The 2013 Shiitake Awards has arrived! Voting ends January 31, 2014

Voting for the 2013 Annual Shiitake Awards show has officially begun. YOU CAN CLICK HERE to listen to the 2013 Shiitake Awards Selection Show.

Voting begins now, just click on the following link to go to SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R3K98V5

Below is a full list of the candidates and the reason for their selection. Many are nominated but few make it to the finals. This year, a selection committee narrowed total candidates to three per category. I hope this will make voting easier and more fun.

Which of the following is the DUMBEST NEW LAW of 2013?   

1. H.R.2642: Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, Sec. 4037: This amendment to the Food Stamp bill was created by the diaper-wearing David Vitter. If it passes, will deny Registered Citizens food stamps for life, and states cannot opt out of the provision
2. Miami Ordinance moves to remove homeless Registrants from Pottinger Homeless Protection Act: Miami has petitioned the court to exclude registrants from a 1998 decision which granted protections against police abuse of the homeless and in assistance for finding permanent housing.
3. Montana SB 113: If passed, this bill would have allowed past allegations, even false allegations, to be used against you in court. This would have violated due process. Thankfully, it died in standing committee

2. Which of the following politicians deserves the WORST POLITICO award for 2013?

Which of the following politicians deserves the WORST POLITICO award for 2013?   

1. Bradford Co FL Sheriff Gordon Smith: Posted red signs in the yards of “sexual predators” in his community, and posed for pictures in an Abu Ghraib-like fashion. 
2. FL judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens: Judge Sanchez-Lliorens refused to release a man wrongfully incarcerated for 25 years, despite the jury recommendation for immediate release.
3. Laura Ahearn, Parents for Megan’s Law: Cites vigilante attack site Evil Unveiled as a relevant source when attacking a critic of her work of harassing registrants in her community.

Which of the following journalists deserve the award for WORST NEWS MUTT of the year 2013?

1. Sally Kestin and Dana Williams, FL Sun Sentinel: After reading their fearmongering headline “Sexual Predators Unleashed” in the Sun Slantinel, which declared 500 or so registered citizens not civilly committed reoffended over a 14 year period, FloriDUH pols have created a series of stupid bills. This article, of course, was written in response to the Cherish Perrywinkle case.
2. Maxine Bernstein, The Oregonian: What better way to unveil the new version of The Oregonian than to declare your state a “per capita” sex offender haven? Especially given your proverbial “haven” is a county the size of Vermont with a population of 7,000 people. Furthermore, she insisted on sticking with the premise of the article after being given the facts by activists.
3. Jeanne Sager, Café Mom writer: Sager suggested that a woman who lost custody of her kid to a (falsely accused) registered citizen should kidnap the child and go into hiding. She ignored the fact that the woman was declared unfit by a judge and that the registrant is most likely innocent of his initial crime.

Say what? Which of the following quotes is the DUMBEST QUOTE of 2013?

1. Bruce M. Ferg, US Attorney (AZ), on prosecuting a 10 year old kid as a sex offender: "My opinion is this is the best thing that could've happened to the kid..."It is not vague to say, 'If you do this kind of activity, we don't care what age you are, you are liable for prosecution.' "
2. Lauren Book, victim industry advocate: "In so many instances these individuals should never ever be allowed out for a second chance, they're ticking time bombs, it’s not a question if they re-offend, it's a question of when they re-offend."
3. Jefferson Co. AL Randy Christian on registration during a disaster: "We hold them accountable every day of the year and when they come in to register we let them know there will be no excuses, not even a disaster. We take a no excuses approach with those guys. We think that that's necessary and think it's the right thing to do. And that's just the way we're going to handle it. Listen if they, even if they go to a shelter, we notify the people in the shelter just like we would notify a community when one moves in."

Which of the following candidates most deserves the "EVERYDAY ZEROES 2013" award? This is the category for everyday citizens and wannabe vigilantes.   

1. Bubba the Love Sponge: Long time controversial Florida shock jock follows example of fellow Shiitake nominee Sheriff Gordan and posts self-made red “predator” signs at the homes of registrants just before halloween in a publicity stunt.
2. Meg Lanker-Simons: The University of Wyoming Feminist/ Politial Blogger who created a fake account and threatened to rape herself in lame attempt to garner attention for her blog
3. Sara Ylen of Michigan: She falsely accused a man for rape over a decade ago, gaining fame and fortune in the process. This year, she was finally arrested for making another false allegation.

HOLY SHIITAKES is the category for the dumbest sex offender/ Registered Citizen related story of the year. Which story most deserves this award?

1. Kevin Alan Tussy’s Google Glass Facial Recognition App --- Aside from teaching people how to circumvent the Google Glass ban on facial scanners, Tussy is using registrants to justify violation the ethics code to sell his face scanners and to try to make millions.
2. Registrant arrested for having one bullet in his car --- Nicholas Elizondo can’t catch a break. First, the guy served time for a crime he most assuredly didn't commit after being prosecuted by one of the chief proponents of the Satanic Ritual Abuse panic in Bakersfield. Then, the guy has been ridiculed for winning custody of his child after the mother was proven to be an unfit parent. Now, the guy was arrested, and his child taken away, because cops say they found a single bullet in his car.
3. NC Registrant arrested for attending church ---- Lincoln County officials say Bandy attended worship services Nov. 24 and last Sunday at New Vision Ministries in Lincolnton. Investigators say Bandy also attended Sunday school. Deputies say that put Bandy within 300 feet of the church’s day care and Sunday school classes for children. He was arrested Wednesday and released on $5,000 bond.

The ICBS NATIONAL CHUMPionship is the category for worst state of the year. Which of the following states do you feel is the worst state of 2013?  

1. FLORIDA --- FloriDUH has won three of first five Shiitake Awards. In the wake of the Cherish Perrywinkle case and the subsequent Sun-Slantinel article sounding the alarm about "sexual predators" who dodged civil commitment and later reoffended, FloriDUH is already looking to pass a barrage of knee jerk laws. In addition, Miami just removed registrants from a homeless rights protection bill.
2. NEW YORK --- Suffolk County gave registration verification powers to the non-profit group Parents For Megan's Law and founder Laura Ahearn, at a cost of $1.2 Million a year.
3. ALABAMA --- Two politicians try each year (failing, thankfully) to pass two bad bills. Kurt Wallace seeks to pass anti-clustering laws, and Steve Hurst wants to pass a mandatory surgical castration bill for all Registrants with victims age 12 or younger.