Plat du jour

Somali thugs are still at it

Somali pirate attack thwarted by EU Naval Force

Today's news round-up

Good News

• Senator blocks Air Force officer's nomination Military commanders should not be interfering in criminal procedures.
• Army suspends general linked to sex-assault probe See above.
• Hillsborough unanimously votes to repeal 8-year old ban on recognizing Pride events

Bad News

• US waives condition on $1.3B in aid to Egypt Egypt needs some lessons in democracy and human rights.
• Mississippi aims to curb teen pregnancy with umbilical blood law I very much doubt this will reduce teen pregnancies by any significant amount.

From the Department of Irony

Google bans Glass from its own shareholder meeting

Semi-random thoughts

• Happy coincidence: We have tickets to see Andris Nelsons conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra playing the Verdi Requiem at Tanglewood this summer. They recently appointed him their next Music Director.
• I see that the "open wheel" Indy race cars do not have such open wheels any more. They are now allowed to have fenders in front and behind the rear wheels. The front wheels are still fairly open. However, there are small, curved, vertical extensions at the end of the front wing, and there are little wings low to the ground, not that far back behind the front wheels. 
• Following up on this, I just got an email addressed to "Dear << Test First Name >>,".

Today's news round-up

Good News

• American tourist gang-rape: India police arrest three men
• Georgia OKs "GAYPWR" but bans sex acts, guns - on license plates
• Jobless claims fall, labor market gradually improving
• California bullet train project lurches ahead as contractor chosen

Bad News

• Teen Punished for Stopping a Knife-Wielding Bully From Attacking a Student
• Paris student dead after skinhead attack

Plat du jour--guest submission

Found by Carolyn, on Tommy Brookshire's Facebook page.

Animal headline of the day

Town mails discarded dog poop back to errant pet owners

Today's news round-up (with some older stuff)

Good News

• Cheerios stands by TV ad showing mixed-race family
• Agency drops plan to allow small knives on planes
• The Latest Navy SEAL Book Could Impact the Military's Transgender Rules
• Court: Girls can buy morning-after pill for now
• FBI to track hate crime statistics for Sikhs
• Prosecutors push for 'kill switch' to prevent smartphone thefts I was amazed how little Verizon would do when I lost my phone the first time.

Bad News

• Mosque burns down in London in suspicious circumstances
• Federal judge accused of saying minorities predisposed to commit violent crime
• Exxon Mobil rejects resolution to protect LGBT workers The boycott of Exxon Mobil must continue.
• Nigerian lawmakers enact same sex marriage ban with penalty of up to 14 years in prison

Sort of Good, Sort of Bad, News

• Churches split on Scouts' welcoming of gay youth It's bad that so many troops will be losing sponsors, but it's good that these conservative churches will no longer have any influence over the BSA.
• Apple Removes 'Ex-Gay' App; Will Google Follow?

Animal headline of the day

Cat detained on illegal mission at Russian prison

Today's news round-up

Good News

• Jury finds for Ohio teacher fired while pregnant
• Obama nominates 3 to appeals court, testing GOP
• Ohio St. president retires after Notre Dame jabs He was an embarrassment to the Big Ten and my birth-state of Ohio.
• Senators blast military response to sex assaults
• The Only Thing More Expensive Than Kids Is Kids Who Are Bullies

 Bad News

• Egypt sentences 43, including Americans, in NGO case This sounds like at least some of the people in power in Egypt still don't understand how democracy is supposed to work.
• Pot arrests more likely for blacks No surprise.
• Professor allegedly fat-shames Ph.D. applicants
• American Tourist Gang-Raped in Manali, Police Say I think a boycott of tourism to India is in order.
• Fla. governor vetoes immigrant driver license bill
• Pa. school graduation won't use transgender name He is not asking for his preferred name to be on the diploma, and the announcement of the name is not an act that has any legal consequences.

Sort of Good, Sort of Bad, News

• Video captures Jasper, Texas, police officers beating woman At least the cops were fired.

Headline of the day

Sinkhole swallows swimming pool

In other words, a hole in the ground fell into a hole in the ground.

Living with bears XLIII

I gave up reporting occurrences of bears intruding into humans' areas several years ago, simply because it was so common. However, this one is too close to home. My wife taught school in Montclair.

New Jersey: After a Bear Is Caught in Montclair, Students Are Allowed Back Outside