Just watched Bill Maher on Larry King and heard the extraordinary statement from Maher - unchallenged by King - that on 9/11 President Bush's father was having breakfast with Osama's Dad. Is that right? The connections between the Bush's and the Saudi rich are well documented and the spiriting of many of them out of the USA soon after the attacks a simple fact. If it is true, however, that they were having breakfast, it is amazing that this is not well known. If it was the case in the previous presidency, it would have been something you would never have heard the end of from Limbaugh or Brudnoy. Imagine Churchill's Pappy having a snack with Adolf's Dad in September 1939. We'd know. Michael will tell me if it is untrue.
In other mindboggling news I learned about today, I saw this story on local North Country NY TV news this evening:
St. Lawrence County's Amish community can open the curtains once again. A Gouverneur man is behind bars, charged with public lewdness for allegedly flashing Amish households.So much so wrong with the whole plan - let alone the journalists' idea that being entirely naked is "flashing". Why bother the Amish? There is actually a history of attacks on them [which they do not report on principle] despite theirs being a society of consent - even if unlike your average life at the mall.St. Lawrence County sheriffs investigators say 24 year old Timothy J. Thomas would park in front of Amish houses along County Route 10 in the Heuvelton area, jump out of his vehicle naked, flash the Amish, then calmly return to his vehicle and continue on to work. Investigators say Thomas is suspected of a number of such incidents but January 16th is when he pulled it off again, leading to his arrest.
Weather records for January 16th show the temperature that day hovered around zero, meaning Thomas risked exposing his extremities to frostbite by the time he hot-footed it back to his car. Thomas, of State Rt. 58 in Gouverneur was arraigned today on the misdemeanor count and jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. Investigators say he may have targeted Amish houses because of their lack of phone service to summon authorities.
Comments
Rusty - January 29, 2004 9:03 am
And another thing: does anyone remember hearing about another plane beign hijacked that day in Denver, Colorado? It was being reported that the same ting was happening at an airport there. Later, that story just faded out. Did it happen? Did it not happen? Where did the reports come from?
Hans - January 29, 2004 9:06 am
Alan: that story about the Ahmish flasher, aside from being pathetic and weird, is so fascinating to me as I've been to all those places. I've been to Huevelton, Gouverneur and Rte. 58. And the Ahmish travel the roads frequently: you have to be careful not to run their horses & buggies over. But, otherwise they pretty much keep to themselves. Fortunately, I've never met Mr. Thomas, the accused.
Alan - January 29, 2004 10:01 am
Hans, In the book of essays "Living North Country" bought when we last were across the river, there are a couple of great essays on the Amish there and how they only came to the area in the 1970's. Where my wife is from is big Mennonite country and my respect for these people, especially the ones that make the call to do without the most of modernity, increases every time I come into contact with them. <p>You'd love watching WWTI, the local ABC channel, as well - the high school sports reporting is fascinating. The Watertown Cyclones (high school sports) and Red and White (semi-pro American football for 135 years) are among my favorites now. I still can't figure out where General Brown High is. It's all so Archie comics somehow. Incredibly complex league structures - Division 4, level C regional semi-finals - that kind of thing. If any northern New York readers can explain the Frontier League I would be very grateful.
Alan - January 29, 2004 10:09 am
Here is a start: It is called the New York State Public High School Athletic Association - NYSPHSAA. Here is the map of the top level zones. Watertown as a part of Jefferson County is in Division III but neighbouring St. Lawrence County is in the neighbouring Division X.
Alan - January 29, 2004 10:11 am
That was links to the administrative side: here is the sports news side.