Mom in Deep Doo Doo

Definitely not a candidate for “Parent of the Year” (courtesy of ABC News)

Parenting isn’t easy. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or trying to sell you something. And while it may be easy to recognize good parenting when you see it, picking up on bad parenting is even easier.

Especially where people like Judy Viger of Gansevoort, New York are concerned.

The 33-year-old mother was recently arrested and charged with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Why, you ask? Check this out.

Last November, Viger threw a party for her son’s 16th birthday at a local bowling alley. A number of teenagers attended what should have been a fun and innocent celebration, but what they encountered was much, much different.

As a special treat for her son and his friends, Viger did what most parents… or most good parents… would consider unthinkable: she hired strippers.

Viger obviously wasn’t thinking straight when she arranged this ridiculous entertainment for the underaged partygoers. But she also forgot that we live in the age of technology, as evidenced by all the photos posted on Facebook later. A few even showed strippers giving lap dances and wrapping their legs around the heads of several minors.

Not cool.

When parents of Viger’s guests saw these photos, they immediately went to the South Glens Falls police, who took witness statements and then tracked down the misguided mother. She was apprehended and now could face jail time for her dumb move.

When it comes to the general stupidity of some people, I am rarely surprised by what I see, hear and read. But parents are supposed to know better, right?

Apparently not.

Would you want your son doing this? (courtesy of mynewshub)

I guess it never occurred to Viger that exposing these young boys to sexual situations might cause problems later. Granted, kids these days often learn about sex from their friends, usually long before their parents ever sit them down for “the talk.” But doing things like this only exacerbate any potential deviant behavior in the future. Hell, they might even guarantee it.

I’ve only been a parent for five years and haven’t dealt with a teenager yet, but I can say this: I will never hire strippers for my son’s birthday parties, much less expose him to things that could harm him later. This includes turning him into a pervert before he’s old enough to decide whether he really wants to be one or not. And don’t get me started on the whole objectification of women thing, because this could quickly become a rant rather than a simple blog post.

So parents, do yourselves and your children a favor: let them enjoy the innocence of youth as long as possible. Such a thing might not exist any more, but that doesn’t mean you have to deny them of it completely by doing dumb shit like this.

In other words, take the example of Judy Viger and whenever you encounter a situation that demands ethical and moral action, do the opposite of what you think she would do. I’m sure it will cause fewer problems down the road.

Something in the Water

There’s SOMEONE in the water (courtesy of Apple Daily)

Sabrina Braugh and her husband recently travelled from Great Britain to California and decided to stay at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. For some reason, every time they ran water for a shower, it would come out black before clearing up a few seconds later. It even tasted funny.

At first, Braugh thought this was simply the way things were in America. While that doesn’t bode well for our national reputation, at least in terms of water quality and sanitation, it turns out that something else was to blame for the water’s discoloration and unusual flavor.

There was a corpse decomposing in one of the hotel’s rooftop water cisterns.

The body belonged to 21-year-old Canadian tourist Elisa Lam, whose parents reported her missing earlier this month. She was last sighted in the hotel at the end of January.

Police are investigating Lam’s mysterious death, but no details have emerged to date. And we’re still waiting for the test results from the hotel’s water supply, which is being analyzed by the LA Public Health Department.

Would you drink this? (courtesy of tripadvisor.com)

Even if this tainted water poses no serious health risk to the residents of the Cecil Hotel, the fact that people were drinking and bathing in it for several weeks is more disgusting than I care to imagine. No wonder there was black stuff coming out of the faucets. It was Lam’s decomposing flesh, for goodness sake!

I would describe this situation as gross, but doing so would be a huge understatement. This goes way beyond gross. And I can’t imagine how the people who consumed this water must be feeling right now, including Lam’s parents.

Guests are still visiting the Cecil Hotel, but they have all received the same directive Americans get when they travel south of the border to Tijuana: whatever you do, don’t drink the water.

If you ask me, this advice should be rewritten as follows: don’t drink the water, especially if it comes out of the tap stinky, black and nasty. Of course, this seems more like common sense, but who am I to judge?

Strange Tips to Prevent Rape

“Out of the box” rape prevention tips (property of UCCS)

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has come under attack recently because of a list of ten “last resort” tips it posted online to help women stave off a sexual assault.

The list was originally intended as a supplemental resource for women who completed a self-defense course on campus, but it certainly wasn’t interpreted that way and has since been taken down.

Among the tips for women who fall victim to would-be rapists is to vomit, pass gas or urinate in an effort to deter their attackers. Other suggestions include telling attackers that you’re menstruating or have some kind of transmittable disease. There’s no guarantee any of these will work, but when combined with some sound self-defense techniques, they could definitely be helpful.

Sadly, not many people agree and the internet has been all a-Twitter with backlash. Here’s what Jason Griggs had to say about it: “#UCCSTips or if all else fails, ask attacker to pull your finger!”

Whatever.

If you ask me, tips like these are great because they add more weapons to victims’ arsenals. And if you’re being attacked and possibly raped, why not try anything possible to prevent it from happening?

Maybe I’m gross or too “out there,” but tips like these just seem like common sense. And it’s too bad that others can’t view them the same way.

Protecting the Family Jewels

Keep them under wraps (property of Fun Boxers)

“Guys, you know you better watch out. Some girls, some girls are only about that thing, that thing, that thing.”

These words appeared in Lauryn Hill’s 1998 R&B hit “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and helped launch the solo career of this former Fugees lead singer. The song is intended as a plea to young African-American men and women caught in “the struggle” and warns guys not to let “that thing” (between their legs) ruin their lives. Of course, they could also apply to the challenges men of all races face today, especially when it comes to the internet.

I am, of course, referring to the upswing in online sex scams. And yes, they affect men as much as they do women, maybe even more.

Let me paint you a picture.

Jim Williams was a 35-year-old man whose marriage was falling apart and heading for divorce. As such, he and his wife rarely communicated verbally, much less physically. And Jim was lonely.

He was also horny.

One night as Jim was cruising around his Facebook account, a friend request arrived from a beautiful young woman he had never met. Her name was Lynn and according to her profile, she and Jim shared several mutual friends. Although he normally wouldn’t accept a request from a stranger—especially a young woman—Jim trusted his friends and reluctantly added Lynn to his list. Within minutes, he received a message from her and the two began chatting on a regular basis.

At first, their exchanges were innocent: What’s your favorite film? How long have you worked in your current field? Where did you grow up? Eventually—and quickly—the two got closer and their questions became more personal: What do you look for in a woman? How much sex do you normally have in a week? What’s your favorite position?

Every time Jim communicated with Lynn, she mentioned some kinky interest or sexual need that aroused the sleeping giant in his pants. He knew that he wasn’t a cheater and hadn’t done anything wrong, but deep down he still felt a little guilty.

Fortunately, the feeling quickly passed.

The next day, Jim got a message from Lynn asking if he would meet her on Skype that night. She even provided her number and told him to call anytime, day or night, even collect if necessary. A week passed before Jim finally summoned the strength to do so, but eventually curiosity took hold and he couldn’t resist. Jim told himself that a little video chatting never hurt anyone. And since he would be single in a few months anyway, this could be a fun warm-up before he finally dove back into the dating pool.

So Jim logged into his Skype account, dialed Lynn’s number, took a deep breath and waited. Lynn answered quickly and a moment later, the two laid eyes on each other for the first time, alive and in person.

And they were both pleased.

Some great conversations followed, but so did some flirting. This quickly turned in to sex talk and within a few days, things started to get pretty graphic. Each time Jim logged in and contacted Lynn, she was wearing an outfit more revealing than the last. The more skin she showed, the more Jim’s pants rose to the occasion. And though he still felt a little guilty at times, he figured “What the hell?” So he kept on talking dirty and even encouraged Lynn to reveal more of herself, which she soon did.

The next time they Skyped, she was completely naked and extremely compliant. Whatever Jim asked her to do—regardless of how demented it might be—she did without question. There were oils, lotions, toys and even a few vegetables depending on their mood. In a short time, Jim had seen so much of Lynn that if asked to pick her out of a lineup, he could identify her from any angle or using any square inch of her body.

This is probably too much

He had a flexible webcam to thank for that.

Then came the inevitable request from Jim’s new and naked friend: “I showed you mine, so show me yours.”

Jim was hesitant at first. After all, by law he was still a married man. Sure, he suspected his wife of cheating on him in the past—maybe with several different men—but he couldn’t prove anything and certainly didn’t want revenge. This would just be an entertaining way to get his rocks off, not all that different from whacking off to a porn site or live sex show, both of which cost money. This was free and since he didn’t know Lynn—and she didn’t even know his last name—Jim knew he was safe.

So he dropped his pants, allowed Lynn to seduce him through his computer screen, played to the camera and ended his “show” with a finale so explosive it nearly shorted out his keyboard.

Seconds later, the call disconnected and Lynn’s screen went dark. Assuming it was nothing more than a bad connection, Jim spent a few minutes straightening up, pulled himself together and called Lynn to thank her for the “favor.”

There was no answer.

She was probably washing up, too, he thought to himself. So he made himself a drink, fed his dog, did a few other mundane chores and tried to call her again.

Still there was no answer, but Jim did receive an email. And he just knew that it had to be Lynn.

It wasn’t.

The message came from some anonymous source at an address Jim had never seen before. It was completely devoid of text except for the title of its only attachment, a video file labeled simply “Jim Williams.”

His heart sank, but he reluctantly scanned the file and opened it. And there he was in all his glory: recorded by Lynn while he “rubbed one out” in front of her.

Then the phone rang. Jim didn’t recognize the number on his caller ID, but answered it since it had to be Lynn this time.

It wasn’t.

On the other end was a man with a high-pitched voice who sounded Asian to Jim, but he wasn’t interested in accents. He was interested in what the man just told him: that unless he paid him $10,000, his video would be sent to all of his Facebook friends and family members.

One of whom was his wife.

Jim’s story is a tragic one because, for most of us, coming up with $10K quickly and then trusting some stranger to delete your naughty video—the same stranger who made the video and is now extorting money from you—would be extremely difficult. And with no real laws governing the internet, you couldn’t count on the authorities to help. Short of being tight with a skilled computer hacker—maybe one that owes you a favor—you would be screwed.

Just like poor Jim Williams.

Online sex scamming is a growing problem all over the world, and it’s only going to get worse. In 2012, fifty such cases were reported in Singapore alone, and even that was eleven more than the year before. And we’re talking about Singapore, a small island nation. Imagine how widespread this problem is in the United States or even Europe!

Don’t let identity theft happen to you (property of Kenney Hegland)

Incidentally, police in Singapore just busted a ring of scam artists who do precisely what I described in the cautionary tale of Jim Williams. And Graham Cluley of the web security firm Sophos points out that in cases like Jim’s, there is another danger.

“You can imagine how a man, believing he is being seduced online by a sexy woman, might be all too eager to click on a link she suggests or run a malicious program on his computer,” Cluley posted to his blog. “Before he knows it, his computer could be under the control of a hacker.”

And if that happens, a video of your wiener won’t be your biggest problem; identity theft will.

So the next time you get a friend request from a sexy young woman you don’t know, gentlemen, please think twice about accepting it. The same goes for exposing yourself to strangers online. It may seem fun and dangerous and erotic and thrilling—especially if you engage in true “cyber sex” (which doesn’t mean putting something in your computer’s USB port that’s more flesh drive than flash drive)—but the consequences could be devastating. Either keep your face and all distinguishing features, objects or furnishings hidden, or don’t do it at all.

You just never know who’s liable to see it.

Build-A-Baby

Get your made-to-order babies here (courtesy of Wired.com)

Throughout the United States and around the world, Build-A-Bear Workshops allow children to create personalized stuffed animals for a minimal cost, usually between $15 and $50.

Granted, this may not seem “minimal” to some, but it’s not all that expensive, either. In most cases, one of these animals costs less than taking the family out for dinner and a movie.

It works like this: A child selects a character and can choose from things like bears, bunnies, elephants, cats, rag dolls, lions and a host of others, all of them “maxed out” in terms of cuteness. After adding sounds or a pre-recorded song, the toys are stuffed, stitched, fluffed, named and then personalized with clothes or a costume. Embroidery can even be added.

This means that instead of buying basic teddy bears, parents can purchase stuffed animals that their kids designed themselves. These toys can be doctors, cowboys, Jedi warriors or almost anything else a child could imagine. And we all know how important it is to feed our children’s imaginations, right?

Now imagine if parents were capable of doing the same thing. Only instead of designing stuffed animals, they would be designing their own children.

Welcome to the Build-A-Baby workshop!

As far-fetched as this seems, the question of whether humans could be genetically engineered has been pondered for decades, perhaps even longer. And given all the recent advancements in technology, as well as the mapping of the human genome, this question has quickly become a controversy in the worlds of both science and medicine.

On one side are the detractors who believe genetically altered humans represent a crime against nature. They reference things like animals and crops, which have already been genetically enhanced. It’s easy to discard a vegetable that doesn’t turn out right, but would we be willing to do the same for a human being?

I can see where they’re coming from.

On the flip side are those who feel genetically engineered humans are the next step in our evolution and could help prevent diseases, disorders and a host of other issues. Processes would have to be proven safe and effective first, but then why not try to improve or upgrade our species?

I see their point, too. And honestly, I don’t know which argument is the strongest.

Could this be our future? (property of Goddard)

The most recent debate seems to be focused on a specific technology known as mitochondrial transfer. This involves replacing defective mitochondrial DNA—which is passed from mother to child and could result in birth defects, genetic disorders or even death—with mitochondria from a donor. Of course, the process isn’t perfect and for some, that’s the problem.

“We know fiddling with mitochondrial DNA may make a massive difference to what happens to nuclear DNA,” Lord Robert Winston from London’s Imperial College said recently. “Abnormal children have been born as a result of mitochondrial transfer. I think, in preventing one genetic disease, you are likely to cause another genetic disease.”

And the battle rages on.

Will there ever come a day when parents can genetically tweak their offspring? It’s certainly possible. I just hope that if and when the time comes, genetic traits don’t end up on some kind of value menu like the ones in many fast food restaurants.

And if genetically engineered humans do become a reality—which will obviously increase our species’ life expectancy—by all means, please be sure to add more parking. Things are already pretty crowded around here.

Blown Lottery Winnings

Lottery win, house loss (courtesy of totalfratmove.com)

This story could definitely qualify for the “Dumb Ass of the Week” award. Or should I say dumb asses. You be the judge.

Two brothers in Wichita, Kansas recently won a lottery jackpot of $75,000 and decided to celebrate in style. They could have splurged on expensive gifts, paid off debts or thrown a party for all their friends, but these “geniuses” went a different direction.

They bought a bunch of weed and meth and started getting high.

Unfortunately, the effects of the drugs on their mental capacities were significant. One of them decided to refuel the butane torches they used to light their bongs, emptied several large cans of the volatile substance in their kitchen and failed to notice the butane leaking into the air.

Moments later, the gas reached the oven’s pilot light and BOOM! The house exploded.

One of the brothers, who was wearing a lottery t-shirt at the time, suffered second-degree burns to his chest and hands. His girlfriend immediately rushed him to the hospital, dropped him off and left. He now remains in serious but stable condition.

Authorities quickly obtained a warrant and went to the house (or what was left of it), where they found the second brother. He admitted to having drugs and was obviously arrested on the spot.

I guess the moral of the story is the same you might get from Forrest Gump: stupid is as stupid does. And where these brothers are concerned, stupidity might just be the tip of the iceberg.

Politics As Usual

Another crooked politician (property of J Hopkins)

I’ll be honest. There was a time when I thought a career in politics might not be such a bad idea.

Bear in mind that I am no politician, never majored in Political Science, have only a basic knowledge of how it actually works and, in most cases, could care less.

Some might view these deficiencies as hindrances, but to me, they seemed like advantages. After all, don’t we normally complain about politicians being corrupt, self-serving, money-grubbing fat cats with no interest in what the people really want? Here was a chance for someone with no underhanded agenda, limited connections and some other “missing parts” (most notably no filter to prevent every thought from being verbalized) to truly represent the people.

How could everyone not vote for me?

Then reality set in and I realized that politics just isn’t my bag, baby. Why, you ask? It should be obvious.

Politics and honesty rarely go hand-in-hand. And to me, that’s the problem with our government.

Of course, that’s a story for another time.

Back when I was entertaining the thought of running for office, I can’t say the potential for big money never crossed my mind. To a layman like me, it seems that all these folks do is sit around and bicker, campaign like crazy, waste taxpayers’ money (on things like private jets and exotic vacations), enjoy seemingly endless time off, kiss special interest ass and cash in tasty paychecks.

What’s not to love, right? Maybe the ass kissing, but even that could be pleasant if it was followed by a kickback of some kind.

Then I remembered that old saying by Simon Cameron, himself a politician way back in the 1860s: “An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.” And that clinched it: politics were not for me.

These days, one of the things I find most disturbing about politics—aside from someone cheating on their dying wife and spawning a love child with a mistress—is when politicians use public funds or donations for their own selfish purposes. Some live lifestyles so lavish that they should consider changing their last names to Kardashian, for goodness sake!

Every time you turn on the news, there’s another one. Or in the case of today, another two.

Maureen O’Connor (courtesy of NBC News)

The first is Maureen O’Connor, former mayor of San Diego and the first woman to serve in that capacity in the city’s history. In court recently, O’Connor admitted that she misappropriated funds from her late husband’s foundation to feed her casino gambling addiction.

Her late husband. How sketchy is that?

In all, O’Connor stole $2 million to fund a habit that allegedly resulted in more than $1 billion in total wins and losses over the years. One BILLION dollars. That in itself would take a sizable bite out of America‘s national debt, don’t you think?

Instead, O’Connor has signed a deferred prosecution agreement and will have to pay the money back, pay her taxes and obtain treatment for her gambling addiction. Surprisingly (and I am being facetious), this came after her attorney claimed that a brain tumor affected her judgment in playing video poker.

It’s obvious she didn’t spend a lot on her defense.

The fact is, though, that O’Connor is bankrupt and ailing. She suffered a stroke in 2011 (thanks to the aforementioned tumor), underwent brain surgery and has since lost some cognitive ability.

Translation: It doesn’t look as if she can pay back the money. And in two years, O’Connor could be headed to jail for ten.

Uh oh, Maureen. It looks like John Lennon was right when he said, “Instant karma’s going to get you.” If only you had listened.

Jesse Jackson Jr. (courtesy of Reuters)

Instant karma also got another politician this week: former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.

In charges filed on Friday, federal prosecutors alleged that Jackson misused almost $800,000 in campaign funds for gifts and personal expenses. And when you hear some of the things he purchased, you will better understand why I chose higher education over politics.

Among the items purchased by the Illinois Democrat were Rolex watches, fur coats, furniture and even memorabilia from former presidents, Martin Luther King Jr. and the “King of Pop” himself, Michael Jackson. The former representative even used campaign credit cards to pay half a million bucks of his personal expenses, which I assume were things like bills, gas fill-ups, travel charges, vacations and other “amenities.”

O’Connor had a brain tumor, Jesse Jr. What’s your excuse?

Although both of these examples refer to former politicians, the truth is that they both abused their authority while in office and attempted to shortchange the American people. Or in O’Connor’s case, the American people and her dead husband.

Were politics to blame for their immoral and unethical behavior? Or were these just a few bad apples attempting to spoil the otherwise “good” bunch?

I think we all know the answer to that. And that’s why I will be staying the hell out of politics.

Consider yourselves lucky.

Country Star Takes Life

Mindy McCready, dead at 37 (courtesy of USA Today)

On a cold dark cloud with nowhere to fall but down, like a single, naked, unrelenting tear… I’m still here.

These are some of the lyrics from the title track of country star Mindy McCready’s most recent album, “I’m Still Here.” Unfortunately, words that were intended to express resilience and strength now represent tragedy.

The body of the 37-year-old singer was found Sunday on the porch of her Heber Springs, Arkansas home. Authorities report that she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Oddly enough, her boyfriend David Wilson died the very same way only a month before.

McCready first gained attention in 1996 when she released “Ten Thousand Angels,” her debut album. It sold more than two million copies and launched her career as a chart-topping country star. In all, McCready saw six of her albums and 14 of her songs reach the charts, and she was an inspiration to many artists that followed.

Sadly, McCready’s personal life was far from perfect. For years, she struggled with addiction and mental illness. And thanks to the media, most of her struggles and missteps were broadcast publicly for all the world to see.

In 2004, McCready received three years of probation for fraudulently obtaining the controlled substance Oxycontin. The following year, she was arrested for drunk driving and suffered abuse at the hands of boyfriend Billy McKnight, who was subsequently charged with attempted murder.

As if being choked by her boyfriend weren’t bad enough, 2005 also saw McCready overdose on drugs numerous times, arrested for drug charges, attempting suicide and becoming pregnant with McKnight’s child.

Another suicide attempt followed in 2008, with another drug overdose two years later. As a result, McCready joined the cast of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2010 and, it seemed to many, was poised for both recovery and a comeback.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

2010 also saw Vivid Entertainment release a sex tape entitled “Mindy McCready: Baseball Mistress” that showed the country star having sex with a boyfriend known only as “Peter.” However, it’s not widely known what effect this may have had on the young singer.

The sex tape released by Vivid Video (courtesy of Popcrunch.com)

Life got worse for McCready in 2011 when she fought a very public custody battle for her oldest son Zander. Her mother was given custody of the child and, in response, McCready took the boy and retreated to her Arkansas home. When authorities went to retrieve Zander later, they found him hiding in a closet with his mother.

It’s obvious that McCready didn’t live the life that most people associate with stardom, aside from all the negative exposure in the media, that is. What is even more tragic is the fact that just last year, things seemed to be looking up for her. McCready was planning to release a book about her life and even posted the following message to her official fan website. In retrospect, her words make this latest news even more troubling.

“I haven’t had a hit in almost a decade. I’ve been beaten, sued, robbed, arrested, jailed and evicted,” she wrote. “But I’m still here. With a handful of people that I know and trust, a revived determination, and both middle fingers up in the air, I’m ready. I’ve been here before. I’m a fighter. I’m down, but I’ll never be out.”

If only this were true.

Farewell, Mindy McCready. Here’s hoping you find the peace in death that eluded you in life.

Dorner’s Last Stand

Christopher Dorner’s Last Stand (courtesy of TENENTR00ANDERSON/YOUTUBE)

In an inevitable turn of events, it appears that someone on the user-generated online community of 4chan has created a game based on the last living moments of Christopher Dorner, the former LAPD officer whose recent killing spree just came to a tragic end.

The first-person shooter casts the player as Dorner and places him in the cabin where he was eventually surrounded by police and burned. Dorner actually died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The disturbing game is modeled after Doom and its ultimate goal is… you guessed it… to kill cops. A picture of Charlie Sheen appears along one wall of the cabin. And just outside its burning walls is a boss enemy with the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s Terminator.

The game’s start screen (courtesy of TENENTR00ANDERSON/YOUTUBE)

Incidentally, Dorner gains energy by eating fried chicken along the way. And all the cops are white, so this obviously isn’t the most racially sensitive game, either.

Despite all this, Dorner is still referred to as a “true American hero” on the game’s launch screen. And this weekend also saw protesters rally at LAPD headquarters in support of Dorner’s claims of corruption against his former department. People just don’t know what to make of this story yet. And when people are uncertain, they can do strange things.

Like making sick and demented video games, for instance.

Good News for Menendez

Senator Robert Menendez (courtesy of NY Post)

It appears that New Jersey Democrat and Senator Bob Menendez can breathe easy, at least for a while. An FBI inquiry into allegations that the senator solicited underage prostitutes hasn’t produced enough evidence for authorities to proceed.

Whew! That was a close one.

The feds were looking into claims that Menendez and one of his best friends, eye doctor and million-dollar donor Salomon Melgen, flew to the Dominican Republic numerous times to attend prostitution parties with girls far below the legal age.

Melgen is currently under investigation for Medicare fraud of roughly $9 million.

Suspicion of shady dealings heightened when Menendez reimbursed Melgen more than $58,000 for the cost of flying to the DR for some “sex tourism.” And since Menendez is still under investigation for pushing a lucrative contract Melgen’s way, ensuring his pal receive a hefty payout in the process, this latest victory is even sweeter still.

So congratulations to you, Senator Menendez. Since no one can prove you went to parties with underage prostitutes, it appears that you’re off the hooker… whoops… I mean, hook.

Feel free to return to your duties representing the people of New Jersey. I’m sure many of them are wondering why their senator’s name keeps popping up in the news with words like “prostitution” and “kickbacks.”

Or maybe they’re like me and realize that when it comes to modern politics, stuff like this is just business as usual.