Good morning!

I HOPE everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day wth their mother. I certaily did!  We went and saw Wanda Sykes on Saturday night. (She is a hoot!) My mother loved it and so did I. And yesterday we tripped around SF, shopping and enjoying a delicious lunch in the sunny and beautiful downtown. I’ve been treating myself to facials from a new friend, so I gifted one to mom. She’s very excited.

How was your Mother’s Day? I HOPE all mothers around the world were loved and appreciated, and that love and appreciation will continue indefinitely.

Speaking of continuing…I wanted to start off this Monday morning and continue where I left off a few days ago: Rape in the military and what is being done to stop this madness.

Hagel: Sexual Assault Report Shows Armed Forces ‘Need Cultural Change‘

The growing problem of sexual assault in the armed forces could threaten the military’s ability to do its job and to recruit strong candidates to serve their country, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

The issue took center stage in Washington after the arrest of the officer who ran the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention office on a sexual battery charge was confirmed Monday, a day before the Pentagon released a report that found sexual assaults in the military have risen 6 percent.

The arrest this past weekend in Arlington, Va., of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, who headed the Air Force’s office of sexual assault prevention, sparked outrage about the military’s response to sexual assault among service members. He was removed from his post on Monday after the Air Force found out about his arrest.

“We’re all outraged and disgusted” by the news of Krusinski’s arrest, Hagel told reporters today as the Pentagon released the report on sexual assaults.

“No one in this building is happy,” Hagel said. “We’re disappointed.”

The report details a 6 percent increase in 2012 in the number of reports of sexual assault involving active duty service members as either victims or subjects.

“We need cultural change, where every service member is treated with dignity and respect, where all allegations of inappropriate behavior are treated with seriousness, where victims’ privacy is protected, where bystanders are motivated to intervene and where offenders know that they will be held accountable by strong and effective systems of justice,” Hagel said.

According to the report, there were a total of 3,374 reports of sexual assaults involving service members as either victims or subjects, and of those 2,558 were investigated or prosecuted. These reports involved offenses ranging from rape to abusive sexual contact.

That figure was up from the 3,192 reports received in 2011. The overall increase in reporting was due to a 30 percent jump in reports from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force; the Army saw a 16 perecent decrease in reports.

The Pentagon believes that sexual assaults are underreported and calculates that that there could possibly have been as many as 26,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact in 2012. That number is extrapolated from a survey sent to 108,000 active duty service members, 24 percent of whom responded.

The survey found that 6.1 percent of women and 1.2 percent of men on active duty indicated they experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in the 12 months prior to the survey. The Pentagon uses the term “sexual assault” to refer to a range of crimes, including rape, sexual assault, nonconsensual sodomy, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, and attempts to commit these offenses.

At a White House news conference President Obama made clear that he has “no tolerance” for sexual assault in the military and said perpetrators are “betraying the uniform that they’re wearing.”

“They may consider themselves patriots, but when you engage in this kind of behavior, that’s not patriotic; it’s a crime. And we have to do everything we can to root this out,” he said.

“I expect consequences,” he said. “I don’t want just more speeches or, you know, awareness programs or training, but ultimately folks look the other way. If we find out somebody’s engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable, prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged — period. It’s not acceptable.”

The president said he had spoken with Hagel, telling him that “we have to exponentially step up our game to go at this thing hard.”

On Capitol Hill, senators called sexual assault in the military a “plague” and blasted the Air Force for not making enough progress in remedying the problem.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was “terribly disappointed” that the military is not doing a better job to prevent sexual assault.

“It appears to me we’re going to have to change the mindset of the military,” Reid said.

Krusinski’s arrest gave new fire to senators calling for the Department of Defense to act “swiftly and decisively” to address the problem of sexual assault in the military — including from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh III, at times yelled openly at the two Air Force witnesses over this case and the broader problem.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who will block the promotion of another Air Force general who has pardoned an officer convicted of aggravate sexual assault, said she expects the person who hired Krusinski in the first place to be held to a higher standard on the highering of his replacement.

“This was not someone who understood what this job was about,” McCaskill said. “And I will be watching very carefully who is selected to replace Lt. Col. Kruinski, because I think it is one of those times you’re going to be able to send a message, and I think it’s important you do it.”

Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., today introduced the Combating Military Sexual Assault Act of 2013, which they said will address gaps in the system.

Reid said he believes these are “steps in the right direction.”

“If there is legislation that needs to be done, which I’m quite sure there probably is, we need to move it out as quickly as we can,” Reid said.

Krusinski is expected to be arraigned on Thursday.

*******

Readers: I am at a loss for words this morning. All I can say is that I am grateful that our president Obama, Hagel and anyone else who is determined to remedy this horrific situation for women in the military, is doing something. Thank you.

Jackie: And those 3 words that I chose to describe my mother is not all of who she is to me….she is so much more. :)

Ruth, SM: Did you have a wonderful Mother’s Day? I HOPE you were spoiled by your family. I would love to hear how you, Harris and the girls et al are doing. Love to you.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Good morning.

Lewis: Thank you. I am glad that it is a hard read for you. More men need to understand what women are up against and how scary it can be for women. Because unfortunately for women the angst is not just a hard read but reality. Please do pass along my advice to the women in your life. And pass along the other advice here as well, as there are comments from others such as Zen Lill, that should be checked out too. ZL has had first hand experience and a father who was a cop to boot. She has offered up some wise words.

Mike, TM: It has been awhile. Nice to see you here. I always look forward to what you have to say. Thanks for the detailed report, and for your informed opinion. That story is shocking. Who can be trusted? Obama continually has his work cut out for him. Thankfully he can at least put his trust in one man. I can only imagine what may have gone down had this ended differently. There is no logic with the “rabid racists.”  They are disease that if given they chance would eventually destroy their own livelihood. I HOPE all is going well for you.

Onto Today’s write…

This is a perfect example of what I was talking about yesterday. Here we have the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention Officer who is charged with sexual assault. Wha’at?! See what I am saying? The men who are supposed to protect us are going after us…the ones we might need to fear. And in this case, yes, this is a man in uniform – his job is to protect women. And look at what he does. He is a sorry case for a protector, let alone a man.

Girls: Our lives are in our own hands. I hate to say it, but I am compelled to say trust no man, and make sure to always err on the side of caution. And if you’re wrong, who cares, it means nothing. If you’re right, it means everything. It could just save your life.

Here’s the write:

Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention Officer Charged With Sexual Battery

A lieutenant colonel who ran the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was arrested and charged with sexual battery over the weekend in a D.C. suburb.

In a statement Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was said to have expressed “outrage and disgust” over the arrest, which comes as the Pentagon prepares to release a report Tuesday showing the number of sexual assaults in the military increased in 2012.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed to ABC News that Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, was arrested this weekend in Arlington, Va.

The Arlington County Police Department’s crime report said that shortly after midnight on Sunday “a drunken male subject approached a female victim in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts and buttocks.”

“The victim fought the suspect off as he attempted to touch her again and alerted police,” the crime report said said. “Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with sexual battery.”

ARLnow.com first reported the arrest.

Stefanek said Krusinski was in charge of the Air Force’s five-person sexual assault prevention branch. Brig. Gen. Eden Murrie, the Air Force’s director of services, oversees the office.

“[Krusinski] was responsible for writing plans and programs that supported victims of sexual assault,” Stefanek said in a statement to ABC News. “He worked on prevention programs for sexual assault.”

Stefanek said the case was currently under investigation by local authorities and that Krusinski had been removed from his position immediately upon authorities learning of the alleged attack Monday.

Protect Our Defenders, one of the leading groups for military victims of sexual assault, said the incident was an example of “long standing and pervasive” problems in the military.

“If these allegations are true, this is one more example on a long list of how fundamentally broken the military justice system and culture are. The idea that the head of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) could be arrested for sexual assault indicates the depth of the problem. It’s outrageous,” the group said in a statement.

Late Monday, a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Defense Secretary Hagel had spoken with Air Force Secretary Mike Donley about Kurskinski’s arrest.

“Secretary Hagel expressed outrage and disgust over the troubling allegations and emphasized that this matter will be dealt with swiftly and decisively,” Little said.

Saying “sexual assault has no place in the United States military,” he added that Hagel “will soon announce next steps in our ongoing efforts to combat this vile crime.

“The American people, including our service members, should expect a culture of absolutely no tolerance for this deplorable behavior that violates not only the law, but basic principles of respect, honor, and dignity in our society and its military,” he said. “Secretary Hagel is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of behavior in America’s armed forces and will take action to see this through. “

News of Krusinski’s arrest comes as the Pentagon will release Tuesday its annual figures for sexual assault in the military. The figures will show 3,374 sexual assaults reported in fiscal year 2012, a 6 percent increase from the 3,192 reported in 2011.

The military defines sexual assault as ranging from incidents of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching to rape.

Pentagon officials believe sexual assaults go underreported and estimate that the actual number of incidents of unwanted sexual contact in 2012 may have been 26,000, a sharp increase from the estimated 19,000 in 2011.

Some lawmakers responded strongly to news of Krusinski’s arrest.

“When I saw this it made me literally sick to my stomach,” Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said. “How many more reasons do we need to take cases of rape and sexual assault out of the chain of command?”

Speier introduced legislation in April that would establish a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council and create an enhanced Sexual Assault Oversight and Response office within the military.

“It is clear that the status quo regarding sexual assaults in the military is simply unacceptable,” Gillibrand said in a statement emailed to ABC News. “Next week, I am going to take this issue head on by introducing a set of commonsense reforms. We have to reform how the military handles sexual assault cases and take on the culture that perpetuates this kind of behavior.”

Defense Secretary Hagel ordered a review of rules surrounding military convictions for sexual assault in March after an Air Force general decided to throw out an F-16 fighter pilot’s jury conviction for aggravated sexual assault.

******

Readers: A sick fuck yes? What more can I say that hasn’t already been expressed. It’s Friday…you know what to do – Blog me.

Saba: Thank you.

Pakwa: Thank you too. I do what I can, and HOPE and plan to do more.

Robert, RT: Thank you – that is so very kind. Nice to see you here as well. Thanks for your additional input. I wish you had better news for us too. As always it is better to know. But enough knowledge – something has to be done with all that we know.  The vile behavior of men just cannot continue like this. Sending you my best.

Zen Lill: Thanks too for your input. You have mentioned using “secret words” before. I think that is excellent advice. I’ll be on the road around 12:30 for a 1:30 appointment. If it works out for you, try me then.

Anonz: Well, this is certainly a surprise. It looks like today is the day for the “regular” boys to visit. It’s like “old home week.” Nice to hear from you as well.

I came across today’s blog topic this morning. I think it addresses your request. I’ve read and posted quite a few writes on rape in the military and it obviously hasn’t gotten any better. Your news is very disturbing, and I am HOPEful that things will change because of those in charge.

I can’t imagine knowing the camaraderie that we know is created in the military, where women and men fight side by side, protecting each other’s backs, only for women to then have to defend and protect themselves from the very same men that they committed to defend and serve with.

The message from men says, stand by me and fight with me, watch my back, give your life for me if necessary, but don’t be surprised if I turn on you in my time of need and do whatever I see fit with you. Of course most men don’t want to give up on those “benefits.” It is truly a sick sick way of thinking, and even more disgusting when their barbarous behavior is acted out. And just as sick to know that this is common, accepted, and a blind eye is turned.

Well, HOPEfully not for much longer. Thankfully there are real men like you, Hagel and Obama, who care a great deal about women, and more specifically, women in the military, to do something to stop this horrific mess in the military. Yes, we need much more support from men; that is crystal clear. And women need to be there for each other in all areas where we are challenged, so that our presence and voices will make a difference.

I HOPE you are staying safe and well. My best to you.

Peace & love.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning.

“Just noticing…”

…If we keep demanding cheaper prices on the clothing that we buy…if we keep supporting stores such as Walmart, Target, Primark, Matalan and Mango, etc., we are having a direct effect on the livelihood of women garment workers. Team that up with a factory owner who cares more about his bottom line than the safety and well-being of his workers, and you get a catastrophe such as the recent one in Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH: Corruption harms women garment workers in building collapse

(WNN) Dhaka, BANGLADESH, SOUTH ASIA: In a city where work comes hard, the often grueling work of a woman garment workers, including migrant garment workers, in Dhaka can be filled with unseen danger. In the past 7 months the Tazreen Fashions building trapped mostly women textile workers as doors were locked shut killing 100 of the women who could not escape when fire broke out. The most recent danger in a different 8 story Rana Plaza Building collapse has killed over 380 garment workers in what has been described as the worst industrial accident for workers throughout Bangladesh. Over 2,220 people have been trapped in the rubble with injuries flooding medical facilities.

Rescue efforts for the survivors have been overwhelming and difficult as substandard equipment was the only equipment available and fire broke out during the recent rescue efforts out causing more deaths. Hopes for finding anyone else alive has at this point grown slim says the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Following his arraignment, the owner of the collapsed multi-floor building, Mohammed Sohel Rana, left the courtroom in Dhaka yesterday on his way to jail after receiving charges surrounding corruption with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to work under duress. To protect him from an intensifying protesting crowd Sohel Rana wore a police riot helmet and a bulletproof vest as he left the court and walked to a vehicle on his way to jail under police escort. He is one of 8 other people connected to the daily operations of the Rana garment factory who were arrested after the dramatic collapse of the building took place.

Ignoring earlier warnings by inspectors that the illegal building housing thousands of garment workers was unsafe, critical cracks in the structure were discovered and reported by inspectors. But no direct action nor response followup ever happened.

Human rights advocates call the act an industry-wide endangerment and abuse of workers, as well as a government oversight.

“Reforms should include a drastic overhaul of the government’s system of labor inspections and an end to government efforts to thwart the right of workers to unionize,” said Human Rights Watch.

In an Bangladesh industry that has brought in almost 9 Billion dollars, today’s average pay for a women garment worker is $38 (USD) per month. Long hours, that can include unsafe 24 hour work cycles, along with few breaks and other work allowances have been found.

“All the factory buildings visited except one are over-crowded, congested and poorly ventilated. The floor space per worker is small and stairways are narrow. In one factory, bundles of cloth and cartons were found on the staircases,” outlined Dhaka University associate professor and researcher Momtaz Jahan. “The workers work under hundreds of powerful electric bulbs for the whole time of their work. It was observed that, the sound of the operation of 100-200 sewing machines in the same work floor exposed the workers to high noise that exceeded tolerable level.”

Other sharp criticism of officials at top levels in the Bangladesh government include their refusal to allow an international rescue country teams to go in and assist immediately when the collapse occurred as United Nations sponsored INSARAG -International Search and Rescue Advisory Group was turned away.

In an area especially prone to earthquakes it is thought that government officials, as well as building owners, have looked the other way on enforcing building codes for a long time that might otherwise have saved lives. In 2012 only 18 government inspectors had been issued to work to inspect approximately 100,000 factory buildings in Dhaka outlines Human Rights Watch.

“This company [Rana Plaza Factory] has to take action immediately to support the families of the people who were killed and injured,” said London based advocates War on Want Campaign and Policy Director Ruth Tanner, who was in Dhaka on the scene.

As giant retailers juggle a history of buying from Bangladesh companies like U.K. based clothing distributor Primark, along with The Gap, Walmart and subsidiaries under The Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, no corporations to date have been implicated with any direct connection to the Rana Plaza Factory operations.

Canada based child clothing distributors Loblaw as well as Primark have recently made statements promising that families of the catastrophe will be receiving financial assistance through their corporate channels, especially children who have become orphans.

Because of an increasing rate of garment worker deaths affecting hundreds of women as well as men, the corporate clothing push is now on for greater managed transparency and integrity with partnerships for Bangladeshi manufacturing practices and conditions.

But management efforts against corruption in Bangladesh have a long way to go say global advocates for women garment workers.

In a recent public release The Gap said it did not have any connection to the Rana Plaza operations. Last month the corporation pledged 33 Million to improve safety with inspectors to its facilities by hiring independent contractors working in Bangladesh. Walmart is doing the same with 1.8 Million that is now going for factory safety management.

“Given the long record of worker deaths in factories, this tragedy was sadly predictable,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch recently. “The government, local factory owners, and the international garment industry pay workers among the world’s lowest wages, but didn’t have the decency to ensure safe conditions for the people who put clothes on the backs of people all over the world,” he continued.

*******

Readers: We all purchase many things – Can we try to buy with a conscious? Thoughts? What are you “just noticing?” Blog me.

Irene: Yes, you are so correct. I was only looking at the positive side but of course it does go both ways, and unfortunately you gave two great examples of how an organized minority can manipulate the unorganized majority.  Thanks for pointing those out.

Naji: If only love could bring peace, but we know better don’t we.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Peace & Love…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Kiera Wilmot, 16, Arrested And Expelled For Explosive ‘Science Experiment’

What Kiera Wilmot claims started as a harmless experiment is now a nightmare for the 16-year-old Florida native.

Wilmot, a Bartow High School student, was arrested at her school last week for allegedly detonating a water bottle filled with an explosive concoction of common household chemicals. According to the Miami New Times, “[A] police report … indicates Wilmot mixed toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil – a combination that has inspired hundreds of YouTube videos and generally produces a fairly unimpressive explosion.”

One teen told Florida-based WTSP News 10 that Wilmot merely wanted to see what would happen when those chemicals mixed.

The experiment reportedly created a small explosion that caused the bottle’s top to pop off and produced smoke. Although no one was hurt and no property was damaged, Wilmot was charged with “possession/discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device,” according to WTSP. Both charges are felonies.

WTSP also reports that Wilmot has been expelled and will now finish high school in an expulsion program.

According to Miami New Times, Wilmot was known as a good student. She told police that she was conducting a science experiment, though it does not appear to have been an experiment her teachers assigned.

Wilmot’s school principal, Ron Pritchard, defended the student in an interview with local news outlet The Ledger. He noted that Wilmot did not leave the premises after the explosion. “She left it [the bottle] on the ground, and she stayed there,” Pritchard said. “We went over to where she was. She saw that we saw her, so she didn’t take off.”

Wilmot’s school district released the following statement about the incident, according to the Miami New Times:

Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the safety and security of our students and staff.

*****

Readers:  Let’s just tell it like it is – getting “expelled” is the least of her worries.  Here we have a young girl expelled and arrested, and charged with two felonies, for a science experiment that harmed no one,  and yet we have the parents of yesterday’s story accept a gift of a gun for a 5-year old, who then kills his sister by accident, will have to live with it for the rest of his life,  and the parents go free from responsibility, any sort of negligence. Not to mention that the white kids in the Boston tragedy are called naive teenagers, while this much younger black teenager is being prosecuted as a terrorist.  There is something very wrong here.

Blog me.

Linsey:  Not my word but my thoughts exactly. I HOPE you were out in the sunshine having fun.

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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…hooray, hooray! Outdoor _________begins today.

Good morning!

Please add whatever suits you in the above sentence.

May 1st is a holiday of many…maybe even more than any other day of the year. It’s a day of political protests. It’s a neopagan festival, a saint’s feast day, a day for organized labor, international Workers’ holiday. In many countries, it is a national holiday.

Many are protesting around the world for better working conditions. Here’s a video and short write from Voice of America. With the tragedy that happened at a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh recently, there is good reason to protest.

May Day Rallies Held Around the World

Workers around the world are taking to the streets Wednesday to mark International Workers Day, also known as May Day, with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions.

A May Day labor union strike in Greece has disrupted ferry service to the Greek islands and public transportation in Athens where demonstrators are protesting against prolonged economic austerity policies.

Workers across Spain, where the unemployment rate has rocketed to 27 percent, are holding rallies to call for economic policy changes.

In the Philippines, demonstrators are marching in Manila to demand the government protect their jobs. They also want the government to stop hiring contract workers who do not enjoy the same rights and securities of regular, full-time employees.

Laborers in Cambodia are calling on lawmakers to increase the minimum wage for garment workers.

Police in Istanbul, Turkey Wednesday clashed with people marching towards Taksim Square, the usual site of May Day celebrations.

******

Readers: I’ve worked many years in the fashion industry. It is truly sad and unacceptable what still goes on in this industry and so many other industries where workers work in such horrific conditions. Are you protesting today? Involved in a rally? Celebrating Spring? What will you do on May Day today where you live? Blog this BABE.

Me? I’m HOPEing my May Day will include some fun today. I can imagine myself having a little pleasure on the May pole, feeling the first bursts of Spring. You? And now that the weather is warming up, perhaps Zen Lill, will send me a pic in her new fave spring outfit for all of her admirers to enjoy? Wouldn’t that be nice.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"