DOING GOD'S WORK

Amish guilty of hate crime
in beard cutting attacks

Friday Sep 21, 2012

Members of the Amish community enter the US Federal Courthouse
in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo / AP

An Amish bishop and 15 followers were convicted in the US state of Ohio of hate crime charges Thursday for a series of beard-cutting attacks against those they deemed had strayed from the faith.

Federal prosecutors argued that Samuel Mullet - who considered himself a god and above the law - unleashed a band of renegades who waged a "campaign of terror" against nine religious enemies and estranged family members last year.

"The evidence was that they invaded their homes, physically attacked these people and sheared them almost like animals," said US Attorney Steven Dettelbach.

"Our community and our nation must have zero tolerance for this type of religious intolerance."

The four separate raids were mainly carried out at night, with the victims forced out of bed, their beards and hair chopped off with horse mane shears and battery-powered clippers, and the roughshod barber work documented with embarrassing snapshots on a disposable camera.

Beards and long hair are sacred symbols of an Amish follower's devotion to God, and to cut them is humiliating.

Defense lawyers argued that the beard-cutting forays never reached the level of a hate crime - for conviction, a religious motive and bodily injury, including disfigurement, must be proven.

They argued that love and compassion drove the hair-cutting conflicts, which were intended to compel the victims to return to a conservative Amish lifestyle.

Mullet, 66, was the religious and social leader of a breakaway settlement of 18 families in Bergholz, a pastoral farming community of rolling hills and valleys located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Cleveland.

The father of 18 children, and a multi-millionaire, Mullet was charged with ordering the beard-cutting attacks, but not accused of participating in them.

Among those convicted of conspiracy and federal hate crime charges - which carry a minimum of 17 years behind bars - were three of Mullet's sons.

Mullet's lawyer said he was shocked by the verdicts.

"There was very little, in fact no evidence connecting Sam Mullet to any of these matters," said defense attorney Edward Bryan.

"The government was successful in convincing the jury that he had a Svengali-like influence over these people."

The case attracted widespread media attention, providing a curious public a rare window into the historically reclusive and peaceful Amish society.

For three weeks, the staid courthouse acquired the atmosphere of an Amish communal dining hall, with 16 bearded men and bonneted women seated alongside 16 separate defense lawyers at five tables spread across half of the courtroom.

The gallery was typically filled with Amish observers gathered for the spectacle - the men clad in denim and suspenders, the women in aprons and dresses. Supporters of the prosecution sat on one side of the aisle, supporters of the Bergholz clan on the other.

Witnesses portrayed Mullet as a fire-and-brimstone preacher and iron-fisted autocrat who imposed strict and often bizarre discipline on his flock of 18 families. Several labeled the group a cult.

Mullet read and censored all ingoing and outgoing mail, punished wrongdoers with spanking and confinement in chicken coops, and had sex with several of the young married women under the guise of marital counseling and absolution.

More in the nzherald

Peter’s Piece

One can only trust that the court will persuade the Ohio Amish of the error of their ways.

But religious zealotry is not confined to the Amish. It is standard practice in many religions to use intimidation, punishment, shame and even physical force in doing ‘God’s work.’

Some religious leaders seem to believe that they are above the law and their followers should not complain about their treatment, however vile it may be.

In most democracies the citizens can have an input into the law-making process and can even visit the legislature and witness the enactment of new laws, or the repeal of old laws.

But no one can honestly say that they have made submissions to God on God’s laws, or that they have witnessed God enacting any laws, and God help us if lawyers ever get into the business of advising on God’s laws.

A RICH BOY'S TOY

HondaJet Design
Wins 2012 AIAA Award

By Flying Staff / Published: Sep 20, 2012

The HondaJet

Even as the large-light HondaJet continues to make headway in flight and ground testing toward a scheduled 2013 certification, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is recognizing the man behind the aircraft – president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Michimasa Fujino – for the aerodynamic innovations that lie within the jet’s distinctive design.

The Institute has awarded Fujino the 2012 AIAA Aircraft Design Award for the HondaJet’s most unique and eye-catching characteristic – it’s over-the-wing engine configuration – a design feature that sets it apart from its peers in the light-jet category and defies traditional engineering . . . .

More in Flying: FLYING

AFTER THE DRUG LORD

Colombia: Drug lord's
decaying paradise

By Amy Rosenfeld Thursday Aug 9, 2012

Tourists can now wander freely around the former holiday mansion of infamous cocaine trafficker Pablo Escobar, writes Amy Rosenfeld.

The swimming pool at Pablo Escobar's former
holiday mansion  Photo / Amy Rosenfeld

Standing on the second-storey balcony of the crumbling, charred lakeside nightclub, it's difficult to imagine this was once the playground of one of the world's most notorious drug lords.

Pablo Escobar's bar - or remnants of it - jut out onto the abandoned dance floor. What was built to be the center of the party, where Colombia's underbelly cooked up drugs and plots, now rests under layers of dust and graffiti.

Over the hill, Escobar's holiday mansion is in even worse shape.

The swimming pool, inlaid with an elaborate mosaic pattern, is filled with rainwater and debris, the domed roof of the entranceway lies cracked on the earth, spindly trees fighting to grow through the rubble.

But the mansion's key draw card remains virtually unchanged from when Escobar and his entourage ruled these shores: a glittering, panoramic view of the expansive Lake Guatapé.

The solitary difference is that the lake surface, once used as a landing strip for drug-laden planes, is now heavy with holidaymakers on powerboats and jet skis.

Since Escobar's getaway was bombed by his rivals, the Cali Cartel, in 1992, the site has been left to mold and decay.

But one of the world's richest and most-wanted men once called this place his paradise. And it's not hard to see why.

Known as "the town of Zócalos" after the brightly-painted square tiles that skirt each cottage, Guatapé has a quaint, small-town feel. It's only two hours away from the party-haven of Medellín, but very far removed in all other respects.

The town of 11,000 people offers the perfect spot for any traveler looking to enjoy some time on the water, while avoiding the suffocating heat and hustlers that plague Colombia's coastal towns.

Midweek, the stalls selling snacks and souvenirs are quiet, and the lake-spanning zipline is closed. But on long weekends, which seem as common as arepas and coffee in Colombia, guests spill out of the few hostels and hotels and into the welcoming arms of tour guides.

Unlike tourist hotspots like Tayrona or Taganga, however, the majority of holidaymakers come from no further than Bogota or Cartagena.

Somehow, Guatapé seems to have avoided becoming part of Colombia's 'Gringo trail', but the increasing numbers of foreign day trippers from Medellín suggest it may not stay this way for long.

The lake, in reality a huge hydro-electric dam, encompasses dozens of islands, endless hidden coves, and one underwater town.

The story goes that the residents of Viejo Peñol, less than thrilled with the government's decision to flood their homes to build the dam, were only convinced to leave after a bomb was set off in the town church.

Now regular boat tours take travelers to visit a solitary cross peeking above the lake surface, marking the place where the church once stood . . . .

Full story in nzherald

Peter’s Piece

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (1949-1993) was a Columbian drug lord, narco-terrorist and politician who amassed a personal fortune of $3 billion US dollars.

He operated his own fleet of aircraft, including a Learjet, for running cocaine into the United States. At the peak of his drug-running, Escobar was moving half a ton of cocaine daily.

Escobar bribed, intimidated or murdered everyone who stood in his way. His once said that people had two choices; money or bullets. He is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.

He died in a hail of bullets on December 2, 1993 while attempting to escape over roof-tops.

RACISM AND COWARDICE

Muslims help to track extremists

Islamic leaders urge an end to protests

By Greg Ansley

5:30 AM Wednesday Sep 19, 2012  New Zealand Herald

Protesters march through Sydney. Photo / AFP

Islamic leaders have moved rapidly to stamp on extremists within their communities and heal serious rifts with other Australians in the wake of last Saturday's violent riot in Sydney.

Leaders of a wide range of Islamic groups met in Sydney and Melbourne - where they were joined by the city's Coptic Christian Bishop - as police tracked ringleaders through inflammatory texts and dozens of tips from within the Muslim community.

With conservative columnists and politicians calling for tougher measures, including demands for new barriers to Islamic immigration, Muslim organizations and websites received hundreds of death threats and abusive messages.

The leaders of 25 Sydney Muslim organizations yesterday condemned the violence, called for the "handful" of extremist troublemakers to be identified and punished by law, and urged that there be no further protests.

Texts obtained by ABC television's 7.30 Report advocated confrontation to deliver a strong message not only against the YouTube video mocking the Prophet Muhammad, but also other "intentional and deliberate attempts" to humiliate Islam.

The ABC also reported that protest leaders included some radicals with known links to Islamic extremism, including cases involving charges in 2005 brought against five men for planning a terror attack.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is examining the possibility of cancelling the visas of any non-citizens charged in connection with the riot.

Lebanese Muslim Association president Samier Dandan told a press conference yesterday that it was no surprise people known to police were among the alleged ringleaders, and that the Muslim community would help to identify them . . . .

Full story in New Zealand Herald

Peter’s Piece

Whether it is racist films, emails or text messages the perpetrators are usually unsavory people who often have a criminal history.

They are filthy cowards who rely on gullible people to pass on their dirty work to others. People who receive and pass on hate propaganda thinking it will give their friends a laugh, or worse stir up hatred, are cowards too.

Racism is popular almost all over the world, but that doesn’t make it right.

Racists should try circulating or debating something that will make the world a better place, a cause they genuinely believe in, even if it may not be a popular cause.

FAKE BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviews:
Seeking the elusive truth

From The Independent Publishing Magazine

Amidst the recent book review scandals, which have tarnished the whole industry and made readers question the source and validity of many book reviews, Leslie Ramey, co-founder of Grub Street Reads, asks if now is the time for an impartial review system and seal of approval. She presents another option for readers and authors.

It’s not news for anyone in the business of writing and selling books that fake book reviews are a common, almost accepted, dirty secret within the industry. Readers, for the most part, remained blissfully innocent that many of the glowing, 5 star Amazon reviews on the novel they just purchased may have been faked by the author or written by a paid lackey who never even read the book.

Dirty laundry, however, has a way of crawling out into the sunlight. A recent expose in the New York Times on a defunct company that charged authors as much as $999 for positive book reviews fanned the flames of scandal. This was quickly followed by the discovery that well-known crime novelist R J Ellory was not only writing positive reviews for his books through a series of fake accounts, but also slamming the books of other authors.

TIPM has covered this growing scandal in detail, so instead of delving into the specifics, I’ll just sum up with what I consider to be the most stunning factoid to come out of this whole mess. Cited in the NY Times article, data expert Bing Liu estimated that about one third of all consumer reviews on the Internet are fake.

Ouch!

We all know that readers are swimming (some say drowning) in the massive amount of books coming to the market through traditional and self-published routes. Aside from recommendations from family and friends, book reviews and ratings were one of the few ways readers could judge the quality of a book. In fact, a 2010 report by The Bookseller found that book reviews contributed to roughly 13% percent of book sales. These book review scandals are sure to land a huge blow to reader confidence and take away one of the few tools self-published authors had to prove the quality of their work.

So, if books reviews can no longer be trusted, where do we readers and self-published authors go from here?

Some authors have publicly pledged to never take part in “sock puppeting”. While this is a laudable action, I doubt that it will make much of a ripple in popular reader sentiment. Let’s face it, book reviews are easy to fake and easy (though not necessarily cheap) to pay for. This scandal has raised awareness of the issue, but I doubt it’s done anything but temporarily stemmed the tide of fake reviews.

Now that the scales have fallen off the eyes of readers, they may never trust in book reviews again, which means it’s time to find an alternative and unimpeachable way to establish a book’s quality.

Alright, now it’s confession time.  I wasn’t exactly displeased when this book scandal broke, because my business partner, Jessica Bennett, and I have recently launched a company – Grub Street Reads – with the goal of creating an unimpeachable, third-party quality standard for independently and self-published books.

As a voracious reader, I know how confusing things have gotten over the last couple of years with so many self-published books flooding the market. Many of them are excellent, but a lot of them are…well, I like to say they’re still in “rough draft form”. It’s easy to get burned, which is why so many readers value reviews.

I also happen to be a self-published author myself, and I speak regularly with other self-published authors, so I know how untrustworthy reviews can be. Even the honest ones are usually written by sympathetic friends and family who just click 5 stars to avoid tears and accusations at the dinner table.

There have long been calls from writers and readers for an unbiased, third-party system to establish a quality standard for the indie and self-published book market.

Thus, Grub Street Reads was born. Our premise is simple. We believe that all good stories, no matter their genre or the specifics of the plot, share fundamental traits like well-developed characters, a consistent plot, strong pacing, and few, if any, grammatical errors.

The GSR endorsement is given to those novels that meet these basic quality standards. It’s that simple. Grub Street Reads functions as a third party vetting system, and our endorsement proves that a novel has been tried and tested and earned a passing mark (not given by the author’s mother or spouse).

I know that I’m bragging, but I can’t help but be excited about GSR. Jessica and I believe, and studies show, that consumers value seals of approval. It tells them that the endorsed product has met a standard, which makes it a less risky purchase . . . .

Read more:  http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/

Peter’s Piece

Books, hotels and a million other products and services claim endless five star reviews and never-ending high praise, but how many are genuine?

There is a better way, a way in which the reader does his or her own review. In a bookshop the reader can flick through the pages, read a paragraph or two and make a decision. That’s in a bookshop. But fewer books are being sold in bookshops as the e-book surge brushes them aside.

The prospective buyer of my books can download a free sample charge (usually 15%) without obligation to buy. It is a genuine free sample which makes almost all readers want to buy the book.

But even when readers decide to download my other e-books they can start with a free sample of the book. Using this reader’s-own-review strategy my e-book sales now exceed my print book sales.

No one knows better than the reader what he or she wants to read.

You be the judge -

download a free sample

of any of these books now

Great reading now available from Amazon or Smashwords

A SPOOKY HOTEL

For sale: A friendly
woman ghost

By Joanne Carroll

5:30 AM Sunday Sep 16, 2012

The Foveaux Hotel at Bluff, New Zealand comes with its own ghost

A southern New Zealand hotel haunted by a ghost who likes tall men is for sale.

Guests at the Foveaux Hotel in Bluff regularly claim a bedroom door has been opened by a female ghost.

Owner Nikki Little believed the ghost was of Mary Cameron, the original owner of the Temperance Hotel which was constructed on the Gore Street site in 1899.

The Temperance Hotel was demolished to make way for the construction of the art deco-style Foveaux Hotel in the 1930s, but Mary's spirit apparently lived on in the premises.

She said the ghost tended to favor tall male guests staying in room two.

"Every time we have tall men staying in room two they report the bedroom door opening by itself. Sometimes they complain to us that the door is broken or won't close but when we go up it just closes. But it's not a scary ghost," she said.

The hotel will be auctioned by Bayleys in Queenstown on September 27.

By Joanne Carroll | Email Joanne

More in the Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz

Peter’s Piece

For many years a rumor circulated about a ghost in a room at the old Chateau Tongariro in the central North Island.

It was reported that some guests who were ‘unwelcome’ would wake up in the morning to find their luggage already packed and placed outside the door.

I was unaware of these rumors until I stayed in that room one night and was obliged to get up and close the door three times during the night. The last time I checked by pulling on the door after closing it to find that it was firmly shut. But in the morning it was open again.

The old hotel had been used as a mental hospital during the 1940's and rumor had it that a patient had hung himself in that room and some people believed that he was still there protecting his territory with subtle urgings for guests to depart.

Find the friendly ghost in this great read

To download a free sample read, click here

RULES THAT CAN KILL

Failure of railway crossing regulations caused train crash

By Abby Gillies

3:31 PM Thursday Sep 13, 2012 New Zealand Herald

                                                                Photo / Thinkstock

A New Zealand railway crossing north of Wellington where a bus was hit by a freight train last year failed to comply with regulations, a transport investigation has found.

Six passengers and the driver got out of harm's way only moments before the train smashed into the "super-low-floor" bus after it became stuck on the track on Beach Rd in Paekakariki on October 31.

The crossing and a short section of road leading up to the intersection was not compatible with long and low road vehicles as required by NZ Transport Agency rules, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission has found.

The bus became stuck on two of the three sets of tracks and could not be freed by the driver who tried several methods, said the report.

There was also not enough "stacking distance" for the bus, or other vehicles longer than 10 meters to stop at the intersection and remain clear of the clear of the tracks, the commission found.

Another 251 crossings have similar stacking distance issues.

The report has made a number of recommendations about the layout, profile and stacking distance issues at the Beach Rd crossing and others around the country as a result of the investigation to improve safety.

It also said drivers of large road vehicles should should carry the National Train Control Centre emergency telephone number so they can alert the train controller in any similar situation.

More in the Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news

Peter’s Piece

The New Zealand Transport Agency and the rail operator appear not to be on the same planet as drivers of commercial vehicles.

There is a law requiring drivers of buses, and trucks carrying dangerous goods, to stop before crossing tracks that do not have alarms and barrier arms, but at most crossings that is impractical and dangerous.

At many crossings, once a large vehicle is stopped the driver is unable to get a clear view of the tracks. With many crossings a driver can have a good view while approaching but can be blind once stopped because of crossing angles and obstructions.

The law for trucks and buses at railway crossings should be the same as for cars. 

HIGHWAY AMERICA