Beginning of the end?.... Mexico decriminalizes small-scale drug possession

The Associated Press - Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers.

Despite the fact that there can only be grave repercussions, the Mexican government reportedly said that it makes sense!

I swear that some people have a lack of foresight. There is clearly a lack of logic in the development, and the Mexican officials have failed to foresee that the legalized "small amounts" will gradually and unofficially increase in size, and soon people will be trafficking this contraband across the border, and into the United States of America, starting with Texas. Thanks Mexico.... you have single-handedly conceded the World's defeat to drug cartels and pushers.

Oh what do we have here? It seems like Mexico is getting support from their American neighbors (or at least A neighbor). Former federal anti-drug agent Terry Nelson spoke about how legalizing and regulating all drugs can be used as a tactic to bankrupt violent drug cartels. Either this is wishful thinking, or he genuinely thinks that we're going to get suckered into believing that garbage. To put this into perspective, the Mexican government, and people like Nelson are essentially saying that if you can't beat them, join them. Way to go! Needless to say, I am being sarcastic, and I truly think that this is the dumbest piece of news I have heard in a while. Seth McFarlane (Family Guy) and the SNL writers must be teemed with ideas for spoofs of not just the situation, but videos like the one with the former current anti-turned-pro-drug agent Terry Nelson.

In all my years....

The sister on the far right is the only one here who seems to share my sentiments.... Her face is priceless.... She doesn't even seem interested

Meet Suman Khatun. I have no remorse for saying that this girl AND her parents need to be punished.

"Aww, but she is only 5 years old Ty, why would you punish her?" I will punish her because she knows what she is doing,

and she rebels (at FIVE-YEARS-OLD) in order to get food.

In just one week, she devours over 10 kilograms of rice, 24 eggs, six litres of milk and five kilos of potatoes.

There are times when you must bite the bullet and just do what is right - put "little" Suman on a treadmill and make her walk. Giving into the pressure which a FIVE-YEAR-OLD exerts, is damning and indicative of the parents' lack of competence.

Look at her go.... Her family (barring her sister) is shameless for letting this hit the media

The Telegraph reported that the girl's mother, Belly Bibi, said "When she is not fed she cries, shouts, screams and has even thrown rocks at us."

Oh dear.... I can't even comment on this one.... Oh wait, I can.... Who gets acne at FIVE-YEARS-OLD?

With all that is currently happening in the world.... why is THIS an issue?

Seems like a perfectly normal photo of the Obama family disembarking a plane to go on VACATION during the summer, right?.... Some people beg to differ.

I'm sorry but the people who sit down and work themselves up over topics like this, clearly have too much time on their hands, and live very boring lives. I watched the video below AFTER looking at the photo of Michelle Obama disembarking Air Force 1, and I could not believe that the focus of the video was on the First Lady's shorts.... Cynics, get a life.

Why is it that people are so conveniently conservative? I am sure that there is much more to be scoffed at in a land where pornography legally exists. In the Obama family, as far as their daily attire is concerned, I see a perfectly acceptable group of people who are representing the average person. With the temperatures as high as they are, why would anyone disapprove of her choice to wear shorts?!

It baffles me.

Tenenbaum case highlights authorities' inept attempts to eradicate music piracy

With the positive publicity his case has attracted, Joel Tenenbaum will most likely be ordered to pay a much lesser fine than what the RIAA are suing him for

Joel Tenenbaum's account of his ongoing lawsuit defense, 'How it feels to be sued for $4.5m', is a must-read for anyone who is, or has ever been guilty of illegally sharing music. Music piracy is seen as a serious offense, especially in the eyes of musicians and record labels; but with the internet being as liberal as it is, is it too late for the authorities to eradicate music piracy?

By his own admission, Tenenbaum is guilty of sharing music, but as he thought-provokingly put it, why are the authorities

treating him as though his offense is as serious as investment fraud or casino robbery?

The lawsuit against him has proven me wrong in my assumption that no one sues people for what they don't have, as is the case with the RIAA vs. Tenenbaum case. What is the point of suing him for $4.5 million, when he was not even able to pay the RIAA $10,500 in settlement money?

It is simple. They want to make an example of him. The question is, is anyone listening or taking them seriously? His earlier refusals to heed the warnings and letters to cease his piracy are not unique. What is the point of using one man (out of millions) as a scapegoat, when no one seems to acknowledge the consequences of piracy any longer?

Via twitter, the world is witnessing Joel's fight against the RIAA which officially began today, in a case which his legal team describes as "defending the average Davids against the corporate Goliath." His team of legal counsellors consists of Harvard students and their professor, and regardless of the verdict which is handed down at the end of the case, their admirable courage and willpower will not be forgotten.

Joel Tenenbaum, with the help of his talented team of legal counsellors, did what no one has ever done before: He stood up to the RIAA

On their blog, they wrote:

"The plaintiffs and the RIAA are seeking to punish him (Tenebaum) beyond any rational measure of the damage he allegedly caused. They do this, not for the purpose of recovering compensation for actual damage caused by Joel’s individual action, nor for the primary purpose of deterring him from further copyright infringement, but for the ulterior purpose of creating an urban legend so frightening to children using computers, and so frightening to parents and teachers of students using computers, that they will somehow reverse the tide of the digital future."

It is heartening to read that the RIAA's motives are obvious to them as well, and that people are seeing straight through their desperate, last-ditch efforts such as this lawsuit, to end what has now become widespread. As I suspected, and as the excerpt above states, the $4.5 million figure is not one which addresses the damages caused by Tenenbaum's piracy. It must be asked, that if the result of this similar case failed to deter Tenenbaum (or anyone else for that matter) from music sharing, is there anything unique to his case, that will miraculously eradicate piracy now?

Be reminded, that this article is not a suggestion that a law should be re-written when it is established that everyone is breaking it. It is just a call for the dismissal of outdated punishments, where one man is used as an example to deter others. We do not live in those times anymore. The internet-driven generation that we currently live in, calls for an updated method of crime prevention and law enforcement where music sharing is concerned, which disallows the kind of bullying that is so often seen in cases like this.

Good luck Mr. Tenenbaum. I am sure that the world is behind you.

4 Arizona boys accused of raping 8-year-old girl

Just when you think things are so bad in the world today that nothing can shock you, you turn on your computer, read my blog, and see this.

According to USA Today, "Officers [in Arizona] responding to a report of hysterical screams found an 8-year-old girl partially clothed and four boys, barely in their teens, running from an empty shed."

"She was brutally sexually assaulted for a period of about 10 to 15 minutes," police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

Now although the boys are way too young to be called paedophiles (they're not even 15 yet) the story still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, due to the fact that rape is hardly something associated with young children.

The boys, ages ranging between 9 and 14, were later taken into custody (that alone sounds weird) and were all charged with sexual assault. The weirdness continues, because the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said that the 14-year-old boy was charged Wednesday as an adult with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping, and was being held without bond after appearing in court Thursday. He does not yet have a defense lawyer.

It is fair to say that he carried dumbness to a new level, but should he be tried as an adult at 14? Read on.

As said earlier, all four of the boys received charges for sexual assault, and two of them, aged 10 and 13, were charged with kidnapping, the office said Thursday. The fourth boy, a 9 year old, received no additional charges.

What could these boys be watching that could make them commit such a violent crime? At 9, I refuse to believe that he conspired to sexually assault the girl, but surely that young boy should have known by now, what to do, and what NOT to do.

As for the older boys, who most likely led the conspiracy, it must be queried: "What kind of environment were they raised in, and is it dissimilar to that which exists in the average home?" If it isn't, then this case will be joined by many similar ones in the near future.

In my opinion, it is a little easier to correct a child who is led or coerced into a violent, senseless act, but for a young child who is capable of plotting and carrying out such a heinous plan, such as the 14 year old, I see no reformation possible. He deserves to be tried as an adult, and be tagged as a sexual offender. Sounds harsh, but not if you consider that while many boys his age were playing video games, he was out sexually assaulting and ruining a young girl's childhood.

UPDATE: Maybe this incident is not a result of declining morals in the American society after all. CNN reported that "The girl and the boys charged are all from families that have come to the United States from the West African nation of Liberia."

Nonetheless, the story is still a sick one, and as a result, the one thing I won't change my stance on, is that the boys' parents are to blame for failing so miserably to train their children.

The issue has sparked a series of comments from Liberia, where the Liberian president spoke about the sexual assault incident, decrying reports that the parents believe their family has been shamed by the girl.

Attempts to discredit President Obama's citizenship described as 'hilarious'

Roland Martin, you are the man! I tried, but I could not have better described the persons disseminating a plethora of invalid claims about President Obama's citizenship.

While I was deciding whether to call them ignorant, brainwashed, or just plain daft; Martin, like the seasoned journalist that he is, showed how to keep things concise by simply calling them "nut-jobs" and "losers".

It's people in videos like the one above that give the USA a bad name. Martin described the woman's behavior as "hilarious" and said "To watch others cheer her insanity, and then boo the congressman who says the president is an American, shows you that we have a serious problem with mental illness in this country."

As for the soldier who requested a restraining order so that he wasn't deployed, I think he has contradicted himself with his actions. With all his patriotism, why isn't he focussing on serving his country? Rather than being political and taking stances against the President, why not do your job, Sir?

If he was wise, he would keep himself out of politics, and instead focus on what his job is supposed to be. Where was this interest in politics, when the previous President was seemingly doing all in his power to run the country into ruins? Why didn't this soldier come out and take a patriotic stance then?

I think I'll stop here, and take Martin's advice and just laugh at it all, or emulate President Obama and just ignore the naysayers.

Man bursts into flames after being tasered by Police

BBC news is reporting that "a man in Western Australia was engulfed in flames when police officers fired a Taser stun gun at him."

The police used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, after he sniffed petrol and began behaving erratically. After arriving on the scene to respond to the complaint of Mitchell's behavior, the police were soon forced into action when the intoxicated man rushed towards them aggressively.

Not knowing that he had been sniffing petrol, they used the Taser, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition with third degree burns.

To add further insult to injury - literally - Michell was charged with assault to prevent arrest and possession of a sniffing substance. Sucks to be him.

Petrol?! This is a truly bizarre and, I dare say, comical story. This man has paid a very high price, for going to that extreme (sniffing petrol) to get a high, and sadly for him, it gets worse, because he is set to face charges for his behavior.

I'm not 100% sure about the relevance of what was said by Dennis Eggington, the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia. Eggington called for an urgent review of Taser use, because Aboriginal people, he said, were often in poor health which made them particularly vulnerable to stun weapons and electric shock.

I can't hate on him for trying to seize a moment.... But I just don't see why his quotes were published in a story which involves a man who pretty much caused his own detriment. Whether he is an Aborigine or not, Mitchell's vulnerability to the stun gun had nothing to do with what Eggington stated. Eggington's input would have been great, IF Mr. Mitchell's injuries weren't partially self-inflicted.

Jackson death shines spotlight on modern America.... Has their media gone too far?

Has CNN's most senior anchor gotten carried away with the Michael Jackson investigation and all it's drama?

Arguably the biggest culprit when it comes to creating and abetting controversies

Can the United States of America's media claim to be anything other than a drama seeking machine?

The Telegraph newspaper's Philip Sherwell suggests that they can't, and states that the recent death of Michael Jackson has thrown a spotlight on the excesses of 21st century America.

CNN, arguably the least drama-driven news network in the country, has recently shown an uncharacteristic tendency to be caught up in the many speculations surrounding Jackson's untimely death. There now seems to be an obsession on the part of one of their most senior anchors, to constantly "investigate" stories derived from some of the blatantly attention-seeking relatives and "friends" of Jackson.

Sherwell says "The King of Talk cannot shake his addiction to the King of Pop. Some 24 days after Michael Jackson's death, the veteran American chat show host Larry King remains obsessed with all the twists and turns and claims and counter-claims of the sorry saga."

"Amid the orgy of coverage after his death, there were plenty of voices on blogs and websites raising the allegations of paedophilia against the dead singer, who was acquitted of molesting a boy in a high-profile sex abuse case. But few public figures were willing to put their heads above the parapets on that front.

A notable exception was New York Republican congressman Pete King who dismissed Jackson as a "pervert" and lamented that society was "glorifying" a "low-life". He was rapidly assailed for vilifying the dead.

Never one to hide his opinions, outspoken conservative Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly decried the "phoney platitudes", criticised Jackson's "unacceptable" behaviour with children and derided the black activist preachers Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for making a "racial deal" of his death. "Jackson bleached his own skin and then chose white men to provide existence for his in vitro children," he claimed." - Philip Sherwell (Telegraph)

No shame whatsoever.... vilifying a dead man

Interesting piece, and I have a feeling that it represents a view that the rest of the world, and even some Americans share.

New federal study reveals black Americans to be most obese group in America

The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday that a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that nearly 36 percent of black Americans are obese.

The CDC reported that about 29 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent of whites are obese, and, overall, about 26 percent of U.S. adults are obese.

The AP article stated that because there have been racial differences in obesity rates reported before, health officials were not surprised to see larger proportions of blacks tipping the scales."

What has surprised them, and made this latest study different from its predecessors, is the fact that it is the first CDC report to look at the gap state-by-state, finding blacks had significantly higher obesity rates in 21 states and somewhat higher rates in many others.

The CDC has released a detailed report on the findings, and you can view it here.

What is wrong with the world today?

Above: A security official inspecting the damage after an explosion at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta today

You know the world is really in a state of turmoil, when, after all that has been done to eradicate terrorism since 9-11, random events such as the Indonesian hotel bombing continue to happen. It's painful to admit, but it must be said that these disasters are reoccurring with such frequency that they are quickly losing their shock-value, and it is almost a formality that they will occur. The sad truth about the state of the world's affairs regarding terrorist attacks, is that we no longer wonder if they will occur, but when.

Mike Tyson - the boxing and comedy entertainment icon - was once responsible for redefining the word irrational because of his thoughtless actions and statements. Despite the fact that being logical was never a trait he was credited with throughout his life, Tyson has managed to exceed the expectation of his critics by shedding the confrontational demeanor that once saw him being described as an animal (Let's hope I didn't speak too soon).

Twelve years ago, any prediction of these two reconciling would have been laughable, but they have proven that peace can be achieved, regardless of the conflict

If Tyson and Evander Holyfield can now be amicable after all they went through, it baffles me why many of the culprits of war and terrorism cannot do the same. These individuals constantly fight among themselves, and, with little warning, make spineless attacks on others as a means of demonstration, similar to the militant attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan in early March.

More times than not, these conflicts are blamed on religious and/or political misunderstandings, and the groups that claim to be peace-seekers, often contradict themselves by abandoning peaceful deliberation for more callous methods. The longer these irrational demonstrations take place, the more evident it will be that both the autocratic governments and protestant groups of these nations are to blame for allowing their bruised egos to affect their judgment.

Sadly for the rest of the world, it will also become more evident with each attack, that no one, including the culprits themselves, seems to know what is the real reason for the senseless violence or when it will end.

Free Republic blog instigates barrage of racist and sexist comments towards Malia Obama

Images of President Barack Obama's daughter Malia Obama wearing the peace shirt have attracted numerous hateful comments

I am not sure what the hoopla was about with regards to the shirt Malia Obama wore (above) to the G8 Summit in Italy, but surely..... SURELY the comments which were submitted on the Free Republic website only represent a very small fraction of the American society. If not, then America is more replete with idiots than I or anyone could have imagined.

The level of racism and ignorance which is manifested publicly in America is very depressing. So far I have only been able to find quotes and excerpts from the topic and the comments which were deleted by Free Republic, but if a screenshot of the article and the derogatory comments surfaces, it will be posted here.

After pulling the story, most likely due to the uproar it caused, the host(s) of the website wrote a story titled: One more from the left: Free Republic Pulls Thread Bashing Malia Obama. Follow the link, or simply view a few screenshots of the comments, as well as additional commentary on the original post which bashed Malia Obama here.

NY Times: Political shifts on gay rights lag behind culture

Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Performers from Broadway and beyond commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall riots on Thursday in Times Square.

I am fairly ambivalent about gay rights. While I understand their efforts to be respected, I do not like the over-the-top nature of some of their protests. Simply put, just like heterosexuals, there is good and bad. We are all humans, and we all deserve some level of respect regardless of our sexual orientations. That said, The New York Times published an article on the topic of homosexuality being accepted more by the society, than it is by politicians in America.

In my opinion, this can be applied to most, if not all societies and cultures around the world, and the only answer I can provide as to why politicians are yet to fully embrace homosexuality, is that the society as a majority, hasn't. Politicians will do (or at least promise to do) whatever the majority of his/her electorate desires, and the "divide" on Gay Rights in the White House is (once again in my opinion) testament to the fact that the whole of America hasn't come to terms with homosexuality as yet. When the sentiments of the majority begin to change and embrace homosexuality, then the politicians will follow suit and pass every bill in support of, or related to Gay Rights.