Remember the twisted tale of the Spotsylvania, Virginia Sheriff’s Department whose officers were getting sex acts performed on them during prostitution stings? The ridicule thrown down here at Lone Star Times got the attention of Virginia’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Obviously awed by my satirical skills, the newspaper saw fit to mention your favorite news-blog (that would be us for those of you in the back) alongside Rush Limbaugh in their coverage of the flap created by the Sheriff’s “hands-on” policies. Not bad company to be keeping.

As for the story itself the Times-Dispatch tells us that even with derision from all quarters local officials continue to defend the policy of detectives “getting their hands dirty.”

"You do what you have to do to suppress the criminality," said Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney William F. Neely, whose office authorized the sex acts as part of the investigation. Neely has said authorities wanted to obtain evidence for a felony sex crime, rather than a misdemeanor prostitution charge arising from a verbal agreement…

In order to "up" the pressure on evildoers, laugh lines have now been issued to law enforcement.

He notes that authorities have been able to seize the assets…

“Hey baby, nice assets. Mind if I seize them?”

…a detective testified that two women fondled him on separate occasions and attempted oral sex, making contact in one instance. He testified that he stopped the women before they went further, adding he wasn’t sure how far to let them proceed. "I was new at this too," he testified.

“Be gentle. It’s my first time.”

Fuller said many people wrongly believe that officers get a kick out of visiting the parlors. "Those guys are not having fun. I guarantee you," he said. "But sometimes you gotta go the extra yard."

“That’s right sir, Detective Johnson really took one for the team.”

As I said before, nice work if you can get it.

Look what those jerks at the Recording Industry Association of America are claiming:

Nor does the fact that permission to make a copy in particular circumstances is often or even routinely granted, necessarily establish that the copying is a fair use when the copyright owner withholds that authorization. In this regard, the statement attributed to counsel for copyright owners in the MGM v. Grokster case is simply a statement about authorization, not about fair use.

Last year, here’s what that counsel said in MGM v. Grokster:

The record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it’s been on their website for some time now, that it’s perfectly lawful to take a CD that you’ve purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod.

Boy, who would’ve ever thought that the entertainment industry would be greedy and unresponsive to its customers?

[Hat-tip: Clotille the Lawyerling]

Too funny:

A Dallas Democrat seeking election to the Texas House of Representatives has acknowledged that he once worked as a prostitute.

Tom Malin, a salesman and actor, said he no longer works as a prostitute but conceded that his previous life could cost him the nomination in the March 7 Democratic primary.

"I’ve made mistakes in my life, and I’ve stood before my creator and I’ve accepted responsibility for my behavior," Malin told The Dallas Morning News for its editions today.

[...]

He said Thursday that he would stay in the race.

"I don’t regret my past, nor do I wish to shut the door on my past," he said. "I think anyone who has made mistakes in their lives can be a viable member of community and society."

So, he doesn’t regret his past as a male prostitute? Methinks he needs to hire a spin doctor.

UPDATE:

Here’s his entire ad, from a gay "escort" website:

Todd Sharpe

Ph: 214.938.7181
Cell/Pgr:
toddsharpe@hotmail.com

I have Brown hair/Brown eyes
sporting a 6′ 2 Muscular body & 8 " member.

Hot Uninhibited Bottom Escort

View Other Escorts Like Todd

Based in: Dallas TX

Ick.

blogHouston writer (and FOX News contributor) Anne Linehan has made appropriate note of some of the post-"Bonusgate" leadership qualities being displayed by Houston Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado.

Personally, our favorite quote from the article was this one:

Asked whether she felt responsible, given that she had oversight of the office, she replied, "My responsibility, once something is brought to my attention, is to correct it, to make sure procedures are put in place, to make sure that something like this never happens again."

(Hat-tip: Houston Chronicle)

Get that?

Having oversight for an office doesn’t mean you are responsible for making sure things are run correctly from the outset– it only means that WHEN (and assuming IF) something is brought to your attention by someone else, you then do something to correct the problem.

Sounds like the Texas Municipal League, in selecting their President-elect, made a perfect choice.

I know that I’ve been suspiciously absent lately, but it’s just that I’m busier than an ant at a picnic convention (See? I don’t even have the time to think up good comparisons). At any rate, I’d like to offer the following observations regarding the new New Orleans:

- Lee Circle has become the new Shepherd: If you’ve ever been down Shepherd in the morning, you see various gatherings of Mexican day laborers. In New Orleans, Lee Circle — with its magnificent statute of Robert E. Lee staring from the center — is now the equivalent of Shepherd. Dozens upon dozens of day laborers hang out, waiting to be picked up by a contractor to do work on flood-ridden homes. This is what’s really rebuilding New Orleans.

- There are some people who thank Houston. I’ve seen a number of vehicles (all SUVs, actually) with bumper stickers that say "THANKS HOUSTON." I know that I ranted quite a bit about some of the more ungrateful New Orleanians who derided Houston after Katrina, but there are also a great many respectful families who are thankful that Houston opened its doors.

- Metro has sold old buses to New Orleans’s RTA. There I was, blithely riding my motor scooter, when I cocked my head rightwards to see — A METRO BUS! I very nearly wet myself (you know how crazy Metro bus drivers are). Anyway, the word "Metro" was spray painted over with black paint, but the bus was unmistakable. It does appear that New Orleans is supplementing its bus fleet with used buses from Houston, and it hasn’t bothered to repaint them yet. It’s a tad unnerving.

- Mardi Gras rules. The parades begin to roll tomorrow, and unlike with Galveston’s pseudo-celebration, I won’t have to pay to see them. I’ll just have to give up having parking for two weeks.

Yeah! It’s Friday!

Have a great day and be careful out there!!