Babylon Bee: Is Your Cat Actually Satan? 9 Things To Look For

 The Babylon Bee offers a satirical piece on cats:

If you’re like most people, you’re probably worried your cat is a spawn from hell. We consulted our Bibles and prayed really hard, and God revealed to us these hints that your cat is actually Satan himself. Here are the signs to look for:

·         Weird slit snake eyes -- Alone this isn't a huge deal, but coupled with the other signs, it could be bad. Keep reading.

·         Sharp hidden weapons in paws -- This is a telltale sign. 

·         Always lands on feet as if by witchcraft -- You should be worried.

·         Vibrates with evil when touched -- Evil vibrations are a bad sign.

·         Has pointed ears like devil horns -- Should be obvious, but keep an eye out for this one.

·         Sudden outbursts of violence against small moving things -- Much as Satan seeks whom he may devour, cats pounce on laser dots and fingers.

·         Says “Mao” a lot in honor of murderous dictator Chairman Mao. -- Uh-oh...

·         Refuses to wear clothes -- Naked, just like all temptresses and Satan.

·         Brings you small dead creatures as a blood sacrifice -- Alright, now it's time to start freaking out.

If your cat shows these signs of being the devil himself, the CDC recommends you secure your cat in a burlap sack and throw it in the nearest bog. 

You can read other humor piece via the below link: 

https://babylonbee.com/news/is-your-cat-worshiping-satan-what-to-look-for

You can also read my Crime Beat column, The Kitten Killers and How a Dog Guy Came To Adopt a Feral Kitten, via the below link:

 Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Beat Column: The Kitten Killers and How a Dog Guy Came To Adopt a Feral Kitten  

Chinese Businessman Charged With Conspiring To Steal Trade Secrets

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information: 

WASHINGTON – Chi Lung Winsman Ng, aka Winsman Ng, 64, a Chinese businessman residing in Hong Kong, was indicted yesterday for conspiring to steal General Electric’s (GE) trade secrets involving the company’s silicon carbide MOSFET technology worth millions of dollars.  

“Winsman Ng and his co-conspirators allegedly chose to steal what they lacked the time, talent or money to create,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Theft of American intellectual property for the benefit of foreign firms deprives American companies of the fruits of their creativity and American workers of their jobs. The Department will do all it can to disrupt this illegal and economically destructive conduct.” 

“As alleged in the indictment, Winsman Ng conspired to steal trade secrets from General Electric to start a competitor,” said Attorney for the United States, Elizabeth C. Coombe, for the Northern District of New York, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515. “This scheme, and others like it, seek to undermine American ingenuity, which often depends on maintaining the secrecy of technological advances. We will continue to work with the FBI to hold accountable those trying to steal trade secrets from innovative companies in our district.” 

“Innovation by American companies brings good things into our lives, but we shouldn’t have to buy those good things from a foreign company that stole American technology to compete against us,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI urges any U.S. business to contact us if they suspect someone, regardless of nationality, is attempting to steal or has stolen trade secrets. Only through robust engagement with U.S. businesses can we protect our economic and national security.”  

“According to the indictment, Mr. Ng conspired to steal valuable and sensitive technology from GE and produce it in China,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Relford of the FBI’s Albany Field Office. “Our office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and GE coordinated closely and worked quickly to prevent that theft and the resulting damage to our economic security. Theft of trade secrets is a constant and dangerous threat to our American companies and the remarkable work they do to invent and manufacture unique technology that can change the world. FBI Albany's Counterintelligence Task Force remains committed to protecting American innovation and technology, American security and American jobs.” 

The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

The indictment alleges that between about March 2017 and January 2018, Ng and at least one co-conspirator plotted to develop a business that would manufacture and sell silicon carbide MOSFETs using trade secrets stolen from GE. MOSFETs, or silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors, are small electronic semiconductors/switches that regulate the flow of electricity through devices and are used in a variety of products.  

Ng conspired with at least one other person, a GE engineer of more than seven years, to steal MOSFET trade secrets and other proprietary information from GE. Ng and co-conspirator #1 allegedly used those trade secrets to create a business plan and develop PowerPoint presentations which they gave to prospective investors. Ng and co-conspirator #1 told potential investors that their business could be profitable within three years and that their start-up business possessed assets – tangible and intangible – they estimated to be worth $100 million. As part of the scheme, they sought approximately $30 million in funding in exchange for an ownership stake in their start-up company. In August 2017, Ng and co-conspirator #1 allegedly met in China and gave presentations to a Chinese investment company that was considering providing funding to Ng’s start-up company. 

We have no evidence that there was an illegal MOSFET technology transfer to any Chinese companies, including the company that Ng and his co-conspirator were trying to start. 

Ng has yet to be arrested. If convicted of this offense, Ng faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss and Trial Attorney Matthew Chang of the National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Babylon Bee: G.I. Joe To Be Replaced With Genderless G.I. Pat

 Mocking Hasbro’s “Mr.” Potato Head controversary, the Babylon Bee offers a piece on G. I. Joe. 

PAWTUCKET, RI—Hasbro announced today the replacement of its popular G.I. Joe action figure with an updated version that's much more fitting in the current year: G.I. Pat, a genderless take on the action hero.

 After public outcry over the extremely masculine G.I. Joe, Hasbro finally caved and agreed to remove the super-macho action hero from store shelves.

"Now you know your gender identity -- and knowing is half the battle!" shouts an actor playing G.I. Pat in a commercial for the new toy as he struggles to light a Molotov cocktail and picks up a brick with the utmost effort. "Now let's go murder some cops!"

G.I. Pat comes with a Molotov cocktail, a brick, and a cute miniature copy of The Communist Manifesto. You can accessorize your G.I. Pat with genderless clothes, androgynous accessories, and fun equipment like smartphones that just play asinine TikTok videos and social justice lectures all day for your miniature action hero.

Conservatives immediately complained on social media, screaming that losing G.I. Joe would signal the end of the Republic. Hasbro then flip-flopped, caving to conservatives and announcing G.I. Joe would be made even more masculine under the new brand "MISTER HE-MAN G.I. JOE MURDER YOUR FACE ARMY MAN."

You can read other humor piece via the below link:

https://babylonbee.com/news/gi-joe-to-be-replaced-with-genderless-gi-pat 

Carjacking On The Rise In Philadelphia: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column Interview With Major Crimes Captain John J. Ryan

Philadelphia Weekly published my Crime Beat column the rise of carjacking in Philadelphia. 

You can read the column above or via the link below:

Carjacking is on the rise in Philly - Philadelphia Weekly

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge. 

Canadian National Pleads Guilty To Human Smuggling Conspiracy

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below link: 

A Canadian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for private financial gain in connection with his role in a scheme to smuggle aliens from Sri Lanka through the Caribbean and into the United States. 

As part of the plea, Sri Kajamukam Chelliah, aka Mohan, aka Richie, 55, of Sri Lanka, admitted to conspiring with others to facilitate the travel of aliens from Sri Lanka through Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas to the United States from on or about July 1, 2019 through on or about Oct. 10, 2019. During the course of the conspiracy, Chelliah worked with other human smugglers, arranging housing and transport for illegal aliens en route to Canada through the United States. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. 

“By participating in a smuggling operation which planned to illegally transport individuals through various countries, including the United States, the defendant jeopardized the national security of the United States for his own financial benefit” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “As this case demonstrates, the Criminal Division is committed to working with our law enforcement partners both here and abroad to bring human smugglers to justice and to disrupt and dismantle the international networks they operate.” 

Chelliah arranged for the individuals to be transported from the airport in Port Au Prince, Haiti, to a hotel where Chelliah housed and provided them with food. Chelliah then arranged for transportation by boat from Haiti to Turks and Caicos Islands, then to the Bahamas, and then by boat to Miami, Florida. Chelliah accompanied the individuals, including traveling with them by boat during their journey. The actions undertaken by Chelliah and co-conspirators in furtherance of their smuggling activities were done in exchange for payment. 

Specifically, Chelliah further admitted as part of the plea that from approximately October 2017 to approximately September 2019, six Sri Lankan nationals with no legal right to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, travelled from Sri Lanka to Haiti with the assistance of human smugglers. Upon arrival in Haiti, Chelliah arranged for the six individuals to be picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel. Chelliah arranged for the individuals to be housed and fed at the hotel, then travel by boat from Haiti to Turks and Caicos Islands and from Turks and Caicos Islands to the Bahamas. The six aliens would then travel from the Bahamas to Miami, Florida, by boat. 

According to the plea agreement, on Oct. 10, 2019, the six aliens, accompanied by Chelliah, boarded a Haitian sloop sailboat heading for Turks and Caicos Islands. The Haitian sloop sailboat carrying approximately 154 aliens, including Chelliah, was subsequently interdicted by Turks and Caicos authorities. Chelliah was arrested and ultimately convicted in Turks and Caicos on local immigration charges and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. Following the completion of his prison sentence, he was placed in immigration detention in Turks and Caicos. 

Chelliah was later arrested on July 28, 2020, by Turks and Caicos authorities, based on a provisional arrest request submitted by the United States premised on a sealed U.S. criminal complaint. He consented to extradition and, on Aug. 15, 2020, the Governor of Turks and Caicos issued an order allowing the extradition to the United States. Chelliah was extradited to the United States on Aug. 17, 2020, and the criminal complaint was unsealed at his initial appearance on the same date.  

This case is being investigated by HSI Miami, with assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. 

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rami S. Badawy and John Alex-Romano of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins of the Southern District of Florida, with support from HRSP Trial Attorney Jim Hepburn. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the investigation and in securing the defendant’s extradition to the United States. The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the government of Turks and Caicos Islands for their valuable assistance.

A Look Back At The Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk's 1987 SLEP Overhaul In Philadelphia

I've been thinking about the fate of my old ship, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, which is now decommissioned and awaiting her demise in Bremerton, Washington. 

I'd love to see the old carrier become a floating museum at the Philadelphia Navy Base, as other carriers live on in other cities. But converting a decommissioned carrier to a museum is an expensive affair that few cities can afford. 

So I'm preparing for a sad ending for a great ship that saw and made history. 

In 1961 my late father, a former WWII Navy UDT frogman, took me to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to see the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk, CVA-63. 

I reported aboard the Kitty Hawk in 1970 as a 17-year-old seaman apprentice. I served aboard for two years and did a WESTPAC cruise. 

The aircraft carrier operated on "Yankee Station" off the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea. The carrier's aircraft performed sorties against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong positions in support of U.S. and South Vietnamese ground troops.

The aircraft carrier also made port of calls to Hawaii, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Sasebo, Japan.   

This was quite an adventure for a young man.  

The USS Kitty Hawk returned to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1987 for a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) overhaul. (See top photo). 

I took my wife and infant daughter to the welcoming ceremony.  

At the time, I was serving as the civilian administrative officer of a Defense Department command in Philadelphia. Our DoD command oversaw many of the contractors who worked on the Kitty Hawk's overhaul. As the administrative officer, I oversaw security, safety, public affairs and other support programs for the command. 

In my public affairs role, I organized several visits to the Kitty Hawk for our military and civilian employees. They were the contract administrators, quality assurance inspectors, engineers and others who dealt with the Kitty Hawk's SLEP program. 

It was a most interesting experience to return to my old ship after all those years.

The Kitty Hawk may end up being sunk or broken up for scrap metal, but the role the aircraft carrier played will live on in history, and live on in the memories of her former sailors.  

Note: The three photos of me on the Kitty Hawk were taken by Joe Piazza.

You can click on the above photos to enlarge. 

Italian Stereotypes Aren’t Funny: So Why Does ‘Saturday Night Live’ Lean On Them So often?

 I loved Saturday Night Live (SNL) for years, but I’ve not watched the program for some time, because it is not funny, in my view, and because of their overwhelming and unfair political leftist lean. 

(For a bit of counterbalance visit The Babylon Bee | Your Trusted Source for Christian News Satire.)

I was glad to hear that SNL addressed New York Democratic Gov Cuomo’s mishandling and cover-up of the nursing home deaths, but, as I’m half-Italian and live in “Little Italy” in South Philadelphia, I was certainly not pleased to read about their cheap shots on his Italian heritage. 

Make fun of his political chicanery, sure, but his being Italian has nothing to do with the scandal. 

I guess these snowflake liberals can insult Italians with impunity, unlike other ethnic groups. (And like Nixon said famously, they don’t have Trump to kick around anymore). 

Rosario Iaconis offers a piece on this at the New York Daily News.      

George Kaufman famously averred that “Satire is what closes on Saturday night.” But what about SNL? 

In skewering Andrew Cuomo over his mishandling of the COVID-19 nursing-home controversy, Michael Che quipped: “New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who looks like all three Goodfellas at once, said he hopes to legalize marijuana next month. Cuomo is hoping marijuana will provide New Yorkers a safe, effective way to forget about the nursing-home stuff.” 

This is risible? Lambasting the governor for his policy failures is fair game, but perpetuating loathsome stereotypes is not. 

Yet anti-Italian tropes have long been a staple on a show that aspires to cutting-edge satire. 

In a Weekend Update segment that aired in March 2020, Colin Jost was startled that someone who sounds like Dr. Anthony Fauci would be so knowledgeable. According to the author of “A Very Punchable Face,” people with such an accent usually holler: “Yo, I’m gonna break your knee caps.” 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Italian stereotypes aren’t funny: So why does ‘Saturday Night Live’ lean on them so often? - New York Daily News (nydailynews.com) 

Wife Of “El Chapo” Arrested On International Drug Trafficking Charges

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information: 

The wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, leader of a Mexican drug trafficking organization known as the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested today in Virginia on charges related to her alleged involvement in international drug trafficking. 

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was arrested today at Dulles International Airport. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia via video conference. 

According to court documents, Aispuro is charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation into the U.S. Additionally, Coronel Aispuro is alleged to have conspired with others to assist Guzman in his July 11, 2015 escape from Altiplano prison, located in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico. After Guzman was re-arrested in Mexico in January 2016, Coronel Aispuro is alleged to have engaged in planning yet another prison escape with others prior to Guzman’s extradition to the U.S. in January 2017.

Guzman Loera was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York in 2019 for his role as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Cornel Aispuro is charged in a one count criminal complaint with a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamines for unlawful importation into the U.S.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement. 

The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. 

Acting Deputy Chief Anthony Nardozzi and Trial Attorney Kate Wagner of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Ralph Cipriano: Real Justice PAC Poured More Than $100,000 Into Philly D.A.'s Campaign

Ralph Cipriano at BigTrail.net looks at the outside progressive money Philly DA Larry Krasner is shoveling in. 

District Attorney Larry Krasner has a cozy relationship with a West Coast political action committee that's become his biggest campaign donor. 

The Real Justice PAC of San Francisco has been pouring cash, in-kind services and even rent money into Krasner's reelection campaign, to the tune of more than $100,000. 

The only problem: the city of Philadelphia's legal limit on yearly contributions from PACs is just $12,600. That's why the city's Board of Ethics is monitoring the "Lawrence Krasner For District Attorney" campaign committee, and the contributions they've been raking in from the Real Justice PAC. 

Because both the D.A.'s campaign committee and his favorite PAC are known offenders. Two years ago, the Board of Ethics finalized an agreement that called for both the Real Justice PAC and Krasner's campaign committee to fork over a total of $23,000 in fines and "disgorgements" [or forfeits] for breaking city election laws back in 2017 with donations over and above the city's legal limits.  

And now with Krasner running for reelection in the May 18th Democratic primary, both the Real Justice PAC and the D.A.'s campaign committee are at it again. According to Real Justice's filings last year with the Federal Election Commission, the PAC listed as campaign contributions to Krasner a $25,000 donation made on April 15, 2020, and a $50,000 donation made on July 30, 2020.  

But in financial reports that Real Justice PAC filed with the city, and in a financial report filed by the Krasner committee with the state, to date, both entities have only disclosed the $25,000 contribution. So the question becomes on which forms was Real Justice telling the truth? Was it with the city or was it with the feds? 

Real Justice isn't talking; neither is Krasner nor his campaign committee. But J. Shane Creamer Jr., executive director of the city's Board of Ethics, is watching. 

"I'm aware of all their public filings and I have no comment," Creamer said.  

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Real Justice PAC Poured More Than $100,000 Into D.A.'s Campaign | Big Trial | Philadelphia Trial Blog 

Babylon Bee: To Fight White Supremacy, Coca-Cola Discontinues Vanilla Coke

 Gotta love the Babylon Bee satire.

ATLANTA, GA—To fight white supremacy, Coca-Cola has discontinued its controversial product Vanilla Coke, saying it is "too white" and must be dismantled as part of the company's continued emphasis on eliminating whiteness from society. All varieties of Vanilla Coke, from Cherry Vanilla and Orange Vanilla to Vanilla Vanilla, will be pulled from shelves as part of Coca-Cola's push to lessen whiteness.

"We now recognize that our Vanilla Coke product perpetuates whiteness in a racist, problematic society and harms our efforts to make people less white," said a Coca-Cola executive Friday. "Anything with even a hint of whiteness must be eliminated. We now realize that we were, in fact, part of the problem all along as we promoted the alt right-adjacent flavor of 'vanilla.'"

"We will do better," he said before resigning, canceling and doxing himself, and banishing himself to a remote island in the Caribbean to think about his whiteness.

You can read the rest of the piece and other humor pieces via the below link: 

To Fight White Supremacy, Coca-Cola Discontinues Vanilla Coke | The Babylon Bee 

'Out Of The Night, When The Full Moon Is Bright, Comes The Horseman Known As Zorro': A Look Back At Walt Disney's Classic TV Series 'Zorro'

 Out of the night,

When the full moon is bright,
Comes the horseman known as Zorro.
This bold renegade
Carves a "Z" with his blade,
A "Z" that stands for Zorro.

Zorro, Zorro, the fox so cunning and free,
Zorro, Zorro, who makes the sign of the Z.

He is polite,
But the wicked take flight
When they catch the sight of Zorro.
He's friend of the weak,
And the poor and the meek,
This very unique, Señor Zorro.

Zorro, Zorro, the fox so cunning and free,
Zorro, Zorro, who makes the sign of the Z.

Zorro, Zorro, Zorro, Zorro, Zorro, Zorro....

I love listening to that theme song, as it reminds me of a happy time in my childhood in the 1950s when I watched Walt Disney’s Zorro on TV. 

I loved watching Guy Williams (seen in the above and below photos) as Zorro, clad in his black hat, eye mask and cape, whip that sword out and cut the sign of the Z onto the bad guy’s clothes, and then ride off on Tornado, his black stallion. 

(Guy Williams’ real name was Armando Joseph Catalano and he was born on January 14, 1924 and died on April 30, 1989).

Zorro offered adventure, romance, and comedy. I also loved the villains, the beautiful women, and the comic characters of fat Sergeant Garcia (portrayed by Henry Calvin) and Zorro’s deaf-mute assistant, Bernardo (portrayed by Gene Sheldon).

“Uncle Walt” Disney appeared on the TV screen and introduced the viewers to the adventures of Zorro. 

The TV series began on October 10, 1957 on ABC and after 78 episodes, ended on July 2, 1959. Later, in 1960 and 1961, Walt Disney’s offered four hour-long Zorro specials.

I read and enjoyed the Dell Zorro comic books and I later read and enjoyed the Zorro stories by the character’s creator, Johnston McCulley (seen in the below photo with Guy Williams). 

McCulley introduced Zorro in a serialized story, The Curse of Capistrano, in 1919 in the All-Story Weekly magazine. 

McCulley, who was born on February 2, 1883 and died at age 75 on November 23, 1958, wrote many short stories, fifty novels, screenplays for film and television. His most famous character was Zorro.   

I also later watched the earlier Zorro films, which starred silent screen star Douglas Fairbanks in 1920’s The Mark of Zorro, and the 1940 remake with Tyrone Power. And I watched Frank Langella’s TV remake of The Mark of Zorro in 1974 and the 1998 remake with Antonio Banderas as Zorro.

I recall one Christmas as a young child when money was an issue with my family, and my brother and I were allowed to pick only one “big” gift. The supermarket at the time used to offer toy sets on the tops of their shelves, and that year the Zorro toy set was a popular one. The set consisted of the fort featured on the TV show and toy figures of all of the TV show’s characters. I loved that set, as I loved the TV series.

You can watch the opening and closing Zorro theme (with snippets) via the below link:

Zorro 1957 - 1959 Opening and Closing Theme (With Snippets) - YouTube

And you can watch a history of Zorro via the below link:

Zorro The Life and Legend of Zorro Disney - YouTube

You can also watch the two hour-long episodes of Zorro, with Gilbert Roland and Rita Moreno, via the below links:  

Zorro "El Bandido" 1/4 HD Colorizado - YouTube

Zorro "Adios El Cuchillo" 2/4 HD Colorizado - YouTube

Ralph Cipriano: Philly D.A. Krasner Covers Up Wall of Remembrance Of Cops Killed In Line Of Duty

 Ralph Cipriano at Bigtrial.net offers a piece on Philly DA Larry Krasner covering up the “Wall of Remembrance’ that honors cops killed in the line of duty. 

In a move that's sure to offend every cop in the city, District Attorney Larry Krasner's office has covered up a "Wall of Remembrance" that features dozens of plaques honoring hero cops who died in the line of duty. 

The Wall of Remembrance is located on the mezzanine level outside the Ray Harley Conference Room at the D.A.'s office at 3 S. Penn Square. 

"A fucking disgrace," said one cop. "Here's what Krasner thinks of cops who have died in the line of duty," texted another cop who sent along the photo at right. 

In the photo, the wall is covered with a sheet that bears repeated images of DAO logo of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. 

We already knew that Larry Krasner hates cops. When he was a defense lawyer, he sued the police department 75 times. At his victory party, the crowd chanted "Fuck the FOP."  

But this move is over the top. 

FOP President John McNesby was outraged. 

"He [Krasner] has been pissing on cops his whole career," McNesby wrote in an email. "This is a whole different situation when you smear the memories of those that gave their lives protecting the community in the line of duty." 

"Those in the Law Enforcement community sadly know what kind of person he is," McNesby said. "More of a reason to move him out of that position." 

The FOP has endorsed Carlos Vega for D.A., Krasner's opponent in the May 18th Democratic primary. 

As he has done for the past 19 months when fielding questions from Big Trial, Krasner didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Jane Roh, his alleged spokesperson.  

… There's at least 40 Philadelphia police officers who are assigned to work in the D.A.'s office. One of those cops was pissed when he saw the picture of the covered up Wall of Remembrance. 

"Fuck him. That's blatant disrespect," the cop said about Krasner. 

"How could a Philadelphia police officer walk into that building with his or her head held up high when the D.A. has covered up the faces of their brothers and sisters killed in the line of duty," said another cop. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

D.A. Covers Up Wall Memorializing Cops Killed In Line Of Duty | Big Trial | Philadelphia Trial Blog 

Mafia Framed Nurse After Killing Doctor Who Treated Sicilian Cosa Nostra Boss

Barbie Latza Nadeau at the Daily Beast offers a piece on the Cosa Nostra boss who orderedthe death of his doctor.

When urologist Attilio Manca was found dead with two heroin needles still sticking out of his wrist and elbow in 2004, none of his friends believed for one minute he had overdosed. For one, Manca, who died alone in his home, was left-handed and the needles were stuck in his left wrist and elbow, which would not have been a natural way to inject the drug. A distinct lack of fingerprints on the syringes still protruding from the doctor’s body were also suspicious. Even had the doctor been careful, he likely would have left at least one print on the plunger. And his friend, a nurse named Monica Mileti, who was ultimately convicted of selling him the fatal heroin and sentenced to five years in prison, just didn’t fit the bill of a drug pusher.

This week, after Mileti pushed to have her case re-examined, Italy’s high court agreed that she had not sold the doctor the heroin and cleared her name. The court also ruled that Manca had not in fact died of a self-inflicted heroin overdose, but a mob-ordered one after Italy’s anti-mafia parliamentary commission investigated the case. Manca, who was born in Sicily but died in Viterbo, near Rome, it is now believed, was secretly flown to France to operate on Bernardo Provenzano, the top boss of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, while he was in hiding.

Provenzano, who was famously arrested in a farmhouse in 2006 after 43 years on the run after police traced his freshly ironed shirts from his wife’s house to his hideout, died in prison in 2016. Several turncoats testified that Manca had been summoned to France to treat Provenzano's prostate cancer and that Provenzano was so afraid the doctor would rat him out and tell authorities where he was hiding, the capo dei capi or boss of bosses ordered his death. Manca had performed the first laparoscopic prostate surgery in Italy and had a reputation as a skilled surgeon.

You can read the rest of the story via the below lnk:

Mafia Framed Nurse After Killing Doctor Attilio Manca Who Treated Cosa Nostra Boss Bernardo Provenzano (thedailybeast.com) 

Wrapping Up The Kauffman Killing: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column On Action News Reporter Annie McCormick And Her Book, 'The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang'

Philadelphia Weekly published part two of my Crime Beat column on Action News reporter Annie McCormick and her book on the April Kauffman murder, The Doctor, the Hitman, and the Motorcycle Gang.(Camino Books). 

You can read the column via the below pages or via the below link:

Wrapping up the Kauffman killing - Philadelphia Weekly

You can read part one via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column On ABC Action News Reporter Annie McCormick And Her Book On A Murder-For-Hire 

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge.

Rush Limbaugh, Voice Of American conservatism, Dead At 70

James Varney at the Washington Times reports that conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh as died. 

One of America’s most distinctive and politically formidable voices fell silent Wednesday when talk radio host Rush Limbaugh died from lung cancer. He was 70 years old.

 

Mr. Limbaugh virtually created the position of conservative talk radio host, and the medium made him both an architect of the modern right in the U.S. and a very wealthy man. Week after week, from his “golden microphone” and studio in “sunny southern Florida,” Mr. Limbaugh’s often trenchant and humorous — and almost as often controversial — three-hour weekday show delighted conservatives and infuriated liberals.

 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/17/rush-limbaugh-voice-american-conservatism-dead-70/ 

A Little Humor: Most Wanted Posters

 A school class went on a field trip to a local police station. 

At the station, an officer points to the 10 Most Wanted posters on a wall and told the young children that these were the most dangerous and wanted fugitives in the country. 

One young boy looked at the wall of mugshots and pointed to a particularly scary looking individual and asked, “Is he is the most wanted in the country?” 

“Yes,” the officer replied. 

The young boy then asked, “Well, why didn’t you just keep him when you took his picture?”

Dems' Bill Creating A Publicly Accessible Gun Registry Called 'Very Dangerous': Would Require Gun Owners To Buy Firearms Insurance And Ban Certain Types Of Ammunition

 Jeff Mordock at the Washington Times offers a piece on proposed anti-gun legislation. 

Retired police officers are rallying against a Democratic bill to create a publicly accessible gun registry, saying it puts their lives in danger by advertising how many firearms are in their homes and where they are stored. 

The legislation, H.R. 127, would create a mandatory registry that lists the names of gun owners, the number of firearms they possess and where they keep the guns. 

It would require all gun owners to participate in the registry, irrespective of having a law enforcement background. Only current law enforcement would be exempt from the database.

“This is very dangerous, especially for retirees,” said Kevin Hassett, president of the Retired Police Association of the State of New York. “Things have gone so downhill with this level of hostility towards cops and we are out there with the label that we are no longer cops. Retired cops don’t have partners or backup. We are out there on our own.” 

Mr. Hassett stopped carrying a gun after he retired in 2003 but started packing again during rising anti-police sentiment from racial justice protests and riots. 

His organization’s members are putting pressure on lawmakers to oppose the bill. 

Some argue that everyone is safer by giving police and the public information about who has guns and where the guns are kept. Opponents of gun registries argue that registries are more likely to make law-abiding gun owners the targets of criminals looking to steal weapons. 

“This bill will go after all the lawful gun owners,” Mr. Hassett said. “If you are ever interested in robbing my house, you can look me up and know where my guns are stored.” 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/16/gun-registry-bill-sheila-jackson-lee-called-danger/?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=manual&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_content=newsalert&utm_term=newsalert&bt_ee=itkVaGagq%2Bws7%2Fn5tm%2BYKg%2FqStUCF23u2z3lIMxu6XN8QaHJhunJDHVRMPn2IgOp&bt_ts=1613524311844 

A Look Back At Humphrey Bogart In The Classic Crime Film 'The Desperate Hours'

 I recently watched the classic crime film The Desperate Hours. 

The 1955 film was directed by William Wyler and was based the play and novel by Joseph Hayes. 

What a terrific film. I saw it years ago and I enjoyed once again this story of three escaped convicts who hold a family hostage. 

Humphrey Bogart was truly outstanding as the leader of the criminals and Frederick March and Arthur Kennedy were also standouts in a fine cast. 

Paul Newman originally portrayed the gang leader on Broadway, which I would have loved to have seen, but the film makers wanted a bigger star for the film version and cast Bogart. 

Humphrey Bogart was menacing and mean and made for this meaty role. His scenes with Frederick March, the father of the family held hostage, were a tour de force.  

Director Michael Cimino remade the film, calling it Desperate Hours, in 1990. I thought it was awful. Cimino wasted the talents of Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins. 

So I recommend you skip the remake and watch Bogart in The Desperate Hours. 

You can watch the film online via the below link:

The Desperate Hours 1955 - Bogart, Fredric March, Martha Scott (ok.ru)