News Roundup: Bombings hit New Jersey and New York, Oakland prostitute sues city, Coolio arrested at LAX

Attacks rattle America:

New York is on high alert after an explosion rocked the Chelsea district of Manhattan injuring 29 people, one seriously.

Thousands of people were milling around one of Manhattan’s most fashionable areas when the blast ripped through the area shortly after 8.30pm local time.

It is understood to have originated from a device placed in a metal container – a skip or a large builder’s toolbox – outside the Associated Blind Housing facility at 135 West 23rd Street.

A second device was found four blocks away on West 27th Street. According to several local news sources it was a pressure cooker attached to a mobile phone by tape with protruding wires.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey earlier in the day:

An explosive pipe-bomb-style device blew up a garbage can in Seaside Park, New Jersey on Saturday morning, just before thousands of people were set to pass by for a U.S. Marine charity road run , according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. No one was injured by the explosion, which occurred at 9:35 a.m. along the route of the Marine Semper Fi 5K, which had been scheduled to start at 9 a.m., but was delayed because of late signups. The run was cancelled on account of the explosion. ABC News reports that authorities believe the runners were the target of the bomb, but there is no suspect or known motive as of Sunday morning.

There was also a mass-stabbing in a Minnesota mall on Saturday:

(CNN)The man who stabbed eight people at a Minnesota mall Saturday before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer was a “soldier of the Islamic state,” according to an ISIS-linked news agency.

The statement posted online Sunday by the Amaq agency follows a pattern of ISIS-related media claiming responsibility for what appear to be the acts of individuals across Europe in the past few months. CNN cannot independently confirm this latest claim.

Witnesses said the man, wearing a private security company uniform, entered Crossroads Mall on Saturday night, made a reference to Allah and asked at least one person if they were Muslim before he attacked, police said in a statement.

As I type this, it is 1200 noon Pacific coast time, and the authorities aren’t really talking much about any of these, so we’ll wait to hear. To be sure, there are no indications of who did the two bombings, but clearly the mall stabbings reek of the Islamic terror playbook. The thing that freaks me out is this becoming the “new normal,” that we have to deal with. That these small-scale attacks, carried out by self-radicalized jihadists, become acceptable losses.

Indeed, when the bomb in New York went off, CNN didn’t even cover it live for a while, because they were carrying Obama’s dopey speech to the Congressional Black Caucus gala, and apparently didn’t want to interrupt that to get to Manhattan. Can you believe that? A bomb goes off in NYC and CNN yawns.

But, back to the bombing. Governor Andrew Cuomo, as well as New York City mayor Bill de Blasio are already saying that this event is NOT linked to international terrorism, for what it’s worth. But that is hardly small comfort. Omar Mateen wasn’t “international terrorism,” either… not technically. Neither was Nidal Hasan. Or Syed Farook. These were all legal residents or American citizens who caught the jihad. Again, not saying that’s what this is, but it’s certainly at the top of my guess list, considering the circumstances. But who knows? As we speak, the NYPD is investigating a tumblr page that is claiming responsibility, saying that it was revenge for the way the US treats homosexuals. I’m not buying it, but anything’s possible.

As far as the Jersey pipe bombing, they are also hedging on any speculation at this point. Governor Chris Christie says as far as they know, none of these three events are linked in any way. Again, that is what is so scary: There’s no way to fully stop this kind of thing. It would require an even more massive police state than we already have, and in a county that values civil liberties like the United States, this is an untenable situation.

We will watch this carefully and bring you any updates.

The case of Sgt 1st Class Tim Brumit:

The head of U.S. Army Special Operations Command has requested the Army reconsider an adverse discharge of a Green Beret for having drugs and alcohol in his system when he broke his neck trying to save a girl’s life.

In a memo to Human Resources Command, which has final say on the matter, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Tovo called for a review of the case of Sgt. 1st Class Tim Brumit. The soldier was paralyzed from the chest down diving into shallow water from a boat in a storm in Florida in an effort to help a distressed swimmer last summer. In particular, Tovo asked Human Resources Command to reconsider the “unknown factors that likely contributed” to Burmit’s decision to jump.

In a statement emailed to Army Times, Brumit’s father Randy, a former Green Beret himself, expressed relief over Tovo’s support, noting a positive outcome would allow Brumit to receive medical and service benefits from his 12-plus years of service.

As someone who lives along a rocky cliff coastline, I can sympathize. Even in the waters I know very well, I use extreme caution whenever surfing/swimming in the ocean. You never really know what’s underneath you. Never dive in headfirst.

The ramifications of this case are enormous. Brumit will obviously be needing lifetime care, barring some miraculous recovery. And having an adverse discharge will cost him the health care from the Veteran’s Administration that he will be needing. Sgt. Brumit may have used some poor judgement in the heat of the moment, but that could happen to anyone, anytime. Thankfully, Rep. Duncan Hunter is on it:

“The past thirteen months of watching our son fight for his life has taken an enormous toll on our family. Our disappointment with the Army’s decision to find ‘No’ on the Line of Duty Investigation remains, but this recent support is encouraging,” the statement said, while also thanking Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. for fighting for Brumit.

More than a year after the incident, Tim Brumit was informed that an investigation determined that trace amounts of cocaine and a 0.10 blood-alcohol level in his system indicated his actions were reckless and not in the line of duty. That set him up for an other-than-honorable discharge, which could cost a huge sum in future medical costs given his condition. Brumit pushed back.

I’ve said it a million times before. This is the good and bad part of having type-A men who are willing to sprint towards the gunfire. The good part is that they are fearless, aggressive, and do not hesitate when seconds count. The bad part? Well, you know guys like this are going to act out occasionally. They are going to go out and do stupid shit with alcohol, and, every once in a while, snort up a line of the old Devil’s Dandruff just to take the edge off. Why do you think the Secret Service can’t stop banging Colombian hookers?

Even if you are one of the guys from Team Old School, who believe Sgt. Brumit made his bed and now deserves to sleep in it, there is apparently a lot more to the story. In true big bureaucracy fashion, Brumit had been trying to get help for himself and didn’t get jack shit:

Brumit acknowledged coping issues had manifested in substance abuse and other problems, including fights with other soldiers, and said he had been drinking the day of the accident. But he also said he wasn’t drunk when he misjudged the shallow, stormy waters, and hadn’t done drugs that day.

Additionally, he said he’d been seeking help for his substance abuse for more than a year, as well as help for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury — and that the Army ignored his pleas. The Bronze Star recipient, who was in the 75th Ranger Regiment before joining Special Forces, said his chain of command pulled him out of an Air Force substance abuse program for duty. Emails acquired by the Daily Beast apparently back his claims that both he and his father had asked the Army for help.

There you go. The man was begging for help and was ignored at every turn. Everything in the military has a waiver. And in this case, a United States Army Special Forces NCO injured himself in trying to help someone who needed it. There is no finer way to represent that US military, and the Army should recognize that.

Disgusting whore sues city of Oakland for 66 million buckaroos:

The California teenage prostitute who allegedly traded sex with Oakland cops for protection is suing the city for a whopping $66 million, claiming force members treated her as a sex slave.

Celeste Guap, a pseudonym used by the 19-year-old, said she slept with dozens of Oakland officers when she was just 17 years old and working as a prostitute — because they gave her tips on how to avoid raids.

Okaaaaaaaaay. So you all remember this sack of shit, right? Apparently, she was banging half the Oakland police department, many while she was still underage. The Oakland PD launched an investigation after Officer Brendan O’Brien shot himself at home. It turned out, O’Brien had “rescued” a then-underage Guap from the streets, carrying on a sexual relationship with her. But Guap had her side pieces too. According to the investigation, Guap was banging up to 28(!!!) other cops in exchange for getting out of prostitution stings and other legal messes. This included 14 Oakland PD cops, 5 Richmond PD cops, and several Alameda county sheriff’s deputies, among others. She also sexted an inspector at the Alameda County District Attorney’s office. Kid got around.

Now, by reading this and having a brain in your head, you may surmise that far from being some shrinking violet, Guap, the daughter of an Oakland Police Department dispatcher, was cunning, calculating, and knew exactly what she was doing. But that’s why we have shyster lawyers! You see, it turns out that Guap was just a child-like pawn in this game, used by gross older men without knowing what she was doing:

“These acts constitute unlawful forced labor, trafficking into servitude and sex trafficking of a child by force, fraud and coercion and have caused (Jasmine) to suffer unimaginable abuse, pain, and suffering that she and her family will endure for the rest of her life,” according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by NBC Bay Area…

If you think that the good people of Oakland will buy the image of Guap as a terrified little girl while she was going through law enforcement dick like a bag of Cheetos… well, you’re probably right. Oakland is notoriously left-wing in their politics, and I’m sure they’ll break the bank to get this lawsuit to drop. Although I really want the city to fight this, I can almost promise you that this will be settled out of court. I really doubt Oakland PD, which went through 3 different PD chiefs in like a week because of this scandal, wants to relive this in a court. And keep in mind, any money that this creature gets comes straight from you, the taxpayers.

Don’t get me wrong. Guap being a gross, disgusting hooker in no way frees the responsibility of all of these IDIOT cops from their stupidity. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around why you would risk your whole life for a piece of ass. I mean, she’s not even hot, for God’s sake. If I’m putting my career on the line for some tail, it better be like goddamn Heidi Klum or something. Scarlett Johansen is also an acceptable option. (ScarJo…. call me, boo.) Anyway, Guap has been behaving pretty much exactly as you’d expect a hardened streetwalker to behave:

…Guap was released from a Florida jail earlier this month after assaulting a worker at a rehab center for substance abuse and sex addiction. The 19-year-old entered the facility last year, and pleaded no contest to the attack on its employee.

Shocking. But maybe there is some good to come out of this. Apparently, Guap already has the dollar signs dancing in her eyeballs, because she’s got some big plans! What is the last refuge of the shyster scumbag in America? That’s right! She plans to become an ACTIVIST:

Upon her release, Guap announced she plans to work to help other victims of sex trafficking.

Mmmmm-Hmmmmmmm. We’ll keep an eye on that. My prediction is that she returns to hooking as soon as the cameras aren’t following her around because of this lawsuit. Once a hooker, always a hooker.

Follow me on twitter for celebrity fitness updates:

https://twitter.com/BKactual/status/775754742995619841

My man Mel is looking beefy, right? And don’t be one of those people who dismiss outright any gains made while being assisted by chemistry. That’s one of the dumbest knocks I’ve heard against people who use HGH/Test/Steroids. I mean, you still have to put in the time in the gym. It’s not like you just stick a needle in your ass and then go drink beer and get huge. All that shit does is help with muscle recovery. You still have to go in there and do the work.

I think in the future, this is going to be normal. There are ways to get the prescription now through shady doctors, but I think this will become far more widespread in the future, as we move closer to humans really becoming Cyborg-ian. I mean, we don’t hesitate to cut off a dude’s dick and pump them with hormones. Why not offer testosterone therapy for older, active guys? (Furiously pointing to self.)

In other words, is a male:

Britain’s first female infantry soldier to serve in the Army has told how she was born a boy and described how honoured she is “to be able to make history”.

Guardsman Chloe Allen, who joined the forces in 2012 as Ben Allen, made the decision to transition from male to female after being caught cross-dressing as she prepared to guard a royal palace.

Tomorrow's front page: Chloe Allen becomes British Army's first female frontline soldier – after being born a boy pic.twitter.com/TW6wzW1BFN

— The Sun (@TheSun) September 16, 2016

I embedded the re-released, HATE-FREE version above. You catch a fleeting glimpse of Sgt. Becky at the range for like a half a second. And there’s also a flash of a female pilot giving some kind of brief. So thank God they edited that video. Because it was pretty much Hitler.

Let’s do some baseless speculation:

The command master chief of Navy Operational Support Center San Antonio was fired Friday for off-duty behavior.

Capt. Andrew Bishop, commanding officer of Naval Operations Support Center San Antonio, ousted Command Master Chief (AW) Jermaine Rawls from the reserve center’s top enlisted spot due to a loss of confidence in his ability to serve effectively as a command leader.

Rawls was relieved due to personal misconduct off-duty, said Cmdr. Doug Gabos, spokesman for Navy Reserve Forces Command. Gabos said he could not provide more details on the misconduct.

“Command Master Chief Rawls failed to demonstrate the exemplary conduct expected of those in command leadership positions,” Gabos told Navy Times on Friday. “He was offered non-judicial punishment by Capt. Bishop, but Master Chief Rawls has refused and has elected courts-martial.”

Hmmm. No word in the linked article whatsoever about what got Chief Rawls in trouble. This is the kind of charge that could mean anything. Drunk in public, a fight, that sort of thing. Whatever it is, they didn’t explain.

However, in the comments, some guy is claiming that the Chief was at a Trump rally supporting the candidate, when he was confronted by an activist who referred to him using a racial slur, and asking him how he could vote for such a piece of shit, or some such nonsense. Rawls took offense to this, and slugged the guy in the face. Is it true? Who knows? But that’s a great story, so I’m running with it. Thank you, anonymous crazy internet man.

Sweaty Seamen:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As many as a hundred junior sailors living at a Naval Air Station Oceana barracks say their rooms have felt like a sauna for weeks on end.

The barracks complex’s air conditioning units can’t keep up with the sweltering heat that have gripped the East Coast in recent months. The temperature in their rooms has soared to 90 degrees and higher. They can’t sleep. One sailor reportedly needed medical attention from a heat rash and dehydration. Instead, some have taken to sleeping at friends’ houses off-base or checking into motels nearby. One sailor said they’d slept in their car.

These sailors reported the problems at Buildings 441-445 to their squadrons and commands, but say nothing has been done to cool the stifling heat in their rooms. Sailors have kept windows closed because there’s no netting to keep out insects and say the fans they’ve been given only blow hot air at them.

“Sure, it’s a comfort issue for us,” said one of the sailors who spoke to Navy Times. “But it’s a safety issue more than that. We’re not getting enough sleep and [are] coming to work drenched in sweat and drained of energy — not at our best. And we’re working on multi-million aircraft.”

I haven’t been to Virginia Beach, but I’ve been close enough to the area to recognize how shitty that part of the country can be during the height of summer. The humidity is an absolute killer. Living sans air conditioning would suck ass.

Notice the intelligence of the sailor quoted in the story. He/She knows that the best way to get the politically-correct wiener officers to get off their asses to do something is to invoke some sort of “safety issue.” Don’t get me wrong, they are entirely correct to do so. It’s just funny to me that everyone talks in the language of the bureaucrat now.

Why did nobody tell me about combat yoga?:

ATLANTA — Thomas Harris slid into the cool, salty water of a 6.3-million-gallon tank at the Georgia Aquarium here and let himself float limp as kelp.

Mr. Harris, a former Army medic, gazed through a diving mask at a manta ray the size of a hang glider doing slow somersaults above shifting schools of silver fish. A 21-foot whale shark brushed silently by, inches from his face, its broad, spotted back taking up his entire view. Immersed in the moment, he forgot about the world.

This is not a weekend hobby. It is part of his therapy for the post-traumatic stress disorder he has been grappling with after his tours in Iraq. And like Mr. Harris, more veterans are turning to these sorts of outside-the-office treatment.

The broad acceptance of PTSD after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has posed an unexpected challenge. Acknowledging PTSD has only spurred a wide-ranging debate over the best way to treat it.

Traditional medical approaches generally rely on drugs and controlled re-experiencing of trauma, called exposure therapy. But this combination has proved so unpopular that many veterans quit before finishing or avoid it altogether. This has given rise to hundreds of small nonprofits across the country that offer alternatives: therapeutic fishing, rafting and backpacking trips, horse riding, combat yoga, dogs, art collectives, dolphin swims, sweat lodge vision quests and parrot husbandry centers, among many, many others.

Very good article from the New York Times about an extremely important issue. For years, we’ve turned a blind eye to the Veteran’s Administration turning a blind eye to the fact that dealing with a veteran’s PTSD meant doping him up out of his mind with extremely dangerous and potent narcotics. Anything, and I do mean anything, that changes that is worthy of exploration. Even the parrot husbandry. Whatever the fuck that is.

Here is your Coolio update:

Police arrested the rapper Coolio on Saturday after authorities said they found a loaded, stolen firearm in his carry-on bag at a security checkpoint inside Los Angeles International Airport.

Police took possession of a carry­-on bag on the X­-ray screening belt and detained a 39-year-old man who claimed the bag, Hernandez said.

Authorities soon discovered that the bag “contained items belonging to one of the suspect’s traveling companions,” who had left the screening area and boarded a departing plane, Hernandez said.

Police then detained Coolio, 53, “who upon questioning claimed ownership and possession of the carry­-on bag,” Hernandez said.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen, loaded firearm, police said.

Hernandez said Coolio — whose legal name is Artis Leon Ivey — was booked into jail on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a felon.

The Las Vegas native was arrested at LAX in 2009 after authorities said they found rock cocaine in his luggage.

Oh, Coolio. We all loved you back in the mid 1990s, when “Gangster’s Paradise” was a ubiquitous presence on the FM dial. I, personally, thought this was the birth of a storied music dynasty that would last a thousand years, like Elvis or Sinatra. But my man has had a rough go of it. And it’s about to get a lot rougher. How do people forget that they have a firearm at the airport???

Sir, the bushes did not consent:

Surely the Chester County, Pa., police officer did a double-take after glimpsing a naked man allegedly masturbating in the bushes along a suburban Philadelphia roadway.

This is precisely the shocking scene that a West Goshen police officer allegedly witnessed, reportedly catching a naked Gary Hacker, 59, masturbating along the side of Boot Road near Route 202 late last week, NBC-10 in Philly is reporting.

Police in the township had been on the lookout for such a sight after neighbors there reported a naked man masturbating in the bushes along the same roadway back in August.

Hacker, of Collegeville, Pa., faces charges of indecent exposure, lewdness and disorderly conduct, NBC-10 reports. And this isn’t the first time he has been in trouble for lewdness.

According to NBC-10, Hacker has previously pleaded guilty to indecent exposure charges back in 2007.

See, this is his thing. Once a sexual kink enters a man’s brain, it’s with him for life. So if your thing is  large breasts, or blonde hair, or jizzing in the bushes along the side of a road, that will be with you for life. That’s why there’s no helping child molesters. You may as well just put them down. Here’s a question: How many times do you think Hacker (more like JACKER amirite???) has spread his seed onto the local shrubbery in his lifetime? I”m guessing at least a thousand times.

@BKactual