Seven Year Old Displays Severed Head But That Isn't As Shocking As The Back Story

You may have seen the gruesome and disturbing photo of young boy displaying the severed head of an Syrian soldier.

Photo Credit: Khaled Sharrouf via Twitter

The image showing the seven-year-old son of  Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf holding up the severed head of a Syrian soldier with the caption "That's my boy" has sparked outrage around the world.

Sharrouf, 33, is a convicted terrorist who left Australia using his brother’s passport last year with his Australian born wife and three children last year to wage jihad.

But the kid with the head isn't as shocking as the Australian court system. In 2007 Sharrouf was among nine Muslim men accused of stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and plotting terrorist attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

He pleaded guilty to the charges is 2009 and (get this) was sentenced to four years in prison, as well as being banned from leaving the country. That's right kidos, just four years! Australia is less of an ally and more like an enabler when it comes to dealing with these barbarians.

Soon after being released from prison he used his brother’s passport to leave Australia with his wife and three sons to fight in Syria and Iraq.

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Kevin Ward, Jr. Hit and Killed By NASCAR Star Tony Stewart

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Kevin Ward signs a checkered flag for a very young fan. Photo: Kevin Ward Racing

It could haven't happened to a nicer guy and involved a more controversial guy, Kevin Ward, Jr. Killed was by NASCAR's Tony Stewart during a 25 lap race on the hard mud of upstate New York.

The fall out is a sponsor's and NASCAR's worst nightmare. Intentional or not Stewart's racing days may be over. Sadly for Stewart in a split second he added his name to a long list of those found guilty of murder even though not convicted. Names like George Zimmerman, Casey Anthony and O. J. Simpson. The Twittervese was quick to declare Stewart guilty and rightfully so, the video shows an agitated Ward standing in the groove and Stewart apparently sending his car's rear end towards Ward.

The aftermath has fans screaming in horror and the guy with the camera saying I can't believe (expletive) Tony Stewart just hit that guy. The video image of Kevin Ward laying motionless on the dirt track has been viewed by millions.

 

A witness to the crash, the sprint car driver Tyler Graves, told The Sporting News that Stewart’s action led to the fatality:

“I know Tony could see him,” Graves said. “I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two, and then it threw him about 50 yards.”

The video shows Tony Stewart car's kicking to the right as he reaches Ward and you can hear an engine rev up at the same time. Which has created two camps, those who are certain that Stewart was only trying to avoid Ward and blaming Ward for getting out of his car and those who think Stewart was trying to "dust" the driver.

Many have noted Ward's black fire suit which could have played at part in the accident. But the track website claims that the track is fully lighted so that "none of the action is missed".

From the video and audio CP is going with the latter. It clearly looks like Tony "The Terminator" Stewart kicked his car to the right trying to toss a little dirt in the face of Kevin Ward.

Still many say they couldn't imagine Stewart intentionally hitting another driver outside of his car regardless of the confrontation. Again CP doesn't think it was intentional, in fact he was most likely having a good time, laughing at Ward. Just having a little fun.

But Stewart's words have come back to bite him in the ass:

Stewart was still angry after the famous helmet throwing incident two years ago at Bristol and is quoted as saying, "I checked up twice not to run over him. (Matt Kennseth) And I learned my lesson there, and I'm going to run over him every chance I got until the end of the year. Every chance I got."

Of course Stewart was taking about running over Kennseth while the driver was still in the car, not mowing him down on pit row.

Ward had been enduring a weeks long run of "bad luck" and near firsts but hadn't been able to close out a win. This frustration may had led Ward to exit his car and confront Stewart. But drivers, fans and officials say drivers going after other drivers on the track is not unusual.

Cedar's Take:

Tony Stewart's career as a NASCAR Star is over. There is no sponsor who can afford to be associated with a driver known as "Tony the Terminator".

Regardless of guilt or lack of intent, the fact is someone died and someone should go to jail. There is no free pass by saying "Well, that's racin".

Then there are those who will say it was an accident, but this was no accident it was the consequence of a pattern of behavior Tony Stewart is associated with.

Before I become a target for any more flaming arrows from friends like Charlotte's Logan Stewart who in many words told me I was wrong in tweeting that Tony had deliberately run Kevin Ward down.

(I like Logan and she's right and I was wrong. Minutes after the video was first posted I tweeted that Tony Stewart had "deliberately ran over Kevin Ward" Of course at that time I assumed that Kevin Ward was alive and would return to race another day. Now having watched the video a dozen times, and hearing eyewitness accounts its clear that Stewart's intent was not to run over Kevin Ward.)

Let me say I don't have a favorite driver, though Sterling Marlin, Dale Jr, Jimmy Johnson and Danica I tend to follow. I also owe a slight allegiance to the 24 car team thanks to a business relationship. And then there is the history with Morgan - McClure and Ernie Irvan and the No. 4 car but that's another story from way back.

I don't hate Tony Stewart, in fact I think he's a darn good driver. Or at least was.

At this point I would hope that Stewart comes forward to tell the truth and explain what he did, it won't save his career but it will save his soul.

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North Carolina Court of Appeals Gives CMPD Chief Monroe A Serious Beat Down

It is a well-known that CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe likes to make up the rules as he goes. Such was the case when CMPD took over the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Police.

Few people outside of law enforcement, understood that the CDIA police reported to Jerry Orr and have done so for as long as the Airport Police have existed. ( A Cedar Posts follower notes that CDIA Officer actually reported to a CMPD Captain. While true Orr still had absolute control over the CDIA Police) This fact, apparently annoyed Chief Monroe and a turf war had been raging since Chief Monroe came to power in 2008.

When Delvonte Tisdale breached the airport perimeter in 2010, the turf war escalated with Chief Monroe claiming that the CDIA police were grossly unqualified and poorly trained. The turf war finally came to a close when then City Manager Kurt Walton gave control of the CDIA Police to CMPD, with the City Council's blessing on December 15, 2012.

The turf war over the CDIA Police is what led to the airport battle still raging between factions of State and Local elected officials and caused the resignation or firing of long time airport manager Jerry Orr.

Once in control of CDIA Police, Chief Monroe's reign of terror was on, his first steps in dismantling the CDIA Police, was to declare that all CDIA officers would be merged into CMPD with retaining their full, "rank, salary longevity and benefits". Three weeks later Chief Monroe required that all CDIA be re-sworn, which was completed in January of 2013.

Shortly after these officers were sworn, Chief Monroe's department started to walk back the prior commitments by deciding that all CDIA Officers would be required to apply to CMPD, pass all background checks, physical standards and complete training at the police academy.

Chief Monroe's tactics and every changing requirements disrupted the personal lives of a dozen officers, who lost rank, seniority, civil service job protection and other rights. Turmoil was wide spread as CMPD Officers roamed aimlessly around the airport without purpose or direction and CDIA Officers sat huddled in their offices shaking their heads.

Enter the case of Mazzeo v. City Of Charlotte No. COA13-1388

Officer Dominick Mazzeo was hired as a CDIA Airport Safety Officer "ASO" in 2007. Oddly enough even though CDIA Police were autonomous, annual Performance Reviews and Development assessments known as "PDR's" were signed by CMPD supervisors.

Officer Mazzeo's reviews appear to support the claim that he was an exemplary officer. Never the less, Officer Mazzeo was terminated in June of 2013 and was later told he didn't have a right to a civil service board hearing because he was a probationary employee despite the verbal promises given by CMPD command.

Weeks later a trial court ruled that Mazzeo was entitled to a civil service board hearing. Of course Chief Monroe appealed. Then on August 5, 2014 the North Carolina Court of Appeals delivered a victory for Officer Mazzeo and many other CDIA Officers.

"We hold that the trial court's conclusion of law is supported by its findings of fact. The trial court's findings established that: (1) Plaintiff retained his same rank, badge number, employee identification number, and salary after the consolidation; (2) Plaintiff took identical oaths of office both upon his initial hiring in 2007 and after the consolidation in 2012; (3) from the time he was originally assigned to the CDIA until the date of his dismissal, Plaintiff had his PRDs reviewed and signed by supervising officers of the CMPD; and (4) the City contributed to his law enforcement 401k account in the same amount both before and after the consolidation."

The ruling is expected to have far reaching impact on many of the former CDIA Officers in support of the numerous civil suits and actions pending over the merger of CDIA and CMPD Officers.

You can read the entire court opinion affirming the lower courts decision and denying the City of Charlotte and CMPD's appeal here.

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Monday Morning Odds and Ends

Israel continues to wage war on Hamas, investment experts meet up in Maine at Camp Kotok, and CPs brother cuffed and stuffed by CMPD and it all gets tied together right here.

Well Officer It's Complicated

 

My brother is a stand up guy, who tries to make the best of a couple of failed marriages. He lives in Charlotte but his kids live in Atlanta. 

And so a plan comes together to deliver his youngest son to his ex in Atlanta after a week at camp in Charlotte, and then rent a trailer, pick up his other son from his other ex and take that son to Tennessee where he'll attend college in the fall, then return to Atlanta pick-up some furniture out of an expensive storage unit and drive back to Charlotte with the trailer full of furniture all inside 48 hours.

Thanks to a court system that shows no mercy to fathers, he lives at my sister's house in a gated South Charlotte community that is largely populated with elderly types. Peeking out of their windows seems to be a major past time for these seniors.

One of these nosey seniors, (You're going to laugh when CP gets around to telling you the name of the former Charlotte TV yapper it is.) who despite having seen the black GMC Yukon SUV that he is driving in my sister's driveway every day for the last four years, and despite that it is high noon on a bright, cloud free Sunday calls 911 to report a "robbery in progress".

In my brother's own words:

After 30 minutes in cuffs I was able to convince them that I was "unloading the truck" not loading it, and that my sister is the owner of the house, of course they weren't smiling for the picture.

And of course the address on my drivers license doesn't match my sister's house. Nor does the registration on the car match anything with a name remote to mine. (Since it's in the brother in law's name.) And then it's not as if my sister's dog who is barking like Cujo at me, indicated I was any sort of friendly.

And then of course my gate code didn't work.

I thought about telling them I was related to Cedar Posts but I wasn't sure if that would get me out of the cuffs or shot!

Oh and of course they wanted to know about Marsha's car being in the driveway because that registration doesn't match (in name or address) either. Not to say anything about either of them not being New York Yankee fans since Marsha's car has a license plate that says I love New York.

So when the Officers start asking who the house belongs to and why they can't call the owner, the answer that she is out of town fishing with a bunch of economists and can't be reached doesn't go over very well.

Cedar's Take:

So CMPD rolls on a suspected B&E call in a gated community in South Charlotte in the middle of the day to find a big black Yukon SUV and a bright orange U-Haul trailer backed up to an open garage door. The home has a CPI security sign in the front yard yet no alarm is sounding and no call from the alarm company and a middle age white guy unloading boxes.

Given this input, both officers are apparently convinced that they have caught "red handed" a criminal mastermind! I'll give these two geniuses the benefit of the doubt, cuffing the alleged perp is a nice safety move. But seriously, do they really think this is how the crooks in South Charlotte operate, do they honestly think a orange U-Haul Trailer with graphic depicting scenes from Idaho is part of the M.O. Really?

The actual owner to the home is in Maine so far out in the sticks even the deer have maps and there is no cell service. And the house is listed in her married name. Did I mention that my sister is married? Oh and her husband lives in Memphis and seldom comes to Charlotte?

Like I said officer its complicated.
 

Meanwhile In The North Woods Of Maine

 

 

 

Followers of CP know there is a family connection to Maine. In fact Mrs. Cedar's mother and 3 generations of grandparents are buried in or near the small town of Lincoln Maine. So we where thrilled when David Kokot of Cumberland Investment Advisors invited CP's sister to attend the annual event that is known as Camp Kotok.

 

Camp Kotok is held the first weekend in August at a fishing camp called Leen's Lodge about an hours drive from Lincoln. Everything is about an hours drive from Lincoln. The history of Leen's is in itself amazing. Years ago sportscaster Curt Gowdy and baseball star Ted Williams fished these same waters and often stayed at Leen's Lodge.

 

Ted Williams, with a catch from Maine's Ross Lake in July 1947

 

 Gowdy was the long time voice of the Boston Red Sox, NBC Sports and later ABC Sports and The American Sportsman.

 

As a kid I was fascinated by the remote fishing expeditions that Williams and Gowdy would film for The American Sportsman only to realize now they were often filmed just a short distance from Mrs. Cedar's family home.  

 

The only trouble is being that far north is that even the deer have maps and cell service is nonexistent. So while the sister is taking part in the group often referred to as the  "Shadow Fed" the brother is on his own to deal with handcuffs.

 

But this same lack of cell service, makes Leen's Lodge the perfect venue to get some of the best talent in the investment business together for frank discussion and even a little dissent.

 

David Kotok is also wise enough to invite some of the best reporters who cover the financial world, and even if quoting members of Camp Kotok is forbidden without formal consent, they do come away with an amazing look at where the economy is going and where it has been.

 

More about Camp Kotok here.

 

Israel Continues Its War On Hamas

 

Beyond the main stream media, and the endless attacks there is the twitter war waged by the IDF and Palestinians. Let's face it Israel has a right to kill Palestinians, doesn't matter if they are targeted Hamas operatives, or children. The IDF like to point out the ever increasing number of rockets fire into Israel by Hamas.

 

Never mind that the rockets are ineffective homemade bombs most that case little damage and are more nuisance than threat.

 

Of course Hamas is accused of using women and children as shields and building bombs in schools and mosques.

 

The trouble with social media is the distortion. The USA has always maintained a one sided view of the conflict and backed Israel. But this is changing thanks to social media. Most Americans still support Israel, but they are also beginning to question Israel's conduct.

 

 

In Maine, outside of Camp Kotok the troubles between two nations over a small strip of land is of little interest. The fish are biting, summer is fleeting and there is wood to stack for the coming winter.

 

And so it goes.

 

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Camp Kotok 2014

Every year some of the nation's top economists, investment professionals and a number of newsies make the trek to Leen's Lodge for a few days of fishing and conversation. And the conversation can be intense. 

Leen's Lodge is a 60 year old Maine institution located in a part of Maine that you can't get to from here. Thankfully it's just around the corner from Mrs. Cedar's family home in Lincoln, sort of.

I'll leave the insider's look at what has become known as Camp Kotok to Tony D'Souza the link to his piece from back in March of this year which is here. Tony penned the detailed essay based on his visit to Grand Lake Stream, Maine last year.

The reports from Camp Kotok are somewhat slow to emerge, first everyone wants an invite to next year, second Chatham House Rules which are steadfastly honored keep a lot of what is discussed on the down low.

Photo Credit: Cedar Posts

Thankfully David Kotok brings in a few well seasoned writers and a number of investment advisors who are well suited for delivering the news from Camp Kotok.

 

Here's a sampling.....

 

Andrea Riquier:

 

What Top Economists, Investors See Next Year

Every summer, wealth management firm Cumberland Advisors' chief executive, David Kotok, convenes a few dozen of the most successful economists and investors in the deep woods of Maine for fishing, conversation, and thoughtful discussion. A staple of "Camp Kotok" is an annual survey that asks participants for their bets on various economic indicators a year hence. 

Andrea's full article for Investors Business Daily is here.

Spencer Jakab:

Call it the one that got away

An annual fishing trip that brings together economists and money managers in rural Maine is unique. For one thing, it’s devoid of presentations. And organizer David Kotok, chief executive of money manager Cumberland Advisors, strictly guards participants’ privacy. But he provides a window into the collective view through a betting pool on what all manner of financial indicators will be when the group reconvenes in a year.

The rest of his take away from Leen's Lodge is here

John Maudlin:

 

John, tip toes around the investment discussions at Camp Kotok but zeros in on the Maine Governor's race. Normally I'd pull a few excerpts and lay down a link, however John's take on the Gov buried in a report on China. Which is worth reading as well so here's the link. But let's get to Camp Kotok, I'll skip China, and jump right to it, here's John Maudlin: 

Tonight finds me in Grand Lake Stream, Maine, at Camp Kotok at Leen’s Lodge (highly recommended), where I’ve spent the first Friday of August for the last eight summers with my youngest son, Trey. This annual ritual has been a special time for me, marking the years as my youngest son has grown into a young man. And the reminder is made physical by the pictures in my phone. There are a few more tattoos and other things that make the old-fogey dad a little uncomfortable, but as we sit and catch fish I remember the 12-year-old kid who caught his first fish. He still has the same joy and facial expressions. Where did my little boy go? It’s hard for me to think back over how fast the time has flown.

Philosophical moment. Most of us of with older children experience the phenomenon of how fast our children grow up. It is both thrilling and uncomfortable. But life around us has otherwise tended to flow on smoothly, for the most part. What if the life we experience also changes rapidly in the future, which I think is the likely probability? Does the difficulty we have dealing with how quickly our children grow and change suggest that we will also find ourselves challenged in dealing with accelerating change in the world around us? Just asking…

I had the privilege here of sitting next to Paul LePage, who is the governor of Maine and running a very competitive and combative race for reelection. His problem is that the local media hates him, although he has won over a significant portion of the population with the substantial successes that he has had in the last four years. He has turned Maine around from being an economic joke and a disaster case into a state that is more than respectable. Maine’s unemployment rate has gone from being among the worst to being among the best. Taxes are significantly down. Growth is up. He’s reduced the welfare rolls from 27% to 19%.

Maine Gov Paul LePage talking to Camp Kotok guests Photo Credit: Maine Governor's Office 

He is an interesting character. I’ve been around politicians for the last 35 years, at all levels. And while I’m not significantly involved in politics today, there was a time when I was really into it. After a while, it dawns on you that there are politicians on both teams who are there for the personal benefits they can grab as opposed to the passion they bring to the table. Sadly, the first group is much larger than the second.

Paul is one of the passionate ones. Actually rather extremely so. Four years ago he was a businessman who got fed up and decided to run for governor, and in a very odd election year won as a Republican in a very deep-blue state. In the world of politics strange things happen.

Paul is rather outspoken, which is what has gotten him in trouble with the media. (Besides the fact that he is a libertarian in a state with a very liberal media.) He tells a story about Barbara Bush, who was with him at a collegiate event last year and asked if she could speak to him in private. Who tells Barbara Bush no? She leaned into his ear and said, “Governor, it is very important to get reelected. Maine needs you. Zip it!” He said “Yes ma’am” and has been a good boy ever since (at least on a relative basis).

Given his views and track record, if LePage were governing a state with a population of 10 million (Maine has 1.3 million), the media would be following him as a potential presidential candidate. As it is, he is off everyone’s radar screen. Unless you are in Maine. As I sat at the table and listened to him rattle off businesslike answers to question after question posed by members of the media (for the purposes of this dinner I got to sit with Bloomberg and a few of the other big dogs – go figure), I saw a man who translated his personal philosophy into practical solutions.

Sometimes his solutions were nuanced, but he decided to simply override his Democratic legislature, which wanted to postpone what he felt was a needed nursing home subsidy until after the election cycle – a delay that would have meant even more much-needed nursing homes in Maine would be closing down. He mandated the expenditure in a somewhat Obama-like fashion (or at least that’s what it sounds like to me, but then I’m just a country boy from Texas).

Governor LePage is an original. I’m not sure how he would play on a national stage, but he fits right into my image of Maine over the last 30 years. And I would make him an honorary Texan in about two heartbeats.

That’s all the news from Maine, where the world is a perfect sunset, the fish are all biting (we caught 36 today), and all the children are forever young. Have a great week and enjoy the wild ride into the Age of Transformation.

Your sometimes wishing things would slow down analyst,

John Mauldin

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Piper Malibu Mirage Crash Landing in Statesville, NC

Statesville, North Carolina was the scene of a minor aviation accident on Friday night when a 2010 Piper Malibu Mirage owned by ETS Aviation of Terrell, North Carolina overshot the runway and crossed a road before coming to a stop. The aircraft N472ST was substantially damaged. The passengers aboard the high performance single engine aircraft received minor injuries. Two of the passengers where taken to a local hospital and later released.

Photo Credit: Flight Aware

Based on data from FlightAware and local knowledge the aircraft was attempting to land on runway 10 when it overshot the runway, clipped a security fence, crossed Airport Drive and came to rest on a golf course. 

NTSB investigators are expected to be on scene this morning to determine the cause of the accident.

Update: The NTSB announced this morning (Monday August 4, 2014) that they will not travel to Statesville to conduct their investigation, but rather would rely on data and statements from the FAA and the aircraft operators.

The Malibu reportedly makes frequent runs between Statesville and Washington in support of ETS Aviation operations. ETS makes fuel monitoring systems for commercial airlines.

Based on data from Flight Aware the aircraft made a couple of passes or approaches before trying to land.

N472ST On A Better Day Photo Credit: Skytech, Inc.



 

Additional Information Added August 6, 2014

In Cedar's review of this accident it was learned of another Piper Malibu aircraft that was involved in an accident this one in Clayton Georgia and fatal. The NTSB preliminary report is below:

On July 26, 2014, about 0850 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper PA-46-310P, N248SP, impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Heaven's Landing Airport (GE99), Clayton, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Aurora, Illinois (ARR).

Two witnesses were standing outside on the ramp and observed the accident airplane prior to departure. The preflight, engine start, and taxi appeared to be routine. There was fog present at the time, and it was "rolling up the valley," which was a frequent event at the airport. The lateral visibility was about 1,000 feet below the fog layer and obscured above. The elevated terrain surrounding the airport was obscured in the fog. The pilot back-taxied to runway 5 and initiated the takeoff. The airplane became airborne about 2,000 feet down the 5,062-feet-long runway. They observed the landing gear extended and the airplane seemed to drift to the left after takeoff. They heard the engine running normally, with no change in the sound, until the crash. They heard two distinct "booms" about four to six seconds apart. They ran down to the departure end of the runway to look for a crash site, and could not see the wreckage, or any smoke or fire, due to the fog.

The airplane crashed into elevated terrain, in a heavily wooded area, about 1,500 feet north of the departure end of runway 5. The elevation at the crash site was about 300 feet higher than the elevation at the departure end of runway 5. A majority of the wreckage was consumed in a post-crash fire. All major structural components of the airplane were accounted for within the wreckage debris path. Numerous tree limbs were scattered along the debris path with smooth, angular cuts through the limbs.

The aircraft maintenance records were provided to the investigation team shortly after the accident. According to the records, an annual inspection of the airframe, engine, and propeller was performed on June 11, 2014, at a total airframe time of 3,593 hours. At the time of the annual inspection, the engine had accumulated 532 hours since the last major overhaul. The annual inspection was the last entry in the logbooks.

The pilot possessed a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. Reportedly, he lived at the fly-in community surrounding the airport and was instrumental in its development. He reported 4,200 hours of total flight time on his third class medical application, dated March 5, 2014.

Local News Coverage:

One man is dead after a plane crashed into the side of a mountain at Heaven’s Landing around 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

Trees were scorched along the mountainside to the left of the runway. According to Michael Mazarky, Emergency Management Agency director, the pilot was the only person on board when it crashed just after take off. Mazarky confirmed the pilot lost his life.

The name of the victim was not released, pending notification of the family, and Mazarky said he was not sure if the man was from Rabun County.

Emergency responders received the call at 9:04 a.m. Saturday, and officials from Rabun County Fire Services, Rabun County Search and Rescue, Georgia State Patrol and the Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene.

As of early Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration was in route to the scene.

Heaven’s Landing is a private airstrip located on Little Creek Road.


Read more: The Clayton Tribune - Fatal plane crash at Heaven s Landing

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Sunday Dinner With Grandma - Maine Style

This is how we do a family Sunday dinner in Maine.

 

2 pound Lobstahs fresh off the dock only $6.75 a pound,

Fresh corn on the cob $0.50 an ear unshucked,

Pasta salad and Sea Dog beer less than $1.00  

 

Family time in the North Woods of Maine PRICELESS!

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