A Trip....

Three Canadian cruise ship passengers were charged with drug smuggling after Sydney police allegedly found 95 kilograms of cocaine in their cabin luggage.

The haul valued at 31 million Australian dollars  was the largest seizure in Australia of narcotics carried by passengers of a cruise ship or airliner, Australian Border Force commander Tim Fitzgerald said.

Three individuals were arrested after the MS Sea Princess, operated by California-based Princess Cruises, berthed in Sydney.  They face potential life sentences if convicted.

The trio had boarded the ship at the British port city of Southampton. Police are investigating whether they boarded with the drugs or sourced them from one of several South American ports the ship visited on its way to Australia.

U.S. Homelands Security and the Canada Border Services identify the three as "high-risk passengers" among the 1,800 on board. More may be on board.

Fitzgerald alleged 35 kilograms of cocaine were found in suitcases in a cabin the women shared and 60 kilograms of the drug were found in the man's luggage in a separate cabin.

Men always carry the heavy load.    Just a thought. 

I'm Back...???...

USA Today.

Separate...

The world has had lots to say about 15 French towns that banned the full-body burkini swimsuit at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks.”

All this seems a clear violation not only of the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the Constitution, but also of the liberté and égalitéthe French supposedly hold dear. It is important to remember that these burkini bans, like the 2010 French law outlawing headgear that covers the face, are not so different from American garb laws wielded against Catholics in the not-so-distant past.

In one of America’s first culture wars, Protestants attacked Catholicism as un-Christian, immoral and anti-democratic. In the late 19th century, several states passed laws, obviously aimed at Catholic nuns, that forbade teachers from wearing clerical garb in public schools. Today, such statutes remain on the books in Pennsylvania and Nebraska.

France and the United States both separated church and state in an effort to avoid revisiting the bloody religious wars of early modern Europe.  The French sought to undercut the power of religious institutions, fashioning a secular nation in which almost all expressions of religion were exiled to the private realm of home and church. It is fine to be Catholic, Protestant or Jewish, but you could not exercise that liberty in school, on city streets or at the beach.  More issues are involved, yet I agree.

Just a thought.

I'm not...

[USA Today]

Cheated...*!

Soccer..Drama

U.S. Soccer suspended goalie Hope Solo from the U.S. women’s national soccer team for six months for her divisive comments aimed at Sweden during the Rio Games.

“The comments by Hope after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.”

Solo blasted Sweden after the U.S. lost, 2-1, on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals on Aug. 12.
“We played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today"

This is the second time Solo, 35, has been suspended by U.S. Soccer. In January 2015, she was banned for a month after police in Manhattan Beach (Calif.) stopped a U.S. Soccer Federation van and arrested her husband on suspicion of driving under the influence. Solo was a passenger in the van and wasn’t charged.

Just a thought.

Speed...ooo

Rio de Janeiro Local police said Lochte and his teammates had actually been confronted by private security guards after damaging a gas station bathroom and ......peed on the plants.

Speedo USA  announced that it is ending its sponsorship of Lochte. " we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for."      It will also donate $50,000 "of Lochte's fee to Save The Children, a global charity partner of Speedo USA's parent company, for children in Brazil."

Later on Monday, a spokesman for Ralph Lauren said in a statement that the company will not be renewing its contract with Lochte, which "was specifically in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." The company also said that it "continues to proudly sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and the values that its athletes embody."

In addition, Reuters reported that Syneron Candela, parent of Gentle Hair Removal, will also be ending its partnership with Lochte. In April, the company had named the Olympic swimmer as the global brand ambassador for its Gentle Laser Hair Removal system.

The Love, Achievement, Money and Reputation  just went down the ....     Just a thought.

The Olympics...

Vote Epi...

When Nicole Smith took her son’s EpiPen prescription to her local Walgreens she balked at the $600 price quote for a two-pack. Her high-deductible health plan meant Mylan’s “$0 co-pay card” would only bring the cost down to $500.

The story is an all-too-familiar one: company buys dated drug, raises prices and impedes patient access to life-saving treatment in the process.

This time, the target of the tired narrative is a medical device with an unusual amount of brand name recognition, effectively no alternatives and a growing patient population                                                                                                                                              

The price of the EpiPen, which treats emergency allergic reactions, has climbed sixfold over the last several years.  While inflation is below zero.

There is a solution to this price gouging, but would the Presidential Candidates say something about it?  Vote your Conscious.   Just a thought. 

Louisiana.....

USA Today.