Bad headline: Japan officials delay Paris Hilton from entering (AP)

This is the Yahoo news headline:

Japan officials delay Paris Hilton from entering (AP)
AP - Japanese officials delayed Paris Hilton's entry into the country a day after she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in Las Vegas, the socialite's spokeswoman said.

The headline is grammatically inaccurate. The word "from" has no place there.

It should be

"Japanese officials delay entrace of Paris Hilton"
"Paris Hilton faces delay in entering Japan due to legal problems"
"Japan protects borders - refuses to allow criminal into country" [a headline you'll never see in the US, I daresay]
"Japanese officials delay Paris Hilton's entrance into country"

Bobcat Has No Regrets for Assaulting Buckeye

If you read interview with this boy - he's hardly a man at 19, at least not in the mental health department - the idiot thinks he did nothing wrong. He's proud of it and would do it again. In actual fact, he needs to be thrown in jail.

The sad thing is that there are many people on sports message boards - presumably at the mental age of 19 themselves - who think his unwarranted assault was perfectly okay and "funny."

It may be funny when it's orchestrated, but when you've got a totally unsuspecting victim attacked with no warning and no reason -- it's not funny. It's criminal assault.

This guy probably watches the DTV NFL Ticket commercials and laughs and laughs.


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Turns out, the Bobcat had it in for the Buckeye all along.

"It was actually my whole plan to tackle Brutus when I tried out to be mascot," said Brandon Hanning, formerly known as Ohio University's Rufus Bobcat. "I tried out about a year ago, and the whole reason I tried out was so I could come up here to Ohio State and tackle Brutus."

And that's what he did Saturday, wrestling unsuspecting Brutus to the ground before 105,075 screaming college football fans at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State got even in the end, trampling the visiting team, 43-7.

The tussle led to an apology from Ohio University on Monday and the 19-year-old Hanning is banned from further affiliation with the school's athletics department. Actually, he's not even a student there anymore; he now attends nearby Hocking College.

Hanning, of Meigs County in southeast Ohio, not far from Ohio University's campus in Athens, suited up about 15 minutes before the Bobcats faced Ohio State, went on the field near the OU cheerleaders and waited for his chance.

It came as Brutus and an Ohio State cheerleader hoisted an OSU flag, and prepared to lead the Buckeyes players onto the field. With his Bobcat head in place, Hanning ran along the sideline and got in position.

"As soon as they started running onto the field, that's when I went," he said.

The Bobcat sideswiped the Buckeye, who got back to his feet and continued his sprint toward the end zone.

But Rufus, um, Hanning, wasn't done.

He then chased Brutus into the end zone, climbed on his back and rode him to the ground. The two then tussled, with Rufus punching the Buckeye in his oversized head while fans booed.

The Post of Athens was the first to report Hanning's intentions.

Ohio apologizes for mascot's attack on Brutus Buckeye

Bobcats athletics spokesman Jason Corriher released a statement calling the actions "extremely poor judgment and sportsmanship" and saying that the university regrets the negative effect they may have on the relationship between the two schools.

Bobcats coach Frank Solich summed up it nicely: "Obviously we needed to tackle the guy with the ball, not the mascot."

Hanning said he thinks the reaction to the tackle has been "a little blown out of proportion."

"Either everybody loved it or everybody hated it. It's never been anything in the middle," he said.

"I think I planned it pretty well ... and I definitely would have done it again."

Poor headline writing -- Afghans vote despite attacks, turnout appears low

I am not making fun of the tragedy that is Afghanistan, but rather of the way it was reported in the news (Yahoo news) three days ago.

Afghans vote despite attacks, turnout appears low (AP)
AP - Despite Taliban rocket strikes and bombings, Afghans voted for a new parliament Saturday, the first election since a fraud-marred presidential ballot last year cast doubt on the legitimacy of the embattled government.

More specifically, the headline: "Afghans vote despite attacks, turnout appears low"

In other words, the attacks have scared most people AWAY from voting, and only a very few brave people are voting.

The headline as written makes no sense. It should be something like "Attacks on Afghan Polls cause low turnout".

Air Sex World Championships

Words fail me.

This is the type of thing you expect to see in Japan, or somewhere in Europe, but it's apparenlty all the rage in the United States now. There are competitions in New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington DC, Providence RI, Philadelphia, heck, even in Oregon!, Santa Fe, and so on.

People actually get up on stage and have "air sex" [similar to the phenomena of "air guitar" where people who can't play guitar pretend that they can. Presumably the contestants here are people that can't have sex, but imagine what it would be like if they could...

Stupid...and scary. The degredation of America continues.

Here's the About page from their website:

The time for you to lose your air virginity is NOW.

In 2009, The Air Sex World Championships erupted in over 14 cities across North America, crowning champions from Atlanta to Toronto to Tucon. The competition climaxed in Austin, Tx in October where we crowned the first ever World Champion, Shanghai Slammer from Los Angeles. This year we come back and we’re looking forward to what the country shows us now that we’re in a more formal relationship.

Never been to an Air Sex show before? Here’s what you need to know: it’s a lot like Air Guitar, but instead of rocking out with an imaginary guitar, you’re making sweet and/or filthy love with an imaginary sex partner. You choose a clip of music, you show up in whatever sort of wardrobe you like, and you come up on stage and show everyone how you do it. Or how you wish you could do it. Or how you once had it done to you, and oh my god was that a bad idea and while it’s embarrassing to show that act to a room of strangers, you know that you need to do it now in order to make sure that no one else falls down the same rabbit hole you got stuck inside. Or, you know, just do it however you want.

The only rules we have are the laws laid down by the state we’re in. Since most Air Sex venues serve alcohol, you can’t get naked. And since some also serve food, all orgasms have to be simulated (or at least arguably so). Other than that, you’re free to do whatever it takes to impress the judges, the audience in the theater, and the world!

The Air Sex World Championships are hosted by comedian Chris Trew and based out of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Tx.

Drunk drivers - Darwin award candidates

Woman drank vodka before deadly crash en route to DUI class

AZUSA, Calif. (AP) — Investigators say a Southern California woman killed in a rollover freeway crash had stopped in a bar for drinks before hurrying out to get ready for a court-ordered DUI class.

The California Highway Patrol says Lidia Kopach, who was convicted of drunken driving a year ago, consumed two vodka drinks and split two pitchers of beer at a Monrovia bar before the deadly crash at 2 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 210 in Azusa.

The Pasadena Star-News says Kopach told 24-year-old Daniel Martinez, who was slightly injured in the crash, that she needed to get home and for some sleep because she had to attend a court-ordered DUI education class on Thursday.

Martinez told CHP investigators he repeatedly asked Kopach to slow down before the crash.

Here are my questions.
1) How long before the bartenders at the bar are sued by this woman's family for lettin gher drink two vodkas and two pitchers of beer (even if she "split" them, that's still a lot of beer. [For the record, I don't think they should be sued. It's the responsibility of the patron to know when to stop.]

2) Why wasn't Martinez driving the car, instead of the woman who'd drunk so much? Or had he had the same amount of liquor as she.

3) Why dont' people ever learn from their own mistakes? Most drunk drivers are recidivists. Indeed, some have killed people, get off very lightly, and then continue to drink and drive. Some drive even though their licenses have been revoked.

(If you're license has been revoked, and you're still driving, I would think that you would drive extremely carefully. No speeding, obey all traffic signs, etc. That way, you don't get pulled over, you don't get found out, you don't get into trouble!)

What Does Independence Mean To You?

Several years ago, I saw a Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Michael J. Fox. Not sure if he filmed it while he was a star of Family Ties, or of his second big series, Spin Series.

In any event, the PSA featured him walking through a long corridor. Doors on either side of him would slam shut as he passed.

His speech, and I paraphrase, was "We all go through life having to make a series of choices. What we wear, what we eat, whether we do drugs or not. We can all make our own decisions, but if you do drugs, all those other decisions are made for you."

I don't know how effective that spot was - since drug use has been increasing rather than decreasing, I'd say not a lot, but I always thought it was a powerful message that I would have thought people would listen to.

What do we do as kids? Rebel against our parents. "You can't tell me what to do!" Then the kid does drugs, or some other stupid activity against the law, gets thrown in jail, and all of a sudden you can bet he, or she, is doing what she's told to do, in a much more harsh environment than the family home.

And why? To do drugs? To steal a candy bar or a case of beer. To destroy a car just because you can? And then all your independence gets thrown out of the window and you are in the power of other people forever.

I think of that, occasionally, when I read about people - particularly celebrities - who go to jail (or don't) for drug possession. I think to myself... the world is their oyster. They've got all the money in the world, they can do whatever they want, and all they can think of to do is get lost in some drug or alcoholic haze, and worse, not do it in the privacy of their own homes, but have to do it in cars, where they then become a danger to themselves and the public at large?

Talk about stupid.

So, latest in the news, Lindsay Lohan:

No more excuses. Lindsay Lohan admitted Friday night that she failed a random drug test - an offense that could send her back to jail for 30 days. "This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I'm prepared to face the consequences," the actress writes on her Twitter page. Lohan, 24, who was released from rehab Aug. 24 after serving nearly two weeks in jail in a DUI case, thanks her fans and family for their support. She says she's "keeping my faith" and remains "hopeful." "Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn’t go away over night,"

Substance abuse is not a disease. Or if it's a disease, it's a self-caused one, and deserves little sympathy. But calling these things a disease of course absolves the "victim." It's not her fault she can't control herself, she's got a disease."

Well, perhaps she had. Until you've had millions of dollars in the bank, you don't know what pressures these people are under. But I sure would like to walk in their shoes for a mile or two. I believe I can guar-an-tee that no drugs or alcohol would pass my lips. If I was too shy to know what to say to people without my inhibitions being loosened by alcohol, I'd pay them to talk to me! Easily done.

Show a bit of class - when you've done wrong, resign

The prosecutor in the story below, from the Palm Beach Post, shouldn't be in a position to not resign. He should be fired, and barred from ever holdign public office again. If we had a little "zero tolerance" policy for elected officials and people in positions of authority abusing their office, we'd have better people in those positions.

Wis. prosecutor who 'sexted' victim won't resign

CHILTON, Wis. — A Wisconsin prosecutor known for two decades as an advocate for crime victims says he is embarrassed about sending sexually suggestive text messages to a younger woman while he was prosecuting her ex-boyfriend in a domestic abuse case, but will remain in office.

Calumet County District Attorney Kenneth Kratz issued that statement Wednesday after The Associated Press reported on the 30 texts he sent to a 26-year-old woman who had complained to police last year. A police report shows he repeatedly sent Stephanie Van Groll text messages in October 2009 trying to spark an affair.

"Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA ... the riskier the better?" Kratz, 50, wrote in one message. In another, he wrote: "I would not expect you to be the other woman. I would want you to be so hot and treat me so well that you'd be THE woman! R U that good?"

Kratz was prosecuting Van Groll's ex-boyfriend on charges he nearly choked her to death last year. Kratz also was veteran chair of the Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Board, a quasi-judicial agency that can reprimand judges, prosecutors and police officers who mistreat crime victims.

In a combative interview in his office, Kratz did not deny sending the messages and expressed concern their publication would unfairly embarrass him personally and professionally. He said the Office of Lawyer Regulation found in March he did not violate any rules governing attorney misconduct, but refused to provide a copy of what he said was the report clearing him. That office cannot comment on investigations.

"This is a non-news story," Kratz shouted. But he added, "I'm worried about it because of my reputational interests."

Hours later, Kratz issued a statement acknowledging sending the messages and saying he "was embarrassed at this lapse of judgment."

"I have never been the subject of attorney discipline during my entire 25-year career, and until today, have enjoyed a spotless reputation as a vigorous advocate for crime victims," he said.

Van Groll told police in Kaukauna, Wis., where she lived, that she felt pressured to have a relationship with Kratz or he would drop charges against her ex-boyfriend.

Kratz said he "immediately removed himself" from the prosecution after learning about the complaint, and the state Department of Justice took over. Kratz said he resigned from the crime victims board, which he helped create, after more than a decade as chair as a "self-imposed sanction." He and his wife filed for divorce last December.

Kratz has served in Chilton since 1992 and earns a $105,000 salary. Kratz, a Republican, isn't up for re-election until November 2012.

"Nothing really happened to him and I had three days of hell," Van Groll said in a phone interview with the AP. "They gave him a slap on the wrist and told him not to do it again. If it was anybody else that did something like this, they'd lose their job."

Domestic violence experts called Kratz's text messages disturbing and unethical for several reasons, including the power differential between a prosecutor and a younger abuse victim.

"If what's being alleged is true, it's sad a prosecutor would use the same sort of power and control over a woman who has already experienced that in her personal life," said Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Kratz, who flirted with a run for Congress in 2008, may be best known for prosecuting Steven Avery in the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old photographer. The case received national attention because Avery had spent 18 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit in a separate case before DNA evidence implicated someone else.

A spokeswoman said the victims' rights board has not received a complaint about Kratz and is not investigating his conduct toward Van Groll.

Kratz cited an undisclosed conflict of interest in stepping away from the abuse case after Van Groll reported the text messages, court records show. A special prosecutor won a conviction on one felony count of strangulation against the man, Shannon Konitzer.

Van Groll said Kratz sent the first text minutes after she left his office, where he had interviewed her about the case.

He said it was nice talking and "you have such potential," signing the message "KEN (your favorite DA)." Twenty minutes later, he added, "I wish you weren't one of this office's clients. You'd be a cool person to know!" But he quickly tried to start a relationship and told her to keep quiet about the texts.

Van Groll at first was polite, saying Kratz was "a nice person" and thanking him for praise. By the second day, she responded with answers such as "dono" or "no." Kratz questioned whether her "low self-esteem" was to blame for the lack of interest.

"I'm serious! I'm the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize!" he texted.

Kratz told her the relationship would unfold slow enough for "Shannon's case to get done." ''Remember it would have to be special enough to risk all," he wrote.

Van Groll said she went to police after the messages started becoming "kind of vulgar." She provided copies of 30 messages and her responses, which the department released in response to an AP request.

The department referred the complaint to the state Division of Criminal Investigation. Van Groll, a college student and part-time preschool teacher who has moved to Merrill, said she has been told Kratz won't be charged because "they didn't think he did anything criminally wrong."