Anti-War Landlady in Boston Refuses To Rent Apartment to Veteran

To say this makes me angry would be the understatement of this relatively young 21st Century.

Remember this shit the next time the American left tries weaseling out of their blood libel of the US military over the last decade with the standard 'I support the troops, but not the war' platitudes.

Sgt. Joel Morgan, 29, tried to rent a two-bedroom apartment in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester from 63-year-old Janice Roberts.

“I’ve been deployed so many times, I really haven’t had much of a home,” he told WBZ-TV.

Morgan didn’t get the apartment.

According to the lawsuit, Roberts told Morgan his war service and her peace activism presented a “conflict of interest.”

“Because of what you told me about the Iraq war… we are very adamant about our beliefs… it’s just not comfortable for us… and I’m sure now that you know this, it would not be comfortable for you,” Roberts said in a voicemail to Morgan.

“I would suggest you do the right thing and look for a place less politically active or controversial.”

The divorced father has a young son and is training to be a Boston firefighter so he needs to live in town.

He was shocked and confused and that led him to sue.

“I’ve never been in that situation (being turned down for an apartment), so it was like, ‘I don’t understand what you mean, I just want to give you a check and rent an apartment,” Morgan told WBZ-TV.

“(It) just really, really disgusted me,” he said.

“It really freaked me out that ‘Is this what I’m going to be facing? Should I not let people know that I’m a combat vet?’

Military service members and veterans are part of a protected class in Massachusetts and, therefore, they cannot be discriminated against.

Since Sgt Morgan is studying to be a Boston firefighter, I wonder how Janice Roberts would feel about if her building caught on fire in the not-too-distant future and the first truck to show up had Morgan and another veteran on it. Would she stand by her principles and refuse their help knowing that at least one of them was a soldier who fought in a war she objected to?

How much do you want to bet that despite all the lip service being paid to 'honoring our returning vets', Janice Roberts and people with her worldview are perfectly happy voting for the politician whose idea to curb record unemployment among veterans is to dump them out in the wilderness in a rehash of the Depression-era CCC.

And for those of you who might object and say 'But Fenway- that's just one anti-war landlady. Don't you think it's unfair to paint a whole group with a broad brush based on the actions of one person?...where exactly were you with your objections when attendees at Tea Party raiilers were being judged on the basis of one or two birther signs? I've honestly stopped caring about the sensibilities of people who have made it quite unambiguous that they hate my guts LONG ago.

[Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers]

Wisconsin Recall-A-Palooza Update- With Walker Up in Polls, Democrats Getting Desperate; Walker Supporter Detained at Barrett Rally

With Wisconsin's June 5th recall election looming, the Democrat party and their union allies seem to be pulling out all the stops in their bid to unseat Gov. Walker. Running against Walker is Milwaukee's Democrat mayor Tom Barrett in what is basically a rematch of the 2010 Gubernerorial campaign.

Well.....almost all the stops. You see, just days before the voters were slated to go to the polls in Wisconsin President Obama hosted six fundriasers on Friday- dividing his time between the Twin Cities and Chicago. Yet Obama was conspicuously absent from that state that takes up real-estate between Illinois and Minnesota. If the Democrats on the national level were at all confident of a Barrett win, Obama likely would've made an appearence in the Badger State while on his Midwest fundraising trip (disguised as official business). Yet President Obama avoided Dairyland like it was a discussion on the most recent jobless numbers report.

Barrett has been trailing in nearly every poll in recent weeks. Although some polls had Walker up considerably in the last few weeks, Barrett was gradually closing the gap and while still behind Walker in some polling, he was within the margin of error.

Further telegraphing desperation is an early 'October surprise' liberal bloggers attempted to spring on Scott Walker over the weekend, citing anonymous and secondhand sources that Scott Walker fathered an illegitimate son with a classmate while attending Marquette University. The love-child story, floated by an outlet called "Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op", unravelled in about an hour after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter confirmed that the Scott Walker in question had a different middle name than the governor.

Around the same time, a left-leaning think tank began sending out mailers identifying individuals who did and didn't vote in prior elections.

When many Wausau voters checked their mail this past weekend, they got a glimpse of something unusual -- their neighbor's voting record.

"I had no idea that was a part of the public record," said Bryan Mergen, who lives in Wausau.

The mailer -- put out by the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund -- shows a list of people who live near you and whether they voted in two recent November elections. It doesn't show who you voted for, but even so, some voters said it's an invasion of their privacy.

Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board spokesperson Reid Magney said voter records are public records. With a name and a birth date, you can find election records right on their website. And some voters said they don't mind the exposure.

"My first reaction is, what's this?" said Mary Dominski, who lives in Wausau. "And then I thought, well, it's okay. I had no problem with it because I have no problem with my voting record."

Magney said many groups buy a copy of the statewide voter list. But he said this is the first time a group has used the voter information this way.

"I think it probably was not the smartest political move, because I think there's a lot of antagonism and a lot of people thought there was more information than there really is," said Dominski.

Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, a counterdemonstrator was detained by police at a Barrett rally that President Clinton was speaking at.

Particularly damning was the gathering crowd of Barrett supporters and union activists gleefully chanting 'Lock Him Up!' for the high crime of holding up a pro-Walker sign in a public park. The man identified himself as Dave Willoughby and in addition to being a former Marine, is reportedly the son of a prominent Florida Tea Party activist.

Attendees of the rally accuse Willoughby of acting in a belligerent and confrontational manner towards them and Milwaukee police cited him for disturbing the peace before booking him before getting released [During last year's protests against Scott Walker's budget proposal, union members and Democrats occupied the Wisconsin state capitol building, damaging doors, blocking traffic and threatening lawmakers- so even if the pro-Barrett crowd's version of events is 100% accurate, its pretty mild in comparison to what SEIU and AFSCME-affiliated protesters inflicted on the state capital last year- NANESB!]

Sports Chowdah Update- Jersey Chore, Devils Fall Into 0-2 Stanley Cup Hole; Jays-ed & Confused, Toronto Touches Up Bard; Heat Wilt In the Garden

BOSTON CELTICS- After putting the Miami Heat in a big hole early in Game Four on Sunday night, the Celtics managed to squander an 18 point lead against the visiting Miami Heat in the 4th quarter at the Garden.

However, for all the talk of offensive prowess and superstars like LeBron James, the turning point in Sunday night's game [and possibly the series- NANESB!] came courtesey of somebody who had exactly zero points on the night. With the contest tied at 89-89 at the end of the 4th and heading to OT.

Although the Celtics managed to take a 1-point lead, but not before Paul Pierce had fouled out of the game less than a minute into OT. One of the biggest plays in OT for Boston came not from Rondo or Garnett, but Mickael Pietrus who had a grand total of zero points on Sunday night. With less than two minutes to go and the C's desperately clinging to a 92-91 lead, Pietrus came up with two huge offensive rebounds to keep the clock going and retain posession for the C's after two missed shots. Then, with Miami heading back up the court, Pietrus drew the sixth foul of the evening on LeBron James- the first time LeBron fouled out of a game as a member of the Miami Heat.

With less than 25 seconds to go in OT, the C's made it a two point game when Rajon Rondo went 1 for 2 from the free throw line to make it 93-91. On the Heat's next possession, Dwayne Wade let loose from outside the line with a shot that looked like it was going to make it and give Miami the lead as time expired, but it ultimately clanged off the rim.

The Celtics didn't win this one so much as survive it. Paul Pierce had 23 points on the night along with 6 rebounds before lgetting tossed out of the game in OT. Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 15 assists while Mickael Pietrus had the two pivotal offensive rebounds in OT.

The win is Boston's second in a row in the Eastern Conference Finals and sends the series back to South Beach knotted up at 2 games apiece. Although the Heat could do little to stop Rajon Rondo, who had an NBA playoff-best 44 points in Game 2, Miami was ultimately victorious in that contest. So far, each team is undefeated in their home arena in the Eastern Conference finals.

With the series knotted at 2 games each, this basically becomes a best-of-3 series. Game 5 will get underway from South Beach on Tuesday night with a tipoff time of 8:30 ET on ESPN.

The winner of the Miami-Boston series will take on the winner of the San Antonio-Oklahoma City series out west. Like the Eastern Conference, the Western Conference finals are also knotted up at 2-2.



STANLEY CUP FINALS- Two games at Newark's Prudential Center, two overtimes but despite the best efforts of New Jersey's veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur, the Los Angeles Kings are seperated from Lord Stanley's cup by all of two wins.

After an Anze Kopitar tally broke a 1-1 deadlock in OT of Game 1, the Devils found themselves trailing again for most of Game 2 on Saturday night after an unassisted Drew Doughty goal in the first before Ryan Carter knotted the contest up at 1-1 with a goal early in the 3rd. Nothing was resolved in the rest of regulation, so like the series opener Game 2 went to OT. Also like Game 1, the deadlock was broken by the Kings in overtime after Jeff Carter figured out how to get one by Brodeur with 6:18 remaining in OT.

With the Kings two wins away from clinching the Stanley Cup Champioship, the series heads out to the West Coast beginning Monday. The puck drops at 8:00 ET, 5:00 PT at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Network and the CBC.

BOSTON BRUINS- Goalie Tim Thomas announced that he plans on taking next season off. The late-blooming netminder said in a message on his facebook page "At the age of 38, I believe it is time to put my time and energies into those areas and relationships that I have neglected, That is why at this time I feel the most important thing I can do in my life is to reconnect with the three F's. Friends, Family, and Faith".

Thomas reportedly told Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli that he was considering taking a year off on Friday. However, Thomas left open the possibility of a return to the NHL and expressed an interest in trying out for the US Olympic team in the 2014 Winter games. Had Thomas simply announced that he was retiring, the Bruins would've been responsible for a $5 million annual cap hit. Instead, Thomas is due $3 million for the 2012-2013 season although he had waived his no-trade clause back in 2010.

Although Thomas' plans to miss the 2012-13 season to take a sabbatical come to a surprise as some, the Bruins would still be in pretty good shape as far as goaltending is concerned. The Bruins still have Tukka Rask [although he becomes a restricted free agent in July- NANESB!] as well as Anton Khudobin as their top two goalies.



MLB- For the first time in their 51 year history, the New York Mets have a no-hiter to their name. The Mets milestone was reached on Friday night when starter Johan Santana threw a complete game no hitter against the St Louis Cardinals in their 8-0 shutout of the defending World Series champions. Santana threw a career high 134 pitches in the franchise's first ever no-hitter. Former Met Carlos Beltran, appeared to break up the no-hit bid in the top of the 6th with a liner over 3rd base, but it was immediately ruled foul by the 3rd base umpire- despite the fact that it kicked up some chalk.

Left fielder Mike Baxter preserved Johan's no-no bid at great personal expense, crashing into a wall while successfully chasing down a Yadier Molina fly ball [As of Sunday, Baxter was on the 15 day DL with a displaced right collarbone- NANESB!]. Mets catcher Josh Thole caught a foul tip off the bat of 2011 World Series MVP David Freese on a 3-2 count to complete the game.

With the Mets no-hitter in the books, this leaves the San Diego Padres as the only MLB franchise that doesn't have a no-hitter to their name.

OTHER METS NEWS- Noted misogynist and HBO talk show host Bill Maher announced on Sunday that he recently became a minority shareholder of the team. After being sued by one of the trustees for victims of embezzler Bernie Madoff last year, the Mets ownership decided to raise funds by The Mets management selling an undiclosed number of limited partner shares for $20 million each. Although Maher declined to say how much he paid for his share if the Mets, but the sale reportedly took place around the same time as the limited partner shares were made available.

RED SOX- Although the weekend got off to a promising start for the Red Sox, Sunday ended with a fizzle for the Sox as Daniel Bard got touched up for five runs in 1⅓ innings, including a 3 run homer by Jose Bautista. Boston would go on to win by a final of 5-1, with Boston's only run coming in the top of the 5th thanks to a Kelly Shoppach solo homer. Boston won the first two games of the weekend series thanks to strong outings by Clay Buchholz and Felix Doubront. However, Boston lost Subday afternoon's game by a 5-1 final.

The Sox return to Fenway on Tuesday to take on the Orioles, who were knocked out of first place by Tampa Bay over the weekend [after the weekend, Boston and Toronto are tied for last place in the AL East, although both teams are only 3 games out of 1st place- NANESB]. Jon Lester [3-4; 4.79 ERA] is scheduled to get the start against Baltimore's Jason Hammel [6-2; 3.06 ERA] on Tuesday night at 7:10 PM. The game will be televised on NESN.

OTHER BLUE JAYS NEWS- Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie left a food court at a popular Toronto mall seconds before a gunman opened fire on patrons, killing one and wounding several others.

Lawrie was one of the first to break the news on Twitter on Saturday evening. He had gone to the mall with a friend shortly after the Blue Jays lost to the Boston Red Sox in a Saturday afternoon game.

''Pretty sure someone just let off a round bullets in eaton center mall ... Wow just sprinted out of the mall ... through traffic,'' Lawrie tweeted. ''People sprinting up the stairs right from where we just were ... Wow wow wow.''

He later tweeted that he was ''Rattled right now.''

On Sunday, Lawrie said he felt lucky because he left the food court 10 seconds before the shooting.

''It was instant panic,'' Lawrie said before Sunday's game against the Red Sox. ''It was as if you stepped on an ant hill and then everyone just flooded out of the place. ... I just got out of there as fast as possible. I was the first person out of there.''

Lawrie said he wanted to get the news out fast.

''I just thought I'd give it out there just to anybody that could have been in the mall or anybody that needed to get there ASAP, I thought I could give them a good piece of information,'' he said.

Lawrie, a Canadian, said he never thought something like that could happen at the Eaton Centre, a Toronto landmark that is popular with tourists.

Toronto police identified the slain man as Ahmed Hassan and believe the shooting is gang-related. Although shootings have been on the rise in recent years north of the border, they are still relatively rare in Canada and Toronto prides itself on being one of the safest metropolitan areas in North America. Although the gunman wasn't publicly identified, a Toronto police spokesman said that between video survaillence footage, eyewitness accounts and the deceased's gang affiliation, they know the identity of the shooter.

June 1st- Marylin Monore's Birthday

If it can't be Bettie Page's April 22nd birthday, then perhaps National Pinup Day could fall on June 1st instead.

Today marks what would've been the 86th birthday of Norma Jean Mortenson, better known to the world as Marylin Monroe. The voluptuous blonde bombshell and sex symbol was discovered by a photographer for Yank magazine working in a California armament factory during WWII.

Besides films like The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot, Monroe also modeled for the debut edition of the then-nascent Playboy magazine in 1953. Monroe passed away from a drug overdose in 1962 at her Hollywood bungalow, a year and a half after she divorced playwright Arthur Miller.

Somebody who had worked extensively with Monroe during her film career was makeup artist Allan Snyder. A series of candid, never-before-seen pictures of Monroe at ease and on the set of movies like Niagara and River of No Return was discovered at Snyder's home after his death in the mid 1990s, but were never released to the public. Earlier this year, it was announced that the previously unreleased prints and slides would be going to auction at the end of April.

In addition to Snyder's collection being auctioned off, a series of previously unseen images from photographer Lawrence Schiller showing Monroe at her 36th birthday party and poolside for the unfinished film Something's Gotta Give will be on display in Miami Beach.

Cherokee Group Demands Elizabeth Warren Come Clean About Claims of Native Ancestry; Moveon.org Warns They May 'Pull the Plug' on Warren Campaign

Most likely NOT one of Elizabeth Warren's ancestors

While Massachusetts Democrats would like nothing more than the whole issue of Elizabeth Warren's bogus claims of Cherokee ancestry would go away, actual members of the tribe are keeping the issue alive and liberal fundraisers fear that it may be costing her campaign money.

A group consisting of more than 150 Cherokees have started up a blog and Facebook page titled Cherokees Demand Truth From Elizabeth Warren which includes a page highlighting her family's genealogy. From the 'About Us' section:

This is NOT a political group, but instead, a group that demands Elizabeth Warren and others like her understand OUR history belongs to us and no one has the right to try to rewrite it or make up fictitious stories so they can fit in it or take advantage of it. Only those who meet the requirements under Cherokee law should claim to be Cherokee. We hope to help educate the public on what is and is not true about our history and also why the false claims like Elizabeth Warren is making are harmful to the Cherokee people.

So far, Warren has replied to inquiries about whether or not she used her claims of minority status with boilerplate remarks about how she promises to help the middle class.

Also probably no relation to Warren, despite the high cheekbomes- but still worth looking at

Officials from progressive group move.org have cautioned members that they may have to pull the plug altogether on supporting Warren's campaign, citing a shortfall of cash and a primary challenge from immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco. Should DeFranco win at least 15% of the delegate's votes at the Massachusetts Democrat Party's Convention in Springfield, MA, she'll appear on the September primary ballot. While Warren has managed to raise millions of dollars, much of it from out of state, DeFranco has yet to surpass $50,000 in fundraising.

UPDATE- 6/1: This is too good to pass up- nervous Democrat delegates are being warned not to wander from the reservation ahead of the state convention in Springfield, MA this weekend.

Meanwhile, members from the Cherokee group have made plans to protest Warren outside the convention venue on Saturday.

Canada's Parliment Expected to Pass Bill Ordering Striking CP Rail Employees Back to Work

Canadian lawmakers are expected to pass a back-to-work bill that would get Canadian Pacific [NYSE: CP- TSX: CP] trains rolling by the weekend and order striking Canadian Teamsters back to work on Thursday.

The striking Canadian rail workers have been working without a contract since December 31st. At issue when the Teamsters Canada workers called a strike last week was a new contract and pension funding reductions of up to 40%. Canada's Conservative government has previously passed similar back-to-work legislation to end strikes at Canada Post and Air Canada [TSX: AC-A] in recent years.

Trains from Canada's second-largest railway ground to a halt on May 23rd, severely curtailing CP Rail's operations on the American side of the border as well as those of shippers and railways that interchange with CP Rail.

The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, which utilizes trackage rights over CP Rail at the western end of the MM&A system near Montreal, has temporarily laid off 59 employees and re-routed some interchange traffic to the Vermont Railway via Newport, VT. Canadian Pacific is responsible for dispatching trackage in and around the St Jean, Quebec interchange. While an agreement to keep commuter trains in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver operating during the strike had been reached shortly beforehand, the MM&A unsuccessfully sought a court injunction to allow the regional railroad to access Canadian National for interchange in Montreal.

According to Kevin Burkholder's Eastern Railroad News, CP Rail, the Montreal Maine & Atlantic and JD Irving's New Brunswick Southern have been gearing up to handle unit trains of crude oil from Saskatchewan to Irving's St John, NB refinery. Earlier this month, Canadian Pacifc was gearing up to ship 120-car trains of crude oil from the North Dakota side of the Bakken shale to refineries in the northeastern United States.

Earlier this year, Canadian labor groups were handed a major setback when EMD's parent company Caterpillar [NYSE- CAT] decided to shutter their London, Ontario plant and shift production to Muncie, IN after a months-long labor dispute with workers at the plant represented by the Canadian Auto Workers.

[Hat tip- Eastern Railroad News; Labor Union Report]

Quickie Borderline Psychosis Upate- Caracas Connection? Fugitive Venezuelan Judge Talking to DEA; Cartels Blamed for Michoacan Arson Attacks

VENEZUELA- A fugitive judge who was dismissed from Venezuela's Supreme Court on charges of corruption and ties to Colombian drug cartels has fled the country and is reportedly talking to the DEA while in hiding.

Eladio Aponte, a former justice on Venezuela's supreme court, has been accused of giving lenient sentences to drug traffickers and ties to Venezuelan drug kingpin Walid Makled [aka 'The Turk']. Makled was arrested in Colombia and in 2011 was extradited to stand trial in Venezuela. The reputed kingpin claimed before his trial that he could provide conclusive evidence that members of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's inner circle were involved in drug smuggling, but would only talk to American prosecutors.

In recent years, the United States has accused the Chavez regime of turning a blind eye to the drug smuggling that takes place in Venezuela. However, detailed testimony from Aponte could pave the way for a number of indictments against Hugo Chavez's domestic allies.

Aponte is one of six special witnesses cooperating with the DEA in its investigation of Venezuelan government ties to trafficking, said a former U.S. government official familiar with the situation.

The case is being handled by Group 959, a unit of DEA's Special Operations Division, according to sources with direct knowledge of the case including a former law enforcement source.

Group 959, known as the Bilateral Investigations Unit, was set up to target traffickers overseas plotting to import cocaine to the United States, even if no shipments actually arrive.

David Tinsley, a retired DEA veteran who now runs his own private intelligence agency, said Group 959 would only be involved in the Aponte case if the government felt he could deliver strong evidence.

"In the hands of 959, he would become a very effective tool," he said. "They must have wanted Aponte bad. (The division) doesn't go on fishing expeditions, they are very surgical. They know who they are going after and why."

Although Aponte has reportedly been tied to Makled, another judge who left Venezuela after a dispute with Chavez's allies in 2006 backed Aponte's claims of a judicial system pressured to give lenient sentences to criminals portected by the regime. Aponte reportedly fled to Costa Rica where he met with DEA agents before arriving in the USA on a chartered government flight in April.

Cocaine grown in Colombia is often refined and smuggled to Venezuela en route to Europe and West Africa. A number of airstrips used by drug smuggling flights in Venezuela are reportedly under military protection.

There are reports of a new cartel, dubbed the "Cartel of the Suns", after the stars worn by the Venezuelan generals who are thought to be complicit in the trade.

Colombian intelligence learned of the cartel from Feris Farid Dominguez, who was deported from Venezuela in January to face charges of drug trafficking. He told how he met senior figures in President Hugo Chavez's security forces to arrange drug shipments through Venezuela.

"The reason that some military men have become involved in drugs trafficking is because they have not succeeded in getting into Chavez's close circle so as to rob the state," read extracts from Feris's statement. "They have found their extra money in drugs trafficking."

The most senior Colombian drugs baron now in custody, awaiting extradition to America, has told investigators that Venezuela offers smugglers relative immunity.

"Venezuela is a temple of drugs smuggling," said Hernando Gomez Bustamante, alias "Scratch", who had a $5 million bounty on his head.

British officials believe that Venezuelan air force bases are being used by aircraft carrying drugs. Small planes are typically used to carry consignments on the relatively short journey from Colombia.

If they weren't Flaming Hot Cheetos before, they sure are now!

MICHOACAN- An underboss for the Caballeros Templar [i.e. Knights Templar] cartel is in custody after a number of warehouses belonging to PepsiCo's [NYSE- PEP] Mexican subsidiary were torched in central Mexico last week.

Five Sabritas warehouses and vehicle lots were attacked Friday and Saturday in the Mexican states of Michoacan and Guanajuato. Witnesses in one case described armed, masked men who tossed firebombs and torched dozens of the company's distribution trucks and some warehouses.

According to the president of Mexico's Business Coordinating Council, the firebombings represent a step up for the cartels who normally target much smaller local businesses throughout Mexico for extortion. Although some business leaders in Mexico claim that Friday's arson attacks are the first such attacks directed at a multinational corporation by the cartels since President Felipe Calderon deployed the Mexican military to crack down on the drug cartels.

Alejandro Hope, a security analyst and former official in Mexico's CISEN intelligence agency, said it was the first attack he could recall against a transnational company in Mexico. Even in Mexico's most violent city, Ciudad Juarez, the warring drug gangs have largely left alone the many foreign-operated assembly plants known as maquiladoras.

"In Ciudad Juarez, they practically never tried to blackmail the maquiladoras," Hope said. "They focused more on small businesses ... they are easier targets, and with an industrial firm, one doesn't know exactly who to blackmail. It's not as clear who signed the checks or controls the checkbook."

In a statement issued Sunday, PepsiCo said five distribution centers were damaged, but no one was injured in the attacks and the amount of the damages had not been calculated.

The company appeared to respond to emails that circulated in Michoacan, home of the Knights Templar drug cartel, suggesting the attacks were revenge for the unproven allegation that prosecutors used Sabritas' extensive fleet of delivery trucks to gather intelligence.

"We repeat that in accordance with our code of conduct, all of our operations are carried out in the current regulatory framework and our vehicles and facilities are used exclusively to carry our products to our customer and clients," the company said. The company would not say whether that statement responded to the spying allegations.

Hope said such a spying scenario sounded unlikely, if not impossible. Sabritas employs more than 70,000 people and has a nationwide delivery fleet of about 14,500 trucks that are a common sight even in the most dangerous and remote parts of Mexico.

Hope said the attacks may not represent a new stage in drug gang extortions, but rather stem from the peculiar characteristics of the Knights Templar, a pseudo-religious cartel that split from Michoacan's La Familia cartel in 2011.

Started in 1943, Sabritas distributes soda, juice and snacks throughout Mexico. By the late 1960s, the company was brought out by PepsiCo. An April 2011 Reuters article highlighted the difficulties that some mining companies have had operating south of the border in cartel-held territory, with gunmen raiding remote mining sites for equipment and ore. In recent years, well organized criminal gangs have also taken to raiding tractor trailers and freight trains. However, in those instances the theives appeared to be more interested in helping themselves to the goods from the mines, railways and tractor trailers than extorting money from the companies involved.

The Caballeros Templar was formed in late 2011 after the senior leadership of the La Familia Michoacana cartel were killed or arrested by the Mexican government after a series of raids on La Familia strongholds. Within weeks, some of the remaining members of a now fragmented La Familia reconstituted themselves as the Knights Templar and moved into territory that had been previously operated by La Familia.

Rainy Day Sports Chowdah Update- Tiger in the Tank, Sox Scuff Up Verlander Thanks to Feliz Nava-dad; 'Doc' Hits DL in Philly; Devils Egged Onto Cup Final

After dropping two out of three against the Tampa Bay Rays at home over the weekend- including a gut wrenching 4-3 loss on Sunday in which the Rays went ahead in the top of the 9th on a 2-run homer by Sean Rodriguez- the Red Sox played host to the team that swept Boston to start off the regular season.

Monday's 7-4 win over the Tigers came at a price for the Red Sox as Dustin Pedroia left the game with a jammed thumb. Although Pedroia sat out Tuesday's game while hoping to avoid a longer stint on the DL.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

With Cy Young winner Justin Verlander on the bump against Boston on Tuesday night, runs against Detroit figured to be as valuable as the missing paintings from the 1990 Gardner Museum Heist, but Mike Aviles got the Sox on the board with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the 2nd inning.

Meanwhile, Daniel Bard put a few runners on base but was managing to pitch four innings of shutout baseball but had a grand total of one run for support until the bottom of the fourth. After allowing singles by Youkilis, Aviles and Podsednik, Verlander got Nick Punto [filling in for Pedroia on Tuesday] to pop up for the second out of the inning. With two away, into the batter's box stepped Daniel Nava. Verlander managed to get a 3-2 count on the left fielder, but Nava sent a 100 MPH Verlander offering into left field, clearing the bases with a clutch 3-RBI double.

As it turned out, the Sox would need every bit of run support. In the top of the 5th, the Tigers got on the board thanks to a solo home run from Jhonny Peralta to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the 5th, Big Papi drove home Adrian Gonzalez to once again make it a 4-run game but got thrown out at third after trying to stretch a double into a triple on the throw home.

Prince Fielder would account for the rest of Detroit's offense that night with a solo homer and an RBI single while Big Papi would hit a solo homer to once again widen the gap for Boston. Boston goes on to win by a final of 6-3, with Daniel Bard going 5⅓ innings with Hill, Atchison, Miller, Padilla coming in out of the bullpen and Alfredo Aceves notching his 12th save of the season after closing out the 9th. The game was halted by a rain delay of about 40 minutes in the bottom of the 8th- no word whether or not 1/32nd Cherokee Elizabeth Warren triggered the delay with an authentic Native American rain dance. Verlander was pulled after 6 innings, allowing 10 hits and 5 runs while striking out 7.

The win puts the Red Sox above .500 for the first time this season. While it may not sound impressive, Boston is actually all of 3 and ½ games out of first place in the AL East with Tampa Bay and Baltimore tied for first place. Game three of the four game series against Detroit gets underway at 7:10 PM ET on Wednesday. Jon Lester [3-4; 4.72 ERA] gets the start against Detroit's Drew Smyly [2-1; 3.14 ERA] for game 3 which will be televised on NESN.

OTHER MLB NEWS- Philadelhpia Phillies ace Roy Halliday is expected to miss anywhere from 6-8 weeks, landing on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder injury. Through 11 starts, Halliday is 4-5 with a 3.98 ERA.

In a seperate development, former Phillies and Astros starter Roy Oswalt signed a 1 year $5 million minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers. Last season, Oswalt went 9-10 with an ERA of 3.69 for Philadelphia although he spent some time on the DL with a bad back. Pending a physical, Oswalt is expected to start for the Ranger's AAA affiliate in Round Rock, TX.

NHL- After breezing through the Vancouver Canucks, St Louis Blue and Phoenix Coyotes, the Los Angeles Kings are heading to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since the 1993 season. The Kings will play the New Jersey Devils, who won their last Stanley Cup championship in 2003 against another Southern California team- the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Devils bested the New York Rangers 4-2 in the Eastern conference finals while the Kings bested the Phoenix Coyotes 4 games to 1 in the Western Conference finals.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals is set to take place Wednesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Wednesday night and will be televised at 8:00 PM ET (5:00 Pacific) on NBC and CBC.

NBA- While the Stanley Cup finals get underway, the NBA Conferences finals got underway over the memorial day weekend. The Miami Heat currently hold a 1-0 edge after a 93-79 win over the Celtics at South Beach on Monday night. Game 2 is set to take place Wednesday night at 8:30 ET and will be televised on ESPN.

Over in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs took a 2-0 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 120-111 on Tuesday night.

Syrian Diplomats Expelled From Western Nations After 108 Civilians Massacred in Village of Houla

In a clear indicator of the escalating violence in Syria, 108 people were massacred in a pair of opposition-controlled villages in the Houla region of Central Syria on Friday. Although there were signs that heavy artillery and armour were used- equipment only available to Bashr Al-Assad's army- the United Nations Human Rights Office said there were indications that many of the dead- which include nearly 50 children- were summarily executed.

According to local eyewitness accounts and the opposition Free Syrian Army, the Syrian army and militias loyal to president Bashr Al-Assad began their assault during Friday prayers.

Shelling of the town began at about 12.30pm after prayers and lasted about two hours.

Then, from around 3pm, groups of armed civilian militias — known as the Shabiha — began moving house to house and the killings, using knives and firearms, began.

According to both sources speaking independently, it went on for hours, family by family. Both groups say the killings continued until about 2am on Saturday.

In a UN report finished just days before the Houla killings, Brazilian diplomat and legal scholar Paulo Sergio Pinhiero accused Assad's regime of sending the Army to towns with a list of wanted opponents and executing their entire families. The Syrian regime has denied any involvement with the Houla massacre, claiming that the rebel Free Syrian Army and foreign mercenaries were responsible for the bloodbath.

Human rights groups accuse the Syrian Army and Shabiha [or 'ghost militia'- NANESB!] of handcuffing some of the children in Houla before killing them as well as setting fires to homes and businesses before using snipers to pick off residents as they flee the burning structures.

In response to Friday's killings and the Assad regime's rejection of any ceasefire agreement with opposition forces the USA, Canada, Australia, UK and many European Union nations have expelled Syrian diplomatic personnel on Monday.

Proving that Democrats have never met a mass murdering dictator they didn't want to coddle, Nancy Pelosi is seen meeting Bashr al Assad in Damascus in 2007.

The massacre even prompted a rebuke from Russia- Assad's most powerful international ally and arms supplier. However, Russia is still considered unlikely to distance themselves from the Assad regime despite diplomatic efforts from the West.

Navajo Code Talker's Association VP Passes Away

Samuel Tso, the vice president of the Navajo Code Talker's Association passed away at the age of 89 this month.

Samuel was born June 22, 1922, at Black Mountain near Many Farms, Ariz., into a poor family. He was Zuni Tachiinii and born for Nakai Dine'e.

As a youth, he helped his family as a sheep herdsman, but also was interested in boxing and pursuing his education.

He attended local schools until going to a nearby boarding school, where the instructors often punished him for speaking his native language.

"Then, the nation called for him to use that same language," said Samuel's son, Ron Tso.

At 17, Samuel enlisted in the United States Marine Corps by claiming he was 21 years old, in order to be eligible for the military. He relocated to Camp Pendleton in Southern California, where he learned to be a code talker.

Samuel watched the original 29 code talkers leave for war while training. He and his unit learned the second version of the code.

"They bounced back between different versions of the code," said Ron.

Samuel loved sharing tales of the code talkers with his family and with audiences nationwide.

One of his favorite stories was when Samuel had reached Iwo Jima, an island that hosted one of the most intense battles between American and Japanese troops.

Samuel's unit reached the island just days before the battle began. While many of his comrades were overcome by fear, Samuel's concern was assuaged by a vision of a Native American maiden who told him he would return home safely.

The next day, a string of juniper beads arrived in the mail in an unaddressed envelope.

"He put [the beads] on and, as a result, he didn't have fear," said Ron.

Samuel returned from the war and went to college to pursue a career as a teacher. He attained a bachelor's degree at Utah State University and a master's degree at Arizona State University before acting as an instructor and involved youth advocate on school boards and committees.

"He advocated for the youth to get their education," said Yvonne Tso, Samuel's daughter.

Sharing the significance of the Navajo language became Samuel's mission up until his final days. His family hopes to honor his legacy by continuing his efforts to build the National Navajo Code Talkers Museum and Veterans Center to be constructed in Window Rock, Ariz.

"When I talked to my dad, I told him I would make his dream a reality," said Yvonne.

The Navajo language was used in the Pacific theater in WWII to confound Japanese codebreakers- throughtout the war, the Japanese were unable to decipher the communications being sent in the Navajo language. So effective were the Code talkers that the program remained classified for another 20 years in the event that a similar cipher program could be used in another armed conflict.

The program was declassified in 1968, and with the program no longer a state secret the Navajo Codel Talker's Association was formed a few years later in the early 1970s. Since then the Navy has even archived the Code Talker's Dictionary online.

Samuel's daughter Yvonne said that he had hoped to live long enough to see the completion of the proposed Navajo Code Talker's Museum and Veteran's Center in Window Rock, AZ completed. Currently, one of the largest exhibits on the Navajo reservation relating to the Code Talkers is presently located at a Burger King run by the son of one of the Code Talkers in Kayenta, AZ.

Donations made on behalf of Samuel Tso for the nascent Code Talker's museum can be made either online at the Code Talker's Association website or by regular mail at P.O. BOX 1266, Window Rock, AZ 86515.