of market, "seems to play. The value is completely abnormal."


The contract 'Swift' [direct exchange between banks] provide for the transfer of that amount between the North American bank, the JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank, and the Portuguese institution, with a pre-set exchange rate and fixed at 85 euros for each $ 100 (euro in evaluating each $ 1.17 - below the $ 1.36 to the euro has traded in the foreign exchange market).


The transaction would be held in several tranches, with the first set at 49.5 million dollars (36.4 million).
In terms of commissions, the lead bank to accept the transfer operation of the money received 2.5 percent of the total amount, ie 1.25 billion dollars (nearly one billion euros - twice the market value of the Banif stock exchange, for example).


On page four of the contract read that "the parties have to follow the coordinates given by the rules of the banks on the Anti-Terrorist Act and the Patriotic Act I and II. The purchaser [bank that accepts to receive the money coming from the U.S.] will not held responsible for any money laundering harmful. "

Editor's note: Translated from Google, read original in Portuguese here.http://economia.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1381156&idCanal=57\

I concur.

Again...when will we see this here?

This is sickening and alarming.

This is a long article. Posting the introduction here for you all. If you wish to read the entire article the link at the bottom of the page will take you to page 2 of 4.

ContactPoint goes live despite security fears

Thinking of the children - but is that all?

By John Leyden • Get more from this author

Posted in Government, 17th May 2009 07:02 GMT

Free whitepaper – Data center projects: standardized process

Analysis The Government has announced plans to push ahead with the next phase in launch of a controversial child protection database, despite ongoing concerns about the security of data held on the system.

The delayed ContactPoint system, which is due to include names and addresses on every child under 18 in England, will be accessed by frontline care workers in real-life trials for the first time from this Monday.

Security experts contacted by El Reg remain concerned that information housed on the database might leak out despite ministerial assurances on security provisions that will accompany the roll-out of the directory system.

From Monday onwards social workers, police, schools and health officials will have access to data held on the ContactPoint database. The start of frontline trials, announced in the House of Commons last week by Children's Secretary Ed Balls (Hansard extract below), follows repeated delays in the development of the system.

Since January, important progress has been made. Seventeen early adopter local authorities in the north west of England, along with leading national charities, Barnardo’s and KIDS, now have trained management teams in preparation for practitioners to start to use the system. At the same time, as part of the extensive ContactPoint security arrangements, local authorities have shielded the records of children who are potentially at greater risk if their whereabouts were to become known, to provide an additional layer of security, (for example, if a child is fleeing domestic violence or is under witness protection, or in some cases where children have been adopted). Approximately 52,000 records have now been shielded on ContactPoint.

Building on this work, we will continue to take an incremental and steady approach to delivery. We are now moving ahead with the second phase of delivery. From 18 May, and over a period of several weeks, ContactPoint early adopters will train around 800 practitioners to use ContactPoint. They have been hand-picked to ensure they reflect the broad range of professionals working for children’s services organisations who will use ContactPoint when the directory is fully rolled out. We will carefully monitor the activity of those practitioners considering what further improvements may be required in the light of their experience of using the system.

From June to August, we will train management teams in the other local authorities and national partners. This will allow them to prepare for deployment of ContactPoint more widely in due course.

Throughout this second phase, we will continue to evaluate the experience of early adopters. This will ensure that the deployment of ContactPoint continues to take account of the experience of new users in the next stages of delivery.

Creation of the multi-million pound database - which will hold information on an estimated 11m children in England in a form of online directory - was proposed in the wake of Victoria Climbié's killing by her abusive guardians in 2000. Police, social services and health agencies all noted signs of abuse in the run-up to her death, but each agency acted in isolation.

The database is designed to give social workers, police and hospital with common access to contact details on children and other professionals working with them, so that care professionals can more easily contact each other and exchange information. Case history files will not be housed on the system.

The database will include details such name, address, date of birth, gender, and contact details for parents or carers for each child in England. Contact details for the child’s school, family doctor and other careers working with the child will also be included within the same cross-reference entry.

ContactPoint will cost an estimated £224m to set up, followed by annual running costing of around £44m a year. Contact details on an estimated 52,000 at-risk children will be shielded.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/17/contactpoint_follow_up/page2.html

Apologies in advance to Satanist for using them in this example. If I err in assigning the use of human sacrifice to the religion wrongly I am sorry.

If I am a Satanist who believes in human sacrifice and I use my ten year old child as an offering killing the child in the process is it anyone's business other than mine?

According to Fanta's argument killing my child in the name of my religion is or should be no ones business but mine.

Nice...

So, how long until we see this here in the United States?

Town halls hire citizen snoopers as young as SEVEN to spy on neighbours and report wrongs

By Lucy Ballinger
Last updated at 1:16 AM on 18th May 2009

Children as young as seven are being recruited by councils to act as 'citizen snoopers', the Daily Mail can reveal.

The 'environment volunteers' will report on litter louts, noisy neighbours - and even families putting their rubbish out on the wrong day.

There are currently almost 9,000 people signed up to the schemes. More are likely to be recruited in the coming months.

Controversially, some councils are running 'junior' schemes which are recruiting children.

After basic training, volunteers are expected to be the 'eyes and the ears' of the town hall.

They are given information packs about how to collect evidence, including tips about writing down numberplates, which could later be used in criminal prosecutions.

Luton Borough Council's Street Seen scheme encourages its 650 volunteers to report 'environmental concerns'. It is also recruiting 'Junior Street Champions', aged between seven and 11.

Primary schools could also be involved within two years.

Similarly, Islington Council in north London has recruited 1,200 'Islington Eyes' to report crime hotspots, fly-tipping and excess noise from DIY.

Volunteers are given a list of things to do when confronted with fly-tippers, including taking photos 'without being seen'.

Last year the council undertook a recruitment drive for youngsters aged nine and above, called Junior Eyes.

Children are given special books to write down reports on littering or graffiti in their schools, which they then send to the council.

A spokesman for Islington town hall said: 'It's not possible for the council to see what's going on in the borough at all times, so our Eyes for Islington are a great help, reporting issues such as dangerous footpaths, fly-tipping and graffiti.'

Welwyn Hatfield Council in Hertfordshire has given its 13 volunteers handheld computers to take photographs of problem areas.

The information is then uploaded to a map of trouble spots.

Overall, a total of 8,442 volunteers have signed up at 17 councils in England. Other councils are set to follow their example and set up their own networks of volunteers.

They say the scheme helps them find out about problems which they might not know about otherwise. But critics are worried the schemes could easily be abused and encourage a 'Big Brother society'.

The move comes as local authorities dish out £100 fines to householders who leave out too much rubbish or fail to follow recycling rules.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Community spirit is one thing, spying on your neighbours is quite another.

'It is the job of the police to maintain law and order, and there is no reason taxpayers should have to pay twice for the same service.

'People are sick and tired of being spied on by their councils and in a recession we simply cannot afford luxuries like handheld computers at a time when the most basic public services are being scaled back.'

The Welwyn and Hatfield scheme is run by waste collection and environmental contractor Serco, which hopes to recruit more volunteers this summer.

A spokesman for the council said: 'Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and its project partner Serco do not conduct any surveillance of residents in enforcement of environmental crimes, and neither do the community champions that have volunteered.'

Serco said other councils were keen to introduce its handheld computers, although many areas are conducting similar schemes using more low-tech methods.

For example, Hillingdon Borough Council in north London, which has recruited 4,800 volunteers from the age of 16 in the past 18 months, simply gives its 'Street Champions' pens and a folder of contact details.

A spokesman said: 'Street Champions themselves have confirmed that it is not a scheme where people are asked to spy on neighbours. Street Champions are asked to act just as any other resident might to report issues in their local area.'

The spokesman added that two brothels had been closed down this year as a result of reports.

In North Devon, where trial schemes are currently under way, some of the volunteers have helped the police close down a drug den by giving witness statements.

However, the controversial pilot schemes have been dropped in a number of areas including Stoke -on-Trent in Staffordshire and Tower Hamlets in east London.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: 'Environment volunteers are people who care passionately about their local area and want to protect it from vandals, graffitists and fly-tippers.

'These community-spirited residents are not snoopers.

'They help councils cut crime and make places cleaner, greener and safer.'

Shoot low Ma...he's ridin' a pony!


I wasn't going to come back to this forum...it was simply to taxing.

Lest my meaning be misconstrued here is a definition for you.

taxing
adj : not easily borne; wearing; "the burdensome task of preparing
the income tax return"; "my duties weren't onerous; I
only had to greet the guests"; "a taxing schedule"
[syn: burdensome, onerous]http://dictionary.die.net/taxing


Back I came to participate in this fresh...or not so fresh mess.

Nothing here changes...

Chase your tails, make assumptions, call names, sit on your bottoms, embrace ignorance, worship false idols, fear, do what you are told, embrace revisionist history, close your borders your eyes and ears and your minds, suck up television, stay in the house, shut out the voices of those not like you, instill fear in your children, eat McDonald's and beg for more Kool-aide...yep...you all have it right!

Yep...all that is easier than reading.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Nice job folks....

Welcome to the decline and fall of the United States of America....piss on sheeple...you deserve it.

Bye For Now.....as always your servant, Wyn Ann

Not using any animal products endangers the environment.

Faux leather for instance is produced from petroleum.

It doesn't degrade in the environment easily...you are wearing plastic bags.

I know it's not fashionable to say this but...you are not helping the world...