A Bugs Life In iraq
 
 
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2004/07/16/news/valley_life/feature1.txt
 
 
Fighting bugs, half a world away

By CASEY RESSLER

Valley Life editor

Protecting U.S. soldiers in Iraq is a top priority, and sometimes the enemy isn't obvious. That's why Rocco Moschetti is headed to Iraq.

Moschetti left for Iraq this week, where he will spend a year trying to protect U.S. soldiers from disease-carrying bugs and other pests.

"The biggest thing over there is malaria and a disease called leishmaniasis, which is carried by the Iraqi sand flies," Moschetti said from Texas Monday morning, where he was awaiting a flight to Iraq. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to be doing once I get over there. I know they hire a lot of home-country nationals -- local people who do a lot of work. I'm going to be in a supervisory role."

Mosquitoes carry malaria in the Middle East, and the two diseases will be Moschetti's primary concerns.

"I'll be doing vector control, which is basically fighting anything that carries disease," Moschetti said. "Leishmaniasis is a nasty, nasty disease (see related story). Once you have it, there's no cure for it."

Moschetti has made a name for himself in Alaska as one of the top pest management experts. His experiences here will help him in Iraq he said.

"I've talked to a couple of people, and they said supplies and equipment are really limited," Moschetti said. "That's perfect for me because I've learned a lot of tips and tricks that are very environmentally conscious -- without using a lot chemicals."

Moschetti said he got the idea to apply after he was online at Pest Web Internet site. There was a forum and a link to the job application. He immediately was interested, applied and heard back three days later that he got the job. For the husband and father of three young daughters, the decision to go to Iraq was an economic one.

"I haven't talked to anybody who said they were going for any other reason other than money," Moschetti said. "It pays real well. There's a certain risk, but you have to deal with it. You could get killed, but you could get killed driving your truck in Alaska.

"My wife has driven the same car forever, it had over 300,000 miles on it and it died right before I left," Moschetti said. "Maybe I can get us out of debt, buy her a car, stuff like that.

"But there really are other reasons I decided to do it. I thought I had to do it because I can do some good in the world," Moschetti said. "This will be the most important thing I've ever been a part of. If I can go protect our troops and do good for the people, I have to do it."
Leaving his three daughters, ages 9, 7 and 4, and his wife was tough.

"There were a lot of tears shed by my family," he said. "It's kind of hard to talk about that right now."

His wife said she is "thankful for e-mail, that's for sure."

For security reasons, Moschetti isn't allowed to disclose the exact location of where he's headed. He said it is "northwest of Baghdad," and said the area isn't as unsafe as other locations in Iraq.
"It's not a very likely target for anything. It's really safe compared to other areas you see on the news," Moschetti said.

On Monday morning, Moschetti was in Texas after a round of preliminary tests prior to his departure to the Middle East. He was hoping to be on the way to Iraq by the middle part of the week, but things were changing on a constant basis.

Several flights he was scheduled for were canceled at the last minute, and he said he wasn't sure when he would ultimately be getting on the plane to the Middle East following all the changes.

"The processing procedure was very intense. I had all my shots and evaluations and signed my contract last week," Moschetti said. "Now I'm just sitting here in a holding pattern basically."
Moschetti owns Integrated Pest Management of Alaska, and he had to close the doors on the business before he left for Iraq.

Tentatively, the plan is to reopen the business when Moschetti returns from Iraq.
 
 
Editors Note: Roco has been contacted to see if he wants to become a contributor to this site.  

Balding men: Unite to defeat Kerry's coif of pomposity!

In June of 2003, when John Kerry was running third in the polls and facing an uphill battle in his quest to be the presidential nominee for the Democrats, I wrote a column titled "John's hair will Kerry the day." It was a light-hearted look at how the candidate with the best hair always seems to get the nomination. Now, Kerry's rubbing in the fact that he thinks he has the best hair, and it's time for the follicly challenged to fight back. The gloves are off ... along with our hair. Balding men of America: Unite to defeat John Kerry!

After announcing that his running mate would be John Edwards, who also has fairly thick hair – the way it lays and how it's parted loosely resembling how Janet Reno's used to look on a good day, except two feet lower – Kerry joked at a rally that "we have better hair."

It's time for the balding to fight back.

Those of us whose dome reflection can be seen from weather satellites are proud of the fact that we've only had to spend $8 on shampoo since the Carter administration, and can effectively and quickly comb our hair with a shrimp fork: Unite to defeat John Kerry!

Those of us who realize that baldness knows no barriers of race, religion or economic level – making it the ultimate in "fairness" for which Kerry-Edwards say they strive, then mock by bragging about their full heads of hair: Unite to defeat John Kerry!

Those who have tried to "keep up with the Joneses" (or Kerrys and Edwards in this case) and grew a comb-over, only to end up reeling in embarrassment after the long strips of hair were swept away by a stiff breeze – making their head look like a Cessna aircraft towing a "Ticket stub gets you half off cover charge at Frankie's" sign over a football stadium: Unite to defeat John Kerry!

Those of us who refuse to wear a toupee to gain faux acceptance from the superficial: Unite to defeat John Kerry!

There used to be only two reasons why bald men should never wear toupees: "Burt" and "Reynolds." Now there is a third reason: John Kerry. Don't let him mock you into covering your empty scalp with a hunk of Scotch-Guarded deep-pile shag posing as hair. There is no potential upside to wearing a toupee, and there are no good celebrity endorsers for toupees. Sam Donaldson looks like he has a dark flounder napping on his cranium, and every time I see William Shatner, I can only think that somebody somewhere is missing a toilet seat cover.

Unite to defeat Kerry for your bald brother, Dick Cheney, who, despite getting out of bed one morning and noticing that his hair didn't, has still made it to the level of vice president of the United States. The bald guy "glass ceiling" – or "chrome dome," in this case – is almost broken through. We can't stop now! John Kerry and the "good hair"-left try to discredit Cheney, saying that he and Halliburton are reaping a fortune from war, but it's really just an ivory tower hair thing. Besides, if there were so much money in war, Kerry would have proposed to it decades ago.

Times are tough for the balding: Some say Cheney should be replaced, Shaq didn't win a championship, and Ken Lay is on his way to prison, hoping his surname doesn't suddenly become a verb.

All the while, John Kerry's there, rubbing in a healthy dose of Ivy League snobbery and hobnobbing with fully haired, liberal celebrities, too busy for even an intelligence briefing. Unless someone from al-Qaida is a millionaire Tinseltown campaign donor, or can skillfully apply Sebastian Laminates conditioner (with protein emollients), Kerry's too busy to bother with them.

To those of you who have lost – or are in the process of losing – your hair, join us now! It's not too late. If you're a Kerry supporter, perhaps you subscribe to the "zero-sum game" theory of economics: If one person makes a buck, somewhere, another person loses a buck. If you really believe that to be the case, then look at it this way – Kerry and Edwards are hogging all the hair. Don't become another victim of the follicle greed. Join us, and unite to defeat John Kerry!

This election year, the stakes are high for those who are proud of their bald heritage, and America in general. Show politicians that the presupposition of "best hair wins" is bogus. This will get Kerry's Pantene in a wad, but, in the process, we'll make him realize why the symbol of America is the bald eagle, not a turkey with a pompadour.


Editor's Note: We found this Lampoon on a political website. The author of the Lampoon goes by Dandi.

As a Folliculary-Challenged American, I resent Monsieur Kerry's gross insensitivity to my plight. It smacks of blatant hairism. I demand that my group be recognized under the ADA, and that the purveyors of bald jokes be prosecuted under hate crimes statutes. I further demand that funds be set aside for visits to Hair Club of America, or at least government-provided vouchers for a supply of Hair-In-A-Can.


cc:Ed Asner
Rob Reiner
James Carville

Parents claim HISD cover-up in son's alleged rape

Parents claim HISD cover-up in son's alleged rape

Suit says autistic boy, 13, attacked at summer school

By HARVEY RICE

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

The parents of a developmentally disabled, autistic boy filed a federal lawsuit Monday accusing HISD of covering up an investigation into allegations that he was sodomized during a summer school program two years ago.

"It's frightening knowing whoever hurt my child is around other people's children," said the boy's 40-year-old mother.

The Houston woman and her 47-year-old husband allege in their lawsuit that their son was attacked a day before his 14th birthday while attending Camp We All summer school at Waltrip High School.

The boy is unable to communicate because of his handicaps and could not tell his parents or investigators what happened.

The lawsuit alleges that the Houston Independent School District failed to provide information that would have allowed investigators to determine who took the child out of the classroom that day.

HISD spokeswoman Adriana Villarreal said she could not comment because the school district hasn't received a copy of the lawsuit.

Estella Olguin, spokeswoman for Harris County Children's Protective Services, said the school district cooperated with a CPS investigation and conducted its own investigation.

The CPS investigation concluded that a preponderance of evidence showed that the boy was raped.

The boy was agitated and disruptive during a computer lab the day of the alleged assault so an assistant principal gave permission for him to be taken out of the class for a walk, according to the CPS report.

The report also said bruising on the boy's wrists appeared to show that he was held down and a bruise on his outer thigh appeared to be caused when he was pinned down.

The plaintiffs' lawyer, Randal Kallinen, said his clients notified the school district the day of the alleged assault. They want to know why the school district was unable to determine what happened to the boy when he was taken from the classroom, he said.

"Are they saying that a few hours later no one knows who took him out of the classroom?" Kallinen asked.

Houston Police Department spokesman Alvin Wright said the case was inactive but open. Police were unable to identify a suspect because the victim is unable to communicate and no DNA evidence was found, Wright said.

Kallinen said the parents hope to force the school district to change its policies to ensure that other disabled children won't be subjected to sexual abuse.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Who said What on Iraq


"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line." - President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." - President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." - Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." - Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." - Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), John Kerry ( D - MA), and others Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." - Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." - Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. BobGraham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." - Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." - Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." - Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." - Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do." - Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapon stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." - Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"People can quarrel with whether we should have more troops in Afghanistan or internationalize Iraq or whatever, but it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."
Bill Clinton phone interview on Larry King Live,CNN July 22, 2003

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation .. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real." - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

"I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country."--John Edwards, "CNN Late Edition," Feb. 24, 2002
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0202/24/le.00.html

"I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach. I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them. You know, you kind of play the wind. That's hunting," John Kerry, (Craig Gilbert, "Bringing candidate to life," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/5/04)