By Livia Sappington

Parents gathered in Irina Rhordes’ living room to plan their kids’ bike tour to the Wild Wild West.   Uniforms, bikes, training, and financing of the trip had to be discussed while the boys were bonding; playing video games in the other part of the house.

The Lewis & Clark Great Falls trip to Missoula, Montana is organized by Craig Johnston, a teacher at  Palm Desert Charter Middle School.  He created Historic Youth Tours that runs yearly student bicycling adventures and has organized three previous events.  This next undertaking will introduce students to the challenges and accomplishments of the Corps of Discovery which took place more than 200 years ago as they follow the Lewis and Clark journey route.  The trip will help these pupils develop awareness of and appreciation for the natural history of west-central Montana as well as build their confidence by completing a challenging adventure.

Nine eight-grade students and three adults will travel to Missoula by large passenger van.  Bicycles and gear will be transported by way of a cargo trailer towed by the van.  A combination of hotels and commercial camp sites will be utilized during the trip.  The participants have been training for weeks as they must meet a certain level of fitness and should demonstrate safe road-riding skills before July 27th, when they will embark on their two-week expedition. 

The kids are very excited about the adventure.  “It gives me a chance to get out of the desert and bond with my friends over the two weeks.” – said Zack Rhodes, 13.  “The trip let’s me learn to be myself and connect with my friends for more than school does.  I will learn to be responsible and we will all become a family, not to mention that we will have the time of our lives.” – added Scheridan Vorwalter, and Mark Cieslikowski likes the trip because “I want to see the great outdoors…” 

The total cost for the trip per student is $1,475 including transportation, lodging, food, camping fees and supplemental insurance.  The money is raised through the combination of personal contributions and group fundraising efforts.   On Saturday, May 29, 2010 a team of students and their parents will be at the College of the Desert Street Fair at Monterey and Fred Waring in Palm Desert promoting their trip and raising funds by selling car-washes and novelty items.  You can find the group at the Historic Youth Tours booth between 7 AM and 2 PM with their bikes, wearing their uniforms. 

You can support the Lewis & Clark Great Falls Student Bicycling Adventure by stopping by at the Desert Street Fair this Saturday, or by sending your donations to Historic Youth Tours, Inc., P.O. Box 12099, Palm Desert, CA 92255.  Contributions will be appreciated and are tax deductible.  Donors will receive a “thank you” note from the organization along with their tax ID.  For more details on this and future tours, contact Craig Johnston at 760-341-4543.

Source Wikipedia

Nairobi, Kenya – It was very terrifying when the head of the SOS-Kinderdorf International Mr. Helmut Kutin has visited the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi last year. One moment was when the president received several youth bursting with cry and several other wailing. The children were complaining from food shortage and difficulties on their school fees. Helmut Kutin, felt stressed, and he talked his mother language, a German accent, in which he was seen consulting with his East African employees.

It was terrifying and the media people who were advertising him have changed their mid and begun looking at the complaints of the children. SOS-Children’s Villages are association those come under the umbrella organization SOS-Kinderdorf International. This organization is really very rich and invites almost every person to donate to them so that an orphan is fed, gotten for shelter etc. Historic events say that at times of its founder, Hermann Gmeiner, he used to take great care about his orphaned children inside the centers especially those in the poorest countries, the abandoned children of his era were satisfied with his work and had never suffered.

When Hermann Gmeiner died, Helmut Kutin was selected. The father had realized that if he selected Kutin he could be a model for all children, the other issue being that Helmut Kutin was an orphan himself and marketed the organization as he attracted almost every person in the world. Unfortunately, Helmut Kutin’s era has never granted favors for the insiders (orphans).

Most of the abandoned children were sent back to the streets whereby few of them have sponsorship through vocational trainings. Reports reveal that Kutin’s villages lack students who are enthusiastic about receiving university education; the SOS orphans in Africa do have a big challenge in getting such priority for their lives.

I have met, a journalist from SOS at the regional office in East Africa, Hillary Atkins she is currently one of the management there. Hillary talked to me but closed our speech by mentioning for me she is only a journalist that works for top officials in the organization, and produced the in-house journal. I have stressed that what I’m talking about was an orphan’s rights and its investigations, for my permanence. Helmut Kutin arrived in June last year, but what was overwhelmed by orphan’s complaints, that his children were coming to him and asking for several things.

African children and their current condition:

Somalia is the worst country. Children are currently a target by the Islamist groups. Recently a group of child rights associations condemned the Al-Shabaab Al-Mujaahediin to quit recruiting smaller children for war. It was on Wednesday when Somalia children rights groups expressed a deep concern over several children who were recruited from western countries to be used in war zones. Al-Shabaab is linked to Al-Qaeda and is the largest terror network in East Africa.

Al-Shabaab captured the SOS-Children’s Villages center in Mogadishu soon after a clinic nurse, Sister Nionella was murdered by staff sent by “Aden Ceyrow” a terror leader who had also been killed in Somalia’s central regions by a US drown attack. Soon after, their mission concentrated on the employees and the children inside the orphanage.

In a video cassette, I have recorded the situation of the children inside the SOS-children, most of the children complained that there is no service in Somalia and youth have evacuated to Nairobi where they are confident they may one day meet their father, Helmut Kutin.

“We have heard Hermann Gmeiner used to provide youth with anything they like as long as their background is from an SOS-Children’s Village” said an SOS girl. The youth explained that the operators of this time are not providing children with what they want.

Reports from the organization claim that SOS-Children’s Villages is the richest organization for the orphaned, abandoned and destitute children on the earth. Hermann Gmeiner founded it while having 600 Austrian shillings in his Pocket (40 US$) in 1949. Hermann Gmeiner was also a philanthropist who has met many important people throughout the world only so that these children succeed in better future. According to the financial times in 2004 SOS turnover was $804 million and as well donors from around the world says “They are ready to give to orphans with better and best lives for their future”

Journalists on humanitarian issues confirm that SOS youth fails mostly at the departure time. Departure time means that a child is forced to get out of the village and make his own living outside the center. Stories have been written that SOS-Children’s Villages, although a private organization, it never cares if these children suffer from unknown aftermath caused by their earlier or late departure. Youth at the time of leaving village worry and, wonders what will happen or who he/she will stay with, because, they do not know where to turn to moreover; there is no sound economical structure or training to begin employment. SOS-Children’s Villages have ignored the plight of the modern orphans, abandoned and the helpless children at its own hand; while it can sustain, media report added.

What many people are happy is that many know where the money is lost, why the money has been lost and that there is not fifty-fifty divide over the expense, in favor for children. SOS-Children’s Villages hires the best offices in towns and cities worldwide while children and youth were not clothed and fed nicely. Recent information says the organization is ranked 33 out of 100 for global accountability since it has been established. The SOS-Children’s Villages staff enjoys the modern welfare status while their noble families are filled with health and educational coverage-the sponsored SOS-kids never get it, investigations stress.

“I have heard from the village father my sponsor is from Europe, we do not receive our sponsors greeting letters at seasonal occasions, I have found  one envelope for last year in the office dust bin, because management do not want us to learn the contact address” said SOS youth. Studies say orphaned children and youth are sometimes called for a serious economical development by their sponsors and these intentions are mostly unseen.

Several Somali orphans evacuees in Kenya say their brothers were recently hired for “Holy War” a fatal war which is currently going on in Somalia. Child rights groups in Somalia criticizes that many humanitarian companies including SOS are pursuing political interest and not thinking about youth from the SOS-Children’s Villages joining terrorism activities. They said SOS hospital should stop medical, and food supplies to feed terrorism frustrating the government and A.U. peace-keeping soldiers on the ground.

Burhan Hassan

WorldnewsVine-Kenya

First Lady Michelle Obama

By: Livia Sappington

On March 31^st  First Lady Michelle Obama will host a White House Council on Women and Girls’ Forum on Workplace Flexibility in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building about the importance of more flexible workplace practices that are sensitive to the needs of American Families.

“Millions of women and men across the country struggle to balance the demands of their jobs and the needs of their families.  Too often caring for a child or an aging parent can strain a career – sometimes to the point of job loss… As the parents of two young girls, Michelle and I understand the challenges America’s working families face and we are looking forward to hearing from moms, dads, business leaders, advocates and experts about their ideas for creating and encouraging flexible workplaces, so that working Americans do not have to choose between their careers and meeting the needs of their families.” – said President Obama announcing the forum.  The President will also be a featured speaker at the event on Wednesday.

The forum will be an opportunity for CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, and workplace policy experts to share their ideas and strategies for making the workplace more flexible for American workers and families.

Source:  White House

By: Victor Ulasi

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCD) of Nigeria has stated the 190 people died of measles in 2009 nationwide due to lack of vaccine and inadequate numbers of trained medical providers to administer the vaccination.

In Northern Nigeria and some rural remote areas, parents refuse to have their children vaccinated, as they believe that it is a way the United States of America invented to kill their children and prevent the mothers from having more children.

The issue of immunization is nothing to write home about, immunization exercise has decreased in Nigeria as most of the people reject the treatment, while others prefer the traditional method to the modern one.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCD) Dr. Mohammad Pate disclosed the menace at the opening ceremony of the national meeting of experts on Measles in Minna, Nigeria. He further said that the disease was able to claim lives as people reject immunizations and more would if nothing is done. He maintained that the diseases are a result of decline due to immunization.

He said the agency would intensify its campaigns on immunization to ensure that the effect of the disease remained on the decline, adding that it had one million doses of Measles vaccines for distribution to all parts of the country. He added that Nigeria had since 2008 witnessed a decline in the number of confirmed Measles cases from 5,000 to 1,000.

Plans had been concluded by the agency to target children between the ages of one and five for immunization. Pate urged the National Assembly to appropriate sufficient funds for the agency to enable it discharge its responsibility of immunizing children against preventable killer diseases.

File Photo (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Washington, D.C. (Mar 23) – President Obama has announced plans to hold an open forum in March 31st at the White House to discuss possible adjustments at the workplace for both working men and women that are balancing the needs of both their careers, and dependents living at home.

Both the President and the First Lady plan to attend the meeting to, “discuss the importance of creating workplace practices that allow America’s working men and women to meet the demands of their jobs without sacrificing the needs of their families.”

Invited to the meet at the White House are labor leaders, CEOs, small business owners, and policy experts to collaborate on making a more flexible workplace for American workers and families.

President Obama issued the following statement, “Millions of women and men across the country struggle to balance the demands of their jobs and the needs of their families. Too often, caring for a child or an aging parent can strain a career– sometimes to the point of job loss,” further adding ““As the parents of two young girls, Michelle and I understand the challenges America’s working families face and we are looking forward to hearing from moms, dads, business leaders, advocates and experts about their ideas for creating and encouraging flexible workplaces, so that working Americans do not have to choose between their careers and meeting the needs of their families.”

Two English boys in their late teens died last week from taking a drug called mephedrone which is also known as meow, due to it’s chemical name M-Cat,  apparently.  It is known by different names all over the country, in Scotland it is called ‘moonshine’…  But there are no ‘Dukes’ style shenanigans involved in supplying the drug, you just need to order it on the Internet.  The drug mimics the effects of ecstasy or cocaine and is being taken by children who have probably never been near coke or ecstasy before, this is

because legal highs are being confused with safe alternative and kids are dying because no one is taking the time to tell the truth about drugs.   Mephedrone is illegal, contrary to popular belief, but it is only illegal if it does not have the words “not for human consumption” stamped on the pack, because as well as giving you a buzz it is also good for your plants…  It doubles as plant food and is legal for that purpose.  David Nutt, the former advisor on drugs to the UK Government who was fired for letting the public know that marijuana is illegal for political and not scientific reasons as claimed, and that riding a horse is more dangerous than taking ecstasy, told the press this week that he had warned his former employers about the inevitable rise in legal highs, only to be ignored.  Taking into account how his career with the Government ended I am curious to know why they bothered hiring the professor and his team in the first place.

When I was in high school the big new drug “on the street” was ecstasy, a girl called Leah Betts died after taking a pill she was told to be ecstasy, it obviously wasn’t, at least not completely, but that started a mass campaign in which children were given the parents choice of drug talks, that all drugs will kill you if you take them…  Well, obviously not all drugs…  The ones that really mess you up are perfectly legal, and in some cases insisted upon.  People are quick to sedate their hyper child for years, but don’t stop to think that the disgusting convenience food that your Government allows on every street corner is more likely the cause rather than some made up condition that is nothing more than a collection of letters used to sell prescription drugs and fill you with fear.

I was shocked at the level of self medicating that I witnessed in LA, every out of work valley girl was on something, usually for some made up condition that couldn’t possibly affect someone who lives in the sun and doesn’t work; stress and anxiety etc.  If you feel anxious everyday then stop popping pills and drinking starbucks…  Just some free advice.  It is no coincidence that the people who push these drugs offer no alternative…  At least the guys who sell recreational drugs usually have a list of things they can provide…  In Amsterdam they have a physical menu.

The laws regarding cannabis in particular here in the UK are so confusing that even the Police on the beat don’t know for sure if they should arrest you or give you a light.  What is for certain though is that the Government allow the production and sale of brightly coloured, sugar filled alcoholic drinks, known as alcopops,  that are blatantly marketed at youngsters, despite growing numbers of children being admitted to hospital with drink related ailments.  In some towns and cities in Britain it is completely acceptable to drink in the streets, just 5 minutes ago I saw two guys bouncing down the street laden with cans of Stella Artois, a premium lager affectionately known as ‘wifebeater’.  They will probably drink the whole lot and then jump someone because, not to stereotype, they seemed like the sort of horrible thugs that would do a thing like that…  Things are so bad here that there are some people I have met who seemed genuinely shocked when I told them booze and tobacco are drugs, and then positively seething when I compared them to drug users.  To quote a famous and passionate lover of illegal and legal drugs alike…  “Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?” No George, it would appear they are not.

Drugs have been used a lot longer than Governments have been around.  If there was a garden of Eden,  you can be sure there were some trippy drugs growing in it, talking snakes?  Flaming swords?  Sounds like a party.  With that in mind I wonder why the education on drugs is so out dated and dangerous.  It is like groups who condemn contraception at the same time they tell kids to not have sex because of religion and fail to mention the increasing number of STDs floating around because they are too embarrassed or ignorant, depending how you look at it.  God or not, kids will have sex eventually and if you give the kids bad advice they will take heed as they would with good advice, it seems like a no brainer to me.

Again I find myself rambling, it is a subject that causes me a lot of pain.  I should maybe try living in a democratic country and not just one that throws the word about to keep us impressed with ourselves.  If I wanted to eat the bark from a tree I would pick some and give it a go…  If I wanted to drink molten lava there are no laws stopping me, granted it would be high on the list of dumbest things I have ever done…  But you get my point.  If something grows in nature how can it be illegal?  Marijuana is a popular drug, almost everyone I know has smoked it at some point, most of my friends are probably high right now.  That being the case, how can a Government say anything about recession with a straight face?  You want out of economic crisis, legalise weed.  Stop the money goin to drug dealers, some of whom sprinkle powdered glass onto weed to add weight and mimic THC, as a tax paying citizen I demand more from my Government, I would rather my money was spent on the advancement of drug awareness,  rather than my money being spent on developing more intricate and horrifying ways to kill other human beings.

Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland - Courtesy of Wikipedia

The Catholic Church starts this new week with yet more claims of abuse, which is funny considering they have always been so adamant that sort of thing doesn’t go on.  From high up on his bejewelled throne in his sprawling palace of hypocrisy, the Pope maintains his position that there is no sex with children, and certainly no cover ups in the Catholic Church.  Someone should tell the people in Ireland who, it was revealed this week, were abused and then forced to sign affidavits saying they wouldn’t talk to anyone about it, because I’m sure those people would love to know that they weren’t actually abused…  The Pope said so, and he wouldn’t lie to protect his priests, would he?

Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland is being sued by a female victim of “notorious paedophile” Father Brendan Smyth who claims she was abused for 5 years.  It would appear that Brady knew of the abuse, and indeed had in his office signed statements of the abused, yet he decided not to share the information with the police. 

Despite the bad publicity for his church, and vocal calls to do so, Brady is refusing to quit, “I don’t believe this is a resigning matter.”  The “this” he refers to is his complicity in the sexual abuse of children whom his church were trusted with educating and protecting, just incase you missed that bit…  Just to clarify, he put his religion ahead of the law, and he doesn’t think it is something worth resigning over.

It took around 20 years for the church to admit they knew about Smyth the “notorious paedophile” and his role as abuser, they never fired him though, they just moved the “notorious paedophile” from place to place, sending him on a sort of world tour of prepubescent children where he found himself sampling the innocent children of Ireland, UK and the USA…  A very clever strategy.  Smyth died in jail 13 years ago, he was serving only 12 years for over 70 sickening cases of sexual abuse.

The strongest voice in the calls for Brady to resign is the Irish Survivors of Child Abuse, and their co-founder Patrick Walsh who has condemned the church, their constant state of denial and their self preservation.  The Catholic Information Office has confirmed Brady’s role as recording secretary during the secret meetings with the abused, where it is believed they were forced to sign affidavits saying that they would talk only with specific priests and not go public.

The Bishop of Alessandria, Giuseppe Versaldi, has claimed that Pope Benedict is “leading the battle against paedophilia.”  Then the Bishop went on to say that of the 3000 cases only 300 are paedophilia in “the truest sense”…  I’m sure the millions of children that have been raped by priests the world over are happy to know that it they might not have been raped “in the truest sense”.  I’m glad that he agrees that 300 is “still too many”, at least there is that…  But he also seems to imply that genuine “sexual attraction” makes it OK…  Because the creepy old, sweaty paedo priest is exactly the quality that little boys look for in a lover.

The usual argument is that if they allowed priests to marry then they wouldn’t have sex with children, which is understandable, but pretty dumb.  If they wanted to have sex with women, there are plenty of them in churches up and down the country.  The paedo priest, strangely enough, isn’t interested in women…  Changing their rules wouldn’t stop this disgusting side of the church, harsher sentencing would be a start.

Friday, 29 January 2010

January 17, 2010

Phoenix, AZ – Early this morning, a convicted child molester who left a men’s shelter in Mesa in August 2009 with three other sex offenders, was returned to the United States after surrendering to authorities in Mexico.

In August 2009, Randy Brown, age 24, along with Donald Temple, Matthew Ellsworth, and Manual Dominguez left the East Valley Men’s Shelter in Mesa where they were required to reside as a condition of their probation. This facility is a transitional living center comprised partially of offenders on probation. All four individuals were on lifetime Maricopa County probation after their convictions in separate offenses for molestation of a child. Their victims ranged in age from four to eleven years old.

Late last night, Brown surrendered to authorities in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico and was taken into custody. He was then deported to the United States early this morning in Douglas, Ariz where he booked into the Cochise County Jail pending extradition to Maricopa County. U.S. Marshals in Phoenix and Tucson coordinated Brown’s surrender and return to the United States.

Last week, Temple and Ellsworth were located and taken into custody at a residence in Chihuahua, Mexico by state police based on information developed by the U.S. Marshals Service in Phoenix and deported to the United States. Dominguez is still at large.

United States Marshal David Gonzales added, “The United States Marshals Service is committed to locating fugitives who prey on children. By coordinating with our counterparts in Mexico, a convicted child molester is now in custody.” The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined. For more information on other USMS Top 15 fugitives and USMS Major Cases, go to http://www.usmarshals.gov/.

Phoenix, AZ – A Phoenix man sought for the Parental Kidnapping of his nine year-old daughter was arrested this morning by members of the U.S. Marshals-led Child Predator Apprehension Team (CPAT), and Detectives with the Tempe Police Department at a residence in the area of 19th Ave and Southern in Phoenix.

Earl Nelson, 35, was wanted by the Schenectady (New York) Police Department after it was alleged that Nelson traveled from Phoenix to New York on December 21, 2009, kidnapped his nine year-old daughter from her mother, and returned to Phoenix. Detectives with the Schenectady Police Department contacted Deputy U.S. Marshals in Albany, NY and requested assistance in locating and arresting Nelson, as well as returning the kidnapped child to her mother. During the short fugitive investigation, information had been received that indicated that Nelson may have been trying to leave the United States and this information was quickly passed onto members of the Phoenix based CPAT. Early this morning, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Tempe PD Detectives established surveillance on Nelson’s residence and after a short period of time arrested Nelson without incident. The kidnapped child was released to a family friend until the mother arrived from New York.

United States Marshal David Gonzales praised the work of Deputies and law enforcement officers adding, “The United States Marshals Service has a special relationship with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and we along with our state and local partners will continue to use every available resource in locating children who are the true victims of these crimes.”

The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined. For more information on other USMS Top 15 fugitives and USMS Major Cases, go to http://www.usmarshals.gov/.

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America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency