Society's ChildS


Handcuffs

Swedish man arrested for being unnaturally buff

bodybuilder
Man's body led Swedish police to suspect steroid use, despite court ruling that muscles alone are not grounds for arrest

Police in Malmö arrested a man after approaching him because his muscular physique led them to suspect steroid use.

They interviewed the man in the street, but their suspicions grew when he was reluctant to answer their questions.

After they obtained a warrant to search his home, they discovered over 20,000 pills and vials of performance enhancing drugs, including steroids.

He told police that the drugs were for personal use and denied that he was a dealer, but "150,000 kronor ($21,000) in cash and packaging materials in the apartment led the court to believe otherwise", The Swedish news site Local News reports.

Text messages about drug deals strengthened the case against him and he was sentenced to 21 months in jail. A woman who shared his apartment denied all knowledge of the drugs but was also found guilty and sentenced to a year and a half in prison.

Earlier this year, after a similar incident, the Swedish Justice Ombudsman warned police that "big muscles are not adequate grounds for arrest".

Red Flag

Activists say fracking is making California's drought worse

Image
© Brooke Anderson
California is in the middle of an epic water shortage, with nearly 80% of the state experiencing "extreme or exceptional" drought conditions. Check out this animated map to get a sense of how extensively the drought has impacted the Golden State.

Things have gotten so bad that California enlisted Lady Gaga to record a public service announcement (PSA).

Given the situation, anti-fracking activists say it's time for Governor Jerry Brown to put a stop to water-intensive fracking, claiming that the controversial oil and gas production method is exacerbating the problem.

"We're talking about a triple threat to our water from fracking," says Adam Scow, the California Director for Food & Water Watch.

The first threat: The fracking process requires a lot of water, which then becomes unsuitable for any other use.

Comment: Holy frack: More concern arises over groundwater contamination from fracking


Heart - Black

Sick! Connecticut high school students instigated, egged on and filmed horrific rape of mentally disabled student

Image
A 'profoundly retarded' high school student has been charged with sexually assaulting a disabled male student in a bathroom as classmates cheered him on. Patrick Nolan, 19, was charged with felony sexual assault and risk of injury to a child for the August 2013 attack at Harding High School, pictured. An attorney for Nolan claims the unidentified group who instigated and egged on the attack are to blame and Nolan is a victim.
A mentally disabled Connecticut high school student has been charged with sexually assaulting a disabled fellow student in a school bathroom as classmates cheered him on, according to police and court documents.

Patrick Nolan, 19, was arraigned on Wednesday in Bridgeport Superior Court and charged with felony sexual assault and risk of injury to a child for the August 2013 attack on a male 16-year-old classmate at Harding High School, police said.

An attorney for Nolan, Mark Phillips, said his client is 'profoundly retarded' and the unnamed classmates and teacher's aides who should have been supervising his client are to blame.

An affidavit filed in the case painted a horrific scene of the incident drawn from details from a school surveillance video outside the bathroom and a student recording of the attack.

In the videos, a student shouts 'keep going' while the victim is being sexually assaulted from behind, and afterward students are huddled together seemingly watching the cell phone recording, court documents stated.

Bad Guys

Flashback Neo-nazi group creates holocaust 'Monopoly' to fund National Socialist Underground

Image
The gang called the game ‘Pogromly’ – from the word pogrom meaning a violent riot that were often organised against Jews in Russian and eastern Europe over several centuries.
A Neo-Nazi group created a perverted board game based on Monopoly where Jewish people get sent to death camps so they could pass the time between murders.

The game, where the winner is the person who deports the most to the gas chambers, has featured at the trial of 'Nazi bride' Beate Zschape in Munich.

Zschape, 39, is allegedly the sole-surviving member of the National Socialist Underground neo-Nazi death squad which allegedly murdered nine immigrant businessmen and a female police officer in Germany in a 13-year reign of terror which also included bank robberies, bombings and weapons seizures.

The NSU is a far-right German terrorist group which was uncovered in November 2011.

They have been accused of a series of murders of nine immigrants in 2006, murdering a policewoman and attempted murder of her colleague, the Cologne bombings in 2001 and 2004 and 14 bank robberies.

Comment: As of July 16, 2014, Beate Zschape has dismissed her defense lawyers.


Shopping Bag

Another U.S. company downsizes - Office Depot to close 165 stores

Image
© Foxnews
Boca Raton-based Office Depot said Tuesday it would close 165 stores during 2014 - up from the 150 estimated earlier this year - but stuck with a total count of 400 store closures through 2016, the company said.

The office-supply retailer, which merged with OfficeMax last year in a $1.2 billion transaction, said it has completed its analysis of which stores will be closed across the U.S. and Canada. Locally, the retailer has closed two OfficeMax stores, in Coral Springs and Deerfield Beach.

The company also announced on a conference call following its second-quarter earnings announcement that it has settled a California lawsuit for $80 million, which it expects to pay in the fourth quarter.

Five years ago, former Office Depot business accountant David Sherwin sued the company, along with the State of California, claiming Office Depot overcharged state agencies for office supplies. Sherwin died March 16, but his estate continued to pursue the lawsuit.

The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, the company said. The allegations related to a contract in place from 2001 to 2011, when Office Depot was under previous management.

Water

Man in Oregon jailed for...collecting rainwater

Collecting Rainwater
© Natural Society
Since when do you need a permit to collect rainwater? An Oregonian man has been sent to prison after local authorities found he had collected more than 13 million gallons of rainwater in 3 man-made ponds on his own property.

Gary Harrington is a 64 year-old man now sitting in jail for collecting a God-given right. He and his brother asked the 'water master' for a water certificate in 1973, but since he was just collecting rainwater, they couldn't issue him one.

Over time, Harrington has built three massive water collection reservoirs - ponds - on his 170 acre property on Crowfoot Road in rural Eagle Point.

Just by collecting snow runoff and rainwater, his ponds hold more than 13 million gallons of water that he uses to irrigate crops, and 'be prepared in case of forest fires.' I guess the water privatization people are pissed.

He has enough water to fill about 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Arrow Down

Oakland officer reinstated with back pay after throwing grenade at unconscious man, bystanders

Riot cops
© Noah Berger, special to the ChronicleOakland riot cops surround the protesters.
California - An officer who violently attacked a group of civilians - including an incapacitated man bleeding from a head injury and the people who tried to help him - has been reinstated to the department with back pay for the nearly 3 years of missed work.

Scott Olsen
© AP/Jay FinneburghScott Olsen suffering from a fractured skull after being attacked by Oakland police.
The incident dates back to October 25th, 2011. Citizens were protesting the perceived injustices in their government in what was called an Occupy Oakland rally, which involved day-and-night occupation of the public square.

Oakland police initiated an unprovoked attack on peaceful bystanders when an unidentified OPD officer launched a metal tear gas canister directly into a man's head, causing him to collapse into a pool of blood, and resulting in brain damage.

The incident didn't end there. The man who had been injured was Iraq veteran Scott Olson; who received swift attention from non-uniformed bystanders. When people had gathered to aid Mr. Olson, another cop, OPD Officer Robert Roche, attacked the crowd by throwing a flashbang grenade only inches from Mr. Olson's bleeding head.

A violent explosion followed, injuring and scattering the first responders. The incident was previously detailed by Police State USA.

Black Magic

Detecting the trickle-down corruption and tyranny from Washington, D.C.

U.S. Capitol Building
© REUTERS/Jason Reed
How will history judge America 100 years from now? Right now we live in an age were despotism trickles down from the very top where the President resides down to the local dog catcher . I mean from the highest levels of our federal government down to our local municipalities including the county seat. We can see the reign of terror starting with the Department of Homeland Security at the top down to the local county Sheriff, the city police and local constable. It is very obvious seeing the thuggery of Police today abusing the public.

Seeing that Police Officer saying just because President Obama does not follow the Constitution gives him an excuse not to abide by his oath either. Monkey sees, Monkey does. To the Police officer in Halmetta New Jersey who made that remark not following his oath. If he is a married man back then when Bill Clinton was President. I would like to ask him this question. Just because President Clinton did not keep his vows to his wife Hillery sleeping with every woman that aroused him. Does it give you the right to go cheat on your wife because the man in the oval office did it?

Comment: For more on the roots of corruption and tyranny in Washington, D.C. see:

Political Ponerology: A Science on The Nature of Evil adjusted for Political Purposes


Quenelle

Actress Penelope Cruz reportedly blacklisted by Hollywood studios for her support of Palestine

Image
© Adrian Sanchez/GettyPenelope Cruz has enraged Hollywood by her open letter condemning Israel's actions in Gaza.
Actress Penelope Cruz and her husband Javier Bardem have roused the fury of Hollywood producers, with pledges made to snub the Spanish couple. Oscar-winner Bardem and Cruz signed an open letter speaking against "the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army". The letter accused Israel of "advancing on Palestinian territories instead of withdrawing to the 1967 borders.

"Gaza is living through horror... while the international community does nothing."

The Spanish letter was signed by 100 leading figures in the film industry, including director Pedro Almodovar. One top producer who has worked with Cruz says he privately has vowed not to hire her again, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

V

Tens of thousands protest Israeli occupation of Gaza in London

Image
© John Stillwell/PAProtesters will march past the US embassy in Grosvenor Square before ending at Hyde Park with a rally.
Pro-Palestine groups hold march in hopes of raising more than £4.5m to help victims of attacks on Gaza

Some 20,000 people are marching through central London on Saturday to call for an end to the conflict in Gaza and a ban on UK arms exports to Israel.

The protest, organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War, set off from Oxford Circus at 1pm and will march past the US embassy in Grosvenor Square before ending at Hyde Park with a rally. Speakers including George Galloway and Diane Abbott will address the protesters.

The march is being held as a public appeal for funds to help the victims of Israel's attacks on Gaza raise more than £4.5m in less than 24 hours.

The Disasters Emergency Committee launched its Gaza Crisis Appeal on Friday night on all major UK television networks. The Department for International Development has matched the first £2m donated by the public pound-for-pound.

The funds will allow the committee's member agencies, such as Oxfam and the British Red Cross, to help the hundreds of thousands of Gazans needing of clean water, food, shelter, medical treatment and psychological support.