Kootenai County Prosecutors Flaunt Porn

While deputy prosecutors are in the County Courthouse on a daily basis, trying to convict child porn offenders, and other crimes of a personal nature, the prosecutors were caught recently by the Spokesman-Review, trading porn and child porn e-mails in a joke format.

Fresh from the Joseph Duncan case, one wonders what in the form of evidence is circulated as "funny" e-mails among law enforcement and the Prosecutors office. We need a huge broom...Right now...

For the story on this, go to Huckleberries

Names & Places

Two or three years ago, I went on a road trip to beat all road trips. I started in North Idaho, went the Northern route ending up in South Carolina. I came back by the Southern States, up through the Ozarks, Branson Missouri, and on the the West coast by way of Phoenix, Arizona, thence back to Idaho.

One of the things I always wanted to write about, was some of the outstandingly funny names for some places. Now, I readily admit that I live right next door to Athol, Idaho, so I'm not picking on just one region.

Most of the fun stuff is in the South. I credit them with having outstanding senses of humor. For instance, how about Wetumpka, Alabama. This is a place that students reach high school age before they can spell their town's name...

Flippin, Arkansas...Now there is a town that must party a lot. How about Zephyrhills, Florida. Windy there perhaps. Oh yes, folks, there really is a Tallahatchee Bridge. It crosses the aforementioned River just past the Talladega Raceway of NASCAR fame. Nothing was being thrown off the bridge as I passed though.

Los Banos, California, which if I remember my Spanish is translated to, "the toilet", was an interesting name for a town, but I would have picked Rialto for that name, myself.

Anchorage, Alaska isn't hard to figure out, but how about Anchorage, Kentucky? Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is one of my favs, but Bug Tussle, Oklahoma beats it out.

Truth or Consequenses, New Mexico, named after the game show...

Some visualization is required for many of these names, but I urge you not to use that while considering Humptulips, Washington...

Solutions in Iraq

I am not a military genius, but during my life, we have fought five major wars, and numerous minor engagements. Simple observation, plus some military experience, mated up with the fact that I don't have a a personal agenda, qualifies me to speak on this subject.

What got me started, was reading a fine editorial by Michael Goodwin of the New York Daily News. To paraphrase him, we need an outside the box solution, not just a tweaking of the existing plan. (I use that word loosely)

He goes on to suggest embedding US troops in the police and army units. The logic here is sound. These folks can't very well take off on a vengeance crusade, with our people with them. He further wonders why this hasn't already taken place. I think I have the answer to that one. Politics. We set out to turn the government back to the Iraqi people too soon. Having wed ourselves to that course, our government is having trouble using reverse gear.

Back in the Sixties, President Kennedy set up an irregular Army unit called Special Forces. They were irregular in the sense that they did not exist to fight battles and charge the enemy, as the Rangers did. They led indigenous forces that were under trained for their mission, in fighting their own battles.

Sound familiar? Yup! The mission that the Green Berets fulfilled in Viet Nam. Today we have a large contingent of these A-Teams available, but we aren't using them for which they were trained. The following is a cut & paste from the Army mission that explains the Special Forces and their role.

Special Forces Operational Detachment A (SFOD A) The "A Detachment" or "A Team" is the basic SF unit. This twelve man unit is specifically designed to organize, equip, train, advise or direct, and support indigenous military or paramilitary forces in UW and FD operations. The detachment has a commander (Captain), XO (Warrant Officer), and two enlisted specialists in each of the five SF functional areas: operations, weapons, engineers, medical, and communications. Each SF company has one SFOD A trained in combat diving and one SFOD A trained in military free-fall parachuting.

Attach these guys to each Iraqi unit, with the ability to call in air strikes if necessary and we might find a way out of this mess. We then pull back our line troops to the porous borders of Iran and Syria to hold territorial integrity.

That's my take on this...If any of you have a better idea, let's hear it...

Silent Days

It is much like I imagine the sight one would see if everyone fled Bayview during the night. The Christmas poem comes to mind. "All is calm, all is bright." Not a single sound is to be heard here today.

The snow drifts down, coating the trees and roofs with winter white. Tomorrow is supposed to usher in a winter storm.

Wait, I see a fisherman's boat sliding into the bay. Hopefully, he or she has the winning fish in the current fishing derby. My newest neighbors, driving the junker that starts up every morning at 5:30 AM sans muffler just arrived,and the spell is broken. The snow stops and a blue sky emerges...

Snowbird Study???

Saturday's Spokesman-Review revealed that fact that a WSU Assistant Professor recently received a grant to, get this, spend the Winter in Arizona! He is according to this article, studying the interplay between permanent residents and snowbirds.

This educator shows his elitist side when stating, "I'm an expedition-type backpacker." and "have never been in an RV, much less slept in one."

OK, he is to be admired for admitting up front, that he has actually no qualifications to study RV folks. None at all. Turns his nose up at those that don't camp out in a sleeping bag on the ground at 30 below. Probably shops at all the "In" outfitters, you know, L.L. Bean and such. Anyway, I digress.

This smarmy, unqualified individual just got PAID to do what the rest of us can't afford to do, because not all of us can afford $3.00 per gallon gas, and 6 miles per gallon on our firmly parked RV's.

The source of this magnificent grant wasn't revealed, and a good thing. They then avoided the ridicule that I would have heaped on them. Am I envious? Bet your ass I am. The only way I'm going to get anyone to pay my way to Arizona this winter, is to piss off so many people that they take up a collection to get rid of me.

In case you haven't guessed yet, this is my first installment on the aforementioned plan...

From Under The Rocks

Well, It's started, and even before the newly elected Congress is seated. It would appear that the far left and moderate wings of the Democratic party are already in full battle for party control.

In an unbelievable attack, Robert Scheer, from the ultra-left, is attacking the Dems for not supporting the Pelosi choice for Majority Leader of the house. Disregarding both the overwhelming vote for Hoyer, and reality, he hacked away with generalities, slogans, vitriol and essentially, threw down the liberal gauntlet, declaring the war for control to be on.

My take on this new war, is that more casualties will ensue from this internal dispute than our "Occupation" of Iraq. I use the term occupation, since "War" denotes uniformed official troops fighting on the battlefield.

All this, before these newly elected leaders have even taken their seats. As I read the editorial page of our Spokesman-Review, it occured to me that the Republican Party has to do nothing. Attack nothing. Let the Democrats self-destruct. They don't need any help...

Auctions, Indeed!

It has come to my attention that an auction has recently been held, for the goal of having lunch with several minor officials. Hey, don't get me wrong... If these folks need sponsors so that they don't have to buy their own lunch, far be it from me to interfere...

On the other hand, (do I sound like a one handed economist?) If we are going to start sponsoring lunches for good causes, I am willing to volunteer myself for the good of the community. There are several very good reasons for this, the first being that I am cheap.

I must assume, while we are at it, that someone other than the aforementioned big wheel picks up the tab. Should that not be the case, I humbly withdraw my name as a volunteer er...Victim, ah..."Blogstar."

North Idaho Says Goodbye

Sunday at the Captain's Wheel was all about saying goodbye to Jerry Berry, principle owner of the Wheel, friend to all and a great guy.

A potluck dinner, a celebration of Jerry's life, and a bunch of deranged musicians, doing what Jerry loved the most, performing music 'till the cows come home. Over thirty musicians crowded into the Wheel to pay respects to one of the great Inn Keepers we've known.

The crowd, estimated at over four hundred, staged through, sampling the food and the many memories of Jerry Berry. There were never any strangers in the Wheel when Jerry was present. He would come over, throw an arm around you and make you feel like a million dollars.

He would have looked at the festivities, then probably use his favorite expresion, saying it was "Hoodakai."

At this hour, the party still goes on...We'll miss you, Guy...

Hate Crimes...Over The Top, Or Not?

I have mixed feelings over this issue. There are really good arguments for both sides of this.

First, It looks like the Sand Point Judge abrogated her duty, in slapping the hand of the man, (not boy) that criminally assaulted a minor girl.

Secondly, is the issue of hate crimes. The debate can swing to and fro, but it appears to me that mebbe the pendulum has swung too far again.

To attach a "I hate you because," (choose your own category)to the crime, in many cases raises the level of what normally would be a misdemeanor to the level of a felony.

Not because the injury was egregious, but because your motives were politically incorrect.

In the case of the injured teen, the charge should have been aggravated assault, a felony.

To re-classify this to a federal hate statute, might or might not fly. Definitely, an appeal, or civil suit is in order.

For the higher purpose of designating simple assault as a hate crime, elevating it to felony status, needs a very lot of discussion...

Election Aftermath

Democracy spoke loudly yesterday. Many issues were out front from corruption to the occupation of Iraq.

It does not surprise me that the Republican Party lost both houses of Congress. It would, however surprise me if the Democrats prevailed two years from now.

I believe that the overturning of the Bush doctrine was President Bush's own fault. Once he formed an opinion or direction regarding most of his policies, he became rigid in support of them. Perhaps he felt secure with control of both houses of Congress. Many mistakes, including the disbanding of the Iraqi Army, and many other miscues that showed poor planning, became evident as events played out.

Our political parties and their supporters have become so polarized that the vast majority of middle America can no longer identify with either the radical left, or the radical right. Bottom line, most Americans are not radical. Only during the nomination process does the radical element rule, leaving us with the choice of one radical or the other.

What happened yesterday should be a wake-up call to both parties. "Your success depends on the people that hired you.

In perusing the comments tonight, I ran across a comment from a person that I had previously respected, although he was of the opposite political persuasion.

In one sentence, he lost all of my respect, because he chose the low road in commenting about the personal life of a winning candidate that he was opposed to.

Crapping on our fellow men/Women doesn't add anything to our lives. It just shows how shallow we can be...

Jerry Berry 1935-2006

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Poem by Walt Whitman...

Jerry Berry has left us feeling a great loss. Those of us that knew him as a friend, as an employer and as a guest. His greatest legacy was that we heard repeatedly, "he made us feel welcome, whenever we came in." No Innkeeper could ask for a better epitaph.

There will be a celebration of his life, and his deeds at the Captain's Wheel, Sunday, November 12, at 2:00 PM. This will consist of a potluck dinner, and what we assume will be a rambunctious jam session consisting of the music and musicians he loved so much...

RAPE

Bayviews has discovered evidence through folks that were both there, and have talked to the rape victim since the attack.

There is now, not any doubt that a rape took place. The Idaho State Police are investigating, which is as it should be. There are whispers that the Sheriff Department attempted to sweep this under the rug, even to the point of intimidating the victim. That accounts for the story about the victim not wanting to press charges.

I gotta call bullshit. This Asshole lured a woman that had been drinking into a situation where there were no witnesses. She has since then left town, feeling that North Idaho doesn't serve justice.

How, can a government expect the citizens to respect law enforcement, when some of the officers approach Nazi like attitudes. We have Kootenai County Deputies that are Bullies, invent reasons to stop motorists, and even, according to one attorney I talked to, lawyers are afraid to oppose in court, for fear of reprisal.

When I grew up in the forties and fifties, law enforcement officers were revered and honored as those that protected us. We waved to them, and they waved back. We always knew that as kids if we were lost, stranded or otherwise in trouble, we only needed to call a cop.

Now look at us. How could we have allowed our honored officers to become depraved monsters, looking for busts, and harrassing our citizens. More interested in arrest stats, than justice. The sad part of this whole thing, is that the "code of silence" prohibits those good guys that serve, and know why they serve, and who they serve, to speak up.

Perhaps we should rename them "Piece Officers, rather than Peace Officers. I am Herb Huseland, and if you Piece officers want to screw with me, go for it.

Sheriff Deputy Shamed

In new developments, Bayviews has learned that the sexual adventure featuring an unnamed deputy and an unnamed partner have some interesting features.

First, it is unclear whether the partner was a victim of rape through intimidation, or willing. Secondly, it happened here in Bayview.

State Police investigators have been prowling the local businesses, taking statements from involved witnesses. We will bring you more, as information develops.

We are unwilling, at this time to speculate too freely about this, as a possible victim should be able to keep their identity secret.

Bayviews has learned, however that the Deputy was known to this person. It was also learned that they went to high school together.

Apparently, this Officer, whose beat did not include Bayview, met the woman outside the bar to give her a ride home. What happened after that is pure conjecture.

Milestone Reached

I installed Site Meter around February 1, of this year. Today, I passed 10,000 page views. Thank you all for your interest in an old Codger's rants...

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This Week 249

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