Louisiana Police Claim Hakkens Said They Were "Taking a Journey to the Armageddon”

In response
to overwhelming calls for information about the Florida couple who
"abducted" their own children yesterday, the Slidell Police
Department in Slidell, Louisiana, has issued a press release about
the
June 2012 arrest of Joshua Hakken and the confiscation of his
children: 

In June of 2012, Joshua and Sharon Hakken were staying at a
local hotel in Slidell. The Slidell Police Department
was called in reference to a disturbance involving Mr. and
Mrs. Hakken. When police arrived, both Mr. and Mrs.
Hakken were acting in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers.
They were talking about “completing their ultimate journey”
and were traveling across the country to “take a journey to
the Armageddon”. Let it be noted that both of their
children were present in the hotel room at the time.

Based off their behavior, and the fact that narcotics and
weapons were located inside of the hotel room,
officers contacted the Office of Child Services (OCS). OCS
determined that the children were in danger and needed to be
taken into custody by the State of Louisiana and temporarily
placed in a foster home. Mr. Hakken was placed under arrest
for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,
and the Use of a Controlled and Dangerous Substance in
the Presence of Minors. Officers also took custody of several
weapons for safe keeping.

Approximately two weeks later, Slidell Police were notified that
Mr. Hakken had shown up to the foster family home (somewhere
in Hammond, LA) with a firearm demanding the return of his
children. The foster parents called 911, and Mr. Hakken fled
without his children. We have heard nothing until yesterday.
Slidell Police was contacted by the FBI and the authorities
from Florida to inform us about the kidnapping. They requested any
and all information that we had on the Hakken’s.

I asked the Slidell Police Department for Hakken's arrest
report, and was told that it's being kept private because Hakken's
drug charges are still pending. As I noted in an update a few
minutes ago, the Slidell Police Department says the claim that
Hakken was arrested at an "anti-government rally" simply isn't
true, and they don't know where it came from.

Earlier today, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Hakken
uses the name "SailingBull" on various message boards (he owns a
sailboat, and he's a graduate of USF, which has a bull mascot).
After looking through nearly all of
Hakken's 190+ posts on the Kel-Tec Owner's Group, I got the
impression of a normal guy with libertarian/Tea Party leanings. He
posted about opposing the death penalty, the war on drugs, and the
Patriot Act; about loving his wife and sons; and about his
enthusiasm for sailing, firearms, and building a new grill in their
backyard. The "Armageddon" line is particularly confusing seeing as
Hakken appears to be a member of secularhomeschool.com,
where, in 2010, he described himself as an atheist: 

I definitely plan on teaching about different religions to my
children when it comes up in context of other studies: i.e.
history, social studies, geography, philosophy... Right now we're
in the pre-preschool phase so I've got time.

As far as teaching the dogma of any particular religion, I will
probably limit my teaching of that in context with what / why
people believe and how it has / will affect the actions of
people. 

Personally, I think every religion from Christianity to Athiesm
is a plague. The notion that we can answer questions we have no
knowledge base for is rediculous. While there may be redeeming
lessons from a particular religion, most organized faiths have
historically been used to shed personal responsibility while
stripping the individual of personal rights and freedoms of it's
congregation.

Religion does not teach moral value, the best it can accomplish is
to coexist and not intrude on such values.

It's worth noting that law enforcement in Florida are painting
the Hakkens as anti-government extremists at the same time police
in Louisiana are describing them as death cultists. I suppose they
could be both, but they could also be neither. 

Previous posts on the Hakkens, who are still at large,
here and
here. 

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Sequestration Cuts Mean Unemployment For Workers At Washington Nuclear Site

When Travis Stephens first heard the word "sequestration," he thought it was nothing to worry about.

"They said the sequestration -- they talked about it a year ago and everybody said it will never get to that," Stephens said. "It's pretty frustrating. I don't fully understand it."

Stephens said that he doesn't pay much attention to politics, but he does know the regular budgeting process has been dysfunctional during the years of Barack Obama's presidency and that sequestration is a symptom of that dysfunction. The cuts kicked in last month and forced the federal government to find $85 billion worth of savings this year. Now Stephens is out of a job.

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Easter Bunny Pulled Over for Helmet Law Violation

Gets away with warning, though, in the true Easter spirit of
charity and forgiveness,
reports
CBS Los Angeles:

Brian Pennings, a public information officer for the CHP in East
County, told CBSLA that an officer was on routine patrol on
Interstate 8 when he observed a man dressed up as a giant rabbit on
a motorcycle traveling down the highway near San Diego.

Pennings said the officer proceeded to make a traffic stop after
noticing the bunny wasn’t wearing a helmet. Also, he said, the
costume posed a safety concern as it was a visual impairment.

Pennings said the man told the officer he was headed to a
charity event. He was given a verbal warning but was not issued a
citation...

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Male African-American Unemployment Is Over 50 Percent Among Dropouts

More than half of male African-American high school dropouts are unemployed, according to a new online analysis of unemployment data by Remapping Debate, a left-of-center news site in New York.

“This is an emergency, this is a catastrophe [but Washington is] not rating it as a catastrophe,” said the site’s editor, Craig Gurian, told The Daily Caller.

The rate is “unbelievable, it is unbelievable,” said a Republican Senate staff member.

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ANALYSTS: Why 2013 May Be The Year For Smartwatches

Amid much speculation on the future of the "smartwatch," the consensus is growing: the time is right.

In recent weeks, reports have surfaced about plans for smartwatches from tech giants Apple, Samsung and Google, with launches possible later this year.

"I think we have reached a tipping point," said Avi Greengart, analyst on consumer devices at the research firm Current Analysis.

Greengart said 2013 may be the year for the smartwatch because "the components have gotten small enough and cheap enough" and a large number of consumers now have smartphones that can connect to a wearable device.

The idea of the connected watch has been around for at least a decade: Microsoft had one in 2003. And some devices are already on the market including from Sony, the crowdfunded maker Pebble and Italian-based firm i'm.

Up to now, smartwatches have been able to connect to phones wirelessly to give users signals about new messages, and allow some limited Web access.

But analysts say once they gain traction, app developers can come up with new functions, possibly drawing on health and fitness monitoring devices now in use.

The likely entry of new heavyweight players like Apple "can catalyze the market," Greengart said, while noting that any new device has to prove its utility to consumers.

"This is a market that needs to be created."

Even though Apple has maintained its customary silence on the subject, that has not stopped speculation on the Internet, including a likely design of a curved glass "iWatch."

ABI Research predicts that smartwatches and other wearable computing devices will "explode in popularity over the next year" and grow to 485 million annual device shipments by 2018.

"The furor about wearable technologies, particularly smart watches and smart glasses is unsurprising," said ABI analyst Josh Flood.

"Apple's curved glass-based watch could prove to be a revelation in the wearable technologies market. The major question is whether the digital time piece will act as a complimentary device to the company's iPhone smartphones or as a standalone product with other functionalities like health or activity tracking capabilities."

Citi analyst Oliver Chen said the smartwatch segment, which now includes devices from Fossil and Movado, could easily evolve into a $6 billion annual business with "higher than average" profit margins.

"A successful smartwatch likely needs to create a completely new market and not compete on fashion or luxury brand prestige," Chen said.

Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps noted that "the body is the next frontier for personal computing," and that "it seems like only a matter of time before Apple enters the market directly."

Epps said that this market could grow because "consumers love their smartphones, and there is some appeal in having an additional touchpoint," which could allow a user to check messages or use other smartphone apps from the wrist.

But she noted that there are several other potential types of competing wearable computing devices, including Google Glass and other "smart" eyeglasses.

"I'm not convinced the smartwatch is the killer form factor," Epps told AFP.

Danielle Levitas, analyst at the research firm IDC, said there is an opportunity for smartwatches and other wearable devices because consumers want to be connected without pulling out a phone, which might be impolite in some situations.

"It's less rude to glance at your wrist than to take your phone from your back pocket," she said.

But it will take some time for the market to sort out what consumers want.

"You could have a device with all the smarts embedded, or a device with lower costs that connects to a smartphone," Levitas said.

Pricing of a fully autonomous watch could be $300 or more, she noted, plus data charges, but a smartphone-linked device may cost as little as $100.

Levitas said manufacturers will have to find the right size of display -- large enough to be useful without being cumbersome.

"It's going to be harder for women than men," she said.

"If it's big enough to be useful, it may look totally dorky. This may only appeal to certain segments."

Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.

SEE ALSO: The Smartwatch Battle Is On: What An Apple, Google, And Samsung Smartwatch Means For You

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Best Parenting Tweets: What Moms And Dads Said On Twitter This Week

It's always fun -- and a little bit scary -- to show off your former life as a non-parent to your children. Whether you're sharing school pictures or the wedding album, it's amazing to see what kids think of Mommy and Daddy before they were Mommy and Daddy. So what if one of piece of your history was appearing as the ultimate teen heroine in possibly the most classic 80s movie ever? Molly Ringwald answered that question for us this week when she tweeted, "Showing 'Pretty in Pink' to my nine year old for the first time. She's 'Team Duckie.'"

Clearly, we could stop right there and call our beloved brat-packer's statement the parenting tweet of the week, but many moms and dads were in top form on Twitter, thanks in part to Easter planning. Click through the gallery below to see our favorite quips and make sure to follow @HuffPostParents!

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JIM ROGERS: 'You Better Run For The Hills'

The EU/IMF raiding bank accounts in Cyprus to bail out the country's financial system sets a dangerous precedent and investors should "run for the hills" said investor Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, on "Squawk on the Street" Thursday. 

Rogers said that with Cyprus, politicians are saying that this is a special case and urging people not to worry, but that is exactly why investors should be concerned.

"What more do you need to know? Please, you better hurry, you better run for the hills. I'm doing it anyway," Rogers said. "I want to make sure that I don't get trapped. Think of all the poor souls that just thought they had a simple bank account. Now they find out that they are making a 'contribution' to the stability of Cyprus. The gall of these politicians."

"If you're going to listen to government, you're going to go bankrupt very quickly," he added.

"I, for one, am making sure I don't have too much money in any one specific bank account anywhere in the world, because now there is a precedent," he said. "The IMF has said 'sure, loot the bank accounts' the EU has said 'loot the bank accounts' so you can be sure that other countries when problems come, are going to say, 'well, it's condoned by the EU, it's condoned by the IMF, so let's do it too.'" 

Jim Rogers, a voice closely followed by market participants, began shorting financials, home builders and Fannie Mae in 2006, and is famous for co-founding the Quantum Group of Funds with billionaire George Soros. Quantum is famously regarded for "breaking" the Bank of England and forcing a devaluation of the pound.

Rogers said that he has started the process in several European countries to get his bank accounts under the insured amounts. "Everybody should do the same thing too, because they're going to go crazy the next time around," he said.

In Europe, Rogers said that he owns Swiss francs and several long-term investments he's had for decades, but added that he is "certainly not buying there. It's pretty scary what's going on in Europe, especially when they're taking money out of people's bank accounts."

On the stock market hitting all-time highs, Rogers said that "it is very artificial. If you give me a trillion dollars, I'll show you a good time too and a lot of people are having a good time. I'm somewhat skeptical because I know it's going to end badly." 

"I'm certainly not investing in the U.S., because the U.S. is making all-time highs based on money printing," he said, adding that he's put money in Russia and Japan recently. "The whole world is benefiting from all this money being printed, but there are better places than where the all-time high is." 

— By CNBC's Paul Toscano. Follow him on Twitter and get the latest stories from "Squawk on the Street" @ToscanoPaul

 

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INSTANT MBA: Find Out What Has Meaning To You And Go After It

Today's advice comes from Kay Krill, president and CEO of Ann Taylor, via Bloomberg Business Week:

"I graduated from college, and I did not know what I wanted to do. Macy’s came to campus to interview for their training program, and I thought, 'Let me give it a try.' I got the job and fell in love with the industry. The president of Macy’s at the time said, 'If you don’t wake up every morning dying to go to work, then retailing is not for you; it has to be in your blood.' It was in my blood."

Krill says you need to be passionate about what you do. The more you put off pursuing your dreams, the more unhappy you'll be in the long run. The secret is to know what you want and fight for it. Although this is easier said than done, once you embark on the long journey of saying 'no' to those things in life that don't matter, you will find yourself a lot happier. It's a long term investment that is worth the effort and the sooner you realize it, the better. 

"One of my favorite mentors said to me that you have to learn to jettison the people and things out of your life that just don’t matter and put 100 percent of your energy into things that do have meaning to you. That was very liberating for me. I used to go to all these places because I couldn’t say no. Now I pick and choose, and I say no very easily, because I know what’s important to me. I only wish that I learned how to do that earlier in my life."

Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.

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China's Smear Campaign Against Apple Isn't Working

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese Internet users are crying foul over the perceived unfair treatment doled out to Apple Inc by state-run media which has actively criticized the smartphone maker for the past two weeks over its warranty policy.

Apple and Volkswagen AG were singled out on March 15 by state-run China Central Television in its annual corporate malpractice expose. CCTV accused Apple of having discriminatory after-sales service in China compared to the rest of the world.

Other state-run outlets have also run articles and editorials criticizing Apple. On Wednesday, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, ran an editorial attacking Apple for being filled with "unparalleled arrogance".

The editorial was rapidly shared by thousands of micro bloggers on Sina Corp's Weibo platform but panned by many users who discredited the newspaper.

"Shameless People's Daily jealously scolding people... A brain-dead product of the Cultural Revolution, old and so disgusting," said one micro blogger.

Other users were upset at the targeting of a foreign firm over a petty issue.

"We ordinary people feel that Apple is good and the government is trash. There's obviously an implemented warranty policy, why must (Apple) be treated differently?" said one user.

Another user asked where the newspaper was when it came to reporting on corrupt on local ministries and poisonous milk.

"Do you wish to transfer our focus? Get the ordinary people to curse and blame useless things? There's toxic air, toxic water and tainted milk...We are not fools!" said another user.

The intense push-back from Internet users indicates the strong reputation of Apple in China and shows the waning ability of China's state propaganda apparatus to manage opinion online, analysts say.

"Some users may feel that there is an agenda behind focusing on Apple that has more to do with pointing the finger at a famous international brand than the desire to highlight genuine concerns for consumers," said Torsten Stocker, head of Monitor Deloitte's Greater China consumer and retail practice.

Foreign firms are often taken to task very publicly in China where their businesses and reputations are on the line. Late last year, Yum Brands Inc's said its sales suffered after CCTV ran a report on the use of antibiotics in its KFC chickens.

That story went viral on Weibo, which has over 500 million users, and many Weibo users criticized Yum's handling of the incident. Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China and Beijing faces the constant headache on how to balance censorship while letting its citizens blow off steam.

Apple said in a statement on Saturday that it respected Chinese consumers and that its warranty policies were roughly the same worldwide with specific adjustments to adhere to Chinese law.

"Apple has come out relatively unscathed in this situation because consumers have had largely positive experiences with the brand," said Benjamin Cavender, associate principal analyst at China Market Research in Shanghai.

As for Volkswagen, CCTV said the direct shift gearbox transmission was causing some cars to speed up or slow down during driving.

Last week Volkswagen, which sells more cars in China than any other foreign firm, said it would recall 384,181 vehicles there to fix the problem.

(Editing by Kazunori Takada)

Copyright (2013) Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions

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